Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Born- Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. Democrats are trying to distort this issue and this bill. They are trying to mislead the public, claiming that this is an attack on abortion rights and privacy and all kinds of things. What it is, is nothing like the situation that my colleague from Minnesota spoke about.

We only need to look at the actual language of this bill: ``To prohibit a health care practitioner from failing to exercise the proper degree of care in the case of a child who survives an abortion or attempted abortion.'' These are the same words the clerk read when we began this debate.

I am absolutely appalled that we have to dictate in law that a newborn baby is a patient and not medical waste. The fact is Democrat lawmakers all over the country are pushing legislation to give abortion providers an out from providing care to babies born after failed abortions.

Babies born after a botched abortion are living human beings with blood in their veins and a beat in their hearts just like us. They deserve the same standard of care that any baby at the same age would receive.

Is providing medical care too much to ask? This bill is not about abortion. It is about medical care for babies. I will repeat this. This bill is not about abortion. It is about medical care for babies.

Mr. Speaker, I am so grateful that Representative Ann Wagner is leading the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. I am honored to be a cosponsor. I urge everyone to support this bill and support medical care for babies. I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, I have to bring this back to what we are talking about because I have heard so many passionate words from the other side, and the words have nothing to do with the bill that we have in front of us.

Like I mentioned before, this bill is about medical care for babies. It says it in the title. The clerk mentioned it. I have mentioned it. It is about medical care for babies.

What we are trying to do here today is make sure that babies are treated with dignity and medical care that they will need so that babies aren't left to die in a closet alone and discarded like medical waste. We recognize the humanity of these babies. We ask for them to have medical care. That is what this is about.

Don't let the other side gaslight and pretend this is about abortion rights. This is about babies and medical care. I will continue to repeat that.

Mr. Speaker, President Trump's 2017 tax package created section 199A, a 20 percent small business deduction to help small businesses and family farms like those in my district. In fact, three out of four small business employers in this country have benefited from this tax provision.

Unfortunately, this deduction is one of many set to expire this year. The National Federation of Independent Business has circulated a petition, which has over 100,000 signatures, urging Congress to make this vital tax deduction permanent and stop a massive tax hike on our small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to listen to our local businessowners and join me in supporting making the 199A deduction permanent.

Madam Speaker, I rise to thank Dr. Burgess for his friendship and for kindness. I wish him a very happy and restful and well-deserved retirement. It has been an honor to serve with Dr. Burgess, particularly on Rules. I joined Rules as a freshman, and he has been a steady, guiding hand and an excellent example of a statesman.

As chairman, he has been a kind and thoughtful leader, and I will certainly miss you in that role, Dr. Burgess.

I am also grateful for the time that we spent on a trip to Canada, and I enjoyed being part of the visit to your grandfather's home in Montreal. I will sincerely miss seeing you at work, and I am happy about your next chapter and your retirement. I thank you for your service. I thank you for your service to the country, to Congress, and to your constituents, but, most of all, I thank you for your friendship, Dr. Burgess.

Congratulations and God bless you and your family.

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to honor two men who have given a combined 74 years of service to the House of Representatives, Wade Ballou and Ralph Seep. Both of these gentlemen are retiring and have made important contributions in the way that the House functions.

In November, Wade Ballou retired after 41 years of service in the Office of Legislative Counsel, including the past years as head of OLC. Over his years, he provided clear, coherent, and high-quality legal analysis and built a reputation for being warm, engaging, and attentive to the needs of Members of Congress and staff.

No matter how complicated or time-sensitive the project was, Wade was warm, engaging, and attentive to the needs of the Members of Congress and our staff. We are all grateful for his care and his work.

Ralph Seep spent the past 33 years in the Office of the Law Revision Counsel, including the past 13 years as head of the office. After a long career of helping to oversee and maintain the publication of the United States Code, Wade retired on October 1.

While the Members of Congress write the laws, Ralph was the one who ensured that they were literally published in black and white and placed into the United States Code.

Ralph's leadership, high standards of excellence, calm demeanor, and generous spirit have made him a trusted leader and colleague and earned him the respect of his staff and colleagues.

On behalf of the entire House of Representatives, I thank Wade and Ralph for their service to this Chamber, and we wish them both the best in their next stages of life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank Mrs. Lesko for her

service. I have been honored to serve with Debbie.

She mentioned we met before I was elected, but I have to admit, it was in a nail salon the first time we met. Nobody else here can say that.

