Andrew Clyde

Mr. CLYDE

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

Mr. CLYDE

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

Mr. CLYDE

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

Mr. CLYDE

Mr. CLYDE. Madam Speaker, the American people are facing persistent pain in their wallets and pocketbooks, with inflation in August hitting 8.3 percent, higher than expectations. But yesterday, hours after new inflation figures revealed that price hikes are continuing to burden hardworking Americans, President Biden held an event to celebrate the signing of the deceptively-named Inflation Reduction Act into law, touting the radical legislation as a victorious success. The Inflation Expansion Act a success? Not quite. Not even close. Grocery costs have surged nearly 14 percent, gas rose more than 33 percent, electricity costs have increased nearly 16 percent, rent almost 7 percent, and transportation has soared 11 percent. Republicans warned that burning through billions of dollars in order to expand the IRS by 87,000 new agents, advance Green New Deal initiatives, and deliver crushing tax hikes would only plunge our economy into deeper turmoil--worsening inflation and contributing to our ballooning national debt. Yet, Speaker Pelosi, Senate Leader Schumer, and President Biden steamrolled ahead anyway--selfishly advancing their Big Government Socialist agenda that costs the American people over 1 month's pay every year. Yes, Americans are now losing a month's pay every year because of Biden inflation. Enough is enough. Americans simply cannot afford the cost of one- party Democrat rule in Washington any longer. We must prioritize financial security and fiscal responsibility over runaway spending and reckless monetary policies in order to provide American workers, families, and small businesses, the economic relief they desperately need. Border Crisis

Mr. CLYDE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight the raging crisis that continues to plague our southern border. Since President Biden stepped foot into the Oval Office, his failed policies and radical open border agenda have provoked an unprecedented illegal alien invasion at our southern border. While Vice President Kamala Harris, our so-called ``Border Czar,'' comically claims that the southern border is secure, the American people know good and well that this is a blatant falsehood. But unlike our delusional Border Czar, the numbers don't lie. Nearly 5 million illegal aliens have crossed the southern border since Biden and Harris took office. To make matters worse, 66 individuals on the Terrorist Screening Database have been stopped trying to illegally enter our country--this is more than double the last 5 years combined--double the last 5 years combined. Furthermore, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has seized enough fentanyl in this fiscal year alone to kill almost 2.4 billion people-- over seven times the U.S. population. The southern border is, in fact, not secure, and the Biden administration knows it. After all, chaotic open borders have always been their plan. Unless the Biden administration abandons this sinister scheme, communities across the country will only continue to be ravaged by deadly drugs and border lawlessness. It is simple: Americans deserve border security, not an administration actively manufacturing mayhem, advocating for mass amnesty, and emboldening dangerous cartels. President Biden must immediately about-face on his open border agenda, commit to securing our southern border, and finally put American people first. USDA Letter

Mr. CLYDE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to strongly oppose the Department of Agriculture's poultry line speed waiver rule. Back in July, over 50 chicken plants that currently participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's waiver program received a notification from the Department stating that within 1 month these plants must participate in a third-party study in order to retain their line speed waivers. In addition to granting a third-party group unlimited and unannounced access to poultry plants, the study also requires these plants to submit heaps of data and burdensome paperwork. Failure to participate in this study results in chicken plants slowing production by 25 percent, creating supply chain mayhem in the industry, and undeniably posing a serious threat to food availability. The Biden administration's line speed waiver rule forces an ultimatum on poultry plants, burdening both consumers and workers already battling supply chain disruptions and hyperinflation, for the sake of a vague, intrusive, and unnecessary third-party study on worker safety. Since I represent and serve the ``Poultry Capital of the World,'' Gainesville, Georgia, I proudly led 34 of my colleagues in sending a letter to USDA Secretary Vilsack expressing grave concerns about the third-party study and urging the delay in the mandate. Given the adverse effects this rule imposes on the industry and poultry production, Secretary Vilsack must immediately provide substantive answers to Congress about why this rule must be put in place. Madam Speaker, I am fully committed to conducting proper congressional oversight into the USDA's line speed waiver so that we can continue to run at full capacity.

