Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the previous question so that the House can immediately consider Congresswoman Hinson's H.R. 6619, the Unmask Our Kids Act.

The Unmask Our Kids Act would restrict funds from going to any local education agencies that don't offer an option for in-person instruction at both elementary and secondary public schools. Further, the Unmask Our Kids Act would allow parents to opt their child out of having to wear a mask at school.

As the mother of two children, I understand how important it is for all kids to be in school, learning among their peers. Unfortunately, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a political theater of both masking policies and virtual learning, which has resulted in K-12 students paying the price through learning loss, which is at an even higher rate among students who come from disadvantaged families.

Several studies have found that there are adverse effects on the quality of

education due to the lack of time students spend with their peers, especially for students who struggled with school before the pandemic. Students need and deserve to have in-person instruction so that they can receive the best education possible for their future.

As a physician and former director of public health, I recognize that children are at low risk of severe illness with COVID and low risk of transmission. A recent study found that grade-schoolers are at a lower risk than vaccinated adults.

Wearing a mask at school can create both behavioral and physical complications for students. A student wearing a pair of glasses may have to keep defogging their lenses, or a student that has a facial tic may have to keep correcting their fallen mask.

As we have seen across the Nation, mental health has been a big part of this pandemic, and students are not immune to this impact. Not being able to see other peers or your teacher's face can lead to only further loneliness, anxiety, and depression, and the rate of suicide in children as young as 9 has been staggering. Many young students are also unable to learn because facial expressions are absent.

Just yesterday, New Jersey's Democratic Governor announced that, beginning in March, the State will no longer require students and school employees to wear masks. The Governor was quoted saying that: ``This is not a declaration of victory as much as an acknowledgment that we can responsibly live with this thing.'' Europe has had that policy for almost a year.

Beginning this Friday, the Governor of Delaware, the President's home State, will lift Delaware's universal indoor mask mandate, with a lift on the school-based mask mandate beginning March 31.

Also yesterday, a medical analyst for CNN said that the decision to wear a mask should shift from a government mandate to an individual choice.

If a parent and student believe it is in the best interests of their health and well-being to wear a mask, so be it. Let them make that decision for themselves. We do not need elite, powerful people imposing their will upon our most innocent and most powerless.

Remove the mask. Let students be back in school. And vote down the previous question.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a young man in my district.

On February 1, Andrew Spyrow of Bettendorf passed away after a nearly 4-year battle with brain cancer.

Andrew was a lifelong native of Bettendorf, graduating from Our Lady of Lourdes and Assumption High School, where he developed many lifelong friendships. He loved playing sports and running, participating in several marathons across the country.

I first met Andrew in 2014 when he volunteered and worked at the RNC victory office in Bettendorf.

Andrew was a devoted husband, son, and father. After his cancer diagnosis, Andrew built a beautiful family. He married his best friend and love of his life, Mary. They had two beautiful children, Audrey and Oliver.

No matter what was happening in his life, Andrew always put the needs of others first. Even when he was fighting cancer, he always made sure to ask how others were doing, never complaining about his diagnosis.

Andrew's family, friends, and his RNC friends are in our prayers during this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a young man from my district who is dominating motorcycle racing. Kole King of Burlington, Iowa, recently won the Grand National Hooligan Championship in Pensacola, Florida.

At just 25, Kole has already reached the top of flat-track motorcycle racing. Through 13 races during last season, he won 8 times, blowing past his competition. Kole has been racing since he was a young child and is a great example that if you work hard and do what you love, your dreams can come true.

Good luck, Kole King, the now-defending champion. Iowa is cheering for you.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a man who dedicated his life to serving my hometown.

On January 9, 2022, Ron Brickey of Ottumwa passed away. A fellow Army veteran, Ron grew up in Ottumwa, graduated from Ottumwa High School, and went on to earn a degree in finance and engineering from Iowa State University.

He worked for over 40 years at McCune & Reed Insurance, serving as president and co-owner.

Ron was a lifetime member of First Presbyterian Church, serving on the board of elders and singing in the church choir. He is also a former president and longtime member of the Rotary Club of Ottumwa, served on the board of the American Home Finding Association, was a member of the Ottumwa Chamber of Commerce, received the Gene Schultz Award for community service, served on the Ottumwa Area Development Council, and was president of the Ottumwa Regional Health Center Board.

