Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 864 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the Congresswoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon), 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 may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, last night the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 864, providing for consideration of H.R. 5894. The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 5894 under a structured rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their designee.

The rule further makes in order 146 amendments. The rule also provides that the chair and the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, or their respective designees, may offer up to 10 pro forma amendments each at any point for the purpose of debate. Finally, the rule additionally provides for one motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and the underlying bill, H.R. 5894, the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2024.

Mr. Speaker, the Republican majority is committed to fulfilling their promises to the American people by ensuring that we pass H.R. 5894 to fund our government and its crucial public health, education, and labor programs.

This bill is a significant accomplishment and the most recent step House Republicans are taking to restore fiscal responsibility to the Federal budget after years of overspending. It is a fact that our Federal spending is out of control, and H.R. 5894 is a step in the right direction, encouraging responsibility and restoring accountability.

H.R. 5894 provides $147 billion for vital programs at the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education while still reducing total Federal spending by over $60 billion.

The bill eliminates 61 programs, 50 of which are currently not authorized. It reduces funding for an additional 54 other programs and prohibits funds from unnecessary regulations and partisan executive orders.

This Congress should aim to prioritize funding programs that can have positive outcomes and deliver results for the American people. Inflated spending for duplicative programs is a sure way to fuel the economic situation in which we now find ourselves.

H.R. 5894 funds key priorities, including maintaining funding for essential education, public health, substance abuse and mental health, and veterans job training programs.

Republicans have fought to ensure that funding is prioritized to help all school districts safely educate children, including children with special needs. H.R. 5894 also contains provisions to support funding for charter schools, Pell grants, and local career and technical training programs for those students who are not seeking a college degree to ensure that our next generation is given opportunity and access to essential education programs.

Especially important to many districts around the country, including mine, this bill maintains vital funding for the Impact Aid Program, which supports school districts affected by a Federal presence such as a military base.

H.R. 5894 promotes American values of freedom, faith, and family by prohibiting the executive order requiring biological boys to be allowed to compete in girls' and women's sports, protecting religious freedom for students on college campuses, and strengthening parental rights for children in school.

Republicans understand that our country is facing a mental health crisis, along with record-breaking rates of substance abuse in the United States; therefore, this bill has designated funding for programs that combat opioid abuse in urban and rural communities. These crucial programs allow Americans to access the proper care that they need, including vital telehealth and response resources.

Democrats seem to disregard the value of the taxpayer dollar. They have continuously proven that they prioritize additional spending, progressive initiatives, and push through woke policies that will have negative consequences on the health and well-being of the American people.

When they were in the majority, congressional Democrats took drastic steps to push through legislation, such as the Inflation Reduction Act, saying that it would lower healthcare costs for America's seniors. In fact, we have already seen that this legislation has resulted in a halt to innovation and disincentivized investment into high-stakes research, such as rare diseases.

This bill, H.R. 5894, contains provisions that fund and support biomedical research programs that work to examine the cures for cancer, Alzheimer's disease, chronic conditions, and rare diseases. Under Republican leadership, the United States will continue to remain a leader in healthcare innovation, while peeling back the partisan politics that would limit access to lifesaving medicines.

The bill also maintains longstanding provisions of the Hyde amendment, bipartisan protections which have been in place since 1976. These pro-life policy protections prohibit Federal funds from being used for abortion while also including essential protections for healthcare providers who refuse to provide abortions.

Under the leadership of Democrats, the right for America's medical professionals to operate under their own autonomy and authority was under constant attack. Future medical professionals are being forced to practice medicine outside their own standards or to not practice at all. Protections placed in this bill ensure that any medical professional who does not wish to perform procedures that are against their religious or moral standards simply do not have to. The Republican Party continues to fight to maintain the balance between the professional practice of medicine and individual values.

Additionally, H.R. 5894 prohibits funding from being used to promote gain-of-function research or from any funding going to EcoHealth Alliance, the Wuhan Institute of Virology, or any other lab located in the People's Republic of China, Cuba, Iran, or Russia.

Americans deserve transparency for the years lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ability to perform biomedical research is a privilege and should not be abused. It is our responsibility to ensure that American dollars do not go toward dangerous research in adversarial countries.

Mr. Speaker, the United States is facing a significant healthcare workforce shortage. The government continues to have a role in deciding what is best for American doctors and their patients. This is, in fact, unacceptable. The combination of low reimbursement rates in the physician fee schedule, the burdensome compliance requirements through the No Surprises Act, and the enforcement of unnecessary vaccine mandates on healthcare workers has only fueled this ongoing shortage.

This bill prohibits the enforcement of regulations by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to force a vaccine mandate on healthcare workers. Healthcare providers should not be forced to comply with these mandates that infringe upon their individual freedom of choice.

We must come together and pass this bill and continue our commitment to the health and well-being of our people. The United States is facing record-breaking inflation, government spending is at an all-time high, and our communities continue to face barriers to education, healthcare, and recent partisan policies that stifle healthcare innovation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute. Mr. Speaker, I am sorry, last year when the Democrats were in charge of the United States House of Representatives, I do not recall the Labor-HHS bill being on the floor as an individual bill. In fact, it was not. Everything was grouped together in a large omnibus bill literally a year ago, last December.

