Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding and for hosting tonight's special order.

I can attest that the most sacred gift we have is our ability to create life. Children are the greatest resource of our Nation. It doesn't matter if the unborn child has a fully-developed heart, arms, legs, fingers, toes, or pain receptors, at any time during a pregnancy even until birth, Democrats want to allow abortions, and they plan to finance it with your tax dollars.

And it is a fact when it is legal and free, it is an inducement to women who find themselves in a hard spot to have an abortion.

I remember seeing the sonogram of my first child and all six of my children after that. A sonogram is a window to the womb.

Interestingly, the Democrats are also anti-informed choice. They want to rush women through and withhold the truth from the pregnant women by withholding required sonograms. I have spoken to many people involved in the industry, and women change their minds when they see the baby in the womb.

Hearing the heartbeat, there is no doubt that my first daughter was a human being. The party that says ``trust the science'' would have you doubt the humanity of an unborn child.

The right to life is the first right enumerated in the Declaration of Independence. House Republicans support a culture that defends innocent lives and protects the voiceless children in the womb. We also want to protect the women from making the worst decision of their life. This is not about protecting women. You are making victims out of the women also.

Democrats in Congress continue to stand in the way of us protecting those who cannot protect themselves. The American people from all faiths and walks of life have to choose what kind of society they want to live in, one that defends and protects a 9-month baby in the womb or one that is going to sell its body for parts.

May we fear God's coming wrath and weep and mourn over this great national sin.

Madam Speaker, America is less safe today than when President Biden was sworn in 7 months ago.

Last week, as the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, they released 5,000 al-Qaida and Taliban terrorists who are armed with $85 billion of U.S. taxpayer-funded weapons as a result of the Biden administration's incompetent withdrawal. Our allies have lost respect for America, and our enemies do not fear us.

At the same time, Vice President Kamala Harris has left our southern border completely exposed and vulnerable for anyone to cross, and over 200,000 people are crossing each month. This is a national security disaster with dreadful future consequences.

But we shouldn't be surprised that Democrats are not concerned with public safety. They have been promoting defund the police and supporting soft-on-crime policies that have caused crime to skyrocket this past year.

The key role of government is to keep our families safe, and the Biden administration has failed miserably.

Mr. Speaker, Speaker Pelosi reinstated the mask mandate following the ever-changing CDC guidelines. She is even threatening to arrest staff who refuse to be obedient.

The Democrats are using fear and mandates to continue the crisis mode. But the real crisis has yet to hit: depression, alcohol and drug abuse, suicide, supply chain issues, halted production, economic collapse, and worse, the damage to our children's hearts and minds from being out of their school and activities.

For the Speaker of the House, these mandates are all about politics and not science. That is why when she thought no one was watching, she went to a closed hair salon to get her hair done without wearing a mask. She got caught and then blamed the hair salon owner.

The rules only apply to we the people. They never apply to those who are in power.

Americans are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. The Democrats in this House, and the rest of the Federal Government, do not know better than you, and they never have. Since when did the Federal Government become your doctor?

Madam Speaker, in October of 2019, California passed legislation requiring public universities to provide chemical abortion pills to female students starting in 2023.

Chemical abortions have increased. Actually, it has skyrocketed in the past 20 years from just 5 percent in 2001 to 39 percent of all abortions in 2017.

We want women across the country to know that we are there for them as a pro-life movement, and there are so many other safe options other than choosing abortion.

Congress must act now, not just to protect innocent babies from abortion, but to protect the vulnerable women from the lies of the abortion industry and the potential horrible physical, emotional, and spiritual damage of having a chemical abortion.

This is why I have joined Congressman Chip Roy and Senator Steve Daines in introducing the Protecting Life on College Campus Act.

The Protecting Life on College Campus Act would uphold the Hyde amendment and prohibit Federal funds to go to universities that provide chemical abortion pills to students.

This would be another step in the right direction to save the lives of the unborn and protect the safety of women and our families.

The fight for life in the United States has never been more important than today. For the first time in 40 years, the Hyde amendment was excluded from the spending bill introduced in Congress.

Further, it was even cleared by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor and Health and Human Services.

The rest of my Republican colleagues and I are ready to fight and demand that Hyde be reinstated into this year's bill.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and work of Champaign Police Officer Chris Oberheim.

Our communities in Illinois and across the Nation continue to mourn the loss of this fallen hero.

Officer Oberheim was called home to be with the Lord on May 19, 2021. Officer Oberheim was on duty when he was shot and killed while attempting to protect a mother and her children.

Officer Oberheim put his life on the line and made the ultimate sacrifice. As Champaign Police Chief Anthony Cobb stated, the debt of gratitude we owe Officer Oberheim and his family goes beyond written and spoken word.

Throughout his career, Officer Oberheim put the people of his community first, and he was a true credit to the badge he wore, receiving two medals of valor for courageous acts of selfless bravery, as well as countless letters of accommodation.

