Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life and legacy of former U.S. Representative, Austin ``AJ'' Murphy, Jr., who passed away at the age of 96 on April 13, 2024.

Congressman Murphy was a native of Monongahela, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Charleroi High School in 1945. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Duquesne University in 1949 and received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1952.

Throughout his life, the congressman demonstrated a strong commitment to the people of southwestern Pennsylvania. He served our nation as a corporal in the United States Marine Corps during World War II and later continued serving in the United States Marine Corps Reserve from 1948 to 1951.

After returning from World War II, Congressman Murphy still felt called to give back to his community. He served as a member of the Speers Borough Council and an assistant district attorney for Washington County, Pennsylvania. In 1958, he won a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, where he served for 12 years. He was later elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate and assumed that office in 1971.

Following his tenure in Harrisburg, Congressman Murphy ascended to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976 and tirelessly fought for our community until his retirement in 1995. He spent his time in the House working on social security, education, and labor issues. He chaired the Subcommittee on Labor Standards and sponsored the Fair Labor Standards Amendments of 1989, which was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on November 17, 1989.

In addition to his political career, the congressman also volunteered as a Boy Scout Troop Leader and participated in many civic organizations. He was a lifelong member of the American Legion with 78 years of continuous service and was commander of Post 51 in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.

Congressman Murphy cherished his loved ones, and his memory will live on through his seven children, 16 grandchildren, 16 great- grandchildren, and his sister. His life will undoubtedly serve as an example of love, devotion to one's family, and selfless service.

Mr. Speaker, Congressman Murphy dedicated his life to the people of southwestern Pennsylvania. His legacy is the epitome of a life well- lived. On behalf of the people of Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District, I wish his family healing during this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the Arnold Volunteer Engine Company No. 2 on its 100th anniversary.

The Arnold Volunteer Engine Company No. 2 held its first meeting at Arnold High School on May 12, 1924. Shortly afterward, Westmoreland County granted the company an official charter on June 14, 1924. It's 17 founding members dedicated their lives and work to the people of the Allegheny-Kiski Valley. Company No. 2 quickly became a pillar in its southwestern Pennsylvania community. The company constructed its first fire hall in 1928, which is still in use today. Additionally, the firefighters, efforts to engage with the community extended beyond protecting citizens and responding to emergencies. In 1949, they built a clubhouse for members, their families, and the community to gather and socialize. Due to continued outreach and service, they assumed the responsibility of transporting Santa Claus through Arnold, Pennsylvania, during the annual Christmas parade. This tradition continues today.

Over the past hundred years, Company No. 2 operated with professionalism, speed, and dedication. After a destructive fire took the lives of three first responders in 1995, the firefighters began training in rapid intervention tactics and protocols. Company No. 2 still provides this rapid intervention training to fire companies around the Allegheny-Kiski Valley area. The volunteer firefighters of Company No. 2 remain focused on sharing their expertise and working with other fire companies to ensure all first responders are trained and ready to respond to emergencies effectively.

There are 42 active members of the Arnold Volunteer Engine Company No. 2. Notably, five charter members of the inaugural Junior Firefighter Program are celebrating 50 years of volunteer service. I want to thank and honor James Duncan, Donald Ferrante, Joseph Puet, John Tort, Jr., and William Weber for their devotion to the people of southwestern Pennsylvania.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District, I congratulate Arnold Volunteer Engine Company No. 2 on its 100th anniversary and its great work serving the community.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1269 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and in support of the underlying legislation. Before I talk about the rule, I want to recognize our staff director, Kelly Dixon.

I recognize the staff director of the House Rules Committee, Kelly Dixon Chambers.

I first met Kelly as a freshman Member of Congress. She has been a mentor of mine and, most importantly, she has been a friend. This is before I even joined the Rules Committee. Kelly has been a vital member of the House of Representatives for over 25 years.

From Congressman Ken Calvert's office, to the House Judiciary Committee, to the New York delegation, to the former offices of Speaker Kevin McCarthy when he was whip and leader, to today where she is a staff director of the Rules Committee majority staff under Chairman Cole and Dr. Burgess, Kelly has always been a leader in the House during some of the most consequential decisions over the past two decades.

Mr. Speaker, the House owes Kelly a debt of gratitude, and I look forward to working with her in the years to come.

Now back to the rule.

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1269 provides for consideration of H.R. 8580, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2025.

This is under a structured rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees, and it provides for one motion to recommit.

The rule makes 47 amendments in order.

Additionally, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 8282, the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act, under a closed rule, with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs or their respective designees, and provides for one motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, on October 7, 2023, Hamas launched the largest mass killing of Jews that we have seen since the Holocaust. This horrific assault attacked Israel by land, sea, and air, killing over 1,200 innocent civilians, including dozens of Americans. For perspective, this would be the equivalent of over 40,000 American dead and nearly 9,000 Americans being taken hostage.

In the aftermath of that atrocious attack, we have learned that families were burned alive, infants were decapitated, women were sexually assaulted, and other unthinkable acts of violence were committed.

To date, Hamas continues to hold as many as 130 hostages. Since those attacks, we have seen a clear divide in the United States and around the globe between those who stand with our ally, Israel, and those who stand with Hamas.

One of the organizations that stands with Hamas is the international kangaroo court, also known as the ICC. This court is anti-American, anti-Israel, and anti-Semitic. The United States and Israel are not members of the ICC, and the court has absolutely no standing and no jurisdiction over our Nation or the nation of Israel.

Previously, the court has targeted American warfighters for defending our Nation in Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks. They are now targeting our ally and partner, Israel, and drawing a false equivalence and distorted moral equivalency between the leaders of Hamas and the democratically elected Government of Israel.

That is why House Republicans will pass the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act introduced by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy), my good friend.

This legislation would reimpose the Trump administration's sanctions against the ICC officials that investigate, arrest, detain, and prosecute U.S. citizens or allies, like Israel.

The choice is clear: Do you stand with our ally, Israel, or do you stand with Hamas?

Do you stand with this illegitimate court?

Additionally, as a Navy veteran and a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I am proud to introduce FY25 MILCON-VA bill, which was introduced by Chairman Carter.

Under Chairman Cole's and Chairman Carter's leadership, H.R. 8580 will fully fund veterans' healthcare programs and benefits. It provides for an extra $75 million above the President's budget and $30 billion above last year's enacted level for veterans.

Further, this legislation also provides for robust funding for the Indo-Pacific region, invests billions in quality-of-life projects for our servicemembers and their families, and blocks the Biden administration from placing al-Qaida terrorists in our local communities.

This bill provides for an additional $412 million over the President's budget for military construction so we can invest more in our national security.

As we approach the 80th anniversary of D-day, this week's vote will be an important step in supporting our Nation's veterans.

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

Mr. Speaker, good luck hiding behind procedural arguments when talking about defending the ICC. This is a kangaroo court, and to defend it is to defend an institution that is anti- American, anti-Israel, and anti-Semitic, but we shouldn't be shocked that this is coming from the left and the Biden administration.

This administration has been weak. They have been feckless. They have been incompetent on foreign policy from now going back to when Joe Biden was sworn into office.

What are we seeing? The world is absolutely on fire.

In his first year alone, President Joe Biden green lit the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to provide Russian gas to Europe while at the same time blocking the Keystone XL pipeline that would have actually led to energy exportation from this country.

He also issued 94 executive actions on immigration which led to an unprecedented invasion at our southern border. The President and his unelected bureaucrats in the administration are also directly responsible for the failed withdraw of the U.S. from Afghanistan, giving up the Bagram Airbase before we even evacuated, which led directly to the death of 13 American servicemembers, it stranded thousands of American citizens abroad, and it brought the Taliban back into power, something that we were there to counter for the last 20 years.

Let's talk about President Biden making the decision to delist the Houthi rebels from the terrorist watch list. What did that do? It led to a crisis in the Red Sea. He also placed an indefinite pause on LNG exports, which benefits--I can't make this up--Russia and Iran, rather than helping ourselves and our allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.