Here is the problem: We all recognize, both Republicans and Democrats, additional spending was necessary during the pandemic to protect Americans and get us through this unprecedented crisis. However, last year, when everyone acknowledged that the effects of the coronavirus were on the wane, discretionary spending increased by 15 percent.

Mr. Speaker, my constituents do not understand that. They do not understand why that was necessary. The people struggling to buy gas and groceries for sure don't understand why that was done to light the fires of inflation.

I encourage Members on my side of the aisle to remember, if you do not want a December omnibus, then vote for this bill today.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute. If anyone is just tuning in, the bill we have before us today is a bill to fund the Federal agencies of Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, and Department of Education. It is not to provide public funding to Planned Parenthood. That funding should come from someplace else, but not the pockets of the American taxpayers.

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

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

Again, I remind colleagues on my side of the aisle that if they do not want a December omnibus, a giant Christmas tree with all sorts of things hung upon it like they saw last year, then they should understand that we need to pass individual appropriations bills.

Colleagues on my side of the aisle should carefully look at this bill and vote in favor of passing the rule and the underlying bill.

There are over 60 programs that are currently being funded that are not authorized. Well, that is on us as authorizers in the authorizing committees, to be sure. However, at the same time, we cannot continue to write checks, to send money to programs that no one has bothered to authorize. If these are important programs that need to continue, then we on the authorizing committees should do the work, dig into the details of the program, bring in the witnesses, take the testimony, and do the appropriate authorization. The fact that that has not happened in so many programs for so long indicates how broken the process is.

We need to reverse that, reverse that curse, reverse that inexorable spending that results if you just simply fund the government at a 15 percent greater level than you did last year before going back to basics and seeing if the program was even necessary.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation has many conservative policies that deliver results to the American people. H.R. 5894, the underlying appropriations bill, works to reverse the harmful effects of controversial executive orders and the woke politics that have really damaged our country.

Republicans seek to protect life, promote American values in the classroom, prioritize safe medical research, and combat the opioid epidemic, all while reining in unnecessary spending and promoting oversight and accountability. That is why I support the rule.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the rule. I support the underlying bill and urge my colleagues to support the underlying bill.

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

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

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment that would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from utilizing a title 42 special pay authority.

There is no rationale for this authority to exist. It is time that the authorizers in Congress stand up for their prerogatives and act as a check on the executive branch when it invents claims to new powers to which it has no right.

Mr. Chair, this is not just my sentiment. In 2012, the Government Accountability Office conducted a study on the EPA's use of title 42 special pay authority. In that study, multiple instances of irregularities were found, entry-level scientists were hired at much higher than what would be the expected GS pay level.

Why would we allow the EPA to continue to use a program when it has clearly and repeatedly demonstrated that it is a poor steward of American tax dollars?

Mr. Chair, not only has there been a report that highlights the abuse of the program, but a subsequent study was undertaken by the EPA's Office of Inspector General that found that the EPA did not demonstrate a need to use this special pay authority. In fact, there was no shortage of qualified applicants for those positions.

Even more alarming, the inspector general found that the EPA did not provide any convincing justification for its continued use. Recent college graduates with a chemistry degree have been hired on to the staff of the EPA at rates higher, much higher than the GS level would indicate. This is not for what the program was intended. It is time for Congress to exercise the proper authority and not allow agencies to ignore congressional intent.

It is time for Congress to exercise the proper authority and not allow agencies to ignore congressional intent.

That is why this amendment should be adopted, Mr. Chair. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment and show the American people that its Representatives here in the people's House will properly require accountability of agencies, particularly when they overstep the bounds of congressional intent.

Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I will simply underscore the fact that entry- level chemists at the EPA are hired at much

higher than the GSA rate. These are not highly sought-after scientists. These are entry-level applicants, and there is no shortage of applicants for those positions.

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

Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of the amendment. It is important, with $31 trillion in national debt, that we be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. The gentleman is right. I have pursued this for a number of years, but it is because it is a noble cause.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Global Medical Response Stars of Life award recipients for 2023.

Each year, the American Ambulance Association (AAA) honors a select group of Emergency Medical Services professionals for their commitment to patient care, integrity and compassion through the Stars of Life program. Global Medical Response, a member of the AAA and the world's largest provider of emergent and non-emergent medical transportation and healthcare services, has identified 32 of its frontline heroes for this distinction, representing the best of the best in the air and on the ground.

We will find these heroes all around us in our communities. From a small village outside Anchorage, AK, where a pilot landed his aircraft with nothing but the community's off-road vehicle headlights for light to the paramedics in Buffalo, NY and Jackson, MS, who showed immense strength in leadership and skill while saving multiple lives during mass casualty incidents to the several brave individuals, who voluntarily went into harm's way to support the communities of Florida and face Hurricane Ian head on and to Temple, TX, where the innocent life of a small child was saved by a paramedic following an accident on a ride-on mower.

There are many stories to share and so much that we can learn from the day-to-day lives of these heroes. We must learn to exhibit integrity in everything we do and everything we say. We must act with compassion and grace in even the most daunting and challenging of situations. We must be vigilant, never wavering in our commitment to doing what is right for the community and answering the call to serve.

So that we will never forget the immense contributions to our communities made by the 2023 Global Medical Response Stars of Lifeaward recipients, I include in the Record their names to honor their service and humbly thank them for showing us what it means to truly serve, while providing care to the world at a moment's notice.

