Floor Statements

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 materials on the subject of this Special Order.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise tonight to honor the life of a true hero, Corey Comperatore, who was tragically killed shielding his family from gunfire during former President Donald Trump's campaign rally in my hometown of Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, July 13.

Many of us have come to know a little bit more about Corey over the last week. Tonight, over the next half hour, my colleagues and I will tell you more about Corey's story, who he was, his incredible life of service to his community and his country, and perhaps most importantly, his role as a father and loving husband.

I take this moment to offer our thoughts and prayers to the two Pennsylvanians who were injured during the shooting and continue to recover, Mr. David Dutch of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and James Copenhaver of Moon Township, Pennsylvania, and, of course, to former President Donald Trump in his recovery. He showed incredible strength in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.

Who was Corey Comperatore? He was a constituent of mine from Sarver, Pennsylvania. He was a proud 1992 graduate of Freeport High School. He went on to honor his country as a dedicated 10-year veteran of the U.S. Army Reserves.

Corey's passion for his community and his commitment to his strong Christian faith led him to serve as an active member at the Cabot Church. Those who know Corey say his faith was the foundation of his whole life. His obituary reads this way: ``He was a man of God who loved Jesus with every fiber of his being. His actions were guided by his unwavering belief, and he inspired those around him to live with purpose and grace. His ability to lift the spirits of everyone he encountered was truly unparalleled.''

Corey also believed in service to his community and to others. He spent much of his adult life as a member of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Department in Butler County where he notably served as the chief in the early 2000s.

Above all, Corey was what his obituary calls ``the quintessential family man and the best girl dad.'' I have pictures of Corey with his wife, Helen, and also pictures of his daughters, which we will put up later, but they are always going to be part of his legacy.

Helen, his daughters, Allyson and Kaylee Comperatore, will carry on, and so will the small acts of kindness that marked his everyday life. He was quick to help those in need. He never expected anything in return. His impact on the lives he touched was profound.

Tragically, Corey's life was cut short at the age of 50. Tonight, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the Comperatore family, their friends, and Corey's family at Buffalo Township Fire Department. God bless you all.

Before I introduce my colleagues to speak about Corey tonight, I want to take a few moments to talk about the community where this tragic assassination attempt took place. It is in my hometown of Butler, Pennsylvania. This is an all-American town of about 13,000 people that has been thrust into the national spotlight over the last week.

I have lived in Butler County nearly my whole life. I went to high school there. My wife and I have raised our family there. I later had a great opportunity and privilege to coach little league baseball, pony league baseball, and midget football. My family business is here. It has been here since 1957. Now, I am fortunate enough to represent this town here in the United States House of Representatives.

Butler Farm Show is where this rally was located. It is usually a family-friendly place. It is just a few miles from my home, just a little over 4 miles, and I drive past it almost every single day.

Since 1947, this has been a place of common ground where families and children can show their farm animals and where people gather in the summer for food and fun. It is also a popular spot in the Butler community for so many events.

On this morning, I was there with members of the House Homeland Security Committee, and I thank Chairman Green for allowing me to be there with them.

I can tell you that my community is still grieving. They are shocked by what happened on what was supposed to be another peaceful, sunny day on these very grounds.

I was at the Butler Farm Show with President Trump, with Corey, with David, and with James on July 13. My wife, Victoria, was there with my son, George, and three of our grandchildren.

What happened that day is a day like nothing I have ever experienced before. I can also tell you this: The people of Butler and all of western Pennsylvania are incredibly resilient. We always have been and always will be that way.

Like so many small towns in America, we are there for each other when the times get tough, and we will get through this. Tonight as we have other colleagues speak, I think our commitment is the American people have the right to know what happened that day at the farm show grounds in Butler, Pennsylvania.

They have the right to know, and we have the responsibility to find out for them what happened that day, how this could take place on those grounds, how that could take place in the United States of America, and we will not stop until we get the answers.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser), my dear friend who was there that day with me.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Deluzio), Representative from Pittsburgh.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I yield to another member of the Pennsylvania delegation, Dr. John Joyce.

Madam Speaker, I yield to another one of the Pennsylvanians with us tonight, my good friend, Mr. Scott Perry.

Madam Speaker, tonight we talked about the tragic loss of Corey Comperatore. What is more tragic or could have been more tragic, what if Corey Comperatore had never been born?

What if there never had been a Corey Comperatore? What if Helen had never had a husband like Corey Comperatore? His daughters would not have had a father. He was called a girl dad.

His entire life was built on his strong faith and in service to his community, his country, and foremost, his family.

In these times, when our country seems to be so torn apart on everything political, I think it is time for us to take a little more time to reflect on who we are as Americans. We are not Republicans, we are not Democrats, we are not Independents; we are Americans. At the very heart of what it is we are, we are Americans.

Mr. Comperatore is exactly the example of those who serve, those who put others above themselves, those who put themselves in harm's way to protect those who are in danger. We come here tonight, and we talk about Corey.

That Saturday was a Saturday that his family will never forget. As they made their way from their home to the Butler Farm Show grounds to hear former President Donald Trump at his rally, they were so excited to be there.

However, tragically, evil struck, and America was once again reminded that at the end of the day, we are all Americans. Yes, we represent different parties. Yes, we represent different peoples, but at the end of the day, we are Americans.

The example that Corey Comperatore puts forward is that of a strong, faithful American, a man of faith, a man who loved his country, a man who loved his community, but above all, a man who loved his wife and daughters.

How tragic it would have been if he had never been born. As we mourn his death, we also must celebrate his life. We must say a prayer because I know where he is now. I know where he rests. I know he is in the arms of God. As tragic as this has been for his family, I know his family knows the same thing.

I would hope that as we look into what happened, how this possibly could have happened, how in a little farm town in Pennsylvania evil could have prevailed, at least for a moment, but what has happened since then is our firm belief in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and our belief that Corey is now safe at home and will be there when his wife and daughters make that same trip sometime in the future.

Madam Speaker, this is a country that has been torn apart for so long by parties that go at each other day in and day out. I would hope that at some point we sit and take a look at the fact that one and a half million men and women in uniform have given their lives to give us the opportunity to be here on this floor and debate policy, and what is in the best interests of the people who sent us here, and that is the American people. At some point, we have to believe the oath we have taken, and we have to fulfill that oath.

