Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sergeant James ``Jim'' Cline of Plano, Texas, and award him a Congressional Veteran Commendation. Sergeant Cline honorably served in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War.

At the onset of the Korean War, Sergeant Cline joined the Marines and was tasked with construction projects and refueling aircraft at Marine Corps Base Quantico. When he was assigned to Japan, he served as a truck driver and a rifle coach to ensure that Marines under his command were proficient in marksmanship. Eventually, Sergeant Cline was deployed to South Korea and specialized in Motor Transport. Here, he oversaw the maintenance and operation of military vehicles to ensure they were combat-ready at all times. For his service, Sergeant Cline was bestowed the Korean Ambassador for Peace Medal.

When he returned to civilian life, Sergeant Cline experienced difficulties due to hearing loss from his time in the service. Nevertheless, he overcame these hardships using a good sense of humor and positivity, and he later raised a marvelous family with four children. Sergeant Cline worked in various labor and sales jobs before starting a business installing material handling equipment in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. He is also a member of the Korean War Veterans Association and enjoys interacting with fellow veterans. I am proud of the work that Sergeant Cline has accomplished, and I commend him for his perseverance and humble dedication to defending our great Nation.

I am honored to represent Sergeant Cline in Texas' 4th Congressional District. It is a pleasure to award him the Congressional Veteran Commendation for his service to our Nation and to the people of North Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sergeant George Wood of Blossom, Texas, and award him a Congressional Veteran Commendation. Sergeant Wood honorably served in the United States Army's 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment during the Cold War.

Sergeant Wood heeded the call to defend his nation and joined the Army in 1973 shortly after the all-volunteer force military recruitment model was announced. At first, he trained as a loader on the M60A1 main battle tank, but quickly grew passionate about operating air defense systems. Eventually, Sergeant Wood was sent to West Germany in 1974 to provide a watchful eye over the skies of the East German border in the event of an attack by the Soviet Union. His efforts upheld democratic values and freedom in Western nations and safeguarded our NATO allies against Soviet aggression.

After his discharge from the Army in 1977, Sergeant Wood worked as a welder's apprentice at the Lone Star Steel Company and as a Maintenance Planner at the Kimberly-Clark Corporation. Since 2012, he has served as the Chairman of the Red River Valley Veterans Memorial Museum board. Under his leadership, the Museum raised over a million dollars to build a beautiful memorial to commemorate local veterans for their service. Sergeant Wood also serves as the President and a firefighter for the East Post Oak Volunteer Fire Department and the President of the Lamar Electric Cooperative. He is a life member of the Blackhorse Association, a nonprofit that unites servicemembers and veterans of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. In this role, he helps fundraise to provide scholarships for children of Blackhorse Troopers who were killed or wounded in defense of our nation. Sergeant Wood is a devoted man of faith, and he regularly attends the Novice Baptist Church in Paris.

I am honored to represent Sergeant Wood in Texas' 4th Congressional District. It is a privilege to award him the Congressional Veteran Commendation for his service to our Nation and to the people of North Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Petty Officer Third Class Douglas Compton of Royse City, Texas, and award him a Congressional Veteran Commendation. PO3 Compton honorably served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.

When the United States conducted a draft, PO3 Compton was not one of those selected. However, he chose to serve his country and joined the Navy. PO3 Compton served on the USS Chase County (LST-491) tank landing ship as an engineman. His responsibilities included maintaining the ship's engine room and repairing broken parts to ensure that it is ready to go on combat missions at a moment's notice. For his service and contributions to the war effort, PO3 Compton was awarded the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal and several other awards.

After his military service, PO3 Compton worked for Texas Instruments as a numerical control machinist. In this role, he helped produce critical parts for the American defense industry, including components for night vision devices, missiles, and cameras. His important work at Texas Instruments helped the United States maintain a competitive advantage in advanced weaponry and technology. Later, PO3 Compton worked with Halliburton as a machinist and manufacturing production planner. He retired after 41 years with Halliburton, and now focuses on spending time with his children and grandchildren.

