Rick Allen

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, last week, I stood before this body as we voted on the first spending package, which, like this package, was enormous and brought before this House without enough time to learn where the American people's tax dollars are actually going. Today, we are considering 6 of the 12 traditional appropriation bills in one package. We must get back to regular order and a process where we can carefully consider and examine each bill and one that works for the American people. The bills in this package would spend $1.3 trillion in total discretionary spending, a 13.9 percent increase from the budget that was agreed to. I would once again like to state for the record that the Democratic majority can't even stick to the bipartisan budget that was agreed to last year. The first appropriations package that was passed last week contains $37 billion in emergency measures, and this package adds another $207 billion of such spending. With that addition, according to the Congressional Budget Office estimate, this level of spending is 23.5 percent higher than the President's request. No business or family in this country would ever dream of spending money like this that they don't have and have no idea where they are going to get it. So why does this body think we are an exception? Unfortunately, that is business as usual for the 116th Congress. My amendment today is simple. It would reduce the total amount of funding for the Labor, HHS, and Education division by 5 percent for fiscal year 2021. HHS alone is a $1.2 trillion agency. It employs hundreds of lawyers. Without my amendment, the division provides a net total of $222.4 billion in fiscal year 2021 discretionary budget authority. If you do the math, my amendment would cut about $9.8 billion. I urge my Democratic colleagues to support my amendment since they will still be overspending, but just a little bit less than they initially intended. I just want to note that I wanted to offer a 5 percent cut to multiple divisions throughout this bill, but continuing the Democrats' shadowy process, only this one amendment to this bill was ruled in order. We can no longer neglect our national debt crisis, which is at unsustainable heights. It is morally wrong to burden our children and grandchildren with excessive debt because we can't seem to get our act together and exercise fiscal constraint. Let me explain myself like this: How in the world can we create a standard of healthcare and a standard of living in this country on the backs of our children and grandchildren? We can't pay for it. So what do we do? We send it to our children and grandchildren and I don't know how many generations. I urge my colleagues in this body to support my amendment today, and let's start having a serious discussion about how we can once again unleash economic growth in this country by restraining spending. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight an issue in my district that I have been working tirelessly on, and that is to preserve the pool at the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam. I am extremely disappointed this legislation was brought before the House with no opportunity to amend the bill before negotiations began with the Senate. The lock and dam, and the pool it creates, is critical to the Augusta community and is utilized for municipal and industrial water supply as well as recreation. The Corps of Engineers recently selected a rock weir as an alternative to replace the lock and dam, a design that drops the pool level and was demonstrated last year with disastrous results. Not only does this plan not meet the requirements of the WIIN Act, but local stakeholders have expressed serious concerns with the Corps of Engineers' proposal. This option does not meet the intent of Congress and maintain the pool. Moving forward with the rock weir is unacceptable, and I thank my colleagues from Georgia for their bipartisan effort to champion this issue in the recent committee markup. I urge the committee to work with me to include language in the final bill that will repair and maintain the lock and dam and the pool, while still accommodating the mitigation project. It is essential.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, as our Nation continues to respond, recover, and reopen our economy following the outbreak of COVID-19, we can all agree that childcare is necessary in getting Americans back to work. No parent will return to work if they do not have a safe place for their child, which is another reason why schools safely reopening should be a priority of my Democratic colleagues. However, Democrats are pushing a partisan proposal that carelessly overspends taxpayer dollars and further burdens our childcare providers, who already face bureaucratic red tape, with more mandates, like overly extensive application requirements that will cost them more time and money when their time is better spent caring for our children. These mandates will prevent new providers from entering the industry, ultimately increasing costs and limiting the amount of available slots for children. This again is a one-size-fits-all, top-down government program. How much of this money will actually get there to take care of a child? H.R. 7027 appropriates $50 billion, which is higher than the entire annual revenue of the childcare industry--think about that--and twice the amount that the Bipartisan Policy Center estimated the industry would need. Is it going to cost another $25 billion to administrate this thing for all the burdensome red tape that goes along with it? Once again, the Democrats' solution is more government control, more regulation, and more taxpayer dollars wasted with burdensome strings attached. When are the American people going to wake up? It denies support for certain eligible providers, such as churches and public recreation camps, who are license-exempt and operating legally in a State that meet all State and local requirements.

