Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, this week, we celebrate National School Choice Week. Every child and family is unique in their own way, and when it comes to learning, it is no different. National School Choice Week shines a bright spotlight on effective educational options for children.

At the heart of our American values is the belief that we can all pursue happiness through hard work and dedication on the path to achieve the American Dream. This path starts at a young age, and school choice empowers parents and families to choose the best educational environment for their child, ensuring that the American Dream can become a reality.

In the town of Dublin in my district, school choice starts in elementary school where students are encouraged to find their passions early on and are provided with the tools to succeed. And it has worked. Dublin City Schools have a 90 percent graduation rate, with Dublin High School reaching almost 97 percent.

As a proud school choice supporter and member of the House Education and Labor Committee, I look forward to continuing my work highlighting the effect of school choice in Georgia and throughout the Nation.

``To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Section 9:

``The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.

``The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.

``No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.

``No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken.

``No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.

``No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another: nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay Duties in another.

``No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.''

Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Smith for organizing this Special Order today.

Madam Speaker, every year, hundreds of thousands of individuals from all over the country come together for the annual March for Life, marking the Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade.

As a strong advocate and believer in the Word of God, I believe it is my duty to stand up for those who cannot defend themselves and lend my voice to those who cannot speak for themselves.

Psalm 127:3 says: ``Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.'' That is exactly what they are, a gift from God that should be cherished mightily.

We must do more in this body to fight for the life of these children. I, myself, have cosponsored and supported pro-life bills, but we must bring them to the House floor and always ensure that pro-life priorities are included in any relevant bill we pass.

I am proud to be an advocate for life and a fighter for the unborn, just like the thousands of men and women and children who will be marching along the streets of Washington, D.C., tomorrow. I thank them for their commitment to this important cause.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her efforts in organizing this Special Order this evening.

As we continue to fight for the safety and security of our fellow Americans, I want to highlight safety and security because that is our number one role in this country. Madam Speaker, I rise tonight with many of my colleagues to address the significance of this crisis we are facing on our southern border.

Just last week, President Trump addressed the Nation from the Oval Office for the first time about the importance of border security and mentioned the devastating story of Robert Page, who was violently murdered by an illegal immigrant in my home State of Georgia. A 76- year-old grandfather's life was needlessly cut short at the hands of an individual who was in our country illegally.

There are far too many families in our country who are coping with tragic losses like this as a result of insufficient border security. The bottom line is, whatever we are doing for border security, it is not working. We must do more.

That is not to mention the illegal drugs that are coming into the United States. As the President mentioned in his letter to Congress, 300 Americans are killed every week from heroin, and 90 percent of that heroin comes across that southern border. This is a humanitarian and national security crisis, and it must be addressed immediately, and it must be done properly.

We are supposed to be a nation of laws. How can we stand by and let lawlessness continue?

I ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to keep the best interests of the American citizens in mind as they continue to deny funds for commonsense solutions to this growing crisis.

It is this body. It is the United States Congress that appropriates funds. Then it is sent to the President. I say this: Congress, appropriate the funds. Let's build a wall. Let's send the bill to the President and reopen this government.

With an average of 60,000 illegals a month on our southern border, our law enforcement professionals must have the additional resources to successfully execute their jobs and keep the American people safe.

From the day President Trump announced his candidacy, he made it clear that border security was a priority and his administration has been built on promises made are promises kept. I can tell you that the good folks in Georgia's 12th Congressional District want to secure our border with a

wall. We want to do it the right way. We must stand behind our President. The security of our Nation depends on it.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great joy that I rise today to recognize and celebrate the life of my 13th grandchild on his first- month birthday.

On November 7, 2018, my family and I welcomed Richard Wayne ``R.W.'' Allen II, my namesake, into our family. Of our 13 grandchildren, R.W. is our fourth grandson. I am truly humbled that my fourth grandson was named in my honor.

Robin and I are the proud parents of four wonderful children, and our only son, Andy, and his wife, Betsy, are now the parents of R.W. and his older sister, Elsie, who is named after my mother.