PO3 Compton is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and helps raise awareness for veterans' issues. When called upon, he plays taps during memorial services for veterans at the Rest Haven Funeral Home in Rockwall. He also plays in community bands around North Texas. I commend PO3 Compton for his continued efforts to ensure that the sacrifices of our Nation's veterans will be remembered for generations to come.

I am honored to represent PO3 Compton in Texas' 4th Congressional District. It is a pleasure to award him the Congressional Veteran Commendation for his service to our Nation and to the people of North Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Petty Officer First Class Charles Russo of Rockwall, Texas, and award him a Congressional Veteran Commendation. PO1 Russo honorably served in the United States Navy during the Gulf War and Global War on Terrorism.

PO1 Russo has always been drawn to a career in public service. He began his Navy career in 1990 onboard the USS Wisconsin battleship and the USS Papago ocean tug before advancing to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). Here, PO1 Russo worked as an Intelligence Specialist and Special Security Officer with a focus in counterterrorism. Eventually, he was selected to serve as an Anti- Terrorism Force Protection Officer. PO1 Russo's work helped to strengthen and expand our intelligence community's efforts to investigate terrorism. For his exceptional service, PO1 Russo was awarded multiple Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, the Armed Forces Service Medal with ``M'' device, and many others.

After his discharge in 2000, PO1 Russo was compelled to return to public service after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on our Nation. As a Navy Reservist, he was mobilized to assist in constructing secure rooms capable of handling sensitive information. He also had the opportunity to brief the Joint Chiefs of Staff on matters related to the Afghanistan War. For many years after being discharged, PO1 Russo has continued to serve our nation in various capacities. After some time in defense contracting, he became an FBI Intelligence Analyst. In this role, he investigates white-collar crime, researches terrorist explosive devices, and fills intelligence gaps where they are needed. I commend PO1 Russo's lifelong efforts to safeguard our national security and protect those who cannot defend themselves. His selfless service has been nothing short of outstanding.

I am honored to represent PO1 Russo in Texas' 4th Congressional District. It is a pleasure to award him the Congressional Veteran Commendation for his service to our Nation and to the people of North Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sergeant Blaine Klein of Josephine, Texas, and award him a Congressional Veteran Commendation. Sergeant Klein honorably served in the United States Army during the Iraq War.

At the age of 18, Sergeant Klein followed his father's footsteps and enlisted in the Army in defense of our nation. His duties took him across the continental U.S., and later to Iraq and Korea. In Iraq, Sergeant Klein served as a Human Intelligence Collector and managed teams of intelligence sources to strengthen the Army's informational capabilities throughout the region. In one instance, he saved the lives of his teammates who were involved in a rollover accident that put all of their lives at risk. Sergeant Klein prioritized others around him and helped bring them to safety at great personal risk. For his distinguished service, he was bestowed the Army Commendation Medal, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, and many more awards.

After returning to civilian life, Sergeant Klein has continued to positively influence his community while overcoming his service-related disabilities. He is no stranger to helping others. On a number of occasions, Sergeant Klein has stopped to assist those involved in vehicle accidents or medical emergencies. I commend him for continuing to be an upstanding role model for his community and family.

I am honored to represent Sergeant Klein in Texas' 4th Congressional District. It is a pleasure to award him the Congressional Veteran Commendation for his service to our Nation and to the people of North Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lieutenant Amy Burton of Paris, Texas, and award her a Congressional Veteran Commendation. Lieutenant Burton honorably served in the United States Navy during the Afghanistan War.

