Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor and remember the extraordinary life of Sheriff Reuel Todd. Sheriff Todd, affectionately known by everyone in Oswego as Moe, was a loving husband, father, and grandfather, who passed away on August 21, 2023, but not without making an indelible impact on our community.

Sheriff Moe Todd's lifelong dedication to service began on June 29, 1974, when he joined the Oswego County Sheriff's Department. With unwavering commitment and relentless determination, he climbed the ranks, becoming a sergeant, a criminal investigator, and eventually the undersheriff in 1984. His tenure culminated with his election as the sheriff of Oswego County in 1998, a role he fulfilled with honor and distinction for an impressive 20 years.

Throughout his career, Sheriff Todd was laser focused on the safety and well-being of his colleagues and the communities he served. He was a tireless advocate for everyone in the Oswego County Sheriff's Department, fighting hard for essential equipment, training, and fair pay for his team. His unwavering commitment to their safety and success was evidence of his character and leadership.

In 2022, the Oswego County legislature recognized his exceptional service to our community by dedicating the Oswego County Public Safety Building in his name, a fitting tribute to his enduring legacy. I was honored to be in attendance with a very huge crowd, all confirmation that his compassion and his excellent service to his community was appreciated by so many.

Moe and his beloved wife, Valerie, shared 55 years of marriage. He was not only a loving husband, but also a devoted father to his son, Michael, his daughter, Jolene, and proud grandfather to Kaitlynn. His family meant the world to him, and he always found time for family dinners, ball games, school activities, holidays, and precious moments with all of them.

Moe coached baseball and softball, demonstrating his strong interest in investing in the growth and development of young athletes and future leaders. He was always ready to lend a hand for fundraisers and community events, embodying the spirit of selflessness. Moe had a unique ability to connect with people from all walks of life, treating everyone with the same respect and kindness, regardless of their background or circumstances. His honest and very frank demeanor--and, yes, he was very frank--and a wonderful sense of humor was appreciated by everyone he met.

In 2021, Moe faced one of his greatest challenges when he was diagnosed with ALS. Yet, even in the face of this relentless and cruel disease, he displayed incredible strength and resilience. He never once complained or engaged in self-pity. Instead, his first thoughts were of others facing the same struggle. Moe and his family organized the annual ``Stronger with Moe'' chicken barbecue, with all proceeds going to the ALS Association of Upstate New York to support families struggling with ALS. His determination to help others, even while suffering from this agonizing disease, was truly inspiring.

Tragically, Moe lost his battle with ALS on August 31, 2023, but his legacy of kindness, compassion, and service will live on in the hearts of all who knew him. As a tribute to his memory, his family will continue the ``Stronger with Moe'' chicken barbecue, ensuring that his spirit of helping others endures.

Today, as we honor and remember Moe, let us take inspiration from his life, let us strive to embody the values he held dear--humility, compassion, and a commitment to making our communities better for everyone. Moe's life reminds us that the impact we make on others through small acts of kindness, or a lifetime of service is what truly matters in the end.

May God bless Moe, his family, and the community he served and loved so deeply.

Mike Woodward, Champion for Wetland Conservation

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to Mike Woodward, a resident of Oakfield, New York, whose dedication to conservation has left a lasting impression on our community for many generations to come.

Mike started his path in the conservation field in the 1970s when he attended his very first Ducks Unlimited dinner. There he was inspired to partner with Ducks Unlimited to champion wetland protection. He was committed to the cause of wetland protection for almost 50 years. Mike served on the national Ducks Unlimited board, where he was better able to enhance his impact and improvements to wetland conservation.

Mike Woodward's influence extends far beyond his own achievements, as his passion for conservation has touched the lives of his children and grandchildren and left an indelible mark on their values and priorities.

Today, I rise to proclaim that Mike Woodward is recognized as a champion of wetland conservation. Mike's legacy of unwavering dedication and visionary leadership has inspired others to embrace the same cause and thus will ensure a better future for conservation efforts and the preservation of our natural world.

Honoring the Life of Anthony Mazurkiewicz

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3838, bipartisan legislation that honors and remembers the life and legacy of Rochester, New York, fallen police officer, Anthony Mazurkiewicz. Officer Mazurkiewicz was killed in the line of duty on July 21, 2022.

This bill would rename the post office facility in his hometown of Avon, New York, in his honor. I thank my cosponsor, Congressman Joe Morelle, for joining me in this bipartisan and important effort.

Officer Mazurkiewicz began his law enforcement service in 1988, receiving multiple awards throughout a career that spanned nearly 35 years. Beyond the badge and uniform, Officer Mazurkiewicz was a loving father, a devoted husband, and an amazing friend. He exemplified excellence in law enforcement.