Andy is a foreign service officer with the State Department, and right now he and his family are living here in Washington and training for his next assignment. I cannot put in words how happy we are that Andy, Betty, Elsie, and R.W. are here with us in D.C. as we celebrate this addition to our growing family.

My prayer for R.W. is he will grow strong in his faith and personally experience the mercy, grace, peace, and love of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the conference report to H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018.

Facing a nearly 50 percent decline in net farm income over the past 5 years, our Nation's farmers and ranchers have had their backs against the wall for far too long.

Today, we have an opportunity to right that ship, to secure a brighter future for our producers, rural communities, and American consumers.

As a member of the farm bill conference committee, I am confident that the agreement we have reached will strengthen the farm safety net and provide a sense of certainty and flexibility for those who feed and clothe our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, we have been working on this legislation since I came to Congress, and I would like to thank Chairman Conaway and the entire House Agriculture Committee for their work.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2, to reinvigorate rural America.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman so much for this opportunity to come talk about someone we have talked about for some time now, but we could talk about him for a very long time.

It is with a heavy heart that I rise this evening, along with my colleagues, to recognize the life and legacy of a true American statesman and patriot, our late President George H.W. Bush.

My association with President Bush was through my hometown of Augusta, home of the Masters Tournament, founded by the greatest amateur golfer of all time, Bobby Jones. The Walker Cup, played by teams of the best amateur golfers from the United States, Great Britain, and Ireland every 2 years, was named after President Bush's grandfather and his namesake.

I got to know President Bush. He was the first honorary chairman of the First Tee organization. The sole purpose of the First Tee organization is to give those young people who do not otherwise have the economic means to play the game of golf the opportunity to play this great game. President Bush was also only one of two Presidents to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

He led a life of utmost distinction, and the family and friends he leaves behind will always cherish the valuable time spent with this American hero. As he is reunited with his wife, Barbara, and daughter, Robin, in Heaven, we will continue to learn by his example always. Those young folks who are playing golf now and learning those values much appreciate it as well.

Rest in peace, Mr. President.

Mr. Speaker, it is indeed a pleasure to rise here tonight with my friends and colleagues in recognition of National Bible Week, which we celebrated last week during the Thanksgiving holiday.

It is my privilege to stand in this chamber tonight, as God has led me to be here to tell you what the Bible means to me and the impact it has had on the history of this Nation.

Throughout our country, we are seeing a distinct level of division that is evident in this very body and all across our land.

In Exodus, God created the law, the Ten Commandments, and instituted a government to carry out the law, saying: ``Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly . . . Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you.''

Right now, I am looking at the face of Moses over the entry to this House chamber.

Government was instituted by God for one purpose: to restrain evil and promote good.

We must ensure that in this body and throughout our government, that we are always working toward this purpose.

Mark 3:24 says: ``If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.''

During trying times and always, we must turn to the word of our God and trust that He will lead us on a path to righteousness, as the truth can always be found in our faith in Him. And, my fellow Americans, the truth shall set you free.

One of the first Scriptures I memorized was Joshua 1:8. It says: ``This book of the law,'' the Bible, ``shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.''

I have prayed over this scripture and believe all who pray and follow the word of the Lord will be granted all the wonderful promises God has made through His word, like He has done with me and as He did with Abraham in Genesis 15:6: ``Abraham believed the Lord and he credited it to Him as righteousness.''

As I have traveled Georgia's 12th District, I remind folks that we are all just stewards of what God has given us and we must be obedient to God's word to keep it.

Psalms 24:1 tells us: ``The Earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.''

Everything belongs to God.

We must ask for God's blessing and protection. It says that in the Bible.

As we enter the Christmas season, we must all remember the importance of this day as we celebrate the birth of the savior of the world.

Earlier this year, the late Billy Graham lay in honor in our Capitol. I have read his inaugural prayer as a reminder every week for the past 16 years. I would like to share it with you now.

``Our Father and our God, Thou hast said, `Blessed is that Nation whose God is the Lord.' We recognize on this historic occasion that we are `a Nation under God.'

