Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from South Carolina for yielding.

I rise today in proud support of H. Res. 987. This resolution denounces the Biden administration's anti-American energy policies that are designed to slow and kill domestic production as a gift to extreme activists.

The result of this failed track record has been higher prices for consumers--we all know that--and increased dependency on our adversaries like Russia, China, and Venezuela for our energy needs.

The United States is blessed with an abundance of natural resources, and we have the ability to achieve energy dominance. We can produce affordable, reliable, and clean energy right here at home.

Instead, this administration is adamant on bending to the will of these extreme activists who push policies and increase global emissions.

Madam Speaker, make no mistake, this war on American energy is not one fought over science. It is being fought over ideology.

On his first day in office, President Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline, as you have heard. That has cost 11,000 potential jobs in the United States, hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil per day from our supply, and cost rural communities throughout the central United States millions of dollars in much-needed revenue.

President Biden illegally canceled oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and added extraction restrictions to over 13 million acres of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, depriving Alaska Native communities of key resources in revenue.

President Biden has proposed regulation after regulation designed to end fossil fuel production, as he promised on the campaign trail, while limiting resource production on our Federal lands.

In January of this year, Joe Biden announced a pause in future liquefied

natural gas export terminal permits under the guise of climate change. This misguided decision will restrict future supply of LNG to our allies abroad who are seeking to end their reliance on Russian natural gas. I can only imagine Vladimir Putin smiled after reading this news.

In addition to these restrictions on oil and gas production, President Biden has also taken actions to make it harder to mine for critical minerals in the United States and forcing a reliance, again, on our adversary, the Chinese Communist Party.

By blocking mineral developments in northern Minnesota's Iron Range, New Mexico's Chaco Canyon, and Arizona's Rosemont Copper, the Biden administration is actively and persistently harming American industry.

As the chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus and a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water, I am dedicated to restoring prosperity to rural communities across the country and fighting President Biden's anti-American energy agenda.

Madam Speaker, we have the capability to not only be energy independent but be a global leader in resource production. Our biggest obstacle to that goal is the President of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as chair of the Congressional Western Caucus to recognize the 50th anniversary of the Western Energy Alliance, an important ally who understands the critical choices that Congress faces on the future of American energy policies.

For the past 50 years, the alliance has helped inform Members of Congress in a bipartisan fashion about Federal policies impacting energy production, conservation, and public lands management.

Since 1974, they have been a strong advocate for balancing American production and protecting the environment.

The small and midsized businesses that make up the alliance understand that our Nation is at an inflection point. We can either follow the policies that make American energy secure and a beacon to the rest of the world, or we can follow the path through the briar patch of the President's whole-of-government approach and tie the hands of American energy producers.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support America's energy strength and, because of that, support the work done by the Western Energy Alliance.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Missy Raver of Yakima, Washington for her passion and work in the hop and beer industry over the last 20 years.

Ms. Raver holds the position of Senior Vice President of Grower Relations, Quality and ERM at Yakima Chief Hops.

Her experiences include working with growers on education to improve hop quality and sustainability, as well as leading Yakima Chief Hops to obtain and maintain several international quality, environmental, and food safety certifications.

She leads the team that performs all hop quality testing on their hop products, and more recently led the development and implementation of their enterprise risk management system.

Missy is a well-respected figure in the hop industry, having been active on several committees that support growers, as well as being a former president of the Hop Research Council.

It is an honor to represent hardworking constituents throughout Central Washington, including those in the hop and beer industry like Missy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Brice Hiatt of John I. Haas, Inc. in Yakima, Washington.

Brice is a veteran of the hop industry and has been with John I. Haas, Inc. for over 40 years. He is an asset to the team at the HAAS Yakima Golding Farm in Yakima which is home to over 1,800 acres of trellised fields, harvesting facilities, hop kilns, and bailing operations.

Using his expertise and passion, Brice helped to design a state-of- the-art pellet plant that ensures the highest quality pellets from every hop variety. HAAS has been refining the pellet-making process for over five decades, and Brice has been at the forefront of this innovation.

He exemplifies true leadership qualities and his dedication to hops has helped HAAS deliver the highest quality products to its customers across the state and country. His colleagues have called him the ``hop pellet whisperer'' which even further illustrates Brice's devotion to his work.

It is an honor to represent hardworking individuals like Brice, and all the employees at the HAAS Yakima Golding Farm who provide the best hops throughout Central Washington and beyond.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize a newly retired public servant from central Washington, Mr. Mike Hull of Pateros.

Mike has been an educator for 42 years and has taught some of the most important subjects that engage our students to become better informed on the democratic process. It is more important than ever to instill this in our young people, and Mike has done so by fostering an environment of inclusion, curiosity, and learning. In fact, it was not uncommon for former students to return to his classroom to visit with him and to speak about the positive impact that he had on their lives.

