Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Police Week and thank our men and women in law enforcement.

Every day, law enforcement officers put on their uniform and go to work to protect and serve the citizens. However, their service does not come without danger. Just this year, 123 officers have been shot in the line of duty, which is 46 more officers than were shot this time in 2020.

Supporting our police and assuring public safety for our citizens should not be a red or a blue issue but a red, white, and blue issue.

This morning, I joined Leader McCarthy and Republican Members on a Back the Blue bike tour alongside about 40 Capitol Police officers after which we honored our Nation's fallen police officers.

One officer along the way did express to me that he was honored to serve; however, it was difficult as he was pointed at by some and called terrible names while in uniform. He stated he could take it, but he lacked a confident tone.

As the son of a former police officer, Madam Speaker, I know the tremendous stresses on our officers and their loved ones. We all must back the blue.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support as well of H.R. 923, the Georgia Support Act.

Since Russia invaded Georgia in 2008, Putin has illegally occupied 20 percent of Georgia's territory, embroiling Georgia in an existential battle for its sovereignty.

The ongoing, flagrant invasion of Ukraine proves that Putin will stop at nothing to accomplish his heinous goals. Our allies in Georgia need strong U.S. support now more than ever. It must be made abundantly clear to Putin that the American people stand with Georgia and will not tolerate a further incursion into Georgia's territory.

This bill will reaffirm U.S. support for Georgia's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity by authorizing a review of security assistance to Georgia to determine key capability gaps, as well as looking at U.S.-Georgia cybersecurity cooperation and assistance to combat Russian disinformation.

Russian meddling in Georgia's political processes and active disinformation campaigns continue to threaten Georgia's democratic trajectory.

But critically, the bill also addresses the need for Georgia to maintain its focus on democracy and governance development in order to stay on its Euro-Atlantic path.

Finally, this bill authorizes the President to impose sanctions on individuals responsible for human rights abuses in Georgia's occupied territories, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

By erecting and constantly moving the border further into Georgia's territory, restricting freedom of movement and conducting arbitrary detentions, killings, and kidnappings, Putin has jeopardized the lives of all Georgians on both sides of the boundary line with his occupied territories.

Passing this bill is a timely opportunity to show support for an ally that has been on the front line of Putin's belligerence for well over a decade.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, we cannot allow Putin to believe he can turn to Georgia next after his despicable invasion of Ukraine. Georgia, a longstanding U.S. partner in a tough neighborhood, has for too long been on the front line of Putin's unchecked aggression.

This bill passed in the House the last two Congresses by an overwhelming bipartisan majority, and I urge my colleagues to support our Georgian allies yet again.

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

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

I rise today in support of H. Res. 833, which expresses support for Moldova's democracy, independence, and territorial integrity and calls for strengthening U.S. and Moldova relations.

Needless to say, this is an especially opportune time to consider this resolution; not only because this year marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries, but also given the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine and the challenge it poses to other countries in the region, including Moldova.

Moldova's humanitarian response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and its generosity have been truly remarkable. For example, Moldova has accepted nearly 434,000 Ukrainian refugees. To put that into perspective, that is around 5 percent of Moldova's entire population.

Not only does this resolution commend Moldova's strong support for Ukraine, but also commits the U.S. to continue to assist Moldova in addressing the economic impacts of the crisis, its energy security, and advancing democratic reforms.

I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution to show that the U.S. Congress is committed to a long-term partnership with Moldova.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I thank Representatives Price and Pfluger for their work on this resolution.

Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine is making the whole of Europe less secure. U.S. support for our allies and partners must therefore extend to Ukraine's neighbors, like Moldova.

The ominous threat made by a Russian general last week that the Kremlin aimed to seize a land bridge from the Donbas to Odesa and then to Transnistria, the Russian-supported breakaway region in Moldova, shows why the U.S. must pay close attention to Moldova and its security.

Therefore, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution to demonstrate the U.S. Congress' strong support of our friends in Moldova.

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 today in support of this bipartisan bill, the Transatlantic Telecommunications Security Act. This legislation authorizes the U.S. Development Finance Corporation to provide financing for secure 5G and future generations telecommunications infrastructure development projects in select Central and Eastern European countries with upper-middle-income economies or high-income economies.

This authorization aims to push back against CCP efforts to dominate the 5G and future generations telecommunications networks of our strategic allies and partners in the region, many of whom are NATO allies.

