Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, the regulatory state in America is alive and well. I wish I could say as much for our economy and our personal freedoms, but I believe that that is about to change thanks in large part to the recent Presidential election.

Over the last 8 years, we have replaced a free enterprise system with a regulatory bureaucracy that has crushed our economy, stifled our innovation, and quashed the great American spirit.

America has never seen such an onslaught of abusive and burdensome actions from the fourth branch of government. The cumulative cost of regulations on our American economy is almost $2 trillion. It costs almost $60 billion just to enforce all the regulations on the books.

Let me give you, though, an example of a regulation that is far worse in its effects than just simply economic burden or burden on our people.

Today, I stand with my friend and great American hero, Sam Johnson, in strong support of H.J. Res. 40 to strike down the Obama administration's last-ditch effort to infringe upon our Second Amendment rights. In the 11th hour, the Obama administration quietly sneaked in a rule that threatens to deny certain Social Security beneficiaries their right to purchase a firearm. Federal law makes it a crime already to possess a firearm if an individual has been adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed to a mental institution. This midnight rule designates Social Security beneficiaries as having a mental impairment simply because they ask someone to manage their finances.

Just because an elderly or disabled individual chooses to delegate their financial responsibilities to another does not make them mentally incompetent, nor does it waive their right to due process. Many people, even in this Chamber, are designated to manage the finances of their parents on Social Security, and they do so because their parents may prefer not to deal with the complexities of our current financial environment.

Not only would this proposed rule be a continuation of the Obama administration's regulatory fiat, it would be irresponsible and dangerous and a breach of one of our fundamental rights. We cannot allow the Federal Government to haphazardly restrict our freedoms and the freedoms of over 4 million law-abiding Americans who would otherwise be responsible gun owners. In fact, they are some of the most vulnerable Americans who need to be able to protect themselves.

As noted by the Founders and in the plain language of our Constitution, the Federal Government shall not infringe upon our right to keep and bear arms.

Mr. Speaker, Scott Graves is a proud alumnus of my alma mater, Texas Tech University, and has championed West Texas and agriculture production since he arrived in Washington twelve years ago.

Beginning in his early days with Chairman Conaway, Scott worked hard to meet and listen to agriculture producers across the state to learn about their everyday operations and develop policy solutions for the industry.

As Scott grew in his policy expertise and legislative advocacy, he gained the trust and confidence of the agriculture industry and his colleagues on the Hill.

Scott rose quickly as a leader among his peers. Chairman Conaway recognized his value and leadership when he promoted him to Chief of Staff and then ultimately Staff Director of the House Agriculture Committee where he has been instrumental in laying the foundation for the 2018 Farm Bill.

I know it will be hard to replace a champion for West Texas and Rural America like Scott. Our region and country have been profoundly blessed by the contributions of Scott C. Graves.

God bless you, Scott, and your family as you step off the Hill to start the next chapter of your life. And, welcome back to the great state of Texas.

I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions) for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about something that is near and dear to my heart and to the hearts of my constituents.

It has been 44 years since Roe v. Wade. Since then, 58 million precious American lives have been aborted. The Supreme Court got it wrong when it violated its authority by creating a constitutional right to abortion. To make matters worse, the Federal Government is now using our taxpayer dollars to subsidize these abortions. Tomorrow we will have the opportunity to put a stop to this. This is an area in which the Constitution, my constituents, and my conviction will not allow me to budge.

I believe that all life is ordained by God and begins at conception, as the psalmists so eloquently said: ``for You created my inward parts. You knit me together in my mother's womb.'' Our Constitution clearly defines that all Americans--even those who cannot vote, who cannot speak or defend themselves--have the same right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stand with me in support of H.R. 7; but, most importantly, I plead with them to stand up for generations of Americans yet unborn.

I thank the gentleman again.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of S. Con. Res. 3 that would begin the process to repeal ObamaCare.

Our experimentation in the Soviet-style, central planning of our healthcare system has been an abject failure: ObamaCare has failed our middle and working class families who

have seen an uncontrollable increase in deductibles and premiums; it has failed our providers who spent years pursuing their passion for healing our sick but now find themselves spending more time filling out paperwork than caring for their patients; it has failed our small businesses that create 64 percent of the jobs in this country.

Although the pathway of ObamaCare has been paved with good intentions, it has led to a series of disastrous, unintended consequences. To use a medical analogy, ObamaCare has made America sick; and when America is sick, rural America is in the ICU.

I represent 29 rural counties in west Texas, ag producers, oil and gas and renewable energy operators, community bankers, and community hospitals. Like many rural areas throughout the country, my district is feeding and clothing the American people, bolstering our economy, and strengthening our national security.

While large hospitals also suffer under ObamaCare, community hospitals are simply unable to handle the crushing weight of ACA's shrinking reimbursements, regulatory burden, and unfunded mandates. Since ObamaCare was implemented, 80 rural hospitals have closed and 600 more are in danger of closing. Without access to quality health care, our hardworking families in middle America are left high and dry.

Mr. Chairman, one of the greatest travesties of ObamaCare is not just the damage that it has done to our economy, but the destruction of a way of life of over 60 million Americans who call small town America their home. Whether it is producing reliable and affordable energy or a safe and abundant supply of food, people from all over the country rely on rural communities to make America great.

We must repeal ObamaCare, restore market forces, and return to patient-centered care.

Amendment XII:

``The electors shall meet in their respective States and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same State with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate; . . .''