Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 9360, which will sunset the Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress.

This committee was created in 1990 to advise Congress and the National Archives on the management and retention of congressional records.

My bill, however, would eliminate this outdated committee. Due to advancements in technology over the last several decades and changes in the way Congress operates, sunsetting this committee is necessary and will streamline the archival process.

This bill will also maintain oversight of the Center for Legislative Archives by requiring the center to publish an annual report on the management and preservation of records. Sunsetting this advisory committee will furthermore save taxpayers approximately $38,000 annually in operating costs without sacrificing the transparency of congressional records.

As this advisory committee hits its 36th year, we can agree that the committee has accomplished its original goals and has met its intended purpose, thereby outliving its usefulness.

Mr. Speaker, as we continue to improve the efficiency of our government, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague from Wyoming, Representative Hageman, for hosting this important Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today representing central Illinois, a region that sits at the crossroads of our Nation's transportation network.

Illinois is one of our Nation's most important hubs for interstate commerce, driven in large part by a thriving trucking industry. Trucking supports nearly 340,000 jobs in my home State. Ninety-five percent of Illinois' manufactured goods are transported by trucks. Seventy percent of the State's towns and communities depend exclusively on trucks to move their products.

Looking at the combined total of all commercial shipments, Illinois is the third busiest freight State and fourth by tonnage. With that type of volume comes an enormous responsibility to keep our roads and transported goods safe.

I believe this is a matter of national security. Every American deserves to travel our roads without the threat of an illegal alien behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle who cannot understand road signs. Congress has a duty and an obligation to ensure our laws establish strong standards for commercial drivers and give law enforcement the tools necessary to keep unqualified drivers off our roads.

Multiple sanctuary States, including my home State of Illinois, are issuing driver's licenses and CDLs to illegals. This creates an extreme level of risk for all those on the road. The consequences can be deadly.

Last year, an Illinois-based company, JKC Trucking, sounded the alarm about the rampant abuse of our licensing system and the growing threat of illegal truckers on American roads. The company showed this issue not only leads to decreased safety, but also leads to the closure of many honest, professional American trucking businesses because they are unable to compete against illegal companies and illegal drivers.

Those are the men and women I want to recognize today, the professional truck drivers who don't cut corners, who work long hours to make sure our communities have what they need. The food on grocery store shelves, medicine and prescription drugs in our pharmacies, the materials used to build our homes all depend on a reliable trucking industry.

America moves forward because of our truckers. America survives its harshest winters and hottest summers because of our truckers. These men and women are often away from their families for days or weeks at a time, all so communities like mine are well stocked and ready for the day ahead. They deserve a Congress that respects their work and stands up for an industry that is essential to our economy and our way of life.

I want to pay a special thanks to Representatives Taylor, Hageman, Harrigan, and Figures for joining me in launching the bipartisan Congressional Trucking Caucus. For the first time in U.S. history, we have a caucus focused directly on addressing the issues related to America's trucking industry and on policies that promote integrity, safety, and growth in industry.

I look forward to working with my colleagues on the caucus to defend our hardworking American truckers and to keep our roads safe.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Hageman for her continued friendship and leadership on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of Chairman Steil's bill, H.R. 7008, the Stop Insider Trading Act, of which I am a proud cosponsor.

As Members of the United States Congress, it is our job to preserve the integrity of this institution and take seriously the responsibility placed on us by our constituents.

This legislation will bring about a more transparent and accountable Congress and will be a strong measure to restore the American people's trust in this institution.

While older laws have prohibited Members from using nonpublic information when trading, they did not go far enough. More robust measures should be put in place, and that is exactly what this bill does.

As the American people have seen, Members of this body have become extremely wealthy from trading the stock market while in office, and it is precisely because of this that the American people have lost faith in Congress and in government.

We are elected to this office as a privilege to serve in this Chamber, not a right, and we should not be using our positions for our own personal and financial gain.

The American people need to be reminded that we are working for them, that we have taken a solemn oath to protect and defend the Constitution, not our own bottom line.

My colleague claimed that this bill is a poison pill because the SAVE America Act is included, which we have passed multiple times out of this House, with not any support from the Democrats.

The Democrats are opposed to voter ID and proof of citizenship. They cannot win elections based on their own bad ideas. They have to continue with the fraud and cheating.