Lieutenant Burton heeded the call of duty to serve her nation after narrowly avoiding a terrorist attack in Spain that claimed the lives of several American servicemembers. Shortly after this tragedy, she enlisted in the Navy. From 1988 to 2012, Lieutenant Burton provided dental services and training to troops. Her duties took her around the world, including Sheppard Air Force Base, Camp Stone, Afghanistan, and Yokosuka, Japan. In 2007, Lieutenant Burton served onboard the USS Bonhomme Richard assault ship as the Medical Administration Officer. Her efforts helped ensure the troops under her supervision received adequate dental and medical care. For her outstanding service, Lieutenant Burton was bestowed several Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, multiple Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and many more awards.

Following her retirement in 2012, Lieutenant Burton has continued to make a tremendous impact in her community in numerous ways. She worked with her local Department of Veteran Affairs to aid homeless veterans, assist in benefits claims, and provide important workforce training. Lieutenant Burton also volunteers with Disabled American Veterans, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Red River Valley Veterans Memorial to uplift and support those who made sacrifices in defense of our Nation.

Through her remarkable leadership and compassion for those in need, I am confident that Lieutenant Burton has improved the lives of many veterans. I commend her for going the extra mile so that our men and women in uniform will never be overlooked.

I am honored to represent Lieutenant Burton in Texas' 4th Congressional District. It is a pleasure to award her the Congressional Veteran Commendation for her service to our Nation and to the people of North Texas.

Mr. Chair, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall No. 635 and ``aye'' on rollcall No. 636.

Amendment No. 87 Offered by Mr. Ogles

Mr. Speaker, I was sitting here not planning to speak at all, then I heard words from the other side of the aisle. They were flowery, they were eloquent, they had passion, they were articulate, they were powerful, and even moving probably to some.

Nevertheless, were they true?

I heard about protecting speech, the First Amendment, and our beloved Constitution.

Who is not for protecting speech, our beloved Constitution, and the First Amendment?

So does the gentleman from Maryland and our friends across the aisle really believe that?

Then when I heard about slippery slope and setting a precedent, on February 4, 2021, Marjorie Taylor Greene was removed from her committees for things that she said before she was a Member of Congress.

On November 17, 2021, Paul Gosar was censured for a cartoon that his staff posted. A tasteless cartoon though it be, it was speech.

So we are protecting speech, are we?

It is speech that we disagree with, calling the deliberate killing of innocent civilians resistance, claiming a bombing of a Gaza hospital was done by the Israelis that killed hundreds of people when we knew that was not true, and yet Ms. Tlaib doubled and tripled down on that. That was false, and that was a lie. And then repeating and celebrating a genocidal chant ``from the river to the sea.'' That is not a cartoon, and that is not saying some things, Mr. Speaker, that you said before you were a Member of Congress.

Then we were accused of, oh, it is Islamophobic, or it was pointed out that she was a woman of color or she was the only Palestinian.

What does any of that matter?

This is about words and actions, and we hold everyone to the same standard. We are not trying to jail her. We are not trying to expel her. We are not levying a civil fine. We are not even talking about removing her from committees.

We are simply firmly and formally disagreeing with her and chastising her for her words and her actions.

What she did was not leadership. It was demagoguery of the worst kind, and it was beneath the dignity of this office, her office, and the alleged commitment to peace she claims.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment that prohibits funding in this bill from being used to reduce the number of oil and gas leases issued by the Secretary of the Interior.

Americans saw the impact on the global oil supply when Russia decided to illegally invade Ukraine. Of course, we know that Russia is a world exporter of oil. Gas prices rose over 40 percent. It is a world commodity.

Now, with the uncertainty in the Middle East and another war beginning, we are facing more potential energy shortages. This is what happens when we allow ourselves to be dependent on foreign oil.

The fact of the matter is, like it or not, the world consumes 100 million barrels of oil a day. That is not going to go away anytime soon. We put ourselves and our great Nation's security at the mercy of foreign countries' stability, something that we have little to no control over.

This is not only precarious and foolhardy, but it is also dangerous. Despite the obvious dangers and national security pitfalls, the Biden administration continues to cut oil and gas leases in America and forces us to be more reliant on foreign oil.

