Andy Biggs

Mr. BIGGS

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. Palmer for sponsoring this amendment, which I support wholeheartedly. I support Mr. Palmer's implementation of the District of Columbia Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act which passed the D.C. Council in 2014. This law limits the ability of employers, including pro-life organizations, to avoid hiring applicants whose personal beliefs are contrary to their respective missions. Today, Congress can begin to right this wrong. Think about the real effect of this law. Organizations like March for Life, Americans United for Life, Susan B. Anthony List, or Family Research Council, among others, whose mission is to advocate for the sanctity of life could be forced to hire individuals who disagree with those very principles. In the 2012 case, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the right of religious organizations to hire employees that support the mission of the organization for which they will be advocating. We cannot allow 13 D.C. Council members to circumvent that decision and strip employers of their Constitutional rights. The United States Constitution explicitly grants Congress the power to ``exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over'' the District of Columbia. I believe we have a responsibility to ensure the D.C. Council is not infringing on the religious liberties of pro-life organizations. Mr. Chair, I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. BIGGS

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The EPA has no statutory duty to pursue or enforce regulation. My home State of Arizona, along with the States west of the Mississippi, are those who are most affected by the heavy hand of the enforcement arm of the EPA. In my community, dust is the number one particulate. The EPA's response is to come to us in a desert and say: ``Water it down. Water it down.'' Then they come after us because of misuse of water. This is the inconsistency that we see in the EPA that is weighing down the economy of many of the areas within the West. The more I meet with local and national natural resource leaders, their number one concern mostly deals with the EPA's burdensome regulations and its enforcement proceedings. Further reducing the EPA's enforcement budget will limit its ability to stifle the economy and enforce unconstitutional rules. I also want to emphasize the need to restore fiscal sanity in our country. With the ever-growing national debt, my amendment will return $10 million back to the United States Treasury. I thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Smith) for partnering with me on this effort, and to all Members who support our effort to restore fiscal and regulatory sanity in our country. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert).

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, earlier this year President Donald Trump submitted his budget request for fiscal year 2018 to Congress. The budget request included a 20 percent reduction in funding for the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance to $419 million, $129 million below the fiscal year 2017 level. The underlying bill cuts roughly 15 percent of the EPA's enforcement budget, and my amendment would get us closer to meeting the President's request by cutting an additional $10,234,000 from the EPA's programs and management account enforcement line item. Reducing the EPA's enforcement budget will help rein in inappropriate bureaucratic actions. It is necessary to revive the American economy and restore regulatory sanity to environmental regulations. Make no mistake, Mr. Chairman, the American people cannot afford to continue to be burdened by an out-of-control EPA that overregulates and promulgates rules and then punishes the American by adjudicating unconstitutional penalties. Mr. Chairman, I urge all Members to vote ``yes'' on my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. BIGGS

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Newhouse), and I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this important issue. I am an Arizona native. I grew up in southern Arizona, and trips to the southern Arizona border were not infrequent and not unusual. I have gone from San Luis to Naco, to Nogales, to Agua Prieta. I have been along the border many times, most recently just a couple months ago, and during that time, I used it as kind of a fact-finding expedition. I wanted to know what people who live right along the border talk about and think about as we in Congress consider things like a Presidential promise to build a wall, even in this bill, a partial wall, a good start. I will tell you what I know is that the number one drug and human smuggling corridor in the United States of America is through the Tucson sector. That is right through the heart of the Arizona-Mexico border. It impacts, literally, 75 to 80 miles into the border. Where we have wilderness preserves, our agents can't go in, they don't go in, and yet roadways are cut in this pristine desert by those who enter from the cartels, cutting roads with their vehicles that they know that our agents cannot traverse. So I am familiar with the area. I am familiar with the issue. I had the privilege of talking to Border Patrol agents over the last few years, but in particular the last time I was at the border, and I talked to a number of them. I wondered what the men and women think who actually service the border for us. I asked them whether they supported a wall. It was 100 percent, it was unanimous: they want a wall. They want additional infrastructure. They want a road that parallels that wall so they can have access to that wall and make the apprehensions that they need to. I talked to ranchers and farmers. It was unanimous then as well. Everyone wanted that wall, all recognizing the need for additional infrastructure of a roadway. When you go to various portions of the border now, it is a single strand of wire. You can step over it. We had one of the ranchers, an 81-year-old gentleman, demonstrate how he crawls underneath the wire at 81 years of age. Where there are small areas of fencing outside Nogales, either side from Nogales, that has cut down the number of folks who come that way; but since that fence only goes about 3 or 4 miles onto each side of the city, what happens is there is a flood of people who come around that fence. A border wall is important. It is imperative. Those of us who feel the direct brunt of the influx of people who come across the border, whether for hostile or benign intentions, we feel very strongly that a border wall would benefit our State. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this initiative, and I can tell you that my constituency also supports this initiative. With that, I urge everyone to support this initiative.

