Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Spring Grove Area High School rocketry team for their victory in the national championship hosted by NASA.

The team has been working meticulously since last August perfecting their design, and to great effect. Despite their team's small size relative to the competition, they worked closely as a team to win against all odds, beating out 800 students from 21 states.

Team captain Alex Fiorillo said it best: ``take every opportunity you have and . . . you might end up making history.'' This group certainly did.

To the team members: Alex Fiorillo, Dylan Tichy, Max Trimmer, Wyatt Amspacher, Sage Dewall, Haley Hake, and Eli Hoke--congratulations on this incredible feat. I wish them all continued success in all their future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Manheim Township Bowling Team for capturing the state championship this year. This is the first time in the school district's history that their bowling team has earned the title of state champions.

Despite finishing third in Section One of the Lancaster-Lebanon League, the team took advantage of the opportunity and continued to defy the odds to be successful.

Head Coach Steve Schulz in an interview: ``Our good performance in the regular season blossomed into undisputed excellence in the postseason. Each bowler persevered through disappointing shots or tenacious single pin leaves to throw the best shots to strike again.''

Congratulations to each of the students for their successful season. I wish them all continued success in all their future endeavors. Their efforts have certainly made our community proud. The perseverance they exhibited this season is remarkable.

Congratulations again to the Manheim Township Blue Streaks Bowling Team on capturing the state championship.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Peachy Lee of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for her commemorable achievements at the Poetry Out Loud competitions. Poetry Out Loud is an annual event which encourages students to study poetry by performing live recitations. The program is organized by the National Endowment of the Arts, The Poetry Foundation as well as various state and local agencies. The event is hosted local, regional, state and national levels.

Peachy Lee is a senior at the Lancaster Country Day School in Pennsylvania's 11th Congressional District. In March, Peachy competed at the Pennsylvania Poetry Out Loud Competition and placed first to move on to the national competition. Her poetry selections were ``Cartoon Physics, part 1'' and ``England in 1819.'' On May 9th and 10th, Peachy competed here in Washington, D.C. at the national competition and received an honorable mention for her performance. I am so proud to have students such as Peachy Lee representing my district and state here in the Nation's Capital. Again, congratulations to Peachy Lee on her accomplishments and best wishes for continued success in her future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Pamela Gunter-Smith on her retirement as President of York College of Pennsylvania (YCP).

Over the course of her ten years of service, Dr. Gunter-Smith has impacted the lives of thousands of YCP students, parents, and alumni by modernizing YCP's curriculum and expanding opportunities for students of all backgrounds to pursue higher education.

Dr. Gunter-Smith's influence has also been felt off YCP's campus. During her time as President, she consistently took steps to expand YCP's role in the greater York community. This impact is best highlighted through numerous redevelopment and community engagement projects, including the soon-to-be completed Knowledge Park, as well as her service on boards such as the York County Industrial Development Authority, WellSpan Health, and Better York.

Mr. Speaker, the tireless work of Dr. Gunter-Smith has helped to establish YCP as one of America's best northeast colleges and will positively impact YCP students and York County residents for generations to come. I thank her for her steadfast dedication to improving the lives of students, her community, and wish her well in all future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of Former Chief of Police Harry S. Hartman of the Columbia Borough Police Department.

Chief Hartman's end of watch was April 4, 1923. Chief Hartman was killed while serving in the line of duty, as the Chief was attempting to serve a mental health commitment paper to an individual living on Union Street in Columbia.

Chief Hartman was joined by the individual's father and upon approaching the home, the individual opened fire with a .25 caliber revolver on his father striking him, and later shooting Chief Hartman twice in the abdomen.

Chief Hartman would pass away later that day, after being transported to Columbia Hospital.

At the time of his passing at age 59, Chief Hartman had served with the Columbia Borough Police Department for three years. He entered law enforcement first as constable of Columbia's first ward. Chief Hartman was survived by his six children and had lived his entire life in Columbia, Pennsylvania.

The Lancaster Intelligencer reported that he was ``affectionately known as Chiefty'' by the residents of Columbia and that he ``was in many aspects an exceptional law officer.''

