Michael Burgess

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, he so quite correctly outlined some of the difficulties facing Congress as we get to this end-of-the-year crunch of legislation that has to pass before the end of the year. There is no place where this is more pronounced than for our Nation's doctors. The very people that we asked to get us through the pandemic, the very people that we have asked to take care of us. And now we arrive at the end of this Congress, and we say: Thank you for your service, here is your pay cut. And they go: Wait, what? A paycheck. The Surgeon General came to the Doctors Caucus earlier this year and said he is concerned. He goes around and talks to doctors all over the country, he is concerned about the level of burnout that he is seeing in the Nation's physicians. He said he has never seen this before. It really should not be a surprise. You work doctors and nurses day and night during the pandemic, and then you turn around and say, You know what, we don't value what you do. The evidence for that is right as we barrel into the end of the year, there are significant cuts to the physician fee schedule, sequesters, paygo, budget neutrality requirements that in aggregate spell about an 8 to 9 percent reduction in payments for physicians. For years, I fought to repeal the sustainable growth rate formula. The sustainable growth rate formula was repealed in 2015. I thought, hallelujah, we won't spend every December having to worry about how to make our doctors whole because the formula has gone away. But now through administrative actions and through budgetary requirements, doctors are facing these pay cuts. So here we are in another December trying to scramble together a doc fix so our doctors can remain in practice. But what makes this year so different and what makes this year so devastating to the Nation's doctors is on top of the 8 to 9 percent cuts in Medicare, they are facing 8 to 9 percent inflation. Nowhere else in the Federal Government could you say, Hey, we are going to hold you at level funding and not take into account the fact that the cost of living adjustment--it would be a pay cut anywhere else. Well, I will tell you this, it is a pay cut in your doctor's office, and they are feeling it. The aggregate weight of these pay cuts is going to be such that we will drive doctors out of practice. I hear from docs all the time that they are going to have to close up shop. What does that mean? It means further consolidation within the healthcare industry. It means further hospital zoning physician practices, private equity-only physician practices because we just can't keep up with what the government is doing to us. Now, there is a chance that something will happen before the end of this year and stop these cuts before they are administered. But I will tell you this, in the new Congress--in the next Congress--it is my intention that we have to be very serious about tackling this problem in our authorizing committees. Madam Speaker, I am on the Committee of Energy and Commerce, I expect that very early in the year we will be intentional about fixing this problem because we can't find ourselves here in December of another year where our docs are saying, We are at the end of our ropes, and we just can't take it anymore. This is a serious problem; it needs to be fixed. President Biden would talk about, Hey, Republicans, they are going to cut your Social Security and Medicare. Well, Mr. President, you know who is cutting Medicare right now? You are. It is your agency, and you won't stop it. Next Congress, Republicans will.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Scott Tarwater, a man whose life was marked by excellence and deep influence within his community. Over the years, Tarwater developed a profound reverence for the state of Texas and committed his life to encouraging the growth of North Texas whilst preserving its storied past. During his childhood, Tarwater watched the land around him transform as the Army Corps of Engineers began the development of Lake Grapevine along his family farm property. Tarwater and his wife, Donna, were married on the third step of the family's historic farmhouse, which showcases not only the union of two individuals as one married couple, but the union of reverence for the past and hope for the future which defined Tarwater's life. He watched and participated as a young man alongside his family as they partnered with Peter Paul Stewart, a landman who developed the treasured family farm into Lakeside Village. The Tarwater family farm now also serves as the grounds for Lakeside Tower, which has facilitated travel and business to the Flower Mound community. In March 2020, the Tarwater farmhouse was transported from Flower Mound to Grapevine, to make