Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the important need for an investigation into China's role in the origin of

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium located in the City of Kingsport, in our First Congressional District in Tennessee, that is celebrating their golden anniversary of 50 years. Since 1971, Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium has been a continuing resource to the citizens of Kingsport.

Since the region's humble beginnings in the late 1700s, Bays Mountain provided for the families who settled there with land to farm and wood to build houses, a church, and a school. From the early 1800s to the early 1900s, Bays Mountain was the source of life for settlers and citizens. In 1914, one of Kingsport's founders, J. Fred Johnson, began buying up land on the mountain in order to create a lake. The next year, work began on a dam with much of that work being done by family members of those living on and around the mountain. The lake created by the dam served the city until 1944 when the city outgrew the capacity. Over the next two decades, the Mountain segued into a source of sustenance for its citizens to a resource to be recognized for its history and contribution to the livelihood of Kingsport. It was this transition that in 1965 led to the appointment of a committee to study ways to develop the mountain into a park by then Kingsport Mayor, Hugh Rule. After completion of the study, the City of Kingsport hired the National Audubon Society to help in the design of a park. The National Audubon Society's recommendations were to designate the area as a nature preserve to also allow hiking, naturalist-led activities, natural history studies, research, and leisure activities such as photography, painting wildlife observation and school day-use. They also recommended building a maintenance shed, a residence for a caretaker and an interpretive nature center. In short, the park was to be of great service to the public, including schools, while also serving to preserve the natural habitat it featured.

Development of these plans began in 1968 and, with assistance from Tennessee Eastman Company, as well as a bond referendum voted on by the citizens, the work culminated on May 24, 1971, with the opening of what our citizens know today as Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium.

Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium is the largest city owned park in the State of Tennessee with its 3,650-acre nature preserve, 40 miles of recreational trails, an adventure ropes course, and the original 44- acre lake.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in celebrating Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium as a jewel and part of the rich history of Tennessee's First Congressional District.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate 225 years of Tennessee statehood. June 1, 2021 began a year-long celebration which will rightfully begin in the oldest town in Tennessee, Jonesborough, located in the First Congressional District and which was established seventeen years before Tennessee was granted statehood.

The original territory of Tennessee consisted of six counties-- Washington, Sullivan, Greene, Davidson, Sumner, and Tennessee (later Montgomery & Robertson)--under the jurisdiction of North Carolina from 1777 to 1788. The counties requested protection from Native Americans and the right to navigate the Mississippi River but North Carolina neglected these territories so, in 1784, dissatisfied East Tennesseans formed the breakaway state of Franklin, or ``Frankland,'' under the direction of John Sevier, the newly named governor. As North Carolinian officials discovered the territory's attempted independence, they slowly reasserted their authority over the area. Disagreements among rival factions, coupled with the North Carolina resistance, doomed the state of Franklin, which passed out of existence in 1788. The following year, North Carolina gave its Tennessee lands to the Federal government which designated it as the Territory of the United States, South of the River Ohio, also known as the Southwest Territory. William Blount governed the territory and, in 1795, called for a constitutional convention in Knoxville to begin the process of joining the Union. Tennessee became the first Federal territory to apply for statehood and, after a close vote on June 1, 1796, became the 16th state of the Union.

Our Governor, Bill Lee, has declared the theme for this yearlong celebration ``Untold Tennessee.'' He has encouraged Tennesseans to share their untold stories of people, places and events that have shaped our state since its beginning. With Jonesborough being the oldest town in Tennessee, established seventeen years prior to statehood, and home to the International Storytelling Center, it is only fitting that those stories begin to be told here.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating the Great State of Tennessee on 225 years of statehood and Jonesborough, located in the First Congressional District, on being the site of the kickoff of the yearlong celebration. I am proud to be a Tennessean and, even more so, to represent the people of the First District who will all be part of the next 225 years of stories that will continue to shape our state.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize a boys basketball team from Greeneville City High School, in our First Congressional District in Tennessee, that recently won the 2A State Championship. The Greeneville Greene Devils, under the leadership of Head Coach Brad Woolsey, and Assistant Coaches Nathan Hall and Josh Bennett, won its first state championship in program history just one year after the team punched their ticket to the state tournament that ended up being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That unfilled journey

tested their mettle and served as a guiding force leading them to a 31- 6 record for this season.

The Greeneville Greene Devils opened the state tournament by leading the Bolivar Central Tigers of Hardeman County for all but 1 :53 seconds of the game which ended in a 61-58 victory for Greeneville. The Greene Devils then faced the Upperman Bees of Putnam County in the semifinals. Upperman proved to be a worthy opponent claiming the lead for over half of the game, but the Greene Devils persevered and came out on top 47- 41. The only thing standing in their way of overall victory was the 25- 1 Jackson South Side Hawks of Jackson, TN. Greeneville led for most of the game, but the Hawks fought their way to a one-point lead with just 4:00 minutes left. With ice in their veins, however, the Greene Devils regained the lead and never looked back ending with a 47-46 victory. I am so very proud of these young men and their coaches.