Mr. BIGGS

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, during my ``Freedom Fridays'' series, each week I highlight burdensome regulations that limit American freedom. This week, my focus is on the Obama administration's net neutrality policy. The internet is one of the greatest innovations ever. This has largely been possible because of the Federal Government's regulatory absence from the industry. Yet the Obama administration, in one of many cases of overregulation, took a radical step to inappropriately insert government interference. In 2015, the FCC adopted a rule to reclassify internet service providers as ``common carriers'' under title II of the Communications Act of 1934. This reclassification caused undue burdens for American ISPs and consumers. The Trump administration has been supportive of rolling back the Obama-era regulation. Now Congress needs to limit the authority of Federal bureaucrats and preserve a free and open internet. We should repeal the 2015 rule and prevent the FCC from issuing a similar rule. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in restoring internet freedom.

Mr. BIGGS

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, last week, I started ``Freedom Friday'' to highlight freedom-killing regulations currently in effect. Congress used the Congressional Review Act to overturn 14 regulations implemented in the waning days of the Obama administration. The repeal of these rules alone could save the economy millions of hours of paperwork--as much as $3.7 billion in regulatory costs to Federal agencies and up to $35 billion in compliance costs for industries. This is a nice start, but we are not done yet. My main priority here in Congress is to restore the constitutional parameters of the Federal Government and end overregulation. The first regulation that I will be highlighting for ``Freedom Friday'' is an overly burdensome restriction on our trucking industry. California and the Ninth Circuit have imposed more stringent standards for truckers than those established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. There are some issues over which Congress has clear constitutional authority. This is one of them. We simply cannot allow our vital interstate commerce to fall victim to an incoherent patchwork of burdensome regulations. Our economic and national security depend on resisting this ominous trend.

Mr. BIGGS

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for yielding time to me today. I applaud Congressman Olson for introducing this very important legislation. I also thank Science Committee Chairman Lamar Smith for holding numerous hearings to fully examine the Environmental Protection Agency's National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Arizonans desperately need the reforms that Representative Olson has offered in his legislation. Unfortunately, my constituents in the East Valley of Maricopa County understand all too well the consequences of onerous EPA regulations. Arizona has high levels of background ozone in the atmosphere, meaning that, from the EPA's perspective, we are regularly above the attainment level. But instead of trying to fully understand my State's intricate needs or engaging in efforts to work with State officials to develop achievable plans and paths forward, the EPA has doubled down time after time with new standards that are impossible to meet. H.R. 806 will help States like mine create meaningful implementation plans by giving us more time to work with the Federal Government and stakeholders. It will also allow us more flexibility in how we meet new regulations. Good, commonsense bills like this one are needed to ensure that we do not overregulate in a way that severely disrupts our local economies for little or no benefit. As chairman of the Science Subcommittee on Environment, I once again applaud Representative Olson and thank my friend from Illinois, and I look forward to seeing this bill pass this Chamber.

