Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Kansas farmers, ranchers, and energy producers who take it upon themselves to conserve the land and vulnerable species in rural Kansas each and every day.

In recent months, these Kansans have felt the Biden administration's massive overreach as D.C. bureaucrats use the Federal Government to overregulate hardworking Americans a thousand miles from the swamp.

In 2015, the Fish and Wildlife Service listed the lesser prairie- chicken as endangered, only to delist it a year later as their analysis was flawed. Despite losing a court case and seeing an actual increase in the lesser prairie-chicken population, they are now classified as threatened and endangered in

two distinct population segments in the United States.

Kansas farmers, ranchers, and energy producers, those closer to the lesser prairie-chicken habitat, are excellent stewards of natural resources. They have repeatedly demonstrated responsible actions as they tend the land that feeds and fuels the world. What they don't need is a heavy-handed government approach to land management, especially when those mandates are unfounded and not based on actual science.

Today, we can correct this mistaken classification with a Congressional Review Act. Even in a divided Senate, the CRA resolution passed with bipartisan support.

Successful, voluntary, public-private conservation practices have prompted the lesser prairie-chicken population to nearly double through 2021, with a statistically insignificant decrease between 2021 and 2022. Federal and State governments have spent millions of dollars to determine the population is stable, yet the Biden administration is engaging in insidious actions like creating the north and south regions to help prop up their narrative that the lesser prairie-chicken population was declining.

While it may seem extreme to squawk about a single species, it is representative of the tone of the Biden administration--force unworkable mandates on hardworking Kansans to appease bureaucrats and elitists who aren't impacted by their decisions. They have used this playbook before, and this encroachment on private property rights will be replicated in State after State across the country.

Today, as we vote on this Congressional Review Act, it is critical that we hold the line and prevent the Biden administration from pursuing this hostile land grab. Kansas agriculture and energy producers are doing their part, and millions of taxpayer dollars have confirmed that the current conservation plan is working.

Mr. Speaker, this humble bird has benefited through Kansans' voluntarily conserving its habitat, and today we have an opportunity to put an end to the Biden administration's attack on rural Americans through this commonsense CRA.

Mr. Speaker, I was not present for the following Roll Call vote. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: on Roll Call vote No. 278 On Agreeing to the Amendment, the Hayes of Connecticut Part D Amendment No. 1, I would have voted NAY; on Roll Call vote No. 279 On Agreeing to the Amendment, the Molinaro of New York Part D Amendment No. 2, Had I been present I would have voted YEA; and on Roll Call vote No. 280 On Agreeing to the Amendment, the Roy of Texas Part D Amendment No. 3. Had I been present I would have voted YEA.

Madam Speaker, today I honor a longtime friend and Kansan with a true servant's heart, Treatha Brown-Foster.

One minute is not nearly enough time to adequately share all the impressive contributions Treatha has made to Wichita and Kansas. She was a member of the Library Board, District 1 Advisory Board, Boys and Girls Club Parent Advisory Board, and the Kansas African American Museum Board, just to name a few. She was instrumental in advancing both the Kansas and Sedgwick County Black Republican Councils, serving in various leadership roles, including chair.

While her contributions to society are many, her real legacy is the joy she brought to all who were around her. Kansans who met Treatha will remember her animated smile, infectious laugh, and warm hugs that were a prerequisite to starting any conversation with her.

She loved everyone, and everyone loved her, as made evident by the numerous community leaders and elected officials who sought her friendship and counsel regardless of political differences.

Madam Speaker, I ask for a moment of silence to honor this beloved Kansan and my friend, Treatha Brown-Foster.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Protecting Taxpayers and Victims of Unemployment Fraud Act.

Right now, our Federal Government is borrowing one out of $5 we spend, over $45,000 a second. This fact alone should outrage every American.

Yet, we face another outrageous problem here in the swamp: Waste, fraud, and abuse. Not only are we borrowing at historic rates, but we are borrowing to cover the costs of rampant fraud that exists frequently unchecked in our system.

This was magnified during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. While there were good reasons to expand unemployment benefits when many Americans were displaced from work through no fault of their own, we are already 3 years removed from the passage of the CARES Act.

The pandemic emergency declaration is over; not because the Biden administration followed the science and voluntarily gave up their emergency powers, but because House Republicans and the Senate came together to force the Biden administration to end the pandemic emergency declaration.

One troubling data point that has emerged is the unemployment claims as a percentage of unemployed workers. This was 37 percent in February 2020, right before the pandemic came to our shores. Yet, by August of the same year, it had climbed to 216 percent.

The data is clear, we were paying massive amounts of unemployment to people who were not unemployed. It is estimated that of the $873 billion in total pandemic UI benefits disbursed, about $357 billion went to fraudulent claims.