room for the influential Lakeside Village and to be enshrined forever as a historical landmark and testament to the Tarwater's investment in North Texas. Mr. Tarwater's professional life began with picking tomatoes on the farm and as he furthered his career, he kept his family's joy of continually serving their community close at heart. Following his graduation from Stephen F. Austin State University, Tarwater pursued a series of remarkable business successes in the hospitality industry. He worked as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing from 1982 to 1985 at American International Rent a Car, Inc., managing global accounts and developing his skills as a salesman of international renown. In the following years he became Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Windsor Hospitality Group, dedicating 10 years of his life to the company between 1990 and 2000. Tarwater spent the largest portion of his career with John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts. Hammons Hotels & Resorts was considered at one point to be the largest private owner and hotel management company in the U.S., due to John Hammons' skill as well as his foresight in selecting Scott Tarwater to work as his close associate and business partner. Tarwater spent the final part of his career as Executive Vice President of Development Services with New Stream Capital. In his collective professional life, Tarwater managed the sales and marketing efforts of over 101 upscale hotels over the course of 15 years with both Windsor Hospitality and Hammons Hotels & Resorts. Throughout this great international success, Tarwater also kept Grapevine and Flower Mound in mind. In his work at New Stream Capital and Hammons Hotels, Tarwater established the first hotel in Flower Mound, the Flower Mound Courtyard River Walk, and Grapevine's Embassy Suites Hotel. Though Tarwater lived a life of travel and adventure, he never lost sight of North Texas and its rich history. Tarwater embodies the best of Texas as a trailblazer and dedicated family man. Acquaintances and coworkers of Tarwater alike have appreciated his sincere friendship and the joy with which he approached life and work. Scott Tarwater has fundamentally propelled Grapevine and Flower Mound into a force on the world stage and preserved its historical integrity for years to come. I am honored to recognize the life of Scott Tarwater and his exemplary service to North Texas. I thank Mr. Tarwater for his excellence and dedication to the community we all hold so dear. I offer my condolences to the Tarwater family and Scott's loved ones and hold his example close to my heart.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the United Way of Tarrant County as it celebrates its 100th anniversary. In 1922, the Fort Worth Community Chest was created when a group of local leaders came together to merge the fundraising efforts from a variety of different charity organizations. These community leaders recognized that working together, united-as-one, was a superior strategy as opposed to competing against each other for charitable resources. This early non-profit organization was the forerunner of today's United Way of Tarrant County. From its inception, the new organization focused on key initiatives to not only identify problems faced by Tarrant County residents, but to also address the reasons the problems exist in the first place. They have forged crucial partnerships with key community stakeholders. Engaging local governments, fellow non-profits, corporations, and small businesses to collectively combat county-wide challenges pertaining to education, financial stability, and community health. Continuing its growth and assistance to communities, the organization hit a major milestone in 1973, when it became officially known as the ``United Way of Metropolitan Tarrant County''. The United Way of Tarrant County continues to empower residents, donors, volunteers, businesses, and other groups who provide crucial support to enable the organization to fulfill its mission to improve the overall quality of life for those in need. Through building trust and relationships with the community, the United Way has always encouraged residents to unite together in order to further worthwhile change and build stronger communities. I would like to express my admiration and well wishes as this worthwhile humanitarian organization celebrates its centennial. The United Way of Tarrant County is holding its celebratory ``Get United Day'' event on Thursday, November 17, 2022, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas in honor of the 100th anniversary of its founding. The United Way has had a tremendously positive impact on the well-being of Tarrant County's citizens and will undoubtedly do so for decades to come.