Ensuring the security of the telecommunications network of our NATO allies and partners in Central and Eastern Europe is unquestionably in the U.S. national security interest.

Moreover, this bill targets the majority of countries in the Three Seas Initiative. Launched by 12 of our close friends in Central and Eastern Europe, the Three Seas Initiative seeks to expand cross-border energy, transportation, and digital infrastructure, as well as boost economic development in the region. Though it is a regional initiative, it has global implications that serve not only European but U.S. security and economic interests.

We in Congress have expressed great concern that CCP is exporting corruption, debt traps, and poor labor and environmental standards to Europe and across the world through its 17+1 and Belt and Road initiatives. The Three Seas Initiative seeks to address these concerns by providing positive alternatives to PRC investments in the region, including in its 5G and future telecom networks.

The last administration successfully convinced most of Central and Eastern Europe to opt not to use high-risk Chinese suppliers in their telecommunications networks. Supporting the Three Seas Initiative's efforts to expand secure digital infrastructure in Central and Eastern Europe will carry forward this major foreign policy success and ensures the transatlantic community remains united in its clear-eyed assessment of the threat the CCP poses to telecommunications security.

In addition, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine must serve as a wake-up call to the dangers of allowing our adversaries to expand their influence in critical sectors of our economies. In particular, Europe's energy dependence on Russia has made it difficult to rally the continent around tougher sanctions and is funding the Kremlin's war machine to the tune of about $1 billion every day. This is not in Europe's or the United States' national security interests.

We cannot wait for a potential conflict over Taiwan to assist our closest allies and partners in Europe and beyond in cutting out the CCP's malign influence now that it has been used to gain leverage over our democratic allies. This bill would help ensure we learn from our collective past mistakes.

Lastly, this bill is important because it directs the Secretary of State to appoint a campaign director among existing personnel for the upcoming election at the International Telecommunications Union, the ITU, which sets global standards for technologies such as 5G.

Russia's campaign to elect a Russian national who is a former Huawei executive to serve as the secretary general of the ITU is indicative of Russia's and China's efforts to use international organizations to promote their interests and malign influence.

The United States should ensure that we are coordinated in driving support for the U.S. candidate, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, for the secretary general of the ITU, but the State Department should also engage on the important down-ballot races at the ITU.

There are four other posts of significance within the ITU's leadership structure, including the director of the ITU Development Sector, the ITU-D. The ITU-D plays a particularly vital role in supporting multilateral cooperation for fair and open internet governance through trustworthy deployment of digital technologies in the developing world.

The U.S. must be doing everything we can to ensure Russian and Chinese malign influence does not grow. This bill would help.

The Three Seas Initiative seeks to address threats posed by the CCP by providing positive alternatives to PRC investments in the region, including in its 5G and future telecoms networks.

We must support our allies in Central and Eastern Europe as they seek, through the Three Seas Initiative, to reduce their dependence on Moscow's and Beijing's economic overtures. Only together can we face the threats posed by the authoritarian regimes in China and Russia.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7311 to require the State Department to develop a strategy to counter Russian malign influence in Africa.

As the world continues to watch Russia commit unspeakable atrocities and war crimes in Ukraine, the U.S. and our allies and partners must fully assess the threat posed by Russian activities around the world.

This bill requires the State Department to assess the threat of Russia's engagement in Africa and create a plan to counter the Russian Federation's growing influence on the continent. In particular, the bill requires a specific focus on extractive industries, security assistance, and strategic basing agreements.

In Sudan, Russia is pursuing an agreement to establish a military base on the Red Sea. Russian mercenaries are also active in the Central African Republic, Mali, and Libya. While they claim to support stabilization efforts, in reality, they are committing gross violations of human rights and exploiting natural resources.

Just last month, Russian mercenaries were implicated in a massacre of over 200 people in Mali. This was the worst attack in Mali in over 10 years. Further reports indicate that they attempted to blame the atrocities on French forces after French intelligence footage showed Russian mercenaries burying victims' bodies outside of a former French military base.

Putin's complicity in these atrocities and war crimes around the world, and disinformation campaigns to avoid accountability, cannot go unanswered. I strongly condemn these attacks and the destabilizing role of Russia across the continent and the world.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Chairman Meeks and Ranking Member McCaul, as well as Chairwoman Bass and Ranking Member Smith on the Subcommittee for Africa, Global Health, and Global Human Rights, for offering this important measure.

