screen, and thank you so much for joining us. guest: a pleasure. host: we now take you to the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: the house will come to order. the chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. the clerk: the speaker's room, washington, d.c., february 2, 2022. i hereby appoint the honorable ed perlmutter to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, nancy pelosi, speaker of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the order of the house of january 10, 2022, the chair will now recognize members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning hour debate. the chair will alternate recognition between the parties. with time equally allocated between parties and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and minority whip limited to five minutes. but in no event shall debate continue beyond 11:50 a.m. this morning. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from iowa, mrs. miller-meeks, for five minutes. mrs. miller-meeks: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to speak about an event that many americans look forward to every four years, the winter olympics. in a few days, millions around the world will tune in to watch their country compete in the 24th winter olympic games in beijing, china. the spirit of the olympics is one of sportsmanship, friendship, competition, and national pride for viewers and athletes around the world. unfortunately, several years ago, the international olympic committee selected a host country that's one of the last communist nations in the world, enslaves workers in sweatshops, forces sterilization upon minority women, imprisons and murders ethnic minorities and lie to the world about a global pandemic that's killed millions and changed our lives forever. almost every freedom that americans take for granted is nonexistent under the rule of the chinese communist party. the government has created countless human rights abuses against its people, including the genocide of the uighur muslim population. to this day, they have blocked the rest of the world from learning more about the origins of covid-19, something that is important for our national security and our public health. meanwhile, the majority has thrown away months of bipartisan work and has decided to push another partisan bill that will not push the senate or become law in its current form. included in the so-called competes act has several provisions that has nothing to do with china. it mentions the world quarrels more than the word china. it gives no sanctions, punishment, or funding for investigation for the cover-up of covid-19. hidden on page 1519, this lgz allows the -- legislation allows the president to use emergency powers until the president declares the covid-19 emergency is over or september, 2025. coincidently, after the next presidential election. people believe covid is unfortunately going to be with us for a long time and desire transparent information so we can learn to live with it and treat it rather than living in perpetual fear. the national emergency should end no later than this year and congress should work on a bipartisan way to end unending emergency powers. we should also act to hold china accountable for lying to the world about a global pandemic and for the human rights atrocities they have committed. the chinese government is known to arbitrarily arrest and hold americans against their will, to blackmail our government. the government has a long track record on spying on americans, placing microphones and cameras wherever they can. they have no concept of privacy and would gladly find a way to collect d.n.a. samples and as much information as possible on our world-class athletes. i believe the overwhelming majority of the chinese people are just like us. but the actions of their government have given us no reason to trust them. going forward, i do not believe that a country with human rights track record like that, of the people's republic of china, should be given the honor of hosting the olympic games. i pray for the safety, health, and success of american athletes, coaches, and support staff during their time abroad and wish them all the best of luck. i know they will make all of us back home proud. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the chair now recognizes the congressman from texas, mr. green, for five minutes. mr. green: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, and still i rise, a proud african-american. i rise today because we are into black history month, the second day. and i rise today because i am very much concerned about history in this country. for you see, mr. speaker, there are efforts across the country to distort history and in many instances not to allow it to be taught. can you imagine black history not being taught in this country? that would make black history month more important but my hope is that at some point we don't need black history month because history will be taught every day and there won't be a need to accentuate the things that happened to african-americans in this country. but the notion that we can't teach the true history of what happened to us in the united states of america and what happened to the people in the united states of america is offensive. and it's not just about african-americans, by the way. it's also about jewish people not being able to teach what happened to jewish people. can you imagine more than six million people murdered and we can't teach this in our schools? the number is not known truly. huge numbers. and what happened to them? how were they killed? they weren't just murdered in concentration camps. many of them were murdered in their homes, in their yards, in the ghettos, and that can't be taught? if we can't teach black history we probably won't be able to teach the trail of tears and what happened to the indigenous americans. how they were harmed by virtue of the state itself intentionally causing them to receive certain diseases. we won't be able to teach what happened to the asians who came to this country, internment camps. black history month is very important to us. we have to have it, but we have to more than have black history month. we've got to have the history of what has happened taught, because those who don't learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat the lessons of history. and finally this. this house needs to go on record. we need to go on record. we need to take a stand. we need to let the world know that we will support the teaching of history in schools. to do anything less is to cause us to be placed in the position of having not lived up to the promises of this country. we should do it. i hope that this house will go on record appropriately doing so, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair now recognizes the congresswoman from california, mrs. kim, for five minutes. mrs. kim: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to honor chris walsh, who tragically lost his long fight against cancer on january 24, 2022. chris was a dear friend to all. a devoted husband and a father to two young, beautiful young girls. a california fullerton graduate and hardworking public servant who served the 74th assembly district in california in assemblyman matt harper's office and the city of irvine in and -- and also in my office. while we remain heart broken that he was taken from us way too soon, all of us who had the pleasure of knowing him remain inspired by his courage, persistence and integrity in the face of worst adversity. i first met chris when he was a young and impressive and ambitious young man interning at the office of congressman ed royce, who i was working for at the time. and at the age of 25, he found out that he was diagnosed with a terminal cancer and was told by doctors that perhaps he would maybe have only two months to live. this is a daunting news for anyone to hear. however, instead of letting his -- this change the course of his life, he took charge and defied the odds over the next several years, having a productive career, meeting his beautiful wife, amanda, and having two girls. chris was gracious to everyone and lit up every room with his kindness, sense of humor, and charisma. he was always willing to pitch in and help out our team. his friends and loved ones. he made all of us work harder and brought out the best versions of each of us every day. without chris, i would not be here in congress, nor would i be the person that i am today. chris would often spend his evenings after work cheering on our anaheim angels, and i'm comforted in knowing that his loved ones, including his wife, amanda, and daughters, amelia and madd line, will have their -- madeline, will have their guarding angel watching over them. amanda, you know that chris loved you with all his heart, mind, and soul until he took his last breath. you are the light of his life and he enjoyed talking about you and your beautiful two girls. these two girls that you created together. your his everything. and i want to thank you for loving him the way you did, giving him unconditional love. and crystal and mike, as a parent and mom, i feel your pain and the sadness of losing a son. and to kathryn, i'm sorry you lost your only sibling that you had. i want you to know that chris was not just someone who worked for me. i, too, loved him like my own son. and crystal, i remember you telling me that minutes after chris passed how you were holding his hand and praying to god to show you some signs that he would be fine. and you thought you saw chris smile. yes. i believe that was a true sign that chris was smiling because he has arrived at the gate of heaven and he's now resting comfortably in the arms of jesus. my heart remains with the walsh family, friends, and relatives as we continue to mourn a life that was taken from us too soon. and we're grateful for the moss tiff in -- positive influence that chris had on so many of us while he lived a full and productive life. and with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the chair now recognizes the congresswoman from kansas, ms. davids, for five minutes. ms. davids: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today as we consider legislation to strengthen supply chains and to stand up for our small businesses. for years, we've been too reliant on goods made in other countries. the pandemic has exacerbated and exposed that reality. we've seen shortages from personal protective equipment to ventilators and semiconductor chips. and those supply chain weaknesses contribute to rising prices and inflation. we should be making more in america, and we have many small businesses in kansas and across the country that are willing and able to step up to the plate. so as we take up the america competes act this week, legislation drafted with both parties and aimed at creating jobs, addressing inflation, and strengthen manager manufacturing -- american manufacturing, it's essential we include small and medium manufacturers in our consideration. in my district, the kansas third, we have businesses that pivoted their entire production lines to help frontline workers to create p.p.e. they have had to reuse masks and gowns, putting themselves at incredible risks. we were slowed on foreign made supplies. and here we had small businesses that were ready to help if we had just given them a chance. the america competes act includes a program to build a stable and adaptable supply chain for our national stockpile, a stable and adaptable supply chain for our national stockpile, one that's flektible enough -- flexible enough to react. as we work to build that flexibility, it would be a mistake to shut out the producers we have right here at home. my amendment is going to ensure that when we're restocking and restructuring our strategic national stockpile that we're working with a range of businesses. it would require that smaller manufacturers get a seat at the table, not just big corporations. because i can tell you from experience that they stand ready to pitch in, ready to train and employ our workers. it's our job to ensure they get the chance to do just that. the america competes act is a major opportunity to deal in our domestic -- to deal in our domestic industries and workers. it's an opportunity to address root causes of inflation and bring down our costs long term. one particularly important example being insintives for -- incentives for semiconductor manufacturing. and we need to put our workers, farmers, manufacturers, and businesses on a level playing field with countries like china and other nations. i encourage my colleagues to support this amendment and to support small manufacturers. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the chair now recognizes the congresswoman from south carolina, ms. mace, for five minutes. ms. mace: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to bring a very serious light to what appears to be a seemingly light-hearted subject. as the world prepares for the olympic games in beijing this week, i rise today to denounce the chinese communist party and its worldwide panda propaganda campaign. from the covid-19 fiasco started in a lab in wuhan to china's cover-up, to the genocide against the uighur and incursions by chinese fighter jets over the island of taiwan, including when a bipartisan delegation visited taiwan just last november, this administration has decided to answer chinese aggression with a diplomat ib boycott of the -- diplomatic boycott of the winter games. i'm sure they're trembling at the thought of our diplomats are staying home. two can play at this game. not many know they have leveraged the cuddly panda in an effort to soften their image around the world. it is the official mascot of the beijing olympics. it is meant to demonstrate their embrace of the future and technology. perhaps it's a warm and fuzzy attempt to soften china's ambitions in space. . the privilege of loaning these creatures to us. ultimately every last panda must be returned to china, property of the chinese communist government. every year millions of americans enjoy these pandas not knowing the sinister plot behind their all too brief stay here. we should not fund china's panda propaganda campaign. in the words begin by disease diseezing something your opponent holds here and he'll be amenable to your will. get serious with our diplomacy and hit china where it hurts. give freedom to the pandas and allow them to stay here in the united states. mr. speaker, i rise today america hasegawa always been a place known for its citizens and its heroes who have gone above and beyond. in honor of black history month, the state of south carolina, the first congressional district in south carolina, has one such hero, a citizen by the name of robert smalls. the epitome of a true south carolina hero. born a slave in buford, south carolina in 1839. robert smalls faced countless afflictions in the early years of his life but he never gave up. during the civil war he hijacked a confederate ammunition ship and turned it over to the union navy, delivering 17 african-american passengers from slavery to freedom. he became the first african-american to pilot a u.s. vessel taking the helm of a union war ship in the first battle of charleston harbor in 1863. at the war's conclusion, he received a commission as brigadier general in the south carolina militia and eventually went on to serve the south carolina state assembly and senate. but his tireless work for the people of south carolina did not end there. smalls would then go on to serve five terms in the u.s. house of representatives. from 1874 to 1886. in south carolina's first congressional district. a district that i represent today. on behalf of the low country and people of the first district, i'm deeply honored to offer a bill being considered today in committee that will designate the u.s. post office at 11 robert smalls parkway in buford, south carolina, as the robert smalls post office. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize the bravery and heroism sergeant first class christopher solice, army ranger and proud son of south carolina who made the ultimate sacrifice for his nation during the fifth deployment in afghanistan. christopher was born in charleston in 1986 and graduated from summerville high school in 2004. after graduating, he joined the united states army where he become a well re-- became a well respected leader. in afghanistan the first battalion 75th ranger regiment were taking heavy fire from the enemies. when one was hit, he used his own body to shield the wounded soldier as he was oak evacuated. he took heavy fire and was wounded multiple times during this moment. instead of having the evacuation helicopter come back to restreerve him, he instructed the aircraft to leave so his fellow soldier and many other lives could be saved that day. christopher's sacrifice is an inspiration to his -- us all. it deserves the recognition of our nation. i want to thank president biden for pos he'llously awarding sergeant first class christopher solice with the medal of honor. no one is more deserving. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the chair now recognizes the congresswoman from texas, ms. garcia, for five minutes. ms. garcia: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to speak of the continued positive economic recovery led by the biden administration. in december, the texas unemployment rate dropped all wait down to 5% compared to 12.9% on the peak of the pandemic. service sector employment is now up above prepandemic levels. but a strong economy for the future only is possible with smart investment today. that's why the benefits of the infrastructure investment and jobs act will bring to my home state of texas are critically vital. the infrastructure investment and jobs act is bringing jobs, opportunity, and better quality of life for texans. for texas the infrastructure bill means more than $35 billion in projects alone. and that's just our state. these projects include replacing all lead pipes from schools. increasing broad bant access -- broadband access. road and bridge repairs. and the maintenance supports, and all this means jobs, jobs, and more jobs. mr. speaker, i think it's important to outline some of the biggest provisions for texans. first, texas is expected to receive $537 million to repair 818 bridges across the state. many in my district. this is huge. next, texas will get about $1 is.2 billion for infrastructure development for airports. airports are critical not just for travelers but because they are hubs for workers and of course that means jobs. texas will receive at least $100 million to provide broadband internet coverage across the state. these dollars will provide access to at least 1,058,000 texans who currently lack high speed internet. mr. speaker, every time i go back home to south texas, i'm one of those texans at my sister's house. she has no high speed internet. as we have learned from the pandemic, internet is no longer a luxury. it is a necessity. so this funding is critical. 2.9 million to head to texas to improve water infrastructure. this will ensure that clean, safe drinking water is accessible in all communities in your homes and schools. for decades texas' infrastructure has suffered due to lack of investment. we have seen it plenty of times. especially last year's electrical grade failure to the debt to damage pipelines, roads, and bridges. more and more natural disasters. it is time for texans to have a working infrastructure that protects them not hurts them. this law will kick start new projects, create jobs, and put texans on the right track. and that, mr. speaker, means that working families will have a better quality of life across the state. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the chair now recognizes the congresswoman from north carolina, ms. foxx, for five minutes. ms. foxx: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, it has been a year since joe biden took office and the southern border has all but clps collapsed. a year's past and he still cannot find the elusive root cause of his self-inflicted border crisis. since he's clearly having trouble finding the cause, i'll save him some time. joe biden is the root cause of the border crisis. the number of illegal crossings at the border has escalated at a faster wait under him than any time in recent history. since joe biden took office nearly two million illegal immigrants have been apprehended at the southern border. wait, there's more. moral illegal -- more illegal immigrants have crossed the southern border in the last three months than in all of fiscal year 2020. now we have learned that illegals are being funneled to cities across the united states in the dead of night. that's right. while americans are asleep, this administration is trying to cover up its own failures. some of these illegals are known to have criminal records yet they are being given a free pass. across the world people are watching this unfold. across the world people are getting the message that you can waltz into this country illegally with no consequences. consider the fact that people from 160 different countries are coming to the southern border it's clear that the message is the wrong one to be sending. in december, a saudi arabian national with ties to known yemeni terrorists was arrested after he crossed the border wearing a fake paramedic uniform. if he were released into the united states, the consequences would have been disastrous. mr. speaker, instead of securing the southern border and protecting the integrity of our national security, this administration has doubled down on its own failures. because of this worsening crisis, every state has now become a border state. border security is national security. and thanks to joe biden and congressional democrats, open border policies america has neither. i yield back, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the chair now recognizes the congressman from california, dr. mr. bera: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to talk about a looming crisis we see in eastern europe. last week as