Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the bipartisan JUDGES Act, which would create 63 permanent Federal district court judgeships and 3 temporary judgeships, including 10 in the great State of Texas and 4 in my district, over the next 10 years.

This bill would also authorize additional courtroom locations in multiple States to improve access for rural residents in large districts, such as the Southern District of Texas.

Simply put, the JUDGES Act is a critical piece of legislation. The population of the United States has increased by 50 million people since the year 2000, and the number of cases pending in Federal trial courts has nearly doubled. Despite this, Congress has not added more Federal judges to the bench since 2004.

Unsurprisingly, this has led to staggering backlogs in Federal courts across the country, which has, in turn, led to litigants losing access to timely justice and a severely overworked judicial bench.

In the Southern District of Texas alone, which encompasses my district, there are over 6,082 civil cases pending and 8,928 criminal cases as of June of this year. A lack of rural courtroom locations also forces Americans to commute for hours a day when called for Federal jury duty or to access the courts. This is unacceptable for our country, and it is incumbent upon Congress to address it.

As a Republican co-lead of this House companion version of the bill, alongside my colleague Representative Issa, this legislation will not only address multiyear case backlogs but will also ensure the administration of justice in a reasonable timeframe.

Mr. Speaker, make no mistake. The sudden opposition to this bill from my friends on the other side of the aisle is nothing more than childish foot stomping. The Democrats know that this is a fair bill, and my colleagues know that it doesn't give any President or party an advantage in appointing judges since they are to be added in six segments over 10 years.

That is why my bill passed out of the House by unanimous consent, why it is supported by Federal judges across the political spectrum, and why House Republicans support this bill regardless of electoral results. Since Democrats are angry over the results of this election, the official Democrat position now seems to be that our Federal trial court system should be left to languish under the weight of crippling backlogs.

This bill is common sense. One of our most basic obligations as a Congress is to oversee the judiciary and ensure it functions well.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to fulfill that obligation and support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8753, which directs the United States Postal Service to designate single, unique ZIP Codes for communities across the country that currently do not have one.

These communities, including Sargent, Texas, in my district, and others, such as Somers, Wisconsin, do not have their own unique ZIP Codes and can experience a wide variety of associated problems. They include inconsistent postal deliveries, longer emergency response times, loss of economic development, and loss of sales tax, just to name a few.

This legislation is a simple, essential, and commonsense solution to help our cities and towns across the country that currently do not have unique ZIP Codes.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 8692, the Amtrak Transparency and Accountability for Passengers and Taxpayers Act, is essential legislation for mandating transparency from Amtrak.

This bill applies the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 to Amtrak, requiring meetings of its board of directors to be open to public observation with certain exceptions.

Amtrak's status as a governmental entity for the purposes of the Sunshine Act is beyond dispute. All its voting board members are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. It shares characteristics with other government-created and -sponsored entities that require board of director meetings to be open.

Amtrak receives substantial taxpayer support. Never in its more than 50-year history has it made a profit, and now it has access to more than $66 billion. That is with a b, Mr. Speaker. For those of you upstairs, that is $66 billion in taxpayer support through the Biden administration's infrastructure law.

How this funding will be utilized and how Amtrak is managed is of great importance to its customers, employees, and taxpayers at large.

It is often said that sunshine is the best disinfectant. Opening up many of Amtrak's board of director meetings will better ensure that its decisions are made in the best interest of the public. With so much at stake, Amtrak should not be the exception to transparency.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to Chairman Graves and the members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for supporting H.R. 8692, and I urge support of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to pay to tribute to Sylvia Yates, a constituent of mine who will turn 100 years old on October 7, 2024.

Sylvia Yates was born in Livingston, Texas. As a child, Sylvia would often go to work with her father, who was a logger, and cook for him and his coworkers. Sylvia's love for cooking for those around her has remained with her throughout her life.

After graduating high school, Sylvia moved to Houston, Texas, to attend business school and met her husband, John Yates, whom she married in 1944. Shortly after marrying, John Yates deployed overseas to fight on behalf of our country in the United States Navy during World War II. After John returned home, Sylvia and John started their family, and have two boys, John and Barry.

Along with being a dedicated mother, Sylvia served as a Cub Scout leader and a Sunday school teacher. As a mother with two boys, Sylvia worked diligently in various jobs, showcasing her strong work ethic. During her downtime, Sylvia enjoys reading, needlepoint, and quilting.

