Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I would reiterate Mr. Raskin's point that certainly the voters in Pennsylvania that I have heard from care deeply about whether or not their votes are counted.

Madam Speaker, the Presidential Election Reform Act will reinforce one of the defining American characteristics of our American experiment in democracy: the peaceful transition of Presidential power.

It is critical to that experiment that Americans have faith that our leaders will honor the will of the people when they vote. The process of counting and transmitting votes is a question of procedure and should not be treated as an opportunity to manipulate the outcome of a free and fair election as it was in the wake of the 2020 election.

I am heartened that the legislation under consideration today is a bipartisan bill. I don't care if you are a Democrat, a Republican, a conservative, a liberal, an Independent. If you love this country and believe in a government by the people, for the people, and of the people, we all have an obligation to confront the dangers posed by antidemocratic agents who try to undermine our elections, abandoning the rule of law and the peaceful transfer of power for their own personal or political gain.

I regret that we must bring this bill to strengthen the guardrails of our democracy after the subversive actions of the disgraced former President and his supporters threatened to derail our government entirely.

But we must confront those continuing threats to our electoral system, in Pennsylvania and across the Nation, where bad actors continue to promote lies about election security. To be clear, there was never justification for the efforts to overturn the 2020 election. But bad actors lied about the election results and willfully misinterpreted the law, and Members of the former President's party, whether explicitly or by their silence, continue to support these lies and baseless legal challenges.

These tactics demand the bipartisan set of reforms we are considering today to insulate our democracy from demagoguery.

I look forward to working with my colleagues of all political stripes to strengthen the guardrails of our democracy and to support and defend the Constitution.

Mr. Speaker, every September, we observe Recovery Month to celebrate the millions of Americans in recovery from substance use disorders, and we reaffirm our commitment to passing policies to combat the impact of addiction in our communities.

The impact of addiction is tragically far reaching, extending far beyond the individual suffering, impacting entire families, especially children.

The opioid epidemic has forced increasing numbers of kinship caregivers, most of whom are grandparents, to take over the role of primary caregivers for children impacted by the crisis. Grandparents like Susan, a grandmother I spoke with recently at an opioid awareness vigil, who had stepped up to be her grandchildren's primary caregiver but is struggling to make ends meet, unable to access services that would be available if her grandchildren were instead placed in foster care.

I introduced the Help Grandfamilies Prevent Child Abuse Act to help ensure that grandfamilies like Susan's have access to the critical services and support needed to keep kids safe and keep them with their own families.

Combating addiction will take all of us working together to support our loved ones and community members. We can't let our families fight this fight alone.

Supporting and Defending the Constitution

Mr. Speaker, as I walked up the Capitol steps this morning, I was stopped by a reporter who wanted to know if it was a priority of the Democratic Party to pass the Presidential Election Reform Act, which we will consider in the House this week. I was stunned by the assumption in that question that protecting the peaceful transfer of power in the United States of America could ever be a partisan issue. In fact, the legislation under consideration is a bipartisan bill.

I don't care if you are a Democrat, a Republican, a conservative, a liberal, an Independent, if you love this country and believe in a government by the people, for the people, of the people, we all have an obligation to confront the dangers posed by radical extremists who would undermine our elections, abandon the peaceful transfer of power and the rule of law for their own personal or political gain.

I look forward to working with my colleagues of all political stripes to strengthen the guardrails of our democracy and to support and defend our Constitution.

Mr. Speaker, for far too long, families in my district and across the country have struggled with rising healthcare and prescription drug costs. So, I am pleased to report that relief is on the way, thanks to Democrats' passage of the Inflation Reduction Act this summer.

This act reins in out-of-control healthcare costs and will make a real difference in family budgets by extending tax credits for health insurance, capping prescription drug costs for seniors at $2,000 a year, capping insulin costs for seniors at $35 a month, and allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prices with drug companies.

A family of four in Ridley Park could save more than $2,800 in annual health insurance premiums. A senior couple in Media could save more than $13,000 in yearly healthcare costs.

If the Inflation Reduction Act's $35 insulin copay had been in effect in 2020, a Springfield resident who uses NovoLog could have saved $1,300 a year.

Importantly, all these benefits are fully paid for by making the biggest corporations and billionaires pay their fair share.

Mr. Speaker, the American people asked, and Democrats are delivering.

I am proud to join my colleagues in moving this historic effort to fight climate change, lower prescription drug prices, and reduce the deficit.

Every district in our country has felt the pain of inaction on the growing climate crisis, from forest fires in the West to unprecedented flooding in the Midwest and Northeast.

My district is no exception. Just this week, I visited the Brandywine River Museum of Art, home of Andrew Wyatt's masterpieces, which, 1 year ago, experienced devastating damage when extreme weather caused the nearby river to rise over 18 feet.

Yesterday, I toured the wetlands at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge to discuss measures to address the ever-more-frequent flooding being experienced in the nearby Eastwick neighborhood.

From one end of my district to another, my constituents are seeing the devastating impact of climate change every single day. Congress must deliver results for these people: legislation that makes a difference for hardworking Americans.

When my Republican colleagues were in the majority, they used their control over this body to pass tax cuts for the wealthy and deny healthcare to millions of Americans. But Democrats have proven over and over they take seriously their job to deliver results for all of their constituents, and that is why we are here today.

Through tax incentives, grants, and loans, the Inflation Reduction Act will reduce CO2 emissions by 40 percent by 2030. This legislation will invest in our energy sector to promote innovation and renewable energy, and it will do this while supporting workers' unions and creating more than 9 million new jobs over the next decade.

