Clay Higgins

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the Champagne family and celebrate the 100th anniversary of Champagne's Marche, a family-owned business that has served the people of Louisiana with exceptional service for three generations exemplifying a commitment to family and community.

One hundred years ago, Walter and Alma Champagne opened the doors to a small neighborhood store in Port Barre, Louisiana. It took an entire week before the first customer walked through the door, but the Champagne's never wavered. They earned the community's trust through hard work, fair prices, and good service.

The same spirit has guided the Champagne family for a century. Howard and Sarah Champagne expanded the business with a new store in 1979, and Richard and Angela Champagne carried the family tradition into a third generation, growing Champagne's Marche into a destination known for its king cakes, sausage, boudin, chicken salad, and many other Louisiana specialties.

Generation after generation, the Champagne family has carried forward the values established in 1926. Today, the fourth generation stands ready to continue that legacy.

Champagne's Marche stands as a testament to the enduring strength of Louisiana's family-owned businesses. They create jobs, support local farmers and producers, invest in our communities, and preserve our unique culture.

Congratulations to the entire Champagne family on this achievement. May God continue to bless their family, employees, and customers.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and express gratitude for my dear friend and chief of staff, Andrew David, who is seated next to me here.

Andrew has served by my side for over 9 years. We have toiled together to serve we the people.

I have great sorrow in my heart that Andrew is leaving the office. He has accepted a beautiful and meaningful position in our home State of Louisiana, and I have an odd mixture of tremendous joy that Andrew is embracing the illuminated path before him and that he and his beautiful, amazing wife, Holly--who is seated in the gallery; also a native of our beloved Louisiana--are returning home, having served their country with honor here in this, the people's House.

I rise, Mr. Speaker--unscripted, through only the words that the Lord has etched upon my heart--to speak in gratitude of what this man has brought to me and my family and my congressional service for nearly a decade.

Andrew has been an unwavering counselor for me through some very difficult and challenging times and decisions. He has never strayed from the deepest core principles that we attempt every day to embrace as we conduct the business of our congressional service.

As a man, Andrew through the years became perhaps my dearest and most trusted, most immediately available source of sound counsel. I have no doubt--good sir, good lady--that I would have failed to perform my service for we the people time and again had it not been for the quiet, calm, and steady counsel of Andrew David.

I am reminded, Mr. Speaker, as I see the words that we who are honored to serve in this Chamber gaze upon every day in the stone above your podium: In God We Trust. We effort to be worthy of what it is to be His child and to serve in this, His anointed house.

I am reminded this day of His words in Genesis 7:1, when the Lord said to Noah, ``Come into the ark, ye and your household.'' ``Come,'' Mr. Speaker, He said. He didn't say, ``Go into the ark.'' He said, ``Come.''

This is understood to mean that the Lord was already present there. The goodness of the Lord was present there before Noah entered that challenge of entering the ark and traversing the storm to begin anew.

When I came to D.C., I had no experience, no political background. I had a clear understanding of what I thought perhaps should be a servant to we the people in the House of Representatives. When I was elected in 2016 and I came here to this august body, I did not know that the Lord had already placed His goodness. It awaited me. The Lord had prepared a counselor for me, His unworthy son. That man, that goodness, is Andrew David.

We shall continue to serve. We will endeavor every day to be worthy of service to we the people in His Chamber of what it is to be children of God, the most high.

I will strive to be worthy of being called David's friend and brother. I thank him for his decade of service by my side. God bless him as he embraces the illuminated path before him. I wish him luck. I know that great joy awaits him and his beautiful family in our beloved Louisiana.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Maloy for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2715, the Destruction of Hazardous Imports Act.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2715 ensures that contaminated imports, ranging from radioactive seafood to illegal Chinese vapes, do not reach American consumers and cause harm.

Initially, this legislation began as an effort to target toxin-laced foreign seafood. However, my colleague, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Carter), and I quickly learned that the Department of Health and Human Services cannot destroy other articles, including food, devices, and specific drugs, even though they may pose serious health risks.

Without the authority granted within H.R. 2715, dangerous and poisonous imports can find their way to American markets. This legislation grants the Food and Drug Administration additional authority to destroy any articles that fail initial inspection, preventing foreign importers from port-shopping or rebranding their products.

This legislation introduces strict penalties for the reintroduction of destroyed items into interstate commerce, ensuring that harmful imported goods are permanently barred from entering our markets. Bad actors attempting to undermine these enforcement measures will face accountability.

Strengthening this legislative framework will protect public safety and reinforce our commitment to stringent oversight of imported goods to mirror the American safety standards that American producers must live with.

In January, the FDA released its legislative proposals for fiscal year 2026. This included a request for the authority to require importers to destroy any FDA-related product that is refused entry into the United States and that presents a significant public health concern.

H.R. 2715 supports the administration and follows through by adding the FDA's existing authority to destroy imported medical devices and medications with any article that poses a health risk to the public.

As we work to improve our Nation's health and reverse the lingering effects of unfair trade policies, it is essential that the FDA has the authority to eliminate toxic foods and drugs from our country.

The Destruction of Hazardous Imports Act protects Americans' health and prioritizes our domestic industry. I urge full support and swift passage, Mr. Speaker.