Andy Barr

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 77.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 56.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor an historic business, Milward Funeral Directors, as they celebrate their 200th anniversary. Milward's is located in Lexington, Kentucky. In 1825, Lexington had a population of 5,517 and was the largest town west of the Allegheny Mountains. Joseph Milward, at the age of 21, began a cabinet and furniture business. Soon he started producing caskets for families throughout Lexington. The business grew and continued for 200 years, providing comfort and support to families during times of grief. Milward's is the oldest business in Lexington and the 37th oldest continuously operating business in the United States. Six generations of Milward family members have led the business, beginning with Joseph Milward, continuing to Col. William Rice Milward, William Rice Milward, Jr., William Emmet Milward, Robert Emmet Milward, and Robert Emmet Milward, Jr. Through their leadership, the business grew, changed with the times, and eventually expanded to three locations. Each of these men have been involved in the Lexington community in important ways and have made significant contributions. Milward's has served Lexington families for six generations and exemplified compassion and humility in the services they provide to grieving families. As Milward Funeral Directors celebrates their 200th anniversary, it is my honor to lift up this historic business.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of a special man, Robert ``Bob'' Gable, of Frankfort, Kentucky. Mr. Gable passed away on November 29, 2024, at the age of 90. Mr. Gable was born in New York City, grew up in Oregon and Arizona, and graduated from Stanford University. He served as an officer in the United States Navy. Mr. Gable and his wife Emily moved to Stearns, Kentucky, where they raised their three children. He ran The Stearns Lumber & Coal Co. founded by his great-grandfather. In 1964, Mr. Gable's political activity began when he worked on Howard Baker's first campaign for the U.S. Senate in Tennessee. He then worked on the successful gubernatorial campaign of Kentucky's Louie Nunn. Following the election, Mr. Gable was appointed as the state parks commissioner and the family moved to Frankfort. Gable ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 1972. When his party needed someone to run for governor in 1975 against incumbent Julian Caroll, Gable agreed to enter the race. He ran for governor again in 1995 and was unsuccessful in the primary. Mr. Gable was elected chairman of the Republican Party of Kentucky in 1986, at a time when Republicans were vastly outnumbered. A strong and unwavering leader, he began to lay the groundwork for changing the political landscape in Kentucky. His enthusiasm, optimism, and gracious demeanor never diminished. He took a close personal interest in candidates and party leaders, giving expert advice and counsel. Over the years he served as a mentor for countless young people with an interest in politics. Mr. Gable's wife Emily passed way in 2017. He is survived by his three children James, Elizabeth, and John and his two grandchildren. Bob Gable was a great patriot, one of my most valued political mentors, and a true Kentucky gentleman. I am most grateful for his loyal and genuine friendship, his sound advice, never-fail positive attitude, and kind, dignified manner. It is my honor to lift up his life before the House of Representatives.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a special man, Freddie Johnson, from Frankfort, Kentucky. Mr. Johnson is well-known in the bourbon industry for his service as Distillery VIP Visitor Lead for Buffalo Trace Distillery. Mr. Johnson was born in Bourbon County and his family moved to Frankfort when he was 5 years old. His grandfather, Jimmy Johnson, Sr., began working at Buffalo Trace in 1912. He was there for 52 years and became the first African American warehouse foreman. His father, Jimmy Johnson, Jr., joined him at Buffalo Trace in 1936 and served as warehouse supervisor. Young Freddie played at Buffalo Trace as a child. In 2002, Johnson retired early from a job in Atlanta to return home, work with his father, and become the third generation of his family to work at Buffalo Trace. Mr. Johnson has become famous for providing entertaining and informative tours of Buffalo Trace to thousands of guests each year. For his contributions to the bourbon industry, he was inducted into the Bourbon Hall of Fame in 2018. He is a recipient of the 2015 ROSE (Recognition of Service Excellence) award and the 2017 Lexington Hospitality Award. In 2024, he was chosen to be part of the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame, becoming their first Black member. The Kentucky Black Bourbon Guild has a scholarship named in his honor. Mr. Johnson has contributed greatly to the success of the bourbon industry, one of Kentucky's signature industries. It is my honor to lift up the life of this true Kentucky treasure, Mr. Freddie Johnson, and celebrate his iconic career at Buffalo Trace.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 484.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Robert ``Bobby'' Pease, from Flemingsburg, Kentucky. Mr. Pease is an exemplary teacher at Fleming County High School. Mr. Pease earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Education and a Master of Arts degree in Career and Technical Education. He began his teaching career at Fleming County High School in 2003 and is a national board-certified teacher. He is a welding instructor at Fleming County High School and Director of Education at the Kentucky Welding Institute. In 2023 and again in 2024, Mr. Pease coached welding teams from Fleming County High School who were named the Kentucky FFA State Fair Welding Champions. Mr. Pease was appointed as a Curriculum Specialist by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training. He is an AWS Certified Welding Inspector and is certified with OSHA, an NCCER Master Trainer, and an NCCCO Practical Examiner. Mr. Pease was recently honored as one of 25 instructors nationwide to win the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence. This very prestigious and well-deserved award includes a $50,000 prize, to be shared with his school's skilled trades program. The award was created to recognize excellence among high school skilled trades teachers. More than 900 applications from all fifty states were submitted for the 2024 prize. In addition to all his professional honors. Mr. Pease serves as a mentor to his students and encourages them as he prepares them for good careers and a bright future. He is well-respected both at school and in the Flemingsburg community. I am honored to recognize him before the House of Representatives.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. BARR. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my bipartisan amendment to the Fix Our Forests Act, a terrific piece of bipartisan legislation, and I compliment both Chairman Westerman and the gentleman from California (Mr. Peters) for their leadership on this. My amendment would, if enacted, secure the future of the American white oak, which is one of the most important tree species in the Eastern United States. It occupies 104 million acres in this country and is vital for biodiversity, wildlife, and our economy. American white oak is used in almost every forest product, including furniture, flooring, cabinetry, barrels for aging wine, American whiskey and, yes, Kentucky bourbon, which is America's native spirit by the definition passed by Congress, and which must be aged in new charred white oak barrels. Kentucky's Sixth District is home to some of the world's most renowned distilleries. The industry as a whole produces over $9 billion and more than 23,000 jobs for the Commonwealth annually. Additionally, Kentucky distillers exported over $500 million worth of products abroad in 2022. The problem is that while there is ample mature white oak now, there will not be in the future unless immediate and widespread action is taken. Young stands of white oak simply don't exist in the amount needed to support wildlife and sustainable forestry and do not exist for the future of the bourbon industry. Reforestation of white oak is challenging because without some additional assistance here, white oak is extremely slow growing. Over the next 20 years, the population of white oak is expected to drop considerably, which will have a significant negative impact on Kentucky's ability to age and produce bourbon. My amendment addresses this specifically by establishing the White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition to encourage the Forest Service to work alongside private and State partners at no cost to the taxpayer. Additionally, the amendment asks the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior to regenerate white oak through a series of pilot projects in national parks and on volunteered private lands. Lastly, it allows the Forest Service to enter into memorandums of understanding with land grant institutions to conduct much-needed research on white oak. This bipartisan amendment does not authorize any new spending or programs but instead would work within existing programs and agency budgets to preserve our heritage and fortify an industry that is critical to Kentucky's economy and is America's native spirit. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BARR. Mr. Chair, I would just say to my friend from California that former Speaker Henry Clay, who was famous for bringing barrels of white oak filled with Kentucky whiskey up to the Capitol Building, used to famously say that Kentucky bourbon could lubricate the wheels of government. I would hope that the gentlewoman would take that into consideration in withdrawing her opposition to this very important amendment. Mr. Chair, I yield time to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman), the sponsor of the legislation and the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee.

