Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, we, in South Jersey, cherish our active military and veteran community. Their sacrifices do not go unnoticed, and their continued work is forever appreciated. Veterans, like Joseph Hannagan, Jr., embody the principle of Semper Fidelis. He has dedicated the last 10 years of his life to serving veterans in Salem County. Semper Fidelis means ``always faithful,'' and Joseph has been nothing but faithful to the Military and Veteran community. Congratulations, Joseph, on becoming Salem County's Distinguished Citizen, he certainly deserves it. God bless Joseph and God bless America.

Madam Speaker, as we rapidly approach the upcoming holiday season, which is the busiest time of year for many American families and for many industries, I am, we all are, greatly concerned about the state of our country. Gas prices are the highest we have seen in nearly a decade, forcing families to contemplate if they can afford to travel for the holidays.

Worse yet, those wishing to travel further are worried that their flights may be canceled at the last minute because there aren't even enough pilots to fly the planes.

Those who have saved their hard-earned money for months to buy their loved ones something special for Christmas worry that their delivery will be stuck at our backed-up ports.

Make no mistake, all of these crises happening at once are not a coincidence. They are the result of failed Biden administration policies and a rejection, a whole-out rejection of the longstanding values that always made our America great. Authoritarian vaccine mandates on many vital industries have led to labor shortages on a massive scale.

Overtaxation on small businesses and their owners through an increase in the individual tax rate threaten more than 130,000 jobs in an already struggling job market. Overbearing red tape in this socialist reconciliation bill threatens to raise penalties on businesses by over 500 percent and will lead to more small businesses going bankrupt, something we have already seen far too much of over the last 2 years.

This is not what America wants. We are already struggling to sustain a valuable and available workforce. Democrats' overregulation on our businesses and government handouts are leading to a cradle-to-grave welfare state, crippling our country's ability to recover from the pandemic and once again thrive as the strongest nation on Earth. And it is all coming to a head. It is all coming to a head this holiday season.

We cannot continue to weaken American businesses. We cannot continue to weaken American supply chains. We cannot continue to weaken the American Dream. We cannot continue to weaken the greatest nation on the face of the Earth: America. We are the greatest country there has ever been and ever will be. Why is the left trying so hard, so desperately to destroy that greatness?

We must get Americans back to work, and we must support policies that allow our businesses to flourish and not wither away. It is the basis of America.

I will continue to fight alongside my colleagues to ensure that these bad, destructive policies and their decades-long consequences are prevented. We will continue to fight for good policy that opens our country back up, that gets our people back to work, that makes us strong and puts America back to the forefront of the world stage.

Madam Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to most of the traditions that we South Jerseyans enjoy, but now we're back, we're on track, and we're moving forward. The Little Miss Ocean City Pageant was able to make its long-awaited comeback this summer, and in typical South Jersey fashion, history was made. Prior to the pandemic, Antonella Di Antonio was crowned Little Miss Ocean City, but this year, in perfect comeback fashion, Antonella had the privilege of crowing her successor, her younger sister, Arianna. This isn't the first time that sisters won the coveted Little Miss Ocean City title, however, this is the first time, in the history of the O.C pageant that one sister crowned the other. I want to congratulate both of them for making history, both in their community and in South Jersey as well. Congratulations to Arianna Di Antonio for being crowned this year's Little Miss Ocean City, a stellar accomplishment of which she should be proud. God Bless both of them and all the contestants of the Little Miss Ocean City Pageant, and God Bless America.

Madam Speaker, last month, I had the pleasure of presenting Chad Callahan his Eagle Scout Court of Honor. Chad is a graduate of Ocean City High School and is currently studying physics at the University of South Carolina. Chad joined cub scouts in 2nd grade and has been active in the Scouts ever since. Chad's Eagle project was building benches for the local VFW to commemorate his grandfather along with all fallen soldiers. Not only did he commemorate our nation's greatest, but he also provided members a space to meet outside during the pandemic. This young man should be proud of his accomplishments and it was my honor to have the opportunity to recognize him for his service to the South Jersey community. God Bless Chad and God Bless America.

Madam Speaker, ``thank you'' are two words that will never be enough to say to a man like Mayor Giberson and his devotion to public service. Mayor Gary Giberson exemplifies what it means to be a public servant. Mayor Giberson began as a volunteer firefighter in 1953; the Scout Master of Troop 61 until 1989, and Mayor of Port Republic from 1985 until April 2021. 36 years as an elected official is certainly telling of a man's character, and even more, it's indicative of a respective constituency's pulse. Mayor Giberson truly did keep the Mayberry ``feel'' relevant, in the City of Port Republic. His tenure in office and the accolades that seemed to flow in naturally over the course of thirty-six, years, has not, and will never go unnoticed. I thank Mayor Giberson for his unwavering dedication and devotion to public service and to the City of Port Republic. God Bless Mayor Giberson, and God Bless America.

