Michael Cloud

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the Biden border crisis, the unraveling of what was once a managed situation. We are a compassionate Nation, but lawlessness is not compassion. Aiding and abetting cartels is not compassion. Putting policies in place that allow evil actors to abuse women on a journey is not compassion. Allowing them to grow and be funded into a destabilizing force in Central and South American nations that are trying to thrive and survive and create an economy for their own people, that is not compassion. The policies that the Biden administration has put in place have caused this crisis at the border. It is different from the previous administration that came in, inherited a problem and had to put policies in place and make difficult decisions to come up with a solution. This administration inherited a solution and has put in place policies that have created a problem. It was predictable. It was easy to avoid. It is unfortunate that we have to be here again to talk about this today, but we are here because the lives of those affected matter. They deserve it. They need their story to be told. It is ironic that we are taking people off the border right now, our good men and women who signed up to protect and secure our border, to defend the Constitution, and to protect our communities. We are actually taking them off the border to sit at computers to do paperwork to process what has become a migrant humanitarian crisis. We have essentially turned our brave men and women into the last mile, so to speak, for cartel activity. The business model that the cartels have to work throughout the world to bring people to our border, to charge them thousands of dollars each while they abuse them on the journey, while they put them into indentured servitude and then hand them over to our people simply for processing. That is not what they signed up to do. The migrants deserve better as well, as do, certainly, our communities. We understand the strategy of the cartels to overwhelm our border and our resources with the humanitarian crisis and then sneak in drugs that destroy the lives of our young people and our families. We have to fix this. We can secure our border. We can protect the lives of these people, and we can keep this Nation strong. We can help push back the cartel influence in our Nation and throughout Central and South America. I have a couple of fellow Members of Congress and friends here who have valuable experience. I thank them for joining me today to help us with this conversation. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the good gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Norman).

Mr. CLOUD. I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Miller).

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the good gentleman from Florida (Mr. Posey).

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Posey for his comments. It is interesting of him to point out the former ``Remain in Mexico'' policy that was removed under this administration. Ironically, if you are a U.S. citizen going to Mexico, you will have to remain in Mexico and not be allowed into our very own home country unless you have a negative COVID test. However, this is not happening with the migrants at the border currently. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the good gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar).

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Gosar for his remarks. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the good gentleman from Montana (Mr. Rosendale).

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the good gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs).

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his remarks. Indeed, it is true that these cartels have a weird, perverted thinking when it comes to people. For them, they are just a business product. In their mind, they can sell a kilo of coke once, but they can get residual income from a human life. It is pathetic, disturbing, troubling, to say the least, that we, by our policies, empower this kind of activity on our southern border. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the good gentlewoman from Colorado (Mrs. Boebert).

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Boebert for her remarks. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the good gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Clyde).