I hope that as we look at the tragic loss of Corey Comperatore, we also give thanks to God that he was born in the first place, that his wife and daughters had an opportunity to have a loving father and a loving husband, and that now he is safe and at home in the Lord's arms.

I thank my colleagues for being here tonight, and I know everything comes from the heart on this. When something like this happens, we need to take a step back, take a deep breath, say a prayer, and ask God to be with us as we make our journey as Representatives of the most incredible Nation the world has ever known, the United States of America.

Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a resolution that we will be offering, and entering in now. It is H. Res. 1369.

Whereas Corey Comperatore was from Sarver, Pennsylvania,

leaving behind his wife, Helen, and two daughters, Allyson

and Kaylee;

Whereas Corey Comperatore was a respected community leader

who dedicated years of service to the Buffalo Township

Volunteer Fire Department of Sarver, Pennsylvania;

Whereas Corey Comperatore served his country as a veteran

of the United States Army Reserves;

Whereas Corey Comperatore left behind a legacy of service

for his country and his community, a devoted member of the

Cabot Methodist Church; and

Whereas Corey Comperatore died a hero, protecting his

family, shielding his wife and daughter from danger: Now,

therefore be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) mourns the loss of Corey Comperatore, a husband,

father, volunteer firefighter, community leader, and hero

from Sarver, Pennsylvania;

(2) commemorates and celebrates the selfless and courageous

life of Corey Comperatore;

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

Mr. Chair, as the designee of Chairman Cole, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chair, the gentleman from North Dakota was here talking about what was happening in his State. I suggest for our colleagues to please take a look at the aftermath of what having open borders is doing to our country.

When we look at the significance of not watching our borders, not guarding our borders, not paying attention to our borders, and totally ignoring the fact that these things really exist as opposed to, No, move on, there is nothing to see here, this legislation provides an increase in funding for the Customs and Border Protection, which will allow them to more effectively do their job. This bill addresses the concerns of the often overlooked northern border.

A lot of people say: I don't know why you are concerned about the northern border.

I say: Well, here is a little insight. It is 5,525 miles. It is the longest border between two countries in the world. It is virtually unwatched. That is not the fault of the Customs and Border Protection people. They are overworked, underpaid, and very much underappreciated.

In fiscal year 2022, U.S. Border Patrol agents had 2,238 encounters at the northern border. In fiscal year 2023, that number more than quadrupled to 10,021 encounters. Through the first 7 months of fiscal year 2024, they have already encountered 9,460 individuals. As the summer months continue, that number will continue to skyrocket.

If Members can understand that statement, coming in the northern border during winter is not a good idea. The weather itself is the biggest inhibitor of that. However, it is very porous, it is very open, it is very unwatched, and it is very concerning, and should be, to the American people.

The amazement I have, and this is not about Republicans versus Democrats, this is people coming to represent their district in their part of this incredible country.

This is not a Republican issue. This is not a Democrat issue. This is an issue about who is it that enforces these laws that are already on the books.

When we go home, I hear all the time, you guys better do something about what is happening at the borders. My question always back to them is: Do you know how many laws we have already passed? They say: No, I have no idea. I say: Well, it is the enforcement of the laws that have been passed through the legislature that are going unwatched right now.

We can continue down this road and say: Move on, there is nothing to see here. There is nothing going on. There is really not a problem at the southern border. There is really not a problem at the northern border.

In the meantime, the recipients of these illegals are the States that they end up in. When you hear about what our citizens are being denied because of taxpayer dollars being spent on a group--while we welcome the world to come to America, if your first act upon entering America is to break one of our laws, that is not a good way to start.

When we look at what appropriations is doing, all we are asking for and all we are looking for is funding to protect our own borders.

It is incredible to me that we have to have debate over what is actually taking place.

One side says: We have a lot of concerns about this. The other side says: I don't know what you are concerned about. The problem doesn't exist.

It does exist. It is real. The effect on America is long-lasting, and I don't know what the number is. I have heard it is 10,000, 11,000, 12,000. Most people say: I don't know how many there are, but there are quite a few. The aftermath is the key.

When we were in North Dakota, we listened to two sheriffs who were exhausted because they don't have enough people to watch what is going on in their State. It is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week that they are concerned about what is happening.

Now, who is the problem? Where is the problem? How do we fix the problem?

We use taxpayer money virtually everywhere to protect our country. That is the first obligation of the Federal Government to protect the homeland. However, if you don't admit, or if you don't acknowledge that it is taking place, then you can't fix it.

The idea is, if you are going to invest taxpayer dollars, give them a return on that investment. Make sure that we are protecting our very own people first. I welcome people coming to this country because that is how my family got here. They came in the right way, and they participated.

We have an incredible dilemma going on right now, and I want people to think about this: 5,525 miles of border that is virtually unprotected. People talked about the balloon from China that came in. I love the way the administration addressed it. They let it come down through Canada, come down through our country, and when it exited out into the Atlantic Ocean, we

shot it down there. That is marvelous, but that is too late.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from Nevada for allowing me to speak on this. I would hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle acknowledge what is happening and understand that our first oath of office is to protect the homeland.

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

Amendment No. 11 Offered by Mr. Clyde

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a local World War II veteran in my district.

At 108 years old, Al Klugiewicz of Erie, Pennsylvania, embodies the spirit of America. I had a chance to meet with Al last week during the district work period. He is truly an inspiration. In fact, he is also the 13th oldest living man in the United States.

I sat and visited with him while he was in a hospital bed, and believe me, he is still sharp. He was talking to me about all the Presidents he served under.

He said: You know what, Rep? I was a member of the cavalry.

I said: That is interesting, Al. Why the cavalry?

He said: Because I got tired of walking. I would rather ride a horse.

He talked to me about his horse. He said the horse's name was Napoleon, and the horse was a great horse. In fact, he said he got to ride that horse when FDR had his second inauguration.

You look at this man and see him lying there in a bed but remembering the names of Presidents from decades ago. His dedication to his country was evident. He talked about Normandy and what happened on those beaches in those days.

