Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, due to a personal family matter, I was unable to be in D.C. and vote on June 21, 2023.

Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 276; YEA on Roll Call No. 277; YEA on Roll Call No. 282; and YEA on Roll Call No. 283.

Mr. Speaker, due to a personal family matter, I was unable to be in D.C. and vote today. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 285 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 286.

Mr. Speaker, due to a personal family matter, I was unable to be in D.C. and vote on June 20, 2023. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 272, and YEA on Roll Call No. 273.

Madam Speaker, I rise today because we are witnessing yet another attack on the Constitution by President Biden.

As of June 1, due to the reclassification of firearms attached with stabilizing braces, millions of law-abiding Americans are at risk of prosecution by the Federal Government at a time in which trust in the justice system is at an all-time low.

There is no evidence that this rule would make Americans safer. In fact, it makes it more difficult to obtain a safety attachment, putting more lives at risk.

Historically, stabilizing braces were designed for disabled veterans, allowing them to safely participate in recreational shooting.

This is not just a threat to our rights but a direct attack on our veterans, who have selflessly put their lives on the line to protect this great country.

We have seen time and time again that, first, they come for your guns, and then, they come for everything else.

I am proud to have cosponsored this legislation to defend our God- given rights.

Under President Biden, Federal agencies such as the ATF have acted as lawmakers through the introduction of new rules and regulations.

Madam Speaker, it is time to rein in the President and bring lawmaking back to the people's House. I urge all of my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation. The future of America depends on you.

In God we trust.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Rotary Club of Fort Worth, Texas, on their 110th anniversary.

Since their first meeting in June of 1913, the Rotary Club has supported the community in many ways and has enriched the lives of people in the Fort Worth area.

Rotary was founded as a service club for community members from diverse backgrounds to come together to make positive changes in their communities.

Whether it is scholarships to local schools, supporting nonprofits, or providing education and water to impoverished countries around the world, the Rotary Club of Fort Worth has always put service above self.

As a long-time Rotarian and member of this club in Fort Worth, as my father was--Jack Williams--I am proud to congratulate the Rotary Club of Fort Worth for their significant milestone.

I am confident they will continue their exceptional service to the community for the next hundred years. If the Four-Way Test was observed more today, the world would be a better place.

In God We Trust.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for that great introduction.

Mr. Speaker, China is attempting to weaken our country in any way possible. The interference and aggression coming from the Chinese Communist Party pose a significant threat to our families, businesses, and country. The CCP's track record of abusing our financial system is jeopardizing our national and economic security.

H.R. 1156, the China Financial Threat Mitigation Act, requires the Department of the Treasury to report on the risks coming from the Chinese financial sector, along with recommendations on strengthening international cooperation to monitor and mitigate these risks.

Our top priority should always be to protect our Western values and promote the greatest country in the world and the interests of the United States.

My bill is a critical step in holding the CCP accountable for their continued abuse of the financial sector.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation. In God We Trust.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of this energy package. I repeat, in support of this package. This crucial piece of legislation would increase domestic energy production, reform the permitting process, and reverse the Biden administration's anti- energy policies that are crushing our Nation's small oil and gas producers.

As the chairman of the Committee on Small Business, I hear from our small producers about the damage that has been done to their industry over the last few years. The Biden administration's hostile approach toward this entire industry is harming small businesses. They are simultaneously trying to deal with high inflation created by the Biden administration, supply chain issues created by the Biden administration, and an inability to access capital.

Tomorrow, my committee will examine the critical role small business plays in domestic energy production and highlight how this legislation is a step in the right direction. We should be the supplier of, not the buyer of. Let the people decide.

I applaud the Speaker and the chairman and all of my Republican colleagues that put together H.R. 1 to deliver reliable and affordable energy for the American people.

I have something to say to my friends on the other side. Profits--I repeat, profits--are good. In God we trust.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution to repeal the Biden administration's waters of the United States rule.

Since President Biden was sworn into office, the regulatory actions of his administration have cost the private sector nearly $360 billion in compliance costs and an estimated 220 million man-hours in new paperwork requirements. Later this month, when this rule is finalized, these numbers will get even higher.

Yesterday, the Committee on Small Business held a hearing to speak directly with the people who are going to be affected by this damaging regulation. We heard from Ms. Katherine English of Florida, who became a water attorney to ensure her family farm that has been in operation for over 100 years, could continue to thrive. She told us that this rule is so complicated that she will not know if even simple land adjustments on her own private property would open her up to fines from the Federal Government.