a senior member of the foreign affairs committee hi a chance to accompany some of my colleagues on a bipartisan delegation to both brussels and ukraine. what i saw when we were in ukraine as we met with their senior leaders and president zelensky was a country that has resolve. they reminded us that they have been at war with russia for the last eight years, since russia invaded crimea, occupied the territories so this is a country that has been fighting russia. they are prepared to defend themselves. when i went on the streets with my colleagues and we talked to ordinary ukrainian citizens, there is a resolve. they have no intention of living under soviet rule. they have tasted freedom. and it's important for us as the united states of america to stand with this young democracy. we are the oldest democracy in the world. when i have been asked by the media why should the united states be concerned about what's happening in eastern europe, it's because we value those -- the freedoms that we share. we value the liberty. we value the ability of individual citizens to choose their own path forward. that's what this is about. when we went to brussels we met with our nato allies. with other members of the european union. think about what we accomplished working with those countries in the 75-plus years post-world war ii. we created peace on the european continent after two world wars. we created thriving democracies. prosperity. that's what's at risk. think about what mr. putin wants to do. he wants to re-establish the soviet union. he's an autocrat. that's what at risk in the 21st century. it is not given that democracy will win the 21st century. we have to fight for democracy. we have to fight for those liberties. we have to fight for those individuals to choose their path forward. that's why this is important. that's why it is foreign for us to stand with the people of ukraine. that's why it is foreign for us along with our european allies and nato allies to stand together and speak with one voice and tell mr. putin, we are not going back to the soviet era. we are going forward to the peaceful, prosperous 21st century for all people. thank you. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair now recognizes the congressman from georgia, mr. carter, for five minutes. mr. carter: mr. speaker, i rise today to reflect upon the career of ken duke, professor in the college of pharmacy at the university of georgia. ken has for 37 years served our future pharmacists invalably as they ventured into their careers. he has helped develop and foster in his students a passion for our field that is distribution of lifesaving medicines. ken graduated from the university of georgia school of pharmacy in 1977 and began his career at university of georgia in 1985. since that time, ken has tirelessly and selflessly worked to educate and mentor future pharmacists of america. his spirit and drive for this occupation is something that he has instilled in his students for nearly four decades. in the later years of his career, ken has served as the acting assistant dean for the pharmacy college's expansion campus in savannah which he helped found. in his retirement, ken is excited to be living on the coast and by the water, as well as spending time in at-thens for georgia -- athens football games and hopefully another georgia championship. ken's service has been remarkable. thank you, ken. have a blessed retirement. mr. speaker, i rise today in memory of jimmy, a veteran and remarkable georgian. he was born in savannah in 1933, the eldest of three children, and spent most of his early life in the city moving to states borrow to the farm where he found his love for farming. he then went on to graduate high school and attend the university of georgia at only 15 years old. where he graduated with honors. most 15-year-olds can barely handle the stress of high school let alone college, but jimmy was not like most people. upon graduating, he entered the u.s. army as a marksman, spending his time between fort jackson and fort benning, being honorably discharged from the service as a second lieutenant. after returning to his hometown, he would meet the love of his life, patricia, and getting married in 1958. they built their lives on the farm raising three daughters and a son. . a loving father and husband, and outdoorsman, honorable veteran, and fellow georgia sportsman, jimmy is sure to be missed. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize georgia's port authority executive griff lynch. he's a graduate of the maritime college in new york which led him to work in the maritime industry for 34 years and eventually our georgia ports. lynch took the helm of our nation's busiest ports in savannah and brunswick and in doing so have faced some of the hardest challenges in his career. with the breakout of covid-19, the savannah and brunswick ports were hit hard, but it was lynch's steady hand that steered them through their turbulent times. if you got your christmas gifts on time, griff lynch probably had something to do with it. he's seen multiple expansion and enhancements in our ports. and through lynch's efforts, our ports have seen a 20% increase in volume, meaning nearly 900,000 additional containers are coming to the area. this means more jobs, innovation, and growth for georgia's first district. his experience, guidance, and ability to push the envelope has made him an excellent leader for our ports and a perfect recipient of the georgian of the year award. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair now recognizes the congresswoman from north carolina, ms. ross, for five minutes. ms. ross: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to honor the service and career of dr. dudley flood, a recipient of north carolina's highest civilian award, the north carolina award for public service for his trail blazing leadership in desegregating our state's public schools. born in wynton, north carolina, and a graduate of north carolina's central university, dr. flood began his career as an educator, teaching grade school and eventually becoming a principal. following his teaching tenure, dr. flood joined the north carolina department of public instruction, where he made a significant impact during his 21 years of dedicated service. in the years following the landmark 1954 brown vs. board of education decision, dr. flood and the late gene cosby were tasked with the facilitating of the desegregation of schools in all 100 counties in north carolina. in 1969, dr. flood and mr. cosby began to travel across the state to help desegregate north carolina's school systems. beyond the assistance they provided in navigating this challenging process, it was the visual of these two men, one black and one white, working closely together that made a powerful impression on teachers and students alike. through his honorable work, dr. flood became a state hero, and north carolina became a model for school desegregation. by working to ensure that north carolina is a place where all students can learn, irrespective of race, dr. flood helped bring together starkly divided communities and effectively ushered in a new era for public education in our state. dr. flood retired from public instruction in 1990. since then, he has served as executive director of the north carolina association of school administrators, taught as a visiting professor at mull am north carolina -- multiple north carolina colleges and universities, and continue to be active in his community, including with the flood group, a group of people who meet from across the state. now, 90 years old, dr. flood has led an incredible career as a champion for equitable education. today, his achievements can be seen in schools statewide as children of all races are able to learn and play together and support each other's academic success. as we begin celebrating black history month, i'm honored to share his extraordinary legacy with this body. he enhanced the lives of hundreds of thousands of north carolinians through his example and his achievements. the people of our state are forever grateful for his remarkable life and lasting legacy. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from kansas, mr. mann, for five minutes. mr. mann: mr. speaker, i rise today to speak about my heroes, america's farmers, ranchers, and agriculture producers. these people are my family, my friends, my neighbors, and my ancestors. i came to this congress to defend agriculture because the time i spent on the farm with my father, brother, and grandfather growing up taught me the most important lessons i've ever learned. agriculture's core values are the same as america's -- hard work, self-determination, responsibility, creativity, others before self, and prayer. therefore, if america is going to thrive, agriculture must thrive. of all the hardworking resilient people in our country, agriculture producers face more challenges and uncertainty than most of us can imagine as they strive to feed, fuel, and clothe our nation every day. a late winter storm here in washington, d.c., means work. in kansas, where it's snowing right now, it means essential moisture for the spring, profits that might let you buy the tractor you've been needing for two years now. if there's money left over, an extra birthday present for your daughter in july. kansas president eisenhower said, farming looks easy when your plow is a pencil and you're a thousand miles away from a cornfield. farmers are the caretakers of the land itself. american farmers built our history, sustains our present, and secures our future. in the early 1930's, america was suffering from food insecurity. that's when congress woke up, realized that above all other concerns, we need to eat to survive and drafted the first-ever farm bill. now, nearly 100 years later, america is the most food-secure country in the world because of the strength of our ag producers. so when congress gets the opportunity to re-authorize the farm bill every five years, we need to think carefully and critically about the extent and nature of our investment in agriculture because it's an investment in both the immediate and the long-term health of our nation. agriculture is also about freedom. it is extremely difficult for a nation to be free if it we lies on another for its food. therefore, it is essential to america's future that we get ag policy right so we never, ever have to depend on another for our food or our freedom. over the next several months, as we gear for the 2023 re-authorization of the farm bill, i'll be standing to share some of my thoughts, ideas, and amendments on that legislation. on behalf of my constituents and every american farmer, rancher, and ag producers, i want to say unekwif cally -- unekwif cabally, i want to say that we need to invest in america's agriculture. america's future depends on it. thank you, mr. speaker. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from the virgin islands, ms. plaskett, for five minutes. ms. plaskett: thank you very much, mr. speaker. 