Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman and ranking member for the hard work putting this NDAA together.

I rise today in support of the National Defense Authorization Act because I am deeply, deeply concerned about the current direction of our military.

We are at a critical juncture in our Nation's history. This unclassified chart you see here shows the threat of the Chinese Communist Party; they are in red; we are in blue.

It is a sad story. They are outpacing us at every aspect in the military. With escalating tensions in the Indo-Pacific, China's blatant threats against Taiwan, and our military recruitment falling here in the U.S., we face significant challenges.

We came to Washington because we believe in America. We believe in a brighter future for our children, and we believe that we are the greatest country on Earth, but our military is being weakened from within.

The woke ideologies are killing confidence, killing motivation, killing recruitment, and the excellence of our military. These woke policies of diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical race theory must stop. The enemy does not care about the color of the skin of our servicemembers and does not care what pronoun they use.

We must make changes, and the NDAA starts those changes. It starts with leaders willing to take a stand.

Mr. Chair, again, I urge all of my colleagues to support the NDAA.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of H. Res. 523, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that it may be in order at any time on Thursday, June 22, 2023, for the Speaker to declare a recess, subject to the call of the Chair, for the purpose of receiving in joint meeting His Excellency Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to, once again, express my sincere support for AM radio.

Yesterday, my good friend, Representative Jake LaTurner of Kansas, and I led a bipartisan resolution promoting the use of AM radios in automobiles.

Not only is AM radio a pillar of our communication infrastructure, but it is a beacon of our resilience and a representation of our unity as a nation.

It connects us. It informs us. At times, it has saved us.

One in five Americans regularly turns to a radio station for their local news, and nearly one-half of all adults in our great Nation derive part of their news from radio broadcasts--not TV, not social media, but radio.

Our AM radio stations reach a staggering monthly audience of 82 million Americans.

This is not a voice whispering into the void. This is a loudspeaker that broadcasts to the masses. It is a reliable source of news and information to tens of millions of citizens.

Madam Speaker, let's keep the airwaves alive. Let's keep the people informed. Let's keep AM radio in our cars and trucks.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce our first big win in Congress. One week ago today, I stood right here to take a stand for AM radio in America and call on all car manufacturers to reconsider their decision to do away with it.

Well, I have some great news to report today, Mr. Speaker. Ford has decided to keep AM radio in their 2024 models, including the F-150 made just outside of Kansas City. It is a start, but we are not done. I am now calling on all the other auto manufacturers to follow Ford's lead and preserve AM radio.

This is not just about radios, Mr. Speaker. It is about standing up for the farmers and ranchers who tune into AM radio as they till the soil from dusk to dawn. It is about commuters who rely on AM radio during their morning and evening commutes. It is about accessibility, about making sure that every American, no matter where they live, has access to vital news, weather, and community updates.

Today, we push forward advocating for AM radio, advocating for our constituents, and today we show other car manufacturers what public pressure looks like and tell them like I said last week, I want my AM radio.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize our Nation's law enforcement officers.

They serve as the human shield between peace and chaos, preserving our way of life and upholding the rule of law.

Our police officers are the first people we call when we are in danger. When our safety is threatened, they respond without hesitation. Their unwavering commitment to public service and willingness to confront the unknown is a testament to their strength and humanity.

We also must remember that our police officers are not just uniformed personnel. They are our neighbors, our friends, our family. They share our joys, our sorrows, our dreams, and our challenges. They deserve not only our gratitude but also our unwavering support.

As we observe National Police Week, let's honor those dressed in blue who put their lives on the line each and every day for us.

When we are standing united and when we support those who protect us, we maintain peace and we maintain safety. We strengthen the bond that makes us one Nation, indivisible.

Mr. Speaker, I grew up on AM radio: listening to the news; listening to Dr. Demento; the ``CBS Radio Mystery Theater,'' falling asleep at night in my bed while listening to that on the weekends; and Rush Limbaugh, who not too long ago sat right up there in that gallery recognized by President Trump. I even interned for the late Larry King. I love AM radio.

