Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I am here today to speak in support of S. 2899, the Prison Camera Reform Act of 2021.

Our team, along with Congresswoman McBath, introduced the House companion to this bill, which requires the Bureau of Prisons to evaluate their security cameras and address deficiencies so that the Bureau of Prisons can keep correctional officers and inmates safe, oversee misconduct, and limit contraband.

As the chair of the Congressional Bureau of Prisons Reform Caucus, our team has facilitated several meetings with officials from the Bureau of Prisons and the Council of Prison Locals.

During these meetings, we heard from corrections officers about major deficiencies and needed upgrades within the BOP's security camera system. These deficiencies have made it harder for corrections officers to protect themselves and maintain secure facilities.

The Prison Camera Reform Act works to address these concerns, requiring the BOP to evaluate current conditions of equipment and formulate a plan on how they will address any deficiencies identified.

The outstanding men and women who work in our Nation's correctional facilities deal with dangerous situations

every day. They deserve the tools and support necessary to keep themselves and the inmates whom they protect safe from harm.

Shane Fausey and Steve Markle, with the Council of Prison Locals, have been tireless advocates for America's corrections officers and staff, and their sage counsel was vital in developing the Prison Camera Reform Act, which has been a top legislative priority for our BOP Reform Caucus.

While the BOP faces many challenges, passing the Prison Camera Reform Act would be a major step forward for the agency, corrections officers, and security of America's Federal prisons.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to S. 3905, the Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act, for the simple reason that it is unnecessary legislation.

The Federal Acquisition Regulation already contains provisions targeting conflicts of interest. The FAR includes specific examples of what is a conflict of interest. The FAR includes guidance for agencies to add contract clauses addressing conflicts that might arise.

Therefore, it seems we are telling the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council, the body responsible for Federal acquisition policy, to do something it is already doing.

As a result, this legislation will cause the FAR Council to do work it does not need to be doing, but they will surely feel compelled to produce something in the way of new regulations. That means it will become even more difficult for companies to do business with the Federal Government, and it is complicated enough as it is.

There are concerns that companies, especially small businesses, are deciding not to do business with the Federal Government because it is just too complicated.

From a process perspective, Oversight Committee Democrats marked up this bill without any hearings with relevant agency officials to determine if this legislation was truly necessary. My Democrat committee colleagues may point to their report regarding one specific company of concern and argue that was proof enough that we need to legislate in this already crowded space, but a simple case study is not a solid foundation for governmentwide legislation impacting all Federal contractors.

If there are issues with agencies enforcing existing conflicts of interest requirements, then Congress needs to conduct oversight over that Federal Government failure, not rush to pass more duplicative laws. In fact, that would be the responsibility of the Oversight Committee, which I could argue has not been doing proper oversight over the past couple of years.

There may be other anecdotes about conflicts of interest, but let's be clear: No matter what we do, there will always be accusations of conflicts of interest.

Republicans oppose conflicts of interest, but we also support responsible legislating. We also support holding those who are not following the current law or regulation accountable, rather than passing new laws.

With this bill, the most likely outcome is unnecessary work and a more complicated Federal procurement process. It will burden businesses and shrink the pool of eligible contractors, not reduce conflicts of interest.

Mr. Speaker, I urge opposition to this unnecessary, duplicative legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, despite addressing a valid concern, this legislation is simply unnecessary. Federal contractors are already supposed to provide impartial and objective assistance to Federal clients.

The risks of conflicts of interest are addressed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation. I am confident the American taxpayer and our national interests are already protected in this area of Federal procurement policy.

I know the gentleman mentioned opioids and a drug crisis. That is a concern for all Americans, but so is all the fentanyl that is killing Americans coming across our southern border.

I would hope my colleagues would force the administration to close our southern border and make sure these illegal drugs aren't coming over and killing Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I urge that we oppose this bill, which would burden companies, both large and small, that want to do business with the Federal Government, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to say that it should be--and already is--illegal for people who are providing this guidance and service to misrepresent things under the False Claims Act. So it is our understanding that it is already a crime to do that, and they would be held accountable.

