Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Austin Rhodes for thirty years in broadcasting at WGAC-AM 580 in Augusta.

I have been fortunate to have been a guest on Austin's radio program during my time in Congress and it is a pleasure to recognize him and his hard work in this chamber.

For three decades, Austin's program has brought news and commentary to countless listeners across Georgia and his hard work and dedication have enabled him to cement a lasting legacy in talk radio.

Congratulations to Austin and his entire team over at WGAC on thirty years of the Austin Rhodes Show.

Mr. Speaker, I stand here in disbelief at how Washington is trying to run this economy. That is the reason I ran for office because things were so bad, and it was impossible to grow your business.

I am reminded of what we actually did when we had the House, and the Congress, and the White House. We passed the Constitutional Review Act. Through that act, we got no help from the other side, and then we passed some tax reform to give people more money to invest in their businesses.

Let me tell you what happened. For the first time in my life we became energy independent. For the first time we became an energy power. We had more jobs than people looking for jobs. So what happened now? Joe Biden was the Vice-President when I was elected. He is now the President. All those executive orders he signed stopped everything we did to put this country on the right track.

Mr. Speaker, I am tired of this. I demand immediately that we stop this war on American energy that is driving up costs and stop overregulating our ag producers.

Mr. Speaker, with inflation at a 40-year high and a sluggish economy, attacking workers' freedoms should be the furthest thing from the President's mind.

President Biden's Department of Labor is in the process of changing the definition of an employee to include independent contractors. This would be devastating for the 19 million Americans who currently enjoy the flexibility that comes with building wealth by participating in the American Dream.

Under this change, workers classified as independent contractors would be subject to the same employment-related restrictions as traditional employees. This is an assault on the modern American worker.

Independent contractors were responsible for over 70 percent of the job growth during the last economic expansion before COVID. If we want to spur economic growth, we must remove barriers and allow our workforce to flourish.

Fortunately, my legislation, the Employee Rights Act, would codify protections for independent contractors, shielding them from these overreaching classifications.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my constituent, Rhett Robinson, upon his acceptance to the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

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

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.

A vital part of our Nation's maritime operations, the Merchant Marine's duties are dynamic--transporting cargo and passengers during peacetime and serving as an auxiliary to the United States Navy during times of war.

I was glad to sponsor Rhett's nomination, as his dynamism reflects the mission of the branch which he will soon serve. I am confident that his talents will distinguish him among his peers during his time at the Academy and thereafter.

I congratulate Rhett, and know that he will make this Nation proud.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my constituent, Matalie Miles, 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 Matalie's nomination and I am confident that her talents will distinguish her among her peers both during her time at West Point and thereafter.

I congratulate Matalie, and know that she will make this Nation proud.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my constituent, Zeal Saballa, upon his acceptance to the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

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

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.

A vital part of our nation's maritime operations, the Merchant Marine's duties are dynamic--transporting cargo and passengers during peacetime and serving as an auxiliary to the United States Navy during times of war.

I was glad to sponsor Zeal's nomination, as his dynamism reflects the mission of the branch which he will soon serve. I am confident that his talents will distinguish him among his peers during his time at the Academy and thereafter.

I congratulate Zeal, and know that he will make this Nation proud.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my constituent, Jean Morales-Ramos, 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 servicemembers have demonstrated tremendous courage and strength, beating back tyranny to the ends of the earth.

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

I congratulate Jean, and know he will make this Nation proud.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my constituent, Bryce Davis, 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 Bryce's nomination and I am confident that his talents will distinguish him among his peers both during his time at West Point and thereafter.

I congratulate Bryce, and know that he will make this Nation proud.

Madam Speaker, I'd like to pay my respects to the late J. Roy Rowland, a pillar of our community who passed away on April 25, 2022, returning home to the Lord after 96 years of a life well lived.

Dr. Rowland was born in Wrightsville, Georgia in 1926. He served as a sergeant in the United States Army during World War II and practiced medicine in the middle Georgia area for 28 years.

Dr. Rowland later served his community both in the Georgia state legislature and the United States Congress, representing Georgia's Eighth District from 1983 to 1995, which included counties in today's Twelfth District.

Dr. Rowland was blessed with a servant's heart--a truth known well by his constituents, family, and all who were fortunate enough to call him ``friend.''

