[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 12 (Wednesday, January 19, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H240-H246]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HIGHLIGHTING ISSUES WITH THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Ross). Under the Speaker's announced
policy of January 4, 2021, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson)
is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
General Leave
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Louisiana?
There was no objection.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, we may be starting a new
year, but so far the problems remain the same. This week marks the 1-
year anniversary of Joe Biden being sworn in as President of the United
States, and, of course, also the 1-year anniversary of one-party, far-
left Democrat rule in Washington.
This past year was one of unprecedented crises as a direct result.
The American people face an economic crisis, an energy crisis, a border
crisis, an education crisis, a crime crisis, a COVID-19 crisis, and a
national security crisis as a direct result of Joe Biden and
congressional Democrats' failed leadership and their far-left socialist
agenda.
In this hour, a cross-section of my Republican colleagues will
address and highlight these issues as we stand for the opposite
policies, and we are very anxious to be returned to the majority so
that we can solve these ongoing dilemmas.
Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield to the gentleman from Texas
(Mr. Babin).
Mr. BABIN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman, my good friend right
across the Sabine River, for yielding.
No President has ever had a worse first year in office than Joe
Biden.
And sadly, his deteriorating 42 percent approval rating perfectly
mirrors the deteriorating state of our country.
We are facing crises on nearly every front, and our Commander in
Chief who, by the way, is responsible for creating each and every one
of these crises, is doing absolutely nothing to stop them.
However, the most threatening of these concerns is still the
unmitigated disaster that is raging on our southern border.
More than 1.7 million illegal alien apprehensions happened under
Biden's watch last year, and those were just the ones that we caught.
Instead of securing our borders, this administration spent all of
2021 sweeping the rule of law under the rug and using the cover of
darkness to fly thousands of unvetted and untested for COVID illegal
aliens across the country to be released into our neighborhoods.
How many more innocent women and children need to be assaulted,
raped, and trafficked?
How many more Americans need to overdose on Chinese fentanyl that is
being smuggled across the border?
How many more terrorists need to be caught trying to infiltrate our
Nation?
What level of threat do we need to reach to finally garner some
action from this President?
Americans are tired of paying for this administration's ignorance and
political games.
This is a new year, Mr. President. Use it wisely.
It is past time that you live up to the oath that you swore.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, there are so many crises it
is hard for us to keep count.
I yield to my dear friend from the State of Indiana (Mrs. Walorski).
Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding.
This week, our Nation is marking a solemn anniversary, 49 years since
the deadly Roe v. Wade decision.
For nearly half a century, pro-life Americans have been standing
strong to defend precious human life and the most vulnerable among us.
Right now we are facing some tough challenges. Under the current one-
party rule in Washington, Americans are witnessing unprecedented
attacks on pro-life protections across the country.
Time and time again, I have come to this floor to oppose Democrats'
radical antilife agenda.
As many times as it takes, I will stand here to reject the attacks on
life, and I will vote ``no'' on taxpayer-funded services, including the
wicked proposal to permit abortion on demand at any time bankrolled by
the American people.
These are dark days in this country.
At the same time we have so much to be happy and hopeful for as we
look at this new year.
The Supreme Court, including my fellow Hoosier, Justice Amy Coney
Barrett, is currently considering the most significant challenge to Roe
v. Wade since 1973.
This could be the final anniversary that we mark under Roe v. Wade.
For five decades, we have been in a long battle against abortion, and
this is the time to restore the dignity of life and protect life once
and for all.
As a pro-life lawmaker, I am proud to stand alongside millions of
Americans in Indiana and across the country who believe in the inherent
value of life.
Our enduring commitment to life and the truth will prevail.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, the gentlewoman is right,
the sanctity of human life is one of the central principles that this
country is founded upon, and it does get darkest before the dawn. There
is hope on the horizon.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van
Drew).
Mr. VAN DREW. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and
thank him for his leadership.
The President's most important job is to lead, to lead and protect
our country. Yet time and again, all we have seen from President Biden
is a failure to lead.
Biden's handling of Afghanistan led to the death of 13 American
servicemembers and left hundreds more abandoned. This was a failure to
lead.
Biden's handling of the border has been a disaster with more than two
million illegal immigrants being apprehended at our border. This was a
failure to lead.
{time} 1415
Biden failed to shut down COVID-19 and has allowed more Americans to
die from this disease, despite widespread access to vaccines. This was
a failure to lead.
Inflation is at a 40-year high; supply chains are crippled; and labor
shortages have hindered an economic recovery. This has been a failure
to lead.
Soft-on-crime policy has resulted in 16 of America's largest cities
suffering from new highs in homicide rates and a 115 percent increase
in attacks against our law enforcement officials, all while President
Biden and House Democrats demand to defund our police. This has been a
failure to lead.
