Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Wyoming State Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, which will hold its annual conference May 16-19, in Lander, Wyoming.

The Daughters of the American Revolution has a long tradition of promoting historic preservation, education, and patriotism across the country and state of Wyoming. This year at their conference, members from around the state will come together to celebrate their contributions to Wyoming history and society, and hear from a host of speakers, including other D.A.R. members from across the country.

I would also like to thank the members of the Daughters of the American Revolution for all they do to preserve the history of our great state and country and to promote the importance of education and patriotism of our great nation.

Madam Speaker, it is my honor to acknowledge the many contributions the women of the Daughters of the American Revolution have made throughout history, and continue to make today.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Marv Wolf on winning the 2019 Wyoming Jefferson Award.

Marv Wolf is well known in the Cheyenne community. A veteran himself, Marv is a dedicated volunteer at the Cheyenne Veterans Administration where he spends time comforting hospice patients and offering rides to doctor's appointments and the grocery store. At 89 years young, Marv has dedicated himself to his community and fellow veterans. The people of Cheyenne and Wyoming are lucky to have Marv and I'm grateful for his commitment to serving his fellow veterans.

Again Madam Speaker, I extend my congratulations to Marv Wolf for winning the 2019 Wyoming Jefferson Award and I thank him for his service to our country and Wyoming.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Thomas Spicer on winning the 2019 Wyoming Jefferson Award.

Dr. Spicer has shown sustained commitment to his community for much of his life. Serving as a medical doctor in the greater Rock Springs area, Dr. Spicer has dedicated himself to making a difference in Wyoming. I'd like to thank Dr. Spicer for his service to our state that goes far beyond the medical field and has included serving on economic advisory boards to the governor and has culminated in his current position as a Trustee at Western Wyoming Community College.

Again, Madam Speaker, I extend my congratulations to Dr. Thomas Spicer on winning the 2019 Wyoming Jefferson Award and I thank him for his dedication to our community and Wyoming.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Donovan Short on winning the 2019 Wyoming Jefferson Award.

Over the past 21 years Donovan has dedicated himself to the charities and nonprofits in the greater Casper area. His focus has been helping youth in his community and he has also done incredible work for programs like Meals on Wheels, Project Safe Ride, and The Self-Help Center. Donovan has dedicated himself to his community and has helped raise millions of dollars and impacted tens of thousands of lives. I am incredibly grateful for Donovan's hard work and commitment to Casper and our state.

Again Madam Speaker, I extend my congratulations to Donovan Short on winning the 2019 Wyoming Jefferson Award and I thank him for his years of service to our community and Wyoming.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to thank Major Rusty Ridley, United States Air Force who has served as a Congressional Legislative Liaison Officer since October of 2017.

A Wyoming native, Maj. Ridley joined the Wyoming Air National Guard in 2001 and completed basic training in 2002. He has completed several qualification courses including Squadron Officer School, and the Logistics Readiness Officer Course. Maj. Ridley has been a valuable asset to the House and our members, serving as a source of information on a range of topics relating to the Air Force and helping members understand the impact policy decisions will have on Airmen and their families. My office has been especially grateful to work with Maj. Ridley.

Major Ridley exemplifies the best that Wyoming and our country has to offer. Again, Madam Speaker, I want to thank Major Rusty Ridley for his dedicated service to the people of Wyoming, the members of this body, and our country.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Jack Pharaoh on winning the 2019 Wyoming Jefferson Award.

At age nine Jack started ``Jack's Box,'' a charity run by himself and funded through his own hard work. Every year Jack shovels snow, cleans his neighbors' yards, and sells food and drinks at community events to collect money to fund his charity.

During the holidays, Jack uses this money to deliver Thanksgiving baskets with food and fixings for families in need and on Christmas he buys presents for children who otherwise would go without. The community of Greybull is a better place because of people like Jack and he has inspired others to get involved as well.

Again Madam Speaker, I extend my congratulations to Jack Pharaoh for winning the 2019 Wyoming Jefferson Award and I thank him for showing us all what service really means.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the House Republican Conference, I send to the desk a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Madam Chair, I would like to start by thanking my dear friend and colleague, Ms. Foxx, the Republican leader of the House Education and Labor Committee, for her tremendous work and leadership on behalf of all American women and families.

Madam Chair, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 7, the so- called Paycheck Fairness Act. This should be called the ``Pay the Trial Lawyers Act.''

