Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, as a young farmer, I knew of James R. Cash at an early age. He was a legend in the agriculture community and a household name in west Kentucky. His farm auctions were always the highest grossing sales anywhere and regularly attended by farmers from six States.

As an aspiring politician, James R., Cindy, and Caroline took me in and were instrumental in the development of my organization in west Kentucky. James R. always put my campaign signs up all over my very large Congressional district--especially en route to Fancy Farm. He hosted events, donated money, offered advice, and always allowed me to stay in his guest house.

James R. Cash was extremely successful in business and life. His great legacy will live on in his three children. I am extremely pleased to work in Washington with Caroline, who definitely inherited her father's intelligence, patience, and management skills. West Kentucky has lost a great entrepreneur, father, husband, and role model.

James R. Cash will be deeply missed by everyone who ever knew him.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Payne Carr of Union County on his decision to serve our country and attend the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis.

During his time at Union County High School, Mr. Carr excelled in the classroom and athletically. Among his many wrestling feats are winning the 2021 Kentucky State High School Athletic Association 152 Pound Wrestling Individual Championship, placing in three straight wrestling state tournaments, and leading the Union County High School Wrestling Team to its 6th consecutive state title this year.

Mr. Carr's discipline, strong work ethic, and unwavering dedication will serve him well as he begins this next chapter of his life. I was honored to nominate him for this appointment to the Naval Academy and am confident that with his commitment to leadership, he will be successful in his military career.

Once again, congratulations to Mr. Payne Carr for this incredible accomplishment. I look forward to seeing his many achievements at the United States Naval Academy and have no doubt he will continue to make Union County and the First Congressional District of Kentucky proud.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize my very good friend, Judge Jeff Burdette, from Mt. Vernon, Kentucky, in Rockcastle County, upon his retirement as circuit court judge after 30 years of distinguished service to the good people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Judge Burdette's circuit court district comprised Rockcastle, Lincoln, and Pulaski Counties.

Judge Burdette was considered a constitutional scholar who was respected by everyone, not just on the bench and in the legal community, but everyone in the community in southern Kentucky.

He was instrumental in launching the 28th Circuit Adult Drug Court and the rocket docket.

Judge Burdette has been someone I have always looked up to, and I wish him the very best in his retirement. I thank him on behalf of the United States House of Representatives for his service to the good people of Kentucky.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to voice my strong opposition to this bill, which would cripple American entrepreneurs and workers, just the opposite of what we should be doing to stimulate an economy.

Workers already have the right to organize under Federal law, as they should, but the PRO Act takes the extreme step of forcing unionization onto workers who do not wish to be a part of a union.

And just like the recent $2 trillion spending spree, Democrats are ramming this partisan bill through with no Republican input. We didn't even have a committee hearing to examine its harmful effects, including an estimated $47 billion on job creators.

Unfortunately, one of my commonsense amendments--to preserve a longstanding ban on secondary boycotts--was blocked by the Democrat majority.

Democrats would be wise to heed President Biden's message of unity and work with Republicans to help our economy. Instead, they are back this week with more partisan bills designed to appease left-wing special interest groups. American workers deserve better.

Madam Speaker, my amendment protects the ability of employers to receive advice from an attorney or consultant regarding unionization without the attorney or consultant having to disclose the relationship to the Federal Government when the attorney or consultant will have no contact with the employer's employees.

Congress has no business forcing attorneys to report on an attorney- client relationship when the attorney will not be speaking with employees. Even the left-leaning American Bar Association opposed the Obama persuader rule, and I urge my colleagues to do the same by approving this amendment and protecting the First Amendment rights of employers.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Ms. Williams), my colleague.

Commemorating 56th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday

Mr. Speaker, in the weeks since President Biden took office, we have seen a dramatic reversal from the America First policies that we saw under President Trump.

Mr. Speaker, after 4 years of policies that empowered middle-class Americans to prosper, the working class is now getting the shaft under Joe Biden. And it is all happening through heavy-handed executive orders, not through legislation that reflects the voice of the people's representatives.

On day one, he acted recklessly to cancel the Keystone Pipeline, which provided thousands of good-paying energy jobs to the American people. From there, it was only worse.