Now, I had the honor of being there a couple of weeks ago when we commemorated the 80th anniversary of Normandy. I wish all Americans could have been there to see the number of people, the French people, who were just so over-the-top thankful and grateful for what our country did for them in World War II.

I like to think that somehow those types of things raise in us a political awareness, a love for our country that is always the first responder to anything that goes wrong in the country.

This man, Al Klugiewicz, 108 years old, spoke of America with great love and tenderness. He talked about his family. He talked about building a house, his own house. He built it himself.

He talked about going to work for GE in Erie when he got back from the war for 43 cents an hour. He talked endlessly about the colleagues he had and about the times he had, but more than anything else, he talked about his gratitude for being an American. He talked about the love he has for this country, for this Nation, and for the people he served so well.

Now, at 108 years old, Al is not planning on having many more birthdays. When I finally left him, I said: Listen, I want you to know, I will be praying for you.

He said: You know what, Congressman, I want you to know I will be praying for you, and I will be praying for our country because she is in great need of prayer right now.

That is a man who is 108 years old. His love of country, his service to country, his sacrifice to country, that is the type of person we want all of us to be.

Mr. Speaker, on a more somber note, I also have a friend who passed away. His name is Tim Schell. We just talked about Al Klugiewicz being 108. Tim passed away at the age of 72.

Tim Schell was an incredible person. He gave his entire life to helping others.

In 1983, he opened TMS Physical Therapy in Grove City, Pennsylvania, owning the operation and operating the practice. He later expanded the business to include clinics across our district.

Tim served in leadership positions for the Pennsylvania Physical Therapy Association, American Physical Therapy Association, and on the Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy. He was a tireless political advocate for his profession, championing legislative changes that have shaped the physical therapy industry.

In his personal life, Tim was dedicated to high school sports in Mercer County, where he served on the Mercer County Hall of Fame Board of Directors from 1996 to 2012.

This man gave generously. He always told me, Mike, I don't want anybody giving me any credit for this. Please, anonymously, let's just look at it this way because that is what all of us should be doing. It is not that you have to be recognized. The fact is that you have to recognize those in need and try to do everything you can to help them.

Today, I had the opportunity to celebrate two incredible people, one who has celebrated his 108th birthday and the other whose loss at 72 years old we mourn.

Is it not time for all Americans to take a step back and be thankful for everything we have been blessed with in our lives? It is incredible to me that this country has been blessed with so much for so long by so many.

The best time I had last week was with Al Klugiewicz at 108 years old and talking about his horse Napoleon. He told me about a toast he gave to Napoleon, ``Hurray for Napoleon. Yay!'' This is a man 108 years old, lying in a bed talking to me. I hope that I am able to embody that spirit as I grow older.

At the end of it all, though, we are truly blessed. We are truly honored to be able to take the time to honor these people.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, this bill would designate the post office facility located at 135 West Spring Street in Titusville, Pennsylvania, as the Edwin Drake Post Office Building.

Born March 29 in 1819, Edwin Drake was the first person to successfully drill for oil in the United States.

Drake was sent to Titusville on behalf of the Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company, where oil had been gathering from ground-level seepages. He said: There must be a way to somehow get to more volume. The answer was, send Drake.

In an attempt to lure local Titusville businesses into investing, the executives sent letters to local businessmen and referred to Drake as Colonel Drake.

In July of 1858, he journeyed to Titusville to begin but struggled for nearly a year until he invented the drive pipe. He continued his attempts with many setbacks and refusal from the oil company to provide any more investment.

Now, despite many of these failed attempts and the shortage of money, he persisted in his efforts, leading some of the locals and executives to begin calling him Crazy Drake.

Finally, on August 27 of 1859, he found success in extracting oil, which was 70 feet beneath the Earth's surface. It had never been done before. Quickly, his well began to produce between 20 and 40 barrels a day, and they ended up using all the whiskey barrels in Titusville to put the oil in.

This immediately launched the Pennsylvania oil rush, sparking a massive economic boom in western Pennsylvania. Drake's discovery changed the economies beyond western Pennsylvania and across the world.

Titusville quickly became a boomtown, and oil wells popped up all over the place. It is reported that these wells produced up to 4,500 barrels in just the first year. By 1866, the population of Titusville had risen to over 10,000 residents, compared to just 250 people when Drake first arrived.

By 1873, Pennsylvania was producing 10 million barrels of oil per year, an incredible amount that nobody could have possibly imagined. Drake would dig two other wells in the months following his invention, but he left the industry the next year due to his declining health, and he became a justice of the peace in 1860.

Unfortunately, Drake never patented his invention, and he lost most of his savings in the stock market in the following years.

Pennsylvania, though, would never be the same, as people rushed to the Commonwealth, much like the gold rush of California.

Drake passed away in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on November 9, 1880, at just 61 years old. He was moved to Titusville, where he remains today. The original tools are on display in Titusville at the Drake Well Museum, on the same site as his initial discovery.

Oil continues to be a massive industry in Pennsylvania and across our country.

By naming a post office after him in Titusville, this would be a small step in recognizing the man who made it all possible. I urge my colleagues to support this bill to recognize Edwin Drake's contribution to the country by naming the post office facility in Titusville after him.

Mr. Speaker, Drake died broke. He had nothing, but he created an industry in America, in Pennsylvania, that has continued to flourish. I would urge my colleagues to please support the naming of the post office for Edwin Drake.

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

Mr. Chair, I offered this amendment with Representative Hudson and Representative Balderson to stop the wrongheaded rule that the Department of Energy finalized which threatens the use of grain-oriented electrical steel in our distribution transformers.

Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce).

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

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for his remarks. I am not sure where he gathered that information, but it is totally false, which is normal here.

The sole remaining domestic producer of grain-oriented electrical steel is in my hometown of Butler, Pennsylvania, and it is represented by 1,300 union workers from UAW 3303, which my colleague has referenced. He should have been in Butler with me when almost 500 of them showed up to protest what was happening with the elimination of grain-oriented electrical steel.

