Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to note the passing of Ron Lasch.

Ron was a friend and advisor to me and hundreds of other Members of both parties during his 42-year career as a Floor Assistant in this body.

Ron came to the House as a 16 year old Page in 1958 when Joe Martin was the Republican Leader. He graduated from the Capitol Page School in 1960 alongside other men with long careers in the House, such as former Representative Jim Kolbe, who also passed away just days ago, and the late Donnald K. Anderson, former Clerk of the House.

As a Floor Assistant, Ron monitored the proceedings on the floor and advised Members on scheduling and procedure. He valued the rules and traditions of the House, and more than once, privately talked a Member out of heated words that, spoken in anger, would likely be ruled out of order.

Ron retired in 2000, so there is a dwindling number of current Members who knew him, but at the time of his retirement, many of my

colleagues paid tribute to his judgement and dedication. His impact, behind the scenes, was immense. He was a mentor not only to Members, but to other people who staffed the floor, particularly the many Pages who have come and gone over the years.

Ron was born a year after Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1942, and died on November 14, 2022. His classmate, Congressman Jim Kolbe, died days later on December 3rd. Donn Anderson died July 30, 2020. I am personally grateful for the service of these three men of the House.

Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a statement from the Honorable Robert E. Bauman, one of Ron's colleagues on the staff here who later represented the First District of Maryland in the House.

In Memoriam--Ronald W. Lasch

The Honorable Robert E. Bauman, First District, Maryland (1973-1981)

Owen Lovejoy, a member of the House from Illinois (1857-

1864), was close to President Abraham Lincoln, who called him

``my most generous friend.'' On an obelisk in Princeton,

Illinois, in his honor are the words of Lincoln: ``Let him

have his marble monument along with the well assured and more

enduring one in the hearts of all those who love Liberty

unselfishly and for all.''

Indeed, Lincoln was correct; true friendship is a matter of

the heart. Ron Lasch was my friend, and a respected friend to

many on Capitol Hill during the 37 years he served on the

House Republican floor staff.

He started his 42-year House career as a Page in 1958,

sponsored by Representative William B. Widnall of New Jersey.

In 1963, he was named as telephone clerk in the House

Republican Cloakroom. Ron joined me there where I was also a

phone clerk.

On November 22, 1963, a Friday, the House had adjourned

when news of President Kennedy's death in Dallas came over

the news tickers in the House Lobby. Ron and I were flooded

with anxious calls to the cloakroom.

It is no exaggeration to say that Ron Lasch made possible

my elective career to the Maryland State Senate and to

Congress. He did so by working the cloakroom phones countless

late days, allowing me to go to night school and obtain

degrees from Georgetown University foreign service and law

schools.

As manager of the Republican Cloakroom, he knew intimately

party positions and floor developments and became a trusted

source of information for Members and their staffs. He

mentored many Pages over the years and was a graduate of the

Capitol Page School in the Library of Congress.

In 1968, after I resigned and returned to my home on the

Eastern Shore of Maryland, Lasch became manager of the

Republican Cloakroom, the official floor source of

information for Republican Members.

As a private space for Member interaction, the cloakroom

was ideally suited for Lasch to answer questions about

pending legislation. He was a friend and protector of the

gracious lady who for decades ran the cloakroom lunch

counter, the late Helen Jones Winfield Sewell. When Ron

retired in 2000, many House Members joined in paying him

tributes.

Ron was trusted because of his vast knowledge of House

parliamentary procedure and traditions. He understood the

personal side of lawmaking, forging relationships with

Members from both sides of the aisle. He was careful to

respect House Members, remembering his staff role. But while

he was a quiet, reserved presence, in private he had his own

sardonic estimate of those he served.

Ron's role as Republican floor staffer expanded over the

years, culminating in his work as Floor Assistant to Speaker

Newt Gingrich in 1995. In my opinion, Gingrich could have

avoided many of his subsequent troubles had he taken Ron's

advice about House rules.

My own daughter, Genie Eardley, a House Page (CPS Class of

1983), knew him well and called Ron ``irreplaceable.'' As

Lincoln suggested, Ron's monument endures in the hearts of

those who knew and respected ``the gentleman from New

Jersey.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Mt. Zion Baptist Church for 100 years in the Kalamazoo community.

This church--one of the first to be built by African Americans for African Americans in Kalamazoo--has been a pillar of the city for a century now after it was founded by Reverend Yale H. Putney in a storefront on Main Street. Only a few years after its founding, the growing church relocated to a one-room schoolhouse on East Ransom Street and next moved into a vacated church in 1945 on the corner of North Edwards and Parsons Streets. Finally, the congregation built their home on then-Chestnut Street in 1979, where it remains to this day. Chestnut Street was later renamed Roberson Street in 1980 to honor former pastors B.A. and A.E. Roberson.

Under each of these roofs, Mt. Zion Baptist Church established a place of worship and built a Christ-like community around it. Mt. Zion always has offered a helping hand to our city, recently offering their church to double as a COVID-19 vaccination site under the leadership of Reverend Addis Moore. As always, the Church saw a need, and met it. Reverend Moore has said in the past that a church's purpose in the African American community is to be ``the lifeline of that community, where you find everything you need.'' I thank Reverend Moore for his servant's heart and strong leadership that has brought Mt. Zion to 100 years of service.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Pamela Klyn upon her receipt of the Good Scout Award. Pamela Klyn has dedicated her life to bettering Southwest Michigan through her work with the Whirlpool Corporation. A graduate of Michigan Technological University, Pam came to Benton Harbor in 1993 with a sharp mind and has brought the corporation to new heights locally as well as internationally.

In addition to her incredible work ethic, Pam is also an accomplished scholar. She completed her master's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan in 1995. She also achieved an Executive MBA from Bowling Green State University. At the start of this year, Pam was named Senior Vice President of Corporate Relations and Sustainability for Whirlpool Corporation.

Pam was raised by an Eagle Scout. Her father taught her to ``always be prepared'' and to ``leave things better than you found them.'' It's clear that she has reflected these lessons in everything she does. In addition to heading corporate relations and sustainability for Whirlpool Corporation, Pam is also an active Board member of the Boys & Girls Club of Benton Harbor and a Trustee for the Whirlpool Foundation. Pam also serves on the External Advisory Board for the Dean of Engineering at her alma mater, Michigan Tech, and as a board member for the American Association of Home Appliances and the Board of Directors for Patrick Industries.

Congratulations to Pam. There truly is no one more fitting to receive the honor of the Good Scout Award.

Madam Speaker, does anyone actually believe this bill is going to reduce inflation?

I didn't think so.

Those of you that know me know that I am not afraid to work across the aisle on important legislation that helps Americans, whether it was the 21st Century Cures Act, the CHIPS Act, the veterans' PACT Act, or the infrastructure bill. Unfortunately, the bill that we are debating right now was not created in that same bipartisan manner.

Our economy is in a fragile state as we emerge from this pandemic. We have seen decades-high inflation that is crushing Main Street and squeezing the middle class. Now is not the time to raise taxes to the tune of over $16 billion on middle-income folks around the country.

The Inflation Reduction Act does nothing to fix the insidious problems at the IRS. Instead, they are going to throw more than $80 billion to hire more agents who are going to be tasked with hounding taxpayers who report passthrough business income through Schedule C and Schedule E. These folks are, by and large, middle-income, family-owned small business owners who busted their butts to keep their doors open through the pandemic, and now we are sending the cavalry after them, leading to higher compliance costs and time wasted that will increase costs for all Americans.

The IRS needs to be focused on clearing the backlog of millions of personal and business returns. I have literally helped hundreds of constituents who have been waiting 1 to 2 years for their tax refunds.

With respect to inflation, a number of nonpartisan sources, including some previously touted by supporters of this bill, have said that this bill will cause inflation to increase over the first couple of years.

The energy sector has seen the brunt of this increase, with gas prices climbing more than $2.30 a gallon and natural gas prices going up close to double.

On Wednesday, I offered an amendment at the Committee on Rules that would direct the bill not to go into effect until the Secretary of Energy can certify that energy prices are below the costs of 2021.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Colonel Eric A. Kennedy, upon his retirement after more than 30 years of military service in both the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. A dedicated and respected public servant, he has continued to serve his fellow veterans as the lead physician assistant at the Battle Creek VA Medical Center.

Colonel Kennedy's passion for medicine and innovation helped make 21st Century Cures a reality. Through Eric's work as the lead PA at the Battle Creek VA Medical Center, he has helped thousands of veterans like himself lead healthy lives after their service. He has been a preceptor for Grand Valley State University and WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine students during his time at the VA.

In addition to Eric's long history of medical service, he also served as an active member of the Michigan Army National Guard and was deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa on humanitarian missions. In 2015, Colonel Kennedy was the first physician assistant to be named Medical Commander for the Michigan Army National Guard. He now serves as the State Surgeon for the Michigan Army National Guard, where he is responsible for policy direction and management of the Michigan Army National Guard health service system.

In addition to the Colonel's long list of accomplishments, he and his wife, Sarah have raised two wonderful daughters, Brielle and Brooke, in Mattawan, Michigan. Sarah and Eric met at Western Michigan University right here in Southwest Michigan many years ago and together they have grown as a family and helped grow our community with their many successes.

I congratulate Colonel Kennedy. His retirement is well deserved, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for him.

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

This morning, I saw the news that the North Carolina Little League State championship was canceled. That is right. Why? An active shooter.

I saw the frantic video of a mom holding her handheld video of what was going on. Frankly, it reminded me of the congressional baseball practice in Alexandria a few years ago when our Republican whip, Steve Scalise, was seriously injured and, frankly, lucky to still be alive.

My son played on that field, which is walking distance from my home. Some of my staff actually walked by that morning, not having a clue what was going on.

This bill would change that. It would provide some resources--not an arm or a leg, but maybe what it takes for a traffic safety study--to provide an alert system across the country on your cell phone when an active shooter might be close by.

It would work like an AMBER Alert system, just like I received when I landed at O'Hare yesterday, coming back to Washington. My phone went off, as others' did on my flight when it landed, looking for what may have been a child predator.

A few years ago, six folks were shot and killed in Kalamazoo, in my district, next to the campus of Western Michigan University, a campus of some 20,000 students, at about midnight. No alert system was sent. I believe that this legislation, had it been in place then, may have saved some of those folks who were killed that night.

In the 1990s, two brave Capitol Hill police officers were shot and killed just down the stairs from this Chamber as they tried to kill our Republican whip, Tom DeLay. Then, as Members of Congress, we had no such alert system. Today, we do.

In fact, just this morning, we each received two notices of police activity on Capitol Hill, just as we did a couple of weeks ago on the day that we had this legislation up when Independence Avenue was closed because of a suspicious package outside the door of the Cannon Building.

A week ago, on the Fourth of July, the Nation watched in horror the mass shooting in Highland Park. The media reports the initial sounds were thought to be fireworks. Wouldn't it have been nice to have had a system that would have alerted the entire parade route to take cover? Maybe some of those folks that were killed or wounded wouldn't have been. It breaks our hearts.

Tragically, there are going to be more days like that, probably today. Can't we take a small, bipartisan, commonsense measure to save a life or two?

Yes, I believe in thoughts and prayers. I do. I also believe in taking constructive steps to protect our communities.

Every single law enforcement agency supports this. It is way past time to do something.

Sadly, I know that the Gun Owners of America opposes this bill, but it does nothing to threaten the legal use of any gun. It only protects humans that, in fact, may be the target.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my very good friend, and I certainly appreciate his kind words. The good news is I am not done yet. We have a lot of work to do, and this is yet one more piece that we are going to be driving forward. But, certainly, I rise in support of this legislation, the ARPA-H authorization bill.

While I have been a longtime supporter of many different versions of this bill, I thank, in particular, Chairman Pallone, my Republican Leader Rodgers, certainly Anna Eshoo--who is my good friend--and Brett Guthrie for their leadership on working together on language with the goal of really making this issue bipartisan and one that is going to work.

I am glad that we came together to add even more important guardrails to ensure that this bill, ARPA-H, works as it was intended as well as, hopefully, have a very strong bipartisan vote a little bit later this afternoon.

This bill is going to establish an entity not unlike the Defense Advanced Research Projects entity--that was our goal--DARPA. It is going to be game-changing, health research. Like DARPA, this entity is going to be focused on producing research on things that, frankly, may be too risky for the private sector. It is going to move at a faster pace than the current structure. There may be a high failure rate, but its successes are going to have the potential to be absolutely groundbreaking, answering the prayers of millions.

It really is a follow-up to what we did in this body with the 21st Century Cures with the Upton and DeGette effort that passed our committee 53-0, then passed here on the House floor 392-26.

There has been a lot of debate on where ARPA-H is going to be housed.

Should it be in NIH?

Should it be in HHS or someplace else?

Wherever this entity is finally located, we need to make sure that it is lean, that it is independent and nimble, and that there are the appropriate guardrails to keep other agencies from mission creep and siphoning that funding. The legislation that was introduced did a very good job of that and I am pleased to see that these protections were strengthened in the final product that we are going to be voting on this afternoon.

My partner in 21st Century Cures, Diana DeGette, and really everybody on our committee were happy to include language for ARPA-H in our Cures 2.0 bill that we introduced more than a year ago. We thought that it was a great follow-up to the work that we did to enhance basic research on the first Cures bill which added $45 billion--paid for--in additional health research.

Funding for the NIH and the FDA included many important things such as the Cancer Moonshot and the Brain Initiative.

We are still in a pandemic. We have awful diseases that need cures, whether it be cancer, Alzheimer's, lupus, or diabetes that strike literally every single family.

This bill, ARPA-H, can provide the breakthroughs necessary to find cures for those diseases. The President has already signed $1 billion for this program into law. So what we need now is bipartisan authorization to complete the work. This bill certainly accomplishes that goal.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues, like we did before, to vote for this bill a little bit later this afternoon. Again, I just want to commend our great staff. As our leader, Congresswoman Rodgers, said: We have the best staff there is.

Is there any objection to that?

Hearing none--sorry, Ways and Means; sorry appropriators.

We do. We are the Energy and Commerce Committee, and we are going to find a cure for these diseases. This bill is a step in that direction.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Ohio for yielding time.

You know, a few years ago in this building, the U.S. Capitol, we had an active shooter. I was there. Tragically, he killed two brave Capitol Police officers as the shooter tried to hunt down our Republican whip, Tom DeLay.

We were in session. The shooter was just down the stairs. During that rampage, the House adjourned for the end of the week. Like every week, just like last week, a bunch of us bounded down those steps, got in our cars, raced to the airport to get home to our districts. We had no clue what was going on down the hall in the Capitol.

When I got to DCA, I was shocked to see how close the shooter got to, really, all of us, particularly if he had just stood at the bottom of the stairs and just sprayed us as we were coming down.

We had no clue what was going on. We also had no information from our phones or from our beepers in terms of what was going on.

Well, times have changed. We have that capability today. Every major law enforcement organization supports this bill. This helps an active shooter alert system so that potential victims can be alerted when there is an active shooter.

I would just note in the last 2 hours, all of us here got four messages from the Capitol Police saying that there was a suspicious package outside of the Cannon House Office Building.

Literally, Independence Avenue was shut down, closed to all traffic because of the alerts that we were able to get. Shouldn't our constituents enjoy the same technology that we have here in our own Congress?

You know, Madam Speaker, this simple bill will support law enforcement and keep our communities safe, period.