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I am disappointed that, rather than finding common ground, my colleagues across the aisle are moving forward with a bill that will only hurt families who want to return to work and need access to childcare. I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill, and let's all go back to the drawing board so that we can find support for our working families.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, once again this Congress is being asked to vote on an enormous spending package after being produced in just the last few weeks. How can the American people possibly have time to learn where their tax dollars are going? Today, we are considering amendments to a four-bill, 689-page package that totals $219.6 billion in discretionary spending, plus another $37.5 billion in emergency spending. The bills in this package spend billions on top of what the current budget agreement allows, and they also contain partisan poison pills, like overturning the administration's Mexico City Policy, allowing foreign organizations to receive Federal funds, even if they perform abortions. Let me underscore, under the Democrat majority, we can't even stick to the budget that was agreed to. As a former business owner--and if you talk to any business owner, they will tell you the same thing--you have to operate within a budget. Every day, families across this country are sitting down at the kitchen table making tough choices to live within their means. I am appalled by the lack of fiscal responsibility being shown by this body today as we seem to hold ourselves to a different standard than American workers and families. Unfortunately, that is just business as usual in the 116th Congress. The level of appropriations for State Department and Foreign Operations, which is what this amendment is specifically targeting, is $8.5 billion higher than Fiscal Year 2020, an increase of nearly 15 percent. The bill continues funding normal activities through Overseas Contingency Operations, rather than through the normal funding accounts, which is a mechanism that was originally set up to avoid spending constraints. My amendment today is simple. It would reduce State and Foreign Operations spending by 5 percent for Fiscal Year 2021. If you do the math, my amendment would cut about $3.3 billion. Even with my modest 5 percent cut, this division would still increase spending for Fiscal Year 2021 compared to Fiscal Year 2020. I believe my Democratic colleagues should support my amendment, since they will still be spending a lot of your hard-earned money, just a bit less than they initially intended. I want to be clear, though. I do not want to cut funding going towards our cherished and critical ally, Israel. I also want to know that our diplomatic efforts abroad are necessary. In fact, my son is currently living overseas and working on behalf of our Nation's interests. But it is important that we look at the balance sheet and make cuts wherever possible. We can no longer neglect our national debt crisis, and my colleagues must take a serious look at Washington spending and start to take back control. For the sake of our children and grandchildren, we must act immediately to rein in Federal spending so we don't leave our next generation with an insurmountable debt. Mr. Speaker, I am the proud grandfather of 13 grandchildren, with one on the way, and I believe it is my duty to do everything in my power to avoid placing a $26 trillion and rising burden of debt on their backs. My amendment is just a small first step toward bringing fiscal responsibility back to Washington. I urge all my colleagues in this body to support my amendment today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, this bill that we are debating here is a partisan travesty and spends entirely more than this government can afford. That is why I rise again today to offer an amendment to cut spending to the Interior and Environment portion of the bill. In addition to its overspending, this bill attempts to delegitimize President Trump's replacement for the Obama administration's overreaching WOTUS rule. The farmers and landowners in my district will tell you how devastating that would be. It continues down the path that the far left have been touting this entire Congress, implementing socialist Green New Deal policies disguised as emergency funding, but this couldn't be further from the truth. This bill not only spends more of Americans' taxpayer dollars, but forces others to spend more, forcing onerous regulations on American business owners that would ultimately lead to higher costs for our American families. Continuing to adhere to the Obama administration's outdated and repressive regulations would be detrimental not only to the energy sector workers, but to millions of American families whose budgets depend on affordable and reliable fuel and natural gas, and would jeopardize America's energy independence. Today's minibus totals $219.6 billion in discretionary spending, plus another $37.5 billion in emergency spending, busting the budget agreement and increasing funds in the form of BCA cap-exempt funding, with almost a third of the funding of this division not subject to the BCA caps. And let me remind you that under the Democratic majority, we can't even stick to the budget that was agreed to. The Interior and Environment division would provide funding at a whopping 41.4 percent above the fiscal year 2020 enacted level and 59 percent over