That is just the start of the blunders of the Biden administration on Foreign Affairs. He also waived the billions of dollars in sanctions on Iran so their energy sector could grow and they could export energy, which, of course, led to Iran being able to fund Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthi rebels, which has led to all the chaos in the Middle East.

Since October 7 alone, our servicemembers in the Middle East have been attacked over 100 times, including the deaths of three Americans in Jordan.

It just doesn't stop there. I just got back from a trip to Turks and Caicos, an official trip, a congressional delegation. There you have a small island nation that has roughly 60,000 citizens, and they are allowed to commit human rights violations on Americans, holding American detainees in a North Korean-style court system and legal system there. All it would take to bring the Americans that are wrongfully detained in Turks and Caicos home would be a do not travel order from Antony Blinken.

Do you think Secretary Blinken has issued an order? Of course he hasn't.

We have seen weakness. We have seen indecisive action from the State Department and that has emboldened these banana republics like Turks and Caicos to have draconian laws on their books that target American citizens.

Biden's weakness has done nothing but embolden our adversaries. It has emboldened Russia. It has emboldened China. It has emboldened Iran, and now you are seeing it embolden banana republics that are holding American hostages in basically the North Korea of the Caribbean, Turks and Caicos.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy), my very good friend and fellow Rules Committee member, to talk more about the ICC.

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

You can't make this stuff up. It is amazing. I am being gaslit in real time here, and so are the American people. I often say if it weren't for double standards, the Democrats would have no standards at all. Here we are, talking about process and procedure and totally ignoring the fact that the Democrats ran roughshod over process and procedure last Congress when they were in control.

Don't believe me? Let's look at the facts. Last Congress, the Democratic-controlled Rules Committee considered 30 pieces of legislation that did not go through regular order. That includes 28 McGovern waivers for unreported bills. You might say, oh, 28 out of 30, what about the other 2? Well, the other two were reported but without hearings.

It is amazing and so rich, being attacked for having a bill not going through regular order on a few occasions when the Democrats themselves had it 30 separate times in the last Congress. That is quite amazing.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 2 minutes.

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

Again, it is amazing that I am hearing my friends across the aisle complain about closed rules and going through regular order. Again, we are being gaslit in real time by the left.

I remind my friends across the aisle that at this point in the 117th Congress--again, when Democrats were in control, this is when Chairman McGovern ran the Rules Committee--Democrats had made 61 percent of their rules closed. In this Congress, the GOP has passed 66 more measures out of the Rules Committee compared with the Democrats at this point in the 117th.

The GOP is legislating in this Congress. We have proportionally fewer closed rules over a much larger pool of bills, and 33 percent of our closed rules were because no amendments were submitted. They were closed because no one even put forward amendments. In the 118th, 81 percent of the Rules measures that have gone to a floor vote have garnered bipartisan support for final passage.

Again, Mr. Speaker, my friends across the aisle like to complain about amendments being made in order and they like to complain about regular order, but facts don't lie. They had 61 percent of their bills with closed rules. I just had a litany of bills that did not go through regular order. You can't hide from the stats.

Let's not fool ourselves. The American people don't care about arcane rules of procedure in the House. No one cares about this. What they do care about are things like foreign policy. It is amazing, like I am being gaslit on procedures in the House, I am being gaslit about the last administration's position on foreign policy.

I am sure if you would ask people around the world if they would rather have President Trump or President Biden, it would be President Trump, and here is why: President Trump actually killed al-Baghdadi, and he dismantled ISIS.

When it comes to Iran, he neutralized Soleimani. He also targeted proxy groups that were controlled by the Iranians in the surrounding area. He put the Quds Force and the Houthis on the terrorist watch list, actions the Biden administration has tried to reverse.

He blocked the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which weakened Russia. He had the Abraham Accords.

We had zero attacks from Russia during the period. Remember, it was under Obama that Russia came into the Crimea, and then Russia didn't do anything for 4 years. Then, magically, when the Democrats came in, showing weakness and vacillation in the face of aggression, then the Russians invaded more parts of Ukraine.

Also, when it comes to China, it was President Trump who put tariffs on China and held China to account. The Biden administration has done very little on that front.

The list goes on and on, but I will leave it at that for the sake of time.

Talking about being gaslit, we are being gaslit on the ICC, this international kangaroo court. There is so much disinformation out there about the ICC, especially regarding their actions on Israel.

Let me just clear some things up. One, the ICC's warrant filings are factually wrong; two, Israel has conducted itself consistently with international

law and its humanitarian obligations; three, the ICC does not have jurisdiction over Israel as the nation is not an ICC member; and, fourth, the ICC warrant applications for Israeli leaders threaten U.S. national security. Let's just get the facts out there. Those are the facts, and you can't hide from them.

It is amazing how many of my friends across the aisle, beholden to the extreme far left, want to talk about these make-believe Israeli transgressions, when they wholeheartedly ignore the transgressions of international law by Hamas. You want to go through a list of all the international law that Hamas has broken? Let's do it.

Let's start with targeting civilians; not wearing a uniform; hiding among civilian populations; storing weapons in places like mosques and schools; having their military headquarters in a hospital; using torture, and rape; and deprivation of food, water, and medical aid for their hostages. This is just a short list, but it is amazing how the left, controlled by radical, dangerous extremists, refused to call out Hamas and their violations while latching on to these false perceived notions that the Israelis are somehow the ones in violation of international law.

I am sick and tired of the gaslighting. The American people know the truth, and we are going to see the results of that in a few months.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to tell my friends across the aisle that I have no further speakers at this time and I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is amazing. I continue to get gaslit up here. At the end of the day, facts don't care about your feelings, and numbers don't lie.

I will distill this argument into two facts right now to show you the hypocrisy from the other side. Last Congress, the Democrats had 30 pieces of legislation that came outside of regular order.

At this same point in the 117th Congress compared to this Congress, the 118th, the Democrats had 61 percent of their bills come to the floor under closed rules. Again, numbers don't lie. Don't sit here and try to gaslight me.

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

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

In closing, I don't even know where to begin, describing closed rules as threats to the institution, as disrespectful, as shameful.

Again, I remind the gentleman that last Congress, they brought 30 pieces of legislation to the floor that had not gone through committee.

At this same time last Congress, 61 percent of their rules were closed rules. The gaslighting has got to stop.

We are here today to talk about MILCON-VA and the international kangaroo court known as the ICC. This week when it comes to these two bills, Americans will see a stark difference between House Republicans and the dangerous far-left extremists on the other side of the aisle.

Some are saying that the bills are partisan exercises, and they are full of culture war issues. It is the Republicans that are taking the culture war issues out of these bills, at least out of MILCON-VA.

If you don't believe me, look at the actions of the VA. Under President Biden, the VA has gone far left and woke. These include initiatives in the VA like DEI and CRT. They just waste taxpayer-funded resources on these far-left culture wars that are coming from the left.

If you don't believe me, just look at the actions of the VA. The Department backtracked not too long ago after removing the iconic V-J Day picture from Times Square.

The iconic picture of V-J Day, for whatever reason, wasn't woke and had to be removed. That is quite amazing coming from the VA.

The VA also removed from their mission statement a quote from Abraham Lincoln. Why? Because that quote used male pronouns. You can't make this stuff up.

The Department uses a gender gingerbread person that teaches veterans and employees that gender is a spectrum, and it is fluid.

How about the Department's focus on the backlog of thousands of veterans' claims and veterans who can't receive timely care? Maybe they should focus on that instead of gender-neutral gingerbread men.

That is why House Republicans will pass FY25 MILCON-VA that will focus the Department's mission back to its core mission, which is taking care of veterans; not fighting culture war issues.

We protect veterans' Second Amendment rights. We prohibit DEI. We prevent critical race theory, and we put the Hyde amendment into the bill.

We are making this bill neutral and bipartisan. We are stripping out culture war issues that the far-left extremists have put in it.

