Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member of the Budget Committee, my friend, Congressman Jason Smith, for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, COVID relief, here we go again. The left continues to manipulate the English language however it suits their fancy, lying to the American people about what is really happening in the swamp.

American Rescue Plan? Please. President Biden is dropping bombs before anybody is getting checks.

Relief? Where is the relief for moms and dads trying to return their children to school?

This legislation has more funding for Democrat pet projects than it does for getting our kids out from behind the screens and back into the classrooms.

Democrats say this money that hasn't been and won't be spent any time soon is urgently needed to safely reopen schools. Bull. Many States have had their schools open for months now. By one estimate, State departments of education have between $53 and $63 billion in Federal funds to reopen that is unspent. This bill has another $130 billion, but only 5 percent would be spent this school year.

Democrats should stop using kids' schooling as a bargaining chip for more money for teachers' unions. Stop holding our children's education hostage for your pet projects and your lobbyist friends.

What about our seniors? Where is the relief for those who have suffered under the draconian leadership of Cuomo, Whitmer, and Newsom?

This legislation uses COVID like cheap drugstore concealer, masking the nasty truth about Democrat spending. This is nothing more than a trashy spending spree while doing nothing for those who have suffered the most from this China virus.

With $1 trillion left unspent from previous COVID bills, only 9 percent of this bill is going to address COVID-related issues. About 45 percent of it won't be spent until 2022 and beyond.

It begs the question: Why would Democrats push such a partisan, divisive, and, frankly, unhelpful bill?

Mr. Speaker, the answer can be found on K Street, where lobbyists close to Pelosi, Schumer, and Biden are already chilling the bubbly.

Mr. Speaker, America can see why this legislation will be the first COVID bill to receive zero bipartisan support. Americans know this bill will benefit States and unions that have been poorly mismanaged; but on Main Street, the small businesses will continue to suffer, $90 billion to bail out private pension plans, $500 billion to States and localities to keep their economies locked down.

Less than 9 percent of this $1.9 trillion goes to something COVID- related. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood gets funding, pensions get bailed out, and San Francisco's balance sheets go from red to black. I have said it before, and I will say it again: Planned Parenthood can go fund themselves.

If conservatives were in charge, Mr. Speaker, you would see a limited and targeted relief plan, while enabling businesses and schools to remain open and reigniting our economy. Look at Florida and Texas, that have led the way. Never forget, these jobs are essential, and the best stimulus package is to reopen.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member, Jim Jordan, for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I was raised in a Democrat home, so I understand how these policies are deceiving. I understand that we are told guns are scary. That is what we were told, and that is what we believed, because we trusted the people who we voted for. But just as with most things in life, I grew up and learned that there is a better way to live. I was ignorant to firearms and the proper use of them.

Mr. Speaker, when I became a business owner, I needed to protect myself. There was an altercation outside of my restaurant, where a man was physically beat to death. There were no weapons involved. He was beaten to death by another man's hands.

I have a lot of young girls who work in my restaurant, and we needed an equalizer. I am 5 feet tall. I weigh barely 100 pounds. I need something against a stronger potential aggressor to defend myself with.

Talk about women's rights. Don't take my right away to protect myself.

I mean, seriously, what are we doing here? I ask the supporters of this legislation, who do you think you are to disarm Americans and leave them vulnerable without help?

You want to defund our police and yet leave us without a way to protect ourselves.

Our Founding Fathers gave us a list of items. They said don't touch these things. And I am telling you, keep your hands off of our Second Amendment.

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.

Mr. Speaker, in 2019, as a private citizen, a mom, a small business owner, I was ticked off that a politician running for President of the United States wanted to strip away our enumerated constitutional rights. So with my Glock on my hip, I drove 3 hours to tell Robert Francis O'Rourke, also known as Beto, hell no, you are not taking our guns.

That message resonated with millions of Americans. But, sadly, the Democrat Party, isolated in their basements and gated mansions, still hasn't gotten the message. Those on the left who would steamroll the rights of law-abiding citizens are still at it.

