Floor Statements

Mr. Chair, my home State of Kansas is a leader when it comes to agriculture innovation. A lesson that I have learned from Kansans is that we must be ready to respond to new technological developments as they come to life. Digital asset markets are no exception.

As these markets have grown, they have lacked congressional guidance over who has regulatory and enforcement authority over them. Currently, participants are at the mercy of regulators who continue to assert jurisdiction and extend their authority through enforcement actions, all without legislation and direction from Congress.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this bill to establish a framework consistent with existing financial market requirements while acknowledging the uniqueness of digital assets. We can and should give consumers, developers, and institutions a clear set of rules that provide certainty as they explore this new, innovative technology.

Digital assets and related blockchain technology have the potential to lead us to the next generation of internet technology. Everyone here should want America to be a place where this flourishes. That is what FIT21 does. It allows America to build on this potential. If we do not act now, we cede American leadership, talent, and innovation.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on FIT21.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the brave men and women who wear the badge and put their lives on the line to serve us, protect us, and keep our communities safe. I proudly back our women and men in blue, and National Police Week is an opportunity for our Nation to come together and thank the law enforcement community.

According to a recent study, 58 percent of Americans believe reducing crime should be a top priority for the President and Congress to address, yet some Washington Democrats maintain their calls to defund the police.

We must reject that nonsense and support the brave men and women who serve on the front line by collecting accurate data to address the rise in antipolice attacks, empowering law enforcement to detain any illegal immigrant charged with or convicted of assaulting a law enforcement officer, and ensuring our officers have access to a variety of mental health services as they bear the weight of protecting their neighbors and our communities.

This body will have the opportunity to offer that support this week by voting ``yes'' on bills that will do just that.

Americans deserve to live in an environment that is safe and secure. It is not lost on me that our law enforcement plays the most significant role in securing and defending that safety. We are grateful.

Every State in America Is a Border State

Mr. Speaker, 370 days ago, this body passed the Secure the Border Act of 2023. After President Biden's policies created the worst humanitarian crisis in our Nation's history, House Republicans rallied together to end the crisis and secure the southern border.

Sadly, some Washington Democrats are more loyal to progressive activists than to keeping Americans safe. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle would rather leave the border wide open than consider our legislation. In the meantime, America suffers.

Since House Republicans passed H.R. 2, there have been more than 2.1 million encounters with illegal immigrants trying to enter the country at the southern border. Nearly 120 of those individuals' names appear on the terrorist watch list, and almost 33,000 of them have some sort of criminal background.

In the past year alone, our Border Patrol agents have seized enough fentanyl to kill 3.8 billion people. That is the entire population of the United States, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Brazil combined.

It doesn't matter what the White House says. The numbers don't lie. President Biden's policies are failing, and our country is less secure because of it.

Under President Biden, every State in America is a border State. Kansas and the Big First feel that, and that is why they are so concerned about President Biden's border crisis.

In my commitment to the Big First, I pledged that I would fight for a nation that is secure and work to end the crisis at the border. That commitment is one of the reasons why I supported H.R. 2.

Rather than working with House Republicans to fix the President's crisis, Senate Democrats have decided to let H.R. 2 just sit in the legislative graveyard. In the meantime, Mexican cartels are more empowered while more drugs and more crime pour into our country over the border.

Mr. Speaker, Americans deserve better than this. Our children deserve to live in a country where they are safe and secure. It is beyond time for President Biden to work with House Republicans to secure the southern border. Enough is enough.

Mr. Speaker, the economy of the State of Kansas has a strong relationship with aviation. My district alone is home to six commercial airports, 39 general aviation airports, and five essential air service communities. After agriculture, aviation has the second largest impact on my State's economy.

Over the past year, I have advocated for an FAA reauthorization that is cost-effective and invests in programs that are crucial to the aviation industry in Kansas and across the country. I have advocated to expand the section 625 workforce to include manufacturing and engineering and to reform the current workforce development programs to support the long-term growth and diversification of the pilot profession. Most importantly, I have advocated for us to reauthorize an aviation bill that prioritizes safety.