Lastly, let's talk about the rule before us bringing up the piece of legislation that will protect U.S. citizens and servicemembers and our allies, including Israel, and that is to make sure we are working against the illegitimate sham court, the kangaroo court known as the

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the previous question, and I urge them to vote ``yes'' on the rule. I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Somerset Borough Police Chief Randy Cox on his 47 years of service to our community.

Randy felt called to serve from a young age and always wanted to be a police officer. He began his law enforcement career as a police officer in 1977 for Seven Springs Borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. He transitioned to the Ligonier Borough Police Department in 1981 and rose to the rank of police chief in 1990. On August 9, 2004, Randy became the chief of the Somerset Borough Police Department, where he served for the past 19 years.

Randy kept a local and positive approach to his law enforcement duties. Through his teaching role at the Westmoreland County Community College Police Academy and Penn State-Fayette, Randy prepared officers for all the hardships associated with law enforcement. Additionally, he graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy's 204th Session in 2001. Randy took this education and incorporated what he learned into training sessions at local academies. He also served as an assessor for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Committee to ensure that all police officers were qualified for the job's rigorous duties. He demonstrated a long-lasting commitment to southwestern Pennsylvania law enforcement officials, and his legacy will be remembered for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, Randy Cox served southwestern Pennsylvania dutifully for the past 47 years. On behalf of the people of Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District, I congratulate him on a long, successful career serving southwestern Pennsylvania communities.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1149 and ask for its immediate consideration.

For the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), the ranking member of the Rules Committee and my good friend, pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all

Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and in support of the underlying legislation.

House Resolution 1149 provides for consideration of six measures: H.R. 6323, H. Res. 1143, H.R. 4691, H.R. 5947, H.R. 6046, and H.R. 4639.

The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 6323, the Iran Counterterrorism Act of 2023, under a closed rule, with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Financial Services or their respective designees and provides one motion to recommit.

Additionally, the rule provides for consideration of H. Res. 1143, a resolution condemning Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel, under a closed rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs or their respective designees.

Further, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4691, the Iran Sanctions Relief Review Act of 2023, under a closed rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs or their respective designees and provides one motion to recommit.

The rule also provides for consideration of H.R. 5947, which provides for the rescission of certain waivers and licenses relating to Iran, under a closed rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs or their respective designees and provides for one motion to recommit.

The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 6046, the Standing Against Houthi Aggression Act, under a closed rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs or their respective designees and provides one motion to recommit.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4639, the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act, under a structured rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary or their respective designees and provides one motion to recommit. The rule makes in order three amendments.

Mr. Speaker, President Joe Biden's foreign policy decisions have been a complete disaster on the world stage and have emboldened our adversaries and empowered foreign terrorist organizations.

Sadly, we were forewarned about all of this. Former President Obama's Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, stated nearly a decade ago regarding President Biden: ``I think he has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.''

He is right. Let's look at the facts.

In the first year alone, the President green-lit Nord Stream 2 to provide Russian gas to Europe while simultaneously blocking the Keystone XL pipeline here at home. He issued 94 executive orders on immigration, which has led to an unprecedented invasion at our southern border. To appease his far-left radical base, he delisted the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization, which directly led to this conflict in the Red Sea. He is responsible for the complete surrender of Afghanistan, which killed 13 American servicemembers, stranded thousands of Americans, returned the Taliban to power, and expanded ISIS-K and al-Qaida.

In 2022, his policies of appeasement led to the largest invasion of Europe since World War II. To help his party in the mid-terms, he depleted the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to its lowest levels since I was born, 1983, and he sent millions of barrels of oil to Communist China.

In the first days of 2023, he allowed a Chinese spy balloon to cross the entire country, which collected intelligence on innocent Americans. On the 22nd anniversary of 9/11, on the very anniversary, in an insult to the people who suffered those terrorist attacks, Joe Biden unfroze $6 billion in oil sanctions to Iran just days before an Iranian proxy group killed over a thousand people in Israel.

How does Iran thank us? Our troops in the Middle East faced over 100 attacks from proxy networks, which led to the death of three servicemembers in Jordan.

Just this year, Biden waived billions of dollars in sanctions to allow Iranian energy exports into Iraq--and I kid you not--while also announcing an indefinite pause to new approvals of U.S. liquefied natural gas exports from here.

Guess who benefits from that? It is not the United States. It is not the American worker. It is Russia, China, and Iran who benefit from Joe Biden's reckless foreign policy.

This administration's policies truly embody the slogan: America last. That is why House Republicans are bringing to the floor this week legislation to condemn Iran's recent attack on Israel, block Biden's ransom payments to Iran, redesignate the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization, and apply maximum pressure on the Iranian regime.

We cannot stand idly by as the Biden administration hands over the keys to the Ayatollah; the dictator in Communist China, Chairman Xi; and the dictator Vladimir Putin.

This week's votes will be very clear: Do you stand with our ally and strategic partner Israel, or do you stand with the authoritarian regime in Tehran?

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

Mr. Speaker, in recent days, far-left activists have chanted ``Death to America'' and ``Death to Israel.''

In Chicago, cheers broke out over the weekend when Iran started attacking Israel during a meeting about the upcoming DNC convention. Just think about that for a moment. This isn't your grandfather's Democratic Party.

In the 3 months following the October 7 attack, there has been an increase of 360 percent in anti-Semitic incidents in this country. It was reported earlier this year that there was an exodus of Jewish families leaving Oakland, California, because of the anti-Semitic radicalization of the teachers union in that city. This isn't 1930s Nazi Germany. This is 21st century California where we are seeing this happen.

If you doubt me, just listen to the leaders of the Democratic Party. Here is Representative Rashida Tlaib, who said: ``From the river to the sea is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate.'' This is an absolute lie. ``From the river to the sea'' is a call for genocide of the Jewish people and the destruction of the State of Israel. There is Representative Tlaib condoning a call for genocide.

Let's not forget about Representative Ilhan Omar, who said: ``We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban.'' Equating the United States, the U.S. military, and the Israeli Defense Forces to terrorist organizations is not only disgusting, it is absolutely disgraceful. She also said: ``Israel has hypnotized the world,'' alluding to an anti-Semitic trope that we have seen for absolutely centuries.

Now, here is Representative Jayapal, as well, who said: ``Well, we condemn Hamas' firing of those rockets, but I think you have to look at what prompted even that behavior.''

It is very clear, far-left activists look to their leaders for direction. The Democratic thought leaders in that party sympathize with terrorists.

I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), my good friend and the chairman of the Rules Committee.

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

You know, there is a lot of emotion coming from the other side of the aisle, but as a really good friend has told me before, facts don't care about your feelings. If you look at the facts it is pretty clear the difference between the Democrats, Obama and Biden, and President Trump.

Let's just look at Russia. It is not a coincidence that Vladimir Putin moved into Crimea and parts of Georgia when President Obama was in office, and then for the 4 years President Trump was in office, there were zero military incursions. Then as soon as Joe Biden took office, he moves into Ukraine. Actions speak louder than words. Again, those facts don't care about your feelings.

Let's look at Ukraine. You want to talk about conditioning aid? Joe Biden conditioned lethal aid on Ukraine, forcing the Ukrainians to fire a prosecutor that was investigating a corrupt oil and gas company that Hunter Biden just happened to be on the board of. I will let you draw your own conclusions on that, but it is very clear that Joe Biden actually did what President Trump was wrongfully impeached for, and then he actually bragged about it on TV.

He also had many missteps. Remember at the beginning of the lead-up to the war, Joe Biden said that we would tolerate a ``minor incursion'' in Ukrainian territory, just whetting the appetite of Vladimir Putin. Then when the Russians did invade, and Joe Biden slow-walked lethal aid. Where were the MiGs that were sent? Why didn't we get the Ukrainians antiaircraft air batteries? Why didn't we jam the electronic abilities of the Russians to make sure that they didn't have air superiority?

The Ukrainians still don't have the lethal aid because Joe Biden and his far-left radical administration slow-walked the aid from the beginning of this war. It has been an absolute disaster because of Joe Biden's incompetence and the incompetence of those he surrounds himself with.

