Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in favor of H.R. 23, which would defund the $80 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act or, as I call it, the inflation enhancement act, and thereby defund the hiring of 87,000 new IRS agents, which would, in effect, double the agency.

Nary a one, not one, of my constituents has asked to hire 87,000 new IRS agents, but, in fact, countless have asked if we can hire 87,000 new Border Patrol agents because there is a crisis and a catastrophe on our southern border.

The last thing we want is to double an agency that is already bloated and have them with these 87,000 new agents or, in military parlance, five new divisions to harass, stalk, and otherwise terrorize law- abiding American citizens.

Who is this going to really kick in the teeth? It is not going to be the wealthy or the poor. It is going to be the small business owners and the middle-class, hardworking Americans.

Do you want to start a new Congress and do it well? This is a great bill, and I urge the passing of H.R. 23, the Small Business and Taxpayer Protection Act.

Madam Speaker, it shouldn't be a partisan issue when we talk about the border and border security.

You know what it really comes down to?

It is the United States of America versus the Mexican drug cartels.

In April of this year, we had 234,000 illegal border crossings. It was the worst on record, by the way, only to be exceeded the very next month, in May, by 241,000 illegal border crossings.

Why do I mention this?

Because we don't know who these people are. No one ever talks about the 3.8 million people in the world that are

waiting to come to this country legally, to respect the laws and the rules of the country that they want to become a part of--who are exactly the kind of folks that we want to come here.

Another thing nobody ever talks about is 95 percent of those people are people of color, and they are going to be wonderful people that make America stronger.

The Mexican drug cartels are making, on estimate, $25 billion a year, and now they are charging $4,000 a head for illegal crossings, which adds another $12 billion to their pockets. And we have had 107,000 deaths last year alone to opioid overdoses.

We need to unite as Americans, secure our southern border, and make our country more secure and Americans safer.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 9308 honors former Congresswoman Susan Davis who served in this House for 20 years from 2001 to 2021. She proudly represented San Diego's 53rd Congressional District and became a prominent member of the House of Representatives' Armed Services and Education and Workforce Committees.

She was only the second woman ever elected to Congress in San Diego County and the first to serve more than one term. Prior to her time in the House, she served as a member of the San Diego Unified Board of Education and in the California State Assembly.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 8025 honors former Congressman Martin Olav Sabo, a longtime Representative from Minnesota. The Congressman served 28 years in the House of Representatives, eventually becoming chair of the House Budget Committee.

One of his proudest achievements was putting together a Federal budget and a deficit reduction package in 1993 which later would result in budget surpluses. Prior to his election to Congress in 1978, he served 18 years in the Minnesota State Legislature including serving as house minority leader and speaker.

He passed away, sadly, in 2016 at the age of 78.

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

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I am opposed to this bill for procedural reasons. The House Oversight and Reform Committee's agreed-upon procedures for considering postal naming bills clearly dictate several requirements for such measures to advance through the House. Among those is the requirement that postal naming bills be cosponsored by the entire State delegation before it will be considered in the Oversight Committee, and then they proceed to the floor.

There are very good reasons for these requirements. This is to ensure that the State's collective representation agrees that such a local hero deserves this high honor and the attention of the full Congress.

Unfortunately, this bill is only cosponsored by 34 of the 36 Members of the Texas delegation, which means it is not ready for consideration here today.

Furthermore, this bill has not even been marked up by the committee of jurisdiction in the House Oversight Committee, which means it is bypassing regular order to come straight to the House floor. This is a departure from past precedent and procedure.

Following regular order and past practice on these measures prevents wasting valuable time and resources here on the House floor. There are dozens of other bills that have earned the support of their entire State delegations and have also been unanimously approved by the House Oversight Committee. We should be spending the valuable time on this floor that we have remaining in this Congress considering these other bills that are higher in the queue, some of which were introduced in the first half of last year.

For these reasons, I cannot support H.R. 8203, which breaks with our agreed-upon process.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, again, for procedural reasons, I encourage my colleagues to vote against this bill so we may return to regular order in consideration of postal naming in the naming measures going forward this year and into the 118th Congress.

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

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4899, which honors Neal Kenneth Todd, a former World War II U.S. servicemember and Purple Heart recipient.

