Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Republicans' plan to avoid a Federal default, to rein in spending, and get our economy back on track: The Limit, Save, Grow Act.

Over the last 2 years, Democrats' out-of-control spending has drastically and dramatically increased our 10-year spending trajectory. That includes the $2 trillion misnamed American Rescue Plan that ignited the highest rise in consumer prices and inflation in 40 years. Americans are paying the price for this radical spending that completely bloated our Federal spending.

House Republicans are committed to finding a sensible debt ceiling solution that will strengthen the American economy, protect American families, and save taxpayers over $4 trillion over the next 10 years.

The Limit, Save, Grow Act will do the following:

It will limit Washington's irresponsible spending.

It will save taxpayer dollars.

It will grow the American economy.

House Republicans are the only ones who have actually put forward a plan that will keep our Federal Government from defaulting. It is time for President Biden to come to the table and negotiate.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this important legislation that will help families, businesses, and farmers in west Tennessee and across the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for organizing tonight when we can speak directly to the American people.

Monday marked 100 days of the new Republican majority here in the United States House of Representatives.

Since then, we have been committed and worked hard to fulfill our commitment to America. That is our promise; to build an economy that is strong, a Nation that is safe, a future that is built upon freedom, and a government that is accountable to the American people.

Our very first vote here in the majority was to defund President Biden's army of 87,000 new IRS agents that were to target families and small businesses with more burdensome audits.

We passed the Parents Bill of Rights. Now, House Republicans know how important it is to have a say in their children's future, and the Parents Bill of Rights ensures that their important voice is heard.

The Parents Bill of Rights does five things: First, the right for parents to know what is being taught in schools and to see reading material. Secondly, the right to be heard. Third, the parents' rights to see schools' budgets and schools' spending. Fourth, the right to protect their child's privacy. Fifth, the right for parents to be updated on any violent activity at school.

I was proud and am proud to cosponsor this legislation that puts power back in the hands of parents certainly across our country and also empowers them with the information that they need to ensure that their children receive the best education possible.

In addition, for people following at home, we passed a bill, the bill number is H.R. 1, the title of the bill is the Lower Energy Costs Act.

H.R. 1, what it does is it unleashes American energy. It lowers energy costs for families across my district in West Tennessee and across the Nation.

President Biden's war on American energy, frankly, has made us more reliant on foreign energy sources. Americans know that because they have been paying the price for this in higher gas prices, higher utility bills, higher energy prices, in general.

H.R. 1 will unleash American energy and lower costs.

It does five things: It increases domestic energy production.

It reforms the permitting process for all industries. That is the second thing.

The third thing, it reverses anti-energy policies advanced by President Biden's administration.

Fourth, it streamlines energy infrastructure and exports.

Fifth, it boosts the production and processing of critical minerals. I think that is so important.

That is H.R. 1. Obviously, it is one of the most important pieces of legislation that will pass here in the United States House of Representatives.

We as House Republicans have also been doing our part to talk directly with Americans, in part by taking our committee hearings outside of Washington, D.C. We are talking directly to people across the country by having committee hearings outside of Washington, D.C., in the heartland of the country.

I am honored to be on the House Committee on Ways and Means. Under the chairmanship of Jason Smith who chairs the House Committee on Ways and Means, we have had field hearings in West Virginia and in Oklahoma. By taking these committee hearings to places like West Virginia and Oklahoma, we have been talking--but more importantly, listening--in our committees to people who may not be able to travel to Washington, D.C., who could testify directly to our committee and to the other committees.

By doing that, again, listening to issues that are important to the House Ways and Means Committee, and certainly to the other committees, as well, we really appreciate their valuable input.

In addition to all this, other things that House Republicans have done, we have reopened the people's House. It is great to walk around the House Chamber, to walk around the Halls of Congress and see people, see our constituents, see school groups.

Here in the House of Representatives under the Republican majority in these 100 days, we have worked to protect the sanctity of life.

We have worked to counter the Chinese Communist Party and their influence.

We have worked to counter the Biden administration for their weaponization of the Federal Government.

Mr. Speaker, frankly, we are just getting started. We have got a lot of work cut out for us, but we are up to the challenge. We are working hard for the American people. The Republican majority is committed to delivering results for the American people each and every day in this body.

Like you, I appreciate the honor to serve, and I appreciate Congressman Johnson for organizing tonight's Special Order so that Members like me and other Members in the Republican House majority can talk to the people, can talk about the accomplishments and also the important issues that our Nation faces.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to talk about important legislation I am introducing today. It is called the Cell Phone Jamming Reform Act. Senator Tom Cotton is introducing the companion bill in the Senate.

