with time equally allocated between the parties, and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and the minority whip limited to five minutes. but in no event shall debate continue beyond 11:50a.m. the chair recognizes the the gentleman from connecticut, mr. courtney, for five minutes. mr. courtney: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, yesterday, november 15, at about 3:00 in the afternoon president biden signed into law the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which, for a lot of us who have been serving around here, was an incredibly gratifying and important moment in terms of really finally getting this country ahead of the curve in terms of critical investments for infrastructure. last wednesday night i held a telephone town hall on the infrastructure bill because the house had passed the measure on november 5. we had 7,000 people on the call who were either on the phone or streaming in. lots of questions. lots of excitement. connecticut is obviously a state that's been settled really since the origins of our nation and has some of the oldest infrastructure in the country. i would note, however, mr. speaker, that some of the questions that came in said, only 10% of the bill is for hard infrastructure, for surface transportation, what's up with that? i was joined by don sheubert, the executive director of the connecticut construction and industries association who was quick to jump into the call and point out the fact if you step back and look at this bill, it is a continuation of the last infrastructure bill which passed in 2015, the fast act, which passed on a bipartisan basis and signed into law by president obama, and extended twice by petroleum -- president trump. that baseline was keeping the lights on for infrastructure. it was not, however, getting us ahead of the curve in terms of the changes that are happening in other countries around the world. with the new money that was included in the bipartisan infrastructure bill, we are seeing a huge increase, both in roads and bridges, but also in rail, also in the electric grid, also in broadband, which is now critical for any economic development for small communities to be able to tell companies and business that is they have high-speed internet. what does that mean in terms of the state of connecticut? it means that the roads and bridges, which, again, is a big focus. got a 32% increase in terms of the state's allotment, which will flow through the state department of transportation. some of the old bridges in our state, again the largest vehicle bridge is the gold star bridge, which is part of the i-95 corridor. has been getting a pounding since it was built in 1943. the northbound lane right now, frankly, is so compromised that large trucks are basically not given permits to travel across that bridge. again, it's part of the interstate highway system. it's a $250 million job. this bill will make sure that that funding is there. it's a project labor agreement. it's going to be union labor. and apprenticeship programs is incorporated into the work that's there. but, again, there is countless other small bridges, medium-sized bridges in the district. a swing bridge over the connecticut river that was built 108 years ago that breaks down -- interferes with boat traffic going up and down the connecticut river. that now has got full funding and slated for repairs. also in terms of the rail piece, which is separate from roads and bridges, $66 billion, big investment in the northeast corridor. across the connecticut river the old saybrook bridge, which is 114 years old. anyone who sailsunder neath it -- sails under neath it and sees how fragile the supports are, it is screaming out for repairs. that project will be fully funded as a result of this legislation. the coast guard academy, in new london, connecticut, will get $53 million to repair the barracks and the dormitories. again anyone looking at the age of those buildings, which some of our future leaders for the coast guard are going to school there, is getting a long overdue upgrade, as well as a city peer in new -- pier in new london, which the u.s.s. eagle, the flagship of the u.s. coast guard, will be able to tie up to modern infrastructure that's there. again, there is a host of other smaller projects in town that are included in this package. i want to just emphasize that the total funding amount is not what some of the stuff that's out there in the media in terms of small fractions for hard infrastructure. the fact is when you incorporate the fast act baseline that was passed in 2015, along with the bipartisan infrastructure funding on top of it, the roads and bridges is close to 40% of the package. but it also, again, includes increasing and boosting the electric grid, which is we convert to electric vehicle passenger traffic as we convert to offshore wind, which will be transmitting voltage to the coastline, we need to have a stronger grid. all of that is good jobs that is going to be, again, built in, baked in over the next five years. it's not going to create inflationary pressures because of the fact that, again, it's spread out over a period of time. it was a great day for our country. we came together on a bipartisan basis to get this done. now we are ready tore a real 21st century growth that will be, beneficial to all communities large and small. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields babbling. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. arrington, for five minutes. mr. arrington: thank you, mr. speaker. i can't for the life of me understand why my democrat colleagues insist on passing this multitrillion dollar monstrosity of a tax and spend bill that not only i, but the american people, believe will be an economic and societal disaster on so many levels. the american people have spoken, mr. speaker. in countless polls and surveys and elections not just in virginia and new york and new jersey, but in my state of texas where house seats have flipped from democrat to republican for the first time ever. as recent as last week democrat changed parties to republican because they cannot explain the current policies that are destructive to the ends of recovery. and support the american people's freedom and our way of life. they have said as clearly as they can, no more big government control over our lives. that's what they said in virginia. no more socialist spending our country into bankruptcy. no more growing the government at the expense of our freedoms. and our children's future. virginia, blue state, a third of the electorate said the economy was their number one issue. biden won that by 10 points. they voted for republican governor. 2/3 of the american people in recent polls have said that the biden economic plans are bad and they have no confidence in his policies. they connect his policies with the current economic conditions. the majority of americans attribute the inflation to biden's failed policies just like they do the disastrous border and the debacle in afghanistan. in the generic ballot, the generic ballot among voters, registered voters there is a 10-point spread if the elections were held today between democrats and republicans. that's the highest in 40 years ever recorded. the american people are speaking and they are crying out to their country's leaders, relent. relent. but they have made the connection between the policies and the disastrous effects in their lives and in the life of their country. enhanced unemployment benefits, in other words, paying people more to be on unemployment than to be at work. coupled with wasteful partisan multitrillion dollar spending packages under the guise of covid relief have created an economic firestorm. run away inflation. real wages, seven of the nine months this president has been in office have gone down. real wages have gone down. there's been an inflation surge to the point of double-digit inflations in the last month which have put us over the year at a 30-year high. gas prices are up 50%. and we are almost a million jobs short of what president biden promised as a result of that blue state bailout that he called covid relief. this is the solution that the democrats are offering. let's raise prices even more and lower wages by taxing the american people. let's further extend our recession by chasing jobs overseas and putting the highest tax rates in the developed world on the job creators of the united states of america. let's burden small business was higher taxes and less people willing to work. let's drive labor participation further down by removing a work requirement. let's tram more people in poverty -- trap more people in poverty and cycle on dependency of government by removing the incentives to work. let's wipe out 20% or 30% of the work force by thrusting a big government mandate that is unconstitutional, overreaching, and would destroy any prospects for recovery. this was supposed to be, mr. speaker, about income inequality. but if you read the tax bill, i don't know how my progressive colleagues can look the american people in the eyes with a straight face and say that this is not a swampy special interest package of the century, because they give -- they have tax breaks for the wealthy by raising the salt deductions. they give tax breaks to green industry, to unions, to plaintiffs attorneys, media corporations. that's all legitimate. that's all true. if you look close enough, that's what this is about. not to mention they stuff the stocking with early christmas presents for progressives and political allies of the democrat party. amnesty for eight million people. while our southern border is melting down. unionization of every employee, every employer, every state in the country. obamacare subsidies for people making hundreds of thousands of dollars. the list is too long, mr. speaker. thank you forel indulgence. i employ my democrats to relent and stop this and let's get back to work on behalf of the american people. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from michigan, miss threeb, for five minutes. ms. talib: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for five minutes and revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. talib: i rise today in honor of memory of a resident of dear born heights in michigan's 13th district. her life was tragically cut short at the age of 6 years old from a hit and run. she was a sweet girl with a beautiful soul. she had a huge enthusiasm for life and joyful spirit. she loved learning. spending time with her family and playing with her friends. i know her parents and six siblings will miss her immensely. please join me in -- paying tribute to her and her family. mr. speaker, i ask -- i rise today in tribute to lieutenant colonel alexander jefferson who his heroic service as a tuskegee airman was recognized earlier this week in the rededication ceremony in jefferson field in our district. i was proud to be there. it was also his 100th birthday. he's a graduate of detroit public schools like myself, and alexander jefferson, lieutenant colonel, pursued a military career and completed a pilot training at the tuskegee army air field. as a fighter piety lot with red tail 332, 3301st, fighter squadron his unit escorted bombers headfirst into action bravely providing protection from vicious enemy aircraft. they never lost, mr. speaker, a single