In order for the aviation industry to thrive, we need an FAA that adopts long-overdue policy changes and regulatory requirements. America has been and should continue to be the gold standard of aviation. I call on my colleagues to pass the FAA reauthorization that gives the industry the policies it needs to continue to thrive.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to continue calling attention to the need for Congress to pass a comprehensive 5-year farm bill that provides certainty to our agriculture producers while responding to market changes and strengthening the ag safety net.

My priorities for the next farm bill have not changed. It is in the best interests of our American farmers, ranchers, and agriculture producers to authorize a farm bill that protects and strengthens crop insurance, incentivizes agriculture trade programs that help Americans remain competitive on the global stage, and conducts rigorous oversight and rolls back overly restrictive regulation and supports agriculture research and development.

Investing in agriculture research, and, particularly, animal health research, supports our Nation's food security and ultimately our national security.

This is especially true today as the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus spreads across wildlife, poultry, and dairy cattle around the country.

My staff and I remain in close contact with USDA regarding the spread, and we are grateful for USDA's efforts to control the outbreak. However, it emphasizes the reality that animal health often does not get the attention that it deserves.

Luckily, HPAI has no proven impact on our country's food supply, but we are starting to see the economic impact of this virus.

Last week, Colombia became the first country to restrict US beef imports coming from States where HPAI is present.

As of yesterday, at least 22 States had issued some restrictions on the importation of dairy cattle from affected States.

By actively investing in research of animal disease, we have the opportunity to allocate resources to the prevention rather than outbreak control.

These investments serve as a more cost-effective approach to protecting our Nation's food supply by limiting animal disease and outbreaks before they spread.

For years, Kansas has led the United States in supporting global food security initiatives. Just last year, the U.S.

Department of Agriculture opened a state-of-the-art National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas.

The facility will conduct research into serious animal disease threats and the potential impact of those diseases.

It is the only maximum biocontainment space in the country where USDA conducts comprehensive research, develops animal vaccines and antivirals, and explores diagnostic and training capabilities.

This facility is just down the street from my alma mater, Kansas State University, and their School of Veterinary Medicine and the Biosecurity Research Institute.

These institutions are the crown jewels of the animal health corridor, creating a scientific hub where world-renowned research happens, leading the world in agriculture research and health.

American farmers, ranchers, and agriculture producers understand that to turn a profit, we must embrace the data of innovating, adapting, and increasing efficiency.

According to USDA, agriculture research returns $20 in benefits to the economy for every public dollar that is spent.

We save American tax dollars and the risk of disrupting our food supply chain when we adequately invest in agriculture and animal health research.

Despite this, Federal funding has declined in real dollars over the past two decades while other forms of research have increased.

If we continue down this path, we will not only hurt our agriculture producers but also American consumers, American food security, and, in turn, our national security.

We must ensure the farm bill addresses the risk to animal health and better positions us to invest in prevention rather than outbreak control.

Investing in animal health research bolsters the long-term availability of U.S. animal agriculture to be competitive in the global marketplace, provides consumers with safe, wholesome, and affordable food, and ensures agriculture thrives in America.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, the events unfolding at our country's colleges and universities are devastating. For years, we have taught Americans and committed ourselves to ``never again.'' Yet, we are watching the rot of anti-Semitism stain our American colleges and universities. We must reject the spoil of anti-Semitism and adopt a clear definition of what anti-Semitism is to better position college administrators and officials to respond to the terror these so-called protesters are bringing to Jewish students.

Many of these are not pro-Palestinian protests. They are ill-informed mobs who believe that Hamas, a terrorist organization, is somehow good for the people of Gaza. That couldn't be further from the truth. Hamas continues to use innocent lives as human shields and intentionally positions civilians in the middle of combat zones while using their tunnels to protect their own military leaders and fighters.

Is this what our Nation's students want to support?

To my colleagues across the aisle who have chosen to praise these anti-Semitism protests, is that what you stand for?