We know that our voter rolls are outrageously dirty, that there are millions of ineligible voters on the rolls. I personally here in D.C. have received four ballots in the mail, of which I have not solicited anyone.

We have chaos because they will not vote for the SAVE America Act.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Guthrie for his important leadership.

Mr. Speaker, the statistics are alarming. The average age of a child's first exposure to pornography is just 12 years old, and nearly 80 percent of America's children between 12 and 17 have already been exposed to it.

Not only has the sexual content become intentionally easier to access, but it has also become increasingly violent, abusive, normalizing sexual assault, physical violence, and nonconsensual acts for young, impressionable minds. The consequences are devastating.

Research has linked early exposure to pornography with anxiety, addiction, depression, low self-esteem, body image disorders, and an increased likelihood that minors will engage in risky and harmful sexual behavior.

States across America have recognized this crisis. More than a dozen have declared children's exposure to pornography a public health crisis, and more than two dozen States have enacted age verification requirements for adult websites.

Last year, the Supreme Court upheld Texas' age verification law. The court ruled that the burden placed on adults to verify one's age is incidental when the intent is to protect the innocence of the children.

For that reason, I am grateful that Chairman Guthrie included the SCREEN Act in this legislative package.

Senator Mike Lee and I drafted this legislation to establish age verification requirements for adult websites, creating a minimum requirement that every State must meet while allowing flexibility to enact stronger protections for children.

I am a strong supporter of the First Amendment, but constitutional law has long recognized that its protections do not extend to obscenity.

Our laws already require age verification to purchase alcohol, tobacco, firearms, or to enter a casino.

We recognize that some products and activities are simply inappropriate for children. Pornography should be no different. The SCREEN Act is one of the most consequential bills to protect children in the digital age.

Today, we have an opportunity to make the internet safer for the next generation, and I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation.

I thank Chairman Guthrie for including my bill in this package.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Vice Chair Moore for

hosting this important Special Order commemorating one of the greatest triumphs in our pursuit to protect the lives of the unborn.

June 24, 2022, will forever be one of the greatest days in American history. After 50 years of peacefully praying outside clinics and marching in Washington, Roe v. Wade is no more. While the Dobbs decision was a monumental victory, the fight for life has only just begun.

Many States have stepped up to the plate, with over half of them enacting laws protecting the unborn. However, blue States have doubled down on the murderous assault of the unborn.

Sadly, my home State of Illinois, is one of those States and has become the destination State of the Midwest for abortions. In 2023 we recorded the most abortions ever in our State's history, and Illinois' Governor proudly signed legislation allowing abortions through 9 months of pregnancy.

Since the Biden administration rescinded safety regulations for chemical abortions, women are being harmed, and our water supply is being severely contaminated.

Democrats oppose safety regulations. They oppose information on the development of the baby. They are not pro-choice. They are pro- abortion. They don't want the mother to know that there are two humans involved, different blood types, different sex, different heart rates, and ultimately, within months, two distinct human beings.

Republicans are the party of life, and we must protect both mom and baby. That is why I have introduced legislation like H.R. 796, the Second Chance for Moms Act, which would require the FDA to place a warning label on chemical abortion drugs so that women can reverse the chemical abortion before it is too late.

I have also introduced H.R. 797, the Ultrasounds Save Lives Act, which would mandate an ultrasound be performed before an abortion can take place. The ultrasound is a window to the womb. Up to 80 percent of women who get an ultrasound before attempting an abortion change their minds and choose life.

The Dobbs decision ended the greatest human rights violation of our time, but the work has just begun.

Republicans stand ready to support women facing crisis pregnancies, not just with words but with actions.

I again thank Vice Chair Moore for commemorating this important anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I join the majority of my Republican colleagues in voicing strong opposition to H.R. 5408, the Faster Labor Contracts Act.

This bill puts the selfish needs of the union bosses above the welfare of American workers. It would force employers to begin bargaining with new unions within 10 days of certification. It would force Federal mediation to intervene if no contract is signed. It would force the arbitrated contracts to last 2 years, and they cannot be appealed.

Let me be clear. Employers and unions already meet at the negotiating table. There is no need to use government overreach to force labor negotiations.