He cooked countless chickens for the Ottumwa Rotary Oktoberfest barbecue, raised thousands for the McCreery Cancer Center and the Bridge View Convention Center. Ron worked tirelessly to leave the world a better place than he found it, and he was successful.

Ron's wife, Janet, his two children, and seven grandchildren are in my prayers.

Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend, Congresswoman Steel, for offering her commonsense amendment.

China is the world's leading producer of carbon emissions. For years, China has been one of the largest emitters of carbon dioxide in the world. In 2019, China emitted 10.1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide, almost twice as much as the U.S., representing nearly 28 percent of global emissions.

For years, the U.S. has set ambitious goals to cut down our carbon emissions. Meanwhile, China stated their annual CO2 emissions are expected to continue to grow and will not peak until 2030.

The Steel amendment would make it the official policy of the U.S. to require the Chinese Communist Party to match emission-cutting standards established by the U.S. This amendment is so simple and easy to support, I cannot think of a reason it would be opposed.

The Chinese Communist Party has shown us countless times that we cannot trust them on their word alone. We need formal commitments from Beijing, and action must be taken.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about an event that many Americans look forward to every 4 years: The Winter Olympics.

In a few days, millions around the world will tune in to watch their country compete in the 24th Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China. The spirit of the Olympics is one of sportsmanship, friendship, competition, and national pride for viewers and athletes around the world.

Unfortunately, several years ago the International Olympic Committee selected a host country that is one of the last Communist nations in the world, enslaves workers in sweatshops, forces sterilization upon minority women, punishes those who speak out against the dictatorship, imprisons and murders ethnic minorities, and lied to the world about a global pandemic that has killed millions and changed our lives forever.

Almost every freedom that Americans take for granted is nonexistent under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party. The government has created countless human rights abuses against its people, including the genocide of the Uyghur Muslim population. To this day, they have blocked the rest of the world from learning more about the origins of COVID-19, something that is important for our national security and our public health.

Meanwhile, the majority has thrown away months of bipartisan work and has decided to push another partisan bill that will not pass the Senate or become law in its current form. Included in the so-called America COMPETES Act are several provisions that have nothing to do with China. This bill gives billions to the United Nations Green Climate Fund. It mentions the word ``coral'' more than the word ``China.'' This bill gives no sanctions, punishment, or funding for an investigation into the Chinese Communist Party's cover-up of the origins of COVID-19.

And hidden on page 1519, this legislation also allows the President to use emergency powers until the President declares the COVID-19 national emergency is over, or September of 2025; coincidentally, after the next Presidential election. The vast majority of the American people believe that COVID is unfortunately going to be with us for a long time and desire transparent information so that we can learn to live with it and treat it rather than living in perpetual fear. The national emergency should end no later than this year, and Congress should work in a bipartisan way to end unending emergency powers. We should also act to hold China accountable for lying to the world about a global pandemic and for the human rights atrocities they have committed.

The Chinese Government is known to arbitrarily arrest and hold Americans against their will to blackmail our government. The government has a long track record of spying on Americans, placing microphones and cameras wherever they can. They have no concept of privacy and will gladly find a way to collect DNA samples and as much information as possible on our world-class athletes. I believe the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people are just like us, but the actions of their government have given us no reason to trust them.

Going forward, I do not believe that a country with a human rights track record like that of the People's Republic of China should be given the honor of hosting the Olympic Games.

I pray for the safety, health, and success of American athletes, coaches, and support staff during their time abroad and wish them all the best of luck. I know they will make all of us back home proud.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, the fine gentleman from Louisiana, for organizing this Special Order on such an important topic.

It is no secret that our country has been ravaged by the opioid epidemic for years. Families and communities across the country have been destroyed by opioid abuse and addiction and, unfortunately, Iowans are no exception.

I, and other healthcare providers, correctly predicted in the spring of 2020 that our actions by locking down, social isolation, and shuttering jobs, would lead to increased drug use, drug addiction, and drug overdoses.