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle seem to be totally oblivious to the message Americans sent in 2020. Nearly 8.5 million Americans purchased a firearm for the very first time in 2020. With the left defunding the police, and antifa rioting, looting, burning down businesses, people made the reasonable and rational decision to take self-protection seriously and arm themselves.

And the Democrat response? More regulations, more bureaucracy, more control, less freedom.

Mr. Speaker, I will say it again, and I will say it nice and loud so everyone can hear me. Those on the left are still tucked away safely in their gated mansions with their armed security, ignoring everyday Americans.

For me, this is a hell no. It is a hell no to government treading on our rights. It is a hell no to the regulation of our Second Amendment. It is a hell no to government trampling on our freedoms.

All these new gun laws will do is leave law-abiding citizens defenseless while criminals--wait for it--break the law.

So, I have a few questions for my colleagues on the left. I want to know, why do you trust the American people so little? Why do you look down on them as lesser than you? How detached are you to believe that someone else's rights should be subject to bureaucratic permission, to your permission? Why is it okay to provide armed security for yourself but take away the right of Americans to do so themselves?

Why do you feel the need to keep a registry of gun owners? Do you not trust the American people? Are you afraid of your neighbors? Do you despise their rights?

How much power over the American people will it take to satisfy these radicals on the left? Our rights don't come from politicians. They come from God Almighty. Stop pretending to be God. Do your job and protect the rights of the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arkansas for yielding. I thank Mr. Stauber for working with me on several amendments that protect Colorado's Third Congressional District. All 11 of my amendments to give voice to the people in my district were denied.

Mr. Speaker, this bill targets my district and would lock up more than 550,000 acres of it with new wilderness designations. The Mesa County Commissioners, Montezuma County Commissioners, Dolores County Commissioners, the Archuleta County Commissioners, White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts, the Colorado Farm Bureau, and numerous other constituencies in Colorado strongly oppose this bill because of the damage they know that it will cause and activities it will prevent.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record several of those letters of opposition.

Colorado Snowmobile Association,

COHVCO, Trails Preservation Alliance,

February 23, 2021.

Re 2021 Omnibus Wilderness & Amendments.

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert,

Att: Jeff Smalls & Ashley Higgins,

Washington DC.

Dear Jeff and Ashley: Please accept this correspondence as

the comments of the above referenced Organizations vigorously

opposing the CORE Wilderness Proposal (HR 803) and the

Colorado Wilderness Act (HR577) hereinafter referred to as

``the Proposal''. After a detailed review of the Proposal,

the Organizations have concluded that every area expanded or

created in the Proposal would result in significant lost

recreational opportunities for the overwhelming portion of

visitors to the Proposal area, both currently and in the

future. While there are significant lost opportunities, there

is also no additional protections for multiple use routes

that might remain outside the Wilderness areas and no new

areas are designated or released for multiple use

recreational opportunities.

The Organizations have spent many years trying to hammer

out something that works for everyone around these proposals,

and have simply been stonewalled at every turn by the

sponsors of this legislation in both Houses of Congress. This

is despite the fact our groups were thanked by outgoing

Senator Mark Udall for our collaboration and efforts around

the development of the Hermosa Creek Watershed Management

legislation signed into law on December 19, 2014 as Section

3062 in the Carl Levin and Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon National

Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (PL 113-291).

This legislation released a WSA and specifically protected

motorized usage in the area moving forward, designated a

large special management area where multiple uses were

protected and designated Wilderness in areas where that

management was appropriate. We had hoped this collaboration

was a roadmap for resolving many of the ongoing challenges we

encounter around Wilderness designation and releases.

Unfortunately, we were incorrect as exemplified by the

efforts around HR 577 and HR 803 as phone calls are not

returned, meetings are continued and ideological trench

warfare has returned around these Proposals.

It is worth noting, the Colorado Wilderness Act would

heavily impact many recently developed trail networks that

have enjoyed strong bi-partisan and community support or

historical trail networks that serve a wide range of

interests. Examples of these types of losses would include:

1. Bangs Canyon area, which developed an extensive multiple

use trail network after a complete NEPA review and analysis

and almost a million dollars in direct funding from users for

the project. The Bangs Canyon SMA area is now to be

designated as Wilderness.

