Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend, Ranking Member Luetkemeyer, and all of our Republican colleagues on the Small Business Committee for leading this very important discussion this evening. And this is very important.

Madam Speaker, the Democrats' radical multitrillion-dollar agenda is bad for America. It just is, and we can all see it. The voters can see that, too. In fact, while we are here right now, there are still voters lining up just down the road in Virginia. They cannot wait to vote for their next Governor. It is a race that is currently classified as a toss-up but it appears to be going very, very well for the Republican candidate.

The reason this is so noteworthy, the reason everybody in the country is watching this, the reason that everyone is so excited that it is a toss-up election is because this is in a State that President Biden won by 10 points just several months ago. And there are simply no conclusions to draw other than that the Democrats are leading our country down the wrong path. That is what the polling says and even the mainstream media outlets have had to report on that in the last few days.

It is the content of this tax-and-spend agenda, and not just the cost, that is especially dangerous for American families and our economy overall. You just have to think about the harmful effects the Democrat bill is going to have on our local businesses, many of whom, by the way, we all know are already operating on shorter hours due to the current labor shortage. But specifically, the legislation that is being debated and pushed through even this week is that the Democrats want to increase OSHA penalties, increase penalties on small businesses. That is a tax. They want to reduce the pass-through deduction. That is a tax. They want to increase the regulatory burden on small business owners at the worst possible time. You know what this amounts to? A tax. They want to make the child tax credit pay the same whether you are working or not, which what will that do? Logically, it will exacerbate the current labor shortage.

So let me repeat. The Democrat bill, in spite of what they are saying, will definitely increase taxes while prices

are soaring. It will increase workplace penalties while companies are trying their best to get back to work, and it will encourage people not to work while the job market struggles, and our supply chain is slowed down due to a lack of workers in these critical positions.

There are nearly 32 million small businesses in the United States. About 350,000 of those are in my home State of Louisiana. They are our main employer. They employ more Louisianians than any big company or the government. This is the mainstay. This is the lifeblood of our economy. You are talking about deli managers and barbershop owners, and bookstore owners. You name it.

Small businesses across the country had to fight tooth and nail to survive the COVID-19 pandemic. The last thing this Congress needs to do is make it more difficult for these businesses.

But that is exactly what our Democrat colleagues are trying to do. As for the rest of the bill, well, they are still working on it, they tell us. We heard today there may be some deal on prescription drugs. Who knows? We have to see how that goes. There have been lots of promises broken--made and broken--here the last few weeks.

Meanwhile, the Democrats are still trying to include amnesty in this spending bill. What that has to do with the reconciliation, we have no idea. Hopefully, the Parliamentarian on the Senate side will put another kibosh on this. But they want to include tax breaks for wealthy New Yorkers and just a bunch of terrible ideas.

I have to digress for just a moment and talk about this amnesty problem, because not only will that be another burden on our small businesses; not only will it really take jobs away from law-abiding citizens, but you have to consider the insatiable appetite that our friends on the other side of the aisle have for amnesty.

We spent about 13 hours in the Judiciary Committee about 3 weeks ago working on their effort. The Democrats pushed that through to graft amnesty onto the spending bill. And after all of those hours, near the very end--late at night--we asked them if there was any end to this appetite they have for amnesty. We are talking about as many as 10 million illegals who have come across the border. And we brought a few amendments and we talked about this in our Conference, but we said, you know, gee, if you are going to grant amnesty and you all have the votes in the committee to move this through, we understand that, but we just want to see if there is any limit on who you might include in amnesty.

So we brought an amendment to the bill and said: What if someone is a known MS-13 gang member? Surely, you would want to exclude them from your amnesty plan. And I will tell you, every single Democrat on our committee voted that amendment down. Of course, every Republican voted ``yes.''

Then we said: Well, well, wait a minute. What if somebody is a convicted is sex offender, somebody coming from another country and they are a convicted sex offender? Surely, you would not want to include them in your amnesty plan. Every single Democrat voted ``no'' on that amendment. So I brought an amendment. I said: What if someone is a convicted criminal, and they are convicted of DUI, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, a terrible crime, as you all have said in your speeches in recent years? It kills thousands of Americans every year. It maims hundreds of thousands. Surely, if someone has been convicted of at least one DUI, you would not want to include them in your amnesty plan. Every Democrat voted it down.

So we tested it a little further. Okay, what if they have two or more DUI convictions? Every Democrat voted it down. So I went to 10 or more DUI convictions, would they be excluded from your magical amnesty plan? Every single Democrat voted ``no'' on that amendment. Every single one. There is no limit to what they want to do with this.

The one thing they do know, they want to spend trillions and trillions of our tax dollars before we know the score on all of this, before the actual text of the legislation has even been read. They are ready to roll. Democrats have a mere three-seat majority in this House. We have a 50-50 split in the Senate. They are acting as if they have some sort of big majority to radically transform the country, as they keep telling us. And what they have presented is the most partisan, most expensive legislation package in the history of this country, using the slimmest majority possible, and before they even tell the American people what is in it.

Make no mistake, a toss-up election in Virginia is just a taste of what is to come for congressional Democrats in 2022 if they do not immediately ditch this ridiculous spending plan and harmful government overreach.

I just say this: Today we have a battle that comes down to competing ideologies and agendas. It is now free-market capitalism versus Big Government socialism.

Will the gentleman yield?