The assessment and strategy required by the bill is an important first step, but the U.S. must do more to counter Russian malign activity wherever it is present, and the atrocities and war crimes ongoing in Ukraine further underscore the urgency.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, narcotics trafficking and illicit money from the Caribbean is fueling America's drug crisis and is destabilizing the Western Hemisphere. The same groups that traffic narcotics, weapons, and humans also spread misery throughout the region and into the U.S. homeland.

At the same time, malign actors like the Chinese Communist Party spread their web of influence in the region. This problem is especially troubling since the Caribbean is home to a large concentration of Taiwan's diplomatic allies.

As evidenced by Nicaragua's recent decision to sever long-standing ties with Taiwan, the CCP is employing a range of tools to advance its malign agenda in the Caribbean and throughout Latin America.

Congress must remain committed to working with our allies to address shared security threats, cooperating on regional challenges, and promoting democratic governance. That is why I am supporting the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Authorization Act.

As the CCP exerts its malign influence and drugs flow into the United States, now is the time to work with our allies in the region to ensure our national security interests are protected.

This legislation will expand our Caribbean partners' ability to surveil illicit actors in the water and in the air, improve local law enforcement's ability to intercept narcotics trafficking, strengthen local criminal justice institutions, and support natural disaster response efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the U.S. and our partners must seriously confront the growing threat posed by the CCP in the Caribbean and beyond.

As the situation at our border gets worse, deadly drugs like fentanyl are surging across our southern border from illicit actors in Latin America. We must address the issue immediately. We cannot ignore the Caribbean, America's third border.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Meeks, Mr. Sires, Mr. Green, and Mr. Connolly for leading this measure. I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Iran and its proxies continue to threaten U.S. troops and our partners throughout the Middle East with drones. Iran-backed militia groups attacked U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria with UAVs throughout 2021. Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia doubled over the first 9 months of 2021 compared to 2020, which included frequent UAV assaults.

Where do the Houthis get most of their dangerous UAV technology? Iran.

And Iran continues to use UAVs to threaten Israel, including in its deadly attack on an Israeli-owned tanker last summer. This is exactly why I am opposed to striking another bad nuclear deal with Iran that would line the regime's pockets with cash. We need to be constraining Iran's resources, not filling its coffers. The more money Iran has, the more it will spend on threats to the U.S. and our partners. Period.

This situation is intolerable. The people of the Middle East, including Americans living there, cannot live in freedom, stability, or prosperity under assault by Iran's drones. We have to limit Iran's ability to build and supply drones.

This crucial legislation will take the necessary steps to help reduce the threats of Iranian drones. It clarifies that our existing sanctions on Iran's conventional weapons program include the supply, sale, or transfer to or from Iran of combat UAVs. And it codifies that it is U.S. policy to prevent Iran and its proxies from acquiring UAVs that can be used in attacks against the U.S. and our partners.

With this legislation, Congress is telling the world that the U.S. will use every tool to cut off Iran's UAV supplies and that we will punish those who continue to supply Iran with UAVs and parts despite their destructive impact.

Iran has long demonstrated its commitment to destabilizing the Middle East with its malign activities, but we are committed to countering Iran's attacks and keeping our partners safe. We will continue to adapt to this UAV threat. That includes robust sanctions enforcement against Iran's UAV program and proliferation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers.

In closing, Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism that oppresses its own people and poses a grave threat to the U.S. and our allies in the Middle East, and the Iranian regime is using drones to expand that threat. Just last month retiring CENTCOM Commander General McKenzie told Congress that he was very concerned about the remarkable growth in number and efficiency of Iran's UAV program and long-range drones. We have a responsibility to our men and women in uniform to do everything we can to counter Iran's dangerous UAVs.

I am pleased we are taking this step today to clarify our sanctions laws and make it clear that they cover Iran's drones.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful that we can continue the long history of bipartisan cooperation to respond to Iran's threats, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, as we speak, millions of women and children are on the brink of starvation around the world. An estimated 3.1 million children perish every year due to malnutrition. In fact, almost half of the deaths among children under the age of 5 are linked to malnutrition, mainly in low- and middle-income countries. In the 21st century this tragedy should be prevented.

This bipartisan bill will support efforts to scale up targeted and effective nutrition programs in countries most at risk for severe malnutrition. That will help us have a real impact on people's lives around the world.

Fallout from the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the administration's chaotic and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan have compounded global humanitarian crises. Coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, now more than ever we must do everything we can to advance lifesaving nutrition programs, and that starts with a strong and effective USAID who has the tools it needs to ensure no child dies from malnutrition.