The bill will also ensure that vulnerable communities like Eastwick, most likely to feel the impact of a climate crisis, will receive the tools and attention they deserve.

Beyond addressing climate, the bill will radically lower the cost of expensive prescription drugs, help 13 million Americans keep their health insurance, and empower the IRS to go after wealthy corporations and tax cheats. Notably, it will do all this while reducing the budget deficit.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support this legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to share the direct investments in Pennsylvania's Fifth District for workers and businesses provided by this year's National Defense Authorization Act.

We worked hard to secure its continued funding for the CH-47F Block II Chinook and V-22 Osprey programs, which provide good-paying local jobs to over 4,000 skilled men and women who build those aircraft in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania.

In addition to supporting thousands of good-paying local jobs, the programs benefit dozens of small businesses and suppliers across Pennsylvania.

I am also pleased that this year's NDAA includes my bill to support Federal firefighters in PA-05 and across the country. Federal firefighters, like those at Philadelphia's Navy Yard, have some of the toughest jobs in our communities, but budget cuts have forced them to operate without full crews, making their jobs more dangerous.

My bill requires the Department of Defense to adhere to national fire protection staffing standards at the Navy Yard and elsewhere.

I am proud that this year's defense bill recognizes the invaluable contributions of PA-05 workers and businesses to our national security, and I will continue to advocate for PA-05 priorities as the legislation makes its way to the President's desk.

Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1232 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Madam Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Reschenthaler), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

General Leave

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Madam Speaker, on Monday the Committee on Rules met and reported a rule, House Resolution 1232, for three measures.

First, it provides for consideration of H.R. 8294 under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations, makes in order 190 amendments, provides en bloc authority, allows the chair the ability to offer up to five pro

forma amendments, and provides one motion to recommit.

Second, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 8373 under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, self-executes a manager's amendment, and provides one motion to recommit.

Third, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 8404 under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary and provides for one motion to recommit.

Finally, the rule provides the majority leader or his designee the ability to en bloc requested votes on suspension bills this week and deems passage of House Resolution 1230.

Madam Speaker, today's rule provides for consideration of three important bills--one that is part of the regular process of funding the government for the next year, and two that are emergency measures to respond to the ongoing assault by an extremist rightwing minority against Americans' individual rights and liberties.

The first bill is a package of bills called the minibus. This package of six annual appropriations bills provides funding for the Federal Government for the next fiscal year for a wide array of important government programs: Food and farming, transportation, housing, conservation and environmental protection, veterans programs, community development, and general operations of the Federal Government.

Thanks to the strong leadership of House Democrats on the Committee on Appropriations, today's bill makes major investments to meet the needs of Americans at this difficult point in time. When we talk about these huge budget bills each year, it can be overwhelming, so let's look at some concrete examples of how these bills are going to benefit our country.

This budget bill will increase funding for veterans' healthcare by $20 billion, helping the VA to meet the health needs of our Nation's veterans. In addition to funding traditional health services for veterans, this bill will expand mental healthcare, including suicide prevention, improve women's healthcare, homeless assistance programs, substance use disorder programs, and invest in medical research to address veterans' unique health needs.

With the lack of affordable housing being one of the major issues impacting our communities across this country, this bill will increase funding for housing by $9 billion and provide 140,000 more families and seniors with stable, affordable housing. It will get lead and radon out of public housing units and incentivize the construction of thousands of new units of affordable housing.

This bill will provide a $7 billion boost for the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency, which is funding for our national parks, our land and water conservation programs, and for enhanced enforcement of our environmental protection laws so that Americans of all ages and backgrounds--and our children--can have clean air to breathe and water to drink, and enjoy the natural wonders that our amazing country has to offer.

This bill provides a $2 billion increase for programs that support public health, rural development, and fight hunger. Vital funding for SNAP and WIC will increase access to healthy foods for the 40 million Americans who rely upon our Nation's antihunger programs, improving their health and lowering the cost of living for those in need.

Funding for the FDA under this title will improve the safety and availability of baby formula. It will strengthen oversight of our food and drug safety laws and support supply chains for critical drugs and medical devices.

Funding for rural development will provide grants and low-cost financing to expand broadband and fix water infrastructure in rural communities, promoting community and economic development.

The bill also provides an additional $4 billion in funding for government operations so that our Federal agencies can do the work that we all rely upon. Among other things, this boost will help the IRS improve its processing times and provide more taxpayers with help when filing. A stronger IRS will also be able to better enforce our tax laws to make sure that billionaires and large corporations pay their fair share.

This funding will more than triple the Election Security Grants program which provides funding to the States to secure our Federal elections by purchasing new technology and keeping ahead of bad actors who try to attack our elections. This funding has helped to make the U.S. elections so secure that anyone who says the 2020 election was stolen is either a liar or a fool.

This funding will encourage economic development by funding the Small Business Administration's lending programs and the Treasury Department's Community Development Financial Institutions. Combined, these programs are often the main source of financing for minority and women-owned small businesses, many of which are increasingly leading the way in creating jobs and economic opportunities.

The minibus also makes major investments in our servicemembers by increasing funding for housing and childcare on military installations.

This funding will provide more childcare services for the 1.2 million children of Active-Duty servicemembers, as well as the ability to construct and remediate thousands of substandard units of military family housing.

Finally, this year's appropriations bills build on last year's successes with community project funding, which allows Members of Congress to better represent their districts and exercise Congress' responsibility to direct Federal spending, rather than delegating it.

