Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, Oversight and Reform Committee Republicans witnessed firsthand the crisis on the border after the southern border trip I led earlier this month.

By pushing blanket amnesty and eroding interior enforcement, President Biden has now signaled to the world that our laws can be violated with little to no consequence.

In 2021, over 2 million apprehensions of illegal immigrants were made. This is the most ever recorded by U.S. Border Patrol. In fact, I want to quote Punchbowl News because they really put it into perspective yesterday morning when they reported: ``According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, during the past 3 weeks, the agency has `encountered an average of 7,800 migrants per day across the southwest border. This compares to a historical average of 1,600 per day in the prepandemic years,' a roughly 480 percent increase.''

The surge of illegal immigrants is overwhelming the Department of Homeland Security. As a result, DHS was forced to release hundreds of thousands of these illegal border crossers into the United States.

Catch and release does not work. It only encourages more illegal immigration. The numbers we have don't even account for illegal immigrants who have evaded capture entirely. That number is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands.

The situation only gets worse when we look at how much fentanyl and other deadly drugs are being smuggled across the border by cartels. On our trip, we witnessed hundreds of discarded backpacks littering the ground, backpacks that once carried illicit narcotics.

The Biden administration's border policies have only boosted the human smuggling industry and empowered drug cartels.

Now, President Biden's decision to terminate the CDC's public health order under title 42 on May 23 will turn this national security and humanitarian crisis into a catastrophe.

Former Obama administration Secretary of Homeland Security Johnson once said that only 1,000 apprehensions per day was ``a relatively bad number'' that ``overwhelms the system.'' He described 4,000 apprehensions per day as a crisis.

The Department of Homeland Security now predicts as many as 12,000 to 18,000 illegal migrants per day will attempt to cross the border because of President Biden's policies when the

title 42 order terminates, overwhelming the congregate processing facilities in ports and Border Patrol stations that we toured along the border in California and Arizona.

This administration's plan to address this catastrophe boils down to simply speeding up the release of even more illegal border crossers. Mr. Speaker, that is no plan at all. Placing illegal immigrants over Americans is unacceptable.

Committee on Oversight and Reform Republicans have been at the forefront of this crisis, demanding answers and seeking to hold the administration accountable to the American people.

Mr. Speaker, the American people should know this: We will persist in exposing the waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement by this administration that has led to this current crisis. We will do everything in our power to stop the flow of fentanyl across President Biden's broken border.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Dr. Robert McCrory for his admirable commitment to revitalizing the legendary Tater Day Festival in Benton, Kentucky.

Today this annual tradition in Marshall County will commence, bringing the community together for a weekend of fun, entertainment, and competition.

Originally started in 1843 when farmers came to town to trade sweet potatoes, this event was unfortunately lagging by the 1960s. Dr. McCrory didn't like that--and nor did he accept it.

A longtime community leader and a charter member of the local Kiwanis Club, he took a lead role in returning this event to its prior legendary status.

As head of a committee formed to do just that--Dr. McCrory revitalized Tater Day in a major way. Now, this historic event features sizable crowds that descend on Benton every year for a parade, contests, and tasty potato treats.

Without Dr. McCrory's leadership, this proud local tradition would not be what it is today. Because of that, I express my sincere thanks to him as Marshall County and West Kentucky's representative in Washington.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and memory of my good friend Danny ``Flapper'' Burgess from my home area of Monroe County, Kentucky.

Flapper was a larger-than-life figure. If you ever met Flapper Burgess, you left with a positive and memorable impression. He was an effective, old-school, local politician, who owned a little country store called Flapper's Market in Fountain Run, Kentucky. If you were a candidate for local office and wanted to carry the Fountain Run precinct, you had to have Flapper's support.

Here is the last picture I have of Flapper and I in his store eating one of his signature baloney sandwiches.

Flapper served many years on the Monroe County Fiscal Court representing the Gamaliel, White Oak Ridge, and Fountain Run precincts. Flapper truly was a man of the people.

On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives and all the people of south central Kentucky, I extend my deepest sympathies to the family of Danny ``Flapper'' Burgess.

Madam Speaker, I rise to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine in the face of unprovoked Russian invasion.

Vladimir Putin's war has sent millions of Ukrainians fleeing, and he is now targeting civilian populations, schools, and hospitals.