plane. on august 12, 1944, jefferson was shot down and captured by germans and kept as a prisoner of war for nine months. liberated by american forces on the 20th -- 29th of april, 1945 and discharged from active duty in 1947, he retired from reserves in 1969. lieutenant colonel jefferson then became a science teacher in detroit where he then retired in 1975. at his ceremony, mr. speaker, my teacher in high school came up to me and was very proud of the dplishments i had and said guess what? lieutenant jefferson was my science teacher and elementary teacher, seeing you up there know he was part of creating that seed and more leadership and strength within the city of detroit. mr. speaker, he has received numerous awards for his bravery for our country. and i'm hon youred to recognize lieutenant colonel jefferson on his celebration to his service to our country. it was his 100th birthday. we sang happy birthday to him. he danced a lo wng -- along with many of us, even in the crisp cold of the city of detroit in the middle of the field. . during his time in access, he has expanded his programming to include more than 100 platforms in 10 locations to assist residents across the region. he's created partnerships locally and nationally to advocate for policy initiatives to fight bigotry, advance civil rights and create a better life for immigrants and other minority. i know him personally. he has kept the community a center of his work. his forward-thinking approach has solidified his legacy as a leader. please join me in recognizing hassan's work on behalf of my district as we wish him on the next chapter in his life. thank you and i yield. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. cloud, for five minutes. mr. cloud: thank you. i rise today to honor mr. southward longmaker and wish him a happy 100th birthday. he is a world war ii veteran that has a steadfast devotion for love and love for god, his family, and his country. he's a member from my hometown in victoria, texas. today we honor him for his service to the united states army air corps as a radio operator and nose gunner on the b-24 bomber in the 454st bomb group, 426th squadron. in world war ii, he and his fellow airmen traveled to hundred gary for their -- hungary for their 120th combat mission. they began to receive anti-aircraft fire that took out two of the aircraft's engines. from the nose gunner position, he received word they were dropping elevation very quickly. the pilot made the call, urging everyone to jump. and mr. longmaker headed to the flight deck to receive his parachute. on the flight deck he saw his ball gunner about to jump and gave him a good luck salute. then he jumped. everyone who jumped before him was captured. but he landed on top of a hill and began taking on heavy fire from soldiers that were sympathetic to the germans. he made his way to a nearby forest line, crawled under a bush and stayed until night fall. he slept near a lake. the second night he stayed in a pile of loose hay where he could hear a group of people playing the guitar and singing. to him this was one of the most beautiful sounds he had heard simply because there wasn't a sign of war anywhere. on the third day he ran out of the wood cover and met a young boy. this boy took him to a nearby village where he ate, bathed, and rested. eventually he was taken to a house where an american lieutenant was waiting. upon his safe arrival he was aformed -- informed that he had walked through a minefield unscathed. it's incredible to think how his could have been cut short. he lived a long full life married to his wife, marie, for 59 years. until she passed in 2006. he has two daughters, five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren. i know many of them. and they are a precious, honorable family. truly a legacy. southward longmaker is a true american hero and we are indebted to him for his great service to our nation. it's an honor to celebrate his life today. and i hope he has a wonderful 100th birthday. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida, mr. deutch, for five minutes. mr. deutch: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today in honor and to honor an extraordinary taylor taylor -- extraordinary trailblazer, norma, on her 100th birthday. born on the bronx, new york, on november 6, 1921, norma has spent a century giving back to those around her. in 1942, norma graduated from new york university with a bachelor's degree in economics and a minor in geology, the only woman to graduate with that honor at the time. shortly after, she put her degree to work by joining the department of war to assist with the military supply chain while her husband, robert finck, served in our nation's armed forces during world war ii. after the war, norma worked in her father's bakery. megan and thrown bakery. during this time she became enamored with jazz music and became friends with many local musicians that were involved in the civil rights music. inspired by their work, norma began contributing the money she made to support civil rights initiatives in the south. this became an ongoing passion of hers. after moving to plantation, florida, in 1972, norma continued her legacy of supporting the enrichment of her community by joining the city's parks and recreation department where she still works today. at the age of 100. additionally, she began spending her time and money supporting local charities and following the loss of her daughter, marian, to breast cancer in 2002, norma dedicated herself to helping others suffering from cancer. norma's spirit of persistence, generosity, her service to community is an inspiration to all of us in south florida. it's an