We will never forget Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz' sacrifice. This legislation honors his incredible legacy, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

I thank his lovely widow so much who has given me this beautiful plastic band that honors and remembers his life and legacy.

Honoring Wayne Central School Teachers and Students

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss a very tragic occurrence but yet something with a great ending, with bus crash heroes, as we call them in Wayne County.

On September 27, in Wayne County, New York, a Wayne Central schoolbus carrying 22 students and 3 staff was traveling north on the road back toward school when tragedy struck.

Three courageous staff members, driver Deb Hibbard along with teachers Maureen Doyle and Lori Sozio, took immediate action in protecting their students after a harrowing accident due to the carelessness of a driver behind the bus.

As the bus came to a stop, Deb noticed smoke billowing from the front and, without hesitation, urged everyone to evacuate. In a matter of moments, all three staff members sprang into action to ensure the safety of each and every passenger.

In the midst of the chaos, two students, Brody Constable and Colin Schrage, who were seated at the back of the bus, displayed remarkable bravery as they aided the remaining students and staff off the rear of the bus, a 5-foot drop, allowing them to move away from the fire.

Due to the quick actions of these heroes, within just 1 minute of the collision, all 25 passengers were safely evacuated.

By the end of the second minute, the entire bus, including the passenger compartment, was engulfed in flames.

The selflessness and heroism of Brody, Colin, Deb, Maureen, and Lori in the face of immediate danger serve as an inspiration to all of us.

Mr. Speaker, I also send many thanks to the emergency servicemembers in the local fire departments of Lincoln, Ontario, Walworth, as well as Wayne and Williamson ambulance service, who were promptly on the scene.

We commend and honor all of these heroes for their unwavering courage and dedication to the safety of others.

Recognizing Paramedics Karen Gavin and Matt Devine

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize paramedics Karen Gavin and Matt Devine of the Lockport Fire Department for heroically saving the lives of a mother and her baby this past March.

Dispatchers received a report of a pregnant woman who was in distress and bleeding heavily. The ambulance arrived in less than 5 minutes. Gavin and Devine immediately began to administer treatment and prepared the patients for transport.

While en route to the hospital, the woman went into labor and began to give birth prematurely. As this happened, the paramedics immediately stopped the ambulance, called for backup, and jumped into action. Employing years of training, they were able to safely deliver the baby and protect the mother's life.

Today, both the mother and child are home and healthy due to the heroic and expert actions of Karen Gavin and Matt Devine of the Lockport Fire Department.

This story is a perfect example of the hard work and expertise of our first responders, who have answered the call to serve our communities and those in need.

Mr. Speaker, I thank paramedics Karen Gavin and Matt Devine and the Lockport Fire Department for their

compassionate and dedicated service to our community.

recognizing laurence ``sparky'' rector

Mr. Speaker, I rise to wish Laurence J. Rector a happy belated 100th birthday. Laurence, a World War II veteran, commonly known as Sparky, began his education in Mexico, New York, at Mexico Academy and from there earned his bachelor of science degree from Ithaca College in 1948. He then continued his education at Syracuse University, St. Lawrence University, and Oswego State University.

Sparky began his service as a corporal in the United States Army in 1942 and was honorably discharged in 1945. During his service, he completed three major campaigns, earning him three battle stars, two amphibious landings, and the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in combat.

Sparky lived an active and inspired life. He loved sports and was involved in numerous sports associations and coached track, basketball, cross country, tennis, and baseball, creating a lasting impact on the children he worked with and on our communities.

On behalf of Congress and all of New York-24, I wish Sparky a happy belated 100th birthday and thank him for his honorable service to our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 8 o'clock and 49 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Tuesday, December 12, 2023, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer my amendment to prohibit funding for President Biden's Executive Order No. 14019, titled: ``Executive Order on Promoting Access to Voting.''

This executive order requires Federal agencies to use their power, influence, resources, and funding to enter into agreements with nongovernmental organizations to conduct voter registration and other questionable mobilization activities.

Mr. Chair, this executive order is nothing but a thinly veiled attempt to transform the Federal Government into a partisan get-out- the-vote machine for Democrats.

America's civil service should be nonpartisan, and Federal agencies should not be using taxpayer funds to actively engage in get-out-the- vote operations that have nothing to do with the agency's core missions.

Mr. Chair, President Biden should not be weaponizing the Federal Government by using American taxpayer dollars to manipulate our elections.

To protect the integrity of our elections, this unilateral executive action must be stopped.