Madam Speaker, ascending to the rank of Eagle Scout is an accomplishment unlike any other. Those involved with the Boy Scouts of America devote their lives to the organization's foundational principles of ethics and morals. They embody what it means to be ``physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.'' However, their drive and motivation extend far beyond the organization's principles and into the classroom and community. What Christian has accomplished is a culmination of hard work and perseverance. He and his family should be incredibly proud. Make no mistake, his accomplishment serves as a testament to his grandfather's influence in his life. Congratulations on this stellar achievement. God Bless Christian and God Bless America.

Madam Speaker, birthdays are a celebration of a life well-lived, which we share with family and friends. This is especially true for Gloria. We celebrate her 100 years of life, surrounded by family, friends, 9 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. She has spent 54 wonderful years in beautiful Brigantine with husband, Michael, where she raised her family, and where she has been an active member of the community. It is an honor to be her Representative, and it is my honor to wish her the happiest of birthdays, with many more to come. I hope Gloria enjoys her 100th birthday, and go Phillies. God Bless Gloria, and God Bless America.

Madam Speaker, the rank of Eagle Scout is the highest, and most prestigious in the Boy Scouts of America. Anyone involved in the organization will understand the determination, persistence, and hard work it takes to obtain the rank. Joshua has not only demonstrated his commitment to his troop, but also his community, school, and himself. He exemplifies what it means to be, ``physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.'' Congratulations to Joshua on his extraordinary accomplishment. God Bless Joshua and God Bless America.

Madam Speaker, ``Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.'' These words are not to be taken lightly, and they are certainly not exclusive to one class. That is the beauty of our nation--that all individuals are afforded the opportunity to better themselves and their place in society. Easterseals is an organization that adheres to that principle: independence. Easterseals, for generations, has given the most vulnerable and overlooked community a chance at independence through employment. The Easterseals organization has been an advocate for those with disabilities. It offers them the opportunity for success in areas of employment and in education. In a similar vein, Easterseals continues helping those individuals and families dealing with disabilities, helping them secure the same independence and freedom to pursue ``Life, liberty and Happiness.'' God Bless, Easterseals, and all those who participate in the program, and God Bless America.

Madam Speaker, last month, I had the pleasure of presenting Mark Faverzani his Eagle Scout Court of Honor. Mark is a recent graduate of St Augustine Prep, and is now attending Villanova University. This past year, Mark earned the Congressional Gold Award for his distinguished achievements and contributions to the South Jersey community. Mark's Eagle project consisted of creating an outdoor rehearsal space for the Ocean City Theatre Company during the Covid-19 Pandemic, allowing them to have rehearsals and activities outdoors.

This young man should be proud of his accomplishments and it was my honor to have

the opportunity to recognize him for his service to the South Jersey community. God Bless Mark and God Bless America.

Madam Speaker, Veterans Day is approaching and although we recognize these selfless individuals annually, one day surely is not enough. Every year we honor these individuals and their sacrifices, but we don't always get to hear their stories. Here, in South Jersey, we have an incredible community of active military and veterans, as well as their families. Today we honor three individuals: Jerry Callahan, Marco Polo Smigliani, and Ronald Rease. Their stories have been depicted in Veronica Dudo's, Emmy-nominated story, Freedom Isn't Free. These men put their lives on the line for our country in three wars. These men, all from South Jersey, are Purple Heart recipients after they were wounded in battle protecting our great Nation. As a district, and a Nation, we owe unconditional reverence to the three of them for their sacrifices to this country. I thank the gentlemen, it is an honor to be their Congressman.

Madam Speaker, the Boy Scouts of America is a youth organization that instills moral and ethical principles in young people. Ascending the ranks in this youth organization is no easy feat, but for those who reach the pinnacle, it is a mighty accomplishment. The rank of Eagle Scout is the highest in the BSA and does not come easy. Chase has accomplished an incredible goal, of which he and his family should be proud. He has exemplified what it means to be a leader in his community; a leader within his troop and organization; and leader in the classroom. I congratulate Chase on his incredible accomplishment. God Bless Chase and God Bless America.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and fellow dentist for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, it is no surprise that Democrats, led by President Joe Biden, are abusing the budget reconciliation process to pass an extremely partisan, socialist spending spree that will fundamentally change our Nation forever.

One of their many dangerous provisions is to provide amnesty to more than 8 million illegal immigrants. And for those that didn't quite hear me or didn't quite believe it, 8 million illegal immigrants. Even though the Senate Parliamentarian already ruled that to do so would violate the rules of the reconciliation process.

