Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, all Americans understand something very clear. We don't have a revenue problem with the Federal Government. We have a spending problem.

Congress has the power of the purse, but we have failed to exercise such authority responsibly. Our national debt currently stands as of this morning I understand at $39 trillion, which equals over $113,000 per citizen. This number grows as I speak and will not stop without radical action from Congress.

We have borrowed our children's futures to pay for programs we cannot afford, putting this country on the path to financial ruin. The only way forward is to set guardrails to ensure Congress can no longer spend money it does not have.

This balanced budget amendment to our Constitution simply prohibits total spending from exceeding the average

tax revenue collected in the 3 years prior.

While critics may argue that reducing spending will somehow harm the economy, this amendment allows Congress 5 years to adapt to the new requirements. The amendment also sets a two-third majority voting requirement for any new taxes to prevent politicians from taking more of your money to spend rather than doing the hard work of fine-tuning our budget. Despite what some opponents might say, there is no way to tax our way out of this situation.

As I said at the beginning, all of America knows: There is a spending problem, not a revenue problem.

Mr. Speaker, I urge full support of this amendment. It is past time to balance our budget.

Mr. Speaker, we have a massive fraud problem in America. Fraud costs our country an estimated $233 billion to $521 billion each year.

Just recently, in Minnesota, allegations have been brought against a group of Somali immigrants running fraudulent daycares with American tax dollars.

The bill we are considering today, the Deporting Fraudsters Act, ensures that aliens who commit acts of fraud or fraudulently receive public benefits face the consequences of their actions. This creates grounds of inadmissibility and deportability for any alien who admits to or is convicted of certain fraud offenses.

The worst part of the Minnesota case, we all know, was the actions of lawmakers who decided they would rather cover it up than see the perpetrators brought to justice. Unfortunately, I think we will see that same behavior today with this vote.

Time and time again, we have seen our colleagues on the other side of the aisle refuse to prioritize American citizens over aliens.

Let me remind all Americans: We just saw an example of this recently at the State of the Union Address when President Trump asked us to stand if we believed the most important priority of the Federal Government is to protect American citizens, and all of America watched as Democrats refused to stand. The American people saw a party that is unable to put their interests first.

Living in America as a noncitizen is a privilege, and when people abuse that privilege, they must be held responsible. We must be a nation that follows the rule of law. We must punish illegal aliens who are misusing taxpayer dollars.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to put American citizens above alien fraudsters and vote ``yes'' on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Walberg for his incredible leadership, and I am so grateful for this bill.

Mr. Speaker, would you believe that Federal law actually refers to students who have completed their home school education as students who are not high school graduates?

Mr. Speaker, strangely enough, it does.

While most colleges eagerly admit and help homeschooled students secure financial aid, some compliance-minded schools point to this language as a reason to make a homeschooled applicant jump through extra hoops to prove that their diploma is worth the same as that of their public- or private-school peers. This language makes it seem like the homeschooled student is not eligible for student aid as they are going through the application process.

This might seem like a small problem to fix, but it represents a real burden for the students and families who are impacted by it.

Mr. Speaker, a diploma is a diploma, whether it was earned in a classroom or at the kitchen table. My bill makes one simple but critically important clarification to fix this problem once and for all. It states plainly that a homeschooler who earns a diploma recognized under State law is a high school graduate. If a student has lawfully completed their education, the Federal Government must recognize them as a high school graduate when determining eligibility for Federal student aid.

Today's vote is about honoring the constitutional role of the States and parents in education. Federal agencies or college admissions offices can no longer use unclear statutory language to undermine State-recognized diplomas.

For decades, millions of American families have chosen to educate their children at home. In fact, nearly 3 million students today are receiving a quality education in a home school setting, guided by devoted parents who take their responsibility seriously to prepare the next generation for success. In my home State of North Carolina alone, more than 165,000 students are homeschooled under the authority and recognition of State law.

I extend my sincere gratitude to the Home School Legal Defense Association for their steadfast advocacy and for all they do to ensure homeschooled students are protected under the law. Their work has been instrumental in bringing clarity to this issue.