Global Medical Response

2023 Stars of Life Award Recipients

Danny Abalama, B200 Instructor Pilot of Anchorage, AK.

Jacob Ambach, Paramedic of Spokane, WA.

Michael Arquette, Operations Supervisor of Buffalo, NY.

Jack Asbury, EMT of Bushnell, FL.

Cindy Betts, Base Medical Manager of Wichita, KS.

Jason Burns, Flight Paramedic of Salida, CO.

Ian Carroll, Flight Nurse of Logan, WV.

Preston Crotwell, Paramedic of Jackson, MS.

Zach Dayton, Firefighter Engineer/EMT of Mesa, AZ.

Victoria England, Flight Nurse of Mather, CA.

Rick Fikes, Paramedic/Field Training Officer of Abilene,

Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I rise today to express my sincere appreciation to Mr. Gary Carpenter for the excellent professional and dedicated service he has rendered as the Congressional Liaison for the United States Air Force Academy for the past 18 years.

He previously served his country in the U.S. Air Force from 1982 to 2004, as an active-duty enlisted Public Affairs Specialist for the U.S. Northern Command/NORAD and the Uniformed Services University. The productive and collaborative relationships he has fostered between the USAFA Directorate of Admissions and congressional offices across the nation will be greatly missed. I have no doubt Mr. Carpenter will leave USAFA in good hands. His accomplishments attest to his integrity, quality of character and his dedication to the institution and country which he has served with such honor.

It has been the privilege of my staff to work with him and his office throughout the years on behalf of potential Air Force Academy candidates from Texas. As he moves on to new challenges, Mr. Carpenter has had a tremendous and positive impact on the futures of thousands of students and military leaders.

On behalf of myself and my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives, I extend my warmest regards to Gary Carpenter on a job well done and wish him all the very best in the future. He has our thanks and gratitude.

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

Mr. Chair, I want to speak in support of my amendment to H.R. 4665, the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024.

This amendment would reduce foreign assistance to three Central American countries based on the number of unaccompanied children from each of those countries that were referred to the Office of Refugee Resettlement custody in the previous year.

Mr. Chair, for the last 5 fiscal years, the United States has provided more than $3 billion of foreign assistance for Central American countries.

For fiscal year 2022, the Department of Homeland Security referred almost 130,000 unaccompanied children to the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Forty-seven percent of those children were from Guatemala, 29 percent from Honduras, and 13 percent from El Salvador. Eleven percent were from other countries.

On average, providing care for an unaccompanied alien child costs the Office of Refugee Resettlement $500 per day, with the average length of stay in ORR custody being 30 days. This means the average total cost of care for an unaccompanied alien child in ORR custody in fiscal year 2022 was $15,000 per child. In aggregate, it was nearly $2 billion to take care of these unaccompanied alien children.

Mr. Chair, this is a crisis that only continues to get worse in 2023 because of the very dangerous and volatile open border policies of this administration.

We know the deal in Washington. If you want to make something important to someone, you make it about their money. I want these countries of origin to take better care of their citizens so that they do not undertake the dangerous irregular migration to this country.

For 5 years, I have tried to push this point, and those countries have done nothing to make it less likely that a child will undertake that dangerous path to come to the United States with irregular immigration.

Passing this amendment sends a very strong message. We need to incentivize these countries to better serve their children and better serve their future.

This amendment will provide a real, tangible, monetary incentive to those countries to combat factors that are driving irregular migration.

Mr. Chair, I urge everyone to vote for this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I would only point out that the American taxpayer is being hit twice in this exchange. One, they send tax dollars to other countries so that those countries can take care of their own children, but they don't spend the money on the children. They spend it on other things. Then, the American taxpayer has to step up again and be charged again for the care and feeding of that child while in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

I wish this amendment were not necessary. I wish those countries would take care of their own citizens so it was not necessary for them to undergo irregular migration. For over 5 years, I have been trying. It has not helped. This is the way to get their attention.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the late Mary Denny.

For those who did not have the privilege of knowing her, Mary was a valued public servant who gave back to her North Texas community for nearly five decades. Today, North Texas mourns her unexpected death on September 14, 2023.

Mary graduated magna cum laude from the University of North Texas in 1973, with degrees in education and mathematics. Almost immediately after graduation she heeded the call to public service, entrusted in the role of Denton County precinct chair for ten years. Recognizing her dedication and abilities, her friends and colleagues elevated her as Chairwoman of the Denton County Republican Party in 1983.

During her eight years in that position, she became well known not just in North Texas, but across the state of Texas--all the way to Austin. In 1990, Governor William Clements appointed Mary to the Texas Committee for the Humanities for her work in the community.

One of the greatest honors of her professional life came in 1993, when her neighbors and fellow North Texans elected Mary to a seat in the Texas House of Representatives, a position they would keep honoring her with over and over again.

While in Austin, her fellow Representatives learned what Mary's community already knew. She received numerous awards for her service, including the Outstanding Texas Legislator Award and the 1995 Star of Service Award from Common Cause.