This is not the America I know. The America I know is strong, and it
deserves a strong leader, not the worst President in our history, not
one that continues time and again to fail to lead.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman. Those
are not just Republican talking points. Politico had a story this
morning. They asked Americans in a nationwide poll to give the
President a letter grade, and 37 percent of Americans gave him an F--85
percent or more of Republicans, but also, they say, an alarming number
of Democrats gave a D or an F grade.
So the gentleman is exactly right. It is a failure. An F-minus, says
Mr. Van Drew.
Madam Speaker, I yield to my good friend from the State of Tennessee
(Mr. Burchett).
Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman. It is the great
State of Tennessee.
Madam Speaker, for the last year, Joe Biden and the Democrats have
completely controlled our government in Washington. Their first order
of business when they took power was to ram through Congress almost $2
trillion in Federal spending under the so-called American Rescue Plan.
When this bill became law last March, Democrats said it was necessary
to fight the coronavirus. Ten months later, our country is still
dealing with the same problems Democrats claimed their bill would
solve.
COVID tests are sold out at drugstores, and testing centers have
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hourlong lines. Not even Kamala Harris can give a straight answer about
when Americans will receive at-home test kits. Is it this week? Is it
next week? Is it sometime in the future? I don't think she knows.
We have overwhelmed hospitals that are struggling to treat patients
due to staffing shortages. Corrupt teachers' unions are forcing
students out of the classroom and bullying parents. Businesses of all
sizes and across industries cannot find enough workers to keep up with
the demand.
Madam Speaker, the American Rescue Plan failed miserably to address
or prevent these issues. That is because it mostly focused on funding
liberal special interests instead of targeted pandemic relief.
This whole debacle confirmed two things: Congress cannot spend its
way out of a problem, and Democrats will always use a crisis to advance
their political agenda.
Joe Biden promised to shut down the coronavirus when he took office.
One year later, all he shut down were America's hospitals and
businesses.
Thank you, Vice Chairman Johnson, for your adequate and more-than-
lackluster leadership skills.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
keeping me humble.
Madam Speaker, we have just come straight to the floor from a Members
and media roundtable on the border and crime crises, and he led that so
ably. I am delighted to hear what he has to say in his 2 minutes.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the great State of Texas
(Mr. Pfluger).
Mr. PFLUGER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for
yielding.
Madam Speaker, it is hard to pick the crisis to talk about because
there are so many. I would like to talk about unity.
I was at the inauguration last year. I heard the President's speech.
I heard him campaign. His message was centered on restoring unity to an
angry Nation. He promised to bring us together.
Well, he has brought the American people together, that is for sure,
because everyone now understands the full magnitude of the crises that
we are going through. He has united the country in that fact alone.
One year ago, I want everyone to remember, we were not experiencing
the inflation that we are, the highest rate in 40 years. We did not
have foreign adversaries who were treading over our policies and
looking at us as weak.
Right now, we have a border that is in complete chaos and complete
crisis. It has only been 1 year under President Biden's reign, and our
Nation is directionless from the masthead in the midst of chaos, not to
mention that our international reputation and our influence have been
squandered through policy failure after policy failure.
When you look at this poster right here, look at the energy crisis
that we are dealing with, and Ukraine right now is in the midst of not
knowing whether or not they are going to be invaded by the Russians.
What a terrible position to be in.
The President has green-lighted Nord Stream. He failed to sanction
the Nord Stream pipeline. The energy crisis that is going on in Eastern
Europe right now, the fact that we are not strong around the world in
our messaging to deter our enemies and to help our allies, is directly
leading to this issue that we see in Ukraine right now. And do you know
who is watching? China. China is watching this, and they are wondering
whether or not Taiwan is going to be next.
We have to get back to a strong, firm understanding of law and order,
the same discussion that we just had on the border crisis. We have to
reassert our leadership to make sure that our country, the greatest
Nation that this world has ever known, will choose to follow law and
order.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for that
keen insight that he gained faithfully serving our country in the
military. I thank him for his service.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber),
another gentleman who has served us so well on the front lines of law
enforcement before he got to Congress.
Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, I could speak for hours about this
administration's multiple failures over the last year, but I only have
a couple of minutes, so I will cover just inflation, one of them.
Since Joe Biden took office, inflation has risen every single month.
Americans are paying more for just about everything while earning less
in every paycheck.
This is not sustainable, and it didn't have to be this way. This
administration is so out of touch with the average American that
despite inflation reaching a 40-year high, they are still pushing for
more reckless spending that will only make this crisis worse.
American families are paying substantially more for everyday
products, from gasoline to groceries and to energy for heating their
homes this winter, to heat their homes in northern Minnesota when it is
30-below for a week straight.
Make no mistake, inflation is a tax on us all, especially our working
class and those on fixed incomes. It is no secret that we live in a
very polarized nation right now, but there is one thing a strong
majority of Americans agree on: Joe Biden's first year in office has
been disastrous to the American people. We deserve better.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman
from Utah (Mr. Owens).
