Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ms. Kelly Ackerman for being named the 2023-2024 Teacher of the Year for Seaside Elementary School in Horry County.

I am a little bit biased. While her colleagues chose her amongst dozens at this particular school, she is also the teacher of my first grade son, James.

Ms. Ackerman has taught various ages, including kindergarten, first grade, second grade, and third grade. She has 16 total years of teaching, including 11 in Horry County Schools.

Horry County Schools is massive. There are 3,000 teachers, and they teach nearly 50,000 students. At Seaside Elementary, they are lucky to have somebody like Ms. Ackerman who is so passionate about teaching the next generation of American students.

I thank Ms. Ackerman for her role in fostering a culture of learning. My son certainly appreciates it. From a grateful family in the Fry household, we appreciate Ms. Ackerman engaging with our son.

I asked my son last night on FaceTime what he was going to remember most or miss most about Ms. Ackerman. He said: ``She is beautiful. I will miss everything about her. She helped me learn 3D shapes. She appreciates me. She makes me feel special. She makes us do performances in class.''

On behalf of my colleagues in the House and on behalf of the Fry family, I thank Ms. Ackerman for her selfless dedication to the students of Seaside Elementary.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Nancy Yount Childs for her years of dedicated public service and accomplished career in law enforcement.

Nancy Childs was born on May 28, 1952, in the Washington, D.C., area. In 1979, she began her successful career with the United States Capitol Police, serving as one of the first female Capitol Police officers-- truly a trailblazer, not only for women but for the law enforcement community as a whole.

By the time she retired in 1999, she held the rank of inspector and served in the U.S. Capitol Police Threat Assessment Section. She was also a dedicated member of the Fraternal Order of Police for 20 years.

Upon her retirement from the U.S. Capitol Police, she relocated to the sunny shores of South Carolina. It is there where I developed a lasting friendship with Nancy and her husband, Bob. She loved walking on the beach, collecting shells, and enjoying country music.

On November 2, 2022, Nancy passed away peacefully. I know them well because Bob Childs was the former mayor of Surfside Beach. He was a pretty effective mayor, but it was because of the efforts of Nancy, particularly behind the scenes, making sure the trains were running on time that he was effective.

She was a dedicated wife, mother, and public servant. Her memory will live on through her three wonderful children, Jim, Jennifer, and Christa, and her husband, Bob, of 29 years.

Nancy's love for her family and friends, commitment to public service, and trailblazing accomplishments deserve to be honored and remembered.

Madam Speaker, today, I invite my colleagues to join me in supporting the passage of H.R. 6188 to designate the United States Postal Service facility at 420 Highway 17 North in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, as the Nancy Yount Childs Post Office Building so that Nancy's memory and legacy can continue to inspire the Grand Strand community for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1071, I call up the resolution (H. Res. 1065) denouncing the Biden administration's immigration policies, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on House Resolution 1065.

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

Mr. Speaker, just over 3 years ago, Joe Biden took office as President of the United States and he immediately began upholding his campaign promises to reverse the Trump administration's immigration policies.

On day one, this President issued executive orders that sent the world a message that America's borders are open. He used his executive authority to stop border wall construction, rescind the remain in Mexico policy, prevent the removal of any illegal aliens, and block ICE and CBP from enforcing immigration laws.

In the weeks and months that followed, President Biden terminated Trump-era policies aimed at preventing fraudulent asylum claims, ending catch and release, increasing criminal alien removals, and preventing illegal immigration.

After all, if Trump did it, it must be bad.

Madam Speaker, what was the result of Biden's radical and dangerous systematic dismantling of policies that worked to reduce and prevent illegal immigration?

The biggest mass illegal immigration in the history of the United States.

Nearly 7.5 million illegal aliens have been encountered by the Customs and Border Patrol on the southwest border. There have been 37 straight months of 100,000 southwest border CBP encounters.

The Biden administration has released more than 4.5 million illegal aliens into American communities, in addition to at least 1.8 million known got-aways avoiding apprehension.

At least 340 illegal aliens on the terrorist watch list have been encountered by Border Patrol along the southwest border, and that is just the ones we know about.

I haven't even mentioned the northern border, where historically high numbers of illegal aliens are encountered by CBP every single day.

Who could have predicted those results?

Well, for starters, the Trump administration officials did. House Republicans did. The American people did. Sheriffs, CBP, DHS employees did; ranchers, farmers, families, they all did.

