Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 443) to direct the Secretary of Labor to train certain employees of Department of Labor how to effectively detect and assist law enforcement in preventing human trafficking during the course of their official duties, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 443.

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

Trafficking is modern-day slavery, period.

Trafficking goes against our country's founding values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, so it is all the more heartbreaking and frustrating to know this crime is happening in our own country.

According to the Polaris Institute, experts believe that worldwide labor trafficking--the illegal exploitation of an individual for commercial gain--is more common than sex trafficking.

This grotesque form of servitude knows no geographical limits. From the Mariana Islands to my home State of Michigan, cases of trafficking can happen anywhere to anyone. Victims of labor trafficking can be young children, teenagers, or adult men and women.

While a lot of work has been done over the years to raise awareness about this terrible crime, sadly, events over the past year have demonstrated that more measures are necessary. Statistics from the Justice Department indicate human trafficking in the United States is on the rise. This is unfortunate but not surprising, given the lawlessness at our southern border.

As one columnist put it, ``The absence of border security, in conjunction with nonexistent interior enforcement, has made the U.S. a fertile breeding ground for human trafficking.''

The Biden administration's open-border policies have led to more than 450,000 unaccompanied alien children crossing the southwest border on Secretary Mayorkas' watch. Given this surge, the Department of Health and Human Services, under guidance from the administration, lowered the standards for sponsors to take these unaccompanied children. Simply put, HHS knowingly transferred these children to the possession of others who were not their parents without ensuring that the child was healthy or that the transfer was necessary.

The result? Mr. Speaker, 85,000 children can't be found. There have been reports of sponsors having 20 of these children in one home, being used for forced labor.

Mr. Speaker, this breakdown in Federal agencies' ability to keep children out of harm's way underscores the need to ensure that Federal officials are properly educated on the signs of human trafficking.

While I am sure there is more work to be done at other Federal agencies, the Committee on Education and the Workforce has jurisdiction over the Department of Labor. Specifically, Wage and Hour Division and Occupational Safety and Health Administration employees, through the course of inspecting workplace safety and labor law compliance within the United States, often have a frontline opportunity to identify patterns of forced labor. Providing these employees with the proper education on how to detect and respond to the signs of human trafficking is an important part of the larger comprehensive effort to eradicate this unthinkable crime.

Specifically, H.R. 443 would direct the Department of Labor to educate appropriate staff on how to effectively detect instances of human trafficking; ensure personnel regularly receive information on current trends and best practices; allow flexible education options, including in-class and virtual learning options; establish a clear course of action for referring suspected instances of human trafficking to law enforcement; and require a report to Congress on the implementation of the education and the processes used by the Department to measure and track its agencies' and law enforcement's responses to human trafficking.

An earlier version of this bill passed the House unanimously in 2017, and this bill passed the Education and the Workforce Committee by a vote of 42-0.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 443 so we can give folks on the front lines of identifying labor trafficking tools and the tools to stop it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the Representative from the Northern Mariana Islands. We have worked on this a long time, and it is worthy of the time spent.

Let me close with some heartbreaking statistics to remind my colleagues of why we have done this.

The International Labor Organization estimated there were roughly 78 million victims of forced labor across the globe on any given day in 2022.

In 2021, more than 10,000 trafficking cases in the U.S. were reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, human trafficking is second only to drug trafficking as the most profitable form of international crime.

Roughly one in six endangered runaways reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is likely a victim of child sex trafficking.

Clearly, more needs to be done to combat this form of modern-day slavery.

One of the biggest obstacles we face in this fight is awareness. H.R. 443 will ensure Department of Labor employees are equipped with knowledge and processes to catch traffickers and keep them from inflicting more harm and abuse on individuals.

Lastly, I thank my colleague, Representative Sablan, and his team for their strong partnership and advocacy over the years on this bill. I thank my colleague, and I certainly thank him for Go Blue.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 443, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for taking this opportunity tonight to remind us that on January 26, inexplicably, President Biden announced an indefinite ban on pending LNG export projects.

I wish it were indefinite, but I believe this is just another shot over the bow, showing that fossil fuels are going away--in his mind. Even for a President known for inflation and global instability, this is an inexplicable move.

Last week, during the international events surrounding the National Prayer Breakfast here, I even had comments from Baltic representatives, Balkan representatives, and others from the EU incredulous that that was going on when they need more LNG terminals, not less, more exports, not less.

