Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, we have a very, very serious energy crisis here on our home shores. As fuel continues to rise, the Biden administration continues to point fingers at anybody but themselves-- they have done it many times before--for this self-inflicted crisis.

There are statements such as this is Putin's fault. The fact is, though, that the numbers truly tell a different story, and they do, in fact, tell the truth.

This situation cannot be denied by many of our colleagues here in the House, that we are issuing virtual propaganda about the realities of a national crisis.

On January 20 of last year, a gallon of gas cost $2.39. After a year with the Biden administration, and with much of the House leadership supporting, we shut down the Keystone pipeline; paused leases for energy development; failed to approve even one permit for drilling, not one; imposed new regulations on the energy industry; threatened higher taxes on energy companies; and, yes, actually warned banks and financial institutions not to make investments in our domestic energy industries.

Yet, what is coming from the White House, and many in this House, is to blame Putin for the gas prices. It is just horrible propaganda.

Last week, the President actually told the American people that he ``can't do much right now'' to lower gas prices. Yes, you can. Yes, it can be done.

Meanwhile, they are looking at Iran, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, and, up until recently, Russia. So why don't we look at central Pennsylvania, west Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana?

Create American energy and American jobs. We need to reverse the policies that have depressed production, throttled back investment, and led to higher gas prices at the pump and for heating people's homes nationwide.

Madam Speaker, energy security is national security. I think we have all heard that. It has never been more important to be reminded of it than today. We must reverse these damaging policies now and safeguard our Nation's security for today and tomorrow.

Madam Speaker, I thank my very good friend, Dr. John Joyce from Pennsylvania.

Madam Speaker, we are witnessing horrible brutality by Vladimir Putin. He is killing civilians and committing war crimes while Zelensky has ordered his troops to ``not cross the line between humanity and animals.''

Zelensky requested aircraft, military supplies, and for credit card processing to be cut off. Mastercard and Visa stepped up and cut off their services the day that he asked, on Saturday. And I hope the aircraft is on its way, as was planned. He also asked for the U.S. to impose an embargo on Russian oil. Finally, the Biden administration is taking this important step.

Madam Speaker, 14 months ago, this would have been a simple ask as we, the United States, were in fact energy independent. Because of the Biden administration's reckless anti-domestic fuel energy policies, it is far more complicated. At a time when we should be ramping up domestic production, the Biden administration is sending officials to Venezuela and Iran in a desperate attempt to buy oil from these rogue nations.

The historic gas prices we are all facing are a direct result of the Biden administration's foolish domestic energy policy. Producing oil and gas here at home doesn't just keep prices low but serves as a strategic global advantage.

Madam Speaker, regarding Ukraine, we must lay out our own terms to Putin: Get out of Ukraine or be subject to war crimes and every crippling sanction imaginable, as well as to fortify the Ukrainians.

This war is about tyranny versus freedom, oppression versus liberty, totalitarianism versus democracy, and injustice versus justice. The rest of the world is watching. This is a pivotal moment. Glory to Ukraine.

Mr. Speaker, I, too, join my colleague, Representative Thompson, in remembering and feeling very blessed to have known Jim Hagedorn, our colleague and friend, and I pray for his family.

Mr. Speaker, on this day we need to discuss the fact that Vladimir Putin is absolutely stunned by the courage and resolve of the Ukrainian people. After 6 to 7 days of fighting, Ukraine controls most of its major cities including the city that my family is from, Lviv. The Russian people are protesting their leader's unprovoked aggression seeing, as the world sees, that this is Putin's war alone.

We must do more. Our crippling sanctions are strongly hurting the Russian economy. But, Mr. Speaker, we must recognize this conflict is where energy is both the carrot and the stick. We must hit Putin where it hurts, by cutting off imports of Russian oil to the United States, unleashing U.S. energy, and ensuring Nord Stream 2 never goes into effect.

Putin can't be trusted. This is understood. His prior interest in diplomacy was insincere. We must show leadership. We must provide the weapons that, by the way, were provided by the Ukrainian Parliament.

Madam Speaker, there is a fentanyl crisis in our country. It is plaguing our communities. It is plaguing my district, poisoning our children, and devastating American families.