2020 election brought with it tremendous opportunities for the territories, particularly after the devastation of unprecedented natural disasters in our global -- and our global pandemic. the american rescue plan of 2021 offered tremendous promise of full, robust recovery for our islands. our island governments will now receive full federal funding for important workforce development tax credits like the earned income tax credit, child tax credit, the child dependant care tax credit. this will be significant relief to budget and revenue offices in the territories. in the virgin islands, my home, the earned income tax credit alone accounts for almost 40% of our tax returns in any given year. in addition, each of the territories have received at least $500 million in state and local government fiscal aid. these funds have broad eligibility, including to provide services threatened by declining revenue, make investments in water, sewer, broadband infrastructure, support public entities involved in transportation or passenger and cargo, special purpose units of local government, nonprofits that aid the homeless. the virgin islands will also receive investments from the bold infrastructure investment and jobs act that became law in november. e.p.a., f.a.a., the army corps of engineers are agencies providing substantial support. but much of this funding will take us so far. however, aside from supplemental funds made available in the act, in the areas of primary formula for traditional infrastructure, surface roads and highways, i'm afraid the territories remain significantly underfunded or underincluded. the territories have endured severe infrastructure funding since 1998, when the pre existing set-aside formula for the territorial highway funding was scrapped. since then, the territorial share of overall federal highway program funding has progressively declined by 50%. these severe cuts have negatively impacted everything from safety to emergency response, law enforcement capabilities, commerce, disaster relief management. the build back better act would restore the significant equity investment in infrastructure for the territories in the house-passed bill. it contained $320 million in supplemental funding for territorial highway program in order to restore investment in the territories to a similar share of overall federal highway funding they once received before 1998. we must continue to fight for those objectives. the territories will have a hard time competing for any of the billions in funding set up in the infrastructure investment and jobs act for projects of national significance or the rural surface transportation grant program because project eligibility under these programs is mostly tied to states or projects connected to national highway system, which by definition does not include the territories. that impediment, along with having such private partners to allow us to ramp up capacity, competence, and make it hard for us to go after the competitive grants. the territories will need assistance with vying for competitive funding they are eligible for. identifying those programs and connecting the programs to projects. the viability and sustainability of energy in the territories is of the utmost importance for the well-being of our rural communities. the territories are not connected to a national grid. our energy costs on our islands are higher than anywhere else in the country. our jew graphic locations leaves us vulnerable to climate change, but also provide opportunities for adoption of innovative energy resources. we need help, department of energy, agriculture, many others for energy efficiency, energy storage, smart grids, microgrids, as well as renewable energy technical training. mr. speaker, americans living in the territories live in areas with brown fields, are susceptible to climate change unlike other areas. we are rural isolated. we have unemployment much higher than others. however, we have geographic strategic advantage for our country. our young people disproportionately enter the military because they want to work. they want to be productive. we sit in a vortex of alternative energy, raw resources, and a majority minority community. as it says up here on the wall, by daniel webster, let us develop the resources of our land and call forth its powers. i am asking my colleagues in congress to ensure that the territories can do that through this infrastructure investment act. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from texas, dr. babin, is recognized for five minutes. mr. babin: thank you very much, mr. speaker. appreciate that. mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the life and legacy of my long time friend and community leader, james allen guthrie of pasadena, texas, who passed away on december 18, 2021, at the age of 70. james was born in houston, texas, on april 27, 1951, to james and loretta guthrie, a devoted member of the zion lutheran church in pasadena, james was baptized on june 6, 1960 and confirmed june, 1965. he attended zion lutheran school in pasadena, graduated from high school in 1970. james became a real estate broker and worked alongside his father in that industry for 30 years. on may 6, 1977, james married the love of his life, ms. pamela ann rothermail. james and pam were blessed with a daughter, mariah ashley guthrie in 1984. james, pam, and mariah never missed an opportunity to serve their community. . james' passion for helping people and supporting his community remain throughout his entire adult life. he served on the following organizations. councilman, sittive pasadena, texas. vice chairman, city of pasadena texas planning commission. chairman, pasadena chamber of commerce. board member, san jancinto college foundation. board member, pasadena independent school district education foundation board. member, bridge over trouble waters. founding board member, habitat for humanity pasadena. chairman, pasadena philharmonic orchestra. board member, preston trails homeowners association. chairman, pasadena salvation army advisory council. chairman, innovative alternatives. board member, pasadena rotary club. board member, pasadena community pregnancy center. board member, armand bayou. and board member advisory council of the methodist retirement community, the crossings. few have done more. mr. speaker, it is a privilege to recognize my wonderful friend, james guthrie, today on the house floor. he was one of a kind leader in the 36th congressional district that i have been privileged to represent. who left behind a legacy that will long be remembered. his loyalty and his friendship will be deeply missed by myself and countless others in our community. my heartfelt prayers remain with his family and friends during this difficult time. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair now recognizes the congressman from minnesota, mr. philips, for five minutes. mr. philips: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, it has been two years, imagine that, two years since the beginning of the pandemic. two years marked by hardship that none of us had ever known and hope we never know again. as the world continues to adapt to the challenge, it is my belief that there is light at the end of the tunnel. as we continue to push towards that optimism, we are reminded every single day that the pandemic is not over. it's not over for us. it's not over for the nurses and doctors who tend to our sick. it is not over for our frontline workers. for teachers. for police, for families. for anyone. i'm here today to speak for a group of americans who are too often ignored in our pandemic discourse. our nation's entrepreneurs and small business owners. the bedrock of our economy, particularly those who work in public facing enterprises like restaurant owners and gym owners, hospitality owners, and the live events industry. those whose livelihoods depend on public gathering, in person. whether it's to break bread, work up a sweat, or to enjoy booths you might see at the minnesota state fair, as my friend and colleague, angie craig, would agree is america's finest. in 2020 early last year, both parties worked together to pass pandemic aid to help keep the lights on at those businesses. it was aid effective in saving countless jobs. while not perfect, of course, it did save our country from economic disaster. unfortunately, for those public facing industries, that aid has not been enough. not with the rise of the delta variant and omicron and potentially future variants we might face in the few teumplet last week i held a round table in minnesota to hear from entrepreneurs representing those industries in my district. some had a quarter million dollars in debt, others lost a quarter million dollars in revenue. some taken out government subsidized emergency loans from the programs we in congress created. others were left out entirely. they told me that between the pandemic and the supply chain and inflation costs the pandemic has wrought, those programs are simply not enough. they need help and need it now. it is our job, it is not done yet. the cost of congressional inaction is real. small business owners across america are dipping into their personal savings and taking on significant debt. in minnesota alone, almost 60% of restaurants have taken on debt during the pandemic. with an average of over half a million dollars per restaurant. even in the best of times, it's a tough industry. particularly difficult right now. we all know what will happen if we don't pass relief soon. many of those restaurants will close and being of their staff will be unemployed. too many small business owners are simply running out of hope. that's where we come in. i'm encouraged by comments made by the president and lawmakers in both parties. that there is an appetite to solve the problem and provide relief. in fact, i secured a commit frment speaker pelosi not long ago that a taryghted relief package would get a vote on the house floor, which is an important step. we are not at the finish line. i implore that we together work on such a package. small businesses like restaurants and hospitality and gyms and live events companies, they make up the social, cultural, and economic fabric of our communities and entire country. and we must fight to ensure that they can keep their doors open. we must meet the challenge of the moment with urgency and refill the r.r.f. and include other industries in future relief package. we must get the job done so others can keep theirs, mr. speaker. with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair now recognizes the congressman from texas, mr. pfluger, for five minutes. mr. pfluger: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to discuss unfortunately yet another crisis. when russia invade the ukraine in 2014 i was on active duty air force officer stationed in europe in nato assigned to a unit. i saw this firsthand. this is much different. i just returned from kyiv where we met with many ukraineon officials, including the president, foreign min sterks and defense minister. while there we heard a message that was loud and clear. putin is acting now