American LNG has been a lifeline to our allies while wars rage. This decision is beyond the wildest hopes and dreams of Putin and the Ayatollah, who have capitalized on this opportunity to further finance their terror on this Earth.

I have yet to hear from any American clamoring to drive our allies to Russia and Iran, which is exactly what Biden's LNG export ban will do.

Maybe the White House needs a simple lesson: Cutting the supply of a product does not magically erase the demand or need for that product. However, cutting the supply does raise prices and forces consumers to look elsewhere. In this case, the consumers are our allies. They will look to Russia and Iran.

Ironically, these countries' energy production is far dirtier than our clean LNG. Due to this, from a climate and emission standpoint, Biden's decision will actually lead to more pollution.

American LNG has over 40 percent lower life cycle emissions compared to Russia and its compressed natural gas, which will help fill the void created by the Biden administration. American LNG has been one of the greatest tools used to reduce emissions. Instead of indefinitely banning LNG exports, we should be increasing them and touting our LNG success story, which has led to a decrease in energy-related emissions by 15 percent since 2005, beyond any of our closest allies.

The Biden war on domestic energy accomplishes a rare trifecta. It empowers our adversaries, raises energy prices, and increases pollution. Wow.

President Biden is once again putting politics over the American people and disregarding any semblance of common sense.

Mr. Speaker, this policy from the executive branch is unreasonable and indefensible, but I assure you this body will not allow the Biden administration to sacrifice energy security for America and our allies. This moratorium puts climate activists at TikTok above the energy needs of the world. We must do everything we can to reverse it.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I strongly support H.J. Res. 98 to overturn the Biden administration's joint employer rule which would directly harm employees across this Nation--employees who can become and do become entrepreneurs, franchise owners, and small businesspeople because of their opportunity.

This misguided joint employer rule is a classic case of solving a problem that doesn't exist, and, in the process, it creates unnecessary barriers to success.

Madam Speaker, we have been here before. In 2015, the Obama NLRB implemented the Browning-Ferris decision--I remember it well--which rewrote the joint employment standard with disastrous results. To say otherwise denies the truth.

It raised franchise operational costs by $33 billion and caused 376,000 job losses. It increased NLRB unfair labor practice charges by 93 percent, imposing significant litigation costs on businesses, both large and small.

Despite the historical evidence that expanding the definition of joint employment harms economic growth and job creation, the Biden NLRB has decided to finalize a substantially similar rule anyway.

Michigan is home to over 23,000 franchise locations, employing approximately 248,000 people. However, as a result of this new regulatory burden, workers and small businesses in Michigan and across the country are at risk of losing jobs and opportunities to pursue their own American Dream.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass H.J. Res. 98 so we can return to a commonsense standard that workers and local employers have relied on for decades and promote success.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 927. Last week, Americans watched in bewilderment as the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and Penn were unable to say if calls for a genocide of Jews violated their harassment and bullying policy.

Let's not forget campus leaders go after microaggressions, but suddenly when it comes to anti-Semitism, they chose to remain silent.

At that same hearing, I asked Harvard's President how she could rectify cracking down on faculty for saying there are biologically two genders but maintain that calling for genocide is protected speech.

The reality is that at these universities, free speech only applies to certain people at certain times, which is why these schools rank at the bottom of scorecards that judge freedom of speech.

The inability of these presidents to condemn anti-Semitic rhetoric only encourages further harassment and jeopardizes the safety of Jewish students, and ultimately all.

Mr. Speaker, they need to be held to account. I encourage adoption of the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I have had the privilege to speak in each of those years talking about the Bible and its importance in my life.

The Psalmist in Psalm 119:105, the longest Psalm in the Bible, the longest chapter in the Bible, is written entirely about the Word of God and the impact on the Psalmist's life. He says: Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

That has been my experience. Over the years, my friend and colleague, as he has led that, he has heard me talk about my experience from the Word of God.

Tonight, I will let the Bible, God's Word, speak for itself. We know in Genesis 1:1, it says: In the beginning, God.

In John 1:1, it says: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. That speaks to the foundational truth that

God makes up the word, the truth. The revealed Word is His Son, Jesus Christ. As a Christian, I accept that, but the Bible, the written Word of God, is powerful.

Every Word of God is tested. We have a lot of books that are out there today, self-help books, but not all is tested. Every Word of God is tested, according to Proverbs 30. He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

It talks about the impact of the Word of God in our challenges of life. In Ephesians 6:17, the Apostle Paul says: Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

In Luke, the writer says: On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the Word of God and observe it.

