Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, Tuesday was a media alarm. The biased Washington Post reported accidentally in The State newspaper that ``Joe Biden's free spending could ignite inflation that would outstrip wage gains.'' The President's $6 trillion spending spree of borrowing and taxing will burden the youth of America with debt and threaten the savings of older Americans with a worthless dollar.

Already, The Post and Courier of Charleston reprinted how lumber costs in the average house have skyrocketed $36,000 this year, undermining homeownership. The Wall Street Journal revealed used cars have hit a record of over $25,000 which denies many the ability to purchase a car.

The New York Stock Exchange suffered a staggering loss of nearly 500 points as inflation was clearly being pushed by the outrageous spending schemes of President Biden destroying jobs.

I appreciate the courageous leaders, like Ambassador Nikki Haley, who are standing up for America. She has sent me a symbol of the consequence of borrowing and taxing which we see in Venezuela: the 100 Bolivar note which is now worth less than a dime.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism.

Madam Speaker, on Saturday, a murderous, heinous car bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, killed dozens of girls. The intentional targeting of girls should be inconceivable but is the deliberate aim of fanatical totalitarians who are obsessed with murdering American families. Sadly, the reality of the Global War on Terrorism is that we must defeat terrorists overseas or they will return to attack American families.

I appreciate the insight of Congressman Mike McCaul and former Ambassador Ryan Crocker in their May 4, 2021, op-ed in The New York Times:

Last month, President Biden announced a complete withdrawal

of all United States troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, the

20th anniversary of the day terrorists killed almost 3,000

people.

Many in the defense and intelligence communities oppose the

move. A complete withdrawal based on an arbitrary deadline,

rather than conditions on the ground, threatens our long-term

national security. After all, it was the decision to rapidly

pull out of Iraq, creating a power vacuum that allowed the

Islamic State to grow, that ultimately forced our return to

Iraq, prolonging the war.

We cannot allow history to repeat itself.

It's foolish to think the Taliban will engage in good faith

with the Afghan government or abide by the commitments made

to the previous administration after we've departed. In

response to the withdrawal announcement, the Taliban

tellingly announced they would not participate in a peace

conference planned to start late last month in Turkey and

refused to commit to a date in the future, effectively ending

the already fragile peace process. The Taliban clearly does

not want peace.

In fact, after America withdraws, it's very likely the

Taliban will try to take control of the country, once again

giving our enemies a place from which to conduct external

attacks against us and our allies. Without a military

presence in country, the United States will be giving the

green light to the Taliban to roam and conquer.

As William J. Burns, the C.I.A. director, told the Senate

Intelligence Committee in April, there is ``significant

risk'' associated with withdrawal. ``The U.S. government's

ability to collect and act on threats will diminish,'' he

said. ``That's simply a fact.''

The decision, however, has been made. But before the

pullout is complete, the Biden administration must mitigate

its dangers. As our sources on the ground will soon go dark,

the gaps in our intelligence collection and counterterrorism

networks must be remedied so we retain the ability to

identify and eliminate threats before they reach our shores.

To do so, we must urgently set up agreements with neighboring

countries to provide us with intelligence, surveillance and

reconnaissance capabilities.

Mr. Biden promised that America's humanitarian and

development assistance to the country would continue. To

enable our personnel and the countless nongovernmental

organizations we work with to provide that help, we must keep

them safe. If the country slides back into civil war or once

again falls under Taliban rule, maintaining an embassy

presence and distributing assistance will become close to

impossible. The administration must develop a clear strategy

for protecting our embassy, diplomatic staff and aid workers.

The president must also acknowledge that the withdrawal

will have dire consequences for Afghan women and girls--and

work hard to prevent it. For the past 20 years, we have

encouraged Afghan women to step forward, as students,

teachers and professionals. Encouraged by our presence, they

did just that. But without our presence in the country, it

will be difficult to safeguard the gains women have made in

Afghan society and to ensure women 's rights are protected.

Lastly, we have obligations to the thousands of Afghans who

supported us, mainly as interpreters for our military. They

were promised special immigrant visas to get them out of

harm's way, but many have yet to materialize. The Taliban

view them as traitors: Since 2014, there have been at least

300 targeted killings of people who worked with us. Many more

will die if the administration doesn't take immediate steps

to speed up the process to get them out safely.

These are vital issues Mr. Biden and his team must

address--before we pull out on Sept. 11.

Yet so far they have offered no clarity on what

counterterrorism agreements, if any, have been reached with

other countries. They have provided only minimal assurances

for how they will secure the safety of our embassy and

personnel. They appear to have no plans for protecting Afghan

women. And they have announced no strategy to address the

visa backlog that could endanger thousands of our Afghan

partners' lives.

