Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, as we all know, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point is not just one of our Nation's elite military institutions of higher learning, it is one of our national treasures. West Point counts many of our Nation's heroes, including generals, astronauts, and Presidents, as alumni.

Throughout my tenure in Congress, I've had the privilege to nominate many of my constituents to our Nation's military academies. Today I honor one of them, Thomas Gary Ward, for being chosen as the President of his Senior Class at West Point.

Thomas grew up in Jasper, Alabama where he graduated from Jasper High School. After first attending the University of Mississippi, Thomas decided that he wanted to attend West Point. I nominated him in 2019 and he was accepted.

During his time at West Point, Thomas has had the opportunity to pursue his passions in public policy, problem-solving, and leadership. In addition to serving as the President of the Class of 2024, he is also a leader on West Point's premier military skills team.

Thomas works with government leaders to encourage and inspire young adults to help solve community issues. He also helps lead various outreach programs that teach high school and college students about the importance of character and ethics in leadership.

Thomas is on schedule to graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in political science and then be commissioned as an Infantry Officer. His first assignment will be with the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado.

The motto of the 4th Division is ``Steadfast and Loyal''--a calling and a creed to those who serve in this division, a combat-ready expeditionary force. From what I know of Thomas, ``steadfast and loyal'' seems a fitting motto for his life as well as his Division.

Thomas is the son of Caroline Ivey and Tom Ward and grandson of Gary and Betty Ward and Elizabeth Rodgers.

I want to congratulate Thomas on his many achievements. Not only is he serving our Nation as a member of our armed forces, but he is also educating a new generation of Americans about how to be the best versions of themselves so they too can serve their communities and our Nation. We all wish Thomas the best from a grateful Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Foxx for the time to speak in support of this legislation today.

This week, a compelling statistic has been front and center of our mind, that 30 percent of all abortions in the United States are performed on 20- to 24-year-old, college-aged women.

You wonder how much of this difficult reality is the result of a harmful external pressure that exists, a lack of resources that may exist, inadequate accommodations, or how often a young woman would have chosen life if she had just been informed of the rights, the resources, and the accommodations that were available to her.

We must create a culture in this country that does not force women to choose between their babies and a college education. This legislation directly addresses this by simply requiring colleges and universities, as has been said here today, to fully inform pregnant students of what is rightfully available to them and how to file a complaint if they have experienced discrimination on the basis of their pregnancy.

It is imperative that our institutions of higher education fully support

women. We can't say it enough. Pro-life is prowoman.

When a student chooses a path of higher education, they deserve our support and encouragement. Being prowoman and being prochild and being profamily is being proeducation and it is being prosuccess.

I thank my colleague from Iowa, who I serve on the Appropriations Committee with, for introducing this important legislation. I fully support it and look forward to its passage today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National Bible Week. I thank Mr. Lamborn, who is not only a colleague but a good friend and someone that I look up to in so many ways, for organizing this important Special Order.

As we come to the end of our first session of this Congress, to say that it has not been a tumultuous year would not be putting it clearly. Right now, we are at the beginning of our Advent season, and there is no time better to pause and reflect on the Founding Fathers' intentions. That is simply to protect Americans' right to worship and practice their faith freely.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that the Holy Bible is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

To be honest, when I came to Washington, I was actually shocked to learn how much the Founding Fathers

looked to Scripture for guidance as they drafted our founding documents. Unfortunately, today, in schools, they don't really explain this. They really hardly even mention it.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues and every American citizen to simply look at what the Founding Fathers had to say about the Holy Bible and just how much the Founding Fathers relied on it on a day-by-day basis, especially as they put together the documents that founded this very Nation that we live in.

During the days following the inception of this Nation, most people would be surprised to learn that this body, the U.S. Congress, authorized the publication of Bibles.

The Holy Bible is a firm foundation on which we can build our lives, filter decisions through, be encouraged by, and seek guidance from.

Let me say, from my personal standpoint, as an individual who is imperfect but who made a decision to trust Christ Jesus at a young age, and as someone who tries to look at Scripture on a daily basis, we need to continue to lean into God's Word as we seek to do the good work for the American people, grow in our faith, and contribute to a culture of renewed light in this Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 5894, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise in support this morning of H.R. 5894, the FY 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and related agencies bill.