As the founder and chair of the Election Integrity Caucus, it is my privilege to introduce this amendment to restore transparency and confidence in our democratic process while keeping Federal bureaucrats and the swamp from deliberately tipping the balance at the ballot box.

While I wholeheartedly support the right of every American citizen to vote, I do not support this blatantly partisan mobilization of the Federal Government for political purposes. No citizen should have their vote diluted by Federal bureaucrats.

Mr. Chair, let me highlight a few other amendments I submitted that I was disappointed were not made in order that are worthy of mention.

First, my amendment No. 93 would insert the text of the Susan Muffley Act into this bill. This amendment would have righted a grave injustice against over 20,000 Delphi salaried retirees. While I am disappointed it was not made in order, I will continue to push tirelessly to make my constituents and all the Delphi salaried employees whole.

Second, my amendment No. 97 would have required the Secretary of Labor to report on the efficacy of spending on technical and compliance assistance to avoid heat-related illnesses. This report was first proposed by the Timothy J. Barber Act, which I introduced in honor of my late constituent, Timothy Barber, who passed away from heat-related illnesses.

Finally, Representative Bishop's amendment No. 150, which I cosponsored, to restore Job Corps funding--while I am very disappointed that Job Corps was left unfunded in this bill, I hope that Congress can find a way to restore Job Corps funding through conference committees.

Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to vote in support of my election integrity amendment to stop the Biden administration from turning our Federal Government into a get-out-the-vote machine for the Democrats.

Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, with all due respect to the gentlewoman from Connecticut, none of the specious political falsities that she just described have anything to do with enhancing the right of each citizen to vote in each election.

This is an inappropriate and unconstitutional federalization of elections, something that is prohibited by the Constitution that every single person in this room has taken an oath to uphold.

Nothing has been more devastating to election integrity than the kind of interference and mission creep that we are seeing by this weaponized Biden administration to try to take our elections and try to manipulate the vote.

One citizen, one vote is the most sacred honor that we have as citizens. This needs to be protected under our Constitution. Election integrity is definitely considered under the purview of the States.

Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, quickly, with all due respect, this amendment has nothing to do with what the gentlewoman is talking about. It has nothing to do with whether our military personnel, including my own son, have the right to vote in elections.

This has to do with the weaponization and use of taxpayer dollars to interfere with and manipulate elections. It should not be part of our Federal spending. It should not be something that should be used by partisans in the bureaucracy to try to prime the pump to get more Democrats out to vote and to use it as a get-out-the-vote scheme. It is totally inappropriate.

This amendment should be passed by my colleagues, and this executive order should be stricken.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment to reduce the salary of Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House Press Secretary, to $1.

Mr. Chair, during Ms. Jean-Pierre's tenure as press secretary, she has repeatedly lied to the American people and acted in a condescending manner toward reporters, and she has also violated the Hatch Act.

Just to name a few of her lies, Ms. Jean-Pierre has claimed that illegal immigration is down under the Biden administration. She also claimed that nobody is just walking in across the southern border.

She also claimed that the 2016 election was stolen. She also claimed that Governor Brian Kemp stole the 2018 Governor race from Stacey Abrams. She also claimed that the Biden stimulus bill did not impact inflation. She also claimed critical race theory or its equivalent isn't being taught in our schools. She also claimed that nobody has done more for the southern border or our border in general than Joe Biden.

Mr. Chair, how can somebody with such a history of deceit continue to serve as the liaison for the President and the American people?

The American people should not be forced to pay the salary of an individual who dispenses bold-faced lies to the American people while they foot the bill.

Ms. Jean-Pierre also has a history of anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric.

For example, she called AIPAC racist and Islamophobic for supporting Israel. She wrote an op-ed that pro-Israel policies and values are not progressive values, which I think many of my Democratic colleagues even would contest.

Mr. Chair, I urge all my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment to use the Holman rule to reduce the White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre's salary to $1.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I respect the views of the gentleman in opposition. However, the American taxpayers are beleaguered now with inflation and with high energy costs, and dispensing lies from the White House--our own White House--from the press secretary knowingly is not something that the American people should tolerate or have to pay for, quite honestly.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, inflammatory language comes out of Karine Jean-Pierre. In fact, she is an election denier. She claimed that the election of 2016 was stolen. She claimed that Stacey Abrams actually beat Governor Brian Kemp in the election of 2018. An election denier is standing at the podium of the White House actually dispensing even more misinformation to the American people at their expense.

Mr. Chair, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to offer my amendment to prohibit any funding to finalize, implement, or enforce the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council's proposed ``Federal Acquisition Regulation: Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate-Related Financial Risk'' rule.