So I wish that that proposal had been on the table before we got out of that particular hearing because we certainly would have liked to have heard about that. But if you add that up, you are talking about perhaps $1 million per family, and $1 billion in cost overall, more costs to the American taxpayer.

And by the way, that little payment that the illegal migrants would be given by the American taxpayer is more than we give to Gold Star families, persons who have been lost in the line of duty, as you know. It is more than the victims of 9/11 that they have received for their pain and suffering. And, of course, those separations are permanent, not temporary. It is just not right.

That is what it means, and convicted sex offenders, and multiple DUI-convicted felons, and everybody else. They have included them all. There is no limit to it at all. Isn't that outrageous?

It is incredible. You can't make this stuff up.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Madam Speaker, during my time this afternoon, my colleagues and I will address the burning issues that are on the hearts and minds of all our constituents back home--really, all Americans--and that is the numerous self-inflicted crises of the Biden administration and the House Democrats' increasingly radical leftwing legislative agenda.

Madam Speaker, Democrats may narrowly control the House, the Senate, and the White House, but over the past several weeks, it has become abundantly clear that they just cannot govern.

America is in crisis. Everybody knows that, and everybody can feel it in so many areas.

Today, the White House spends its days doing damage control on all these multiple crises of their own making.

Just think of what we are facing right now. We have an economic crisis where jobs remain unfilled, prices for basic goods continue to rise, and the shelves sit empty.

We have got an energy crisis that has led to the highest gasoline crisis since 2007, and we know the projections for warming our homes in the winter are off the charts.

We have multiple foreign policy crises, and we have on the southern border humanitarian, national security, and public health crises like we have never seen before.

These really are existential kinds of threats to the country. I know our colleagues like to throw that word around, but it really does apply here. And while all Presidents confront crises beyond their control, that is not what is happening here. These crises--the things we are talking about today--are the direct result of this administration's own actions.

We know that inflation is rising because Democrats are flooding the economy with money and supply is down because of labor shortages caused by the Democrats' so-called pandemic policies. Gas prices are up thanks to a steady assault on our energy producers by the Biden administration. Our foreign policy is in crisis because of the Biden debacle in Afghanistan and all the other fumbles that they have made.

The border problem is simple. They opened the border. They put a welcome mat there and told everybody around the world to come on in. The Democrats opened it, and so we should not be surprised or shocked at the result of that invitation.

Here in Congress the picture is no better. If you think about this, the Democrats have a mere three-seat majority in this House. We have a fifty-fifty deadlock in the Senate. There is no objective person in this country who could look at those numbers and say that the Democrats have any mandate to ram through the most partisan and most expensive legislative package in the history of this Nation using the slimmest majority possible.

If you ask the Democrats what is in the bill, Madam Speaker, they can't tell you because they don't know.

Is amnesty in it?

Well, the House certainly worked to add it.

Taxpayer funded abortion? A carbon tax? A tax on prescription drugs?

They have been working very hard to include all those things. The one thing they do know for sure is that they are deadlocked. They are insistent that they want to spend $5.5 trillion of hardworking Americans' tax money while inflation goes through the roof and while we are trying to recover from a pandemic. This is the worst possible time to be doing what they are doing.

The American people expected competence in the White House. They wanted bipartisanship in Congress. They have received instead the most incompetent White House of our lifetimes and a Democrat-led Congress trying to push the most extreme agenda in our history.

This is not hyperbole; these are facts. And my colleagues are going to lay out many of the reasons, many of the facts, and much of the evidence that proves what every American now knows intuitively. If House Democrats drop their radical, dangerous agenda right now, I promise you, Madam Speaker, they would find so many Members of this party on our side of the aisle who would be ready to work with them in a bipartisan fashion tomorrow. We have so many challenges facing the country. But they won't do that. They are dug in. And their votes prove over and over now that they are determined to be Big Government socialists and not the Democratic Party of our parents' generation.

This afternoon we will highlight what this agenda is doing to our country.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson).

Madam Speaker, this is such an important issue in Louisiana, my home State. We are a big energy State. We were so excited to have achieved not just energy independence under the Trump administration but energy dominance. We were a net exporter, and, of course, all that has been reversed, as my friend just explained.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Rose).

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's effort, and I thank him for sharing his insights this afternoon.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the great gentleman from the big State of Texas (Mr. Sessions).

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for his comments, and that clarity and conviction is so necessary right now. I love how the gentleman is articulating the stark differences between the two competing visions for this country right now. The chasm is so wide between the Republican and Democratic Parties, and we say that without any pleasure at all.

It is a sad development in our politics that this is not--listen to us at home--this is not your parents' and your grandparents' Democratic Party.

Madam Speaker, I am delighted to move from Texas and move over to Alabama.

I yield to the gentleman from a Alabama (Mr. Carl), a good friend of mine.

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and appreciate him being here tonight and articulating that so well.

I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Clyde).

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for those insights.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett).

Madam Speaker, I thank my always friend. The gentleman's metaphor paints a real picture. We are headed for a crash if we don't change course.

Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Owens), my good friend and Super Bowl champion.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments. The gentleman is right. It does appear to be purposeful. The chaos, there is just too much of it, and that is what people back home say. This has to be intentional.

There is no way that we could have these many dilemmas piled upon each other this quickly unless there were some ulterior motive. It is a rhetorical question, I suppose, for the American people.

Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew).

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for doing all he does to save this country, and we have a lot of work still to do.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser), who is my good friend.