This rule threatens the long-term viability of the mill. The mill in Butler produces grain-oriented electrical steel for distribution transformers, and I brought a picture of it because most people don't know what we are talking about. Mr. Chair, if you are driving down the road and see a telephone pole with this gray canister on it, that is a distribution transformer. Inside it is a product called grain-oriented electrical steel.

That product, by the way, works at 98-percent efficiency. The other side would like to replace it with something called amorphous steel, which if you compare the two, only one is actually steel. Grain- oriented electrical steel is actually steel. Amorphous looks like tinfoil.

Our product is 98-percent efficient. If you transfer over to amorphous steel, you are looking at a load capacity of 80 percent, which is dangerous, while a traditional GOES transformer can run with a 120 percent load capacity.

The market for these transformers is at an all-time high. Why in the world would we go away from something that is domestically produced in Butler, Pennsylvania, for a product that is not produced in America, cannot serve the needs that are there, and cannot meet the market demands for some type of a wrongheaded idea that we must go with this new product.

Listen to fact versus fiction. This transformer with grain-oriented electrical steel, domestic steel, is produced in Butler, Pennsylvania, by 1,300 union workers, with each union job supporting an estimated seven local jobs in my hometown. The elimination of this product would eliminate that town.

Have we not learned enough over the years that when we turn away from a domestic-produced product and rely on a foreign source for it, that somehow in the end we don't have the product and capacity that we need.

We have dumb-headed rule after dumb-headed rule in some type of a made-up, fantasy world where somehow this is better. It is not better.

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

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

Mr. Chair, here we are again in a situation where it is ``he said, she said,'' or ``you said, I said.'' I challenge anybody who has not been to a mill and actually watched the production of steel to sit on this floor and say they have a better product because they say it is a better product.

The distribution of electricity is critical in our homes, businesses, and towns across the Nation. The last remaining domestic producer of grain-oriented electrical steel, which is the product inside all of these transformers, is made in one mill in one town in America, not in some strange place across the oceans that says we will provide you with this if we can.

Why do we keep turning away from domestic production and thinking that somehow, someplace, somewhere, somebody else is going to provide it for us? That is wrongheaded and just makes absolutely no sense.

Mr. Chair, I encourage my colleagues to please go in these mills, look at these canisters that are on the telephone poles, and understand that is how we push electricity from one point to the next. This isn't fantasy. This is the truth of what is going on.

Mr. Chair, I ask my colleagues to take down the rule that is there now and vote for this amendment. It is the only way we can save electrical transformers in America. Please vote for American products.

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

Mr. Speaker, there is an old adage that goes something like: There are no problems in our family; there are a lot of things we don't talk about.

For years, we have been talking about a crisis at our southern border. In 2016, candidate Trump talked about building a wall to protect American citizens from the surge that was taking place. He was laughed at. He was continually laughed at by the current administration until the polling came out that said the number one concern of the American people now is illegal immigration and the fact that we are being overwhelmed at both our southern border and our northern border.

Now, why do I bring that up? Well, the southern border is about 2,000 miles long, and I believe today former President Trump will go to Eagle Pass and President Biden will go to Brownsville to take a look at what is happening.

The current administration is now acknowledging the fact that maybe there is a problem down there and maybe we should be taking a look at what is happening. Polls do cause people to react.

It is truly a tale of two Presidents.

Now, the northern border, which is being totally ignored, is 5,500 miles of border. It is the longest continuous border between two countries anyplace in the world. It is virtually unwatched. Eighty-five percent of the terror watch list suspects caught at ports of entry come through the northern border.

More than 12,200 people were apprehended crossing illegally from Canada into the United States last year. That is a 241 percent increase from the previous year.

Northern border encounters are up 41 percent from last year. Seventy percent of illegal crossings in 2023 happened in New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire. This is called the Swanton sector where there is a surge when it comes to fentanyl coming across our border and killing hundreds of thousands of our citizens.

There are already more northern border land encounters in fiscal year 2024, which is October 2023 until right now, than in all of 2021. To date, in 3 months, 44,801 have come across. Northern border encounters in December 2023 and in January 2024, 31,150 of them, are more than all of fiscal year 2021.

At some point, whether you like it or not, this problem is taking place in real time, in real areas of the United States of America and on your watch, Mr. President. I am sick and tired of hearing that Congress needs to address these problems when the executive office--and I would just mention to people that we are the lawmakers. The executive branch are the enforcement people of the laws that are already passed and on the books.

How can you totally ignore a situation and say that the real problem is

that Republicans haven't stepped up to take responsibility for this?

This administration, without anything else, can end catch and release. They can reinstate the remain in Mexico policy, enter into the asylum cooperative agreements, end parole abuses, detain inadmissible aliens, use expedited removal, and rein in taxpayer-funded benefits for all illegal aliens.

That is right, Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer, you are paying for all these people who are here illegally. They ought to send you a thank you note for your hard work and issue a proclamation of suspending re-entry.

Mr. Speaker, as we watch what is happening in this country today, everything that you see happening right now, the concern that you see happening by our colleagues on the other side of the aisle is because the polls now indicate that the American people are awake and are aware of this administration's failure to enforce the laws of the land. It is that simple. It is the polling that is driving them to react. It is not the fact that it has been happening; that is incidental.

If you can ignore it long enough, then it will go away.

No. You can't ignore it any longer. Horrific things are happening to our own citizens as this administration sits back and says that there is really no problem and that this is being made up by the Republicans.

I encourage our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to remember that our oath of office is to the citizens of the United States and not to a particular party or to a particular officeholder.

When we ignore our basic responsibilities, then we have a huge problem in the United States of America.

I encourage all my fellow Americans to forget about being woke and wake up. Your country is being taken from you, and we are watching it happen.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to talk about an issue. In my lifetime, I always heard the saying: There are no problems in our family. There are just a lot of things we don't talk about.

What I am talking about today is the fact that we have an incredible problem at our borders, and not just the southwestern border, by the way, but also our northern border.

Now, if these people coming into our country were wearing the uniform of a foreign country, we would swear we had been invaded and overrun. The other part of that is: It is okay, though, because we will do everything we can to accommodate them while they are here. It doesn't matter if they came here legally or illegally. We are America and those are the things that we do.