Mr. BURGESS

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

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on and urge defeat of the previous question so that we can immediately take up H.R. 6184, the HALT Fentanyl Act. Mr. Speaker, there is a crisis on our southern border greater than we have ever seen due to the policies put in place by the Biden administration. Almost 2\1/2\ million migrants have crossed our southern border in fiscal year 2022. In 2021 alone, border officials encountered nearly 2 million illegal immigrants and seized over 11,000 pounds of fentanyl. This is a public health crisis that demands immediate attention. H.R. 6184, the HALT Fentanyl Act, places fentanyl-related analogues into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act and establishes a new registration process for schedule I research funding by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The move to permanently schedule fentanyl as schedule I is a necessary tool for the Drug Enforcement Administration to work with other agencies and law enforcement officials to address the threat of illicit fentanyl. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl is now the number one cause of death for Americans 18 to 45, surpassing suicide, COVID-19, and car accidents. Mr. Speaker, we have all heard stories about how drug dealers are using social media and apps, like Snapchat, to infiltrate chats with teens or young kids and sell them these illicit drugs. We have no idea what they are selling and whether or not the drug is laced with fentanyl. Two Congresses ago, the Energy and Commerce Committee worked hard on the SUPPORT Act to deal with what at the time was called an opiate crisis, but we have moved on from that, and now we have a fentanyl crisis. This is a different disease. It demands attention at the southern border, it demands attention to the analogues being shipped to Mexico from China, and it demands that our Drug Enforcement Administration have the tools it needs to interrupt this deadly epidemic of drug overdose deaths. One death is too many, and we need to equip our communities to address this issue from the source. If it has changed so much in 4 years, imagine what it will look like in 10 years if nothing is done now. I urge Members to defeat the previous question so we can immediately take up this important bill.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a man whose philanthropy and dedication to the Washington, D.C. community is an admirable example of a life of service. On October 3, 2022, Mr. Landon Victor Butler will be honored by the Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) with the company's 2022 Sidney Harman Award for Philanthropy in the Arts, recognizing his exceptional support for the theater--and Washington, D.C. at large--over the past four decades. One of the nation's leading arts organizations, the Tony Award-winning Shakespeare Theatre Company is synonymous with dramatic excellence and devoted to making classical theater more accessible, both on a local and national level. Mr. Butler has played a dedicated and pivotal role in achieving their goals, as well as the goals of many other honorable efforts, by utilizing his many years of public service to collaborate with business, government, and arts organizations for the betterment of his city, his region, and his country. Mr. Butler has served on STC's Board of Trustees since 1997, serving a decade as Chairman. During his tenure as Chair, Mr. Butler helped oversee the planning, construction, and opening of the theater's state- of-the-art Sidney Harman Hall in 2007. He also spearheaded the creation of District Shakespeare, an ambitious arts education program that invites every Washington, D.C. public high school student to experience at least one live classical theater performance before graduation. A native of Memphis, TN and an Officer in the US Marine Corps who proudly served his country for three years during the Vietnam War, Mr. Butler started his career building affordable housing in the Atlanta area in the early 1970's. During this time, he became centrally involved in Governor Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign, and he has been an active part of the D.C. community since arriving here for the inauguration of President Carter in 1977. As President Carter's Deputy Chief of Staff, he facilitated communications across a broad array of Administration-wide task forces that were formed to support Carter- Mondale initiatives, playing lead roles in the Panama Canal Treaty and SALT II ratification efforts. In 1981, Mr. Butler co-founded the Multi- Employer Property Trust, one of the nation's largest commercial real estate commingled funds, serving U.S., Canadian and European pension plans. He was also a founder of the first private venture capital fund in eastern Europe following the collapse of the Soviet Union, and he served as President of the investor relations firm Landon Butler and Company until his retirement in 2010. A proud graduate of Washington & Lee University and Harvard Business School, Mr. Butler has spent a lifetime in service to his community, admirably leveraging his strengths in business, government, and non- profit organizations to improve countless facets of life in the Washington, D.C. region and beyond. In addition to his tireless dedication to the Shakespeare