This is my first year as chair of this very important subcommittee, and I am proud to be able to support programs that touch the lives of literally every American in one form or fashion.

Our Nation remains mired in high inflation, which was only worsened by the massive infusion of government spending, both during and immediately after the COVID pandemic. I have said on numerous occasions that inflation is a tax on every single American. Moreover, it is a tax borne disproportionately by low-income Americans.

We cannot continue to make our constituents pay for our reckless D.C. beltway spending. At some point, we must stop the out-of-control spending spree that we have seen over the past 2 years. This bill that is before the House this morning represents a clear first step toward returning to fiscal responsibility while at the same time ensuring that funding for critical and high-priority functions are maintained.

Yes, the bill before us today reflects the challenges in achieving deficit reduction solely through reductions in discretionary spending. To be honest, a $60 billion cut to social spending programs in this bill requires scrutiny and priority setting.

Over 50 programs are proposed for reduction and another 60 programs are eliminated. Most of those that are eliminated are unauthorized or they have expired authorizations. Title I grants to States are cut by almost 80 percent, or more than $14 billion.

While title I grants do support school districts everywhere, including rural districts and the districts back in Alabama that I represent, these funds disproportionately support big city public schools, those same public schools that failed to educate the most vulnerable children that were entrusted to them by closing their doors for almost 2 years during the pandemic.

It is estimated that over $20 billion in unspent funding still remains available from those funds that were provided during the pandemic to these schools. Until this funding--over $21 billion--is drawn down and used responsibly, the Federal Government should not continue to make further investments in these failing schools.

At the same time, the priorities of this bill are biodefense, programs that support rural America, targeted education programs, including those for children with special needs and congressional oversight responsibilities.

The bill also maintains support for Pell grants and language to ensure borrowers can quickly resume payments of their student loans following the recent Supreme Court decision.

Other programs for certain vulnerable populations, such as Americans with disabilities, older Americans, and foster children, are maintained at current levels.

Childcare block grants, which provide vouchers for families to choose childcare settings of their choice, are maintained at $8 billion.

In response to this administration's executive branch overreach, this bill prohibits funding for programs focused solely on diversity, equity, and inclusion. It eliminates funding for Planned Parenthood and other controversial grantees. It also protects religious freedom and values by stopping the administration's regulations that would require schools to allow biological boys to compete against girls in women's sports programs and prohibiting any Federal funding from going toward enforcing gender identity politics or social, hormonal, or surgical interventions to look like the opposite sex.

The bill prohibits funding for controversial ideologies like critical race theory. These radical views do not belong in public schools. Schools should be teaching our children how to think, not what to think.

The bill maintains the longstanding Hyde amendment to ensure that taxpayer funds are not used for abortion on demand and that no one is forced to participate in an abortion or refer for one under any Federal program.

The bill also makes sure that taxpayer funds are not used to circumvent State laws restricting abortion and also ensures that Federal research funds are not used on human fetal tissue obtained from an elective abortion.

Furthermore, the bill before us also includes provisions preventing this administration from moving forward with job-killing regulations that relate to independent contractors, joint employer status, and federally forced wage rates for agricultural workers. The administration's regulatory agenda is stifling small businesses, which should be an incubator for innovation.

To protect against man-made pandemics, the bill prohibits any funding from going to EcoHealth Alliance, the Wuhan Institute of Virology, or any lab located in Russia or China. The bill also prohibits funding from being used for any gain-of-function research, which was being used on bat coronavirus prior to the COVID pandemic, and it prohibits enforcement of the CMS COVID vaccine mandate on healthcare workers.

In closing, Mr. Chairman, in addition to thanking everybody that has had a part in this, I want to say a special thanks to the chair of our committee, Chairwoman Granger, and also my fellow subcommittee members and their staff. I certainly also thank the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee staff on both the Democrat and the Republican side, as we have had to work through this bill over the last several months. I just appreciate everyone's hard work and input as we have moved forward on this.

Mr. Chairman, I look forward to the debate today, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Carl).

Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of these remarks from my friend and colleague from Alabama (Mr. Carl).

Hospitals in Alabama and, really, across the Nation are facing financial pressure because of healthcare disparities created by a specific Medicare regulation called the Medicare area wage index, as Mr. Carl just mentioned.

The wage index system is broken. It is punishing cost-effective hospitals in so many rural areas. Despite increases in labor costs, the wage index in these States consistently decreases over the years, and the decline is projected to continue.

I thank the gentleman from Alabama for raising this issue here today. Although this is primarily under the jurisdiction of the authorizing committees, I am proud that this bill includes provisions drawing attention to this very important issue.

I hope that, moving forward, Congress can work to address this long- broken system, which is continuing to create serious challenges for our rural hospitals and their communities.

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

Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Steube).

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

Mr. Chair, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Ciscomani), a member of our Appropriations Committee that has been very helpful on this bill that is before us today.

Mr. Chair, I thank Mr. Ciscomani for his comments. As we move forward with this bill, I look forward to working with him, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

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

Mr. Chair, pursuant to House Resolution 864, I offer amendments en bloc.

Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Murphy).

Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Harris), the chair of Subcommittee on Agricultural and also a member of our Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services.

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

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

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. today.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 1 o'clock and 1 minute a.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until today, Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at 9 a.m.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for the time to speak on this.

Mr. Chair, I do rise in opposition to the amendment. I thank my colleague, Mr. Diaz-Balart, for his leadership on this bill.

While certainly I don't think any of us want to send American dollars to terrorists, I do think this amendment would effectively prohibit financial assistance that is key to protecting religious minorities in Iraq.

The United States has long been committed to the principle of promoting religious freedom around the world, and our support for Iraq for this purpose is no exception.

As drafted, the amendment before us would eliminate critical assistance to religious and ethnic minorities, including the Christian Chaldeans, and Assyrians, who have been victims of ISIS extremism and genocide.

These people have suffered unspeakable harm in the name of their religious beliefs and, quite honestly, their Christian beliefs, and they need our assistance.

Mr. Chair, I would encourage my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I am in strong support of H.R. 734, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which I am proud to cosponsor. I thank the Congressman from Florida, Mr. Steube, for his leadership on this effort.

Over 50 years ago, Title IX was enacted to level the playing field, and ensure that women and girls were given fair opportunities to participate, perform, and achieve in education. One of the primary areas that has been impacted by this law is in the area of women's sports. Since then, female participation in sports has increased by 1,057 percent at the high school level, and 614 percent at the postsecondary level.

Women and girls deserve the confidence of stepping up to the plate, onto a field, into a court, or on a track, knowing that the competition will be rule-bound and fair and that their safety has been prioritized. They deserve to have confidence that they are fairly competing against another biological woman.

And most of all, they deserve the chance to be champions.

The actions of the Biden Administration have entirely sacrificed equality in the service of their political agenda; and today I hope my colleagues will join me in voting in favor of this legislation, and restoring the soul of Title IX, that has given so many women and girls life-changing opportunities.

Madam Chair, when a mother or a father drops their child off at school in the morning, they should not have to wonder what that child will hear, read, see, or learn that day. Families should feel confident in the American education system, and when they sense that there is a problem, they deserve the right to have a voice, and for that voice to be heard.

Parents deserve the right to know what is being taught. There are too many classrooms in America that take time away from reading, science, mathematics, and arts; and give that time to inappropriate, age- inappropriate explicit sexual education, historically inaccurate critical race theory, and fluid gender ideology.

Parents are the ones most invested in their child's education--you will not find someone with more stake in--or more long-term influence on--the success of a child, and research continually shows that parental involvement yields measurable and consistent success.

Furthermore, it is our most vulnerable students who often suffer the most when schools focus on agendas other than academic success. Minority and lower income children are too often trapped in under- performing schools, vulnerable to the ideological agenda of the left infiltrating their curriculum and falling victim to the education establishment's monopoly system.

This important legislation directly identifies and protects the rights that parents inherently hold.

As Chair of the House Values Action Team, as a Representative for the Fourth Congressional District of Alabama, and most importantly, as a father of two, I support the Parents Bill of Rights and urge its passage. This legislation matters, because children matter, and parents matter.

Mr. Speaker, I come to you tonight, as a lot of my colleagues are doing, recognizing the 50-year anniversary of the very flawed decision of Roe v. Wade.

Although the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, we cannot forget the lives that were lost during those almost 50 devastating years. The lives lost during the Roe era must serve as a reminder of why we continue to fight for life.

I have said before, and I will continue to say, that I am pro-life, I am pro-family, and I am pro-child.

In the wake of the Dobbs decision, many States, like my home State of Alabama, have taken steps to protect the unborn. However, there is more work to be done when it comes to protecting the lives of the innocent.

Just last week, the annual March for Life took place here in Washington, D.C., as has already been mentioned. Instead of marching on the Supreme Court, thousands of pro-life advocates marched on Congress. They know our work isn't finished, and they are calling on Congress to do our job to protect life.

I am proud to see that pro-life measures have already passed the House with bipartisan support in this new Congress. Also, I look forward to continued bipartisan efforts to protect the most vulnerable among us, and this should be, Mr. Speaker, a bipartisan issue.

This anniversary serves as a solemn reminder of the tragic losses as a result of Roe v. Wade, but it also serves as a reminder that the fight for life is not over.

I also thank Mrs. Fischbach for her leadership in organizing this hour to uphold the sanctity of human life.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Mr. Steve Foshee on his retirement from Tombigbee Electric Cooperative and to acknowledge the great contribution he has made to improving the lives of people not only in northwest Alabama, but across the State as well.

Mr. Steve Foshee is retiring after spending the past 25 years as president and CEO of the Tombigbee Electric Cooperative in Hamilton, Alabama. Tombigbee Electric Cooperative provides electricity to thousands of homes in Marion, Lamar, and Fayette Counties.

Steve was born in the 4th Congressional District in Marshall County and graduated from Douglas High School in Douglas, Alabama. He then went on to Auburn University where he received both a bachelor's and master's degree. He then began work for the Farm Credit System in Northwest Alabama in 1981 where

he served as regional vice president until 1987.

In 1987, Steve began his long career serving in the electric utility sector as he took the helm of Cullman Electric Cooperative in Cullman, Alabama. He served as the general manager there for over a decade.

In 1998, he began his long and highly successful career as president and CEO of Tombigbee Electric. In 2017, under his leadership and foresight, Steve led the effort in Tombigbee offering high speed internet services and created Tombigbee Communications. It was there that Steve took on double duty, also serving as its president and CEO.

Under Steve's guidance, Tombigbee Communications has truly become a regional and national leader in providing reliable, high-speed internet to thousands of rural homes under the name of Freedom Fiber. One of their slogans is, ``speeds so fast, even big cities are jealous.'' This is all because of the great leadership and vision Steve Foshee had for providing this service to people, who for decades, have been cut off from service.

Steve has been married to his wife, Libby, for more than 40 years. They have two adult children, Josh and Caleb Foshee and two grandsons, Luke and Jack Foshee.

Again, I congratulate, as well as honor, Steve Foshee on his career and his leadership in the State of Alabama that has had such a positive impact on so many people. I wish him and his family all the best in his retirement.

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, for yielding.

As I have said before and will continue to say, I am pro-life, pro- family, and pro-child. I am very proud to see that one of the very first pieces of legislation that comes before this Congress and the new majority is protecting the vulnerable. That is something I have always stood up for since my first time here in Congress.

It seems like there is some confusion, especially on the other side of the aisle, Madam Speaker, about what this legislation is about. This legislation is very simple. It simply states and ensures that babies who survive an abortion receive care and protection and that they are not discarded because someone else had intended to end their lives. It prohibits healthcare practitioners from turning a blind eye to abortion survivors.

No matter the intent of what you believe about life, failure to care for an unborn child is infanticide, and the law must be enforced.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to remember that the last time we voted on this bill, there was bipartisan support, and I ask again for support of this commonsense, lifesaving legislation.

Madam Speaker, I am in strong opposition of H.R. 8404, the so-called Respect for Marriage Act.

I remain steadfast in my longstanding belief that marriage, as has been the tradition in this nation and around the world, is between one man and one woman.

To my colleagues who may be swayed by the inadequate attempts made in the Senate to increase religious protections in this flawed piece of legislation: The changes simply do not do enough to protect those that could face the harmful effects of this bill.

The overly vague provisions of this bill leave far too much to be interpreted and decided by the courts. We, as Members of Congress, should be compelled to protect the religious freedom of Americans and should not leave this cornerstone of our Constitution to the whim of the courts.

``Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . .''

In passing this bill, our government IS making a law that prohibits the free exercise of religion. These are not just words. They are fundamental to our country and who we are as a people.

Moving forward, court cases concerning private entities exercising their religious freedom, much like cases heard this week at the Supreme Court, will face new challenges. They will now be litigated under the rubric of a national policy in which the court could interpret someone not recognizing same-sex marriages, or even abstaining from providing website design services for a same sex marriage, as akin to racial discrimination.

This bill goes far beyond the protection of same-sex marriage. Instead, it exposes private entities to government discrimination based solely on their deeply held religious beliefs.

I urge my colleagues to join me in voting no on this legislation before us today.

Mr. Speaker, it is great to be here today to recognize National Bible Week and, especially, along with my colleague, Doug Lamborn from the great State of Colorado.

I appreciate his willingness to organize this this evening and to call attention to a book that has had more impact on world history than any other book I think that has ever been written.

I just want to say that here in this Chamber we are reminded, as we look around, of the influence the Bible has had. I look around the room here and see the reliefs of many lawgivers that were depicted around the top of the ceiling that shows that there were men over the ages that have contributed to the making of laws; and it is, of course, to remind us of what our job here is, to make great laws.

But what strikes me is the one that is over the main door that leads into the House Chamber here in the Capitol, and that is a relief of Moses. The relief of Moses that is behind me is different from the other reliefs there. He is neither looking to the left nor to the right. He is looking straight down, actually, on you, Mr. Speaker.

I don't think it is any coincidence when they designed this room that they had that in mind; that Moses was the great lawgiver because he gave the laws that came from God.

Of course, above the Speaker's chair are the words ``In God We Trust.'' So it is on and on throughout the Capitol building itself you see--we remember that the Bible has such a significant part.

But there is one painting here in the Capitol building that I want to call your attention to, in closing, that a lot of people don't really think about, and that is the signing of the Constitution.

They have seen this painting, but it is here just a few steps from where I stand right now, and it was painted in 1940. The artist was commissioned to design a painting showing the signing of the Constitution in Philadelphia.

In that painting you will see several of the delegates, and most of the delegates are actually depicted in that particular painting. In that particular painting, you have George Washington that is presiding over the signing of the Constitution. You can see Ben Franklin prominently depicted there, and several other of the Founding Fathers that you can see depicted.

But on the far right, at the bottom, you will see one of the delegates there, who was Delegate Robert Morris from Pennsylvania. Unless you look closely at that painting, you may not notice, but he has his elbow on the table and right beside his elbow is a book that is open.

If you are like me, you may have passed by that painting on many occasions but never noticed what that book was about because you just think it is maybe some law book that was open there during that particular time.

But quite honestly, if you look closely at the painting, you can see that it says, ``Saint Matthew, Chapter 5.'' I can't help but believe that during the discussions that day, when they were drawing up the Constitution and signing it, that that particular book of the Bible had a very significant impact, importance upon the discussion that was made there.

Because of that, I have read through Chapter 5 of Matthew and tried to really sort of figure out what it is that maybe they were talking about that particular day. But I can only guess that one of the verses in Chapter 5 that they may have been paying attention to in particular was the verse that says, don't hide your light under a bushel, and let your light shine before men.

They wanted the United States of America to be a light to the rest of the world. They wanted it to be a city on a hill that would not be hid; and that is exactly what I believe that our Nation has done over the last 250 years.

So Mr. Speaker, it is great to have a chance to talk about the Bible, National Bible Week, and I congratulate my colleague, Congressman Lamborn, for his work here. I thank him for us being able to draw attention to this book that has really changed the life of so many and, literally, millions of people around the world.