School administrators cannot straddle both sides of the fence here. We would not tolerate this sort of behavior toward any other group of students, and we must not start when the target is again on America's Jewish students.

All students deserve a safe learning environment, and by adopting this definition of anti-Semitism, our college campuses are more empowered to uphold and protect safe environments for Jewish students.

Congress must be clear. America stands with Israel, and we stand with Jewish students across every college campus in America.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to stand with Jewish students and vote in favor of this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Utah, my friend, for having this Special Order tonight to once again highlight the failures of the Biden administration on our southern border.

Since President Biden's first day in office, he has failed our Nation by refusing to secure the southern border.

During his first year, President Biden reversed several of President Trump's policies that were effective in addressing illegal immigration.

President Biden stopped construction of the border wall, even though it was already funded. Instead, he paid contractors $6 million a day while he studied the border.

President Biden ended President Trump's remain in Mexico policy before the Supreme Court forced him to reinforce it.

President Biden came into office hyperfixated on implementing radical policies to appease progressive activists, and in turn, he has left our southern border wide open.

Since he was sworn in, there have been more than 9.2 million illegal immigrant encounters across the country, nearly three times the population of my home State of Kansas.

More than 1.8 million of those illegal immigrants have evaded the U.S. Border Patrol and slipped into the country.

There have been at least 350 encounters with individuals on the terrorist watch list and more than 24,000 encounters with Chinese nationals.

Make no mistake. The Mexican cartels have been empowered by President Biden's failed policies, and they are cashing in by helping people all across the globe illegally enter our great country.

As a result, we have had more drugs on our streets and crimes in our neighborhoods. Fentanyl has poured into the country while human trafficking and uncontrollable crime run rampant.

Under President Biden's policies, every State is a border State. Border security is national security, and enough is enough.

House Republicans voted again this week to make our Nation safe and restore order to our Nation's immigration system. It is time for President Biden to work with House Republicans to secure the southern border for good.

I thank Mr. Moore again for having this Special Order hour.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Battery Council International. In March 1924, 25 firms launched the National Battery Manufacturer's Association--the group that would eventually become BCI. Since then, BCI has been the leading trade association for unlocking the potential of energy storage and supporting the commercial integration of essential products. BCI members are committed to safe, responsible battery manufacturing.

The United States' lead battery industry has more than 165 GWh of manufacturing capacity across 39 facilities, 250,000 lead battery collection and distribution sites, and 9 lead battery recycling facilities. Each of these components supports the nearly 100 percent recycle rate for lead batteries, creating an impressive circular economy.

In the last century, BCI members have created batteries to power nearly a billion vehicles in the U.S. alone--powering individuals, families, and businesses along the way.

In 2022, I visited a BCI member, Stryten Energy, which has a manufacturing facility in the Big First District of Kansas. Stryten's stored energy solutions are built in the U.S. and power everything from forklifts, cars, trains, trucks, microgrids, submarines, and more. Stryten has over a century of expertise and is the only energy storage solutions provider in North America that can offer advanced lead, lithium, and vanadium battery solutions to solve complex storage challenges. Companies like Stryten Energy make BCI a strong and essential voice in the energy and defense industries. I congratulate the Battery Council International on its 100th anniversary and for all the work they do to accelerate the future of energy storage in the U.S. and beyond.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to make it crystal clear: America stands with Israel.

On October 7, 2023, Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, killing and kidnapping both Israelis and Americans, resulting in the deadliest day for the Jewish people since World War II.

In the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, House Republicans made it clear that we always have been and always will be staunch supporters of Israel. Unfortunately, the Biden administration and some radical Washington Democrats have taken a different approach.

Since day one, President Biden's mission has been to appease the Iranian regime in Tehran as if it would be effective in discouraging bad behavior. President Biden took a sledgehammer to President Trump's policies, which actually worked and deterred terrorism, by reversing permanent sanctions on Iranian drones and missiles, allowing them to expire in October 2023.

