Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, Congressman-elect Luke Letlow was called home far too soon. He was a friend and we were looking forward to working together here in the people's House.

His passing was so sudden and unexpected that it caused many of us-- it certainly caused me to reflect upon my life and to be renewed in my determination to serve the people and to become a better man every day, because that is the kind of spirit that Luke delivered to the world.

He was a charming and brilliant man with a beautiful smile, a wonderful spirit, a compassionate man, driven to serve.

I had the opportunity to break bread with Julia, Luke's wife, last week, and I saw in speaking to her that Luke lives in the light in her eye, in her children, and everyone that Luke touched during the course of his life.

So I am prayerful that this child of God's presence will be felt, that Representative-elect Luke Letlow's service will, indeed, be felt within this Chamber, if we can just take a moment to seek that guidance that he clearly pursued and listened to during the course of his life. He brought that to those that he worked with and the citizens that he served. So I thank my colleagues for arranging this Special Order tonight.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the objection.

Madam Speaker, my, my, my. Let us take a deep breath, shall we?

Madam Speaker, the cornerstone of the strength of our American Republic is not only the peaceful transition of power; it is the peaceful transition of a lawful power. It is within the parameters of our oath, indeed, is our duty to inquire if we suspect that perhaps our elections have been compromised.

Much has been said about what we do not know. What we do not know calls for investigation.

What we do know is that, in the disputed States, Governors, secretaries of state, or local election commissions acted in violation of the Election Clause of the U.S. Constitution, wherein State legislatures are granted the sole authority to determine how Presidential electors are appointed. It is that simple. State executive officials usurped the constitutionally vested authority of State legislatures within several of the sovereign States.

Now, why we are involved in Congress? Because the Founders gave us a

narrow role. If we suspect that an election was compromised in a sovereign State, then we have a role in the seating of those electors and the counting.

America is not a confederacy of States. We are a union of States. We are a representative republic. Therefore, each sovereign State has a deep obligation to follow the writ of its own election law during a Federal election.

We would not be having this conversation if our objections were solely rested upon the elections of sovereign State Governors or State senators and representatives. It is a Federal election for the President and Vice President of the United States. We certainly have a role, and we should investigate and support that role.

Madam Speaker, America is an anointed nation, born of imperfect men driven by perfect intent. May we be worthy of what it is to be an American, what it is to be a representative of the American people.

May I ask, may we seek the quiet whisper of God's own voice within us. And I ask my colleagues to consider supporting this objection.

I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew).

Madam Speaker, I regretfully missed votes from July 11 through July 15 due to Hurricane Barry. Had I been present, I would have voted: nay on Roll Call No. 438; nay on Roll Call No .439; nay on Roll Call No. 440; nay on Roll Call No. 441; nay on Roll Call No. 442; nay on Roll Call No. 443; nay on Roll Call No. 444; nay on Roll Call No. 445; nay on Roll Call No. 446; nay on Roll Call No. 447; nay on Roll Call No. 448; nay on Roll Call No. 449; nay on Roll Call No. 450; nay on Roll Call No. 451; nay on Roll Call No. 452; nay on Roll Call No. 453; nay on Roll Call No. 454; nay on Roll Call No. 455; nay on Roll Call No. 456; nay on Roll Call No. 457; nay on Roll Call No. 458; nay on Roll Call No. 459; nay on Roll Call No. 460; yea on Roll Call No. 461; nay on Roll Call No. 462; nay on Roll Call No. 463; nay on Roll Call No. 464; nay on Roll Call No. 465; nay on Roll Call No. 466; nay on Roll Call No. 467; nay on Roll Call No. 468; nay on Roll Call No. 469; nay on Roll Call No. 470; nay on Roll Call No. 471; yea on Roll Call No. 472; nay on Roll Call No. 473; yea on Roll Call No. 474; yea on Roll Call No. 475; yea on Roll Call No. 476; and yea on Roll Call No. 477.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 962, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

I urge the Speaker and the majority leader to immediately schedule the born-alive bill.

Madam Speaker, during these votes, I was with the President in Louisiana. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 203; YEA on Roll Call No. 204; NAY on Roll Call No. 205; NAY on Roll Call No. 206; NAY on Roll Call No. 207; NAY on Roll Call No. 208; and YEA on Roll Call No. 209.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize American men and women who put on a badge every day, men and women of every color and creed, ethnicity, heritage, and background, of varied ideology and political affiliation. They are American patriots, one and all.

As a police officer, our job begins with an oath. That oath is not to a chief or a sheriff or a marshal. It is to the constitutional principles that represent the badges that we wear, badges like this.

In this body, we stand within the people's House. We serve within the parameters of our ability. We wear a small pin upon our lapel to designate our status as Congressmen and Congresswomen.

In humble service and an honor, yes, it is. But forget not, America, the men and women in your community, unseen, unheard, far too frequently unappreciated and unrecognized, who patrol your streets, your neighborhoods, your counties, your States, and the parishes in my State of Louisiana.

For they serve unknowing if they shall return home. They do so willingly. They place great faith in their Lord. The Word tells us that the Lord is my strength and my shield.

In many ways, we should recall that this small shield that we wear begins with faith, that this Chamber began with faith, and that the shield that officers wear from sea to shining sea maintains itself by faith.

This week, we honor the Thin Blue Line. You are known. You are loved. You are recognized. We honor you.

Madam Speaker, I thank the sheriff for allowing me to speak.

Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 173.