Every parent wants to be able to put food on the table, nourish their families, and provide for themselves. Support for low-cost, effective nutrition interventions mean an investment in the health, development, and productivity of the next generation of children, and I urge my colleagues to support this important measure.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, in addition to the crises in Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Ethiopia, the COVID-19 pandemic has erased years of progress towards ending extreme poverty. It has pushed more people into severe food insecurity and malnutrition and has destabilized fragile states. This legislation will help us reclaim lost ground in the battle against hunger and malnutrition.

USAID plays a pivotal role in helping nations across the globe combat hunger and poverty. The agency, alongside our NGO and private-sector partners, has helped secure nutrition stability for expectant mothers and young children along with countless others in need, but more must be done to truly end starvation.

I want to thank members of the advocacy community, especially Bread for the World and RESULTS, for their continued support of this legislative effort.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful we can continue the long history of bipartisan cooperation to help those in need around the world, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

I rise in support of S. 812, directing the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to regain observer status for Taiwan in the World Health Organization.

This bill has passed the House in each of the last three Congresses, so I am glad the two Chambers have finally come together to send this bill to the President's desk before the World Health Assembly next month.

I thank Representative Young Kim for introducing the House version of this bill early last year and former Representative Ted Yoho for his work on this issue in previous Congresses.

Taiwan is a model contributor to global health, and Taiwan's exclusion from the WHO isn't just unfair; it is dangerous.

The world is still paying the price of the Chinese Communist Party's coverup of the original COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan. Taiwan's exclusion from the World Health Organization made the situation even worse by depriving the world of Taiwan's early warning.

Unfortunately, Xi Jinping and the CCP are continuing to jeopardize global health by marginalizing Taiwan. The CCP is hijacking the WHO to advance its own political agenda. Taiwan has been totally excluded from participating in the WHO's annual World Health Assembly since 2016.

Despite the CCP's interference, Taiwan is a model democracy that makes the world a better place. The people of Taiwan deserve to participate in the World Health Organization, so I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim).

Mr. Speaker, diseases and pandemics know no borders. Taiwan is a critical player in global health, and it is a global transportation hub. In blocking Taiwan from the WHO, the CCP is placing the world at risk to soothe their own insecurities.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, we have a continued tragedy and crisis at our border.

Since President Biden took office, over 2.2 million illegal immigrants have been apprehended at the southern border. In March alone, there were over 220,000 illegal encounters at our border, a 600 percent or so increase since 2020.

Madam Speaker, the Biden administration's complete disregard for their obligation to secure our border is having tragic impacts on America and in the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Madam Speaker, in fact, today in a briefing on title 42, the Biden administration did not lay out a plan on how they were going to prevent an overwhelming surge at our southern border from lifting of title 42, but instead describe their efforts to increase the number of accommodations, buses, and secret plane flights that have occurred in my district, and they will need to move the mass number of illegals coming into our country.

These are reckless, inhumane policies. They need to be stopped. They need to be corrected. And this House--both Republicans and Democrats-- need to stand up for our citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Luetkemeyer for the great work that he does for small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, when I speak to small businesses throughout my district, they tell me that they are fraught by skyrocketing inflation, rising energy costs, workforce shortages, burdensome regulations, just regular hassles coming from the type of regulations that have been imposed and the type of tax burdens and such.

The Biden administration continues, however, to push a policy agenda that is absolutely detrimental to small business--there is no question about it--creating additional headwinds such as inflation. Let's talk about inflation.

The excessive and unnecessary spending enacted by Democrats in the last 14 months, exceeding $2 trillion, well over $2 trillion just in the rescue plan, almost $9 trillion over the course of the last couple of years, has obviously contributed to the record levels of inflation; up nearly 8 percent since last

year, just last year alone, the highest level since 1981.

We look back on that as the most historic inflation ever. Well, it is happening now, and yet, we are talking about exacerbating it with higher levels of spending.

Let's talk about energy prices. The Biden administration's blatant and deliberate detrimental policies on domestic energy production has caused prices at the pump to nearly double since last year, making it clearly more difficult for small businesses to get their goods to market; making it more difficult for customers to get to the small businesses.

We must support our domestic energy production and make energy affordable again. It is almost that simple.

Let's talk about the workforce shortages. Disincentives to work, extended by the American Rescue Plan, have made it very difficult for small businesses to recruit and retain workers. We should all know that. Go visit any small business and they will tell you just that.