When America pulls out of a conflict zone at the wrong

time, it creates a vacuum in which the terrorist threat grows

again. That, in turn, eventually requires a re-entry of

forces to keep Americans safe. So begins yet another forever

war.

The ill-advised decision to pull out of Afghanistan may do

just that. But by ensuring proper guardrails are in place, we

have a chance to limit the fallout.

Madam Speaker, incredibly revealing is the editorial in The Wall Street Journal on March 31, 2021 opposing The Wuhan Virus Whitewash. The unintended consequence of the blatant misrepresentation in the Wuhan Report is to further verify COVID-19 originated at the Wuhan Virology Institute leading to over three million deaths worldwide.

The World Health Organization on Tuesday finally released

its report on the origins of the coronavirus, and the result

wasn't worth the wait. The document is best understood as a

whitewash heavily influenced by the Chinese Communist Party

and Westerners with conflicts of interest.

The report--based primarily on an international team's

visit this year to the city of Wuhan, where Covid-19 was

first detected--has little new information.

In 2018 U.S. officials warned in diplomatic cables about

safety and management issues at the Wuhan Virology Institute

that could lead to a pandemic.

The U.S. State Department warned in a January fact sheet

that WIV researchers had developed ``symptoms consistent with

both COVID-19 and common seasonal illnesses'' in autumn 2019.

Even the WHO recognizes the implausibility of the report.

``I do not believe that this assessment was extensive enough.

Further data and studies will be needed to reach more robust

conclusions,'' WHO director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus said

Tuesday.

The U.S. and 13 other governments released a statement

Tuesday expressing ``shared concerns'' that the WHO study

``was significantly delayed and lacked access to complete,

original data and samples.''

That shouldn't be the end of it. The Biden Administration

knows the underlying intelligence and should release it to

the public. The Biden Administration says it wants to

revitalize multilateral institutions, and that should start

with refusing to accept the WHO's Wuhan whitewash.

Madam Speaker, The Wall Street Journal on March 31, 2021, published a fitting tribute to Ambassador William ``Bill'' Emerson Brock, III, who died on March 25th.

General, Executive, Representative, Senator, National Chairman, Ambassador, Cabinet Secretary, Senior Counselor Bill Brock was correctly recognized as ``a statesman of the highest caliber, leading by example, with freedom and humility.''

I especially appreciate his achievements of developing the modern Republican Party in the South from virtually no presence to my home state of South Carolina now appreciating the largest Republican majorities in 140 years.

His obituary from The Journal is clearly deserving for his service for the American people.

In Memoriam

West Palm Beach--BROCK, William Emerson III ``Bill,''

former Tennessee Senator, United States Trade Representative

and Secretary of Labor, passed away peacefully at the age of

90 on March 25, 2021.

Born and raised in Chattanooga, TN, Bill Brock graduated

from McCallie School and Washington & Lee University. When

Mr. Brock returned from serving 3 years in the Navy, he went

to work in his family's candy company. Mr. Brock served in

the House for 8 years, working closely with Republicans and

Democrats to solve problems and get things done for his

constituents.

In 1970, Mr. Brock ran against three-term incumbent Albert

Gore, Sr. for the Senate and won. In 1976, as he was elected

to serve as Chair of the Republican National Committee and

spent the next 4 years rebuilding the Grand Ole Party. Four

years later, the Republicans took control of the senate for

the first time in a quarter of a century, gained 49 seats in

the House of Representatives, and elected Ronald Reagan to

the Presidency. Reagan appointed Brock United States Trade

Representative. He was recognized for his leadership in

promoting the expansion of international trade rules to

encompass for the first time intellectual property, services,

and investment. He founded the Quad Forum, a quarterly

informal meeting of the Trade Ministers of Europe, Japan,

Canada, and the United States and founded the Rio Group of

seventeen leading trading nations to facilitate greater

coordination between trade and finance ministries. Ambassador

Brock was recognized by The Wall Street Journal, along with a

number of others, as one of the ``fathers'' of the Uruguay

Round of Trade Negotiations and subsequently the World Trade

Organization (WTO).

In 1985, President Reagan asked Mr. Brock to bring his

arbitration skills to the Department of Labor. As US

Secretary of Labor, Secretary Brock was widely praised for

his strong executive leadership in a major reform of pension

laws, restoring constructive labor-management relations, and

creating the landmark study of workforce and workplace trends

in a global economy entitled Work Force 2000.