Mr. BARR. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. It is a win-win. It is a win for reforestation, it is a win for the Kentucky bourbon industry, and it certainly will help this important bipartisan legislation, Fix Our Forests Act, pass. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Prioritizing Economic Growth Over Woke Policies Act, sponsored by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Huizenga), my good friend. This important act includes two of my bills, the Protecting Retail Investors' Savings Act and the Banking Regulator International Reporting Act, to protect capitalism from the politicization of capital allocation and to curtail the Biden-Harris regulators' efforts to circumvent Congress and use regulation to force leftist climate policies down the throats of the American people. In recent years, we have witnessed an alarming rise in asset managers favoring green and politically favored investments that deliver lower returns. According to data from Morningstar last year, sustainable U.S. equity funds underperformed the broader S&P 500 Index by 5 percentage points. In 2022, the average sustainable ESG fund was down 19\1/2\ percent. This stands to reason because ESG funds are, by design, less diversified. Studies show that fees for ESG funds average as much as 43 percent higher than non-ESG funds, further eroding investor returns. Too often, retail investors unwittingly sacrificed financial returns to advance the ESG movement. It is time to stand up for American investors against the fraud of ESG. My bill would require investment advisers to prioritize financial performance over these nonpecuniary and political factors. Additionally, the Federal banking agencies, in coordination with the Biden-Harris administration, are working with global governance bodies outside of our country and climate activists to put climate policies into supervision of U.S. financial institutions under the guise of concerns about safety, soundness, and stability. When Congress questions their motives and actions, they claim they are just abiding by international standards in secret board meetings abroad. Congress and the American people deserve transparency and robust information on these meetings between U.S. regulators and foreign global governance groups, some of which include officials from our adversaries.