Theatre Company and arts education, Mr. Butler has also devoted his time and attention to many other philanthropic efforts, most notably as a founder of Integrity Initiatives International (the leading advocate for the creation of an International Anti-Corruption Court) and as a director on the Board of the Piedmont Journalism Foundation (a Virginia non-profit organization, with the mission of providing nonpartisan in-depth news coverage of important local issues). An avid western horseman with multiple Quarter Horse Competition ribbons and buckles to his name, Mr. Butler is also a faithful conservationist, with over 20 years commitment to protecting ranching lands and traditions in West Texas alone. In partnership with Texas' legendary horseman and rancher Mr. Buster Welch, Mr. Butler and two lifelong friends, Mr. Henry Turley and Mr. Meredith McCullar, worked together to protect 25,000 acres of prime West Texas cow country called the Double Mountain River Ranch, near Rotan, TX. Their shared love of land stewardship enabled Mr. Welch to further practice his celebrated reverence for and expertise in time-honored and proven ranching traditions. Mr. Welch, who is in the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Riders Hall of Fame, NCHA Members Hall of Fame and American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Hall of Fame, and Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, was a four-time NCHA World Champion and won the NCHA Futurity a record five times. In July of this year, Mr. Butler, Mr. Turley, and Mr. McCullar established the Texas Tech University ``Buster and Sheila Welch Excellence in Conservation of Natural Resources Scholarship Endowment,'' in memory of the legendary Texas horseman and his wife. Long before he discovered the beauty of Texas horse country, Mr. Butler was instrumental in protecting the treasured Cumberland Island, off the coast of Georgia, working with a team of dedicated preservationists to facilitate the creation of the Cumberland Island National Seashore in the early 1970s. This effort not only protected the island's pristine land and historic landmarks from encroaching development, but also created public access to its beauty. More recently, Mr. Butler has dedicated his energy to land conservation in Virginia horse country, working to celebrate and preserve the area's land, arts, and other traditions as a tireless leader in various community initiatives and organizations, including the National Sporting Library & Museum in Middleburg, VA. At the gala honoring Mr. Butler's contribution to the Shakespeare Theatre Company and Philanthropy in the Arts, he will be joined by his proud family, including his wife of 32 years Carol, and his four children: Margaret (Marcy) Butler (husband Ryan Compton), Jamie Butler (wife Carolyn Kleiner Butler), Headley Butler (wife Noa Gimelli), and Sarah Stettinius (husband Ted Stettinius). Madam Speaker, Mr. Butler has shown unwavering leadership throughout his life in dedication to his country and numerous philanthropic endeavors, and his service to his country is a testament to his character and generosity. Landon Butler's consistent and tireless commitment to his community and his values embodies the very spirit of service and today I ask that we celebrate this fine citizen of our country. I congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition and thank him for his contributions to the betterment of his fellow citizens.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer my sincere appreciation to the staff of The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. My Washington and district staff joined me there recently to take a highly informative tour. The August work period afforded my staff and I the opportunity to meet together in Texas. As a part of the two-day meeting, we took the time to meet with the hospitable staff at The Sixth Floor Museum. From our first meeting inquiry, Ms. Nicola Longford--Chief Executive Officer, graciously welcomed us to visit the museum. Other museum staff who were instrumental in arranging our visit were: Mr. Tim Case-- Director of Operations and Special Initiatives, Mr. Steve Warden-- Operations Manager, and Mr. David Ontiveros--Assistant Operations Manager. We were fortunate to be greeted by Ms. Kimberly Camuel Bryan--Chief Philanthropy Officer, and to have our tour personally conducted by Mr. Stephen Fagin--Curator. The Sixth Floor Museum is located in the former Texas School Book Depository building in Dallas. On the morning of November 22, 1963, Texas School Book Depository employee Lee Harvey Oswald, retrieved a rifle from a cached hiding spot, and took a position in the corner of a sixth floor window overlooking the publicly pre-announced motorcade route for President John F. Kennedy through downtown Dallas. As the Presidential motorcade slowly turned from Houston Street onto Elm Street, the crowds gathered below started excitedly waving and greeting President Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Oswald is presumed to have opened fire on the automobiles below. Bullets struck and killed President Kennedy and wounded Texas Governor John Connally as the cars traveled through Dealey Plaza. The Sixth Floor Museum reimagines that tragic event forever fatefully ingrained in the hearts and minds of the citizens and leaders of Dallas. During our tour, Mr. Fagin pointed out the photographs, film clips, artifacts, scale models and displays that document the assassination and thoughtfully examine its continued impact on the American people and its place in our Nation's history. The museum chronicles the life and significant contributions of President Kennedy and his administration's legacy. I am grateful for the hospitality of The Sixth Floor Museum staff and especially appreciative of the time and authoritative expertise Mr. Fagin shared with me and my staff. I would encourage everyone who has the opportunity to visit this historic venue.