At the age of 22, Todd was assigned to the USS Oklahoma as a Navy Fireman First Class, where he was stationed on December 7, 1941, which President Roosevelt, standing right below where you are, Madam Speaker, said, a day which will live in infamy, when the ship was attacked by the Japanese Air Force at Pearl Harbor.

The USS Oklahoma capsized, and Todd's fate was unknown to his family for months. He was eventually pronounced dead. His remains, along with the remains of other servicemembers, were recovered in the months following the attack but did not begin to be identified by the U.S. Department of Defense until 2015.

At long last, on February 11, 2021, Todd's remains were successfully identified and reunited with his brother, Orville, and his sister, Karen.

Todd was laid to rest with full military honors alongside his younger brother, Alfred, who also served in the Navy.

I encourage my colleagues to support this bill honoring an American servicemember and hero who made the ultimate sacrifice for our great Nation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 3825, which honors the late Congressman Ron Wright of Texas, a great American and a gentle soul. Many of us in the House of Representatives today served with Congressman Wright in the 116th and 117th Congresses.

A native Texan, Congressman Wright proudly represented Texas' Sixth Congressional District, stretching from Arlington down past Mansfield toward Corsicana. He kept up rigorous work schedules in D.C. and back in Texas, in his district, and he was fondly received; while simultaneously serving in Congress, he was being treated for lung cancer.

Prior to his election to Congress he served North Texans as the Tarrant County Tax Collector, Chief of Staff for Congressman Joe Barton, and Mayor Pro-Tem of the city of Arlington, Texas.

He was reelected to Congress for a second term in November of 2020 but, sadly, died February 7, 2021, just 1 month into this new Congress.

Congressman Wright was a true public servant, a good friend, and a loyal American. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ellzey), my good friend, a Naval aviator, a former Texas House member, a Southwest Airlines pilot, a great American, and one heck of a flag football player.

Madam Speaker, I encourage all of our colleagues to support this bill honoring a loyal, public servant, and as Representative Ellzey just said, a gentleman and a gentle man, Ron Wright.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I am honored and privileged to award Staff Sergeant Johnny Kirk with a Congressional Veteran Commendation. His service and sacrifice through the United States Air Force exemplify his national pride and embodiment as a role-model citizen to serve the country he loves. Staff Sergeant Kirk is truly an ideal candidate to receive the Congressional Veteran Commendation.

Staff Sergeant Kirk served in the Vietnam War as a weapons specialist where he loaded ammunition and rockets onto OV-10s. He also performed as a spotter in the OV-10s, directing artillery fire and close air support needs. He served a total of fifteen months in Vietnam including twelve months with no leave.

Staff Sergeant Kirk's tour of duty was unexpectedly extended an extra three months. Yet, he maintained his quality of service as a patriot without complaint. To express the sacrifice made, Staff Sergeant Kirk's tour in Vietnam caused him to be classified as a disabled veteran due to Agent Orange exposure.

After discharge, Staff Sergeant Kirk became a CPS investigator and served many years as a CPS Investigative Supervisor. His work in training other investigators has affected every law enforcement agency in Grayson County. In addition, he has taught Texas Family Code and investigation classes at the Grayson County Police Academy.

After retiring from the CPS Investigative Agency after 26 years, Staff Sergeant Kirk has become an ordained Baptist Minister and continues to teach Sexual Assault Prevention classes to the public.

I am beyond honored to have Staff Sergeant Kirk in Texas' 4th Congressional District and am privileged to award such a distinguished citizen for his sacrifices.

Madam Speaker, I am honored and privileged to award Seaman James Murphey with a Congressional Veteran Commendation. His service and sacrifice through the United States Navy exemplify his national pride and embodiment as a role-model citizen to serve the country he loves. Seaman Murphey is truly an ideal candidate to receive the Congressional Veteran Commendation.

Seaman Murphey is a true American patriot who served during the Korean war. He was aboard the USS Seminole which transported many prisoners of war. The ship was considered an attack cargo ship and the Seminole won herself the distinction for being one of the busiest cargo handling vessels throughout WWII and the Korean war.

Seaman Murphey stepped up to the challenge when his country needed him the most. With no complaint, Seaman Murphey entered the Korean war with patriotism and grit. As a Storekeeper, his various responsibilities revolved around maintaining the ship.

Seaman Murphey is a man who has lived a life full of perseverance and the mindset of never backing down from hardships. But maybe most important of all, Seaman Murphey is a true family man, sometimes working two or three jobs at once to support his wife and four children.