I thank our Senate co-leader, Senator Ashley Moody, for standing with families and leading this effort in the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense clarification: Homeschooled graduates are high school graduates. They deserve to be treated as such under Federal law.

Mr. Speaker, what do airplanes, Costco, alcohol, tobacco, entering a nightclub, and opening a checking account all have in common? We have to show our ID.

We require identification for everyday activities. Why on Earth would we not require it for something as sacred as determining the future of this Republic?

When the SAVE America Act becomes the law of the land, three simple things will be true:

Number one, everyone who shows up to vote in a Federal election will have to show their photo ID.

Number two, States will only register American citizens to vote in Federal elections.

Number three, States will actually have to remove noncitizens from the voter rolls.

Every American--Republican, Democrat, or unaffiliated--wants to know that their vote counts and is not canceled out by someone who is here illegally. This bill ensures just that.

The right to vote is precious, and the SAVE Act restores confidence, strengthens integrity, and protects the voice of every lawful American citizen. I am confident my colleagues in the House will do the right thing and vote to secure our elections.

I now address my colleagues in the Senate.

Save America. Bring this bill to the Senate floor to debate. They should own their position in front of the American people. They must use every tool at their disposal, including the talking filibuster, to ensure that this bill makes it to the President Trump's desk.

Mr. Speaker, we cannot delay securing our elections and defending our Republic.

Mr. Chair, I thank Representative Norman for his amendment.

Mr. Chair, my constituents do not send their hard-earned tax dollars to Washington so that they can be funneled to abortion providers or hospitals that mutilate children, yet that is exactly what many of these earmarks do.

A vote for this amendment will remove $3 million for Seattle Children's Hospital, which proudly offers transgender care to children. It would strip $1 million to Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, which also provides transgender treatment to minors.

It would remove over $2 million to Kittitas Valley Healthcare in Washington State, a facility that performs chemical and surgical abortions even after 20 weeks.

I realize some argue these dollars are not directly paying for abortions or gender surgeries, but when we give taxpayer handouts like these, we free up resources for these exact practices.

I do not know how any Republican can support keeping these special handouts in this bill. While I wish my original amendment was considered to target the most egregious earmarks, I still urge a ``yes'' vote.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of the Special Order into the Record.

Madam Speaker, in November of 2024, the American people didn't just cast votes. They issued a thunderous mandate. It was loud, it was clear, and it was unmistakable. They rose up, and they declared: Enough is enough. Enough of the reckless spending that mortgages our children's future. Enough of open-borders flooding our communities with chaos and danger. Enough of unelected bureaucrats and activist judges lording over a free people, and enough of weakness abroad and surrendering to our enemies while our adversaries laugh.

The voters didn't send House Republicans back to Washington to warm chairs, cut ribbons, and play defense. They sent us here to fight. They sent us here to do government differently, to reverse the damage, and to restore what made America great.

Now the moment of truth has arrived.

What must the House Republican majority do in 2026, and why must we act boldly without apology and without hesitation?

In 2026 the American people expect a Republican-led Congress to deliver results. Alongside President Trump, we must leverage our House and Senate majorities to advance a bold agenda fulfilling more of our promises. We must act urgently in the first quarter of 2026, using every tool available to compel the Senate to deliver now. The stakes extend beyond the next election. America's future depends on it.

This evening I want to take a few moments to lay out that answer, four priorities, four commitments, and four reasons the future of the Republic depends on what we do next.

First of all, there must be a priority to cut spending because a nation that can't balance its books can't defend its future. The most fundamental duty of any government worthy of the name is stewardship of the taxpayers' hard-earned dollar.

Families balance their checkbooks every month. Small businesses live within their means or they fail. Yet, for too long, Washington has acted as if math, morality, and accountability simply don't apply here.

Today, right now, in January of 2026, our national debt stands at more than $38.4 trillion. Madam Speaker, that is not just statistics, it is a theft from our children. It is bondage for our grandchildren. It is a crushing burden that grows by billions every single day, while interest payments alone devour more than a trillion dollars a year.