I rise today to address an urgent concern that is impacting our Nation's heartland and America in general: the decision by some car and truck manufacturers to eliminate, do away with, AM radio from their systems, including the F-150, the Ford F-150 that is made in Claycomo, near Kansas City, not too far from my district.

You see, AM radio is an essential platform for conservative voices like Pete Mundo and Chris Stigall and listeners who rely on the truth that they hear from AM stations, like KCMO, KRMS, KMMO, KOKO, KDRO, KWTO, and KSGF.

AM radio is the lifeblood of information for our farmers and ranchers in particular, providing crucial updates on weather patterns, market shifts, and agricultural news. It is also a vital platform for emergency information. Under the Communications Act of 1934, AM radio is there for a reason. It is there to operate in the public interest, and that is exactly what it does.

Mr. Speaker, farmers are the backbone of our Nation's food security, yet they operate in some of the most isolated regions, often lacking access to modern high-speed internet or digital services.

Did you know, Mr. Speaker, that there are more than 4,000 AM radio stations in the United States, with more than a third dedicated to agricultural programming? That is one-third of the stations. That is a big number.

This is not a dying medium, Mr. Speaker. It is a vibrant network that connects diverse communities across our Nation. We must remind our car manufacturers to consider the wider impact of their decisions.

Let's make sure that conservative voices are protected. Let's make sure that emergency communications are protected, as well, for our farmers and ranchers in particular. Let's make sure our rural communities, our farmers and ranchers, the unsung heroes of our Nation, remain connected, remain informed, and remain respected.

Mr. Speaker, in the 1980s, I remember when MTV first came on and the little jingle, ``I want my MTV.''

Mr. Speaker, it is 2023, and I want my AM radio.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the SHOPP Act.

At its core, the legislation addresses a simple truth: Families deserve access to nutritious foods in all of its forms.

The SHOPP Act broadens the current produce prescription program, which, as it stands, limits recipients to the purchase of fresh produce only.

However, this restriction overlooks a crucial fact: Not all produce is equally accessible in all areas at all times. Frozen fruits and veggies can offer a nutritious, convenient, and year-round solution for families.

This is not about valuing one form of produce over another but about meeting families where they are in everyday life. It is about giving families the flexibility to choose the produce that works best for them, whether it is fresh or frozen.

Research clearly shows that when families have access to a variety of fruits and veggies, they eat more produce. By diversifying the options available through GusNIP, the SHOPP Act doesn't just increase access to nutrition. It also empowers families to make healthier choices.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the SHOPP Act and, in doing so, support health, support well-being, and ensure year-round nutrition for all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for the rules package of H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act.

One year ago today I was on the border with Mexico to see firsthand the deadly, chaotic crisis that this administration has created.

With a wink and a nod, this President has welcomed more than 6 million illegal aliens into our sovereign Nation. This is a human trafficking nightmare with some 85,000 children unaccounted for tonight, more than 100,000 of our fellow citizens have been murdered from fentanyl. Drugs are manufactured in Communist China and smuggled across our southern border, an open border that has opened business for the Mexican cartels that are now operating on our side of the border.

All we hear from this administration is lies; lies that their immigration policy is based on compassion. It is exploitation, not compassion.

We hear lies that the border is not open and that it is secure.

We hear lies that the Border Patrol uses whips on illegals. Look, I have been on a horse. I know the difference between a whip and a rein.

Just this past Monday, the White House came out with the biggest lie of all: that illegal immigration is down more than 90 percent under Biden.

At this very moment, there are more than 1 million people amassed near our southern border ready for title 42 to expire and stream across our border largely unchecked. This administration's solution is to send 1,500 troops, not to push them back, but to push pencils.

If this President and his Secretary of Homeland Security cannot find the grit to secure the border, we must do it in this Chamber.