I know the gentlewoman said it should be a crime. It already is, and I don't know anywhere in the bill that it adds to that. So it should be a crime. People should not be doing things inappropriately. But as I mentioned, we already have the FAR that takes care of making sure people are doing the right things.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote against this unnecessary bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, reflecting on my time in Congress and in the

Pennsylvania General Assembly makes me think about how blessed I am, and we are as Americans. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to serve the outstanding people of Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District and Pennsylvania's 85th legislative district.

I am also thankful for all the lessons and people who God placed in my life. At a time when I needed guidance, God placed people before me to give me that guidance and that example, and then He gave me the wisdom to accept that guidance and put it to work.

My dad, at a very young age when I was very young, taught me a work ethic second to none. My grandmother taught me the importance of an education and how to be proper.

Max Bingaman, owner of Bingaman & Son Lumber in Kreamer, Pennsylvania, taught me business, leadership, and how to be an adult. I can't say enough about my wife and her family. My wife and brother-in- law are here today. I am so blessed to have them in my life. My wife and her family taught me kindness. My mother-in-law is the kindest person I have known. It is not always heard people talking about their mother-in-law so affectionately, but she was very kind. It is often said that behind every successful man there is a surprised mother-in- law. That is a little joke of mine that I say. But my wife's family is truly exceptional, and I am very blessed that I married into that family almost 38 years ago.

The list could go on, but the point is no one accomplishes anything alone. America is the greatest country on Earth. Nowhere else in the world can a poor kid like me go from picking up aluminum cans along the side of the road to owning his own home, running a business, starting a small business of his own, and get elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives or the United States Congress.

Growing up, we never were envious. If we wanted something for ourselves, we were taught that we had to work for it. Hard work and education is the way to succeed in America. We knew the American Dream was attainable no matter who you are or what you have.

We never used being poor as an excuse. In fact, my grandmother taught me many things at a very young age. I was about 12, she was about 75, and she sat us down at the table one day. I don't know what my brother and I had done. My brother was 1 year older than I. She said: Boys, people who make excuses are weak.

We never used an excuse. We never let anyone, or our government define us. In today's world, if we had grown up now, people probably would have tried to define us as at-risk or disadvantaged. No, we were just poor. Because if you believe in God, and you live in the United States of America, you are not disadvantaged or at-risk.

I have used the experience growing up and the examples that the many people taught me over my lifetime to shape me into the person and public servant I am today. It has been the honor of my lifetime to represent the good people of Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District over the past few years, and I thank them for having the confidence in me to do that job.

Our team worked to hold government accountable, create opportunities for workers and job creators, provide veterans with improved care, expand quality healthcare for rural communities, support our farmers, and bolster the Commonwealth's natural gas industry.

One of the best parts of representing Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District has been traveling the district and meeting the outstanding, intelligent, and hardworking people who live in our communities. That is where the real work happens and from where the solutions to our problems come. These are the people who make a difference.

As politicians, we all go out, we campaign for office, and we all talk about jobs and jobs and what we are going to do. My friend, Bob Garrett, the president of the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce, reminded me of this one time. He said: You know, Fred, you can't be pro-jobs and anti-business.

I think that is a lesson that people in the Beltway could learn because the job creators and the workers who work in those jobs are the people who are put on the line every day to work and create the wealth in America.

I can say with confidence that every day our team brought their voice and the values of the people of PA-12 to Washington, D.C.

I am incredibly grateful and honored for the work that we have accomplished. It was made possible by the integrity, passion, and commitment of our entire team.

Mr. Speaker, what an outstanding group of individuals they are. In fact, our district director and chief of staff is here today, and I just want to give a shout-out to Ann Kaufman who is one of the hardest working and intelligent people I know. I thank her for her work. Jon Anzur and Nick Barley are here with me today. They are just great people. I appreciate the passion and the commitment of the entire team. Without their efforts, their contribution, and their service, we would not have been able to serve Pennsylvania's congressional district so well. It would not have been possible.