Mr. CLYDE

Mr. CLYDE. Madam Speaker, despite the White House's politically motivated propaganda that claims our economy is in a transition with zero percent inflation, the reality is we are facing an economic recession and continue to battle 40-year high inflation. As millions of Americans struggle to buy groceries, fill up their gas tanks, afford rent, and pay utility bills, Democrats are ramming through their tax-and-spend bill that will only make life worse. Now, I know the left can't quite grasp the basics of high school biology, but it appears that they also need a lesson on the fundamentals of economics and basic math. But I don't think they are interested in their much-needed schooling because their actions are intentional. Time and time again, the left proves their priorities lie with Big Government socialism, not the American people. Through increased IRS audits, they are willing to demolish any small business, worker, or family that gets in their way. Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to reject fueling inflation and reject tax hikes during a recession by voting ``no'' on Democrats' build back broke bill.

Mr. CLYDE. Madam Speaker, one of the most egregious provisions in this socialist spending bill includes providing $80 billion to the IRS for hiring 87,000 new agents to audit hardworking Americans. After my small business was wrongfully targeted by the IRS back in 2013, I know a thing or two about how burdensome and costly battles with the IRS can be. I will tell you, it is a grueling fight that most Americans simply cannot endure. This is precisely why I introduced an amendment to eliminate the IRS enforcement provision in this severely misguided legislation. The Democrats rejected it, confirming their intent to supercharge IRS audits in order to pay for their Big Government socialist agenda. This week has also proven just how corrupt our Federal agencies are and the length they are willing to go to persecute political opponents. Think about it: If the left will weaponize the FBI to raid President Trump's personal residence, they will surely weaponize the IRS' new 87,000 agents, many of whom will be trained in the use of deadly force, to go after any American citizen. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on supersizing and weaponizing the IRS against the American people.

Mr. CLYDE

Mr. CLYDE. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. CLYDE. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. CLYDE

Mr. CLYDE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 1808, which is just the latest gun-grabbing bill Democrats are dangerously ramming through in their unconstitutional crusade to disarm America. The ink is barely dry on the anti-gun bill from last month, and here they are pushing another anti-gun bill that proclaims to make us safer but does the exact opposite. It puts citizens at greater risk by taking away the rights of the law-abiding. This legislation takes aim at our Constitution by banning what the Democrats call assault weapons, which is a vague political term used as a catchphrase to make the public think we are banning guns that assault people. But the truth is that the bill would ban the most popular semiautomatic rifle in America, the AR-15 and what the industry calls a modern sporting rifle. The Democrats have consistently called them weapons of war and are trying to ban them from being purchased by law-abiding citizens. But whom does this bill exempt? The Federal Government. Federal Government agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, the Department of Labor, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and down the line. So if they are weapons of war, as the Democrats call them, what do these departments need with weapons of war? Is the Department of Education going to use them against the moms and dads who protest against woke local school board policies? Is the Department of Housing and Urban Development going to use them against the occupants in their housing developments? You cannot have it both ways. If it is a weapon of war, then ban these Federal agencies, too. The truth is they are simply semiautomatic rifles the Democrats want to demonize so they can ban more guns and take more of our citizens' unalienable constitutional rights away. Democrat ignorance and malice do not justify banning nearly 25 million firearms that Americans, including myself, proudly own and responsibly use. Now I know the author of this legislation would prefer that I spare him both the prefatory clause and the supremacy clause of the Second Amendment. But it is quite clear: ``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.'' Shall not be infringed, period, is the supremacy clause. And banning an entire class of firearms, the most popular firearm in common use today, is clearly infringement. An armed America is a safe and free America. I urge all of my colleagues to stand firm in the fight to protect and preserve the Second Amendment by voting ``no'' on this unconstitutional and, therefore, illegal piece of legislation.

