Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, the year 1776 marked a turning point not only in American history, but in human history. While brave patriots here in America were affirming their right to equal representation and, ultimately, revolution, a Scottish philosopher named Adam Smith was revolutionizing the way we think about economics.

``The Wealth of Nations'' was the book he wrote where he extolled the virtues of free markets and free trade, showing how all benefit from robust competition and an open marketplace.

Mr. Speaker, because of tax cuts and regulatory reform, returning to freer markets in this country, we have this economy off high center and growing at a rate we haven't seen in over a decade. While some of my friends across the aisle would like to dispute this, the results speak for themselves.

Just last month our economy added over 300,000 new jobs and over 800,000 people joined the labor force, the largest 1-month jump in over 30 years. Mr. Speaker, people are looking for work, and they are finding work.

With the stock market, business, consumer confidence, and the labor participation rate at all-time highs and the unemployment at a 50-year low, the last thing that we need and want to do is impose a new kind of government intervention to diminish the great economic progress we have made.

I am concerned, Mr. Speaker, that these tariffs that the White House and others have talked about, if not appropriately targeted, could do this and could have unintended, negative consequences on the American economy, on American consumers, and on hardworking American families.

The Texas delegation has a unique stake in this issue. For 16 consecutive years, Texas has been the top exporting State in the country with over $264 billion in exports for 2017. So trade policy has a significant impact on our constituents. That is why last week my colleagues and I sent a letter authored by Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady to the President urging him to take a more measured and surgical approach in imposing tariffs. And I am glad it looks like that the White House and the President have heard and have heeded our pleas.

I believe in free trade, Mr. Speaker. I believe in open global markets. And it has improved standard of living for everyone. However, free trade only works if everybody plays by the same rules; that is, free trade and fair trade go hand in hand. For years, China has been gaming the system by dumping their product, infringing on our intellectual property rights, manipulating their currency, and circumventing trade agreements for years.

President Trump was right to call them out. He was right to hold them accountable. I am confident that we can work with the White House so that tariffs ensure fair competition and protect our national security interests while also making sure we don't harm consumers here at home.

Mr. Speaker, I came to the floor today to speak about my cotton farmers, but my heart is heavy after a conversation with our veterans--our VFW, to be exact--about this issue of union time, union activities on the taxpayer dole.

There was a GAO report a year ago that said there were hundreds of VA employees spending 100 percent of their time on union activity, not the job they were hired to do, not in service to our veterans who wait in line to get healthcare, who sometimes get sicker and sometimes even die.

The law says that the only way to do official time is it must be administered in a way that is reasonable, necessary, and in the public's best interests. Somebody spending 100 percent of their time on anything other than what they were hired to do, and especially in service to our veterans, is not reasonable; it is not necessary, and it certainly isn't in the best interests of the American people. It is outrageous.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Comprehensive Regulatory Review Act.

As a former regulator at the FDIC, I can tell you that the road to a really bad economy is paved with seemingly good regulations. Regulations like the ones that came out of Dodd-Frank were intended to protect the consumer, but ended up creating more burden, more complexity, more cost, and fewer choices.

By the way, it destroys relationship banking in rural America and districts I represent. The best way to protect consumers and weed out the bad-acting businesses is a healthy market with robust competition, transparency, and more choices for the consumer.

The last 8 years gave us an administrative state in place of the freest and greatest economy in the world. We inherited trillions of dollars in regulatory costs, millions of hours in paperwork, and an economy that has grinded to a near halt.

Let's continue to rein in the unnecessary regulations. Let's get this economy growing again, and let's make America great again.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life and legacy of Reverend Billy Graham. He was America's pastor. He was a humble man, and he devoted his life to helping people of all backgrounds discover the true peace and joy found in the life of service to Jesus Christ.

Mr. Speaker, we have a lot of problems to solve in this country, much of which are too deep for mere legislation. We need prayer more than we need policy solutions. We need repentance more than we need reform.

Mr. Speaker, we need God more than we need government. Billy Graham understood that.

We need more of what Billy Graham talked about for six decades, that simple story that God so loved the world that He gave His only son to die for us, and that if we believed that, we would have eternal life with Him. That is what we need.