Madam Speaker, it seems to be ignored by many, however, both in the White House and on this House floor. Our southern border is an unmitigated disaster due to this administration's open border policies. Drugs, crime, and the secret transportation of illegal immigrants flooding into our communities without warning in the middle of the night is causing serious, long-term damage. Yet, it seems to be ignored by too many.

Fentanyl is an extremely deadly substance. It has flowed into our country in droves by way of the southern border. A recent study found that fentanyl deaths have doubled in 30 States amid the border crisis. Americans are suffering at the hands of the drug cartels.

Customs and Border Patrol reported a 134 percent increase in fentanyl seizures in fiscal year 2021 with a disturbing 11,201 pounds confiscated, which is estimated to be able to kill every American seven times over. This is devastating and unbelievable.

With this high amount confiscated, the Drug Enforcement Agency was forced to put out a Public Safety Alert, warning the American people about fake pills laced with fentanyl and other fentanyl-related poisons putting so many at risk.

Drug overdoses have hit a record high in 2021 at over 100,000 deaths in the United States including more than 5,000 deaths in Pennsylvania. Nearly two-thirds of these deaths were connected to fentanyl.

In 2021, the leading cause of deaths for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45 were drug overdoses. Is there any question that Congress should act? Madam Speaker, I am a cosponsor of the HALT Fentanyl Act. This legislation will permanently schedule fentanyl substances as a schedule I drug, giving law enforcement the ability to prosecute the trafficking of deadly fentanyl into American communities.

My Democrat colleagues recently blocked this lifesaving legislation when my Republican colleagues offered it for consideration last week. It truly is hard to understand why President Biden and far too many of our Democrat colleagues, in fact, all last week, have ignored this crisis, blocked legislation that would help fight it, and have sat idly by as they contemplate what the root causes of our southern border crisis might be.

Madam Speaker, if someone can show me where we have seen the White House actually mention fentanyl as the terrible scourge on our country, I would like to see it. If, however, they were to take a mirror to their own policies, they might realize that the root cause is the policies themselves. It is certainly time for Congress to act, to step up and do its job together to stop the flow of fentanyl into our communities.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for his leadership.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support for the amendment proposed by Representative Crenshaw.

Despite being the world's leading emitter of carbon emissions and the second largest economy, China made minimal commitments under the Paris Agreement for greenhouse gas reduction, and we let them get away with it.

Now we have heard claims from the CCP, this administration, as well others, the CCP is stepping up their commitments and generally want to address climate change. In fact, China has only committed to stop increasing emissions by 2030. That is another 8 years of increasing emissions from China.

This administration's wishful thinking ignores the fact that the United States is the only industrialized nation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the last 2 years in a row, which has been achieved primarily with low-emissions natural gas from my home State of Pennsylvania.

However, the reality of China's new commitments is that they are still doing the bare minimum compared with what the United States and other leading economies have committed. China continues to use fuels that this administration is strongly throttling back.

If we are expected to believe the CCP is genuine in their commitments on climate, then it is critical that we see proof and accountability.

Madam Speaker, that is why I support this amendment to require annual briefings on the Peoples Republic of China's progress toward their climate commitments.

Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague, the gentleman from Florida for yielding.

Madam Speaker, we have far too many domestic and international crises facing us right now to name them here. From the southern border to Ukraine, Afghanistan to the crime in Philadelphia's streets, soaring gasoline prices to supply chain bottlenecks.

We have an opportunity here to make the U.S. economy more competitive--we can do that with the right bill--particularly against our number one competitor and often adversary, China. Rather than lower the costs for American large and small businesses, Madam Speaker, and creating a more competitive business environment, this so-called America COMPETES Act places burdens on the American economy in the form of debt and regulations, is filled with special interest

subsidies, nobody can deny that, and has a whopping $325 billion price tag to go along with our escalating deficit and debt.

Meanwhile, the only part of the $325 billion that I agree with, and I believe my constituents agree with, would be the CHIPS USA Act and some of the rural broadband.

Madam Speaker, this bill really is a plethora of new government programs that will not advance the U.S. economy.

Madam Speaker, this bill will likely get the vote of China, but would not get the vote of American small business. The CCP is very serious about economic growth with little regard for how to get there. We had better wake up or we will be responsible for letting them.

