Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentlewoman from Utah, the Honorable Celeste Maloy, be permitted to take the oath of office today.

Her certificate of election has not arrived, but there is no contest and no question has been raised with regard to her election.

Mr. Speaker, as the dean of the Utah delegation, I have the distinct honor to rise today to introduce the newest Member of the House of Representatives, Celeste Maloy. Celeste was born in southern Utah, raised in rural Nevada, and then, as an adult, chose Utah as her home. Celeste earned an agricultural degree from Southern Utah University in Cedar City which she now calls home.

She began her career in public service as a soil conservationist at the USDA in Beaver, Utah, also located within her district, where she worked for 10 years.

She left Beaver to go to law school at BYU, where she got her law degree, in my hometown, and she was a law student there, in fact, while I was her mayor.

Since beginning her late career, she has worked as a deputy county attorney, a public lands attorney for the Utah Association of Counties and, most recently, as the chief legal counsel to former Congressman Chris Stewart.

In a special election, Celeste assembled a coalition of both rural and urban voters. She was unafraid to stand for conservative principles, calling for debate in each of her 13 counties. In her district, she is known to be a hard worker, levelheaded, and consistently conservative.

We were all a little surprised that she won the election since the last thing she won was her 7th grade spelling bee, but the secret to her heart is simple: offer her a Dr. Pepper and her number one food staple, cottage cheese. Better yet, ask her about her 90-year-old grandmother, who is her biggest political fan and best critic, or her other grandmother who was her roommate when she was in high school and they worked at the same truck stop.

She is the fourth of six kids--this is how we do families in Utah-- which means that most of her life she has been in a bunk bed.

Finally, my colleagues will remember her predecessor, Chris Stewart. He was known for having several speed records around the world in his plane. Celeste does not have a flight speed record, but I hear, unbeknownst to the Utah Highway Patrol, she has several speed records on I-15 in her district.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to yield to my fellow Utahn, Celeste Maloy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which I co-lead with my good friend from Virginia (Mr. Connolly).

This legislation amends the TAIPEI Act, my bill that was signed into law in March of 2020, which countered China's poaching of Taiwan's allies and China's efforts to exclude Taiwan from international organizations.

I am proud that my bill has greatly strengthened our relationship with Taiwan. However, since the bill's signing in 2020, China has mounted pressure on international organizations to claim that Taiwan is part of China.

The Taiwan International Solidarity Act expands on the TAIPEI Act to further counter China's attempt to use international organizations to claim that Taiwan is part of China by distorting the language, policies, and procedures of international organizations.

We all witnessed this in an infamous interview at the height of COVID where a reporter asked a representative of the World Health Organization a question about Taiwan. The WHO officer initially refused to answer and then said: ``Well, we've already talked about China,'' implying that Taiwan is part of China.

It is unacceptable for international institutions, funded largely by U.S. taxpayer dollars, to be repeating the CCP narrative.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, the NTIA Policy and Cybersecurity Coordination Act. This bill would streamline the development of cybersecurity policy at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, NTIA, through the establishment of an office of policy development and cybersecurity.

This office would work with industry and stakeholders to recommend the cybersecurity practices and policies of the internet and communications technology sectors. The office of policy development and cybersecurity would also carry out the communications supply chain risk information partnership to facilitate information sharing on cybersecurity risks to small and rural communities.

State and nonstate actors are working overtime to find vulnerabilities in our networks and infrastructure. We must work even harder to ensure Americans are protected from cyberattacks.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Wild for joining me on this bill in the House and Senator Hickenlooper for leading in the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a good friend and dedicated public servant. Last week, Wayne Parker, Provo City's chief administrative officer for two decades, announced his retirement.

Having served with Mr. Parker for 8 years, I know firsthand how impossible it is to fully grasp the positive impact of Wayne Parker on Provo City. His touch for good can be found in everything we like about Provo.

For many years he has worked without fanfare or attention. Those of us that know his work best know that everything from our vibrant economy to our fun downtown and so much more have been blessed by Wayne's hard work and dedication to Provo City.

Because of his great leadership skills, Wayne was awarded the 2020 Award for Career Excellence from the International City/County Management Association. This award was a recognition of Wayne's impact on the quality of life in Provo.

I hope that his retirement brings joy and happiness. Those of us that call Provo home will never forget all he has done for us as a city. I know I will never forget all he has done for me.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise with a profound sense of reverence and humility to honor the legacy of a true American hero, Mr. Ken Potts.

Mr. Potts was one of the last two USS Arizona survivors who recently passed away at 102.

On the morning of December 7, 1941, Ken Potts answered the call of duty. As a crane operator, Mr. Potts had the responsibility of ferrying supplies to the USS Arizona. Upon reaching the harbor, he was confronted with a scene of devastation.

Mr. Potts stood as a beacon of hope. With dauntless courage, he wielded his crane as an instrument of salvation, plucking survivors from the jaws of peril and guiding them to the sanctuary off Ford Island.