He was a Senior Counselor and Member of the Board of the

Center for Strategic and International Studies, where he

chaired the International Policy Roundtable, served on

several boards, traveled extensively with his wife and

family, maintained an active twitter account and continued to

write op-eds on education, trade, policy and politics right

up until the time of his passing. His family and friends will

remember him for his gentle, loving spirit and his abiding

commitment to his Father, his family, and his country. He was

a statesman of the highest caliber, leading by example, with

kindness and humility.

Mr. Brock is predeceased by his mother, Myra Kruesi

``Peggy'' Brock, his father, William Emerson ``Bill'' Brock

Jr., and by his wife, Laura Handley ``Muffet'' Brock. He is

survived by his wife, Sandra Schubert ``Sandy'' Brock; two

brothers, Paul ``Pat'' Brock and Frank Brock; six children

and step-children and their spouses, William ``Bill'' Brock

IV (Laura), Oscar Brock (Meg), Laura ``Hutchey'' Brock Doley

(Chris), John Brock (Peggy), Julie Cram Janka (John), and

Stephen ``Steve'' Cram (Theresa); 19 grandchildren, William

``Bill'' Brock V (Morgan), Stephen Brock, Michael ``Hutch''

Brock (Sarah), Margaret ``Archer'' Brock, Eleanor Brock,

Peter Doley, Laura Doley, Erin Doley, Katherine ``Katie''

Doley, John ``JB'' Brock, Morgan Cram (Nathalie), Samantha

Cram Butler (Taft), Reagan Cram, McKay Cram, Brandon Fritz,

Ian Fritz, Kala Fritz,

Nicole Janka and Alexis Janka; and 2 great-grandchildren,

Cora Brock and Ryleigh Fritz.

A memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorial

donations may be made to the Center for Strategic &

International Studies (CSIS), https://www.csis.org/programs/ support or the Cal Ripken Sr Foundation https:// www.ripkenfoundation.org/donate.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Martin Funeral

Home & Crematory, Stuart Chapel.

Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably absent for votes on March 16, 2021. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 78, NAY on Roll Call No. 79, YEA on Roll Call No. 80, and YEA on Roll Call No. 81.

Madam Speaker, on Friday I visited dedicated men and women of the South Carolina National Guard serving at McEntire Joint National Guard Base. McEntire serves critical state and national security missions, most recently spearheading the effort to quickly distribute Wuhan Virus vaccines. It is an excellent site for placement of F-35 aircraft.

McEntire is home to the 169th Fighter Wing ``Swamp Foxes,'' some of the most capable pilots

in the Air Force and a valuable strategic resource, led by COL Akshai Ghandi. I appreciated being hosted by Major General Van McCarty whose leadership has been critical during this pandemic along with Phil Hamby, Director of Governmental Affairs.

I know firsthand of the patriotic service-members. As a grateful 31- year Army Guard veteran myself, with three Guard sons who have served in Iraq, Egypt, and Afghanistan.

In conclusion, God Bless our Troops, and we will never forget September 11th in the Global War on Terrorism. Our sympathy to the family of Sally Atwater, widow of the victorious political strategist, Lee Atwater.

Madam Speaker, I will always treasure the encouragement of Skip Maraney during my service in Congress.

For many years, he was the mainstay of the Breakfast Club on Wednesday at Longworth Cafeteria for members of Congress, Capitol Police officers, and staffers.

I appreciate him inviting me to co-perform with Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton in the Hexagon Theatre political satirical musical comedy revue.

Skip is recognized as an Honorary Resident of South Carolina from over twenty years of vacationing at Hilton Head Island.

The following is an official announcement of his upcoming retirement issued by the National Star Route Mail Contractors Association:

John V. ``skip'' Maraney

Skip Maraney is retiring after 52 years of employment as

the executive director and lobbyist with the National Star

Route Mail Contractors Association. The Association's office

is located at 325 East Capitol Street Washington, D.C.

Skip will be honored for his steadfast and loyal service by

the Board of Directors of the Association at a regional

meeting of members on April 19, 2021, in Baltimore, Md.

Skip is the second executive director of the Association.

The Association is made up of over 500 members across the

United States and U.S. territories, and the Association

represents approximately 1,800 contracts to the United Postal

Service.

Members of the Association are independent business owners

who contract with the United States Postal Service to haul

mail/deliver mail in areas of the United States where the

Postal Service doesn't deliver. In the rural areas of the

county the Star Route contractors deliver what is referred to

as the last mile.

Skip has outlasted 14 Postmaster Generals, nine

Presidential Administrations, countless members of Congress,

and countless Postal Service transportation managers. Skip

has attended countless hearings on matters of postal reform

legislation held by the Committee on Oversight and Government

Reform and Committee on Ways and Means. Skip is known for

expertise on all legislative matters relating to the Postal

Service.

