Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table H.R. 3401, with the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment. This bipartisan bill passed the Senate 84-8 and could be sent to the President's desk for his signature today.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chair, less than 10 days ago, this body missed a perfect opportunity. You see, natural disasters are unpredictable, but you know what isn't? Congress failing to do their job and prepare for them.

For too long Washington has governed by crisis and shifted its responsibility to adequately care for those in need, opting instead to saddle our children and grandchildren with an impossible debt.

Then days ago, this body wanted to spend more than $19 billion with no consideration of how to pay for it. Was it for a worthy cause? Absolutely. Of course. I would hope that every dollar appropriated by Congress is for a worthy cause. But as then-Representative Mike Pence said in 2005, following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, does Congress have a duty to ensure that a catastrophe of nature does not become a catastrophe of debt?

Congress should pay for these emergency packages by either cutting spending in other areas that are less of a priority or responsibly budgeting for them ahead of time.

Disaster aid shouldn't be added to the debt. That is akin to going to the emergency room after an injury, putting the charges on a credit card, and then pretending that credit card bill is never going to arrive.

The bottom line is this, that even during an emergency, Washington needs to pay its bills.

My amendment is relatively simple, Mr. Chair. My amendment would be a 1-year reallocation of the Department of State and USAID's bilateral economic assistance and independent agency funds to cover the disaster recovery.

Let me explain. Combined, these accounts amount to more than $23.9 billion and would fully cover the disaster recovery, including the $5.87 billion in debt servicing costs of the borrowed funds, all while prioritizing America's recovery and resiliency.

America is still the most philanthropic country in the world and would continue to be.

Mr. Chair, this amendment recognizes our dire fiscal health by reducing foreign aid during these times and prioritizing Americans and American recovery efforts first.

As the President and this administration have said on multiple occasions, we must prioritize our domestic needs first and put the American citizens at the front of the line, especially during these times of disaster relief and especially since we are the ones that will foot the bill.

With these spending offsets, I believe we can show the American people we are serious about their recovery from disasters in a fiscally responsible manner that will not burden our future generations with debt and despair.

Finally, we can help our neighbors and serve the Americans impacted by natural disasters by prioritizing our families before foreign interests.

Congress should take this opportunity to put America first and lead responsibly.

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

Mr. Chair, my amendment is simple. It is about prioritizing domestic needs. It is about prioritizing these families that have suffering. It is about prioritizing these children who are suffering.

We need to be responsible.

Mr. Chair, I thank the chairwoman and the ranking member for their hard work in the appropriations process, but nowhere is this spending disaster relief ever talked about. It is time that we do so.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I thank the ranking member for his work.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 1. While my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have deemed this bill to be ``for the people,'' a more proper characterization would be ``for the politicians.''

Voting is a foundational right for all Americans, and the egregious provisions of this bill would jeopardize our freedoms. In particular, this legislation fails to address the issue of ballot harvesting.

As we have seen in California and my own State of North Carolina, ballot harvesting has created troubling irregularities in several elections due to the lack of oversight and opportunities for voter manipulation and intimidation.

Ballot harvesting allows political operatives with a partisan agenda to get involved in the collection and submission of votes, creating an opportunity for organizations or campaign workers to exploit voters and violate our fundamental rights.

Americans should have a choice on how they want to vote, who they want to support, and if they want to vote at all.

Not only would H.R. 1 manipulate the voting process, but it would also restrict our rights as Americans to donate to the campaigns of our choosing and would allow the Federal Government to use our taxpayer dollars to subsidize elections.

Aside from the proposed matching donations with a 6-to-1 ratio, H.R. 1 would create a pilot program to provide $25 vouchers for eligible voters. In practice, that means taxpayer money from hardworking Americans could be used to finance campaigns for candidates they do not support.

If this doesn't limit free speech enough, another provision of the bill politicizes the Federal Election Commission by reducing membership from six to five. This makes a traditionally nonpartisan organization political, giving one party the power to make partisan decisions about election communications.

With the vague standards created by H.R. 1, this would affect any group wishing to advocate on behalf of any legislative issue.

In short, this legislation violates the First Amendment. Even the ACLU has problems with it. It creates an avenue for fraud and subjects voters to potential exploitation.