We also heard from Mr. Frank Murphy, from the great State of Texas, who develops real estate. He shared that this new rule will cause him to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in redundant environmental reviews and could delay many projects indefinitely.

For any business, certainty is key, and unfortunately, this rule is leaving many people in the dark on if they will be in compliance with the new regulations.

I support this resolution because it is giving a voice to the small businesses that have been ignored by the unelected bureaucrats at the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers. That is why this resolution is supported by over 100 business groups. Congress must act and listen to the voices of Main Street America on how this regulation will kill jobs and damage the American economy.

In God we trust.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I stand today to honor Texas Christian University's 150th anniversary.

In 1873, the Randolph and Addison Clark brothers had a bold vision to create a university that would educate individuals to be leaders for the future with the highest levels of character and responsibility.

Over the years, TCU delivered on that mission and has been a beacon of strong educational values for the world to see. The staff and leaders throughout the years have been instrumental in building a brighter and better future for all Horned Frogs.

As a proud alumnus of the university, I can speak to how vital my experience at TCU was to the rest of my life. TCU may look different now than when I was there in the 1960s and 1970s, but the spirit of innovation, achievement, and a shared sense of purpose have remained the same.

TCU has always embraced our rich history while also looking to what is next. Whether it be campus transformation, expanding our excellent academic programs, or bringing our sports teams to new levels of victory, TCU has always embraced a bold vision for the future.

Today, TCU stands as a world-class university. As the student and alumni community come together to remember our special heritage, may we recommit ourselves to the original mission of TCU and continue to deliver on our success, guided by our faith and passion for the fighting TCU Horned Frogs.

I have no doubt TCU will continue to lead on for the next 150 years.

Riff, ram, bah, zoo. Go Frogs. In God we trust.

Mr. Speaker, let me just ask you this: Are we capitalist, or are we socialist?

I am glad to join my colleagues in denouncing socialism in all forms. Socialism is the greatest threat to our economy and freedom and must be defeated.

Worldwide, socialism has led to the death of more than 100 million people, has forced thousands to flee in exile, and has turned prosperous nations into impoverished and hopeless nations.

Socialism is not winning in America and has no place in our country. We are a nation of opportunity and incentive and because of those principles, we are a nation of hope where everyone can benefit.

What sets America apart from the rest of the world is the drive to reach our fullest potential coupled with a free market economy. It is what makes us the greatest economic engine in the world.

The opposite of socialism is capitalism, and I am proud to call myself a capitalist. Capitalism is about taking responsibility for what you create and making it even greater. It is about going from nothing to going to something. It is about taking risks and getting rewards, not government handouts or freebies.

Capitalism has been the greatest force in the history of our world for lifting people out of poverty, and we must instill this value that we have in future generations.

As a small business owner for 52 years, I represent Main Street America. Let me tell you, Mr. Speaker, the implications of what socialism would mean for our businesses are alarming and scary. Main Street was built by men and women who wanted to swing for the fences because, at the end of the day, there is a desire to dream bigger, to dream bolder, to turn dreams into a vision, and visions into reality.

America must always lead the fight against socialism and communism. We must always defend the principles of the American Dream and ensure our future generations have the same opportunities to build something for themselves.

We must never forget the tragedies socialism has caused for countries around the world.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues--everybody--to support this resolution denouncing the horrors of socialism and opposing the implementation of socialist policies in the United States.

Bottom line: socialism bad, capitalism good.

In God We Trust.

Mr. Speaker, this week, the Vice President traveled to North Carolina to tout the Biden administration's so-called accomplishments in helping our Nation's small businesses.

Well, the American people can see through the Vice President's PR stunt and know sky-high inflation, worker shortages, and supply chain disruptions are nothing to celebrate.

I have been a small business owner for 52 years and still am, and I know these economic headwinds job creators are facing firsthand.

The reality is small businesses are worse off due to this administration's disastrous policies and out-of-control Washington spending.

As the chairman of the Small Businesses Committee, I welcome anyone who wants to celebrate entrepreneurship and recognize our great small businesses.

However, no amount of media events will change the dire reality Main Street continues to experience under

this administration's 2-year crackdown on job creators.

More needs to be done to unleash the full potential of Main Street, and the direction must change before anyone goes on a victory lap or asks for a trophy.

In God We Trust.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 399) to clarify the primary functions and duties of the Office of Advocacy of the Small Business Administration, and for other purposes.

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

I rise in support of H.R. 399, better known as the Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act. The SBA Office of Advocacy is charged with looking out for the interests of small businesses across the entirety of the Federal Government. In many cases, this means calling out the negative impacts of regulations that are hurting small businesses or looking for inefficient rules that are preventing small businesses from competing for government contracts.

This legislation expands the SBA Office of Advocacy's mission to include advocating for small businesses on international trade issues. As our economy has become more and more intertwined with the rest of the world, overseas markets have become more accessible for small businesses.

However, when various regulations come out setting the rules of the road for trade agreements, small business voices can easily be drowned out. This bill solves this problem and ensures that Main Street America has someone fighting for their interests as international trade regulations are being created.

I thank my friend from Missouri for introducing this bill again in the 118th Congress and for always being a fierce advocate for our Nation's job creators.

Additionally, I hope that as this Congress progresses, we can continue to look for bipartisan ways to make the SBA Office of Advocacy more effective in helping our small businesses across the country.

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

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with the ranking member to get some really good things done.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Luetkemeyer), my dear friend and a great patriot.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, small businesses are facing unprecedented economic headwinds. From broken supply chains to rising interest rates, many of these challenges are brand new for many businessowners.

I hope that we will be taking up meaningful legislation to help alleviate some of these large challenges, but in the meantime, we need to ensure small businesses have as many people fighting for them in Washington as possible.

H.R. 399 will allow Main Street to have one more voice looking out for their interests as trade regulations are being developed. This has the potential to open up new markets and expand their reach into the global economy.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 449) to amend the Small Business Act to increase transparency, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 449, the Microloan Transparency and Accountability Act.

When an entrepreneur wants to start a business, finding starting capital can be one of the hardest challenges there is. SBA's microloan program looks to solve this issue and provide capital to people who need help getting their businesses off the ground.

While this program is well intended, Congress currently doesn't have access to some key metrics that we need to evaluate the effectiveness of this program. For example, it would be very helpful to have a comprehensive review of where the loans are being distributed to see if it is being utilized in many rural areas of the country. Additionally, we are currently left in the dark about the overall risk profile of the entirety of the program.

This bill would solve these problems by directing the SBA to do a comprehensive analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of this program.

The Microloan Transparency and Accountability Act will provide Congress with much-needed insight to make determinations on how to better optimize this program to assist small businesses.

I thank my colleague from Tennessee, who has advanced this bill for the last few Congresses, for his dedication to improving this program.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett), a great patriot who loves our country.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

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

Mr. Speaker, the microloan program which delivers capital assistance to the Nation's smallest businesses is an important lending tool at the SBA.

H.R. 449, the Microloan Transparency and Accountability Act, will deliver comprehensive data and information on the effectiveness of the program. I applaud all of the members for working on this important legislation in an effort to shine more light on how well the program is working.

From my State of Texas to both of the Nation's coasts, accessing capital remains a top challenge facing all small businesses. We must ensure these programs and tools are operating at a high level and delivering on the goals that Congress set for them.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 449, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 400) to amend the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to increase the amount that may be invested in small business investment companies.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous materials on this measure.

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

Small businesses are the engines of our economy. Over half of the country's payroll is made from small businesses, and when we work to find solutions to help these entities, we are strengthening the economic foundation of our country.

So before we start debating these bills, I thank our leadership team for recognizing the importance of small businesses and bringing these bills to the floor quickly so we can help build up Main Street America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 400, better known as the Investing in Main Street Act.

Last Congress, the Subcommittee on Capital Access held a hearing on the small business investment company program, otherwise known as the SBIC program. During this hearing, our members heard from witnesses about how this program attracts private equity investments to small businesses to hire more people and expand their operations.

This is a self-sustaining program that supports our Nation's job creators without costing taxpayers any money. In order to expand on this success, H.R. 400 looks to increase the maximum allowable investments by SBICs from 5 percent to 15 percent of their excess capital to small businesses.

This change will allow for greater amounts of private equity dollars to go toward small businesses. Additionally, this will align the SBIC program to other financial regulations coming out of the OCC and will help jumpstart growth of small businesses across this country.

As we look for ways to continually improve on this program, this change will have an immediate impact for our jobs and our Nation's job creators.

I thank my colleagues from California and New York for, once again, introducing this bipartisan solution to expand successful programs that empower the private sector to invest in small businesses.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Garbarino), a person who loves this country, and who understands Main Street America and small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the SBIC program has delivered for small businesses for many years. It is time we update the program to match other Federal rules and ensure the program continues to serve our communities in the future. This is a commonsense step to increase the amount of investment that an SBIC can receive.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 400, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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