John and Barry, Sylvia's sons, both served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. During this time, Sylvia remained a source of strength for her family.

Sylvia and her husband, John, enjoyed traveling throughout their 72 years of marriage and even embarked to the Holy Land in Israel. In retirement, Sylvia and John enjoyed gardening, watching wildlife, and spending time with their grandchildren. Sylvia has five grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

To be close to her son, Barry, and his family, Sylvia and John moved to Richmond, Texas, in 2007. Sylvia's life has been one of love, service, and resilience. She has left a lasting mark on all who have known her.

On behalf of Texas' 22nd Congressional District, I wish a happy 100th birthday to Sylvia. May God continue to bless Sylvia, her family, and her loved ones.

Mr. Speaker, today I

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to congratulate a fellow Texan upon his retirement on July 19th. Mr. Gene Leehan is a past president of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Texas (OAAT) and has worked in the out of home advertising industry for 38 years. Mr. Leehan is retiring from his position as Executive Vice President and Senior Regional President of Clear Channel Outdoor North America (CCOA).

Over the years, CCOA and the Texas association have been key partners with federal and state agencies in times of emergency, using outdoor advertising assets to display important public messaging. This partnership has been valuable to constituents in my district, and to all Texans, including recently with Hurricane Beryl.

In recognition of his many industry contributions, Mr. Leehan was inducted into the out of home advertising Hall of Fame in 2015. Mr. Leehan's public service also includes work with the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum, a Texas non-profit that recognizes pioneers of the American western frontier.

Again, I want to congratulate Mr. Leehan on a long and fulfilling career.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th birthday of my constituent Pauline Pearson of Richmond, Texas. Being a pioneer resident of the Pecan Grove area for 28 years, it is my honor to wish her a Happy Birthday on this momentous milestone.

She was born a twin sister in Rosebud, North Dakota, and has lived a life worthy of many memories. Having grown up working on a family farm and studying in a one room prairie schoolhouse in North Dakota, her story is truly one of the great American frontier.

She was the proud wife to her husband, Robert, and a dear mother to her daughter, Sharon. They traveled across the country for work in California, and eventually moved to the Great State of Texas in 1996. She has brought joy and happiness to everyone who has crossed paths with, and her life story is a testament to her strength, wisdom, and resilience.

I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Ms. Pearson on behalf of the people of the great state of Texas. Happy 100th Birthday to Pauline. May God continue to bless her and her family with abundant health, unending happiness, and boundless love.

Mr. Speaker, it is good to see so many people up in the gallery. What a great day. I can tell you something: Our democracy is at stake. Let me tell you exactly why.

President Biden has released millions of illegal aliens into the United States,

and he has done catastrophic damage to our great country in just 3 years.

Why would a guy do this? Why would he do such a thing? Make no mistake--everybody listening, make no mistake--this administration is facilitating an invasion of our country to import new voters. He wants new voters. He wants to establish one-party rule, and it is all by design. I repeat, it is all by design.

Thankfully, this legislation before us today would ensure that only American citizens are eligible to vote. Protecting our Nation's election integrity should not be a partisan issue, yet here we are.

Remember when my friends on the left falsely claimed the 2016 election was stolen due to foreign election interference? Russia, Russia, Russia. Lies, lies by the left.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this great legislation.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor a great American hero, Clarence Eugene Sasser, who passed away on May 13, 2024, in Sugar Land, Texas, at 76 years old.

While serving in the United States Army as a medic during the Vietnam war, then-Private First Class Sasser selflessly sprang into action to administer medical aid to his unit after they came under heavy fire from three different locations.

Despite having incurred wounds and loss of a tremendous amount of blood, Private First Class Sasser dragged himself through the mud to tend to his wounded soldiers on an open rice paddy.

As a result of his extraordinary heroism displayed that day, President Nixon presented Specialist 5th Class Clarence Eugene Sasser with the Medal of Honor, which is our Nation's highest and most prestigious military decoration.

This week, we not only lost a selfless hero but a father, a public servant, and a very proud Texan. I have had the distinct honor and privilege to have represented Mr. Sasser in Congress.

Specialist 5th Class Clarence Eugene Sasser is an inspiration for all of us and embodies the very best of our great Nation.

May Specialist 5th Class Clarence Eugene Sasser rest in peace, and may his bravery continue to inspire future generations to come.

Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of Mr. Higgins' amendment before us today which seeks to address some of the concerns several law enforcement groups have with this legislation.

As someone who has served in law enforcement for nearly 30 years, I understand the concerns our brave men and women in blue have with this bill.

Now, more than ever, we must uphold law and order in our society and also ensure the Fourth Amendment rights of the American people are protected.

That is why this amendment is so important. It clarifies data exceptions for public content, public records, background checks, and license plate readers in order to help preserve some of the tools law enforcement currently uses.

I will give you an example. A kid threatens to shoot up a school on Facebook. A data collector is scanning social media for posts like this and sends it to local law enforcement. The police would be able to use this information gathered from social media under this amendment because it is public user-generated information.

The same applies to police records, property deeds, and other public records. We want to make crystal clear these records will remain available for our law enforcement community to use in their investigations while also preventing unreasonable search and seizure by the government.

As a former sheriff, I will always back the blue and always uphold the Constitution and the rights of citizens therein. I believe this amendment allows us to do both.

Mr. Chair, I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, we are in unchartered waters. The swamp water is very murky and it is deep, and you try to navigate those treacherous waters. Every once in a while you try to find that safe lily pad to land on, but for George Santos there doesn't appear to be a safe lily pad.

The United States' House of Representatives is attempting to expel a Member of Congress who has not been convicted of a crime. In the history of our country, Mr. Speaker, only five Members have been expelled from Congress.

In 1861, John Clark, John Reid, and Henry Burnett were expelled on the grounds of treason for supporting the Confederate rebellion. In 1980, Michael Myers was convicted of bribery involving an FBI sting that led to the convictions of seven Members of Congress.

Six Members resigned, and Myers was expelled on a vote of 376-30.

Then in 2002, James Traficant was convicted on 10 counts, including bribery, conspiracy to defraud the United States, corruption, and obstruction of justice.

All five of these men had one thing in common: They were all convicted under Federal law and then rightfully expelled from Congress.

Kicking out Mr. Santos is setting a very dangerous precedent. Never before has Congress expelled a Member based on indictments. Indictments require nothing more than probable cause. An indictment is not a conviction.

Then why today would we remove a Member from this House based on an indictment? It has never been done before. It shouldn't happen today.

In this country, I thought everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. I do not and have not and will not support the removal of Representative Santos, and I encourage my colleagues to agree.

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

Mr. Speaker, my amendment prohibits the National Park Service from placing any limitation on the number of air tours at our Nation's parks. There are over 45,000 commercial scenic air tours over our national parks every year. These air tour operators provide that breathtaking experience for visitors that should remain, if not even increase.

I have been following this issue for quite some time now, and I don't think people really fully understand what is going on here. Two decades ago, Congress passed the National Park Air Tourism Act which required the National Park Service and the Federal Aviation Administration to work together to develop air tourism management plans for any park that had 50 or more annual air tours over its landscape.

After 20 years of bickering and bureaucratic incompetence, jurisdictional fights between Federal agencies, and the actions of what we would see in a kindergarten, neither the National Park Service nor the FAA had completed their congressional mandate.

An effort was spearheaded by radical environmentalists whose sole goal is to end air tours because they think noise ruins the experience of visitors and the animals who live there.

As a result of these efforts, in 2019, a court ordered that any park hosting 50 or more sightseeing air tours a year develop a management plan by August 2022. Twenty-four parks are named in the resulting court order, and some of these parks developed plans that will drastically reduce the number of air tours or outright ban them.

This is completely nuts. Did they depose an elk or a moose or a trout and find that these air tours offend them? Give me a break.

These air tours are not reserved for the millionaire and billionaire class, as some of my colleagues like to pretend. They are utilized by families, the disabled, the elderly, and middle-class Americans.

I will also point out that the level of noise from our air tours is decreasing every year with technological advances and investments from our air tour operators, not to mention many of the flights fly at an altitude that people on the ground wouldn't even notice.

If there are any Democratic staffers or Members listening to this right now, I would like them to answer this question. We hear a lot of talk about fairness, equity, and civil rights, but if we reduce or phase out air tours, then what is your plan for the disabled or the elderly? How are they supposed to traverse these landscapes? Where is the fairness there?