Dr. Rowland's passion for service persisted for decades after his retirement from Congress.

Ask any Member who followed him, and they will tell you they often fielded calls from Dr. Rowland seeking assistance with a constituent issue, tour request, or requesting support on a local issue.

Such was his lifelong dedication to the community.

In Galatians 5:13, the apostle Paul calls on us to serve another in love. We serve God by serving others.

Few men have heeded the apostle's call more thoroughly or more happily than Dr. Rowland during his 96 years on earth.

A true public servant, may he rest in peace.

Madam Speaker, I thank the ranking member for her work on this important legislation. In fact, you can't miss it. Above our flag here have the words ``In God We Trust.''

Really?

Our Nation's Founders rightly recognized that every human being has a natural right to religious liberty. This right is so important that, like I said, it is enshrined as the First Amendment to our Constitution.

When language was added to the CSBG program in 1998 to protect the religious character of faith-based organizations, Congress rightly recognized the importance of this fundamental right to religious liberty and the value that religious organizations add to our society. We need to stand by these principles today.

Unfortunately, Democrats do not believe it is important to respect the religious freedom of faith-based organizations to hire according to their religious beliefs or to display religious symbols like a Bible or the Star of David while serving low-income Americans through the CSBG program. The Democrats' removal of this important language--language that has been in the law for over two decades without causing harm to anyone--shines a spotlight on their intolerance of different viewpoints and beliefs.

My colleague from Michigan offered an amendment that would have taken the important and commonsense step to reinstate this longstanding language making clear that faith-based providers should be able to live out their faith while participating in the CSBG program. I was very disappointed that Democrats rejected this amendment during markup and refused to allow a floor vote on it.

All we are asking is that the deeply held religious beliefs of faith- based organizations continue to be accommodated under the law. This approach allows many different viewpoints to exist alongside one another in our diverse country, and it makes sure that faith-based organizations can continue to do the work they do so well, and that is, help low-income Americans.

Madam Speaker, faith-based organizations are important partners to provide vital services, and for this reason I oppose this bill.

Mr. Speaker, this week, the national average cost for a gallon of gasoline hit an all-time high of $4.37. At this rate, American families will spend an extra $2,000 on gasoline this year, on top of already historic inflation.

President Biden has tried to shift the blame on this issue, taking no responsibility for the crisis that he and his administration have created. Let's be clear. This is not transitory inflation. This is not the Putin price hike.

This is what happens when you dismantle American energy independence--a war on fossil fuel. That is what the President has done, and that is why energy costs started rising long before the Russian invasion ever began.

The solution to rising prices is more domestic production. President Biden would rather cling to his Green New Deal agenda than admit that his policies have failed. America is home to an abundance of energy resources. We have the solutions to this crisis right here under our feet.

What we lack is an administration with political willpower to do what is right. Until that changes, we will continue to suffer the consequences of President Biden's anti-energy agenda.

Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 139, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 140, and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 141.

Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress

Adams (Manning)

Bass (Beyer)

Brooks (Moore (AL))

Brown (MD) (Evans)

Brown (OH) (Jeffries)

Brownley (Correa)

Carey (Balderson)

Casten (Foster)

Castro (TX) (Correa)

Cawthorn (Gaetz)

Craig (Pallone)

Crist (Wasserman Schultz)

Cuellar (Correa)

DeSaulnier (Beyer)

Frankel, Lois (Wasserman Schultz)

Garcia (TX) (Correa)

Gomez (Correa)

Grijalva (Stanton)

Hartzler (Lamborn)

Higgins (NY) (Pallone)

Johnson (TX) (Jeffries)

Lamb (Pallone)

Lawson (FL) (Wasserman Schultz)

Levin (MI) (Beyer)

Lowenthal (Beyer)

Meijer (Katko)

Morelle (Jeffries)

OHalleran (Stanton)

Ocasio-Cortez (Escobar)

Perlmutter (Neguse)

Pfluger (Mann)

Price (NC) (Butterfield)

Rodgers (WA) (Joyce (PA))

Ross (Beyer)

Scott, David (Jeffries)

Sires (Pallone)

Strickland (Jeffries)

Suozzi (Beyer)

Taylor (Van Duyne)

Tlaib (Takano)

Trahan (Beyer)

Veasey (Escobar)

Wagner (McHenry)

Waters (Takano)

Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer my most sincere congratulations to Scottie Scheffler for his decisive victory at this year's Masters Tournament.