Skip is a true shoe-leather lobbyist. He believes meeting a

member of Congress or a committee staffer in person instead

of exchanging emails, texting, or talking over the phone. He

claims it is always harder to say ``no'' to a person when

talking face to face.

Skip's genuine smile and firm handshake made him

distinguishable among the staff and visitors in the halls of

Congress. Over the years Skip was often been mistaken as a

former member of Congress.

Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably absent from votes on March 8, 2021. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 63, and NAY on Roll Call 64.

Mr. Speaker, March is Women's History Month, and I am grateful to recognize inspirational women who have achieved success.

Inspirational women are the University of South Carolina's basketball team, who won a sixth SEC title in 7 years, the first time that has been done in SEC history. Congratulations to these talented women for remaining number one.

This game was also historic because it was the first time two Black head coaches met in a conference championship game with Coach Dawn Staley leading the Gamecocks and Coach Joni Taylor leading Georgia, an important milestone in American sports history.

Best wishes to the Gamecock women in the NCAA tournament.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism.

Our sympathy to the family of Hatsy Young, widow of former Congressman Ed Young from Florence.

Madam Speaker, amendment No. 19 amends section 111 and replaces the text with the National Right to Work Act. Section 111 takes away the freedoms of hardworking Americans and overrules State right-to-work laws of 27 States enthusiastically enacted by voters.

American workers should not be forced to pay fees to a labor organization. American workers should not be forced to have a union represent them. American workers should not be forced to have their money go to political candidates they do not support. American workers deserve freedom, and this amendment delivers that.

Right-to-work States like South Carolina have seen firsthand the job creation and robust economy that develops when we expand freedom for jobs. It was crucial for South Carolina in our journey to become the leading manufacturer and exporter of tires with Michelin, Bridgestone, Continental, and Giti, while also being the largest exporter of cars in the United States with BMW, Volvo, and Mercedes vans.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to call up H.R. 682, the Reopen Schools Act, to get our kids out from behind screens and back in the classroom.

Madam Speaker, no one is defending the violent riot at the Capitol on January 6th and as more evidence is reviewed, I am grateful for the insight today by columnist Jack Devine in The Aiken Standard:

``My column four weeks ago--``The insurrection that

wasn't''--argued that portraying the Jan. 6 assault on the

U.S. Capitol as an armed insurrection is simply wrong,

unsupported by the facts.

Not surprisingly, many disagree. The armed insurrection

label has been repeated so often and by so many that it has

become widely accepted as true.

But we've learned a great deal since then about what

happened on Jan. 6 and what didn't--and we've watched as the

new Democratic leadership takes extreme and disturbing

actions to slay the imaginary dragon that they created.

Let's take another look.

The Capitol insurgents--mainly rowdy protesters caught up

in the moment--were not armed in any real sense. Their

inventory of ``dangerous and deadly weapons,'' as classified

by DOJ investigators, consist of two baseball bats, a hockey

stick, one pocket-sized extendable baton, a few cans of

commercially available pepper spray and bear repellant, and

other makeshift odds and ends. No knives and no guns. The

infamous zip-ties, initially considered to be proof positive

that the insurgents intended to take hostages, were later

determined to have been carried into the building by police

officers.

The myth that Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick was

murdered by the frenzied mob has evaporated completely. The

New York Times has backed away from its bludgeoned-by-fire-

extinguisher report; there was no evidence of blunt force

trauma; it appears that Sicknick died of natural causes

(probably a stroke) hours after returning to the station

house under his own power.

Only one gun was fired during the four-hour assault--that

by an unidentified police officer who shot and killed Ashli

Babbitt, an unarmed female trespasser. While the FBI is still

combing videos to find someone to charge for Sicknick's

death, both they and the otherwise pit bull media seem

remarkably incurious about Babbitt's killing.

None of the supposed targets of the Capitol assault--

Democratic lawmakers and Vice President Pence--were harmed;

and the 2020 election result was not derailed by the attack

and was never in serious jeopardy.

Make no mistake. The Jan. 6 riot was reckless, angry and

ultimately lethal. It cannot be condoned. But for a supposed

overthrow of the U.S. government, it looks pretty lame--and

more like the continuing wanton rioting that since mid-summer

has taken dozens of lives, destroyed untold livelihoods and

cost billions in damage to American cities.

A mindless mob bent on venting its anger? Yes. An armed

insurrection? Not even close.

And how are we dealing with this non-insurrection?