2. Delores Canyon--this area has a large network of trails

serving a wide range of interests that has existed for an

extended period of time without controversy.

While the list above is far from exhaustive, these are

examples of impacts we are seeing all too frequently.

a. Our position on Specific Amendments

Please note that while we do not specifically address every

Amendment, several of these are unrelated to recreational

usages and outside our expertise to discuss in a meaningful

manner. While we are not opposed to any of the Amendments on

the list, we are not taking a position.

1. Rep. Boebert 30x30 Program Nullification Amendment #18:

Vigorously support. This Executive Order is a direct

conflict with multiple mandates that have managed public

lands successfully for decades. Not only does this EO

conflict with these mandates, the application of these

concepts to private property rights and interests is even

more troubling.

2. Rep. Boebert--BLM headquarters--Amendment #16:

Vigorously support. Moving BLM national headquarters closer

to lands owned and managed by BLM has greatly increased the

responsiveness of the BLM to a wide range of issues. This

amendment has garnered strong bipartisan support.

3. Rep. Boebert Native Americans, Other Minorities and

Women Jobs Protection Act-- Amendment #60:

No position.

4. Rep. Boebert CO, AZ, CA, WA Wilderness Study Act

Amendment #56:

Vigorously support. The lingering designations around the

Wilderness process create significant management challenges

moving forward in areas that have never been suitable for

designation as Wilderness. The loss of historical

recreational opportunities due to the lingering designation

of the West Needles WSA was a major issue driving the Hermosa

Creek legislation.

Mr. Speaker, Democrats have ignored our local communities and their needs with this land grab.

In their letter of opposition, Mesa County points out three of the five wilderness areas in Mesa County in this bill that have had large fires in recent years, and that wilderness designations harm active management and wildfire activities.

I hope that when Members visit my district on horseback, they are telling people that this land will soon burn, because if we do not actively manage our forest, Mother Nature will continue to manage it for us.

Mr. Speaker, the amendments that are offered today would protect energy production, local grazing rights, water rights, access to our public lands, and allow wildfire mitigation. Perhaps, and most importantly, these amendments give the people of my district a voice, ensuring local officials have a seat at the table when land use is changed in their respective counties.

The victory in my election showed the will of the people in Colorado's Third District. They want to keep their land open for public use.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Member for his thoughtful amendments, and I strongly encourage support on these amendments today.

Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 39.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding. I rise today to oppose the latest Democrat land grab, in the form of H.R. 803.

This bill, which is actually eight bills piled into one, adds nearly 1.5 million acres of new wilderness and permanently withdraws 1.2 million acres from mineral production. Seriously? This is the approach we are taking?

Democrats want to stop mineral production, lock up our lands, and depend on our enemies in Russia, Saudi Arabia, and China for our energy, all while pretending to be green.

It is unacceptable to outsource our energy development to countries that often use child and slave labor. We literally have children mining in Congo with their bare hands to appease these not-in-my-backyard extremists.

Speaking of backyards, Mr. Speaker, the sponsor of title I in this bill doesn't have a single acre designated as new wilderness in her district, yet title I alone locks up 510,000 acres in my district. The Grand Junction Chamber sent me a letter opposing this, stating: These are lands that are literally in our backyard in Mesa County, yet Congresswoman DeGette continues to ignore us, does not meet with us, and does not even consider the consequences of her bill on the hardworking families of our district.

Could anyone here imagine me legislating away any part of Denver or Boulder? The Member who authored title I's attack on my district simply responds to doubts and concerns by inviting D.C. swampers to my district on horseback to look at the pretty views, and then they call it a day.

Dolores County is mentioned several times in this massive land grab. The locals, elected officials, and experts have expressed their disdain for this bill repeatedly over the years, with no regard from the bill's sponsors.

After the past year of statewide lockdowns, the last thing communities in my district need is further restrictions imposed by the Federal Government on what they can do on public lands. Mr. Speaker, the majority is silencing the people of my district in order to ram through a 3 million-acre land grab.