Madam Speaker, I bring this thing up because I listen to telecast after telecast from the current administration that says: Well, if Congress would just do something to help us, we would jump on it. We would do everything we can.

I would like to remind the executive branch that we legislate. We make laws, we debate laws, we pass laws, and then it is the executive branch who is responsible for enforcing those laws.

We have an administration that continues to say: There is no problem at our borders; this is imaginary; we don't have a problem; but if it were up to me, I would do something about it.

These are the eight authorities that the President could put into effect: End catch and release, reinstate remain in Mexico, enter into asylum cooperation agreements, end parole abuses, detain inadmissible aliens, use expedited removal, rein in taxpayer-funded benefits for all illegal aliens, and issue a proclamation to suspend or restrict entry.

Madam Speaker, you and I know because we face this every single day. The issues that face America today are America's issues. They do not simply rest in this body. We will do things according to what the laws are and what we structure. The executive branch must be held accountable for enforcing those laws.

We wonder what in the world happened at our southern border. My goodness, the numbers are in the millions of people who have come in. One of the things we don't pay attention to is our northern border.

I brought a picture of this--I know it is very hard to see, but in the whole world, the longest continuous border is our northern border. It is 5,500 miles long and virtually unprotected because we don't have enough people to do it. In one stretch, over 500 miles, there are two Border Patrol agents responsible. That would be like driving from Philadelphia to Columbus, Ohio, and back again and saying: I didn't see one State policeman. I didn't see one law enforcement officer. I wonder where they are.

Well, the truth of the matter is, we have people pouring in from all over the world; some of them for the right reasons, others for the wrong reasons, and for reasons that in the future will harm our country and harm our fellow citizens.

When you start to talk about what has taken place and how if we ignore it, it doesn't exist, then we are in very serious trouble. This is not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue or a Libertarian issue. This is an American issue. If those of us who run for office and get elected and take an oath of office cannot follow that oath of office, then why are we here? Why are we here?

Millions of people have poured across our border. There were 564 encounters with a terrorist screening dataset, 484 at the northern border. In fiscal year 2022 82 percent of these encounters were at our northern border. In the first 3 months of 2024, 94 percent of the terrorist screening dataset encounters were at our northern border.

While we think we are so safe because of our history and what we have done in history that we can protect ourselves, the underlying effect is the enemy is not from without; it is from within.

When we fail to follow the laws that are put into place and we don't enforce them, then we are at fault. I would suggest to our fellow Americans, please forget about being woke. Please wake the hell up. We are losing our country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to talk about the Biden administration's shortsighted policy, and I thank Dr. Joyce for bringing it up.

Mr. Speaker, this is another one of those examples of promises made, promises kept.

When this person was running for President, he couldn't stop telling people how we were no longer going to rely on our own energy. We were going to do something completely different. We were going to protect the environment.

He has actually kept those promises.

He has crippled the American economy. He has made the rest of the world dependent on people who they should not be depending on, and the rest of the world has awakened to just how far to the left this current administration is.

We are talking about jobs, an unbelievable amount of jobs. We are also talking about not being dependent on any foreign country to supply us with the energy that we need.

How in the world could anybody sit back now after 3 years of watching this wrong-sided approach to how we would run the greatest Nation the world has ever known and reduce it down to what it is today?

We are talking about jobs. We are talking about the cost of energy. We are talking about reliability, not on some foreign supplier, but on our own domestic energy, people.

Why would anybody under this current administration think that somehow my future is drilling for natural gas; my future is looking at oil fields; my future is based on the ill-fated thinking of this current administration?

This goes so far beyond what any normal thinking person would say: Good idea, good idea. Let's continue to do that.

I know some people will say: Well, you shouldn't be speaking that way.

My answer to that is: Maybe more of us should be speaking this way.

How can our fellow American citizens sit back and watch the devastation to our own economy; walking away from domestic energy and thinking that somehow this is a move in the right direction?

Candidate Biden said he would cut back on all these environmental absolute disasters that were taking place in America. He has kept his promise to the American people. He continues to make his promise kept to the American people.

The question is: When will the American people wake up from this slumber? When they will forget about being woke and wake up to what is happening to America today and happening to us every single day?

For the President of the United States to make a statement like he is making today about domestic energy, and what LNG will no longer be permitted: You won't be allowed to do it in the future. We are going to cut back on your permits--why in the world would anybody stay in this business and say: I think I have a shot.

Mr. Speaker, it is time for America to stand up, not just our colleagues on the Republican side but everyday Americans.

We are talking about jobs. We are talking about American energy. We are talking about clean energy. We are talking about the future of the greatest Nation the world has ever known, and the fact that she does not have to depend on anybody else in the world for her energy, nor do other countries have to depend on Russia for their energy when they can actually get it from their friends in America.

Promises made, promises kept. This is another one of those promises that leads to the complete disaster and destruction of America.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 11.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of childhood cancer research and the organization Hyundai Hope on Wheels, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Before serving in Congress, I began working with Hyundai Hope on Wheels in my role as a Hyundai dealer. Today, I am proud to work with this incredible

charity in my role as co-chair along with Mike McCaul of the Congressional Childhood Cancer Caucus.

Every time a Hyundai is sold, $22 of each new vehicle goes toward Hyundai Hope on Wheels to fund pediatric cancer research. Since 1998, this organization has raised over $225 million. It truly makes Hyundai not only a great company but a good company.

Now, I work with dealers Tom O'Brien and Don Reilly, and these are the men who started this incredible charity. It has played a crucial role in creating hope and saving lives in the battle against childhood cancer, fueling nearly 1,300 research studies at more than 175 medical institutions.

They are dedicated to supporting pediatric cancer research that finds innovative approaches, creates discovery, and improves care for children fighting cancer.

Their milestone came during an important week last month. As they held their annual event here on Capitol Hill, the Congressional Childhood Cancer Caucus held its annual Childhood Cancer Summit simultaneously.

Here in Congress and through the work of our caucus, we have made great legislative strides that have turned bills into laws and hope into action.

Last year, we passed the Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act. Since it was first passed in 2018, this bill has expanded opportunities for childhood research, improved efforts to identify and track childhood cancer incidences, and enhanced the quality of life for childhood survivors.