The Intelligencer continued ``Like a good doctor, Chief Hartman believed in preventative measures. It will never be known how many crimes were averted and how many possible criminals were saved through the timely and kindly interference of `Chiefty.' It is known that on many occasions where incipient trouble was brought to his attention, he nipped it in the bud through kindly council and advice.''

Mr. Speaker, this year marked 100 years since the end of Chief Hartman's watch. May we give thanks for his service to our community and give thanks to all those individuals who put themselves in harm's way serving as law enforcement officers in our community and across the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Lancaster Lions Club, which is celebrating their 100th Anniversary this year.

The Lancaster Lions Club received their charter on March 31, 1923. Over the past century, much has changed, but their mission of serving the community has remained the same.

Since 2000, the club has raised and donated over $250,000 to more than fifty local organizations, including those that support the blind, those with childhood cancer, and organizations supporting the homeless.

Every month, for the past 10 years, the Lancaster Lions Club has assembled to clean the Conestoga Greenway Trail, supporting our environment and ensuring those utilizing the trail are able to appreciate nature and the beauty of the Conestoga River.

Mr. Speaker, we give thanks to service organizations like the Lancaster Lions Club, who truly make a difference in their community.

We congratulate and thank the Lancaster Lions Club for 100 years of service to our community and wish them continued success in all their endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, the premise of this bill is simple: Criminals and fraudsters should be held accountable for dollars that were illegally obtained, and we ought to ensure that this doesn't happen again.

We can argue, we can talk about how we got here, who is responsible, but I can tell you, as a member of the Ways and Means Committee, Republicans spent the last 3 years pleading with the Biden administration and with Democrats for answers on the impact of unemployment fraud, for ways to stop it, and the steps that we need to recover as much of it as possible. Unfortunately, it fell on deaf ears, and now we have some counts as high as $400 billion that were lost to fraud or improper payments under the program.

That is money that should have been supporting our constituents that were struggling from job loss during the pandemic. Instead, it went to criminals and cheats.

In my district, too many unemployed individuals could not access payments because those benefits had already been claimed by scam artists.

Similarly, for the last two tax filing seasons, many of my constituents have only found out then that they were a victim of identity theft when they got a 1099 in the mail that says they owe taxes on unemployment benefits they never claimed.

Now, they are stuck fighting the IRS to rectify their tax bill and hung out to dry trying to reclaim their identity. Finally, after 3 years, House Republicans are taking this important step today to right this wrong. This legislation gives States both the incentives and the tools needed to prosecute criminals and recover fraudulent payments.

It takes the steps that we should have taken 3 years ago to prevent fraud in the first place. I do want to be clear: This bill is not about taking away employment benefits from those who relied on them, who needed them during the pandemic.

It is not about taking away unemployment benefits for those who relied on them. It is quite the opposite. This bill goes after those who robbed unemployment benefits from those who need it.

Mr. Speaker, I am hopeful that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will recognize that this is commonsense legislation to right a wrong and to protect our constituents and our taxpayers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Columbia Water Company as they celebrate 200 years of service to Lancaster and York Counties.

Over the past two centuries, water delivery systems have changed drastically--but as ground reservoirs have turned into elevated steel storage tanks, and wooden pipes into electronic control systems, one thing remained constant: the company ensuring that residents of Columbia and the surrounding communities had access to clean and safe water.

Incorporated in 1823, Columbia Water has survived a Civil War, a Great Recession, Two World Wars, and countless droughts. Nevertheless, in a nation defined by its entrepreneurial spirit, this company has thrived in a way few others have, serving generations of Lancaster and York families, and playing a critical role in helping the community prosper. Today, it operates 160 miles of water mains, 9 finished water storage tanks, 6 pumping stations, 4 wells, and 11 pressure zones. That's a long way from operating just one log reservoir more than 200 years ago.

Once again, it is my privilege to congratulate Columbia Water Company on the occasion of their bicentennial and thank them for their service to residents in my congressional district.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank Manheim Township Police Officers Kyle Carner and Anthony DiClemente, who went above-and- beyond the call of duty, rescuing a woman whose vehicle had become submerged in a pond.