the President's request. While the President's budget proposed to reduce or eliminate programs in the EPA that are better left to States, communities, and private individuals, the House's proposal for Interior and Environment maintains or increases spending on EPA programs. I am a former business owner, and just like any good business owner or family knows, you must operate within a budget and make tough choices to live within your means. As Members of the people's House, we must hold ourselves to the same standard that American workers and families do. My simple amendment is a good place to start. My amendment would reduce interior and environmental spending by 5 percent for fiscal year 2021. I am going to do some quick math for you. My amendment would cut about $2.7 billion. Even with my 5 percent cut, this division would still dramatically increase spending for fiscal year 2021 compared to fiscal year 2020. To be honest, I wish we could cut more, but this is a place that I believe we can start. Even with my amendment, we still will be spending a lot of taxpayer dollars, so I believe my Democratic colleagues could easily support this. Our national debt crisis can no longer be ignored, and my colleagues must take a serious look at Washington spending in order to start taking back control. Madam Speaker, earlier today I mentioned my 13 beautiful grandchildren, and I am excited that we have another one on the way. I believe it is all of our duties to do everything possible to avoid placing a $26 trillion, and growing, national debt burden on the backs of the next generation. My amendment is just a small, first step toward bringing fiscal responsibility back to Washington. I urge all of my colleagues in this body to support my amendment today. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I understand we are in unprecedented times. But of the $10 billion in spending that Democrats say go towards international coronavirus relief, only $2.5 billion is designated to health programs, and a significant amount of those funds are diverted away from coronavirus. And let me just say that I understand the need to work with our allies on a vaccine and global health response to the coronavirus, but I believe that our priorities should be focused on combatting the virus here in the United States. Mr. Speaker, I cannot overstate the importance of restoring fiscal sanity here in the United States Congress. It is in the best interests of the future of our country that we take desperately needed steps to rein in our national debt. We are passing along to future generations an enormous debt burden. Does anybody understand that? I mean, can you imagine our children's children's children's children dealing with this? I would ask all my colleagues today to think about your kids, your grandkids, and your great-grandkids before casting your vote.

Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, let me try to understand what we are saying here. We have a $25 trillion or $26 trillion and growing debt in this country. I mean, is there no concern for future generations? And when you look at the explosion of this debt--I mean, when I saw the appropriations package, I could not believe it. I mean, we can't even live within a budget? I mean, what kind of message are we sending to our children and grandchildren here? We can't leave them with an insurmountable debt simply because we as a body refuse to take some commonsense steps to take back control of this spending. We can't even cut 5 percent? I am deeply concerned about the future of this country, and I urge a ``yes'' vote on my amendment today. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Texas for holding this special order. This is a topic that we need to have a family discussion on. This Congress needs to sit down together and have a family discussion on where we are as a nation because I am deeply troubled by the state of our Nation, and most of my constituents who talk with me on a daily basis ask me what in the world is going on. I go back to my childhood. I grew up on a farm, and I learned the value of hard work. I tell people that outside of this President, my daddy was the hardest worker that I have ever known. I am not sure he could outwork this President. Mr. Speaker, my dad was one of five people in my county that you would go to see if you were going to run for public office. That is how much he cared about his community; that is how much he cared about that county; and that is how much he cared about his State. I will be honest with you. My mother, my brother, my sister, and I would get upset with him because he spent time doing things outside of the home, trying to make our county and our State a better place to live. So, one day, I asked him about it. I said: Dad, why are you so involved in public service? He said: Son, I grew up in the Great Depression, and I fought in World War II. And in both times, I really thought there was a possibility we were going to lose this country. I think he made a covenant with God that he would do everything he could to sustain the great Nation that he had the opportunity to grow up in and farm and to be involved in education and all the amazing work that my father did for that community. But he left me with this--and my dear friend, Ralph Norman, talked about this tonight. My dad said: Son, you have to understand one thing. Apathy is the enemy of freedom. You look at voter turnout, and you look at folks who say, ``I really don't want to get