Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Southern Company and all of the co-owners on their historic accomplishment of Unit 3 at Plant Vogtle officially coming online this week.

Plant Vogtle, located in Georgia's 12th District, is now home to the first newly-constructed nuclear unit in the United States in more than 30 years, with Unit 4 shortly to follow.

Announced earlier this week, Unit 3 is fully operational and will provide 24/7 baseload power to 500,000 Georgia homes and businesses for decades to come.

A project of this magnitude does not come to fruition easily, but the persistent efforts and dedication since 2012 have culminated in what can only be defined as a major win for all Georgians and America as a whole.

Seeing the results of the meaningful collaboration and hard work that made this possible is truly a blessing.

I am beyond proud that Georgia-12 is leading the way in America's nuclear energy expansion; congratulations to Southern Company, Oglethorpe Power Company, MEAG Power, and all involved for this historic accomplishment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4366, the fiscal year 2024 military construction and veteran affairs appropriations bill, which honors our veterans, supports our national security, and cuts wasteful government spending. I say again, it cuts wasteful government spending.

Last November, when the American people entrusted Republicans with the House majority, we made a commitment to a Nation that is safe. Today's legislation delivers on that commitment and ensures the Department of Defense has the resources and facilities it needs to protect our homeland from foreign adversaries.

H.R. 4366 provides nearly $800 million above the President's budget for military construction, including $80 million for the first phase of construction for the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence Signal School at Fort Gordon.

Building a 21st century military is crucial to fielding threats in the ever-evolving cyber environment, and that starts with these critical investments being made at Fort Gordon.

Mr. Chairman, I urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 4366.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the proceedings had during the recess be printed in the Record.

Madam Chair, I rise today to urge a vote in support of the CHOICE Arrangement Act to enhance the flexibility and affordability of healthcare options for small businesses. Competition is the only way to drive down costs.

Democratic policies like ObamaCare have led to consolidation in the marketplace, skyrocketing premiums, and a broken individual health market that costs taxpayers more than $1 trillion a year while covering only 4.6 percent of the population. Make no mistake, Madam Chair, the Federal Government owns healthcare, and there is no private system to compete with it.

As a small business owner, I was fortunate to be able to offer my employees private health insurance without having to send them to the ACA exchange, and I understand how much employers want to be able to offer their employees quality healthcare coverage at a low cost. I guarantee you, Madam Chair, that the business community will figure out healthcare and how to lower costs.

Unfortunately, many small businesses lack the economies of scale needed to negotiate lower prices with insurance companies. This commonsense package aims to reduce administrative burdens and empower small employers to be able to provide healthcare coverage to their employees by removing barriers and implementing innovative solutions like association health plans.

Small businesses and private employers can band together in association health plans to be in a better bargaining position to reduce healthcare costs for their employees. As an original cosponsor of the Association Health Plans Act, I am pleased it was included in the package we have before us today.

This legislation will also expand association health plans by allowing self-

employed individuals to participate in an ERISA-covered health plan.

I was proud to work with Congressman Hern on the Healthy Future Task Force Affordability Subcommittee last Congress, and the legislation we are debating today is a culmination of our hard work. We were able to produce solutions to provide high quality, affordable, and personalized healthcare for workers and their families, as well as innovative policies so more small businesses can offer healthcare benefits.

I am proud to have worked on the solutions included in the CHOICE Arrangement Act which will give small businesses the freedom to focus on serving their customers and employees.

Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, this week I was proud to vote in support of the REINS Act to curb extreme executive overreach.

President Biden and his administration have made a constant habit of sidestepping Congress, the people's House, to enact their radical agenda, costing the American people billions of dollars of their hard- earned money.

Let's take a look at the list: President Biden's student loan bailout, shutting down the Keystone pipeline, banning oil and gas leases, mandating climate risk disclosures, and a radical ESG rule that jeopardizes Americans' retirement returns, all done without the consent of Congress.

In year one of the Biden Presidency, the administration finalized more than $200 billion in new regulatory costs; $200 billion. Even worse, in 2022, the administration proposed more than $1 trillion in new regulations. It is no wonder why we are fighting inflation.

The REINS Act will put an end to the insanity by requiring the House and Senate to approve any major rule before going into effect. It is high time to end the era of Federal overreach in Washington, and this bill does just that.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 1640, Representative Lesko's Save Our Gas Stoves Act. In my wildest imagination, I never thought I would be standing here defending my wife's gas stove.