Though I will not be in Congress next year, I am reminded of a quote from Ronald Reagan. President Reagan said: ``There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn't mind who gets the credit.''

I see some of my friends. I thank Mr. Kelly so much, and I appreciate him being here, as well as Representative Miller-Meeks. I think I saw somebody else over here. Dr. Foxx is here. These are great individuals and public servants, but I would say these are people who have servants' hearts. They are people who have helped me throughout my time in Congress.

To the rest of the people here in the Beltway: America's greatness does not come from buildings and politicians. It comes from her citizens who are guided by our Lord God Almighty.

A personal example I can give to that, I mentioned a gentleman who has meant so much to me in my adult life and has been there to support my family whenever we needed it. His name is Max Bingaman. Max took this young kid, employed him, taught him business, and taught him how to behave and the taught him the right things to do. My life is better because of Max.

Max, our community, our Commonwealth, and our Nation are better because of you. You have touched so many lives and have been a great example to so many people.

Take that example of Max Bingaman, and there are many other people that do that. As I mentioned, it doesn't come from inside these walls. It comes from across our great Nation, and we need to make sure that we honor and respect those people for whom we work.

While our Nation still faces many challenges, I am more confident than ever that we will be successful if we continue to believe in the greatness of the American people.

Get government out of the way, protect our God-given freedoms, and allow Americans to keep more of their hard-earned money. In fact, they have earned it.

I am often asked what I plan to do next. The answer is, I do not know. Whatever the good Lord has in store for me next, I will build upon the work our team has accomplished to ensure America remains that shining city on a hill that forebearers saw from afar.

It looks like we have some other people.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly), my colleague.

Thank you, Mike, for your comments. Love you, pal.

Mr. Speaker, I have to say, about Dr. Foxx, I remember when I first got here, and they were working out committees because I came in in a special election. I had to promise not to create any trouble for Dr. Foxx, I think is what it was. But I think what it really meant was you better work hard. I think that is what it meant. You better contribute. You better work hard.

There isn't anybody who runs a better ship when it comes to making sure that we accomplish the goals on behalf of the people we represent than a great mentor, a great person who has become a friend over the past few years, Dr. Virginia Foxx.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Dr. Foxx. I certainly wasn't anticipating my friends being here today, but I do want to say to Dr. Foxx that she is a great example, and, of course, we have Representative Miller-Meeks here.

But I would like to say to Dr. Foxx, if I can, as I told my friend, Max Bingaman, when I decided not to run again, I said, Max, I don't have to be elected to serve. Think of all the people we represent that make a difference every day.

When they take a kid like me and invest time and resources in them, that is what the people across America do. That is what you do, that is what Mike Kelly does, that is what Representative Miller-Meeks does. I will stay in touch with all my friends that are here to make a difference. I thank them all for that.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller- Meeks).

Mr. Speaker, I thank Dr. Miller-Meeks for that, she is truly an outstanding individual, a veteran, one of the people that stood on the line to defend our freedom and our way of life. That is why we are here, so many fought, and so many cared about the idea that is America. There are so many people that will continue to do that, and for that I tell them thank you for your service.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Schweikert), my friend and my granddaughter's friend's dad. When you have grandkids, you sort of lose your title.

Can I just say you inspired me to think of something. This is the only place that does less with more; the only place that does it. I am sorry. You are talking about this efficiency and stuff, and I just look at this place.

And during COVID they talked about essential jobs.

Well, I tell you what: This is probably the only place on Earth where there are some jobs that are not essential.

But anyhow, sorry for taking your time, sir, but it just reminded me that this is the only place on the face of the Earth that does less with more.

Actually, I have an F-150 that I can run seven devices from anywhere in PA-12.

2022.

I got the F-150 so I didn't have to buy a generator because it has one in it. So that was my justification for that.