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Emma Lynn Thomson. I had the pleasure of getting to know Emma when she served as my communications director. Emma was a rising star on Capitol Hill and had an exceptional work ethic. She was a salt of the earth person who cared deeply for those around her. Because of her constant search for new ways to connect with constituents, North Texans, Pennsylvanians, and Hoosiers are fortunate to have benefited from her heart for public service. She hailed from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Her sister, Molly, put it best at her memorial service. Emma's priorities were God first, family and friends second, and then her blooming career. Her love for her Savior was reflected in how she cared for others. She never missed an opportunity to join family occasions, big or small. Emma was an active member at Capitol Hill Baptist Church where she taught Sunday school, led Bible studies, and was the Deaconess for weddings. Emma not only poured her life into her community, but also her country. After graduating from Bishop McCort High School, she attended and graduated from George Washington University. Her political career started as a press assistant for Senator Marco Rubio's Presidential campaign. Before coming to Capitol Hill to serve as communications director for three Members of Congress, she served as the digital communications assistant for the Democracy Fund. Emma loved our country, and her loss will never be replaced on Capitol Hill. My thoughts have remained with her parents, Linda and David, her sister, Molly, and all who treasured her. Her life is one taken far too early.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the tremendous contributions of The Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) serving the Fort Worth District of Texas. The USACE provides flood risk management to the Dallas metro area, stores water for the City of Dallas, and manages the recreation and natural resources around lake Lewisville including the Lewisville dam. My staff and I recently had the opportunity to tour the lake and see firsthand the improvements and preservation work the USACE has done to ensure the safety of the residents of the Dallas metro area. I would like to recognize the USACE participants who facilitated my team's site visit: Col. Jonathan S. Stover--District Commander, U.S. Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District Matt Hays--Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District Eric Verwers--Deputy District Engineer for Programs and Project Management, Fort Worth District Tim MacAllister--Chief of Operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District Joyce McDonald--Chief of Operations and Regulatory, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Southwestern Division James Murphy--Operations Project Manager, Trinity Region, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District Rob Jordan--Lewisville/Ray Roberts Lakes Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District Justin Berndt--Deputy Operations Project Manager, Trinity Region, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District Nick Wilson--Lead Ranger, Lewisville Lake, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District Tom Gresback--Director, Intergovernmental Affairs & Strategic Communications, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth Shari Brandt--Resident Engineer, Construction Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District Shawn Messick--Project Engineer, Construction Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District Stacy Gray--Program Manager, Program and Project Management Division--Civil Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District Tony Mendolia--Project Manager, Program and Project Management Division--Civil Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District Matt Lindquist--Project Manager, Program and Project Management Division--Civil Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District Trevor Welsh--Public Affairs Specialist, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District Chandler Sanford--Park Ranger, Lewisville/Ray Roberts Lakes Dax Hall--Park Ranger, Lewisville/Ray Roberts Lakes Grayson Gregory--Park Ranger, Lewisville/Ray Roberts Lakes Gabriel Torres--Civil Engineering Technician, Lewisville/ Ray Roberts Lakes Christopher Vaughan--Maintenance Worker, Lewisville/Ray Roberts Lakes Sallie Wilson--Admin Support Specialist, Lewisville/Ray Roberts Lakes I would like to sincerely thank these members of the USACE for the Texan hospitality extended to my staff and commend them for the huge strides they have made in rehabilitation of the Lewisville dam and surrounding area. I wish them the best as they continue the hard and important work of preservation, flood control, and water conservation.