Mr. BIGGS

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and public service of Janet Bosley. Janet has been a caseworker in my district office and previously served my predecessor, Congressman Matt Salmon. She is a wife, a mother, a grandmother, and I am very happy to call her my friend. Janet will soon be retiring. She faithfully served the constituents of Arizona's Fifth Congressional District for the past 5 years, and her steady presence in the district has been invaluable. My staff and I are going to miss Janet's infectious smile and her witty stories. She is one of the most engaging people I have known, and my life has been blessed because of her friendship and example. I wish her the best of luck and happiness as she moves into this new chapter in her life. Thank you, Janet. May God bless you.

Mr. BIGGS

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for bringing this bill forward and also for granting me time to speak on an issue that I am passionate about, which is Right to Try. I support the underlying bill and hope that we have a chance, soon, to consider the Right to Try bill, which has been worked on by myself, Senator Johnson, and Representative Fitzpatrick. As many know, Right to Try would allow terminally ill patients who have no other options left to receive drugs that have passed the Food and Drug Administration's basic safety testing but which have not been fully approved. In 2014, my home State of Arizona passed a similar Right to Try law with nearly 80 percent of the vote, due in large part to the heroic efforts of my late friend, Laura Knaperek, who was battling incurable cancer at the time. Today, nearly 40 States have enacted Right to Try legislation. This is a bipartisan cause and one that has received strong support from the White House. I look forward to continuing to work with the chairman to find a path forward for Right to Try.

Mr. BIGGS

Mr. BIGGS. I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, President Trump has taken active steps to reverse the failed policies of the Obama administration and has been vocally supportive of Congress' efforts to do the same. Passing this bill is a positive step toward our duty of enforcing the Nation's immigration laws, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this vital piece of legislation.

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Goodlatte for yielding and for his leadership on this legislation. It is an honor to serve with him on the House Judiciary Committee. And I am grateful to Representative King as well for producing Sarah's Law. Today, the House of Representatives can pass a crucial piece of legislation to codify the tenets of two of President Trump's executive orders on immigration enforcement. H.R. 3003, the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act, will finally hold accountable States, cities, and local law enforcement agencies that provide safe haven to criminally violent illegal immigrants by refusing to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. You know what is astonishing and you know what is shocking, is that there are jurisdictions in this country that blatantly choose to endanger their communities by providing protection to criminals. Passage of H.R. 3003 ensures that these communities will no longer be given rewards for their dereliction of duty. Importantly, this bill also contains a section entitled Sarah and Grant's Law, which recognizes two young Americans who were murdered by criminally violent illegal aliens who had no right to be on our streets. In January 2015, a 21-year-old convenience store clerk and constituent of mine, Grant Ronnebeck, was working the graveyard shift at QuickTrip in Mesa, Arizona. Just before 4 a.m., an illegal alien with a long criminal record, awaiting deportation proceedings, walked in and demanded a pack of cigarettes. When Grant tried to count the money before handing them over, the man shot him and left him to die. Sarah and Grant are far from the only Americans who have been impacted by illegal immigration. In 2014, Mesa, Arizona, police officer Brandon Mendoza was killed in a wrong-way car crash by an illegal immigrant driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Despite tragic stories like these, the Obama administration continued to promote policies that circumvented many of our immigration laws, allowing thousands of criminals to return to our communities. It is time for these reckless policies to end. H.R. 3003 specifically targets illegals who commit serious crimes by preventing them from being released onto our streets during their deportation proceedings. After 8 years of policies that have placed a priority on protecting all illegal aliens, including those who are violent criminals, over the rights and safety of Americans, it is refreshing to have a President who is willing to follow regular law and order. President Trump has taken active steps to reverse the failed policies of the previous administration.

Mr. BIGGS

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a legendary Arizonan, Frank Kush, who passed away last week at age 88. Frank is best known for his career as coach of the Arizona State University Sun Devils football program. He won 176 games over 21\1/2\ seasons, the most ever in Sun Devil history. He was named national Coach of the Year after the 1975 season and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995. Coach Frank Kush was not only concerned with wins and losses, he was a mentor for young men and ensured that their professional and academic development rose above their athletic prowess. Coach Kush influenced hundreds of young men during his career at Arizona State. His impact is ever-present in the lives of his former players, and his legacy will never be forgotten.