In September of last year, President Biden unfroze $6 billion in Iranian funds for the release of five American hostages. While we are grateful that those Americans are free, exchanging $6 billion in assets sets an alarming precedent that only further incentivizes hostage- taking by Iran and other bad actors. America does not negotiate with terrorists.

The President's appeasement in dealing with the terrorist regime in Tehran backfired and put American and Israeli lives at risk. After 4 years of peace in the Middle East under President Trump, President Biden has empowered Iranian proxies and put the entire region at risk.

If it isn't clear enough to the Biden administration, here is a wake- up call: The President's policies aren't working. They are failing. In fact, President Biden's policies are so disastrous that for the first time in history, Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel.

Some people are claiming that Israel should not respond to Iran's attack based on the punches thrown but rather on the punches that landed. Of the more than 300 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles that Iran launched at Israel, fortunately, the Iron Dome and other defense mechanisms protected Israel from much of the damage that Iran intended to cause.

In no other country would we spew such a nuanced foreign affairs strategy. America would not tolerate this behavior from any neighboring country, and neither should Israel.

Since October 7, House Republicans have passed legislation to support our ally. We supported Israel's right to self-defense, condemned Hamas terrorism, rejected anti-Semitism, reaffirmed America's commitment to Israel's security, pushed the Biden administration to reinstate and refreeze the Iranian assets and further prevent Iran from funding terrorism. We have fully funded U.S.-Israel cooperative missile defense programs and supported the expansion of the Abraham Accords to encourage peace in the Middle East.

This week, Congress will again vote on legislation to condemn the behavior of the Iranian regime and show our unequivocal support for our ally, Israel. For House Republicans and for me, there is no question: America stands with Israel.

Now, Mr. President, the choice is yours. Abandon our strongest ally in the Middle East or join House Republicans in standing with our ally and sole democratic partner in the Middle East, Israel.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the challenges that America is facing and identify ways we can restore order in this country.

Tonight, President Biden will join us in this very Chamber to address the Nation. I am hopeful that he will speak to the real issues before us and detail how he plans to work with House Republicans to get America back on track.

The southern border, inflation and our national debt, and the weaponization of the Federal Government need his immediate attention.

Since last year, House Republicans have passed legislation after legislation to secure our southern border, reduce and reprioritize Federal spending, and end the weaponization of the Federal Government. We passed H.R. 2 to finish the border wall, increase the number of Border Patrol agents, protect unaccompanied children from human trafficking, and terminate catch and release.

Since President Biden took office, there have been more than 8.5 million illegal crossings--that is almost three times the population of Kansas--including known criminals and terrorists on that list.

Just last month, the Nation was horrified by the brutal murder of Laken Riley by an illegal immigrant. Despite the illegal immigrant's criminal history in the United States, failed liberal policies allowed him to stay here, and an innocent young woman from Georgia paid the price.

Now that President Biden has visited the real southern border and witnessed the crisis he created, he should work with House Republicans to secure our southern border.

We passed legislation to limit future government spending, reclaim $200 billion of unaccounted for COVID dollars, and promote progrowth energy and economic policy.

While the White House says inflation is cooling, those of us in middle America still feel the weight of Washington's spending problem. Our national debt has surpassed $34 trillion, diesel is well over $3.60 a gallon in Kansas, Americans' paychecks are grossly overtaxed, and Washington Democrats pretend that the President has a no-limit credit card.

This is no way to govern. It is irresponsible, it is fiscal insanity, and President Biden should work with House Republicans to rein in inflation and our national debt.

We passed legislation that ends the weaponization of the Federal Government, we are working to hold the U.S. Department of Justice accountable to applying justice equally, and we are pushing the U.S. EPA to fully implement the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that the EPA's waters of the U.S. rule is unconstitutional.

We are working to reduce the number of executive orders that the Biden administration uses as force of law. We are standing up for the unborn and fighting the radical agenda that promotes Federal funding for abortions. In the Big First, we know that the right to life is a right from God, not from the government. That right deserves to be protected.