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the significant contributions of Ms. Molly McFadden, as she steps down as Director of the North Central Texas Council of Governments' (NCTCOG) Department of Emergency Preparedness. I'm pleased to join Ms. McFadden's friends and colleagues to celebrate her twenty years of committed service to the safety of North Texas. Ms. McFadden, a University of North Texas alumna, first began working for the NCTCOG in September 2002 as an Emergency Preparedness Specialist. During her time as a student, her involvement in the International Emergency Management Student Association in the aftermath of 9/11 garnered numerous awards. She also briefly served on the municipal level as the Emergency Management Specialist for the town of Flower Mound in 2003. In 2005, she also earned her Master of Public Administration at UNT and continues to be a devoted proponent of her beloved alma mater. Throughout her lengthy tenure with NCTCOG, Ms. McFadden's passionate dedication to public preparedness and safety has expanded and strengthened North Texas' emergency response capabilities and infrastructure. Ms. McFadden was personally instrumental in forming the NCTCOG Emergency Preparedness (EP) Department, which effectively coordinates and fosters collaboration between local, county, regional, State, and Federal agencies to execute and heighten regional emergency preparedness and homeland security programs. After being promoted to EP Supervisor and then EP Manager, Ms. McFadden was selected as the Director of the EP Department in 2010, where she has served for the past 12 years. In addition to her leadership at the NCTCOG, Ms. McFadden served on the Board of Directors for the Emergency Management Association of Texas (EMAT), and, from 2006-2008, as the organization's Vice President. Her involvement with EMAT also included significant contributions to educational programming for the Association's annual conference, which she capably chaired for several years. In addition, she is a member of the FBI's InfraGard program, The International Association of Emergency Managers, and the World Affairs Council. Her emergency response deployments include Emergency Operation Center assignments in the wakes of Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Harvey, and Hurricane Ike, where her selfless devotion helped to provide effective disaster relief to citizens and communities across Texas. On the local level, Ms. McFadden has implemented new training initiatives, such as Urban Shield and Big-X, to equip civilians and government entities for emergency response. I am also personally grateful to her and her staff for their efforts to educate and equip my constituents to prepare for all hazards, both natural and man made. At my annual Emergency Preparedness Summit, she has often served as a subject matter expert on intergovernmental cooperation and as a panel moderator. Ms. McFadden's expertise, diligence and leadership has resulted in the enhanced safety and well-being of her fellow Texans. I applaud her two decades of exemplary public service, and I wish her all the best in her future personal and professional endeavors.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Mrs. Fischbach), a fellow member of the House Committee on Rules.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith) for rebuttal.

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

Mr. BURGESS. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, while I recognize we are engaged in a very, very partisan exercise and a harsh partisan debate, I do want to acknowledge the loss from our congressional family of the Representative from Indiana (Mrs. Walorski). I so appreciated your presence at her funeral yesterday. I know it was a difficult time for many of us. We also lost two of our congressional staffers, who, in many ways, are like family. Emma Thomson used to work in my office as my communications director. It has been a tough week, and now we end it with today's rule providing for the consideration of a Senate amendment to H.R. 5376, the so-called Inflation Reduction Act. I say the so-called Inflation Reduction Act because you would almost need a degree in nanometrology, you would almost need a micrometer to be able to measure the amount of deficit reduction that is included in this failed legislation that we have in front of us. In fact, this is the second time we have seen this legislative vehicle. The Democrats tried to push through a partisan budget reconciliation. Now, what does that mean? That means that there is zero input from the Republican side of the aisle. Why is that important? You have a House and a Senate that are almost evenly divided. It is 50-50 in the Senate. They relied on the Vice President's vote to get this across the finish line. As we heard this morning at the swearing- in of our new Member, you have a bare majority in the House of Representatives. So don't try to tell people that this has been an exercise that is well thought out, that has come through the committees of jurisdiction where people have had input. No. No Republican has had any input into this travesty that we have in front of us today. Mr. Speaker, I sit on the Budget Committee. We did not mark up a budget resolution for fiscal