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for that really good explanation of what we are facing right now. People back home are scratching their heads, how can it come to this? Well, you see, it is the result of policies that are being implemented by this administration.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen), also my good friend.

Madam Speaker, it is nonsense indeed.

Madam Speaker, as they say, everything in Texas is bigger, including the representatives.

I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger), also my good friend.

Madam Speaker, Mr. Pfluger said it so well. We feel this acutely in energy States like Texas and my home State of Louisiana, the Permian Basin and Haynesville Shale, but all across this Nation. We benefit from domestic energy production. It is not only the cleanest and the most efficient, it benefits us here at home. It is that America first idea that this administration is abandoning too quickly.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte).

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those insights. It is so important that people recognize what is happening here.

Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend. He is right. We better wake up.

Just by way of a quick reminder, over 1.2 million illegal immigrants have been apprehended at the border since February alone. We know that number is grossly undercounted because of all the got-aways and people who came totally undetected across the totally open border.

Madam Speaker, I yield next to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa), my good friend.

Madam Speaker, Mr. LaMalfa is exactly right. It has been only 9 months. It is only going to get worse.

Madam Speaker, what you have heard tonight is a quick summary from a number of our friends. We could go on for hours if we had the time, but I know we are almost out of time.

We talked about the economic crisis, energy crisis, foreign policy crisis, border crisis. It goes on and on and on. I will summarize and close with this: We have two competing visions for America. It is now very clear: It is free-market capitalism v. Big Government socialism.

I think the American people see the results of the latter. I hope we have an opportunity very soon in the next election cycle to get back to the former.

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

Madam Speaker, in honoring the late John Henry Lyles, III, we recognize and celebrate his life well-lived yet cut far too short.

``Jay,'' as he was affectionately called by friends, was a Louisianan through and through. He was born and raised in the beautiful town of Minden in Louisiana's Fourth Congressional District. He later made his way down to Baton Rouge where he graduated from LSU and earned a Master's degree in Public Administration. Jay was passionate about his alma mater, LSU, and especially its football program.

Jay was known for always dedicating himself to those around him and accomplishing what he set his mind to. He loved his family, and all who knew him can testify to his exceptional character, drive, and kindness. He had many roles: friend, family man, entrepreneur, marketing guru, political consultant, and accomplished writer, to name a few.

Louisiana is home to some of the most talented, most charitable, and most outstanding people in the nation. Jay's deep love for the state and his willingness to serve those around him are what he will be remembered most for. He was a good friend of mine--and of countless many others.

Jay will be missed, but he will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, what a mess we have here on our hands. Make no mistake, our country was facing numerous crises when we all left here for the August district work period, and now it has only gotten worse.

Because of the backwards Biden policies, we have a number of crises, unprecedented crises like our country has never faced, all at one time.

We have an economic crisis where jobs remain stalled and consumer prices continue to soar at their highest rate in 40 years.

We have a border crisis. Everybody can see that. It is impossible to overstate what a disaster it has become. We all see these horrific videos showing over 10,000 illegal migrants being housed under a bridge in the hot Texas sun.

In August alone over 208,000 illegal aliens were encountered at our border by our law enforcement, what is left of it, the Border Patrol, Customs agents. Our border security is overwhelmed, and they can't do the job that they are hired to do.

We have a national security crisis. On Friday, of course, tragically we learned that President Biden's disastrous Afghanistan exit was topped off by a drone strike that killed 10 civilians, including 7 children and zero terrorists.

After nearly two months of district work away from Washington, instead of coming back here early to deal with all these unprecedented crises, the Democrat leadership waited, and so now here we are.

What do they have for us now? What do they have on the docket to handle all these crises? Well, we have a bill to legalize abortion on demand until birth, we have a bill to spend another $3.5 trillion, and they are pushing one of the largest tax increases in our Nation's history.

Their answer for the American people, their answer to us, their answer to stalled jobs and rising inflation and a humanitarian crisis and a foreign policy crisis and all the rest is more abortion, trillions more in spending, and more tax hikes.

This is not what was advertised. This is not what the American people want or need.

You will hear a lot tonight about the Democrats' abortion on demand until birth legislation. We are talking about it tonight. My colleagues who will be joining me here tonight, many will speak to this issue because it is one of the darkest, most brazen, most extreme bills ever brought to this floor. It would legalize on-demand abortion until birth. It would remove nearly all pro-life protections for the unborn, and it would abolish laws that prevent even late-term abortion. It is barbaric, and it must be stopped.

I am so fortunate to be joined tonight by so many colleagues who share my concerns about this to discuss all these monstrous proposals and these terrible disasters that we are facing and to offer our competing vision for the future of this country.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. It is time to wake up, Mr. Speaker. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly), who is equally passionate.

Mr. Speaker, I always appreciate Mr. Kelly's clarity and conviction.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin), another man with great conviction.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Walorski), another strong voice on the issues.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for that compelling testimony. And this legislation would formalize, legalize the very industry that allowed that monster to continue his practices in Indiana and elsewhere.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Hice), a former pastor and great lawmaker.

Thank you so much for that, my brother.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler), one of the great pro-life champions in the congress.

Thank you, Ms. Hartzler, for your leadership on all these things.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. LaTurner).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Miller), one of the most compassionate voices in the Congress.

I thank the gentlewoman for that stark reminder. It is certainly what the Founders of this country believed, as she noted.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 90 seconds to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Clyde).