Please, let's be crystal clear with America. We do not have a revenue problem. We have a spending problem and a massive fraud problem in this country. Just look at the scandals exploding across this country right now. In Minnesota, Democrats allowed millions of taxpayer dollars to flow to fraudulent daycare centers, fake operations with misspelled signs, empty buildings, no children in sight. Yet, they pocketed huge sums from programs meant to help the vulnerable children.

A viral investigation by independent journalist Nick Shirley has triggered Federal probes, payment freezes, and demands for accountability. Money that was intended for children, stolen by criminals exploiting government incompetence.

Back home in my own State of North Carolina, a fresh Federal audit just revealed that 54 percent--more than half--of the State's nondomiciled commercial drivers' licenses were issued illegally, often to foreign nationals whose driver licenses were valid long after their lawful presence in the United States had expired.

I submit to you, this isn't a clerical glitch. It is a systemic failure that is putting the lives of Americans at risk on our highways, wastes taxpayer resources, and, yes, threatens millions in Federal funding.

Mr. Speaker, fraud is never victimless. It robs seniors of the benefits they earned. It shortchanges our veterans who sacrificed for this country. It burdens working families already struggling to get ahead, and it saddles future generations with debts they never agreed to carry.

In 2026, I believe House Republicans must do what Washington has refused to do for decades: hunt down waste, fraud, and abuse, and shut it off at its source. That means oversight with real teeth, audits that trigger prosecutions, not just reports, and zero tolerance. Cut funding to any agency that refuses to clean house and deal with the situation.

Only a year ago, several in my party were hyping up DOGE, the Department

of Government Efficiency. I must ask, where is the enthusiasm now? Why are we not continuing to slash the waste, fraud, and abuse? We did it with USAID, NPR, and PBS, but, listen, we can't stop there.

While we are wielding the budget ax, let's be unequivocal about what should never receive another dime of taxpayer money--no taxpayer-funded abortions, period. Full stop. The Federal Government must never force Americans of faith, or any Americans for that matter, to bankroll the destruction of innocent life. Life begins in the womb, and America must never apologize for defending the most vulnerable among us.

There is one more pipeline that I believe must be severed: no funding for lawless jurisdictions. Cities and States that are defying Federal immigration law, harboring criminals instead of enforcing the law should receive not one more cent of Federal grants. We cannot, we must not continue rewarding sanctuary politicians who put American lives in the crosshairs.

This past Saturday, on what would have been Laken Riley's 24th birthday, we paused to remember a bright, compassionate nursing student whose life was stolen far, far too soon. Laken was jogging on a college trail, doing what young Americans do every day, full of promise, full of faith, full of the future. She never made it home. My colleague talked about her killer tonight: an illegal alien with ties to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua who crossed our border, was released, and then brutally ended her life.

Don't forget Laken, don't forget Rachel Morin, don't forget Joycelyn Nungaray, don't forget the countless American victims--daughters, sons, mothers, and fathers--who have been lost to the chaos of reckless open- border policies that have been pushed by the radical progressive Democrats.

These same Democrats remain unashamed. They fight harder, they fight louder for violent criminal aliens than they ever do for the American families that have been left shattered. They shield sanctuary cities that harbor lawbreakers, defund enforcement, and turn their backs on our people. However, we remember, and because we remember, we must act.

In 2026, House Republicans must keep fighting. No more Federal dollars for sanctuary jurisdictions that defy the law, and I mean no more excuses, no more American blood on the hands of politicians who choose criminals over citizens. Laken's memory demands it. America's safety requires it. We will not rest until justice is restored for Laken, for every victim, and for every family that deserves to feel safe in their own country.

If a city wants our taxpayers' money, it must follow Federal law. If it chooses to act as a sanctuary for lawbreakers, let it do so on its own dime, not ours. Cut the waste. Cut the fraud. Cut the funding to lawlessness. That is how we will restore fiscal sanity. That is how we will restore public safety. That is how we will restore moral clarity to Washington, and I mean starting today.