I am beyond honored to have Seaman Murphey in Texas' 4th Congressional District and am privileged to award such a distinguished citizen for his sacrifices.

Madam Speaker, I am honored and privileged to award Lieutenant Colonel Dudley Nosworthy with a Congressional Veteran Commendation. His service and sacrifice through the United States Army and United States Army National Guard exemplify his national pride and embodiment as a role-model citizen to serve the country he loves. Lieutenant Colonel Nosworthy is truly an ideal candidate to receive the Congressional Veteran Commendation.

Lieutenant Colonel Nosworthy served in Infantry Leadership Assignments as a Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer, Company Commander, and Battalion Executive. His responsibilities included training soldiers in Civil

Defense Operations for State National Disasters, Deployment for Homeland Defense Missions, and Overseas Contingency Operations. Lieutenant Colonel Nosworthy was vital for preparing and training soldiers to protect our Nation at the State and national levels.

As a Battalion Commander and Regimental Deputy Commander for the 136th Regional Training Institute, Lieutenant Colonel Nosworthy assisted the Texas Army National Guard by training soldiers in professional development and military occupational skills. Lieutenant Colonel Nosworthy also dedicated time and effort towards bettering the State of Louisiana through the Louisiana Army National Guard.

While serving in the Army, Lieutenant Colonel Nosworthy was deployed to Baghlan Province, Afghanistan as a Combat Advisor and Team Chief for a police mentoring team. He served as the Senior U.S. Army Advisor for the province and assisted in training the Afghan National Police in Security Force operations.

Lieutenant Colonel Nosworthy has served his community as a Sergeant with the Dallas Police Department. He also donated his time as an Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 83 out of Rockwall, Texas. As an accomplished Eagle Scout, he continues to promote the ideals of hard work and service to future generations.

I am beyond honored to have Lieutenant Colonel Nosworthy in Texas' 4th Congressional District and am privileged to award such a distinguished citizen for his sacrifices.

Madam Speaker, I am honored and privileged to award Chief Warrant Officer Ralph O'Dell with a Congressional Veteran Commendation. His service and sacrifice through the United States Army exemplify his national pride and embodiment as a role-model citizen to serve the country he loves. Chief Warrant Officer O'Dell is truly an ideal candidate to receive the Congressional Veteran Commendation.

Chief Warrant Officer O'Dell served overseas during WWII in the Pacific Theater. He had the ambition of fighting for freedom and democracy across the world. Specifically, Chief Warrant Officer O'Dell's skill set was on display in New Guinea, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, and the Liberation of the Philippines.

Throughout Chief Warrant Officer O'Dell's 42 years of service in the Army, he served as an Azimuth Tracker where he fired anti-aircraft artillery 40-millimeter guns. In addition to his time on the battlefield, he was a clerk-typist as an instructor in Finance and Personnel.

Chief Warrant Officer O'Dell attended the 4150th U.S. Army Reserve School in Dallas. His expertise was valued by Reserve Units out of Dallas, Waco, and Lubbock.

Chief Warrant Officer O'Dell's time after his military service involves his continued passion to better his community. Organizations such as: Rotary International, Silver-Haired Legislature, Reserve Officers Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and American Legion have all benefited from Chief Warrant Officer O'Dell's knowledge, experience, and dedication.

I am beyond honored to have Chief Warrant Officer O'Dell in Texas' 4th Congressional District and am privileged to award such a distinguished citizen for his sacrifices.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life and service of Daniel Archie Flynn of Van, Texas. Mr. Flynn is survived by his wife Susan, his son Josh, his daughters Tammy and Missy, along with many more grandchildren and great grandchildren

Mr. Flynn's lengthy public service career began as a soldier in the 36th Infantry Division of the Texas Army National Guard during the Vietnam War. In 2005, he joined the Texas State Guard and eventually obtained the rank of Brigadier General, where he later retired,

As a State Representative, first elected in 2002, Mr. Flynn served for nine consecutive terms until 2020. During his tenure, he built an impressive portfolio of legislative achievements, including expanding transparency in State government, strengthening border security, and modernizing the Texas Military Forces. Moreover, Representative Flynn helped secure funding for a new music hall and planetarium at the Texas A&M University at Commerce and procured the property for the Van Zandt County Veterans Memorial site in Canton, Texas. Representative Flynn's work as the Deputy Banking Commissioner of Texas reformed banking code statewide and established him as a leader in the banking industry.