You are already here.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arizona for his insight. I have nobody else to speak in this hour, so I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, agency guidance serves an important function in the Federal regulatory system. Agency guidance helps regulated parties and the public understand how agencies will interpret the laws and administer their programs.

However, agency guidance can be--and has been--abused. For example, agencies can use guidance documents to intimidate small businesses and individuals into compliance with agency views, sometimes under the threat of enforcement action.

Small businesses and the American people often do not have the legal resources or necessary background to know when an agency statement is binding law. It is tough for the public to determine what agency statements are binding and what are not.

Even Federal agencies have a tough time understanding the difference. They have been known to try to start enforcement actions based simply on guidance. Agencies have also been known to attempt to issue binding rules by quietly slipping rule language into guidance documents. This clearly bypasses the Administrative Procedure Act's requirements that were put in place to protect regulated individuals and small businesses.

The courts coined the term ``non-rule rule'' to describe this Big Government sleight of hand, and the courts have rightly struck down such rules that only appeared in agency guidance.

The Guidance Clarity Act offers a simple solution to these problems. It requires agency guidance documents to include the following explicit statement:

``The contents of this document do not have the force and effect of law and do not, of themselves, bind the public or the agency.

``This document is intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies.''

With that stroke of the pen, gone will be the days in which agencies can use guidance documents to force small businesses and individuals to comply with nonbinding agency views. Gone too will be the days of the agencies trying to issue non-rule rules that bypass the Administrative Procedure Act's requirements for legislative rules.

I thank Senator Lankford for his hard work to make this legislation the law of the land.

I also thank the sponsor of the companion bill in this House, the ranking member of the Small Business Committee, Blaine Luetkemeyer, who has worked tirelessly on this bill since he first introduced it during the 115th Congress.

Also, I thank House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Maloney, Ranking Member James Comer, and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Gary Peters for their critical efforts to help make passage of this bill a bipartisan success.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Luetkemeyer).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Mr. Speaker, thanks to the Guidance Clarity Act, small business owners and individuals across the country will soon have the confidence that agency guidance--however helpful and clarifying it may be--is not legally binding.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, in 2019, President Trump signed the Civil Rights Cold Case Investigations Support Act into law after it passed with broad bipartisan support in Congress.

The act directed the National Archives and Records Administration to make a collection of previously sealed civil rights cold case records available for public scrutiny. It also required the National Archives to establish a process for Federal agencies to transmit cold case records--older records from about 1940 to 1979--to the National Archives.

To do this, an independent agency review board was established to review the National Archives' civil rights cold case records and evaluate which public record disclosures should be postponed.

The review board is also charged with investigating cold case records and requesting relevant documents held by government agencies and the courts be transferred to the National Archives. However, this board was not fully formed until this year, leaving the review board with less time than Congress intended before it terminates at the end of 2024.

The bill before us today, the Civil Rights Cold Case Investigations Support Act, will extend the review board's term until 2027. This extension will allow the board to increase the volume of cold case documents made available to the public. This will enable journalists, students, and others to lend their expertise to help investigate and resolve unsolved civil rights cold cases.

According to the Department of Justice, about 115 civil rights cases remain unsolved, and the older the cases become, the less likely they will ever be solved.

The 2019 law was necessary to establish a specific process for addressing cold case records instead of having citizens rely on the Freedom of Information Act to directly request individual

records from law enforcement agencies. The Freedom of Information Act is a valuable Federal records transparency tool, but it is not designed for enabling efficient access to open criminal cases.

Every cold case that is solved as a result of this legislation will provide long-awaited answers to the surviving family members of the victims and bring about resolution to the local communities where these crimes occurred.

S. 3655 will ensure that the review board has the necessary time to complete its critical work.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Senators Ted Cruz and Jon Ossoff for moving this bipartisan legislation through the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I also thank the House Committee on Oversight and Reform Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney and Ranking Member James Comer for their support.

