Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to attend the first vote in the series on April 7, 2022. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 122.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to call up H.R. 471, the PAUSE Act, to protect all Americans from Biden's border crisis.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Securing a Strong Retirement Act.

As an entire generation moves closer to retirement, we must ensure our laws are up to date to help Americans achieve their retirement goals.

Last Congress, we passed the SECURE Act, which made significant improvements to our Nation's retirement policies. Today, we are building upon that success to ensure Americans can live their golden years with dignity.

I would like to highlight one provision of this bill, which incorporates a bipartisan policy I have long championed with my colleague, Representative Sablan. Our provision will reduce the administrative costs for employers sponsoring retirement plans for their employees.

Businesses often cite limited financial resources as a key reason for not offering retirement benefits. The Retirement Plan Modernization Act would ease the administrative burdens on employers, especially small businesses, enabling more small businesses to offer retirement benefits and ensure employees are not needlessly paying higher fees.

I thank both the Committee on Education and Labor and the Committee on Ways and Means for including text from our bill in H.R. 2954.

Madam Speaker, the Securing a Strong Retirement Act will enhance opportunities for Americans to save for retirement. I urge all Members to support it.

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Pennsylvania.

Madam Speaker, today, Michigan's average fuel prices are mere cents away from the all-time high in the Motor State--not seen since the middle of the Great Recession. On Thursday, Triple A (AAA) data showed that Michigan had seen the highest State-wide average increase over the last week of any State in the Union.

Today, a gallon of regular unleaded gas costs 61 cents more than it did just one week prior. Diesel, which helps fuel our State's thriving agricultural industry, has increased even more.

Since this time last year, the cost of diesel is up 58 percent. In 2022, the price of natural gas is expected to reach an 8-year high. Not only does this increase families' costs to heat their homes, but it also further raises the already-inflated price of essential fertilizers that help grow Michigan crops.

Clearly, President Biden's war on American energy independence has created an energy crisis and made us more dependent on adversaries like Vladimir Putin, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. The crisis continues to hit our homes, our farms, and our businesses, and it grows in severity week after week.

Recently, I sat down with some farmers in my home State. They lamented how the rising prices of energy and overall production costs is hurting

their livelihoods and trickling down to Michigan consumers. The data shows the same U.S. farm income is expected to drop 8 percent this year, all while prices at the supermarket reach historic highs. If we don't unleash American energy, this cost will continue to reverberate in our agricultural industry and at Michiganders' kitchen tables for years to come.

Madam Speaker, I implore the Biden administration to take the necessary steps to increase our energy production at home. We have the capacity, we have the drive, we have the capability and tools to do so--for the sake of consumers in Michigan and around the world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to my good friend, Al Glick, who recently passed away at the age of 95. Very few have meant as much to the Jackson, Michigan, community as Al Glick.

Alro Steel, a company founded nearly 75 years ago, embodies the hardworking ethos of his hometown. Over the years, under Al's leadership, the company grew to 3,000 employees in over a dozen States. Al always exhibited a tireless work ethic but spent the time to talk to and to know each of his employees. When asked about his retirement, he said: ``I have slowed down to working part-time, I only work 12 hours a day.'' Even still, he always found time to get involved in just about every effort under the sun.

Al supported skilled education programs, nonprofits, and C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, just to name a few. Name a sport and Al likely sponsored a team or league in the Jackson area. Al's generosity was felt throughout the Jackson community, often taking shape through his unwavering support of Jackson High School.

A Michigan man through and through, Al got to see his beloved Wolverines take down Ohio State on a snowy day this past November and then win the Big Ten Championship.

Al wasn't just a staple of the Jackson community; he was a steel pillar.

While we mourn Al's passing, we celebrate his remarkable life and the legacy that will live on for generations to come. We wish his family great joy in that legacy and thank them for sharing Al with us.

Mr. Speaker, each year, too many lives are cut short because of drug overdoses. And fentanyl and its analogs, most of which originate from China, are making this crisis even worse.

Sadly, under the Biden administration's porous border policies, many of these deadly drugs are flooding across the southern border and devastating communities across the country. We need to use every available resource to fight back, including giving law enforcement the flexibility to go after drug traffickers who flout the law. Unless we take action, an important tool--the DEA's emergency scheduling order for fentanyl-related substances--will expire this very month.

It is past time to make this scheduling classification permanent, and I am proud to cosponsor the HALT Fentanyl Act to do just that.

Mr. Speaker, let's pass this bill, secure the border, and stem the tide of the growing fentanyl crisis.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, having done this many times over the course of the past 14 years, to speak on behalf of life itself. It is the first and foremost gift that is given to us, and I think of the over 60 million children who have been taken out of that opportunity.

