Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of my bill, which passed the House last Congress and was the first piece of legislation I introduced in my first term.

It is a testament to veterans in Arizona. Specifically, my bill would enable Gila County, Arizona, to operate a veterans' center on 232 acres in Young, Arizona.

As a former Navy Seal, I know the importance of providing this resource cannot be understated. This legislation will serve our State and its heroes well.

The veterans' center would protect and maintain the rich history of the property while providing family housing, meeting and activity spaces, resource rooms, veteran ceremonial grounds, and outdoor recreation.

It would be the first of its kind in northern Arizona, providing resources and support to primarily rural veterans and their families.

Furthermore, this legislation is an exemplary model of efficient land management. Out West, the Federal Government retains vast amounts of land, limiting States' ability to maintain, conserve, recreate, and responsibly produce on lands within their own State.

Mr. Speaker, anytime Congress can vote on legislation that returns power to the States is a good thing.

In this case, veterans of northern Arizona will get a space to heal and reconnect with their families after putting their lives on the line for the peace and freedom of all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Arizona (Mr. Gosar), who helped lay the foundation for this effort, as well as Senator Kelly, who is leading this bill in the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that we can get this bill across the finish line, and I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent 14 of Arizona's Tribes. One of the leaders I have been able to work with is Chairman Robert Miguel of the Ak-Chin Indian Community in Maricopa, Arizona, who will complete his final term this month due to term limits.

Chairman Miguel first joined the Ak-Chin Tribal Council in 2014 and was elected chairman in 2016. During this time he has been a strong leader focused on serving his community with an entrepreneurial spirit, creating jobs and economic growth and promoting educational opportunities.

We have worked together on efforts with the Indian Health Services, ensuring healthcare coverage for the Tribe, along with prioritizing flood control improvements with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The first time I met with Chairman Miguel, he shared with me the Ak- Chin slogan: ``We all win with Ak-Chin.''

I will remember his enthusiasm and hard work as we continue to work with the Tribe on important issues.

I thank Chairman Miguel for his leadership and service. I wish him the best in his future endeavors and know he will continue to make Ak- Chin proud.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity tonight from Mr. Biggs.

Here we stand, 3 years after Kamala Harris was installed as the border czar helping to spearhead this administration's deadly open- border policies, a task she has carried out with exceptional success for 42 months.

The number of individuals apprehended illegally crossing our southwest border who are on the terror watch list increased roughly 3,000 percent from the previous administration. That is a 3,000 percent increase on the border czar's watch.

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle refuse to call it what it is: an invasion.

I also point out that we just commemorated the 23rd anniversary of 9/ 11. I have said this time and time again, but it bears repeating. It only took 19 depraved individuals to carry out the horrific attacks on that day.

Since Biden installed Kamala as the border czar, close to 400 members of the terror watch list have attempted to infiltrate our Nation. When you combine that number with the nearly 2 million known got-aways that have evaded apprehension and permeated our communities, the likelihood of potential terror attacks in the near future is chilling.

What has to happen for this administration and this Chamber to say: Enough. We will finally take who we are letting into this country seriously?

How many foreign threats do we have to let in?

How many Americans have to be slaughtered at the hands of criminal aliens?

How many sexual predators have to be granted access to our communities before this administration wakes up?

Kamala's record as border czar is a guidebook for what not to do to secure our border and ensure the safety of American families.

Mr. Speaker, last week, contestants competed in the 72nd Annual Miss Navajo Nation Pageant in my district.

To become Miss Navajo, contestants participate in a rigorous week- long annual competition, which requires contestants to demonstrate proficiency in both the Navajo and English languages, knowledge of Navajo culture and beliefs, business interviews, contemporary talents, and traditional skills such as sheep butchering and preparing traditional foods.

I'd like to recognize Amy Naazbah Reeves-Begaye, who has served as Miss Navajo for the past year.