In nearly 40 percent of households across the country, including mine, the use of natural gas stoves are the preferred appliance to prepare family meals because it is affordable, reliable and, I might add, very stylish. Consumers deserve choice and the right to decide what goes in their dadgum kitchen.

However, the Biden Department of Energy has issued a proposed rule that would impose more stringent standards on the use of a conventional cooking product such as a natural gas stove.

This is ridiculous. This harmful proposed rule is yet another attempt by the Biden administration to push its radical climate agenda on the American people. I am going to tell you, the American people are getting sick of this, the high gas prices and all the other things, like the cost of natural gas today--you can't build pipelines--and this time in the form of mandating what kitchen appliances families can and cannot use.

Mr. Chair, 96 percent of the stove models that the Department of Energy tested failed to meet the proposed standard. If they implemented this rulemaking, it would impact the majority of gas stoves on the market.

Not only would this cause significant market distortions, which is a problem the Biden administration has caused across the entire economic front, but implementing this proposed rule would also increase costs for consumers.

Why, at a time when Americans are facing hyperinflation, would this administration propose a rule that would push consumers to a more expensive option?

That is why I am proud to cosponsor the Save Our Gas Stoves Act, which will ensure that the Secretary of Energy does not implement an energy standard on cooking appliances that would reduce consumer choice. This bill also stops overreach by the Department of Energy.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my constituent, Elijah Ham, upon his acceptance to the United States Military Academy at West Point.

As a future cadet, he will be joining the ranks of the world's most fearsome fighting force--the United States Army--guided by duty, honor, and country.

The service and sacrifice of America's military personnel have safeguarded our Nation since its inception, defending our way of life from Lexington to Normandy.

And throughout our history, American soldiers have demonstrated tremendous courage and strength, beating back tyranny to the ends of the Earth.

I was glad to sponsor Elijah's nomination and I am confident that his talents will distinguish him among his peers both during his time at West Point and thereafter.

Congratulations to Elijah. I know that he will make this Nation proud.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my constituent, Mark Abell, upon his acceptance to the United States Military Academy at West Point.

As a future cadet, he will be joining the ranks of the world's most fearsome fighting force--the United States Army--guided by duty, honor, and country.

The service and sacrifice of America's military personnel have safeguarded our Nation since its inception, defending our way of life from Lexington to Normandy.

And throughout our history, American soldiers have demonstrated tremendous courage and strength, beating back tyranny to the ends of the Earth.

I was glad to sponsor Mark's nomination and I am confident that his talents will distinguish him among his peers both during his time at West Point and thereafter.

Congratulations to Mark. I know that he will make this Nation proud.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my constituent, Katherine Merritt, upon her acceptance to the United States Military Academy at West Point.

As a future cadet, she will be joining the ranks of the world's most fearsome fighting force--the United States Army--guided by duty, honor, and country.

The service and sacrifice of America's military personnel have safeguarded our Nation since its inception, defending our way of life from Lexington to Normandy.

And throughout our history, American soldiers have demonstrated tremendous courage and strength, beating back tyranny to the ends of the Earth.

I was glad to sponsor Katherine's nomination and I am confident that her talents will distinguish her among her peers both during her time at West Point and thereafter.

Congratulations to Katherine. I know that she will make this Nation proud.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my constituent, Seth MacGregor, upon his acceptance to the United States Naval Academy.

As a future midshipman, he will be joining the ranks of the world's most elite naval force, guided by the motto: ``Semper Fortis.''

The service and sacrifice of America's military personnel have safeguarded our Nation since its inception, defending our way of life from Lexington to Normandy.

And throughout our history, American servicemernbers have demonstrated tremendous courage and strength, beating back tyranny to the ends of the earth.

I was glad to sponsor Seth's nomination and I am confident that his talents will distinguish him among his peers during his time at the Academy and thereafter.

Congratulations to Seth. I know that he will make this Nation proud.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my constituent, Brandon Sweitzer, upon his acceptance to the United States Air Force Academy.

As a future cadet, he will be joining the ranks of the world's most fearsome fighting force, the United States Air Force.

Guided by the motto, ``Aim High . . . Fly-Fight-Win,'' the U.S. Air Force is the world's preeminent force in air, space, and cyberspace.

Throughout our history, American airmen have demonstrated tremendous courage and strength, beating back tyranny to the ends of the Earth.