While my colleagues across the aisle will support this bill to subsidize their own elections and keep their party in the majority, I will stand up for our rights as Americans and vote against one of the worst bills ever, this abhorrent assault on our election system.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Bishop Bryan J. Pierce's sixth anniversary as the Senior Pastor and Chief Executive Officer of Mount Zion Baptist Church of Greensboro. Beginning to preach at the age of six and ordained by nineteen, Bishop Pierce is a man after God's own heart. It was in June of 2011 that Bishop Pierce became the Chief Administrative Officer at Mount Zion and worked diligently until his elevation to Senior Pastor on January 1, 2013. He strongly believes that he who serves the city, wins the city, which is expressed through a Church-wide campaign called No Greater Love, where members of Mount Zion come together to serve the Greensboro community. Also serving as 1st Assistant to 2nd Presiding Bishop, Bishop Pierce is a noted songwriter, arranger and producer. He successfully released his first solo debut album, which reached No. 3 on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums Chart by capturing an amazing sound that has facilitated openings for the Glory of God to be manifested in the lives of His people. With 20 years of Senior Pastoral Leadership, we honor another anniversary of service and the faithful future he is sure to bring our community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Bishop Bryan J. Pierce's sixth anniversary as the Senior Pastor and Chief Executive Officer of Mount Zion Baptist Church of Greensboro. Beginning to preach at the age of six and ordained by nineteen, Bishop Pierce is a man after God's own heart. It was in June of 2011 that Bishop Pierce became the Chief Administrative Officer at Mount Zion and worked diligently until his elevation to Senior Pastor on January 1, 2013. He strongly believes that he who serves the city, wins the city, which is expressed through a Church-wide campaign called No Greater Love, where members of Mount Zion come together to serve the Greensboro community. Also serving as 1st Assistant to 2nd Presiding Bishop, Bishop Pierce is a noted songwriter, arranger and producer. He successfully released his first solo debut album, which reached No. 3 on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums Chart by capturing an amazing sound that has facilitated openings for the Glory of God to be manifested in the lives of His people. With 20 years of Senior Pastoral Leadership, we honor another anniversary of service and the faithful future he is sure to bring our community.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Walorski, Jackie, if I may, for her leadership and showing courage on this important topic.

The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act protects the lives of babies who survive abortions by requiring the healthcare practitioner to save the life of the baby. Sounds pretty much like common sense, doesn't it?

I am a proud cosponsor of Ms. Ann Wagner's bill fighting for the sanctity of life.

As a former pastor, I value each and every life that is brought into this world, and that is why it is imperative that we pass this legislation and put an end to the senseless murders of innocent babies.

Earlier this week, I asked for unanimous consent, before being gaveled out, to bring the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act to the House floor for a vote. Unfortunately, my Democratic colleagues put their party leadership and affiliation over voting for what is morally right.

The statistics are staggering. In just looking at a few States, we found 25 children that were born alive that survived a botched abortion just in 2017. It is concerning to think how much higher those numbers would be if we looked throughout the entire country.

Simply put, I stand with 80 percent of Americans who support legislation to protect the life of a baby who survives a failed abortion.

At a time when States like New York and Virginia are matching abortion laws of North Korea in making it easier to perform abortions until the birth of a child, it is absolutely necessary for us to stand in unity and fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 962, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, if this unanimous consent request cannot be entertained, I urge the Speaker and the majority leader to immediately schedule the born-alive bill so we can stand up and protect the sanctity of human life, and I would ask all others to join that request.

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 the topic of this Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies, prayers, and certainly our thoughts to the family of John Dingell and Walter Jones.

I did not know Mr. Dingell and only came after and served with his lovely wife, Debbie Dingell, but certainly wish all of their family our extended prayers.

And the same goes for one of our North Carolina delegation members, Walter Jones, and his family, Joe Anne and Ashley, who served faithfully for North Carolinians for a quarter of a century.

Certainly, we will remember those, as we already have tonight, in our Prayer Caucus in praying for both families.

I don't really have any speeches written out tonight but do want to talk about a couple of areas that I believe are continuing to impact our country, maybe two of the foremost areas: border security, and then I want to talk a little bit about where our country stands in the pro- life movement.

Let me start with border security. This seems to be happening in real time. In fact, just last night, Mr. Speaker, I received a phone call from a local sheriff who is part of the 3,000 sheriff representatives in the National Sheriffs' Association. You see, they are becoming more and more concerned as we get less and less, as a body, concerned about border security.

They reached out to me last night and said: Fifty of us would like to deliver a letter to the Capitol to Members of Congress, specifically Chairwoman Nita Lowey and Ranking Member Kay Granger. Our plans weren't to arrive until this afternoon, but we quickly made arrangements to be here this morning.

If these 50 sheriffs were going to travel all over the country, States from Massachusetts to Arizona to Washington to Texas, the least we could do would be to be here and to greet them, which we did.

On a very cold, rainy morning this morning, we met these 50 sheriffs on the Capitol steps, at which time they handed to me this letter, and I would like to read it this evening. It says:

Dear Chairwoman Nita Lowey and Ranking Member Kay Granger:

On behalf of more than 3,000 sheriffs represented by both

the National Sheriffs' Association and the Major County

Sheriffs of America, we write in opposition to Congress' most

recent deliberation to place an artificial cap on Immigration

and Customs Enforcement's detention capacity.

Now, I am going to explain this in just a little bit and get into detail.

Capping the number of detention beds utilized by ICE not

only jeopardizes the integrity of the immigration system, but

would cripple ICE's ability to detain criminal aliens and

other aliens who pose a risk to public safety or are a flight

risk.

They continue:

Any legislation that reduces ICE's detention capacity would

hinder its ability to perform its national security and

public safety missions but, also, impact local law

enforcement's ability to protect the communities they serve.

You know, we have heard a lot from some of our Democratic colleagues who say the people who should be making these decisions or the people who should be informing us of these decisions are the people with the most experience. Well, here is our National Sheriffs' Association, 3,000-strong, sitting representatives here.

They go on to say:

In order to meet the cap being tentatively proposed by

Congress, ICE would be compelled to release thousands of

aliens from custody.

Now, listen to this data point:

To achieve the 16,500 adult average detainee population--

ADP--caps for the remaining 7 months of the fiscal year, a

net reduction of 9,264 adults by the end of this fiscal year

would be required.