There is a second priority: to conserve our way of life, because a Republic only survives if its foundations are defended. The Bible says in Psalms 11:3 that if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

The second mission of the House Republican majority in 2026 is clear and nonnegotiable: We must conserve the American way of life. What good is economic prosperity if our freedoms, the very soul of our Nation, are eroded day by day?

Let's start with the foundation of self-government. Yes, I am talking about our elections. Only American citizens should vote in American elections. This is not controversial. This is common sense. The House has already acted decisively. We passed the SAVE Act requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register for Federal elections.

The need for the SAVE Act couldn't be clearer. Just in my own State of North Carolina last fall, the DMV admitted to registering an unknown number of noncitizens, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Americans, I believe, demand that we have secure elections, and yet the SAVE Act has been sitting in the Senate gathering dust. The question is clear: When will the Senate pass it?

A nation that cannot secure its elections cannot preserve its liberty, and election integrity is not voter suppression, it is the bedrock of a representative government.

Now, let's talk about justice. We are witnessing a dangerous trend: rogue, unelected district judges legislating from the bench--you know it--issuing sweeping nationwide injunctions that overrule the will of the people, the President, and the Congress.

That is not how our Constitution works. That is why the House passed the No Rogue Rulings Act, limiting injunction to the parties in a case, not the entire country.

Yes, once again, it awaits Senate action. The question I raise, once again: When will the Senate pass it? Courts interpret the law; they do not make it. They do not govern the Nation. We must also defend the rule of law itself. American law is grounded in one Constitution, not foreign legal systems.

Let me say it clearly: Sharia law has no place superseding Federal or State law in the United States of America. We must protect our Nation from violence and ideologies that are antithetical to the Constitution. We are one Nation, one Constitution, and one rule of law, period.

Finally, while we are talking, think about free speech, the First Amendment right our Founders placed first for a reason. Yet, today, as a pastor, I understand that pastors are being muzzled and churches intimidated. The IRS has been weaponized as a tool of censorship, threatening tax-exempt status for daring to speak Biblical truth on the moral issues of today.

That is why I introduced the Free Speech Fairness Act, to repeal the remnants of the Johnson amendment and restore pastors' God-given right to preach freely from the pulpits across this land.

I am sorry, but no government bureaucrat should dictate what a pastor can say about life, about marriage, or about liberty. No politician should decide which moral truths are acceptable. Free speech is not a privilege bestowed by Washington. It is a right that is endowed by our creator.

Sadly, America has been drifting away from basic common sense, and nowhere is this more painfully evident than in the world of sports. Our daughters are being forced to compete against males. Our sisters are being forced to share locker rooms and changing spaces with boys.

Today, the highest Court in our land is grappling with this very issue. This very day, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two critical cases, Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. BPJ, to decide whether State laws that protect girls' and women's sports by basing eligibility on biological sex at birth violate Title IX or the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

I submit to you tonight that the American people have already spoken clearly. It was a January 2025 New York Times poll that found that 79 percent of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, believed athletes who were male at birth but pretend to be female should not be eligible to compete in women's sports.

That is exactly why the House passed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025, which restores fairness by clarifying that Title IX protects biological females in federally funded athletic programs. Yet, Senate Democrats blocked it last year, standing against the overwhelming will of the American people.

When will Democrats stop rejecting common sense and start listening to the American families they claim to represent?

In 2026, House Republicans will keep pushing these bills forward, demanding Senate action, defending our elections, our courts, our laws, and our voices because if we don't conserve the American way of life right now, who will? Who will?

We will not apologize. We will not back down. We will defend it for our children, for our faith, and for our future.

The third priority that I think is critical, and let me move quickly, is that we codify our border wins because a nation without borders is not a nation.

The third task before the House Republican majority is urgent and nonnegotiable. We must codify our border wins into law.

President Trump has delivered on his promise to secure the border. Customs and Border Protection has achieved 7 straight months of--get this--zero releases of apprehended illegal immigrants into the United States from the border.