involved,'' or, ``I don't want to get out and knock on doors or make phone calls.'' Folks, I am going to sound the alarm. I am going to sound the alarm for a lot of different people groups. Take the small business community. The small business community generates about 50 percent of the jobs in this country. Seventy percent of all the new jobs created in this amazing economy we had before COVID-19 were generated by the small business community. The first reason I ran for Congress was because of the war on past administrations on small business. Let me tell you, small business, you need to get involved in this process, because if we aren't careful, there will be another war on small business. I came down here today to talk about two amendments, and a lot of those amendments dealt with the regulatory environment that, prior to President Trump, was destroying the small business community. You know, one of the greatest privileges that I have had in my life-- and I think this is maybe the greatest gift I have ever received from God--is the privilege to give people the opportunity to have a good job, to have the dignity and respect they deserve, to empower them to be what God created them to be, and to allow them to provide for their family, their country, and their church. There is no greater satisfaction that I have found in this country--I have not found one person who is unhappy, that is not filled with joy when they are serving others. And we still have a tremendous amount of that going on in this country. But over the past few months, we have seen radical progressive attacks on our Nation. What started as legitimate and peaceful protests has since been hijacked by violent lawbreakers. Now, let's be clear, the mob wants total anarchy. And we are seeing it play out before our eyes, and it started long before we got here. Now we are experiencing attacks on law enforcement. I saw that in my generation on the military. The destruction of Presidential memorials, the establishment of so- called autonomous zones. If you ask these folks who are destroying these things, they don't even know who they are, but all that does is that represents authority. Well, I was fortunate almost 20 years ago to become--well, I had a spiritual awakening, and I began to have this thirst for the Bible. And so I began to research the Bible and to try to run my business and to exhibit leadership skills and to deal with the issues of our culture based on Biblical history and what is going on in the Bible. Well, Romans 13 is very clear about authority. God ordains all authority. And I encourage you to read Romans 13, because it will tell you and describe to you the issues involved with authority and what happens to a nation when those who rebel against authority, what can happen. In fact, I also am involved in many Bible studies here in Congress, and it has been quite an education for me to understand what is the relationship between God and government in our culture. Obviously, we heard tonight that this Nation was founded based on people who came here seeking religious freedom. And so if you look at exactly why God ordained government 4,000 years ago, it was one thing, and that is to restrain evil. That is to deal with anarchy. That is to deal with exactly what we are faced with right now. Mr. Speaker, Members of this body are turning away from God. We should be one voice here condemning this anarchy and evil we are seeing across this country. Well, I believe the best way forward is for our State and local governments to step up. The Federal Government also has a unique role to play. Like I said, Speaker Pelosi and Democratic leaders have shown time and time again that they would rather pass partisan, political messaging bills than work with Republicans on bipartisan legislation-- like meaningful police reform. My dear friend Senator Tim Scott has worked tirelessly to provide police reform that I believe will work for America. The police force needs it. They need our support. And I will tell you, they have my support. Yes, there are going to be bad outcomes. It is the human condition. We talked about that as well. But there should be, at this time in the history of our country, under this pandemic, unprecedented bipartisanship. But, clearly, over the last few weeks, it shows that we would rather appease those on what we term the radical left than work toward a more perfect Union. Please, my friends, please, America, wake up. Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues across the aisle realize sooner than later that appeasing the mob will never stop. It will never be enough. It is just like government funding. I have seen that in reality with this pandemic. It is a feeding frenzy, and we are seeing it play out right before our eyes here. And let me tell you something: We need to look and try to look into the future. Say, for example, if we were born today, when we look back and understand why we are leaving our children and grandchildren--and I don't know how many generations--400, 500 years--the obligation of this debt. I don't know of any nation in history that has done something like that. I mean, that in itself is a crisis. Yet we are continuing to explode the debt. When I saw the appropriations package, I could not believe it. We are trying to fight the pandemic. Yes, we have created a lot of debt to deal with that, and, yes, you are going to have to deal with emergencies. But just to go and spend money that you don't have? People say, well, this is taxpayer money. This