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend. He is exactly right. Creating that humanitarian disaster on the southern border also shows a callous disregard for the sanctity of human life.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 90 seconds to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Mrs. Boebert).

Amen. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 90 seconds to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Owens).

Mr. Speaker, it is pure evil. I thank the gentleman for stating it so clearly.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 90 seconds to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Carl).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Carl) so much.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 90 seconds to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Moore).

Mr. Speaker, it should break our hearts. I thank my friend for that authenticity.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Harshbarger). We began the morning in a prayer group, and now we end with this.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger), who has made a career out of defending the defenseless.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Pfluger.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Keller).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Palmer),

who is the policy chairman of the Republican Conference.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Alabama.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Mrs. Fischbach).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership on the issue.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Arrington).

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend. Well said. God bless Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cline).

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Cline has done that, indeed, and I am grateful for his leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Cawthorn).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those comments.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson).

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the leadership of my friend.

Mr. Speaker, I am running out of time here, but in the very short few seconds I have remaining, I just want to reiterate what all my colleagues shared with such compassion, conviction, and clarity here on the floor tonight. H.R. 3755, the abortion on demand until birth legislation, is, as we said, brazen. It is dark, and it is one of the most extreme bills imaginable, certainly ever presented on this floor. We pray that it is defeated, and we will work to defeat it, we owe that to the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I know my time has expired, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, by direction of the Republican Conference, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Madam Speaker, we have to be clear about what is happening here.

Congress passed the Voting Rights Act in 1965 to overcome shameful State resistance and barriers that prevented minorities from exercising their right.

But in 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court held that continuing to require States to preclear election law changes based upon conduct from a half century ago was an unconstitutional invasion of State sovereignty.

The truth is, as Jim said a moment ago, it is easier today for Americans to vote than it has ever been before in our Nation's history. The VRA worked. Thank the Lord that it did. We overcame those problems.

In fact, voter registration disparities between minority and nonminority voters in States like Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Mississippi, and my home State of Louisiana, all previously covered under the old VRA provisions, are now below the national average and, get this, they are lower than Democrat-run States like New York, California, and President Biden's home State of Delaware.

H.R. 4 is a radical, unprecedented Federal power grab by unaccountable bureaucrats in Washington that every conscientious American ought to oppose. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time once more.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney).

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa).

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Fitzgerald).

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Bishop).

I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from North Carolina.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Buck).

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis).

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis).

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Rodney Davis).

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Arrington).

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis).

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

The American people can see clearly what is happening here. Democrats in the Congress are more focused on taking Federal control over the election processes in Republican-led States than addressing the ongoing catastrophe that the Biden administration has created in Afghanistan, at our southern border, with inflation, and the ongoing pandemic. There are so many things that should be occupying our time and, yet, they are using it for this.

The cry of voter suppression is not only untrue, but as Mr. Arrington said so well here just a few moments ago, it is also divisive and dangerous. We need to speak truth, as Mr. Hoyer said a little while ago, and we are.

We had six hearings in the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Subcommittee since January on this. I am the ranking Republican there. Not a scintilla of evidence was presented that said that voters are being suppressed, that the election integrity laws that are being passed by the States, pursuant to their constitutional authority, are in any way inappropriate. To the contrary, they are expanding access to the ballot. As we have said so many times, as I close, it has never been easier in America to vote.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the pro-life Hyde amendment. Typically,

during appropriation season, of course, Democrats and Republicans debate our differences, but we have always historically rallied together in opposition to taxpayer-funded abortions, and we have adopted the bipartisan Hyde amendment.

However, for some inexplicable reason, this year is different. In 1994, then-Senator Joe Biden famously stated: ``Those of us who are opposed to abortion should not be compelled to pay for them.'' Of course, he was right. But the President's position has changed now, giving fuel to the fire of Democrat leadership here in this House to follow suit in their own funding bills.

It is time to make these Hyde amendment protections permanent. It is true: Hyde saves lives. And today I am asking my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to recognize the inherent dignity of every single human life, rejecting this blatant attack on pro-life amendments like the Hyde amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 18, and ask for its immediate consideration in this House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, during my time tonight, my colleagues and I will address the major crises happening here at home, happening close to home, and now happening abroad. Our message tonight will cover many topics, but the theme is consistent. These crises are self-inflicted. There are the direct results of disastrous policy decisions from the Biden administration.

We have a large number of Members who want to participate tonight, so I will begin immediately by yielding to the gentleman from central Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce), my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. The American people are counting on us, and they deserve a President who will ensure their safety, security, and freedom, both here at home and abroad.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. C. Scott Franklin), who represents Florida's Fifth Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, my friend is exactly right. The people do know better, and the pain hardworking Americans are feeling is very real.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser), who represents Pennsylvania's Ninth Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, my friend said it so well. This administration either doesn't understand those fundamentals of the economy or doesn't care. It is very perplexing.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Baird), who represents Indiana's Fourth Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, ``reckless'' is a word we hear over and over tonight and as we talk to our constituents because there is no better word to describe what is happening with this administration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Gimenez), the former mayor of Miami who represents Florida's 26th Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, my friend is exactly right. That language is dangerous, and our colleague that he referenced is contributing to the foreign policy crises that have developed rapidly over the last few months.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Lesko).