Rejoining the Paris climate agreement, reentering the communist- compromised World Health Organization, and reducing security on our southern border were all executive actions that will make America less safe and prosperous. The President's radical proposal to grant amnesty to 11 million illegal immigrants, while 11 million Americans are unemployed, is the definition of putting Americans last.

As it relates to immigration, this administration's reckless policies know no bounds. Due to President Biden's loosening of security on our southern border, we are sending a message to the world that our immigration laws can be violated without consequence.

Stopping construction of the wall and weakening enforcement, especially during a pandemic, is a huge national security and health risk to the American people. The Biden administration, specifically the Department of Homeland Security, must answer questions the Committee on Oversight and Reform has asked about how they plan to keep the American people safe as they incentivize illegal immigration.

Rather than focus on the unity outlined in his inaugural speech, President Biden has issued divisive executive orders and hurt the safety of the American people.

Mr. Speaker, it is time for this President to work in a bipartisan way to take his duties seriously and enforce our immigration laws. It is also long past time to reopen schools and get Americans back to work. These are the things the American people expect us to be working on, not engaging in excessive partisanship.

If we continue to see an approach to governing focused on pandering to our

far-left base rather than putting America first, American jobs, national security, and energy independence will suffer greatly.

Congratulating Graves County High School JROTC

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Graves County High School JROTC for their first-place finish in the All-Service Raider National Competition, Co-Ed Division, in Molena, Georgia.

The cadets, led by Lieutenant Jason Caldwell, competed against 12 other schools, including military prep schools, in various physical activities. They should be proud of this outstanding achievement.

Over the summer, many competitions were canceled due to COVID-19, leaving each cadet to train individually to prepare for the competition. This victory is a testament to the hard work and dedication of each of these students under unusual circumstances.

Graves County was very well-represented by this talented group. The Junior ROTC program at Graves County High School cultivates leadership and service skills in its cadets that will benefit their local community, the First District of Kentucky, and our Nation for many years to come.

Once again, congratulations to the Graves County High School Junior ROTC for their victory in this very prestigious competition.

Honoring Allen County Jailer Larry Piper

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor my good friend and a political powerhouse, Larry Piper, of Allen County, Kentucky, who recently retired after serving as Allen County jailer since 2007. At the end of January, Larry stepped aside after faithfully serving his community for years in this important role.

During his time in public office, Larry was known for always performing his duties well, treating everyone with respect, and doing what was asked of him. These traits are the hallmark of a good and honest public servant and describe Larry to a tee.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my friend, Larry Piper, on a successful career, and I wish him and his wife, Patricia, the very best in a well- earned retirement.

Election System Concerns

Mr. Speaker, I want to talk a little bit about H.R. 1, which passed the House of Representatives last week.

Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats made clear what their top priority in this new Congress would be: a swamp takeover of America's elections.

At its heart, this radical legislation is a massive Federal takeover that enables ballot harvesting, requires mass mail-in voting, and uses taxpayer money to fund political campaigns. This bill, mistakenly named the ``For the People Act,'' is targeted toward helping politicians, not the people. At a time when the American people are struggling, why is helping politicians, like herself, Speaker Pelosi's top priority?

Whenever Washington gets involved, chaos and dysfunction follow closely behind. If somehow signed into law, H.R. 1 will follow in that familiar pattern.

Mr. Speaker, 2020 brought to light serious concerns with our election system. We saw dramatic delays, uncertainty, and chaos from policies like universal mail-in voting and allowing votes to be counted for days after the election--and in the case of New York, weeks and months after the election.

These concerns are real and present the need for fundamental reforms, but these reforms should be addressed by States, not Congress. And they should be the exact opposite of the disastrous H.R. 1.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation sanctions the very practices that created chaos and uncertainty in the 2020 election and sowed widespread voter distrust. Banning voter ID laws and taking other actions to prevent States from promoting a safe and secure election is a massive Washington power grab.

The legislation allows absentee ballots to come in up to 10 days--10 days--after the election date. Does anyone in this body think that is a good idea?

Mr. Speaker, I would invite anyone in America to come to my home community of Monroe County, Kentucky, and come down on election night in 2022--the primary election because it is a pretty Republican county, 91 percent Republican, to be exact. I would invite anyone to come to my community on election day when all the people who voted in person, which would be about 95 percent of the voters, voted. Let's say a magistrate, a constable, or a jailer candidate gets the most votes on that primary election day. Then, 10 days later, a wad of absentees comes in the mail to the clerk, and lo and behold, that person loses.

