Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for yielding.

Madam Speaker, on only day two of the 117th Congress, House Democrats are already attempting to strip Americans of the transparency that they deserve in order to push through an expensive progressive wish list.

The House rules package includes three main provisions that will allow Democrats to hide their plans to irresponsibly spend taxpayer dollars in an effort to satisfy their liberal base: a deeming resolution, signaling they do not plan on doing a budget; two, new, broad exemptions to budget rules, such as paygo, to allow passage of socialist policies with large price tags; and, three, they want the repeal of a House rule prohibiting reconciliation from increasing net direct spending, making it easier to advance a costly radical agenda.

It has been 733 days since Democrats took control of the House of Representatives, and they have yet to produce one single budget. These rules will continue to let Democrats shirk their duty to write and pass a budget.

Don't forget, Speaker Pelosi is the one who stated the budget is a statement of values. I couldn't agree more. I must ask: Have Democrats not done a budget because they know revealing their true plans, their true colors, will let the American people know how unpopular their ideas are?

The people deserve to know, and they deserve a transparent budget to know how House Democrats plan to spend their hard-earned tax dollars and how Democrats want to increase their taxes.

Furthermore, by weakening fiscal restraint rules, Democrats clearly intend to drastically increase the size of the Federal Government. This will only continue to drive up the unsustainable Federal debt while decreasing Americans' liberties and freedoms.

Specifically, it includes a budgetary exemption for measures to prevent, prepare, or respond to economic, environmental, or public health consequences resulting from climate change. This exemption is irresponsible, since, arguably, it could apply to any radical, progressive, out-of-touch legislation dreamed up next by House Democrats. Clearly, this exemption was designed as a mechanism to ram through socialist policies like the Green New Deal and other ideas aimed at hurting American workers, families, and farmers.

Madam Speaker, this past November, the voters rejected a socialist agenda. If this rules package is any indication for how Democrats plan to run the 117th Congress, I cannot wait for the midterm elections. These rules allow Democrats to continue deceiving the American people.

Madam Speaker, I oppose this Soviet-style rules package.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to commit at the desk.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Village of Caledonia in Washington County, Mo. Caledonia was established in 1819 when Alexander Craighead named the village after his native Scotland and built a home there that still stands today. Caledonia is Latin for Scotland.

Caledonia was officially organized as an incorporated village on November 6, 1874 and the first appointed mayor was Alexander C. Relfe, son of Congressman James H. Relfe. The little town was home to history in our country's expansion west of the Mississippi. The first Presbyterian Church, the first Masonic Lodge, and the second Methodist Church west of the river are all located in the village. Its first two businesses were Tom Sloan's blacksmith and Fergus Sloan's brewery. Caledonia was also home to the Bellevue Collegiate Institute that operated from 1864 until 1902. One of its first presidents, Willard Duncan Vandiver, went on to become a U.S. Congressman and is credited with coining the phrase, ``I'm from Missouri--you'll have to show me!''

The Village of Caledonia was designated in 1984 by the Department of the Interior as a Place of Historical Designation. Today, Caledonia is a quaint little village of shops, eateries and places to stay that has kept this charming community of 130 people thriving in the 21st century. It is my great pleasure to celebrate Caledonia today on the occasion of its bicentennial birthday before the U.S. House of Representatives.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Ellington High School Whippets who made school history May 31, 2019 when they won the Class 2 Missouri State Baseball Championship.

The team achieved its year-long goal as they claimed their final victory of the season, playing a nearly perfect game to shut out Seymour with a score of 9-0. From a leadoff ground-rule double to the final out of the game, all of Ellington was behind the team.

The championship is the first ever for any Southern Reynolds County High School team in any sport. I applaud the Whippets for their winning season record of 29 and 1.

