Ted Budd

Mr. BUDD

Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Ohio for yielding. Mr. Speaker, the fundamental truth is that the Second Amendment guarantees the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms to protect themselves and their loved ones. America's Founders spoke on this issue extensively. Benjamin Franklin warned that those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin was right. The American tradition of self-reliance, self- determination, and self-defense has been fierce. It has been what makes this country so exceptional and so great. Today, the House will vote on legislation that would undermine that very right. What is worse is that both of these bills would not have prevented mass shootings or tragedies across this Nation. Those are awful events. We all agree that those events are awful. But in those cases, the criminal either passed a background check or they stole their weapons. We cannot sacrifice our rights by passing laws that will make our families less safe and laws that criminals will simply ignore. We must always protect and preserve our God-given Second Amendment right.

Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, point of order. I would request that the colleague from Virginia direct his remarks to you and not to other colleagues.

Mr. BUDD

Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, as a Federally licensed gun store owner, I have a unique perspective on our Second Amendment rights, and I actually happen to know how background checks actually work. It seems that H.R. 8 is being sold as universal background checks, and it would impose harsh penalties, like six-figure fines and jail time, for the simple act of handing a firearm to another person even for temporary use, like instruction. The exemptions under H.R. 8 are woefully inadequate to protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners. Let's say, Mr. Speaker, that you loan your firearm to a victim of domestic violence because their abuser is just getting ready to be released from jail, or if a suicidal friend asks you to take possession of their firearm, or if you loan your cousin a gun after a series of burglaries in their neighborhood. These new transfer penalties would turn law-abiding citizens into criminals. We simply cannot sacrifice our rights by passing laws that will make our families less safe and laws that criminals will simply ignore. We must always protect and preserve our God-given Second Amendment rights.

Mr. BUDD

Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, over the past year, the government has appropriated over $4 trillion--that is with a T--in COVID relief. Now we are standing here this week and we are debating whether or not to add another $2 trillion to that enormous total. But what should shock taxpayers across the country is that $1 trillion of COVID relief still remains unspent. That means funding is still left over from last December and funding is still left over from even last March. Now, that is money that the current administration hasn't spent for vaccines, hasn't spent for testing, hasn't spent on schools reopening, and certainly not even to reopen our country. Mr. Speaker, I think people in Washington often forget that the dollars that we are debating really aren't ours. They are the next generation's, and this money belongs to that generation and to the American people. Is it not too much to ask what the current administration plans to do with the $1 trillion in unspent taxpayer funds, Mr. Speaker, especially before we toss another $2 trillion on to that pile? This is a basic question that would come up during a family budget discussion with a lot less zeros, much less the Government of the United States talking about trillions of dollars. But before and beyond the unspent funds, what the Democrat package does spend money on is yet another partisan wish list with about 9 percent of it actually going to COVID. Meaning 91 percent of it is not even COVID-related. Mr. Speaker, this bill's minimum wage increase, for instance, would kill 1.4 million blue-collar jobs, and its unemployment insurance hike would keep incentivizing workers to stay at home, which is a real struggle in my district when an employer wants 2,000 people to come back to work and they are competing with the Federal Government. This makes it worse. Under this bill, Mr. Speaker, stimulus checks would go to illegal immigrants. Under this bill, taxpayer funding for abortion is allowed, and Planned Parenthood is eligible for PPP loans. Under this bill, funding is allowed to flow to colleges and universities that partner with companies that are controlled by Communist China. Under this bill, $110 billion would be sent to schools, regardless if they reopen or not. There is no support for families who are desperate for educational options for their kids. Obviously, of course, Democrats hid irrelevant spending in this bill, just like environmental justice grants, $800 million in aid to other countries, and a $112 million earmark for a big tech subway in Silicon Valley. The bottom line, Mr. Speaker, is we are again debating a liberal wish list disguised as COVID relief. The American people aren't fooled by any of this. They see through the game, and they know that this town can and should do better.