I would invite anyone in America to come tell that magistrate candidate, constable candidate, or jailer candidate, ``I am sorry. I know you won on election day, but 10 days later, these ballots came in and you lost.''

That is what H.R. 1 would do. It makes no sense. This bill is nothing but a Democrat attempt to consolidate power. It places Washington in control of elections and enables voter fraud. And like every other priority bill we have seen from this body, it is a disgrace for the taxpayers.

Mr. Speaker, I proudly voted against H.R. 1, as did every Republican in this body. Let's hope, when that bill makes its way to the Senate, that there are some Senators with some common sense on the Democrat side, like Joe Manchin, who will stand up for not just the American taxpayer but the American citizen and reject H.R. 1.

Honoring Paducah Community Kitchen

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Paducah Community Kitchen for the outsized role they have played in helping the city of Paducah weather some of our storms of this past year.

This Christ-centered nonprofit provides crucial services, like free meals and housing, along with laundry and shower services. Their efforts to care for the needy have been instrumental in helping individuals and families facing hardships. In 2020 alone, they dramatically increased the number of meals served daily, a critical need due to the economic fallout from the COVID pandemic.

The Paducah Community Kitchen would not be what it is without the caring and dedicated volunteers who spend a significant amount of time serving their community. These humble volunteers share love and compassion by lending a helping hand to their friends and neighbors. The Paducah Community Kitchen's volunteers, sponsors, and donors should be commended for all they have done to support their friends and neighbors.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of everyone in Kentucky's First Congressional District, I want to thank them for all of their compassionate work to help so many families in need.

Anti-Gun Control

Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about something very important to the people of Kentucky, and that is the Second Amendment.

With President Biden taking office, there are renewed concerns with the safety of Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens and Americans. Given his longtime record of pushing extreme gun control measures through Congress, and given his stated intent to enact those very policies, my constituents have every right to be concerned.

This is especially true given that House Democrats are putting bills on the floor this week that are the first step in rolling back our basic constitutional rights. These proposals come in addition to the bills which implement new registration requirements for firearms and ammunition, and disallow adults under 21 from owning firearms.

So you can join the United States military and fight, and even die on the battlefield when you are 18, but you can't own firearms until you are 21. Seriously?

These radical proposals coming from the Democrat majority infringe on the basic rights and privacy of gun owners, and should be stopped in their tracks.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly oppose these measures, which are extremely radical and the opposite of what Kentuckians sent me to Congress to do. Instead, I will continue to work to support and promote legislation that upholds the fundamental rights found in the Second Amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all of the law-abiding gun owners in Kentucky, whose continued advocacy makes a real difference in the fight against gun control.

Recognizing Sarah Bridges

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Sarah Bridges of Reidland, Kentucky, a Marshal County High School student who is using her talent at sewing to provide swaddling blankets for infants at the

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. Ocie Key of the First District of Kentucky, who is turning 100 years old on March 18.

Mrs. Key was born in Burkesville, Kentucky, and continues to reside in Cumberland County.

In 1939, Mrs. Key married Paul, and together they have three daughters, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

She is a lover of quilting, sewing, and basket-making, and enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Mrs. Key is a woman of faith and a member of the Christian Chapel Church of Christ in Burkesville, Kentucky. She is also the queen of the Cumberland County Red Hat Society and has been a member of the Cumberland County Homemakers for over 50 years.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to represent Mrs. Ocie Key, and I join with everyone in Cumberland County and throughout the Commonwealth in wishing her a very happy 100th birthday.

Need for Transparency in Spending

Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk about transparency in government spending. That is one of the main objectives of the House Oversight and Reform Committee. Not only do we ensure the prevention of waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government, we also want and expect government transparency, just like the people who send us here to be their voice in Washington.

There is no greater disgrace to the taxpayers than the nearly $28 trillion in debt we are facing as a nation. But instead of taking this burden we are leaving to our children and grandchildren seriously, Democrats are barreling through a partisan $2 trillion package through Congress, $2 trillion of deficit spending.

Congress has already spent $4 trillion to fight the coronavirus in a bipartisan manner. And $1 trillion of that $4 trillion we have already appropriated is unspent. That is why I introduced a resolution with Budget Committee Ranking Member Jason Smith requiring President Biden to provide this body with information about the $1 trillion in unspent funds.