Since taking office, the Biden administration has gravely undercut America's ability to become energy independent by canceling gas and oil leases continually from even his first day in office until now.

In September, the Biden administration announced they were canceling the remaining seven oil and gas leases in Alaska. For comparison, the Trump administration proposed a plan that included 47 new potential lease sales.

Energy independence is crucial to our Nation's security. Democrats will have you believe we can survive just fine without oil and gas, but that is simply not reality. In fact, I didn't come to work today on my unicorn, and I wasn't talking to my mermaids in my swimming pool, and the leprechaun next door didn't pay for it all. It is just not a reality that we live in right now.

I think many Republicans, including me, are for an all-of-the-above approach--wind where it is practical, solar, and oil and gas, but if we are going to have a serious discussion about zero emissions or reducing emissions in this country, we need to talk about nuclear energy, as well.

I urge my colleagues to help their constituents by voting for lower energy costs and increased national security by voting in favor of this amendment and in favor of American energy production.

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

Mr. Chair, you talk about being an environmentalist, which I honestly think all 435 Members of Congress are, and not throwing partisan bombs, which haven't been thrown right now, but you hear about them in these Halls, unfortunately. Think about what the United States has done in the last 20-plus years. We have reduced our carbon emissions by, now, nearly 25 percent, more than any other Nation in history.

What has China done? They have increased their carbon footprint by 300 percent in that same time.

Why don't we see some of our leftist activists, mostly young people, protesting outside the Chinese Embassy or the consulates.

The United States, as great a country as we are, we are not a planet, and, as an environmentalist, we should be wanting the United States to fulfill the needs of the world.

Again, fact: 100 million barrels a day. How is the wind and solar industry going to be developed? Well, largely based on the energy that oil and gas produce.

In the United States, we have an independent judiciary. We are a rule-of-law nation. We have strong environmental laws. We have an expertise in oil and gas that has been perfected over more than a century.

The fact of the matter is we have to produce oil and gas, and I would rather have the United States do it, rather than Venezuela or a China or a Saudi Arabia, for that matter. I trust our abilities more.

As an environmentalist and someone who wants to protect this Nation and the planet for future generations, my 17- and 14-year-old sons, and, hopefully, their children someday, this is the best path forward.

It is the realistic path forward, and nobody says, because we drill and produce oil and gas in this country, that clean energy can't be developed synchronously. Of course it can, and it has been, but the free markets have to come into play as well to benefit this country and humankind.

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

Mr. Chairman, I think this is a really good amendment. It is common sense, and I believe that every Member of Congress that votes for it will feel better about themselves.

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

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

Mr. Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment that prohibits the use of Federal funds for community-scale ambient air monitoring.

In simple terms, ambient air monitoring is the long-term assessment of pollutant levels by measuring the surrounding outdoor air. Now, on the surface, that doesn't sound like that much of a big deal at face value. However, the EPA already monitors this.

The EPA has extensive systems and sensors in place that monitor air quality and emissions, regulated primarily by the Clean Air Act. Now, that is at the Federal level.

Let's think about this, too. Having served at the State and local level, they can also monitor their air quality, and, in fact, they do. When I was on city council in Frisco, Texas, we had a battery recycling plant in the middle of the city. The city had kind of grown around it.

We took local action. We didn't ask the Federal Government to do squat. We paid $45 million to buy that plant. We closed it down. That is at the local level. I trust folks at the local and State level far more than I will ever trust the Federal Government. The Federal Government has a role in roads, military, and other things, but these kinds of things, I really do trust the local entities.

What is this program doing, if not to be redundant, because this is already happening at the Federal level with the EPA? Simply put, it is another attempt by some on the left to push a Green New Deal and push their narrative that pollution is somehow racist. I have been in these Halls for 3 years, and I learned crazy things. People claimed that COVID was racist, that the weather is racist. Now, maybe pollution is, too.