I met Amy last year during her first trip to the U.S. Capitol and learned about her experience and background and the process of becoming Miss Navajo.

We've had a few chances to connect throughout the years and I've been impressed with her hard work and professionalism.

She's been a strong leader and advocate for Navajo history and culture.

I thank Amy for her leadership as Miss Navajo over the last year. I wish her the best in her future endeavors and know that she will continue to make the Navajo Nation proud.

Madam Speaker, last week, contestants competed in the 72nd Annual Miss Navajo Pageant in my district.

To become Miss Navajo, contestants participate in a rigorous weeklong annual competition which requires contestants to demonstrate proficiency in both Navajo and English languages, knowledge of Navajo culture and beliefs, business interviews, contemporary talents, and traditional skills such as sheep butchering and preparing traditional foods.

I recognize Amy Begaye, who has served as Miss Navajo for the past year.

I met Amy last year during her first trip to the U.S. Capitol and learned about her experience and background and the process of becoming Miss Navajo.

We have had a few chances to connect throughout the years, and I have been impressed with her hard work and professionalism. She has been a strong leader and an advocate for Navajo history and culture.

Madam Speaker, I thank Amy for her leadership as Miss Navajo over the last year. I wish her the best in her future endeavors and know she will continue to make the Navajo Nation proud.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of my bill, the Subterranean Border Defense Act, a bipartisan piece of border security legislation that I have introduced alongside Congressman Correa from California.

Effective border security is created by overlapping deterrents. That is something we are desperately lacking at our border.

The Subterranean Border Defense Act would help us address the growing threat of illicit cross-border tunnels by requiring annual reports to Congress on counter-tunnel operations, fortifying our security system at the border.

Put simply, this would help us ensure that Congress has the necessary data to forge another much-needed layer of defense.

As transnational criminal organizations continue to grow in both size and sophistication, illicit cross-border tunnels along the southwest border of the United States represent a significant and growing threat to national security.

Congress must address this deadly threat and ensure U.S. Customs and Border Protection has the resources needed to acquire counter-tunnel technology.

Since 1990, officials have discovered more than 140 tunnels that have breached the U.S. border with an 80 percent increase in tunnel activity occurring since 2008.

Over the years, CBP has worked to combat these tunnels as part of their overall strategy. In fact, the United States conducts research, development, and test activities with Israel who must contend with a vast network of Hamas tunnels originating in the Gaza Strip. This partnership helps us detect and destroy tunnels in our respective countries.

The FY23 NDAA mandated that CBP submit a one-time report to Congress on a strategic plan for countering illicit cross-border tunnel operations.

This singular report has since led Congress to conduct critical oversight and has enabled CBP to formalize many of the processes, technologies, and resources needed to counteract illegal tunnels under the U.S.-Mexico border.

My bill would expand on this success by mandating a report every year going forward to ensure Congress has sufficient knowledge and oversight regarding this dynamic threat.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this legislation for a secure southern border.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Police Chief Wynn as he retires after more than 34 years of law enforcement service, the last 22 in my district, with the Town of Chino Valley.

Upon retirement Chief said his law enforcement career will come full circle as he will continue to serve the department and the community in a reserve role back out on patrol. ``It was what I loved most and look forward to the ground level interaction again,'' Chief stated. ``My goal during a traffic stop was always to get a smile or a laugh.''

Chief Wynn has been a valued employee and his commitment to the community was evidenced on a daily basis. He is a loyal representative of the law enforcement community and admired for his hard work, dedication, and positive work ethic.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, today, I rise in support of my amendment, which clarifies that any veteran who is reported to NICS by a VA fiduciary was done so incorrectly in violation of their constitutional rights.

It also forces the VA Secretary to instruct the Attorney General to remove these veterans from the NICS list.

Congress should not turn a blind eye to the 260,000 veterans who have been wrongfully submitted to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

Earlier this year, Congress passed appropriations which prohibited this. In fact, last year, this exact language passed with 221 Republicans and 9 Democrats supporting it when it was considered by the House.