Congress should have the information before we spend more taxpayer money. The American people must have transparency and accountability for how their money is spent.

People find that hard to believe, that 25 percent of the last COVID relief bill hasn't been spent, and we don't have a full accounting of where that money is, where the unspent funds are, where it is going, why it hasn't been spent.

But we are going to appropriate another $2 trillion?

We are not. You all are. Two trillion dollars more of deficit spending.

Transparency and responsibility weren't on the minds of the House last week when the Democrats passed in a partisan manner $2 trillion additional deficit spending.

This is not responsible governing, especially in light of concerns from economists that the Democrats' massive spending bill most likely will cause an economic crash. It is definitely causing inflation.

If you have gone to fill up gas, if you have gone to Lowe's or Home Depot or anywhere for home improvements, or if you tried to buy any commodities, you have gone to refinance your house, you are starting to see inflation.

And with the $2 trillion in that fund, along with the $1 trillion that still hasn't been spent, you are going to create the kind of inflation that I studied about in the 1970s.

This bill wasn't about relief for Americans. I have supported targeted relief, including the direct stimulus checks supported by President Trump. I voted for the $2,000. I was one of the few Republicans that voted for the $2,000 in direct stimulus to the individuals who qualified economically. That is called targeted relief.

I also support funding to help with vaccine distribution and actually win the fight against COVID-19, but only 9 percent of Nancy Pelosi's and Joe Biden's so-called relief bill went toward fighting COVID, and less than 1 percent went towards vaccines. Instead, the focus was on satisfying the far left political agenda.

This relief measure inserted unrelated pork projects in Nancy Pelosi's backyard and bailed out blue States, which chose lockdowns over recovery. In other words, that COVID bill rewarded the States that kept their economies locked down, the States that have the highest unemployment rate, and they got rewarded with this blue State bailout bill.

The no-strings attached, $350 billion in State bailout money comes at a time when, collectively, State revenues have hardly budged.

For example, California has a $15 billion budget surplus. We played a video in the House Oversight Committee where California Governor Gavin Newsom was bragging about his $10 billion budget surplus. But you want to send more money to California.

My home State of Kentucky saw a higher tax revenue during the pandemic months of 2020 than they did during the same period of 2019. That is because we had a strong economy. If you take COVID away, it was the strongest economy in my lifetime. The biggest impediment to the economy over the past year has been mayors and governors who have locked their cities and States down.

The truth is, Congress has already provided States with funding for COVID expenses through the CARES Act. Now we must look out for our taxpayers. This includes our senior citizens. Instead of helping our citizens who are most vulnerable to the virus, Biden's bailout bill smacks Kentucky seniors with a $6.4 billion Medicare cut over the next 10 years. That is not an America-first proposal.

Before Democrats even attempt to spend another dime of taxpayer dollars, Congress needs to act to prevent government waste, fraud, and abuse; and we need to refocus our attention on actually helping the American people.

I hope to see the United States Senate exercise the due diligence that taxpayers deserve, and that the House did not provide, in only passing funding that is targeted directly to the pandemic.

Honoring Veteran Thomas Bruzan

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life and legacy of Thomas Bruzan, who passed away in December at his home in Cadiz, Kentucky, at the age of 71, after a lifetime of service to his country.

Tom was a decorated Marine Corps veteran, who received a Purple Heart for his service in Operation Meade during the Vietnam war. After his military service, Tom assisted combat veterans as a volunteer at Pennyroyal Veterans Center in Christian County.

Tom was also a member of the American Legion and a charitable giver to Nonnie's Place, a nonprofit in Lyon County, Kentucky, which supports women and mothers going through hard times.

Mr. Speaker, I join Tom's family, friends, and all impacted by his sacrifice, in celebrating his life of devoted service to our country and the First Congressional District of Kentucky. Tom was a true American patriot, and his bravery and kindness will not be forgotten.

Earmarks

Mr. Speaker, I want to conclude my remarks with mentioning an issue that will be debated by my colleagues over the next few days.

I want to make clear to the people I represent, not just in the First Congressional District but the entire State of Kentucky and America, for that

matter, where I stand on this issue, and that is the issue of earmarks and whether or not to end the ban on congressional earmarks.