Madam Chair, my State of Wyoming launched the fight for women's equality and rights when we became the first jurisdiction in the world to grant women the right to vote 150 years ago. Here in this Chamber, 100 years ago, the House agreed that women should have the right to vote on a national basis. Leaders of the women's suffrage movement were fighting on behalf of women's rights. They were not fighting to provide greater payouts to trial lawyers. We should honor those women, and the generations of women who came after them, by defeating this sham bill.

The bill my Democratic colleagues have put on the floor today offers no new protections for women in the workplace. It paints job creators, many of whom in the Trump economy are increasingly women, as evil. Republicans know that economic policies that generate growth, create jobs, and increase wages benefit women and men. Our policies empower women and facilitate the success of women-owned businesses, which account for roughly 9 million jobs and $1.7 trillion in revenue.

Madam Chair, today's bill is just the latest example of the misguided and damaging policies Democrats in this

body are attempting to pursue. They claim to be ``for the people,'' but in the nearly 3 months that they have been in charge, they have embraced socialism; they have enabled anti-Semitism; they have passed legislation that violates the First Amendment and the Second Amendment; and they have repeatedly refused to take steps necessary to protect the lives of babies after those babies are born.

Now, Madam Chair, they are telling us they are fighting for women when really they are simply fighting for trial lawyers. We have seen this movie before. The Democrats are not really for the people. They are for the government and for the special interest groups that support them. The American people know better, and we deserve better.

Madam Chair, I urge a ``no'' vote on this bill, and I call on my Democratic colleagues to come together with us, to work with us, so that we can actually make real progress for America's women and their families.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate First Sergeant Ian McClure, U.S. Army, for being named the 2018 Allied Command Operations Military Member of the Year.

A 2003 graduate of East High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming, First Sergeant McClure went on to serve in the Army Special Forces in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Mali, and he is now stationed at NATO Special Operations headquarters in Belgium.

First Sergeant McClure was selected for this award because of his superior performance and professional excellence. I am proud that General Scaparrotti recognized First Sergeant McClure's significant contributions to the success of alliance operations.

Sergeant McClure exemplifies the best that Wyoming and our country has to offer, and I thank him for his service and his sacrifices for our freedom.

Again, Mr. Speaker, I am proud to congratulate First Sergeant Ian McClure on this prestigious honor and for being a brilliant example for the entire State of Wyoming.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Scott Talbott on his retirement as Director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Mr. Talbott for many years, and his tireless work to ensure hunting and recreation in Wyoming remains available and open to the public is much appreciated.

A third-generation Wyoming native, Mr. Talbott spent much of his adult life working to protect and preserve wildlife in Wyoming. During his 34 years at the department, Mr. Talbott has served in several positions working his way up to eventually serve as Director. It has been a privilege working with Mr. Talbott to ensure stewardship of Wyoming's world-class wildlife.

Again, Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate and thank Scott Talbott for his years of dedicated service to the people and wildlife of Wyoming.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Casper Chapter of Future Farmers of America on their victory at the National FFA Farm and Agribusiness Management Contest.

Future Farmers of America is a national organization dedicated to educating and encouraging young people on the importance of sustainable farming and agribusiness. The young men and women of the Casper Chapter have distinguished themselves among chapters from all across the nation. They truly are some of the best that Wyoming has to offer. They are the future of agribusiness in Wyoming, and the country.

Again Madam Speaker, I extend my congratulations to the Casper Chapter of Future Farmers of America on their victory and applaud their commitment to an industry that is vital to our nation.

Madam Speaker, I thank very much my colleague, Mr. Cole, for his tremendous leadership on this issue and all others as the leading Republican on the Rules Committee.

Madam Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, we will move to bring up H.R. 336, the Strengthening America's Security in the Middle East Act of 2019. I urge the House to vote on this bill, whose companion passed the Senate with bipartisan support this month.

Bringing this legislation to the floor, Madam Speaker, is not a partisan maneuver; it is an urgent matter of national security that requires action by this House.

H.R. 336 includes two bills that enhance our security cooperation with Israel and Jordan, key U.S. allies in the Middle East that are active in the fight against terrorist organizations in the region.

H.R. 336 also reaffirms America's unwavering support for Israel with the Combating BDS Act, a bill that empowers State and local governments to counter discriminatory anti-Israel boycotts.

There should be no doubt, Madam Speaker, about the bipartisan nature of each of these bills. The Israel security assistance legislation passed the House by voice vote in September. The Jordan defense cooperation bill passed the House by voice vote last February. The Syria sanctions bill passed the House by voice vote just last month. And last Congress, Senator Marco Rubio's Combating BDS Act gained the support of Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and a number of other Democrats on the Senate side.