Since then, a majority of House Democrats have come out against this policy and are working with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to blatantly misuse VA funds, in conflict with congressional intent and the will of the people, to continue disarming veterans; create an unauthorized process for dragging veterans before judges for red flag disarmament proceedings; and using unconstitutional State-level gun confiscation laws against veterans, even outside the fiduciary program.

These lawless suggestions by my Democrat colleagues are the nightmares of veterans that I represent and veterans across America.

President Biden will have no problem plowing ahead and stripping veterans of their Second Amendment rights, and if this administration can do this to veterans, they can do it to the rest of Americans.

Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of my bill, which was the first piece of legislation I introduced and is a testament to veterans in Arizona. Specifically, my bill would enable Gila County, Arizona, to operate a veterans center on 232 acres in Young, Arizona.

As a veteran myself, I know the importance of providing these resources cannot be overstated. This legislation will serve our State and its heroes well.

The veterans center would protect and maintain the rich history of the property while providing family housing, meeting and activity spaces, resource rooms, veteran ceremonial grounds, and outdoor recreation. It would be the first of its kind in northern Arizona, providing resources and support to primarily rural veterans and their families.

Furthermore, this legislation is an exemplary model of efficient land management. Out West, the Federal Government retains vast amounts of land, limiting States' ability to maintain, conserve, recreate, and responsibly produce on the lands within their own States.

Anytime Congress can vote on legislation that returns power to the State is a good thing. In this case, veterans of northern Arizona will get a space to heal and reconnect with their families after putting their lives on the line for the peace and freedom of all Americans.

I would like to take a moment to thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar), my friend who helped lay the foundation for this effort, as well as Senators Sinema and Kelly, who are leading this bill in the Senate.

It is my hope that we can get this bill across the finish line.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I am going to be voting ``no'' for this bill.

Madam Speaker, first, for my Republican colleagues, it is important that we understand that the American people don't expect us to win every time, but they sure as hell expect us to fight. That is not what we are doing. We should not be fighting for this. This is garbage.

The next thing I want to address real quick is for the American people. The American people should pay attention to who votes for this. When they come back to their hometown in their district and talk at the next Lincoln Day Dinner about fiscal responsibility and securing the border, if they voted for this, let them hear about it.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to co-introduce this legislation to officially establish the Office of Native American Affairs at the Small Business Administration, and I thank Representative Davids for her leadership on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent over half of Arizona's Tribes. Something I hear often is there is a need for economic growth and opportunity.

Tribal entrepreneurs who run businesses on reservations face complex hurdles when it comes to understanding tax implications, property rights, regulatory burdens, and lending. Tribal entrepreneurs should have the ability to access SBA's programs just like anyone else, but in reality, these communities do not experience adequate access or outreach.

Most importantly, they need specialized expertise to assist them in navigating the unique complexities of running a business on a reservation--complexities mostly created by us, the Federal Government.

Economic development in our Tribal communities is crucial. I am hopeful that establishing the Office of Native American Affairs into statute will bring attention to resources the Small Business Administration can provide to Tribal businessowners and encourage the office to continue developing new methods for outreach to ensure that Tribal businesses are not overlooked. This bill would also ensure that Congress can practice proper oversight of the office's activities and effectiveness going forward.

I encourage representatives from this office to come out and visit Tribal communities in my district and begin a dialogue with small business owners who may be unaware that this office even exists. Doing so will allow the Office of Native American Affairs to adjust and enhance their programs so they can best serve Tribal small business owners.

Madam Speaker, Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution, often known as the invasion clause, says that this government will protect every State from invasion.

That is something that clearly this Secretary is in complete dereliction of duty of, and I know that he swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution.

Now, I am not sure how many Americans have to die of fentanyl or have their kids raped and murdered by MS-13 gang members. We had one in Homeland Security just a couple weeks ago begging us to do something about this absolutely atrocious leadership from the Secretary.