They warned the Biden transition team not to rescind policies like the migrant protection protocols in title 42, but politics trumped common sense, and the American people are left with a national security, public safety, and financial disaster that is the Biden administration's immigration agenda.

After 3 years of chaos, the Biden administration seems to have finally gotten the message that Americans get uneasy when they see mobs of illegal aliens beating up New York City police officers, watch endless numbers of illegal aliens stream across the southwest border, and hear the heart-wrenching details of murders, like that of 22-year- old nursing student Laken Riley, by illegal aliens who should not have been here in the first place.

With an election on the horizon, President Biden's handlers have decided that now is the time to finally admit that what is happening on the southwest border is a crisis. Instead of correcting, they are blaming Congress.

The American people are not stupid. They know that if President Trump was able to establish the most secure border in American history, despite the open-border groups rushing to get his immigration policies enjoined in activist courts at every turn, then President Biden, too, could use his executive authority to help secure the border and restore those policies.

They know that President Biden simply refuses to do it. President Biden refuses to implement the migrant protection protocols, to stop abusing discretionary case-by-case and other parole authority, and to re-implement President Trump's asylum cooperative agreements so we can remove illegal aliens seeking asylum to third countries.

President Biden refuses to expand the use of expedited removal, refuses to use 212(f) authority to suspend the entry of aliens to secure the border, and refuses to end catch and release.

President Biden refuses to comply with the mandatory detention status of the Immigration and Nationality Act for inadmissible aliens. He refuses to rein in the use of taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal aliens.

This stands in stark contrast to President Trump, who only refused to give up on securing the border.

To everyday Americans, the answer to the border crisis is simple: Secure the border and enforce the law. That is what the Trump administration did; that is what America needs; and that is what President Biden refuses to do.

H. Res. 1065 affirms that President Biden has the executive authority to help control the border, affirms that the Biden administration is refusing to use that authority, and urges President Biden to immediately begin using that executive authority as has been done before.

H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act, passed this House last spring. It would enhance our current law and help ensure the border is controlled. Senate Democrats have refused to bring that bill to the Senate floor for almost a year now.

In the meantime, and while we wait, President Biden should use his executive authority to ensure the national security and public safety of Americans is paramount. He should use it to secure our border, and he should do so today.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. De La Cruz), my friend and colleague who is the author of this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock).

Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers. I am ready to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, I think my colleagues on the other side suffer from a little bit of amnesia because just as quickly as these border patrol policies were taken away with the stroke of a pen at the start of this administration, the purpose of this resolution is to remind our President, who seems to have forgotten, that he has every authority to put back the policies that worked in the first place with that same stroke of a pen.

There are steps today that this administration could unilaterally do, including: ending catch and release, reinstating the migrant protection protocols, entering back into asylum cooperative agreements with Latin American countries, ending abuses of parole authority, detaining inadmissible aliens, using expedited removing authority, and reining in taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal aliens.

The Biden administration single-handedly created this crisis at the southern border, and they can end it with the stroke of a pen.

This resolution calls out these numerous actions the Biden administration has taken to systematically open up our borders.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 1065, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Timmonsville, South Carolina, native and American legend Cale Yarborough.

The NASCAR Hall of Famer started racing in Darlington at the soapbox derby. From there, he went on to win 83 cup races and became the sport's first driver to win three consecutive championships.

Cale's legacy is reflected not only in his record-breaking career but also his role in popularizing NASCAR. When Cale Yarborough was racing, America was watching.

Following his decorated career, Cale bought and operated a racing team of his own. He also served the Pee Dee community in South Carolina on the Florence County Council.

We mourn the loss of a true legend, but we remember and celebrate a life that was well lived.

Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday February 14, 2024, I voted NO on Roll Call No. 48, when I intended to vote AYE.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Human Trafficking Awareness Day, which is today, January 11.

Last year alone, nearly 28 million individuals were victims of human trafficking worldwide. These inhumane crimes don't just happen in the far nether regions of the world, they are happening right here in communities across this country.

In fact, Horry County, where I grew up, reside in, and represent, is one of the top five counties in South Carolina in reported human trafficking.

Today, and throughout the month of January, which is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, I aim to raise awareness and support victims of these horrible crimes and their families.

I am firmly committed to working to find solutions to prevent this modern-day form of slavery and to support those who have suffered.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the retirement of a distinguished member of the Myrtle Beach Police Department, K9 Bek. I am proud to congratulate this canine and the rest of the Myrtle Beach police force for their crucial role in the department's drug detection and weapons recovery programs.