I find it very rich to then attack President Trump's record on Israel. Who was the first U.S. President to move the Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem? It was Donald Trump, making him the most pro-Israeli President we have ever had. Who was it that had the Abraham Accords? It wasn't Joe Biden. That was President Trump who had the Abraham Accords. If he was a Democrat, he would have won two Nobel Peace Prizes for that.

Let's not forget about Joe Biden, who still up to today, is calling for a ceasefire when our number one ally in the world, Israel, is fighting for its life against a terrorist organization in Hamas. The people across the aisle and people in the White House are calling for a ceasefire on that. I think that is absolutely unacceptable.

For all the talk about supporting our fellow democracies, let me remind you that there is one thriving democratic state in the Middle East. There is only one democracy in the Middle East, and that is Israel. It would be nice if my friends across the aisle would support that democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Langworthy), my good friend.

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

Mr. Speaker, I guess I should congratulate my friends from across the aisle for finally realizing there is a link between Russia, China, and Iran. This has been U.S. foreign policy since at least the early 2000s, but better late than never, I guess.

I am taken aback by the fact that there is an allegation that Joe Biden is a strong President because he shot down the drones that Iran sent into Israel. If the President was strong, drones would not have been sent to Israel in the first place.

Again, let's not forget that under President Trump, Russia was not attacking Ukraine and Iran was not attacking Israel. It is the President's weakness and his policies of incompetence and American weakness that have invited this aggression.

For the talk about Ukraine, we on this side of the aisle have intellectual honesty and consistency on this because you can be for defeating Russia and also for Israel defeating Hamas. You can also be for holding Iran in check.

It is weird that the same people on the other side of the aisle who say if you talk about a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine, that we are somehow using Russian talking points. Those same people will be the same ones who say we need to have a cease-fire in Gaza before the IDF is afforded their God-given right to destroy their enemy, Hamas. It sounds to me like the talking points of Hamas, but I will let others draw their own conclusion on that.

Talking about more failures in the Biden administration, let's talk about the southern border and about how many terrorists have crossed that southern border.

Since President Biden took office, there have been over 340 encounters at the southern border from individuals who are actually on the terrorist watch list. Just this month, news broke that a terrorist from Afghanistan, whose organization is responsible for the deaths of numerous Americans, was released twice--not once, but twice--into the interior of the United States after crossing our southern border. He then roamed around unrestricted for almost a year before he was captured.

Then earlier this year, a member of Al-Shabaab, which is an al-Qaida affiliate in Somalia, one of their members was able to live in the U.S. freely for almost a year, as well.

It is absolutely crystal clear: Biden and radical, extreme leftist Democrats cannot be trusted to protect our communities and secure the southern border. The numbers speak for themselves.

Mr. Speaker, talking about incompetence, let's go back and talk about the surrender of Afghanistan.

Remember, under President Trump, there were zero fatalities for the last 18 months before Joe Biden took office. Yet, the President, Joe Biden, felt the need to surrender Afghanistan to the Taliban.

In 2021, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was absolutely the worst military blunder in my lifetime. The Biden administration abandoned the Bagram Air Base and released terrorist fighters from prison, including one that killed 13 servicemembers at Abbey Gate. It has led to a rise in al-Qaida and ISIS-K. The CENTCOM Commander testified just last month that ISIS-K will have the capability within 6 months to do external operations against the West.

We know through our OIG reports that President Biden and his failed bureaucrats in the State Department are funding the Taliban and al- Qaida through international assistance, but it didn't impact just the Middle East. This has also emboldened China, Russia, and Iran, the three countries that Democrats apparently just discovered there is a connection between in their anti-Western positions.

Reports indicate that the withdrawal helped Putin justify his invasion of Ukraine. It is just another blunder in a long list of Biden foreign policy failures.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rutherford), my good friend and a sheriff.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Davidson), my good friend and the author of the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act.

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

Under President Trump's leadership, our Nation was safe and our adversaries were put on notice. He truly embodied the slogan: Peace Through Strength.

As President, President Trump destroyed the ISIS caliphate and took Iranian General Qasem Soleimani and the founder of ISIS, Al-Baghdadi, off the battlefield.

President Trump refocused our Nation on the Indo-Pacific and the growing threat of the Chinese Communist Party. He enacted a maximum pressure campaign on Iran by pulling out of the disastrous Iran deal, placing significant sanctions on the regime, and used military deterrence against their proxy networks.

In stark difference to President Biden, the Trump administration designated the IRGC and the Houthis as foreign terrorist organizations.

When former President Obama failed to enforce his own red line and allowed chemical weapons to be used against the Syrian people, it was President Trump who targeted the Assad regime through force.

He also helped bring peace and stability throughout the globe by negotiating the Abraham Accords, pushed our NATO partners to do their fair share, and moved our Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. He stood up for the American worker, not the global elite, when he renegotiated NAFTA, placed tariffs on China, made America energy independent, and secured our southern border.

In comparison, the Biden administration's foreign policy agenda is worse than simply a nightmare because it is reality. That is why House Republicans this week will stand up for our ally Israel and block some of the disastrous decisions that have helped fund Iran's terrorist network.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the previous question and ``yes'' on the rule. I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life and legacy of Allen Q. Jones, who celebrates his 100th birthday on April 11, 2024.

Allen was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, and attended Uniontown High School during the early years of World War II, receiving a draft notice shortly before graduation. In 1943, Allen departed for training with the U.S. Army's 717th Tank Battalion. The following year brought him through Forts Chaffee, Knox, and Meade before leaving for Europe aboard the S.S. Cristobal on Christmas Eve, 1944. Corporal Allen Jones and the 717th Tank Battalion crossed the River Rhine in the spring of 1945 and remained in Germany until the end of the war. Once he returned to the United States, he attended Waynesburg College and joined the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 21 in Connellsville, Pennsylvania.

Allen stayed active in the VFW for over 70 years, winning leadership elections at the local and national levels. He began his tenure as Fayette County Commander but soon rose to the rank of District 23 Commander. Allen's peers elected him Pennsylvania State Commander in 1986, where his work ethic earned national acclaim. He served on the VFW National Home's Board of Trustees for two years before winning the Board President election in 1995. Allen gained further distinction at the 1999 VFW National Convention when the delegates appointed him to the National Council of Administration. His leadership tenure ended in 2016 after a one-year commission as National Chief of Staff.

Allen's call to service inspired him to become an active member of the Connellsville Area School District community throughout his adult life. He taught science and special education for 30 years and served as president of the Connellsville Area Education Association after retiring from teaching in 1984. Allen also coached multiple sports teams at Connellsville Junior High School. He led the Connellsville Junior High East boys basketball team through an undefeated season in 1970, cumulating in winning the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League Junior Championship. He also won a league championship in 1984 while coaching the Connellsville Junior High girls basketball team. The Connellsville School Falcon Foundation recognized Allen's years of commitment to student-athletes by inducting him into their Hall of Fame in 2016.

Allen married Nancy Carol Dayton in 1950 and shared 70 happy years of marriage before her passing in 2021. The couple raised two children together: Marcia Knight and Charles ``Chuckie'' Jones. Over the years, their family grew to include two granddaughters and one great- granddaughter.

Allen's selfless service left a mark on southwestern Pennsylvania and made his community a better place. Few people share his remarkable ability to connect with and mentor young students. His story is the epitome of a life well-lived.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District, I wish Allen Q. Jones a happy 100th birthday surrounded by friends and family.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1085 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and in support of the underlying legislation.

House Resolution 1085 provides for consideration of six measures: H.R. 1023, H.R. 1121, H.R. 6009, H. Con. Res. 86, H. Res. 987, and H.R. 7023.

The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1023, the Cutting Green Corruption and Taxes Act, under a closed rule, with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce or their respective designees, and provides one motion to recommit.