I know that so many of the speakers have talked about Debbie's service. It has been incredible. They have really honored you with that and talked about that.

I want to say, one of the things I just love about Debbie is I have never seen her in a bad mood--never seen her in a bad mood. I was her whip representative, so I had to come and ask her how she was voting. She always has a smile on her face.

I congratulate you on your new role in Arizona. I think that the people of Arizona and you county are going to be so incredibly well- served. You will do a wonderful job for them.

I thank her for her service in Congress and thank her for her friendship and her kindness. I have been so grateful for the guidance you gave me as a freshman, and I am sure so many others, because that is the kind of person you are.

I think she is especially happy that I was elected because I took her spot on the Rules Committee. I am incredibly grateful that I have been able to call her a friend for the last 4 years. I have no doubt that she is going to continue to do incredible things in her public service.

I know you are excited about this new chapter. You are going to be missed here. Come and visit occasionally. God bless, and all the best in the world to you.

Mr. Speaker, I am here to stand in support of my bill, H.R. 8841, to rename the post office in Roseau, Minnesota, in honor of Mr. Floyd B. Olson, who faithfully served as postmaster for the community for 25 years.

Floyd was a staple in his community. Born in Roseau on November 9, 1931, to a proud Swedish family, Floyd was named after Minnesota's Scandinavian Governor. He served 2 years in the U.S. Army and married Marjorie in 1954. The two would go on to have three children together, Jeff, Sarajane, and Lisa.

In addition to serving in the post office for nearly 30 years, he was a member of the Rose Free Lutheran Church, where he was an active participant on the board and a charter member of the Rose Church Men's Club. He served as vice president of the Roseau County Historical Society board for several years, and he served on the Roseau County Fair board for 25 years.

He looked forward to his Thursday morning coffee crew. He loved the great outdoors and anytime he could get out into nature. He took special pride in his six grandchildren and three great-granddaughters.

Sadly, Mr. Olson passed away on December 26, 2017. He is remembered so fondly by his family and the Roseau community. A man of faith, a family man, a true public servant, I can think of no better person to dedicate this post office to than Mr. Olson.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to introduce this legislation in his honor and look forward to voting on it on the floor.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1576 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, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, we are here to debate the rule providing for consideration of H.R. 9495 and H.R. 1449.

The rule provides for H.R. 1449 to be considered under a structured rule. It provides for 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and by the ranking minority member of the Committee on Natural Resources, or their designees.

The rule further provides for H.R. 9495 to be considered under a closed rule, providing for 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means, or their designees.

The rule provides for a motion to recommit for each bill.

Mr. Speaker, we have had our eyes opened to a lot in the wake of last year's horrifying October 7 attack in Israel. We have been reminded of how much anti-Semitism still somehow exists in our own country. As we saw American citizens taken hostage by Hamas, we were also sadly reminded of the many Americans who have been taken hostage or illegally detained across the world.

H.R. 9495, the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act is twofold.

First, it directs the IRS to disregard the time during which a person being held hostage for purposes of when that person filed their tax returns, paid income taxes, or filed a claim. This will also be true for their spouses.

This is a small thing, given the circumstances they have endured, but an obvious one. It is so obvious that it sounds silly to say it out loud that someone should not have to worry about missing the deadline to file their taxes because they were being held hostage.

This bill also addresses abuses within the nonprofit sector that support terrorism by prohibiting these organizations from maintaining their tax-exempt status if they are found to have provided material support or resources to a terrorist or terrorist-supporting organization.

After October 7 and the anti-Semitism that spread rapidly across campuses, the House Ways and Means Committee began investigating tax- exempt organizations to make sure they were not making contributions that would benefit terrorists.

It seems fairly obvious that if your organization is supporting terrorist activity in any way, shape, or form, you should at a minimum lose your tax-exempt status.

This bill is so sensible it should have been able to pass under suspension, and yet, somehow the Democrats still did not understand the wish of the American people. Americans want to protect their citizens and not support terrorism. It is that simple. I cannot understand how many of my colleagues voted against this bill last week, but I will be proud to vote for it again.

This rule also provides for consideration of H.R. 1449, the Committing Leases for Energy Access Now Act, or the CLEAN Act, which will provide certainty for U.S. geothermal energy projects.