Mr. Speaker, I urge that my colleagues support this important bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan bill continues to make information regarding cold cases available to the public. The American people deserve transparency from their Federal Government. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3510, the Disaster Resiliency Planning Act.

Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and wildfires cause significant damage across the country to Federal real property assets. According to the Government Accountability Office, over the past 5 years, Congress has spent billions of dollars to repair Federal assets damaged by natural disasters. Yet, for decades, Federal agencies have made minimal efforts to prepare for natural disasters and make their real property assets more resilient. This is unacceptable.

Billions in taxpayer dollars have been wasted to repair assets left unprepared in the face of reoccurring and predictable risk posed by natural disasters and extreme weather events.

Natural disasters are a fact of life, and the U.S. Government maintains a sprawling footprint of buildings and facilities across our great Nation. We must recognize these realities. The Disaster Resiliency Planning Act does this.

It tasks the Office of Management and Budget with issuing guidance requiring Federal agencies to incorporate natural disaster resilience planning into their real property asset management and investment decisions. This will help save taxpayer dollars and ensure Federal agencies are acting in a fiscally responsible manner.

Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense, bipartisan bill that will save taxpayer dollars and ensure Federal property recovers from natural disasters more quickly.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, S. 1941, the Metropolitan Areas Protection and Standardization Act, or MAPS Act, is a technical but important bill.

Maintaining government-wide statistical standards may seem mundane, but these standards have real-world consequences. We saw this last year when the Office of Management and Budget tried to make updates to the definition of core-based statistical areas. Out of the 734 public comments submitted, 712 comments opposed definitional change. As a result, the Office of Management and Budget delayed its proposed recommendation.

Municipalities and other organizations should not feel caught off guard by standards changes in the future. The MAPS Act will help provide transparency if the Office of Management and Budget tries to revise core-based statistical area standards in the future.

This bill will provide better visibility into how these statistical standards are used in Federal domestic assistance programs to determine funding eligibility; and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Rural Health Association, and the National Association of Counties all agree that this legislation is needed.

I thank Senators Rob Portman and Jerry Moran, as well as Chairman Gary Peters, for moving this bipartisan bill through the Senate.

I also take a moment to thank Carolyn Maloney, the chairwoman, and Ranking Member James Comer for advancing this legislation through the House Oversight Committee. I support this legislation, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, S. 1941 will provide transparency into the Office of Management and Budget's work in the area of statistical standards. This bill does not restrict OMB from continuing its work keeping important statistical standards up to date. Instead, it provides transparency into future revisions of core-based statistical area standards. It also provides visibility into use of such standards in Federal domestic assistance programs.

I once again encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7899, which honors Army Specialist Joseph ``Joey'' W. Dimock, II.

Joey, as he was known to his loved ones, grew up in Wildwood, Illinois, where he was actively involved with his church, swim team, and Boy Scout Troop 672, earning the rank of Eagle Scout.

He joined the Army his senior year of high school and served for nearly 3 years with the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.

He was serving his third overseas deployment, his second deployment to Afghanistan, when he died on July 10, 2010, in a noncombat explosion at an ammunition holding facility.

For his time in service, he was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Army Commendation Medal.

Specialist Dimock was a true American patriot that paid the ultimate price in service to a grateful Nation. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill honoring his sacrifice and service.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill honoring an American war hero, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6917, which would name a post office in Crystal Lake, Illinois, for Marine Corporal Ryan J. Cummings.

Corporal Cummings was born in Cook County, Illinois, in 1984. Marine Corporal Cummings was set on becoming a marine and, according to his family, signed up for duty on September 10, 2001, the night before the September 11 attacks on our Nation.

He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Division Expeditionary Force based at Camp Pendleton. Sadly, he died from wounds sustained while conducting combat operations in Iraq on his third deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was only 22 years old.

Corporal Cummings was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart in recognition of having made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our grateful Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill honoring Marine Corporal Ryan J. Cummings, a true American war hero.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2473, which honors Corporal Howard Arthur Tibbs.