Even when her time in the State House drew to a close, that did not stop Mary. For years after retiring from elected office, the Denton Benefit League, United Way, the Arts Council, City Federation of Women's Clubs, the Current Century Department of Ariel Club, and the board of the YMCA were all enriched through her involvement. Her personal contributions to her community culminated in 2018 when she returned to her alma mater, to serve on the Board of Regents of the University of North Texas. Of all of her achievements however, she always felt her greatest accomplishment was being a mother to her beloved son Bryan.

The Honorable Mary Denny will be remembered in towns as small as Aubrey and cities as big as Austin. Her memory and dedication

to her work will continue to inspire not just her neighbors in Denton County but all Texans. I ask that you please keep Mary's family in your thoughts and prayers in their time of loss, and to give them the strength to carry on Mary's legacy.

Madam Chair, I thank Representative Pfluger for yielding and for working on this issue. It is so critically important.

Maybe the President didn't have an absolute plan in mind, but he did say he wanted people to remain in Texas and not bother the mayor of New York City and the Governor of Massachusetts.

The gentleman knows this really well that that rainy Saturday we were working on this up in the Rules Committee, the President said he was going to veto the Homeland Security appropriations bill. Veto the Homeland Security appropriations bill when the Governor of Massachusetts says we have an emergency, the mayor of New York says we are losing our city, and he is going to veto the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill?

This policy that Mr. Pfluger is attempting to prevent is wrong. The President should not have articulated it, and he certainly should not have articulated that he is going to veto the bill to protect the border.

Governor Abbott had to declare an invasion. He had to declare an emergency. He is having to spend Texans' billions on doing the job the United States Government should be doing. We need to fund this bill and pass this bill.

Madam Speaker, I thank the members of the Rules Committee who put in so many hours over the past several days to prepare what is an unprecedented rule, in my experience. It is important for moving us forward.

To the members of the Rules Committee who put in the long hours this weekend, I certainly want to thank the members of that committee and the staff for working so hard. We are going to get this underlying legislation to the floor. It is important.

You are hearing a lot about the border this evening for a reason. A lot of us have studied the problems at the border for several years, but I will just tell you, it has never been this bad, and people see that. We are constantly asked at home: Why can't you do something about that?

Mr. Roy is exactly right. We did pass a very significant policy bill, H.R. 2, earlier this year, but it does no good to continue to fund it if the administration is not going to enforce the law--even the current law--but enforce the law, which is essentially the will of the Congress.

What we are doing here today is critical. We are fulfilling our obligation to our constituents and the American people. We are going to fund the government in a responsible and fiscally sound manner, as opposed to this business of usual stuff that has been going on for several years where Congress is expected to rubberstamp what comes over from the Senate or rubberstamp what is asked for by the President.

Our duty extends far beyond what is happening just today. The next generation and the next generation after that, our future, the country's future depends on us standing strong at this moment and ensuring that the funds of the American taxpayer are wisely spent.

This administration's track record has failed on so many levels-- failed my constituents, failed your constituents, Madam Speaker, the people of Texas, and the migrants who have lost their lives on this dangerous journey to cross our border.

Madam Speaker, this administration is not only complicit, but bears the sole responsibility for this humanitarian crisis that is unfolding before our very eyes.

The Biden administration's failure to enforce our laws, their shameful handcuffing of our courageous Border Patrol agents from effectively safeguarding our borders has allowed the southern border to fall from anarchy into a calamity.

Madam Speaker, our work here today signifies our crucial mission to rectify past errors and steer our Nation back on the path of fiscal responsibility. People need to know that we recognize our solemn duty to correct course and restore fiscal sanity, not only for our sake but for the sake of those who will come after.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 681 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez), 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 may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, last night, the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 681, providing for consideration of

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Langworthy), a valuable member of the Rules Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber).

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 reserve the balance of my time.

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

On the subject of paying taxes, I do hope the special prosecutor is successful in ensuring that the President's family pays their fair share in taxes. I know that is an ongoing issue before the courts now.

Mr. Speaker, according to a Stanford University study, California will need to triple its electricity supply just to fuel all the additional electric vehicles on the road as a result of the ban on gas and diesel vehicle sales. The grid expansion alone is going to cost Californians at least $75 billion in higher electric rates.

I want to reference a document prepared by the Committee on Energy and Commerce because, obviously, that committee was responsible for our underlying bill, and their discussion on electric vehicle mandates, on how they are unaffordable and impractical.

The majority of vehicles, 95 percent on the road today, run on internal combustion engines. Electric vehicles are still too expensive for many Americans. I would reference that, basically, these are subsidized toys for rich people.

The average transaction price of an electric vehicle was $17,000 more than a gas-powered vehicle in 2022. Gas-powered vehicles continue to outperform EVs with significantly higher ranges and greater towing capacity, and they are less susceptible to issues caused by severe weather conditions.

Electric vehicles lose 40 percent of their range in cold weather. We are going to put all of our kids on electric schoolbuses in northern States in wintertime and hope they get to their destination okay. If they don't, the bus is not going to have enough power to keep the children warm until they get a rescue vehicle out there.

The lack of vehicle charging infrastructure in many parts of the country, especially rural areas, makes electric vehicles impractical. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Secretary of Energy for so eloquently demonstrating that fact last week.

Rampant EV expansion could overwhelm the electric grid and compromise grid reliability, which would result in blackouts and other issues.