In 2016, in Kalamazoo, in my district, an Uber driver spent nearly 5 hours one night picking up riders, killing them, picking up another rider, killing them, until he was finally apprehended.

When that rampage was over, more than six people died. Another two were injured. There was no system like this that could inform the citizens in downtown Kalamazoo about what was going on.

In after-action reports from mass shootings and others around the country since Columbine in 1999, they have all recommended a system like this, to create an Active Shooter Alert Act. This bill was the top request from tens of thousands of police officers who attended Police Week just a couple of weeks ago.

This bill has nothing to do with the Second Amendment; doesn't take away guns, nor should it. It protects innocent people who might be impacted by an active shooter, whether it be our kids, our loved ones, or our fellow citizens.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Matt McLogan for his 35 years of distinguished service as Vice President of University of Relations of Grand Valley State University.

After obtaining his bachelor's and master's degrees from Western Michigan University (Go Broncos), Mr. McLogan worked at WOOD TV as a journalist and news manager, making sure folks across west Michigan were kept informed. Later, he served as the Public Service Commissioner for the state of Michigan, overseeing the state's investor-owned utilities.

Matt's dedication and passion for higher education has allowed him to serve students at several Michigan institutions. Matt served as an adjunct faculty member at Grand Rapids Community College where he taught political science. He also served at Michigan State University as a faculty member of the annual Regulatory Studies Program.

Over the course of his distinguished tenure at Grand Valley State University, he has ensured the university not only has met but exceeded its goals. He has led government relations, University Development, and the communications team, which included the university's public radio and TV stations. He has worked with many leaders at the local, state and national levels to obtain essential funding and support for GVSU, including for the Medical Mile in downtown Grand Rapids. During his tenure, the university's enrollment nearly tripled, expanding from one campus to five.

Aside from his work at Grand Valley State University, he also has served on numerous boards, including the Grand Rapids Art Museum, the Public Education Fund, Frederik Meijer Gardens, and Opera Grand Rapids, ensuring all in West Michigan have access to a strong and vibrant cultural life.

Madam Speaker, as the Grand Valley State University community gathers this month to celebrate a truly remarkable leader, I want to congratulate Mr. McLogan on 35 years of extraordinary service to GVSU and West Michigan. I thank Mr. McLogan for his decades of service and extend congratulations on a well-deserved retirement.

Madam Speaker, Buchanan High School has produced more than 10,000 hardworking, bright individuals over the last hundred years who have gone on to better our community for generations to come.

One hundred years ago Buchanan High School opened its doors for the very first time here. Twenty-five classrooms, an auditorium, a gymnasium and two offices were quickly filled with learning, listening and friendship. Over time this building has grown to accommodate increased enrollment and the ever-changing field of education.

I would like to personally thank each and every educator, administrator and staff member who made virtual learning possible for our students during the pandemic and laid the groundwork for us to return to in-person learning. It truly is good to be back to some normalcy, but we must not forget the difficulties we faced not too long ago. The dedicated folks here at Buchanan High School made sure that every student had access to the internet and a dedicated laptop to learn, making sure that no student was left behind. Under the leadership of many principals, first Floyd Early when Buchanan High School opened its doors and a century later under Stacey DeMaio, Buchanan High School has continued to ``Develop responsible, resilient, creative citizens capable of succeeding in a global society.''

I am eager to see the accomplishments Buchanan High School will achieve over these next one hundred years and the progress made both here in this building and by alumni across the world.

And lastly, Go Bucks.

Mr. Speaker, it seems like just yesterday when a number of community leaders encouraged me to run for Congress. Against all odds, we ended up winning a very hotly contested Republican primary, and the journey began.

Throughout my career, I have leaned on lessons from my Reagan White House days where my boss and mentor was Ken Duberstein, who later was his chief of staff.

Reagan worked both sides of the aisle to get things done, caring less about who got the credit, and I made a promise that such a principle would be my guiding light. Especially in these days of divided government, that is the only way one can actually get legislation enacted.