The Iowa Department of Public Health recently estimated that fentanyl deaths rose from 31 percent of all overdoses in 2016 to 87 percent in 2021. The CDC reported that from April 2020 to April 2021, more than 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses, and that nearly 64,000 were related to fentanyl. This is up from 2,000 overdose deaths in 2011.

These numbers are shocking and saddening, and truly underscore the impact the opioid epidemic has had on this country. U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized over twice as much fentanyl in fiscal year 2021 than in fiscal year 2020, and nearly four times as much fentanyl, compared to 2019.

Madam Speaker, 11,201 pounds of fentanyl were seized in fiscal year 2021 alone, enough to kill 2.5 billion people, or the entire U.S. population over seven times.

While it is great we are apprehending so many drugs before they reach our communities, and Border Patrol is doing amazing work, we know so much more is coming across our borders undetected and impacting our communities.

I have visited the border twice and have spoken to law enforcement about what we can do to help them. The administration needs to address the border crisis as it is and take it seriously.

I have been proud to see this Congress work in a bipartisan manner to pass commonsense and simple bills, like my DUMP Opioids Act, to help curb this epidemic. But we can all agree that there is more work to be done.

I look forward to working with all of my colleagues to help make this country safer for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of a well-known and generous man from Davenport, Iowa. Mike Duffy passed away peacefully on January 21 surrounded by his loved ones.

For the overwhelming majority of his life, Mike called Davenport home. He began working at the age of 11 and did not stop until his retirement. He helped his father, John, grow the family business, Per Mar Security, into an Iowa institution.

Mike worked a number of jobs throughout his life, and he always treated everyone from all walks of life with equal respect. That is just who Mike was, and he has made the lives of everyone around him better because of it.

Mike's long list of accomplishments include being recognized by the Iowa Business Hall of Fame, the Quad Cities Area Junior Achievement Hall of Fame, and the Security Industry Hall of Fame. Mike served the Quad Cities around the clock, serving on multiple boards and committees, including the Davenport Chamber of Commerce, St. Ambrose University, and the Handicapped Development Center, just to name a few.

Even at his visitation, his employees told his wife, Linda, about his selfless service in delivering the Sunday paper to them for the coupons, even though he read it online. Mike worked his entire life to support his family, his friends, and his community.

Mike's wife, Linda; their children; and 31 grandchildren are in my prayers.

Mr. Speaker, a lot can happen in a year: a woman can deliver a newborn; a child can learn to walk; and a small virus leaked from a lab in Wuhan, China, can go around the globe and cause a global pandemic.

While the first two are joyous, the latter, and the 1-year anniversary of the Biden administration, is nothing to celebrate. We have the highest inflation in 40 years, and you don't need a graph to show that. We see it each day when we go to fill up our tank or go to the grocery store.

We have the end of American energy independence and a plea to OPEC to increase petroleum production; record-high numbers of illegal border crossings; almost double legal immigration, with no COVID-19 testing; record-high illegal drug crossings, especially synthetic fentanyl, with record-high overdoses, especially in our young population, 18 to 45; record-high homicides and crime in blue States; a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, Saigon 2.0, with a loss of billions in equipment and the lives of 13 of our servicemen and -women.

The disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan has led to increased instability with Russia and China.

We have a vaccine mandate that ignores science, which shows that both the delta virus can transmit, even if vaccinated and boosted, and omicron wanes within 1 month.

My advice to this administration: End the vaccine mandate; stop what you are doing; and go on vacation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding student, athlete, and leader from my district.

Tyler Linderbaum of Solon, Iowa, not only creates a huge impact on the football field as the starting center for the Iowa Hawkeyes, but he also creates a huge impact in our community.

This season, Tyler used the new NCAA rules to hold a fundraiser for our beloved University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. After setting up a website to sell merchandise, he presented the Children's Hospital with a check for $30,000.

On the football field, Tyler was dominant. In addition to leading the Hawks to 10 wins, Tyler was named the first team All-American, and was also awarded the Rimington Award as college football's best center. For his work, Pro Football Focus graded him with their highest grade ever given to a college football center.

Thank you, Tyler, for being an outstanding citizen of our community. I am looking forward to watching you continue to dominate in the NFL and make our State and our world a better place. Go, Hawks.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak on an issue that is important for every American. I know the importance of each vote and understand the difference one vote or six can make. Our country was founded on the right to vote in fair and free elections and faith in the election systems that conduct those elections.

