Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, as we begin National Police Week, we recognize the brave men and women of law enforcement who serve and protect our communities every day.

It was President Ronald Reagan who said: ``Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid.''

From carrying out high-risk warrants to patrolling our neighborhoods

to maintain order, we rely on police officers, our sheriffs, and our troopers to keep us safe.

The bravery that they show in the face of evil--rushing toward an emergency is what stands between lawlessness and order on our streets, and ultimately safety in our homes.

Sadly, we are so often reminded that there are those in this Congress who have looked to defund our law enforcement--actively working to strip them of the tools, the training, and the equipment that they need in order to allow us to remain safe.

So far this year, 135 officers have been wounded by gunfire, 38 by ambush-style attacks, with 15 officers losing their lives in the line of duty, the ultimate sacrifice.

While crime continues to rise in our cities, it is unconscionable that anyone would seek to take away the resources and support for those who have the courage to serve and protect us every day and every night.

Matthew 5 says: ``Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.''

The officers across Pennsylvania embody this scripture.

This week, please join me in praying for the men and women who wear the badge. Join me in praying for their safety.

Let's recommit ourselves to standing with our law enforcement officers. Let's pledge to never defund the police. In this Congress, let's promise to always back the men and women in blue.

Mr. Speaker, since President Biden took office and put a stop to the construction of a wall along our southern border, more than 1.3 million illegal immigrants have entered our country and avoided apprehension.

Now, as title 42 is set to expire, a mass of migrants from Central America have formed at our points of entry from McAllen, Texas, to San Diego, California. This represents both a security and a humanitarian crisis, as resources are strained and migrants overwhelm our Border Patrol agents, allowing more deadly drugs to continue to spill into our great United States.

In March, fentanyl seizures increased by 25 percent just from the prior month. We have seen the deadly toll that fentanyl-related substances have on our communities. In the past 2 years, more than 14,000 pounds of this deadly drug have been seized, enough to kill every man, woman, and child in America.

The problems on the border are widespread, and so far in 2023, 80 people whose names appear on the terrorist watch list have been apprehended at our southern border. These statistics show the danger of this administration's failed and negligent border policies.

Our Commitment to America means offering an alternative that, once again, puts Pennsylvania families first. It is time to pass the Secure the Border Act. It is time to end catch and release. It is time to increase the number of Border Patrol agents. It is time to finally complete construction of the border wall on our southern border.

What Americans need right now is a Nation that is safe, not more hand-wringing from the Biden administration. The time is now to finally protect our southern border.

Mr. Speaker, for nearly three decades, Chairman Bud Shuster represented the people of central Pennsylvania here in the Halls of Congress.

After leaving Congress in 2001, Chairman Shuster returned home to Bedford County, Pennsylvania, where he remained active in his service, teaching at a university level, working on his farm, and spending time with those he loved.

When I first decided to run for office, I called Bud and asked him for his advice. For the next hour, he talked to me about what an honor it is to serve in the United States Congress, what an honor it is to sit in committee, what an honor it is to work on the issues that matter most to the families in Pennsylvania.

Bud Shuster ran unopposed for his seat eight times in the decades that he served, a testament to how much the communities that he represented cared for him and recognized that they would have no greater champion in Washington.

For 6 years, Chairman Shuster held the gavel on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where he fought to build roads, bridges, and waterways that Americans still rely on each and every day.

His drive and determination helped to bring our infrastructure into the 21st century, paving the way for innovation and new development in Pennsylvania and across the United States.

When I would drive home to Pennsylvania on Interstate 99, the road that Bud Shuster built and the road that bears his name, I would often call the former chairman and, once again, ask for his advice. We would talk about his farm, what votes had occurred, and when votes were upcoming the next week.

I will miss those calls, and all of us will miss the man known simply as Mr. Chairman.

Over 4 billion trips are taken on American highways each year, and each one of those travelers owes a certain amount of respect to the commitment that Bud Shuster showed to transportation and infrastructure in America.

Personally, my wife, Alice, and I will miss Mr. Chairman and miss what he did for those of us in central Pennsylvania.

Mr. Speaker, for nearly three decades, Chairman Bud Shuster was a tireless champion for the people of central Pennsylvania. He truly earned the nickname ``Mr. Chairman'' as he led the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee into the 21st century, spearheading infrastructure projects that have stood the test of time and remain standing today, not only in Pennsylvania, but throughout the United States.

Chairman Shuster's vision and his leadership built the roads, the bridges, and the waterways that have allowed our communities and our Nation to thrive. On behalf of all the Pennsylvania delegation standing here with me this evening, I ask for a moment of silence to honor the late chairman, Bud Shuster.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to wish Henry Haldeman a happy 100th birthday and to thank him for his service to our country during World War II.

