Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of my district's leading industries that continues to grow and provide good- paying jobs to hardworking Americans.

According to the World Steel Association, more than 6 million people work in the steel industry across the Nation. In Mississippi County, Arkansas, thousands of men and women are employed at steel mills and are some of the highest paid workers in my district.

The steel industry is the backbone of our Nation's infrastructure whether it is used to build roads, freight rail,

schools, or even green energy projects. Steel is at the heart of it all, and its growth will only continue.

In 2017 alone, the American Steel and Iron Institute found that the industry was responsible for $520 billion in economic output, and that number continues to rise.

Recently, U.S. Steel announced the biggest capital investment in the history of Arkansas right in my district, bringing with it 900 new jobs.

As the chairman of the Congressional Steel Caucus, I will fight for policies that support the growth of the steel industry and promote exports of American steel. I am committed to working with the industry to get our steel on the market at home and across the globe.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 5060, which designates the Federal building located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as the Paul D. Wellstone Federal Building.

Paul Wellstone served two full terms in the Senate before his life, as well as the lives of his wife, daughter, several campaign staff, and pilots were taken in a tragic plane crash in Minnesota.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, this bill recognizes Senator Wellstone's service to our country and dedication to the people of Minnesota.

Madam Speaker, I urge the support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the bill, S. 4017, which designates the United States Courthouse located in Jackson, Tennessee, as the James D. Todd United States Courthouse.

I thank my colleague Representative Kustoff for introducing the House version of this legislation, which has the support of the entire Tennessee delegation.

Judge Todd was first nominated to the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee in 1985 by President Reagan.

Judge Todd served in the District Court as chief judge from 2001 to 2007. After 36 years of public service for the judiciary, Judge Todd assumed inactive senior status in September 2021.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Kustoff), the sponsor of the House companion to this legislation.

Madam Speaker, in closing, this bill honors Judge James Todd for his many years of service to the United States Judiciary and the State of Tennessee.

Madam Speaker, I urge its support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of this legislation known as Sami's Law and to applaud the dedication and efforts of the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who worked tirelessly on this legislation.

As amended, Sami's Law prohibits the unauthorized sale of transportation network company ride-hailing signage, authorizes enforcement policies, and requires the Government Accountability Office to study incidents of physical and sexual assault of passengers and drivers of TNC vehicles, taxicabs, and other for-hire vehicles.

Sami's Law will protect passengers and drivers of TNCs and for-hire vehicles and will ensure data is collected on TNC-related assault and abuse.

Madam Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 10 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the sponsor of this bill.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 1082 will improve the safety of prospective rideshare passengers by prohibiting the unauthorized sale of ride-hailing signage.

This legislation will also help protect all of our constituents as GAO analyzes the occurrence of assaults against both passengers and drivers of for-hire vehicles.

Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Smith of New Jersey for his tireless efforts and urge support of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, today, I am here to talk about reopening the very building in which we stand, the United States Capitol.

It has been 2\1/2\ years since Speaker Pelosi closed the people's House and told Americans it was part of our united effort to stop COVID-19. Over the last year, we have seen a sharp decline in hospitalizations and deaths from COVID. In fact, just 2 months ago, President Biden even declared the pandemic was over. Yet, certain protocols remain from the height of the pandemic.

Today, when constituents come to visit my office, they need to be personally escorted around by staff. They have to be a small group. They can't go to the House gallery to watch votes take place, and my staff is only allowed to give a tour once a week.

If the Speaker is really trying to prevent the spread of COVID, why is she forcing people to gather in large crowds around security checkpoints?

This is the people's House, yet we continue to deny access to the people, the very people who elected us to serve them, the very people whose taxes fund our operations.

Because of these regulations, I have had to turn several of my constituents away. Not only do these regulations make it difficult to welcome every group into my office, but it also affects the function of all House offices.

I have multiple visitors a day, and each time they come in, I have to send one of my staffers to find that visitor in a crowd of people, wait in a long security line, and then escort them through the House office buildings. It is inefficient and takes staff away from the valuable work they should be doing on behalf of the people of Arkansas.

To top it all off, none of this makes any sense. Why does one of my staffers need to escort someone who has already been cleared by security into the building? How does this protect against COVID-19? What is so dangerous about allowing visitors the ability to watch their government function? How can we claim to be a transparent government when we prohibit access to their elected officials?

It is far past time to truly open up the Capitol to the people and restore its operation to prepandemic times. We cannot afford to keep distance between the American people and their elected Representatives.

These regulations prevent constituents from freely visiting their Representatives and hinder productivity in our offices, and none of it makes us any safer.