To the Potts family, and especially Doris, Ken's beloved wife, our hearts are with you as you honor his memory today in this esteemed Chamber.

I am profoundly privileged to pay homage to the indomitable spirit of Ken Potts.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 1.

I stand before you like everybody in this Chamber who is a father and a grandfather, somebody who wants to leave this Earth better than we found it.

Some in the past have argued that we must sacrifice affordable energy and reliable energy so that we can be clean. We have seen Europe go down this path. They pushed back on fracking, and they pushed back on nuclear power. Today, they buy fracked fuel from an enemy.

We have been told that we must give up affordability and reliability so that we can be clean. This is a false choice, and H.R. 1 is a path to affordable, reliable, and clean energy.

Let's be honest. The U.S. energy sector is not the enemy. They are the answer to our energy future.

I ask my colleagues, why do you hate fossil fuels?

Let's hate emissions. Let's hate the emissions and not the source.

This is why H.R. 1 is so important. It is an opportunity to accomplish all three of these goals.

At its core, H.R. 1 is about responsibly building America's energy infrastructure.

The rest of the world is dying for American energy. We can replace dirty Russian, Venezuelan, and Iranian petroleum products. We can reduce more emissions than any proposal on the left simply by using U.S. energy products.

H.R. 1 pushes back on the narrative that has been spun about Republicans not caring about the Earth. More importantly, without the permitting reforms in H.R. 1, none of us can accomplish our climate or energy goals.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address my bill before us on the floor, the Informing Consumers about Smart Devices Act.

This commonsense and bipartisan bill would require the creation of reasonable disclosure guidelines for products that have audio or visual recording components that are not clearly obvious to a reasonable person, such as household appliances.

This emerging smart technology will provide unknown benefits and conveniences to modern life, but along with this new technology, we need to update transparency for consumers. My bill balances protecting American consumers with continuing to foster innovation.

By working with a broad range of stakeholders, my legislation will ensure consumers are aware of the capabilities of items they are putting in their homes without hamstringing the technology pioneers in places like Silicon Slopes in my district who are developing smart technologies.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Representative Moulton, Senator Cantwell, and Senator Cruz, for their bipartisan and bicameral support of this bill. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of the Strategic Production Response Act.

The President sold an unprecedented amount of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which was constructed to be used solely during national emergencies. I regret that the President has instead used it as a political tool to attempt to lower gas prices.

Perhaps the most frustrating thing is this administration's constant demonization not just of fossil fuels but of the very men and women who work so hard to produce them.

It is vital for a business to have regulatory certainty to ensure price stability, and President Biden's lack of guidance has created the most unclear times for the energy industry in modern history. You can't attack the oil and gas industry, say you want to put them out of business, and then complain when gas prices go up.

It is critical for the SPR to be accessible to the most vulnerable citizens at times of crisis: wildfires, flooding, tornadoes, and hurricanes.

All over the country, including in my home of Utah, there are abundant fossil fuels that can be cleanly and responsibly developed on Federal lands that could be used to replenish the SPR for times of real crisis.

This is why I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 22.

This morning, I listened very carefully to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle talk about this bill, many of whom I have great respect for their expertise in energy. I have, however, heard terms like ``political,'' ``political games,'' ``partisan.'' While this may be their perspective, I wish for just a moment that we could transport all of us to my district to see the perspective there, which is one of great hypocrisy.

On the one hand, instead of utilizing the vast American resources we cleanly produce, including in Utah, the President chose to use this country's strategic reserve to try to lower prices.

On the other hand, in fact, the President did this while attacking energy jobs in Utah by suspending energy development on Federal lands and raising the royalty to produce oil, two contributing factors to rising gas prices.

Not only did this release from the reserve barely make a dent in the cost of gas and weaken our national security, but it also directly strengthened our number one geopolitical adversary, China. Under no circumstances should our reserve be used to fund our adversaries.

Regardless of our views in this Chamber on the use of the reserve by the Biden administration, we should all agree our emergency supplies shouldn't be sent to our adversaries.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the passage of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail Advancement Act.

Today, the Bonneville Shoreline Trail extends over 100 miles and will one day go from the Idaho border to Nephi, Utah, over 280 miles. Unfortunately, the vision is limited in some areas, and my bill would fix this problem and support its completion.

In particular, my bill would release very small and targeted parcels of wilderness, often where the trail already has been constructed, and in turn designate other more deserving lands for protection. This win- win ensures the protection of this area while allowing for the trail to exist in appropriate areas without wilderness characteristics.

This commonsense approach is why my bill is supported by Utah's Governor, the entire Utah delegation, multiple surrounding local governments, Trails Utah, the Bonneville Shoreline Trail Committee, Outdoor Alliance, The Trust for Public Land, IMBA, and, most importantly, my grandson Jett, who is an avid bike rider on this trail.

With the rapid growth in and around Salt Lake City, it is more important than ever to support new recreation opportunities such as the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of one of my constituents, Ashley Rees, who has been awarded the American Fork High School Visual Arts Sterling Scholar Award.