Right now, the Department of the Interior is required to have a competitive lease sale every 2 years. However, some States have not had a lease sale for much longer than that. Under this legislation, the Secretary of the Interior must hold these sales annually and must respond to the permit applications within 30 days of receipt to let

the applicant know if their application is complete. If it is, the Secretary has 30 days to issue a final decision.

Geothermal energy is clean and renewable, making it a great way to expand America's energy portfolio and meet our growing demand domestically rather than relying on other Nations. I look forward to supporting these two bills.

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

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

My Democrat colleagues continue over and over and over to try to demonize and vilify President-elect Trump. They just spent months trying to turn him into the boogieman who is going to destroy this country and create chaos. Voters flatly rejected this attempt by Democrats to paint President-elect Trump as a fascist or dictator, all kinds of names they came up with. Instead, they sent him back to the White House and gave him a majority in the Senate and a majority in the House.

Yet, here my Democrat colleagues are again trying to use Donald Trump to scare their voters. The truth is, under President Trump's previous administration, we had terrorists on the run, and Americans at home and abroad were safer than they have ever been under this administration.

While my Democrat colleagues are desperately trying to find a way to justify allowing American nonprofits to send money to terrorists, House Republicans stand ready to defund terrorism and make America safe again.

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

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

I do think it is rich that the Democrats are talking about President Trump going after these groups because the Democrats, both under President Obama and under President Biden, have gone after conservative groups trying to make them look like terrorists and trying to call them terrorists.

I think the bill simply wants to stop real terrorists and stop those groups from receiving favored tax status under our tax laws and making sure that we are addressing terrorism in the United States and abroad.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, again, my colleague can't move on from the tired old lines. It is the same rhetoric we have heard for the last 4 years. Throughout the election, we have heard it and heard it, but I want to say that the election is over. I urge the Democrats to please stop telling the American people what they voted for or what they should think and start listening to the American people.

The House Republicans are committed to the security and prosperity of the American people, and the two bills before us are further evidence of that.

The CLEAN Act supports domestic geothermal drilling, expanding our energy portfolio, and bringing more safe and efficient energy jobs to our country. It also ensures a timely application process through the Department of the Interior.

The Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act

takes away a small part of the burden for those who return to our country after experiencing the horrors of being held hostage, and it ensures that nonprofits that are receiving favored tax status are not contributing to the terrorist organizations in any way.

These are straightforward pieces of legislation that are good for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I support the rule and the underlying legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5717, the No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Act.

I do have to comment that the ranking member and I sit on the Rules Committee, and the ranking member and I were there last night, and we are here again on the floor together today, and all I hear is complaining.

I don't hear alternatives. I hear about how bad the amendment process is, that their amendments aren't made in order, but I haven't heard them really talk about the alternatives.

What are they proposing?

Are there alternatives to what we are doing?

What would they do differently? Instead, we hear complaining.

I do want to talk about H.R. 5717. This bill prohibits funds to any sanctuary State or sanctuary city if those funds are being used to benefit illegal immigrants.

That seems like common sense to me and to my constituents. We should not spend American tax dollars to help States and cities that are violating U.S. law so they can turn around and dole out those dollars to illegal immigrants; sometimes those benefits are even more generous than those our own citizens receive.

I do want to correct something that Ranking Member Nadler said last night in the Rules Committee. He said that this bill could prohibit Federal funds like COPS grants and Byrne-JAG Grants from going to law enforcement officers.

I want to state this clearly. That is just not true. Not only are police departments not qualifying jurisdictions under this bill, but the bill applies only to funds being used to provide benefits to illegal immigrants. Let me tell you. Using funds to arrest and detain illegal immigrants is not to their benefit, nor is it part of this bill.

This is just an attempt to distract from the fact that the Biden- Harris administration has created chaos in communities across this country.

Yet, rather than help hardworking Americans, they want to take your tax dollars to pay for free flights, free cell phones, and free hotel stays. This bill puts an end to this waste of our taxpayer dollars.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair for yielding me some time on this issue.

Less than 2 weeks ago, Donald Trump, a former President and Presidential candidate, was inches away from being assassinated. Thousands at his rally were put at risk.

As my colleagues from Pennsylvania mentioned, two people were injured, and Corey Comperatore was tragically killed while protecting his family. All this happened because of a catastrophic failure on the part of government security forces.

The resignation of Secret Service Director Cheatle is the first step toward holding failures accountable, but there is so much work to be done. We need to get to the bottom of this failure, and we need to do it now.

Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. We must get answers to the American people.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1370 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, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, we are here to debate the rule providing for consideration of H.R. 8997 and H.R. 8998. The rule provides for both bills to be considered under structured rules, each with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their designees, and provides for one motion to recommit for each.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support this rule and am in support of the underlying legislation.

I hear time and time again that Congress needs to get serious about addressing our debt. This rule provides for consideration of two measures that cut wasteful and unnecessary spending. They responsibly fund the Federal Government, and they support American production, pushing back on the ridiculous Green New Deal agenda under the Biden- Harris administration.

H.R. 8997 refocuses spending on things that matter. It eliminates wasteful spending on unnecessary and redundant climate change programs, reins in the out-of-control regulation being implemented by the executive branch, and prohibits funding from being used to promote DEI and CRT initiatives. I don't think I need to go into all the ways misguided DEI efforts are failing.

It removes the Department of Energy's role in the LNG export application review process, something that has bipartisan support, and this legislation counters the very real Chinese and Russian threat by investing in national security and American energy production.

It should come as no shock to anyone that the Biden-Harris administration has been attacking American energy production at every opportunity, giving up power to adversaries like China and Russia in the process.

H.R. 8997 counters these national threats, investing in U.S. energy security and strengthening our economic competitiveness. It funds key nuclear programs to regain America's leadership in the global market, and it safeguards our energy and technology assets from foreign threats.

H.R. 8998 right-sizes Federal Government spending, limiting burdensome and unnecessary regulations, respecting taxpayer dollars, and eliminating government waste. It strengthens our national security by encouraging domestic energy production, requiring the government to resume oil and gas leasing and expanding critical mineral access on public lands like those in northern Minnesota.

It respects the taxpayer by cutting government waste, including a 20 percent reduction in the EPA, reducing the Council of Environmental Equality to its authorized levels. It removes the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List, an issue that hits home with so many people across this country dealing with the menace of wolves, including in my home State of Minnesota.

Mr. Speaker, the Biden-Harris agenda does not achieve their stated goals. What it does do is it hurts our domestic producers and gives Russia and China a competitive edge. This legislation takes a serious step to address our debt, strengthen national security, and focus funding where the American people need it.

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

Mr. Speaker, in listening to the ranking member, I think we got way, way off topic. In some cases, people just tuning in may actually think it is a campaign rally.

Here to refocus us on what is actually in this bill and what we are talking about is our colleague from Texas--excuse me--our colleague from Missouri.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Alford).

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

We are doing what the American people sent us to do. We are doing the work. We are introducing appropriations bills, hearing them in committee, sending them through the process in transparency. We are doing that.

We have actually passed four appropriations bills off the floor, and that represents the majority of spending. We are moving forward. We are doing the work.

If we want to look at who is not doing their work, that may be the Senate Democrats. We have sent bills over, and they just refuse to do anything. What have they been doing with appropriations bills? We have been passing these and sending them there. They have chosen to do nothing.

We can just take a look at the tax bill, a negotiated tax bill that had bipartisan support out of the Ways and Means Committee. We passed it off the floor, and they have done nothing, even though that was negotiated. They didn't even live up to the negotiations, the agreements. If we need to look at who is not doing their work, let's look at the Senate Democrats because we absolutely are passing bills, and we are doing our work in transparent ways through the committee process and on the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Weber).

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, my colleagues on the left have accused Republicans of wasting time, and I take serious issue with that. Republicans are going through the proper and transparent process to pass these appropriations bills. We are doing serious work.

I applaud my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee for the work they have done and for listening to the needs of the American people. The Biden-Harris administration is hell-bent on imposing the radical far-left Green New Deal agenda, and they do not care how much damage they do to the country or to the economy or to the American people in the process.

The legislation under the rule today reins in reckless government spending, cuts harmful regulation, and restores independence putting us back in competition on the world stage.

As an example, the EPA spends too much of its time and resources creating new regulations to stifle the U.S. economy. When I go home to Minnesota--and I know many of the other Members hear this when they go home--I constantly hear about concerns with regulations largely due to EPA rulemaking. This includes regulations on light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles, electric power plants, and the abuse of the Endangered Species Act. All of these burden businesses and consumers.

H.R. 8998 will make significant cuts to these regulations and take meaningful strides toward rightsizing our government.

I encourage my Democratic colleagues, particularly those in the Senate, to recognize that this legislation is the will of the people. My colleagues should take it seriously to responsibly fund our government, defend American producers, and address our Nation's debt.

My colleagues like to make it sound like Republicans are blindly hacking away at government programs. I, for one, applaud the Appropriations Committee for taking such a thoughtful look at where we can responsibly cut spending.

The fact is that we are trillions of dollars in debt, and Americans are facing the highest inflation rates in over 40 years. Families across this country are being forced to tighten their belts. For their sake, it is time for the Federal Government to do the same.

We must put a stop to reckless government spending. My Democratic colleagues are not willing to do it and were not willing to do it when the minority was in control, but we are. I call upon the other side to help us get the debt under control.

Mr. Speaker, I support the rule and the underlying legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Williams for putting together this Special Order this evening, and I thank Cait Hoosock for being here today. I am so deeply sorry for your loss and the loss of Officer Jensen.

Every day, our law enforcement officers leave for work, and their families can never be certain if they will return home. Know that I am grieving with you and praying for you and your family.

The increase in violence we have seen against law enforcement in recent years is unacceptable. As Mr. Stauber mentioned, this year in Minnesota, two officers and a firefighter were killed when a man they were negotiating with opened fire without warning.

Last year, in my district, Deputy Josh Owen was killed when responding to a domestic violence call. His name will be added to the memorial next week.

Mr. Speaker, the attack on law enforcement must stop. All of these officers gave their lives protecting their communities. Every time we hear another story like this, our hearts break all over again.

Our law enforcement deserves our gratitude and our respect. I am so disappointed to see many people, including some in this Chamber, trying to make our brave officers into villains. I stand in support of law enforcement, and my Republican colleagues, like you have seen this evening, are doing everything we can to pass legislation to protect and thank our officers.

I know that, because of this disgusting movement of hatred toward our officers, we must, but our voices need to be strong. We must support law enforcement.

I have introduced legislation to encourage the recruitment of the next generation of law enforcement through a grant program. I have supported legislation to empower officers to do their jobs effectively, and I have asked the Judiciary Committee to investigate the weaponization of government against law enforcement.

I will continue to do everything in my power to support our police officers because they support all of us. God bless all of our law enforcement officers, and I thank them for the job that they do.

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, I was unable to cast a vote on April 30, 2024, for a bill that I have been a cosponsor of and a strong advocate for, which would delist the Gray Wolf from the ESA.

Had I been present, I would have voted:

YEA on Roll Call No. 169, passage of H.R. 764--Trust the Science Act.

Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1173 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Madam 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

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Madam Speaker, we are here to debate the rule providing for consideration of six bills to support our natural resources, public lands, and outdoor recreation.

The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the Committee on Natural Resources and provides each bill one motion to recommit.

The rule further provides for consideration of the Antisemitism Awareness Act under a closed rule, with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the Committee on the Judiciary and one motion to recommit.

First and foremost, House Republicans stand with Israel and are horrified by the increase in harassment on college campuses toward Israel and its allies. For years, Jewish college students have faced increasing anti-Semitism, and since October 7 there has been an over 300 percent increase in incidents on campuses.

Students are supposed to be protected from harassment, but it has been made abundantly clear that the leaders of these institutions are not going to do anything to stop it. Instead, they are allowing large- scale harassment to reign, forcing Jewish students to stay home.

Since these institutions refuse to protect their students, it is time for Congress to take action. H.R. 6090 clearly defines anti-Semitism according to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition. This will empower universities to take clear steps to keep Jewish students safe and respond to hostile, hateful speech not protected under the First Amendment.

Additionally, the bills under this rule protect domestic energy production; reverse the Biden administration's stop to push mineral production in my home State of Minnesota; and, finally, delist the gray wolf from the endangered species list. I am proud to stand in support of these today.

The gray wolf is an ESA success story. Its numbers in most of the country are thriving to the point where they have become a menace across much of northern Minnesota. The only reason it has not been delisted as yet is because there are a handful of activist groups and judges that would like to keep it listed forever. Rather than pushing for radical environmental activism, we should be celebrating the fact that the ESA achieved its goal and gratefully turn management and conservation efforts back to the States.

Madam Speaker, America is home to a wealth of natural resources, but this administration and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle continue to wage war on domestic production. From energy in Alaska to minerals in Minnesota, the bills under this rule empower our domestic producers.