Ronald Reagan once said: ``A nation that cannot control its border is not a nation.''

Today, like Colonel William Barrett Travis, we draw the line in the sand. We will not lose our Nation. We will not surrender to the drug cartels. We will not surrender to the lies of this administration, and we will not surrender America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to stand against the push for TikTok to infiltrate our White House. My colleagues and I have sent a letter expressing our deep concern that the President is considering inviting TikTok influencers into the White House to promote his agenda and give them their own briefing room.

This action poses a serious national security threat. It is tantamount to the rooster inviting the fox into the henhouse.

CCP is spying on millions of American citizens. By allowing these influencers access to the White House, we could be facilitating espionage efforts.

TikTok has access to your pictures, your text messages, your keystrokes, your microphone, your camera, your search history, and so much more.

Mr. Speaker, I am sad to say it has come to this, but we are literally begging the President of the United States not to use a spy tool developed and created by the CCP.

This administration owes the American people a response to our letter.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support for the rules package of H.R. 734, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act.

Here we are again, Mr. Speaker. This side of the aisle is advocating for sanity and humanity while that side of the aisle raises their hands saying: What are we doing here?

Just like in our debate where we had to denounce socialism on this floor, and just like our debate where we had to defend the lives of abortion survivors, we are here to protect America. We are here for the sanity and humanity of America.

Women's sports are meant for biological women and biological women alone. Let's follow the science. For generations, female athletes such as Lisa Leslie, Serena Williams, Katie Ledecky, Mia Hamm, and, most recently, Riley Gaines--who sat in this very gallery during our State of the Union Address and most recently was violently assaulted by a radical mob of activists--have fought tirelessly to tear down societal barriers in sports.

This movement, Mr. Speaker, is making a mockery--a mockery--of their brave dedication and overall progress for women in general.

Now my colleagues across the aisle want to insult the hours of blood, sweat, and tears that these women have invested into their sports and their careers. We are not going to stand for it. Enough is enough. The emperor has no clothes.

Some 50 years ago, Congress passed Title IX to give women the opportunity to compete at levels never seen before. Women broke barriers, and now this radical movement wants to break their spirit.

It is an insult to that legislation and to the progress society has made. It is

an insult--yes--that we are even here today having to debate this very issue. Women deserve protections and a fair playing field and a fair swimming pool.

Is that too much to ask for, Mr. Speaker?

This legislation will give them just that. H.R. 734 states that sex in the athletic context must be recognized based only on a person's reproductive biology and genetics at birth. It also clarifies that a recipient of Title IX funding is violating the prohibition against sex discrimination if a school allows a person whose sex is male to participate in a women's athletic activity.

Simply put, we cannot ignore the biological differences between a male and a female. To do so would be ignorant and a disservice to the sporting world.

Mr. Speaker, this is not about hate. This is about love. This is about love for our country, love for the advancement that women have made, and love for sanity.

Let's give women the protection that they deserve and the protection that they have earned.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Pennsylvania for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1.

From day one, this administration has demonized American energy producers, forcing prices to skyrocket and compromising our national security.

My Missouri constituents care about three things, Mr. Speaker: food, fuel, and fertilizer. This President has done nothing but raise prices on all three.

Our constituents don't want to be forced to drive a Prius. They want affordable prices at the pump. The F-150 is the model of a truck made in Missouri. It shouldn't be what it costs to fill it up, but that is exactly how much it cost this past summer. It has to end.

Since taking office, President Biden has canceled construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, which could have supplied us with more than 800,000 barrels of oil a day. He has depleted our strategic reserves to their lowest levels since 1983. The cherry on the top, Mr. Speaker, is that he has prevented any new permits on Federal lands and completely undermined the permitting process.

This President has kneecapped American energy producers.

America should not have to choose between driving to work and putting food on the table, but that is exactly what is happening in America today. This administration is making them make those tough choices, and that is exactly why we need H.R. 1.