Mr. Chair, this disastrous rule proposed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council has numerous constitutional, national security, and practical concerns, none of which have been adequately addressed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council, otherwise known as FAR, nor has the Council on Environmental Quality done its due diligence. Both agencies have pushed for this rule in spite of a lack of due diligence.

First and foremost, this rule requires all Federal contractors that do business of more than $50 million with the Federal Government to disclose all scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. This includes everything from emissions produced by the contractor to the emissions produced by mere office supplies that they buy for their employees.

We debated the ridiculousness of scope 3 emissions earlier, but this is simply not practical or helpful to the American people. This rule also seeks to require major Federal contractors to comply with the Paris climate accords, a flawed deal that has never been ratified by the Senate. However, the most objectionable part concerning this rule is the requirement that companies set climate targets and then have them validated by a company called Science Based Targets initiative, or SBTi.

SBTi is a foreign--and I emphasize ``foreign''--London-based company, which inherently has national security concerns. Under this rule, every major Federal contractor, including companies critical to our national security, is required to provide this foreign company with information about all of their scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions and then strategize with this foreign company about how to reduce them.

Despite the existence of numerous American-based companies that could fill this same role, the FAR Council and CEQ chose a foreign company as the named sole-source provider. Why? Because SBTi is nothing but a front for Democratic donors and Democratic advocacy groups.

SBTi is owned by the We Mean Business Coalition, which is a project of the New Venture Fund, which is managed by the famous Arabella Advisors.

Arabella Advisors, for those who do not know, is the George Soros- funded,

leftwing advocacy group that funnels dark money to leftwing causes and candidates.

To summarize, the Biden administration has named this subsidiary, one of their top donor's leftwing dark money organizations, as the sole- source provider for all climate target validating for all major Federal contractors.

During a hearing in the Science, Space, and Technology Committee on this rule, even the Democrats' witness said that the SBTi was a poor choice for this role, yet the Biden administration continues to forge ahead with this rule anyway.

I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee to get to the bottom of this rule's suspicious creation, and I continue to urge the committee to subpoena CEQ Chair Brenda Mallory to answer these concerns so the American people know why this is continuing.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I appreciate the concerns about making sure that we have a cleaner climate. However, the gentleman doesn't talk about this obvious issue with Arabella Advisors.

Everyone knows this is a dark money group that funds entities that actually fund donors and is part of the donor class of the Democratic Party, which is put in a unique position to actually control how we manage climate and how we deal with these issues with Federal contractors.

I cited in my initial remarks that this also includes security issues. These are companies that are now going to have to confer with suspect foreign entities to talk about these issues and share information. This is a dangerous precedent.

Not only is it a Democratic donor issue, which is politically charged and shouldn't be allowed in our rulemaking process or in our governmental process, but it is also a threat to our security.

Mr. Chair, for those reasons, I urge all of my colleagues to support this rule. It is a commonsense rule, and it is something that they would certainly object to if the Republicans had proposed their major donor base to be in this position on the Federal level and certainly as part of the Federal bureaucracy in such a critical role.

Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, with all due respect, this is a mandatory rule that requires every Federal contractor doing business over $50 million a year to use this company, a foreign-based company, not an American company, not a company where we can actually have oversight over it using our rules.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join Niagara County and the Western New York Community in commending the family of WWI hero and Medal of Honor Recipient, U.S. Army Private First Class, Frank J. Gaffney for preserving his extraordinary military service and achievements during World War I.

On November 10, 2023, the Family of Frank Gaffney presented Niagara County with his medals including the Congressional Medal of Honor for permanent display in the rotunda of Niagara County Courthouse The display of these medals will not only maintain the legacy of Frank Gaffney, but it will provide a reminder that Niagara County is home to some of the bravest service members who have ever lived.

I am proud of all who supported the development of this project, including the Niagara

County Legislature and the Niagara County Historian's Office. This one- of-a-kind display now stands as a symbol and reminder to Niagara County and all of Western New York of the heroic actions that Frank Gaffney took to preserve our freedoms.

On September 29, 1918, near Ronssoy, France, while serving with Company G, 108th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army's 27th Division, Frank Gaffney, an automatic rifleman, pushed forward alone, after all the other members of his squad had been killed, he discovered several Germans placing a heavy machine gun in position. He took swift action and eliminated the crew, captured the gun, bombed several dugouts, and, after killing four more of the enemy with his pistol, held the position until reinforcements arrived. Gaffney independently breached a portion of Germany's Hindenburg line helping capture 80 prisoners in the process. Due to his incredible actions, six different countries recognized and honored him including the United States. In 1919 Mr. Gaffney was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

In 2022 a biographical book was published detailing Mr. Gaffney's life titled He Charged Alone by author John Strasburg. According to Strasburg, after WWI, Mr. Gaffney returned to Niagara County, New York, due to a combat injury during his service. Mr. Gaffney had to have his left arm amputated. Despite challenges he faced after the war, he raised a family and continued to advocate for several veteran organizations. He died in 1948 at the age of 62.