H.R. 6285 reverses Biden's decision to ban oil and gas development in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, supporting energy independence, good-paying jobs, lower fuel prices, and economic security that comes with it.

H.R. 3397 will ensure rural economies across the West maintain access to public lands for grazing, energy and mineral development, recreation, and timber production.

H.R. 615 upholds State wildlife management authority to protect against baseless claims that traditional lead fishing tackle and ammunition should be restricted.

H.R. 2925 would ensure responsible mineral development can continue on Federal lands. It unlocks mining projects across Western States, returning to the past 100 years of precedence and removing uncertainty created by the Rosemont decision from the Ninth Circuit.

H.R. 3195 helps the United States meet the rise in demand for critical minerals across the world by unlocking access to critical minerals in Minnesota. The Biden administration is leaving America at a disadvantage while adversaries, like China, work to expand their global influence. We cannot let this happen. We can be both good stewards of our public lands and take advantage of the many resources they provide.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

(Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Lawler).

Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from New York.

Madam Speaker, I am disturbed by my colleagues who are shameless enough to argue in favor of anti-Semitism. It is not covered by the First Amendment. It is hateful.

Universities have been rewarding bad behavior and punishing the ones being attacked, who now don't feel safe enough to go to class. This cannot be the norm.

I am disappointed in the universities that are standing by and allowing this and equally disappointed in my colleagues who do not see it as a problem.

Stopping anti-Semitism is not a messaging tactic like the other side implies. Stopping anti-Semitism is something we must do.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Miller).

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Kean), my colleague.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time, and I am prepared to close.

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

House Republicans trust the American people to be good stewards of the land. The amount of regulations in place under this administration is insulting, and it is economically unsound.

While China and our adversaries are bolstering their capabilities, the Biden administration is tying our hands behind our backs. The bills counter Federal Government overreach, empower producers, and protect our lands. I am proud to stand in support of these bills today.

The gray wolf should be taken off the endangered species list. The American people should be permitted to access the wealth of resources this land provides, and they should be trusted to manage their lands at the State level without the Federal Government breathing down their neck at every turn.

Finally, universities are failing to keep their Jewish students safe, so Congress is taking action.

Those in the Jewish community should know that House Republicans support them and condemn the failed actions of universities to intervene. I am hopeful that H.R. 6090 clarifies the definition of anti-Semitism so that these universities finally run out of excuses for their inaction. Stopping anti-Semitism is something we must do.

Madam Speaker, I support the rule and the underlying legislation, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

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

An Amendment To H. Res. 1173 Offered by Ms. Leger Fernandez of New

Mexico

At the end of the resolution, add the following:

Sec. 7. Immediatety upon adoption of this resolution, the

House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the

bill (H.R. 17) to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938

to provide more effective remedies to victims of

discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex,

and for other purposes. All points of order against

consideration of the bill are waived. The bill shall be

considered as read. All points of order against provisions in

the bill are waived. The previous question shall be

considered as ordered on the bill and on any amendment

thereto, to final passage without intervening motion except:

(1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the

chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on

Education and the Workforce or their respective designees;

and (2) one motion to recommit.

Sec. 8. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the

consideration of H.R. 17.

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

Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear about what this bill actually does. This bill does not reduce any environmental protections. It simply tells the Secretary of the Interior to do her job and complete the necessary environmental and regulatory reviews.

Apparently, President Biden and congressional Democrats are so opposed to mining here in America that they won't even allow a company to prove that they can mine in an environmentally safe way.

By opposing this bill, Democrats are allowing mines with unregulated labor practices and environmental standards to control the critical minerals market.

Republicans are for American jobs, economic security, supply chain security, and protecting the environment by mining here in the United States, where we have more environmental protections than anywhere else in the world.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Mr. Stauber, for his enduring work on this important issue. I look forward to voting to reestablish mining for vital minerals in Minnesota's Superior National Forest.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Texas for yielding me the time and for bringing this piece of legislation forward.

Mr. Speaker, we know that investing in preventive care benefits an individual's health and pocketbook in the long run. Unfortunately, current statute only allows the Congressional Budget Office to assess a 10-year cost estimate window, despite the fact that assessing the impact of preventive care usually takes much longer than that.

I proudly support the Dr. Michael C. Burgess Preventive Health Savings Act, which allows the CBO to score the long-term cost benefit of preventive care. This is a simple bill, and it will not only benefit the health of Americans, but it will also save taxpayer dollars.