because he senses an environment of weakness. weakness from this administration in the approach to energy. in the countless failures, including the most tragic of all, the aflg evacuation -- afghanistan evacuation. the lack of overall commitment to law and order which can be seen so many places around country today, including our southern border. all these failures have created this environment of weakness that putin is acting on. to make matters worse, european countries are completely beholden and dependent upon russia for their energy. over 40% of the energy coming from russia. ukrainian officials told me directly without nord stream 2 russian would not be acting out today. this was told to a bipartisan codel that heard this, both republicans and democrats alike. since the president took office, every policy failure he has steered our country into has signaled not strength but weakness. the president now promises to impose severe sanctions on russia should they invade the ukraine. this is not the way deterrence works. it happens every day. it happens in every policy action. it doesn't happen after the fact. why would russia expect the biden administration to respect the borders of the ukraine when we refuse to secure our own borders here at home? president zelensky said this, i quote, border security matters. i will defend the ukrainian borders. we need a president who is strong, who will protect not only the united states but also will send a clear message to our allies and partners abroad. that law and order will stand. that sovereign borders will be protected. we need an administration cape aivel standing up to our adversaries, as i said before in this chamber, we need a president who will choose midland over moscow. if president biden is not going to take action, congress must. ail be working to impose strong sanctions on the nord stream pipeline, energy security is national security. the ukrainian people under stand this. the european continent understands this. the russians now have a stranglehold on europe by imposing their will with the nord stream projects. we need democrats and republicans alike. we were unified on this codel. i'm asking my democrat colleagues to understand the severity of this problem. in 2022 we have a sovereign country that could be invaded by an aggressor. that aggressor who has been emboldened by an environment of weakness. we must stand strong. so many people, including myself, have served overseas, have done the hard work. it is well past time that we end these crises, we show strength in the face of an aggressor who would impose their will on the rest of the world and change world order that that greatest generation 80 years ago fought for. now is not the time to back down. as putin goes to china and stand side by side with jinping, in these olympic games, and ask for his blessing to invade a sovereign country, it is time for all of us to not identify by our parties but identify as americans to come together and to be strong on our actions. mr. speaker, i rise today to offer my sincere condolences to a public servant of crescent, texas, in august 2020 the city lost one of its bravest public servants, diana jones. she was an e.m.t., member of the crescent volunteer fire department for five years and traveled to california to the west coast to offer her skills in firefighting. tragically she passed away during one of these firefights. last month the crescent community voted to name the volunteer fire department's training center the diana jones memorial training center. now all who step foot through that door will feel the sacrifice and leadership she has done in honoring her memory. the septre will forever re-- center will forever remind the community the example she set. to better oneself to serve others. her leg qulacy is continued through her sons as well as the crescent community. we are proud to honor the life that she dedicated to serving her community. with that, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair now recognizes the congresswoman from north carolina, ms. manning, for five minutes. ms. manning: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, on february 1, 1960, four young black north carolina at&t state university students began a revolution with the simple but fiercely significant act of sitting down. david rich -- richmond, joe, and franklin the greensboro four took their seats at the white's only lunch counter of the woolworth's department store in greensboro, north carolina. despite being met with hostility and a store manager who refused them service, the greensboro four stayed seated at that counter, refusing to stand until the store closed. the next day they returned to woolworth's with 25 more students including bennett from the neighboring bennett college and all female hbcu. their movement spread to 55 cities in 13 states. protest signs read support north carolina students. in demonstrations outside the south. and by the end of 1960, 400 demonstrations had taken place across the country. by staying seated at that counter, those students inspired the nation to stand up against the blatantly racist jim crow laws of that time. mr. speaker, i'm proud to rise today to recognize the greensboro four and the courageous students who joined their protest sparking a national movement for civil rights. though students exhibited great bravery in the face of violence from counter protestors, all the while they remained peaceful and undeterred. their peaceful protest left a legacy that shaped the civil rights movement. that sit-in and hundreds that followed led to the 1960's civil rights act, a crucial step towards dismantling segregation. today that very civil -- woolworth's building is the location of greensboro's maizing interacial civil rights center and museum. which still contains that lunch counter and enshrines this movement in history, commemorating the actions of the greensboro four and all who joined them. that museum was recently denied a shuttered operator grant. last year, i joined my fellow north carolina representatives alma adams and g.k. butterfield in leading a congressional resolution to honor the greensboro four. the resolution encourages all states to teach the history of the greensboro four sit-in in their educational curriculum. i was proud to reintroduce that resolution with representative adams and butterfield again this year on the 62nd anniversary of the sit-in. this black history month and all year long it's vital we recognize the countless contributions of black americans and the work that remains to end racism and ensure equality and justice for all. i'm proud to be the representative of the city of greensboro and all of north carolina's sixth triade district. i will do everything i can to preserve this history, honor our civil rights heroes, and combat racism and discrimination in all forms. as we reflect on this event, it's important to recognize that even with the odds stacked against these students, they never lost hope. they saw our nation broken and segregated. they faced hatred every day, but they persevered and successfully led a movement that changed the nation. today we draw inspiration and hope from the greensboro four. thank you. i yield back the remainder of my time. . the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the congressman from ohio, mr. balancederman, for five minutes. mr. balderman: i want to talk not about china but about licking county, ohio, and the district i represent. licking county, located on the outskirts of columbus, was cast into the national spotlight last month when a tech company announced a $20 billion investment to build the first phase into the largest semi conductor manufacturing facility. this will put the county at the epicenter of a new silicon heartland and at the forefront of addressing the nation's semiconductor shortage. it will have an economic ripple effect throughout the region. indeed, it will benefit our entire country. semiconductor chips are crucial components that americans use every day including cars, are cell phones, virtually every electronic device in our homes. since the 1990's, the share of manufacturing has fallen from 30% to 12% today. asian countries now account for more than 70% of the semi conductor chip manufacturing globally. the covid-19 pandemic and its falling supply chain disruptions have brought the issue to the forefront for every american. one concern for americans in the market for the new car is the empty loss of dealerships as automobile production lines wait for chips from asia. failing to address the shortage of semiconductor chips could have dire consequences to our country. with the production of military defense systems depending on access to these chips, overreliance on foreign countries leaves u.s. national security interests vulnerable, too. we cannot allow ourselves to be held hostage by the imbalance of the foreign chip production. the united states is not alone. other countries are waking up to this reality, too. as i speak, the european union is developing chips legislation in an effort to quadruple their production of semiconductor chips by 2030. falling behind on chip manufacturing is something we can't afford. i'm honored to represent a community that will soon play a leading role in addressing the global chip shortage and producing these vital components to our modern economy. i'm xielted we have an -- excited we have an opportunity to produce chips with a much-needed investment. the chips act investment will level the playing field and allow u.s. manufacturers compete in this market. but once again, democrat leadership is doing it the wrong way. my constituents and all americans were hopeful the majority here in congress had learned from the recent failures about what happens when these packages become too big, too costly, and too partisan. the chip act represents congress with a golden opportunity to finally pass a bipartisan, commonsense investment that would bolster american competitiveness on a world stage. unfortunately, the chip act constitutes a small fraction of the bill's overall price tag which is over $300 billion. instead, the house democrats worked behind closed doors with no republican input and managed to bury good provisions under a mountain of unrelated policies that have nothing to do with america competitiveness. in their hasty attempt to a partisan victory, the democrats' bill funnels $8 billion to the unaccountable u.n. green climate fund, which has already given $100 million to the chinese communist party. doesn't hold china, the world's worst polluter, accountable for its own destructive emission standards. it creates unlimited visas for chinese nationals with stem degrees. this allows the c.c.p. to hand pick which chinese nationals apply for visas and opens the doors for c.c.p. to use unlimited visas to encourage an espionage and the theft of sensitive technologies. it also creates a climate change officer within the foreign service, weakening our diplomats' focus on our national core interest. in an effort to improve this bill, i offered xhens amendments to -- commonsense amendments. and remove billions of dollars in partisan spending for global green new deal programs and focus on what this bill should be about. mr. speaker, the bill before us today is proof house democrats learned nothing from their disastrous build back better blunder. rather than allowing america economic competitiveness to be a rallying point for bipartisanship, the majority's all or nothing approach makes this yet another missed opportunity. if this bill advances to conference committee, i'm hopeful the conferees will focus on areas of bipartisan, bicameral agreement like the chips act. it's past time to bolster this production here at home. i ask my colleagues to stop these messaging bills and bring a piece of legislation to the floor that can win strong bipartisan support. together we can ensure serious businesses of america competitiveness gets this careful consideration and support it deserves. mr. speaker, thank you very much. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair now recognizes the congresswoman from minnesota, ms. craig, for five minutes. ms. craig: thank you. for the jazz and friends day of school and community readings, hosted by h.r.c.'s welcoming schools program, i'm going to read from the book "calvin", written by j.r. and vanessa ford, and illustrated by kayla harn of minnesota. it's critically important to make sure that transgender and nonby naer youth not only -- nonbinary youth feel valued for who they are. i'm reading from the book "calvin." for as long as i could remember, i knew i was a boy. i draw myself with short hair and a shirt like papas. i dream about swim trunks like my dad and brother wore. i didn't tell my family until the night before our summer trip to gigi and papas. i was scared they wouldn't believe me but i knew it was time to be me. whenever i have something to do that's scary, my dad always says, take deep breaths and count down from five. breathe in, breathe out. five, four, three, two, one. i'm not a girl, i told my family. i'm a boy. a boy in my heart and in my brain. we love you if you are a girl, boy, neither, or both. we love you whoever you are, my dad said. later, dad told me the word for how i felt was transgender. being transgender means other people think you are one gender but inside you know you are a different one. i wondered how gigi and papa would react. as we got closer, i squeezed my stuffed lion to my chest. i had already told my family who i was. now, i needed to tell them my name. the same name as your favorite stuffed lion, dad asked? it's why i named him that. it's always been my name to me. when we got to gigi and papa's, dad told him my new name. he introduced me. our summer trip turned out to be the best ever. at the comic convention, papa brought me my favorite costume, my favorite superhero signed my poster, using my real name. at water world, gigi brought me and my brother -- bought me and my brother matching swim trunks. even at the water slides they felt better for me. in line for popcorn i met a new friend. i felt proud to tell him my new name. we spent the whole day together. on the last day for vacation, at the big outlet stores near gigi and papa's, i picked out new clothes. that night i game my family a fashion show. you look so handsome, gigi told me. school was starting soon. when i looked in the mirror, i finally saw me. dad said there were other transgender people in the world, but i didn't know any kids like me at my school, and my school started next week. being the only one felt scary. how would everyone treat me? what if my friends wouldn't call me he? what if, what if, what if. the fist day of school i dragged my feet to the door, breathe in, breathe out. five, four, three, two, one. welcome back to school. we're glad you're here. when the principal said my name, i felt safe and happy. vy lot skipped up to -- violet skipped up to me calling out my new name, too. your dad told my mom you're a boy now. i've always been a boy inside. are we still friends? yes. did you bring your jump rope for recess? when i stepped inside my classroom i couldn't believe what i saw. the cubby, the lunch chart, the homework station, and the mailboxes. the nametag on a table. my new name was everywhere. everywhere it should be. i felt my fears start to go away. welcome back, class. for morning meeting, we'll all share about our summers. i knew just what to say when it was my turn. i stood up proudly to share my summer story. but first, i introduced myself. hi, i said. my name is calvin. c-a-l-v-i-n. and i feel and i felt my what ifs melt away. thank you, mr. speaker. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the chair recognizes the congressman from nebraska, mr. bacon, for five minutes. mr. bacon: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in recognition of black history month and to honor the 15th anniversary of the empowerment network, a collaboration of thousands of residents and leaders and hundreds of organizations working to facilitate positive change in omaha, nebraska. formed in september, 2006, and officially launched on april 27, 2007, the network seeks to collectively improve the economic landscape and quality of life for african-americans, north omaha residents, and citizens of the greater omaha area. the network is led by their c.e.o. and founder, willie d. barney. willie barney was born in may, 1968, in mississippi, and spent years along highway 48. he graduated from mount pleasant, iowa. rose to become an executive in the media industry. he and his wife were married in 1998. born in tacoma washington and raised in kansas city, yolanda had a very successful career in the media field, working in major cities including dallas, atlanta. they both left their corporate jobs and helped build strong communities and to become entrepreneurs. the empowerment network clab tiff is one of omaha's collaboratives by working together to reduce gun violence, decrease unemployment, improve graduation rates, increase household incomes, and rebuild historic 24th and lake district and other areas of north omaha, including the omaha 360, step up omaha, village strategy, and the cradle to career. in addition to willie's leadership, he and his wife are owners and founders of s.n.b. enter prices that -- enterprises, that provides media and entertainment in the greater area. omaha magazine, revif black net -- re-vaive black network. and willie serves as president of w.b., a national consulting firm that has communication, research, and his passion for improving communities is heavily influenced by his late grandmother, his mother and step mother, and father and step -- his mother, step mother, father and stepfather. yolanda honors the memory of her late parents through her work, ethic, and passion for helping others. they are parents to two. a student who plans who plans to graduate in 2025 with a keen interest in international business. they walk in faith and highlight it as one of the most important priorities and reason for their blessings. they're associate ministers and continue to live life of purpose and serve the community. they're committed to seeing individuals reach their full potential. in recognizing willie barney and the company, we see success within our communities through unity and collaboration. congratulations to willie and yolanda barney, along with the empowerment network and 15 years of service and excellence and being a major force in changing our community for the better. i yield back the remainder of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair now recognizes the congresswoman from pennsylvania, ms. scanlon, for five minutes. ms. scanlon: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to celebrate an outstanding female athlete and native of drexel hill, pennsylvania, for her service to our community. margot carlin currently plays field hockey at boston college where she's won multiple awards and played in the ncaa final tour. and margot saw an opportunity to make a difference in our community. she used her platform as a college athlete to partner with covenant house and raised nearly $30,000 to help that charity house and field young people who are experiencing homelessness in our area. that successful partnership allowed covenant house to seek out similar partnerships with athletes in other parts of the country. margot's approach to community service is an example of how each of us has the power with a little creativity to use our unique talents to make a difference. i'm so proud to recognize margot carlin today and look forward to all she'll accomplish in the future. . mr. speaker, since coming to congress, my office has focused on forming closer connections between the jobs that we are developing in our region and the people who live here. i have been proud to support a number of work force training programs that bridge that gap, particularly for the jobs that are revitalizing the philadelphia shipyard thanks to a contract we helped secure for the building of five national security multimission vessels. another sector of our local economy that's going to benefit immensely from investments in work force training in public-private parter inships is byo tech and biosciences. last week the u.s. development administration announced the institute in philadelphia is receiving a stem talent challenge grant, one of only eight such grants awarded in the entire nation. the wistar institute will use the grant to support work force training to address the demand for skilled workers from the life sciences industry which has been growing by leaps and bounds in our region. for over 20 years the institute has been pioneering work force training for young people attending high schools and community colleges in our region to enter this exciting field. i'm delighted that this new program is training students from cheney university, the oldest hbcu in the country, also located in my district. the quality science pathway apprenticeship offers an eastern and learn hands on training kirk rim lum taught by experts to address the critical need for a highly skilled quality science labor force based in the philadelphia region. for the last decade our regional economy has been driven by dynamic medz tech sectors, life sciences is a key part of that economy. i'm grateful they chose to invest in this model program at the institute to help people from our region win these critical jobs and the opportunity to have careers in an expanding in-demand industry. mr. speaker, since the on set of the covid-19 pandemic we have seen an unprecedented rise in gun violence across the entire country. while most conversations about gun violence are quickly overwhelmed by extremist rhetoric, one of the strategies to reduce gun violence that has widespread support is to make sure that law enforcement has the resources needed to investigate and clear cases that get criminals and guns off the streets. that's why i'm proud to support an important piece of legislation introduced by former police chief and our colleague in congress, representative val demings. the victim act targets resources to the things we know can help reduce gun violence. grants would support the hiring, training, and retention of detectives and victims services personnel. these grants will also fund training, equipment, and personnel needed to process and analyze evidence in gun crimes. in philadelphia, our police department would like to use such funding to support a new uniter dedicated to investigating nonfatal hoot shootings. one of the reasons i came to congress was to fight for an end to gun violence to protect our children, our families, and our communities. in our country today, gun violence is hitting ever closer to home. several of my employees have lost relatives to gun violence. in november, a constituent was killed in a carjacking near his college campus. a month later i became the victim of carjacking. though i'm extremely lucky no one was injured in my case. then just last week i found myself embracing a mother devastated by the death of her daughter after she was struck by gunfire at a playground. this has to stop. there is no one solution. but as a legislator i want to pass laws to tackle the underlying issues driving this epidemic of violence as well as providing the means to end it. that means commonsense gun safety reforms, resources for law enforcement, support for mental health services, and investments in education and employment opportunities for all americans. the victim act can be an important part of this effort and i hope we'll soon be able to bring it to the floor for a vote. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from virginia, mr. cline, is recognized for five minutes. mr. cline: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to honor the legacy of master sergeant robert maine who impacted the lives of countless lynch burring students throughout his nearly 40 years career at e.c. glass high school. sarge, as he was known close to him, joined the military in 1941 and served as a tail gunner in the martin b-26 bomber where he flew 70 combat missions. after more than 27 years of service, he retired from active duty in 1968. that same year, sarge joined e.c. glass to teach and lead the school's newly formed air force junior rotc program. after spearheading the program for 20 years, he continued his work at the high school for another 19 as a special education teacher and as an assistant to school administrators. even after retiring in 2007, sarge continued to serve as a role model sharing his experiences with students. master sergeant robert maine passed away last week at the age of 98 and our community mourns his loss and thanks him for his many years of service. mr. speaker, i rise today in opposition to the america competes act which would more appropriately be called the america concedes act. at 2900 pages and with a price tag of $325 billion the democrats' legislation does nothing to counter china's malign actions and inted lines the pockets of the country's communist party. the bill appeases chairman xi, fails to hold china accountable for the role in the covid-19 pandemic and even being used by the left to push their green new deal agenda. there is $8 billion for the u.n. green climate fund, $2 billion for a new international climate change adaptation mitigation and security program, $2 million in foreign aid for other countries to address climate change, and the list goes on. in fact, the bill mentions climate change 156 times. and it mentions coral reefs more than china. this bill is not only weak on china but harmful to the united states. i urge my colleagues to oppose t mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yield back. the gentleman from ohio, mr. ryan, is recognized for five minutes. mr. ryan: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in strong support of the competes act. quite frankly i am stunned to hear some of the rhetoric coming from the other side around a bill that finally after decades recognizes that we are in a very stiff competition with china. and for the longest time america didn't know it. china was in this competition, china was doing everything they could to dump steel in our country. they spend 7% to 9% of their g.d.p. on infrastructure every year. they got islands in the south china sea. they told us they weren't going to militarize them. now they have. they have bases in africa. long-term raw material contracts in african countries to solidify their control of precious metals. so that our phones, weapons systems, computers they have a plan. this is not complicated. but it's being seen through the prism of our current broken, insane political system. so what we are trying to do here is recognize that they are winning. 70% of ship manufacturing comes out of china. the cargo ships along the california ports, those aren't coming from kansas. they are coming from china. over 50% of the elech track -- electric vehicle market is dominated by china. so the thoughtful thing, the smart strategic thing for us to do in the united states is, one, recognize this, and, two, make sure we reinvest back into the united states, which is what we did with the bipartisan infrastructure bill. 20 republicans in the senate. led by senator portman from ohio. who i commend for his leadership. said we got to rebuild our country. broadband, infrastructure, bridges are collapsing in pittsburgh. we got to fix this stuff. work force development. we got to plug these communities in. if we are going to win. that's what we did. in a bipartisan way. the next step is how could e -- do we bring the chip manufacturing back? how do we rebuild the industrial base here? in places like ohio. that means we have to have a strategic -- strategy that invests in the country. that's what the competes act does. $52 billion to move these ship manufacturers back. what's stunning to me about how radical the right wing has become in this country is that this isn't we are going to invest this money and maybe we'll get a deal. maybe someone will locate in the industrial midwest. last week intel, intel announced a $20 billion investment north of columbus, ohio. with over 100 suppliers in that state that will benefit from locating there. thousands of construction jobs. you know what they said? if we pass the competes act, if we pass this bill, it's going to become a $100 billion i vestmene midwest. all we are saying is, if there is nothing we can agree on in the united states congress, i hope that it's this bill. i hope it's infrastructure. but it's culture war du jour. what a joke. china has a 10-year plan, 50-year plan, 100-year plan. we live in a 24-hour news cycle talking about dr. seuss, big bird, m&m's, sponge bob, and we are getting our clock cleaned. this is an attempt by us hopefully in a bipartisan way, doesn't look that way, hopefully in a bipartisan way to actually prepare america post pandemic, post economic collapse to bring back manufacturing. it's already happening. this is already happening. we saw all the leaders in ohio, democrat, republican, governor dewine, lieutenant governor, jobs ohio under a republican governor. j.p., the columbus partnership. kenny mcdonald, the business leaders. everybody. the unions. this bill creates one million union apprentices in the next five years to build this stuff. wake up. wake up. we are losing. this is a step forward for america to start leading the way and leading the country again. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yield back. the chair now recognizes the congressman from alabama, mr. brooks, for five minutes. mr. brooks: thank you, mr. speaker. covid-19 originated in the communist chinese party's wuhan bioweapons lab and forces americans a dammed in you do, dammed if you don't choice. can you refuse to take the covid-19 vaccine and face the risk of death and debilitating when you catch covid-19. or you can take the covid-19 vaccine, and face the risk of death or debilitating injury from the vaccine's side effects. as described in a letter by mary consequence tans seenert, who honorably served america in the united states navy. she states, and i quote, dear congressman mo brooks, this is my explanation and statement regarding the impact of the vaccine that was being given as a result of extreme pressure but now is mandated by the armed forces. this has resulted in my partial paralysis that has confined me to a wheelchair. on march 22, 2021, i received my second shot of the covid-19 vaccine supplied by pfizer. shortly after i became sick for a few days as expected. a few weeks later i got sick again and was so ill i was out for two weeks. medical staff are unable to determine what i had caught. i developed ringing in my ears, which i still have. after i started to develop medical problems where muscles would inflame along with severe restless leg syndrome, which sent me screaming from pain in the dead of sleep. i went to physical therapists and navy doctors alike to no avail to stop t shortly proceeding my knees started to give out and i need and still need to pop them to determine state the pain -- terminate the pain. i experienced development of digestive problems and joints that would become so painful i would cry from the pain in my hips and feet just from standing for 30 minutes. all these symptoms developed in two months with no explanation. eventually they would level out as i was put into command to focus on medical problems. by may i started losing vision in my right eye and slight vision in my left. this was accompanied by pain in my vision going from 2020 in my right eye to 20-25 and 2017 in my left eye to 20/20. they assumed i had optic insure rye tis in my right eye but were wrong. on july 2 i experienced my first painful set of convulsions, they started small but grew as the days went on. on july 5 i was sent to the e.r. as i was no longer functional and the feeling of electricity going through my body would not stop. . i came out in a wheelchair as i slowly lost my ability to walk as the days went by and the spasms kept happening. they never did figure out what was wrong with me. i only knew my copper was high, my blood -- white blood cells were high, and my inflammation levels were very high with no explanation. my current symptoms have been trouble breathing, joint pain, migraines, unknown convulsions, vision loss, unsteady gait, mouth ulcers, frequent heavy knows bleeds, heat aversion and -- nose bleeds, heat aversion. i'm now reliant on a wheelchair and wait for separation from the military. i have been told there is no other explanation other than a reaction from within my body due to the vaccine. let me repeat that. i have been told there is no other explanation other than a reaction from within my body due to the vaccine. respectfully submitted, mary constance siebert. mr. speaker, i stand for freedom and liberty and against vaccine mandates because in america, americans should have the freedom to choose which of two bad covid-19 options is best for them. vaccination or not vaccination. and i stand against dick at that torial government vaccine mandates because mandates are the an thit cisof -- antithesis of which liberty is based. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the congresswoman from texas, ms. jackson lee, for five minutes. ms. jackson lee: i thank the chair very much. i rise to indicate that domestic terrorism is on the rise in america. we have all faced the tragedies of terroristic acts by our fellow americans. chiefly, of course, the january 6 insurrection, which is so striking to me which people want to dumb down the language used. it was insurrection by terrorists who happened to be americans. we focused on 9/11, the very action of terrorism was associated internationally. i was in this place, in this capitol on 9/11, in a meeting on 9/11 as we fled this building, clearly looking, as i went to the right, to escape what we thought was an imminent attack on this building by foreign terrorists. i could see the billos black smoke of the -- billoing black smoke of the plane that hit the pentagon. it's real. it's important that members of congress address the nation. it was real in colleyville for my fellow texans as they were attacked in their synagogue. how real anti-semitism is, and i stand against it, as i stand against the horrors of representing what critical race theory is, which is not in any way an attempt to create racist divide. it is a college phenomenon. it is a higher grad phenomenon. it is not teaching our elementary schoolchildren about george washington carver or the history of african-americans or slavery or the importance of passing h.r. 40, the commission to study slavery and develop a repair response, reparations. not anything that is going to not stand on its own about the wonderment of our history, acknowledging the original sin. but i rise today to speak of the dastardly behavior of the numbers of historically black colleges in this month who have now received bomb threats. this is not something to take lightly. it is not something to ignore. and it is not something that we as members of congress, parents who can understand the frightening prospect of parents who send their children to school, just as it was certainly frightening to have two officers in the virginia college shot dead. we don't know what the facts are in that, but certainly that is -- this perpetrator shot them dead blank, again. how outrageous. what could it be? i speculate. we don't know what it is. but i call upon, as we are in the midst of a hearing with homeland security, i call upon homeland security and those reinforced entities dealing with social media. but as well, i think the f.b.i. should specifically focus on domestic terrorism with a more enhanced and reinforced section of agents that are dealing both with social media but also dealing more vigorously with an action that seems to be a collective action. so i want to put into the record tragically the colleges -- russ, jackson state, alcorn state, as well as mississippi valley state, fort valley state, spelman, morgan state, koppen state, harris stowe university, kentucky state, xavier university, smith, southward waters university, howard university, the university of the district of columbia. and i put into the record this article from "the washington post." but my real point is we need to get serious about domestic terrorism. the lives lost through domestic terrorism is compelling and increasing. and until we get serious about the actions of the oath keepers and the bug a loo boys, in light of the first amendment, which i highly respect as a member of the judiciary committee. but we're losing lives. our children are in jeopardy. misrepresentation occurs about innocent discussion about race and history. let us put that kind of attack aside and let us find a way to deal with domestic terrorism to save lives in america. i thank the chairman for this time, mr. speaker, and i hope i will draw upon my colleagues. i'll be introducing legislation, as i've done on dealing specifically working on this idea of bomb threats to universities in this instance, bomb threats to historically black colleges. last week and coming into this week, and god knows what will be next. i pray for their safety as i do all students and all americans. but we must stand up against domestic terrorism. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the chair recognizes the congressman from washington, mr. newhouse, for five minutes. mr. newhouse: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to honor the service of two outstanding agricultural leaders in washington state. first, i want to thank mr. mike laplante. for years, mike has been a fierce champion of agriculture in washington. serving as the president of the washington state farm bureau since 2011. washington state is home to one of the most robust and vibrant agricultural industries in the country, with over 300 different crops, virtually every type of livestock raised in our state. the hardworking men and women make the industry run face challenges as diverse as they are. that's why it's so important they have solid, experienced, and servant-minded people working to raise their voices. not only has mike been a strong advocate for the industry in washington state and beyond, but he's been a valuable partner in my work on behalf of the farmers, ranchers, and growers in my district. he has my thanks for his years of leadership, and my best wishes for the next chapter in his life. i also recently had the opportunity to meet with mike's successor as farm bureau president, rosela mows bee. rosela, like mike, will be a voice for washington state agriculture. i look forward to a continued partnership with a bureau under her leadership. on behalf of all central washingtonians, i say congratulations to rosela, and thank you to mike. mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the career of one of my constituents, longtime chief of the ken wick police -- kennewick police department, and congratulate him on completing 40 years of service to his badge and to his community. the chief is the city of kennewick's longest serving employee, having joined the force in 1978. back then, kennewick had just 20,000 residents. although the town has changed a lot over the years and now has over 80,000 people, chief homeberg's commitment to protecting the community has never wavered. through good times and bad, economic downturns, social unrest, chief homeberg has -- holmberg has put the good to his friends and neighbors. we owe a debt of gratitude who dons the badge. he is a shining example of what it means to serve and protect. on behalf of the people of central washington, i extend my sincere gratitude and best wishes to chief holmberg. thank you for your service, chief. mr. speaker, i rise today to congratulate one of my constituents. cara elsby of yakima, on winning the congressional award silver medal. she served her community, spending over 420 hours with the group called youth associates for health, which engages with young people to teach the importance of healthy living. kara's efforts helped reach over 1,500 young people in yakima county through various events. she committed herself to personal development, spending more than 300 hours learning about journalism through her work as a journalist and photographer for the yakima herald republic's unleashed program. kara also improved her musical talents by practicing the guitar and piano for over, get this, 750 hours. she dedicated herself to personal fitness by working on her goals for more than 450 hours with an emphasis on yoga. finally, kara completed five expeditions, traveling to new places as far away and diverse as boston, scotland, london, spain, and italy. in each location, she learned about history and immersed herself in different cultures. i commend kara for all her hard work. congratulate her on this remarkable achievement, and wish her the very best of luck in her future endeavors. she truly represents the best of our region and is a source of hope for the future. mr. speaker, i rise today to commemorate the accomplishments of three of my young constituents. andrew modine, tori roush, and tyler iverson of the west valley innovation center. these three students won the 2021 central washington congressional app challenge with their app, beating heart health, which aims to promote teen health and wellness by offering tools to practice and improve mindfulness and healthy sleep habits. on monday, i got to see the west valley skill center where andrew, torin, and tyler developed their winning app, and i'm very pleased to see the work going on there. cultivating robust stem education opportunities for our students is critical to ensuring the united states remains a competitive leader in the global economy. the app challenge is one way we can foster a passion for stem among our young people and help them become the innovators in industry leaders of tomorrow. i congratulate andrew, torin, and tyler on their achievement, and offer my thanks to west valley educators for all of their hard work. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the congressman from pennsylvania, mr. fitzpatrick, for five minutes. mr. fitzpatrick: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, it is with great sadness i rise today to pay tribute to the life and legacy of a very respected member of our beloved bucks county community, eileen reed. born in macon, georgia, as an army child, eileen often relocated before eventually settling in our beloved bucks county, pennsylvania. eileen enjoyed a long, successful career with new jersey bell telephone, atanasio taitano -- at&t, and louisent tech -- lucent technologies before retiring. she was a life-long learner, with a keen interest of dealing how things work, especially in technology. our community will remember eileen for her strong passion and commitment to a number of local political, social, and charitable organizations. mr. speaker, the story how i met eileen -- eileen was actually a protester outside of my office who i got to know and invited her up to my office and quickly saw her passion, her intellect, and her love for our country. and eileen has taught me a lot. she's taught our staff a lot. there's no question that bucks county is missing a very, very special person today without eileen in it. i just wanted to send on behalf of me, my family, and our entire staff, our deepest condolences to eileen's family and all who knew and loved her. eileen will be deeply missed and remembered for her love and devotion for her family, her friends, and her community. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until noon today. connect to compete program. bridging the digital divide one connected and engaged student at a time. cox, bringing us closer. >> cox supports c-span as a public service, along with these other television providers, giving you a front-row seat to democracy. >> it was early in january that "usa today" released a poll taking a look at the idea if there is a mental health crisis in the united states. states. just to show you the headline from it, the overwhelming with geordie says the u.s. is facing a mental health crisis. when you break down the data from the pole, they ask specal

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