We must continue to recognize and commemorate those who sacrificed on behalf of our nation and fought on our country's many historic battlefields. I thank the family of Frank Gaffney and Niagara County, because of their contributions, one of our greatest heroes, Private First Class Frank J. Gaffney will forever be remembered within our local community. It is my honor to represent the community that Mr. Gaffney called home along with the members of our community who crafted this historic display.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to introduce my amendment to reduce the salary of Special Envoy to Iran Robert Malley to $1.

While President Biden has made a series of bad political appointments, Rob Malley, the special envoy, may be one of the worst. Before even joining the administration, Rob Malley had a history of legitimizing organizations like Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group. He has blamed Israel for Palestinian terrorist attacks, and has helped negotiate the disastrous 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Despite his history, the Biden administration appointed Mr. Malley to be the Special Envoy to Iran. Not only did Mr. Malley tarnish the great work of previous envoys like Brian Hook and Elliott Abrams, but Malley was working to circumvent U.S. law by striking a deal with Iran without first disclosing the contents of this deal to Congress.

The Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, otherwise known as INARA, requires deals with Iran must be disclosed to Congress, whether in writing or not. However, Mr. Malley worked for years and, according to some reports, reached an oral agreement with Iran, yet still nothing has been disclosed to Congress.

In June, Envoy Malley was placed on unpaid leave due to an investigation into mishandling of classified information, which case has been referred to the FBI for criminal investigation and prosecution. Was Malley handing over State secrets to Iran? We still don't know, and the administration is refusing again to update Congress.

Most concerningly, a recent bombshell report revealed that three top aides to Malley were part of an Iranian Government network. That is right, the Special Envoy to Iran's self-appointed top aides were potentially compromised Iranian assets. This is beyond incompetent. This could be criminal. It could be treasonous, and it is the very definition of harming U.S. national security.

While Mr. Malley is currently on unpaid leave pending an investigation, he cannot be allowed to return to his post. For that reason, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Unfortunately, my co-lead on this, Mr. Ogles from Tennessee, is not able to be here.

Mr. Chair, this amendment is simple. The American people should not be forced to support a top-level government official who surrounded himself with foreign assets from a designated sponsor of terrorism.

If you care about U.S. national security, you should support this amendment. If you oppose a corrupt nuclear deal with Iran and oppose the despotic Iranian mullahs, you should support this amendment.

If you oppose state sponsors of terrorism having premier access to the U.S. Government, then you should support this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to defund Rob Malley's salary and make it clear that this House stands against compromised foreign assets.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment to prohibit any Federal funds to be used to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel out of Jerusalem.

In October 1995, Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act. This bill passed this Chamber by a vote of 374-27 and passed the Senate by a vote of 93-5. That is overwhelming.

Members spanning the political spectrum from Speaker Gingrich to Senator John Kerry voted for this bill requiring the President to move the U.S. Embassy to its rightful capital in Jerusalem.

However, Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama waived this provision every 6 months, often claiming that such a move would jeopardize the peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians. This did nothing to support the peace process, as Palestinian terrorism continued to target Israeli citizens.

Finally, in 2018, President Trump fully implemented this law and moved our U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the undisputed capital of the State of Israel.

While some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle expressed opposition to this move, it would be ludicrous to have our Embassy outside the capital of one of our greatest allies.

The fact of the matter is that we cannot go back. We cannot allow the Biden administration to move the Embassy out of Jerusalem again.

This amendment should not be controversial. Again, this was originally passed in 1995 on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis.

Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, at this time, when Israel faces some of its greatest threats such as Iran and Palestinian terrorism, we must stand resolute with our greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel.

Any attempts to relocate the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem would delegitimize Israel's sovereignty and would be counterproductive to encouraging peace negotiations.

Any theoretical negotiation with the Palestinians must revolve around the fact that Jerusalem is the undisputed capital of Israel and has been since ancient times.

Some of my colleagues have argued that this amendment is unnecessary since President Biden does not intend to move the Embassy. If that is the case, then my colleagues should have no problem voting for this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to stand with Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East, and support this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment to reduce Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas' salary to $1.