Mr. Speaker, my friend from Arizona is exactly right. This crisis with China and the Chinese Communist Party is perhaps the greatest threat that we face as a people today, and we need the White House to stand strong. I am so grateful she brought that good word.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Keller), who represents Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Keller is correct. When we were kids, they taught us the value of a dollar. That is not what our Democrat colleagues are teaching anymore. Now they are subscribing to what we call fantasy economics, modern monetary theory and all the rest. Mr. Keller is exactly right, and I am so grateful that he brought that word tonight.

Mr. Speaker, I yield next to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin), representing the 36th District.

Mr. Speaker, despite the obvious magnitude of that big problem on the border that we have seen and talk about all the time, hammering home that theme, there have been zero visits to the border by the President or the border czar, the Vice President.

In fact, when Kamala Harris was asked in an interview this week if she planned on visiting the border, she laughed about it. But I tell you, those Customs and Border Patrol agents will tell her that it is no laughing matter. I am grateful that Mr. Babin brought that forward tonight.

Mr. Speaker, I yield next to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Rose), my good friend, who represents the Sixth District.

Mr. Speaker, that is such an important point. The evidence is mounting that China is indeed responsible for the COVID crisis, and we must hold them accountable.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins), who represents the Third District, and is the third Louisianan on the floor now.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Captain Higgins for those impassioned words. He is exactly right.

One of the things that is so heartbreaking, frustrating, unconscionable about this is we can solve this crisis at the border pretty simply. All we need the White House to do is reimplement the Trump-era policies because that increased border security, it discouraged illegal immigration and it reinstituted law and order, and we can do that, but they won't.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), who represents Georgia's First Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, that is a great reminder of who the President serves, and it is confounding to us that he doesn't understand these basic truths.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett), who represents Tennessee's Second District.

Always.

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman covered a lot, and he is right, this crisis we have, the jobs and the economy was so preventable.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson), one of my heroes in the Congress.

Mr. Speaker, the Biden administration Democrats continue to push policies that pay people more to stay at home than go back to work, so the results are not surprising at all.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry), who represents Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, out of business.

Mr. Speaker, I am very grateful for those comments.

Mr. Perry is exactly right. He mentioned Economics 101. Some of our colleagues would do well to go take a refresher course.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Clyde), who represents Georgia's Ninth District.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for those remarks, and I thank him for his service.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert), who represents Texas' First Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Gohmert is exactly right. And the scope of that tragedy is something that is hard to wrap your mind around.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Mooney).

Mr. Speaker, how much time remains on the clock?

Mr. Speaker, I will need to summarize, then.

I am delighted to have had so many of my colleagues here tonight to help us sound the alarms and inform the American people what is going on here.

We have a crisis here at home. We have a crisis on the southern border. And we have multiple developing crises abroad. You heard the broad spectrum of all those tonight, Mr. Speaker.

Whether it is our concern about jobs in the economy with the rising inflation, with this humanitarian crisis with young children and traffickers and drug cartels at the border, or whether we are talking about this administration's critical foreign policy blunders, you can summarize it all, Mr. Speaker.

Maybe it was summarized best tonight by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry). He said in one phrase: We have a leadership crisis.

We certainly do. But I will tell you, Mr. Speaker, all these issues and everything that my colleagues talked about tonight can and should be addressed in a bipartisan way. All of us on this side of the aisle want to do that. We are anxious to do that. We should all want Americans to get back to work. We should all want to end the humanitarian crisis at the border. We should all want to achieve peace through strength on the international stage.

It is time for President Biden and it is time for our Democrat colleagues to work with Republicans for the American people.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my sincere gratitude to one of the most valued and dedicated members of my team, Jack Walecki.

After over 4 years of service to our country and the people of Louisiana's Fourth Congressional District, Jack is going to be leaving our D.C. office to pursue a law degree at Pepperdine University.

For the past 2\1/2\ years, and through some of the most historically significant events in recent memory, I have relied upon Jack's steady counsel as my lead staffer for judiciary issues. His level head and steadfast commitment to his work have been instrumental in helping to right the ship in truly tumultuous times.

More importantly, Jack's easy-going, quintessentially California attitude will leave a lasting mark on our team. We will sorely miss his obscure cultural references and random tidbits of knowledge that would make a trivia master's head spin.

We are all saddened to see Jack leave, but we are also delighted to see him take this next step in his life.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Jack for all his work and dedication. God has great plans for your life. Our family and staff wish him all the best.

Onward, my friend.

Mr. Speaker, on this somber occasion, we rise to honor the late Buddy Roemer.

He was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1943. He was a Harvard- educated reformer with big ideas.

He represented Louisiana's Fourth Congressional District here in the House from 1981 to 1988. He served as the 52nd Governor of Louisiana, and he was a former candidate for President of the United States.

He passed away at the age of 77 on May 17, 2021.

Please join us in a moment of silence in honor of his public service and his important contributions to Louisiana and our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, during my time tonight, my colleagues and I will address three major crises happening here at home, happening close to home at our southern border; and happening to our closest ally in the Middle East, and that is Israel.

Each of these issues that my colleagues will discuss tonight can and should be addressed in a bipartisan way. We should all want Americans to get back to work. We should all want to end the humanitarian crisis at our border, and we should all want to support one of our closest allies from terrorism.

It is time for President Biden and our Democrat colleagues to work with Republicans to solve these problems for the American people and for our allies.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee's Sixth District (Mr. Rose).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those remarks on Israel. We do stand strong with them.