Oftentimes, when we speak about the Bible, we speak about the principles, but it doesn't work until we use it and we observe it and the impact of scripture that goes through the entire life of an individual.

Paul, writing to his son in the faith, Timothy, says: And that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

The power of the Bible continues. It doesn't go away. It says in Isaiah the prophet: The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of God stands forever.

What else can we say that lasts forever?

Peter said in I Peter 1:25: But the Word of the Lord endures forever, and this is the Word which was preached to you.

Finally, for our impact in our daily life that can go on, in II Peter 1:20-21 it says: But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

That is the power of the Bible. It is God's truth revealed to us to be used in our lives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a legend in the Michigan motorcycle freedom and safety community, Vince Consiglio, who announced his upcoming retirement in January. Vince is the president of ABATE of Michigan, or American Bikers Aiming Toward Education.

Vince, who has served as president for over 30 years, joined ABATE in 1975 and has served in multiple roles, including as Michigan's chief Motorcycle Safety Foundation instructor, teaching many MSF instructors the importance of safe riding practices.

He has been integral in public education about issues impacting motorcyclists, working with State legislators to increase motorcycle awareness and protect the cherished heritage we share.

I have personally known Vince for many years and know him to be a man

of character and passionate about motorcycles, especially his Harley.

I wish Vince a happy and fulfilling retirement and thank him for his service to his fellow riders and ABATE.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 4468, the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act, or the CARS Act.

In April, the Biden administration's EPA opposed a rule setting light- and medium-duty tailpipe emissions standards so stringently that the EPA expects the proposal would force two-thirds of new light- and medium-duty vehicles sold in 2032 to be electric.

There is no hiding that the proposed rule is an electric vehicle mandate. Not only does this EV mandate display breathtaking government overreach into the auto industry, but it is also unaffordable, unattainable, and unrealistic for American consumers.

EVs are $13,000 more expensive than the average, gas-fueled vehicle. Repairs to an EV cost $2,300 more on average, leading to higher insurance costs, over $500 annually.

The proposed standards are also unattainable. Our grid cannot handle the power load that is required, plus most of the country lacks the charging infrastructure needed for the mandate.

We also don't have access to all the critical minerals to produce the vehicles or the capacity to refine those minerals for use in batteries. China controls most critical mineral mines, processing, and manufacturing for EVs. China has 78 percent of the world's cell manufacturing capacity for EV batteries.

Have we already forgotten the disastrous realities of overreliance on China for our supply chain? I have yet to hear a constituent say we need our supply chains to be more reliant on China.

Opponents of the CARS Act argue that EVs are growing in popularity and prices are dropping. If that is the case, why is the mandate necessary? Just last week, nearly 4,000 car dealers sent a letter to the administration pleading with them to pump the brakes on the proposed rule, citing lack of demand.

The range of EVs is another concern. Currently, one charge couldn't even get me across my district. EVs have almost 80 percent more issues and are less reliable than other vehicles.

Let me be clear: I am not against EVs. I am against EV mandates. A single EV battery requires the mining of hundreds of thousands of pounds of minerals. Those minerals are then refined using energy from China's coal plants. Ironically, an EV mandate is not a silver bullet to reduce global emissions.

Sadly, the biggest loser for this mandate may be the American autoworker, since significantly less labor is required to assemble EVs. The future of those working at engine plants, like the one in my district, are now in peril, too. The administration should side with consumers and innovators, not pick winners and losers.

EVs will play a significant role in the future of the industry, but so should hybrids and other solutions as they become more functional, reliable, affordable, and chosen by the consumer.

Madam Speaker, let's allow consumers to have access to affordable and reliable cars, encourage American innovation, and set us up to prevail over China.

Mr. Speaker, as a Representative of a northern border district, I rise today to address the border crisis impacting communities across the country, including those in my district.

What is unfolding at our southern border is a humanitarian and national moral crisis. Under the Biden administration's failed policies, every State has become a border State.

Border crossings are at an all-time high and include people on the terrorist watch list and child sex predators. Fentanyl flows freely over the border and then is trafficked across the country.

I have been to both the north and south borders and talked with border agents. They feel like the administration has abandoned them, as have our constituents.

In May, House Republicans passed the strongest border security package in history, yet the Senate refuses to vote on H.R. 2 or any other border solution.

We can't wait any longer, Mr. Speaker. The Senate must vote on H.R. 2, secure our border, and protect our communities.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 798.