Madam Speaker, in air flight delay.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 157 (H. Con. Res. 19); ``nay'' on Roll Call No. 158 (H.R. 1331); and ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 159 (Journal).

Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 157; NAY on Roll Call No. 158; and YEA on Roll Call No. 159.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 160.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of American tradition and heritage, American law enforcement, and the sovereignty of our Nation.

I stand here in the Chamber of the people's House, a 57-year-old American man who has never witnessed such division and insanity as I have observed here in D.C., where right is wrong, where American traditions are rejected, where Christian principles are ridiculed, where many of my colleagues across the aisle envision an America with no sovereign borders, no fossil fuels, and no Second Amendment, a land where no airplanes fly, where police cannot arrest, and where jails do not exist.

I remind my colleagues that we are here to serve the best interests and security of the American people. We were not elected by citizens of foreign soil, nor should we allow our bicameral, bipartisan Congress to become infected with anti-American sentiment.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague, Congresswoman Rice from New York, for introducing this bill.

Over the past 12 months, there has been growing concern by administration officials, as well as security and financial experts, about potential threats associated with cryptocurrencies.

In July 2018, a Department of Justice task force reported noted criminals are using virtual currencies to collect, hide, and launder funds, as well as purchase illegal goods and services. Both the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service have ongoing efforts to review registered digital currency providers and identify illicit use.

The legislation we are considering today, sponsored by the gentlewoman from New York (Miss Rice), adds to this effort by directing the Department of Homeland Security to develop and disseminate a threat assessment of threat posed by individuals using virtual currencies to carry out activities in furtherance of terrorism, including the provision of material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization.

The bill also requires DHS to share the threat assessment with State and local law enforcement.

As the threat of terrorism evolves, so do the methods to finance and support the actors who plot to attack the United States. The Federal Government must evolve as well to meet these novel and technologically based challenges.

This bill positions the Department to detect the new, digital-based methods in terrorist financing and support that have already occurred and to prepare for those that are sure and soon to follow.

The potential of terrorist organizations to use virtual currencies to carry out an attack, or a smuggling network to launder illicit proceeds through cryptocurrency markets, should be a major concern to the Department of Homeland Security. Requiring the Department to conduct a threat assessment is appropriate and timely.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Rice for bringing this bill forward, and I urge a ``yes'' vote.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, it is part of DHS' statutory mission to support State and local law enforcement, and the Office of State and Local Law Enforcement has the responsibility of proactively identifying ways in which the Department can support these important stakeholders.

The Pathways to Improving Homeland Security at the Local Level Act, sponsored by the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Demings), will ensure that State and local law enforcement receive vital information on available DHS resources and programs.

Under the bill, the Office of State and Local Law Enforcement will annually produce and disseminate a catalog that details the Department of Homeland Security training, publications, programs, and services available to non-Federal law enforcement agencies. The office must disseminate the catalog within 30 days of production to State and local law enforcement entities.

This catalog is currently being produced by the office, and the bill requires them to continue its production.

DHS also is required to share the catalog through the Homeland Security Information Network. Using this existing information-sharing platform will expand, hopefully, the number of State and local law enforcement partners who receive it.

This bill is intended to increase awareness of DHS tools and resources available to assist State and local law enforcement.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar).

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for introducing this important bill to ensure State and local law enforcement are aware of the resources DHS can provide to them.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 504, the DHS Field Engagement Accountability Act.

The Committee on Homeland Security has long supported the role and mission of locally owned fusion centers across the United States. These hubs for assessing and sharing threat information are important links for the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and other Federal, State, and local stakeholders.

The legislation before us today directs the Department of Homeland Security to develop a forward-looking strategy to improve engagement efforts with fusion centers and establish metrics for both DHS personnel and technology deployed to fusion centers.

Clear performance metrics for fusion center personnel are needed to ensure fusion center directors understand what to expect from DHS personnel detailed to their centers. This effort will also allow DHS to better track the value fusion centers are providing to the national information-sharing environment.

Lastly, the bill addresses a need for improvements to DHS information sharing utilized by fusion centers and other stakeholders by requiring training modules and feedback mechanisms.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Don Bacon for his work on this legislation and his overall commitment to Federal, State, and local information sharing.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon), the cosponsor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Thompson, Ranking Member Rogers, and Congressman Bacon for bringing this bill to the floor.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 504, to improve DHS' coordination and information-sharing activities with State and local fusion centers across the country, thereby making the homeland security intelligence enterprise more robust.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 3444, which renames the VA community-based outpatient clinic in Lake Charles, Louisiana, after First Lieutenant Douglas Fournet.

Mr. Speaker, I was proud to sponsor the House version of this bill.

Douglas Fournet is an American hero deserving of the highest tribute. He joined the Army in 1966 and was deployed to Vietnam. There, Fournet served as rifle platoon leader of the 2nd Platoon, Company Bravo.

In the A Shau Valley of Vietnam, the platoon came under sniper fire. With an enemy mine in the way of the platoon's advance, Fournet ordered his men to take cover. He then ran uphill to the mine and attempted to disarm it with a knife. Before he could succeed, the mine was detonated.

Douglas Fournet was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 1970. He is the sole recipient from southwest Louisiana.

Douglas Fournet gave his last full measure of devotion in service to his country and in defense of his platoon.

Our freedoms are paid for by the blood of patriots like First Lieutenant Fournet. Renaming of the Lake Charles VA clinic is a small tribute to his courage and forever enshrines the legacy among southwest Louisiana veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join with me and honor the life, legacy, and gallantry of First Lieutenant Douglas Fournet. I urge favorable passage.