Mr. CLYDE

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

Mr. CLYDE

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

Mr. CLYDE

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

Mr. CLYDE

Mr. CLYDE. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment in en bloc No. 5. My amendment prohibits funds made available by this act to be used to promulgate, implement, administer, or enforce President Biden's radical abortion executive order number 14076. In this executive order, the Biden administration chose to focus its attention on protecting the abortion industry at the expense of women and their unborn children. This is totally unacceptable. This executive order is also ruled by executive fiat, and my amendment rightfully defunds it. The executive order is also a great example of disinformation. The Biden administration tried to create the Disinformation Governance Board, and it didn't do so well. Now we have it in an executive order--disinformation. Let me be very clear. Miscarriage management and the treatment of ectopic pregnancies are not abortions. The Biden administration's executive order simply creates fear and confusion by spreading this misinformation. Finally, nothing in the Constitution grants the Federal Government the authority to expand access to abortion. This is a State's rights issue and must be resolved at the State level. Mr. Chair, I urge all my colleagues to support this amendment to defund this Biden executive order promoting abortion.

Mr. CLYDE

Mr. CLYDE. Mr. Speaker, several weeks ago, I introduced my landmark legislation, the RETURN our Constitutional Rights Act, which eliminates the Federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition because no American should be taxed on their enumerated constitutional rights. Since this unconstitutional tax funds Pittman-Robertson conservation programs, my legislation replaces this revenue stream with a more stable source of funding by redirecting unallocated lease revenue generated by onshore and offshore energy development on Federal lands. Replacing this revenue is crucial to ensure Pittman-Robertson programs stay alive and well. While the firearm tax revenue fluctuates annually based on firearms sales, it is also subject to the left's radical gun control agenda. You see, if we allow anti-Second Amendment lawmakers to achieve their dangerous dream of an unarmed America, there will be no firearms sold, so Pittman-Robertson funding will cease to exist, threatening wildlife conservation programs. Therefore, the RETURN Act accomplishes both protecting Americans' Second Amendment rights and preserving Pittman-Robertson programs. We can and must do both.

Mr. CLYDE

Mr. CLYDE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Wisconsin for yielding time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong opposition to amendment No. 25 which would place the mayor of the District of Columbia in charge of the D.C. National Guard. I can't believe this even has to be said, but the D.C. mayor is not the Governor of a State, and the District of Columbia, which houses our Federal Government, is not and should never become a State. Under current law, the President of the United States, our Nation's commander in chief, is the authority over the D.C. National Guard and also appoints its commissioned officers. The President has held that authority for more than two centuries since the inception of the D.C. National Guard under President Thomas Jefferson in 1802. The President has delegated the authority to deploy the D.C. National Guard to the Secretary of Defense, who has further delegated that authority to the Secretary of the Army. These are Federal officials accountable to the President of the United States. Under this amendment, the D.C. mayor, not the President, would be in charge of the D.C. National Guard, including deployments and appointing its commissioned officers, so the President would be stripped of his role entirely. Think about it. Taking the authority from the President and giving it to a mayor. Never. That is completely unacceptable. The D.C. mayor must not have equal authorities as Governors of States and territories have over their National Guards because the D.C. mayor is not a Governor, and the District of Columbia is a Federal district, not a State or a territory. In addition, the current mayor has previously attempted to use the D.C. National Guard for political purposes, calling for their withdrawal from the district during the summer riots of 2020, and seeking to significantly limit the D.C. National Guard's role to traffic control duties only prior to the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. This further demonstrates that the D.C. mayor should play no role in the deployment of the D.C. National Guard troops. Again, the District of Columbia is a Federal district and is not a State, and the Constitution directs that it should never be a State. The District of Columbia is a Federal district with substantial Federal concerns and facilities. The President of the United States should control the D.C. National Guard, not an office whose resident has already demonstrated a lack of judgment when it comes to the use of the D.C. National Guard. Simply, the filing of this amendment is another example of why it is time to roll back home rule and return management of the city to Congress as stipulated by the Constitution. Article I, Section 8 starts with: ``The Congress shall have power,'' and in clause 17, it states, ``To exercise exclusive legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over the District . . . `' That is our Constitution. That is what we abide by. I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