Additionally, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1121, the Protecting American Energy Production Act, that being under a closed rule, with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Natural Resources or their respective designees, and provides one motion to recommit.

Further, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 6009, the Restoring American Energy Dominance Act, under a closed rule, with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Natural Resources or their respective designees, and provides one motion to recommit.

The rule also provides for consideration of H. Con. Res. 86, expressing the sense of Congress that a carbon tax would be detrimental to the United States economy, that being under a closed rule, with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means or their respective designees.

The rule provides for consideration of H. Res. 987, denouncing the harmful, anti-American energy policies of the Biden administration, under a closed rule, with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce or their respective designees.

Finally, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 7023, the Creating Confidence in Clean Water Permitting Act, under a structured rule, with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure or their respective designees, and provides one motion to recommit.

The rule makes in order eight amendments.

Mr. Speaker, since President Joe Biden took office, energy costs for Americans have risen by 28.6 percent. On January 20, 2021, a gallon of gasoline was--wait for it--$2.39.

During President Biden's Presidency, the average price has reached a record high of $5 a gallon. This is a direct result of the President's dangerous, extreme, far-left agenda, the Green New Deal agenda that spent trillions of dollars and enacted costly regulations on the American family.

The underlying legislation before us this week will help unlock and unleash American energy independence and block President Biden's war on the American worker and American energy.

For example, H.R. 1023 will eliminate $27 billion of Green New Deal slush funds for coastal elites and Chinese Communists. We know China dominates the extraction, processing, and production of rare earth elements and critical minerals. Solar panels, windmills, and EVs all rely heavily on these materials, which further deepens our dependency on Communist China.

This legislation will also repeal the proposed natural gas tax that will burden so many American energy producers in southwestern Pennsylvania and across this Nation.

In addition, H.R. 1121 will block the President from declaring a moratorium on hydraulic fracking. In 2019, then-candidate Joe Biden expressed his support to ban fracking. The President said: ``We would make sure it is eliminated,'' when asked about the future of coal and fracking. Then, in March 2020, he said: ``No more new fracking.''

That is why, this week, House Republicans will block his ability to ban fracking.

Lastly, H.R. 7023 will build upon the progress under H.R. 1 and the Fiscal Responsibility Act to help reform our permitting process. This bill will streamline the permitting process under the Clean Water Act, instructing the administration to issue guidance that complies with the Supreme Court ruling in Sackett v. EPA and protect permit holders from frivolous lawsuits.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is nice to hear my colleague talk about all the wonderful things that Democrats have done for the oil and gas industry, but it is shocking because Democrats want to ban fracking. Don't believe me. Take their word for it.

Here is Kamala Harris: ``There is no question I am in favor of banning fracking.''

Here is Bernie Sanders: ``The only safe and sane way to move forward is to ban fracking nationwide.'' He then literally introduced a bill banning fracking shortly after that comment.

There is also Pete Buttigieg. He said: ``I favor a ban on new fracking and a rapid end to existing fracking.''

Finally, here is Biden's Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland:

``I am wholeheartedly against fracking and drilling on public lands.''

Those are some of the most influential Democrats in the country, and their goal is simple. They want to ban fracking.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Langworthy), my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, it is one thing that the Biden administration's extreme far-left positions on energy hurt the American economy and by extension the American worker and the American family, but the extremism also hurts our allies abroad.

President Biden has clearly weakened our position on the international stage. Shortly after canceling our own Keystone XL pipeline, which, by the way, crushed tens of thousands of union jobs, the Biden administration greenlit Nord Stream 2.

Before the 2022 midterm elections, the Biden administration released roughly 180 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, or roughly 40 percent of that Reserve, that included at least 2 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to--are you ready for it?--China.

After pausing new LNG export approvals, the President then waived sanctions on Iranian energy imports into Iraq. I will talk about that momentarily, though.

It is clear from the administration's actions for these far-left extreme positions that President Biden favors Chairman Xi, Vladimir Putin, and the Ayatollah over the American worker.

Now, let's go back and talk about the Iraq-Iran waiver. After pausing the new LNG export approvals, the Biden administration waived sanctions on Iranian energy imports into Iraq. This unlocks $10 billion in frozen funds for the Iranian Government who helped fund the October 7 terrorist attack on our number one ally in the world, Israel.

It is clear to me that the White House's energy platform is the following: Yes to our enemies, no to America.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, today, the EPA released their tailpipe rule, which is a de facto ban on gas-powered vehicles.

President Biden is setting performance standards for tailpipe emissions that automakers can only meet by producing EVs. This will do serious damage to the American family and the American worker.

Through a series of rules, the Biden administration is eliminating gas-powered vehicles in less than 10 years. For example, the EPA is set to approve California's outright ban on the sale of new internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035.

Additionally, the Department of Transportation is proposing CAFE standards that force fleets to switch to EVs.

What does this mean?

For all the talk about building the middle class, this is an attack, a direct attack, on the middle class. Your average EV driver is making well over six figures a year.

Middle-class Americans will struggle to be able to purchase a family car that can't travel long distances, has limited access to reliable fuel sources, and has components that are predominantly sourced from China.

So there are the Democrats' priorities: harming the middle class while benefiting China.

Also, if you think that it is cute to talk about so-called reliable energy sources, do some research and look at the power grid in Texas. Tell me how well that worked out.

But under President Donald Trump's leadership as opposed to Joe Biden's extreme far-left leadership and agenda, under President Trump's leadership, our Nation actually became energy independent. This was thanks to the progrowth, projob, pro-American energy policies that facilitated an energy renaissance and lowered energy costs for hardworking American families.

Just in my home State of Pennsylvania, we are second in the Nation for natural gas production. The industry supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in the Commonwealth, including roughly 130,000 union jobs that the Democrats falsely claim to care about.

Our Commonwealth has such an abundance of natural resources that we lead the Nation in electricity exports to other States.

Last year, Pennsylvania's impact fee revenue reached an historic level at $278.9 million, which helps to alleviate tax burdens on our local communities.

When the Biden administration bends the knee to the climate change mob by stopping new LNG export approvals, by taxing natural gas production, by proposing bans on fracking, and placing a de facto ban on gas-powered vehicles, what are they doing?

These actions are hurting American families and American workers, and

local communities are being harmed in States like Pennsylvania.

That is why we must pass this underlying legislation, which will strengthen our position on the international stage and when the final votes are tallied this week, you are going to see on display the stark difference between Democrats and Republicans.

If you stand with the American worker, the American family, and the American job creator, vote ``yes'' on the rule and the underlying legislation.

If you support energy resources from Chairman Xi, Vladimir Putin, and the Ayatollah, then vote ``no'' on the rule and ``no'' on the underlying legislation.

The choice couldn't be any clearer, and you will see the stark difference between the Democrats and the Republicans on this vote.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the previous question and ``yes'' on the rule.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the 175th anniversary of Waynesburg University.

Originally formed in 1849 when the Cumberland Presbyterian Church united Greene Academy and Madison College, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania officially chartered Waynesburg College on March 25, 1850. The college gained early acclaim in 1857 when it became one of the first coeducational colleges in the United States and earned widespread praise for grounding its curriculum in faith and service. Following a decade of growth, the college gained university status in 2007 and officially became Waynesburg University.

Each year, the university's students, faculty, and staff engage in more than 50,000 hours of volunteer service to better the surrounding community. The university also remains committed to providing a quality and practical education. As a testament to its academic strength, nearly 99 percent of the class of 2022 reported employment or enrollment in a graduate program within one year of graduation.

Waynesburg University's reputation for excellence extends far beyond Pennsylvania. The institution's addictions counseling program ranked fourth nationally in 2021 and 2022, while its online Master of Business Administration ranked 21st nationally for the 2023-2024 academic year Additionally, Waynesburg University's business and nursing programs were placed on the Colleges of Distinction roster during the 2023-2024 academic year.

Mr. Speaker, Waynesburg University is an integral part of our region's heritage and history. On behalf of the people of Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District, I congratulate the university's leadership and community on their 175th anniversary and thank them for their service to southwestern Pennsylvania.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Douglas G. Lee on his exceptional decade of service as President of Waynesburg University. He assumed the office on July 1, 2013.

President Lee devoted the past decade to improving the educational experience for students and serving the Waynesburg, Pennsylvania community. He managed a $32 million revitalization of the Paul R. Stewart Science Hall and successfully implemented a health and safety plan that allowed students to remain on campus throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. His efforts ensured continued academic excellence and a safe environment for the university's thriving student population.

A Waynesburg University alumnus himself, President Lee graduated from the university in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree in business. His loyalty to the institution deepens his connection to the school's faith, academic mission, and focus on the community. President Lee continues to serve the university and Pennsylvania's academic community as secretary and treasurer of the Association of Independent Colleges & Universities of Pennsylvania. He also serves on the NCAA Division III Board of Governors to help student athletes grow their academic and athletic character.

The Greene County Chamber of Commerce awarded President Lee the Distinguished Service Award to recognize his contributions to the university and community. President Lee lives out his faith as an elder at his church, a board member of several local charities, and a loving husband and father.

Mr. Speaker, President Lee leads a life of integrity and service He inspires all members of the Waynesburg University community to pursue a life of leadership and purpose. On behalf of the people of Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District, I congratulate President Douglas G. Lee on this remarkable anniversary and look forward to Waynesburg University's continued success under his leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life and advocacy of Malphine ``Mafa'' Fogel, who will celebrate her 95th birthday on March 11, 2024.

Malphine was born and raised in Brady's Bend, Pennsylvania. After graduating as the valedictorian of East Brady High School's class of 1947, she moved to Butler, Pennsylvania. She began a successful career there with the Butler Eagle newspaper and Nationwide Insurance Company. In 1957, Malphine married Maurice ``Cubby'' Fogel and shared 57 happy years of marriage before his passing in 2014. The couple raised three children together: Mary, Marc, and Anne. Over the years, the Fogel family grew to include nine grandchildren and eight great- grandchildren. She also remains closely connected with her seven siblings and travels home to Brady's Bend every Sunday to spend dinner with them.

Last May, I had the honor of meeting Malphine for the first time when she traveled to Washington and advocated for her son's release from a Russian prison. With the support of Malphine and her family, I proudly introduced the Marc Fogel Act to provide transparency into the State Department's wrongful detainment determination process and ensure that Americans imprisoned overseas are not forgotten. The Fogel family deserves answers, and we will not rest until Marc returns home.

Malphine built her life on the bedrock of faith and reverence for God, and it continues to guide her through this difficult time. Every Sunday, she attends Mass at St. Michael the Archangel and was a frequent parishioner at the 24 hour Eucharistic Adoration for 20 years. Her example of faith, love, and devotion to family provide an inspiring example for all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District, I wish Malphine a happy 95th birthday and express my urgent, longstanding hope for her son's release so that the Fogel family can be swiftly reunited.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life and legacy of Mark Smail, who sadly passed away at the age of 62 on February 17, 2024.

A graduate of Hempfield Area High School and the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown, Mark joined the family business at Smail Auto Group and spent the next 40 years establishing the company as an institutional pillar of the Westmoreland County business community. Mark replaced his father as General Manager in 2018 and became the third generation of the Smail family to lead the business.

Mark distinguished himself through his leadership, business acumen, and dedication to the community. The Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce named Smail Auto Group the 2021 Business of the Year, largely due to the company's ability to keep all 500 employees on staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mark's continuous participation in industry and community associations also earned widespread praise. In recognition of his commitment to civic engagement, the Pennsylvania Automotive Association awarded Mark the 2021 Bud Smail Political Advocacy Award. The award pays homage to Mark's late father, who inspired him to work hard and give back to his community.

Mark shared his father's determination to give back to the community and strived to make southwestern Pennsylvania a better place to live. As a philanthropist, Mark raised millions of dollars for local nonprofits. He contributed to and volunteered with many organizations, including the Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, the Magee-Women's Research Institute and Foundation, the Troops First Foundation, the Westmoreland Cultural Trust, and the Westmoreland Food Bank.

As a devoted husband and father, Mark cherished his friends and family. Mark will be remembered by his wife of 35 years, Kelly, and their children, Taylor and Marcus. His memory will undoubtedly serve as an example of love, devotion to one's family, and selfless service.

Mr. Speaker, Mark Smail dedicated his life to the people of Westmoreland County and southwestern Pennsylvania. His legacy is the epitome of a life well-lived. On behalf of the people of Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District, I wish his family healing during this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1009 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), who is my good friend, pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and in support of the underlying legislation.

House Resolution 1009 provides for consideration of H.R. 7176, which is the Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2024, under a closed rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce or their respective designees. It provides one motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, since President Biden took office, he has waged a war on American energy independence while supporting policies that have emboldened Vladimir Putin, the Ayatollah of Iran, and the dictator in Communist China, Chairman Xi.

Mr. Speaker, if you don't believe me, then let's go through some of the facts.

President Biden green-lit the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to provide Russian gas to Europe at the same time that he blocked the Keystone XL pipeline here at home. He has proposed and enacted rules that have devastated clean, coal-fired power plants while China approves two coal power plants a week.

He has deleted the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to its lowest levels since 1983 and sent millions of barrels of oil to where? Communist China.

Mr. Speaker, on the 22nd anniversary of 9/11, almost as if he was trolling patriotic Americans and the families of victims of 9/11, on that same day, he turned around and unfroze $6 billion in oil sanctions to Iran. Just days later, the Iranians turned around and helped fund a horrific, medieval, barbaric attack on our number one ally, the State of Israel.

The Biden administration's policies have truly embodied the slogan, America last. That is not all. You might be thinking there can't be more that he has done to devastate energy production and harm ourselves and our allies, but wait, there is more. We are going to talk about it right now.

Last month, this administration announced an indefinite pause in new approvals of liquefied natural gas exports. This deeply concerning decision puts American family-sustaining jobs and the security of not only ourselves but our allies and other partners around the globe at risk.

In the wake of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, our European allies have nearly tripled their import of U.S. LNG while significantly reducing their reliance on Russian natural gas.

Studies have shown that LNG exports can provide upward of $73 billion to the U.S. economy by 2040, create an additional 450,000 jobs, and help reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, Biden and his administration have tried to put a stop to all that.

This administration's actions will undoubtedly cause significant disruptions to the United States and global economies.

Let me be clear about one thing. The only people who stand to benefit from this decision are people based in Beijing, Tehran, and Moscow, and maybe White, affluent suburbs that vote for Joe Biden and want to feel good about themselves. Other than that, no one else benefits from this decision.

That is why House Republicans are bringing to the floor this week the bipartisan Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2024, which ends the Biden administration's ban on LNG exports and streamlines the permitting process by removing the Department of Energy from the approval process.

This week's vote will be very clear. Do you support American workers and American energy, or do you support authoritarian and Communist regimes abroad?

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

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

Mr. Speaker, there is a lot to rebut there, but let's start with the notion that we are here passing the same bill over and over again. That is simply not true. We are here for one reason and one reason only. Last month, Biden and the far-left radical Democrats catered to their base and put an indefinite ban on LNG exports.

Again, as I said in my opening, this is going to hurt American workers. This is going to hurt our allies and partners around the world. If you are worried about carbon emissions, it is going to be bad for the environment. Who benefits from this?

The people who benefit from this are Putin; the dictator in Communist China, Xi; and the Ayatollah in Iran. They are the only three that benefit from this. The loser, again, is the American worker and our allies abroad.

If you support dirty Russian and Iranian oil and gas, then go ahead and vote against this bill, but know that your vote supports them. If you support American energy and the American worker, then vote for this bill. That is why we are here today.

To talk about this being a handout to Wall Street and big corporations, I tell my colleague across the aisle that the early 2000s want their Democratic Party back because, the last time I checked, we are now the party that supports the people who shower after work, not before. They are the party of Wall Street, and we are the party of Main Street.