Nonetheless, it is high time that this individual be held accountable for his

complete dereliction of duty at our southern border.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

The last thing I want to say is that I think it tells you everything you need to know when my colleagues say that it doesn't matter if you impeach Secretary Mayorkas, we are just going to have somebody come in and do the same exact job.

Thank you for saying the quiet part out loud.

Yes, your policies are so bad that no matter whom you put in there it will cause the same amount of damage to the American people. The people of this country are watching. Let's get this done.

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for her leadership, and I thank my colleague from Texas (Mr. Roy) for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I agree with Mr. Roy's comments. This continuing resolution extends government funding at the same levels of the lameduck Biden-Pelosi omnibus.

To be clear, this funding is going to continue funding Biden's disastrous policies, such as the Biden border crisis, Biden's war on American energy production, and a woke and weaponized bureaucracy.

Our Nation owes almost $34 trillion in debt and counting, and the interest the Treasury Department must pay is steadily marching higher and higher. Over the next decade, annual Federal Government deficits are projected to double to nearly $3 trillion, and the cost of our interest on the debt will exceed the Pentagon's budget within the next 10 years.

Our Speaker, Mr. Johnson, said he was the most conservative Speaker we have ever had, yet here we are, putting this bill on the floor this afternoon without conservative policy riders. Conservatives don't have the chance to amend it. We are honoring the McCarthy-Schumer side deals from the Fiscal Responsibility Act that led us to vacate Speaker McCarthy in the first place.

Talk is cheap, and the American people deserve better.

The notion of fiscal discipline itself might as well be put in a time capsule. Congress considers no budgets. Legislation never hits against cost limitations. Every bipartisan disagreement is solved simply by spending more on the pet programs of the opposing party.

This continuing resolution is a perfect example of how we have arrived at this unsustainable fiscal situation, and I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation.

The last thing I want to say is that I think it is rich to hear some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle discussing the sovereignty of the Ukraine border and how necessary it is to protect their borders while we do nothing to protect our own.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for allowing me to join tonight to talk about this crisis at our southern border.

Mr. Good, when you talk about how many got-aways we have right now in this country, how many individuals on the terror watch list, it is about 300 since Biden took office.

To give the American people some context, I know that number under the last administration was under 20. I believe it was about 14 people who were encountered on the southern border that were on the terrorist watch list.

That is something that really piques my interest because like a lot of Americans who are still alive today and have jobs, families, who love this country, 9/11 changed my life.

I dropped out of school my senior year and joined the Navy the week after 9/11. I remind Americans it only took 19 people to perpetrate those acts on 9/11.

When you are talking about this amount of numbers, this invasion--I hate to say it. I hate to sound like an alarmist, but as somebody who considers myself a sheepdog, somebody who considers myself the type of individual who wants to protect other people--and we have other sheepdogs around this Capitol right now. There are some in the balcony. There are some out there.

We know what this is going to lead to. I hate to say it, but I am going to say it because Americans need to know. It is not a question of if. It is a question of when.

It breaks my heart, but it enrages me at the same time because Americans deserve better. They deserve leadership. They deserve a government that puts their safety and security as a top priority. We are not--I repeat, we are not--doing that.

It is one of the reasons right now in the Homeland Security Committee that we are working on impeaching Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

I hope it is something that we are actually able to conclude this time, even though a couple of weeks ago we tried that in this very Chamber, and eight Republicans voted against it.

It is imperative that we do that, not because we are going to get a better replacement. It is imperative that we do that because the American people are watching.

They are sick and tired of this place. They are sick and tired of the politicians here. One of the biggest reasons they are sick and tired of it is because nobody ever gets held accountable.

It has been a long time since a Cabinet Secretary was impeached. I am not sure it has ever even happened.

Mr. Biggs, has that ever even happened?