For 88 years, the world's greatest golfers have traveled to Georgia to play the world's greatest golf course, the Augusta National. Every April, sports fans across the world get a glimpse into the beauty and majesty that Georgia's 12th District has to offer.

This year, after shooting 69 in the first round and 67 in the second, Mr. Scheffler held on to a 3-stroke lead heading into the championship on Sunday.

As he made that walk to the 18th green, there was no doubt Scottie would walk away with that iconic green jacket, something every golfer dreams about.

Thanks to his strong play, he also had the luxury of being able to 4- putt his way to victory, something else that every golfer dreams about. But Scottie shouldn't worry. In the words of past winner Seve Ballesteros, when they asked how in the world did he 4-putt 16, he said: ``I miss. I miss. I miss. I make.''

Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained on April 6th and 7th. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 116; NAY on Roll Call No. 117; NAY on Roll Call No. 118; NAY on Roll Call No. 119; NAY on Roll Call No. 120; YEA on Roll Call No. 121; YEA on Roll Call No. 122; NAY on Roll Call No. 123; YEA on Roll Call No. 124; and YEA on Roll Call No. 125.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 122, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 123, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 124, and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 125.

Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress

Baird (Bucshon)

Barr (Guthrie)

Bass (Beyer)

Bilirakis (Fleischmann)

Bishop (GA) (Thompson (MS))

Blunt Rochester (Williams (GA))

Boebert (Cammack)

Bowman (Evans)

Brooks (Moore (AL))

Cardenas (Soto)

Castro (TX) (Correa)

Cawthorn (Gaetz)

Clark (MA) (Williams (GA))

Cleaver (Williams (GA))

Cooper (Correa)

Crawford (Fleischmann)

Crenshaw (Ellzey)

Crist (Soto)

Cuellar (Correa)

Curtis (Moore (UT))

DesJarlais (Fleischmann)

Deutch (Rice (NY))

Doggett (Beyer)

Doyle, Michael F. (Evans)

Dunn (Salazar)

Frankel, Lois (Wexton)

Gibbs (Carey)

Gohmert (Weber (TX))

Gomez (Soto)

Gonzalez (OH) (Armstrong)

Gosar (Gaetz)

Gottheimer (Pallone)

Granger (Ellzey)

Harder (CA) (Correa)

Harshbarger (Kustoff)

Higgins (NY) (Garcia (IL))

Huffman (Stanton)

Jackson (Babin)

Jackson Lee (Cicilline)

Jacobs (NY) (Tenney)

Johnson (TX) (Jeffries)

Joyce (OH) (Garbarino)

Kahele (Mrvan)

Katko (Moore (UT))

Khanna (Correa)

Kilmer (Larsen (WA))

Kirkpatrick (Pallone)

Krishnamoorthi (Beyer)

Lawson (FL) (Evans)

Letlow (Moore (UT))

Levin (MI) (Garcia (IL))

Long (Fleischmann)

Loudermilk (Fleischmann)

Maloney, Carolyn B. (Jeffries)

McCaul (Ellzey)

McEachin (Wexton)

Meeks (Jeffries)

Mfume (Evans)

Newman (Garcia (IL))

Norcross (Pallone)

Norman (Babin)

Owens (Tenney)

Payne (Pallone)

Pelosi (Velazquez)

Peters (Jeffries)

Porter (Wexton)

Price (NC) (Butterfield)

Roybal-Allard (Pallone)

Ryan (Beyer)

Schiff (Beyer)

Scott, David (Jeffries)

Sessions (Babin)

Sherrill (Pallone)

Simpson (Fleischmann)

Sires (Pallone)

Stansbury (Garcia (IL))

Steube (Donalds)

Suozzi (Beyer)

Swalwell (Correa)

Taylor (Babin)

Thompson (PA)

(Reschenthaler)

Tiffany

(Fitzgerald)

Van Duyne (Bice (OK))

Wagner (Guthrie)

Wasserman Schultz (Soto)

Watson Coleman (Pallone)

Wilson (SC) (Rice (SC))