is not taxpayer money, folks. This is maybe 400 to 500 years down the road. Now, how are you going to explain that to your children and grandchildren? Mr. Speaker, there are seven influences in our culture: There is the church. There is family. There is education. There is arts and entertainment. There is the media. There is the government. And there is the business. And where do those influences stand today? The church has been mitigated. Our Founders--yes, they didn't do it perfect, but let me tell you, the church was a tremendous influence in the founding of this country. When they couldn't agree, they brought in the great ministers. And the ministers would reveal the Scriptures and tell those Founders: This is how you come together. We don't have that here. I have never heard somebody stand up and say: This is what the Scripture says and this is why we need to come together, and this is how we need to move forward. I did say on this House floor in a Special Order on Bible Week that I believe that the Bible has an answer to every problem we have got, if we just researched it and we had someone to come down and tell us how we should go. There are profits everywhere. We listen to them on Sunday mornings. Come on, folks, we need wise counsel. Then there is the family. The family has been devastated. Fifty percent of the children in this country are born in single-parent homes. I don't blame children for being angry. And single moms, I tell you, my heart goes out to them. Education, you know, we took the values that God gave us out of the education system, and we are seeing the fruits of that right now. Arts and entertainment are supporting everything out there that, frankly, is very difficult for us to understand. The media, the media is so biased today. The government, the government is trying to fix everything. Let me tell you, the more problems we have in this society, the more this government has got to spend. Folks, there is not enough money in the world to fix a culture in anarchy. It won't work. The business community, the business community is under siege. Like I said, the reason I ran for Congress is there was a war on small business. Big business, I will tell you, I am disappointed in some of these large companies that are buying in to some of these things that we see today--the anarchy, the other things. Mr. Speaker, I think it is time in America that we stand up and defend the Nation we love. And those who wish to harm it--yes, people ask me: Do you think we are under God's judgment? I say: No, I think that would be a lot more difficult than what we are seeing right now. When you are under the judgment of God, you have got to look back at what Israel went through. But I can tell you this. God could have stopped this pandemic like that. God can stop this anarchy like that. But God has removed his protection, in my opinion, from this Nation. And until we repent from our evil ways and confess our sin, then God will heal our land, and that is the only hope that we have.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, on June 1, 2020, America lost a football legend. Pat Dye was a player, coach, administrator, and, most importantly, a dear friend. Coach Dye's ties to the 12th District of Georgia run deep, as he was born and raised in Blythe, Georgia. He started his football career at Richmond Academy as captain of the team that won a State championship there. He went on to play at the University of Georgia, where he was a two-time All-American. Coach Dye was most known for his work transforming the Auburn University football team, where he served as Auburn's head coach from 1981 to 1992 and as athletic director from 1981 to 1991. As the only Auburn alumnus currently serving in Congress, what a privilege it is for me to stand here on the House floor and enter into the Congressional Record Coach Dye's amazing record, which includes four SEC championship wins, including three straight from 1987 to 1989. He led Auburn to three Sugar Bowls and finished in the top 10 five times, including four straight seasons, from 1986 to 1989. So it was no surprise that he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2005. He fought the good fight. He leaves an incredible legacy, not only at Auburn, but as a great mentor and coach to thousands of young men on the football field. Thank you, Coach and War Eagle.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, I am really disappointed with, once again, my colleagues across the aisle using this COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity to push their partisan agenda. You would think a crisis like this would bring us together. And this thing is going nowhere. H.R. 1425 is nothing more than another government power grab in an attempt to double down on the failed policies of ObamaCare. Remember the promise that was made to lower your premiums? Yet, they have skyrocketed. Not only does this bill rescind the Trump administration's rule on short-term, limited duration insurance, which aims to provide relief from rising premiums and flexibility for consumers, it also implements government price-setting for drugs. The American people want choice, not one-size-fits-all, top-down, Big Government programs. Why in the world would you send a hard-earned tax dollar to Washington and maybe get 20 cents back to take care of a patient? Madam Speaker, I made a promise to the people of Georgia's 12th District that I would fight to lower drug prices, and this bill would lead to drug price