Since President Biden has taken office, we have witnessed an unprecedented invasion on our southern border, causing 6 million migrants to flood across our border, and including the northern border.

The district that I represent in upstate and central New York contains most of the New York border region. Secretary Mayorkas has ended numerous successful border policies by the Trump administration, including the remain in Mexico policy, building the border wall, and ending the catch-and-release policy. As a result, all of our communities have been transformed into border communities, including New York.

Near my district in Erie County, two migrants were charged, one for rape and one with a sexual assault. In nearby Rensselaer County, a migrant has been charged with murder.

These migrants were not vetted, in spite of the false claims of Governor Kathy Hochul, who claimed they were vetted. Over 100 individuals on the terror watch list have successfully crossed the southern border, putting all of our communities at risk, including those in New York.

Secretary Mayorkas is willfully derelict in his duties or is completely incompetent. Either way, he should no longer be paid hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for failing to perform the basic obligations required under our Constitution to protect American citizens and to provide effective border security and control of our border.

I was honored to co-lead this amendment with my friend from Texas and my colleague, Representative Chip Roy. I urge my colleagues to join us in support of this amendment and to finally hold Secretary Mayorkas accountable. I am hoping Mr. Roy will join me and speak on behalf of this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I would say that just this past month we hit a record for migrant crossings in American history of over 304,000. Despite repeated pleas and actions by me and my colleagues on this side of the aisle, Mayorkas refuses to change course and actually secure our border.

Secretary Mayorkas has completely failed to do his job and has completely doubled down on his failed policies. While Congress ultimately needs to impeach and remove Secretary Mayorkas, defunding his salary is a great first start.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, the Holman rule still exists, and we are exercising our right under the Holman rule.

Mr. Chair, may I inquire much time I have remaining.

Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy).

Mr. Chair, may I inquire much time I have remaining.

Mr. Chairman, let me just be clear to everyone out there. The Democrats in New York are against this policy put in place by Joe Biden and Secretary Mayorkas. Even Mayor Adams of New York City has blamed Joe Biden. Our current Governor Kathy Hochul has done a 180 and now she blames Joe Biden. Even former Governor Cuomo is now blaming Joe Biden for this migrant crisis in New York.

Mr. Chair, 82 percent of New Yorkers, in a recent poll, blame Joe Biden and Secretary Mayorkas for this migrant crisis in New York, which is having devastating consequences on our security, and is harming our taxpayers.

Mr. Chair, I ask my colleagues to join Congressman Roy and I in reducing Secretary Mayorkas' salary to $1. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, Americans do not expect to take their life into their own hands when they board a regional flight. They expect to be safe no matter where they travel in the air.

Since the 1,500-hour flight requirement was passed in response to the tragic 2009 Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash in Clarence, New York, the success of the policy speaks for itself.

American airspace is among the safest in the world, with a 99.8 percent reduction in passenger airline accident fatalities since 2010. This is why most pilot groups oppose any dilution of the flight-hour requirement.

It is vital that our pilots have full competence in the high-stakes environment of a cockpit in flight. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on Langworthy amendment No. 5 and stand with the flying public and the Colgan Air Flight families.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of the CHOICE Arrangement Act and my Small Business Flexibility Act, which is included in the underlying bill as the chairman just recognized.

Over the past 10 years, health insurance premiums have gone up 130 percent, and deductibles have increased by 125 percent, and that is on average. It is even greater in some areas, especially for small business owners.

This lack of affordability has led to the percentage of small businesses providing health insurance decreasing from almost 45 percent to 31 percent today. In addition, 75 percent of businesses with fewer than 200 employees now only offer one healthcare choice. That is no choice.

Small business operators want to provide for their employees. They want to offer competitive benefits that promote choice in the marketplace while prioritizing excellent care, quality, and affordability. The problem is these costs are simply prohibitive.

We should not accept this as the status quo, and, thankfully, there are commonsense solutions that can help small businesses lower cost and increase choice for their employees.

Recent surveys have found that 70 percent of small businesses are not even aware of the flexible opportunities to help them provide affordable health insurance as a benefit to their employees, such as the Small Business Healthcare Tax Credit, CHOICE Arrangement Act, and Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangements.

My Small Business Flexibility Act will close this awareness gap by requiring the Treasury Department to notify and educate small businesses on the flexible coverage options.

Small employers want to provide these benefits to their employees for, among so many other reasons, long-term retention to allow them to ensure that they have high quality of life, and each of them has access to healthcare.

It is time that we increased awareness of these programs and address any obstacles to their successful and effective implementation. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support the CHOICE Arrangement Act and the Small Business Flexibility Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to voice my support once again for this critical, bipartisan legislation to undo the Biden administration's job-crushing solar policies.