Madam Speaker, I thank my very good friend from Louisiana for his leadership.

Madam Speaker, the Biden administration has created a crisis at our southern border. And instead of addressing the problem, they are empowering it.

The administration has been flying illegal immigrants into my home State of Pennsylvania and across the United States on ``midnight express flights'' in the middle of the night. HHS has conducted these flights with zero forewarning in order to facilitate the Biden administration's open border policies.

After meeting with the Biden administration, Madam Speaker, regarding these flights, I was told--this is incredulous, but I was told it is simply a coincidence that each one of these flights came in in the dark of night.

Madam Speaker, I was born at night, but it wasn't last night. I questioned that answer. And when questioned regarding these specifics, the administration refused to answer.

This is not right, and the American people deserve better. To address this, I will be introducing the Immigration Transparency and Transit Notification Act, which will bring light to this process, ensuring that the States have a say.

This bill will:

Number 1, require DHS and HHS to notify the appropriate Federal, State, and local officials of the placement and transportation of illegals in their State before the process begins.

Number 2, grant Governors an opportunity to question the placement of illegals in their States.

Number 3, ensure the safety of unaccompanied minors from human trafficking by requiring agencies to provide information about the sponsors of where these young people are being placed to the Governor and other relevant officials.

Madam Speaker, it is time for Congress, all of Congress, Republicans and Democrats, to act. We must control the southern border and take control of the crisis that is truly deteriorating our country.

Mr. Speaker, in business, a 1-year review is customary. So let's review the Biden administration's first year by the numbers. As we tend to say in business, the numbers don't lie.

Regarding the economy, there are 6 million Americans unemployed while 10 million jobs remain unfilled. The vast majority of small businesses are hiring, yet 95 percent report few applications. Inflation, Mr. Speaker, is at a 40-year high of 7 percent. Gas is up 50 percent, and it costs about $100 to fill up the gas tank on a pickup truck.

Regarding national security, it is really no better. Two million illegals have crossed our border. Twice as much fentanyl is coming in; we have over 100,000--sadly--fatalities throughout the United States. And we have 125,000 troops preparing to invade Ukraine.

We have 2-mile long lines for COVID testing in my district.

Mr. Speaker, we are not going to hold our breath for corrective action to be taken by the Biden administration; they have stated how they plan to double down. It will be up to the American people to solve this problem come November.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend Mr. Davis of Illinois for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, Democrats have a scheme to take over elections, and it has taken a very disturbing turn. The Federal takeover of elections bill is masquerading as what was a noncontroversial NASA bill.

The Constitution, Mr. Speaker, is clear: State legislators alone determine the time, place, and manner of elections, period.

Voter participation, Mr. Speaker, over the past 20 years has enormously increased; it is well over 70 percent at this point because States have implemented policies assuring easy access while maintaining voter integrity to the best of their ability.

Nevertheless, Democrats want a Federal takeover of all elections. This plan legalizes ballot harvesting nationwide, bans voter ID laws. Does America hear that? Prohibits the ability to ask for an ID to vote. Somehow that is in the interest of our election integrity. I don't think so.

It allows noncitizens to vote, Mr. Speaker, and imposes new mandates on all precincts, regardless of their size or resources. Perhaps most egregiously, they want to provide millions of dollars in taxpayer funding for campaigns.

Under this new taxpayer scheme, the American taxpayer would give our Speaker of the House $22 million and a whopping $44 million to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for his campaign.

Americans can't get COVID tests, hospitals are being overwhelmed, businesses can't find workers, and this is the focus, to blow up the Senate filibuster and seize control of all elections to secure future Democrat majorities.

Let's vote ``no.''

Madam Speaker, it is no surprise to anyone here or throughout the United States that we have a serious crisis at our southern border. All anyone has to do is go visit the southern border to see the devastation, to see the death, to see the desperation, to see the drugs coming across, Madam Speaker.

Since President Biden has come into office, a record number, over 2 million illegal immigrants, have been apprehended: a 128 percent increase in apprehensions from the previous year.

And 1.7 million migrants were apprehended illegally just this year, while 400,000 illegally crossed the border and got away.