Since its inception, the Congressional Childhood Cancer Caucus has had four landmark pieces of legislation signed into law: The Childhood Cancer STAR Act, the Creating Hope Act, the RACE for Children Act, and the Global Hope Act. Our work is not done.

Thanks to their work, and thanks to our partnership in Congress, we have made great strides in funding childhood cancer research. Most importantly, I believe we are getting closer to the day when no parent, no family, will ever again have to hear the words: ``Your child has cancer.''

I also will take a moment to share a success story from the Hyundai Hope on Wheels program. Each year, Hyundai Hope on Wheels has a youth ambassador, and a few years ago, we met Hannah Adams. She was several years removed from battling cancer herself, and she shared with us some incredible and impactful stories.

Hannah is now 13 years cancer-free, and this summer, she was an intern in our Washington, D.C., office. She is now a junior at the University of Alabama, double majoring in political science and public relations, and we know she will accomplish so much.

It is my honor to have worked alongside Hannah and all of our youth ambassadors over the years.

You can understand why we have a youth ambassador. If you or I were to go into a cancer hospital and try to talk to a child, it looks like, in my case, their grandfather came in. Hannah was their age. The youth ambassadors are their age, and they connect with children in a way that says to them: Look, I was once in the same position you were in. You can beat this. You can beat this, and we will work with you to do it.

Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As co-chair of the House Cancer Caucus, I also make a commitment to those who are currently living with or who have lived with breast cancer. Congress will continue to fight for you by providing the necessary funding for research and support in the hope that someday we can find a cure.

Mr. Speaker, there is no reason for any of you to know me. My whole life has been spent in the private sector, and I have really come to believe that nobody should serve in the public sector unless they first have been in the private sector.

My whole life has been about making sure that on the 6th of each month and the 21st of each month--they are special days for me because those were days that the people who worked with me every day got paid.

We use something called kitchen table economics. I sit beside David, and I talk to him all the time. I am more of a person who says: Do you know what? Let's use kitchen table economics.

Now, I am told that Army manuals are written on a sixth-grade level so that people can understand them. I want to show you something. I reduced this down to a $1 bill because when you hear our friends talking about: Oh, no, you can cut spending. You can do this.

I want you to think not as a Member of Congress who can spend whatever he or she wants because it is not coming completely out of your pocket but of the American people, hardworking American taxpayers.

We took a dollar bill and said: Let's look at this dollar bill. Mandatory spending is money that has to be spent out of every dollar we collect from a taxpayer, $0.63. Look at this. What do you mean by that? Well, we are talking about Social Security. We are talking about Medicare. We are talking about Medicaid.

As all of you know, any loan you ever had, you are actually charged interest on it, $0.10 of every dollar. This year, that represents $663 billion just to pay for the interest on our debt. That leaves us a whopping $0.27 out of every single dollar we collect from you.

This is the important thing. I am so fed up with elected officials talking about what they have done for you. They do nothing for you. Every single thing we do in this country is paid for by a taxpayer or a debt that you cosigned that you didn't know about.

Now, I told you a bit of my history. I am an automobile dealer. Most people, 97 percent of the people that we sell a car or truck to, borrow money to pay for that car or truck. They sign their name to a contract. We take great time to explain to them exactly what is expected of them.

I told you this $0.63 goes for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and 10 percent, $0.10 on each dollar, just to pay our debt down--$663 billion.

That is why I wanted to reduce it down to kitchen table economics. This is what is happening to your dollar.

We have $0.27 that we can spend any way we want. What does that mean? Well, that includes transportation, education, defense, and other programs. Let's take a look at the $0.27 of our budget, of our revenues, that we have left to spend.

Of the $0.27 of each dollar, spending for defense, $0.13. We don't ever want to walk away from that. In the world we live in now, are you kidding me? We are going to stop that?

That leaves us, my friends, with $0.14 that we can actually control. Every single dollar out of your pocket is reduced down to this.

When people say that you have to learn how to cut spending, I say: You gave me a dollar bill? I can adjust $0.14.

Yes.

Yes.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Schweikert and I sit beside each other every day, and we keep--honestly, these are things that keep me up at night.

In another month, my wife and I will be celebrating our 50th anniversary. I don't know what she was thinking. All I did was ask, and she said yes. Then, for half a century, we have been going at this.

We have 10 grandchildren, and I am constantly asked by people: How can you be so responsible when it comes to spending our tax dollars?

We don't want to be irresponsible. David and I sit there, and I have to tell you, sitting beside him is hard because he has so much going on in his head at one time. He is like a calculator, and I keep going back just to the basics.

Social services, natural resources, science, space, technology, and other programs, we are down to $0.14 of a dollar. This is a dollar that you paid, by the way. This is out of your taxes.

The interest is $663 billion of what we owe.

It keeps growing and growing and growing. No responsible person would ever sit back and work this model.

The greatest nation the world has ever known, the wealthiest nation the world has ever known, has been totally irresponsible in the way she spent her money, and it wasn't done by her.

This incredible group of people that sit down here--remember, I said this to begin with. I don't believe anybody should serve in public office until they have been in the private sector. I, myself, have been in situations on the 6th of the month and the 21st of the month where I made sure every person that worked at the dealership got paid. There were many times I did not pay myself because I didn't have enough money to do it.

The point I think we keep trying to make is: When are we going to wake up to what is going on? This is a Titanic moment for our country.

The reason I say that is because the Titanic went full speed ahead into an iceberg. What did the captain of the Titanic see? Just a small part of the iceberg. They didn't see what was hidden.

My friends, right now the hidden part of what it is that we are spending--I would just ask you to please think with us as we go through this.

Reduce it down to where it makes sense and understand what is happening right now on the floor of this Congress. We represent you. We do not represent ourselves alone. We represent you.

If we talk about this, and this is where we are--I would just think at some point, we would sit back and say I cannot watch this and allow this to happen to hardworking American taxpayers.

When we have talked about this, because we have time when we are in meetings to talk about this--I want you all to try and just bear with me a little bit. I know that at some point, you say, I don't know if I like this dog-and-pony show.

In my district, PA-16, the average income for a family of four--mom, dad, two children--is $54,000. This is where it really starts to make sense.