Thank God for Billy Graham.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Mitchell), for hosting us and giving us the opportunity from the great State of Texas to talk about all of the positive effects of this recent tax reform and tax relief for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have helped pass this historic tax relief for the American people and deliver on a promise that we would grow this economy, we would create jobs, and we would improve the overall quality of life for all Americans. I represent hardworking, God- fearing, freedom-loving people in rural west Texas. They produce the food, fuel, and fiber for this great country. They feed and clothe the American people, and they fuel this great American economy.

The burden of high taxes and regulations hurt all of our job creators, but they have a disproportionate negative impact on the little guys in rural America. Our small businesses, our community banks, our family farmers and ranchers are independent energy producers. I can say with great confidence--having been back to the district, having talked to numerous people from all over those 29 counties I represent in the broad swath of land in west Texas--this tax cut and reform package is proenergy, it is proagriculture, and it is prorural America.

Back in my district, we hosted some roundtables with small businesses and chambers of commerce. We had various events that I participated in. We even conducted surveys. According to our survey, over 80 percent of the people I represent say that this tax reform package has helped everybody.

At one of our roundtable events, we had a veteran-owned agribusinessman who said that he had had 600 new customers this January over last year. He said that the effects of that was that he converted some of his part-time workers to full-time workers and gave folks a raise.

At the Happy State Bank, the employees are happy, and there are happy days for that organization because they are saving $5 million and plowing it back into their human capital. Six hundred out of 700 of Happy State Bank employees will receive an increase in their pay and benefits. Some will receive over a 50 percent pay increase.

Now, this is not crumbs to the folks whom I represent in west Texas. This is real cash in the pockets of real Americans who work hard every day to make ends meet.

There has been a change in west Texas, and, for once, it is not the weather. There is a renewed optimism. You can hear it in their voices; you can see it in their faces.

Mr. Speaker, we are witnessing a great American comeback, and the formula hasn't changed from the beginning of this great experiment. Limit the government and you will unleash the limitless potential of the American people.

God bless America, and go west Texas.

Mr. Speaker, on Friday thousands of people from all across America will come to Washington to march in support of the dignity and equal protection of every God-given human life in this great land. It is in that spirit that I rise to join my colleagues in supporting H.R. 4712, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. This bill ensures that, if a baby survives a failed abortion, that baby must be given the same medical care as a baby born under any circumstances.

In a moral society, the strong have a responsibility to protect the weak. It is a stain on the moral fabric of our Nation that some lives are deemed less worthy than others with respect to protection.

America is a city on a hill whose light shines bright for all the world to see. That light is dimmed, however, as long as the dark practice of leaving a baby to die continues.

It is my hope that even those who believe in abortion can recognize that a baby who survives a botched abortion should be afforded the same protections that you and I are.

This week, we celebrate not only the March for Life, we also celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. In his day, Martin Luther King, Jr., worked tirelessly, in the face of enormous adversity and personal risk to himself and his family, to help all of us as Americans live up to the highest of our American ideals: the self-evident truth that all men are created equal.

Through his work, King helped our Nation better realize its charter for forming a more perfect Union. Mr. Speaker, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act builds on King's legacy by ensuring that the unalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are protected for everyone, especially for those whose voices have been silenced.

Passing this legislation would restore some of our Nation's light that has been lost and make our Nation a more perfect Union than it was yesterday. That, after all, is our job.

In the words of the great American hero, Martin Luther King, Jr.: ``It is always the right time to do the right thing.''

Let's do the right thing, and let's protect these helpless little babies.

Recognizing Sophia Campa-Peters

Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of representing one of the most courageous little girls in all the world, Sophia Campa- Peters. She may be a little girl, little in stature, but there is nothing small about Sophia's heart and her courage.

She has suffered, for the last 3 years, with a rare disease that has caused her to have multiple strokes, and she is now facing the biggest challenge in her journey, major brain surgery.