His work in education extended well beyond the classroom. As those of us living on the West Coast know, wildfires significantly impact our daily lives and our safety. During the 2014 Carlton Complex recovery, Mike was the principal of the Pateros school, the central location for food distribution and temporary shelter, and was instrumental in coordinating recovery efforts and volunteer work. Mike led his community even when his own home was at risk from the flames.

He is truly deserving of an honorable public service recognition. I wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement.

Mr. Speaker, this holiday season, many parents in Washington's Fourth Congressional District and across the Nation will struggle to afford a special holiday meal for their family or buy presents for their children.

The hard truth is that under the President's self-proclaimed Bidenomics agenda, we have seen trillions spent, causing inflation to skyrocket to a 40-year high.

Americans today are still struggling to afford everyday expenses because families are spending over $11,000 more this year than last to purchase the same basic goods.

Mr. Speaker, this Congress, we have been working to rein in the out- of-control spending that this administration promotes and pursues. Over the summer, House Republicans successfully passed the Fiscal Responsibility Act to restore sanity, limit inflationary spending, and lift Americans out of poverty, but there is more work to be done.

As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I am proud of our efforts in mitigating the damage done by Big Government spending and reintroducing a commonsense, conservative approach to the way we use taxpayer dollars. We must continue to foster an economy that works for the American people rather than against them.

On that note, I wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize Gary Peterson, a dedicated leader hailing from the Tri-Cities, who tragically lost his battle with cancer this past month.

It saddens me that rather than announcing his next greatest achievement, I am instead here to mourn his passing.

Gary was known throughout central Washington, the United States Capitol, and the Department of Energy as a fierce advocate for the interests of the Tri-Cities.

His leadership in our communities proved fruitful for decades, sparking both economic development and innovation for the citizens of central Washington.

His advocacy for the Hanford cleanup mission has been the cornerstone of the success of our region, and I am in awe of the impact he has made over the years.

His immense knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of our community's priorities was matched by so few, and I have no doubt his name will go down in history with the names of people like Sam Volpentest and Bob Ferguson.

Gary's legacy includes leading advocacy for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's campus, supporting the advancements of the Hanford cleanup mission, and advocating for the growing local economy at TRIDEC.

He will be known as a loving husband, father, grandfather, and personal friend. He will be missed, but his legacy will continue to live on.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the commitment of a devoted Central Washington public servant, Kevin Fuhr. Formerly the Chief of Police for Moses Lake, Chief Fuhr has concluded an illustrious 32-year career in law enforcement and is now ready to move on to the next chapter of his life.

While other regions of Washington State had trouble hiring new police officers, Chief Fuhr's leadership drew people to Moses Lake Police Department in the pursuit of working underneath him. Chief Fuhr's force also spearheaded an exceptional outreach program, and his leadership on my Central Washington Fentanyl Taskforce has fostered a remarkable level of trust within our communities.

When most folks retire, they look forward to all the spare time they will have. However, the call to public service continues to ring for Chief Fuhr, as he has recently been hired as the city manager of Moses Lake, underscoring his unwavering dedication to Central Washington.

I have known Kevin for a long time, and I am proud to call him a dear friend, His leadership, integrity, and commitment to the prosperity of our region has resulted in a wonderful career with more than enough to show for it. It has been a pleasure working with him, and I am looking forward to continuing our collaboration in his new role.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the commitment of a devoted central Washington public servant, Kevin Fuhr.

Formerly the chief of police for Moses Lake, Chief Fuhr has concluded an illustrious 32-year career in law enforcement and is now ready to move on to the next chapter of his life.

While other regions of Washington had trouble hiring new police officers, Chief Fuhr's leadership drew people to his department in the pursuit of working with him. Chief Fuhr's force also spearheaded an exceptional outreach program, and his leadership on my Central Washington Fentanyl Task Force has fostered a remarkable level of trust within our communities.

When most folks retire, they look forward to all the spare time they will have. Not Chief Fuhr, as he has recently been hired as the city manager for Moses Lake, underscoring his unwavering dedication to central Washington.

I have known Kevin for a long time and am proud to call him a dear friend. His leadership, integrity, and commitment to the prosperity of our region have resulted in a wonderful career with so much to show for it. It has been a pleasure working with him, and I am looking forward to that continuing in his new role.

Mr. Chair, the Biden administration has failed to secure our border and has allowed historic levels of illegal migrant crossings. Now, they have decided to house migrants on America's public lands. This is simply unacceptable.

Our national parks should serve as areas of recreation for Americans to enjoy. Instead, our lands are being used as a backup plan for housing migrants because of a failure to secure the border and a refusal to work with Congress to find commonsense solutions.