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, a migrant in Reynosa said this: ``He paid one of the criminal groups in the city after he arrived a few months ago from Honduras to secure the purple bracelet to protect against kidnapping and extortion.'' ``He said once migrants or their smugglers have paid for the right to cross the river, which is also controlled by criminal groups, they receive another bracelet.'' So basically, cartels are going throughout, they are recruiting people to come, charging them thousands of dollars. At each step along the way they have to pay another fee to get across the territory that is controlled by cartels. One human smuggler who spoke up, of course, on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that the bracelets were a system to designate who was paid for the right to transit through cartel territory. And this is what he said: ``They are putting these bracelets on so there aren't killings by mistake.'' This is what we are allowing, and it is tragic. We can do better than this. We can mitigate the influence that the cartels are having at our border, and communities throughout my State, in particular, in Texas, and throughout our Nation. We can mitigate this humanitarian and this national security crisis, and I encourage the White House to do so, and for this House to take up legislation to secure our border as well. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, we are indeed a compassionate Nation, we recognize that everyone on this planet are people created in the image of God. We understand that people are hurting all over the world. The solution for that, however, is for us to be that shining city on the hill, for us to be an example to the world. For them to know that if you live by the same principles that have made this Nation into one of the brightest beacons of freedom through all of human history that you can achieve the same results. We want people to prosper everywhere. We want every nation to prosper, and that is why we are so intent on stopping this terrible scourge that is at our southern border. These cartels are wreaking havoc in the lives of these people, and we have to put an end to this. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record an article titled ``Color-Coded Passage: Why Smugglers are Tagging U.S.-Bound Migrants with Wristbands.'' It has recently come to light that a number of the migrants are coming over with wristbands. The question was asked, Why? [From Reuters, Mar. 9, 2021] Color-Coded Passage: Why Smugglers Are Tagging U.S.-Bound Migrants With Wristbands (By Adrees Latif, Laura Gottesdiener, Mica Rosenberg) Penitas, TX.--Along the banks of the Rio Grande in the scrubby grassland near Penitas, Texas, hundreds of colored plastic wristbands ripped off by migrants litter the ground, signs of what U.S. border officials say is a growing trend among powerful drug cartels and smugglers to track people paying to cross illegally into the United States. The plastic bands--red, blue, green, white--some labeled arrivals or entries in Spanish, are discarded after migrants cross the river on makeshift rafts, according to a Reuters witness. Their use has not been widely reported before. Some migrants are trying to evade border agents, others are mostly Central American families or young children traveling without parents who turn themselves into officials, often to seek asylum. Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley sector, which spans more than 34,000 square miles (88,000 square kilometers) along the border in southeast Texas, have recently encountered immigrants wearing the bracelets during several apprehensions, said Matthew Dyman a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The ``information on the bracelets represents a multitude of data that is used by smuggling organizations, such as payment status or affiliation with smuggling groups,'' Dyman told Reuters. The differing smuggling techniques come as Democratic President Joe Biden's administration has sought to reverse restrictive immigration polices set up by his predecessor, former President Donald Trump. But a recent jump in border crossings has Republicans warning the easing of hardline policies will lead to an immigration crisis. U.S. border agents carried out nearly 100,000 apprehensions or rapid expulsions of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in February, according to two people familiar with preliminary figures, the highest monthly total since mid-2019.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor a servant-hearted leader who cared deeply for the Victoria, Texas, community, Mayor Rawley McCoy, who passed away on March 5, 2021. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and those he represented as mayor and those of us who had the honor to serve alongside him. A lifelong Victorian, he described our town as a wholesome community that provided an energetic and joyful childhood. Long before being elected mayor, he lived and worked to make our community a better place. He was inspired to become mayor and to make Victoria, as he said, the kind of place where future generations can live their American dream. I will miss working with him, as I appreciated his heart to work with and to collaborate in order to serve people. Mr. Speaker, Rawley once said, ``We can never become a great city until all of us can sit at and are welcome at the table.'' My prayers are with him, his wife, their three children, and all who had the great pleasure of knowing Mayor Rawley McCoy.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, what we are considering here today with H.R. 8 has been dubbed a universal background check bill, but in reality, it would criminalize--let me say that again--it would criminalize the private transfer of firearms. As part of the march to strip Americans of their guaranteed Second Amendment right, this gun control bill would make it a crime to sell or transfer a firearm without first seeking permission from the almighty Government. The dirty secret is that the proponents of gun control, Mr. Speaker, want you to think that this is the end of the road when, in fact, that is not true. In 2013 President Obama's Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice said that the effectiveness of universal background checks depends on requiring gun registration. So what we are witnessing here today is the first step to requiring a nationwide gun registration in America. The Second Amendment to the Constitution says: ``A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.'' In this Nation of ``We the People,'' we recognize that we as citizens are not subjects of our government and that our inalienable rights are not a grant from the government but a gift from God, and to that end the Second Amendment doesn't grant us a right, but rather those carefully crafted words acknowledge an already existing right: the right of the people to possess a firearm. The Constitution does not say you may or may not be able to own a firearm, we will circle back with you, we will get back with you on that. It doesn't. It guarantees the right. This bill does nothing to make communities more safe. This is another overreaching attempt by leftist leaders drunk on unchecked power to control the lives of freedom-loving citizens. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to oppose this legislation.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate a pillar of the Victoria, Texas, community, Mrs. Verlinn Sandra Avery, who passed away on January 30, 2021. Resilient and devoted to caring for others, Mrs. Avery demonstrated her passion for serving her community through her work as a child nutrition specialist for Victoria ISD, and her leadership of Victoria's Old Landmark Committee, which she founded. She organized Juneteenth celebrations, multicultural ``Taste of Soul'' events, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day festivities, and much more. The impact she had on her community is evident in the Victoria newspapers, which were often filled with coverage of her events and letters to the editor thanking her for her service to the community, and now includes tributes to her memory. Mrs. Avery is sorely missed and will be rightfully remembered as a community leader for generations to come.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman for taking this moment to speak on this. I cannot imagine a more important topic for us right now in this Nation. Mr. Speaker, we are unique in history in that our Nation rests on the understanding that our inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are not a grant from the government; they are a gift from Almighty God. And among these enshrined in our First Amendment is the freedom of speech, which is the most essential freedom, along with the freedom of religion. The peace and tranquility of our entire Republic is based on the understanding that we have a right to have our voice heard and that we have a right to have peaceful public discourse and dissent. That is how we come up with good legislation. That is how to have good policy. That is how we avoid conflict and wars on our soil. But we have entered a most troubling time in our Nation. This cancel culture has persisted, and it needs to stop. The unilateral march of legislation meant not to protect our liberties, but, rather, force the American people to conform to woke ideology in this House needs to stop. Then there is big tech that canceled conservatives while allowing for liberal Members of this body to repeatedly call for unrest in our streets and raise money to bail out violent rioters, not to mention providing a platform for Communist China terrorist groups and the like. This hypocrisy is not overlooked. Recently traveling throughout my district the last couple weeks, I came across a few immigrants in my community. I know them. They came up to me concerned about what we are in at this point in our Nation. Some of us who are so privileged to be born in this country where we have inherited these wonderful liberties might not see the signs so readily as people who have come from Ecuador, Cuba, and Iran. But these individuals came up to me because they are very concerned. They are concerned that they left this and now they are seeing it be rooted and established here in our Nation. Ironically, the one from Iran was concerned because she was talking to me and she had liked a post about our taking out of Soleimani and she got banned from Instagram following that. She knows firsthand what is going on in Iran. She is a first-generation immigrant. I was troubled, especially when she looked at me and said: We have more freedom of speech in Iran at this moment--this is her opinion--than we do right here right now. No one is trying to cancel people, you can speak freely against the government there. Now, I am not saying Iran is a wonderful place to live. I am thankful to be here in the United States of America, but we are heading down a troubling path. I remember being at an event just a couple days ago. It was before the election. Some lady was there, and she was talking to me about her motivation for being involved in the public discourse. She came up to me and said: I am from Ecuador. I remember escaping. Her parents did not make it out, but she made it out. She didn't call it ``to the United States of America.'' She called it ``to freedom country.'' She said: We cannot lose freedom country. I am here to support this, I am here to work, and I am here to do whatever I can because we cannot lose freedom country. Mr. Speaker, I am here to stand up along with our colleagues because we cannot lose freedom country. It is extremely and essentially important that we in this House and people across the United States of America stand up in this hour at this time. Ronald Reagan once said--and I have said this before to many people, encouraging them how important it is to get involved in the process and also to thank our veterans--``Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.'' I thought about that quote. There is another part of it that has resonated with me even more and more in this time, and it is: ``Or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.'' God forbid that we continue down this path and reach that point where we have to tell our kids and grandkids about what it was once like to live in the beloved United States where men were free. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for setting aside this Special Order. I cannot imagine a more important topic.