The Faster Labor Contracts Act is bad for employers, bad for employees, and bad for the economy.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to reject this bill and vote ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, H.R. 7726, the Stop Child Care Scams Act, which joins with the administration's efforts to rid the Federal Government of waste, fraud, and abuse.

Last month, President Trump announced serious reforms to safeguard Federal taxpayer dollars spent in the Child Care and Development Block Grant program to ensure that this program is serving the families who need it most. The Stop Child Care Scams Act builds on those actions by enforcing program integrity to ensure every State is compliant with Federal requirements.

Since 2002, the block grant has been identified as a Federal program at risk for improper payments. The Office of Management and Budget, GAO, and HHS have all consistently warned that changes are needed to protect the program from fraud and abuse. In fact, a 2020 GAO report estimated that under the block grant program, there were $325 million in improper payments nationwide during the 2019 fiscal year.

HHS data shows that the rate of improper payments in Minnesota's Federal Child Care Assistance Program is nearly twice the national average. In this case, the State failed to address fraud or repeated noncompliance. This is unacceptable, and there must be real consequences.

In 2024, the owner of several Chicago childcare centers was sentenced to 4 years in prison for stealing more than $3 million of taxpayer funds. That is why I am leading H.R. 7726, the Stop Child Care Scams Act. This bill includes many reforms championed by my colleagues on the Education and Workforce Committee to make commonsense updates to the Child Care and Development Block Grant program so that Federal dollars continue to go to working families, not fraudsters.

Congressman Mark Messmer's Child Care Payment Integrity and Fraud Accountability Act requires States to assess how many block grant payments are fraudulent.

Congressman Glenn Grothman's CRACKDOWN Act lowers the improper payment threshold of grant funds from 10 to 5 percent.

Congressman Bob Onder's Child Care Integrity Monitoring Act requires an audit of State childcare assistance programs every 3 years.

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx's Safeguarding Taxpayer Dollars in Child Care Act prevents fraudulent providers from receiving future grant funds.

Congressman Joe Wilson's No Waivers for Fraud Act leaves sanctions in place for noncompliant States.

Congressman Mike Rulli's Stop Child Care Fraud Act requires States to ensure all relevant agencies have access to necessary data and are examining it to prevent fraud.

Congressman Burgess Owens' Closing the Provider Fraud Gap Act requires GAO to examine the progress that has been made in protecting Federal taxpayer dollars in provider-related programs.

Lastly, my No Funds for Repeat Child Care Violations Act withholds block grant funds from noncompliant States.

Every dollar lost to fraud is a dollar that doesn't support working families. Fraud harms our families. It harms our workforce. Americans should have confidence that their Federal taxpayer dollars are being used responsibly and carefully.

Ensuring accountability for these dollars is not optional. It is sensible, responsible, and a moral choice to protect working families who contribute to our communities and help our local economies thrive.

House Republicans are taking waste, fraud, and abuse seriously, and I urge my colleagues to do the same and support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, a special thanks to Chairman Walberg and Representative Owens for leading this important bill.

As reports continue to come out from the Department of Education, we have seen that public schools are blatantly violating FERPA by secretly encouraging children to adopt so-called transgender identities behind their parents' back.

In fact, the DOJ recently announced investigations into 36 public school districts in my home State of Illinois for violations of President Trump's executive orders that affirm the biological reality of male and female and prohibit public schools from indoctrinating

children into believing they were born in the wrong body.

H.R. 2616, the Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act, takes an important step forward by codifying these executive orders and by rescinding Federal funding from any school that seeks to undermine parents.

Democrats believe children are nothing more than wards of the State to be indoctrinated as loyal foot soldiers in their march toward Marxism. They have labeled parents who are concerned about their children's well-being domestic terrorists and arrested them at school board meetings.

Parents are the only ones who have the fundamental, God-given right to raise their children as they see fit. Republicans are here fighting to protect parental rights, shield children from radical gender ideology, and restore sanity to America's classrooms.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 2616.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Self for holding this Special Order and for confronting an issue that too many are afraid to name with clarity and conviction.

Sharia law is fundamentally incompatible with our Constitution and the values that define our Nation. Its mission is to expand, influence, and impose control at the expense of basic human rights.

We are currently witnessing the chilling rise of Islamic terrorists who openly adhere to sharia. They reject assimilation. They reject our laws. They reject the very idea of America itself.