Have supporters of this legislation considered the disastrous wildfires that will result from the new wilderness designation and other land grabs in this bill? Wilderness is the most restrictive land use designation possible. It prevents active management of our forests, which is critical for mitigation against catastrophic wildfires. If we don't manage our forests, Mother Nature will continue to manage them for us.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from Texas, Congressman Chip Roy, for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I have said it before and I will say it again: cancel culture has become a pillar of the left.

Today, cancel culture took on toy potatoes, but not a sitting Governor accused of sexual assault. That is where we have come to.

From Kevin Hart to Gina Carano, the woke mob will go after decades- old comments, and in Gina's case, for simply being a Conservative. The woke mob now includes big tech, major corporations, and the Hollywood elites at Disney who fired Ms. Carano for the crime of--wait for it-- posting conservative content on social media.

They tried to come after me, too. Twitter tried to cancel me. It didn't work. The fake news at CNN and other outlets also tried to cancel me for simply walking around the Capitol with my family. That didn't work either. Mr. Speaker, it will never work because I refuse to bow to the cancel mob.

We are a nation that has always had the audacity to dream, the strength to lead, and the boldness to speak our minds. We must stand tall and kneel before God. Scripture says that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus is Lord.

Now, that is an audacious statement in America right now: Jesus is Lord.

Why is that such a controversy?

Because there is power in the name of Jesus.

This isn't the first time Christians have been attacked for professing the Lordship of Jesus.

If you go to the Book of Acts, Peter and John were arrested. It says: Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them and they put them in custody until the next day for it was already evening. However, many of those who heard the word believed and the number of men came to be about 5,000.

There were 5,000 salvations because someone had the boldness to speak in the name of Jesus. It goes on.

Now, when they saw the boldness--their boldness was tangible. It was evident to the people around them. It wasn't in a prayer closet. It wasn't hidden. It was out in front. They saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men.

That means that they didn't know the languages that they were speaking in. They were speaking in unknown languages.

They marveled and they analyzed that they had been with Jesus. Their

boldness was so tangible, so intense the people around them knew that they had been in the presence of Jesus. Wow.

It goes on to say: What shall we do to these men? For, indeed that a notable miracle has been done through them. It is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem and we cannot deny it, but so that it spreads further among the people, let us severely threaten them-- Whew, sounds like America. That sounds really familiar right now--that we would severely threaten them, that from now on, they speak to no man in this name. They wouldn't even say the name, in this name.

So they called them, and they commanded them not to speak at all, nor teach. They were not allowed to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.

But Peter and John answered and said to them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than God, you judge.

It goes on to say exactly what God will do if you remain bold and strong in your convictions and if you refuse to bow down to the cancel mob, to the woke culture.

Peter and John spoke out. Now, Lord, look on their threats and grant to Your servants boldness as we may speak Your word by stretching out Your hands, hands to heal, that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy servant, Jesus.

This is the boldness that God is looking for right now. He said, if we cry out to Him, He will hear us, and He will heal our land.

This cancel culture isn't just to keep us quiet; it is to stop the very plan and movement of God Almighty. But I have read the end of the book and we win. Glory to God. God bless America.

Do not give up the faith and hope in God. He will turn all shame into glory.

Absolutely. Absolutely. It is an ongoing testimony of even the lives that we are living today. Our stories, I believe, will be recorded as there are a cloud of witnesses that are watching eagerly what we are going to do. They have been waiting for this time and this season and they are watching the sons of men. They are watching us like never before.

Jesus came here and He showed us how to live, not as God, but as men, anointed by the spirit of God, to walk in grace, not just a wishy- washy, cover up your mistakes kind of grace, it is this boldness. It is empowerment. It is God's ability working in and through you. And I am very much inspired by the Book of Acts and many others.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for yielding and for setting up this Special Order to honor Congressman- elect Luke Letlow.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life and legacy of Congressman- elect Luke Letlow, whose tireless work for his community, passion for public service, and love for his constituents will long be an inspiration to many Americans.

He spoke glowingly of the mighty Mississippi and his district's rich Louisiana soil, both of which flowed freely through his veins as he passionately advocated for the people who elected him to be their voice.

His life of service working for Governor Bobby Jindal, serving as chief of staff to Congressman Ralph Abraham, and then successfully running for Congress himself, exemplified his commitment to win the day.