Though water rescue is not part of standard training for many police officers, these heroes acted with competence, speed, and bravery to save the life of another. Despite the cold, they immediately took action upon arriving at the scene, wading through the murky water and rescuing the victim moments before she found herself underwater.

When moments mattered, they thought not of themselves, but of the life of a stranger who was in need.

It is heroes like Officers Carner and DiClemente who help us to understand and appreciate the role of policing in our communities: to serve and protect.

I thank Officers Carner and DiClemente for their services to our community on that December night, and everyday they have worn their uniforms before or since. Their actions exemplify a high degree of character and integrity which we should all strive to emulate.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my sincere congratulations to Mr. S. Dale High, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as he has been named the recipient of the Distinguished Citizen of the Commonwealth Award from the Pennsylvania Society.

Dale High is the Chair Emeritus of the High Companies. In 1963, Dale joined his father and brother in the family business, becoming Chairman of the Board, President and CEO in 1977. Over the course of 60 years since he joined the business, Dale has transformed the company through expansion into new industries, employing nearly 2,000 individuals across 38 facilities in 8 states.

In 1980, the High Foundation was formed. ft is a charitable organization which has given generously to support organizations and to eliminate the issues that contribute to the cycle of poverty.

The High Foundation supports those working to solve problems with education, housing, transportation, healthcare, financial literacy, childcare, nutrition, and more.

There is no question the positive impact that Dale High's actions and leadership have contributed to our Lancaster County community and beyond. He is certainly a Distinguished Citizen of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I congratulate him on this well-deserved award and thank him for making a difference in our community.

Mr. Speaker, the last time the U.S. debt held by the public equaled our total economic output was just after World War II. After that, economic policies, fiscal policies that put our country on the right track resulted in decades of American prosperity and American leadership across the world.

Today, the trajectory is far different, as shown on this chart. Our debt-to-GDP ratio, the best economic measure to show the health of our economy, is projected to go up from 98 percent today to 118 percent in the next 10 years and double our economy in just the next 30 years.

All I hear from Democrats today is pass a clean debt ceiling.

Does anyone on their side care about this trajectory which will end in disaster?

The President certainly has no plan to reduce our debt. He refuses to even negotiate or to acknowledge our debt challenges.

The Republican plan today, which I am proud to support, is the Limit, Save, Grow Act. This bill will rescind unspent COVID-19 funds, reverse Democrats' inflationary Green New Deal corporate welfare policies while allowing for responsible 1 percent annual increases in discretionary spending so America can continue to invest in core functions of government.

All in all, the bill will reduce, as seen on this line, future debt growth by $5 trillion over the next 10 years and begin to decrease our projected debt-to-GDP ratio by 12 points over the next 10 years.

Growing our GDP is the second part of the equation, to boost economic growth. The bill includes reforms to unleash domestic energy production and implements pro-growth work requirements that will strengthen our recovering labor force.

This bill alone, as seen in this chart, is not enough to solve our Nation's fiscal issues, but it is a very important first step toward getting our debt-to-GDP ratio on a descending trajectory. It will begin to bend the curve.

I call on the President to negotiate in good faith with Republicans to raise the debt ceiling and put forward policies to limit, save, and grow.

Mr. Chair, I thank my friend, Mr. Massie, for introducing this bill.

I am listening to some of the arguments on the Democrat side here today, and I hear about vaccine conspiracies. I am not hearing that over here. In fact, I am vaccinated. I have the boosters. I think it was important to do that.

I am proud of what we were able to get done through Operation Warp Speed. We protected many Americans. But I don't understand the argument that this has anything to do with vaccine conspiracies.

I was contacted by a constituent, Hunter McBryde, who informed me that this particular mandate, that almost no one else in the world has in place, is keeping his family separated. This is keeping his kids from seeing their grandparents.

He is from the district that I represent in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He happened to be studying in Australia for his Ph.D. when the pandemic started. His wife is an Australian citizen. They share three beautiful children.

Because of this shortsighted policy, Hunter and his family have been unable to move back home to Lancaster County to be with the rest of their extended family here simply because of the family's vaccination and immigration status.