Economic sanctions have begun to cripple their economy. Private- sector companies have also isolated Russia from many aspects of the 21st century economy. But unfortunately, all economic leverage has not been utilized. We must do more.

I do not support sending American troops into this conflict. However, America can demonstrate leadership by cutting off our purchases of Russian oil. But just like on many other aspects of this crisis, President Biden is playing catch-up. He has yet to take the commonsense step of stopping American financing of Russia's oil economy.

Now more than ever, we should be massively increasing domestic oil production. But President Biden is more focused on pandering to his far-left environmental base than making America energy independent from an enemy.

We must stop financing Russia's war on Ukraine. President Biden must act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Jane Wheatley, CEO of the Taylor Regional Hospital in Campbellsville, Kentucky, who retired after 20 years in this critically important position.

While Jane has led this institution for two decades, her service to the hospital spans much longer. She began working in the business office in 1978 at what was then known as the Taylor County Hospital before climbing the ranks to become chief financial officer and later chief executive officer.

Under Jane's leadership, Taylor Regional Hospital has undergone dramatic growth to become a regional hub for quality healthcare. Without a doubt, her vision for growth contributed mightily to the hospital's success.

She also has a love for Campbellsville that drove her to do all she could to ensure her fellow citizens did not have to travel far for vital healthcare needs.

Jane's professional success is a testament to her hard work, leadership, and desire to improve the community she loves. She leaves a proud legacy in Taylor County, and I wish her nothing but the best in a well-earned retirement.

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

Madam Speaker, Americans hold the United States Postal Service in extremely high regard, and that is for good reason. All rely on it for our paychecks, medications, news, magazines, and correspondence with loved ones. And now, more than ever, Americans enjoy the conveniences of e-commerce no matter where they live in this great Nation.

The United States Postal Service is truly one of our prized national assets. But, as we know, the Postal Service has faced financial trouble for many years. Service delays stemming from an unreliable and outdated delivery network, a drastic historical decrease in mail revenue, and a sustained surge in labor-intensive packages, have all contributed to the organization's struggles.

The rise and dominance of the internet has completely changed the way people shop, pay bills, and generally communicate. It has changed in ways that could not have even been envisioned in the 1970s, when Congress established today's independently operated Postal Service.

We need to face the music. The days of letters alone driving the Postal Service's revenue are not coming back. And with this national pandemic, we have seen what happens when the Postal Service is stressed to its operational limits.

The dual challenges of workforce shortages and a surge in package volume across its delivery network plainly exposed the inability for the Postal Service to adapt to modern challenges.

I stand here today, after more than a year of bipartisan work with my colleague, Chairwoman Maloney, to call for the House to pass the bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act of 2022. This targeted bill addresses the immediate needs of the Postal Service to help it succeed into the 21st century.

H.R. 3076 bolsters Postal Service-led operational reforms that are already showing success with better revenue and delivery performance.

For example, the Postal Service saw one of the busiest holiday seasons ever this past year. And even this current White House could not ignore the fact that nearly 99 percent of consumers received their packages on time or with minimal delays.

This was done under the leadership of Postmaster General DeJoy, and in the face of constant challenges brought about by the pandemic and the current political climate.

Coupled with the Postmaster General's ambitious and comprehensive 10- year reform plan are two legislative requests impacting the Postal Service's ability to operate profitably in the years to come.

First, the well-intentioned 2006 legislative requirement that the Postal Service prefund the retiree health benefits of all future potential costs has proven unworkable and counterproductive.

H.R. 3076 repeals this requirement, while continuing to require annual payments for what is owed to postal retirees. This helps alleviate immediate financial stresses, while still protecting the workforce's earned retirement health benefits.

Secondly, the Postmaster General has sought legislation to seamlessly transition the postal workforce into Medicare upon retirement, rather than continuing as the primary payer for retiree health benefits.

Congress has told the Postal Service it has to act like a business, and this is

not something businesses do. Businesses offer secondary coverage to wrap-around Medicare benefits, and that is what Congress should allow the Postal Service to do as well. This is sensible policy in keeping with the practices of private-sector businesses.

Postal Service retirees have been paying into Medicare their entire careers and, next to the Federal Government itself, the Postal Service is the largest contributor to the Medicare Trust Fund in the Nation.