Congratulations to Reece Bourma, Cameron Brewer, Dilon Buckner, Kaleb Richards, Garret Morris, Ely Crocker, Carson McNail, Josh

Buford, Cody Graves, John Heady, Mike Bass, Dalton Buckner, Will Copeland, Nolan Heady, Trevor Copeland, Logan Loyd, Garrett Tucker, Tucker Dement, Tyler Hackworth, Gage Marler, Evan Weaver, Coaches Jake Hime, Scott Henfling and Jordan Simms and Managers Abbi Harper and Bailee Hunter.

It is my great privilege to recognize the Ellington High School Whippets as the 2019 Class 2 Missouri State Championship Baseball team today before the United States House of Representatives.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Greentree Christian Church (GCC)--in Rolla, Missouri. The church has grown from a few to 2,000 members over the course of its existence. It is a rare occasion for a church to reach its sesquicentennial milestone and can only happen when a church is unfaltering in carrying out God's work.

Although it was not yet called GCC, this church took root in 1869, the same year President Ulysses S. Grant took office, and was located on the farmland of Harvey and Charles Drennon near Blues Lake. These men, along with ``Aunt Fanny'' were the first members of the church. Over the next 132 years, the church, later known as First Christian Church, met in several locations, most notably at the corner of 8th and Main, which housed the services for the better part of its history. During this time, the building was twice destroyed by fire and once by tornado. Despite this, the church persevered, rebuilding after each crisis and continuing to grow.

In 1991, the church built a facility at 10th and Greentree Road that housed Greentree Learning and Childcare Center. A decade later, construction was completed on a large expansion of that facility, and the congregation began meeting in what is now the church gymnasium. In 2011, after another large expansion, the church began meeting in the sanctuary, where it meets today, and was renamed Greentree Christian Church.

Over the years, this church has seen many pastors come and go. Current Senior Minister Tim Cook has been there since 1982 and is retiring this June. It seems fitting that the church's longest-serving minister would get to witness this rare milestone. Mr. Cook, I congratulate you on your upcoming retirement and thank you and the members of your congregation for your service to GCC, the Rolla Community, and the whole church body at large. It is my honor to acknowledge this historic birthday today before the United States House of Representatives.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the city of Greenville, Missouri as it celebrates its 200th anniversary. Greenville's history can be traced as far back as 1541 when the De Soto Expedition explored the upper reaches of the St. Francis River. In 1819, the city was laid out by David Logan and Elijah Bettis, Jr. in a cornfield in the area known as Bettis Ford. Greenville is the seat of Wayne County and was named for the Ohio town where General Anthony Wayne signed a treaty with Native Americans.

In the Civil War, the town was the scene of the ``Surprise on Greenville'' when Confederate soldiers captured the Union encampment and took away horses, guns and supplies in 1862. In the decades since, Greenville has grown as churches, schools and businesses were established and some of them are still in operation today.

Floods and fires have forced the city to band together to rebuild and it is that community spirit that keeps Greenville thriving today.

It is my great pleasure to celebrate Greenville, Missouri as it begins its second century today before the United States House of Representatives.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chair, today I rise in support of my amendment which would demonstrate the environmental benefits of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, as well as show the cost of delaying passage of this agreement.

USMCA is groundbreaking in more ways than one. It will create thousands of U.S. jobs, improve our economy, increase U.S. agriculture exports, and reduce our trade deficits with Mexico.

Thanks to President Trump, this trade agreement is also a great achievement for the environment. USMCA brings all environmental provisions into the core of the agreement, which means that they can be fully enforced.

The agreement contains the first-of-its-kind language on improving air quality as well as appropriate procedures for environmental impact assessments.

The agreement takes a commonsense approach by creating a partnership between the U.S. and two of its most important trade allies toward a unified goal of improving the environment.

Importantly, the agreement also maintains each country's sovereignty over their own laws. This will create more environmental benefits than anything offered by my friends across the aisle who, so far, have only come up with eradicating U.S. agriculture, eliminating cows, and eliminating air travel.

My amendment would direct the EPA to use these funds to produce reports that would demonstrate the environmental improvements that we are not benefiting from every day this agreement is not in effect. This way, the American people can see firsthand what the cost of delay truly is.