After joining the Army, Sergeant Haldeman landed at Anzio Beach in Italy, becoming one of the first Americans to begin liberating the oppressed people of Europe.

From Anzio to Germany, Henry Haldeman and the men of the 14th Army Infantry fought bravely and sacrificed much as they helped to turn around the horrors of World War II.

Receiving both a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star, Henry Haldeman represents what truly made his the Greatest Generation.

After returning home to Port Royal, Henry found joy working on his family's farm, growing corn and feeding young calves. His life has been a beacon of what it means to serve his country and his community both at home and abroad.

On behalf of everyone in Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District, I wish Henry Haldeman a happy 100th birthday and continued blessings to come.

Mr. Chair, for the past 2 years, President Biden has made it his top priority to wage war on American energy.

On his first day in office, President Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline and sent a message for those who wished to produce energy here in the United States that they would not be welcomed during his tenure.

When gas prices soared to over $5 a gallon in Pennsylvania last summer, his administration continued to tout the benefits of the Green New Deal, instead of working to lower prices for American families.

Now, House Republicans are finally putting an end to Biden's failed policies. H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, would create the permitting reform that is required in order to allow American companies to produce the oil, natural gas, and critical minerals that we so desperately need.

Included in this bill is legislation that I crafted to provide critical energy resource facilities the ability to participate in the EPA's flexible air permitting program and providing them with the ability to anticipate operational changes.

This isn't about cutting regulations. It is about giving certainty to American energy producers. This legislation allows us to provide the flexibility that American businesses need to mine and produce critical materials safely while at the same time spurring investments into our own communities.

It was President Reagan who said: We maintain peace through our strength.

Today, that means returning to American energy dominance and ending our reliance on foreign oil. It is time to streamline the permitting process, it is time to lower energy prices, and it is time to create American jobs.

Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1.

Madam Speaker, it is estimated that more than 100,000 additional lives could be saved each year if CPR was initiated on time. We saw firsthand that CPR saved the life of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who was resuscitated after collapsing during a game in Cincinnati this year on January 2.

Sadly, more than 7,000 young people are stricken by sudden cardiac arrest like the one that was suffered by Damar Hamlin, and it is currently the leading cause of death for student athletes. That is why it is so critical that teachers, coaches, and all trainers become proficient on how to perform CPR and how to use automatic defibrillators.

By completing CPR training and by placing automatic defibrillators within reach at athletic venues, we can help to restart hearts, save lives, and protect our student athletes.

Restoring Our Nation to Energy Independence

Madam Speaker, as Americans look to return to energy dominance, it has become clear that we urgently need a change in

our energy policy by reforming the permitting process, by boosting the production of critical minerals, and by reversing President Biden's antienergy policies that have made our country less secure.

It is time to pass H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, and increase domestic energy production to restore our Nation to the energy independence that we enjoyed before President Biden took office.

H.R. 1 will stop Biden's $6 billion natural gas tax. It will require the Department of the Interior to resume lease sales on Federal lands. H.R. 1 will enhance our ability to develop critical energy resources.

Unfortunately, Pennsylvania families are hurting because of the restrictive energy policies enacted by far-left liberals under the guise of green energy. Now is the time to embrace the critical resources like oil, natural gas, and Marcellus shale that are underneath the feet of my constituents in Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District. It is time to pass H.R. 1 and get back to working for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to address an issue that impacts nearly 200,000 women each year. Triple-negative breast cancer, or TNBC, makes up 15 percent of invasive breast cancer cases in the United States. Unfortunately, this deadly disease often fails to show up on scans or even in biopsies.

This form of breast cancer can spread quickly. Sadly, because of the nature of the cancer cells involved, there are fewer treatment options available compared to the other forms of cancer that many patients face.

Studies have shown a geographic link to contracting TNBC, and 3 out of every 1,000 women in Pennsylvania will contract this form of breast cancer each year. That is why it is so critical that we raise awareness for this disease and encourage women to be screened, as catching this disease early can significantly improve patient outcomes.

Even if you are feeling well, talk with your doctor about being screened for cancer. These procedures are often noninvasive and can make the difference in your family and in your life.

Together, we can raise awareness and fight against deadly diseases like triple-negative breast cancer that claim far too many American lives.

Celebrating National Agriculture Day

Mr. Speaker, as we Celebrate National Agriculture Day, we recognize the farmers, growers, and producers that work to feed our families and provide our children with nutrient-rich foods that they so desperately need.