Community project funding allows Members to support smart, high- impact investments in their districts in a way that is transparent and ethically sound. I thank the Appropriations Committee for their work to responsibly reinstate this opportunity.

Because of these rule changes, I have been able to bring millions of dollars back to my district for a variety of locally backed efforts ranging from mental health programs to community centers to workforce development. This year, I am proud to have secured funding for 15 projects totaling $20 million for Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District.

Madam Speaker, obviously, I could keep going on about the amazing things that this bill will do, but all together the minibus is a strong investment in our country that will help working families, small businesses, and local communities, as well as helping to fight inflation, create jobs, and support economic development.

Funding the government is Congress' primary responsibility. It is right there in the beginning lines of Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, that Congress has the power to provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States.

With the consideration of these six appropriations bills this week, and the other six later this month, House Democrats are meeting their responsibility to the American people by passing a budget on time.

I say House Democrats because I am concerned that my Republican colleagues may follow their recent practice of refusing to work in a bipartisan manner to fund the government or to solve problems for the American people, and then voting against this bill when it comes to the floor.

Of course, over in the 50-50 Senate, where 10 Republican votes are needed to pass a budget bill, the Senators have not even begun consideration of any appropriations packages. Just like last year, House Democrats are passing funding bills on time while Republicans in the Senate are holding up the process for months by slow-walking negotiations and refusing to compromise.

Last year, this obstructive behavior by Senate Republicans meant that Congress didn't pass its 2022 budget until we were halfway through that year. That meant by the time the Federal Government received its 2022 funding, it only had 6 months left to use it. That is irresponsible. That is not good business, and it is not sound government.

At every turn, the filibuster and stonewalling by Republican Senators squash every single legislative initiative that comes their way.

Madam Speaker, this rule also brings two other critically important bills to the floor. Today's rule also provides for consideration of the Right to Contraception Act, a bill that would codify fundamental privacy rights relating to purchasing, using, and providing contraception; and the Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify the right to same-sex marriage in Federal law.

These are two basic freedoms that the overwhelming majority of Americans support, and that most Americans are surprised to learn are now under threat from an extremist rightwing minority in our Supreme Court and many Republican State legislatures across the country.

In the wake of the Dobbs decision, we immediately saw a number of States implement or try to pass abortion bans. The practical and tragic consequences of those decisions are growing every day with women and girls unable to get the healthcare they need, whether it is a 10-year- old rape victim in Ohio being denied medical care in her home State or a women with an ectopic pregnancy in Missouri whose healthcare providers are withholding what is standard medical care because they fear prosecution under these laws.

These tragic stories will continue, and they will get worse. This is the world we live in in the aftermath of the extremist Dobbs decision. But the impact of the Dobbs decision does not end with abortion care. The extremist rightwing majority on the Supreme Court has put our country down a perilous path. They have shown us the harsh reality of judicial review--no objectivity, no textualism or originalism, this is just politics by other means.

The majority in Dobbs and others who hold this minority view are pushing a rightwing agenda that can be summed up as this: for all their talk about States' rights and individual freedoms, the rightwing majority is going to uphold the rights they support and take away the rights they oppose.

The two bills we consider today respond to the immediate threat articulated by Justice Thomas in his concurrence in the Dobbs decision--that he wants to overturn decisions that protect rights to contraception, same-sex marriage, et cetera. It is not just Justice Thomas, Justice Alito has joined him in similar concurrences; and, of course, he wrote the majority decision in Dobbs.

Rightwing legislators and Members of Congress are saying exactly what they want to do and introducing bills to do exactly this--to undermine the right to contraception and to undermine the right to same-sex marriage. These are not hypotheticals but very real threats.

In response to this insanity, the House must vote this week on the Right to Contraception Act and the Respect for Marriage Act. The Right to Contraception Act would prohibit States from banning or restricting possession, sale, purchase, transportation, use, prescription of contraception, including birth control, IUDs, condoms, and other products that aid in family planning.

The Respect for Marriage Act will codify the current law of the land and protect the thousands of same-sex marriages and families across this country, who are now justifiably afraid that their families are under attack. I can't tell you how many constituents, colleagues, friends, and their children that I am hearing from in the wake of this decision and in the wake of Justice Thomas' explicit threat.

Both of these bills will protect rights enjoyed by Americans that are now being threatened by the Supreme Court minority view and their co- conspirators in the Republican Party. I am glad we are bringing these bills up for a vote so we can see who is going to vote for them and who is going to vote against them.

I am confident that House Democrats will provide the votes necessary to pass the bills. It is time for our colleagues across the aisle to stand up and be counted. Will they vote to protect these fundamental freedoms, or will they vote to let States take those freedoms away?

Today we will find out. Then we will see what our colleagues in the Senate will do. We are going to put these bills up for a vote, and the public can see, on the record, how their Representatives and Senators respond. At least everyone will know where their elected officials stand.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, these appropriations bills are not going to make inflation worse. It is a bad-faith argument. Inflation is bad. It is

eating away at family paychecks not just here in America but all across the globe.

My colleague cited the recent inflation figures here in the U.S.-- they are worse overseas. The economic shocks in supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic and then exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine are hitting hard--yes, here at home and all across the world. There are things that we are doing to bring those prices down, and economic indicators show that prices are starting to come down. It doesn't deny the real pain that we are all feeling right now.

Second, which spending would he have eliminated? Would it have been the funding to develop vaccines and therapeutics? Maybe the funding to keep people in their homes during the pandemic? Would it be the funding that supported small businesses over the last several years, or maybe it is just the paycheck protection funding?