In 2025, DHS enforcement operations resulted in more than 605,000 deportations, but I submit to you tonight that executive action is not enough. Temporary enforcement is not enough. America needs permanent border security. We must ensure the security of our Nation is not undone by the stroke of a pen of a future administration.

That means passing H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act. This legislation, as you will recall, finishes the wall, ends catch and release, restores interior enforcement, and puts American sovereignty back where it belongs, in American hands.

For years, we were told securing the border was impossible, and then President Trump proved it was possible simply when the law is enforced.

Now, it is time to lock those victories into statute. No more open borders. No more fentanyl flooding our streets. No more surrender to cartels and traffickers. A sovereign nation controls who enters its territory, and the House Republican majority must ensure Americans exactly that.

The fourth and final priority: celebrate freedom. Celebrate freedom because America's greatness flows from liberty, not government control.

In 2026, House Republicans must do what the radical left despises most: We must celebrate and defend freedom. Yes, that starts with healthcare, where Big Insurance and Big Government have trapped Americans into a broken, unaffordable system they don't control.

Just last month, a bombshell GAO report exposed the truth. The ObamaCare marketplace rubberstamped approvals for 96 percent of fake applications. Fictitious identities, stolen Social Security numbers, dead people, yet billions in taxpayer subsidies flowed straight to the insurance companies. Your hard-earned dollars were wasted on fraud while families faced skyrocketing premiums.

Democrats are fighting tooth and nail. Do you know what they are fighting tooth and nail to do? To keep funneling subsidies to Big Insurance giants, to let wealthy individuals continue to access government-funded healthcare, to allow some Americans to pay zero for coverage while the rest of us foot the bill.

Madam Speaker, I am glad to say tonight that Republicans are fighting for you, the American people, by expanding real choices for families, increasing competition to drive down prices, and putting patients and doctors first, not lining the pockets of Big Insurance.

Something has to change, and we must put healthcare back in the hands of individuals, not bureaucrats in Washington. A powerful first step? Expand health savings accounts, HSAs.

Madam Speaker, HSAs empower families to make their own decisions. Yes, they lower costs. Yes, they increase choice. Yes, they restore freedom to control your own care. Healthcare should serve patients, not bureaucrats or corporate cronies.

We must confront another growing threat most Americans don't yet see, and that is malign foreign influence, especially from Communist China.

Our colleges and universities have taken hundreds of millions-- estimates now actually exceed $426 million in recent years--from foreign adversaries like China. They are selling access, influence, and sensitive research to the highest bidder. This is unacceptable.

That is why the House passed the DETERRENT Act, which includes language from my No Contracts for Foreign Adversaries Act, to force transparency, block shady deals, and stop our institutions from taking money from enemies who wish to harm us.

Once again, that bill is now in the Senate. The question arises once more: When will the Senate pass it?

America's intellectual capital, the minds of our next generation, should never be auctioned off to those who seek to undermine us. Freedom is worth defending economically, culturally, and morally.

In 2026, our House Republican majority will keep leading the charge to reform healthcare to empower individuals, to secure our campuses from foreign threats, and to celebrate the American way of life without apology. We understand that freedom isn't free. That is why we will fight to keep it for our families, for our future, and for our Nation.

In conclusion, I want you to hear my heart because it is a call to courage. This is our moment. As we stand on the threshold of America's 250th birthday--250 years since 56 brave signers pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to the Declaration of Independence--we are all called to renew the covenant our Founders made.

The House Republican majority was not sent here to manage decline. We were elected to reverse it, to cut reckless spending, to conserve our God-given way of life, to secure our sovereign borders, and to celebrate and defend the freedoms they fought to secure. History will not judge how cautious we were. It will judge how courageous we were.

As General George Washington declared to his troops, in 1776, on the heels of the Continental Congress' decision for independence, he said: ``The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and the conduct of this Army.''

Madam Speaker, today the fate of unborn millions--our children, our grandchildren, and generations yet to come--depends on us, on our courage, on our conviction, and on our unwavering faith in the exceptional Nation that our Founders envisioned.

I implore my colleagues: Let us act with conviction. Let us lead with faith. Let us govern with courage.