But the President and his administration halted the Trump administration's successful remain in Mexico policy, has reinstated catch-and-release, has refused to enforce title 42, and is providing incentives for illegals to come into our country through mass amnesty proposals, work visas, and driver's licenses. Okay?

This is a serious matter for every State, for my constituents, for my district. We have the highest level of overdose fatalities ever, and it is a direct result of the Biden administration policy. This needs to stop. This is a terrible situation caused by the Biden administration. I wish it would stop. We could stop it here.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida, my good friend, for yielding and for creating this opportunity.

Madam Speaker, just a short time ago America was energy independent. The American people had access to affordable energy and the U.S. led the world in carbon emissions reductions. What a difference 1 year and one administration can make, Madam Speaker.

Americans are paying the most they have paid at the pump since 2014, gasoline prices are up 45 percent in Pennsylvania. With winter fast approaching, home heating prices are projected to rise even above 50 percent--54 percent for some American households.

The Biden administration's solution is to literally double down on the failed energy policies. This is creating national security issues and real issues for every American, and certainly every Pennsylvanian.

Along the way, some of the solutions from the Biden administration have been to beg Russia and OPEC countries to please produce and ship more, to tap the strategic oil reserve--which is a reserve for emergencies and catastrophes, meanwhile, it is yielding only 3 days' worth of oil--and a proposed increased cost to produce oil and gas on Federal lands.

With actions like this, we shouldn't be surprised when we hear the White House press secretary argue that higher gas prices somehow highlight the need for the rapid transition to clean energy. This is ridiculous. It is woke gone mad and it is quite deliberately manipulative.

President Biden and his administration have virtually done everything in their power to decimate domestic fuel production by holding up the Keystone pipeline, pausing the oil and gas leasing on U.S. lands, and actually even discouraging our banks from investing in traditional forms of energy and production.

So out of respect for time, we can all appreciate the goal for a cleaner environment and reduction in carbon emissions, but it must be done in a manner that is economically feasible and not damaging to the American people and our constituents who we are supposed to be representing.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the esteemed gentleman from Texas very much.

Mr. Speaker, this break business' backs bill is the latest iteration of an upside-down--in fact, inverted--economic agenda, ignoring today's problems and doubling down on what we see are failed policies.

What is in this partisan reconciliation bill says more about Democrat's Big Government agenda than people's actual needs, and it will exacerbate challenges currently facing working families and small businesses. It is an $80,000 tax break for wealthy individuals and $400 billion tax hike on small businesses, with a total of $800 billion in new taxes. That is a fact.

It subsidizes green energy but it has a new tax on natural gas, making heating your home more expensive. That is a fact.

It disincentivizes work with new unaccountable entitlements while business owners are desperate to fill nearly 10 million jobs. It will increase costs on domestic businesses and manufacturers and make products overseas more attractive. And it is big spending that everyone agrees is not paid for; will increase debt to somewhere in the neighborhood of--I don't know, what is the debt ceiling request going to be?--$34-, $35-, $36 trillion on something that was said was going to cost zero? Decrease GDP, reduces wage growth, and drives inflation higher. We need to make our country better not make government bigger.

Mr. Speaker, Americans are feeling the pinch of rising prices as they are gearing up to both host and visit their families and friends this holiday season.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and it is shaping up to be the most expensive meal in the history of the holiday due to rising costs, largely from President Biden and Democrats' failed economic policies.

Inflation is at a 30-year high, crushing American holiday budgets from the cost of travel, food, and gifts. The price of gasoline, Mr. Speaker, is up 61 percent--nearly $4 nationally--from a year ago, causing the price of driving and flying to see relatives skyrocket. Many Americans are now facing the decision to cancel holiday travel due to these rising costs.

Most holiday staple foods are significantly more expensive as well, if Americans are lucky enough to find them on the grocery shelves due to the supply chain crisis we are facing.

The cost of turkey is up about 20 percent. Potatoes are up about 15 percent. Carrots are up almost 50 percent. Cranberries and biscuits are up nearly 10 percent. And even pumpkin pie is way up.