The people are an important part of the legislative process. In fact, they are the reason for it. Madam Speaker, they should be welcomed here.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of National Rice Month, established by an act of Congress and signed into law by President Bush in 1989. Each September during the rice harvest season, we celebrate this important industry which is near and dear to me.

I have the distinct privilege to represent the number one rice- producing district in the number one producing rice state in the United States. Rice farmers in Arkansas contribute $2.3 billion to my home state's economic output, supporting nearly 15,000 jobs up and down the supply chain.

As a whole, the rice industry in the United States supports more than 125,000 jobs and generates $34 billion in economic impact. In fact, each rice farmer in the U.S. contributes $1 million to his or her local economy.

To expand on rice's impact beyond the economy, rice is the most popular grain globally and the primary dietary staple for more than half the world's population. U.S. rice farmers and millers not only supply over 80 percent of the rice we consume here at home, but they also ship it globally to more than 120 countries.

Rice farmers are also conservation minded, creating surrogate wetlands by flooding their fields during the winter that provide habitat to waterfowl and other wildlife.

While I'm here to celebrate this important crop, I would be remiss to not mention that U.S. rice farmers are facing very difficult situations this year. In the southern rice-producing states, stagnant prices coupled with input costs are financially squeezing those farmers, while in California, drought has cut acreage in half. With rampant inflation, rice-dependent rural communities across the country are being adversely impacted by the ongoing recession within the industry. This situation could result in devastating impacts on rice mills, elevators, trucking companies, and other businesses dependent on rice production, which once lost, will not return, further worsening the economic stability in these communities.

I believe that protecting our domestic rice industry is a priority and worthy endeavor, and that rice farmers need assistance to help them weather this storm, and I hope we can accomplish that.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mrs. Christie Jordan for her 25 years of dedicated service to the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas as Chief Executive Officer.

Since becoming CEO in 1997, Mrs. Jordan has overseen the rapid growth of the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas which today distributes millions of pounds of food to over 100 partnering organizations including food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters across 12 counties serving thousands of people. In her role, Mrs. Jordan works with state and federal agencies, the Food Bank's partner organizations, local businesses, and oversees grant writing and fundraising to secure the resources the Food Bank needs each year. Additionally, through her leadership, the Food Bank continued operating and serving the community during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her biggest achievement as CEO came in 2012 when she moved the Food Bank from a 13,000-square-foot facility to a custom-designed 56,000- square-foot facility. This facility upgrade became possible after she led a fundraising effort to raise $1.6 million in matching funds to receive a grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.

For her work at the Food Bank, she received the 2010 Public Citizen of the Year from the Arkansas chapter of the National Association of Social Workers and the 2011 Nonprofit Executive of the Year in the inaugural Northeast Arkansas Business of the Year awards.

Throughout her career, Mrs. Jordan has given back to her community in other ways, including serving as a Founding Member in 2004 and currently as a Board Member for the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, serving as the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman, and serving as the Community Director for the March of Dimes from 1996 to 1997.

The City of Jonesboro and the entire Northeast Arkansas region are blessed to have Mrs. Jordan in our community, which includes the thousands of families who have been directly touched by her work. In her own words in an August 2021 interview, Mrs. Jordan said, ``I feel passionate about people investing their time and talents into the community to make it a better place.'' Over her decades-long career of investing her time and talents, Mrs. Jordan has certainly made Northeast Arkansas a better place.

With heartfelt thanks, I congratulate Mrs. Jordan on 25 years as the CEO of the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas and look forward to seeing her impact on our community for the years and decades to come.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the Wildfire Recovery Act ensures that communities affected by wildfire disasters are treated similarly as communities affected by other disasters.

The bill provides parity by making a Federal cost share amount adjustable for Fire Management Assistance Grants, ensuring it is consistent with other FEMA assistance programs at 75 percent.

H.R. 1066 also clarifies the ability for Fire Management Assistance Grants to help communities recover after wildfire disasters and rebuild their infrastructure.

I thank my colleagues, including Mr. LaMalfa of California, who is a cosponsor, for their leadership on this legislation. I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

In closing, I urge support of this legislation, thank our colleagues for cosponsoring, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, S. 2293, the CREW Act, extends protections under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, commonly referred to as USERRA, to FEMA reservists.

FEMA reservists are a critical component to supporting disaster survivors and our first responders.

The CREW Act would provide FEMA further tools to retain and recruit a workforce. By having a strong workforce, FEMA is then able to respond quickly and effectively to disasters, thereby fulfilling its mission to disaster victims.

I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to close.

Mr. Speaker, S. 2293 will help support FEMA's intermittent workforce and enable the agency to better meet its mission to respond to disasters.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

S. 4205, the Planning for Animal Wellness, or PAW Act, establishes a FEMA working group to determine Federal guidance on animal care during emergencies and natural disasters.