President Biden should work with House Republicans to end the weaponization of the Federal Government once and for all.

I hope that President Biden will also discuss how he will work with us to enact a strong farm bill that will protect and strengthen crop insurance; incentivizes agricultural trade opportunities; promotes global food security; supports agriculture research; and reflects the needs of the American farmers, ranchers, and agriculture producers who work to feed, fuel, and clothe the world.

I hope that he will address the importance of our country's energy independence, our fight against China, and a strong Second Amendment.

The list goes on and on.

When the President joins us here tonight, he has the opportunity to share with Kansans and Americans his plan to tackle these challenges head-on.

Mr. Speaker, I am optimistic that our greatest days are yet to come. Those days require us to get America back on track.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Cecil O'Brate, who passed away on January 20 at the age of 95.

Cecil was born in 1928 at the beginning of the Great Depression. Throughout his childhood, he worked countless jobs to help support his family, eventually moving from Oklahoma to Kansas to farm 3,000 acres of rented Kansas farmland with his grandparents when he was 18. There, he met the love of his life, Frances Cole, with whom he celebrated 76 years of marriage together last year.

By 1966, Cecil had invested in agricultural equipment manufacturing and, by 1984, he had become an oil and gas producer in Kansas.

At the end of his life, Cecil was the largest independent oil and gas producer in the entire State of Kansas, and he owned those original 3,000 acres that he rented in 1948, along with farmland across Kansas and Colorado--the fruits of a lifetime of tireless work and ingenuity.

Cecil was a jack-of-all-trades. In addition to farming, equipment manufacturing, and oil and gas production, Cecil was a community bank owner, an ethanol producer, and a real estate developer.

In 2013, Cecil and Frances established the O'Brate Foundation, which has provided nearly $7 million in college scholarships to students, many of whom grew up in poverty and in the foster care system. Cecil was also a major benefactor to his beloved Oklahoma State University, making transformational investments in the university's athletics programs.

Cecil lived by his motto, ``Make it Happen.'' He once said, I have found no substitute for an honest day's work, an inquisitive mind, and a desire to always do more.

In all that he did, Cecil lived out the Kansas conservative values of faith, family, hard work, personal responsibility, and love for your neighbor.

Cecil was a loving father and a devoted husband who was blessed to live long enough to meet his great-great-granddaughter. His legacy of generosity and leadership will be missed dearly.

To Cecil's wife, Frances; his 4 sons, Patrick, Michael, Steve, and Mark, along with their wives; and his 8 grandchildren, 12 great- grandchildren, and his great-great-granddaughter, as well as his business partners and the entire American Warrior family, my thoughts and prayers are with you as you remember Cecil's legacy of love.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the ongoing crisis at the southern border, President Biden's failure of leadership, and the dire need to fix this crisis now.

Every year, I hold a townhall in each of the 60 counties in the Big First District. I just finished townhall 22 for this year, and at each of those townhalls, Kansans have brought up the border crisis as one of the top issues on their minds. I share their outrage. The crisis at our southern border is unnecessary, and President Biden has only escalated it.

Since President Biden took office, there have been more than 7 million illegal encounters at our southern border. There have been 2 million known got-aways. These are just the people whom we know about who avoided apprehension and entered our country illegally. That is nearly 13 congressional districts and is over three times the population of the State of Kansas.

There have been 312 suspects on the terrorist watch list apprehended trying to cross our southern border. No one knows how many terrorists actually made it into our country.

Meanwhile, crime is spiking; our brave Border Patrol agents are overwhelmed; and lethal drugs like fentanyl are pouring into this country, wreaking havoc on our families and killing Americans.

The word is out all over the world: President Biden hasn't just created a porous southern border. He has created a wide-open border with a welcome mat, and he has done so with disregard for law and order.

I have been to the southern border. I saw human heartbreak, scared children, overcrowded facilities, and evidence of crimes committed by Mexican cartels, which are making $13 billion a year smuggling people and drugs into our country.