All around the Nation, one of the most important issues that I hear about is the rapid rise in crime, especially violent crime.

According to the Major Cities Chiefs Association Crime Report for 2022 for urban areas, homicide is up 13 percent, rape is up 23 percent, aggravated assault is up 33 percent--all since 2020.

Every one of us knows that this is unacceptable and everyone should feel safe being in their community. In the House Republicans' Commitment to America, we promised that the new Republican majority will work toward creating a Nation that is safe. A key pillar of that promise is alleviating this current crime crisis.

The Cell Phone Jamming Reform Act is a crucial first step in our effort to reduce crime and enhance public safety. This legislation will prevent criminals from conducting criminal operations from behind bars by allowing State and Federal prison officials to use cell phone jamming systems.

The technology will protect inmates, it will protect guards, and it will protect the public at large.

State attorneys general from across the country have determined that cell phones from within prisons, these contraband cell phones, are among the most serious threat to public safety facing prison administrators today.

Now, as cell phone technology has evolved, and it continues to evolve, mobile phones are easier to conceal than ever. They provide countless ways for criminals to communicate with the outside world.

Inmates use contraband cell phones to organize murders, riots, drug operations, fraud, extortion, and other crimes. I want to give you just a few examples.

In Tennessee, an inmate used a contraband cell phone to orchestrate drug conspiracy deals by shipping a package full of methamphetamine to his girlfriend from within the prison. In South Carolina, there have been four major drug trafficking cases where the operation was run by contraband cell phones from behind prison walls. In 2018, gang- affiliated inmates in a maximum security prison used cell phones to organize and coordinate a brutal attack that killed 7 inmates and injured 20.

All Americans have the right to feel safe in their communities, to walk their kids around the block without the fear of assault, to park their car without the fear it will be broken into, or maybe taken completely.

One of the most fundamental duties of government is to ensure that its citizens have the right and the ability to live, to work, and to raise a family without the fear of being a victim of crime.

The Cell Phone Jamming Reform Act is a key step toward reducing crime, enhancing public safety, and, ultimately, to fulfilling our goal to create a Nation that is safe.

I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and the ranking member for allowing me to speak today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of this resolution that would authorize the use of Emancipation Hall by the United States Holocaust Museum for the Days of Remembrance commemoration event on April 20 of 2023.

The Days of Remembrance was established by Congress as the Nation's annual commemoration of the Holocaust. Since 1982, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has worked tirelessly to organize and lead this vital and meaningful ceremony in the United States Capitol.

I think it is imperative that we honor the memory, the bravery, the spirit of 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, and the millions of others who perished at the hands of the Nazi regime.

We must continue to listen and share the survivors' stories so that we never forget the heinous atrocities that took place.

With each passing year, Mr. Speaker, we have fewer and fewer firsthand witnesses and individuals who were there and lost a family member or a friend. Now, more than ever, it is critical that we educate the next generation and teach them about the horrors that occurred during the Holocaust so that we never forget.

To honor the victims of the Holocaust and pay tribute to the liberators, we work and we must continue to work to keep their stories alive. Hosting the Days of Remembrance commemoration event here in the Halls of Congress does exactly that.

As we all know, anti-Semitism, as well as hateful rhetoric and incidents continue to grow here across the country, frankly, across the world.

As Members of Congress, we have the ability and the responsibility to combat anti-Semitism and ensure that our children, tomorrow's leaders, are taught about the cruelties that took place years ago. The way that we can do this and to prevent atrocities like the Holocaust from happening again is through education.

As Elie Wiesel once said: ``For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.''

I thank Representatives Brad Schneider, Max Miller, and Greg Landsman for working with me on this important measure, and, as such, I urge all my colleagues to support this crucial resolution that will honor the victims of the Holocaust by authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall for the Days of Remembrance commemoration.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for organizing this evening's Special Order. The gentleman is a brilliant orator and brilliant lawyer, and I am proud to serve with him.

Mr. Speaker, tonight I want to speak about one of the biggest challenges facing our country today, and that is our national debt. We have heard about it tonight.

Our national debt today stands at over $31 trillion. It is really hard to comprehend a number that large even for us who serve in the House of Representatives.

Instead of taking advantage of the record tax revenues that were produced from the Republican-passed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017, Democrats have used the 2 prior years that they had in power when they had the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives to spend an unprecedented amount of taxpayer dollars.