Together, these two legislative provisions requested by Postmaster General DeJoy are projected to help the Postal Service break even in the coming years.

However, I have made it clear that Republicans need to see solutions that would also allow the Postal Service to fundamentally improve its business model. Our reform bill is designed around the Postal Service's current operational reform plans.

Additionally, our bill makes sure Congress has key oversight tools. For instance, our bill establishes a public-facing, online dashboard with full local mail delivery performance data. This will provide necessary transparency into the on-time delivery of mail, and equip every House Member to conduct oversight of mail performance in their local communities.

Congress should not be caught off guard as we were in early 2020 as the pandemic accelerated performance problems in real time.

My colleagues should also consider what this targeted reform bill does not do. Our legislation does not include draconian cuts to service delivery, such as post office closures, or decreasing delivery to residences.

Our bill keeps the needs of rural Postal Service customers front and center. For instance, the bill codifies the 6-day delivery of mail and packages, which provides assurance to businesses and rural communities alike.

And importantly, our reform bill does all of this without taking the easy approach of a bailout or increasing the budget. In fact, the bill is projected to save over a billion dollars of tax funds over the next decade, over a billion dollars.

Chairwoman Maloney and I have worked closely on receiving the input from the Postal Service and industry groups large and small, and have come to an agreement that we believe will have a real impact. I am very proud of this product, this bipartisan work.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), who has worked steadfastly and been on board and had significant input in this bill from day one.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis), the ranking member of the House Administration Committee.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman), who also serves as ranking subcommittee member on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon).

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Armstrong), who has been a strong supporter of reform from day one.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), the dean of the House.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Malliotakis).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Garbarino).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Rouzer).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick).

Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining?

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I thank my House colleagues for their heartfelt remarks today.

Madam Speaker, America's most esteemed institution, the United States Postal Service, is in trouble. Since the 1970s legislative reform, Congress has expected the Postal Service to operate as an independent and self-sufficient organization. However, for years, the Postal Service has spent far more than it has brought in, and last year alone lost over $9 billion. Many of these challenges are beyond the control of prior Postal Service leadership.

The U.S. Congress has legally obligated the Postal Service to provide universal mail service delivery. Today, that means delivery to over 160 million addresses. This is a massive and expensive undertaking that cannot be glossed over. Additionally, as our Nation's population and economy continues to grow, so will the Postal Service's ever-increasing expenses.

H.R. 3076 does not change this universal service obligation, but we risk having that difficult national conversation if we do nothing. The price for inaction is a Postal Service that will eventually require drastic service reductions, especially in rural, remote parts of America, or continual taxpayer-funded bailouts, which no conservative and no taxpayer should want. Neither are desirable options.

We have an opportunity to pass targeted legislation to relieve the Postal Service of certain financial hardships and bolster its ambitious structure reform initiatives.

This moment, with a bipartisan bill and bold Postal Service leadership at the helm, may not be easily replicated in future years. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 3036.

Madam Speaker, before I yield back, I would be remiss if I didn't say my grandmother spent her whole career as a rural mail carrier. Her name was Maitred Witcher, and she had Route 1 in Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee. I grew up with an appreciation for our mail carriers and I appreciate all the hardworking employees of the U.S. Postal Service.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the amendment.

Madam Speaker, as we have worked together on the Postal Service Reform Act over the past year, Chairwoman Maloney and I strove to fully incorporate the legislative feedback we received from the relevant agencies. This manager's amendment contains necessary technical fixes to ensure the bill's requirements are efficiently and effectively implemented.

For instance, it ensures that the U.S. Postal Service, and not the American taxpayer, fully cover the implementation costs of the Office of Personnel Management, Social Security Administration, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairwoman and the Committee on Oversight and Reform staff for working diligently with me to make sure this bill is done right.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Hope That Binds, a ministry based out of Cunningham, Kentucky, that supports west Kentucky families by providing critical adoption resources.

Hope That Binds is an outstanding regional leader when it comes to helping families pursuing adoption through financial assistance and counseling.

I am proud of my constituents, Wendy Davis-Wilson, Jeff and Benita Davis, Brooke Kelly, and Gracie Reynolds, for their significant contributions to this great organization.

Adoption provides a home for needy children as well as an opportunity to raise a child for hopeful parents. Belonging to a family is a natural and vital component of life, and every child deserves a loving and nurturing home.