Dairy farmers in central Pennsylvania work hard to provide dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt that are essential to childhood and adolescent development. Bones, muscle, brain, and vital organs all rely on products like whole milk for healthy development--the whole milk that cannot be replicated by inadequate limitations that are found in plants and nuts.

Our students deserve better than these fraudulent products, and we cannot allow almonds or soy to be passed off as dairy to American families.

It is time to ensure that whole milk is once again available in every school cafeteria. It is time to pass legislation like the DAIRY PRIDE Act and the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act that will support families, support the growth of students, and support our dairy farmers.

Mr. Speaker, if you lined up the $10 trillion that the Congressional Budget Office reports we will owe as interest on our national debt, if you line that up in $100 bills, it would stretch from New York City to Los Angeles and then back again.

This money does nothing to keep us safe, it does nothing to fund Medicare, and it does nothing to secure our border.

This debt has caused skyrocketing inflation. It has decimated savings accounts. It has mortgaged our Nation's future all for short-term political gain.

It is time to stop the runaway spending on Green New Deal priorities that fail to help the American people.

When President Biden unveils his budget on Thursday, it must include a plan to reduce our debt. It must return to commonsense fiscal restraint and protect American taxpayers who cannot afford to keep wasting money on reckless budget proposals.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address a crisis that President Biden refuses to acknowledge: the derailment of a train in East Palestine, Ohio, that has left a community traumatized and families afraid to drink the water that comes through their faucets.

Instead of compassion, these families received nothing but a cold shoulder from President Biden. Instead of certainty, these families received a rushed process to test the water that they drink and the air that they breathe.

What we need is a full accounting of events.

As a doctor, I urge the EPA to continue to repeat their tests and to provide an accurate assessment of the risks posed to our communities' air and drinking water.

An administration that fails to provide for the safety of its people is a failed administration. I stand here to urge President Biden to visit East Palestine and finally support those Americans who are hurting.

We need transparency, we need accountability, and we need to address this head-on; not with shrugs and handwringing, that is what we have seen so far from President Biden.

We need to see compassion, we need to see thoroughness, and we need to see diligence in addressing this problem.

Origin of COVID 19

Mr. Speaker, 3 years ago, as a new and dangerous virus caused by the Chinese Communist Party began to spread, they shut down internal travel but allowed international flights to continue.

The Chinese Communist Party was attempting to stop COVID-19 from spreading within its own borders while allowing it to come to the shores of America.

This weekend, the Department of Energy finally confirmed what we have all along suspected: that this leak did not come from a wet market and that it escaped from a lab in central China.

This virus and the related government policies led to vaccine mandates, lost jobs, supply chain problems, and the isolation of our Nation's young people.

It is time today to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable. What we need now is to predict, prepare, and prevent another such disaster from occurring.

The American people want and deserve answers, and they deserve accountability for the hardships that this virus, unleashed by the Chinese Communist Party, has caused. Now we need to ensure that a crisis like this can never occur again.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Allegheny Township Police Chief Leo J. Berg, III, and thank him for his 30 years of service to the Blair County community.

The hallmark of Chief Berg's time in law enforcement is the relationships he built within the community he served. From responding to medical emergencies to treating every person he met with respect and dignity, Chief Berg strived to treat everyone he interacted with fairly and with respect.

His tireless efforts to enforce the law and keep Blair County safe have been invaluable. Through his commitment to training and professionalism, the Chief has set an example for young officers that will continue to serve Allegheny Township well.

Chief Berg, and his wife of 39 years, Kim Berg, have been pillars of Allegheny Township, and in his retirement, Chief Berg will leave a lasting legacy.

On behalf of all of Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District, I thank Chief Berg for his service and wish him every continued success.

Madam Speaker, tomorrow evening, President Biden will deliver his second State of the Union Address and attempt to defend his failed agenda, an agenda that has led to high inflation, crumbling supply chains, and, worst of all, an open southern border that has led to far too many deaths from drugs like fentanyl.

We have seen reckless government spending drive the price of household goods out of reach for so many families. We have seen businesses forced to shut down assembly lines because of ridiculous vaccine mandates that led to critical components rusting in our ports instead of arriving on time at factories in Pennsylvania. As we stand in this body today, the number one killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 49 is fentanyl poisoning.

We need the President to show that he is willing to work with Congress to address the crises that his administration has caused. We need to cut spending. We need to slow inflation. We need to see that real American families have an administration that is listening to them. We need to end the public health emergency that has led to a shortage of healthcare workers. We need to finally see a plan to address the crisis that we all recognize at our southern border.