A lifelong worshipper of the Church of the Nazarene, Representative Flynn was instrumental in the construction of several new churches. He served on the Dallas District Advisory Board for over 20 years and was also an active member of the Van Kiwanis and Canton Lion's Club. Likewise, Representative Flynn founded the Van Zandt County Council of Communities.

I have requested the United States flag be flown over our Nation's Capitol to recognize Representative Dan Flynn's extensive contributions to District 2 and the great people of Texas. Representative Flynn will be dearly missed by his friends, family, and colleagues.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to present 1st Class Petty Officer John Edward Page, U.S. Navy with a Congressional Veteran Commendation. His service and sacrifice through the Navy exemplify his national pride and embodiment as a role-model citizen to serve the country he loves. This is a very humble gentleman who is committed to being good to others and honoring his sacred Nation.

During his 10 years of military service in the Navy, 1st Class Petty Officer Page served by operating sonar radar missiles on Naval ships that have contributed to victories on the battlefield and had received many service accommodation awards while in Vietnam. After proudly serving the Navy and defending our Nation, 1st Class Petty Officer Page has been incredibly active in his community and has participated in prominent positions since his exit. This includes his time given to not just work at Texas Instruments in Sherman, Texas, but to come out of retirement to help set up divisions of the company all over the world.

His passion for his community also shines as he will operate on, and repair vehicles for people free of charge, or help those in need through his small property rental business. First Class Petty Officer Page has been more than helpful, he has been life changing for a lot of people in his community and throughout his service.

I am beyond honored to have 1st Class Petty Officer Page in Texas' 4th Congressional District and am privileged to award such a distinguished citizen for his sacrifices.

Madam Speaker, I am honored and privileged to award Chief Petty Officer John Turner Jr. with a Congressional Veteran Commendation. His service and sacrifice through the United States Navy exemplify his national pride and embodiment as a role-model citizen to serve the country he loves. Chief Petty Officer Turner is truly an ideal candidate to receive the Congressional Veteran Commendation.

Chief Petty Officer Turner served in the Navy as a Cryptologic Technician Technical. With such a talented mind in intelligence and cryptology, Chief Petty Officer Turner assisted with airborne, shipborne, and land-based radar signals.

Chief Petty Officer Turner's tenure in the military consisted of time aboard submarines and surface ships in many locations across the world. From Guam, Germany, Japan, and across many stops from sea to shining sea across America, Chief Petty Officer Turner served with no complaint wherever he was deployed.

Chief Petty Officer Turner used his impressive skill set in operating electronic intelligence-receiving and direction-finding systems, digital recording devices, and analysis terminals. American intelligence is the best in the world because of brilliant patriots like Chief Petty Officer Turner.

Since his retirement from the military, Chief Petty Officer Turner has been an active member in the community with active involvement as a Commander in Hunt County Chapter 81 Disabled American Veterans, as a councilman on the Greenville City Council, and as a service officer connecting veteran families to benefits they earned.

I am beyond honored to have Chief Petty Officer Turner in Texas' 4th Congressional District and am privileged to award such a distinguished citizen for his sacrifices.

Madam Speaker, I am honored and privileged to award Private James Scott with a Congressional Veteran Commendation. His service and sacrifice through the United States Army exemplify his national pride and embodiment as a role-model citizen to serve the country he loves. Private Scott is truly an ideal candidate to receive the Congressional Veteran Commendation.

Private Scott served as a Private to Sergeant 1st class in the United States Army. His devout service led him around the world, including deployments in Japan and Korea. With no complaint, Private Scott was drafted during a time of uncertainty and bravely defended the principles of our great Nation against the evils of communism during the Korean War.

Private Scott's responsibilities in the Army gave a massive advantage to the United States. He was in charge of a section that fought the enemy, including backup infantry and anti-aircraft half-attacks. Only special servicemen have the ability to perform such leadership as Private Scott has shown.

Even at the ripe age of 93, Private Scott continues to attend Korean veteran functions and events to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. As a true American patriot, he continues to serve those with pride.

I am beyond honored to have Private Scott in Texas' 4th Congressional District and am privileged to award such a distinguished citizen for his sacrifices.