We had a really hot summer in Texas. It made the newspapers in several locations. Good news--solar energy did supply the grid with a lot of solar power.

Here is a news flash for you, and you can't make this stuff up. The Sun goes down every night. Just when everyone is getting home and plugging in their electric vehicles, or maybe their electric schoolbuses, and they come in the back door and: Oh, my gosh, this house is hotter than Hades. Crank up the AC, and guess what? The Sun set. Solar power is offline. The grid can't handle it. That is a dangerous situation.

Finally, as the gentleman from Minnesota pointed out to us so eloquently, China controls the vast majority of the mining, processing, and manufacturing of critical minerals for electric vehicles, including 75 percent of lithium-ion batteries, as well as the processing and refining capacity for over half of the world's lithium, cobalt, and graphite. The administration unwisely prohibited mining in the northern range of Minnesota, so the administration was all too eager to go to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and employ child slave labor in order to get those critical elements.

I thank my fellow members of the Energy and Commerce Committee for bringing us this important piece of legislation to begin to roll back some of the damage that President Biden has placed on the middle class.

I don't know why this administration has declared war on the middle class, but they have, and it has been, unfortunately, readily apparent every day since Inauguration Day 2021.

Republicans remain united in pursuing a legislative agenda that puts the welfare of the American people above the special interests of a few.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support the rule and support the underlying legislation.

The material previously referred to by Ms. Leger Fernandez is as follows:

An Amendment to H. Res. 681 Offered by Ms. Leger Fernandez of New

Mexico

At the end of the resolution, add the following:

Sec. 2. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the

House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the

resolution (H. Res. 178) affirming the House of

Representatives' commitment to protect and strengthen Social

Security and Medicare. 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 Ways and

Means or their respective designees.

Sec. 3. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the

consideration of H. Res. 178.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the City of Aurora as the residents gather to celebrate the dedication of their new City Hall. This proud Wise County community has a story that has historically overshadowed its population, but I am confident it has only begun to realize its potential.

Named by William W.O. Stanfield, the name ``Aurora'' was chosen to represent the settler's perspective that it ``was the dawn of something luminous and beautiful in the new land.'' Looking back in time, Aurora's history reflects his vision. Through a history that includes a thriving western settler community, stories involving alien sightings and a reported crash and burial site, a Marine Air Base and recent challenges that have led to the construction of their new City Hall, Aurora's story is rich and compelling. However, as we look to the future, it is clear that the opportunities, located at the edge of what is currently the fastest-growing region of our country, remain almost as limitless as any that Mr. Stanfield could have imagined.

Endowed with attentive and responsible leaders, served by a top-rated public school system and located at the juncture of a growing traffic flow, Aurora's dawn with the celebration of this new City Hall is bright with opportunity for both current and future residents.

I am encouraged by the resilience of this community and honored to represent this historic Wise County gem as a part of the 26th Congressional District of Texas. I offer these remarks and a commemorative flag in celebration of the City's current leadership and accomplishments. I share their commitment and I am honored to contribute my efforts toward their success in dutifully representing this community I am blessed to serve on behalf of our Nation's Capitol.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of Officer Urbano Rodriguez, Jr., a dedicated civil servant who is retiring from the Denton Police Department, having honorably served his community for over a decade.

Prior to joining the Police Department, Urban, as he is fondly known, worked for over two years at the Denton Animal Shelter. During that time he bonded with one particular disabled dog, personally constructing a makeshift walking device that was equipped with wheels to a11ow the dog to walk freely. This act of compassion and needs-based service is symbolic of the character and calling that quickly led him to leave the shelter to become a Police recruit for the City in 2014.

Upon completion of his training, Urban joined the front lines of the Denton Police Department as a part of the thin blue line protecting the public he had committed to serve. He knew from the outset that he belonged on the streets. Recognized as a ``go-getter'' with a strong work ethic, Urban quickly became a valued member of the Denton PD team. During his service he was involved in a number of notable traffic stops, including a large and unexpected confiscation of methamphetamine. Through the dedication and effort he and his shift partners brought to the streets, he helped disrupt a damaging delivery. protecting the community by preventing it from reaching its intended market.

Urban was confronted with the full weight of his commitment when, on October 29, 2019, as a five-year veteran of the Denton Police Department, he was unexpectedly attacked and struck by multiple bullets from an assailant's weapon during a routine traffic stop. It was at that moment that Urban's inner strength and character were defined. Unimaginably, he survived the trauma, beginning the long, difficult path to become the walking miracle he is today.

When many felt it unlikely that he would even leave the hospital, Urban's strength and resolve led him through a challenging rehabilitation process to not only leave the hospital bed, but push beyond the damage of his injuries to regain his strength and mobility to once again walk freely. An outcome that seemed a fantasy to those who saw him during his initial recovery less than four years ago, is a testament to the enthusiasm and determined work ethic he was known for when he joined the department.

In his service commitment to the community he swore to protect, and through the courage he has shown through his recovery, Urban embodies the very essence of Texas values. Each day he is continuing to build the example for those who will follow in his footsteps.

On behalf of a grateful community, I want to thank Urban Rodriguez for his service and example. I truly wish him the very best in a well- deserved retirement and for the continued contribution I know he will make in his new role and as an inspiration for his children and all who hear of his story.