Now, what does that mean? It means, if you are not meeting the caps, these folks, these criminal aliens, are going to get released.

You say, well, are these criminal aliens? Here is the number:

Approximately 72 percent of ICE's current detention

population is subject to mandatory detention due to the alien

having certain convictions or having committed certain acts.

So, of that number, 72 percent we know of, we are just going to say, or the Democrats want us to say, Mr. Speaker, that we just need to release these because we want to put a cap, just pick a number out of the air because we don't think we should have

more than that, no matter what kind of crimes they committed.

This is ludicrous.

They conclude by saying:

Placing a cap on ICE detention beds would undermine the

efficacy of the immigration system and reduce the number of

aliens who are removed from the United States.

They use these words:

This dangerous congressional proposal not only jeopardizes

the risk of our national security, but hinders our law

enforcement officers from effectively enforcing and upholding

the law and protecting their communities.

There you have it. They are saying the reduction of these detention beds, which is just a backhanded way of defunding Immigration and Customs Enforcement, would hinder them from doing their job.

So tonight I am reminding my Democratic colleagues that, by pushing for the reduction of detention beds, these sheriffs, who serve for little pay and serve in dangerous situations in many places, in many remote areas, they are telling my colleagues: Don't do this. This puts us in a dangerous situation. This puts our communities in a more dangerous situation when we allow thousands of criminal aliens to be put back in the different communities on the streets.

This is preposterous.

The National Sheriffs' Association and the Major County Sheriffs of America oppose the current budget proposal and urge Congress to consider the dangerous ramifications that passing this depreciated budget could have on the citizens of America.

Mr. Speaker, these aren't my words. Mr. Speaker, these aren't the words of our minority leader, Kevin McCarthy, or our whip, Steve Scalise, or our chair, Liz Cheney. These are the words of our local county sheriffs, urging and pleading: Do not continue to push for this.

It is a real shame that these sheriffs have to come to Washington, D.C.--33 degrees outside, in the rain--to plead with a Member of Congress to try and stop such a preposterous suggestion.

As they stood today--and I brought them inside the Capitol, gave them a quick tour, even took them over into the Rayburn Room, and we talked a little bit. We talked about how structures work, how steel slats work. We talked about the places of San Diego and El Paso, where there has been a drastic reduction in crime.

You see, these sheriffs get it. These sheriffs are elected officials themselves and have a duty to uphold the law, much like the same oath that Members of Congress take to protect and serve the American people.

Structures work.

Now the Democrats, at the last minute, are trying another ploy by trying to come up with some crazy suggestion that we should reduce the amount of detention beds, putting a cap on it, automatically releasing criminal aliens. It is time for my Democratic colleagues to put up or shut up when it comes to being genuine about border security.

One of the things that we have seen recently is not only a lackadaisical approach about border security, but we have also seen it in the protection and the sanctity of human life.

Many Members are very passionate and should be so. You see, this isn't about an argument over how much funding a certain project should receive. This isn't about a preference on a particular issue that comes out of committee. The reason this has brought so much passion over the last 50 years is because this has to do with human life.

I can tell you, as a former pastor and being in the hospital room when a loved one breathed their last breath, I have seen how families had yearned for just another hour, another day. It is a very sad and tragic situation. They would have given everything they had for another few precious minutes with that loved one: a son, a daughter, a dad, a brother, a sister, a mom.

Yet we have cheapened life to the place, in these Hallowed Halls, that it has simply become a political pawn, a bargaining chip. How did we get to this place?

The other night, the night before the National Prayer Breakfast, I was speaking with a wonderful representative, a lady from the country of Latvia, who was appalled at our abortion laws, who are so much further than anything we see in Europe.

When we have to begin to talk about only six other countries that have such extreme abortion laws as ours, is that not a wake-up call?

When the Governor of New York, Mr. Speaker, continues to advocate with such lack of respect for human life, is that not a wake-up call?

When Governor Ralph Northam begins to talk about infanticide, is that not a wake-up call?

What does it take for everyday Americans to say enough is enough when it comes to human life?

Right now, we are trying to bring to the floor a Born-Alive Abortion Protection Act. What does it say? Well, it is not overwhelming too much. It basically says, if a baby survives a botched abortion, then the providers would be required by law to sustain its life. Yet we can't get it to the floor.

The reason why is because, when it was introduced last time, last cycle, we had several brave, strong Democrats who had the courage to step forward and vote for a piece of legislation that would require providers to sustain life during these times.

I remember I was so moved by that kind of courage nearly a year or so ago that I went back to my office and wrote thank-you cards to those Democrats who were willing to stand up for the sanctity of human life.

What is it worth to us? Not only is the Born-Alive Protection Act something that is important; I would even add another bill that was passed out of the House, not taken up before the Senate, the Pain- Capable Child Protection Act, that would limit abortions after 20 weeks to only specific circumstances.

What is it going to take for our country to put the kind of concern and the favor that God's creation deserves?

Speaking of God's creation, Mr. Speaker, our Speaker of the House, just 3 days ago, sent this tweet out that I will read. She said: ``We have a moral responsibility to protect God's creation for generations to come.'' That is why, today, she was naming a select committee not on the sanctity of human life, but on climate control.