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is pushing for investigation by

a ``9/11-style commission''--implying that this bumbling

fiasco was somehow comparable to the 2001 terrorist attack

that murdered nearly 3,000 Americans.

The U.S. Capitol complex in Washington, D.C., has been

turned into an armed camp. It was guarded during the

inauguration by 25,000 National Guard troops, thousands of

whom still remain. The barriers and checkpoints will be kept

in place through September. So far, none of the feared

domestic terrorists have reappeared.

The Justice Department has been conducting a nationwide

manhunt for the Jan. 6 perpetrators and to date has arrested

and charged over 300. Reportedly, dozens are being held

without bail--a measure usually reserved for hardened

criminals arrested for heinous crimes--in stark contrast to

the revolving door treatment of thousands of violent rioters

apprehended in recent months and quickly released (and

provided bail money if needed by progressive organizations,

as encouraged by Democratic leaders including Vice President

Kamala Harris).

Prospective U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland promises

to prosecute the Jan. 6 perpetrators to the full extent of

the law. It would be far better to call that riot what it is,

acknowledge the broader issue of escalating American violence

and deal with it in an even-handed way.

In my column last month, I characterized our government's

response to the supposed insurrection as ``performance

art''--the art form that utilizes dramatic live performance

to evoke an emotional response. It's an apt comparison. The

net effect of the actions outlined above has been to cement

in the public mind inordinate fear of the risk posed by

domestic terrorism, particularly of the white supremacist

variety.

Our leadership seems to think that if we're all terrified

enough, we'll go along without objection to the politicized

show-and-tell--Capitol Hill barricaded and patrolled by armed

troops, perpetrators hunted and held without bond, suspension

of due process, rampant censorship--America on a wartime

footing, but without the war.

Any threat of terrorism, foreign or domestic, from left or

right, deserves serious attention--not hyperbole and

hysteria.''

Mr. Speaker, in an era of fake news, it is refreshing to find editorialist Jerry Bellune, editor of the Lexington County Chronicle, expose the tragic fraud being perpetrated on taxpayers:

The Washington Swamp set up criminals to steal billions of

dollars through fraud.

In attempts to shovel money to the rest of us, Congress has

created an opportunity for criminal fraud.

Their real victims are us, the American taxpayers, and our

great-grandchildren who will be paying for this folly for

generations to come.

The reality is that those who created the CARES Act set us

up for up to $100 billion in fraud. The Labor Department

inspector general estimates $63 billion in tax dollars were

stolen.

As the Chronicle Tech Talk columnist Katie Ritchie has

warned, scammers wooed victims to convince them to give

personal information.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism.

Our sympathy to the family of Chamber of Commerce President Bill Mooneyhan.

Madam Speaker, I have twice in my life been denied passage at a wall or fence with both times being a limitation of freedom.

On June 12, 1990, I was denied passage in Berlin at the Brandenburg Gate by an East German Communist guard directing me to Checkpoint Charlie at the junction of Friedrichstrabe.

On February 25, 2021, I was denied passage in Washington at 2nd and C Street, which I have walked for 20 years, at a locked 12-foot fence topped with razor wire until a courageous Capitol Police Officer arrived to unlock the gate for me to be released from Capitol Hill confinement.

I appreciate the efforts of District of Columbia Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton to prevent permanent fencing surrounding Capitol Hill, which isolates legislators from constituents.

Unobtrusive security can be implemented and installed without abusing National Guard personnel who are dedicated in their service. As a 31- year Guard veteran and grateful Guard Dad of three members, I know firsthand of Guard commitment.

In conclusion, God Bless our Troops and we will never forget September 11th in the Global War on Terrorism.

Madam Speaker, Talia Kaplan of FOXBusiness reported Tuesday that Former Sen. Joe Lieberman . . . blasted the reported meetings between Biden administration officials and Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif during the Trump administration, calling it ``inappropriate.''

``A recent report from The Washington Times claimed that Biden administration officials, including John Kerry and Robert Malley, had meetings with Zarif during the Trump administration that were orchestrated to . . . `devise a political strategy to undermine the Trump administration.'

`` `I think this is a perilous time,' '' Lieberman said. `I think the previous administration carried out exactly the right policy toward Iran.' ''

`` `So I think that sends a bad signal to Iran . . . with all the uncertainty and instability in the world, the most serious enemy that could do us and our allies the most damage is the Islamic Republic of Iran.' ''

It is sad any American ignores the Iranian chant of Death to Israel, Death to America. They mean it.

In conclusion, God Bless Our Troops and we will never forget September 11th in the Global War on Terrorism.