America's best days are not behind us. They are still ahead. If we are bold enough, faithful enough, and courageous enough to fight for them, we will see it through.

Madam Speaker, in this year of America 250, let us recommit to the principles of liberty, self-government, and moral clarity that launched the greatest experiment in human freedom that the world has ever known.

We will not shrink. We will not surrender. We will fight. We will win for what our Founders built and that we are called to preserve.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the internet is increasingly becoming a hostile place for children. The practice of sextortion is becoming far too common. As many as one in five teenagers report experiencing sextortion.

That is why I rise in support of the Combating Online Predators Act, which takes decisive action against the practice of sextortion.

This bill updates current child sexual abuse material laws to ensure that sextortion is included so that no minor can be threatened with the release of explicit content that depicts them.

As bad actors use the internet to harm kids, Congress must ensure our laws are updated to protect them. Those who seek to threaten our youth through sextortion must be held accountable, and this bill ensures they will.

Mr. Speaker, I am so grateful to my colleague, Representative Lee, for leading this effort to protect children from this harmful practice. I am pleased with the widespread and bipartisan support for it, and I urge my colleagues to support the Combating Online Predators Act.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6715) to prohibit sexual exploitation and sexually explicit depictions of minors, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 6715.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the state of child protection in our Nation and around the world is deeply alarming and demands our immediate and undivided attention.

Sadly, in today's world and today's age, child sexual abuse material, better known as CSAM, has never been more prevalent.

According to a study from February 2025, 1 in 12 children worldwide have been subjected to online sexual exploitation or abuse. Even more troubling: The vast majority of child sexual abuse, over 90 percent in many documented cases, is perpetrated by someone whom the child knows or is related to, whether family members, trusted adults, or acquaintances.

These are not distant strangers. They are often people with direct access to our children, making the betrayal all the more heartbreaking.

We, in Congress, have a duty to act decisively. We must commit ourselves fully to making the internet and our entire society a safer place for America's children and children everywhere.

My bill, the Child Predators Accountability Act, strengthens the criminal code to hold perpetrators accountable and to protect our children.

Under current law, the definition of ``sexually explicit material'' requires that a child be engaged in sexually explicit conduct for the material to qualify. This narrow wording has created a dangerous loophole.

In one egregious case, a defendant produced a sexually explicit video that included a child who was merely present, passive, and not actively participating. Since the child was not deemed to be ``engaged in'' the act, the conviction for distributing CSAM was overturned. The predator was let off the hook for using a child due to a technicality in the statute.

Mr. Speaker, this cannot stand. We cannot allow one rogue case to lead to a domino effect of bad case law and less protection for these vulnerable children. No predator should escape accountability simply because they included a minor in the frame but did not physically touch or direct them in the explicit conduct.

Such content is profoundly abusive. It exploits the child's presence, dignity, and vulnerability for depraved purposes. It inflicts lasting harm and deserves to be unequivocally classified as CSAM.

My bill delivers a precise, necessary fix. It amends the law to clarify that the depiction of a minor would qualify

as sexually explicit conduct, regardless of whether the minor participated in such conduct, if the defendant intentionally included the minor in the visual depiction. This closes a loophole and equips prosecutors and law enforcement with clearer tools that will ensure justice for the victims.

The Child Predators Accountability Act is a straightforward, commonsense measure that will help hold exploiters accountable and prevent future abuses.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join with me in defending our children by voting in favor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs).

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Arizona.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lee).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the members of the Committee on the Judiciary for unanimously supporting this bill in markup. I am grateful for my colleagues who have all risen to speak today and to the ranking member and leadership on the other side that have worked together with us.

Mr. Speaker, I urge swift passage of my legislation, the Child Predators Accountability Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, bad actors often prey on the most vulnerable: our children. It is our job to stand up for them. That is why I rise today in support of the Coercion and Sexual Abuse Free Environment Act introduced by my colleague and friend, Chairman Andy Biggs.