I am opposed to that for many reasons. First of all, I have learned this over the 4 years I have served in Congress: Congress is not a democratic place, especially when it comes to money. We are going to have a debate--and it is going to be in the press--about whether or not to bring back earmarks.

But, in fact, there have always been earmarks. This last COVID bill had earmarks in there for Speaker Pelosi. The CARES Act had earmarks for legislative leaders on both sides, Democrats and Republicans.

Bringing back earmarks will only give certain people the ability to spend more money at the expense of a majority of Members, and I can't believe that Republicans would put a whole lot of consideration into supporting the bringing back of congressional earmarks.

Another reason why I oppose earmarks is common sense. We have to get serious about deficit spending. We are $28 trillion in Federal debt.

Congress has to set the example. And the example is standing up and saying that we are going to do more earmarks, bring earmarks back, bring back pork?

More pork?

That is a terrible example, and somebody has to stand up for the American taxpayer. Somebody has to stand up for the children and grandchildren who are going to inherit this $28 trillion in debt, and I want to stand up for those people and oppose earmarks.

Lastly, as the top Republican on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, one thing I have studied in oversight, not just in Congress, but in my time in the Kentucky General Assembly and in my study of history and American politics, is that there is always a direct correlation between earmarks and corruption.

I said that to some Members, and they said: Oh, no, my earmarks won't be corrupt, they are going to go to building projects.

The corruption is seldom with the municipalities. The corruption is with the contractors and the subcontractors in the pork projects. There is usually a direct correlation between earmarks and campaign contributions.

At a time when we have got too many special interests with their paws in the pot in Washington, bringing back earmarks is a bad idea.

I want everyone in Kentucky to know exactly where I stand on that issue.

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

Madam Speaker, I urge all Members, on a bipartisan basis, to support this amendment.

When reviewing H.R. 1 as introduced this Congress, I noticed it was missing several ethics provisions that were included in the bill last Congress when Donald Trump was President. But now that Joe Biden is President, those ethics provisions conveniently disappeared.

What was missing from this updated version of H.R. 1 were the following provisions:

Requirements that Presidential transition teams disclose a list of all positions each transition team member held outside the Federal Government for the previous 12-month period, including paid and unpaid positions.

Requirements that Presidential transition teams disclose sources of compensation for each transition team member exceeding $5,000 a year for the previous 12-month period.

And a requirement that the head of the Federal department or agency, or their designee, shall not permit access to the Federal department or agency, or employees of such department or agency, that would not be provided to a member of the public for any transition team member who does not make the required prior employment and conflicts of interest disclosures.

It is clear the absence of these provisions was pure politics, but my amendment adds those provisions back since what is good for a Republican President is good for a Democrat President or his or her administration.

Ethical principles are supposed to be universal. They are supposed to apply equally. And this bill, that so obviously exempts one political party from ethics rules, is not itself ethical. Many Democrats should vote for this amendment since it restores what Democrats proposed in the last Congress. We took the exact language and included it in this bill.

If this bill had gone through regular order and had been marked up in a committee, we could have addressed these discrepancies at the committee level instead of imposing this extended amendment process on the whole House. But this bill did not go through regular order, and so I offered this amendment at the Committee on Rules. This amendment restores to the bill ethics provisions that were originally intended to apply for President Trump and his advisers but were dropped from the bill for President Biden's administration.

Applying ethics rules to one political party but not another is wrong. The Committee on Rules, to their credit, took a step toward correcting this wrong by making this evenhanded amendment in order. Now, it remains for the full House to pass this amendment and to show its agreement on a bipartisan basis that ethics rules should apply equally.

Madam Speaker, I urge all members to join me in supporting the Comer amendment No. 18 in en bloc No. 2.

Mr. Speaker, this bill isn't about COVID. It isn't about providing relief to struggling Americans. This massive $1.9 trillion spending bill is about checking boxes with Democrat donors, political allies, and left-wing special interest groups.

This bill pushes out $350 billion to bail out poorly managed, locked- down blue States, even though tens of billions of taxpayer dollars already provided to them remain unspent. It pushes this money out without guardrails, without strings attached, without certifications of need or accounting requirements. They are irresponsibly and recklessly spending hard-earned American taxpayer dollars.