There has been something special in my household with highlights and lowlights that we often discuss at the dinner table. As I reflect back, there have certainly been more highlights representing the wonderful and diverse corner of southwest Michigan. These folks are truly the salt of the earth, and I love them all. I really do, even the few that don't always love me.

As chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee, a huge highlight was 21st Century Cures. Hailed as the most important piece of legislation passed in that Congress, it laid the foundation for Operation Warp Speed and faster drug approvals, including the first vaccine that Pfizer produced in Kalamazoo.

Now, once again, with my partner Diana DeGette, we are pursuing Cures 2.0 with all the disease and patient groups who joined us on Cures.

My driving mission has been jobs and the economy. Whether it was working on a North American energy independent plan, pursuing renewable resources, and, yes, dealing with climate change. Changing the tax laws so that no longer do we have the highest corporate tax rates in the world, which drove so many of our job creators someplace other than America. Being the Republican lead with John Dingell on the auto rescue plan. The industry and all the jobs that came with it was simply too big to fail.

Pipeline safety, protecting the Great Lakes, and our drinking water has also been my focus. Every family in America deserves clean water.

I have been more than willing to stand up for the less fortunate and vulnerable, including my vote last week to cap the price of insulin.

I have had the opportunity to visit our brave troops in harm's way overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan, and witnessed the tragedy of war like we see today with Putin's invasion in Ukraine. It was critical to pass the recent humanitarian and military aid. Yes, it was.

And, of course, I witnessed 9/11 here and pushed hard on the recommendation by the 9/11 Commission to protect against such an attack again.

As a former Boy Scout, I believe in leaving the campground better than when you found it. I have worked with seven administrations, seven House Speakers. None of them would call me a rubber stamp. If it is good policy for Michigan, it is good enough for all of us.

As a vice chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, we have pushed the envelope to get things done, taking on some complex and often controversial issues that others may want to just sweep under the rug. Immigration reform, including border security, for our Dreamers and farmers, a real honest-to-goodness infrastructure bill that passed 69-30 in the Senate but then hit the rocks here in the House, barely surviving Trump's opposition, despite his call for a proposal twice as expensive with no pay-fors.

I have worked alongside real giants who put principle over politics: Greg Walden, Paul Henry, Mike Rogers, Pat Tiberi, Susan Brooks, Charlie Dent, John Lewis, Mike Castle, Henry Hyde, Amo Houghton, Dave Camp, Nancy Johnson, and Don Young were among the best.

I work daily on all things Michigan, particularly with Debbie Dingell, and we have been hitting the road to push for civility. Hopefully, civility and bipartisanship versus discord can rule, not rue, the day.

Current colleagues like CMR, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Steve Womack, Mario Diaz-Balart, Josh Gottheimer, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tom Cole, Dave McKinley, Dan Kildee, John Katko, Kurt Schrader, Dean Phillips, Peter Meijer, and my friend Steny cut the mustard, too.

I have been blessed having wonderful, hardworking staff all these years. Yes, two of them--including my chief of staff, Joan Hillebrands--have been on my team 36 years, with another handful between 15 and 20 years. Our district team has worked on so many different casework issues, in the tens of thousands. Throughout the COVID nightmare, we worked with our local bankers to save dozens of small businesses with PPP, and we worked to get vital supplies to our wonderful health facilities and frontline workers, who are still so stressed today.

Even the best of stories has a last chapter. This is it for me. I have done the zillions of airline miles back and forth. I have signed ``Fred'' to over a million letters; cast more votes than anyone in this Chamber while here; and by most accounts, have succeeded in making a difference, accomplishing what I have set out to do, with more unfinished work still yet to come.

Arthur Brooks recently wrote about three traits most important in life--honesty, compassion, and faith. I would like to think those same yardsticks were passed along to me by my parents, watching on C-SPAN now.