Since Iowa implemented new voting laws in 2017, our elections have seen record turnout and participation.

Right now, the majority is pushing a Federal takeover of elections, overriding laws in States like Iowa.

The proposed legislation would limit voter ID laws, which are supported by the overwhelming majority of Americans. It would also allow politicians to use taxpayer dollars to run political ads; meaning your money could go to candidates and issues you do not support.

Finally, it would implement a ``one-size-fits-all'' set of regulations instead

of allowing individual States to establish laws that work for them as provided in our Constitution.

Voters in each congressional district across the country are best informed to choose their congressional representation. They do not need interference from Washington, D.C.

We should be working to pass bipartisan and commonsense voting laws, not pushing a partisan agenda and playing political games. Let's make sure that everyone can vote and that every vote counts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an incredible veteran from my district for his service to our country and eastern Iowa.

Henry Langrehr of Clinton served in Europe during World War II with the 82nd Airborne Division. Because of his heroic and brave actions in France, he received two Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts, and the French Legion of Honor.

Henry was a paratrooper who flew on a C-47 transport plane across the English Channel before being dropped into Normandy on D-day during the Allied invasion.

During the campaign, Henry was injured by shrapnel and taken as a German prisoner of war. He successfully escaped a Nazi work camp and made his way back to his countrymen.

Henry always makes sure to praise Arlene, his wife of nearly 80 years. While Henry was in Europe, Arlene worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, making machine gun stands needed for the war effort, a real- life Rosie the Riveter.

I am incredibly grateful to have amazing Americans like Henry and Arlene living in my district.

Thank you for your incredible service to and love for the United States, Iowa, and Clinton.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a record- setting student-athlete at the University of Iowa.

On January 2, sophomore guard Caitlin Clark became the fastest player in Big Ten history to reach 1,000 career points. She accomplished this in just 40 games, passing the previous record holder from Ohio State.

Reaching this mark against Evansville University, Caitlin put up a career-high 44 points in the 93-56 win for the Hawkeyes.

A lifelong Iowan, Caitlin was named a high school All-American before coming to Iowa City and earning numerous accolades as a freshman, including Big Ten Freshman of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten, National Freshman of the Year, and First Team All-American honors.

Congratulations to Caitlin. I look forward to watching her continue to dominate for the next 2 years. Go Iowa, and Go Hawkeyes.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from South Dakota for yielding me time to speak today.

Iowa's farmers, ranchers, and producers know the value of a hard day's work. For years, they have endured challenges beyond their control. Even though I am a doctor, I know of no work more demanding than birthing calves in the middle of winter and helping them to survive.

Natural disasters such as fires, drought, and derechos have created significant market disruptions.

I was proud to be a cosponsor of Congressman Johnson's Cattle Contract Library Act to give cattlemen access

to the most accurate data to make the best decisions possible for their families and their business in the face of these conditions and provide more transparency in the markets.

For months, I have been calling for increased transparency in our cattle markets to help both producers and consumers. I was proud to introduce the bipartisan Meat Packing Special Investigator Act to take on anticompetitive practices and give producers a fair shake and strictly enforce the Packers and Stockyards Act.

I was also proud to help introduce the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act, which aims to return fairness to the cattle marketplace dominated by four major meatpackers.

It is crucial for Iowa's producers that there is fairness and transparency in our cattle industry. I thank Congressmen Johnson and Cuellar for their incredible work on this issue. I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important legislation, H.R. 5609.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a group of women in my district for their hard work that led to a historic game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

On Sunday, the Iowa Women's Basketball team earned an impressive 88- 61 win in their Big Ten Conference opener against Michigan State.

With almost 7,000 people in attendance at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Lisa Bluder and her Hawkeyes showcased their court dominance with Caitlin Clark adding 24 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds, making her second triple-double in the six games since our season opener against New Hampshire.

And the icing on top? All those watching got to see Coach Lisa Bluder earn her 800th career win, a monumental achievement, to be sure.

Congratulations, Lady Hawkeyes, and give yourselves a pat on the back for all the hard work you put in during the off season. I look forward to seeing what else this team has in store in the coming months.