With well over 300 deployments, Bek was able to track and seize an array of illicit drugs, including 44 kilograms of marijuana, several ounces of heroin, cocaine, and meth. He was responsible for multiple firearm retrievals and numerous building searches. These efforts led to over 50 criminal apprehensions.

Thank you, K9 Bek, the Myrtle Beach Police Department, and all law enforcement agents across our country for the work that you do to keep us and our countrymen safe.

South Carolina is indeed safer because of the men, women, and dogs in uniform.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 918.

This year, House Republicans have conducted a methodical investigation into the alleged actions of the Biden family, including Joe Biden himself, in his family's foreign business dealings and foreign-peddling schemes.

As a member of both the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees, I can say that our investigation has peeled back layer upon layer of Biden family scandals and has exposed the safety nets designed to insulate the Biden family and Joe Biden from impending accountability.

There is an old legal saying, Mr. Speaker, that if you don't have the facts, you argue the law. If you don't have the law, you argue the facts, and if you have neither, you pound the table.

What we are seeing from the other side today is that they want to talk about Donald Trump and January 6. They want to talk about a perceived lack of transparency, about how nothing is happening out in the open.

Well, let me assure you that we have done this for months. We have done more in 10 months than law enforcement agencies have done in 5 years.

Let's talk about the facts: $25 million has flowed to members of the Biden family; 20 corporate entities and 9 members of the Biden family have received these moneys; a $40,000 direct payment to Joe Biden himself; a $200,000 direct payment to Joe Biden himself, allegedly under a loan. We have WhatsApp messages, pseudonyms, fake email addresses, and 22 meetings in which Joe Biden himself met with Hunter Biden and his business associates.

We have been stonewalled. We have even seen this today, as Hunter Biden paraded onto the Senate side and did not come to a lawfully issued subpoena deposition in front of the House Oversight Committee.

Now is the time for an impeachment inquiry.

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to introduce an amendment that prohibits the funding of the Treasury Department's wasteful Climate Hub initiative, which was rolled out by the Biden administration in 2021.

My constituents sent me to Washington to restore fiscal sanity to our Federal Government and get back to

the basics. It makes zero sense to have a climate hub under the Treasury Department.

This country is over $33 trillion in debt. Americans are tired of seeing their tax dollars used to bloat and embolden Federal agencies. They are tired of seeing these agencies usurping power to pursue extreme agendas. They are tired of this Biden administration turning a blind eye to address real problems that Americans face while pursuing an agenda that only liberal elites benefit from.

They have loosely defined their so-called climate strategy while pumping billions and billions of dollars into pursuing and enforcing out-of-touch regulations.

Mr. Chairman, as our country sinks deeper and deeper into debt every day, I see no basis for a climate hub to exist in the Department that should be focused on our country's finances. Instead of prioritizing legitimate functions within the Treasury Department, such as promoting economic growth in America, managing our government's finances effectively, and ensuring the soundness of our financial system, Mr. Chairman, the Treasury Department's Climate Hub is just another example of how Democrats and this administration want our Federal Government to grow in scope and power and ignore the core functions of their mission.

Time and time again, we have seen this administration embark upon a rogue spending spree in the name of climate change and apply its own definition of fiscal responsibility to its decisionmaking. Rather than confronting the immediate challenges that face our country, Washington bureaucrats are caught up in their own climate policy echo chamber, and it seems to me that many of them care more about a photo op than enacting sound and well-thought-out policy.

This administration has telegraphed to the American people that climate change is the only threat to our humanity and is more serious than nuclear war. Everyday Americans can see right through the hypocrisy of this administration. I remind everyone that Americans deserve better from their government.

My amendment would put an end to the Treasury Department's wasteful Climate Hub. The United States Treasury has absolutely no reason to use taxpayer funds for this initiative.

I am committed to standing up for fiscal responsibility, and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, again, I think the basis of this is that we must get back to the basics. The Treasury Department has no basis for undertaking this initiative.

Mr. Chair, I continue to urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, we cannot accept that every agency can focus its time and resources on aspects outside of their design and control. If we ever hope to get our economy back on track and our country back on track, we can't continue to allow this administration or the Treasury Department to ignore its core responsibilities.

I am proud to introduce this amendment, and I once again urge my colleagues to support it.

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

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

Mr. Chairman, my amendment would prohibit mask mandates on any form of public transit and at transportation hubs.