It is unfortunate that we find ourselves here debating this policy again after both the House and Senate acted in a bipartisan manner to reject President Biden's solar giveaway to China.

Instead of siding with the American people and American workers, this administration is putting its Green New Deal agenda ahead of our economic prosperity.

Even though H.J. Res. 39 would protect American workers, and despite its bipartisan passage in both Chambers, the President vetoed this critical legislation.

Now Congress must unite to override this vote. If we succeed today, we will stop China, the Chinese Communist Party specifically, from continuing to circumvent U.S. trade laws and undermine U.S. manufacturers.

If we fail to override this veto today, then Congress will hurt the ability of American manufacturers to compete fairly.

I urge my Democrat colleagues: Please do not allow this to happen. Join us in standing up for American jobs.

If you support American workers, then join us in overriding this veto. We cannot stand by as this irresponsible proclamation allows Chinese solar companies to flood our market with their products tariff- free, hurting American jobs and industry.

President Biden's proclamation also sends the message to trade cheats everywhere that the U.S. trade laws just don't matter. This invites even more cheating which, in turn, hurts American workers.

A recent report from the Coalition for a Prosperous America reveals so much about the priorities hidden in the Green New Deal agenda.

This report shows that Chinese manufacturers could earn nearly $125 billion in U.S. renewable energy tax credits because of the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, aka the Green New Deal, as my colleague just cited its true purpose.

That is $125 billion from U.S. taxpayers that could now be going to Chinese companies, all because the partisan Inflation Reduction Act failed to include safeguards that prioritize American manufacturing.

I say to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who haven't already joined us in this bipartisan effort, please join us. Join us in prioritizing American manufacturers. Join us in stopping this giveaway to the Chinese Communist Party. Hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable.

Mr. Speaker, I recently traveled across New York's beautiful and sprawling 24th District as part of my official 2023 farm bill listening tour. Our district is among the largest agricultural and dairy districts in the northeast and the largest apple growing district outside of Washington State.

I hosted several open-door roundtables in every part of the district to hear directly from farmers and producers about their concerns for our region's agricultural community. Ahead of our consideration of the farm bill later this year, feedback from farmers and producers is vitally important.

The farm bill reauthorization is always critical for communities like mine, but this year it is more important than ever. Our farmers are struggling, and they need advocates in Congress who will stand with them. In New York this is especially true, as a raft of new State laws and regulations from Albany are imposing unprecedented and costly burdens on rural communities.

Our farmers are counting on Congress to get this year's farm bill done and get it done right.

First of all, based on what I gleaned from my listening sessions, the following requests have been voiced:

Do not make any cuts to the farm bill programs that are pivotal to the vitality of the northeast agricultural community;

Next, reform the national crop insurance program to cover a wider range of items and better fit the needs of specialty crop farmers, including maple syrup, which is unique to the Northeast;

Support funding for the specialty crop block grant program as well as research and monitoring of invasive species that we have been experiencing in New York; and

Raise the 5-million-pound dairy margin tier 1 limit to reflect the consolidation that has occurred in the industry.

On a personal note, I plead and I beg of the farm bill appropriators and drafters, please don't ban chocolate milk in schools. It was a lifeline for me and my family. Even the one and only Elon Musk has recognized the value in chocolate milk.

Mr. Speaker, these were the requests that were echoed by farmers across the 24th District, and they are the priorities I am fighting for in Congress. I thank Chairman G.T. Thompson for his continued leadership as chair of the House Agriculture Committee and look forward to working with him in advancing these priorities.

I will continue to advocate for solutions that support our agricultural producers in New York and across the country. Members of this body must realize, without productive farmers, we have no food and we will not achieve prosperity. We must put aside partisan politics and come together to make this year's farm bill a path to growth in all of our agricultural economies.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1163, the Protecting Taxpayers and Victims of Unemployment Fraud Act. This bill makes meaningful strides to recover hundreds of billions of dollars in fraudulent unemployment benefits.

Congress has the responsibility to oversee our Nation's unemployment programs and rein in rampant fraud. Unfortunately, for years, Democrats virtually refused to acknowledge the extent of this issue while taxpayers and small businesses in New York's 24th District were forced to foot the bill.

Criminal organizations, including international cybercrime rings and other foreign actors, even exploited this national crisis to steal billions from taxpayers.

The exact amount of unemployment fraud resulting from the pandemic is not known. Estimates are wide-ranging with some encompassing only improper payments due to fraud, and others focused on all improper payments, including those resulting from administrative error.