As chairman of the Western Caucus and as a member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Appropriations, I am proud to support this legislation to ensure America's public lands serve the American people, their interests, and to prevent the misuse of our national parks.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize Gary Petersen, a dedicated leader hailing from the Tri-Cities, who tragically lost his fight to cancer this past month. It saddens me that rather than announcing his next great achievement, I am instead here to mourn his passing.

Gary was known throughout both Central Washington, the U.S. Capitol, and the Department of Energy as a fierce advocate for the interests of the Tri-Cities. His leadership in our communities proved fruitful for decades, sparking both economic development and innovation for the citizens of Central Washington.

His advocacy for the Hanford cleanup mission has been the cornerstone of the success of our region, and I am in awe of the impact he has made over the years. His immense knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of our community's priorities was matched by so few, and I have no doubt his name will go down in history with the likes of Sam Volpentest and Bob Ferguson.

Gary's legacy includes leading advocacy for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's campus, supporting the advancement of the Hanford cleanup mission, and advocating for growing the local economy at TRIDEC; he will also be known as a loving husband, father, grandfather, and personal friend of mine.

While he will be missed, his legacy will continue to live on in every corner of the Tri-Cities and Central Washington.

Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, today I rise to recognize Karen McGinnis, a dedicated leader hailing from Central Washington, who tragically lost her fight to cancer this past month. In 2018, I stood where I am now to praise Karen for her passion for worker safety, and it saddens me that rather than announcing her next great achievement, I'm instead mourning her life.

Karen McGinnis graduated from Washington State University with a degree in agriculture economics and was the founding leader of the Volpentest HAMMER Federal Training Center near Richland, Washington. Her legacy includes growing the HAMMER Center into a world-class training facility for Hanford workers and other federal employees, where she instructed them on emergency response and promoted a culture of safety on the job.

Her ability to build the Center into a training facility--not only for domestic workers, but also for international partners--was legendary. In fact, she received the Special Achievement Award for outstanding leadership in furthering the DOE's Voluntary Protection Program. After 40 years of hard work alongside Hanford, she retired in 2018, but her legacy continued.

Karen was a fearless advocate for her workers, a natural leader, and a friend. While she will be missed, her legacy will continue in the great (and safe) work performed at the Hanford Site each and every day.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arkansas for letting me be part of this conversation today.

Madam Speaker, as you understand, I rise in support of S.J. Res. 24, which is an effort to disapprove the endangered listing of the northern long-eared bat by the Fish and Wildlife Service.

As you just heard, I am chairman of the Western Caucus, and I can tell you that I know firsthand how radical environmental groups will, unfortunately, weaponize the Endangered Species Act in an attempt to end development of resources in our country and prevent responsible forest management. This is just beyond the pale that these groups will do that, impacting communities around our country.

The northern long-eared bat exists in 37 States in the United States, ranging from eastern Montana, all the way to South Carolina and up to the State of Maine.

Last year, at the urging of some of these groups, Fish and Wildlife uplisted the bat from threatened to endangered. But as you have heard, the decline is not due to any human activity. It is, rather, an incurable fungal disease known as White-Nose Syndrome.

Even the Fish and Wildlife Service themselves, in the uplisting, stated that the White-Nose Syndrome is the main threat to the bat, meaning that the endangered status will do little, if anything, to recover the population.

Instead, what I will bet will happen, you can rest assured will happen, forest management will be further restricted.

Infrastructure projects, as the chairman mentioned, solar farms, wind farms, all kinds of infrastructure projects on both public as well as private lands, will be hampered, slowed, or even stopped with additional, unnecessary and burdensome regulations.

This administration continues to ignore our Nation's farmers, ranchers, and landowners in favor of these radical groups. So this resolution, I think, is critical to preventing government overreach, and I will continue to push for commonsense reform to the Endangered Species Act alongside my colleagues on our ESA working group.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this CRA.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize a dedicated public servant to our country, Jessica Carter.

Jess has been my right hand for the past few years, helping me better serve the people of Washington's Fourth Congressional District as my chief of staff. During that time she has led our team with integrity, grit, and unparalleled resolve. Now, after almost 30 years of serving our Nation, she will be leaving Capitol Hill.

As one of the Hill's finest, Jess started in 1995, moving up the ranks from legislative assistant to deputy chief of staff in the office of Representative Richard Pombo. She then served as deputy chief of staff and senior adviser for Representative Steve Pearce, then director of public policy at the National Industries for the Blind. Following that she worked for Representatives Stephen Fincher and Francis Rooney before joining my team in 2020.

Since joining Team Newhouse, Jess has been instrumental in helping my office pass 59 pieces of legislation while keeping our team working together every single day. We have been able to achieve extraordinary wins for central Washington and our Nation.

Many consider her both a friend and a colleague, and she will most certainly be missed in the Halls of Congress. As my entire staff knows, once a member of Team Newhouse, always a member of Team Newhouse.

Mr. Speaker, I wish Jess all the best. Capitol Hill will not be the same without her.