I also saw giant sections of the unfinished border wall with the materials to finish those sections literally sitting there, lying in piles in the sun.

Fixing the border crisis isn't rocket science. It would just take a few commonsense steps.

House Republicans have done our job. Eight months ago, we passed H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act. That legislation required the Biden administration to restart construction of the southern border wall, deploy state-of-the-art technology to strengthen the border security system, ensure transparency from the Department of Homeland Security regarding illegal crossings, and increase the number of Border Patrol agents.

The Secure the Border Act would also strengthen existing laws to protect children from human trafficking, terminate catch and release, end the abuse of executive immigration authority, and make critical reforms to streamline the asylum process.

Those are commonsense steps to fix the border crisis. It is time for the U.S. Senate and President Biden to act.

President Biden needs to fix this crisis now. He needs to end catch and release, stop the abuse of the asylum system, finish the wall, invest in more Border Patrol agents, and reinstate the remain in Mexico policy.

It is estimated that if President Biden would just reinstate the remain in Mexico policy, which he inherited on day one of his Presidency and which was working until he reversed it, then it could reduce the flow of migrants to the border by up to 70 percent.

Again, the legislation to do all of this has already passed in the House. President Biden could end this crisis today if he wanted to.

Migrant encounters at the southern border hit a new record last month at 302,000, with 12,600 on December 18, which was a single-day record. If that doesn't wake up the administration to reality, then I am not sure what will. Let's fix the problem at our southern border and secure our country now.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank the farmers and ranchers whose work does not stop. Even in the face of extreme freezing temperatures and abnormal snowfall, Kansans are standing strong and getting the job done.

The Big First District of Kansas is one of the most productive agricultural areas in the country. It is home to more than 60,000 farms and ranches and is made up of farmers, ranchers, feed lot managers, nutritionists, ethanol producers, ag lenders, millers, and agribusiness owners who feed, clothe, and fuel the world.

I grew up in the Big First, and I spent thousands of hours on a tractor in fields and on horseback doctoring cattle in our family's feed yard. I know well agriculture's working conditions are demanding on a good day but especially so when our business partner, Mother Nature, is as unforgiving as she has been lately.

In the past few days, parts of Kansas have seen 15-plus inches of snow, electricity outages for days, and road closures that stretch from every corner of the State. But those who stand with snow up to their knees in the depths of winter or haul water in the drought of summer know agriculture does not take days off. In fact, in weather like this, producers work even harder to keep livestock and commodities safe and secure. No matter the temperature, they go to work long before most of us are awake and stay out until many of us have already laid down our heads at night.

They are the people volunteering their time to move snow at nearby feed lots so cattle can continue to be fed and watered. They are the people hauling new cows on their truck floorboards out of snowbanks and onto dryer ground. They are the people breaking ice at all hours of the day. They are the men and women staying up through the night so a baby animal gets a shot at life, a piece of equipment is ready to go early the next morning, the neighboring producer has the help they need to milk their herds, and so people like you and I have a safe and secure food supply.

As many across the country have learned in the past few years, our food does not come from a grocery store shelf. The importance of agriculture in the food supply chain cannot be overstated. This supply chain represents millions of people working every day in the U.S. It begins with farmers, ranchers, and growers, and it includes food processors and manufacturers, millers, shippers, transportation workers, and, finally, those working in grocery stores and restaurants all across the country. Each of these people are vital in ensuring we have food on our plates.

While most of us in the Big First of Kansas know how important agriculture is, I know that message can sometimes get lost on the way to the grocery store. So on behalf of all of Kansans and Americans, I sincerely thank the farmers, ranchers, and producers who supply our food, fuel, and fiber. I thank them for pulling the baby calf out of the snowbank and nursing it back to life. I thank them for busting ice early and feeding hay late. I thank them for putting the needs of their livestock before themselves. I thank them for their never-ending, back- breaking days. I thank them especially on cold days for working so hard for the extra hours and extra strength. Their efforts keep all of us warm and fed.