Mr. Speaker, the Republicans on my committee offered comments and amendments to make these dollars less vulnerable to waste, fraud, and abuse; amendments that targeted actual COVID-19 relief that were tied to important policies, like reopening schools, businesses, and communities. These amendments protected against bailing out underfunded public employee pension plans. They made sure funds were shared equitably with small and rural localities. These amendments prioritized the American people.

Mr. Speaker, my Democrat counterparts on the Committee on Oversight and Reform refused to adopt a single one of these amendments. They refused to engage in any meaningful debate.

Why?

Because they don't want the American people to see where this money is going. Because, sadly, it isn't going to help them.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Pam Rudd of Hopkinsville, Kentucky for her six decades of public service and enormous contributions to the betterment of her community. In 1971, Ms. Rudd started working

for Hopkinsville Parks and Recreation part-time while serving as a physical education teacher. Upon her retirement from the school system in 1977, Ms. Rudd worked full-time as program coordinator for Hopkinsville Parks end Recreation. While at the department, she had served under nine directors, including a stint of her own as interim director from 2005 to 2007. As program coordinator, Ms. Rudd has played an integral role in the department's transition from a city-county entity to the city-managed Hopkinsville Parks and Recreation Department. She also played a lead role in the design and planning of Hopkinsville's award-winning Tie-Breaker Baseball Softball complex in 2001, which would go on to serve many children in the region. Pam's years of service came to a summit when Ms. Rudd was recognized as a Kentucky Recreation and Parks Society Fellow in 2015. She was also fittingly selected for the Kentucky Recreation and Parks Society Hall of Fame in 2019. I am honored to share the exceptional history of Ms. Rudd's six-decade career. I want to thank Ms. Rudd for being an extraordinary leader to her community and the 1st Congressional District of Kentucky.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. and Mrs. Orestus and Geraldine Flowers of Burkesville for recently celebrating their 75th anniversary.

Mr. and Mrs. Flowers have displayed commitment in all facets of their life. At twenty-two years of age, Mr. Flowers left his then-girlfriend, Geraldine, to serve in the Army for three-and-a-half-years during World War II. Mr. Flowers kept a picture of Geraldine in his wallet during the war, and upon returning, married Geraldine on February 1, 1946. Mr. and Mrs. Flowers displayed an exemplary level of commitment to both each other and our nation through his military service.

Mr. and Mrs. Flowers raised their family in Cumberland County, Kentucky. They and their three daughters, four grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren have been a staple in the community of Burkesville. Mr. Flowers has served in numerous capacities in the local community. In 1952, he brought Houchens Market to Burkesville, where he served as manager for 32 years. After retiring from Houchens, he has continued work at Norris and New Funeral Home, where he is still showing off the picture of his wife that he took to war with him seventy-eight years ago.

Once again, I would like to join everyone in Burkesville and throughout the 1st District of Kentucky in congratulating Mr. and Mrs. Flowers on this extraordinary milestone.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my bill, H.R. 26, the Construction Consensus Procurement Improvement Act of 2021.

It is vitally important that the Federal Government procure complex design and construction services that remain on time and on budget. This bill would prevent the Federal reverse auctions procurement process from being used for complex projects. Using reverse auctions for major construction projects only causes problems, such as delays and wasteful spending.

Who pays the price?

The taxpayer.

The Federal Government must be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and get the best possible services for the best price. As ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, I want to continue to deliver savings to the taxpayer and make stakeholder interaction with the government much easier, and H.R. 26 does just that.

This bill is the result of strong bipartisan, bicameral negotiations and the hard work of many private sector groups. I thank Senator Portman for his hard work on this legislation last Congress. I am also thankful for the support of my Committee on Oversight and Reform colleague, Mr. Khanna.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to particularly thank the Construction Industry Procurement Coalition, the Association of General Contractors, the Design-Build Institute of America, the American Subcontractors Association, and numerous others for their hard work on this legislation.

I look forward to continuing to work with the majority to advance commonsense legislation to make government more efficient and effective. I encourage the Senate to quickly consider this bill and send it to the President's desk.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my House colleagues to support H.R. 26.

Today, I introduce the Citizens Count Census Act of 2019, a bill that would require a citizenship question on the United States Census.

If we defeat the previous question, as the gentleman from Georgia said, then we will be able to consider my bill.