Mr. OWENS. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend from Louisiana for
his great leadership.
Madam Speaker, over the past year, I spent time throughout Utah's
Fourth District. I have heard from Utahns from all walks of life, and
month after month, they have shared the same concerns: soaring
inflation, skyrocketing prices, and decreasing wages.
That is no surprise because gas is up 49.6 percent. Used cars are up
37.3 percent. Gas utilities are up 24.1 percent. Meat, fish, and eggs
are up 12.5 percent. Electricity is up 6.3 percent.
On top of this, as real wages have decreased 8 out of the last 11
months, our economy is still missing millions of prepandemic jobs, and
employers are continuing to struggle with persistent labor shortages.
What is this administration doing to help? You can't make this up:
dismissing inflation as high-class problems and transitory; adding to
the national debt with money we don't have on programs we don't need;
and, just last week, advocating to nuke a filibuster the President
defended for decades to push through a radical Federal takeover of all
elections.
Our economy should be thriving right now, but inaction, on purpose,
by this administration has massively increased our national debt, which
still sits at $29 trillion, by the way; stifled growth; and financially
crippled American families and small businesses.
We are closing out the first year of Biden's Presidency with the
worst inflation of 40 years; open borders; emboldened adversaries; a
botched withdrawal from Afghanistan; and a repeated push to increase
the size, scope, and reach of the Federal Government.
This year, I encourage President Biden to start paying attention to
the real needs of real Americans. Maybe then we will start seeing real
results.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend. So well
said, as always. I think one of the key words you said was purposeful.
These crises are not happenstance. These are direct results of policy
choices.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr.
Grothman), my good friend.
Mr. GROTHMAN. Madam Speaker, so many areas to pick from in which we
talk about the first year of this administration.
No country can exist if you don't have immigration laws, and I can't
think of anywhere where the new administration is more of a change from
the old.
We have gone through a situation in which about 25,000 people every
year crossed our southern border, and now routinely over 75,000,
tripling the amount of people who have come across our border.
That has received a lot of attention, but not enough attention has
been received for the lack of people being pushed back across the
border if they are caught here breaking crimes or otherwise.
In the first 6 months of 2020, about 93,000 people were kicked out.
This
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time around, it is about 18,000. So we have about another 70,000 people
who we don't want in this country, primarily because they have broken
the law. Under the Biden administration, we don't kick them out.
We have to also look at the carrot that they are giving people to
come here in the Build Back Better bill, trying to give free college
education to people who come here illegally. Every Democrat but one in
this body voted for it, saying: Yes, absolutely. We not only want
people to come here illegally, but we will give them free college
education, free medical care.
Unbelievable.
Showing that the number one priority is to get people here illegally,
they are not even giving tests for COVID, which says something or
other. I mean, on the one hand, it is important that everybody even get
a shot if they are hanging around Washington, D.C., but if you are
coming across the southern border, we don't care. Unbelievable.
Quite a change in America compared to what it used to be, and it is
going to take a lot of work when we get a new President to undo the
huge amount of damage that has been done to the fabric of this country
in the first 12 months of Joe Biden.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend. It is so
well said. It is as if they are incentivizing lawlessness. That is
exactly what we are seeing, and everybody knows it.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr.
LaMalfa), my friend.
Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, Mr. Johnson. I
appreciate this Special Order.
Of course, this week does mark the first year of the Biden
administration. Unfortunately, it was one of unprecedented crisis.
Indeed, it is a target-rich environment for us to talk about here
tonight.
Democrats have controlled the executive branch and both Chambers of
Congress, allowing them to pass, so far, $2 trillion out of their $9
trillion plans. This act has also caused the highest inflation in
decades, hitting the middle-class and lower income class hardest in
this country.
This year, under Democrat leadership, Americans are paying more for
just about everything, from housing, clothes, food, and gas--especially
in energy. On the way to the airport in California, it was $5-plus,
$5.39 at one place. Incredible.
In the dead of winter, people are seeing the cost of heating their
homes skyrocket. When you stop all sorts of development of energy in
this country, you are not going to have the supply. That sends a signal
to the whole market to raise prices, including the Biden administration
telling OPEC overseas to go ahead and send us more while cutting off
our own pipelines and further development on Federal lands. This, of
course, ripples through everything else in costs.
In my real life as a farmer, we are going to see our costs of
energy--whether it is diesel fuel, gasoline, fertilizer--skyrocket.
That is either going to have to be passed along to the consumer at the
store or farmers go broke in this country. Small business owners face
the same thing.
Everything is going up--more in costs, vaccine mandates, less
employees. I mean, I wish we could paint a brighter picture and not
have it appear to be a partisan one. It really isn't partisan. It is
about having success as a country.