Sure, it is starting to come back, as it would once those incentives not to work were minimized or eliminated. That is what we need to do, create incentives to work, not discourage work.

Let's talk about tax increases. The persistent threat of increased taxes from Democrats in Congress and the Biden administration send shivers down the spine of small businesses, creates enormous uncertainty, while it makes it difficult for them to plan and invest in their businesses.

Let's talk about regulations. Since taking office 14 months ago, the Biden administration has instituted hundreds of new regulations costing over $200 billion in real terms, and burdening businesses with what has been estimated as 130 million hours of additional paperwork.

Instead of saddling our small businesses with burdensome and costly regulations, we should be trying to actually create an environment that breeds growth and success and allows owners to invest in their business and employees.

The solution to the difficulties that America's small businesses are facing is not to pump $55 billion of new, unpaid spending into the economy. This will exacerbate much of what I just went through.

Mr. Speaker, there is no reason just to criticize legislation without a solution. We have a solution, the ENTREE Act, introduced by Ranking Member Luetkemeyer, is fully paid for and delivers $60 billion in aid to America's restaurants who were excluded by the previous Democrats' unconstitutional and discriminatory RRF rollout which was proven illegal.

Unlike the bill we are considering today, the ENTREE Act would replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund by repurposing unused American Rescue Plan dollars and would not further contribute to the hyperinflation that all American small businesses--and our deficit-- that all businesses are burdened by today and, again, the highest since nearly 50 years.

So, the real solution is a smart, responsible approach that provides targeted relief without exacerbating the many crises small business owners are facing today.

Every idea, Mr. Speaker, in this Congress cannot be solved by spending billions of dollars more of taxpayer money, as stated earlier, over $10 trillion in excess over the last 2 years. It has got to stop somewhere, sometime.

We need to stop this out-of-control spending, reduce inflation, stop the assault on domestic energy production, lower energy costs, and create a business environment that is friendly to growth, not friendly to a tax, spend, and over-regulatory Big Government.

The solution, again, is not difficult. But it must be definitely not adding another $55 billion of spending. American job creators need to be the most competitive in the world. We need to do what we can do to create an environment for that.

The policies of the Biden administration and far too many Democrats in this House have made life more difficult for small businesses. This must change.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to call up H.R. 471, the PAUSE Act, to protect all Americans from Biden's border crisis.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Lieutenant William Lebo of the Lebanon City, Pennsylvania, Police Department. Lieutenant Lebo was shot and killed in the line of duty last week.

Lieutenant Lebo was a dedicated, 40-year veteran of the Lebanon City Police Department and planned to retire on May 1 of this year.

Lieutenant Lebo and two other officers, Ryan Adams and Derek Underkoffler, were responding to a domestic disturbance last Thursday when the offender immediately opened fire on them. All three officers were shot, and tragically, Lieutenant Lebo was fatally wounded.

Lieutenant Lebo has been remembered by his colleagues and those he served as a calm, kind, and ethical police officer who was deeply devoted to protecting the Lebanon community.

This tragedy serves as a devastating reminder that every day law enforcement officers put on their uniforms and go to work, as my father did, to protect and serve, always knowing full well that they may not return home.

Today and always, we owe our continued support to our police officers and their families in Pennsylvania and across America.

We all send our deepest condolences to Lieutenant Lebo's wife, Lora; his daughter, Corrine; and his entire family, as well as the Lebanon City Police

Department, the Lebanon DA's office, and the entire Lebanon community.

Mr. Speaker, when the Biden administration learned Iran was just weeks away from enriching enough uranium for a weapon, this administration's response was to rush to a deal to

slow but not stop Iran's nuclear ambitions. This is so.

Mr. Speaker, the fact is, no deal will include concrete guarantees that Iran will not develop nuclear weapons. Yet, in pursuit of a deal, the Biden administration is offering concessions that will enrich our adversaries, endanger our allies, and cost America dearly.

The whole new deal now hinges on delisting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard--yes, that terrorist organization--even as the IRGC supported attacks against U.S. troops recently in the UAE.

Mr. Speaker, sanctions relief will give Iran access to over $100 billion in frozen assets. That is over $100 billion in frozen assets to the center of terrorism in the world. Nuclear trade, in addition, with Russia and China will only strengthen this unholy alliance.

What can our allies expect from an Iran enriched from energy sales and free from sanctions? Even worse, President Biden is seeking to buy oil from Iran instead of ramping up U.S. production. This disastrous decision, irrational decision, will fill their coffers even more.