Mr. BUDD

Mr. BUDD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of 1SG Staley Johnson Sr. of Kannapolis, North Carolina. Staley Johnson was born on December 4th, 1920 in Alexander County, North Carolina to Jonas and Nancy Johnson. After the 5th grade, Johnson left school to help provide for and support his family. A native North Carolinian, Staley Johnson enlisted with the U.S. Army on December 6th, 1941, the day before the attacks at Pearl Harbor. Staley Johnson was just 23 years old at the time. Johnson served heroically and courageously as a heavy machine gunner in the 330th Infantry. During his service in Europe, Johnson was wounded from gunfire in the back near La Barre, France on July 27, 1944 after arriving on the beaches of France just after D-Day. Johnson was involved in further action in Europe as the Allies closed in on Germany before Allied victory in Europe. Johnson received a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, and several other awards for his valor and courage. After his discharge, he went to work for Cannon Mills, but remained active in the National Guard. In April 1945, Johnson married Nellie Victoria Foster. They had four children; Staley Jr., Pamela, Jerry, and Kathy. The couple were married for over 64 years before Nellie passed away in 2010. Staley is the grandfather to six, great-grandfather to 12, and great-great- grandfather to two. His family and his church mean the world to him. Often, Staley Johnson can be found singing ``Sweet Hour of Prayer,'' a song he learned while resting in a town the allies had just recaptured from Hitler's Army. He is known to be full of stories from World War II. Madam Speaker, 1SG Staley Johnson Sr. is an American hero. His service to our country will never be forgotten. It is an honor and a privilege to represent Staley Johnson in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. BUDD

Mr. BUDD. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding. Madam Speaker, lifesaving COVID vaccines are going to waste. Seniors and frontline workers in my State, the State of North Carolina, have had their vaccine appointments, which they depended on, forcibly canceled. We have got to do better. Madam Speaker, I have two amendments to this budget resolution that would address these issues, but the majority has blocked a vote. Instead, we are passing a budget resolution to set up a trillion--with a ``T''--a trillion-dollar spending bill. My first amendment, the Vaccinate More Americans Act, would prevent leftover COVID vaccines from being wasted by allowing vaccine providers to administer shots to the next allocation group automatically. My second amendment addresses an issue that affected over 10,000 North Carolinians who had their vaccine appointments forcibly canceled. This is unacceptable and something has to be done about it. My amendment says that any State health department that receives vaccines must distribute them in an equitable way without forcibly canceling appointments. We should be addressing these issues as a body instead of stuffing trillion-dollar spending bills into a rules package.

Mr. BUDD

Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, I am here to talk for just a moment about law and order. I am here to talk about how we as a body can prevent more needless tragedies in our country. I am here to talk about true justice. Specifically, justice for victims of dangerous sanctuary city policies. We have all heard the stories. Kate Steinle brutally murdered in San Francisco by an illegal immigrant who was repeatedly released. In Washington State, an illegal named Rosalio Ramos-Romas was deported four times before authorities arrested him in October of 2017. Once notified of his arrest, ICE issued a detainer request asking local authorities to imprison him for an additional 48 hours. But, instead, local authorities ignored the detainer request and allowed Rosalio back into the community, where he eventually murdered his cousin and hid the body in a dumpster. In my State of North Carolina, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office refused to notify ICE and comply with lawful detainer requests when it released dangerous illegal immigrants from the county jail. One was charged with multiple domestic violence offenses for strangling a woman and threatening to kill her. These are not isolated incidents of violence, but, rather, the norm in sanctuary cities across America. The truth is that sanctuary city policies are unnecessary and they only threaten the safety of our families and our neighbors. This lawlessness leads to tragedies that are simply not acceptable and should not be allowed by our leaders. That is why I introduced the Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act with Senator Thom Tillis. Our bill would allow anyone harmed by an illegal immigrant in a sanctuary city to sue the sanctuary city or State for the damages that it caused. It also withholds certain grant funding from jurisdictions that refuse to comply with Federal law. This move will put lawless cities on notice and will, hopefully, persuade them to reverse course, enforce our laws, and keep our streets safe. At a time when the current administration refuses to crack down on sanctuary cities, Congress has the responsibility to act. It is long past time that cities who refuse to enforce our immigration face legal consequences. This has to stop. Uneven Allocation of the COVID-19 Vaccine

Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, last month, over 10,000 patients in and around my district had their COVID-19 vaccination appointments forcibly canceled, throwing seniors and frontline workers into uncertainty. This mistake was the result of an uneven allocation process and bureaucratic confusion. It is unacceptable and something has to be done. I sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services demanding immediate answers for my constituents. I understand that an expedited national vaccine rollout is complex. It is a tough undertaking. But the faster vaccine doses are allocated to States like mine in North Carolina, the sooner we will be able to defeat this virus once and for all. The people of my community deserve clarity and honesty when it comes to vaccines from the Federal Government, and I am going to continue to get answers for them. Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade was decided 48 years ago last month. Since abortion was made legal, more than 60 million unborn children have had their lives prematurely ended. This is a matter of conscience for me, and I believe that life begins at conception. In recent years, advances in science and medicine have given us an increasingly vivid picture of what life in the womb is like. A child has a heartbeat at just 6 weeks. A child feels pain at 20 weeks. Science makes clear that life exists in the womb and, therefore, an unborn child is entitled to the most fundamental of human rights, and that, Mr. Speaker, is the right to live. This issue transcends what it means to be an American and goes to the core of what makes us human. I hope that one day soon, the Supreme Court corrects their constitutional error so that the American people can reassert their voice in determining the moral question of our time.

Mr. BUDD

Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, today is really about one party single- handedly canceling a Member of the other party because of something said before that Member was even elected. This isn't about agreeing or disagreeing with the comments. This is about Democrats abusing their power and using it to cancel. This sets a very dangerous precedent. There are Members across the aisle who have said alarming things recently. They have made anti- Semitic comments repeatedly. They have made anti-American comments repeatedly. And they have made comments threatening violence repeatedly. Cancel culture should not take over our country. Cancel culture should not take over our tech platforms. And cancel culture certainly should not take over the House of Representatives. We need to let the gentlewoman from Georgia serve and to allow her constituents to judge her performance at the ballot box.

Mr. BUDD

Mr. BUDD. Madam Speaker, mob violence is not representative of our country or of this building. The American people--at least the ones who are still up watching right now--have seen this body return to a peaceful debate. And that is the American way. So let's get back to that debate and let's talk for a moment about Pennsylvania. For decades, absentee voting was reserved for members of the military and citizens who are medically or physically unable to get to the polls. But in 2019, Pennsylvania dramatically increased the amount of ballots that would be cast in the Presidential election through expanded, no-excuse, mail-in voting. On September 17, Pennsylvania's Democrat-controlled Supreme Court violated the Constitution by extending the deadline to receive mail-in ballots. Article II states that legislatures, not the courts, determine the time, manner, and place of their States' elections. But Pennsylvania's high court directed the State officials to assume that non-postmarked ballots were received on time without any evidence that they were sent before election day. On October 23, while early voting was already underway, the State supreme court ruled that election officials did not have to authenticate signatures for mail-in ballots. To sum it up, Pennsylvania officials illegally did three critical things: One, they radically expanded vote by mail for virtually any reason. Two, they removed restrictions when a ballot can be sent in. Three, they removed signature verification on those very ballots. Just this week, the Pennsylvania Senate pleaded with Members of this body to delay certification until the Supreme Court resolves these disputes. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania violated their own constitution. They violated the U.S. Constitution. They opened the door for thousands of unverifiable ballots. Because they failed to guarantee the integrity of their votes, I cannot consent to accepting Pennsylvania's electoral votes.

Mr. BUDD

Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the frustrated and, frankly, exhausted small business job-creators in my district and across the Nation who are struggling to survive while the Speaker continues to play politics with people's livelihoods. While many States and localities begin to make the same mistake of instituting massive shutdowns, small businesses have been left high and dry. Imagine pouring everything you have emotionally and financially into an idea; then you watch it grow and thrive, but, through no fault of your own, it gets ruined because your local government shuts you down and the Federal Government refuses to help. The Speaker can solve this problem today by allowing a vote to unleash over $130 billion in already-appropriated leftover PPP funding. In addition, the House should immediately consider the Small Business Expense Protection Act, which was introduced by my friend and fellow North Carolinian, George Holding. That bill would clarify the confusion at the IRS and make sure that recipients can deduct PPP-financed expenses on their taxes. Mr. Speaker, for the sake of our Nation's job creators and for the sake of our workers, it is time that we act to support our fellow citizens as we enter the final stages of our battle against this virus.