Corporal Tibbs was one of the storied Tuskegee Airmen and served in the 99th Fighter Squadron and the 477th Medium Composite Group in World War II.

He was born and raised in Salem, Ohio, where his family had long resided. After his time in the military, he graduated from Youngstown College and enjoyed a long career with the Internal Revenue Service.

In recognition of his bravery and contributions to this country, Corporal Tibbs was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007 after passing away on January 26, 1986, in Newark, Ohio.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this bill honoring an American veteran and a true hero.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Johnson).

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill honoring an American veteran and hero, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7518, which would name a Michigan post office for Roy Dickens.

Mr. Dickens was a dedicated public servant in Hazel Park, Michigan. In fact, he was the longest-serving public official in Hazel Park, starting in 1967 when he joined the Hazel Park Police Department after serving in the United States Army. He retired from the police department in 1995 and then went

to work as a court officer until 2010. He is remembered fondly for his 43 years of service to the local community.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, which honors a community civil servant and law enforcement officer.

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

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill honoring a great public servant, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 3826, which names a post office in Canyon, Texas, for Gary James Fletcher.

Mr. Fletcher was born in nearby Amarillo, Texas, and grew up in Canyon, Texas. He joined the United States Army as a specialist E5 and was a decorated Vietnam war veteran, having been awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

Upon his return to Canyon, Texas, he attended West Texas State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration and Finance. He put his degree to work as a successful banker and rancher. He also devoted countless hours to volunteering, including with the United Way and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Most importantly, he was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend.

I encourage my colleagues to support this bill honoring a great veteran and American hero, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Jackson).

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, honoring an American veteran, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 3884, which honors Cora Reynolds Anderson, the first woman elected to the Michigan House of Representatives and the first Native American woman elected to serve in a State legislature.

Ms. Anderson was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 1924, just 4 years after women were granted the right to vote.

During her sole term in office, she chaired the Industrial Home for Girls Committee. She was also an advocate for public health, helping Baraga County, Michigan, secure its first public health nurse and organize the county's first public health service.

As a member of the Ojibwa Native American Tribe, she also fought to recognize Native American fishing rights on Huron Bay.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill honoring this loyal public servant, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania, my friend and colleague. Our history goes back a little farther than before we knew each other, and that is to Lancaster County. I worked for a business headquartered in Lancaster County that taught me a lot of things. It taught me how to budget, it taught me how to look out for the future and plan, and it taught me how to listen. I think that is the thing that we do best when we are representing the people who sent us here to do their work.

During President Biden's interview with 60 Minutes, that marked the first on-air, sit-down interview between the President and an American journalist in 7 months. It is abundantly clear why his handlers have been keeping him away from the cameras. He is completely out of touch with the American people. He can tell us stories about when he was in Scranton. That was back in the seventies. I was 8 years old when he came to Washington, D.C. So he can tell us stories from before I was 8 years old.

But he has been here for 50 years. He ought to remember that the last time we had this kind of inflation, President Reagan was leading our great Nation out of the disaster of the Carter years. It looks like President Biden has failed to learn from that history because those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it. Unfortunately, the President is forcing all of us to repeat that history of runaway inflation.

During his interview, President Biden pushed back when pressed about inflation soaring to record highs arguing that the month-to-month inflation rate has remained steady at 8.3 percent compared to 1 year ago. I guess we are supposed to say thank you. But thank you doesn't put gas in the car, thank you doesn't put food on the table, and thank you doesn't make sure that families can save for their children's education.

Keep in mind, Madam Speaker, this is the same President who told the American people inflation was transitory. So I don't know if he means it is going to come back worse than it is now or what he is thinking. But now he is spiking the football and taking credit for persistent inflation not getting worse. That is interesting. It is not getting worse. It is almost like somebody who lights one house on fire and then takes credit for the house next door not catching on fire.

I just can't understand it. The President can try and spin the narrative on inflation all he wants. But last night Americans watched the President speak, and they got a glimpse into the future of our country if Washington Democrats remain in control.