We have wrecked our U.S. national and economic security, Mr. Speaker, by forfeiting our energy over the last 15 months and our independence. We are now subject to the fluctuations from the randomness of the geopolitical events rather than relying upon American workers and American energy.

We have cost our Nation thousands of jobs and empowered our enemies. We are seeing this firsthand with the leverage we have ceded to Russia because this administration seeks to decimate U.S. energy production.

The Department of Energy is taking trips and seeking oil purchases from Venezuela. Mr. Speaker, I have not seen Department of Energy representatives in Pennsylvania to see how the great reserves in the Marcellus Shale can support our country's energy needs.

Is the Biden administration choosing Venezuela over Pennsylvania? Are they choosing Tehran over Texas? And as my good friend, Representative August Pfluger, branded not too long ago: Are they choosing Moscow over Midland?

This is the product of disastrous domestic policies weakening our hand in diplomacy and the Biden administration rushing to negotiate from a position of weakness. It is why our allies are urging us to walk away and keep sanctions in place on Iran.

This deal was misguided 7 years ago. It is downright dangerous today. We need Democrats and Republicans in this House to stand up for America and against this erroneous, misguided, senseless Iran nuke deal.

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

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, Mr. Keating, and wish him a happy Saint Patrick's Day as well as thank him for bringing this resolution to the floor today.

Madam Speaker, happy St. Patrick's Day.

This January marked the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday when British troops in Derry, Northern Ireland, shot at a crowd of innocent protesters, killing 14 people. This unjustified act of violence marks a low point in the difficult history of Ireland in the 20th century. In fact, Bloody Sunday was just one of many tragic episodes during the Troubles which lasted 33 years and resulted in as many as 3,000 deaths.

This bipartisan resolution we are considering today commemorates this solemn anniversary. It also serves to remind the world that there is still work to be done to achieve full reconciliation and safeguard a lasting peace for all Irish people.

With the support of the United States, the 1998 Good Friday Agreement brought an end to the violence that characterized the Troubles and began a process to establish peace in Northern Ireland. Stories about atrocities, violence, and repression began to recede from the headlines. Today, Northern Ireland's story is one of prosperity, freedom, and peace.

Issues remain, however, and the United States and the U.S. Congress must continue to engage strongly in the pursuit of an enduring peaceful future for Northern Ireland.

The Good Friday Agreement signed in 1998 is the best framework to achieve this noble end. While post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland have posed challenges to this historic agreement, both sides have worked in good faith to resolve them. This resolution also encourages both the European Union and Great Britain to continue acting in good faith negotiations to implement Brexit's Northern Ireland protocol.

I support our transatlantic allies' efforts to find a more workable solution for trade not only at the north-south Irish land border, but also at the Irish Sea border between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to continue the U.S. legacy of supporting a lasting peace in Northern

Ireland by joining me in supporting this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I do thank my colleagues for their articulate, eloquent, and important words: Chairman Neal, my friend Representative Boyle, Chairman Keating, and Representative Jackson Lee.

Madam Speaker, in closing, I again thank Chairman Keating for his work on this bipartisan resolution to commemorate the anniversary of a tragic time in Northern Ireland.

It is fitting we are considering this resolution on St. Patrick's Day, a day when many Americans proudly display their Irish heritage, including my own family. My mother, formerly Maeve McMenomy; her father, my grandfather, Philip McMenomy, who descended directly from Ireland. As a matter of fact, my mother's mother was from Ukraine.

As you can imagine, we know how to get our Irish up in our family and enjoy St. Patrick's Day and also reflect on the important history in Ireland as well as the very unwarranted and deadly and destructive events taking place in Ukraine currently.

Today, we can also say that we are at peace, perhaps proud. The scenes of violence from the past years in Ireland have subsided that have reigned for more than 20 years.

I was sorry to hear that the Irish Prime Minister tested positive for COVID yesterday, so we all wish him a speedy recovery.

I do look forward to the United States and Ireland continuing to build on our strong relationship and advance our shared interests.

This resolution is important right now, because we have had, Madam Speaker, far too many Bloody Sundays, including in the United States. March 7, 1965, was a terrible Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama. The last several Sundays in Ukraine have been as well, with unnecessary bloodshed without justification.

In the words of a good Irishman, Bono of the band U2: ``No more.''

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution. It is critical that the U.S. Congress speaks with one voice toward promoting lasting peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

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