We need to take a look at all the issues, but we need to stand as Members of Congress for those who cannot stand for themselves. We need to be a voice for those who have no voice.

Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to continue to remind us that God's creation isn't just what we see in nature. God's creations are also these unborn babies. May we come to the place that we protect.

So tonight, as I talk about border security and pro-life issues, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho), a large animal veterinarian from the Gainesville, Florida, area, to share his thoughts on what we need to do secure our border.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Dr. Yoho. I appreciate his wisdom and his experience in this area.

As we continue to talk about these two issues tonight, I think back to the border security issue and how this has become more of a campaign against the President of the United States, when just a few short years ago, the majority of Senators, who were Democrats at the time, voted for a structure at that time, voted for a wall. It wasn't politically incorrect at that point to call it a wall. But we see how quickly in Washington, D.C., things do become politically correct.

Why? It is because we see the numbers. We see the work of our border agents. We see the work of ICE, which, in 2017, was able to ascertain over 800,000 pounds of drugs. Think about that, 800,000 pounds of drugs. Enough fentanyl to kill every man, woman, and child not just in our country, but in all of North America was ascertained.

A week ago tomorrow night, sitting right up to my left in the second row there, was my sister-in-law. Her brother was an Army veteran, wonderful young man, played basketball in college with my youngest brother. Scott Aaron was his name.

One day, he injured his knee, and he had to have an operation. From that operation, he was given painkillers. Painkillers went to opioids; opioids obviously included heroin, to the place where he became a full- fledged addict.

He tried multiple times to overcome that addiction to heroin but, in the end, failed and realized that, in his mind, he did not have hope, which brought him to the place of committing suicide.

Now, Scott is not by himself, to the tune of 300 families per week that are having the funeral of a loved one due to some kind of tragic overdose, mostly heroin. Now heroin is laced with fentanyl, and we are seeing more and more epidemic proportions.

We are doing everything we can in Congress to provide the funding to combat the heroin crisis, but why wouldn't it make sense that we also put up some structures, specifically in hot spots along the border, to help reduce and maybe even, in some cases, eliminate?

On this floor, I have talked with more than a dozen of my Democratic friends and colleagues who have told me time after time after time: We have no doubt that a structure works.

So why not move forward? Why not come to an agreement--a compromise, if you will--to be able to begin to lay out the places where a structure, a fence, a wall could work?

How many lives would need to be saved to make it worth it?

How many families could be reunited without an empty chair this Thanksgiving or this Christmas?

How many would it take for it to be worth it? How many would it take for us to get past the political jargon of being able to use this as some kind of pawn to argue back and forth?

I would say just one. The case could be made for thousands.

Border security: It is time we come together. We don't even need to be talking about another shutdown or CR. We need to be able to resolve this. This is a commonsense solution to be able to resolve this.

Republicans aren't talking about a border from San Diego to McAllen, Texas. We understand there are places where drones, where technology, where surveillance may be the better way.

We don't believe in eminent domain and blocking people's views of the Rio Grande River with a wall, but there are things that we can do immediately. Yet I believe it has come to the place where we put personalities and politics over the people themselves.

Border security: It is time we do something.

Mr. Speaker, I yield again to my friend, Dr. Yoho, to have a few more data points on border security. Then I will close out in just a few minutes.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Dr. Yoho for his comments tonight. I appreciate that.

Mr. Speaker, just a couple more thoughts on border security as we move forward.

America was built on immigration. Nearly everyone within the sound of my voice, even though the halls have emptied out tonight, can go back and trace, from some ancestry point, the impact that immigrants had on this country, but it is legal immigration.

Now, somebody might ask, how are we doing in that area? Thank you for asking.

America has the most generous immigration laws in the world. In 2017 alone, we took over 1.1 million immigrants who raised their right hand, who took an oath to pledge allegiance to this great country of America. We are doing pretty good there, and the President has even made proposals to increase that amount.

It is the illegal immigration. We don't want our hearts to get lost in this, as Republicans, and specifically speaking for myself, having worked in refugee camps, having worked internationally to understand the plight and the struggle that goes on, to be able to expand America as fast as we can, to legally allow people to be part of the greatest country in the history of the world.

Yet, as Members of Congress, when we raise that right hand to do our best to protect, we need to take that seriously.

The crazy calls to abolish our law enforcement, agencies like ICE, which in 2017 rescued 904 children who were being exploited, how many children would it take for it to be worth it, for Immigration and Customs Enforcement? How many of those children would we measure any success by this?

To go as far as calling for abolishment, that is not America. That is crazy political speech.

Speaking of crazy political speech, the recent absurd language that has become acceptable to talk about third trimesters and to talk about infanticide, what are we coming to in this country?

Listen, we don't pass judgment on the young woma who is making sometimes a life decision. Working with our own Greensboro Pregnancy Care Center, sometimes these young ladies don't even realize they have another option. We don't pass judgment. Do not believe the lies that this is about hating or judging these mere innocent souls.

The problem that I have tonight is the political leaders who are providing the pathway to cheapen the sanctity of our human lives. That is where the focus needs to be. It needs to be that colleagues, Republicans and Democrats, are willing to stand up for those who simply don't have any rights.

Who advocates for the baby? Who speaks out on behalf of the baby? It is all about reproductive rights. It is all about choice. It is all about what is now called women's healthcare. Who voices or who stands up for the baby?