When President Biden took office, you can look at what he did. What he did was detrimental to Main Street, detrimental to the American workers, very beneficial to corporate America, and very beneficial to Wall Street.

When President Biden took office, inflation was at 1.4 percent. Since then, prices have risen 17.9 percent. That includes a 28.6 percent increase in electricity, a 20 percent increase in food prices, and an 18 percent increase in rent prices.

If you factor in inflation, wages have actually fallen 4 percent since Biden took office. For 26 straight months, inflation has outpaced wage growth. Last October, mortgage rates hit a 23-year high.

Today, Americans are spending just about $12,000 more per year just to buy the basics. That is like coming and saying we are going to take $1,000 out of your paycheck every month just to keep up with Bidenomics.

Who does that hurt? It doesn't hurt the executive working at BlackRock that sends money to the Democratic Party. It doesn't hurt the fat cats running corporations. It hurts the supporters and the American workers. The base of the Republican Party is who pays the price for this.

Mr. Speaker, for the Democrats to say that we are somehow concerned with Wall Street, that is their party. We are worried about Main Street on this side of the aisle.

Now, talking about Republicans not wanting to support our allies abroad, maybe I was asleep last week when the Democrats voted down a clean Israel aid package, because that aid package would have helped our allies abroad. I am not sure who my friend is talking about when he is saying we don't want to help our allies abroad.

It is very clear that we are the party who wants to support democracy abroad because the LNG issue is one of the most beneficial things we can do for our allies in Europe, in particular. Despite disaster after disaster on the foreign stage, this could actually help alleviate it.

Let's talk about Biden's disasters on the international stage. Biden's foreign policy has led to--and I will list it: a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan that killed 13 Americans.

By the way, my friends across the aisle claim they care about women and children, but do you know who is paying the price for Biden's disaster in Afghanistan right now? It is all the women who had rights when we were there, and all the children that now have to grow up under the medieval-style rule of the Taliban.

Biden's disaster just didn't stop with Afghanistan. He also emboldened Iran to unleash a proxy network that killed American troops in the Middle East, along with three brave servicemembers lost in Jordan from Iran's aggression. Also, the Biden administration has had a failure to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea from ragtag Houthi

rebels, which Biden delisted from the terrorist organization list.

This shouldn't be surprising, though. Former President Obama's own Defense Secretary commented that Joe Biden has been wrong on every single foreign policy decision he has ever made. I would submit to you that this LNG export ban is in that list of decisions that Biden has made for foreign policy that is simply wrong.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, again, there is a lot to rebut there.

If the gentleman wants to talk about Trump and foreign policy, let's talk about it.

It is not a coincidence that under the Obama administration, you had an aggressive Russia moving into Crimea. Then you have 4 years where Russia does not invade any of their neighbors. Then enter Joe Biden and the radical Democrats, and Vladimir Putin senses the weakness of Joe Biden and invades Ukraine.

I will take President Trump's record on the foreign stage over Joe Biden's record any day of the week. Furthermore, to suggest that President Trump doesn't care about the military and about advancing American interests abroad, I would remind the gentleman--maybe he forgot--that it was President Trump who took out Soleimani. It was President Trump who took out al-Baghdadi. It was President Trump that debilitated and destroyed ISIS. It was President Trump who brought forward the Abraham Accords that actually brought the promise of peace and stability to the Middle East.

I will take President Trump's foreign policy any day of the week, as would probably the Ukrainians, the Israelis, and the Taiwanese people.

Now, the comment about this bill benefiting authoritarian regimes, it is completely the opposite. If we limit our export of LNGs, the demand for LNGs abroad is not going to go away. That is fantasy land.

Our allies will still need liquefied natural gas, but instead of having the benefit of buying it from places like Pennsylvania and Oklahoma, our allies will have to buy it from places like Russia, Tehran, and Venezuela, for example.

So who are you supporting when you ban the export of LNG? I would submit to you that you are supporting the authoritarian regimes that you proclaim to despise.

Now, my friend and colleague--and I do consider him a friend--from Massachusetts made a comment that we are operating under a different set of facts. It is like we are looking at two different fact patterns. That might be right, but I think we are looking at two different decades.

Again, this is no longer 2006. This is a new Democratic Party. This is a Democratic Party made up of radical extremists, leftists, and the Republican Party has also shifted.

There was a comment about union jobs. It is pretty clear where the Democrats stand on union jobs when literally on day one of the Biden administration, right out of the gate, he cancels the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Do you know how many union jobs were lost? There were over 60,000 union jobs lost.

So the guy that is driving the EV to the yoga class, he might be happy that the Keystone XL Pipeline went down, but that is the guy that has the ``Ridin' with Biden'' bumper sticker on his car.

The guy that is actually driving to work in a truck, that is the guy who is voting Republican, so a different set of facts. I suggest a different decade. It is a new Republican Party, and it is a new Democratic Party, for sure. Those union workers are voting Republican.

Let's talk about what we have done in Congress so far. It is hard to prove a negative, but in some ways we can talk about the rush to the Green New Deal and us preventing a rush to the Green New Deal. If the Democrats were in power right now, we would be all in on the disastrous policies of the Green New Deal, which does nothing but benefit China. However, because we are in the majority, we have been able to stop extreme left positions and ideas.

Again, let's go back to the Green New Deal. The path forward for the Green New Deal has been propped up by adversaries like China. Why is that? It is because we rely on China for critical minerals. We need those critical minerals to build everything from an electric vehicle to a solar panel to windmills.

Biden's administration, by the way, openly admits this. According to his own Secretary of the Interior, the administration's rush to green policies has furthered our dependence on China. She said that in a hearing, by the way, in the Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. She is right about that. China accounts for 63 percent of the world's rare earth mining, 85 percent of rare earth processing, and 92 percent of rare earth magnet production.

While Democrats hamper our domestic energy production, China is busy emitting more greenhouse gases than the U.S., the entire EU and Japan combined. China is the one that is bringing two coal-fired power plants online every week, two a week.

It is clear when the White House and congressional Democrats push for the Green New Deal, they are actually absolutely colorblind. What they really are pushing for is a red new deal that benefits our number one adversary, China.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I remind my friend across the aisle that when President Trump was naming those world leaders, those world leaders were actually alive.

Let's talk about Ukraine aid. I don't know if my friend knows my record, but it is pretty hard to find someone who is more hawkish on Russia than me. The difference with my position is I am consistent. My friends across the aisle are not.

It is amazing. The same people who are calling for a blank check for Zelenskyy, saying it will take as long as it takes, those are the same people who are telling our allies in Israel who are under attack every single day from the north, south, and west that they need an off-ramp, that they need to

turn it down. They are the ones who voted against a clean Israel aid package just last week.

I am very proud to be consistent. I don't like Russians in Ukraine, and I also don't like Hamas attacking Israel. I wish that consistency were across the aisle. I think my friends, though, are too beholden to their radical, anti-Israel, far-left base.

If we want to talk about Biden failures, there is more than just foreign policy. Let's talk about the border crisis. Joe Biden and Secretary Mayorkas, I would submit to you, have intentionally left the southern border open. Under President Trump's leadership, America never had a single month of over 150,000 illegal border crossings. It never crossed that threshold. Do you know what that number is under Joe Biden? Thirty-four. It is as if he is intentionally leaving the border open. This is an absolute dereliction of duty by Mayorkas and Joe Biden, and it is because they are beholden to their far-left radical extremist base.

Just how bad is this? Let's be clear. On day number one, this administration put in motion a border agenda that endangers our national security, exacerbates our fentanyl crisis, and puts our communities at risk.

Do you want to talk about more numbers? Every single day, roughly 300 Americans die of fentanyl overdoses. It happens every day. That would be like a commercial airliner once a day going down and my friends across the aisle not caring or saying anything about it. It is amazing the silence on the fentanyl issue.

It didn't have to be this way. Joe Biden could have had remain in Mexico. He could have had catch and release. He could have done numerous executive orders that President Trump did, but Joe Biden, Mayorkas, and, again, the extreme radical Democrats have refused to do anything to secure the border.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Langworthy), my good friend, to add more.

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

Mr. Speaker, let's refocus this debate on what we are here to discuss, and that is LNG exports, making sure that we are exporting clean liquefied natural gas to our allies abroad.

Let's talk about LNG export stats. In 2021, Russian gas accounted for more than 40 percent of the European Union's gas supply. Today, roughly 10 percent of the EU's natural gas supply still comes from Russia, a share that could be lowered further with U.S. LNG.

In 2022, the U.S. surged more than 800 LNG cargoes to Europe, a 141 percent increase from 2021.

In December 2023, more than 87 percent of the U.S. LNG exports went to the European Union, the United Kingdom, or Asian markets. U.S. LNG has helped reduce natural gas prices in Europe by over 83 percent from 2022 levels, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

American LNG has 41 percent lower lifecycle emissions than compressed natural gas from Russia. The Department of Energy estimates that LNG exports could add between $50 billion to $73 billion--that is ``billion''--to the U.S. economy by 2040 and create between 200,000 and 500,000 jobs as well as increase downstream industries like manufacturing. The top five importers of U.S. LNG are South Korea, Japan, France, the United Kingdom, and Spain.

By standing against LNG exports, you are reversing all this good that is coming from it. You are making our allies more dependent on Russia. You are hurting the environment because you are having our allies burn Russian gas that is 40 percent dirtier than any LNG that is coming from the United States. You are standing in the way of American jobs and the American economy by the devastating impact of stopping our LNG exports.

However, don't just take my word for it. Let's go through some quotes on LNG exports. Let's look at our European allies and what they say. Here is what Eurogas said: ``If additional U.S. LNG export capacities don't materialize, it would risk increasing and prolonging the global supply imbalance. This would inevitably prolong the period of price volatility in Europe and could lead to price increases with the consequent implications that would have for economic turmoil and social impact.''

Again, that is Eurogas. That is our European allies. That is not the Republican Party saying this.

Let's talk about the Directorate-General for Energy for the European Union. The director said:

We do not have the abundance of energy sources in Europe.

We need to rely on partners in the United States, and we need

to become as resilient as possible within that reality.

Again, what the director of the EU is saying is if they don't have LNG from the United States, they are going to go elsewhere.

Where is that elsewhere? That elsewhere is Russia.

Let's look at industry. My good friend Toby Rice, the CEO of EQT has said: ``These types of executive orders send a chilling effect through the industries and the investors.'' Again, that is Toby Rice, the CEO of EQT, the largest LNG exporter in the United States.

The American Petroleum Institute, American Exploration & Production Council, and other industry leaders have said: ``Any action to halt U.S. LNG export approvals would be a major mistake that puts American jobs and allies at risk while undermining''--wait for it--``global climate goals.''

Let's end with our friends from across the aisle. What are Democrats saying about LNG exports?

Well, Secretary of State Antony Blinken says: The U.S. is ``. . . now the leading supplier of LNG to Europe to help compensate for any gas or oil that it's losing as a result of Russia's aggression against Ukraine.''

It stands to reason that if you want to help Russia and do exactly the opposite of what Blinken is saying, you would stop LNG exports from the United States.

Let's look at what Secretary Granholm has said. ``I believe U.S. LNG exports can have an important role to play in reducing international consumption of fuels that have greater contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.'' That was Secretary Granholm, not exactly a right-winger.

Again, if you are against this bill, you are against all these individuals that are speaking up for U.S. LNG exports.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Alford), my good friend, to add more to the conversation.

Madam Speaker, two quick things.

Let me correct myself. I said EQT is the largest exporter. They are the largest producer in the United States.

Madam Speaker, I inform my friend across the aisle that I have no more speakers. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, this administration's decision will have long-lasting impacts on the workforce, including union jobs that my Democrat friends across the aisle claim to care about.

It will also have long-term lasting impacts on our country's long- term economic growth. That is why House Republicans will pass this legislation, which removes Biden's export regulations that add uncertainty to the market and that curtail production and decrease global price volatility prices at home and abroad.

The underlying legislation lowers global emissions, strengthens energy security, and creates thousands of family-sustaining jobs.

For those reasons, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the previous question and ``yes'' on the rule.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of extending the pro-growth tax provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).

In 2017, President Donald J. Trump signed the TCJA into law, which ushered in prosperity to the American economy. These benefits included significant investments in American workers, families, and local communities. Thanks to House Republican leadership and Chairman Jason Smith, Congress has prioritized the restoration of these important provisions, such as the full and immediate expensing for research and development, full expensing of investments in new equipment, machinery, and technology, and business interest deductibility.

Under these important TCJA provisions, job creators across our nation increased innovation, expanded facilities, and reinvested in their employees. For example, the International Paper Company utilized the research and design expensing reforms to advance efficiency and safety standards at their box plant in Eighty-Four, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Speaker, I hear across southwestern Pennsylvania the need to restore these vital TCJA provisions. I urge Congress and the Administration to recognize the opportunity before us. Restoring these provisions can strengthen the U.S. economy, help create new American jobs, and increase our nation's competitiveness. I stand with the businesses and workers in my district, and I encourage my colleagues to extend these expired provisions immediately.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life and legacy of Janice Cmar, who passed away on January 6, 2024.

Janice was born and raised in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, and lived in Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania, for nearly 30 years. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in family and consumer science from Mansfield University and a master's degree in special education from Duquesne University. Janice felt called to public service throughout her academic endeavors, dedicating her 24-year career to public service as a teacher at Peters Township Middle School and an elected official.

Her father's service on school boards and other public offices motivated her to follow a similar path in life. She was elected to the Jefferson Hills Borough Council in 1998 and focused on supporting the area's schools and first responders. Specifically, she spearheaded many public safety initiatives and worked to increase citizen participation in local government.

I had the honor of swearing her in as Mayor of Jefferson Hills in 2014. Janice took her commitment to the community seriously and worked tirelessly to make Jefferson Hills a better place to live, work, and raise a family. She set up the first website for the Borough of Jefferson Hills, created a children's summer program to provide safe recreational activities for local youth, and served as board secretary for the Pennsylvania State Mayors' Association. In recognition of her faithful and effective commitment to good local government, Janice received the Cecil K. Leberknight Award from the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs.

Janice also served as a leader in the wider community and worked tirelessly to make southwestern Pennsylvania a better place to live. She knew that to understand the problems facing her community truly, she needed to be involved in local organizations. Her desire to hear directly from residents about the problems facing the community led Janice to join the Jefferson Hospital Auxiliary, Gill Hall Volunteer Fire Company, and volunteer at countless events for the Triumph of the Holy Cross parish. She also worked with many local business leaders through her involvement in the West Jefferson Hills Chamber of Commerce. The people of southwestern Pennsylvania benefitted greatly from her community involvement, and she will be sorely missed.

Throughout her life, Janice supported and loved her family. Her memory lives on through her husband of 39 years, Dennis, their children, Michael and Nicole, and their grandchildren, Teddy and Lilly. Janice's life will undoubtedly serve as an example of love, devotion to one's family, and selfless service.

Mr. Speaker, Janice Cmar dedicated her life to the people of Jefferson Hills and southwestern Pennsylvania. Her legacy is the epitome of a life well-lived. On behalf of the people of Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District, I wish her family healing during this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Charles J. Hardy for being named a Knight of the Legion of Honor, France's highest civilian honor.

Hardy joined the 282nd Engineer Combat Battalion on July 16, 1943, and was one of many brave soldiers who risked their lives during the Second World War. He fought valiantly in the battle of Saint-Malo and captured enemy submarine pens throughout his time on the Western front. He also contributed to the liberation of the Ardennes, the Rhineland, Central Europe, and France. During these grueling compaigns, Hardy consistently demonstrated fearlessness and determination.

Today, Hardy will be remembered and honored for his courageous service 79 years ago by receiving France's highest honor.