Here are two big democratic initiatives: Almost $2 trillion spent on the American Rescue Plan; almost $750 billion spent on what they call the Inflation Reduction Act, really the inflation expansion act.

Here is the bottom line: The result of the massive and colossal spending over those past 2 years has produced skyrocketing debt and rampant and raging inflation. We all hear about that inflation each and every day, just the fact that Americans have a tough time affording to live and exist today.

Right now, our country is on track to add almost $20 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. We have heard these numbers quite a bit tonight. I don't think the American people can hear it enough.

By 2053, that number will reach almost 153 to $154 trillion; trillion with a t. The interest costs on our national debt will amount to almost $10.5 trillion for taxpayers over the next decade.

Now, again, to put that in perspective, the net interest cost over the previous 10 years was a little over $3 trillion. Almost a month ago, our government officially hit its debt limit, and the Treasury Department is now using extraordinary measures to postpone a default.

Every household, every business, frankly, everybody, must balance their budget in order to survive. The Federal Government should be no exception.

The bottom line is something has got to change because Americans are getting crushed under the weight of President Biden's failed economic policies.

The good news is that House Republicans are committed to turning this around for American families, for American businesses, for the American people.

Just this week, I traveled to Yukon, Oklahoma, with my colleagues on the House Ways and Means Committee to hear about the economic and regulatory challenges that they face each and every day. It is the second field hearing that the committee has held since taking back the House of Representatives.

In February, we traveled to West Virginia to hear from people in Appalachia. Republicans on the House Committee on Ways and Means are determined to hear directly from taxpayers, from businessowners, from farmers, from manufacturers, from energy producers about how we can ensure that we can get past all the hardships and all the hurdles. We want to ensure that everyone can succeed. The message that we have heard as a committee from the American people has been very clear: Americans have had enough.

In our commitment to America, House Republicans promise to work toward creating an economy that is strong. One of the most effective ways that we can do that is to reign in the out-of-control spending and get our government's fiscal house in order. We have got to find sensible, reasonable, and responsible solutions to addressing our Nation's economic and debt crisis.

As it stands now, we are leaving our children, our grandchildren, and the next generation with the bill and forcing them to live with potentially higher taxes and less opportunities unless we can do something and do something now.

From all of us on this side of the aisle, we want to make sure that Congress can come together, that we get our country's finances in order so that the promise of the American Dream stays intact for families in my home State of Tennessee, in my district, and certainly across the Nation.

We can do it. We have got to work hard. We have got to reign in this out-of-control spending.

I thank you, Congressman Johnson, for organizing tonight's Special Order so we can speak directly to the American people about this crucial issue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the resolution to remove Congresswoman Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee for her anti-Semitic speech, comments, and rhetoric.

No doubt, words have meaning. When a Member of Congress stands in this Chamber or at home or in their district, the Nation and the world pays attention to what they say and how they say it.

When a Member of Congress makes hateful and anti-Semitic remarks, they are amplified. They are magnified even more so when that Member sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the committee tasked with helping set policy and providing oversight over our Nation's relationship with Israel and with Jewish communities around the world.

It is imperative that this body not only speaks against anti-Semitism but also holds accountable those who spread such hateful beliefs.

As our Nation's leaders, we have the ability and the responsibility to help combat anti-Semitism and ensure that our children, tomorrow's leaders, are taught that such rhetoric is unacceptable.

Let's be clear: Anti-Semitism has no place in the Halls of Congress nor in our national conversation.

I stand here today, in solidarity with the Jewish community, to send a strong message that the United States House of Representatives does not tolerate such behavior.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act.

This new Republican majority is focused on protecting taxpayers and small businesses from overreach and abuse. Blocking the Biden administration from unleashing 87,000 new IRS agents on taxpayers is a crucial first step toward fulfilling our commitment to America.

This legislation will prohibit the IRS from using new funds to target lower- and middle-class families and small businesses with more burdensome and intrusive audits.

As households grapple with a struggling economy, the last thing they need is more harassment from a supercharged IRS.

Republicans are unified in our effort to bring economic relief to Americans, not more government overreach and hardship.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and stop the administration's weaponizing of the IRS.

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Arkansas for yielding time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of legislation to name the courthouse in honor of a good friend and a good man, the James D. Todd United States Courthouse located at 111 South Highland Avenue in Jackson, Tennessee.

As a native Tennessean, Judge Todd has dedicated his entire life to his community, to his State, and to this Nation.

A graduate of Lexington High School and Lambuth College, Judge Todd received his master's in combined sciences from the University of Mississippi in 1968.

He then went on to receive his law degree from the University of Memphis, the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1972.