inspiration to generations of americans. to honor her legacy, the city of plantation, her home for nearly half a century, has designated norma finck day in honor of the oldest and longest part-time employee in that city's history. i join the entire south florida community in wishing norma finck a happy 100th birthday surrounded by her loved ones. i thank her for her dedication to bettering the lives of everyone in south florida. mr. speaker, i also rise to acknowledge the historic day yesterday in this nation's history. the legislation that the president signed into law was overwhelmingly bipartisan in the senate. overwhelmingly supported by the american people. why? well, because it's the largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system. largest investment in public transit and passenger rail since the creation of amtrak. it expands broadband to every corner of the country so that every american has access to reliable high-speed internet. making the largest investment in drinking water and waste water in american history. this is what we've been clamoring for in a bipartisan way as long as i have been serving in this congress. and yesterday, president biden delivered. and he did it with the support, bipartisan support of the senate. and the overwhelming support of the american people. unfortunately, in this chamber, my colleagues on the other side-view any sort of bipartisan -- side view any sort of bipartisan effort too difficult to support, too difficult to stand with the republicans and democrats in the senate. too difficult to stand with democrats here. too difficult apparently to stand with the american people in moving forward with a massive infrastructure plan that will help strengthen every community across our country. i'm so proud that this house joined with the senate in sending this legislation to president biden. and yesterday, as i said, was a historic day as president biden signed that into law. and as we move forward to the build back better act, again, i note for my colleagues here, this, too, is so popular throughout america because everyone understands that if we invest in the american people, if we take the kind of action that's necessary to lower health care costs and lower childcare costs and provide universal pre-k and make investments to combat climate change that we will be making america more competitive on the global stage, something that my colleagues in this chamber often talk about and i hope they'll recognize the opportunity to do exactly that in passing the build back better act when we vote on it this week. mr. speaker, i appreciate the opportunity to speak on the house floor this morning. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia, mr. cline, for five minutes. mr. cline: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise to recognize the life and legacy of bernard who passed away at the age of 82. as a young 5-year-old living in normandy, france, marie told of being rushed into the basement of his grandparents in 1934. they sat for 16 hours in the dark without food and water. his mother hugged an american g.i. after realizing their village had been liberated from german occupation. marie said witnessing the d-day invasion instilled in him a respect for world war ii veterans and he was forever grateful for those who secured his country's freedom. later in life when he moved to the united states, he began hosting an annual luncheon to honor local world war ii veterans wherever he was living to show his support for them and their families. when he settled in roanoke, virginia, in 2001, he brought the event with him. these luncheons served as a place for veterans to come together and share their experiences, some for the first time. aside from the luncheon, marie helped raise money for the national d-day memorial in bedford sat by the bedside of service members when they were ill and even worked to award the french ledgeon of honor medal to nearly 150 americans. he said his goal was to not only honor these heroes but to ensure they were never forgotten. i was terribly saddened to learn of mr. marie's passing. he meant a great deal to western virginia, and he will not soon be forgotten. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from nevada, mrs. lee, for five minutes. mrs. lee: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to speak about the tremendous impact that the infrastructure investment and jobs act will have on my home state of nevada. nevada was ground zero for the pandemic, and its effects were especially felt by the travel and tourism industry, which employs tens of thousands of nevadans and brings in the bulk of the state's revenue each year. now that president biden has signed the infrastructure investment and jobs act into law, our leading industries in nevada and nevada families can take part in the economic opportunities in the thousands of jobs that this bill promises. nevada is slated to receive $2.5 billion for highway investments. like the i-15 corridor between las vegas and phoenix and l.a. and the i-11 corridor between las vegas and phoenix. and $459 million for public transportation. this means that not only can nevada families get to work and schools safely and more efficiently but that millions of our visitors each year can more easily experience everything that our state has to offer. nevada will also get a minimum of $100 million to expand access to broadband across the state. meaning that no nevadan will be left behind. nevada also has been ground zero for the effects of the climate crisis as we continue to face the effects of severe drought. with the passage of my water recycling infrastructure bill included in this, nevada will now