On October 7, Hamas carried out the largest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Women were brutally raped and murdered; babies brutally murdered and decapitated; and innocent civilians abducted, tortured, and murdered.

In the aftermath, we have seen despicable acts of anti-Semitism and support for the terrorists across college campuses in this country. Students organized protests calling for ``armed confrontation with oppressors'' and using imagery reflecting the Hamas terrorists paragliding into the music festival in Israel. There are vile chants calling for the elimination of Jewish people in the State of Israel. There are professors asking Jewish students to identify themselves and stand in the corner of a classroom. There are projections on a campus building saying, ``Glory to our martyrs,'' referring to the Hamas terrorists.

These are despicable actions, and they have created a hostile environment for many Jewish students across our country. This is wholly unacceptable, and this is not free speech.

Jewish students deserve to know they are safe on campus, and colleges and universities have a legal and moral obligation to foster an environment free from vile anti-Semitic discrimination.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss a critical issue impacting millions of Americans who work hard every day so that, when the time comes, they can enjoy their golden years in retirement. October is National Retirement Security month, so it is a good time to both reflect on the retirement reforms we have recently enacted and look ahead to the remaining work to be done.

America's retirement savings system and the retirement outlook for millions has dramatically improved because of Congress's bipartisan work over the last few years. Our private sector retirement savings system works well for many employees and employers, but additional improvements could help more Americans achieve a successful retirement for all.

As a senior member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee. I was proud to play an active role in helping draft and advance the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 into law

last year. Building on the great work Congress achieved with the SECURE Act of 2019, SECURE 2.0 included almost 100 provisions that will help employers offer plans and assist employees in both beginning to save and saving more for retirement. I was especially pleased that my provision to reduce administrative costs for employers by increasing the cash-out limit for the first time in over two decades was included in the final law.

One significant issue we still need to make more progress on is providing greater access to savings and income options that will help make sure retirees do not outlive their retirement savings. Americans collectively face a substantial retirement income gap. This means that the amount of money retirees have saved compared to what they need is $4 trillion short, with 40 percent of families likely to outlive their retirement savings, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

This gap is concerning, and why guaranteed, or lifetime income has long been a critical issue for me. A few years ago, as the Chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce's Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee, I was proud to chair a hearing on a range of bipartisan retirement bills. One of the bills we discussed that day was the Increasing Access to a Secure Retirement Act, which I introduced with Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester to remove a regulatory barrier for employers looking to offer lifetime income solutions to their employees. That important provision became law in the SECURE Act, but our efforts to ensure everyone has access to the best lifetime income options remain ongoing.

Earlier this year, I along with Representative Donald Norcross reintroduced the bipartisan Lifetime Income for Employees Act. This legislation would improve plan sponsors' and investors' default lifetime income options and take a crucial step to help American retirees have adequate income in retirement. Increasing the range of savings and income options will help provide workers with the possibility to achieve higher returns on their retirement investments and greater peace of mind that their income will last throughout retirement.

Our bill, and other sensible steps to improve worker access to guaranteed lifetime income. must be a part of future bipartisan retirement saving packages. I am hopeful my colleagues will cosponsor the Lifetime Income for Employees Act and help us to enact it into law.

In addition to expanding access to lifetime income Congress must do more to help all Americans achieve a financially secure retirement. More than 55 million Americans do not have access to an employer sponsored retirement plan, including 78 percent of workers at arms with fewer than 10 employees. Congress should continue to work to help them get access to savings plans as this is the first step to helping them achieve financial security in retirement.

Let's not wait until next year's National Retirement Security Month to advance proposals that will strengthen our nation's private retirement system. Bipartisanship has been and will continue to be the key to advancing the next retirement security package. We can and should act now to help all our constituents get on a clearer path to a more secure retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today supporting the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act.

Why wouldn't I? I deal in a sense of reality. I live in a State that produces automobiles. I live in a State right now that is at risk of having a major disruption due to a strike potential. I have autoworkers who are concerned about their jobs because of the push on EVs that isn't working. We even had one of the major chairmen of the auto companies attempt to take an EV trip across the Nation. They couldn't make it because we don't have the infrastructure available.

Beyond that, H.R. 1435 prevents a waiver for California to effectively ban the internal combustion engine. California's political agenda does not reflect how the rest of America operates, and I would suggest it doesn't reflect what a lot of Californians need.

Look no further than EV sales to know the American people don't want this forced transition. They may like the F-150 Lightning. It is a hot rod, but it doesn't do the job.