Congressman-elect Letlow shared my great love for our Western States, and he was a fierce advocate for the issues facing everyday Americans. His calling to public service was only surpassed by his calling to be a loving husband, father, brother, and son. He cared deeply for his beloved wife, Julia; son, Jeremiah; and daughter, Jacqueline.

After he won his race, Congressman-elect Letlow's wife, Julia, spoke of God's sovereignty over the life of her husband, quoting the words from scripture: ``Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I set you apart.''

God set Luke apart with a calling, with an anointing, and that same calling and anointing is now in that Godly heritage that he has left behind. God's wraparound presence is surrounding the Letlow family.

God's plan for Luke's life was one of service, and his legacy will live on through his family. His wife, Julia, is a woman of deep faith. A calling to public service is on her life. She was his rock for all of his years in public life. I am honored to call her my friend now.

May his family find comfort in the words of the scripture: ``The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. . . .'' and in knowing that Congressman- elect Letlow fought the good fight, finished his race, and kept the faith.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time.

The Equality Act.

Madam Speaker, equality for who?

Where is the equality in this legislation for the young girls across America who have to look behind their backs as they change in their school locker rooms just to make sure there isn't a confused man trying to catch a peek?

Where is the equality for women who have been sexually assaulted?

Under this legislation, their crisis counselor may be ``Alexis'' who was actually born ``Alex.'' And they will have to talk to him about their assault.

Where is the equality for parents who want and deserve the right to raise their children, free from government overreach?

Under this proposal, Congress seeks to replace mom and dad with bureaucrats. This isn't hyperbole. In Ohio, a mom and dad had their child removed from their custody because they didn't allow their daughter to undergo gender transition. Removed from their custody.

And so here we are. The left will lay down the rights and security of millions of Americans, particularly young women, at the altar of gender ideology.

Following the lead of liberal indoctrination camps, also called colleges and universities, my colleagues on the left are committed to advancing this radical ideology, the rights and sovereignty of individual States be darned. So much for Federalism.

The power-hungry left will not slow down until every school, every church, every workplace, every State, and every community adheres to the left's definition of gender.

You disagree?

They will find you. They will imprison you. Or as we have seen, they will even take your children. And let's make sure the American people know this is only the beginning.

The Equality Act requires doctors to perform abortions, and they are going to use your tax dollars to pay for them.

Once the left codifies their ideology, they will come for your speech. It is already happening in Canada, where you can be fined and imprisoned for misgendering someone.

Madam Speaker, they won't stop there. Nothing will ever satisfy the left until there is complete and total compliance.

Madam Speaker, Scripture says, when speaking of those who have turned their back on God, who have traded the truth for a lie: Professing to be wise, they became fools.

I can think of no better description of the so-called Equality Act, or inequality act, than this. The utter foolishness is astounding. Up is down. Wrong is right. Left is right. Boys are girls and vice versa.

Madam Speaker, for the sake of our sons and daughters, for the sake of parental rights, privacy, decency, and so much more, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this horrendous legislation.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Washington, and I thank my chairman of the Western Caucus. It is an honor to serve with him, especially in a time like this where our energy needs are so dramatically threatened.

Madam Speaker, I rise today as the proud Representative of Colorado's Third Congressional District, one of the most beautiful districts in the entire Nation, where waters like the Colorado, the Arkansas, and the Animas Rivers flow, and snow falling along the Rocky Mountains provides outdoor recreation in towns like Durango, Telluride, Aspen, and Steamboat Springs.

Colorado's Third District is also home to some of the Nation's most abundant energy resources. We all win when American energy workers develop our resources responsibly at home. Yet, this administration is laser-focused on eliminating fossil fuels and the majority of jobs in the energy industry.

It is not complicated. We are stronger and safer as a country when we remain energy independent and when dictators across the world can no longer fund their deadly terrorist activities on the backs of our energy needs.

Madam Speaker, there is no reason the U.S. should be dependent on volatile foreign sources from countries like Russia, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia when we can safely produce these resources right here in America, creating American jobs.