Just yesterday, Mexico voted overwhelmingly to ratify this agreement. Canada is moving forward as well. It is time for Democrats to decide what is worse for them: giving President Trump a win or allowing the U.S. to remain in an outdated trade agreement that is not up to the standards we hold today.

USMCA is a great agreement for the American people, and it is time to vote. I urge a ``yes'' vote on my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak about a broken agreement and a missed opportunity to help families save for their children's education.

In April, the Ways and Means Committee marked up this bill in a very bipartisan manner. We heard ideas from both sides of the aisle to help Americans save for the future and their retirements.

Like all good negotiations, there was give and take. No side got everything they wanted, but we reached an agreement where we could pass the bill unanimously. In short, this is how the American people expect their government to work.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately, it became clear that this agreement was not in good faith. At the last minute, Democrats decided to undermine our bipartisan work on the Ways and Means Committee and stripped out an issue many Republicans feel strongly about: helping families afford everyday K-12 education costs.

Expanding 529 education savings accounts to cover common K-12 expenses would help all families save for their children's education and their unique needs, no matter where they attend school, whether it is public school, private school, religious school, homeschool, and so on.

Madam Speaker, I want to know, what is so controversial about helping families afford educational therapies for students with disabilities? What is so controversial about making it easier to pay for tutoring, books, and standardized testing fees?

This is a missed opportunity to help families afford education costs no matter where they send their children to school, and it is a shame that partisan politics is getting in the way of helping families everywhere.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today because it has been 35 days since the deadline for Congress to pass a budget, but the majority party has done nothing. The American people's government has no plan to rein in spending, while Members of this body are proposing trillions of dollars in new spending.

Families in Missouri live within their means and balance their books every day, and they expect their government to do the same, which is why it is troubling that Members are advocating for the Green New Deal and a government takeover of healthcare without any way to pay for it.

To pay for just these two items alone, we would have to take every penny from every American household, and we would still come up $20 trillion short. This is why the majority has failed to put forth a budget, because there is simply no way to pay for these wild ideas.

Mr. Speaker, a budget is the primary responsibility of governing, which is why I serve on the Budget Committee.

The Speaker of the House likes to say that a budget is a statement of your values, so what does it say about their party?

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. Patricia Morris, the Honoree for the ``Daughters of Sunset'', a nonprofit community service organization in Sikeston, Missouri, as they celebrate their 35th Anniversary.

Mrs. Morris is the owner and director of Keidra's Caring Center, a day program for the elderly and disabled, serving Sikeston, MO and Caruthersville, MO. Prior to her work in the field of Adult Care Services, she worked as a Youth Specialist, helping at risk adolescents become successful members of society.

Mrs. Morris is an active member of her church, the Cornerstone Baptist Church, where she is the Choir Director. She is also a member of the CBC Willing Working Women Auxiliary and the Pastor Aide Auxiliary.

Mrs. Morris is a graduate of Charleston High School and Southeast Missouri State University, where she received a Medical Assistant Certificate. She and her husband, Michael, are the proud parents of two daughters.

On behalf of the Eighth Congressional District of Missouri, it is my great privilege to congratulate Mrs. Patricia Morris on her recognition by the ``Daughters of Sunset'' for a lifetime of service.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Sesquicentennial of Eminence, Missouri. Located in Shannon County, Eminence began as a small settlement along the Current River near Round Spring. In 1868, after the courthouse was burned in the Civil War, it was determined the town and county seat should be moved to a more centrally-located area. County Judges Alfred Deatherage, Thomas J. Chilton, and William Mahan commissioned William S. Chilton to find the new location. Utilizing the help of his brother, Thomas J. Chilton, they moved the town to its current location.

The early structures in Eminence were constructed out of log and plain lumber. The first businesses in town, a saloon, store, and post office, were constructed by Colonel Thomas Freeman and A.J.P. Deatherage.

Today, Eminence is known for its canoeing, trail riding, hunting, fishing, and camping. It is also the home of former astronaut Tom Akers, a veteran of four space shuttle missions and former Principal of Eminence High School.