The reality is that inflation is at a record high. American families are making tough decisions about their budgets, decisions that President Biden hasn't had to make since 1973 when he started collecting his check from the taxpayers. But the people for whom he works are having to make those decisions.

Hardworking Americans deserve real answers on how their government plans to reduce inflation, not just maintain historically high levels of it. Washington Democrats can't give the American people straight answers because it is their policies that have put us in economic turmoil.

Republicans have a plan, and my colleagues so very well laid it out here before me: regular order and making sure that every person's Representative and every State senator has input on the legislation.

The Republican Study Committee produced a budget that would balance in 7 years. Think about that: a balanced budget. That is what all the families have to do who are living through these disastrous policies of President Biden and the Democrats that have caused them to lose 1 month's income.

Think about that, Madam Speaker, 8.3 percent inflation. It is not a hard equation. I can write it on a chalkboard for the President. One divided by 12 is 8.3. So you have 1 year, there are 12 months in the year, that is 8.3. It is not a hard equation, although they don't have a problem spending money.

President Reagan used to say that you can't accuse them of spending like a drunken sailor because at least the sailor is spending his own money.

What they are spending is not their money. They are spending our children's money. They are robbing the future from our children. Talk about taxation without representation, regular order needs to be restored.

When we talk about the plan we have for balancing the budget, we are talking about elimination of waste and to stop leaving a financial disaster for the next generation. Those are the issues that really matter to the American people whom we all come here to represent, the hardworking men and women who have worked their entire

life and those who get up and go to work every day to earn a living to support their family.

I am committed to fighting for what they believe is important, not what the Democrats and the President inside the Beltway think is important. His policies are creating an issue with people being able to take care of their family and realizing the American Dream.

Madam Speaker, when you look at the energy policy, when you look at the massive spending, and when you look at the President standing in Independence Hall telling us that half the American people aren't good, that is not how you lead a nation. That is not how you be responsive.

Quite frankly, how we be responsible is we listen, and we include the people in the solutions and in the discussions, and we work to make sure that America is strong and safe and that our children have a bright future. That is our job, and I am committed to making sure that I help all my colleagues here in Congress achieve that goal.

Excuse me. If I may jump back in.

I don't think he could do this by accident. Even to get things this bad, I don't know that you can do it by accident, quite frankly. It is an assault on American energy, and it is an assault on American jobs. I just wonder what is going to happen when somebody has an electric vehicle, they get home from a long day's work, they are told they can't charge their vehicle, and their child needs to be rushed to the doctor or the hospital.

When my son was 3 years old, he had an accident. We got him to the hospital, and they life flighted him to the trauma center. If we had run out of gas, he would have died.

So do you know what, Madam Speaker, I think maybe they need to think about Americans and Americans' priorities which is their family and what it means to have the American Dream. I have benefited from living the American Dream. A kid as poor as I was would have been labeled disadvantaged or at risk, but we didn't let our government label us or anyone else. We worked hard, and we realized the American Dream. I just want that to be alive and well for future generations.

So I will stop pontificating. I really appreciate the opportunity to be here this evening.

Mr. Speaker, today, we recognize the late Ricardo Marques, Jr., an outstanding American who passed away in July after battling cancer.

Everything that Rick did in his accomplished life was done for his family and in service to our great Nation. Rick was a marine who defended our Nation honorably prior to joining the Bureau of Prisons.

Rick spent nearly 30 years with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, working at both USP Lewisburg and FCC Allenwood in Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District prior to retiring.

Having toured both of these facilities, it is clear that the men and women who work there are outstanding individuals. I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that it takes an enormous amount of fortitude and sacrifice to do that work.

Everyone who knew Rick remembers him as a natural-born leader and as a man who left a lasting impression of love and respect on everyone he encountered. America is better off because of Rick's contributions and work.

It is my hope that Rick's family finds comfort in his legacy and lifetime of service.