It is an honor to represent them in the House of Representatives on the House Agriculture Committee. May God bless them and keep everybody safe.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the vice chair, for hosting this Special Order with me here tonight.

I appreciate you and others standing here to highlight House Republicans' wins and to advocate for our conservative values.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the problems America is facing and what Congress must do to get this country back on track.

Our grandchildren deserve to live in a country that still stands for freedom, and I serve in Congress to work toward building that future.

Freedom tomorrow means upholding the constitutional rights of all Americans today. That is the lens through which I view my job in Congress and the measuring stick I use for every piece of legislation I consider.

I have highlighted the path forward in my four-part commitment to the big first and House Republicans' commitment to Americans.

Number one, Congress needs to create an economy that is strong. According to the congressional budget report, America is $33.5 trillion in debt, and the Federal Government is deficit spending more than $1 trillion every year.

Our energy independence has eroded, small businesses are laboring under burdensome regulations and taxes, and rampant inflation is a tax on everyone.

We need to end Washington's spending addiction by balancing the budget, growing the economy, curbing inflation, and decreasing Federal spending.

We need to cut red tape and burdensome regulations for agriculture producers, businessowners, and for all Americans. We also need to preserve the family-owned farms and small businesses throughout our country.

Earlier this year, the house passed The Limit, Save, Grow Act to reduce government spending, reclaim unspent COVID relief money, and promote pro-growth economic policies.

The House and Senate passed my resolution to prohibit the listing of the lesser prairie-chicken as endangered or threatened.

The House and Senate also passed a joint resolution to prohibit President Biden's Waters of the U.S. rule from having the force of law.

A strong economy is good for everyone: the whole supply chain, businesses, parents, students, everyone. Ensuring a strong economy remains our commitment.

Number two, this Congress needs to create a Nation that is safe. Violent crime is on the rise, drug addiction is spiking, and many parts of our country are in chaos.

Meanwhile, we are still hearing calls from Washington Democrats to defund the police, and the Biden administration is failing to address our open southern border where fentanyl, criminals, and people caught up in human trafficking rings flood into our country.

We need to defend America's national security and food security. We need to support our troops and invest in an efficient, effective military. We need to secure the border, stop illegal immigration, end the fentanyl crisis, and support the police.

We also need to reauthorize strong agricultural trade legislation, negotiate new international trade agreements, support global food security legislation, promote U.S. goods, and stop wars before they start.

This year, the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act and the Department of Defense appropriations act to support our troops.

House Republicans passed the Secure the Border Act to finish construction of the wall at the southern border and the Schools Not Shelters Act to prohibit the use of public schools for housing illegal immigrants.

We passed the HALT Fentanyl Act and a resolution expressing support for local law enforcement officers and condemning efforts to defund and dismantle local law enforcement agencies.

We all want to live in a country where we can lay our heads on a pillow at night knowing we live in the safest, best country in the world.

Number three, Congress needs to create a future that is built on freedom. As I meet with Kansans, I hear concerns about Big Government, sweeping executive orders, and infringements on the basic rights enshrined in our Constitution.

We must preserve America's constitutional freedoms that protect the lives of unborn children and their mothers. We need to educate students in American history and civic engagement. We also need to improve access to rural healthcare, including access to telehealth services.

We must support those who fought to defend our freedoms by improving accountability and transparency at the Department of Veterans Affairs and working to reinvigorate civilian life after military service.

House Republicans passed the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act to penalize healthcare practitioners who fail to provide care for an infant that is born alive from an attempted abortion.

I sponsored three pieces of legislation that would modify the Biden administration's rulemaking to prohibit funds for abortions and abortion referrals.

The House passed the Parents Bill of Rights Act to ensure that rights of parents are honored and protected in America's public schools.

I sponsored the States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment Act, or SHARE Act, which would improve the current licensing process for healthcare providers and increase the number of licensed providers able to serve communities across State lines.

We passed the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act and the Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act, which would codify the Boots to Business program, a training course administered by the Small Business Administration through which veterans and their families learn the fundamentals of business management.