Mr. CLOUD. I certainly do.

Mr. CLOUD. Sure. You know my family, you know my wife. I have had those comments put on me that I somehow don't like Brown people and that I am somehow racist. They fail sometimes to look at my family photo. My wife is an immigrant. I didn't marry her because she was an immigrant. I married because I loved her. I met her when she was 15. I was 17 at the time. We had a long-distance relationship. I met her back before Al Gore invented the internet. Mr. Speaker, I can tell you what an honor it was for her to stand there in the U.S. courthouse, raise her hand and take the Pledge of Allegiance for the first time and become a citizen of this great country. So we understand that there is a proper way to do immigration. We want a big, beautiful gate to this country. But to say that we need to secure our communities and keep out the cartel activity, I serve on the Interparliamentary Group between the U.S. and Mexico, so I have had the opportunity to talk with our colleagues in Mexico. I talk to them about how arrogant of a notion it is for us to assume that the way we heal the world's ills is to bring everybody to the United States. That notion is uniquely American arrogant. We want people to prosper everywhere. And what we know from our unique history is that if you embrace the principles this Nation was founded upon, you can have the same sort of prosperity. You can have your people prosper everywhere. When I said that thought, we got resounding applause from them because they understand that our wanting to secure their borders, we want their communities to thrive, we want our communities along the border to be protected, and we want migrants not to be persecuted and abused along the way.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Mrs. Susan Day, a beloved teacher in the Corpus Christi community who passed away on October 5, 2020. Mrs. Day was a passionate and dedicated educator at Calallen High School who retired this past May after 36 years of service to our community. Students and parents alike described her as devoted, energetic, and inspiring. She would challenge her students with quality education while encouraging them with her enthusiasm and charm. The students of Calallen High School tell stories of the many experiences she gave them, including coaching the Calallen Challenge Team to three wins in the local TV quiz show. The English department chose to recognize her with a plaque declaring the English hallway, a place she had spent so much time with her students, to be the Susan Day Hallway. Susan Day was an amazing member of our community who has touched the lives of hundreds of students, parents, and teachers. I offer my condolences to her family, friends, and students as they grieve the loss of a great woman. She will be fondly remembered by all for the investment and impact she has made in the lives of so many students.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Mr. Jerry Kane, a giant in the Corpus Christi community, who passed away on September 24th, 2020. A prominent businessman, public servant, and family man, Jerry was well-known and well-loved in our part of Texas. His family emigrated here after World War II from Czechoslovakia, where his parents survived the Holocaust and fought for the freedom of their people. Jerry spent many years in the family meat-packing business, and during his time as President and CEO, he moved the company forward through innovation and pioneering new technologies. He was also a tremendous public servant for both the city of Corpus Christi and the state of Texas, serving on the Regional Water Task Force, the Governors Committee for Disaster Recovery and Renewal, and the Texas Board of Human Services. Most importantly, Jerry was a devoted family man. He especially loved spending time with his grandchildren, and was known for being friendly, caring, and always helpful. I offer my condolences to his family and friends as they grieve the loss of a great man. He will be fondly remembered by all.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to call up H.R. 8265 to extend the Paycheck Protection Program to help small businesses and the families they represent.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, who would have thought--who would have thought--that today we would be here discussing this topic. When I ran for office, when I stood in this room for the first time and took the oath of office to protect and defend the Constitution, I expected that we would have many discussions on this floor with deeply held opposing views on the many issues facing our Nation. I did not expect that one of those issues would be whether this, the lawmaking body of our Nation, expects the laws to be followed, or whether or not we support the brave men and women tasked with enforcing that law. Policing is a noble and necessary profession of any civil society, a profession which, by and large, is full of dedicated, courageous citizens who have chosen to serve their community, often putting aside higher-paying professions to work in one of the most difficult, challenging jobs, daily prioritizing public safety over their own. It is these families for whom the greatest sound one hears is the sound of Velcro at the end of each shift as their loved one removes their body armor and takes up their other most important duty of being a mom, dad, brother, or sister. For too many of our law enforcement officers' families, because of the violence against police, they are now denied the joy of that moment. Each day, we see images of organized armed riots embracing lawlessness, destroying property, sowing hate, and instilling fear, all in order to advance a political agenda. The barrage of destruction and violence in major American cities is almost nonstop. The rioters across the Nation have cost over $1 billion in damages and claimed numerous lives. In one of the latest acts of horrific violence, two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were shot and critically injured as they sat in their patrol car at a metro rail station Saturday evening. Protesters gathered outside the hospital where the deputies were receiving treatment, some chanting: ``Death to police. Kill the police.'' This is shameful and cannot be tolerated. It is notable that this mass chaos is occurring in cities with leftist leaders who have been tragically slow at condemning the violence. This lack of leadership, we might add, whether by intentional design or perhaps by good but misguided intentions, has kept entire segments of our population in failing schools, in crime-ridden communities, and in generational cycles of poverty and dependency. We owe it to the American people to protect their homes, families, and businesses from any mob that seeks to tear down our society. We owe it to our hardworking police officers, who dedicate their lives to upholding the law, to give them respect and provide them with the resources, training, and support they need to do their jobs safely and effectively. This is why I stand with the American people, with our law enforcement, and will oppose any attempt to, in a matter of fact or even in simply imagining, defund the police.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Dotson Lewis of Corpus Christi, Texas, on being given the Sam Brown Award by the Texas Association of Sports Officials. This is the most prestigious award from the TASO Football Division, and Mr. Lewis is only the third recipient. The award honors him for his many years of service, and I can think of no one more deserving than Mr. Lewis. Before retiring 2 years ago, Dotson Lewis served our community as a referee in both football and basketball for 71 years. In 1977, he was the first executive director of the newly created Southwest Officials Association, now known as the TASO. He has also facilitated numerous exchanges between officials in Texas and in Japan, earning him the title Ambassador of American Football Officiating to Japan. Even after retirement, he continues to devote himself to service by teaching a class on sports officiating, but his heart of service extends beyond the athletic arena. For 21 years, he served with our U.S. Army. Following his service, he dedicated himself to serving our veterans. He started and facilitates a weekly coffee group for veterans to connect with each other and share their experiences and also to connect them with vital resources in the area. His guidance and leadership have benefited many in Texas, the United States, and others around the world. It is my privilege to recognize him and his outstanding achievements today.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, artificial intelligence is leading to breakthroughs in productivity in industries across the Nation such as science, transportation, healthcare, and education. The American people deserve a government that takes full advantage of modern technology in a responsible manner. H.R. 2575 will help assure the proper governance and oversight over the Federal Government's use of a rapidly advancing and promising technology area. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4975, which would name a Virginia post office for Dorothy Braden Bruce. Dorothy Bruce served as a cryptanalyst with the U.S. Army Signal Corps' Signal Intelligence Service during World War II. Sworn to secrecy, Dorothy's unit worked to disclose the locations of Japanese ships in the Pacific. Her unit also identified and intercepted enemy supply movements. The contributions of Bruce and her unit were crucial in defeating the Axis Powers in the Pacific. Her story is featured in the best-selling book ``Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II.'' Bruce serves as a shining inspiration for women and girls pursuing careers in STEM fields. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4200, and I yield back the balance of my time.