Winning a state championship is a monumental accomplishment and is a testament to their commitment to their mission statement which is to ``embody the principles and practices of a community-minded, championship basketball program by: utilizing gifts and influence, emphasizing other-centeredness, and developing athleticism and basketball skill.'' I commend these young men, their excellent coaching staff and the statisticians and videographers who support them on this well-deserved title. I wish them equal success in their future athletic and academic pursuits.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating the Greeneville High School Greene Devils on winning the 2A State Championship and representing Tennessee's First Congressional District with such distinction. I am proud to represent these students and wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the PRO Act.

The bill is nothing more than a payoff to union bosses at the expense of the American workers and our businesses.

This bill would abolish States' right-to-work laws, like ours in Tennessee. This would force workers to give money to unions from their hard-earned paychecks, even if they don't want union representation.

Where do these union contributions end up?

Well, let me tell you: with left-wing political activist groups. $1.6 billion--and that is billion, with a B--in union member dues went to these groups between 2010 and 2018 alone.

Last week, the Democrats passed a bill to direct tax dollars to political campaigns. And if that wasn't enough, now they are trying to force more workers to pay union dues so union bosses have more cash to funnel as political donations to left-wing groups.

So let me ask you, America: Should Members of Congress be able to tell others how to do their jobs and who can employ you? I think not.

This bill is just another progressive power grab, and American workers and businesses deserve better.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the attempts to take away our Second Amendment rights.

As a gun owner myself, I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, and for me, this support is personal.

Years ago, myself and my employees were held at gunpoint in my own pharmacy. Fortunately, we all made it out safe. Do you want to know why we made it out safe? Because we had a gun as well.

But I know we were more fortunate than most who have a similar experience. I have utilized my gun carry permit ever since.

I believe Americans should have the right to defend themselves like I did. This experience is just one reason why I oppose attempts to weaken our right to carry.

Without our Second Amendment rights, we undermine our own rights to self-defense for ourselves, our businesses, and our families. This would be a terrible mistake, to try to take away our inalienable right to self-defense.

Madam Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in opposing any legislation that threatens our Second Amendment rights, including H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 1 today.

Despite its name, this act is not for the people. It is for the politicians seeking power.

East Tennesseans and Americans want election reform that increases the security and integrity of our election, and they are demanding it. Instead, this bill erodes the public confidence in our elections. This bill picks D.C. bureaucrats over State and local officials, and it uses hard-earned tax dollars to fund political campaigns by a 6-to-1 fund- matching provision. Now, let me repeat that. It is a 6-to-1 fund- matching provision.

I am sure my fellow east Tennesseans agree this is a waste of money.

Wouldn't you rather have our tax dollars used to fund measures to safely open schools or to expand critical access to rural broadband?

These are the priorities we need to fund, not political power grabs and public financing of our own political campaigns.

Mr. Speaker, I oppose, and I urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 1.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the so-called Equality Act.

Rather than delivering equality, this bill undermines protections for women and for girls. And simply put, women's shelters should remain women's shelters and not allow biological men to intrude. And girls' sports should remain sports for girls.

This is not equal opportunity. This is catastrophic for girls' sports. This is what the Equality Act seeks to overturn, and that is fairness in girls' sports.

All of this is even before mentioning the provisions that would undermine religious freedom. Religious organizations shouldn't be forced to act contrary to their beliefs. This is why they call it religious freedom, after all.

This bill poses a dangerous threat to free speech, religious freedom, and pro-life, the sanctity of life. This, honestly, goes against everything that I believe as a Christian and I will be opposing this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the right to life.

As a mother, a grandmother of two precious grandsons, and the other mother to many students and young people who I have mentored over the years, I am truly committed to saving the lives of the unborn.

As a pharmacist, I have helped many women through the years with infertility issues and helped them achieve successful pregnancies. These women were desperate to have and to hold those precious children that many women want to abort. That is why I will continue to advocate on behalf of the right to life.

I believe it is a moral and a God-given responsibility that we protect these treasured trusts from Heaven. We always must remember to protect the most vulnerable among us and give a voice to those voiceless babies, those precious children that somebody would want and somebody would nurture and somebody would love.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote against impeachment of our sitting President, Donald J. Trump.

You can tell the American people that this is a vote to impeach upon the grounds of inciting violence and insurrection, but the American people see a double standard. They see a standard applied to those on the left who commit violence, and they see a standard applied to those on the right who commit violence. The American people see this, and they understand it.

I have been here all of 1 week, and what I see instead of lawmakers who are truth-seekers, I see lawmakers who are power-seekers. That is never good--never good. What a shame. What a shame.

The American people are watching to see how their elected officials respond at this moment in history. Will you vote to mend or will you vote to further divide this country?

I am urging you to use this opportunity to be the leaders the American people are seeking for such a time as this.

God help us as a nation, and I pray that God will keep His hand upon on the greatest nation that the world has ever seen.