Ken Calvert

Mr. CALVERT

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I rise today in strong support of this omnibus appropriations package. As the ranking member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, I will outline why America's position in the world depends on the passage of this bipartisan bill. But first I want to thank Chair DeLauro for her hard work and Ranking Member Granger for putting this together. I thank my partner and friend, Chair Betty McCollum, for the hard work that she has put into this bill to make it a reality, and certainly the staff on both sides who have been working day and night to put this together and certainly my clerk, Johnny Kaberlie, who has done a yeoman's job of getting this done. Over the past several weeks, we have witnessed Russia invade a sovereign nation, indiscriminately killing civilians to the horror of the world. As a matter of fact, just a few hours ago a maternity ward was bombed by Russia, killing new mothers and babies just a few hours ago. And while this happens, President Xi, Kim Jong Un, and other autocrats are watching closely to see how the United States will respond. I firmly believe that today we are closer to a large-scale conflict with a near-peer adversary than we have been in recent memory. We must get this bill to the President's desk as soon as possible to respond to these acts of aggression. Weakness is provocative, and a year-long continuing resolution would undoubtedly demonstrate weakness on a global stage. Included in the defense portion of this bill are many priorities for Members of both parties that will strengthen our military. These include 13 new Navy ships, increased investment in next-generation capability, like hypersonics, full funding for our nuclear modernization, and investments in our servicemembers and their families. And as ranking member, I fought hard to make sure this bill gets the DOD what it needs. We began hearings for the fiscal year 2022 saying that the Mattis national defense strategy is the correct strategy, that we need a 3 to 5 percent net real growth above inflation for fiscal years 2022 to 2025. Although nobody anticipated inflation at the levels we have seen, I am proud to say the Republicans secured a 6 percent funding increase over last year's funding level. I am also proud to say that we worked closely with the Armed Services and Intelligence Committees to make sure all the priorities across national security were addressed. Thanks to the bipartisan commitment of Chairwoman Betty McCollum, House Republicans were able to secure over 2,000 Member funding priorities on our side of the aisle like additional Strykers, C-130Js, F-35 modernization, and critical programs. I thank Chair McCollum for her staff and her hard work on this package. Failing to pass this piece of legislation will only further extend the devastating effects of our military readiness, modernization, and lethality that we have witnessed over the last 6 months.

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, as the world watches, we must send the message that this Congress stands ready to strengthen its military, to stand by its allies, and continue to make the world a safer and more prosperous place.

Mr. CALVERT

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I was unfortunately prevented from voting on Roll Call 42 on February 9, 2022. Had I been present I would have voted no on the En Bloc Amendment to H.R. 3485.

Mr. CALVERT

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to express my heartfelt appreciation for our law enforcement officers. The men and women in blue who keep our streets safe are heroes. Every day when they put on their uniform, they do so mindful that they may be called upon to put themselves in harm's way. By stepping forward and selflessly protecting us, they make everything else possible. The recent violence against our police officers is a stark reminder of the dangers of the job. On May 31, 2021, Sergeant Dominic Vaca of the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department was killed in the line of duty. Sgt. Vaca spent 17 years protecting the Inland Empire and died a hero. He is just one of 346 officers who was shot in the line of duty in 2021. Homicide rates in California rose 17 percent last year--on top of a 31 percent rise in 2020. I believe these increases can be in large part attributed to radical calls to defund our police and Democrats' soft on crime rhetoric. Thankfully, most Americans see our officers for the agents of good that they are. In left-leaning states, however, like California, Democrats have enacted laws that actually make it more difficult for our law enforcement officers to do their job. This is wrong. This is dangerous. I specifically would like to thank those that keep my community safe. Sheriff Chad Bianco; the Riverside County Sheriffs Department who serve our county and contract cities; as well as the officers of the Corona, Menifee, and Murrieta Police Departments; and all those who serve Riverside County and across the Inland Empire. I thank them for the selfless and heroic work they do. I stand fully behind our law enforcement officers and will continue to vote for policies that support public safety. We can never repay the men and women who wear the uniform and keep our loved ones safe. But we can--and we should--always have their back.

Mr. CALVERT

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Tristan Krogius, father of our former House colleague, Mimi Walters. Tris passed away peacefully on December 30, 2021. He was born in Tammerfors, Finland, and emigrated to New York with his family in 1939 as a refugee from the Russian invasion of Finland. Tris attended the University of New Mexico on an NROTC scholarship and served as a marine officer from 1954 to 1960. In 1952, he and the love of his life, Barbara Brophy, eloped. After Tris left the Marine Corps, he began a business career in California. Tris rose to become president of Hunt-Wesson, Frozen and Refrigerated Foods, and later president of Dalgety Limited's U.S. food division. In 1987, he retired as president and CEO of Tenneco West and, after retiring, Tris earned a law degree in 1990 and was admitted to the California bar. Tris was an active member of his community. He was past board president and CEO of the South Coast Medical Center in Laguna Beach and was a director of many nonprofit organizations. Tris is survived by his wife of 69 years, Barbara; their six children and their spouses; 19 grandchildren; and four great grandchildren. Tris will be remembered for the extraordinary example that he set for his life.

Mr. CALVERT

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, due to a transportation issue, I was unable to cast a vote on February 2, 2022. Had I been present, I would have voted against Roll Call No. 17, H. Res. 900.