As we talked about a little earlier tonight in our bipartisan prayer caucus where a dozen or so Members were gathered, I brought up the point it wasn't too long ago that I remember sitting in a prestigious place with my wife, being the honored guests. To add to that, I think back over the last 4 years I have served with the United States Congress. I have sat down with Prime Ministers and royalty all across this world to have opportunities to talk policy. But I am well aware that, in our life, the remembrance of a Congressman lasts about 15 minutes, maybe 20 minutes, once you are gone from these hallowed halls.

We are judged, in some ways, by our policy. But ultimately, what we do for God, to me, matters the most, when it comes to eternal values. One day, when we all stand before God, we will be judged not by just whatever button we pushed on the back of these chairs but, ultimately, what we did, I believe, with life.

That is why it is important to me. It is why it is important to millions and millions of Americans.

Let's get back to the place where we are willing to stand up, where we are willing to raise our voices for a child who cannot raise its own.

Tonight, let's get back to a place where we have a respect for the Almighty, for God, who, as I read in a tweet earlier, is the giver and the creator of life.

I think of David's writing in the Old Testament. I think of Psalm 139, where David captured quite poetically the words how we are ``fearfully and wonderfully made,'' how that even when we were formed, the beginning of our substance, God knew us. Not only did he know us, it is that he had a purpose and a plan for every life born and unborn.

May we never grow weary, and may we never tire of doing all that we can in the United States Congress to protect, stand for, and defend the sanctity of human life.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, there has been a great deal of talk in the last few months on border security, what it takes to secure our border and what it takes to protect the safety and the security of the American people.

Today, we are taking a few minutes with different Members to share very powerful but very impactful stories from their districts. This is not hyperbole or set up for histrionics, but sometimes the message of actually what is going on in our country doesn't always cut through with our media outlets.

So today, the different Members, many of them have special relationships with these folks they will be referencing and talking about today in this Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence), our first speaker, who represents Indiana's Sixth District and serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure and Foreign Affairs Committees. But even more impressive to me is that Mr. Greg Pence is a veteran of our Marine Corps, and he is a successful businessman.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Mr. Pence's words today and the powerful expression of how it is impacting the State of Indiana.

One of our new Members, a very accomplished gentleman himself, an aerospace engineer representing the First District of Oklahoma, has also worked within the McDonald's system and owns multiple restaurants throughout the different portions of Oklahoma and is actually on the national leadership team.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Kevin Hern), to share a little bit about his State of Oklahoma.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Hern for coming, and I appreciate his time.

Our next speaker today is Representative Brad Wenstrup. In some circles, he is called Colonel Wenstrup. He is a great man and my classmate. He has been awarded the Bronze Star, as well as the Combat Action Badge, for his service.

In fact, it was on a baseball field a year and a half ago that that Combat Action Badge showed itself off again when he was the only one equipped to be able to put a tourniquet on Steve Scalise and save his life.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup), my fellow classmate from Ohio's Second District.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments. It is my belief that that kind of common sense will prevail with the majority of the American people, knowing our job and continuing to work to keep the safety and security of the American people as a high priority.

Our next speaker tonight is a Member in his sophomore term but who already has many accomplishments in the political arena.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Jodey Arrington, who

served under President George W. Bush and as chief of staff to the FDIC Chairman, representing Texas' 19th Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Arrington for coming, and I appreciate his kind remarks, and sobering ones, at the same time. We do have a problem at the border with drugs. We do have a problem with violence of illegal aliens. That is why we continue to message through this.

Just 2 nights ago, sitting right about there was my sister-in-law whose brother was a United States Army veteran and a good friend of mine who one day messed up his knee. He had surgery, and the next thing you know, he was addicted to pain killers, opioids. Opioids led to heroin, and then, unable to come off heroin, it led to him committing suicide 3 years ago.

This is a real problem. If we were able to cut down only a small percentage of the drugs, and if we were able to reduce only a small percentage of the murders, the sexual assaults, and the human trafficking, my question is: Would a border structure still not be worth it?

To me, that is a very commonsense question. How much does it need to be reduced before it is relevant to all of us?

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Guest), our next speaker this afternoon who is a solid new Member, a former district attorney from the State of Mississippi who is already serving on the Foreign Affairs Committee and Homeland Security Committee.

MR. GUEST. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

As a former district attorney, I have seen firsthand how damaging narcotics and synthetic drugs can be to individuals, families, and our communities.

In 2017, drug overdoses killed 72,000 Americans, more than car crashes and gun violence combined. The most dangerous of these drugs, fentanyl, is 50 times more potent than heroin and accounted for almost twice the number of fatal overdoses in 2017.

Last year, law enforcement officers in Mississippi seized more than 800,000 dosage units of fentanyl. The fentanyl seized was enough to kill nearly 14 percent of the population of Mississippi.

This lethal narcotic is smuggled into our country by transnational criminal organizations or drug cartels. Just last month, Federal law enforcement officials seized more than 250 pounds of fentanyl at the Nogales port of entry on the United States-Mexico border.

As we continue to aggressively police our points of entry, drug cartels will attempt to gain access through the areas of the border that are not secured, forcing us to devote manpower to police these unsecured sections of our border.