The Government Accountability Office found at least $60 billion in fraud as they testified before our committee. However, according to recent testimony from the Department of Labor Inspector General, improper payments and pandemic unemployment programs have saddled taxpayers with at least $191 billion in fraud, as was testified before our committee. Some experts suggest this number could be as high as $400 billion.

New York alone is estimated to have paid as much as $11 billion in fraudulent unemployment benefits since March 2020. On top of all of this, New York has an outstanding trust fund loan of nearly $8 billion, which it has yet to repay.

Because of New York's gross mismanagement, taxpayers and small businesses must now make up the difference. After all the hardships they have endured over the past several years, how can it possibly be fair to ask them to pick up the tab for the government's negligence and incompetence?

Now, under House Republicans and the leadership of Jason Smith, Congress is finally taking steps to recover these valuable taxpayer dollars.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this bill from all of my colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 39, critical legislation to undue to Biden administration's job-crushing solar policies.

Last year, an American solar manufacturer petitioned the Commerce Department to investigate whether China was circumventing tariffs on solar products by sneaking them through countries in southeast Asia.

Before that investigation even finished, President Biden issued a proclamation to allow the imports of unfairly traded solar products from China. Later, just as we expected, it was discovered by the Commerce Department that China was indeed violating U.S. trade laws.

President Biden's irresponsible proclamation is a slap in the face to American manufacturers. It allows Chinese solar companies to flood our market with their products tariff-free, hurting American jobs.

It is the Green New Deal agenda at work. President Biden's proclamation also sends the message to trade cheats everywhere that U.S. trade laws don't matter. This invites even more cheating.

This is only the tip of the spear of the dangerous Green New Deal agenda. A recent report from the Coalition for a Prosperous America revealed that the Chinese manufacturers could earn nearly $125 billion, and that is with a b, in U.S. renewable energy tax credits as a result of the so-called Inflation Reduction Act.

This would be a specific boon to Chinese solar manufacturers on top of the massive giveaway given to China by President Biden's proclamation. We must stand with American manufacturers and jobs, not the Chinese Communist Party, and pass this crucial legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Limit, Save, Grow Act, which addresses the current debt limit crisis while prioritizing responsible spending practices.

Critically, this bill will lead to over $4.5 trillion, with a T, in taxpayer savings over the next decade and reverse a dangerous trend of reckless fiscal mismanagement on the part of the Democrats.

Americans and New Yorkers, where I hail from, are facing a fiscal crisis due to persistently high inflation, rising interest rates, and debt at unsustainable levels. This is a direct result of the trillions upon trillions of dollars that the Democrats have spent since President Biden took office in January 2021.

Mr. Speaker, my former colleague from the New York State Assembly, now minority leader here, should know that 40 percent of our Nation's debt was incurred under the leadership of the former Speaker, who the minority leader described as the best Speaker of all time.

He should know. The State of New York has the highest taxes, the highest spend rate, the highest corporate welfare, and the highest out- migration of people and jobs in the entire Nation.

Americans and New Yorkers are facing a fiscal crisis. Instead of politicizing the impending debt limit predicament, Democrats should prioritize responsible spending and work with House Republicans on a solution to reduce reckless spending, save taxpayer money, and grow our economy.

It is time for President Biden to come to the negotiating table and work with House Republicans on a path forward to economic stability and growth. Please don't mimic the model that New York has set, where we once had 45 Representatives in the 1960s and are now down to 26.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Chair, I was a female athlete many years ago and didn't have access to Title IX like women do today. I was a competitive basketball player, equestrian, and, yes, the 1975 teenage curling champion from Utica, New York. Some of these sports are sports where women and men can compete equally, and some are not.

I recently attended an event with Riley Gaines, the brave young woman who is standing up for women against the NCAA's unfairness in the women's swimming championship.

Riley Gaines tied for first with a biological male and was denied the ability to get her trophy. In fact, they sent it to her in the mail. She couldn't stand on the podium because she was told by an NCAA official that they needed a photo op to put the biological male in that place, a person who had competed as a male for 3 years unsuccessfully before coming in and reaching the top of the women's championships.

Unfortunately, Riley did not get to have that title. She did not get to sit on the podium.

Today, House Republicans are standing up for Riley and women like her.

Mr. Chair, this type of unfair competition weakens Title IX protections. I hope that we will all join in and protect women's sports, especially when we have worked so hard as women to gain these rights for women, our grandchildren, and our children of tomorrow.

I thank the sponsor, Mr. Steube, and I thank Dr. Foxx for putting this bill on the floor and for her advocacy.