I was honored to sponsor Brandon's nomination and I am confident that his talents will distinguish him among his peers both during his time at the Air Force Academy and thereafter.

Congratulations to Brandon. I know that he will make this Nation proud.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my constituent, Alan Sairany, upon his acceptance to the United States Air Force Academy.

As a future cadet, he will be joining the ranks of the world's most fearsome fighting force, the United States Air Force.

Guided by the motto, ``Aim High . . . Fly-Fight-Win'', the U.S. Air Force is the world's preeminent force in air, space, and cyberspace.

Throughout our history, American airmen have demonstrated tremendous courage and strength, beating back tyranny to the ends of the Earth.

I was honored to sponsor Alan's nomination and I am confident that his talents will distinguish him among his peers both during his time at the Air Force Academy and thereafter.

Congratulations to Alan. I know that he will make this Nation proud.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.J. Res. 45, which would overturn President Biden's egregious student loan transfer scheme.

Our Nation is $31 trillion in debt. We are staring down a debt ceiling deadline due to the President's inaction. Yet, this administration is dead set on enacting costly programs like a massive student loan bailout that will increase the financial burden on those who did not take out a loan themselves.

Hardworking taxpayers will be stuck with a tab of over $300 billion, and $1.4 billion in the 12th District alone, my district. Broken down further, the residents of Georgia's 12th District would

each have to pay the Federal Government an additional $3,527.

To my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, student loan cancellation doesn't make the debt go away. It shifts the cost from the student loan borrowers who made a financial commitment and transfers it to the U.S. taxpayers.

Forcing hardworking taxpayers to foot the bill for student loans they didn't borrow is simply unconstitutional, period.

Democrats would also have you believe that canceling student loan debt would reduce the cost of college tuition.

We can all agree that addressing ballooning college costs is paramount, but studies show increasing subsidies to colleges and universities causes the cost of college to increase. This overreaching plan is going to make the financial burden of pursuing a college degree even more severe.

Overall, the student loan transfer scheme is unfair to hardworking Americans and unfair to future students.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this resolution to overturn the Biden administration's radical student loan bailout.

Madam Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 467, the HALT Fentanyl Act. I am a proud original cosponsor of this commonsense legislation that would permanently reschedule fentanyl-related substances as schedule I drugs. Far too often, we are hearing devastating stories from families across this great country who have lost loved ones to fentanyl-related deaths, and, in many cases, it is our young people.

Only a few milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, which is why it is now the number one cause of death among adults 18 to 49. Deadly fentanyl-related substances are being manufactured by China and the cartels and pouring across our borders into our cities, communities, and neighborhoods.

We must ensure that our law enforcement and Border Patrol officers maintain the authority necessary to seize these drugs. That is why this body must take action.

The HALT Fentanyl Act would supply law enforcement with the tools needed to keep this deadly substance off our streets.

Madam Chair, to put it simply: This bill will save lives. I strongly urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 467.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution which would overturn the Biden administration's reckless and aggressive emission standard for heavy-duty vehicles.

As a businessman, I came to Congress to reduce the size and scope of the government, and this administration's obsessive pursuit of their rush-to-green priorities would simply devastate the U.S. economy at a time when Americans can least afford it.

Democrats' radical spending spree has resulted in three in five Americans saying rising prices are a financial hardship. Our people are hurting, yet the Biden EPA is moving forward with a top-down regulation that will significantly raise the cost of vehicles and any product transported by truck, including food, clothing, building materials, and other commodities essential to life.

In my district, I have many farmers who use heavy-duty trucks. If implemented, this rule would dramatically increase the price of goods and food. We are already hearing that from folks at the grocery store.

Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency put in place emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles sold after 2027. By their own estimates, the new standards would cause vehicle prices to skyrocket.

We are not talking about a small price hike here. It would be an increase more than $2,500 for a Ford F-250 and an increase more than $8,300 for new equipment on semitrucks.

The EPA projects the associated costs of the new regulation could reach $55 billion over the lifetime of the program. I repeat, $55 billion. It would also force many commercial truck drivers out of business. This regulation's cost of compliance is so high that owners and operators of trucks would be forced to leave the market or keep less safe trucks on the road.

Mr. Speaker, America simply cannot afford the wildly out-of-control and out-of-touch priorities from this administration. I strongly encourage a ``yes'' vote on today's resolution to overturn the Biden administration's emission standard for heavy-duty vehicles.