Unfortunately, the Biden administration doesn't seem to have a clue
what that success would look like. Indeed, they are chasing their own
mandates, putting us in a terrible position as a people and for the
economy going forward. They need to change their thinking, or the
voters need to change them out.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend. It is not
partisanship. We are sharing the facts. He is exactly right.
I would encourage my colleagues--there are so many who want to speak,
and it is a target-rich environment with so many crises. We are going
to try to stick to 2 minutes on these yields.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs.
Hartzler).
Mrs. HARTZLER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Madam Speaker, tomorrow will mark 1 year since President Biden's
inauguration, and Americans are left asking: Are we better off under
this administration?
Judging by his all-time low approval ratings, the answer for
Americans is a resounding no. Everywhere you look, there is a crisis
riddled with incompetence, division, and dysfunction.
At our southern border, Biden has allowed nearly 2 million illegal
immigrants to enter our Nation, creating the worst border crisis in 30
years.
In the classroom, Biden has targeted parents and their role in
education. His administration even lobbied for them to be called
domestic terrorists.
{time} 1430
Madam Speaker, in our communities violent crime is at all-time highs.
Last year, the murder rate was higher than at any point since 1996.
On the economy, Biden's mishandling of our Federal Government has
created the highest inflation rate in 40 years. Bare shelves, high gas
prices, and supply chain issues continue to dog this administration.
On the world stage, Biden botched our withdrawal from Afghanistan,
surrendering to the Taliban and making America a laughingstock to our
adversaries. All of this resulted in the deaths of 13 servicemembers,
including one from my home State of Missouri.
Instead of addressing these issues, President Biden had doubled down
on his far-left socialist policies, out-of-control spending, and
incompetence. It is past time for a change. America deserves better.
They need leadership that listens and fights for hardworking families,
not against them.
Madam Speaker, I am proud to help lead the fight alongside my fellow
Republicans to reverse course by unleashing our economy, securing our
border, respecting parents, defending life and our foundational values,
and providing for the common defense.
On this one-year anniversary commemorating the misery of the Biden
administration, we commit ourselves to never stop fighting for what is
right, to work harder than ever, and to never give up. America is
depending on us.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman
from Georgia (Mr. Clyde), home of the new national championship
football team.
Mr. CLYDE. Madam Speaker, tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of
President Biden's inauguration. Many Americans have now endured 365
days of an absent administration, 52 weeks of policy failures, 12
months of utter turmoil, and a year of constant, crippling crises.
Earlier today a Rasmussen Poll revealed that 60 percent of the
country considers the President's first year in office unsuccessful.
Fifty percent said it was very unsuccessful, with one third of
Democrats believing Biden's first year was a failure. All of this has
contributed to his abysmal 33 percent rating, the lowest since Jimmy
Carter.
Madam Speaker, in all sincerity, I didn't imagine this much damage
could be done in just one year, but here we are, facing an economic
crisis with hyperinflation, a supply chain crisis, a labor shortage
crisis, a border crisis, a national security crisis, an energy crisis
with incredible gas prices, an education crisis, a COVID crisis, a
crime crisis, and an election integrity crisis with Democrats trying to
push through election reforms that would federalize our election and
eliminate voter ID. Ultimately, these all stem from a leadership crisis
in the White House, a leadership crisis that has caused Americans
unnecessary hardship.
Madam Speaker, as we enter the second year of the Biden
administration's rule, the President has an important decision to make.
Will he continue to sidestep from the crises he has created, destined
to inflict more destruction? Or will he confront these crises head-on
and implement successful solutions?
Mr. President, the American people demand successful solutions. They
deserve successful solutions.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Rose).
Mr. ROSE. Madam Speaker, President Biden ran his campaign on a
message of unity. Since day one of his administration, he has been
defined by the divisive policies that are the wrong
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approach for Tennessee families and workers.
In 2021, we saw cartels take control of our southern border. We saw
the worst inflation in decades. We saw Afghanistan fall into the hands
of terrorists as we hastily and incompetently withdrew our forces from
the country, leaving billions of dollars of modern military equipment
and hundreds of Americans and Afghan allies behind. Finally, we saw
abusive government overreach in the form of vaccine mandates taken to
new heights.
With President Biden in the White House and Democrats in control of
Congress, Americans know 2022 will be no better. According to a recent
Momentive Poll, more than half of Americans are more fearful than
hopeful about what 2022 has in store for them and with good reason.
Just take a glimpse at the state of our economy. The Consumer Price
Index rose 7 percent in December, the highest rate seen since 1982.
This comes on the heels of President Biden's reckless spending agenda
and senseless policies that have created a labor shortage; led to a
decline in real, personal income; raised costs of consumer goods, gas,
and home heating costs; and contributed to the supply chain disruptions
that are causing drastic shortages and bare shelves across America.