``We thank Thee for this torch of faith handed to us by our forefathers. May we never let it be extinguished. Thou alone hast given us our prosperity, our freedom and our power. This faith in God is our heritage and our foundation.

``Thou hast warned us in the Scriptures, `If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?'

``As George Washington reminded us in his farewell address, morality and faith are the pillars of our society.

``We confess these pillars are being eroded in an increasingly materialistic and permissive society.

``The whole world is watching to see if the faith of our fathers will stand the trials and tests of the hour.

``Too long we have neglected Thy word and ignored Thy laws. Too long we have tried to solve our problems without reference to Thee.

``Too long we have tried to live by bread alone. We have sown to the wind and are now reaping a whirlwind of crime, division, and rebellion.

``And now with the wages of our sins staring us in the face, we remember Thy words, `If my people who are called by my Name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.'''

My fellow Americans, this prayer was offered on the inauguration 49 years ago.

As I talk to you at this time, our Nation, many have told me that we are at a crossroads.

My prayer is this: that God has given us His word, and as far as me and my household, we shall worship the Lord.

Thank you and God bless you.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership on this important bill.

Yes, I came from the small business world. Let me tell you, in my district, the small businesses are back, and I am proud to support tax reform 2.0, legislation that will build upon the tremendous success of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that was signed into law last year.

After 31 years under an old, outdated, and burdensome Tax Code that stifled our economy and plagued our job creators, America simply needed a change. I am happy to say that we delivered on our promise of comprehensive tax reform to the American people, and we are seeing new levels of economic growth and optimism around the country--and we are not done yet.

In the month of August alone, Georgia added over 12,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate fell below 3.8 percent. We are committed to keeping this momentum going.

Tax reform 2.0 will lock in the middle-class and small business tax cuts permanently, allowing families to more easily save their hard- earned money for retirement, helping local businesses promote retirement plans to workers, promoting startup businesses, and much more.

As a cosponsor of tax reform 2.0, I encourage all my colleagues to join me today in supporting this important legislation that will unleash the economic engine that is the American family and small business.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 400.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of former Congressman Jack Edwards, who will celebrate his 90th birthday next Thursday.

Congressman Edwards' service to his beloved country started long before his 20 honorable years as a Representative for Alabama's First District.

As just a teenager, Jack left home and pursued something larger than himself and enlisted in the Marine Corps, where he later earned the rank of sergeant.

Years later, Jack brought his military background to the Halls of Congress with the first wave of Alabama Republicans.

Jack worked alongside five U.S. Presidents during his time in office to ensure that our national defense was funded at the necessary levels, which ultimately brought an end to the Cold War and led to the dismantling of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

But as a fiscal conservative, he never shied away from speaking his mind about ineffective programs that simply needed to go.

Jack, you were a people's champion in these Halls, a wonderful mentor for me, and I can only hope to be remembered as you are. But more importantly, I am honored by your friendship and your continued support. I look forward to celebrating your 90th birthday with you next week.

Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Guthrie for his work on this important legislation.

I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1635, the Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act.

As the father of 4 and grandfather of 12, with 1 on the way, I understand the anxiety that rising education costs can have on our American families.

Students go to school to get a job, not to wrangle with the Federal Government over student loans. With student loan debt climbing to over $1.5 trillion nationwide, we must do more to ensure students are aware of the financial obligations of accepting a Federal student loan.

With over 40 years of business experience, I have applied for loans. I have provided a business plan and proof of performance, showing that I can repay those loans. And, over time, I have done just that.

However, in education, many students and families are not receiving the necessary information about their loans and grants in order to make responsible financial choices. I want students and families to clearly understand that just because the Federal Government will give you a loan, you do not have to take the full amount. The less in loans you take out, the less you have to pay back.

H.R. 1635 addresses the lack of information provided for those taking out student loans. Students and families will now receive counseling every year and detailed loan information so that students have sound decisionmaking tools when it comes to borrowing and repaying student loans.

As cosponsor of H.R. 1635, I was also proud to introduce an amendment that will allow any eligible institution to provide additional information and counseling services to Federal student aid recipients.