Mr. CALVERT

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate Glen and Kerry Fletcher, who are jointly being honored as the 2021 Citizen of the Year by the Corona Chamber of Commerce. Glen and Kerry have been true leaders in my hometown of Corona for more than three decades, and residents throughout our community deeply appreciate their many contributions. Glen and Kerry first met in high school where Kerry was a song leader and Glen was president of the Future Farmers of America. After a few dates, Kerry was introduced to the family business, Pete's Road Service, which was run by Pete and Clara Fletcher. Soon after, Kerry would join Glen by working at the business and contributing to its success. Eventually they would marry, and after living for stretches in Fullerton and Norco, the Fletcher family moved to Corona in 1986. In addition to expanding Pete's Road Service, the Fletcher family grew with the additions of their children, Amanda, Melissa, and Nathan. Over the past 30 years, the Fletchers have volunteered their time and resources into the Corona community in many ways. With children active in youth athletics, the Fletchers recognized a need for additional soccer development opportunities in the region. In 1992, they founded the Corona United Soccer Club, and Glen served as its President for 12 years. Not to be outdone, Kerry contributed in a variety of roles over the years, including as a coach, Board Treasurer, and Registrar. In 2005, Glen joined the Corona Rotary where he chaired the club's Lobsterfest fundraiser in 2011 and served as President in the 2011/2012 year. Glen and Kerry have also been members of the Navy League and a number of other local clubs and organizations benefitting our city. Today, Glen and Kerry enjoy another treasured role--being grandparents. With their incredible record of service, the Fletchers are incredibly deserving of the Citizen of the Year award from the Corona Chamber of Commerce. I would like to thank Glen and Kerry for their dedication to our community and wish them the very best in the future.

Mr. CALVERT

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the first sponsor of H.R. 4394, a bill originally introduced by Representative Nunes of California, for the purposes of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.

Mr. CALVERT

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in reluctant opposition to the continuing resolution. But first, I want to recognize our good friend, Carrie Meek, from Florida. I share the gentlewoman's sadness over her passing. She was a good friend. She was a great Member, and we will miss her, and I extend my condolences to her family. For months, my friends on the other side of the aisle spent their time crafting their big tax and spend social welfare bill. In the end, they passed a bill that will most likely fail in the Senate because it represents the most radical change to the American social contract in history, creating generations of dependency on the backs of the American middle class. While they went back and forth, going further left with each version, the clock on funding our government ran out. The most basic responsibility of this Congress is to fund the government, to ensure seniors and veterans receive their earned benefits on time. Yet, the majority pushed aside that basic duty in the name of radical social change. The CR before us represents their failure to govern. As the ranking Republican on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, our committee has heard firsthand about the threats that face our country and our allies. Right now, at this very moment, the Russians have amassed forces along the Ukrainian border, weeks after they purposely demonstrated their ability to destroy a satellite in high orbit. It is unbelievable. A record number of Chinese military airplanes have flown that Taiwan airspace, and their naval forces continue to threaten freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. President Biden's abject failure in Afghanistan, which freed an estimated 7,000 hardened terrorists, has created more uncertainty for both us and our allies. And threats such as North Korea, Iran, and other nonstate actors remain as well. We cannot continue to cripple our national security apparatus with CRs year after year. It is not only wasteful--this CR is going to cost the Department of Defense about $1.7 billion per month for nothing--but it allows our adversaries to continue gaining while we remain stagnant. Now more than ever, we must give them the funding and tools they need to counter threats to the United States. It is time that the majority focus on their most basic task: Do the work the American people expect of our government. Our U.S. servicemembers, veterans, seniors, and the most vulnerable among us deserve better. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy).

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Arrington).

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I just want to make a point. The Republicans on the Appropriations Committee want to increase our defense spending. We don't want to cut defense spending. Both the Republicans and the Democrats on the authorizing committee don't want to cut the defense spending. And both the Republicans and Democrats in the United States Senate don't want to cut defense spending. We have a national defense strategy that was laid down by General Mattis, which I think we should follow, which asked for a net increase of a minimum of 3 to 5 percent net of inflation. That is just to maintain some credible deterrent against China and a resurgent Russia. Until we get to those numbers, we will continue to be operating on a continuing resolution. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I think everybody knows, Madam Speaker, what the conditions are that have been pretty much publicized. National defense spending must go up and the balance of the appropriations has to come down; the legacy riders must come back in, and the poison pills have to go away. It is pretty simple, as far as I am concerned. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I am kind of a little confused. Last I looked, the Democratic Party controls the House, they control the Senate, and they control the White House. If they want to pass an omnibus bill, pass it. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would like to remind my friends in the majority, we don't run the House, we don't run the White House, and God only knows who runs the Senate. But I do know this, that the gentleman that the majority leader referred to, the ranking minority member in the United States Senate certainly wants an appropriation bill, but I think he has made it quite clear, and I think we have made it quite clear--the gentleman referred to Mr. Cole--I think he has made it quite clear that the legacy riders, which need to come back in, the poison pills have got to go out, the dollars, by the way, which we have not agreed to in defense spending because, as you know, the Committee on Appropriations did not agree to a number that passed in the United States House of Representatives. It did pass by the authorization committee at a higher number, and in the Senate by a higher number, both Republicans and Democrats. So I think we recognize that defense number has to go up and something else has to come down. If those things happen, I think we can have a serious negotiation. Until then, I am afraid we are going to be continuing to operate on a continuing resolution. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Mrs. Greene).