Mr. Speaker, today I stand to commemorate a momentous milestone in the history of North Texas. It is with great excitement that we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system, a creation that has continued to link our communities together over the years.

Four decades ago, in 1983, a vision was born to transform the Dallas Regional Transport system--a limited municipal bus system--into a well- developed transportation network that would connect our neighborhoods, bridge distances, and bring people closer together. Today, we stand with great appreciation for that dream as the DART has served not only as a system of trains but also to unify the metropolitan area.

Throughout its history, the transport system started as a small rail line of just 65 miles that connected Denison to Downtown Dallas. Moving forward, the rail line served a greater purpose than just transporting people, but also worked to transport the workers and materials that have helped advance the development of our beloved North Texas communities. Today, this system boasts over 90 miles of track, making it one of the longest light rails in the United States. DART not only has connected people across the community but has also continued to serve as a means of promoting economic growth by providing greater access to local businesses.

I stand here today to celebrate the accomplishments we have seen over the past 40 years; it is important to continue to look forward. As the greater Dallas area continues to grow and evolve, DART will continue to serve not just as a train but as a means to connect our community. Congratulations on 40 years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Muenster State Bank on their 100th Anniversary, celebrating their opening to serve North Texans on July 2, 1923.

Early in 1923, a group of local leaders from the small German Catholic community of Muenster, Texas decided that if the town of less than 450 residents was going to continue to grow and prosper, a bank was necessary. This group, made up of businessmen and farmers, met in J.W. Meurer's hardware store to request that J.W. take on a leadership role in the formation of this new bank. The group was apprehensive that the required funds could be raised to supply the necessary capital and deposits, considering that the previous private bank had already failed twice. Assured that adequate stock could be sold, the group prevailed upon Mr. Meurer to continue in his leadership role and to take charge of the organization and operation of the bank. They looked for additional assistance and discovered through interviews that experienced bankers could be found but were unaffordable for this new bank venture.

Mr. Meurer knew his brother-in-law, J.M. Weinzapfel, had the business acumen required and was available, but at the time lived over 60 miles away in Windthorst, Texas. Upon being offered the job, Mr. Weinzapfel moved to Muenster to assist with the necessary paperwork to secure a charter and future operations. The original 21 stockholders in the bank successfully raised $19,250.00 in total capital to obtain the State Charter and on Friday, June 29, 1923, the State of Texas granted them Bank Charter No. 1400. On the following Monday of July 2, 1923, the bank opened for business, providing Mr. Weinzapfel the foundation and community from which he would devote the remainder of his business life.

In the early years growth was slow. Nonetheless, the bank has generated an annual profit since inception, and has paid dividends in all but 2 years. Over the past century, through good and bad economic times, periods of war, and uncertainty such as 2 robberies and 1 attempted robbery, the officers and staff persevered, ensuring continued growth and prosperity along with the community it served. As a combination of a century's dedication and hard work by bank staff members and the loyalty and confidence customers have placed in the institution, Muenster State Bank has grown to $213 million in total assets as of the end of 2022, generating $3.5 million in net income and paying out $2.1 million in shareholder distributions.

Recently, Muenster State Bank's current president, Robert Weinzapfel, read the following communication to today's shareholders that then bank president, J.M. Weinzapfel, had written in 1942. Despite being written 81 years ago, it still rings true today.

``The bank organized and opened July 2nd, 1923 and never failed to pay a regular dividend each year since then. The Officers and Directors have been faithful to their trust and were influential in the promotion and development of many enterprising and successful business institutions in Muenster.

Our record of unusual service rendered to our patrons city, community, state and nation is reflected in the bank's growth. With resources now near \1/2\ million dollars, we believe that the plan to increase the capital is in keeping with the sound and conservative policy that has characterized the bank throughout its history.

The achievements enumerated are an expressed tribute and reflect in memory to the untiring efforts and fidelity of the original officers, directors, stockholders and patrons that are still with us and those who have passed on to their reward.''

As a part of our independent banking system, Muenster State Bank is a special part of our U.S. community banking system that is committed to supporting and investing to serve their local communities. I join the Muenster State Bank Stakeholders in looking back on the past century of community service, celebrating their accomplishments, and looking forward to the trust, community, and financial security they will continue to provide into their next century of operations.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 524 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), 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 may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, last night the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 524, providing for consideration of three measures: H. Res. 461, H.R. 3799, and H.R. 3564.

The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 3564 under a structured rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Financial Services or their designee.

The rule makes in order four amendments and provides one motion to recommit. The rule additionally provides for consideration of H.R. 3799 under a structured rule with 80 minutes of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committees on Education and the Workforce or their respective designees and Ways and Means or their respective designees. The rule makes in order three amendments and provides one motion to recommit.

Finally, the rule provides for consideration of H. Res. 461 under a closed rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled and by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce or their respective designees.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule and in support of the underlying bills.

Today, the Republican majority continues its long process of reversing and repairing the damages inflicted on the American people by the Biden administration and the previous Democrat majority.

Mr. Speaker, included in the rule is H.R. 3799, the Custom Health Option and Individual Care Expense Arrangement Act, or the CHOICE Arrangement Act, introduced by my friend from Oklahoma, Kevin Hern.

This legislation includes commonsense changes to help lower health insurance costs, increase competition in the healthcare market, and ensure access to high-quality, low-cost plans for Americans and small business owners and their employees.