I think it is a hollow argument, and I think it is also worth noting that we are not seeing any alternative solutions.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Ross), a distinguished member of the Rules Committee.

Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from North Carolina.

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

Madam Speaker, I am so happy that my colleagues are rising to condemn political violence, but I find it disingenuous and maybe even a little one-sided when they only condemn political violence that they disagree with.

This previous question condemns violence, as my colleague just said, by the radical left but not the radical right. They are conveniently ignoring decades of violence, harassment, and even murder of abortion care providers and harassment of those seeking such care on a daily and weekly basis.

Why are they surprised by this political violence on this topic when this is a model that the anti-abortion forces have utilized for decades?

Also, on a more practical note, I am stunned that my colleague is seeking to reduce funding for the IRS. Any responsible Member of Congress who prioritizes constituent services knows that we receive hundreds and hundreds of calls every year, particularly in recent years, from people who are struggling to get a response from the IRS, who are struggling to get their much-needed tax refund, and who are struggling to get payments or straighten out difficulties. Why is that? It is because the IRS has been underfunded for decades.

The IRS is facing a crisis with retirements and with the inability to attract talent given the tight labor market. We need to fund the IRS again so that billionaires and large corporations pay their fair share.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Garcia).

Madam Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman an additional 30 seconds.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Madam Speaker, I know we are running short on time, but I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman.

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

Today's rule is a testament to the hard work and leadership of the Appropriations Committee led by Chairwoman DeLauro. I applaud the efforts of my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee and their staff to prepare legislation that meets the needs of everyday Americans; to grow our economy from the bottom up and the middle out, rather than relying, once again, on the failed trickle-down economics of the last 50 years.

Given the draconian consequences of failing to pass a budget, I encourage my colleagues in the House and Senate to move quickly in negotiating a final budget bill so we can fund the government on time. It is the responsible thing to do.

We cannot afford to govern from CR to CR, or to pass a budget bill halfway through the fiscal year.

And I am also incredibly grateful to my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Judiciary Committee for stepping up to present legislation to protect fundamental American freedoms that have been placed at risk by the rightwing majority of the Supreme Court in overturning Roe v. Wade.

I urge all of my colleagues to protect the right to contraception with the act of that name, and to repeal the statutory ban on same-sex marriage by approving the Respect for Marriage Act in its floor consideration.

At a time when Americans' rights are under attack by a well-funded, extremist minority which has seized control of the Supreme Court and some State legislatures, it is more important than ever for elected Members of Congress to use their legislative powers to protect and expand Americans' personal and fundamental freedoms.

So, Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for the rule and the underlying legislation.

The material previously referred to by Mr. Reschenthaler is as follows:

Amendment to House Resolution 1232

At the end of the resolution, add the following:

Sec. 12. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the

House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the

resolution (H. Res. 1233) expressing the sense of the House

of Representatives condemning the recent attacks on prolife

facilities, groups, and churches. The resolution shall be

considered as read. The previous question shall be considered

as ordered on the resolution and preamble to adoption without

intervening motion or demand for division of the question

except one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by

the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on the

Judiciary. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the

consideration of House Resolution 1233.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Madam Speaker, it has been less than 3 weeks since Mitch McConnell's hand-picked, rightwing Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and with it 50 years of settled law regarding the fundamental privacy right of women to make their own decisions regarding their own healthcare. That decision has also called into question a host of other privacy rights that Americans had taken for granted, including the right to obtain contraception and the right to interracial and same-sex marriage.

Not surprisingly, the result has been chaos.

Why?

Because this decision is deeply unpopular and goes against the values of a strong majority of Americans: that a woman should have the essential freedom to decide when and if to bear children and how many and that politicians should not be in the business of mandating that women carry dangerous or unwanted pregnancies to term.

But in the wake of that extremist decision, we are already seeing politicians across the country seize this moment to substitute their own religious, economic, and, frankly, misogynistic views for that of women who have to live with the consequences of those reproductive healthcare decisions.

The vast majority of Americans understand that we don't need or want politicians invading our doctors' offices and a woman's privacy to impose an extremist, minority view because the reality is that these decisions are complicated. They are complicated by the physical health of both the woman and the fetus. They are complicated by the mental and financial health of the family. They are complicated by whether or not the pregnancy was the result of abuse or criminal activity. They are complicated by the religious beliefs of those involved because the rightwing views on pregnancy that the conservative Court has adopted are not shared by most Americans or by the medical profession or even by all major religions.

These decisions are complicated by whether or not there was access to birth control.

In a society that for decades has prioritized the well-being of unborn fetuses over that of children and families or even the health of pregnant women, it is complicated by whether or not a family has the means to provide for the basic needs of a mother or child, much less the opportunity for them to thrive or even enjoy life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness.

Unfortunately, the Republican legislature in Pennsylvania has jumped on this rightwing bandwagon, as well. Last week, in the middle of the night, Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania changed the rules of their house forbidding votes after 11 p.m. in order to ram through a constitutional amendment to limit access to abortion care. They had to use a constitutional amendment to get around the Governor's veto and regular order because their proposal is deeply unpopular with the majority of Pennsylvanians.

These attacks on our essential American freedoms cannot stand. Our families and freedoms are on the line, and it is more important than ever that we fight to protect and expand reproductive freedom.

The bills we are considering today are a critical fight for a world where all Americans--no matter who they are, where they live, or what they believe--have the freedom to make their own decisions about if and when to start or grow a family. So I am proud to support the passage of both the Women's Health Protection Act for a second time in this Congress and the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act.