It is apparent that drug cartels want to profit from the addiction and the destruction that these drugs have on American lives. This Congress has not only the opportunity but also the duty to act, to help limit the flow of drugs into the country and to protect our citizens by securing our southwest border.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Guest for his comments. I appreciate his passion in sharing some of the firsthand experiences that he is seeing in the great State of Mississippi.

Our next two speakers are from border States that certainly have a perspective on what is going on as we see even right now.

One is an accomplished medical doctor who served and practiced there in the State of Texas for nearly three decades. He is not one of the louder Members, but he is often considered one of our more effective Members.

It is my privilege to yield to the gentleman from Texas, Representative Michael Burgess.

Mr. Speaker, I will not soon forget those lines: I did my job putting on my uniform every day. Congressman, if you had been doing your job, my daughter would be here today.

I hope that message resonates in all 434 Members who are currently in the House.

Mr. Speaker, if Congressmen and Congresswomen would do their job, these children, these daughters, these sons, these mothers, and these wives and husbands would still be here today.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs). Andy Biggs is one of the truth tellers in this House. He is from Arizona's Fifth District. He is a retired attorney who also served in the Arizona legislature for 14 years, and he is a bold voice in the United States House.

Mr. Speaker, we acknowledge there are problems with ports of entry. We have no problem in increasing training or border agents. We are not opposed to that at all. What we don't understand is why there is not an all-of-the-above approach, a commonsense approach that would allow us to continue to reduce and sometimes eliminate some of the issues that we are seeing.

My next speaker is a classmate of mine serving faithfully on the Agriculture and the Education and Labor

Committees. He is a business owner who is responsible for creating thousands of jobs from the land that he comes from, Augusta, Georgia, representing Georgia's 12th District.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen).

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's sincere words.

Mr. Speaker, one of my friends is another Member from Georgia who serves on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, actually owns Carter's Pharmacy, a pharmacist by nature, and actually became a mayor and was a general assembly member. He is one of the hardest working guys in this House. It is my privilege to acknowledge Representative Buddy Carter from Georgia's First.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).

I appreciate Representative Carter's passion on this issue and laying out, really, a heartfelt case why border security is so important.

So many times we hear the argument that there are as many and, in some places, even a higher percentage of assaults or crimes, murders, et cetera, in communities with American citizens as there are with some of the illegal immigrants.

My question is: Does that make it okay? See, that is the thing that we have to take a look at from a commonsense perspective is that, when we do begin to reduce this, it allows us to have the resources to be able to concentrate on some of the areas as well.

A class member from Arkansas has quite a distinguished history. Prior to his congressional service, Mr. Hill was a commercial banker and an investment manager for two decades. But, not only that, President George H.W. Bush appointed Mr. Hill to be Executive Secretary to the President's Economic Policy Council, where he coordinated all White House economic policy. He does a great job and works hard on our Financial Services Committee as well.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill), my friend from Arkansas' Second District.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's work and his friendship in this House as well.

A new Member from Texas, someone who represents the southwest Texas area, I believe, represents portions of Austin, Texas, as well, someone who is new but no less experienced, a former first assistant attorney general and a former Federal prosecutor, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy).

Mr. Speaker, this evening, we have heard from Members across the country about the devastating toll illegal immigration has had on American families and American workers. The Democrats' divisive and disconnected immigration agenda has real consequences and leads to real victims.

What makes this such a calamity is not only the cost to Americans that we have talked about tonight, but the fact that these tragedies are completely avoidable if Congress, as we heard earlier, would do its job and secure the border.

I want to tell you about Miss Sharon Gross from my district in North Carolina. Just over a year ago, Sharon had finished a 5-mile bike ride with her 18-year-old daughter in Creekside Park, where I have been, in Archdale, North Carolina. They began their trip home in ``Roxie,'' the vehicle her daughter received for her 16th birthday.

As her daughter was driving home, she saw a white SUV heading the opposite direction and beginning to swerve from the outer lane. The vehicle hit them head-on. Sharon described the next moment: ``The next thing I remember was the sound of the metal crashing and twisting in front of us. I vaguely remember everyone running to us and telling us to get out because the car was about to explode. I couldn't get out and could barely breathe.''

Sharon thanks God that her daughter was largely unharmed, but Sharon suffered five broken bones in her back and a severely broken sternum, leaving a large hole in her chest. She now has chronic pain that impacts her daily life.

The driver of the white SUV was a man by the name of Mr. Rodriguez. He had a blood alcohol concentration of .20, 2\1/2\ times the legal limit in North Carolina.

Mr. Rodriguez is in our country illegally. He did not own the vehicle he was driving, nor did he even have a driver's license, and this was his third drunk driving charge. He then served only 11 months in prison and has now been released.

Mr. Rodriguez's time in prison may have come to an end, but the physical, mental, and emotional scars that Sharon has, well, they will never fade. Making matters worse, Mr. Rodriguez was uninsured, leaving thousands of dollars in medical bills, adding to the emotional and physical and now financial pain for Sharon and her family.

Sharon stated: ``It is very difficult for me to have all this constant pain and then deal with all the emotions I am feeling about someone who comes into our country illegally and gets a little pat on the hand when he breaks all our laws.'' She said: ``To say my life was shattered is an understatement.''