No Member of Congress should be comfortable telling their constituents that they don't care about wasting nearly $400 billion of taxpayer money.

In my home State, a forensic audit found that the State of Kansas paid up to $466 million in unemployment fraud. While this massive fraud was occurring, hardworking, unemployed Kansans were competing with fraudsters to receive the unemployment benefits they deserved and so desperately needed.

In my office in Wichita, we received countless calls from Kansans who were trying to reach an ineffective Kansas Department of Labor.

One constituent waited over half a year after her claim mysteriously ended up in the fraud department. Others reached out to let me know they had been victims of fraud, some receiving a 1099 claiming they owed taxes on benefits that somebody else received.

These cases point to a real problem in Kansas and across the country. Taxpayers lost out to fraudsters who used the pandemic, vast sums of Federal Funds and weak State leadership to game the system.

Thankfully, there is a solution that protects the taxpayers and reins in the fraud we have seen in unemployment insurance. The Protecting Taxpayers and Victims of Unemployment Fraud Act won't make everybody whole, but it ensures that some of the hundreds of billions of dollars are recouped, and it lets States keep 25 percent of those funds so they can improve their own unemployment insurance systems.

To be clear, unemployment is a critical lifeline that helps Americans during a challenging time. When bad actors abuse the program, it hurts those who actually need it by taking away monetary and human resources.

The bill is the right and fair approach to ensure unemployed Americans have full access to the assistance they need and, when done correctly, encourages those individuals to get back into the workforce.

Tackling waste, fraud, and abuse in unemployment insurance shouldn't be a partisan issue. It rights a wrong and is just common sense.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in this commonsense legislation that puts taxpayers first.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Ellsworth Route of the Chisholm Trail. The paths of both the main Chisholm Trail and the Ellsworth Route pass through the 4th Congressional District of Kansas. Throughout my district, communities along the trail are gearing up to celebrate this remarkable example of frontier courage and adventure.

During the Civil War, longhorn cattle in Texas roamed free and multiplied while railroads were built across the central plains, with major stops in Kansas. After the war, eager to meet the growing demand for beef nationwide, ranchers and cowboys came west to seize this new opportunity. On horseback, they gathered the wild cattle herds and moved them north. The brave men who took up this challenge formed a cornerstone of the American identity and made history.

In 1865, J.R. Mead and Jesse Chisholm established a trading post near the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas Rivers in Kansas, founding what would become modern-day Wichita. From this new settlement, Mr. Chisholm established a trail bringing trade goods from Wichita down to Indian Territory in what is now Oklahoma. When the cattle herds started coming north after the Civil War, the cowboys could easily follow Chisholm's route north toward the rail lines. As the path became world famous for its cattle drives, the nearly 1,300- mile route became known as the Chisholm Trail.

As stockmen and entrepreneurs continually sought better opportunities, another route was surveyed to access new cattle stockyards in Ellsworth, Kansas. When the Ellsworth trail opened in 1873, millions of longhorns traversed both paths on their journey north. Along the way, small towns and outposts sprung up to provide supplies to the cattlemen opening up the vast swaths of the American West.

Today, I want to honor the people of these cattle trail communities and all those who maintain the history of these trails in Kansas and beyond. Our nation can learn from the legacy of grit and determination that these cowboys left behind. Without assistance or interference from the government, they blazed new trails to feed the world, settle the frontier, and grow the American economy. On this 150th anniversary of the Ellsworth Route of the Chisholm Trail, let's honor this piece of history while encouraging the producers and entrepreneurs of today.

Mr. Speaker, I was not present for the following rollcall votes. Had I been present for:

Rollcall vote No. 195 on Ordering the Previous Question, I would have voted ``yea'';

Rollcall vote No. 196 on Agreeing to the Resolution, I would have voted ``yea''; and

Rollcall vote No. 197 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as amended, H.R. 1353, Advanced, Local Emergency Response Telecommunications Parity Act, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the American Innovation and R&D Competitiveness Act.

Our country is filled with talented innovators who put their heart and imagination into new ideas that advance our Nation. Through research and development, their incredible breakthroughs can come to fruition.

Unfortunately, the R&D immediate expensing tax provision expired at the end of 2021, removing the incentive to prioritize research and development in the United States.

By disincentivizing R&D here at home, American tax policy encourages manufacturing and production to move abroad. That is why I am reintroducing bipartisan legislation that encourages R&D throughout the country.

Sixty-four original cosponsors have joined me and Congressman John Larson to make R&D immediate expensing permanent, cementing this critical tax provision and reestablishing the United States as the leader in research and development.

Today's research and development dollars create tomorrow's jobs, and we need to keep R&D dollars inside our country where they can help strengthen American businesses and workers.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in advancing this critical legislation.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment to H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act.

Mr. Chair, my amendment would protect our country and American families in the event of a national emergency by requiring the Department of Energy to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve at a competitive market rate.