God says: ``Come to Me as little children.'' Sophia represents the faith of a child like nobody I have encountered since I have been in this office, and she requested that I help her rally the world to pray on January 24 that, while she is having that surgery at Boston Children's Hospital, we would encourage people and implore people to pray for her.

I was delighted and honored to join her and many others in asking folks to take a knee and appeal to the Great Physician to protect her, to heal her, and to make provision for her to have a strong, healthy, and happy life for many, many years to come.

What a testament to her faith in God and the power of prayer. What a testament of someone who, in the face of trial and tribulation, would choose hope, would choose to believe, would choose to dream that her best days are ahead of her.

Thanks, Sophie. Thank you for your faith. Thank you for your testimony. Thank you for your courage. And most of all, thank you for teaching us that every day is an opportunity, every day is a gift from God.

Sophia, we are rallying the world for you. We will pray for you, and we will appeal to Almighty God on your behalf.

God bless her. God bless her family.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert), my new friend, great colleague, and mentor as I have made my transition into this great body. He tells me that all freshman Members come in and have big wins like tax reform and these big, tremendous wins, not for the Republican Party, but for the American people. I am so proud to have been a part of that. I am proud to call Mr. Gohmert my friend.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to celebrate the Borden County Coyotes' hard-fought victory over Jonesboro in the Division 1, 1A Six-Man Football State Championship. This was the Coyotes' seventh State championship appearance, fifth State championship win, and the second year in a row these two teams faced off in the six-man State championship game.

Going into the championship game, only six opposing teams had scored against the Coyotes all year long. They boast the best six-man defense in the State, have been named the best six-man team in the Nation, and are ranked number 1 in the class 1-A division rankings.

With the discipline and determination they showed all season long, this team turned a two-point lead at halftime into a 60-22 win in the State championship.

I want to commend both teams on their tremendous success and sportsmanship and congratulate, especially, Coach Richey on preparing our Coyotes to achieve a perfect season.

I would be remiss if I did not thank the parents and the teachers and the administrators and the fans who were always there throughout this season to ensure the Coyotes always gave their Borden County best.

There is nothing like high school football in west Texas. Go Coyotes, and go west Texas.

Happy 80th Birthday to Dr. Bill Dean

Mr. Speaker, I rise to wish a happy birthday, 80 years, to a dear friend, a Lubbock native, and a legend at Texas Tech, Dr. Bill Dean.

Dr. Dean has always been a leader and has always had a servant heart when it comes to serving his community and the campus community at Texas Tech. I don't know anyone who loves Texas Tech University and the students at Texas Tech like Bill Dean.

He was elected to the student body presidency when he was a student at Tech. He got 3 degrees and became a professor, an associate dean, and, ultimately, in his current role, serves as CEO of the Texas Tech University Alumni Association.

He was named the best teacher nine times by his students.

Dr. Dean, you are the very best, and you represent the very best of west Texas and Red Raider Nation. I want to say, blessings to you, and I hope you have many, many more years on that college campus because you have had an amazing impact on thousands of the lives of young people who come through that university, like me.

Thank you for your commitment. Thank you for your service and your leadership, and God bless you and Peggy. ``Guns Up.''

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent a rural district in west Texas that is home to 14 million acres of farmland and thousands of hardworking farmers and ranchers. These men and women are feeding and clothing the American people. They are bolstering our economy and they are strengthening our national security.

As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, I am committed to delivering results that are in the best interest not only of west Texans, but all Americans. I am doing that with my neighbor and strong leader of the Ag Committee, Mike Conaway.

As we craft the next farm bill, there are a few priorities that, if achieved, will put our United States farmers and ranchers, and our country as a whole, in the strongest competitive position.

The first is that we must maintain America's food and fiber independence from other countries, which, like energy independence, is a national security imperative.

To achieve this objective, we must maintain a viable and responsible safety net for all commodities, which means the committee must work in a bipartisan way to get cotton back in under title I of the farm bill.

We can never again let the World Trade Organization dictate agriculture policy to the United States.

Addressing the gaping hole in the current agriculture safety net for cotton and fixing other shortfalls and risk management for both crops and livestock will ensure a strong, viable agriculture sector for the United States and rural America.