From there, Judge Todd practiced law with the firm of Waldrop, Farmer, Todd and Breen for 9 years before being elected as a State circuit court judge where he served for 2 years.

Judge Todd was then nominated by President Ronald Reagan in June of 1985 to serve as a judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, and Judge Todd was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 10, 1985, with no objection.

For almost four decades, Judge Todd worked tirelessly for the people of Jackson and for West Tennessee and, really, for our entire State.

I will note as a point of personal privilege that Judge Todd administered my oath as the United States attorney for the Western District of Tennessee in 2006, a moment that I will never forget.

In addition to Judge Todd's time on the bench, he has been involved in the Tennessee Boys Club, was the Jackson Senior League baseball coach, served as the Lambuth College Alumni Association president, and was also chairman for the Goals of Jackson Committee.

Judge Todd has been a respected member of the judiciary in our community in West Tennessee. Judge Todd retired and took inactive status last year. I was proud to join our entire West Tennessee community congratulating him on his years of great work and dedicated service.

If I can for a moment, former Madison County Mayor Jimmy Harris, who retired earlier this year from Jackson, Tennessee, who is a friend of Judge Todd, commented when Judge Todd stepped down. This is what Mayor Harris said: ``Respect and talent. There is law enforcement, judges, lawyers, the district attorney--you name it. They all have a healthy respect for Jim Todd. But he is the epitome of what a Federal judge ought to be. He makes decisions based on the law and the Constitution. That is all you can ask for.''

In my opinion, Mayor Harris, his comments are spot on; and for all these reasons, I am proud to have introduced this legislation that honors Judge Todd. I think Chief Judge Tom Anderson of the Western District of Tennessee said it best when he said, ``This is a historic and momentous event for West Tennessee to recognize one of our own and name this outstanding facility after Judge Todd.''

Lastly, if I could, I thank every member of the Tennessee delegation, Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, and all of my Tennessee colleagues for supporting this legislation.

As such, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the legislation to honor the life and the legacy of Judge James D. Todd.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a really close friend of mine and a strong leader for Bartlett, Tennessee, A. Keith McDonald.

After serving as the mayor of Bartlett for 20 years, Keith McDonald has decided it is time for a well-earned retirement.

Keith has dedicated his entire life to the betterment of our community in west Tennessee.

He is a graduate of Clarksville High School, Freed-Hardeman University, and the University of Memphis.

As a young insurance agent, Keith played an instrumental role in forming today's Bartlett Chamber of Commerce and also developing its industrial park.

Now, prior to his government service, Keith traveled to Japan to help recruit brother industries to invest in Bartlett as the anchor tenant of that park.

Keith decided to further give to his community when he joined local government. So, in October of 2017, Keith became an alderman for the city of Bartlett and was elected its mayor in 2002.

There have been so many accomplishments during Keith's tenure as mayor during the past 20 years. Perhaps the most significant is Keith's leadership in creating and establishing the Bartlett City School System.

Now in its ninth year, the school system has further demonstrated that Bartlett is a great place to not only operate a business, but also educate children and raise families. None of it would have happened without Keith McDonald's drive and determination.

I talked with Keith's son, Brooks, about his father's life and career. Brooks told me that at home Keith taught his children about what Keith called the 80/20 rule, and that is that 20 percent of the people do 80 percent of the work. It is a lesson that Brooks has never forgotten and that Keith has continuously demonstrated both in his faith and in his community and in his family.

Now, speaking of his family, that is what is most important to Keith. Whether it was leading his son's PTA groups or serving as their Scout leader, Keith has always been that strong and loving father for Brooks and for Ryan.

Without a doubt, the city of Bartlett will certainly miss Keith McDonald's vision and leadership.

To Brooks and Ryan, I know that you are proud of your father's public service. To Keith's wife and his partner, Patty, we thank you for the years that you have given and all that you have given over these last 20 years.

Roberta and I wish Keith and his family the best as his public service concludes over the next few days. To Keith, job well done.

I thank the gentleman for yielding his time and for leading this Special Order hour tonight.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 1-year anniversary of a tragedy that stunned our community in Collierville, Tennessee.

On September 23, 2021, a gunman opened fire at the Kroger in Collierville, shooting 15 people and killing one woman, Olivia King.

We will never forget the courage of the law enforcement officers, firefighters, and first responders who sprang into action.

One example: In an extraordinary act, Collierville firefighters wore bulletproof vests and rushed into the grocery store along with police officers to save lives before the active shooter was neutralized.