We all remember that President Biden chose to tap the SPR for political reasons as he tried to mask his failed energy policies that caused gas prices to soar. When President Biden took office, the average weekly price for a gallon of gas was $2.38. It was already $3.53 prior to Putin invading Ukraine before hitting record highs last summer. Despite depleting our SPR, we still have a weekly average of $3.42.

Since draining the SPR to address an energy and inflation crisis of his own making, President Biden and his administration continue to abdicate their responsibility to replenish the reserve.

In October 2022, the White House announced it would implement a first-of-

its-kind rule establishing a system of fixed-price contracts for replenishing the SPR. Per the administration's policy, they intend to purchase crude oil for the SPR when prices are at or below about $67 or $72 per barrel.

The untested fixed-price bid system imposed by the White House has allowed the administration to ignore its responsibility to resupply the SPR to the detriment of the United States' economic and national security.

In January of this year, the DOE rejected bids from several producers to refill the SPR because the market rate for crude oil at the time was well above the administration's arbitrary fixed price. This deceptive policy gives the DOE a convenient excuse not to refill the SPR and keep it at record lows, leaving our Nation less safe and prepared.

My amendment would remedy this problem by requiring the DOE to use the commonly accepted index-based pricing bid process.

Historically, the index-based bid process is used to solicit contracts to refill the SPR and is a standard pricing regime used in the global oil and gas market. Using this more accepted metric, DOE would competitively bid at the market rate for crude oil when buying for the SPR.

This bidding system will ensure that DOE will meet its obligations to refill the SPR and not circumvent that obligation with an arbitrary price ceiling.

Further, the Federal Government should not be a speculator in the crude oil market. The fixed-price scheme dreamed up by the White House ignores the basic economic realities of how petroleum products are traded in the marketplace. If the administration is concerned about the price of oil not being a good deal for taxpayers, it should end its war on safe and reliable American energy.

My amendment would ensure the SPR refill bid process reflects market realities rather than the price mandates of the administration, and restores our Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which is desperately needed for our national security.

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

Mr. Chair, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Armstrong).

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

Mr. Chairman, this commonsense amendment restores the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to protect our Nation's security.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this commonsense amendment, as well as the underlying bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I was not present for rollcall No. 135, on agreeing to the resolution, as amended. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Restoring Normalcy in America Act.

In a little over a week, we will be 3 years past the first recorded case of COVID-19 in the United States, and over 2 years since the COVID-19 vaccine has been available, thanks to the rapid development under Operation Warp Speed.

Despite the time elapsed, President Biden and his administration continue to prolong the pandemic--promoting policies that are destroying our economy, burdening small businesses, and hurting Kansas families.

Just yesterday, the NFIB announced that their Small Business Optimism Index declined 2.1 points in December, making it the 12th consecutive month below their 49-year average.

The December jobs report was the worst of 2022 and the worst during the entirety of the Biden administration so far. With out-of-control spending in the name of COVID relief, rampant inflation has made real average hourly earnings fall 1.9 percent since last year, the 20th month in a row that inflation has outpaced wage growth following the implementation of the so-called American Rescue Plan in March of 2021.

While Washington was under total Democrat control, President Biden increased Federal spending, continued lockdown procedures for far past their effectiveness, and held the country hostage until his self-chosen vaccination rates were reached. Receiving the vaccine is a choice, a choice made with careful consideration between a person and their doctor; not an action that can be forced by the Federal Government.

When the Biden administration failed to achieve their vaccination goals, they forced through unconstitutional vaccine mandates. We are currently experiencing near historic lows of COVID hospitalizations and 41 States have ended their states of emergency.

Yet, the Biden administration has decided to extend the COVID-19 public health emergency--despite in September President Biden stating that the pandemic is over. The continuation of the public health emergency significantly strains State and Federal budgets when we are already combating inflation and rising prices.

These actions by President Biden and the administration have hurt the American people and stunted our recovery. It is long past due that Washington is accountable for persistent pandemic restrictions placed on the Kansans I represent.

The legislation I am introducing today holds the Federal Government responsible and is a step toward restoring normalcy through five objectives of research, accountability, process, access, and restoration.

The American people deserve answers from the Federal Government on the effectiveness of the forced Biden administration COVID-19 policies. My bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct research on the effectiveness of vaccines and current treatments, the rate of transmission of COVID throughout the public health emergency, and more importantly, an investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

We also need accountability. Over the past several years, trillions have been allocated to combat COVID-19. To ensure that taxpayer dollars are not being wasted, my legislation would audit the Federal agencies that received COVID-19 funds, and whatever finances can be recouped should be returned to Treasury.

Returning to our standard processes is also critical. In the early stages of the pandemic, using the Emergency Use Authorization, the EUA, was necessary to develop vaccines and treatments. Now, with years of information and time, we should return to the normal approval process.