Mr. Speaker, autoworkers in Michigan also don't want this mandate. Let consumers and

innovators in the auto industry guide the future, not California's politicians.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my concern about DNA from invasive silver carp found in the St. Joseph River, which runs through my district.

Silver carp have overtaken watersheds across the country and would pose a significant challenge to preserving the health of the Great Lakes and its tributaries.

This news increases the urgency to take commonsense steps to protect the Great Lakes from invasive species.

That is why I have continued to support bipartisan efforts that will maintain a healthy Great Lakes ecosystem through securing funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and why I continue to support efforts like the Brandon Road Lock and Dam to fight invasive species.

I will continue to closely monitor the additional testing conducted by the Fish and Wildlife Service and pursue long-term solutions to keep the Great Lakes healthy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a remarkable young man from the Fifth District of Michigan, Jude Stamper.

While completing his Eagle Scout leadership project, Jude sought to raise funds to help purchase a new van for a local shelter. He organized, emceed, and played in a fundraiser with the Monroe High jazz band that far surpassed his initial goal.

Jude has a rare condition called AMC which makes movement difficult, but Jude doesn't slow down. In 2018, then-Michigan basketball coach John Beilein recognized Jude's infectious attitude, valuable perspective, and unparalleled energy. Beilein had him join the team, and stars like Moe Wagner and Duncan Robinson credited Jude's spirit for helping propel the team to the national championship game.

Mr. Speaker, we are grateful for Jude's contributions, and we look forward to what he takes on next.

Madam Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 3799, the CHOICE Arrangement Act. I thank both the Ways and Means Committee and the Committee on Education and the Workforce for their hard work in bringing this important bill to the floor.

I must state that what I have heard over the last 20 minutes of sitting here and listening to my colleagues, it would lead me to believe that they think Republicans don't want good healthcare, that we don't need good healthcare, that we don't use good healthcare, and that we would support employers not giving us good healthcare or our constituents good healthcare, and that we would expect that Republican employers wouldn't feel the same impact of trying to compete with other employers whose benefits their employees look for.

That is just not true. I don't think the American public believes that. We have the same concerns. We want good healthcare. That is why this bill has been put forward.

With the ACA, true, everybody had insurance, but not everybody had healthcare when they tried to use it. The high cost of healthcare remains a struggle for small businesses, many of whom are facing lingering hardships from the pandemic as well as inflation.

In fact, a recent survey from the NFIB showed that while employers by and large believe offering health benefits is important, 98 percent of small businesses are concerned that healthcare costs will become unsustainable within the next 5 to 10 years.

The CHOICE Arrangement Act provides innovative healthcare solutions to bring down healthcare costs for small businesses.

I am proud that H.R. 3799 includes my legislation to expand association health plans. AHPs are commonsense solutions that empower small employers and their employees when making health coverage decisions.

Right now, small businesses are often on an unequal playing field with larger companies and unions. Because they have fewer employees, small businesses have limited bargaining power when it comes to negotiating for lower insurance costs for their workers and higher care coverage.

By providing small businesses with greater bargaining power, the Association Health Plans Act allows them to offer more quality options for workers at a better price.

Madam Chair, the Association Health Plans Act will level the playing field for small businesses and empower their employees to access quality healthcare at a lower cost. It also represents an important step toward purchasing health insurance across State lines.

Today's vote is an immediate first step to help job creators provide affordable healthcare options to their employees and transition toward a patient-centered healthcare system that works for Republicans and Democrats.

Madam Chair, I encourage support of H.R. 3799.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 272, and call on the Russian government to release United States citizen Paul Whelan. I thank my colleague, Congresswoman Haley Stevens, for her continued work on this important issue.

It has now been four-and-a-half years since Paul Whelan, a marine veteran and Michigan resident, was imprisoned in Russia.

After a sham trial, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison without proper evidence.

Vladimir Putin is focused on using American hostages as leverage against the United States.

We have seen prisoner swaps bring other Americans home but, tragically, Paul has been left behind in Russia.

As the Whelan family stated, the Russians are using Paul Whelan as an example of how America does not treat our citizens equally.

If there was ever a time for the U.S. Government to move decisively for Paul, it's now.

Congress can send a strong message today by passing this resolution, and we hope the administration will follow suit.

I've met with members of the Whelan family on many occasions.

Despite these long agonizing years, they continue to be pillars of strength.

It's time for Paul Whelan to come home to Michigan and be returned to his family.