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

Mr. CLYDE

Mr. CLYDE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Ohio, soon to be the Judiciary chair, for yielding. First, thank you to the Supreme Court for removing the curse of abortion sanctioned by a Federal Court ruling back in 1973. Six Supreme Court Justices have stood for life, and that is a beautiful thing. Now, regarding this gun control bill before us today, this bill would have done nothing to curb the actions of illegal-minded criminals intent on harming our children. But it will harm the law-abiding citizens of this great Nation by violating their Second, Fourth, Fifth, and 14th Amendments, specifically, their due process rights. Let me refresh our collective memories. The Fourth Amendment: ``The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.'' The Fifth Amendment: ``No person shall be . . . deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.'' The 14th Amendment: ``Nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.'' Then, of course, my favorite, the Second Amendment: ``The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.'' These red flag laws enable one-sided ex parte hearings, and though they don't take some of the guns from all of the people, they take all of the guns from some of the people. This is completely unacceptable. I stand against it, and I encourage all Members of the House to vote against it.

Mr. CLYDE

Mr. CLYDE. Madam Speaker, I thank Vice Chairman Johnson for hosting this Special Order tonight and for allowing us to highlight the various crises that are affecting our Nation today. Last week, inflation hit a whopping 8.6 percent, the highest since 1981, and gas prices have soared to $5 a gallon nationwide for the first time in history. In fact, just last week, for the first time in my life, I paid more than $100 just to fill up the gas tank of my pickup truck. As the good Speaker knows, if our own home State had not temporarily suspended the gas tax in Georgia, it would have been $110 to fill up my pickup truck. Consumer confidence has plunged to a record low, and I don't blame them. Gas, groceries, utilities, common goods, they are all going up. Month after month, the sticker shock continues to burden American workers and families, with no end in sight. Yet President Biden comically claims he is, and I quote, changing people's lives. Well, I think he really is, but it is not changing for the better. Dare I say the President's policies are actually ruining people's lives, destroying the middle class, and dismantling our economy. Our Nation is in full buyer's remorse. The American people are increasingly fearful of a recession. What are the Democrats here in Congress doing about it right now? As of late, their focus has been prime time political hearings, aimed at smearing President Trump and his supporters, as well as infringing on Americans' constitutional right to keep and bear arms. Not to mention, earlier this afternoon, the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy of the Committee on Oversight and Reform held our very first hearing in 2022. The subject? Investigating tick and flea collars. I just can't make this stuff up. It was not Jimmy Carter-era inflation. It didn't make the cut. And then we have the news reports from this morning that suggest some of my Democrat colleagues are focused on instituting gender-neutral bathrooms throughout Capitol Hill. What in the world is going on? I can assure my Democrat colleagues that my constituents in Georgia's Ninth District are far more concerned about putting food on the table and filling their gas tanks than any of the liberal nonsense that this body is so fixated on. Democrats' severely misguided priorities are a disgrace, but maybe they are actually intended to be a distraction because tackling inflation head-on would require Democrats and President Biden to face the undeniable reality that their Big Government, socialist agenda caused this mess in the first place. The American people deserve better, period. Congress must refocus its attention on implementing effective solutions in order to get our economy and our country back on track, just like it was under President Trump's leadership.