Ultimately, we must maintain appropriate programs to mitigate against unforeseen global market changes and commodity prices, ensure against adverse weather events, and maintain access to credit so farmers across the country can continue to supply America with abundant and affordable sources of food.

Additionally, as Texas is the top cattle-producing State in the Nation and represents $80 billion in annual cash receipts nationwide, maintaining key livestock disaster programs are equally important to a responsible and effective safety net for our ag producers.

Second, our rural communities need greater access to broadband communications to be viable in the modern era. Increasing access to broadband is fundamental to the survival of rural America. It is necessary to support critical infrastructure, such as healthcare and education, and for overall economic sustainability so that we can finally close the digital divide between rural and urban America.

Let me put it to you this way: no rural America; no food, fuel, and fiber for the American people.

Third, we need another generation of farmers and ranchers. The American agriculturist is facing tough times. The average age of a farmer is nearly 60 and the number of people involved in ag production in their thirties and forties continues to decrease dramatically, with less than 1 percent of the American population involved in ag production. The math doesn't look promising.

Operating expenses continue to rise and farmers, particularly the young ones, have less equity to finance their operations. Farmers of all ages need a dependable and flexible operating loan structure with loan amounts that are useful. We must work to ensure that the USDA has the flexibility it needs to extend credit in the most meaningful way.

Fourth, innovation makes it possible for the farmer and rancher to continue to operate. Ensuring adequate and equitable research funding for agriculture colleges across the country is key.

Let's not just pour all of our money into land-grant institutions just because they are land-grant institutions. Let's fund the best ideas. It is call meritocracy. That is what our country was founded on.

As former vice chancellor of research at Texas Tech University, I saw some of the best and most innovative ideas spawned from research go to market and make a difference for our economy and the quality of our lives.

Lastly, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program needs a more focused accountability. As we craft the next farm bill, we should continue to monitor the effectiveness of all programs, especially SNAP, which accounts for 80 percent of all spending in the farm bill.

While the intent is well-meaning, the unintended consequence is an increase of recipients who are work-capable adults without dependents, accounting for nearly 30 percent of all recipients. It is imperative to require that able-bodied adults work in order to receive government assistance not just in SNAP, but all government programs.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, our farmers and ranchers are central to the vitality and security of this great Nation. This legislation is extremely critical to the success of our farmers. By including the priorities I have outlined today in the next farm bill, we can ensure a safer, stronger, freer America for our children.

Mr. Speaker, the chief reason the ``American experiment'' in liberty and democracy has been so successful is our belief in God-given, inalienable rights. One of these fundamental freedoms is an individual's right to ``keep and bear arms.''

While the original intent of the Second Amendment to the Constitution was the defense against an abusive, tyrannical government, the central principle is to empower Americans to protect themselves, their families, and, as we witnessed in the Sutherland Springs shooting, their communities.

Statistics show annual reductions in murder rates as concealed carry laws have gone into effect and that violent crime has decreased as gun ownership has increased. In fact, according to Gun Owners of America, citizens defend

themselves with lethal force against criminals twice as often as police do every year.

The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which I cosponsored, simply allows law-abiding citizens who are licensed to carry a firearm the freedom to travel between States, closes gaps and strengthens due process regarding our national criminal background check system, and maintains the reasonable prohibitions that are in place today, like keeping guns out of the hands of convicted felons.

I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce and congratulate them and their 2,000-plus members as they gather for their annual awards ceremony this week.

For over 100 years, the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce has brought these hardworking men and women together to better our community. Their commitment to excellence has earned them national recognition as America's first and only chamber to be two-

time, five-star accredited and twice named Chamber of the Year. And as we say in Texas: ``That ain't braggin' if it's true.''

I want to recognize a few of our hardworking business leaders who are being celebrated this week:

Ambassador of the Year, Danny Soliz;

Volunteer of the Year, Kathy Timms;

Business Person of the Year, Chris Lonngren;

Business of the Year, Bayer Crop Science; and

Entrepreneur of the Year, Shara Konechney.

Congrats to all of these folks. Congrats to my friend, Eddie McBride.