The COVID-19 pandemic robbed Americans of far too many individual liberties. For 15 months, Americans were required by Federal law to wear masks on all forms of public transportation across the country, on planes, trains, buses, you name it, Mr. Chairman.

Americans were also required to wear a mask while going through security and waiting at the airport, navigating a train station, or waiting at a bus stop.

The government forced Americans to cover up.

The kicker is that multiple studies have shown that wearing masks had an adverse effect on people. Wearing a mask does not actually have a statistically significant effect on preventing the spread of COVID-19. In fact, States without mask mandates, like my home State of South Carolina, had lower death rates from COVID-19 than States with mask mandates.

We also have seen, unfortunately, catastrophic impacts that these mandates have on our children, worsening their communication and social skills and delaying their cognitive development while increasing their vulnerability and decreasing confidence.

My amendment does not prohibit any individual from wearing a mask on public transportation should they choose to do so.

This amendment would safeguard the freedom of all Americans to make important decisions for themselves, including whether or not to wear that mask.

This amendment would put an end to Government overreach and protect the freedoms that Americans have. Our Constitution expressly protects those certain rights and liberties for individuals from government interference. We must defend and protect the principles our Nation was founded on and put a stop to extreme executive overreach mandates. This is what this amendment is all about.

Mr. Chairman, also, this amendment previously passed the Senate I think 1 week ago on a bipartisan basis, so I encourage Members of the other side to support this.

We cannot allow policies and practices used during the pandemic to continue for future generations endlessly. Americans are uniquely independent and self-reliant. We as Congress should empower the individual and not government. We should not put a nationwide mandate on the American people again. Mask mandates only give more power to the Federal Government and to the bureaucrats who run this town.

Let's get back to the basics. We the People demand it. I am committed to standing up to this administration's infringement on any individual liberties and working for the American people. Let's ensure that Government overreach comes to an end. Individual freedoms must be protected. It is as simple as that.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I am not sure what evidence-based things that my colleague on the other side was talking about.

Was it the zero masks that were initially prescribed by Dr. Fauci?

Was it one mask?

Was it two?

Was it no mask while vaccinated?

South Carolina never imposed a statewide mask mandate, and I think Congress could learn a thing or two from my home State.

Let's empower individuals to make that informed choice for themselves instead of bogging them down with these burdensome regulations.

This amendment would simply prevent mask mandates from occurring on airplanes, airports, trains, metros, subways, buses, train stations, and more.

We know Americans have been frustrated by this and by the ever- changing guidance coming from this Federal Government. I am proud to stand here today on behalf of these frustrated American citizens who do not want a mask mandate in the future.

Again, Mr. Chairman, this passed in a bipartisan manner in the Senate. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate My FM WCRE 93.9 in Chesterfield County which celebrated its 70th anniversary this year.

WCRE has brought news, entertainment, and sports to the people of Chesterfield County and Cheraw for over 70 years.

From broadcasting information through Hurricane Hugo in 1989 to allowing the Cheraw Police Department to use their radio signal following the devastating tornado at the Cheraw Primary School in 2004, WCRE has played a key role in making sure that the people of the PeeDee in Chesterfield County are always informed during times of crisis.

Their success goes beyond serving in South Carolina's Seventh District. They have been named South Carolina's Radio Station of the Year in 2003 and 2007.

Mr. Speaker, I thank WCRE for their commitment to our community. I wish them many more years of great success.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Constitution Day, which is this Sunday.

On September 17, 1787, the Constitutional Convention met for the last time to sign what would become the most important document in our country's history, the Constitution of the United States of America.

On Constitution Day, we remember the bravery and wisdom of the 39 men who signed the supreme law of the land. This document forever altered the world and has dutifully guided our country through times of change and challenge.

As we look back on its legacy and the values it holds for our country, let Constitution Day serve as a reminder that we are here to serve and to protect the liberties of we the people.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday next.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Henry Williamson, an aviation mechanic with 50 years of dedicated service, most of which he spent working at the Conway-Horry County Airport.

Mr. Williamson, of Horry County, began his career in aviation after receiving a degree in aircraft maintenance from the Florence-Darlington Technical College.

In honor of his dedication to the industry as an aviation mechanic, Mr.

Williamson was recently awarded the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award from the Federal Aviation Administration. This is an award that only 40 South Carolinians have ever received.

I want to express my sincerest congratulations to Mr. Williamson for this much-deserved recognition and thank him for his dedication to keeping his customers safe in the skies.