You see, we can do better. We must do better for Sharon and for all Americans who have been impacted by illegal immigration. That means an all-of-the-above approach to border security, including construction of additional physical structures and barriers. Border security not only helps keep our families safe, but it also continues the American tradition of being a welcoming Nation.

Many of us are proud of our legal immigrant heritage. Though it goes underreported, America has the most generous legal system in the world. Think about it. We proudly welcome 1 million legal immigrants into our country every single year.

In fact, just last year, the first full year of the Trump administration in 2017, the number was 1,127,167 new citizens whom we welcomed. These are people from all over the world who have raised their right hand, promising to obey the laws of our land and contribute to our blessed Nation.

As President Trump said on this very floor just 2 days ago: ``Legal immigrants enrich our Nation and strengthen our society in countless ways. I want people to come into our country . . . but they have to come in legally.''

You see, in America, we can do both. We can continue to be the beacon of hope throughout the world, and we can do much better in protecting the American people. After all, it is the first oath we take.

But the clock is ticking. We face another impasse this week. Will our Democratic colleagues support commonsense policies to end this crisis, or will they continue to disengage on solutions, suggesting ideas like abolishing ICE and stopping additional funding for the Department of Homeland Security?

It is time to put productivity over personality and people over politics. Anything less would be immoral.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the bicentennial anniversary of the Underground Railroad in North Carolina. With the first known stop of the Underground Railroad being in Guilford County, this portion of North Carolina's Sixth Congressional District became a refuge for slaves seeking hope and freedom. I am proud to stand and reflect on the brave individuals like Vestal Coffin and his family, New Garden Quakers who sacrificed immensely for the cause of freedom and justice. In honor of the bicentennial anniversary of the North Carolina Underground Railroad, Guilford County will be hosting several ceremonies, forums, and educational events. As we celebrate National African American History Month, I join the citizens of Guilford County and North Carolina in recognizing this important moment in our nation's history.

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

Madam Speaker, tonight is a reminder of exactly whose House this belongs to. We hear much in the political circles as far as who makes the call and who gets to speak when. Today, customarily, is a very unique and special day had our President not been disinvited.

Well, tonight we will have a few Members speaking on the importance of hearing from the Members that Americans have elected to talk about the issues of the past 2 years, and some of the things that we need to accomplish over the next couple of years.

We have some wonderful speakers this afternoon and this evening, to be able to share some of the topics that are important to our constituents as well as to all Americans.

The first speaker I would like to introduce to you is Mr. Mike Johnson, who represents the Fourth District of Louisiana, and is currently leading the largest caucus in all of Congress as chairman of the Republican Study Committee.

Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson).

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his wonderful words of wisdom and inspiration.

A lot of times in the House, we hear politicians say, even throughout our State, that we are doing things for the people. And I guess, to some degree, some of that is okay. But for us to be successful, I think we have to get back to the place that we are doing things with the people. No one embodies that more in the House than past chairman and ranking member of Ways and Means, Mr. Kevin Brady.

In taking a moment of personal privilege here, I get a chance to meet lots of figures: lots of politicians, lots of Presidents, kings, and queens throughout this country--and throughout this world, actually-- but few people I have ever met who carried the servant spirit and the servant heart more than our top Republican on Ways and Means.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady), proudly representing Texas' Eighth District.

Madam Speaker, I thank the ranking Republican on our Ways and Means Committee, Kevin Brady, for the wonderful service that he continues to display not just to the good people of the Lone Star State, but to all Americans.

We had a lot of retirements this past election, but not all the adults left the building. We have a wonderful veteran and former Korean veteran--actually, OB/GYN doctor, who delivered nearly 5,000 babies-- the ranking member, past chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. I ask Phil Roe from Tennessee to share a few things on his heart; because there are few people who have had his experience level, and I believe it would behoove us all to listen to the words of wisdom from Mr. Phil Roe.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. David P. Roe).

Madam Speaker, I thank Dr. Phil Roe for sharing. The gentleman is one of the heroes around here. He not only talks the talk, but he walks the walk.

Speaking of somebody who walks the walk, that is Dan Crenshaw from Texas' Second District, a 10-year Navy veteran, a lieutenant commander. He is one bad dude. I would probably use a different expression, but my mother may be watching at this particular time.

``Saturday Night Live'' made him famous, but his work already has put him out as one of our leaders. It is my privilege to introduce and to hear from the former lieutenant commander.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Dan Crenshaw.

What a privilege it is for me to serve with Lieutenant Commander Dan Crenshaw, two Bronze Stars a Purple Heart. He has sacrificed much for this country and serves with honor and integrity.

Speaking of service, somebody who serves next door to my district in North Carolina is the past chairwoman and top Republican on our Education and Labor Committee. If there is anyone who works any harder among the 434, 435 Members, I have not met that person yet. It is my privilege to honor and to acknowledge her.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina, Ms. Virginia Foxx.

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Foxx for sharing her heart and our continued pro-Israel stance.

There are few who would be able to speak more to that issue than one of our two Jewish Members in the House, the co-chair of the House Republican Israeli Caucus and an Iraqi war veteran. Some would say he has three beautiful daughters, but I think he just married well and has two children. He serves on our Foreign Affairs Committee and is a classmate of mine from the 114th Congress. It is my privilege to introduce and to hear from him.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York, Mr. Lee Zeldin.