They are pushing funding for this program so they can send untrained individuals who they choose with unknown equipment to cities they choose to further a narrative that pollution is somehow skewed towards someone's pigmentation.

As I said, I support science. However, there are insufficient guidelines surrounding third-party individuals or groups that would be conducting the air monitoring, the equipment they will use, or even the data matrix that they will utilize, so we would have these untrained individuals doing this monitoring.

It is kind of seeming to me like putting your thumb on the scale and having a predetermined outcome before the testing even takes place.

Democrats want to allow for these untrained individuals to operate this equipment. The Biden administration continues to push nonsense and their radical agenda and fund them with taxpayer dollars, and this isn't acceptable.

At a time when our country is trillions of dollars in debt, I refuse to stand idly by while this administration continues to waste money in this fashion, and there is no justification for allowing Federal dollars for a program like this.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment and to stop the mismanagement of even more taxpayer dollars.

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

Mr. Chair, to my good friend from Maine, I was raised in New England, and Maine is a lovely State.

Again, Mr. Chair, this is already going on. The EPA already does air quality monitoring, and this is an additional program that is simply unnecessary.

I do trust the great people of the great State of Maine. If they want to monitor their air quality at the State level, they are certainly welcome to do so, as well as at the local level, as we did in Texas, and as we took a proactive approach to an issue that was very important to the citizens in the city that I now represent in Congress that I used to represent on the city council.

I, again, have yet a second amendment that, if Members vote for it, they will feel really good about themselves, as my good friend, Matt Gaetz, just told me.

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

Mr. Speaker, I had to leave for a family emergency. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on rollcall No. 547, 548, 549, 550, 551, 552, 553; YEA on rollcall

No. 554, 555, 556; NAY on rollcall No. 557; and YEA on rollcall No. 558.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment that prohibits funding for the Department of Energy's new rule on gas furnaces. It is a regulation that would drastically impact consumers in a negative way, unfortunately.

Under this rule, manufacturers would only be allowed to sell furnaces that convert at least 95 percent of fuel into heat, within 6 years. The Department of Energy is forcing consumers to choose between an electric heat pump or expensive home renovations.

Once again, unelected bureaucrats are gaslighting--yes, pun intended--Congress and the American people about what they can do under the law. Under the guise of improving energy efficiency, as prescribed by the Environmental Policy and Conservation Act, or EPCA, this administration has attacked every single affordable appliance on the market. This gas furnace rule is just the latest salvo. We have been having hearings in the Oversight Committee about just this kind of thing: Are we going to have gas stoves, things like that.

EPCA states that any standard must result in significant energy conservation and be ``technologically feasible'' and ``economically justifiable.''

We have the authority to question the extent of these proposed standards to determine whether they can be construed as both technologically feasible and economically justifiable.

Like many of the home appliances standards rammed through by this administration, this rule falls short of these criteria. The National Propane Gas Association estimates that this rule would impact at least 40 percent of gas-furnaced homes and would remove up to 60 percent of current residential furnaces off the market. Additionally, the Department of Energy estimates affected homes will have to pay $2,300 for renovations plus thousands of additional dollars for actual furnaces.

Propane customers in Texas have already faced a 37 percent increase over the last 3 years, and this administration, quite frankly, should focus on lowering costs and not increasing them.

Agency actions that remove consumer choice operate on the assumption that the Federal Government knows what is best for its citizens, even more so than the citizens themselves. That is why I have always been a big, limited-government person. I trust you, Mr. Chair, more so than I would trust the Federal Government to know what kind of stove or gas furnace you want to heat your home. News flash: You know and the bureaucrats don't.

If we want to have something that severe, it should be legislated. There are 435 of us here for a reason. When we come here, if we want to change the law or create laws, there is a process for that. It shouldn't be unelected, nameless, faceless bureaucrats with that kind of power.