America is the strongest, most free nation in the world because our Founders declared that our freedoms do not flow from the government or a king but from God, who created us all with inalienable rights.

Number four, Congress needs to create a government that is accountable. Congress has the responsibility to conduct both rigorous oversight of the executive branch and investigation into possible corruption and criminal activity within the Federal Government.

We need to rein in the White House's abuse of power, hold Washington accountable, end the President's war on fossil fuels, and empower domestic producers to restore American energy independence.

The House passed the Reduce Exacerbated Inflation Negatively Impacting the Nation Act, or the REIN IN Act, which would require the President to provide an inflation impact estimate with respect to executive orders.

I also sponsored the More Accountability is Necessary Now Act, or the MANN Act, six pieces of legislation that I do every Congress which would require the President to report to Congress on executive orders.

The House passed the Lower Energy Costs Act, which would increase the production and export of American energy and reduce the regulatory burdens that make it harder to build American infrastructure and grow our economy.

Through the legislation we all support, I have worked to unleash American energy, cut taxes and red tape, secure the border, and investigate the scandal and corruption surrounding President Biden and Hunter Biden.

I will always stand for freedom in the face of government overreach because whether you are a parent, a child, born or unborn, a student, a farmer, or a

small business owner, you don't need the Federal Government trying to control your life.

Serving as the Representative for the Big First District in Kansas continues to be the honor of a lifetime. There is a lot of work left to do, but with prayer and hard work, I really believe that the greatest days in this Nation are yet to come.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin), who represents the 36th District of Texas. Congressman Babin serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee with me. I am grateful for his presence here tonight and for his friendship.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for his very true remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Spartz).

Mr. Speaker, I thank all the Members for participating tonight.

When government grows, freedom shrinks. As conservatives in Congress, we must not compromise on freedom. Our sworn duty is to uphold the constitutional rights of all Americans, and I encourage all of my colleagues to remember the solemn oath that we all took to do so and support legislation that will aid us in that effort.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Moore), from the First Congressional District and the cohost of this Special Order, for his closing remarks.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in defense of the Second Amendment and in honor of Roger Theede, a freedom-loving American, gun store owner, and Kansan who has been deeply wronged by President Biden's politicized, weaponized Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

My team and I have met with Roger, his coworker Jenny, and their team in their store in Hutchinson, Kansas. Heartland Outdoor is a local, family-owned small business in central Kansas where people buy their hunting and recreational shooting supplies.

Roger has been a Federal firearm licensee for 30 years, during which time he has never had a violation or sold a gun that has been involved in a crime. He literally has decades of perfect scores from the ATF who have held his store in the highest regard, an example of how a gun store should be operated.

On ATF's most recent visit to Roger's store, however, agents found minor, unwillful, debatable issues which they called willful, serious violations. As a result, the ATF revoked Roger's license to sell firearms and effectively took his livelihood away.

Sadly, this story is not unique. It is an example of the ATF abusing President Biden's zero-tolerance policy, which he announced in June of 2021, and which resulted in a 500 percent spike in Federal firearm license revocations across the country.

Enough is enough. This week, I am introducing the Reining In Federal Licensing Enforcement Act. The RIFLE Act will hold the ATF accountable, establish separate categories for minor and serious violations, clarify the word ``willful'' as it applies to violations, and create an appeals process for individuals whose licenses were revoked on or after President Biden's zero-tolerance policy went into effect.

No gun store owner in America deserves to have his or her business shut down over a typo on a form. No gun store owner deserves to be forced to pay tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees just to appeal the revocation of their license.

Apparently, since the Biden administration can't just do away with the Constitution and our Second Amendment, shutting down our local gun stores has become the strategy.

My legislation will stop that, defend the Second Amendment as a load- bearing wall in our system of rights, and honor Roger and lawful gun store owners just like him.

I invite my colleagues to cosponsor the RIFLE Act to ensure that what happened to Roger and to other lawful gun store owners across the U.S. never, ever happens again.