Most Democratic Members continue to stand with Republicans in rejecting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions, BDS, campaign. These Members understand, as the Republicans do, that this is a campaign that too often seeks to delegitimize and demonize Israel. So, Madam Speaker, why not hold a vote on H.R. 336 that contains a bill called the Combating BDS Act?

BDS is a campaign whose adherents have time and time again revealed their anti-Semitic motives. This is a campaign that directs its followers to avoid certain products merely because they are made in Israel. Armed with economic warfare tactics, supporters of BDS seek to isolate and punish the only Jewish state. That, Madam Speaker, is the dictionary definition of discrimination.

Opponents of the Combating BDS Act often cite First Amendment objections to this legislation, but the truth is, this bill would not prohibit individuals or companies from speaking out in support of the BDS movement, nor would it prohibit them from boycotting Israel. The Combating BDS Act applies to entities, such as companies, and their conduct.

This bill cements what should be an obvious point: States have the right not to contract with companies that engage in discriminatory conduct against Israel.

In fact, many States already have laws on the books that promote that right. At its core, the Combating BDS Act protects and empowers States in their efforts to

counter a hateful anti-Israel movement.

There is no reason not to hold a vote on H.R. 336, which also includes legislation that authorizes security assistance to Israel and extends our defense partnership with Jordan. Helping our key allies in the Middle East ensure their security should not be controversial.

Madam Speaker, we are now at a moment in this House, at a moment in this body where we are facing real anti-Semitism from the other side of the aisle. It is time that we all come together as a body in a bipartisan manner to stand against anti-Semitism, to condemn it, to ensure that everyone understands it has no place in this House, in this body, or in our public discourse.

These bills that we are offering today, if the previous question is defeated, are those bills that will recognize and symbolize American leadership and define American leadership. I hope Democrats will choose our security and our closest allies over partisanship and bring H.R. 336 to a vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today because every American should know that we are now at the point where the Democrats are demanding that ICE release dangerous criminals onto the streets of the United States.

First, they demanded that we not build a wall. Their leader said that would be immoral. Now they are demanding that we release dangerous criminals we have already apprehended.

Mr. Speaker, they are threatening to shut the government down, they are so committed to this position. Most Americans know their government's most sacred obligation is the defense of the Nation. The Democrats want to abolish one of the very agencies tasked with this responsibility. This is a backdoor effort to do so.

Under this latest proposal, ICE has said they could be required to release as many as 15,000 criminals on to our streets. The far left radical positions of today's Democrats are threatening the security of our Nation.

It is time to build the wall, secure our borders, support our law enforcement, and keep dangerous criminals off our streets.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the House Republican Conference, I send to the desk a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and Republican leader of the Steering Committee, Mr. Collins, as well as my colleague, Mr. Cohen from Tennessee, for their work on this important issue. I thank Chairman Nadler, of course, for helping to bring this important bill to the floor. Of course, I echo my colleagues' fond words for my predecessor, Congresswoman Lummis, and all the work she did over the years on this issue and so many others for our great State. I thank them the opportunity to speak on this important bill.

Mr. Speaker, the Equal Access to Justice Act was enacted in 1980 for good reason: to ensure that private citizens could obtain legal representation in cases against the Federal Government, in cases where it was deserved.

While the Equal Access to Justice Act serves that important purpose in holding these Federal agencies accountable, in the past 20 years, we have seen this process abused too often by outside organizations. This program was intended to help everyday citizens seek justice, but those seeking profits have also had access to this program. They have effectively turned the Equal Access to Justice Act into their own personal wallet through frivolous lawsuits. This program was never intended to be a slush fund for serial litigators.

Making matters worse, the perversion of the Equal Access to Justice Act is funded by American taxpayers. Americans are footing the legal and attorney's fees of groups that are impeding critical activities, especially on Federal lands in my home State of Wyoming and in others.

It is clear that the Equal Access to Justice Act needs modernizing, and H.R. 752 is the first step toward that goal. This legislation still affords citizens, organizations, and other affected parties the same right to financial rewards in a prevailing lawsuit, but it finally would establish transparency and accountability for these funds.

Under H.R. 752, an online database detailing funds awarded to prevailing parties, the agency, and the party involved in the case, and a description of these claims, will be made available to the American people. This provides accountability and transparency not only to outside organizations, but to our Federal agencies and, most importantly, to the American people. The American people have a right to know how their hard-earned money is spent, and this legislation takes a crucial step toward doing just that.

I am pleased, Mr. Speaker, to support this important legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support it as well.