Hope That Binds' commitment to the gift and treasure of adoption is heartwarming and a great example of giving back to the less vulnerable.

February 7 to 11 is a week of celebration and awareness for this wonderful nonprofit, and I am proud to recognize them for their incredible work. On behalf of my constituents, I congratulate Hope That Binds for supporting some of the most vulnerable members of our society.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Matt Pedigo of Allen County, Kentucky, who recently retired as general manager of the Citizen-Times newspaper in Scottsville.

After 22 years of reporting on the community he loves, Matt decided to put down his pen and pursue other ventures. At a time when many people are distrustful of the agenda of the media, Matt has been a shining star over the years, accurately reporting on current events and happenings in Allen County.

Through numerous interviews and conversations with Matt during my years in public service, I grew to appreciate his work ethic, knowledge of the issues, and passion for sharing the news with his community.

While he may be retiring, I know from my interactions with Matt that he is not finished making positive contributions to the community of Allen County and south-central Kentucky. I wish him nothing but the best in a well-earned retirement from journalism.

Will the gentleman yield?

Madam Speaker, on behalf of all the citizens of west Kentucky, I thank everyone in America for the outpouring of support, the prayers, the financial support, the people who took off and traveled to west Kentucky to help remove debris and save people who were trapped under roofs and buildings that had collapsed.

The devastation there is unlike anything I have ever seen. And in talking to the media that is all in Mayfield, Kentucky, right now as we speak, it is the worst damage they have ever seen from a tornado.

But the people in west Kentucky are resilient. They have so much pride in their communities. Neighbor has helped neighbor, and that will continue.

I ask, Madam Speaker, for a moment of silence on the House floor to remember the 74 citizens of Kentucky who perished in the terrible series of tornadoes that swept through our State this weekend.

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

Madam Speaker, the bill the majority has titled the Protecting Our Democracy Act does nothing to protect anything but the swamp.

Right now, the American people are trying to prepare for the holidays with the highest inflation rate in 30 years. They are struggling to keep their gas tanks full, put food on the table, and heat their homes. They are worried about rising crime in their communities. They are concerned their children have suffered while their classrooms were closed but the borders are wide open to illegal immigrants and deadly drugs.

Democrats are ignoring these real issues facing Americans today. Instead, Democrats want to talk about former President Trump, even though a Democrat has occupied the White House for nearly a year. This is not what the American people want for Christmas.

The Democrats' playbook is about as predictable as a Hallmark Christmas special. We have all seen this movie.

The bill before us today is based on political fiction, and it is the latest attempt to resurrect Democrats' sham investigations of the past.

This bill unconstitutionally disrupts the separation of powers among the branches of government by diminishing the executive branch and ignoring the judicial branch.

For example, the legislation interferes with the President's pardon power, a power completely vested with the President. But this bill gives Congress access to sensitive White House deliberations and communications about pardons. What legislative purpose does that serve?

Congress has no authority to evaluate the President's pardon power. This bill also overrides the judicial branch by attaching partisan definitions to constitutional language that the Supreme Court has already spoken to. It would change the definition of an emolument to fit failed Democrat legal theories and indulge certain Members' false conspiracy theories--Members like, I don't know, Madam Speaker, Adam Schiff.

Rewriting this technical constitutional term would keep any businessperson who has conducted business outside the U.S. from running for President. That would mean no Hunter Biden at the top of the ticket in 2024.

Democrats appear to think the skill set for running a business would not be helpful to the Federal Government. Maybe that is why Democrats' only solution to any problem is to throw American taxpayer dollars at it and not to engage in serious government reform efforts.

Democrats only want career politicians--or even better, career bureaucrats--to be able to serve as elected officials. Similarly, Democrats are determined to make the Federal Government run as inefficiently as possible by allowing incompetent or dishonest Federal employees to keep their jobs.

The so-called whistleblower protections in the bill are so expansive that if a Federal employee, even a bad or ineffective one, claims they are a whistleblower, they are almost immune from scrutiny.

The Committee on Oversight and Reform has great respect for whistleblowers. We need them to conduct true oversight. They serve an essential role in evaluating waste, fraud, and abuse in the Federal Government. But sometimes Federal employees attempt to claim they are whistleblowers to shield themselves from scrutiny for poor performance. We should not make it impossible to vet whistleblowers' claims and their work.