I contacted the CDC on behalf of the family and was told that the agency still believes that COVID vaccines, not testing, not quarantining, are necessary to protect public safety, despite the fact that President Biden has said the pandemic is over.

Mr. Chairman, 147 countries, including Canada, U.K., Italy, France, Australia, South Korea, and many others are totally open to tourists, regardless of their vaccination status. Another 57 nations allow tourists to take a COVID test or quarantine if they are unvaccinated.

The worst of this pandemic is clearly over. There is no reason that the CDC should continue to discriminate against tourists or residents who, for health or religious reasons, do not wish to receive the COVID vaccine.

Madam Speaker, I am especially grateful to the ranking member for allowing me 2 minutes because he knows I am rising in support of this bill.

I understand and completely agree with my friend, Mr. Westerman, who is a dear friend and who does a wonderful job as ranking member on this committee. I understand his frustration with this process because this did come up quickly. There are a lot of unanswered questions about what this will mean, depending on what the Puerto Rican people will choose.

I agree with him when he said that America is a beacon of hope to the world, and it is a light to the world. I think that makes the case for why we should allow the Puerto Rican people to make their choice about their own future.

I have heard concerns on our side about economic issues, taking on debt. I think this bill will specifically address that. Puerto Rico, if it chooses to be a State, would keep the debt. I would argue the opposite. Puerto Rico has been a territory since 1898, with 3.2 million American citizens. We have not provided them every tool we possibly can to ensure they can be prosperous.

I have visited Puerto Rico. I have a large community in my district from Puerto Rico, who have family. I visited after the hurricane. I was grateful for the support that we were able to provide.

But let's give every tool that we possibly can, including full citizenship in the United States of America, if that is what they choose, to be prosperous, to contribute to the American economy.

I think we can look at this as a net positive. It will be a net positive if, indeed, Puerto Rico chooses to become the 51st State.

Again, I am grateful for the work of the ranking member and the committee on this. It is not taken lightly to disagree with him on a particular issue. There will be other steps in this process.

There will be other steps in this process during which I hope some of those real, legitimate questions can be answered.

We should allow the Puerto Rican people to make their choice about their future. I know, certainly, the Puerto Rican population, who have families back in the community, this is what they are looking for. I am proud to stand with them and their family members if they have the opportunity to freely determine the future of their beloved island.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Brian Troop of Ephrata Area School District in Pennsylvania's 11th Congressional District for being selected as the 2023 Pennsylvania Superintendent of the Year by the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators.

With over 500 districts in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Dr. Troop's selection speaks to the excellence he brings to Ephrata Area School District.

Dr. Troop was described as an exemplary, forward-thinking leader by PASA Executive Director Dr. Sherri Smith. I would certainly agree with those words.

I have had the pleasure of visiting the school district as a Member of Congress, and I was able to see firsthand the work that they are doing to prepare students in STEM technologies as fifth-grade students were participating in a computer coding project. It was encouraging to see the district offer such an outstanding opportunity to their students.

I thank Dr. Troop for all of his work to provide an excellent education to students in the Ephrata Area School District. I congratulate him on being named the 2023 Pennsylvania Superintendent of the Year.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Charles Smithgall of Lancaster, who passed away in October at the age of 77.

Charlie, as he was known to so many, will be greatly missed. He was a husband to Debbie, a father to Allison, a grandfather to two boys, and a friend to all that he met.

Charlie graduated from J.P. McCaskey High School in 1963 and later the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, and then he spent the rest of his life working to improve the lives of those in his hometown of Lancaster as operator of his family's pharmacy, which continues to operate on West Lemon Street.

Charlie also worked to improve the health of Lancaster city. He served as mayor from 1998 to 2006 and worked tirelessly to revitalize the city. Major developments such as the convention center there and Clipper Magazine Stadium would not have been possible without his leadership.

Charlie was also a devoted collector of military equipment, including cannons. If you have watched historical movies such as ``Gettysburg'' or ``Lincoln,'' chances are that you have seen one of Charlie's cannons on the big screen.

We will all miss Charlie. While we mourn the loss of our friend, we offer our prayers of comfort to Debbie, Allison, and his entire family.