Air tour operators offer a crucial alternative for individuals who cannot easily walk the often treacherous terrain of our national parks. I understand some of these more radical environmentalists believe these flights disrupt the natural landscape and experience because of noise, but what about the families that have children who are disabled or those who want grandma and grandpa to participate in that family vacation? Who is advocating for them? Where is the sympathy for them? And who the hell are we to deny them that experience?

Let's do the right thing and save our air tours and ensure access for our elderly and the disabled by supporting my amendment.

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

Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar).

Mr. Chair, I couldn't agree more with my colleague from Arizona.

The only ones against this, it appears, are the environmentalists because I haven't talked to a moose or an elk or a trout that has found these tours offensive.

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

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, my amendment would simply prohibit funds to be used for the shooting of cattle in the Gila National Forest or any other national forest.

Folks, let me tell you why this issue is so important.

I am offering this amendment to ensure that the voices of the concerned residents of New Mexico and cattle grazers across the country are heard. The Forest Service has been using your hard-earned taxpayer dollars to issue and execute aerial kill orders for feral cattle in the Gila National Forest due to environmental concerns.

The Forest Service defines feral cattle as cattle without brands, ear tags, or other signs of ownership. However, it is oftentimes difficult to tell the difference between a feral cow and a non-feral cow. My staff and I tried it. We couldn't tell the difference.

Even if the cows are feral, under New Mexico State law, feral cows are the property of the New Mexico Livestock Board, which opposed the actions taken by the Forest Service to shoot these cattle in the first place.

Cattle grazers are rightfully concerned that their own branded cattle could have ventured into the area in question due to fences being burned down by wildfires or damaged from an unusually strong monsoon season.

The area in question in the Gila National Forest comprises over 500,000 acres, and only 19 of the estimated 50 to 250 feral cattle were killed.

After the aerial shooting of cattle takes place with high-powered rifles, the Forest Service leaves the cattle carcasses to decompose without removal. They don't care.

The Forest Service is clearly appeasing radical environmentalists and is not taking in the concerns of local landowners and cattle grazers. Even New Mexico Governor Grisham, the very liberal Governor, said that the Federal Government needed to do a better job of listening to residents about this issue.

To my colleagues in Congress: Whether it is local landowners, cattle grazers, the New Mexico Livestock Board, the New Mexico Farm Bureau, or Grant County cattle growers, they have all voiced their support for my amendment.

To my colleagues on the left: Even prominent animal rights organizations, such as Animal Wellness Action, the Animal Wellness Foundation, and the Center for Humane Economy have all come out in support of my amendment.

With that, I believe I should be able to sit down.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I don't believe I have to say anymore.

Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of my amendment before us today, which would prohibit funds for the EPA's Clean School Bus Program.

Let's get right to it, folks. Every Member of Congress and their staff searching for a pay-for, here it is. Cite this worthless program.

There is no need for the American taxpayer to continue to foot the bill for activities like this. This program provides $5 billion, with a b, over 5 years to replace existing schoolbuses with zero-emission and low-emission models.

While everybody knows that schools are failing our students, the Biden administration would rather facilitate the transition of schoolbus fleets to zero-emission, low-emission, and electric bus alternatives when we have perfectly capable buses now that work every day.

A majority of eighth graders in our Nation are at basic and below proficiency levels when it comes to math and reading, yet we are focused on electrifying our bus fleets. Help me make that make sense.

With limited government funds and a national debt out of control, pet projects for this radical environmental ideology are not functional and has no place in a Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

Furthermore, EPA's top watchdog also said that he is not confident in the way the Agency has been handing out billions of dollars under this new program. He said: ``We have seen this before: the equation of an unprepared agency dispensing an unprecedented amount of money times a large number of struggling recipients equals a high risk of fraud, waste and abuse.''

I urge my colleagues to support my amendment to prohibit funds for EPA's so-called Clean School Bus Program and to prioritize the most immediate needs of the American people.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, buses are a mode of transportation to get our prized possessions to the school.

Now, my colleague mentioned about the kids talking with the bus driver saying, How far can the bus get? They are trying to do some math. I would probably figure the kid probably doesn't even know the math, because our schools are failing, so the point is it is prioritizing the need.

We have to help educate our kids. The school system is failing. They are failing in States across our country, mostly in these very, very large cities run by liberals, mayors and city councils, so let's get our priorities straight and let's help the kids and not worry about the mode of transportation we have to get them there.

Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Beth Pelz, a criminal justice professor at the University of Houston-Downtown.