Two weeks ago, parents from Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Ray and Deb Cullen, came before the Energy and Commerce Committee and told the story of their son Zach, who lost his life to fentanyl poisoning just a few short months ago.

It is time for President Biden to address this crisis that has killed thousands of men, women, and children across Pennsylvania and offer us a concrete solution to secure our border and put a stop to these needless American deaths.

American families are struggling, and so far, we have seen shockingly few attempts from the Biden administration to confront kitchen table issues that face every American.

Pennsylvanians do not need a Green New Deal-focused EPA that threatens to take away their gas stoves. Families in my district do not need more government handouts that only raise the price of groceries, gas, cars, and housing and continue to grow our national debt.

What Americans need tomorrow night here in this Chamber are answers. We can't afford another year of emptiness. We cannot afford another year of President Biden's failed policies.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the work of Fire Captain Kirk Mitchell and to thank him for his service to our country and to our community.

From becoming a volunteer firefighter at the age of 16 to joining the United States Marine Corps at the age of 18, Kirk Mitchell set out early in life to care for those in need of help and to protect those who could not protect themselves.

Kirk would go on to work as an EMT, a public safety instructor, and an emergency management officer.

His extensive work took him from California to Puerto Rico to aid those who had been affected by wildfires and floods.

Throughout all of his work, Captain Mitchell has maintained a connection with Blair County, Pennsylvania, serving as a steadfast member of the Altoona Fire Department.

Kirk's commitment to protecting lives and supporting his fellow firefighters has been a hallmark of his wonderful career.

On behalf of Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District, I wish Kirk every continued success.

Socialist Policies Have No Place in Our Society

Mr. Speaker, it was 34 years ago that the Iron Curtain finally fell, revealing to the world the horrible truths of socialism and providing a stark contrast between the United States and the enemies who wish to do us harm.

In the Capitol rotunda, we keep a warning of the dangers of socialism. A piece of the Berlin Wall is embedded in the base of the statue of President Ronald Reagan who championed the work of ending socialism around the world.

From Venezuela to the Soviet Union, from Fidel Castro in Cuba to Kim Jong-un in North Korea, every attempt to build a socialist or communist society has only led to ruin.

Socialism is a tyranny that we can no longer afford to ignore.

As this administration continues to pick winners and losers in our economy and as President Biden continues to cancel debts for liberal elites on the backs of working Americans, it is time for us to clearly state that socialist policies have no place in our democracy. It is time for our country to return to the ideals of our Founding Fathers.

Our country was built on the belief that we are all created with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These rights can only be fulfilled if we live in a Nation, a Nation that is truly free. We must condemn socialism in all of its forms.

It was President Reagan who once said: ``Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for and protected.''

We cannot afford to let our country be governed by socialist policies. We must protect our freedoms, and we must protect our liberties at all costs.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

This legislation--let's explain this very simply--is necessary because we need to install the guardrails to protect the strategic reserve.

Before this administration, it was unimaginable that a President would declare war on American energy. That is why we are bringing this legislation forward, to ensure that our Strategic Petroleum Reserve is being used only for emergencies and not to score cheap political points.

Any plan that uses this reserve outside of a national emergency must have a corresponding plan to backfill our stores.

It is unacceptable to cancel projects like the Keystone XL pipeline, strip away American energy jobs, and harass our energy producers while also using up our emergency supplies.

Americans cannot afford for the White House to play political games.

We need to lower prices at the gas pump for the Pennsylvania families that I represent. Using our emergency supplies is unsustainable, and actually, it is reckless.

We cannot afford to waste any more time holding up permits and creating complicated regulations that only slow down production.

It is time to return to American energy dominance and use the resources that are under the feet of my constituents.

I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Coldwell Banker Town & Country Real Estate of Altoona, as they celebrate an impressive 50 years in business.

Under the leadership of Bob Pennington and his talented team, Coldwell Banker Town & Country Real Estate has become a trusted, household name in the Blair County community. In both 1995 and 2008, the business was named the Number One Coldwell banker affiliate office in the United States, earning the team recognition in their competitive industry.

Bob Pennington discovered his passion for real-estate after first selling a property owned by his father--a feat he accomplished nearly immediately at the property's first open house. Town & Country Real Estate opened its doors in January of 1973, and eventually joined Coldwell Banker Residential Affiliates Inc. in 1986. Throughout 50 years of business, Pennington and his team have sold over 17,000 homes, assisting individuals and families recognize the American dream.

Throughout his career, Bob has led by example and been involved with a variety of community boards and initiatives.

I applaud Coldwell Banker Town & Country Real Estate on their 50 years in business and look forward to their continued success.