Further, the policy in the Democrats' bill to entrench inspectors general is another policy that reduces the efficiency of the Federal Government and another example of the legislative branch intruding on the operations of the executive branch.

Madam Speaker, it is Christmastime. Instead of fixing the many problems created by President Biden, like the supply chain, energy, border, and economic crises, Democrats have decided to take up a sham bill and deliver a lump of coal to the American people.

Instead of spending time on Democrats' favorite obsession, President Trump, we should instead take on the issues facing Americans today.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Crawford).

Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Stewart).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Miller).

Madam Speaker, I was hoping the chairman of the Intelligence Committee was going to present the evidence of Russian collusion during his time, but apparently not.

I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Fitzgerald).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock).

Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis), the ranking member of the House Administration Committee.

Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining?

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Donalds).

Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Florida.

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

It is disappointing that my friend from Virginia would spew disinformation about what States are doing. Every State is making it easier to vote but harder to cheat, and he knows that.

Madam Speaker, 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, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis).

Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman.

Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining?

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Bishop).

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

Madam Speaker, wow, I heard Donald Trump's name mentioned at least a dozen times by my colleagues across the aisle. I am sincerely glad that the Democrats spent so much time investigating the President for wrongdoing. I am glad that they issued subpoenas investigating the President for wrongdoing. I am very happy that, in all the investigations conducted by the Intelligence Committee and Oversight and Reform Committee, they did not find one ounce of wrongdoing committed by President Trump.

I am also happy that they investigated President Trump's children. I think that is fair game. I can promise the American people that very soon there will be that type of oversight for the Biden administration and the President's son, Hunter, who is in the news almost on a daily basis for things that just don't add up. They just don't look good. That oversight is coming. The American people can count on that.

Madam Speaker, after nearly a year in power, it is time for Democrats to actually start governing and abandon their obsession with Donald Trump.

H.R. 5314 is full of bad policy that diminishes the power of the executive branch and entrenches Washington bureaucrats making law based on false conspiracy theories of the bill's sponsor.

The bill has not proceeded through regular order and is a Frankenstein's monster stitched together from various committees' jurisdictions, while other whole portions have never undergone committee review at all.

There has been no attempt to seriously vet these substantial changes,

minimal cooperation with the minority, and no apparent path for the bill in the Senate.

In other words, Madam Speaker, H.R. 5314 is a messaging bill to bolster the fundraising efforts of Democrat Members in preparation for the 2022 midterms. The Democratic Party should try governing instead.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill and oppose this reckless legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise to oppose the amendments en bloc.

This protecting the swamp act is full of bad policy and disregards regular order. H.R. 5314 is designed purely for Democrats to talk about all of their failed conspiracy theories about the former President. In fact, this bill looks more like a fundraising campaign than an effort to provide legislative solutions.

My Democratic colleagues should be working with Republicans to address and solve the problems President Biden and his administration have created for the American people, not pushing through hyperpartisan legislation.

While this en bloc package of amendments has several legitimate, good ideas, there are too many that make this bad bill worse. While commonsense proposals such as strengthening minority rights for Oversight and Reform Committee members, Freedom of Information Act reform, and an inspector general for the Office of Management and Budget are perfectly reasonable solutions for the House to consider, most of the amendments in this bloc make a very bad bill much worse.

Overall, these amendments entrench and slow down the Federal bureaucracy, intrude on the executive branch's powers, and strip a duly elected President of the ability to effectively manage the executive branch.

I am not sure if Democrats' distrust of the executive branch is because of their hatred for the former President or their lack of faith in the current President. Either way, Republicans should not support attempts to degrade the Office of the President.

The few good amendments in this bloc proposed by Republicans are simply drowned out by bad policy. If Democrats were serious about engaging with Republicans, then they should have worked with us through the normal legislative process during which we could have effectively vetted these measures in the committees of jurisdiction.

Americans are struggling with the highest inflation in 30 years, worried about the safety of their communities, and eager to get their children back to school. The majority is flatly ignoring the American people to instead talk about former President Trump. These amendments offered by Democrats in this package only move this bill further away from addressing the immediate concerns of Americans.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), who is the ranking member of the Education and Labor Committee.

Mr. Speaker, they say this bill is not about President Trump, but every speaker mentioned President Trump multiple times.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. C. Scott Franklin).

Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Jordan), who is the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the amendments en bloc.

In this package is my amendment, the IG Stability Act, which clearly shows where we should be able to come together and pass bipartisan inspector general reforms.

Inspectors general play a critical role in rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse in the Federal Government. They help Congress, and especially the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, in conducting oversight of executive branch offices and Federal agencies.

Yet, just like in every profession, occasionally there have been either poor performers or those who have acted outside their mandates. With respect to poor performers, we had, in my opinion, a very poor performing Election Assistance Commission IG, and she resigned after we started calling for her to do her job. In those situations, the President should have the flexibility to remove an inspector general.

The Democrats' proposal would dramatically limit the President's authority to remove an inspector general for dereliction of duty or undermining the policies of a duly elected President.

My amendment mirrors bipartisan language in the Senate which requires a detailed rationale to be provided to Congress prior to the removal of an IG. This ensures Congress has adequate oversight of the removal of an IG without preventing a President from removing an IG who is undermining them.

Further, my amendment would help remedy the ongoing concern about IG vacancies, which has been a recurring problem in Republican and Democrat administrations. My amendment requires the President to notify Congress if they fail to fill a vacancy and provide a written explanation with a target date for nomination.

This amendment ensures that the IG community is adequately staffed to conduct nonpartisan oversight over Federal agencies.

This provision has already passed the House this year as part of the bipartisan Inspector General Protection Act, H.R. 23. Yet, the Democrats are now putting this commonsense, bipartisan amendment in an en bloc designed to fail. Why? They are not interested in real reform; they are just interested in messaging, messaging campaigns for the 2022 midterm elections, which by all accounts aren't looking very bright for my friends across the aisle.

This amendment and Mr. Burgess' amendment should be accepted, not shoved aside. I encourage support of

this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, again, they say it is not about Donald Trump, but every speaker on that side of the aisle spent a significant percentage of their time talking about Donald Trump.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess).

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I must say that the GAO plays an important role in the legislative branch, but with matters of national security, we must ensure protocols are followed to prevent unauthorized disclosures of national security information. With this amendment, it is unclear whether those protocols are being met, creating a potential national security risk.

Further, the House Intelligence Committee already has the authority to task GAO, when necessary and appropriate, to conduct reviews of the intelligence community and to ensure GAO receives appropriate information from the intelligence community. The House Intelligence Committee has done this several times in the past, making this amendment moot.

Again, this is why we needed to go through regular order on the various bills stitched together in the underlying bill. The committees need to have an opportunity to vet bills, including amendments such as these, before they come to the floor of the House. That is how we ensure good bills are passed.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, every time Chairman Schiff rises to speak on a bill about intelligence and security and holding the President accountable, I get excited, hoping that we are going to hear about that evidence of collusion and all the other investigations that were conducted in this House over the past year.

I yield to the gentleman from California.

I think everyone is aware of every bit of information that you all have tried to peddle over the past 4 years.

I think we see every day. Facebook just announced that Russia was trying to do a Facebook campaign in Ukraine, if I remember reading that correctly.

Mr. Schiff, would you yield to a question from me?

Would you yield to a question?

I think it is great. Are you aware of President Biden's son Hunter's art dealings?

Are you aware of the President's son's dealings in Congo with the cobalt mine? Are you aware of the dealings in Ukraine?

I think that everyone has seen all the information, again, that you all have peddled. I am curious if you would like to take a wager on which President's child, which President's son, at the end of the day, once we have the gavel, will be the greatest security risk to our Nation, Hunter Biden or--

I reclaim my time. They spent a lot of time, a lot of time, a lot of effort, a lot of tax dollars on trying to peddle a lot of wrongdoing in the previous administration.

This bill is all about the previous administration. Every speaker on their side of the aisle has mentioned Donald Trump's name numerous times, every speaker. It is time for the majority party to focus on governing and get over their obsession with Donald Trump.

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

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

Madam Speaker, during Democrat's leadership of the House, we have seen an unprecedented exercise of authority that only a Democrat could wield due to the authoritarian nature of the actions.

Democrat leadership has fined Republican Members for not masking, installed metal detectors, stripped another Republican of committee assignments, issued and sought to enforce sweeping subpoenas against the former President and his top advisers, and I am not just talking about subpoenas related to the events of January 6.