For over 30 years she helped countless criminal justice students and her community, and now she is enjoying a well-deserved retirement.

Throughout her career she helped students access scholarship funds to pursue higher education, with some of those funds extending to the University of Houston-Downtown Police Academy.

She also established the Robert S. Brown Memorial Scholarship fund to help criminal justice students. Dr. Pelz helped and assisted law enforcement in both Houston County and Harris County, related to street and prison gang issues. She is an expert.

In fact, Dr. Pelz played a very important role as one of my professors while I attended the school for my master's degree. Dr. Pelz helped shape and mold countless public servants and law enforcement officers throughout her dedicated career. I thank her for mentoring me and helping prepare me to serve my community during my time as the sheriff of Fort Bend County, Texas.

Madam Speaker, I wish her the most well-deserved retirement after her tireless dedication to every student at the University of Houston, and those she helped in the community.

Beth, you truly mean the world to me. I love you.

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

Mr. Chair, my amendment would prohibit funds for the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at the Department of Homeland Security.

Under Joe Biden, the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at the Department of Homeland Security, also known as CRCL, has become a corrupt, woke, and anti-ICE component of DHS.

The CRCL is responsible for advancing equity at the DHS. As part of this principle, DHS created its first-ever equity task force in 2021. One of the task force's so-called accomplishments was reversing the public charge. I call it public disaster.

President Donald J. Trump rightfully defined ``public charge'' as an immigrant who receives one or more designated public benefits for more than 12 months within a 36-month period. He rightfully included food stamps, housing vouchers, and Medicaid as benefits that would disqualify an immigrant from receiving a green card.

Trump's rule protected the American taxpayer and put Americans first. Joe Biden and his woke CRCL continue to put Americans last.

Under Joe Biden, through the CRCL, his administration has made it easier for illegal aliens to receive Federal benefits at the expense of hard-earned tax dollars.

The CRCL said President Trump's rule ``had a chilling effect on immigrants of color and individuals with disabilities with respect to their willingness to seek any form of assistance from the Federal Government.'' This decision, folks, had nothing to do with skin color or disabilities.

It is clear that DHS's Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties is catering to these immigrants in an attempt to get their votes. To me, it is criminal.

Perhaps even more troubling, bureaucrats at the CRCL have deep ties to the abolish ICE movement, which seeks to stop deportation of illegal aliens. In fact, CRCL chief Shoba Wadhia has led the charge with pro- open border and anti-enforcement activities for years. She even advocated to take away funds from ICE and CBP.

Prior to joining CRCL, she also suggested that even the most violent illegal alien felons should not be deported. Let me say that again. The chief of CRCL at DHS doesn't believe that violent illegal aliens, felons, should be deported. Tell me how that makes sense.

Let me be clear. Someone who immigrates illegally is an illegal alien. Ms. Wadhia advocates against using the term ``illegal immigrant'' and suggests using the term ``noncitizens'' or ``migrants'' instead.

Ms. Wadhia has no business leading this office.

Other CRCL policy advisers have also directly supported the abolish ICE movement or worked with other organizations that have. These people are not concerned with defending our homeland.

I remind my colleagues on the left that DHS has a vital mission to ensure a safe, secure, and prosperous homeland. It is abundantly clear that the DHS Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties is doing the exact opposite. We must defund this woke, corrupt, anti-ICE office within the DHS.

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

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

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk as the designee of Mr. Norman.

Mr. Chair, my amendment reduces the salary of Jonathan Davidson, the chief of staff of the Department of Homeland Security, to $1.

His salary last year was $158,500. With his new role, it will be at least $180,000. $180,000 for this guy, and he does nothing.

In a short stint in his role, he has completely failed in upholding his mission, a complete dereliction of duty under his leadership at DHS with the invasion that is currently happening at our southern border.

Just in his first month on the job, there were over 232,000 enforcement encounters at the southwest border. This is a 36.5 percent increase in traffic.

Mr. Chair, 101,000 single individuals, with the majority of these persons being military-age males, were encountered at our border just in the month of August. This isn't effective leadership, and we need to hold DHS officials accountable. This guy needs to be unemployed.

We have written DHS 15 times this Congress to conduct oversight over the board. Again, we request documents and information to understand the Biden administration's plans, if any. We never get anything.

My point is this: This guy's salary needs to be reduced to $1 because that is all he is worth.

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

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