Mr. BIGGS

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, in December 2010, U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed with a gun that was traced back to the Department of Justice's Operation Fast and Furious. His family awaits answers. Agent Terry's family recently testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that the Obama administration continually denied all efforts to release any additional information about his death. They are now calling on President Trump to finally unseal the records and expose the dirty secrets behind this tragic scandal. It is shameful that the Trump administration has been repeatedly accused of collusion and coverups based on unsourced rumors, while little attention was given to the Obama administration's blatant efforts to cover up the truth into Agent Terry's murder. Under Operation Fast and Furious, roughly 2,000 firearms were purposely sold to criminals, which were later smuggled into Mexico, and have been linked to multiple homicides. The Obama administration stonewalled Congress, investigators, and Americans for years and, to this day, refuse to take responsibility for their mistake. It is time for the truth. We have an opportunity to return transparency and trust to our government, and I fully support the Terry family's request for the records to be unsealed.

Mr. BIGGS

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ayesha Ahsan, a resident of Arizona's Fifth Congressional District, who has earned a significant achievement: the Congressional Award Gold Medal. Ayesha has completed 400 hours of voluntary public service, 200 hours each of personal development and physical fitness, and a 5-day, 4-night expedition. She is one of five Arizonans and only 373 Americans to win this prestigious award in 2017. Ayesha volunteered at her local hospital in outpatient services, where she was responsible for registering patients who needed vital tests. For her personal development requirement, Ms. Ahsan participated in weekly study groups with her friends to prepare for the SAT exam; and for physical fitness, she worked out at the local gym. For her expedition, she traveled to Sedona, Arizona, where she enjoyed hiking and exploration of that town. Congratulations to Ayesha on these achievements. By completing the benchmarks for this award, Ayesha has learned perseverance and diligence, traits that will last her a lifetime. I thank her for her example and service to our community, and I wish her well with her future endeavors.

Mr. BIGGS

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, during his confirmation hearing to become President Trump's Deputy Director for the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought faced inappropriate and unconstitutional lines of questioning from two of the Budget Committee's Democratic Senators directly relating to his Christian faith. A Senator took direct issue with an article Mr. Vought wrote last year describing a core tenet of the Christian faith that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ. After attempting to twist that belief into a claim that Mr. Vought is hateful and discriminatory toward non-Christians, Senator Sanders said: ``This nominee is really not someone who this country is supposed to be about. I will vote `no.''' Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vought's qualifications are excellent. To take the view of Senator Sanders that is clearly tied to a disagreement over a religious tenet is discriminatory in and of itself. Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution states ``no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.'' Mr. Vought's Christian faith should not have been the subject of this harsh questioning, and no excuse should ever justify a public official putting someone's faith on trial. We should not ignore this episode but, rather, stand in defense of Mr. Vought's right to live his faith as we defend the religious freedom of all Americans.

Mr. BIGGS

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, today is National Missing Children's Day. This day of recognition was started by President Reagan in 1983 to raise awareness of the threat of child abduction, and reminds us today that we still have work to do. Following the tragic murder of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman in 1996, Congress authorized the AMBER Alert system to create a coordinated alert system to assist law enforcement in finding abducted children in the important first hours after an abduction. Since its inception, more than 800 children have been recovered through the use of the AMBER Alert system. However, the original legislation did not include Indian Tribes as eligible users of the program, and we saw the tragic effects of this exclusion when 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike was abducted and murdered on the Navajo Nation. For this reason, I have introduced the AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act. This act will include our 567 Federally recognized tribes as partners in the AMBER Alert Program to ensure that everyone is able to utilize this important tool. My bill is a bipartisan effort and it is endorsed by criminal justice, child safety groups, and Indian Tribes around the country. Mr. Speaker, the AMBER Alert has helped many families experience the joy of being reunited with an abducted child. It is time we extend this alert to Indian Country so that no child is outside the jurisdiction of this vital program. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation so we can continue to protect our children.