Democrats on the Oversight Committee are chilling, if not infringing, the First Amendment rights of advocacy groups, corporations, and individuals.

They have asked for communications between certain nonprofit organizations and certain Members' offices. These communications fall squarely within the right to petition and freely associate.

And today, we are debating a resolution to censure Dr. Gosar for something he posted to his Twitter account.

While Republicans certainly do not condone violence and extreme behavior, my question for this body is: When will we exact punishment in an equitable--that is one of the favorite words of my Democrat colleagues--equitable manner?

Madam Speaker, we have Democrat colleagues who routinely call for violence in the streets, make anti-Semitic comments on Twitter, launch obscenities at our elected officials, and engage in inappropriate relationships with Chinese operatives.

Yet, Madam Speaker, these Democrats maintain even their leadership positions on prestigious and sensitive committees like the Intelligence Committee.

The last time we took this extraordinary step to censure a member of this House it was Congressman Rangel, and that was after a thorough Ethics Committee investigation into tax evasion, improper use of official resources, and other improper benefits.

Instead of solving America's crises--drugs flowing across the southern border, rising gas prices and grocery prices, and this ongoing pandemic--we are here on the floor debating the censure of Dr. Gosar.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote against this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate my friend and constituent, Mallory White, of Union County, Kentucky, on her recent election as a national FFA officer.

Mallory is coming off a term as Kentucky State FFA president, a position I was honored to hold back in the day. In this role, Mallory put her leadership skills to good use in serving as an outstanding ambassador for Union County and Kentucky agriculture.

But never one to stop climbing the ladder of success, Mallory didn't stop there. In successfully seeking a national FFA office, Mallory demonstrated that she has all the qualities to be a successful leader for years to come.

With this impressive achievement, Mallory personified the positive difference that FFA makes in young people's lives. This extraordinary achievement makes Union County and the entire First Congressional District of Kentucky proud.

Mr. Speaker, I am eager to see what Mallory White accomplishes in the years to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise to express my continued concern and opposition to the efforts from the Democrat majority to pass another $3.5 trillion worth of unnecessary spending.

If you ask any American right now what the biggest challenge they face is, it is inflation. We have inflation today primarily because of the last unnecessary spending that was passed in this House, and that was the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill that Democrats passed on a partisan basis in this House. That has led to inflation.

We have more inflation than we have had in my adult lifetime. Yet, this body wants to continue to pass more unnecessary spending that will lead to more inflation. Enough is enough. We need to move on from this bill and take care of the business that the American people deserve Congress to address.

Madam Speaker, I rise to express my continued opposition to Elizabeth Warren and House Democratic efforts to expand the IRS to spy on everyday Americans' bank accounts with transactions over $600. I know there has been talk of raising that to $10,000. I am opposed to all of this.

Madam Speaker, the banks already have mechanisms in place to catch suspicious activity. Those are called SARs or specific activity reports. We don't need additional tools by the IRS to harass everyday working Americans who are struggling to pay their bills.

If the intention by the Democrats is to go after people who are billionaires and multimillionaires who are not paying their taxes, then spying on average Americans' bank accounts with over $600 transactions is not going to do it.

We have to do things in a better way. We have to focus the IRS' time to where it is best served, and that is to focus on tax cheats, not everyday, average working Americans. I urge opposition to this infringement of our rights.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mayor Kevin Cotton from Madisonville, Kentucky, for being named a 2021 Angel in Adoption by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute.

The Angels in Adoption program seeks to honor individuals and organizations that focus on adoption, permanency, and child welfare issues.

Mayor Cotton and his wife, Donna Cotton, consistently give back to the community by fostering children in their home. Throughout the years, they have provided love and care to 46 children, three of which they adopted.

Those who know Mayor Cotton know him best for his love of children, passion for foster care, and desire to make a lasting impact in the community through his business and public service.

I appreciate the profound contributions the Cottons have made and am grateful for their dedication to the gift and treasure of adoption. The nomination is symbolic of their devotion to children as well as an ambitious, caring vision for the lives of others.

I am proud to recognize Mayor Kevin Cotton and his wife, Donna, for their incredible work in the child welfare arena. On behalf of all my constituents, I congratulate them on their efforts to make the dream of a family a reality for children in need.