The quick response of our heroic first responders truly exemplifies the strength and resilience of the town of Collierville.

We will forever be grateful for the men and women who protect and serve our communities each and every day. I am proud to say that today and always we are Collierville strong.

Madam Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to what the Democrats call the Inflation Reduction Act which is really the inflation expansion act.

Americans are grappling with an economy in recession and the highest inflation that we have seen in 40 years. We are experiencing worker shortages, empty grocery shelves, and higher energy prices. Now Congressional Democrats are doubling down on this out-of-control spending that led to this economic crisis.

This package that we are voting on today will raise taxes on hardworking, middle-class families. It will authorize 87,000 new IRS agents to target individuals and small businesses. It will reduce lifesaving healthcare innovation by allowing the government to impose price controls on drugs. It will hurt energy producers. And it will certainly worsen inflation.

I am voting against this fundamentally flawed and defective package because families, farmers, and small businesses across west Tennessee and across the Nation need real solutions to these problems, not more taxes and not more government spending.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 75th anniversary of The Mighty 990 radio station in Memphis. Its call letters, KWAM, stand for We Are Memphis.

Over the years, legendary musicians, including Elvis Presley, have been associated with The Mighty 990.

Today, the radio station is owned by Memphis native, Todd Starnes who transformed KWAM into a news talk radio station with an emphasis on developing local talent.

KWAM is a strong voice for people across west Tennessee and the entire country broadcasting from the banks of the mighty Mississippi.

KWAM's roster of talent includes Todd Starnes' nationally syndicated show, Tim Van Horn, and Earle Farrell, along with Chett and Dr. Sherrie Hopper.

Congratulations to KWAM The Mighty 990 on this historic milestone.

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 talk about the legacy of David Rudd, who is retiring as the president of the University of Memphis.

Dr. David Rudd came to the University of Memphis in 2013 as the provost for the university. He had previously served as the dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Science and scientific director of the National Center for Veterans Studies at the University of Utah.

President Rudd succeeded Dr. Shirley Raines as president and Brad Martin as interim president of the University of Memphis, becoming the University of Memphis president in 2014.

The University of Memphis has a student population of around 22,000 students, with 17 bachelor's degrees in more than 250 areas of studies, master's degrees in 54 subjects, doctoral degrees in 26 disciplines, and graduate certificate programs in 44 areas of study. The University of Memphis also has one of the finest law schools in the southeast United States.

No matter your alma mater, one thing most can agree on is that it is extremely challenging leading a school of higher education today, especially in the era of COVID.

With that said, the University of Memphis has flourished under David Rudd's tenure as president. There have been a number of major accomplishments during this time. Maybe the most significant achievement during the David Rudd era is the University of Memphis obtaining the research classification known as R1 by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. For the first time in its history, this puts the University of Memphis in the top tier of research universities across the Nation.

I asked my friend, Doug Edwards, the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Memphis, about David Rudd. Doug told me: ``David Rudd is a transformative leader who has had a profound impact on the University of Memphis. He has elevated the stature of the university to that of the second flagship university in Tennessee and a top-tier research institution.''

Soon Dr. Rudd will take a well-deserved sabbatical from his leadership and administrative duties. When he comes back to the University of Memphis in the next year, he will return to teaching and research as a distinguished professor of psychology and will run the new Rudd Institute for Veteran and Military Suicide Prevention at the University of Memphis.

The institute is appropriately named. As a veteran of the Gulf war and a former Army psychologist, David Rudd is one of the Nation's leading experts on suicide prevention among our Nation's veterans.

We wish the utmost best to him and his wife, Dr. Loretta Rudd, herself a distinguished educator and researcher in higher education.

On behalf of the many alumni and residents of the Eighth Congressional District of Tennessee, Roberta and I congratulate, salute, and honor David Rudd for his remarkable and outstanding tenure as the president of the University of Memphis.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a true education leader, Dyersburg State Community College President Dr. Karen A. Bowyer.

Dr. Karen Bowyer has served as president of Dyersburg State Community College, located in my congressional district, for 37 years, and was the first female president to lead the institution. In fact, at that time there were no female college presidents in the entire State of Tennessee.

Indeed, Dr. Bowyer broke barriers, and she opened doors for students and their families across west Tennessee to achieve a higher education. Under Karen Bowyer, enrollment at Dyersburg State grew by more than 100 percent during her tenure.

The impact that Karen Bowyer has had on our community in west Tennessee is absolutely immeasurable. We thank Karen Bowyer for her service, and Roberta and I wish her the best in her well-deserved retirement.