Madam Speaker, this is President Joe Biden's version of America. It
is costing Tennesseans more each day. President Biden can try to talk
around it. He often refuses to talk about it at all. The reality
remains the same. His administration's policies have been devastating
to this Nation. More than ever, Americans want America-first
leadership.
Madam Speaker, as we begin the first days of 2022, I remain steadfast
in my commitment to focus on the needs of the good folks of Tennessee
who I represent, not the whims of the permanent class of political
elites in Washington D.C.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Fitzgerald), another seasoned, very
effective legislator.
Mr. FITZGERALD. Madam Speaker, this has been a year of crisis under
the leadership of President Joe Biden. At the southern border, our
country was noticeably lacking leadership and solutions from the White
House. Instead, President Biden took regressive actions. He halted
construction on the border wall, brought back catch and release, and
got rid of the remain in Mexico policy.
Because of these decisions, over 1.7 million illegal immigrants have
been encountered at the southern border since President Biden took
office. The number of illegal crossings at the border has risen at a
rate faster under President Biden than at any other time in recent
history. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that fentanyl
seizures increased 134 percent in fiscal year 2021.
I saw this crisis firsthand when I visited the southern border with
my colleagues, and I have led and supported legislative solutions in
Congress to combat this crisis. It is disheartening and unacceptable
that President Biden has neither visited the border to witness the
crisis, nor has he proposed solutions to control the unmanageable
levels of border crossings and fentanyl trafficking. To say President
Biden has under-delivered to the American people is beyond an
understatement.
Madam Speaker, I say it again. This year has been a year of crisis
under the leadership of President Biden.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Gimenez), who we refer to as ``The Chief.''
Mr. GIMENEZ. Madam Speaker, life has been hard for the American
people as President Biden concludes his first year in office.
Unfortunately, too many in this Chamber have bowed down to the most
radical fringes of the Democratic Party.
The sad reality today is liberals in Congress have no clue what every
day, hardworking Americans are going through. They care more about
pushing their radical agenda than helping working families. The result
is more inflation, higher gas prices, unconstitutional vaccine
mandates, broken supply chains, and Americans struggling to make ends
meet.
On our side of the aisle, Republicans are committed to making sure we
get the American people back to work, ensuring that small businesses
can find employees to help keep their businesses open, making sure
Americans have uninterrupted access to goods, and getting our country
roaring back with a strong economy and safe communities. Those are the
issues that Americans really care about.
Here in Washington, Republicans will use our congressional authority
to hold the Biden administration accountable for the Afghanistan
debacle where we don't know how many Americans are still left behind in
Afghanistan, for choosing to wreck our energy sector, handing Putin the
Nord Stream 2 pipeline, and for allowing the southern borders to be
kept wide open. Where once we were energy independent a year ago, now
we are begging OPEC to please produce more.
Madam Speaker, after only a year of the Biden administration and his
radical governing of our country, we have had enough. The American
people have had enough. Our people, our country deserve better.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman
from California (Mr. Obernolte).
Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, several days ago the Department of
Labor released statistics on job creation and inflation in the United
States. This data should be deeply alarming to every American.
This country, over the last year, has dumped trillions of dollars of
excess Federal spending into our economy. At the time economists warned
us that doing so was dangerously inflationary. Unfortunately, those
fears have come to fruition.
The statistics for the month of December show inflation at nearly 7
percent on an annualized basis. That is the highest rate of inflation
in nearly 40 years. When inflation is caused through government action,
as this round of inflation clearly is, it represents an unseen tax that
is paid by every American because it raises the prices of everything
that we buy.
Equally alarming is the fact that real wage growth has not kept up
with inflation. In fact, the Department of Labor says that for all of
last year real wage growth was negative nearly 2\1/2\ percent. If we
don't correct this trend, it is going to result in an entire generation
of Americans being driven toward poverty because their wages are not
keeping up with the prices that they pay for the goods that they need
to survive.
Madam Speaker, we need to get our fiscal house in order and correct
this runaway Federal spending before our children suffer the
consequences.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Steel).
Mrs. STEEL. Madam Speaker, this administration's failed policies have
led to record inflation and empty store shelves across the country.
Inflation just reached the highest level in 40 years. At the same time
basic goods are harder and harder to find at the stores thanks to the
supply chain mess.
Every day we see a new story about things getting more expensive,
life getting harder for Americans. Hardworking families are sick and
tired of paying more and getting less.
Madam Speaker, I have produced three bills that would help fix the
supply chain crisis and ensure goods make it to the stores and
consumers. These issues are urgent, but there has been no movement on
these bills. Meanwhile, Democrats in Washington continue to spend more
as paychecks get smaller and costs continue to rise.
Madam Speaker, I will continue to fight against these bad policies
and push for solutions.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Keller).
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, as America marks a year since President
Biden's inauguration, Republicans are focused on delivering solutions
to the multitude of crises his administration has created.