We have seen citizens impacted by disasters reluctant to evacuate if they can't bring their pets with them. This can greatly affect the ability of emergency managers and local first responders to keep individuals safe.

Whether it is service animals, household pets, or farm animals, we have made improvements to address this issue; however, problems still persist.

Given this fact, the bill establishes a working group to review FEMA's policies, determine best practices, and make recommendations to help better prepare and respond to disasters.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation and reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to close.

Mr. Speaker, the PAW Act will help identify persistent problem areas and best practices when it comes to dealing with pets and animals in disasters and ultimately improve our response to disasters to save more lives.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, S. 442, the BRIGHT Act, ensures the General Services Administration, GSA, updates building lighting systems with the most life cycle cost-effective and energy-efficient options, so long as the change does not interfere with productivity and is a cost-effective retrofit.

It also requires GSA to issue guidance to other Federal agencies on deploying these lighting systems and make the information available to State, local, and Tribal government entities.

Updating outdated lighting systems with the most cost-effective and energy-efficient options will lessen the Federal Government's energy bill, saving taxpayers money. Efficient lighting systems tend to be lower-cost solutions with higher return on investment. This is commonsense legislation that ensures that lighting updates are made only if a retrofit is cost-effective.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, the BRIGHT Act will implement only cost- effective retrofits that will save taxpayers money and lower the Federal Government's energy bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor The Exchange Club of Jonesboro, Arkansas. The Exchange Club of Jonesboro was founded on August 28, 1947. This year they will be celebrating their 75th anniversary.

The 70-member club is active with programs such as: honoring a Law Enforcement Office of the Year, handing out flags on Veterans

Day, presenting Citizenship Awards to local sixth graders, hosting an activity day and cookout for children with special needs, providing a scholarship to Arkansas State University to assist a local student, sponsoring a local boy and a girl so they can attend Boys State and Girls State each year, sponsoring Little League baseball teams, dressing as Santa to provide children in local hospitals with gifts at Christmas, and many more community events.

I am proud to have an organization like this in my District that makes an impact with a mission to inspire our communities to become better places to live.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize Mr. Gene Weeks, a distinguished Superintendent from my district who is retiring this year after a career of service.

Mr. Weeks is a dedicated educator of 36 years, who served as a coach, athletic director, principal, and assistant superintendent throughout his time at the Greene County Tech School District. He is retiring as the Superintendent of Greene County Tech after 7 years in the position.

Mr. Weeks devoted his career to his students and played an essential role in teaching and preparing the next generation to be leaders and public servants. His commitment to the health, education, and success of his students was invaluable to our community, and I am certain the First District is better because of service.

Mr. Speaker, I think the American people need to understand two things. One, if you eat, you are involved in agriculture. And, two, food security is national security. So, we keep those things in mind as we have this conversation today. Everyone in this room is involved in agriculture.

Despite that, we have before us today a bill that makes it more difficult for our farmers and ranchers to carry out their primary mission, which is to feed, clothe, and shelter 98 percent of the population that is not engaged in agriculture. Two percent of Americans provide for 100 percent of Americans and the rest of the world. This bill doesn't truly address the challenges that they face every day.

Democrats would rather demonize producers in the private sector instead of taking responsibility for the inflation that is changing the lives of our

constituents every day everywhere in the country. Every day, our world becomes more globalized and our economies become more interconnected. As a result, the need for food security grows.

One day, Russia is weaponizing food in Ukraine, and the next day, China is buying pieces of the American agriculture supply chain.

I have said it before and will say it again: Agriculture security is national security, and we can no longer afford to stand by while our adversaries exploit the supply chain and American food security flounders under continued inflation inflicted by this administration.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on H.R. 7606. For those of us who represent rural constituents, this should be the easiest ``no'' vote you ever make.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Water Resources and Development Act.

WRDA authorizes projects designed to improve the Nation's water resources infrastructure, including ports and harbors, inland waterway navigation, and flood and storm protection.

I am thankful to Chairman DeFazio for working with me to ensure priorities of my district made it into the final language, and for the leadership of Ranking Member Graves as we fought for community-driven water solutions. WRDA is a testament to our ability to still pass critical legislation and still work in a bipartisan fashion to deliver results to the American people. I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 7776.

Finally, let me add my voice to those recognizing Paul Sass, who is ending his 20-year career on Capitol Hill at the end of the week as the Republican staff director. Since coming to the T&I Committee with Ranking Member Graves, Paul has dedicated countless hours to improving, investing in, and securing our Nation's infrastructure. He has not only been a valuable asset to the Graves staff, but he has been a resource to my staff as well and helped lead the committee's commitment to a safe and efficient transportation system.

I thank Paul for his years of public service, and I wish him all the best in his next chapter.