Mr. Speaker, I yield next to the gentleman from Arkansas' Second District (Mr. Hill).

Mr. Speaker, I yield next to the gentlewoman from Illinois' 15th District (Mrs. Miller).

Mr. Speaker, we are admonished even by Scripture to pray for the peace of Israel, and we will.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Minnesota's Seventh District (Mrs. Fischbach).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Nehls), a former sheriff.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida's 26th District (Mr. Gimenez).

Mr. Speaker, there are three major crises we are talking about again tonight: the economic crisis here at home, the crisis happening close to home at our southern border, and what is happening to our closest ally in the Middle East, Israel.

I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania's 12th District (Mr. Keller).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia's 12th District (Mr. Allen).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bergman), who knows quite a bit about handling a crisis. He is the highest-ranking military officer ever elected to the United States Congress and also my friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee's Eighth District (Mr. Kustoff).

Mr. Speaker, that does sum it up. It is a very real crisis we face.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas' First District (Mr. Gohmert).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Stefanik), our newly elected conference chairwoman.

Mr. Speaker, I thank our conference chair from the great State of New York, and we will go across the country to the other coast to the State of California, the 25th District represented by Mr. Garcia.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Garcia).

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from California, and I move to the great State of Texas next, the 36th District.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin).

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for that great reminder.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Hice), my friend from Georgia's 8th District.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining?

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett).

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for his important comments.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Bishop).

Mr. Speaker, we will keep fighting, indeed. I thank the gentleman for his comments.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cloud).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the Second District of Alabama (Mr. Moore).

Amen to that. I appreciate my friend and those great comments.

Mr. Speaker, I yield next to the gentleman from the Sixth District of the great State of Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman) with more thoughts about Israel.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the Ninth District of the great State of Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser).

Mr. Speaker, I thank all my colleagues for participating tonight. I realize we are out of time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, during our time tonight, my colleagues and I will recognize the great men and women of law enforcement and the critical role they play in keeping our local communities safe.

National Police Week is particularly important this year. Of course, we observe it annually, but we all know, over the last year, law enforcement has been under constant attack by the political left in this country. Everyone can see it with their own eyes. The left has demanded to defund police departments. Some Democrats, even elected officials, have even gone as far as to call for abolishing the police.

Yet, in the face of that madness, police officers, nevertheless, continue to put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities, our families, and all of us. It is such a critical part of who we are as Americans.

As has been noted, we have lost many more officers in the line of duty over the past year, and we mourn those tragic losses. Despite the sacrificial service and the bravery of law enforcement, there are some Democrats even in this body, Mr. Speaker, who continue to push the false and outrageous narrative that police are actually somehow to be regarded as enemies of the communities they serve and that we don't need them.

Well, tonight, my Republican colleagues and I are here to tell you that they are wrong. We need police officers, and we need law and order. Nothing makes this more apparent than the spike in violent crime and homicides we have seen in Democrat-led cities that have defunded their police departments.

Specifically, there are a few examples here. In Austin, Texas, they have seen a 50 percent rise in homicides. In Los Angeles, they saw an 11.6 percent rise, and in New York City, 45 percent. By the way, in New York City, they have a 97 percent rise in shootings.

Defunding the police is a terrible idea, and anyone who looks objectively at this issue obviously knows that.

So, what should we do about it? We should support our police officers and those in law enforcement. We should encourage them to continue building strong relationships in all aspects of our communities. We should give law enforcement the tools and training they need to maintain law and order. Lastly, as a Nation, we must back the blue. We would argue it may have never been as important to do that as it is right now.

Mr. Speaker, I have a number of colleagues who will speak to this issue, and I will begin by yielding to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber), my dear friend, who was not only a professional hockey player, most people know that, but a lot of people may not realize he is also a retired police lieutenant. So, he is, obviously, qualified to speak on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those words straight from the heart, and he speaks, as we said, with great authority on it.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Womack), my neighboring State, who will speak with equal passion on the issue.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Arkansas. We do join him in those prayers for Officer Franks and the others around the country who are recovering from this violence that so many law enforcement officers have had to endure over the past year.

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield next to another gentleman in our conference, who speaks with great authority on the issue, particularly on Police Week. Mr. Troy Nehls of Texas 22 was the former sheriff of Fort Bend County, Texas, and he knows of which he speaks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Nehls).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the sheriff for his service and that passion. It is appropriate tonight, of course.

Mr. Speaker, I yield next to the gentleman from Kansas' big First District. The district, I think, has 63 counties. It is one of the largest in the country. He has got a lot of work to do. And they know him well because he also happened to have been the 50th Lieutenant Governor of the State of Kansas.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Mann).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those important words.

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield next to a gentleman from Utah, a freshman who has made a big mark here in the First District of Utah. He is also a former officer of the U.S. Foreign Service.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Moore).

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and I appreciate his remarks.

Mr. Speaker, from Utah, we will move over to one of our favorite representatives from the great State of Florida.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Donalds), a freshman who also made a big mark here and who came from the Florida House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida for his remarks.

Mr. Speaker, from there, I am delighted to go north a bit. We will go to my friend GT Thompson, who is the ranking member on the House Committee on Agriculture, and who happens to represent the largest geographical district in the State of Pennsylvania, in terms of congressional districts.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney), another important voice to this Special Order tonight, my friend and colleague and classmate. We mentioned earlier how important New York is in this whole issue, particularly this year with the rapid rise in New York City, in particular, of their homicide rate and violent crime. I know she has a lot to say on the issue.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and appreciate those remarks. That is an important perspective.