After a year of one-party rule, the reality is American families are
seeing empty shelves at the grocery store. Businesses cannot find
workers. Inflation just hit the highest rate in 40 years. Meanwhile,
the catastrophe at our southern border continues to worsen. In the past
12 months, more than
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1.7 million people have been caught trying to enter the United States
illegally.
Madam Speaker, the Biden administration can ignore these inconvenient
truths all they want. Do you know who is noticing? The American people
are noticing. These are the same people who are working every day, the
people driving our economy forward in spite of President Biden stacking
the odds against them.
Madam Speaker, be assured when Republicans regain the majority in the
House, we will continue tackling these challenges by getting government
out of the way, restoring our God-given freedoms, and ensuring
Americans keep more of their hard-earned money.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Lesko), one of the true border states
that sees all of these crises firsthand.
Mrs. LESKO. Madam Speaker, well, it has been one year since President
Biden and the Democrats have had complete control of running our
country.
{time} 1445
They have the House, the Senate, and the Presidency.
And what have they accomplished in this 1 year?
Inflation has gone through the roof--a 40-year high. Gas prices are
up. Grocery prices are up. The utilities costs have gone up. The border
is wide-open with sex trafficking, human trafficking, and fentanyl
flooding across our border.
COVID deaths are higher than they have ever been before.
Madam Speaker, do you know those long lines that you see of Americans
waiting in line for COVID tests?
Well, guess what, Madam Speaker?
The Biden administration diverted over $2 billion that was meant for
those testing of COVID and for medical supplies and diverted it to
house illegal immigrants.
Don't be surprised or mistaken, but it is the Democrat policies that
have caused these problems.
And what are the Democrats doing now while the country is going down
the tubes?
They are pushing election laws, election laws where they want to rig
elections to their favor and fund their own elections. This is
insanity.
I hope my Democratic colleagues will work together with us to solve
the problems that are facing Americans today.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for her so
well-said remarks.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kansas, (Mr. Mann).
Mr. MANN. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Louisiana
for hosting this today. There are a lot of things to talk about for a
year. We could talk about immigration. We could talk about inflation.
We could talk about crime. And we could talk about Afghanistan. The
list goes on and on.
But I want to talk for a little bit today about trade and
specifically our relationship with China.
I rise today to call the Biden administration to action regarding our
trade partnership, or lack thereof, with China.
China has proven to be a bad faith negotiator, and they are using the
United States as a doormat. Our country made a deal with China 2 years
ago on January 15, 2020, and China has failed to live up to their end
of the bargain by a long shot. As part of this deal, China committed to
importing $36 billion of U.S. agriculture products in 2020 and 2021
combined, but they have fallen short by nearly $7 billion. China sold
American farmers a bill of goods, and the Biden administration has made
no effort to rectify this egregious situation.
Now that phase one is expiring, farmers and ranchers are frustrated
to say the least. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, in a feeble effort to
reassure us, said:
Ambassador Tai, our U.S. Trade Representative, continues to
converse with China about the necessity of living up totally
and completely to the phase one trade agreement, making up
their deficit over the course of the next several years.
This is completely unacceptable. The next several years was never
part of this deal, which is not a complex one. China said that they
would purchase a certain amount of agricultural goods, and they have
fallen short by a margin that suggests that they never intended to live
up to their end of the deal in the first place.
Again, we have not seen any effort from this administration on behalf
of farmers, which is why I am standing here today to state the
obvious--the United States must either force China to comply with their
end of the agreement or punish them for failing to do so. That is how
deals work. At the very least, we need to see this administration
developing a new, comprehensive, realistic deal to collect the deficit.
The time for conversations already took place long before the deal was
signed January 15, 2020, when China signed the deal.
This administration at year end needs to step up and defend our
farmers, our ranchers, and our country from being financially
manipulated by China--yet another unnecessary crisis.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
that plain talk from Kansas.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill), who
is one of the brightest and most respected Members of Congress.
Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, if the Biden administration were a new TV
show streaming on Netflix or HBO, it clearly would have been canceled
after the end of the first season.
On this anniversary of Mr. Biden's failed first year, I call
attention to the crisis at the Southwest border, a crisis which
President Biden and the Democrats have continuously chosen to turn a
blind eye to. In just 1 year, over 1.7 million illegal immigrants have
been apprehended at the border--an all-time high.
President Trump spent 4 years fighting to secure our border by
enacting policies to keep Americans--especially in our communities
along the border--safe. After less than a month in office, President
Biden revoked the Trump-era border policies and replaced them, Madam
Speaker, with what?
Absolutely nothing.
In April, 3 months after Joe Biden took office and 2 months after
these policies were rescinded, I made my seventh trip to the Southwest
border. During that visit, I witnessed the most unstable conditions
that I have seen since coming to Congress. I immediately called on
President Biden then to reinstate the Trump-era policies that were
working along our border.