In my district, hardly a day goes by that I don't run into a former student who asks me: What am I going to do about this student loan debt? And once I discover the consequences of their decisions, it makes me more supportive of this legislation, so that these young people can understand exactly what they are getting into.

We owe it to these American students to pass the legislation before us today, and I hope that my colleagues will join me in supporting H.R. 1635.

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

Mr. Chairman, H.R. 1635 makes important improvements to ensure that the Department of Education is doing its job when offering loans to our students for their continued education.

Too many young people are coming out of school with a mountain of student loan debt without having understood the full implications of accepting such debt in the first place. Students receiving annual counseling about the obligations of Federal student loans is long overdue.

However, it is imperative that institutions of higher education do their part to ensure that students consider Federal student loans as a last resort. In fact, one of the questions that I asked in a committee hearing is: Does anyone encourage students to work their way through college anymore?

My amendment provides that nothing prohibits institutions from providing additional financial counseling above what is already included in the bill.

When it comes to government-backed loans, the goal of every higher education institution should be to guarantee the success of their students rather than burdening them with debt they cannot repay.

Many institutions are taking steps in the right direction to contain costs, but the higher education community needs to step it up to lower costs to ensure that our students are not graduating with an unreasonable amount of debt and without a plan to pay it back.

The purpose of my amendment is to send a signal to the university system that it should do more than the minimum required by law to ensure students receive meaningful financial counseling.

Mr. Chairman, I urge passage of my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman from Oregon for her support of this important amendment. I urge passage of my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is very refreshing here and a historic day in Congress when we are working together to do something big, and I am just proud to be a part of it.

During my time in Congress, I have traveled the 12th District, visiting many schools, and I have spoken to numerous groups of young students. One question I always ask is why they are getting an education.

Typically, students will respond with a wide variety of reasons, but the answer is to prepare for a job, to build a successful career, to live the American Dream. Oftentimes, a 4-year degree isn't the right fit.

Work is a God-given right, and I believe that young people today have the greatest opportunity to live the American Dream than at any time in my lifetime. I am proud to say that I helped create legislation that prioritizes these in-demand job skills and education.

H.R. 2353, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, does a lot of great things. But as a small-business owner, I made sure, during the drafting process, that this legislation would bridge the gap between the business and education community by finally bringing business leaders to the table to create CTE programs for in-demand jobs in our hometowns.

Thanks to tax reform and deregulation, our economy is booming: 6.7 million jobs are open and available, and the American Dream is right there for the taking.

Mr. Speaker, for far too long, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have advocated for a one-size-fits-all approach to healthcare. But as we have learned of the failures of ObamaCare, Federal Government mandates do not work for the American people. They demand choice.

Part of the House Republican's Better Way agenda is to restore the doctor-patient relationship and put patients back in control of their healthcare decisions. That is what we have done today.

I congratulate my colleagues on passage of H.R. 6311. H.R. 6311, the Increasing Access to Lower Premium Plans and Expanding Health Savings Accounts Act, will provide more choice by expanding health savings accounts to help people plan and save for their healthcare needs, while also assessing lower cost healthcare plans.

Instead of paying high premiums, Americans can save their hard-earned money in tax-favored health savings accounts. It also delays ObamaCare's tax on health insurers for an additional 2 years, providing relief from the premium increase caused by the tax itself.

Simply put, our current healthcare system is failing the American people,

and I believe this reform will lower the cost of care while enhancing competition.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in overwhelming support for the officers who carry out the important mission of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE.

These brave individuals are saddled with the responsibility of facing some of the world's most dangerous and violent criminals, like MS-13 and many who traffic drugs and humans, and others who wish to do us harm.

Yesterday, 35 Members voted against supporting this important area of our law enforcement. Not supporting our law enforcement and ICE is just plain wrong and endangers American lives. ICE ensures the defense and security of the United States through the identification, investigation, apprehension, and deportation of foreign nationals that pose a threat of any kind to U.S. national security.

We are a country of laws, and they must be enforced. I will vote time and again to support these brave officers, and I stand here today to thank them for their service and for the sacrifice that they and their families make each and every day as they keep our communities as safe as possible.