American ingenuity and innovation have resulted in the U.S. becoming a global leader in carbon emissions reductions. Protecting our environment while safely producing American energy are not mutually exclusive goals.

Advancements associated with fracking and horizontal drilling are the main reasons the U.S. has become a world leader in protecting the Earth. You heard me. Fracking, demonized by the left without any merit, has proven to be one of the best energy solutions for our environment. I think it is becoming very clear that my colleagues on the left have become fracking liars.

But these facts don't matter to the Biden administration. All they seem to care about is appeasing extremist environmentalists in order to get more campaign donations.

With the stroke of his pen, which sometimes takes him a while to find, President Joe Biden has unilaterally imposed job-killing executive orders and overreaching energy mandates that are going to crush my district and the people who live within it.

From rejoining the Paris Agreement without asking the Senate to ratify this treaty, to unilaterally eliminating the Keystone XL pipeline, to banning all new Federal oil and gas leases, the Biden administration has already taken actions that will eliminate thousands of Colorado's jobs, just as the gentleman mentioned, and send my people, the people I was sent to represent in my district, to the unemployment line.

Madam Speaker, I have met with my constituents. They don't understand why this administration is targeting their livelihoods and telling them that they can simply find other jobs.

The energy workers in Colorado's Third District like their jobs. They are good at them. They are the best at extracting these resources responsibly. They don't want to be unemployed during a pandemic and worry about how they are going to put food on the table or make ends meet for their families.

Just last week, President Biden unveiled a Green New Deal-like environmental plan. While the price tag is astronomical and its goals unrealistic, the real tragedy associated with this $2 trillion charade will be the number of men and women in my district who have to come home and tell a spouse and their children that they were laid off and are unable to provide for their family.

It is not Big Oil that is going to close their doors as a result of Biden's executive orders. It is the little guys in small, rural communities that will be hit hardest by this administration's actions that seek to eliminate all coal, oil, and natural gas as its electricity sources by 2035.

Joe Biden's team learned nothing from the American energy renaissance we saw under the Trump administration: low gas prices, the lowest average unemployment rate ever until COVID, and the greatest economy the world has ever seen.

Madam Speaker, energy dominance and America first policies have been replaced by climate change overkill and people like John Kerry flying around the world in their private jets, telling hardworking Americans to make better choices.

We are the land of the free and will always be. I will never allow my four boys to live in a socialist nation. For all the people in the Third District that I so proudly represent, I will proudly fight the Green New Deal policies and Joe Biden's job-killing executive orders with everything that I have; I will support freedom and prosperity at every opportunity; and I will oppose any effort that seeks to take the God-given freedom and rights away from the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I have to hand it to my colleagues on the other side. In the infamous words of Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, they ``never let a crisis go to waste.''

When the unemployment rate is up and incomes are down, when the job openings are few but the food lines are many, when the American people need their Representatives to put aside partisan politics, my colleagues on the other side put forth this boondoggle proposal.

This partisan $1.9 trillion bill is being forced through Congress when more than $1 trillion from previously passed laws remain unspent.

How about let's get that $1 trillion out the door before we come back to the trough?

Mr. Speaker, they can't let this crisis go to waste, so they are going to force-feed leftist policies to the American people and do their best to disguise it as COVID relief.

My constituents back home are asking me: How does killing more jobs by doubling the Federal minimum wage help reopen our economy? What do climate change policies have to do with stopping the spread of COVID? How does expanding ObamaCare help reopen our children's schools?

The answer is none of these policies have anything to do with stopping or addressing the China virus. They are unnecessary and radical. This budget is just Democrats doing what Democrats do, trying to score political wins on the backs of Americans in crisis.

So we will vote on this bill, Democrats will claim their political wins,

and America will go further into debt. But the real relief that Americans need, the relief of a job, an open school, and a thriving economy, will once again go unaddressed.

I urge my colleagues to get real and scrap this pipe dream.

I urge a ``no'' vote on this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise this evening with a heavy heart. Like many Americans, I am saddened by the loss of millions of innocent and precious lives over the last 48 years since Roe v. Wade.