As we see States start to pass laws that would limit the right of women to travel--think about that, the right to travel--to obtain healthcare, the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act makes it possible and safe for women needing abortion care to travel to States where it is accessible. These two bills are critical to enshrining a woman's right to an abortion and to reproductive healthcare into Federal law. I am proud to support these bills.

Madam Speaker, the American people know that we cannot sit idly by and watch preventable gun deaths happen day after day, year after year.

Over the past few weeks, I have heard from hundreds of constituents of all ages and all walks of life who are demanding action to reduce gun violence.

When our Framers gathered in Philadelphia to write the Constitution, they were explicit about the purposes of that entire document: . . . establish justice, to insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense''--not individual Armageddon--``promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.''

With those words, our Government was created to meet the needs of the people.

But how can we meet the needs of the people if we don't take action to prevent them from being gunned down in their schools, workplaces, houses of worship, or neighborhood streets?

How can we be faithful to the purposes of the Constitution while allowing the routine terrorization and slaughter of our children, neighbors, teachers, doctors, and seniors?

I refuse to tell the American people, and particularly our children, that they must be sacrificial lambs to a twisted theory of armed Second Amendment liberty that defies the express purposes of our Constitution by undermining the general welfare and destroying domestic tranquility.

The American people know, as well as we do, that the time is now to act. The Safer Communities Act is a minimal first step in taking action to keep our children and communities safe. But after 30 years of Senate inaction, it is a step, and we know that it should not be the last.

Our children deserve a brighter future in which they can enjoy the blessings of liberty, instead of being traumatized by active-shooter drills and actual active shooters.

Madam Speaker, local journalism is the lifeblood of our democracy and the backbone of our communities. I rise today to honor the life and legacy of a constituent who dedicated his career to that very American public service. Joseph Hart, an award-winning local journalist who spent his career telling the stories of our community, most recently as executive editor of the Delaware County Daily Times, tragically passed away this week.

He leaves behind a void in the hearts of his colleagues and readers across PA-5 who have relied on his insightful and dependable reporting for decades.

Joe grew up with the Delco Times, starting as an intern 40 years ago and rising to executive editor in 2020. His friends and colleagues describe an incredible friend, mentor, and journalist, calling him kind, witty, principled, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, professional, and passionate.

In the words of retired Delco Times editor Phil Heron, ``The institutional knowledge Joe had of the county, you can't replace that. He was the walking encyclopedia of Delco politics.''

Our hearts go out to Joe's family, friends, and his team at the Delco Times as they mourn this tremendous loss.

Madam Speaker, since the Judiciary Committee marked up the Protecting Our Kids Act last Thursday, dozens more Americans have been killed or wounded in shootings, including in Philadelphia.

Saturday night was a beautiful summer evening in the South Street entertainment district when a fistfight broke out. It ended with 3 deaths and 11 injured after multiple people pulled guns and fired into the bustling crowd. Most of those gun owners were licensed to carry. One had a ghost gun, which, of course, is the subject of our legislation today.

The point is that the current approach to gun violence in this country, which has encouraged a flood of guns to our streets, is not working. We need to do more, and we need to do it now.

This isn't about being progun or antigun. Gun violence is not a partisan issue. It is a sickness infecting this entire country.

Whether Philadelphia, Uvalde, Tulsa, Buffalo, or anywhere else in between, none of us should sit idly by and watch preventable gun deaths happen every single day, and I know that I, for one, cannot.

We are not helpless. We can change this. The needle on this issue has moved, and it is not going back. The only question is whether Republican Members of Congress and the Senate will listen to their constituents or the NRA.

Our fellow Americans are demanding action. There is nothing unconstitutional about the bills we consider today, and they will help stop the routine slaughter of children, neighbors, teachers, doctors, and seniors in our schools, neighborhoods, churches, temples, mosques, and supermarkets.

I refuse to tell our children that they must be sacrificial lambs to a radical, twisted theory of armed Second Amendment liberty that is decoupled from personal responsibility and refuses to recognize the overriding purposes of the Constitution, to ensure domestic tranquility and promote the general welfare, and that also refuses to recognize that there are constitutional limits to the Second Amendment. Our Constitution is not a suicide pact.

Our children know as well as we do that we can do something. We have the power to pass this bill, and we must.

Mr. Speaker, I will start by acknowledging the sorrow and terror inflicted upon the families and loved ones of the victims of the hateful attack in Buffalo last weekend.

The brutal murders that occurred in Buffalo were yet another heartbreaking landmark in the growing storm of domestic terrorism impacting communities across America.

Whether in Buffalo, Charleston, El Paso, or Pittsburgh, domestic terrorists are being radicalized online, fueled by elected officials and media pundits who either embrace or wink at twisted white supremacist ideology spawned in the darkest corners of the internet and infecting our Nation.

Communities across America are terrified, scared to go to their supermarkets, schools, churches, mosques, and synagogues because of the fear that the combination of lax gun laws and unchecked white supremacist conspiracies will have deadly consequences.

But with this bill, we are here to say that we are one American community, and we will remain united in the face of these attacks. Where domestic terrorists aim to scare and divide our communities against each other, we must come together and condemn this hateful ideology and give law enforcement the tools to fight its most violent consequences.

We are Americans; we are proud of our diversity; and we must choose community over chaos. That is why I am proud to support the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the proceedings had during the recess be printed in the Record.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1119 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 1119, providing for consideration of three measures.