Mr. BUDD

Mr. BUDD. Madam Speaker, I missed votes last week because I tested positive for the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 230; NAY on Roll Call No. 231; NAY on Roll Call No. 232; NAY on Roll Call No. 233; YEA on Roll Call No. 234; and NAY on Roll Call No. 235.

Mr. BUDD

Mr. BUDD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Siler City Mayor John Franklin Grimes III, who passed away on October 20, 2020. John was a stalwart of the Siler City, North Carolina community where he served as mayor since 2013. He was a servant in the truest sense of the word, always willing to go to the back of the line and take care of the needs of others first. Unsurprisingly, he was one of the select few to be awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina's highest civilian honor for remarkable service to the state. John's character of service was ingrained at a young age as his father quickly signed up to join the U.S. Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. John would say that, ``Growing up, we presumed to have an obligation to serve in the military.'' Consequently, after graduating from Davie County High School, John received a scholarship to play football at Wake Forest in Winston- Salem, enrolling in the school's ROTC program. Upon graduation, John earned a commission as a second lieutenant and served in the 3rd/8th Calvary in Germany during the Vietnam era. Upon returning to North Carolina with his wife Cecilia, John was asked to serve as a local judge for the 1968 election to help identify and report election irregularities. After a break from public service where he helped build and expand the Cecil Budd Tire Company, John would re-enter politics through his work with the Chatham County Republican Party, eventually becoming its chair. In 1994 he ran (and led the ticket) for a seat on the Chatham County Board of Commissioners, becoming the first Republican elected to that Board in the 20th century. In 1999, he was elected to the Siler City Board of Commissioners and served as Mayor Pro Term until his election as Mayor in 2013, his first of four terms. John continuously stressed how seriously he valued the input of his constituents, saying ``If they don't hold (politicians) accountable, anything can happen.'' Madam Speaker, our country needs more public servants like John Franklin Grimes III. The entire Siler City community is less whole today without John, but the impact he made and the lives he touched are a testament to how special a person he was. Please join me in celebrating his life and legacy.

Mr. BUDD

Mr. BUDD. Madam Speaker, I missed votes because I tested positive for Covid-19. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 228.

Mr. BUDD

Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to sound the alarm that House Democrats are considering a rule change that would severely limit the rights of the minority party in the House for years to come. I am referring to the partisan push to water down or to eliminate the motion to recommit. Mr. Speaker, the MTR, as it is called, is a critical procedural tool that gives the minority party one last opportunity to improve legislation before a final vote on this House floor. An MTR not only increases transparency between Members of Congress and their constituents, but it holds Members accountable and forces them to go on record for viewpoints that they hold. Weakening the MTR would only serve to shield Members from criticism, suffocate debate on key policy issues, and overturn longstanding House precedent. It would be a blatant power grab by the majority Democrat Party. That is why my colleagues and I will be appealing to the Rules Committee this week in writing, demanding that the MTR be preserved. Confronting Voter Fraud

Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, for the past 2 weeks, I have heard from an overwhelming number of my constituents, and they do not have confidence in the integrity of November's election. They are outraged that media pundits and establishment Democrat politicians are sneering at the very concept of taking the time to ensure that every legal vote is counted and that every illegal vote is thrown out. Every citizen has a right to seek justice in a court of law, and that includes the President of the United States. His legal team needs to be given the time to collect and present evidence of voting and tabulation irregularities. Until the courts have played their constitutional role, we should be wary of declaring winners and losers. Look, if we could spend 2 years investigating conspiracy theories about Russian collusion, we should be able to take a few weeks to confirm the integrity of this election. I am glad that Attorney General Bill Barr authorized the Department of Justice to investigate any and all allegations of illegal activity. He took this necessary step after 38 of my House colleagues and I requested that the Department leave no stone unturned in this effort. We will also be introducing legislation this very week that will require the DOJ to create a national strategy to identify and combat voter intimidation, fraud, ballot system glitches, sabotage, and hacking. Mr. Speaker, voting is the most sacred civic duty in our Nation. In an election for our Nation's highest office, involving unprecedented levels of mail-in voting, we must take the time to ensure that every legal vote is counted and every illegal vote is not counted. Nothing is more important than the integrity of our ballots.

Mr. BUDD

Mr. BUDD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Stamey's Barbecue in Greensboro, North Carolina, which this year is celebrating 90 years of exceptional business. Founded in 1930, Stamey's is renowned across my district for its Lexington-style barbecue, which involves cooking pork exclusively over hardwood coals and with their own original dip. Stamey's pitmasters arrive well before sunrise to begin a laborious cooking process that can take up to ten hours. There is a saying at Stamey's that, ``good barbecue takes patience and an acute taste for perfection,' and their reputation across the state backs up that commitment to excellence. Stamey's founder C. Warner Stamey was born in 1911 as the youngest of 11 children. After moving to Lexington, Mr. Stamey sold pork in tents across the street from the courthouse with talented barbecue men Jess Swicegood and Sid Weaver. In 1938, Mr. Stamey bought Swicegood's Barbecue and renamed it Stamey's. In 1953, Mr. Stamey opened the 2206 W. Gate City Blvd, Greensboro location, which was later joined by the 2812 Battleground Ave, Greensboro location in 1970. Warner eventually handed the business off to his son Charles who was later joined by his brother Keith Stamey in 1970. In 1993, current owner Chip Stamey joined the family business. Sadly, Keith passed away in 2000, but Charles Stamey still resides in Greensboro where he proudly serves as barbecue pitmaster emeritus. Madam Speaker, treasured family establishments like Stamey's Barbecue give character and richness to the districts we represent. I am proud to have Stamey's in North Carolina's 13th Congressional District, which is a source of great pride in our community. I ask that you please join me in both congratulating them on 90 years in business and wishing them well as they embark on the next 90 years.

Mr. BUDD

Mr. BUDD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Roger Lee Wilson of Salisbury, North Carolina, who passed away on October 18, 2020. Roger was a husband to Kate and a father to Matt and Wesley. As a member of Unity Presbyterian Church, he faithfully served as an Elder. Throughout his life, Roger was a devoted and dedicated educator, mentoring and inspiring countless students at Davie County High School and West Rowan High School. Roger passed on his passion for woodworking and craftsmanship to his students. I just missed having Roger as my workshop instructor at Davie High, but was lucky enough to have his successor, his son Matt, as my teacher . Madam Speaker, I have had the privilege of representing Rowan County as well as my home county of Davie since 2017. I know firsthand how much appreciation there is for the knowledge and skills that Mr. Wilson passed on to his students. Though he had been retired from teaching for quite some time, I imagine he was encouraged to know that schools have begun to again prioritize teaching the technical, trade, and hands-on skills that seem to have been forgotten over the past few decades. Madam Speaker, our country needs more dedicated men serving and educating their communities like Roger Wilson. The benefits he brought to students and to his community will be felt for generations to come.

Mr. BUDD

Mr. BUDD. Madam Speaker, over 15,000 American children are diagnosed with cancer every year. Having the most innocent among us receive such a gut-wrenching diagnosis is devastating. Thankfully, incredible progress has been made in treating cancer among children. As more kids become survivors, we need to make a concerted effort to improve their lives and to strive to develop treatments that do not carry permanent side effects. For example, I have constituents whose children have experienced permanent hearing loss, which can occur when young patients undergo chemotherapy. That is why I recently sent a letter to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality asking them to identify any research efforts to reverse this loss of hearing. We owe it to our young survivors to help them thrive and maintain a high quality of life. I encourage Federal researchers to keep producing the medical miracles that will help our kids prevail in the fight against cancer.

Mr. BUDD

Mr. BUDD. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to call up H.R. 8265 to extend the Paycheck Protection Program to keep millions of employees on the payroll of America's small businesses.

Mr. BUDD

Mr. BUDD. Madam Speaker, I missed this vote because I had to take a personal family call. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 201.

Mr. BUDD

Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, one of the biggest lessons that the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us is the importance of the phrase ``Made in America.'' In my home State of North Carolina, we are a national leader in textile manufacturing, and we have a rich history of producing high- quality products. That is why North Carolina has been at the forefront of helping our first responders and frontline medical personnel get the protective equipment that they need to effectively battle the virus. For these reasons, I want to see our protective equipment made in the United States and not in a country controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. For the last two decades, most observers have predicted that either the United States or China will lead the world in the 21st century. In the early 2000s, we saw China as a friendly competitor that we could work with economically. However, in recent years, the actions of the Chinese Communist Party have revealed the true colors of an authoritarian force. They are not our friends, and they are not a force for good in this world. Given the fact that it was China that mishandled the virus, and China that allowed it to spread, and China that lied to the world about it, how acceptable is it that the American people should be reliant on China for the essential personal protective equipment that we need to fight the virus? That would be like having to beg the arsonist to help you put out the fire that they started. That is why I introduced the Make PPP in America Act, along with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. This bipartisan legislation requires the Defense Logistics Agency to issue longer term contracts to make personal protective equipment in the United States. We have to boost our domestic supply chains and make sure our most important products come from our shores and not from our adversaries like Communist China. Bottom line, we need to ensure that Made in America is more than just a slogan. Made in America needs to be a guiding principle as we move into the 2020s and beyond.

Mr. BUDD

Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to set the record straight. The American people are wondering what Congress is doing to help folks who are still struggling from the effects of COVID-19 on their health and on all of our economy. They see no movement in negotiations, and I have had folks back home ask me, What are you all doing up there? Well, sadly, the answer is, Not much, really. Some in this Chamber claim that it is us, the Republicans, who have no solutions on COVID. Nothing could be further from the truth. Let me just speak for myself. I have introduced more than a dozen bills with my colleagues. Some of these bills are bipartisan, and they apply time- tested conservative principles to help people impacted and hurt by COVID-19. These are bills that expand healthcare access. They support workers. They incentivize telework. They assure safe public housing. They simplify PPP loans. Mr. Speaker, they stop stimulus payments to dead people, of all things. They explore temperature checks at airports. They establish flexible funding for States and localities; a bill that holds China accountable, and helps incentivize a safe reopening of our country, and much, much more. Each and every one of these bills has been denied a vote in this House. Mr. Speaker, I understand the politics of being less than 50 days away from an election. And I get the political calculation that has been made. The Speaker started this year--right there--by ripping up the President's State of the Union. And she seems intent on ending it by smearing Republicans as enemies of the State and blocking any meaningful bills to help hardworking Americans. But the American people deserve to know that my Republican colleagues and I, we stand ready to govern and ready to pass commonsense conservative policies that will help them make it through this pandemic.

Mr. BUDD

Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. He is a great chairman, but also a great friend. I thank him, also, for organizing this Special Order. Over the past several months we have witnessed lawless anarchists take to the streets and destroy historic monuments, vandalize and burn small businesses, physically assault a U.S. Senator and his wife, harass regular Americans who are simply enjoying an outdoor dinner, and so on. The fact that this activity goes on and is tolerated by Democrat-run cities is outrageous and an insult to every law-abiding citizen of this land. We need to double the Federal penalties for those who riot and loot. We need to strip Federal funding from cities that refuse to confront this lawlessness in their communities. And we need to put those dithering local officials on the hook legally for the carnage that they allow to happen. There are people here in Washington who stand for law and order and are trying to regain control of our streets, starting with our President. Violence like this has no place in America. We have to get back to resolving our issues through debate and democracy, not through looting and lawlessness. If officials in Democrat-run cities won't stand up for all of their citizens, then under the leadership of President Trump, Republicans will.