Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to underscore my support of a strong and sovereign Macedonia.

The nation of Macedonia has been a critical partner in advancing U.S. national security efforts around the world. Furthermore, the Macedonian diaspora in the United States has been a critical part of our community and has contributed to the diversity and advancement of our entire nation.

As co-chair of the Congressional Macedonia and Macedonian-Americans Caucus and Representative for Michigan's 11th district, the Macedonian people in Southeast Michigan are a vibrant and esteemed part of our community.

A sovereign and strong Macedonia and Macedonian people serves to benefit our mutual interests and we must support, not undermine, our important ally.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 41, offered by my good friend, Mr. Huizenga. This resolution is simple. It repeals an onerous rule that puts American manufacturing and energy companies at a global disadvantage.

Both foreign and American companies sell products and energy in our economy, but only American companies are required to jump through additional hoops, regulations that cost billions of dollars and pass on hundreds of millions of dollars to consumers. Michiganders know all too well what happens when government tips the scale in favor of foreign companies: jobs are lost overseas, and the investment necessary to create jobs is delayed or canceled.

My friends across the aisle have suggested that this resolution is about bribery. It is not. This resolution and, in fact, the election on November 8 is about jobs, the loss of American jobs.

Manufacturers in Michigan don't need special treatment. The unparalleled product of hardworking men and

women in Michigan speaks for itself. But I think we can all agree that the American Government should be their ally, not their opponent. Repealing this rule does just that.

I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to voice my strong support for President-elect Trump's outstanding choice for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos.

A fellow Michigander, Betsy has worked tirelessly on behalf of the children of our country, striving to improve education and return authority back to those who know best--parents and the States. Not only has Michigan benefited from her efforts, but she has worked across the country to improve test scores and promote the highest level of academic achievement. She is committed to not only promoting strong schools, but she has also worked on an individual basis by personally mentoring children and interacting with their parents.

I have no doubt that Betsy will continue to be a strong advocate for our children and that she will ensure that our education is as it should be--the greatest in the world.

Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Goodlatte for yielding me the time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 26, the REINS Act. In a minute, I want to share an experience I had a few months ago which will explain why, aside from the Constitution, I think it is important that we rein in unelected bureaucrats.

When we talk about regulatory reform, it is sometimes hard to understand the impact regulations have on our economy. That is for the simple reason that someone who goes in for a job interview never sits there and is told by the employer: I would love to offer you the job, but I can't because of the crushing regulatory burden coming out of Washington. And that is because the crushing burden of regulations causes the job not to be created in the first place; and, hence, there is no interview for the job.

The experience I had a couple of months ago, I was back home, and I met with the Michigan Restaurant Association. There were 8 or 10 folks sitting around and telling me about the issues that are important to them. They said they were dying because of the EPA, because of the FDA, because of the EEOC, because of the ACA, because of the overtime rule from DOL, and because of the CFPB. I quickly surmised that the restaurant industry is dying, and it is death by acronyms. That is what is happening in this country. That is why we are not creating jobs.

If you come in from the airport, you come across the 14th Street bridge and you enter the city, all you see is cranes. There was never a recession in Washington. Today, there are 277,000 people who write and enforce rules in this country in Washington, D.C., and around the country. That is more than the entire employee base of the VA.

A few minutes ago, my friend from Tennessee said that all of these great regulations have saved our country. Well, if that had happened, I would have expected a different result on November 8.

A few minutes ago, my friend from Georgia, who I was proud to serve on the Judiciary Committee with, talked about all of the problems with our plan.

I say to my colleague, the next time you pull up in front of your favorite Outback Steakhouse restaurant and it is closed, it is not because the cook quit, it is not because of the cost of beef, and it is not because the restaurant was poorly managed. It is because of death by acronyms. I ask everyone to support H.R. 26. It is time we rein in unelected bureaucrats, follow the Constitution, and create some jobs.

I thank the chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 11, which offers a strong objection to U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334.

President Obama started his foreign policy 8 years ago with an apology tour in the Middle East, and now, not surprisingly, he ends it with a slap in the face to our ally and friend, Israel.

For over 40 years, the United States Government--Republicans and Democrats--stood shoulder to shoulder with our ally, vetoing countless resolutions at the United Nations. However, this past December, President Obama broke that tradition and chose to allow this resolution to come before the Security Council for a vote. As Prime Minister Netanyahu said: ``This was a disgraceful anti-Israel maneuver.'' Not only does this one-sided resolution blatantly target Israel, it seriously impedes the peace process.

Unfortunately, while I wholeheartedly reject what happened at the United Nations, I cannot say that I am surprised. The Obama administration has been more concerned with appeasing nefarious actors like Iran and Cuba, all the while ignoring friends like Israel. I look forward to a new era of foreign policy in which our enemies fear us and our allies respect us.

Mr. Speaker, the President presented his budget yesterday, and I am disappointed to say that it is just more of the same tax-and- spend policies that we have seen over the past 6 years--$4 trillion of spending, $2 trillion in new taxes, and more deficits for the next 10 years.

I have only been in Washington for a month, but the prevailing message from the President seems to be that politicians know better than the people, that Big Government is the solution, and that huge deficits are just part of life. This experiment has failed and has hurt the hardworking taxpayers in my district, who built our economy. Since 2009, the debt has grown from $10 trillion to $18 trillion. The new budget has the debt at $26 trillion in 10 years, and interest payments alone on our national debt will quadruple in the next 10 years.

Now more than ever we need a balanced budget amendment to our Constitution. It is a simple concept: force the Federal Government to live within its means. Families do it; businesses do it; cities, counties, and States are doing it. I urge my colleagues to join me as cosponsors of House Joint Resolutions 1 and 2.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Today, this House will vote on important bipartisan legislation designed to rein in costly Federal regulations. The Regulatory Accountability Act will modernize the Federal rulemaking process by directing the executive branch to fulfill its statutory goals in the least costly method and requires agencies to solicit input from, of all places, the public to find the most efficient regulatory solutions.

The Regulatory Accountability Act is necessary because ineffective, inefficient regulations from Washington have increased prices, lowered wages, killed jobs, and made our Nation less competitive. There is no question that these regulations are hurting hardworking families in Michigan's 11th District and throughout our great Nation.

The facts on Washington's overregulation are shocking. Federal regulations now impose an estimated burden of $1.86 trillion. That burden is suffocating America's job creators. It equals roughly $15,000 per household and 11 percent of our gross domestic product. To make matters worse, the new regulations cooked up in Washington are often unnecessary and have unintended consequences.

I spent 30 years in business and have seen firsthand the devastating impact overregulation from Washington can have on our economy. We cannot expect our job providers to grow and hire more employees if Washington is creating uncertainty, surprises, and continuing to bury our businesses in costly regulations.

Every dollar that is spent complying with needless regulations is one less dollar that can be spent by families who are trying to put food on the table and make ends meet in a challenging economy.

Mr. Chairman, the American people sent us here to work together to address the many challenges facing our Nation. They sent us here to craft solutions to create jobs and make opportunities for all Americans.

So I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the Regulatory Accountability Act so we can begin to lift the burden of Federal regulations off the American people. It is time to get the government out of the way.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 3, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''