Finally, just a few weeks ago in December, it was announced that
President Biden planned to re-implement President Trump's Remain in
Mexico policy. But, Madam Speaker, we need action, not talk. President
Biden should visit the border and talk to the communities there.
President Biden should fire his Homeland Security Secretary who is not
getting the job done.
So in this first failed year, President Biden has neglected our
Southwest border. That neglect is evident with deteriorating
conditions, apprehensions at an all-time high, and record amounts of
illegal drugs pouring across our open border and poisoning
our families.
Americans deserve better. Americans deserve a secure border, and
Americans deserve leadership.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, Americans do deserve so much
better.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim).
Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Johnson for
yielding.
Madam Speaker, 1 year ago, I joined several of my colleagues--
especially the freshman Republican colleagues--in a letter to President
Biden showing our willingness to work with him on behalf of the
American people and to bridge the partisan gridlock, because our
President's success is our Nation's success.
While I am proud that 1 year later I have been able to get 12
bipartisan bills out of the House and four signed into law, I am
disappointed that the policies from the Biden administration encourage
more division, more Federal spending, and more crises hurting American
workers, families, and small businesses as we continue through the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Inflation is at a 40-year high, driving up prices everywhere from the
grocery store to prices at the gas pump. We have record high numbers of
migrants and illicit drugs at our southern border
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straining our resources and empowering drug cartels. Our disastrous
withdrawal from Afghanistan resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S.
servicemembers, and we still have left the lives of Americans and our
allies and military arsenal in the hands of the Taliban.
In the latest edition of partisan politics last week, one of my
bipartisan bills was taken over and instead became over 700 pages of
nationalizing elections and letting public funds be used for political
campaigns.
I will keep working through this gridlock, sticking to my
conservative policies and principles and fighting back against Big
Government and big spending policies.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. I thank the gentlewoman for her principled
leadership. It has been effective, and we are grateful she is here.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the State of Texas (Mr.
Weber).
Mr. WEBER of Texas. Madam Speaker, tomorrow, January 20, 2022, is a
day that will live in infamy and marks 1 year since Joe Biden was sworn
in as President.
I remember saying: This is the most important election of our
lifetime.
Unfortunately, I was right.
In 1 year--under one-party rule and in just 1 year--it has been one
huge, continuing debacle and crisis.
We went from energy independence to energy crisis, Madam Speaker;
from a rebounding economy to the highest inflation in 40 years; from
international peace through strength to increased tensions with our
greatest adversaries; and might I add, losing the confidence of our
allies.
We went, Madam Speaker, from border security to 2 million illegal
alien crossings; from the end of the pandemic to the never-ending
pandemic, particularly with unconstitutional mandates.
What is the cause?
One Democrat disaster after another, and Americans are losing faith
not only with the performance of the current administration, but also
with our governmental agencies: the FBI, the DOJ, and the CDC. You name
it. The list is endless.
Democrats are showing who they are: Socialists, police defunders,
open border advocates, and anti-parents who just want a say in their
child's schooling. Is that too much to ask?
That is what Democrats are. This is their brand, and that Democrat
brand, I might add, is a disaster. We Republicans need to point it out
every day in every way.
So to my Republican colleagues I say, let's go brand `em.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Brand `em. I like it.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs.
Miller), who is another very effective legislator.
Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank the Congressman for
hosting this Special Order.
Madam Speaker, Americans have experienced whiplash this past year as
the Biden administration has spun us from the America first agenda to
America last.
We watched in horror as the Taliban released thousands of al-Qaida,
ISIS, and Taliban prisoners from the prison at Bagram Air Base. Our
servicemembers bravely sacrificed to capture those terrorists, and the
Biden administration allowed them to be released. One of the ISIS-K
prisoners led the bombing that killed our 13 servicemembers.
Biden's failure in Afghanistan led to the surrender of tens of
billions of dollars in U.S. military equipment to the Taliban. Military
equipment paid for by U.S. taxpayers will now be used against America
because of President Biden. As Afghanistan fell, President Biden
disappeared, first to Camp David and then to Delaware.
His Cabinet refused to brief the American people directly and instead
sent spokesmen. Additionally, the Defense Secretary refused to testify
before Congress.
The Biden administration then flew an estimated 78,000 Afghan
nationals to American soil and then lied to the American people about
the vetting process they were using to ensure that no ISIS, al-Qaida,
or Taliban terrorists were brought to our shores.
To this day, no one in the Biden administration has been held
responsible for the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan or for the
lies that were told to the American people, and no one has been fired
or resigned.
Madam Speaker, who will be fired?
Who is resigning?
The American people deserve accountability. China, our enemy, has
watched all of this unfold; and, sadly, our children and grandchildren
will pay the price of Biden's incompetence.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, the gentlewoman's remarks
are well-said.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the great State of
Georgia (Mr. Carter). Georgia is the home of the new national
championship football team.