This amendment is a check on arrogant bureaucrats who think that they know best for you, Mr. Chair, many of our constituents, and everyday Americans across the country.

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

Mr. Chair, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.

Mr. Chair, I will not be able to say everything I want to, but I do want to thank my colleague for correcting me. It is not unelected bureaucrats. They are trained unelected bureaucrats. I wanted to thank her for that.

The Department of Energy relies upon modeling techniques within the technical support document, or TSD,

that overstate the calculated climate benefits of reduced emissions in order to justify more stringent energy efficiency standards. They did the same thing, the same rule, with the gas stoves.

The gentlewoman said it is not on some whim, Mr. Chairman. In the rulemaking, the Department of Energy uses random assignment modeling-- that sounds like close to a whim to me--to guess consumer decisions and ignores economic considerations consumers use to make decisions.

The rule states that EPCA is not fuel neutral. This isn't the case.

I have a lot more to say, Mr. Chairman, but we are on a 5-minute limit time, and it is late at night.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life and service of Mr. Henry Lewis Chester of Fort Worth, Texas, who passed away on August 12, 2023.

Mr. Chester was born on April 9, 1948, in Los Angeles, California to Henry Lewis Chester, Sr. and Robbie Lenora Chester. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Army and served in the Army Band during the Vietnam War. After returning home, Mr. Chester attended California State University, Dominguez Hills and later received two master's degrees in special education and rehabilitation counseling.

In 2007, Mr. Chester moved to the Lone Star State and worked as a counselor for the Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Center in Dallas, Texas. He married his wife Darlene, and together, they raised four amazing children and have many more grandchildren. Mr. Chester was very passionate about music, and he often worked as a substitute teacher in the music department at H.F. Stevens Middle School in Crowley, Texas. He also helped supervise band competitions and participated in numerous city bands in the Fort Worth metroplex during his free time.

Furthermore, Mr. Chester was a devoted man of faith. He regularly attended the Greater Saint Stephen First Church and was also a member of the Carter Metropolitan CME Church in Fort Worth. In these churches, Mr. Chester sang as part of a mass choir. He also frequently volunteered at his local food pantries to assist those in need. Those who knew Mr. Chester can attest to his care for family and community, and his loved ones truly cherished every moment with him.

I have requested the United States flag to be flown over our Nation's Capitol to recognize Mr. Chester's remarkable life and service to our Nation. He will be dearly missed by his friends, family, and all who knew him.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment to reduce the salary of Ms. Kelisa Wing to $1.

Until recently, Ms. Wing was with the Department of Defense Education Activity, better known as DoDEA. She was the chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer. As a self-proclaimed woke administrator, she used her authority to promote racist, divisive, and quite frankly, hateful ideology.

In a tweet from September 23, 2020, Ms. Wing said: ``I'm so exhausted at these White folx in these PD [professional development] sessions. This lady actually had the CAUdacity to say that Black people can be racist too . . . I had to stop the session and give Karen the business. . . . ''

If you replace the word ``White'' with any other race or minority group, we would have people from both sides of the aisle clamoring for her immediate removal.

Instead, she continued to serve unfettered for an unbelievable 3 additional years. Moreover, the mission of DoDEA is to provide a high- quality education to the children of servicemembers. This is a position of great trust.

Ms. Wing broke the trust of the American people, our servicemembers, and their children. We should be focused on providing these young minds with a world-class education, not indoctrinating them with divisive, radical, and again, hateful ideology.

Madam Chair, let me take a moment right now to speak directly to the children of DoDEA, and quite frankly, the children across this country, to remind them of a few things.

What you are isn't important. Who you are is everything. Pigmentation is immaterial. It is what is in your heart and what is on your mind that matters.

Further, to be American, it is not an ethnicity, it is an ideal. You want to live your dreams in this country? Work smart, work hard, stay focused, persevere, delay gratification, and constantly improve. In 2023 America, you might just get there, because the secret to your future is hidden in your daily routine. It is not, and nor does it have anything to do with what you are.