It has always been common sense to include a citizenship question on our Nation's Census. The purpose of the Census Bureau and all Census surveys is to include data used for apportionment and to better inform the public about the population, business, and economics of the United States of America.

The collection of citizenship information during a population census is a common practice among countries. This is not new, and it should not be controversial. A citizenship question is asked on the census in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, and the United Kingdom, to name a few. In fact, Mr. Speaker, the United Nations recommends that countries gather citizenship information about their populations.

Knowing how many legal and nonlegal individuals are within our borders is a perfectly appropriate question to ask on our Census, and I hope we can pass this measure to see that happen.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge all of my congressional colleagues to vote for this commonsense legislation to ensure we know exactly how many citizens reside in this country.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table H.R. 3401, with the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment. This bipartisan bill passed the Senate with 84 votes and can be sent to the President's desk for his signature today.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment and its circumventing of the administration's ability to conduct the rulemaking process. This amendment would deny OSHA the ability to finalize its proposed rule which is aimed at correcting the previous administration's failure to produce a targeted final rule that reflected input from stakeholders.

OSHA's current proposed rule is necessary to aid in clarifying standards for the shipyard and construction industries. Further delay would unnecessarily burden these businesses and create continued significant compliance costs that we cannot know the full scope of today because proper analysis was never conducted during the rulemaking process of the previous administration.

In order for a tailored, adequately prescriptive rule to emerge, OSHA must be able to deliver an updated standard that responds to the input of the hardworking individuals in these sectors.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing this amendment.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to join my constituents in Campbellsville, Kentucky, who are celebrating Amazon's 20th year of operations at the SDF1 Fulfillment Center.

Amazon has been a tremendous contributor to Taylor County and the surrounding areas since opening SDF1 as one of the first five fulfillment centers in North America. Over the past two decades, Amazon has grown tremendously and SDF1 remains one of the largest employers in Taylor County and the region.

As evidence of the company's commitment to bettering the communities in which they operate, and in commemoration of their 20th year in Campbellsville, Amazon is donating more than $10,000 in STEM-related supplies to the Taylor County Public Library. This donation will enhance the library's current STEM-themed programs by fostering and promoting the pursuit of STEM education, while also developing students with real-world, marketable skills.

For two decades, Amazon has been proud to call Kentucky home and I am grateful for their continued investment in our commonwealth. I am proud of the economic prosperity and industrial development their presence has brought to Taylor County, and I join with all those whose lives they have bettered in celebrating their generosity to the community.

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

Madam Speaker, as lead Republican for the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services, and as its lead Republican sponsor, I am happy to rise today to celebrate this bipartisan legislation, the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. This legislation will help target, prevent, and treat child abuse and neglect.

The statistics of children in the United States who are abused and/or neglected are staggering. In 2016, child protective services determined approximately 676,000 children to be victims of abuse or neglect. This is simply heartbreaking.

CAPTA was originally enacted in 1974 to support the development of programs aimed at prevention, assessment, investigation, prosecution, and treatment of child abuse and neglect. Stronger CAPTA seeks to continue this important work while putting more emphasis on prevention so that abuse and neglect can be stopped before they happen.

Prevention takes a holistic approach to combating neglect and abuse by focusing on strengthening communities and educating parents and caregivers on how to keep their children safe. In addition to bolstering our prevention efforts, Stronger CAPTA streamlines current assurances and requirements so States can focus on serving and providing treatment to children rather than spending more time filling out paperwork.

State agencies benefit from increased flexibility that allows them to respond more swiftly and effectively to reports of abuse and neglect. We must equip States with the tools and resources needed to address maltreatment and keep kids safe.

I am very proud of the hard work done on both sides of the aisle to champion this bipartisan legislation aimed at protecting some of our most vulnerable citizens.

Keeping America's children safe from the detrimental harm of abuse and neglect is something we can all agree is paramount, and I am glad that we could work together on such an important initiative.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Smucker), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Stefanik).

Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), ranking member of the Education and Labor Committee.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I continue to 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, I just want to conclude by again thanking everyone for working together in a bipartisan way on this bill. This is very important. This is something that we can do to prove Congress can work together, can come together on issues of the utmost importance, and preventing child abuse and neglect is an issue that is bipartisan and of the utmost importance.

This bill streamlines the process. It does just exactly the things that the States have asked us to do with the bill.

Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.