The first is H.R. 6531, the Targeting Resources to Communities in Need Act, under a closed rule. The rule self-executes a manager's amendment from Chairwoman Maloney and provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and provides one motion to recommit.

The second is H.R. 7309, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, under a structured rule. The rule self-executes a manager's amendment from Chairman Scott, provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Education and Labor, makes in order 39 amendments, provides en bloc authority, and provides one motion to recommit.

The third is S. 2938, to designate the United States Courthouse and Federal Building located at 111 North Adams Street in Tallahassee, Florida, as the ``Joseph Woodrow Hatchett United States Courthouse and Federal Building'' under a closed rule.

The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided among and controlled by the chairs and ranking minority members of the Committees on Oversight and Reform and Transportation and Infrastructure and provides one motion to commit.

Finally, the rule deems passage of H. Res. 1118.

Mr. Speaker, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, known around here as WIOA, is our Nation's flagship workforce development law. WIOA is the culmination of decades of policymaking by Congress to create a federally supported, State-managed system of programming for job training, adult education, and career services, as well as programs to connect employers with jobseekers, and help with placement, recruitment, and retention.

WIOA helps achieve our country's key goals of reducing poverty and driving economic growth by helping working Americans get the skills, knowledge, and experience they need to successfully participate in today's job market. With a new skill, certification, or degree, workers can apply for better-paying jobs, earning more for themselves and their families.

WIOA and its predecessors have been a successful formula for workforce development for over 60 years, and today's bill will ensure that WIOA can continue serving workers and their families in our changing and dynamic economy.

Today's bill is an overdue reauthorization for WIOA. While the bill makes a variety of important technical adjustments to keep the law relevant as our economy changes and evolves, the bill also upholds the core programs and services that have a demonstrated record of success.

The bill's main achievement is raising WIOA's funding levels to meet the needs of our workforce. Since the 1980s, the number of working Americans has doubled, but the funding for our workforce development programs has fallen by over 60 percent even as jobs and our economy have been invented and changed at a dizzying pace. Most of the drop in funding happened within the last 20 years as that pace accelerated.

The story of WIOA is the same as that of many of our Nation's key programs to help working families. Twenty years of harmful budget cuts and misguided austerity led by Republican Presidents and Republican majorities in Congress have resulted in WIOA lacking the proper funding to meet the needs of the American workforce and to allow members of that workforce to reach their full potential.

The funding authorized by this bill will allow WIOA programs to train over 1 million workers a year, creating real, tangible benefits for workers and employers. Put simply, with this boosted funding, workers will be able to get better jobs, and businesses will be able to hire better employees. That is a rare win-win policy achievement that we should all be able to get behind.

Today's WIOA reauthorization bill also has an added focus on youth employment opportunities, adult education, and support for formerly incarcerated individuals.

The WIOA reauthorization bill will reauthorize programs to help disadvantaged and disconnected youth and provide them with summer programming, employment and educational opportunities, as well as youth-specific training programs.

The bill will provide community colleges with funding and technical assistance to offer employment and training programs for in-demand industries--a successful model that we have seen utilized in my community--and the bill will create a Department of Labor program to specifically help individuals released from prison transition back to the workforce.

Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I want to highlight three of my amendments to WIOA. As chair of the Congressional Youth Mentoring Caucus, one of my priorities is to make sure that youth are able to access job training and meaningful employment opportunities. We know that mentors can have a positive impact on youth in their career exploration and early employment opportunities.

My amendments will ensure that WIOA's programming better targets youth who are most in need of services and is specifically geared to ensure positive outcomes for young people. The amendments will make summer and year-round employment opportunities accessible to more young people.

Finally, the amendments will make sure that employers, programs, and staff that mentor youth will have the tools required to provide the support and skill development needed to help young people succeed in their chosen careers.

All in all, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act will address both recent and long-term challenges in the labor market. Right now, our economy has a shortage of approximately 4 million skilled workers, and that shortage is expected to continue to grow. Reauthorizing WIOA is a key to this problem, so I encourage all my colleagues to help American workers and pass this bill.

Mr. Speaker, sadly, this rule also includes three suspension bills that failed on the floor after our Republican colleagues obstructed the business of the House of Representatives.

Included in today's rule is the Targeting Resources to Communities in Need Act and two naming bills which were all blocked by House Republicans with no other purpose than to obstruct the work of Congress on behalf of the American people.

Passing bills on suspension is one way in which Congress tries to streamline its work in order to devote more time to the most pressing issues of the day. Suspension bills are bipartisan bills narrowly tailored to the problems they address. To get on the suspension calendar and to be considered with an expedited process, a bill must have demonstrated strong bipartisan support.

By the time a suspension bill gets called up on the House floor, majorities of both Republicans and Democrats have to be willing to back the bill. However, some of our colleagues across the aisle have compromised the suspension system solely to waste the time of the American people and for political theater.

One of the bills we must reconsider now is the Targeting Resources to Communities in Need Act which would use proven strategies to improve the direction of Federal funds to areas of persistent poverty. This bill will greatly improve the effectiveness of many of our safety net, housing, hunger, and job training programs.

The bill is bipartisan, bicameral, and would benefit low-income Americans in both rural and urban communities. Yet, House Republicans tanked the bill.

The other two bills would rename a courthouse after Judge Joseph Hatchett and a post office after Representative Lynn Woolsey.

Joseph Hatchett was a pioneering Black lawyer and judge from the State of Florida. Born into the Jim Crow south, Judge Hatchett set many important firsts as a Black judge, ultimately becoming the first Black man to serve on the Florida Supreme Court.