In 2021, almost 55 percent of Americans were covered by employer- based health coverage. Employer-based health coverage is easily the most popular option for Americans to receive health insurance coverage. According to the National Federation of Independent Business, of small employers

that did not offer health insurance coverage to their employees, two- thirds reported that the reason they do not offer the health insurance is because it is simply too expensive.

In 2019, President Trump and his administration published regulations allowing employers to provide their employees with a fixed amount of money each year in tax-preferred individual health coverage reimbursement accounts that an employee could use to buy coverage in the individual market.

Current regulations allow employers to establish individual coverage health reimbursement accounts which employees can use to purchase individual market coverage and pay for their out-of-pocket medical expenses.

The CHOICE Arrangement Act seeks to codify these regulations to provide tax-advantaged funds for employees to buy portable health insurance plans and requires notification to employers of the availability of these tax-advantaged health insurance benefits.

The CHOICE Arrangement Act also includes provisions codifying the right of small businesses to band together and form association health plans to offer pooled health insurance coverage to their employees.

This legislation will give employers maximum flexibility in how they provide coverage options for their employees by providing CHOICE arrangements while also providing expected benefits like dental plans, vision plans, accident, disability benefits, and more.

This legislation will also ensure that stop-loss coverage is not subject to Federal regulation under the Employee Retirement Income and Security Act. These commonsense changes will stop the Biden administration from administratively making healthcare more expensive by regulating stop-loss coverage and ensuring that small businesses can, in fact, remain competitive.

Mr. Speaker, also included in this rule is H. Res. 461. This condemns the practice of retrofitting our children's schools to house illegal immigrants. President Biden and the Democrats' failures at the southern border are so comprehensive, so overwhelming that municipalities are now co-opting the schools where we educate our children because President Biden refuses to secure the southern border.

Because President Biden cannot or will not secure our southern border, Mr. Speaker, our local communities and municipalities are now casualties of President Biden's border crisis.

The American people rightfully demand that President Biden and Democrats in Congress acknowledge this crisis. They demand that they not only acknowledge the crisis, Mr. Speaker, they demand that their Federal Government solve this self-inflicted crisis that is pushing our communities well past the breaking point.

New York City and its mayor, Eric Adams, are the first to cry uncle. Mr. Speaker, 2 months is how long Mayor Adams and New York City lasted, suffering under conditions of a size and scale not even comparable to the conditions that Texans have been enduring these past 2\1/2\ years under an administration that has only now started to pay attention to this humanitarian crisis when it started to affect their constituents.

Over and over again, we have pleaded with the Biden administration to take this crisis seriously, only to be rebuffed time and again. This humanitarian catastrophe can be laid squarely at the feet of the Secretary of Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Mayorkas, and, of course, President Biden who have chosen to do nothing rather than be labeled xenophobes by their progressive colleagues for actually enforcing existing immigration law and securing our southern border.

Mr. Speaker, the temptation for the Biden administration has been to bury their heads in the sand and hope that these waves of illegal immigrants coming across our border will, in fact, magically disappear. They will not, Mr. Speaker, not until President Biden finally gets serious about the border crisis by demanding that the Secretary of Homeland Security do his job and secure our southern border, or maybe find someone else who can do that job.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 3564, the Middle Class Borrower Protection Act of 2023. This bill would repeal the Federal Housing Finance Agency's recalibrated single-family pricing framework to guarantee mortgages which would charge borrowers with higher credit scores larger fees to subsidize borrowers with lower credit scores.

If not for our Republican majority, Mr. Speaker, one out of every two borrowers with higher credit scores would be assessed higher mortgage fees in President Biden's radical equity agenda.

President Biden is telling the American people that if you work hard, if you are responsible with your finances, if you pay your bills on time, you are going to get to subsidize the mortgages of those who did not make the same sacrifices that you did in order to attain a higher credit score. This sends a terrible message to the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Davidson for bringing us this final piece of legislation that underscores that the Republican majority stands with those middle-class families who have done the right thing and should not be pushed by a radical administration that is obsessed with radical wealth distribution schemes.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Langworthy), a valuable new member of the Rules Committee.

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

Mr. Speaker, the only entity cutting Social Security or Medicare right now is the White House, the Biden administration. Over the last 2\1/2\ years, cuts to Medicare have totaled probably $40 billion in the part B drugs administered in physician's offices and $300 billion in Medicare Advantage, all done through the Inflation Reduction Act last year. The only people talking about cutting Medicare right now is the administration, and that is really what ought to be stopped.

Right now, that is not the business at hand. What we are discussing today are three important bills that are going to be considered on the floor. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the rule and in favor of the underlying bills.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, there are hearings going on right now in the Energy and Commerce Committee for the reauthorization of the SUPPORT Act.

The SUPPORT Act passed in 2017-2018 in that Congress. It was a broadly bipartisan bill. It was geared toward dealing with the problems that were occurring in this country because of an opiate crisis.

Largely, the source of these opiates were prescription drugs that were diverted to other uses, and the consequence was people taking a good overdose and in fact dying from prescription drugs that were actually diverted from their intended use.

Five years later, we are in the process of reauthorizing the SUPPORT Act. The SUPPORT Act actually functioned as intended, it did reduce some of those overdose deaths downward until we were hit with the pandemic, and obviously that changed a lot of things.

In that 5-year interval, this disease has changed. It is no longer prescription opiates that are diverted, it is fentanyl. It is fentanyl that is poisoning our young people. It is fentanyl that is pouring in from the southern border.

Look, I get it. You want to say it is only coming in at the ports of entry--that is what you catch. Our Customs and Border Protection are so overwhelmed with the numbers of people who are coming in at the invitation of the President and the Vice President, people are pouring across our border.

Customs and Border Protection cannot do their normal job. They are doing housekeeping chores, taking care of people who are ill, children who are arriving at their doorstep, and they have no choice but to take care of them.

In the meantime, all other areas of the surveillance are non vis because Customs and Border Protection are tied up with this vast increase of humanity that is coming in. The bottom line is as we reauthorize the SUPPORT Act now, we are actually dealing with a different disease because fentanyl poisoning has replaced opiate overdose.

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

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, isn't it interesting that thanks to House Republicans and their investigative efforts there was a settlement yesterday where a member of the President's family has agreed to pay his taxes that he hasn't been paying.

So that is a good thing that delivers money to the Treasury.

Oh, yes, about those background checks, it turns out a member of the President's family wasn't adhering to the background checks and the proper handling of a firearm.

So maybe we all learned something in that exchange over the last 24 hours.

I also want to correct a few things on the underlying bills. Association health plans, like all large employer plans, are required to cover preventative healthcare. This requirement includes covering women's preventative health services without cost sharing. In addition, all AHPs are required to cover pregnancy-related conditions and coverage of a minimal hospital stay after childbirth as mandated by the Affordable Care Act.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act requires the plans to cover pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions in the same manner as they cover other medical conditions under the association health plan.

The Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act of 1996--that was about 10 years before the ACA--the Health Protection Act of 1996 requires large group association health plans to cover a hospital stay of at least 48 hours for a childbirth and at least 96 hours for a birth by caesarean delivery.

These are all requirements placed on large group employer-sponsored health plans. Expanding AHPs does not change these requirements. What it changes is making that valuable insurance available to more employees.

The CBO score that the gentleman referenced also had within it the notation that 200,000 people would be covered if this bill, the CHOICE Act, is enacted because insurance would not be as expensive for employers to provide and would give them more possibilities.

Here is probably the crux of that matter: 40,000 of these people have no insurance currently. So there will be 40,000 people moved from uninsured to insured by passing the CHOICE Act. I would say that is a good thing, and I think people would be supportive of that.

I do want to stress that it is important to support the rule and the underlying measures. I thank my colleagues for their diligence and hard work in bringing these important pieces of legislation to the floor today. The Republican majority has demonstrated, yet again, that we are putting forward a legislative agenda that works for all Americans and not just the well-connected few.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Telena Wright upon her retirement as Superintendent of the Argyle Independent School District in Argyle, Texas. Raised by two educators in Ballinger, Texas, Dr. Wright initially chose a pre-pharmacy major before switching to an education major and her ultimate attainment of a teacher's certification.

She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin, followed by a master's degree in education from Hardin-Simmons University and a doctorate in education from the University of North Texas.

Prior to coming to Argyle ISD, Dr. Wright worked at San Angelo and Lewisville ISD's. She previously served as a math teacher, elementary and high school counselor, and as an assistant principal, before joining Argyle High School in 2000 as principal. After three years at the helm of AHS, she moved into district administration as an assistant superintendent, then interim superintendent before being named Argyle ISD Superintendent in 2009.

Under Dr. Wright's capable leadership, Argyle ISD added a pre- kindergarten program and implemented special education programming on all campuses. In addition, the Argyle ISD Police Department was created in 2013 to heighten security and now includes the addition of armed staff and the positioning of an officer on each campus.

Argyle ISD has seen tremendous growth, and Dr. Wright oversaw the transition from K-8 grades to Pre-K-12 and three successful bond packages to provide updates and renovations to the district's existing facilities, addition of new campuses, new school buses, and new technology and security systems. The district covers over 35 square miles and enrollment has increased from 1700 to 5000 students and 200 to more than 700 employees.

Dr. Wright has been a hands-on leader and has forged a strong partnership between students, parents, teachers and administrators to ensure the best possible educational experience and outcomes for AISD students. A consummate professional, she is known as a tremendous recruiter and developer-of educators, serving as a mentor to many whom have benefited from her wisdom and inspirational guidance. She has also served as an adjunct instructor at her alma mater UNT, preparing the next generation of teachers.

During her tenure, Argyle ISD has won twelve UIL Lone Star Cup awards, including a record setting 10 consecutive times. The Lone Star cup is awarded annually to only six high schools in the state based upon the accumulation of the largest number of UIL points with students competing in academics, fine arts and athletics. She has traveled across the region and state to support AISD students and teams as they've competed and won multiple state championships including UIL Academics, Girl's Basketball and Volleyball, Boy's Baseball, Football, and Golf, as well as Marching Band.

After 15 years as superintendent, Dr. Wright is retiring. It is my privilege to recognize the long and dedicated service that Dr. Telena Wright has tirelessly devoted to the children of Argyle ISD. I join the students, families, and staff in wishing her all the best in her retirement.