It is my hope that we will never have to march again for the repeal of Roe v. Wade after the Supreme Court decides but, rather, that we stand and continue to march for life and the freedom of opportunities for individuals to not only

grow and be benefited by the greatness of this country but also to bring the greatness of this country.

Life is a gift of God. It can only be sustained by people who understand that same gift, and I just pray that the Supreme Court and, ultimately, Congress and the legislatures of our land will stand for life.

Madam Speaker, shortly, this body will begin debating the most radical and expensive spending bill in our Nation's history.

Shockingly, Democrats are intent on moving forward without the CBO's final cost analysis. But independent estimates put the bill's price tag around $4 trillion, twice what Democrats claim. This level of reckless and unpaid-for spending is unsustainable.

On top of that, the problematic provisions in this bill are a mile long. It will heighten the border crisis, undermine American energy, and worsen the inflation crisis. It will raise taxes on hardworking families and calls for hiring 87,000 new IRS agents.

Unbelievably, one of the biggest parts of this bill is a special tax break for the wealthy. The list of problems goes on and on, but the bottom line is this massive bill represents cradle-to-grave socialism. That is not what America stands for.

Madam Speaker, please join me and reject this radical legislation.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, today, we are here to take a stand against President Biden's unconstitutional vaccine mandate on private businesses and their employees. And in the end, I think it is clear that we need to make sure we understand this is unconstitutional, this goes against the American way and the American ideals.

By invoking the Congressional Review Act, we are taking an important step to protect the liberties of millions of Americans in the workforce, and more importantly, to protect American ideals and the freedoms that we expect.

In his first year as President, President Biden has led a lackluster economic recovery plagued by record inflation, supply chain backlogs, and workforce shortages. The President's coercive mandate will only worsen issues within the workforce as millions could face termination-- wrongly and unnecessarily.

I have heard from many constituents concerned about their livelihoods. Small businesses concerned about keeping their doors open. Rural healthcare providers concerned about meeting staffing demands and even staying in business. While I am encouraged to see the early court rulings on this issue, and OSHA's step to back up a little bit today, Congress must not stand on the sidelines.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania for his leadership in introducing this legislation, and I am proud to be a cosponsor.

We have had enough topdown mandates.

Madam Speaker, with Veterans Day approaching, I am pleased to join my good friend from Michigan, General Jack Bergman, and all of my colleagues tonight in paying tribute to those who served. What we say tonight will be totally inadequate to express what needs to be expressed, but we must say it anyway.

Veterans Day is a moment to pause and say thank you to the men and women who chose to defend American's freedoms and the families who supported them from home. We have an obligation to display our deepest gratitude and make sure we care for the physical and mental health of those who served.

In Congress, we have advanced a number of bipartisan initiatives. Last year, the Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act was signed into law to help ensure no veteran slips through the cracks. More support will be available through the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of- Living Adjustment Act, which helps veterans and their families keep up with ever-increasing inflation.

These laws, and many others like them, are important steps forward, taken by a grateful Nation. But the work must carry on so that we continue to keep our promises to those who have heroically served.

That is why this week I will be introducing a bipartisan piece of legislation, Prisoner of War Priority Care Act, that will assign the highest priority status for hospital care and medical services provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs to veterans who are former prisoners of war.

For the wounds both seen and unseen, we owe an eternal debt of gratitude to our veterans. We say it with profound sincerity. We can't make up for the cost, but we can support, as the days go by.

Today, just like every day, we thank you.

God bless our Nation's veterans.

Mr. Speaker, the cost of living keeps getting more expensive, and we are reminded of that every time we fill up our cars and trucks. Gasoline prices, at a 7-year high, are putting a strain on family budgets.

When asked about surging gas prices, President Biden said, ``I don't have a near-term solution.'' Well, Republicans do, with bills languishing in committee. His lack of solutions is of little comfort to struggling families.

Meanwhile, the President's $5 trillion tax-and-spending plan advances extreme policies that will increase consumer costs and undermine American energy. That includes imposing a new tax on home heating bills, as well as an arbitrary drilling moratorium on Federal lands.

Banning domestic energy production will only increase reliance on foreign energy sources, and motorists everywhere will pay with higher prices at the pump.

Let's stop this reckless spending spree and attack on American energy before it is too late.

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Ohio for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4067, the Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council Act. I would like to thank my colleagues, Representatives Slotkin and Schrader, for joining me in leading on this important legislation.

Though we don't agree on every issue, I am proud of our bipartisan record when it comes to securing our Nation's communications networks

and maintaining our leadership in next-generation wireless technology.

H.R. 4067 codifies an existing FCC council advisory council, the Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council, better known as CSRIC.