year 2022. Instead, what happened? The budget was deemed passed in a rule vote without any--zero--floor consideration. This bill is a reconfigured Build Back Better Act that the House passed last October that didn't really have the breath to rise up off the floor, but somehow Senators cut a deal--Democratic Senators cut a deal with themselves--and now we have it on the floor today. Mr. Speaker, I stress again, this bill had no Republican input, and it will have a negligible effect on inflation. President Biden has stated that this bill will reduce inflationary pressures. Oh, my God, just make stuff up. What do you mean, inflationary pressures? That is not the same thing as actually reducing inflation. In fact, when you look at the language of this bill, you will recognize that there are things started but they are only for a short period of time. In reality, we know that once something is started it never stops up here. If you remove the sunset provisions and assume all spending in this bill is going to be extended through the 10-year budget window, this bill actually spends $745 billion and adds $148 billion to the national debt. After Democrats pushed through a $1.9 trillion reconciliation package--and we all remember when that happened, February and March of 2021--billions of dollars more in spending is the last thing that American consumers need in the middle of record-high inflation. To combat inflation, the Federal Reserve has had to raise interest rates. They were late in starting, they dismissed inflation, and they said it was transitory; it wasn't really happening, a figment of your imagination. But since March they have raised interest rates by 2.25 percent, the fastest cumulative rate hike in over 10 years. According to the Congressional Budget Office--and we really haven't heard from them much this Congress--but according to the Congressional Budget Office, the increase in interest rates will cost taxpayers an extra $100 billion this year alone. Let me describe for you what is costing Americans so much. There are severe negative impacts in implementing government drug price controls, which are included in this bill. However, what most people do not understand is the effect this reconciliation package will have on healthcare and doctor's practices in America. At the end of this year, doctors are expecting a payment update in Medicare that is now calculated to be zero percent. Anywhere else in this town, a zero percent update is viewed as a pay cut because we have 8 to 9 percent inflation. Guess what? That same inflation affecting household budgets affects your budget running a medical practice. In addition to that, there is a 4.5 percent Medicare conversion factor, which is reduced, and the adoption of several changes to the evaluation and management of Current Procedural Terminology codes. The net effect is a big cut to the Nation's doctors. That is really where we should have been focusing some of our efforts. Instead, we tell our doctors and our nurses: You are our heroes. You got us through the coronavirus pandemic--the worst pandemic in 100 years. Thank you, heroes. Here is your pay cut. And the doctors go: Wait. What? Under this legislation, we will see changes to part B drug reimbursements that would lead to an average of a 40 percent cut for healthcare providers. Yet, Wednesday during the Rules Committee hearing, I offered an amendment with Dr. Murphy to actually fix this problem. I thought: Maybe this is just an oversight. Maybe they didn't really mean to do this. Unfortunately, it was rejected in the Rules Committee by a party-line vote. The confluence of these cuts threatens the sustainability of medical practices and will lead to physicians closing their doors. So let me be quite clear about that: A vote for this bill is a vote to close medical practices. To make matters worse, the providers who would be affected work in fields such as oncology, rheumatology, interventional pain management, hematology, internal medicine, and gastroenterology. I never thought I would be up here fighting to save specialty practices, especially oncology--community oncology--which focuses on the treatment of cancer. But as these practices close--and they will close--care will shift to hospitals. What happens when the care shifts to hospitals from the doctors' offices? Oh, it goes up by a factor of about 66 percent. So instead of saving money, we are actually costing money. Ultimately, the combined financial pressures will result in limited access to treatment for patients including those in rural areas. Following a major pandemic and a healthcare workforce shortage, we should be encouraging physicians to keep their practices open in order to have a more stable healthcare system that would benefit patients. But, instead, we do exactly the opposite. If this bill is signed into law, millions of patients could die waiting--waiting for those new drugs and cures that will no longer be developed in their lifetime. The last bill signed into law by President Obama at the end of 2016 was the 21st Century Cures Act, something that our Committee, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, worked on, this House passed, everyone was proud of the 21st Century Cures Act. We wanted to deliver the 21st Century Cures Act to patients who had been long-suffering, we wanted to get them there faster, and we