Federal revenues this year will be the highest we have ever gotten. They are projected to be $5 trillion. That is a lot of money. I mean, it is almost incomprehensible.

What we are projected to spend is $6.9 trillion. You say, okay, well, that is only--that is not that far apart. It is only $1.9 trillion. Here is what it means. This is where it starts to sink in. That means a family that I represent in western Pennsylvania earning about $50,000 a year is spending $69,000 a year.

You see what we are getting to. Because when we reduce the numbers down, first of all, the high numbers are just so high, it is unimaginable. It is

also unimaginable that we can ever pay the debt down.

I would just say this to you. If we continue on the path we are going, if we disregard the basic math that stands there, and the way we do it--I can tell you that most of the time that I pay monthly bills, it is at our kitchen table. I open my checkbook, and I start doing the subtract, subtract, subtract, subtract. I am just trying to understand how we can be so reckless.

None of you would do this because you have too much respect for your children and grandchildren's future, and you also have too much respect for yourselves. Nobody would consciously do this. That is the problem.

One of my favorite movies--I just want to make a point.

The movie I love is called ``A Few Good Men.'' Have you seen this movie?

Jack Nicholson is in it, and he is being cross-examined in a military trial.

They keep asking him questions, and at the end, he becomes so frustrated, he said: ``You can't handle the truth.''

In our lives, the people who raised us--our moms, our dads, our grandparents--would never have done to us what is happening right now and what we are doing to our own grandchildren.

We have to handle the truth. We have to face the truth--this path that we are on, this mission that we are on, and this idea that somehow we have to get the message out to our hardworking American taxpayers that our future is being destroyed because of irresponsible spending.

Now, just to be sure on this, your Social Security will never be touched. Medicare and Medicaid are not going to be touched. The banks are never going to forgive the interest on our loans. That is the reality of it.

When you understand it that way, it becomes, oh, my gosh, what are we going to do? So, we sit there and try to figure out what it is that we can do to save the future for our children, and I looked at pictures yesterday with your two children. What are we doing to these kids? What are we doing to them?

I don't think there are many. The people I represent are either in ag or in the fields, in the mines, in the mills, on the rails. They are blue-collar people who are living an incredibly strong life because those families, the nuclear family, the mom and dad raising children, are the key to our success going forward, and an education. Based on the very foundations of what we know is true, is accurate, has been proven over the ages, the gift that America gave all of its citizens was the gift of education.

Mr. Schweikert and I can talk all day. I wish the gallery was full. I really wish the gallery was full. It is not a message of anger. It is a message of hope. We have to change our spending. We cannot sustain this irresponsible trajectory.

I would pose this for those of you who have been watching: Are we making sense? If we are making sense, can you please raise your hand? Does this make sense to you about what we are talking about or what we are doing with your dollars? No, it doesn't make sense.

We can't have the interaction with the gallery.

This is their House. We just happen to represent them. This is your House. Everything that goes on in this House is being done by people who are voted in to represent you, not represent themselves, but represent you. If it is not making sense, we need to know because, I have to tell you, it makes no sense to me at all what we are doing, not only to our future, but to our present.

If we can't grasp what is happening right now--that is why I talk about kitchen table economics. If I can reduce this down to a $1 bill that I would hand you and say, oh, by the way, that first 73 cents, give it back to me. You can keep the 27 cents, but then I am going to take another 13 cents.

When you really get down to it, it is so small what it is that we can control. In your own lives, you know if you have a mortgage payment come due, if you have a car payment come due, if you have healthcare costs come due, you can't walk away from that. At some time or other, a lender is going to say to you: Do you know what? We would love to help you, but we can't. The math doesn't work. It is not good for you.

When we talked about this the other day, the real challenge is to make sure that we understand the path that we are on and not try to sugarcoat it for you.

I know for myself the hardest lessons in life to learn are the days that you lost something. I wish I could go back and sit across from my mother and father and thank them for what they did for us, sit across from my grandparents and thank them for what they did for us. I can't thank them enough for what they did for us.

I am just so disappointed that we haven't performed as well as they have and made it possible for us to enjoy the most incredible country the world has ever known, a nation of people that is so diverse. There is no place else in the world. None of us are thinking about leaving to go someplace else, but it is our responsibility to make sure that it is a sustainable business model.

If I am not connecting with you, I apologize for that, but only because we have to understand the dilemma that we are in. This is not a scare tactic, by the way. This is a wake-up moment that we have to be aware of what is happening right now to each of us every day in every way.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arizona for the chance to work with you, and all our friends in the gallery.

This is called the people's House because it is truly your House. Anybody that is here was elected, they didn't just walk in and sit down. They take an oath of office to do things in your best interest.

What we have been trying to go through--and we have looked at all the different charts. All of you probably have a $1 bill somewhere in your wallet or your purse. I want you to imagine, taking this $1 dollar bill, and this is what you actually can control when it comes to the spending.

So when I hear this thing about: Well, you just have to cut spending, you just have to cut spending. That is fine. Could you please give me a road map of what you want us to cut?

That is not accepted because that is not what is being fed to you. I am going to tell you; we are here because of you. We are here for you. I thought the dollar bill was the easiest way to show it because we are all used to that.

Mr. Speaker, I have 10 grandchildren--and maybe you can all relate to this. When our kids were growing up they liked to go skiing in the wintertime because I am from Pennsylvania. They came to me one time, and said, Dad, can we go skiing? I said, No, I don't have the money to go this weekend. They said, Sure you do. They went under the bed and picked out my checkbook that has three checks to a page. My son said, Here, you have all kinds of money. I said, Well, you have to put the money in before you can write the check to take it out.

That was a concept that a child didn't understand, and unfortunately, there are too many children representing you here right now that don't understand what is taking place in every American home and with every one of our hardworking American taxpayers.

We are here for you. I don't care if you are Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, or say, I wish you people would stay the heck out of our lives, we are here representing you. I would ask you to please communicate with the people who represent you to let them know that you are concerned about the way the country is going and the future, not only for our grandchildren and children, but also for us.

I hope we get through, and if we didn't, please contact us. We are here every day for you. There is no other reason for us to be here other than for you.