We promised the American people that we would make sure they could fill up their trucks. We promised that we would fight to make it affordable to heat their homes. We promised to fight the woke Green New Deal policies that are killing our energy sector.

This legislation does just that. It will increase domestic energy production. It will reform the permitting process for all industries. It will reverse the anti-energy policies being perpetrated by the Biden administration.

Mr. Speaker, it is not complicated. We know that American energy producers make the cleanest energy in the world. Let's not only make America energy independent; let's make America energy dominant.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the rules package on this critical piece of legislation and ``yes'' on H.R. 1.

Let's put a tiger back in the tank and not a kitty cat in the glorified golf cart.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the importance of ensuring that all students are fed in a nutritious and affordable manner. I am proud to have introduced H.R. 1168, the School Lunch Affordability Act Of 2023.

Every year, schools are forced to raise their school lunch prices to comply with the Paid Lunch Equity program set by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. This arbitrary price increase mandated miles away by Congress has no impact on nutritional content and puts unnecessary pressure on hardworking American families and, ultimately, leads to more hungry students.

This legislation would amend the regulation to return local control to schools. Protecting the health and nutrition of our youth is a critical, critical aspect of a strong educational system and it is completely un-American to subject our local schools to the burdensome Federal regulations.

Schools should be able to make these decisions for themselves, not the bureaucrats in Washington. This legislation grants them this ability at the local level.

Mr. Speaker, how dare they. How dare they conflate the names of two great people: Nelson Mandela and Rosa Parks--books about these heroes--and conflate them about books about sexual promiscuity of our children. How dare they.

I am starting to see in my short time here in the U.S. Congress how this game is played. It is a conflate and confuse and baffle the American people.

We are here to set the record straight.

Mr. Speaker, if one good thing came out of COVID, when our kids were forced to stay home, it is that parents saw exactly what they were learning and what they were being taught. The parents didn't like it. The parents raised their voices. And because of that, they were condemned as domestic terrorists. That was wrong, Mr. Speaker. That was just plain wrong.

As a father myself, I understand. I understand that our children are the most important things in our lives. It is our job to put them in a position to have a better life than we did. Raising and rearing children to be smart, capable, contributing members of society should be our number one objective. Of course, we all know this starts at home. Make no mistake, it does continue at our schools and in our classrooms.

Schools are where our children spend the majority of their childhood, shaping the ideas, building the relationships, building the friendships they will have for a lifetime. This is exactly why parents deserve a seat at the table, and this legislation provides this seat.

Parents have a right to know what is being taught. They have a right to be heard. They have a right to see how a school is spending their taxpayer dollars. Most importantly, they have a right to protect their children's privacy.

When my Republican colleagues and I won back this Chamber, we swore-- we swore to the voters and constituents that we were going to defend these rights. The Parents Bill of Rights isn't the only step, but it is a great first step.

This legislation ensures curriculum information, books, reading material, and learning standards are made public to parents. Parents will now have an open line of communication with teachers and school board officials. They will not be condemned as terrorists.

Folks, this is common sense. To my good friends on the other side of the aisle, this really shouldn't be a debate.

Then again, I never thought weeks ago that I would have to stand here and condemn socialism that they voted for.

I never thought I would have to stand here and defend the rights of a baby that survived abortion, and yet we had to do that. I thought that was common sense as well, and I was wrong.

Mr. Speaker, this is not about changing history, this is about preserving our future as a Nation. This is not about banning books. This is about promoting transparency.

It is our job and it is our responsibility to protect our children from the evils being taught in some classrooms across the country--not all.

I am proud to be a voice for the parents of Missouri, for our district, and for parents across this great land. I am here to tell you, Mr. Speaker, it is time to take a stand. It is time to take a stand for our children. It is time to take a stand for our families. It is time to take a stand for our schools. It is time to take a stand for our great Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the rules package of this critical piece of legislation.