be more equipped to mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure that our communities have continuous access to safe, clean drinking water for years to come. nevada is only able to reap all of these benefits because congress was able to put politics aside and work together to come up with sensible solutions to create a better future for our nation. and we cannot stop there. it is critical that we continue to work side by side to pass the build back better agenda and make sure that american families don't just recover from this pandemic but that they prosper moving forward. thank you, mr. speaker. with that i yield the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. katko, for five minutes. kathleen bruyere thank you, mr. speaker -- mr. katko: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise to honor the celebrated career of wayne as he prepares to retire after 36 years of weather forecasting in central new york. wayne is one of the most recognizable and trusted weather forecasters in central new york. when planning a hike, barbecue, tailgate or family outing, central new yorkers have relied on wayne to share the weather for nearly four decades. originally from brunswick, maine, he began his career working for the national weather service. for there he founded a private weather consulting firm that builds forecast for major events like major league baseball all-star game to the super bowl and red carpet events. in 1985, wayne joined the central new york cny central broadcast team in syracuse, becoming a full-time meteorologist in central new york. he utilized these forecasts and he became known for accuracy, reliability and outdoor broadcast from the weather deck. an expert on severe weather events, wayne also was there to deliver critical, lifesaving information to families during some of the most historic weather events in central new york including the great blizzard of 1993 and 1998 labor day storm. outside of forecasting, wayne has been a prominent fixture in our community. ess a' an -- he's an avid hockey player, hosting workshops for young meteorologists and founded an animal welfare organization. it was named after his late mother and champions animal welfare causes, raising a quarter of a million dollars for local animal rescues. for nearly four decades, families like mine have turned to wayne to know if there is rain, sleet or lake-effect snow. while he will be dearly missed on our televisions, central new yorkers will be rest assured they'll continue to see him. when he's not spending time with his children and grand chirp, he -- grandchildren, he promises he will be an active part of our community. i have not had an opportunity to put a few hockey pucks to him. i ask my colleagues to join me in honoring wayne in wishing him the best on his well-deserved retirement. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. . the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia, mr. carter, for five minutes. mr. carter: mr. speaker, i rise today with a heavy heart to remember and honor the life of former georgia secretary of state and united states senator max cleland. he was a political giant in georgia dedicating his life to service of others. a disabled war veteran of the vietnam era he worked tirelessly to help the v.a. administration to help fellow shoulders. he tried to help our veterans most in need in suffering from mental disorders. as a pharmacist i am able to personally work to make lifesaving medicines more easily available. his dedication and service to his community and country will not go unnoticed. i'm thankful for max's lifetime of dedicated service and i know his legacy will live on forever. my thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and all who knew him during this most difficult time. mr. speaker, i rise today to reflect upon the closing of the great owingle thorpe speedway park in georgia. it opened in march of 1951 and has hosted some of the most exciting weekends for race fans ever since. sadly it will be closing its operations for good. the speedway has become a home for employees and fans alike such as darlene, who has worked each season and every weekend since april 1, 2000. darlene's daughter took her senior prom picture and had her wedding at the track so her mother could continue her streak. one has been attending races since 1951 when she was 14 and hardly missed a race. georgians are collectively mourning the loss of this beloved landmark and memories it holds. we are sad to see it go, but excited for what may come next. mr. speaker, i rise today with a heavy heart to remember and honor the life of the reverend monsignor william oliver o'neill of the st. john the baptist cathedral in savannah. he served for 46 years until his retirement in 2013. he served six churches in his time in savannah and sment much of his time preserving the history of the church and city. he oversaw and managed the $11 million restoration of the cathedral basilica of st. john the baptist in savannah that was completed in 2000. in 2003, reverend o'neal successfully stopped anarsonnist from damaging a church bye telling him, don't point that gun at me, i'm not-dicial' knock your head off. he removed smoldering cushions from the bishop's chair and burning bible from the pulpit as thearsonnist looked on. he returned intent on fighting a fire with an extinguisher before police stopped him and firefighters arrived. he was the image of service to others and love for god and my thoughts and racer are -- prayers are with his friends and family through this difficult time. mr. speaker, i rise today to celebrate the 103 birthday of willie may wright of liberty county. born on november 4, 1918, seven days before the unofficial end of world war i, willie may has been a staple in her community for many years. during her childhood she was a proud member of ebenezer presbyterian church in friedman's grove. she attended grammar school and graduated in 1936. after grammar school, she became a border in dorchester where she learned to sew. a talent that would stay with her many years after her time there. the living embodiment of motherly love willie may sews clothes for her family and friends making full use of the talent god had given her. we pressure -- trer sure her and happy to celebrate this momentous occasion. happy birthday, willie may, 1303 years young. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from kansas, mr. mann, for five minutes. mr. mann: mr. speaker, i rise today to discuss the gross misuse of a noble process called reconciliation and the president's apparent lack of concern for the well-being of rural and middle class americans. the reconciliation process existed to do exactly what its name suggests. to right congress with a tool to reduce the national debt with a simple majority vote in both chambers. president biden, speaker pa lowsy, and house democrats are, instead, using this process to jam partisan legislation through a deadlocked congress. this is shameless, and american taxpayers will pair the cost in both their wallets and conscience. the reconciliation package is chock-full of policy moves that will damage our country and compromise our integrity as a nation. among them are the expansion of welfare without work requirements. at a time when our supply chains are in crisis and we have help wanted signs at every corner, this will only worsen the issue. another troubling provision would give the i.r.s. $80 billion to hire 87,000 new agents and ramp up audits on individuals and small businesses. just a few other provisions including increasing penalties for businesses who don't comply with osha vaccine mandates. which are an egregious federal government overreach. imposing new funds on oil and gas industry. and punishing states like kansas who opted to not expand medicaid. perhaps the worst part of the package is what is not included. democrats have excluded the hyde amendment. a long-standing bipartisan amendment that protects americans who oppose abortion from being pores -- forced to pay for these abortion from their tax dollars. while the president is on a tax and spend spree for his party's leftist wish list, the price of everything is skyrocketing in this country. the americans are heading the americans are heading into the holiday season more financially insecure because of this administration's policies. consumer prices have increased over 6% since last year, the highest rate of inflation over 30 years. should this massive he spending package become law, you can expect prices to keep going up. while the white house stated the bill will cost $1.75 trillion, the true cost of the legislation package could be as much as $3.98 trillion according to some models. as if adding to our nation's already enormous debt wasn't enough, this bill will drive up inflation and end up taxing the middle class. this bill is twice as long as the bible, toxic for the american people, and gross misuse of a usually noble process. and i stand in opposition to it on numerous accounts. the b.b.b. is bad, bad, bad for america and i urge this congress to join me in strongly opposing it. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. pfluger, for five minutes. mr. pfluger: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the life of u.s. air force veteran barney brooks who passed away on november 7, 2021 at the age of 92. mr. brooks was a born pilot and often joked he knew he was meant to fly even before the storm dropped him off. in the air force, army served as lieutenant kohl member, combat pilot, completing over 100 missions in the korean war and 50 in the vietnam war. over his 23-year career, he served in korea, vietnam, the cold war, and stationed at multiple bases around the united states and throughout the world. our country owes a debt of grad teut -- gratitude to barney who was brave enough to don the uniform and put his life on the line. including his family and their five children who supported him and empowered him to charge forward and fight for freedom. thank you, barney, for your noble service. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize the life and legacy of phillip parks of odessa, texas, who passed away on october 29, 2021 at the age of 76. mr. parks was a devoted christian, husband, father, and grandfather who is dedicated to the service of his community, his church, and many other things, including his country. he served our country valiantly in the u.s. air force during the vietnam war as a ling wis in taiwan. he was a school teacher for over 30 years and principal for many schools throughout the area. an extremely active member of first baptist church and other organizations including the rotary club and v.f.w., even serving as a volunteer firefighter, we'll never know the number of lives he impacted over the course of his own life. i had the privilege of meeting mr. parks right here in washington, d.c., on his last flight. when he traveled here with the honor flight. what an honor it was to see thee service, dedication, and leadership. i'm sending my deepest condolences to his beloved wife who shared 52 years of marriage. his children and grandchildren and great grandchildren. thank you for your service, mr. parks. mr. speaker, i rise today to ask a simple question. when will this administration recognize the crisis at our southern border? late last night customs and