The people of Eminence have shown their resiliency through the years by overcoming fires, floods, and other obstacles. This resiliency has made Eminence what it is today. It is my honor to acknowledge this historic birthday before the United States House of Representatives.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the sesquicentennial birthday of Willow Springs, Missouri. Located in Howell County, Willow Springs sits at the intersections of U.S. Hwy 63 and U.S. Hwy 60, making it the hub of the Ozarks.

On March 29, 1869, the Willow Springs Post Office was established. The post office was located at the general store of Mr. James Harris, a Union veteran of the Civil War. The town remained small until the development of the Kansas City, Fort Scott and Memphis railroads in the 1880s. The railroad stimulated commerce and brought new businesses and people to the area who were interested in taking part in the expansion.

It is my privilege to acknowledge this historic birthday before the United States House of Representatives and to honor the people of Willow Springs, Missouri as they partake in this yearlong celebration.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate the Cape Girardeau Rotary Club as they celebrate their 100th year of service to the Cape Girardeau, Missouri community.

The Cape Girardeau Rotary Club was organized on January 28, 1919 and received its charter on March 1, 1919. For 100 years, the Rotary club has promoted Cape Girardeau's history, culture, and quality of life in countless ways, including its efforts to establish Cape Rock Park, its city beautification drives, and its historical marker projects.

The Rotary Club has devoted itself to the youth of the community through its unflagging support of the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boys State, Girls State, the Crippled Children's Society, the Civic Center, and numerous other youth organizations. For the last 60 years, the Rotary Club has held the Academic Excellence Banquet which honors high school seniors in the top ten percent of their academic class.

The Rotary Club has expanded its reach in the region through the establishment of the Jackson Rotary Club and Cape Girardeau Rotary Club-West. They have supported the mission of Rotary International through hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions to the Rotary Foundation. They have also aided the mission of Rotary International through participation in dozens of foreign exchange programs as well as medical, dental, and other humanitarian relief missions.

The Rotary Club has been an incredible force for good in Cape Girardeau. They undoubtedly foster the Rotary ideal of ``Service

Above Self''. I thank the members of the Cape Girardeau Rotary Club for their tireless effort and unwavering dedication to serving members of their community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Thayer Lady Bobcats Basketball team for winning the Class 2 State Championship on March 9, 2019, the first women's basketball state championship in school history.

In his third year, Coach Cecil Meyer led the team to an overall record of 30-3, winning the last 14 games of the year. The Lady Bobcats were full of talented players, notably All-State Seniors Julie Stone and Angela Sorrell along with South Central All-Conference members, Shelby Coursey and Maddy Kerely.

The Lady Bobcats swept through the postseason on their way to a 52- 35 win over Mid-Buchanan High School in the championship game, capping the historic run. Their success is a testament to the hard work and preparation the coaches and players put in during the preseason and throughout the year.

On behalf of the Eighth Congressional District of Missouri, it is my great privilege to congratulate the Thayer Lady Bobcats on their historic achievement. We look forward to their continued success. Go Bobcats.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Richland Elementary School of Essex, Missouri for being recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School in 2018, a distinction bestowed upon only 349 public and private schools across the country.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes public and private elementary, middle, and high schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. This award affirms Richland Elementary School's hard work in creating an environment for educational attainment that is recognized as a symbol of exemplary teaching and learning.

By believing in, and maintaining positive, open lines of communication between parents, students, and educators, Richland Elementary created an educational environment to prepare productive and responsible citizens. This school is a model for success that starts with the leadership of Superintendent Frank Killian and Principal Cara Merritt.

On behalf of the Eighth Congressional District of Missouri, it is my great privilege to congratulate the entire Richland Elementary School community for this remarkable achievement.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of a bill I sponsored, H.R. 962, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, to make sure that the most vulnerable children in the United States have access to lifesaving medical care, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Madam Speaker, if this unanimous consent request cannot be entertained, I urge the Speaker and the Majority Leader to immediately schedule a vote on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act so that we can protect the sanctity of human life.