Judge Hatchett was a committed public servant for the State of Florida, a fact recognized by both of Florida's Republican Senators and all 27 of the State's Representatives who cosponsored the resolution to name a Florida courthouse after Judge Hatchett.

And yet, House Republicans tanked this bill, too, including 10 Florida Republicans who had previously supported the measure.

What purpose does this stunt serve? What constituent base wants you to do this? It is nonsense and a waste of everyone's time.

If a Member doesn't like a bill, that is fine. That is how this place works. But we need to work together, in good faith, for the American people. It is a bad-faith move to torpedo bipartisan suspension bills at the last minute. It is bad for Congress, and it is bad for the country.

This Congress has seen a worrying increase in this kind of parliamentary nonsense from a small but vocal sect of the Republican Party. And while it is a small group of Members who initiate this nonsense, the whole party has been happy to go along with it.

With these three suspension bills, the minority leader continues his long and troubling streak of being unable or unwilling to control the behavior of the members of his party.

It is not a good path for our country. We have been trending down this road for a while, and January 6 was the painful result of this type of behavior.

We should not be here to fight each other. We should be here to help the American people. Some of our colleagues seem to have lost sight of that mission, and the whole country is paying the price.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Rules.

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

I will redirect the focus to the underlying bill that we are considering with this rule, and that is the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

The purpose of that bill is to unleash the full power of our investments in infrastructure, clean energy, and the care economy. It is essential that we have a skilled workforce to power those industries forward.

Now, we have seen what can happen when we make those kinds of investments. We have seen them in my district as we have invested in training our young people through our technical institutes, through our community colleges, with our employers, and with our apprenticeship programs. We are seeing the fruits of that labor, as it were, as we see people prepared to get the good jobs that we are bringing to our region.

The continued investment in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is really critical for my part of the country and critical for every district across this country.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the Statement of Administration Policy in which the administration urges the House to pass the WIOA Act of 2022.

Statement of Administration Policy

H.R. 7309--Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2022--Rep.

Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott, D-VA, and 55 cosponsors

To unleash the full power of investments in infrastructure,

clean energy, and the care economy, it is essential that we

have the skilled workforce to power those industries forward.

It is equally important that the benefits of new job creation

are shared by all Americans, and in particular those who have

traditionally been left behind in the labor market. The

Administration strongly supports House passage of H.R. 7309,

the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2022, and

looks forward to working with the Senate on this critical

bill.

The public workforce system should adapt to dynamic and

rising demand for worker skills training and related

services. The U.S. currently invests just one-fifth of the

average amount spent on workforce and labor market programs

by advanced economies. Workforce development is critical to

strengthening our economy and increasing our competitiveness.

Our investments must match employers' needs and workers'

goals of finding and keeping good quality jobs.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2022

authorizes three critical Administration priority programs as

new national programs--the Sectoral Employment through Career

Training for Occupational Readiness, Strengthening Community

Colleges, and Reentry Employment Opportunities programs.

These programs will ensure greater access to quality training

opportunities and supportive services, particularly in

infrastructure and supply chain sectors that will create

pathways for people in underserved communities to middle-

class jobs. H.R. 7309 also increases employment programming

for underserved youth, establishing a new funding stream for

summer and year-round employment activities to deliver young

people the work experience they need to connect with future

employment and education pathways.

The Administration urges the House to pass the Workforce

Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2022.

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

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

We all know that Americans are feeling pain at the gas pump, but Big Oil companies are raking in billions upon billions of dollars. They had record-breaking quarters about which they bragged to their shareholders during 2021, with the top 25 companies making more than $205 billion in profits last year.

As the war in Ukraine rages on, this is a time when we can all make choices, choices that reflect our moral fiber. Instead of choosing to do the right thing, oil and gas companies are choosing to take advantage of American consumers.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a May 7, 2022, USA Today article titled ``Oil giants reap record profits as war rages in Ukraine, energy prices soar: Here's how much they made.''

[From USA Today, May 7, 2022]

Oil Giants Reap Record Profits as War Rages in Ukraine, Energy Prices

Soar: Here's How Much They Made

(By Wyatte Grantham-Philips)

As households around the globe struggle with rising energy

bills, some of the world's leading oil giants reported record

profits for the first three months of this year.

Profits for Exxon Mobil, Shell and more also rose by

billions despite significant costs of exiting operations and/

or investments in Russia amid war in Ukraine.

After Russia invaded Ukraine in February, the price of oil

climbed in 2022's first quarter--as countries that rely

heavily on Russia for energy scrambled for alternative fuel

sources amid uncertainty.

The benchmark for global oil prices, Brent crude, averaged

at $102.23 a barrel during the first quarter--67 percent

higher than during the same period last year, according to

the Associated Press. In the United States, for example,

drivers have consequently found increasingly expensive gas

prices at the pump.

Home heating bills and electricity prices also inflated

worldwide--as natural gas prices climbed from $3.50 per

million British thermal units to about $5.60.

High oil and gas prices have boosted the profits of major

energy companies, further contributing to global inflation

and the cost-of-living crisis.

The net profit margin of S&P 500 companies, which include

energy giants such as Chevron and Exxon Mobil, in the first

quarter has been running at 12.3 percent based on estimates

and earnings reported so far, according to FactSet. That's

down from a peak of 13.1 percent in the second quarter of

last year, but above the pre-COVID-19 level of about 11

percent.

``Profit margins should be coming down,'' Lindsay Owens,

executive director of Groundwork Collaborative, a progressive

economic policy research group, previously told USA TODAY.