This bill will ensure accountability for anyone who intentionally compels a minor to engage in self-harm or other degrading acts. As child abuse continues in this country and takes many forms, prosecutors must have the proper tools to go after these predators.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Coercion and Sexual Abuse Free Environment Act.

Mr. Speaker, North Carolina teen Christian Sturdivant pledged his allegiance to ISIS at just 14 years old.

Christian, now an 18-year-old, planned to use knives and hammers to attack people at a grocery store and restaurant on New Year's Eve in Mint Hill, North Carolina, a suburban town in my district.

I thank the Lord that his plan was intercepted and thwarted by the FBI and United States Attorney Russ Ferguson, with the help of Mint Hill law enforcement and the mayor of Mint Hill, Dale Dalton. As a result of their work, they were able to stop Christian before he could act.

This foiled attack should concern us all. An impressionable American teenager was influenced by violent Islamist ideology.

Let me be clear: Radical Islam is not just a danger in places like Mamdani's New York. It is in my home State, and it is quickly spreading across the United States.

Mr. Speaker, imagine almost losing your life on New Year's Eve just for celebrating in America. That is what almost happened in my district.

This is the type of hate that radical Islam inspires. It has no place in America. We must do more to push back and stand up to hateful ideologies that espouse violence against innocent people.

Mr. Speaker, for decades, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina has sought full recognition, a goal has that has eluded them despite their profound contributions to our State and Nation.

With nearly 60,000 members, the Lumbee people form a vital part of my district and the fabric of North Carolina.

One of the first bills I co-led in Congress, the Lumbee Fairness Act--now included in the National Defense Authorization Act--is on the verge of passage, bringing us closer than ever to delivering justice.

I am deeply grateful to President Trump for his steadfast support of the Lumbee Tribe, from his campaign promises to his actions in Congress and collaborating across both Chambers to secure the full recognition and benefits the Lumbee rightfully deserve.

Mr. Speaker, let us vote ``yes'' today and finally end this long fight, affirming the recognition they have earned and so richly merit.

Illegal Aliens Flock to North Carolina

Mr. Speaker, it seems illegal aliens have flocked to North Carolina because they know sanctuary politicians will protect them and allow them to roam free on American streets. In fact, there are reports that over 100,000 illegal aliens are in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, alone. Just last week, one of these illegals drew national headlines.

Oscar Solorzano is a twice-deported Honduran, illegal alien with a lengthy rap sheet. This past Friday, he stabbed a 24-year-old man in the chest on a Charlotte light rail, the very same transit light rail where Iryna Zarutska was murdered.

What was Charlotte's response? The Democrat-run city council rubber- stamped $3 million to ``enhance the perception'' of public safety for the light rail. Did they actually do anything to make it safer? Of course not. There are now two victims of the Charlotte Blue Line rail, and what they have in common is the Charlotte pro-crime Democrats have failed them.

Iryna Zarutska was killed by a 14-time repeat offender. Kenyon Dobie, the Good Samaritan who stood in the gap, was stabbed this past Friday with life-threatening injuries by a twice-deported illegal alien.

There is a crime wave happening in Charlotte with a full laundry list of crimes occurring each day. Since Charlotte Democrats won't do anything, it is time to intervene. It is time to do what we requested of our Governor several weeks ago: Send in the National Guard.

big insurance is swimming in money

Mr. Speaker, big insurance is swimming in money, swimming in your taxpayer dollars, and swimming in the money that is supposed to be helping patients. ObamaCare is a broken system that

has allowed insurance companies to rip off the American taxpayers and simply drive up costs.

If Congress wants to talk healthcare, then let's talk, but we must let these COVID-era subsidies expire first. Biden's COVID credits are a pandemic policy that has done nothing to lower insurance costs. Premiums are rising because ObamaCare has failed to keep its promise of making healthcare affordable.

Not only are Biden's COVID credits failing to keep costs down and paid straight to insurance companies, but they will also cost taxpayers over $400 billion in the next decade.

Mr. Speaker, with a country facing $39 trillion in debt, this is, again, a reason to let these COVID subsidies expire. However, letting Biden-era COVID subsidies expire is just a drop in the bucket when it comes to broader reform.