Additionally, the majority party outright rejected offers from Republicans to bar gang members, sex offenders, and other violent criminals from receiving amnesty. As I have stated before, literally you have to believe that many Democrats are actively trying to destroy our great Nation.

With record-breaking levels of migrant crossings, drug smuggling, and child trafficking, the majority is still somehow finding new ways to weaken and undermine our great America. Let me be clear to you. I love immigrants. America needs immigrants, and immigrants need America. But it must be done legally. We are a nation of laws, and those who enter America must go through our legal process.

True story, just the other day, I received a call from one of my constituents who emigrated to the United States from Eastern Europe. With her husband, she went through America's legal immigration process because she loves our country and she respects our country. She called me, literally crying in utter disbelief with our current immigration situation and also the current state of affairs in the United States of America.

She came to the United States, worked hard as a hotel employee, and eventually saved enough money by working double shifts to purchase her own business with her husband. That is the America that I know. That is the America that we all love; not this reckless concept of open borders with zero accountability.

For how long are Democrats going to pursue these radical ideas. Is this really what America is becoming? A place where people can uncontrollably flow

through our borders and do whatever they want? Dammit, that is wrong.

Think about our communities. Think about our children. Think about our grandchildren, who are going to have to suffer the consequences of these radical Democratic policies. They have proven that not only do they not care about our institutions, but they do not care about our laws or protecting our great America. God help us.

Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Johnson, my always friend, for yielding.

Madam Speaker, our country is experiencing an unbelievable crisis at our southern border. In August alone, the United States Customs and Border Protection encountered over 200,000 migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border which was a 317 percent increase from August of last year. Let me repeat that one more time: a 317 percent increase from just one single year ago.

President Biden has prioritized reversing effective Trump-era border policies such as the Remain in Mexico Policy and most notably, the border wall. They were working. We literally have tons of building materials, all of which have been bought and paid for by the hardworking men and women American taxpayers, sitting in the desert collecting dust because President Biden cares more about trying to be politically stylish than he does implementing policies to protect and strengthen our America which we love so much.

Is President Biden requiring these migrants to show proof of vaccination? The answer is no. Are they being tested for COVID-19? The answer is no. Are they being tested for other deadly viruses? The answer is no.

Americans are still unable to return to their normal ways of life but hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants are allowed to breach and break through the border and infect our Nation. How does that make sense? How can any one individual American make any sense or understand that?

Drug cartels are recruiting and using children as drug mules, they are sexually abusing women, and they are responsible for bringing enough fentanyl into America to kill every man, woman, and child, at least 10 times over, and we read it in the headlines. This is unlike anything we have ever seen before in our America, yet this administration continues to leave this

border wide open. Again, how does it make sense? How can we understand it? How can we believe it?

The Border Patrol is on track to encounter more migrants this year than it has in any year prior. In fiscal year 2021, roughly 10,000 migrants with criminal records were detained at the southern border. This is no joke. This is a real tragedy for America. The former Border Patrol chief has also stated that our Border Patrol is encountering known and suspected terrorists at ``a level that we have never seen before.'' This is no joke. This is the real world which we live in now in America.

There are serious shortages among Border Patrol agents, and somehow congressional Democrats and the administration are making zero efforts to address them. They fail to recognize the severity of the issue or even admit that there is an issue to begin with.

Again, it is no joke. These men and women are putting their lives in danger. Half the time they don't even have the backup that they should. I remember when I went to the border and saw them encountering all types of dangerous situations. Not a single backup sometimes. How can we do that to our American men and women in law enforcement?

Make no mistake about it. I don't want anyone to think otherwise. Make no mistake--this is the worst border crisis that we have ever experienced in America. President Biden is actively destroying our country and our way of life by not taking this crisis seriously at all. But he should. I will say it again. This is no joke. It is the real thing.

Madam Speaker, God help us all. We must save our country.

Madam Speaker, in December of 2019, Anthony Jimenez earned the rank of Eagle Scout. He attends Rowan University in the music education program and just completed his first year. Anthony participated in the marching band and was awarded the rookie of the year award and has earned a leadership award every year after that. For Anthony's Eagle Scout project, he started a music program at Daniel's Den Community Center in Vineland, South Jersey. He donated and collected over 20 musical instruments needed for the project and put in 130 hours of work dedicated to the launching of the music program. Over the course of Anthony's time as a scout, he earned 26 merit badges, and held positions as troop bugler, patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, and senior patrol leader. In addition to all his successes, he is currently teaching eight merit badges to younger boy scouts online. Anthony is an inspiration to his peers and is looked up to by his fellow scouts and I know he will go on to achieve great things. God Bless Anthony and God Bless America.