hikes and shortages. Under this proposal, the Secretary of HHS would be required to set government rates for a number of lifesaving drugs, like insulin. The CBO estimates that price-setting policies like these will result in fewer cures and treatments coming to the market. H.R. 1425 would expand ObamaCare after we spent years working to roll back the burdensome mandates that the American people cried out for Congress to repeal. As I said, the American people want choice. My Democrat colleagues have allowed the far-left radicals within their party to take over their agenda. Let's be clear what the Democrats want here. They want the government to be in charge of your healthcare, of everyone's healthcare. Democrats believe they and their fellow bureaucrat friends know what is best for your healthcare, not your doctor. I can tell you right now that, in my district, we know better and can see right through these schemes. Now more than ever, for the sake of our country, we must come together to provide real healthcare solutions, not far-left political messaging bills. Unfortunately, it is business-as-usual here for the Democrats, putting policies over country. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong opposition to overriding President Trump's veto. We can all agree that no student should be intentionally misled and schools engaging in fraudulent misrepresentation must be held accountable. But the Obama-era borrower defense regulations lack clarity, and simply, did not function. The 2016 regulations did not make the critical distinction between fraud and unintentional mistakes made by schools. Mr. Speaker, under the rule, the Department of Education can impose significant financial penalties on institutions found to engage in fraud. But with no distinction, this can cause a school to have to close despite no intentional wrongdoing, hurting students on their path to a higher education. That is why President Trump took decisive action and created the 2019 borrower defense rule to clear this up. Mr. Speaker, the Trump administration's solution delivers relief to students, including veterans, who have been lied to and suffered financial harm. It would also save taxpayers $11 billion by helping students complete their education, rather than indiscriminately closing schools. The Trump rule will ensure due process for all parties, while also ensuring institutions engaging in fraudulent misrepresentation are held accountable. Mr. Speaker, when Democrats originally brought forward a resolution to disapprove this new commonsense rule, I voted ``no,'' and I will vote ``no'' again today. I thank President Trump for rightfully using his veto authority, because we cannot go back to the Obama-era regulations that hurt students and taxpayers. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this measure today.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of a Georgia legend, State Senator Jack Hill. Jack represented his home of Reidsville in the State Senate since 1991. For decades he ensured Georgia's budget was balanced, fair, and served the people well. The State of Georgia is a better place thanks to his leadership. His love for his hometown was evident in everything he did, from running his grocery store business as owner and operator of Hill Shopping Center, to serving in the Georgia Air National Guard for over three decades, including as a unit commander and State Inspector General. While some will say he was a pillar of the community, I believe he wasn't just a pillar; he was the foundation upon which the pillars were built. Jack Hill was a true statesman and he will be sorely missed by many, but especially by his wife Ruth Ann, their children, and grandchildren. However, I am confident his impact on our great state will be felt for generations to come.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of one of Georgia's best, Vidalia Mayor Ronnie Dixon. Following in his father's footsteps, Ronnie took office in January 1994 and has dedicated his life to serving the city. Prior to his tenure as Mayor, he served as a member of the City Council for 16 years. His commitment to serving the community should inspire us all. Vidalia is a special place, known for growing the sweetest onions in the world--a distinction which Ronnie was immensely proud. His support of our farmers will be remembered for generations, as agriculture is Georgia's top industry. Ronnie's passion for service has left a lasting impact on the Vidalia community, and it has been felt throughout the entire state of Georgia. It is my privilege to honor his life and legacy before the United States House of Representatives.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank Congressman Ted Budd for calling this Special Order and for introducing the Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act. One of my top priorities is to secure our border and restore the rule of law in our immigration system. We are one of the most blessed nations on the face of the Earth, and we have one of the best and most generous legal immigration systems out there. We allow more than a million people to come through the system legally each year. On top of that, we have almost a million students here on student visas, studying in our colleges and universities. We are a Nation of laws, and just as every American citizen is held accountable under the law for the crimes they commit, so should every alien who comes across that border illegally. That is why I am proud to be a cosponsor