Mr. Speaker, I thank them for their leadership, and thanks to all of our small businesses. They are the heartbeat of west Texas, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, history is replete with examples of prosperous nations and powerful empires whose demise was not as a result of adversaries on the outside but, rather, the enemy within.

Congress and our President face several challenges to ensure the next generation inherits a safe, strong, and free country. There is the rise of global Islamic terrorism, escalating nuclear threats, increasing geopolitical instability, the need to modernize our military and ensure it is prepared to address those threats, and, finally, the need to revive our economy and give more and better jobs to middle and working class Americans.

While these are serious issues and they necessitate a sense of urgency and bold actions, they are all but irrelevant if we experience a sovereign debt crisis. This is not a hypothetical. This is a real probability, and if we stay on our current trajectory, we will all but assure our children and grandchildren will suffer the consequences.

If the United States experiences a debt crisis, how are we going to fund a safety net for our agriculture producers and our most vulnerable? How are we going to have transportation and other critical infrastructure to support economic growth? And, most importantly, how are we going to give the tools to our men and women in uniform so they will be successful and safe? How will we fund these national priorities if our government is insolvent?

Today, the United States is $20 trillion in debt--over 70 percent of GDP. That is roughly $165,000 per taxpayer. If all current policies stay in place, in the next 10 years, we will be $30 trillion in debt, or nearly 90 percent of GDP, the highest level we have seen since 1947, according to the CBO. We will have $1 trillion in annual deficit spending; and, get this, we will spend more on the interest on our debt than we will on national defense.

Just to give you a sense of how quickly this debt is amassing, in the next 24 hours, we will have increased our debt $1.5 billion.

I want to be clear. This is not a revenue problem. Just this past year, according to the monthly Treasury statement, the Federal Government collected record amounts of both individual income tax revenue and payroll tax revenue.

The underlying issue here is runaway spending. We all know it. The American people know it. The lion's share of that spending is for mandatory spending. Mandatory spending is government spending on autopilot.

Today, mandatory spending makes up 70 percent of the entire Federal budget. In terms of growth in spending, over the next 10 years, 90 percent of the growth will come from mandatory spending.

We will never solve the national debt problem on discretionary spending alone. We must deal with mandatory spending, which means entitlement reform is the most serious and realistic opportunity to address our national debt.

Many of our entitlement programs are nearing insolvency. Without immediate action, some of these important social safety net programs will not be there for the next generation. With 10,000 baby boomers entering retirement every day--the largest generational retirement in the history of the world--these critical safety net programs, like Medicare and Social Security, will be insolvent; Medicare by 2030, Social Security by 2034.

We no longer have the luxury of kicking the can down the road. We are long overdue for action and we are fast approaching yet another debt ceiling.

The debt ceiling has been in existence since 1941, 70 years, and every time very little has been done to rein in spending as a result. It was supposed to serve as a warning so that we pause and consider the risk of borrowing more money that 74 times we have effectively just blown past through it.

We cannot continue to increase our borrowing capacity every time we hit the debt ceiling without some countervailing action to address our deficit and debt.

At what point is enough enough? How far do we want to put our children and grandchildren in the debt hole before we decide that this is a moral obligation and this is truly a looming crisis?

As Congress works to deal with the debt ceiling and our spending package that is here on the immediate horizon, it is important that we also introduce structural spending reforms. We need to have a balanced budget, for heaven's sake. We need to move some of the mandatory over to discretionary.

We need to set targets for reducing our debt. And if we don't meet those targets because we don't have the courage to do it, then it should be forced on us to cut across the board until we get this debt down to a manageable size for our children and for the future of this country.

Balancing our budget and reducing our country's debilitating debt is the challenge of the 21st century. It is my generation's greatest challenge. It is time for Congress to step up to the plate and get to work addressing the biggest problem facing our country. That means less partisan obstruction and thinking about our political futures and more courageous leadership and thinking about our children's future.

Madam Speaker, I thank my dear friend and distinguished colleague from the State of Louisiana

for his strong leadership and for hosting us this evening, this Special Order, on such an important issue.