ObamaCare was recently exposed for rubber-stamping 96 percent of fake applications, all paid with our tax dollars going down the drain. When taxpayers pay and insurers profit, that is not healthcare. That is a hustle. It is time to find a real solution. Let's begin by letting the Biden COVID-era subsidies expire.

Mr. Speaker, Charles ``Chic'' Richardson, a World War II veteran who served this country as a U.S. Air Force B-17 bomber crewman, went to be with the Lord earlier this month.

I am truly blessed to have known a man who went through so much to protect our country, flying over Europe, and even willingly marching straight into combat with such red, white, and blue courage.

Chic lived to be 102 years old. In that long life, he accomplished so much: raising a family, working in the automotive industry, and even writing a book about World War II called ``35 Missions to Hell and Back.''

Chic was a prime example of a true American who loved his country so much that he was willing to dedicate much of his life to protecting it. It was such an honor to know this patriot, who was willing to put his life on the line to fight for his country. I pray we all have even an ounce of the bravery and the love for this country that Chic had.

Mr. Speaker, may Chic rest in peace.

Mr. Speaker, America has hit a moral crossroad. One side celebrates the wicked murder of a faithful patriot, while the other side recognizes the sanctity of life and the beauty of thinking and speaking freely.

We are headed toward a precipice with no return. If we can't even agree that murder is wrong, we have moved beyond politics. We are debating whether society itself should survive.

The shooter last week wanted to silence Charlie. He wanted to silence not just Charlie but everything he represents, which is faith, family, and freedom.

Folks are beginning to speak up and take a stand against evil, for good. There are real threats to all that makes America great. In the face of evil ideologies that choose violence, villainization, and hate, we must choose a different path. We must choose the one Charlie chose, that of

civil discourse and love of our neighbors.

Mr. Speaker, Charlie Kirk understood that freedom is only one generation away from extinction. He ignited a love of country and God in the younger generation, inspiring us all as he did so. May today's vote be a small symbol of an awakening taking place across our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, Western civilization is under siege.

Violent criminals roam free. Foreigners who hate this country are infiltrating our universities, and, worst of all, innocent people are silenced or even killed for their beliefs.

In recent weeks, tragedies in North Carolina and Utah shook our country to its core. Mr. Speaker, 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death by a repeat offender on a train in Charlotte just outside my district, and 31-year-old Charlie Kirk was assassinated for sharing his ideas and his love for this country.

These tragedies are not isolated incidents but signs of a national epidemic of lawlessness and division that threatens the very fabric of our society. Iryna and Charlie have opened many eyes to the battle being waged against our Nation, but this war isn't just against America. It is an assault against the entire West.

We can't let fear silence us. Their deaths should only fuel our resolve. We must protect the West and all that it represents. Is America ready to stand against those who would threaten this Republic? I hope so, so let's roll.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud my colleague, Representative Knott, for bringing forth this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, if we reward illegals for breaking our laws, we cannot be surprised when it continues to happen.

I rise today in support of H.R. 3486, the Stop Illegal Entry Act, legislation to increase penalties for aliens who commit serious crimes, as well as those who enter illegally more than once.

We all know under the Biden administration, illegal immigrants were welcomed with open arms. They were given hotel rooms, cell phones, plane tickets, and work authorization. I am glad to report those days are over.

House Republicans are united behind President Trump's efforts to secure our border, strengthen our immigration enforcement, and fix our immigration system.

Earlier this year, House Republicans made a once-in-a-generation investment in our immigration system. We gave our immigration officers the resources they need to properly enforce our immigration laws and carry out necessary deportations.

Today, we are building upon that work with this proposed law to provide a strong deterrent against those coming here illegally in the first place.

With these enhanced punishments in place, people will think twice before breaking our laws and choosing to overwhelm our immigration system. The harsher the punishment, the more the deterrence. That is just common sense.

A nation that cannot control its borders cannot protect its people. This legislation affirms the rule of law, defends American families from dangerous criminal aliens, and restores accountability to our immigration system.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.