Mr. Speaker, you can see why Representative Lee Zeldin is thought so highly of in the United States House of Congress. I appreciate his remarks and, even more, his passion.

When we talk about going through some tough things in life, I don't believe there is anyone that I know who can relate to the journey that our whip, Representative Steve Scalise, has been through.

I will never forget getting word that Thursday, and we did not know for sure whether Representative Scalise would actually make it through the day, but somehow he did. The thing that I remembered most is his gift with policy. There are lots of things that he does well. The thing that I will always remember is how he let his faith shine through all of this darkness.

I yield to Louisiana's finest and our whip, Representative Steve Scalise.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Whip, Representative Steve Scalise, for his example and courage in standing up for what is right and true.

Many Members whom I have run across in this House are studious in their work, but I don't know of any more than Representative Gary Palmer.

In this town, there is probably a dinner every night somewhere. Mr. Palmer chooses to take his time going back to his office, preparing for the next day, constantly reading and staying informed.

I was born in the State that he represents. I lived there only 6 months. We have a mutual love for the Crimson Tide. It is my privilege to acknowledge and yield to Representative Gary Palmer from Alabama.

Madam Speaker, as I enter my fifth year serving in these hallowed Halls, I am still in awe of the sacred duty we have been given. We are truly the people's House. However, I believe that the people's House should give a voice to every single American, including the unborn.

This past Congress, we were able to pass, in the House, two major bills protecting life. The Born-Alive Protection Act and the Pain- Capable Child Protection Act both affirmed the humanity of the unborn and our firm belief that they are worthy of protection. Sadly, these bills were not taken up in the Senate, and with the new Democratic-led House, their future is uncertain.

But each January gives us hope. It is a critical time to talk about the importance of life and what it means to all Americans. Not only does the beginning of the year bring new goals and ambitions, but it contains important events that celebrate life, justice, and human potential.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose life we recently celebrated, knew this potential. He said that any person cannot succeed if he or she is willing to ``sacrifice the future of his children for immediate personal comfort.'' He also professed the value and hope of every single human life.

We also witnessed tens of thousands of marchers just recently arriving from all across America to march and boldly speak for those who can't speak for themselves.

Last week, we saw what my friend Benjamin Watson says is a ``sad and evil day.'' Throughout history, there are pivotal moments that sober us up to the point of engagement. Such a moment happened 1 week ago as we watched the New York State Assembly celebrate expanding the path for late-term abortions in their State.

Mr. Watson said this: ``It is a sad and evil day when the murder of our most innocent and vulnerable is celebrated with such overwhelming exuberance.''

This law allows for abortion up to birth, practically without limits. It authorizes the legal murder of a fully viable human baby. This is what was being celebrated. This is why the Freedom Tower was lit bright pink on a cold winter's night.

That celebration is now seared into our Nation's conscience, and many are now realizing, more than ever, that we should not, that we must not, that we cannot look the other way. Even our sleeping churches are beginning to awaken to this just and righteous cause.

New York already faces a cataclysm. In New York City, more than 500 abortions are performed for every 1,000 births. These numbers are more staggering for African American babies, more of whom are now aborted than actually born.

The Governor of New York has even suggested that those who are pro- life are not--and get this--welcome in his State.

I support federalism and the idea that New York can make its own laws for New York. My question is not a legal one, but a moral one. How long will our American society allow this injustice? Can we expect the new House Democratic majority to continue down this path? Will there be consequences?

As my friend Kay Cole James likes to say: ``The right to life is the most fundamental of all civil rights.''

To revive the American Dream, we must reclaim America's soul. That means standing with the majority of the American people who reject the Federal funding abortions; that means putting the life and health of women and babies ahead of the desires of abortion giants like Planned Parenthood.

But in many cases, we must also regain our credibility in valuing the birth at all stages of life. Do we care--tough question. Do we care, 20 weeks after the baby is born, as much as we value the baby 20 weeks before birth?

In closing, Mark Twain said this: The two most important days are when you are born and when you find out why. How many babies, how many children will never get to discover either?

Please continue to stand for those who have no voice. In the name that is everything just, never stop raising yours.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7293) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 770 Ayrault Road in Fairport, New York, as the ``Louise and Bob Slaughter Post Office''.

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 the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, this bill honors the late Congresswoman Louise Slaughter's 30 years of service to this country. The bill has bipartisan support. I urge all Members to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 4174) to amend titles 5 and 44, United States Code, to require Federal evaluation activities, improve Federal data management, and for other purposes.

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 the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act sponsored by Speaker Ryan would improve government data collection and transparency, while bolstering privacy protections, to better inform policymaking.

This bill previously passed the House on suspension. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2276) to require agencies to submit reports on outstanding recommendations in the annual budget justification submitted to Congress.

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 the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Good Accounting Obligation in Government, or GAO-IG, Act would improve transparency and oversight of the executive branch. This bill enjoys bipartisan support. I urge all Members to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3031) to amend chapter 5 of title 40, United States Code, to improve the management of Federal personal property.

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 the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Federal Personal Property Management Act of 2018 would improve inventories and accounting of Federal Government property bought with taxpayer dollars. This bill has bipartisan support. I urge all Members to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.