Madam Speaker, tax reform in west Texas and in rural America is about giving our hardworking and middle class families a break in allowing them to keep more of their hard-earned money. According to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, our plan would increase wages by over 3 percent, create roughly 1 million new jobs, and raise the after-tax income of the average middle-income family by nearly $2,600.

It is about simplifying the Tax Code and reducing the burden on taxpayers so that they don't have to spend a combined almost 9 billion hours and $100 billion just to prepare their taxes every year. Under our plan, 9 out of 10 Americans, as my colleague mentioned, will be able to file their taxes on a form as simple as a postcard.

It is about getting off the backs of our job creators, which are our small businesses, and letting them create more jobs for their communities. Our plan would reduce the tax rate on our Main Street job creators to the lowest it has been since World War II.

It is about making America competitive again by leveling the playing field for American producers and manufacturers.

Our plan would lower the corporate tax rate and bring jobs back to America, and it would also boost the average American household income by $4,000 and, in some studies, as high as $9,000.

It is about giving our family farmers and ranchers a reason to invest in new tractors and equipment, combines and cotton strippers, so they can do what they have been doing: be more productive even at feeding and clothing the American people.

This plan allows our farmers and ranchers, as well as our small businesses, the ability to write off the full cost of new technology and equipment immediately, and it is about eliminating the duplicative, unfair, and un-American death tax that prevents family farmers, ranchers, and small-business owners from passing down their hard-earned American Dream to the next generation after they paid taxes on it their entire lives.

Today, more than 70 percent--listen to this--more than 70 percent of family businesses don't make it to the second generation; 90 percent don't survive to the third generation. That is unacceptable.

Tomorrow, Madam Speaker, marks an historic moment, the likes of which we haven't seen in over 30 years, to change the current economic trajectory of this country and restore freedom and opportunity for all hardworking American families. Let's seize it. Let's deliver on our promise, and let's give much-deserved relief to the American people and a much-needed boost to the American economy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support 76 years of celebrating God's Word during National Bible Week. No other book has sold more copies or changed more lives than the Bible.

Abraham Lincoln said: ``In regard for this great book, I have this to say, `It is the best gift God has given to man. All that the good Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book.' ''

May we always remember the impact the Bible has had on this country and on our democracy. May we govern according to its timeless precepts and principles, and may God bless these United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, before I go back to the great State of Texas today, I just want to say happy Veterans Day to our men and women who have sacrificed and served so bravely.

I want to say, from all those who I represent in west Texas, thank you for giving up your day so that we could have our tomorrow. You represent the very best of our American values, and we are the most powerful, the most prosperous, and most generous Nation in the world. We are the most free Nation in the history of the world because of you.

God bless our veterans and God bless America.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of H.R. 3949, yet another piece of bipartisan, commonsense legislation that will serve our veterans.

In the transition from deployment to employment, apprenticeship programs have proven to be extremely successful. Roughly 20,000 veterans are actively training or participating in these programs, and their employment outcomes are nothing short of impressive. According to VA's data, over 90 percent of veteran apprentices are employed after completing their programs with an average starting wage of over $60,000. Over their lifetime, apprentices see an increase in compensation of over $300,000 as compared to their peers.

These programs aren't just a win for our veterans, they are a win for taxpayers. Every dollar invested in apprenticeship programs sees a return in benefits of $35.

While it is clear to see the advantages of apprenticeship programs, like in many parts of VA, this program is hampered by needless burden and bureaucracy. Currently, private employers who offer these programs in more than one State have to register with each State individually. Burdened by the difficulty and trail of paperwork that this creates, many employers only choose to participate in a limited way or they just don't offer them altogether.

H.R. 3949, the Veterans Apprenticeship and Labor Opportunity Reform Act, or the VALOR Act, authored by my good friend and colleague, Congressman Ro Khanna, streamlines the registration process for employers, which, in turn, encourages them to participate and leads to more opportunities for our veterans.

Given the tremendous sacrifice our veterans have made for our country, we should do everything we can to ensure that they have access to good jobs, and the VALOR Act does just that.

I would like to thank Mr. Khanna again for his hard work and his leadership on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support it.