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Baird), a gentleman who also knows quite a bit about sacrificial service to the country and our communities.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Baird. I appreciate those comments.

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim).

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Kim. You are so right that we need to back the blue, and I am so grateful to be joined by so many colleagues that share that sentiment.

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Mrs. Fischbach), another freshman who has made a real mark here on Capitol Hill and who is very passionate about this issue as well.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Fischbach. That is an important perspective from the great State of Minnesota.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Murphy).

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for those important words. You are exactly right. They need to be better funded and given greater resources and greater training, and we support that because we back the blue.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Keller), a dear friend who certainly shares that sentiment.

May I inquire as to how much time is remaining, Mr. Speaker?

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the First District of the great State of Alabama (Mr. Carl).

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from the great State of Alabama for his remarks. Indeed, these are concerns that we share from coast to coast. We will go back up to the great State of New York and hear from my friend who is a legislator and former Secretary of State.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the State of New York (Mr. Jacobs).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his perspective from New York. We will go from coast to coast out West back to California.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the Eighth District of California (Mr. Obernolte).

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for those comments.

Mrs. Lesko is another good friend and colleague. We trust her voice on so many things. Nothing highlights the need for law and order more than the current crisis at the border created by the Biden administration. She has seen this firsthand as she represents Arizona.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Lesko).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Arizona for her remarks. We will stand up for the police.

Mr. Speaker, you have heard many comments and similar sentiments here tonight. It has been echoed over and over.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to one more of my colleagues who is from the Sixth District of the great State of Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).

Those are strong words, and they are accurate. People have politicized this issue, and it is turning them against law enforcement, and it is a terrible, terrible situation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the Sixth District of the great State of Tennessee (Mr. Rose).

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield to the gentleman from the Third District of the great State of Texas (Mr. Taylor).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for those great words.

I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Gimenez), a very important voice and someone who has been on the front lines of community service, a first responder, a fire chief, which is my favorite previous job of his, although he has been a mayor as well.

I thank the gentleman for that voice of authority on the issue.

Mr. Speaker, I have been honored to be joined on the floor by so many colleagues from around the country tonight to honor our law enforcement officers this National Police Week.

I was sitting here as I was listening to the speeches tonight, and I was reminded, as we always are as we sit on this floor of the people's House, of the words that are inscribed right above your head there, our Nation's great motto, In God We Trust.

We are a Nation under God, as we know, and millions of Americans find daily inspiration in the Word of God. On National Police Week, it is appropriate to note that we find there a useful reminder about the noble calling of those who serve our communities so bravely. Indeed, it is a divine calling, and I think those who are calling for the defunding and the disrespect of our police need to remember that it was God himself who ordained that authority.

In the 13th chapter of the book of Romans, it is subtitled Submission to Governing Authorities. I just want to read that in closing tonight, Mr. Speaker. It begins in verse 1 of Chapter 13:

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for

there is no authority except that which God himself has

established. The authorities that exist have been established

by God.

Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is

rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do

so will bring judgment on themselves.

For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for

those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the

one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be

commended.

For the one in authority is God's servant for your good.

But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the

sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath

to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities,

not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter

of conscience.

This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are

God's servants who give their full time to governing.

Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay

taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if

honor, then honor.

Mr. Speaker, I conclude tonight with that admonition, that we give honor where honor is due. That is what National Police Week is about.

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

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of this Special Order.

Madam Speaker, during my Special Order tonight, my colleagues and I will address the inaction by the Biden administration and House Democrats to address this major crisis that we see on our southern border, this humanitarian crisis. And, yes, that is the right word. It is a crisis by any objective measure.

We are also going to address tonight the President's so-called infrastructure plan. That is a lot for us to talk about. So we will squeeze it into this hour.

When President Biden was inaugurated, the American people will remember, Madam Speaker, that he called for unity. He promised to work across the aisle, to work with Republicans in Congress. But so far those words have been completely empty promises.

Everyone can acknowledge and everyone can see on television that there is a real crisis at the southern border,

and it is a crisis of the administration's creation.

President Biden has stopped construction of the border wall. He reimplemented the catch-and-release policy of the Obama administration. He reversed the remain in Mexico policy of the Trump administration. And he selectively is enforcing immigration laws.

The results are not surprising. Our Border Patrol is now completely overwhelmed, and the southwest border encounters have reached a 15-year high. I want you to look at these numbers, Madam Speaker. This is the border crisis. The first column here is January of this year. We had 78,323 southwest border encounters. The next month, in February, it goes up to 100,441. Last month, in March, it was 171,700. This is a crisis. We all know the numbers for April are going to be staggering.

I know that there are Members on both sides of the aisle here--I know there are Members, our Democrat colleagues, who want to join us to take action to fix this. But we can't do it without the administration.

Look, here are five simple steps that we can take that would help end the border crisis:

Number one, finish the wall;

Number two, reinstate the remain in Mexico policy;

Number three, turn away high-risk individuals at our border. These are dangerous folks, some of them, coming across, and we know that.

Number four, require negative COVID tests before releasing migrants, illegal immigrants, into the U.S.;

Number five, let's send a clear message to the whole world to discourage illegal immigration.