of the Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act. This bill holds illegal aliens in sanctuary cities accountable for the heinous crimes they commit on American soil. Specifically, this bill allows victims to sue the sanctuary city where the crime took place. It is alarming that we shield illegal aliens from the consequences of violating Federal law, yet an American citizen who commits a crime is held accountable under the law. This must end, and we must give the victims of these horrific crimes the justice they deserve. To further end the harmful practices of sanctuary cities, I am also a proud cosponsor of the Ending Sanctuary Cities Act. This bill prohibits Federal grant funding to any city or county that violates Federal immigration law. I am proud to support two critical bills that take steps toward preventing future violent and unprovoked crimes by illegal immigrants. I thank President Trump for his leadership in fighting against the cruelty of sanctuary cities by stating his support for the Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act during his State of the Union Address. This should not be a partisan issue, as no one is above the law. I stand with my colleagues and President Trump. We must fix our broken immigration system, continue building the wall, and strengthen our immigration laws for the safety and security of the American people. I will continue fighting against sanctuary cities and their abuse of our great Nation.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, we all agree that the current youth vaping trend is cause for concern, and we must evaluate strategies to prevent young people from using e-cigarettes and tobacco products. But this bill does nothing to address the youth vaping epidemic or the use of illicit products that have been linked to the outbreak of lung illnesses as just described by our ranking member. That is why this body has taken steps to address this issue, including passing legislation to raise the minimum age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21. But the flavored tobacco ban and excise tax increase act is a textbook example of Federal overreach. H.R. 2339 would instead ban all flavors for all tobacco products and impose a new excise tax on nicotine used in vaping. I find it confusing that many of my colleagues who support banning these tobacco products also support legalizing marijuana. Where is the common sense in this House? Instead of putting a partisan, overreaching bill on the floor, Democrats should work with Republicans on bipartisan solutions that actually address the youth vaping epidemic that we are going to talk about here probably the entire time we are debating this issue.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Montana, the chairman of this committee. It was a real privilege to serve on this committee. Over the years, the size of the Federal Government has ballooned. While it excels in some ways, like keeping our Nation safe, oftentimes, it does not serve the American people well, and that keeps my constituent services office very busy back in the district. As a small business owner, I know how important it is to run effective and efficient operations. If you don't serve your customers well, you won't stay in business. But because the Federal Government is largely unaccountable, the only people who suffer from government inefficiency are the people it is intended to serve: the American people. For far too long, we have let the executive branch seize authority and empower unelected bureaucrats. I am proud to serve on the Republican Study Committee's Government Efficiency, Accountability, and Reform Task Force, whose goal is to develop reforms to improve the Federal Government in order to better serve American families. Prior to my service here in Congress, I served as the Georgia co- chair for the Fix the Debt committee, which was a nationwide bipartisan effort to identify ways that we could balance our budget. Our new report here in the GEAR Task Force highlights strategies to streamline government practices and remove waste, much like the Fix the Debt committee identified. For example, we all know that Washington has a spending problem. If something isn't working, many of my colleagues would prefer just to throw more money at the problem. But when has that worked? We need serious government reform. In my business, we emphasize the importance of streamlining processes so we can maximize every dollar. We have a 5-year lookback procedure where we look at every dollar we spend to make sure that we are using every dollar in an efficient manner so that those who invest--in this case, the American taxpayers--get the most bang for their buck. Also, in our business, we have a balance sheet, an income statement, where we can actually run ratios that we can compare and see how we are doing against our peers. I mentioned that to someone on the Budget Committee and they said: I don't think we have seen that in the Federal Government. I come from the business community, and I came to Washington because we have to get down to business. I have identified, again, working on this task force, on the Budget Committee, and on the RSC, so many areas where, frankly, we can be much more efficient at spending every dollar. Every taxpayer should be treated like a shareholder. They should know exactly where and how their money is being spent. That is why I have a big problem with the appropriations process here in Congress. Yes, we kind of go through