Many of my colleagues on the other side have chosen to stay silent. They sit on their hands while sharia law marches through America. They refuse to speak honestly or act with urgency to defend the fundamental rights of the American people.

Let me be very clear: We will not allow sharia to take root in our schools or our institutions. We will not allow it to erode the foundation of our civilization.

This is a defining moment, a test of whether we have the will to defend what has been entrusted to us. That is precisely what we are doing here today, exposing a dangerous ideology and refusing to bow to the pressures of political correctness or intimidation.

If we fail to confront it now, it will not stop. It will continue to expand in an attempt to reshape our society into something unrecognizable, something fundamentally un-American.

We will remain strong, sovereign, and free. Responsibility begins here in this Chamber. It requires the courage of every one of us to stand firm in defense of the principles that have made this country the greatest and most free nation on Earth.

I am proud to join the Sharia-Free America Caucus to stand alongside my colleagues. My thanks to President Trump for restoring law, order, and security.

Mr. Speaker, the SAVE America Act ensures that only American citizens vote in American elections. This should be the easiest ``yes'' vote this year.

The American people want the SAVE America Act. Mr. Speaker, 83 percent of adults support requiring a photo ID to vote, as do 73 percent of Democrat voters.

Democrat politicians standing here today oppose it, just as they have opposed every election integrity measure.

Democrats cannot win on their ideas because their agenda has made life harder for American families.

The Democratic Party knows that cheating is their only path to victory. Their goal is to replace the votes of American citizens with those of illegal aliens.

House Republicans are standing up for the American people here today.

Congress has a responsibility to protect the integrity of our elections. The SAVE America Act upholds that duty.

I urge my colleagues to listen to the American people and vote ``yes.'' America is watching.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of H. Con. Res. 72, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6359, the Pregnant Students' Rights Act.

Mr. Speaker, college can be a challenging environment, especially for pregnant women. Many feel forced to choose between motherhood and their education. Nearly 30 percent of all abortions in the United States are performed on women in college.

Title IX already protects the right of pregnant women to stay in school. However, many of them face a lack of resources and support. Some even fear punishment and a loss of scholarships simply for carrying their baby to full term while taking classes.

The Pregnant Students' Rights Act requires colleges and universities to inform pregnant women of their rights and protections. This includes information on modified class schedules or excused absences.

This bill also requires universities to inform pregnant women how to file a complaint with the Department of Education if their Title IX protections are violated. Let me be clear: No woman should ever have to choose between finishing her education or experiencing the joy of motherhood.

To my colleague on the other side, I have had a similar situation also, but I do want to thank her for acknowledging that the life within her was a baby. Women are fully capable of raising children and getting an education at the same time. I know because I did it.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Hinson for her leadership on the Pregnant Students' Rights Act.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, 53 years ago, the tragedy of Roe v. Wade was decided, and 65 million innocent lives are not here. It is hard to even calculate the loss that this has been. God created them. God had a purpose for their lives, and God meant to bless the world through them.

Perhaps they were teachers who could have nurtured the next generation, doctors who could have cured cancer, lawyers who could have defended the defenseless, or musicians who could have written the next great symphony.

Thankfully, on June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe, returning the issue of abortion to Congress and the States. Since Dobbs, 17 States have acted to protect life from the moment of conception.

Still, there is so much work to be done. An equal number of States now allow abortion through all 9 months of pregnancy, including my home State of Illinois.

Last year, this body took a significant step forward by defunding Planned Parenthood in the working families tax cut, resulting in 50 of their clinics closing.

By the way, Planned Parenthood is not pro-choice. They are pro- abortion. If they were pro-choice, they would want women to make informed choices, which is why I want to pass legislation requiring an ultrasound to be done and a waiting period before a woman has an abortion.

The greatest privilege of my life is to be a mother of 7, grandma of 23, and soon to be a great-grandma. That includes being a grandma to two children with Down syndrome, one born to us and one adopted.

Every time I meet young couples, I encourage them to have one more. Psalm 127 reminds us that children are a heritage from the Lord.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Smith for his leadership in defending the most vulnerable. I look forward to working with the gentleman and our colleagues to secure more pro-life victories.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans) as cosponsor of H.R. 5116.