What a concept. These aren't difficult things. The Trump administration had it all figured out, but now politics has gotten in the way of good policy.

In addition to finally solving the border crisis, there is another item in the news that Americans desperately want us to address, and that is the need for an infrastructure package. That could be a bipartisan solution that we could all work on together. It should be nonpartisan, but because it impacts every single congressional district in every State, all of us, every American, wants this to happen.

But the plan that the White House introduced isn't really about infrastructure at all. In fact, only 6 percent of the $2.5 trillion proposal would go towards bridges, highways, and roads. The rest goes to fund Democrat Big Government priorities, like the Green New Deal, and payoffs to liberal special interest groups. What an outrage.

The facts are that the House majority is the slimmest of any House majority since World War II, and the Senate is divided 50/50. Given these facts, we just want our Democratic colleagues and President Biden to end this partisan agenda for the sake of the American people.

I look forward, Madam Speaker, to hearing from my Republican colleagues tonight about both of these issues.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman), who represents the Sixth Congressional District of Wisconsin.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for that dire warning. I guess if you subscribe to modern monetary theory, none of this is a concern, but it is for those of us who live in the real world.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Fallon), who represents the Fourth Congressional District of Texas.

I thank the gentleman from Texas.

We came here to drain the swamp, but it is really difficult during the current administration. We will get back to it soon, though, I am confident of that.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta), who represents the Fifth District.

I thank my friend for that compelling eyewitness account. Anyone who is looking at the evidence cannot deny this is a problem.

I would like to yield to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Lesko). Being from a border State, she knows a whole lot about this.

I thank the gentlewoman for that passion. She is right, she has been there, and she sees it herself.

I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Nehls), who represents the 22nd Congressional District and will bring another border State perspective. He also knows a lot about law enforcement.

I am so grateful for those comments and for the gentleman's expertise. This passion that you see, Madam Speaker, is deserved. We are so concerned that the President doesn't share it, and that is what you are hearing echoed over and over tonight.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Taylor), who represents the Third District.

I thank the gentleman for that perspective from Texas again. So we've got Texas and Arizona. Madam Speaker, we are going to move a little further west, all the way west to California.

I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Garcia), who represents the 25th District there.

I thank the gentleman for that compelling testimony from a first-generation American. That is meaningful. We prize immigration, the legal kind. We believe in the rule of law, and that is what maintains order.

I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Cawthorn), the youngest Member of Congress, but he is wise beyond his years.

Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Cawthorn for that perspective.

Madam Speaker, I will move briskly because we have a lot of Members, as you can see, who are passionate about these issues and want to weigh in tonight.

I yield to the gentleman from the First District of the great State of Alabama (Mr. Carl), who will take the podium here.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx).

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina for her remarks, and we do call out the administration. That is what this Special Order is all about.

I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee's Second District (Mr. Burchett).

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee for those bold words, and he is right. I think that expresses the sentiment of a lot of Americans.

I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Gimenez), who knows a lot about immigration as well as infrastructure because he is a former fire chief and mayor and now a Member of Congress.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for speaking with such authority.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania's Ninth District (Mr. Meuser).

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for mentioning just one of the many Republican ideas we have. And as he said, we are not there at the table.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee's Sixth District (Mr. Rose).

Madam Speaker, it is a con job, indeed.

Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan's First District (Mr. Bergman), who is the highest ranked military officer ever elected to the United States Congress and also my dear friend and classmate.

Madam Speaker, I thank the general. I appreciate that so much.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Baird), Fourth District, another American hero, another hero of mine, a gentleman who sacrificially served his country and deserves to speak here tonight and has great insight for us.

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend. It is so sad that broadband needs are not being met because politics are in the way.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman so much for that.

Madam Speaker, I am delighted to go back across the country again to the great State of California's Eighth District. I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte).

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for that California perspective.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson), the Republican leader of the House Agriculture Committee.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman. That went so well, I think we will stay in the State of Pennsylvania, going to the 12th District.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Keller).

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman. And he has indeed been in Washington too long.

Madam Speaker, there is a common denominator tonight. The crisis at the border and the problems with the infrastructure package were both entirely created by the Biden administration.

They were both thus completely avoidable, completely predictable, and they have done and are doing an extraordinary disservice and real damage to the American people.

We ask, again, of all of our Democrat colleagues and President Biden and his administration, please, please, for the sake of our country, put the partisanship aside. Let's govern with common sense, let's fix these problems before they become so great that we are unable to do so.

Madam Speaker, we end the Special Order, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the legacy of our dear friend, Reverend Kevin Cox, as a longtime servant in the ministry.

Reverend Cox started out his journey as a CPA, but the Lord brought him quickly into the blessings of pastoral ministry. From his very first pastorate at First Pentecostal Church in a small town in Florida in 1980, to now retiring after 16 years as Louisiana's district superintendent for the United Pentecostal Church International, Reverend Cox has diligently answered the call of God.

He and his late wife, Delisa, and their two sons, who now have beautiful families of their own, were never afraid to move where the Lord led.

Psalm 37:23 states that ``the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delighteth in his way.''

Mr. Speaker, well done to Brother Cox. The Lord surely delights in his way. We are thankful for his years of service to the kingdom, and the blessings he has been to countless many people, including Louisiana's Fourth Congressional District. God bless him in his endeavors throughout retirement.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to call up H.R. 682, the Reopen Schools Act, to get our kids out from behind screens and back in the classroom.