the motions here on the House floor, but we bog down, and it becomes a four-corner deal where leadership on both sides decides: Okay, these are the caps, and this is how we are going to spend the money. The appropriators appropriate to that number, and then we are given a 1,200-page spending bill 24 hours before we have to vote on it. That is ridiculous. I have emphasized to my leadership that I will not vote on a bill like that again, that we should stand right here through the appropriations process and show the American people every place we are spending a dollar. The GEAR report lays the groundwork for this type of reform. Our report highlights specific ways we can make government more efficient and accountable to the people, including improving metrics to better inform decisionmaking, utilizing excess Federal office space, leveraging duplicative government contracts, consolidating data centers, reducing security clearance processing delays, and much more. These solutions are common sense, and they should garner bipartisan support. I encourage my colleagues who have not yet read the report to do so. We have highlighted over 100 ways we can improve government and better serve the American people. We must change the status quo. That is why I came to Washington.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. This week, in this very Chamber, we heard from President Trump about the great American comeback. Our booming economy is a result of proworker, progrowth, and pro-American policies passed during the 115th Congress and enacted by President Trump. Wages are rising. Jobs are being created. And Americans from all different backgrounds are getting back to work, including workers without high school diplomas, who are experiencing the lowest unemployment rate recorded in U.S. history. This body must build on this success, not go backward. The radical PRO Act will undoubtedly hurt the economy and force Americans out of work. In fact, a report from the American Action Forum found employers could face more than $47 billion in new annual costs if the PRO Act becomes law. As a small business owner, I know firsthand the PRO Act would harm both employers and employees. The PRO Act contains numerous poison pills, from outrageous privacy violations to forced union dues. This bill would outright ban the right-to-work laws that have been successful in States like my home State of Georgia, which has been named the best State to do business in now 7 years in a row. Without right-to-work laws, workers are forced to pay for representation and political activities that they may not even agree with. From 2010 to 2018, unions spent more than $1.6 billion in member dues to hundreds of leftwing groups. Those include Planned Parenthood and the Clinton Foundation. That is why I offered an amendment, which I hope everyone will support, to strike that provision and protect States' right-to-work laws. The Federal Government should not restrict American workers' First Amendment rights by forcing them to pay union dues. The PRO Act will restrict our booming economy and infringe on the rights of workers and employers. The American worker deserves fairness, and he deserves choice. My colleagues have a choice before them. They can stand with Americans and President Trump to keep America great and free by voting ``no'' on the PRO Act, or they can join the radicals who have seized the Democratic Party and put America on a path of socialism. I will always stand with liberty and President Trump and will proudly vote ``no'' on the PRO Act.

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As a small business owner, I came to Congress to put America back on a path to prosperity and create jobs. I am proud to say that as a result of progrowth policies passed by the 115th Congress and enacted by President Trump, American workers are thriving under our strong economy. Unemployment is down and wages and jobs are up. I am particularly excited by the growth in my home State of Georgia. For the seventh year in a row, Georgia has been named the best place to do business. A large part of that is because Georgia became a proud right-to-work State back in 1947. Ever since, families are flourishing; people are working; and business is booming. But some of my colleagues in other States think they know what is best for Georgia. The PRO Act will outright ban right-to-work laws that have been so successful in States like Georgia. I can tell you right now that the folks of Georgia know what is best for them, not the Federal Government. My amendment is simple. It strikes the ban on right-to-work States. The right to work is what fuels the American Dream, opening a door to upward mobility and the opportunity for workers to achieve their goals. No American should be forced to pay for representation and political activities that they do not agree with, and that is what will happen if we take away States' authority to enact right-to-work laws. My amendment will protect States' right-to-work laws so that union dues are voluntary, giving power to workers, not union bosses, who pocket these benefits from mandatory dues. It should not even be up for debate. Workers should be in control of their earnings and how they spend it. As Members of Congress our duty is to put our constituents first, so I encourage my colleagues to support my amendment, which prioritizes hardworking Americans' right to choose over the special interests of a union. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.