Officer Oberheim's life and service will not and should not be forgotten. My prayers are with his wife, Amber, as well as his four daughters, Hannah, Avery, Addison, and Aubrey.

I had the great honor of speaking with Amber Oberheim, a devoted wife and a strong woman of faith. She told me that her husband had a servant's heart. His life revolved around his family and protecting others.

Chris was a son, brother, coach, friend, and leader, but his family was his first priority.

To honor her husband, Amber Oberheim wants to create change. She started a foundation, Peacemaker Project 703, to support brothers and sisters in blue. Amber's goal is to promote the support of our law enforcement officers and their families and to shine a light on their service and sacrifice.

These are dangerous times. Please love and appreciate our officers. May God bless the Oberheim family.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Dr. Foxx for her leadership.

Every small business has its own unique characteristics and challenges, and that is a good thing. Having diversity of business structures and operations is what makes America productive and competitive. The Federal Government should move with caution when they pass legislation which puts every detail and decision of American businesses under overbearing rules and regulations.

There are already laws in effect which prevent employers from discriminating against older Americans. As it should be, age discrimination in the workplace is illegal.

I oppose H.R. 2062 because there has not been thoughtful deliberation with the real Americans involved. The proponents of this bill have not provided the Members of this body with data and evidence which shows that the regulatory changes in this bill are needed or even wanted.

The legislation before us today represents big wins for the Democrats' special interests--namely, trial lawyers, not working-class America.

Our land is the land of opportunity because everyone from all ages and walks of life has the chance to participate and prosper, and thankfully, they are protected by law against discrimination. Rather than successfully addressing real-world problems, this bill will only enrich Democrats' political allies.

I strongly urge a ``no'' vote on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, the Biden administration is promoting its American Jobs Plan as an infrastructure proposal. In reality, it is just a tax-and-spend package that has little to do with actual infrastructure.

We can all agree that the Nation's infrastructure is a key component to a well-functioning economy. However, Democrats are disguising a liberal wish list of big government programs as infrastructure.

Of the $2.25 trillion in total spending, only 5 percent is going to go toward traditional road infrastructure projects.

The Biden administration is labeling everything they propose as infrastructure in an attempt to deceive the American people into thinking that they are talking about roads and bridges.

Our constituents deserve an honest accounting of what Congress proposes to do with their hard-earned tax dollars.

President Biden's infrastructure plan is not about infrastructure; it is about growing the size and power of the Federal Government.

This plan is fiscally irresponsible, and it adds to the massive debt burden that we are leaving our children and grandchildren. We should mourn over what we are leaving our children and grandchildren.

The American people deserve better.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the Republican Study Committee for hosting this important Special Order. Our Nation's taxpayers deserve to be respected when it comes to our Federal budget. Fiscal responsibility is vital for a stable, strong, and long-lasting economy.

Under the current administration and Democrat control in Congress, there are actual Federal efforts being conducted at the taxpayers' expense to redefine gender and demonize traditional American values. We must put a stop to this nonsense, especially on the taxpayers' dime.

I have always told my children; the government has no money except for what they extract from the American people. The Republican Study Committee released a counter budget to the extremely irresponsible and radical budget that the Biden administration has put forth. This budget would balance our Federal budget in 5 years, cut spending by $14.4 trillion over 10 years, incorporate 30-plus deregulatory legislative proposals, and reduces taxes by $1.9 trillion.

The RSC budget will also adopt my bill, the Safety and Opportunity for Girls Act, to protect spaces for women and girls in schools. The bill would prevent the Title IX provisions in President Biden's executive order--it would limit them to being biological and the genetic definition of sex.

I support the RSC budget proposal because it treats the government's money as its own and works to promote all the best parts in America.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Johnson for hosting this Special Order on so many important issues that our country is facing.

I stand for peace, and a lasting one. Side by side, the American and Israeli people have stood for freedom and democracy in the face of authoritarian aggression. Side by side, the American and Israeli people have stood for justice with restraint in the face of reckless violence. Side by side, the American and Israeli people have stood for peace through self-defense in the face of terrorism.

President Trump was working with various Islamic nation-states in the Middle East to adopt the Abraham Accords in order to foster better diplomatic relations with the nation of Israel. Unfortunately, Joe Biden has brought this peace process to a screeching halt.

We know Hamas is a terrorist organization, and they are funded by Iran. The Biden administration continues to negotiate with Iran to get them back in the Iran deal. Iran is a funder of terrorists, and the Iran deal would make it easier for them to commit and fund terror. Iran has provided money to Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist organizations. These groups' intention is to destroy Israel and the Jewish state.

The ongoing rocket attacks against Israeli civilians show why America must act immediately to support Israel, condemn Hamas, and sanction those who fund terrorism.

My family and I will continue to pray for the peace and safety and for the people of Israel as they combat terrorism.