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, regulators' independence is being severely threatened, as they are being politicized to achieve the dreams of the Green New Deal. For the safety of our economy and for the retirement security of our constituents, we must pass this legislation to end the politicization of capital allocation, not to harm capitalism, but to depoliticize capitalism, to take the government out of capitalism. Mr. Speaker, that is why I urge my colleagues to support the passage of this legislation.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a special man, Jimmy Russell, from Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Mr. Russell, an icon in the bourbon industry, marks his 70th anniversary at Wild Turkey distillery. Mr. Russell grew up in Anderson County, five miles from Wild Turkey. He followed in his father's footsteps and went to work at Wild Turkey, then known as Anderson County Distilling, sweeping floors. He rotated jobs and learned all the steps involved in making bourbon, discovering that no job is too small and no task too tedious when it comes to making bourbon the right way. In 1967, he became Master Distiller, a position that he held for nearly half a century. Today he is Co-Master Distiller alongside his son Eddie Russell. He is the longest tenured active Master Distiller in the industry. Mr. Russell has earned numerous accolades for his outstanding work, including being named to the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame, the Whiskey Hall of Fame, and a lifetime honorary member of the Kentucky Distiller's Association. He has been named a Kentucky Colonel by three Kentucky governors and has been a whiskey judge for the International Wine and Spirits Competition. Mr. Russell is a fixture at the distillery, where he serves as a goodwill ambassador, greeting tourists at the visitor's center, charming them as he imparts knowledge about bourbon, signing bottles, and posing for pictures. He also samples and shares his opinion on new bourbons being developed at Wild Turkey. He enjoys working alongside his son Eddie and grandson Bruce. Mr. Russell has contributed greatly to the success of the bourbon industry, one of Kentucky's signature industries. It is my honor to lift up the life of this true Kentucky treasure, Mr. Jimmy Russell, and celebrate his 70 years at Wild Turkey.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 403.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5245) to amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to require certain congressional notification prior to entering into, renewing, or extending a science and technology agreement with the People's Republic of China, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Waltz), the author of this bill.

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the right to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1157) to provide for the authorization of appropriations for the Countering the People's Republic of China Malign Influence Fund, and for other purposes.

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my legislation, H.R. 1157, Countering the PRC Malign Influence Fund Authorization Act. The Chinese Communist Party is the most dangerous threat America has faced in decades, and Beijing has been spreading its malign influence across the world. China knows that one of the United States' greatest assets is our credibility and effectiveness in supporting our allies and partners. Thus, the CCP is actively working to undermine U.S. legitimacy across the world by undercutting and distorting markets in areas such as critical infrastructure. Among other things, their disruptive tools include predatory lending, coercive economic practices, misinformation, taking advantage of foreign corruption, and legitimizing authoritarianism. The Countering the PRC Malign Influence Fund was originally created by an appropriation intended to address China's pernicious and growing influence, but for too long it has been used as a slush fund for the State Department's vanity projects, for example: $6 million for expanding Pacific Island weather and ocean data collection, $5 million for English language training in Angola, $2.5 million for scooter charging stations in Vietnam. While some may argue that funding for these types of activities can counter the PRC by meeting the wish lists of our partners experiencing PRC pressure, there are other organizations like the Development Finance Corporation and USAID that are already able to meet these types of needs with their own appropriated and authorized funding. The bill before us today will create specific statutory guardrails so that our taxpayer dollars are used strategically and effectively to counter the CCP's malign influence. It specifies the aims and duties of the fund, requires consultation with Congress before funds are obligated, and mandates an annual report on the fund's activities. This is basic congressional stewardship of taxpayer dollars. The bill received bipartisan support when it was marked up by the Foreign Affairs Committee last year. While we will never be able to nor want to outspend the PRC dollar for dollar, we must ensure that every ounce of funding is going the farthest to counter this generational threat. I urge my colleagues to support my bill, the Countering the PRC Malign Influence Fund Authorization Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I thank Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Meeks for working with me to move this important legislation to the floor. I share many of the comments that my friend, the ranking member from New York, just stated. We do need to invest. We need to invest in the tools of diplomacy that we have to counter PRC malign influence in the world. We need to support the China transformational exports program with the Export-Import Bank. We need to support the Development Finance Corporation. We need to support USAID where it can help and the Peace Corps where it can help with soft power. We need diplomacy. We need foreign deployed foreign service personnel. However, we have to remember that we cannot counter and we should not attempt to counter Communist China by becoming more like China. We have a $35 trillion national debt, Mr. Speaker. Spending money like drunken sailors without any accountability and without any effective strategy is not effective diplomacy in countering the malign influence from China. While I certainly do support the PRC malign influence fund, for goodness' sake, we are the Congress. We control the purse strings. Let's do our job. Let's create an authorization, put some guardrails around it and not allow the administration to spend this country into bankruptcy. That is the fastest way to lose the competition to China. Let's put some parameters around this PRC malign influence fund and direct those scarce taxpayer resources effectively so that they actually do the job that the taxpayers deserve and we actually win this fight. Spending our country into oblivion is what Communists do. We don't do that. Our ace in the hole is that we are capitalists. We do not misallocate resources. That is why we need this bill. All of us agree that American taxpayer dollars should be used more effectively to counter China's disruptive, predatory influence around the world, but let's do it smart, Mr. Speaker. Let's do it the smart way. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to vote in favor of H.R. 1157, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1103) to require the President to remove the extension of certain privileges, exemptions, and immunities to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices if Hong Kong no longer enjoys a high degree of autonomy from the People's Republic of China, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure.