Michael Cloud

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I once again point out that we spend approximately $600 billion a year in interest payments, yet we do not count the cost of what the debt servicing will cost in anything we do. Now, that is, in short order, expected to eclipse our military spending, which is our number one constitutional priority for our Federal spending. Whatever we want to do up here, if we do not begin to count the real cost of what we are doing, we will be off. Right now, we are having to deal with a debt ceiling issue, because the previous Congress decided to spend without considering the cost of what it was going to take and to push us toward the limit. We are cognizant of the fact that we are spending. We are going to monitor our spending in a way that we leave a better country for our kids and our grandkids, and this is part of making sure that we are actually counting the real cost of what we are doing as we take each step. Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Comer), the distinguished chair of the Oversight Committee.

Mr. CLOUD. Madam Chair, what we are trying to do is make sure that the debt servicing cost is included into these studies we are getting. I have a bill, for example, to eventually do it with the Congressional Budget Office. We would like to see that, as well. This would make sure that we are getting this done in the REIN IN Act with the OMB and the Council of Economic Advisers. It is common sense to me. This should be bipartisan. We should really be counting the costs of what we are actually spending. This isn't really meant to be a controversial bill, except for those who don't really want to know what we are actually spending.

Mr. CLOUD. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would just add, it may not change what we are doing, but it would change the knowledge of what we are doing here in Congress. The fact that we continue to spend money without even knowing how much money we are spending, I think, is a problem and certainly not the due diligence that we should have as Members of Congress, being diligent with the public trust that we have been given. So having the real cost estimates before us is going to be very valuable as we go forward to understand exactly what we are doing as we begin to evaluate legislation and for the administration when they are dealing with regulations they are proposing. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to join the City of Victoria in celebrating the 77th annual Victoria Livestock Show. This year's show will take place from February 22 through 26, 2023. The first Victoria Livestock Show was held in 1941. Shortly after, the show was suspended due to World War II. In 1947, the Victoria Jaycees decided to revive the livestock show, beginning with 4-H and FFA events in 1947 to pique people's interest. A show was put together a year later, and since then, it has been an annual Crossroads tradition. The Victoria Livestock Show highlights the work that 4-H and FFA students have put into raising and auctioning livestock. Today, it is larger than ever, with its 2021 auction raising more than $820,000. In addition to the auction, a centerpiece of the Victoria Livestock show is the carnival, which includes rides, games, food, and even wiener dog races. Other fun activities include mutton bustin', goat roping, and the annual Queen Victoria pageant. The Victoria Livestock Show embodies the heart of the Crossroads region, and I look forward to this year's show.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to wish Reginaldo ``Ray'' Davila a very happy retirement after 73 years in the shoe repair business in Port Lavaca, Texas. Ray and his beloved wife, Tina, came to this Nation as a young couple in 1954 with $20 to their name and three children to support. After eventually settling in Port Lavaca, Ray opened a cobbler shop--a trade he learned from his father in Mexico as a teenager. Though initially a small operation, the Davilas eventually saved up enough to purchase neighboring real estate on the block as an investment. This extra revenue allowed the shop to continue to operate as other cobblers went out of business. As time went on, Ray's cobbler shop evolved into a place for locals to stop by and get to know one another, becoming a hallmark of Port Lavaca. After passing day-to-day operations along to his son, Ray is now fully retiring at the age of 96. I join the community of Port Lavaca in thanking him for his many years of dedicated service and wishing him a happy retirement.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Buck for his leadership on this and thank him for bringing us together for this important conversation. The First Amendment recognizes what we understand to be a God-given right, the right to freedom of speech and the right to free press. Tragically, Americans have seen their government conspire against them recently. We have seen parents targeted at school board meetings. We have seen pro-life activists brought under light by the strong hand of their government. Too many times, American companies have joined in this effort. We have seen once-great American companies become the enforcement arm of a radical, woke, left agenda. They have enforced and become the authoritarian enforcement for this effort. But Americans are aware of what is happening. Too many times, we have seen them go after people who voiced concerns over COVID lockdowns and vaccines on social media. Now, they are going after news channels that air stories that they disagree with. Last year, several Members on the other side of this aisle sent letters to several cable and satellite providers, including DIRECTV, demanding that they stop showing OAN, Newsmax, and Fox. In recent weeks, we have seen AT&T's DIRECTV cave to the Democrats' anti-American and Marxist demands by demonetizing Newsmax and OAN. Many Americans are concerned. They realize that their government's suppression of speech is the mark of totalitarianism. We are committed to pushing back on this administration's attempt to silence and suppress the American people. To those on the left, I would simply ask this: If you have to work this hard, if you have to use censorship, coercion, and suppression for your ideas to gain any traction, maybe you have bad ideas.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, Friday, thousands of Americans participated in the March for Life in support of the most vulnerable in our society who have no voice: the preborn. Today, we continue to recognize the dignity of every individual and fight for the most fundamental right of all: the right to life. Our instincts were always right. Science has revealed it is not just a clump of cells in the womb. At 15 weeks, babies suck their thumbs, kick, jump, have fully developed hearts, and can feel pain. What looks like a baby in the womb, revealed to us through ultrasound technology, is in fact a baby when they are born. The radical Roe v. Wade decision was based on bad science and bad jurisprudence, and I am grateful that it was overturned. Now is the time where we as a Nation must continue to build a culture that respects life and recognizes the God-given dignity of every individual and that first unalienable right: the right to life. Despite the terror tactics we have seen come from pro-abortionists-- burning and vandalizing pregnancy centers and churches--the pro-life movement has not winced. Pregnancy centers across the country continue operating, providing mothers with true healthcare, and they are saving lives. Mr. Speaker, I join with these and millions across our Nation in serving as a voice for the voiceless. I, along with my fellow colleagues here, will continue to work to advance legislation that protects the preborn and the right to life.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, Petty Officer Third Class Will Martin, Jr. passed away on January 6, 2023, at the age of 74. A veteran of the Vietnam War, Petty Officer Third Class Will Martin Jr. served his country with dignity as a Seabee in the United States Navy from 1965 to 1969. Will exemplified the Seabee motto of ``Can Do,'' and following his service, he integrated this into his daily life as he worked tirelessly for decades to build ``Communities of Honor and Excellence,'' not only in Victoria County but across the state of Texas. Along the way, Will's journey saw him serve as the American Legion Commander, the American Legion Legislative Representative for the Department of Texas, an officer with both the Vietnam Veterans of America and the Disabled American Veterans, and as the founder and Commander of the U.S. Navy Seabees Association, Victoria Chapter. He dedicated his spare time to the Warrior's Weekend Field of Honor and was a great friend and supporter of the wounded servicemen and women who came in from all over the nation. For nearly a decade, Will was the President of the Conservative Texans for Charitable Bingo that helped hundreds of charities all over the state of Texas receive tens of millions of dollars for their activities. As a legislative liaison, he worked with State Senators and Representatives to ensure ongoing access to funding that allowed service organizations to focus on their missions of helping thousands of Texans. Furthermore, Will was a friend to first responders, in particular law enforcement. He led the effort to craft a county ordinance banning illegal game rooms and the drug and human trafficking crime that accompanied them. This ordinance, which gave Law Enforcement greater opportunity to stop this illegal activity, was adopted first in Victoria County and soon spread throughout the Golden Crescent and Coastal Bend. This initiative likely prevented the trafficking of hundreds of at-risk youth and kept millions of dollars out of the hands of organized crime. Most importantly, Will was a faithful Christian man who lived his life as a disciple of God's word and as a passionate servant. Throughout his commendable life--up until the very end--Will Martin's love of God and Country and service to others never faded.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, we are going to miss Mr. Gohmert, my fellow Texan and House colleague. It has been an honor to get to know you and now to be able to call you a friend. I will definitely miss Louie Gohmert hour at the end of every week. We will miss the ribs that are certainly worth a mention in the Congressional Record. I remember the first time I met you. I was a Texan, just grassroots, and you inspired me. I remember you speaking about the things that you were working to accomplish up here. A few things were obvious. One was that you hadn't forgotten who you were working for. It was obvious to me that you were compelled by your love for the Constitution and these founding principles our Nation was built upon, and you were motivated by your deep and abiding faith. Those things resonated with me, as someone trying to make a difference where I could. I didn't know I was ultimately going to have the opportunity to be here and get to know you. It is truly an honor to see and to watch your service. You have been a happy warrior who stands up, doesn't flinch, stands for what is right, what is just, and you haven't forgotten why you are here. We have all seen people who can kind of get used to it, get comfortable with what is going on here. You haven't done that. You have stayed true. It is an honor to know you. I thank you for being a hero in this place on behalf of our Nation and on behalf of our State. Thanks so much. God bless you.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Madam Speaker, today, I rise to honor Pastor Larry and Ginny Helms' 50th wedding anniversary, and 50 years in ministry. Pastor Larry and Ginny got married in Dell City, Oklahoma on August 19th, 1972. They began both their marriage and ministry at that time, as Pastor Larry established his first church in October of 1972 at the age of 20. They pioneered three churches: Praise Temple in Littlefield, Texas-- Church on the Way in Lawton, Oklahoma--and Joy Fellowship in Victoria, Texas. The Helms' traveled all over the country to spread God's word. Even traveling to numerous countries overseas, including El Salvador to teach bi-annually for three years--as well as short term mission trips in Guatemala. In 1992, in an extraordinary act of unity, the Helms' moved from their pastorate at Joy Fellowship to join their ministry efforts with Pastor Jim and Tamara at Faith Family Church. They've served the past 30 years in various capacities at Faith Family Church and continue to inspire those around them, including with their self-published book entitled Transformed Mind: Transformed Life. It is a privilege of mine to recognize a husband and wife with an unbreakable bond and an unshakable passion for ministry. Happy 50th Anniversary to Larry and Ginny Helms.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Madam Speaker, today, I wish to honor the 75th anniversary of Corpus Christi's home of talk radio, 1440 KEYS. On August 14, 1947, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved KEYS to move from the 1490 frequency it was originally granted, to its new frequency at 1440. With this change, KEYS also increased its power from 250 watts to 500 watts, improving its reach and beginning to increase its influence in the community. For now over 75 years, KEYS has remained on air at 1440 AM, serving the public throughout wars, hurricanes, and natural disasters. KEYS was founded primarily as a music and entertainment station but has evolved to become a key voice in the Coastal Bend community with its talk radio programming. A leading voice heard all throughout the region is none other than Corpus Christi's very own, Bob Jones. For over 25 of those 75 years, the Bob Jones Show has provided an engaging, informative, and entertaining platform for South Texans to discuss different topics and news of the day. 1440 KEYS became a legacy station depended on by the community for local, state, national and international news and information. In addition, KEYS has not only increased its power to 1000 watts, but it can now be heard on FM broadcasting at 98.7. 1440 KEYS has become a pillar of the South Texas region, and it is a privilege to honor their service to their community for the past 75 years.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Madam Speaker, today, I wish to honor the life and legacy of Samuel ``Loyd'' Neal. Loyd Neal was a leader committed to serving his neighbors in Corpus Christi and Nueces County. Born in Paris, Texas, Loyd went on to join the United States Army and attend Texas A&M University. After graduating from Texas A&M in 1959, he married his high school sweetheart, Thetis, and they moved to Fort Benning, Georgia, where Loyd would report for Army Ranger School. In 1963, Loyd and Thetis moved to Corpus Christi and made it their permanent home. Corpus Christi gave Loyd his start in the insurance industry. His career in the industry lasted 40 years, alongside a 30-year career in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve. Loyd left the military in 1989 having attained the rank of colonel. In 1998, the City of Corpus Christi elected him to become mayor. He was re-elected three more times, and his 8-year tenure was successful in facilitating the construction of the American Bank Center Arena, Whataburger Field, and updating the Harbor Bridge. His passion for his community made it difficult for Corpus Christi to let him go as their leader. Two years after he stepped down as mayor of Corpus Christi, he was elected to serve as Nueces County judge. He served in this role for 12 years, and people leaned on him to help rebuild following Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Loyd's service to the city and county went beyond that of official office. He volunteered his spare time to other organizations and groups dedicated to serving the Corpus Christi region. As a veteran, he was committed to helping members of our military and veterans. It was only natural that he would be appointed by Governors Bush and Perry to serve on both the Texas Strategic Military Planning Commission and the Texas Military Preparedness Commission. He also championed local military bases and veterans on the South Texas Military Task Force. In addition to membership in these military organizations, Loyd served as president of the Texas Municipal League, chairman of the Corpus Christi Economic Development Corporation, chairman of the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the I-69 Alliance, and the list goes on. From the Harbor Bridge to Whataburger Field, Loyd Neal's impact on the community will live on for years to come. Corpus Christi was made better as a result of Loyd Neal. His family and loved ones are in my prayers during this time of loss.

Mr. CLOUD

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

Mr. CLOUD

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

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Madam Speaker, the pro-life issue used to be a bipartisan issue in this Chamber even as we recognized that our essential liberties of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were inalienable rights given to us not by government but by God, and the claim that the left is making that our attempts to protect life are somehow criminalizing women could be nothing further from the truth. Setting aside the fact that the left can't even define for the moment what a woman is, 50 years of scientific evidence have unveiled to us the mystery and the amazing thing that is happening in the development of a child. We know so much more--even the fact that a child feels the pain of abortion. We will always stand with life.

Mr. CLOUD

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

Mr. CLOUD

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

Mr. CLOUD

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

Mr. CLOUD

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

Mr. CLOUD

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

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Madam Speaker, I thank Jodey for putting this together. I have enjoyed sitting with him in many of the meetings that he has called to work on fiscal responsibility, reaching across the aisle to see about having those important conversations, realizing the heavy task ahead of us, but also how important it is that we take it on. We are $30 trillion in debt. I like how Jodey framed it because $30 trillion is a hard number for us to grasp, but the idea that it is a deferred tax on our kids, it is nothing that we will have to pay, but it is a burden we are passing on to our kids in the name of spending today. Right now what we see happening in our Nation is families are struggling with inflation, inflation, and inflation. Right now many families are having to make the choice between food and fuel. You have families on a fixed income who suddenly their money doesn't go as far as it went, and they are having to make tough choices, sometimes between medicine and food. You have others who have saved their whole life, worked their whole life, thinking their money would stretch a certain distance, and suddenly their life savings is not worth what it was. The Washington solution, of course, has been to spend more money, exacerbate the problem, put more money out there that causes more and more and more inflation. Typically what we see happen from big-spending politicians is they try to get away with selling this idea to the American people that their personal compassion is defined by how much of other people's money we give away. That is the most absurd notion, the fact that we could spend other people's money and somehow go back to the American people and say, How much do I care about you? It is not our money to spend. Real compassion would be doing the due diligence to make sure that we are not just voting on a bill that has some warm and fuzzy title but that we are doing the due diligence to make sure that it is actually accomplishing the objectives it was set forth to do. When we start a program or we start an agency, we come back and we check and we see, are they meeting their benchmarks, are they actually accomplishing it? A lot of times in Congress we will pass a bill out of the best of intentions and find out later on that it is actually doing the opposite of what we intended it to do. Right now in Washington if you try to get a straight answer on how many programs or agencies exist in Washington, in our Federal bureaucracy, it is hard to get a straight answer, much less to know whether they are doing a good job or not, whether we are being wise with the taxpayer dollar or not. This is one reason I have authored and introduced here the Federal Sunset Commission Act. We have one in Texas. It has been effective at helping rein in government. It would bring every agency, every program before a commission and review it to see if it is something we should keep doing. Maybe there are a couple programs that are similar that we can consolidate, make them more efficient. Maybe there are some things that are just not accomplishing what they were set out to do. They may have been put out there with the best of intentions, but we need to stop it and give the taxpayer back their taxpayer dollars. You know, when you study how nations rise and fall throughout history, usually they crumble from within. Right now that is where we are at in the United States. We are not so much in danger of some invading force coming across our borders, but we have not been diligent to spend wisely. We have been irresponsible. We are the world's reserve currency, but we have not acted like the world's reserve currency. If we are not careful, we will lose that very important standing that has helped us have the freedom and prosperity and, frankly, to be a light, to be a city on a hill, to be a nation that advances freedom and liberty not only here at home but, frankly, across the world. Some years ago, it was actually under the Bush administration, there was an intelligence report that came out that said basically the greatest transfer in all of history of wealth and power is happening right now from the Western countries to the Eastern countries. They said it was almost inevitable. It was a virtual certainty is the way it was phrased that this transition would happen. They said it was happening for two reasons. They said it was happening because we are sending oil and gas revenues overseas and we are sending manufacturing overseas. So basically the elites were taking the wealth and hard work of the American worker and sending it to nations that have our not best interests in mind. And they call that good, sound policy. They said it was virtually inevitable. Well, in the last administration, we saw that we could, indeed, bring those oil and gas revenues back. We saw that actually brought peace and security to the world. We saw that we could begin to bring manufacturing back. If we release the American worker to do their job, to innovate, they can meet the challenges of the supply chain we face now. Let's get government out of the way and let them do their best work. There is a story in Scripture of a good king Hezekiah, and history will record that he was a good king, but later on in life he made a big mistake. He invited an enemy country to come see the storehouses, to see where the temple treasuries were, to see where all the gold and weapons were stored up. A prophet came to him a couple days later, and he said, guess what, everything that your ancestors have stored up will be taken away one day because of what you just did. And that was a tragic thing to hear. But what was even more tragic was his response when he said: Well, what you are saying is good because at least it will not happen in my lifetime. We have too many people in this House who when it comes to legislation are willing to sugarcoat, willing to acquiesce, willing to vote on that good and fuzzy bill because they know that the damage will not come in their lifetime, it won't come in their political career. We have got to do what is right by the American people; do what is right for generations to come; and do what we need to do to save this great bastion of hope and freedom for the world, the United States of America. Thank you for hosting this. God bless you.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Madam Speaker, today, I rise to recognize an extraordinary friend and great servant of the Texas 27th Congressional District, Steve Meinhausen. Steve came to Texas in 2004 with his wife, Carrie, and four children: Matthew, Makenna, Kacey, and Ellie. Steve and his family brought selfless hearts and an entrepreneurial spirit to our part of south Texas. Steve opened many businesses during his time, the most famous being Stevie Lew's BBQ. In 2017, when Hurricane Harvey hit Rockport, among his many generous community endeavors, Steve graciously opened his restaurant to feed over 12,000 meals to volunteers and others in need. Steve has built for his family a legacy of generosity, a sincere love of God, and a strong work ethic. I thank Steve for all he has done for the many people he has blessed in the Rockport-Fulton area. He is truly a servant of God and an exemplary citizen. It is my honor to recognize Steve for his outstanding service and dedication to family, to community, and to our Nation.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate the men and women of Naval Air Station Corpus Christi for taking first place in the U.S. Navy's Installation Excellence Award. Awarded by the Commander of Naval Installations Command, this achievement rightfully recognizes Naval Air Station Corpus Christi for superior performance, installation management, program excellence, and community outreach. This honor is a true testament to the hard work and devotion to mission success that is put forth daily by so many. Residing along the Corpus Christi Bay, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi has been home to naval pilot training since 1941. Along with producing the finest naval aviators in the world, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi serves as a major hub or naval activity in south Texas. From the newest graduates arriving from recruit training to the installation's commander, Christopher Jason, I have witnessed professionalism and dedication of the individuals who have earned this distinction. I thank everyone stationed at NAS Corpus Christi for their service and extend my congratulations to NAS Corpus Christi on this achievement. I wish Captain Jason the best as he represents the U.S. Navy in competition for the 2022 Commander in Chiefs Award for Installation Excellence, and I look forward to the NAS Corpus Christi's continued excellence and achievement, and couldn't be prouder to represent this installation, servicemembers, and community. Honoring Rockport Mayor Patrick ``Pat'' Rios