There have been a lot of historic things that have happened in this Congress, Mr. Biggs, and I am hoping that the impeachment of a Cabinet Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, is one of the next things that happens because I want the American people to know that there is not one set of rules for them and one set of rules for the people up there. They know for a fact they could not come up here and do the exact opposite of what their job description was.

Look at his job title: Secretary of Homeland Security. I don't know about you. I am not an English major, but that would make me believe, Mr. Perry, that his job might be to protect the homeland.

What do you think about that?

But, Congressman Biggs, it is an election year. We couldn't possibly disrupt things because it is an election year, right? That was one of the arguments I heard today why we can't do anything about the border--it is an election year, and there are politics on the line.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment, which reduces Federal education funding by $37,735,000.

This amendment maintains fiscal responsibility, protecting Americans' hard-earned tax dollars from going to waste at the Department of Education.

According to the Congressional Budget Office's estimation, this amendment would reduce allowances by $38 million and outlays by $30 million for fiscal year 2024.

Like many Americans, I don't trust the Biden administration with our tax dollars as they trample on our constitutional protections and allow violations of these protections on college campuses across the U.S.

In Arizona, we are seeing the Department of Education impose a record-setting fine of $37,735,000 on Grand Canyon University.

Foolishly, this fine is being imposed for something that the university has already been cleared of in a court of law. Adding insult to injury, they are imposing a record fine on GCU that would unjustly impede their ability to operate.

As the largest private Christian university in the Nation, GCU's enrollment has grown to an estimated 118,000 students because of their innovative approach to higher education.

If GCU is forced to pay this fine, I believe the Department of Education should be defunded by the same amount. We the people are sick and tired of the woke indoctrination of our youth.

I find it absurd that the Department of Education would target private Christian schools while ignoring the larger systemic issues within higher education.

The cost of college tuition has skyrocketed 175 percent in the last four decades, far exceeding inflation rates. Meanwhile, the values of these degrees have not kept up.

Despite the Supreme Court establishing that college and university campuses are not immune from the protections of the First Amendment, we are seeing a suppression of free speech rights on college campuses across the Nation.

Mr. Chair, 63 percent of students believe the political and social climate on their campus prevents people from freely expressing their opinions--an increase of almost 10 percent in the past 2 years.

The University of Texas at Austin threatened to fire or penalize a professor who exposed the university's plans to ensure that new hires have uniformly leftwing views on cultural issues.

Virginia Tech and other universities deploy teams that rely on students to

snitch on classmates who express offensive views and then subject those classmates to investigations, reeducation, or even discipline.

Following the recent terror attack against Israel, we have seen anti- Semitism skyrocket at universities, especially at Ivy League institutions, who reap the benefits of billions of taxpayer dollars.

At Columbia, we saw a tenured professor describe the terrorism inflicted by Hamas upon Israelis as awesome and a stunning victory.

We also saw more than 30 student groups at Harvard blame Israel for the terror attacks conducted by Hamas.

To combat this infiltration of woke mind rot in our classrooms, Congress needs to pass a substantial funding reduction for the Education Department for fiscal year 2024.

My amendment is designed to mitigate and thwart the weaponization of the public education system against Americans.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, this issue has already been settled in Federal court. In January, the 11th Circuit Court found GCU innocent of the charges ED is using to impose this record-setting fine.

What right do bureaucrats have to overrule our judicial system?

This is a multimillion-dollar fine we are talking about. It is the largest penalty ever handed down by the Education Department. I want to repeat that. This issue has already been settled in Federal Court.

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

Mr. Chairman, it is interesting that my colleague on the other side says that Grand Canyon University is ripping people off. If that is the case, then why didn't the 11th Circuit Court find GCU guilty? That is not what happened at all.

My colleague on the other side of the aisle is not the judge or jury. As I said, the 11th Circuit Court has already found GCU innocent.

My colleague also said that there are only 87,000 students at GCU. There are 118,000 students because of their innovative approach to higher education. We are very proud of this college in Arizona.

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