Thankfully, I believe Ms. Wing saw the writing on the wall and recently resigned from her position within DoDEA. It is my earnest hope that this amendment sends a message to the American people that racism will not be tolerated.

Madam Chair, I served in the military 30 years ago, and the idea was you would advance on merit and merit alone. It was a meritocracy. We didn't have any tolerance for any kind of isms. I wish we could get back to that and not be promoting Democratic generals or Republican generals, but rather American generals.

In the very building where we work and stand today, the Statue of Freedom, right underneath it are three words: E pluribus unum. Out of many one.

That is a focus that DoDEA should be promoting instead of this awful and, quite frankly, toxic poison.

Madam Chair, I withdraw my amendment, and I urge support for the underlying bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the remarkable history of the Jefferson Highway that runs through Bonham, Texas. This route was America's first north-south intercontinental roadway and was inspired by the east-west Lincoln Highway that connected Times Square in New York City, New York, to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, California.

The Jefferson Highway was first laid in the 1910s as part of the National Auto Trail system and was named for President Thomas Jefferson. Its southern terminus was in New Orleans, Louisiana, and ran through several North Texas cities, including Bonham, before finally coming to a stop in Winnipeg, Canada. It was aptly known as the ``Pine to Palm Highway'' for the types of trees that drivers could find at either end of the route.

In its early years, Bonham residents were fierce advocates for the Jefferson Highway to run through their town to improve automobile access across state lines. In fact, in the Jefferson Highway Declaration in January of 1918, the citizens of Bonham famously declared: ``May Bonham live a thousand years less a day, for Bonham would not care to be on the map should the Jefferson Highway go some other way.''

Over a hundred years ago, millions of Americans took the same highway, drove on the same roads, and pushed the boundaries of innovation to lay the foundations of the civilization that we know today.

I have requested the United States flag to be flown over our Nation's Capital to recognize the importance of the Jefferson Highway

to Bonham and the Lone Star State. As the City of Bonham celebrates its 175th anniversary this year, we should always look to the past every now and then to protect and preserve our Nation's history for future generations to admire.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 100th birthday of Mrs. Ethelyn Szad Bell of Bonham, Texas. Mrs. Bell served in the United States Army Nurse Corps in the Second World War and will turn 100 years old on October 4, 2023.

Mrs. Bell was born in Wallingford, Connecticut on October 4, 1923, to Charles and Gertrude Szad. As the Second World War raged on, Mrs. Bell heard President Franklin D. Roosevelt's appeal to the Nation for additional hospital staff, so she enlisted in the United States Army on March 26, 1945. She completed basic training for Army nurses at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, and set sail to the Philippines with the Army Nurse Corps on the hospital ship USAHS Charles A. Stafford. During this time, Mrs. Bell provided care for wounded soldiers in a tent city within the Philippine jungles. She later transferred to Nagoya, Japan, and tended to American GIs in a converted hospital. For her service and efforts, Second Lieutenant Bell was awarded a citation from President Harry S. Truman, and she was honorably discharged on June 19, 1946.

After the Army, Mrs. Bell worked at the Veterans Administration Hospital in McKinney, Texas. In 1947, she met her husband, fellow Army veteran Charles Bell, on a blind date. They married a year later on October 16, 1948, and moved to Prosper, Texas. Together, they raised 2 children, Tom and Cindy. Mrs. Bell later worked as a school nurse at the North Ward and West Ward Elementary Schools in McKinney until her retirement in 1978. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and visiting casinos. I am honored to commemorate Mrs. Bell today on reaching her centennial.

I have requested the United States flag to be flown over our Nation's Capital to recognize Mrs. Bell's remarkable journey and service to our Nation. May God bless Mrs. Bell as we celebrate 100 years of life and joy.