Someone asked my wife, Amey, what would be the next chapter? She said, ``and they lived happily ever after.'' Indeed, we will. I thank Amey, our two kids, and three grandkids for giving me so much to look forward to.

Thanks again to the people of my district who placed their faith and confidence in me all these years.

God bless the USA.

Madam Speaker, during the fall of 2021, the Western Michigan University

Bronco Marching Band celebrated its 100th season on the field. As a former member of the Michigan Marching Band, I can attest that no college football game day is complete without the sights and sounds of a marching band, particularly in Michigan. Since its inception in 1915, the Bronco Marching Band has been a staple within the greater Kalamazoo and Michigan communities, and a fixture on WMU's campus, both at home and away sporting events, and at many other university occasions, such as its Annual Concert open to all members of the community. The BMB Football Pre-game and Half-time Performances are honored as recognizing timely and creative themes, regularly recognizing the BMB as ``The Best Band in the MAC.'' The Bronco Marching Band serves as the keeper and curator of WMU traditions, providing the expected soundtrack for returning alumni in a way that recordings cannot. Its performances off campus have even broader impact through parades, exhibitions, and community service, including performances and media appearances in numerous Kalamazoo Holiday Events. Over the years, the BMB has also brought national attention to Michigan, Kalamazoo, and WMU during appearances at the International Bowl, Texas Bowl, Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl, Famous Idaho Potato Bowls (2), Cotton Bowl, First Responder Bowl, and the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit. The BMB's dedicated 300+ members and staff, and thousands of BMB Alumni, have brought joy and Bronco Spirit to millions over the past century with hits such as ``I've Got a Girl in Kalamazoo,'' and ``Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight,'' as well as the beloved Bronco Fight Song. Congratulations again to the WMU Bronco Marching Band on this major milestone. I look forward to seeing what you achieve in the next 100 years. Go Broncos.

Mr. Speaker, I do rise in opposition to both the rule and the previous question so the House can consider H.R. 6235, the Strategic Production Response Act, introduced by the top Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mrs. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, in the recent weeks.

This President and the Democrats are waging a war on fossil fuels and affordable American energy, and American families are paying the price in the form of skyrocketing energy bills and inflation that is surging, frankly, out of control. We see that constant increase at the pump literally every time we get in the car and pass a gas station in virtually every State in the Union.

Before this President came into office, the U.S. was more energy secure than ever before. Energy prices were low, stable, and manufacturing was coming back to the U.S. after decades of offshoring.

Today, America's energy security is under siege by President Biden and the Democrats. In fact, in the span of a year the price of crude oil and many energy commodities has risen to a 7-year high. Gasoline prices have nearly doubled, while more Americans are struggling certainly to make ends meet.

Forecasts--even before this winter's heating costs season started, American families were expected to pay some 54 percent more for propane, 43 percent more for heating oil, 30 percent more for natural gas, and 6 percent more for electric heating.

Even as millions of Americans depend on reliable and affordable supplies of fossil-based fuels for home heating, electricity, transportation, manufacturing, and agriculture, Democrats have doubled down their anti-American energy agenda.

It was a mistake when President Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline, which would have transported almost 1 million barrels a day of stable energy supplies to the U.S.

President Biden issued a moratorium on energy development on Federal lands. Now the administration is even considering killing Line 5, another important pipeline that provides critical heating fuels and gas to the Midwest.

Yes, faced with skyrocketing energy prices and low poll numbers, this President has begged OPEC--of all places--OPEC and Russia--to pump more oil. When OPEC and Russia refused to increase supplies, guess what, President Biden then turned to China and resorted to tapping America's Strategic Petroleum Reserve, rather than encourage drilling here domestically.

This President turned to China for oil. China is persecuting more than a million Uyghurs, Muslims, and other ethnic minorities. They certainly don't share our values. America's Strategic Petroleum Reserve is one of the Nation's most valuable energy security tools, and this President and the Democrats are squandering it, using it for a political coverup for their anti-fossil fuel agenda.

If allowed, this motion is pretty simple. It would protect the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and lower gas prices by unleashing American energy production.