border protection released their record shattering border crisis numbers once again. in the month of october, more than 164,000 illegal immigrants were apprehends -- apprehended. this is the worst october in d.h.s. history these are only the number of those apprehended not to mention the got aways. drug trafficking, human trafficking is surging. it is confirmed that ms-13 gang members are crossing into the united states and hundreds of thousands, in fact over 2.1 million have entered this country illegally. with more advancing towards our southern border right now. meanwhile, the administration is considering nearly a half a million dollars in payments to illegal immigrants who broke the law while they are not paying contractors to build the wall and they are leaving already paid materials in the field to rot. all this has-s made worse by the fact that the president is forcing our brave border patrol officers who are woefully understaffed and lacking the resources they need to choose between their livelihoods and a vaccine mandate. we have seen reporting by the border patrol that nearly half of its agents could be fired in less than a week due to the administration's november 22 covid-19 vaccine deadline. it has never been more clear, the president has abandoned texas and every other border state and he is cutting his own border patrol agents off at the knees. it is long past time to admit that there is a crisis at our southern border and that the men and women of the united states border patrol are overwhelmed and they need their commander in chief to support them. this crisis is not slowing down. mr. president, we urge you to secure the border, to not abandon texas, and come to our rescue. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: members are reminded to direct their remarks to the chair. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from illinois, mrs. miller. for five minutes. mrs. miller: thank you, mr. speaker. some members of this body have called to defund the police. sadly, while crime is on the rise, we have democrat governors across the country who are implementing anti-police policies. in illinois, our governor signed legislation to eliminate bail and put offenders right back on the street. he released dangerous inmates because of covid. and refuses to work with i.c.e. to deport dangerous illegal immigrants. the result? as we all know our neighborhoods are less safe and the job of law enforcement is more dangerous. people want and need police protection. americans appreciate and support our police. tragically, this past year we lost a brave officer from champaign illinois. in the line of duty, officer chris oberheim was killed. and officer jeffrey creole, his partner, was shot three times while returning fire. he survives. like so many law enforcement officers around our country, officer oberheim and officer creole put the people in their community first ahefd their own safety. officer oberheim's life of service will not and should not be forgotten. i cannot imagine the loss and pain his family suffers day by day. they continue to be in my thoughts and prayers. misguided policies misguided policies by ignorant politicians have turned chicago into a war zone and are i can making our communities less safe. criminals are allowed to steal thousands of dollars of merchandise, and many are not being charged. soft on crime policies embolden criminals. i promise to always back the blue and stand with our police. may god bless our law enforcement. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia, mr. clyde, for five minutes. mr. clyde: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to bring much-needed attention to the houthis latest act of aggression. back in february, president biden naively removed the houthis from designation as a foreign terrorist organization and from the especially designated global terrorist list. taking full advantage of president biden's foolish decision and complete lack of leadership, the houthis stormed the u.s. embassy in yemen last wednesday, using the raid to take hostages and equipment. after years of brutal tactics, this latest act of hostility confirms again that the ruthless houthis must be designated as a foreign terrorist organization. in june, i proudly introduced legislation to do just that. h.r. 3965, the standing against houthi aggression act, which would reinstate the sanctions that the trump administration placed on the houthis and redesignate the group as a foreign terrorist organization. i am deeply concerned for the safety of the many locals who were kidnapped while protecting our embassy. again, i call on the biden administration to provide an immediate briefing regarding this dangerous situation. i also implore all of my colleagues to support h.r. 3965, and i urge speaker pelosi to bring this legislation to the floor for immediate consideration. we have already witnessed the devastating impacts of the administration's botched afghanistan withdrawal. we cannot allow president biden's void in leadership to develop additional disasters in the middle east. in fact, at this very moment, our adversaries are defiantly gearing up to cause destruction. from china aggressively preparing for a potential invasion of taiwan to russia successfully having an anti-satellite in space, many crises presents additional leadership tests for president biden. so far, the silence has been deafening. for the sake of the american people and our allies, mr. president, lead from the front. mr. speaker, i rise today to highlight the soaring inflation that continues to burden americans across this great nation. there are plenty of reasons to be thankful this holiday season, but biden's thanksgiving tax is not one of them. prices of common grocery items are skyrocketing just in time for folks to gather around the table with loved ones. the price of a 15-pound turkey is up 27%. apples are up 6.7%. cranberries up 5.2%. and the list goes on and on. in fact, this year's thanksgiving is expected to be the most expensive holiday meal in history. but it doesn't just stop at the grocery store checkout line. consistent with months of increasing gas prices, holiday travelers will face sticker shock at the gas pump where the cost of a gallon of gas is up 61% from this time last year. gas is up 61%. purposely moving forward with another massive multitrillion-dollar spending package, democrats continue to ignore these very troubling inflation concerns. american workers, families, and small businesses deserve better. in the face of a volatile economy, we should prioritize fiscal responsibility and offer solutions to the inflation crisis, not make it worse. and fan the flames of inflation by injecting trillions of dollars of borrowed federal money into the economy. and mr. speaker, i rise today to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the mars wrigley plant in the city of flowery branch in the ninth district of georgia. the plant opened back in 1971, becoming one of the very first confection factories in northern georgia. now, it's the manufacturing hub for the company's iconic gum brands, producing 75% of the chewing gum volume for the north american market. currently, the plant employs over 920 associates of which 250 have been with mars-wrigley for over 20 years. due to their hard work, this factory is one of the fastest growing manufacturing plants in the state of georgia and has been recognized as such by the chamber of commerce for its impact on the hall county community. in fact, mars-wrigley continues to go the extra mile by giving back to the local community, regularly volunteering in cleanups, christmas gift donations and food banks. congratulations, mars-wrigley, on 50 productive years in northern georgia. and best wishes for another prolific half century. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair reminds members to direct their comments to the chair. the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee, mr. burchett, for five minutes. mr. burchett: bunch like the tree and -- that's quite all right. won't be the first and not the last. mr. speaker, i seek unanimous consent to address the house for five minutes and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized. mr. burchett: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to recognize aaron clay who was named the tennessee secondary school athletic association director of the year. aaron clay is the athletic's director at the washburn school. he graduated in 1997. his brother, greg, hired him shortly after graduating to help the school's basketball team. since returning to coach the basketball team, director clay led several teams to success. he coached two basketball teams to the substate tournament. one two district -- won two district titles in basketball and sent one to the state championship meet for five straight years. mr. speaker, under director clay's leadership, the school recently completed a new gymnasium. away from athletics, director clay leads the academic curriculum as an assistant principal. in his academic role, he once again teamed up with his brother greg. the award celebrates people who uplifts students on and off the field. he does so. as a school administration and athletic director has impacted young people. congratulations, director clay. keep up the good work. mr. speaker, thank you. individual freedom just scored a huge victory last week. in court of appeals ruled what we already knew -- joe biden overstepped his authority with his vaccine mandate. no more jobs will be threatened by the administration over coronavirus vaccination status for now. i applaud those who stood up to biden's vaccine mandate in court, but the fight isn't over, mr. speaker. it's clearly not over. abiden's -- biden's far left justice department is trying to re-vaive the man -- revive the mandate. more action is necessary, mr. speaker. my bill, the keeping our covid-19 heroes employed act, which is sponsored in the senate by senator marsha blackburn, also from tennessee, would further protect american workers by forbidding certain employers from firing unvaccinated employees. we need to ban biden's vaccine mandate because it's unconstitutional, mr. speaker. but because of the crippling effect it will have on our economy. for example, supply chain jobs will be lost if biden's vaccine will take effect. a shortage in the supply chain means it takes longer to move products to americans' storefronts, mr. speaker. this is passed onto consumers in the form of higher prices. if he gets his way it will steal paychecks from hardworking americans, mr. speaker. congress can't wait for the biden administration's next attack on the unvaccinated. let's pass the keep our covid-19 heroes employed act, mr. speaker. i thank you for yielding and i yield the remainder of my time and thank you for your almost correct pronunciation of my name. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman, mr. burchett -- mr. burchett: like the tree. but my wife gets mad at me when i tell people yet. it's not real anger. it's burchett, kind of smooth. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. mr. burchett: it's a pleasure being here with you. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until noon today. >> demand is outpacing production. >> therefore gasoline prices are up. i'd like to introduce for the record a recent article from