Instead, she noted, ``they're actually growing.''

Here's a breakdown of the profits and earnings some of the

world's oil giants made in the first three months of 2022:

Shell earnings rise to $9.1 billion

In the first quarter, Shell's adjusted earnings rose to

$9.1 billion from $3.2 billion in the same period last year.

Net income rose to $7.3 billion from $5.8 billion in last

year's first quarter. Shell said that it would also take a

$3.9 billion charge to cover the cost of exiting investments

in Russia, which the London-based energy giant pledged to do

after the invasion of Ukraine.

BP records $6.2 billion profit

BP posted its highest quarterly profit in over a decade--

with the British energy company announcing on Tuesday that

its underlying replacement cost profit rose to $6.2 billion

in the first three months of this year, more than doubling

the $2.6 billion from the same period last year.

BP PLC also said its net loss in the first quarter totaled

$23 billion, after accounting for a write-off of its nearly

20 percent stake in Russian oil producer Rosneft in response

to the Ukraine war.

Both BP and Shell's recent profit reports have contributed

to calls in Britain for the government to impose a tax on

energy companies' windfall earnings, in hopes of helping

consumers struggling with rising energy prices. Prime

Minister Boris Johnson has rejected the idea, saying the tax

would reduce investment in Britain during efforts to

diversify the country's energy industry.

The British government's ``refusal to tax the super-profits

of energy companies is completely unforgivable when people

are too terrified to heat their homes,'' Ed Davey, leader of

the Liberal Democrats, told the Associated Press.

Exxon doubles profits from last year to $5.48 billion

At the end of April, Exxon Mobil reported $5.48 billion in

profits during the first quarter of 2022--also more than

doubling its profits compared with the same period last year.

Revenue for the Irving, Texas-based company was $90.5

billion, far exceeding the revenue of $59.15 billion during

the same quarter in 2021.

But, after abandoning Russian operations due to the war,

Exxon also took a significant hit, writing down $3.4 billion.

Chevron reports $6.26 billion profit

Also at the end of April, Chevron reported a quarterly

profit of $6.26 billion, over four times its earnings of $1.4

billion in the first quarter of last year. Revenue for the

San Ramon, California-based energy producer surged 41

percent, to $54.37 billion.

Sinopec totals $3.45 billion net profit

According to Reuters, China Petroleum & Chemical Corp, or

Sinopec, reported 22.61 billion yuan ($3.45 billion) net

profit under Chinese accounting standards for the first

quarter of 2022, compared to 17.93 billion yuan ($2.69

billion) last year.

Sinopec also saw a 25 percent surge in net income.

Phillips 66's adjusted earnings of $595 million

For the first quarter of the year, Phillips 66 reported

first-quarter earnings of $582 million, with adjusted

earnings of $595 million.

In 2021, Phillips 66 reported a first-quarter loss of $654

million, with an adjusted loss of $509 million.

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

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, today's rule should be an easy one for this Congress to pass, particularly if there were two parties here interested in solving problems rather than just pointing blame.

It is clear that we need to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. WIOA is an investment in ourselves. It is an investment in the American worker and the American economy. WIOA creates and propels economic opportunity, particularly for our youth. Passing the reauthorization bill will help millions of Americans get better jobs to support themselves and their families. It will make it easier for workers to get the skills and training needed to compete in the modern job market, and it will maintain our country's competitiveness in the global economy.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for the rule today and to support the underlying legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Madam Speaker, I rise today as a proud Pennsylvanian, and someone who has been a season ticket subscriber to the Philadelphia Orchestra for almost 40

years, to share with my colleagues another important milestone for the Philadelphia Orchestra on the world stage.

In close coordination with the Department of State's Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs as well as our diplomats in Abu Dhabi, a delegation from the Philadelphia Orchestra made a historic trip to the United Arab Emirates in March.

This coincided with the Dubai Expo and the anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and the United Arab Emirates on March 20, 1972.

The Philadelphia Orchestra has been one of the most well-traveled in the world. This commitment to cultural diplomacy dates to the end of World War II. Colleagues will remember the landmark visit to China orchestrated personally by President Nixon and Secretary Kissinger. More recently, the Orchestra has worked with our State Department diplomats to strengthen relations with countries as diverse as Mongolia and Israel.

While on the ground, the musicians visited not only Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but also the Fujairah Fine Arts Academy. This was truly historic. In an increasingly complex world, this type of people-to- people exchange is an incredibly important tool to amplify the work of our diplomats.

As we stand shoulder to shoulder with our European allies, I look forward to celebrating the upcoming European tour this August and September. Once again, the Philadelphia Orchestra will serve as an important cultural ambassador for our country on the world stage.

Madam Speaker, if Roe v. Wade is overturned, it would pose the greatest threat to reproductive freedom we have seen in half a century.

But let's be very clear: although many States are passing radical laws banning abortion, contraception, and criminalizing healthcare, right now Roe is still the law of the land, abortion is healthcare, and abortion is still legal.

Abortion is an integral part of reproductive healthcare and should be safe, legal, and accessible to all. Right now, clinics and funds are able to support people in accessing abortion healthcare with compassion and care.

One organization in my district, the Delaware County Women's Center, serves more than 1,600 patients annually. I thank the staff at the Women's Center, especially Lizbeth and Jen, for their commitment to accessible reproductive health services.

If a rightwing extremist court overturns Roe, we will not go back. A strong majority of Americans are stepping up to support the freedom of every person, regardless of where they live or how much money they have, to make their own decisions about their health, their bodies, and their futures.