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve was created by Congress to respond to several oil supply disruptions, not as a bailout. This administration has to end its hostility to producing energy right here under our feet and reverse the policies that have contributed to the energy crisis facing Americans today.

If this administration is serious about lowering gas prices it has to stop encouraging other countries, and rather encourage ours to produce gas and oil rather than relying on OPEC, Russia, and China.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the previous question so we can consider this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Miss Gonzalez-Colon).

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

Madam Speaker, first of all, I thank the leadership on our committee. I thank Mr. Pallone, Ms. McMorris Rodgers, Mr. Guthrie, and obviously, Chair Anna Eshoo, and our staffs for moving this legislation forward.

Madam Speaker, this is a very important bill. All of our healthcare workers, particularly in this COVID pandemic, are really heroes. They are, without exception. All of us know many of these workers because they are our neighbors and friends. And each of us have heard those cries of woe as they have done their job every day, every day, day after day for 24/7.

I can't imagine how they do it; watching so many folks suffer as they try to help them from their hospital beds. Passing on the sad words that they passed away to family members, maybe not even in person because of this terrible pandemic. And thinking of the hundreds of thousands of Americans that have died because of this awful disease, let alone so many more across the globe.

Well, one of those healthcare workers who was well-publicized at the time was Lorna Breen, a physician from Charlottesville, working on the front lines of the pandemic in New York, moving up there to try and help the need. And, yes, as it was mentioned, took her own life.

This was a national story. It gripped the Nation. I can remember watching the news show that week as this tragic story was portrayed. It outlined the severe stress that this pandemic has put on our healthcare workers and the need for the resources that they need to help them cope. The demands that our healthcare heroes are facing, they have not changed. They haven't changed yet. For months, for a year-and-a-half, they have been asked to care for communities in my district in Southwest Michigan and across the country 24/7 as the pandemic continues. This bill helps us have their backs.

Madam Speaker, I talk to major hospitals in my district every week. And the common refrain that we have been hearing throughout the State of Michigan is that our hospitals are still strained to the breaking point. Staff shortages are severe. I saw a story a few hours ago but I think the State of Maine is now taking up their National Guard. We have asked for national help from President Biden as well in Michigan. There have been too many examples of healthcare workers that are suffering from this enormous pressure as they fight the worst public health crisis in a century.

This legislation is going to help promote mental and behavioral health for those healthcare professionals, improving their overall well-being and maybe even saving their own lives. This bill helps promote mental and behavioral health among those working on the front lines of the pandemic. It supports training for health professionals to prevent suicide and burnout, and it increases awareness about suicide and mental health concerns among their peers.

I am glad that we are considering this important bill and that we will vote on it yet tonight. I look forward to having it being signed into law.

Again, I thank the bipartisan cooperation on both sides of the aisle. Hopefully, we can get our Senate colleagues--and I know that they are with us on this--to work together to get this bill to the President as soon as we can. We can't wait another day.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am ready to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, this is a great bill. We need to vote for it without delay, and I thank my chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak on H.R. 4555, the Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act of 2021, sponsored by my Energy and Commerce Committee colleagues, Representatives Bilirakis and Cardenas.

We all know that oral health plays such an important role in an individual's overall health and well-being. A lack of proper oral hygiene has been proven to increase the risk of chronic health conditions.

However, good oral hygiene and dental checkups, in addition to increased education, can help patients avoid most oral health ailments. It is so important for kids to develop healthy habits at a young age.

This bill directs the Health Resources and Services Administration to develop a public education campaign to increase oral health literacy and awareness. By increasing such, the bill will promote good oral health habits and will help to prevent the development of avoidable, complex medical conditions in the future.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill. I remind them this bill, as I recall, passed unanimously in the committee and should not be a problem. I thank my chairman and ranking member for getting this bill to the House floor quickly.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I would again urge my colleagues to support this bill passed unanimously in the greatest committee on the face of the Earth.

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