I know that there are millions of pro-life Americans rising up to protect the unborn. Because of this, I am encouraged. I have hope. Over the last 4 years, we saw remarkable pro-life wins all across America. Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, and Ohio, these States rose up to protect the most vulnerable among us. From both sides of the aisle, they passed heartbeat bills because they know life--every human life--matters.

Madam Speaker, when Roe v. Wade was passed, we didn't have 3D ultrasounds readily available. We didn't have readily accessible sonograms or the ability to provide lifesaving care to those whom we call miracle babies, children who are prematurely born as early as 21 weeks. I have held a child in my arms, in my hands, who was born at 23 weeks, 1 pound, 8 ounces. She is a miracle baby. America didn't know that pre-born children could feel pain as early as 21 weeks, or see videos of babies in the womb clapping as their mother sings to them.

Sadly, not all States have seen the light. Back home in Colorado, we are one of only seven States that allows full-term abortion in America. We have to do better than this.

The CDC states that, in 2017, 647,000 Americans died from heart disease, making it the leading cause of death in America. That is not true. The leading cause of death in 2017, in the United States, was abortion, killing 862,000 precious babies. This is not a tragedy; it is an atrocity.

Madam Speaker, I am the mother of four children--four wonderful boys, who I am raising to be men. I am raising my boys to love America, to love people, and to always do their best. I have been in the doctor's office, and I have seen my baby boys talking and turning in my womb. They are my children. They are made in God's image, in His likeness. They have a God-given purpose and a plan by their Creator who knows them intimately and deeply and loves them, who has a plan, a future, and a desired outcome for their lives. It is my job to raise them according to God's bent. Before they had taken their first breath, God knew them, and I was blessed to carry them.

Madam Speaker, I have seen women make the choice. I have a waitress in my restaurant who chose life. She was in a very questionable situation. Her life wasn't what everyone thought it should be. She ended up with child, and she had a choice. She had a choice to not go forward and be a mom, but she chose life, and now she is one of the greatest mothers that I know. Her name is Jasmine Higgs, and her baby boy is Darius. He is alive today because, glory to God, she chose his life. She said that his life is worth any of the consequences that may come against her.

Madam Speaker, today, with this rise, I encourage my colleagues to be hopeful because a culture that celebrates life is on the rise in America, and I am committed to working with pro-life patriots all across the country until we end the horror of abortion.

Glory to God.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to oppose this impeachment and denounce the recent violence on the Capitol, just as I opposed the previous impeachment and the violence we have all witnessed all summer long across our great country.

Make no mistake here, the hypocrisy of the left is on full display.

Go to the Hill. Get in the face of some Congresspeople. We

have got to fight in Congress, fight in the courts, fight in

the streets. Take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of

him. Go and take Trump out tonight.

Sound familiar? What about the gentlewoman from New York who defended the looting by saying looters just want loaves of bread? The last I checked, Best Buy and Tesla and stores of the like do not produce baked goods.

Where is the accountability for the left after encouraging and normalizing violence? Rather than actually helping American people in this time, we start impeachments that further divide our country.

I call bull crap when I hear the Democrats demanding unity. Sadly, they are only unified in hate.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose yet another Democrat witch hunt. We should take Democrats at their word when they say: Never let a good crisis go to waste.

While section 4 of the 25th Amendment has never been used, a plain reading of the text, coupled with the context of its ratification, contemplates a very different scenario from the one we are currently in.

It envisions a President's disability resulting from serious illness or injury. To suggest it should be used in a different context violates the very intent of the 25th Amendment.

To be clear, this resolution is a divisive political stunt which would have no force of law and is a waste of our time.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution is a clear overreach, as invoking the 25th Amendment is not something Congress can initiate, and this must be initiated by the executive branch.

Democrats talk about unity, but clearly that is just talk, as their actions only further divide us. Their hypocrisy is on full display this week with this 25th Amendment stunt, Articles of Impeachment, censure bills, and other efforts to try to punish Republicans for false accusations of inciting the type of violence they have so frequently and transparently supported in the past.

Throughout 2020, we witnessed Democrats welcome, encourage, and even normalize violence. For them, violent riots were effective in advancing their agenda.