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
yielding and for hosting this Special Order.
Madam Speaker, Joe Biden's first year in office has exceeded all
expectations. In 365 short days, Joe Biden has managed to inflict an
entire term of pain and hardship on the American people. Grocery store
shelves are empty. Prices are up 7 percent nationwide. Gas costs $1
more per gallon today than it did when Biden took office. Americans
lost the equivalent of two paychecks last year, and Biden has failed to
add one single job from our 2019 high.
Madam Speaker, only one thing has gone down in price during this
administration, and that is the price of fentanyl. That is the price of
fentanyl because of the fentanyl that is coming across the southern
border.
Washington Democrats were counting on Joe Biden to socialize our
economy, and, boy, did he deliver. His administration caved to teachers
unions, putting the wants of liberal elites ahead of the needs of our
children who are desperate for high quality, in-person learning.
Domestic terrorists--that is how this administration labeled parents
who want better for their children than virtual learning. It is
despicable.
He caved to Russia, gutting the Keystone XL pipeline on his first day
in office but allowing the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to push ahead
virtually unchecked.
He caved to Fauci, who kept his job despite lying to Congress about
gain-of-function research.
Do you know who isn't caving, Madam Speaker?
Senator Manchin, the Supreme Court, and Republicans across the Nation
who are fed up with this administration's singular focus on stripping
rights and opportunities away from Americans. This administration has
more than earned its 33 percent approval rating, and I hope, for the
sake of our country, that the next 3 years are nothing like the one we
have just endured.
{time} 1500
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I am happy to yield to the
gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Spartz), one of the smartest and hardest
working Members of Congress.
Mrs. SPARTZ. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding. I know
that we have talked a lot about different crises, and we do have a lot
of different crises. We have an economic crisis. We have an inflation
crisis. We have an energy cost crisis. We have a supply chain crisis.
We have an education crisis. We have a crime crisis. We have a COVID
response crisis. We have a healthcare crisis. We have a foreign
relations and security crisis. We have a freedom of speech crisis. We
have a centralized government and infringement on our rights crisis.
There is one crisis that is very disturbing and concerning to me as a
naturalized American who immigrated to this great country. I went to
the border three times, and what I saw was lawlessness; its issue of
national security, its anarchy, and it is a crisis that has posed a
risk to our sovereignty as a nation.
We can see what has happened in the country. Drug cartels are
controlling the border. They control drug trafficking and are making
billions from that. We have the highest deaths from overdoses in our
country that ever existed. Our kids are dying, and they are making a
lot of money. The border is open. No one can control it. It poses risks
to our national security.
I hope for us all as Americans who care about our country, that our
President at least starts dealing with this crisis because it is a
serious issue, and
[[Page H246]]
we cannot disregard national security of the greatest country that ever
existed on Earth and put our people at risk.
It is our responsibility as Representatives for this Republic to
stand up, regardless of party affiliations, and raise the issues, and
we owe a duty to the American people.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for
her comments.
Madam Speaker, what my colleagues have illustrated here in this
Special Order is the crisis that we have in this country. We are on the
anniversary now of 1 year of far-left Democratic rule in Washington. We
have a unified government. The far-left Democrats are in charge of the
White House and both Houses of Congress. Elections have consequences.
The American people can see it for themselves. Every poll across this
country shows us. They know that it is crisis upon crisis upon crisis.
You have heard my colleagues illustrate so many of those here this
afternoon. If we had hours upon hours we could continue all night.
The economic crisis last year: Inflation cost the average worker
nearly two paychecks.
An energy crisis: The national average for a gallon of gas rose 49.6
percent for the year.
A border crisis: Because of the Democrats' open border policies,
every State is now a border State.
An education crisis: President Biden promised to reopen schools in
his first 100 days but his administration secretly worked with
teachers' unions to keep the schools closed and label parents as
domestic terrorists.
A crime crisis: Over a dozen U.S. cities had a record-high homicide
rate in 2021.
A COVID crisis: Although President Biden promised to shut down the
virus, many Americans continue to struggle to find tests, and, of
course, many schools remain closed because of this.
A national security crisis: Because of President Biden's weakness on
the world stage, our adversaries in Beijing, Tehran, and Moscow are
stronger today and they are in power.
We could go on and on and on. I am out of time, Madam Speaker, but I
will just point out again, the latest poll that was released just this
morning didn't look at just numbers. They asked the American people to
give a letter grade to the President. Thirty percent of Americans give
the President an F, a failing grade, and more Americans give him an F
than give him an A or a B. This is a failed Presidency. These are
failed policies. We are living under the crises that they have created.
It is time for this to come to an end.
We are grateful to the American people for recognizing this, and we
look forward to bringing our solutions to bear at the election cycle
this fall.
Madam Speaker, our Special Order hour has concluded, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from
engaging in personalities toward the President.
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