The Sterling Scholar Award recognizes the talent of students gifted in the arts and sciences in my home State of Utah. This is an impressive award, and I can only think of a few who are as worthy of this award as Ashley.

I have been personally impressed with Ashley's artwork, but also her hard work and her dedication to her growth as an artist. I am thankful to have such young, talented artists like Ashley in my district.

As the Representative for the youngest congressional district in the United States, few things make me prouder than seeing the talent of some of these young constituents.

Congratulations, Ashley. I look forward to seeing you flourish more and more.

Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the following op- ed:

[From the Deseret News, Sept. 27, 2022]

Opinion: This Utah Climate Action is a Win for All Sides

(By Keven Stratton)

The recent divisive partisan fight in Washington over the

Democrats' controversial $369 billion climate legislation was

disappointing to watch.

Equally troubling is how the climate and energy provisions

in the bill are being ``scored'' as a ``zero-sum game.''

Renewable energy provisions are deemed a ``win'' for climate,

while provisions supporting fossil fuel use are viewed as a

``loss.''

A much better public policy approach is to develop the

broadest bipartisan consensus on as many issues as possible.

Utah has shown that on important climate questions not only

can we achieve this but that unanimity is even possible.

In the last legislative session, we unanimously passed and

Gov. Spencer Cox signed HCR1, ``Concurrent Resolution to Work

Together to Address the Climate, Public Lands, and Carbon

Sequestration,'' which lays out a win-win strategy for

protecting and improving our natural resources and the

environment while also significantly controlling greenhouse

gases.

The underlying approach in HCR1 is to protect the

atmospheric carbon now being stored in natural systems like

forests and rangeland soils while also sequestering

additional CO2 by better harnessing the processes nature has

perfected and proven throughout the ages.

Everyone understands how forest fires massively contribute

to air pollution and produce greenhouse gases. Less well

understood is the importance of rangeland and soil health,

and HCR1 also highlights this. The proven potential here is

enormous, as several examples illustrate. Dr. Fred Provenza,

world-renowned emeritus professor at Utah State University,

and several colleagues have estimated that simply restoring

the soil health of the world's historic grasslands could

``lower greenhouse gas concentrations to pre-industrial

levels in a matter of decades.''

The Rodale Institute has done extensive surveys and

conducted field trials of organic and regenerative

agriculture practices in the U.S. and abroad. Based on this

they conclude: ``We have proven that organic agriculture and,

specifically, regenerative organic agriculture can sequester

carbon from the atmosphere and reverse climate change . . . .

With the use of cover crops, compost, crop rotation and

reduced tillage, we can actually sequester more carbon than

is currently emitted, tipping the needle past 100% to reverse

climate change.''

This approach is also a win-win because these natural

sequestration processes also generate many valuable ``co-

benefits.'' These include improved water quality and

quantity, better fish and wildlife habitat, increased

biodiversity, improved food and commodity yields using far

less chemicals, better drought resiliency, reduced flooding

and danger of catastrophic wildfire, as well as stronger and

more prosperous rural economies, among others.

HCR1 focuses primarily on improving federal forest

management to better prevent catastrophic wildfires but its

basic principles are broadly applicable. While the federal

government is beginning to incorporate some of its

recommendations in managing forests and rangelands, these

efforts are pitifully inadequate in light of the magnitude of

both the problems and the potential for remediation.

One of HCR1's most significant recommendations is that the

federal government adopt a ``social benefits of carbon

control'' test to rank climate policy options. Since many

different policies can lower greenhouse gas levels, it is

only common sense and responsible policy-making to choose the

most co-beneficial ones. Applying this test would allow us to

transition to the energy sources of the future more

gradually, rationally, economically and responsibly while

still addressing climate concerns. It would mean we could

still provide the affordable, abundant and reliable energy

that is so essential to improving and maintaining our quality

of life. Rather than engaging in a zero-sum game, we could

choose a win-win solution. HCR1 passed unanimously because it

incorporates such a ``climate-smart'' approach. It teaches an

important lesson that, sadly, Washington has yet to learn.

Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the following Utah State Legislature Resolution:

Concurrent Resolution to Work Together to Address the Climate, Public

Lands, and Carbon Sequestration, 2022 General Session, State of Utah

Chief Sponsor: Keven J. Stratton

Senate Sponsor: David P. Hinkins

Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Carter for his support.

I rise today in support of the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act. There is no putting the genie back in the bottle. COVID-19 highlighted the importance of telehealth, especially in providing quality care for rural communities. This bill would extend telehealth offered through Medicare through the end of 2024.

Like many of my colleagues, I would like to see that go longer. This bill includes a provision I have supported in my bill, the Protecting Mental Health Services Act, which extends mental health services delivered through telehealth.

While Utah has, for the most part, returned to regular life, it is important that we keep in place those flexibilities that give Utahns control over their healthcare decisions.

I support this bill and am pleased the Protecting Mental Health Services Act was included. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support its passage.