On average, a Thanksgiving meal this year will cost families between 15 to 20 percent more than it did just 1 year ago today. With the rising cost of energy and essential goods, nearly one-third of working families' earnings are going to food and energy costs.

Instead of finding ways to offset this, mitigate it, improve and fix the supply chain crisis, and bring domestic energy back to minimize these skyrocketing energy costs, President Biden and my colleagues in the Democratic Caucus in this House continue to push for a historically large multitrillion-dollar spending bill called Build Back Better that will raise taxes and seriously damage domestic energy production, which I completely don't understand, nor does anyone in my district.

As well, it has special interest tax cuts, and it will not cost zero. Can we please stop insulting the people? It will cost trillions, all the while suppressing our economy and opportunity.

When you are in a hole, Mr. Speaker, you don't keep digging, but our Democrat friends continue to push for far-left policies that will further drive inflation by creating excess demand with no building of supply, which hurts low-income and middle-class families the hardest.

Now is the time for Congress to pass pro-growth, free market legislation that will actually empower our economy and put more money into the pockets of the American taxpayer, not in the coffers of Washington.

Mr. Speaker, the solutions are actually kind of simple. We must follow our rule book, which is known as the Constitution. We must respect and abide by our oath to the Constitution, not with some crazy mandates coming out of Washington. We must strengthen our national security, including securing our borders.

We must strengthen our economy, not grow our government. No one in my district is saying, hey, the Federal Government is not big enough. Let's expand it by 30 percent.

We must continue to focus on making America the land of opportunity, the land of independence, not the land of dependence. That is not what we wrote way back when. This is done through education and through driving career opportunities.

Mr. Speaker, we, as well, need to have an understanding that it is our job to be the adults in the room and be fiscally responsible with the taxpayers' money. It is not our money; it is the taxpayers' money.

So the American people deserve better. They deserve better from this House. We need to deliver. Truly, the idea of America depends upon it.

Madam Speaker, after elections where the American people rebuked the left's tax, spend, and Big Government control agenda, our Democrat colleagues are doubling down on failed and unpopular policies that will exacerbate inflation, workforce and supply shortages that are hurting everyone, including waste, abuse, and fraud.

Madam Speaker, this reconciliation bill has no return on investment for the American people. In fact, independent analysis shows it decreases GDP and it will weaken U.S. economic strength worldwide.

The bill raises $420 billion in taxes on small businesses while giving a massive tax break for high earners in high-tax states.

It gives amnesty and driver's licenses to illegal immigrants while a crisis rages at the border. It spends big on entitlements that disincentivize work and, as stated, are ripe for fraud. As well, it misses any mark for pay-for by $2 trillion to $3 trillion.

This irresponsible spending bill, coupled, by the way, with a bipartisan

Transportation and Infrastructure bill, has made it very, unfortunately, impossible to support both, because the net effect of these dependent bills is detrimental to our economy, national security, and global competitiveness.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Ranking Member Luetkemeyer very much, as well as Chairwoman Velazquez, for working on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4481, the Small Business 7(a) Loan Agent Transparency Act, introduced by my colleague, Mr. Phillips of Minnesota.

In fiscal year 2020, the SBA's 7(a) loan program made approximately 42,000 loans, totaling over $22 billion, providing creditworthy small businesses access to capital they could not obtain elsewhere. In some cases, these loans are facilitated by third-party loan agents. These loan agents can be attorneys, accountants, consultants, or others who assist a lender or borrower with their loan.

As recent as last year, the SBA's Office of Inspector General issued reports highlighting the need for the SBA to improve its oversight of loan agents. The SBA's OIG cited at least 22 cases of confirmed loan agent fraud, totaling at least $335 million in taxpayer money.

This bill addresses bipartisan concerns with third-party loan agents involved in the SBA 7(a) loan program by creating a registration system for loan agents that can be used to track and evaluate performance of loans generated by loan agents.

I would like to thank Congressman Phillips for working with me to address the role loan agents play in this program and ensure that both Congress and the SBA remain good stewards of taxpayer dollars.

I look forward to continuing to work in a bipartisan manner to ensure the SBA has the correct procedures in place for the growing number of loan agents within its flagship 7(a) loan program.

I am pleased to be a cosponsor of this legislation, and I urge a ``yes'' vote.