Mr. BIGGS

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, each Memorial Day, a newspaper in my State, the Arizona Republic, publishes one particular letter to remind its readers of the sacrifice our soldiers made in defense of their country. The letter is written by Sullivan Ballou to his wife on July 14, 1861. Sullivan was a major in the Union Army, 32 years old, and about to enter the first battle of Bull Run. A little more than a week later, almost 3,000 Union soldiers had perished, including Sullivan. Major Sullivan's letter reads as follows: ``My very dear Sarah: The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days--perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write again, I feel impelled to write a few lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more. . . . ``I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know how strongly American civilization now leans on the triumph of the government and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and sufferings of the Revolution. And I am willing-- perfectly willing--to lay down all my joys in this life to help maintain this government and to pay that debt. . . . ``Sarah, my love for you is deathless. It seems to bind me with mighty cables that nothing but omnipotence could break; and yet my love of country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me unresistibly on with all these chains to the battlefield. The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them for so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when, God willing, we might still have lived and loved together, and seen our sons grow up to honorable manhood around us. ``I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me--perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar--that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not, my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name. ``Forgive my many faults and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have oftentimes been. How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness. . . . ``But, O Sarah, if the dead can come back to this Earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the gladdest days and in the darkest nights . . . always, always, and if there be a soft breeze upon your check, it shall be my breath, as the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by. ``Sarah, do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again.'' So closes Major Ballou's letter. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield to my colleague, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Brat).

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield to my colleague from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson).

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, on Monday we observe Memorial Day to honor members of America's Armed Forces who have died in service to our Nation. For those who have lost a loved one, a friend, a neighbor, or a comrade, this day has added significance, remembrance, and sadness. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson).

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.

Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, I am going to take a moment to give recognition to a special veteran from my district who is 90 years old and is a World War II veteran, who worked in the U.S. Navy during World War II and saw many trips across the Pacific Ocean and endured the life of a sailor, sometimes monotonous and sometimes under very perilous circumstances, including at least one attack by kamikazes of his ship and convoy. I pay special tribute at this time to Wayne Whitlock, who has persevered for many years after service to his country in that great war. Mr. Speaker, I am also reminded tonight of President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. As President Lincoln looked out on a battlefield that had experienced almost 50,000 casualties, he said: ``The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this Nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.'' Mr. Speaker, very few of us in this Chamber will be remembered long after we leave Washington, D.C. Almost no one will remember my speech tonight, and it will soon become lost in the Congressional Record. Yet we are here in this body because of the heroic efforts of men and women who have given their lives for this country for over 200 years. We can never forget their sacrifices. The only reason we can participate in the activities of this Chamber is because of the sacrifices of our Armed Forces, particularly those who have paid the ultimate price. They have nobly defended our freedoms and our way of life up to their last measure of devotion. They left behind fathers, mothers, wives, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, friends, and communities to ensure that future generations walk in the light of liberty. President Lincoln was resolved that those soldiers shall not have died in vain. They and all the soldiers who have died defending American wars and conflicts still deserve that respect and dignity. Mr. Speaker, we should govern every day with our heroes in mind. We should strive to make them proud of our speech, our actions, and our commitment to our promises. The American Dream, spirit, and Constitution that they fought for should be our charge. I would be remiss tonight if I did not mention the loved ones these patriots left behind, who are also patriotic. Countless men, women, and children have watched their American soldiers walk away from home, hoping that they will return safely, unaffected physically, mentally, and emotionally. Sadly, many of those heroes never make it home. Knowing that no words can do justice to their sacrifices, I can only say: Thank you. A grateful nation mourns with your loss. Mr. Speaker, Monday may be the official observance of Memorial Day, but we live with the memory of our fallen heroes every day across our country. I am eternally grateful for their sacrifices. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.