This bill ends the use of EUAs for COVID vaccines and treatments and requires any vaccines or treatments without full FDA approval to go through the process like any other medication or vaccination.

The choice to be vaccinated is personal, and whether it be for religious or medical reasons, vaccination status should not be the cause for discrimination and access.

My bill strengthens personal freedoms by preventing businesses from prohibiting entry or refusing service based solely on COVID vaccination status.

Lastly, my legislation reverses the damage done by President Biden's destructive, unconstitutional vaccine mandates and brings restoration to the individuals harmed. Any servicemember or Federal employee fired or discharged due to failure to comply to Biden's vaccine mandate will be reinstated with their record expunged of this incident.

The Restoring Normalcy in America Act provides the American people with answers and accountability for how this administration has prolonged the COVID-19 pandemic and works to reverse some of the damaging policies that have been put in place.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to rise in support of commonsense legislation that puts the American people ahead of padding the coffers of the IRS.

It wasn't long ago that Washington was under one-party rule. This Chamber was recently under the leadership of the Democratic Party that worked to give D.C. bureaucrats more power and wanted to hire an army of IRS agents to harass and audit my constituents while ignoring the need for more border agents to address the crisis at our southern border.

Congressman Smith's legislation eliminates the devastating IRS provision that Democrats snuck into their so-called Inflation Reduction Act by rescinding the funding to this D.C. agency.

The facts are that middle- and lower-income people are audited more by IRS agents by design of the IRS.

The Kansans I represent need relief from high gas prices and rampant inflation caused by the current administration and one-party rule. My constituents don't need a supercharged IRS that will investigate their transactions between friends and sic 87,000 new agents on them.

This bill, as the first bill that the new Congress addresses, puts our priorities on full display. Republicans are ready to restore our Nation and hold government accountable.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this crucial legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Promoting Local Management of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Act. Kansas energy producers and ranchers are excellent stewards of the land and resources. They work tirelessly to feed, fuel, and clothe our Nation while taking voluntary proactive measures to protect the lesser prairie-chicken's habitat.

The U.S. Fish and Wildfire Service's inclusion of the lesser prairie- chicken on the threatened and endangered species list is nonfactual and disregards the preservation efforts of our energy producers and ranchers who best know their land.

After a yearlong species status assessment, the Federal Government spent millions to conclude that the lesser prairie-chicken population is stable and has grown.

Its inclusion on the threatened and endangered species list is detrimental to our robust ag and energy industries, blatant bureaucratic overreach, and is another example of the Biden administration's hindering American energy independence.

My legislation stops Washington elites from undermining voluntary public-private conservation practices and ensures Kansans control our land.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor our friend and colleague, Jackie Walorski, with a cause that was near to her heart, the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program, also known as the MIECHV program.

Jackie lived a life of service, not just as a Member of the House of Representatives, but as a missionary for 4 years in Romania where, not surprisingly, she worked with a lot of children. She championed children and families in her role on the Worker and Family Support Subcommittee, and always advocated for the Hoosiers she represented.

In her honor today, we're going to pass this critical bipartisan legislation reauthorizing a program that its whole purpose is to ensure that mothers and children do not fall through the cracks. Families will be able to be met where they are and connected to a host of support systems.

Earlier this year, I visited with some early childhood supporters in Wichita, and the MIECHV program was something that they repeatedly told me was important for the work they do and the families they serve.

I look forward to seeing strong bipartisan support today to pass this bill, lift up children and families, and honor our friend, Jackie.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and congratulate the Andale High School Indians on their 2022 Class 3A football State championship, their fourth in a row.

Since 2019, Coach Dylan Schmidt and the class of 2022 have shown the State and country that the hard work and dedication they put into the game are unmatched on the field.

With their win last Saturday, Andale continued its 4-year undefeated streak of 51 games, the second-longest active win streak in the entire country. To put this in perspective, the seniors at Andale High School have never lost a high school football game.

During this impressive run, Andale has outscored their opponents by an average of more than 45 points per game. Coach Schmidt and his team now hold the record for the fourth-longest winning streak in Kansas State history.

In a testament to their talent and Coach Schmidt's commitment to excellence, the team has only lost twice since 2017.

I hope the entire House will join me in congratulating Andale High School and Coach Schmidt on their monumental achievements on the field and off the field.

I wish them continued success in their upcoming season. Go Indians.

Madam Speaker, I was not present for the following Roll Call votes. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows:

On rollcall No. 495, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass Certain Bills and Agree to Certain Resolutions, I would have voted ``nay''; on rollcall No. 496, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass Certain Bills and Agree to Certain Resolutions, I would have voted ``nay''; and on rollcall No. 497, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 2521, as Amended, I would have voted ``nay.''