Madam Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 3 o'clock and 54 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Wednesday, September 20, 2023, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.

Mr. Speaker, I proclaim the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) as a pillar of the community.

Whereas, LECOM has been established since 1992 in Erie, Pennsylvania as a college of Osteopathic Medicine and now celebrates its 30th Anniversary; and

Whereas, LECOM has grown to become the Nation's largest medical college with campuses in Erie, Pennsylvania, Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Bradenton, Florida, and Elmira, New York; and

Whereas, LECOM has prepared and graduated more than 16,000 students to become osteopathic physicians, pharmacy practitioners, and dentists through programs of excellence in education, research, clinical care, and community service to enhance the quality of life through improved health for all humanity; and

Whereas, LECOM has expanded its reach to include exceptional programs in graduate studies designed to provide scholars superlative education in the respective areas of study; and

Whereas, LECOM is opening a new School of Podiatric Medicine and pursuing opportunities to open additional campuses, further demonstrating their steadfast commitment to continue expanding healthcare education; and

Whereas, LECOM offers a quality medical education at an affordable price with one of the lowest, private medical college tuitions in the Nation; and

Whereas, LECOM provides students a choice of student-centered pathways that match the learning styles of individual students to promote success.

Whereas, LECOM has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top medical colleges for graduating primary care physicians; and

Whereas, LECOM is the most applied to medical college in the United States; and

Whereas, LECOM has the Nation's only osteopathic academic health system with its own teaching hospitals, a physician network, and a full continuum of services for older adults;

Now therefore be it resolved, that I proclaim LECOM as an acclaimed school of Osteopathic Medicine in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Be if further resolved, that during their 30th anniversary, LECOM is commended for the exceptional impact the organization has on the communities they serve and for their contributions to improving healthcare for all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Jacques ``Jay'' Rougeau, a Pennsylvania State trooper who died in the line of duty just this past Saturday, June 17.

Trooper Rougeau was shot and fatally injured while responding to a call in Juniata, Pennsylvania. Trooper Rougeau was only 29 years old.

Now, Trooper Rougeau is a native of Corry, Pennsylvania, which is in my district where, today, he remains on the minds of so many family, friends, neighbors, and loved ones.

According to reports, a man had arrived at Troop G, Lewistown Station armed with a rifle and fired at patrol vehicles in the parking lot and shot one officer. After a search, troopers located the shooter where they exchanged gunfire. Both the shooter and Trooper Rougeau were shot and killed. Those who knew Trooper Rougeau say he knew from a young age that he always wanted to be a police officer. After graduating from Corry Area High School in 2012, he first interned with the city of Corry Police Department in 2014.

During the internship, Rougeau said his ultimate goal was to become a Pennsylvania State trooper. He enlisted in 2020 and started with Troop G just 3 months ago. Trooper Rougeau is the 104th member of the Pennsylvania State Police to make the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

If we can, take a look at this picture. This is somebody that is in the prime of their life, just starting off, in the position that he so coveted being a part of this group. He wanted to be a police officer. He wanted to serve Pennsylvania's citizens by being a Pennsylvania State policeman.

Unfortunately, he is gone. He leaves behind a wife, Chloe, who I am told was his high school sweetheart. I know that he has made the city of Corry and the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania proud for so bravely serving in law enforcement.

Mr. Speaker, I thank him for his service, and offer a moment of silence in honor of his memory. I ask if we could all please think for a moment about this young man, think about the unlived part of his life, and all who serve in the line of duty.

Mr. Speaker, I wish his family could be here to see that the entire gallery just stood up and, even though you did not know Trooper Rougeau, you stood up to honor what he did in his line of duty.

This is a tragic loss not only for the community of Corry, but the entire

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This morning, I am praying for the family, friends, and colleagues of Trooper Rougeau, another person in law enforcement who died while responding to help others in danger.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Paul Nelson, a longtime Erie, Pennsylvania, businessman who passed away on Sunday, May 21.

Mr. Nelson was 89 years old, but I don't think you could ever say that Mr. Nelson was old. Oftentimes, people compared him to a cross between Willy Wonka and Peter Pan. Why was that? Well, Mr. Nelson ran Waldameer Park & Water World.

Mr. Nelson started working there when he was 11 years old. He married the love of his life, Lane, and together, they ran Waldameer.

You can say many things about Mr. Nelson, but what you can't say is that he ever had a bad day because he never had a bad day.

I think when we talk about people at their passing, oftentimes, we are very sad, and we say it is horrible that we have lost him. I am different. I am just happy that we had him.

What if Paul Nelson had never been born? What if Paul Nelson had never been in Erie, Pennsylvania? What if Paul Nelson had never married Lane? What if Paul Nelson had never taken Waldameer and made it an iconic place for people to take their children?

When he was 83 years old, Madam Speaker, I was visiting with Mr. Nelson up at Waldameer, and he goes: Mike, how much time do you have?

I said: Mr. Nelson, as much time as you need.

He says: Come with me.

We went to his office. He looked around to see who else was there and pulled out a set of plans. He unfolded them.

I said: What are you going to show me?

He said: This is my 10-year plan for Waldameer Park.

I said: Mr. Nelson, I don't think you could define optimist other than an 83-year-old man with a 10-year plan.

His passing, yes, we grieve. We don't want to lose him, but what if we never had him? Where would the tragedy have been? The tragedy would not have been that he was here and died. The tragedy would have been if Mr. Nelson had never lived.

I think when we go through moments like this and have a chance to reflect on the people who we represent, we understand that we represent more than a person. We represent an attitude. We represent a legacy. We represent people who rely on us to come here and represent them.

Look, you can't say enough about Mr. Nelson. I told you, he is a cross between Willy Wonka and Peter Pan. I always found him to be so charming. We awarded him as a Community Champion of the district when I was able to see him.

I think people need to take time every once in a while to look not just at the birth date and passing date but look at the time in between. What did they do with that time? Was it time well spent? At the end of that time, can we look back and smile and say how blessed was I to have had something that made saying good-bye so hard to do?

This guy was incredible.

Madam Speaker, I will never yield this man's memory and what he did for Erie, Pennsylvania, and for childhood devotees who just couldn't wait to go to Waldameer in the summer.