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor a pillar of our community, Mayor Patrick ``Pat'' Rios of Rockport, Texas. Pat has led the city of Rockport as the mayor for the past 4 years and his term ends this month. This position was the culmination of his decade-long elected public service, where he previously served as Ward 3 council member and mayor pro tem from 2012 to 2018. Before public service, Pat was an entrepreneur and small business owner. He eventually entered the healthcare industry and rose to senior levels before his retirement in 2010. Anyone who has met him knows Pat is a fierce advocate for the city of Rockport. This was evident from the moment he took the helm in his role as mayor; a moment that was characterized by Hurricane Harvey's havoc and devastation in 2017. The hurricane made landfall along the Charm of the Texas Coast. Under Pat's leadership, the city that was first hit aggressively moved forward with the ``first to recover'' mantra that speaks to the heart of the resolute Texas spirit. Due to Pat, the city has made remarkable progress in rebuilding and is poised to be stronger than ever. Pat is a shining example of community leadership and stewardship. I have greatly enjoyed working with him, especially in this recovery effort during his tenure as mayor, and I wish him and his wife, Patricia Ann, and his entire family the best during his well-deserved retirement from public service. Honoring World War II and Korean War Veteran Luis A. Valls

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Luis Angel Valls of Corpus Christi, Texas. Born in 1928 in Sinton, Texas, and raised in Alice, Luis answered the Nation's call by enlisting in the United States Navy during World War II. At the age of 17, he was sent to service in the Pacific Theater. With the onset of the Korean war, Luis' overwhelming sense of duty and selfless service saw him answering the Nation's call once more. He served in the Navy until he was honorably discharged in 1954. After his Navy service, Luis relocated to Corpus Christi, Texas, and joined the Corpus Christi Fire Department where he served for 29 years, being one of the first Mexican Americans to join CCFD. During his time with the fire department, he was recognized twice for valor and has the distinction of making the first ambulance call for the CCFD's newly formed EMT ambulance program. Luis married the love of his life, Olga Pena, in 1958 in Alice. Together they had four sons and were happily married for 64 years. Luis was a proud member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Disabled American Veterans, and the Pan-American Golf Association. He was a loyal parishioner of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Corpus Christi for over 60 years. Luis was an avid golfer, deer hunter, and voracious reader of history, including military, Western and Texas history. As a proud father and grandfather, his greatest joy during retirement was spending time with his family. Our Nation is indebted to Mr. Valls. I ask that you please join me in honoring and remembering his magnificent life.