Mr. CLYDE

Mr. CLYDE. Mr. Speaker, the Democrats' so-called Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act opens the door for the Biden administration to continue its assault on Americans' protected political speech. Since President Biden stepped foot into the White House, he has blatantly targeted conservatives for exercising their First Amendment rights. Whether it is labeling parents protesting COVID-19 mandates and racist curriculum in schools as domestic terrorists, holding nonviolent January 6 protestors in pretrial detention for over a year, or creating a radical ministry of truth to monitor supposed disinformation, the Biden administration has repeatedly taken aim at political dissent from the right. And while the Disinformation Governance Board is reportedly paused-- what a hallelujah moment for the Constitution--just the idea alone that the Biden administration would institute such a board under the Department of Homeland Security should concern every solitary American citizen. And keep in mind that this administration has completely ignored the legitimate threats posed by dangerous extremist groups, such as Antifa on the left. Just this week, Biden's Department of Homeland Security claimed law enforcement agencies are investigating violent threats by pro-abortion extremists threatening to murder Supreme Court Justices or burn down the Supreme Court building--but added, ``. . . generalized philosophic embrace of violent tactics does not constitute domestic violent extremism or illegal activity. . . .'' Really? Hey, DHS, why don't you apply the same standard to January 6 protestors? The glaring hypocrisy is blinding. Make no mistake, this legislation is a blatant attempt to further transform the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security into political weapons, greenlighting additional abuse by the Biden administration against the American people. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to vote against H.R. 350, and thereby protect Americans' First Amendment rights and block the Biden administration from targeting, monitoring, and labeling Americans they fundamentally disagree with as domestic terrorists.

Mr. CLYDE

Mr. CLYDE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this question are postponed.

Mr. CLYDE

Mr. CLYDE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the 2022 Georgia High School Association 5A State champions, the Johnson Knights boys soccer team. Last week, the Knights appeared in their fifth finals since 2014 and earned their second State championship. After having a player sustain an injury that took him out of the game, and then trailing behind in the second half, the Knights focused on the remaining time they had and turned the game around. Fueled by adrenaline and filled with talent, these determined young men, led by Coach Frank Zamora, ultimately went on to defeat the St. Pius Golden Lions, boasting a final score of 4-2. Congratulations to the Johnson High School boys soccer team on an impressive win and another exciting State championship title. Honoring Law Enforcement Officers

Mr. CLYDE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor our brave men and women in blue. Our Nation is blessed with heroic law enforcement officers who pursue a thankless career dedicated to maintaining law and order, keeping our communities safe, and answering the call when criminals strike. Law enforcement officers are heroes in our communities. They are the heroes that are desperately needed, but they don't often receive the recognition that they deserve. This week, National Police Week, we honor our local, State, and Federal law enforcement officers. As far as I am concerned, every week should be National Police Week. These men and women always deserve gratitude for their service and sacrifice. Yet, law enforcement officers nationwide are facing increasingly challenging conditions, forcing many to leave the force and causing others to avoid it altogether, leaving police departments across the country struggling to keep staff and fill vacant positions. The horrendous conditions that are generating the low morale are skyrocketing crime rates, rising attacks on law enforcement, and growing calls from the left to advance soft-on-crime agendas. In fact, last year alone, a record breaking 73 police officers were tragically killed in the line of duty. As of this month, 123 have already been shot in 2022, including 19 murdered by criminals. Unfortunately, in Georgia's Ninth District they know horrific reality all too well. Back in November of last year, my home county, Jackson County, lost both a mother and a heroic law enforcement officer, Deputy Lena Marshall. After responding to a domestic call that escalated to a violent shootout, Deputy Marshall's life was taken while serving to keep Georgians safe. Make no mistake, this attack--and any attack of criminal violence toward law enforcement--is an assault on justice. Despite the radical left's persistent efforts to disarm, demonize, and defund the police, policies that weaken law enforcement simply empower criminals, worsening the ongoing crime crisis. In contrast, I remain dedicated to providing our law enforcement officers with the community support, the resources, and the political backing needed to address surging crime across the country. Undermining the authority of the heroes that protect and serve is despicable, which is why we continue the fight to ensure that all law enforcement officers are fully equipped in their mission to keep our community safe. May God bless all the men and women in blue who willingly put their lives on the line for ours, and may we honor all of the fallen officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. May God bless all of the loved ones of current, fallen, and future law enforcement officers who provide tremendous support both on and off duty. We thank you and we honor you for your selfless service.

Mr. CLYDE

Mr. CLYDE. Madam Speaker, I object.