wanted to get them there at lower cost. But now we are doing exactly the opposite. Millions of patients could die waiting for new drugs and new cures. I have heard directly from providers that potentially millions of patients will be affected if doctors close their doors. This bill is anti-doctor and anti-patient, and we will, unfortunately, see those consequences after final passage. This reconciliation bill also includes numerous Green New Deal provisions: There is a tax on natural gas production that will be passed on to consumers. Make no mistake about it. It is going to make it harder and more expensive to heat homes, to buy groceries, and to farm the land. This bill establishes a Department of Energy loan guarantee at $250 billion to support greenhouse gas reduction projects. I have been here long enough that I remember Solyndra in the Obama administration. This was a failed investment that cost the American taxpayers $500 million. There is also an energy efficiency home appliance rebate program to allow wealthy Americans to update their homes to the tune of $9 billion, and a $1 billion program to electrify garbage trucks and school busses. The bill includes $27 billion in a greenhouse gas reduction fund at the Environmental Protection Agency that will be a slush fund for greenhouse projects--$27 billion to the Environmental Protection Agency with no guardrails and with no oversight and we just hope that they are going to fix problems. Good luck with that. It also reinstates the Superfund excise tax on crude oil and imported petroleum, and this will result in an additional $11 billion tax burden on our oil and gas industry in the midst of record-high gas prices. It is a telling mental image that the President was forced to go hat in hand over to the Middle East, over to Saudi Arabia, and ask them to pump more oil. It is not as if we ran out here, but the President went over to Saudi Arabia hat in hand. And how embarrassing: they told him they actually weren't able to produce any more than they were right now. Last but not least, this bill contains a $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicles that must be made with a certain percentage of minerals mined in the United States or countries with U.S. free trade agreements. Most of the minerals come from China and Russia. There is not a single electric vehicle currently on the market that complies with this provision, and the European Union recently warned that this may violate the World Trade Organization domestic content and local assembly rules. I could continue but let me highlight some of the tax increases that average Americans will face. This bill creates a 15 percent minimum book tax on companies, but it includes exclusions for Green New Deal tax credits. A fix to the carried interest loophole was axed in the Senate to buy one vote and replaced with a 1-year extension of the State and local SALT tax cap. This was done to appease one Senator. It was removed and replaced with a passthrough loss limitation which will prohibit passthroughs from claiming a certain amount of after loss. Democrats have chosen to protect individuals in high-tech States over Main Street businesses. There is also a 1 percent excise tax on stock buybacks which will harm retirement investments. There are extensions of production tax credits for renewables--as if we haven't subsidized them enough already. And $80 billion--$80 billion--for the Internal Revenue Service including 87,000 new agents--new agents who will all be members of a Federal employees' union, likely contribute to Democratic campaigns, but are not required to be CPAs. I mean, where in the world do you go to make stuff like this up? Oh, yes, the United States House of Representatives run by Democrats. This has a 600 percent IRS funding increase over last year and a doubling of the number of employees. Wouldn't it be great to double the amount of employees in the FAA? How many people have recently been stuck trying to get from one place to another with air travel in this country? Instead we are expanding the IRS. Currently, the best accounting firms are struggling to hire CPAs. How is the IRS going to attract qualified individuals? It will only create tax technicians who could be injurious to citizens if not properly trained. Americans deserve better. Mr. Speaker, I urge opposition to the rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole), who is the ranking member of the House Rules Committee.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Reschenthaler), another valuable member of the House Committee on Rules.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, Republicans will amend the rule to allow the House to consider an amendment that would stop the IRS from hiring 87,000 new agents to target and harass lower- income Americans. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of the amendment into the Record, along with extraneous material, immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith), who is here to explain the amendment.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice).

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith) for the purposes of rebuttal.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Nebraska.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining on each side.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.