First established in 1992 under its previous name as the Network Reliability Council, CSRIC makes key recommendations to the FCC on a range of public safety and national security issues--everything from deploying next-generation 911 systems to emergency alerting during storms and disasters, to addressing threats from foreign adversaries.

At a legislative hearing earlier this year, we heard from cybersecurity experts who said that CSRIC is one of the ``crown jewels'' of our Government and that there would be tremendous, long- term value in backing it up statutorily while retaining its flexibility to tackle the new challenges of the day.

Another former CSRIC panel member spoke to how other countries around the world look to this body to implement best communications and security practices. He said--and I agree with him--that CSRIC is one of the unique platforms which enables the U.S. to lead the rest of the world in 5G, 6G, and beyond.

As the world becomes increasingly digital and our communications systems advance toward open-source software platforms, cyberattacks and threats are only going to increase. We have to be prepared as a nation to meet this moment, and CSRIC helps us do that.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4067.

Madam Speaker, this is a consequential week for the country that we love and its future.

House Democrats are preparing to ram through the most expensive spending package this institution has ever seen, with a combined price tag of $5.5 trillion.

$5.5 trillion, let that astronomical figure sink in.

This package contains a $2.1 trillion tax increase on hardworking families and job creators, the largest in history. It bypasses needed infrastructure priorities in favor of Green New Deal pet projects, and it adds mountains of debt burden to our kids' and grandkids' future.

Meanwhile, all of this reckless spending comes at a time when inflation is already sky-high, and it will only make the cost of daily necessities continue to go up and up.

There is simply no justification for a package so expansive, so excessive, and so extreme.

For the sake of America's future, we need to stop this socialist spending spree in its tracks.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

Madam Speaker, last week, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that Russia is now the number two oil importer to the U.S.-- let that sink in--behind only Canada. Russian oil imports increased by 23 percent in May to nearly 850,000 barrels a day from the previous month.

Up until the Biden administration took over, we were energy secure and no longer dependent upon Middle East oil. Now President Biden is asking

OPEC to pump more oil while he shuts down domestic production, putting America last.

The message is clear, President Biden is pro-Russia and OPEC energy, but anti-American energy. He is pro-Russian pipelines, but anti- American pipelines.

In January, President Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline. He then withdrew sanctions the Trump administration put in place, enabling Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline to transfer natural gas to Germany without navigating its way through Ukraine.

We know pipelines are the safest and most efficient way to transport energy products. Even Energy Secretary Granholm admitted this in the wake of the Colonial cyberattack. And yet, we are witnessing attacks from the left on energy infrastructure in every corner of the Nation.

In Michigan, Governor Whitmer has ordered the shutdown of Line 5, despite it earning all of the necessary permits and environmental reviews at both the State and the Federal level.

Line 5 carries 540,000 barrels a day of crude oil and natural gas and serves more than 50 percent of Michigan's propane needs. Shutting it down would threaten thousands of jobs, billions in economic output, and the safe supply of resources necessary to meet Michigan families' most basic needs.

Make no mistake: there are consequences to these actions. We saw what happened earlier this year when just one pipeline shut down. What will happen when Democrats shut down all of the pipelines, ban oil and natural gas, and make us 100 percent dependent on renewables sourced from China? This is a stark vision for our future, and even more so for our grandchildren's future.

So I would ask my Democratic colleagues to stop placating the radical green lobby, and instead, work with us in a bipartisan manner to develop real, long-term solutions that deploy more clean energy and reduce emissions through innovation and technology. This all makes sense, and it is American.

American ingenuity during the shale revolution enabled us to become the world's energy leader. We must not surrender this role to adversaries by hamstringing ourselves with Green New Deal mandates that make no sense, will not work, and that will devastate our great Nation while doing nothing, nothing to improve our global air quality.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the bill, and with great compassion for the women being lied to by the deceptively named Women's Health Protection Act.

Madam Speaker, let's be clear, this bill is not about healthcare. It is an extreme bill that would impose abortion on demand nationwide up until birth and override commonsense pro-life laws at the State level, laws like those intended to prevent abortion discrimination based upon a child's sex or based on whether the child has Down syndrome, laws that provide parental notification for minor girls, informed consent for patients, and health and safety protections specific to abortion facilities. All would be banned under this bill.

The bill before us would ban virtually all conscience protections for medical personnel and enable the use of taxpayer money to fund abortion procedures, violating sincerely held beliefs of millions of Americans on the sanctity of human life.

The abortion on demand act ignores the humanity of the baby and the health of the mother. It ignores the reality that life is sacred. It is a precious, God-given gift that must be cherished and protected.

While it is comforting to know that God is loving, He is also just. We destroy innocent life at our own peril. What God condemns, we must not condone. May God heal our land.