Rodney Davis

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Two minutes to solve the problems of this bill clearly are not enough. Mr. Speaker, the amendments in this bloc continue the Democrats' efforts to attack our constitutional system by nationalizing our elections and attacking the First Amendment. Even the Speaker herself said earlier on the floor that this body should consider altering the First Amendment. That is unbelievable. Mr. Speaker, as my friend, Mr. Loudermilk, highlighted earlier, any action by Congress in this space must be limited to correcting highly significant and substantial deficiencies. I had teams out in the field working under our constitutional authority, as the House of Representatives, as official election observers from October through February, to investigate and observe the last election. We saw that there were certainly many bumps in the road and policy changes that many States should consider to run better elections. That is without a doubt. But there was nothing in 2020 that rose to the level of nationalizing our election system. These are State issues, and Congress--this body--must not act unconstitutionally in this space. Further, these amendments would also threaten free speech and punish those who work to comply with the law with even larger amounts of paperwork simply to provide information already required by law. I see absolutely no reason for duplication in the Federal Government. It is big enough as it is. Mr. Speaker, for these reasons, I urge rejection of these amendments, which would continue the majority's push to nationalize our elections and centralize their administration in Washington, D.C., and they will continue to be allowed to forward their full frontal attack on the First Amendment, just as the Speaker offered earlier today on this floor. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Cole and the Committee on Rules. It was a fun day up there for a few hours. This nearly 800-page bill that, if signed into law, would impact millions of Americans' right to vote and to participate in the political process, was introduced on January 4 of this year. And the first and only hearing on H.R. 1 was held just 4 days ago, in the smallest committee in Congress. Democrats on the Committee on House Administration also decided a markup of this bill wasn't needed, despite the fact that both the bill itself and the membership of our committee have changed since last Congress. This is especially concerning since Democrats changed House floor rules this Congress to weaken the MTR, making committees the only real opportunity for the minority to provide an alternative. But now, they are not even doing that. They are not even holding a markup on this major elections bill. This bill was rushed. And I guarantee most of my colleagues supporting this bill have no idea how this bill would really impact elections or political speech. But I bet they do know that if this bill were to become law, they would get a lot more funds for their own campaigns through the public financing provision. H.R. 1, the for the politicians act, includes hundreds of pages of mandates on States and local election administrators. At the only hearing Congress has held on this massive bill, the minority's witness was the only person on the panel with experience in actually running elections. And he told this committee that it would be unworkable in States like his. Mr. Speaker, we should be reviewing the issues that we saw during the 2020 election cycle and helping States develop a better process. Simply mandating how States run their elections is not only unconstitutional, but it will lead to chaos and confusion for voters. The for the politicians act creates a first-ever fund to publicly finance our own congressional campaigns by providing corporate money, the first corporate dollars allowed into individual Members of Congress' campaigns since 1907, laundered through the Federal Government and into Members of Congress' own campaigns. Provisions in this bill also attack free speech protections under the First Amendment. We did not have any hearings on the impact of changing the current bipartisan balance of the Federal Election Commission to a partisan makeup or the effect that a ``speech czar'' will have on people's ability to participate in the political process. Mr. Speaker, this bill is terrible. This bill doesn't address the important issues that deserve hearings. Any bill to fundamentally change our elections or restrict our freedom of speech needs--at the very least--to go through regular order. The American people deserve to know what is in this bill and the real-life impact it will have on them. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on the rule and on the underlying bill, and I figure my time has expired since you have the gavel.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 45.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, coming from Illinois, it is often a question I get here in this Chamber, why do you have a pin of the State of Louisiana on your lapel? I have the pin on my lapel because there is a void, a void in this institution because one of our colleagues wasn't able to get sworn in. Luke Letlow would have made a tremendous Member of this institution. And I want to thank my colleague, Mike Johnson, and the entire Louisiana delegation, and what would have been his freshman class, for honoring him tonight in a Special Order. Like Luke, I was a district staffer for years, trying to make this House be a better place for every single American. I was looking forward to serving with him. Unfortunately, tragedy took his life, and we are without his service. My heart goes out to his wife, Julia, and their two kids, and the entire State of Louisiana, and this institution, for not having the opportunity to see the true leadership of Congressman Luke Letlow.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the important and irreplaceable work done by our court reporters and the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) during the 9th annual national court reporting and captioning week of February 6-13. As guardians of the record, court reporters have a large impact on capturing history for posterity. During our nearly 250 years of American history, court reporters have been the cornerstone of our American justice system. From George Washington's Farewell Address to Lincoln's divided house speech, these noble servants have transcribed some of the most important pieces of American history. Today, the NCRA provides a free course to introduce realtime writing to all Americans. This course allows high schoolers, career changers, college redirects, and military veterans to see if a profession in realtime writing is a good fit for them. Additionally, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it's important we focus on providing flexibility to our court reporters and ensuring captions are adhering to the FCC' s Caption Quality Best Practices--as opposed to Automatic Speech Recognition, which oftentimes creates erroneous captions. I want to thank realtime writers everywhere and the NCRA for all the hard work they do.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the bicentennial celebration of the founding of Montgomery County, Illinois. Montgomery County was formed February 12, 1821, and named in honor of Revolutionary War General Richard Montgomery. Montgomery County has a rich history, including being a friend to Illinois' favorite son, Abraham Lincoln, and providing a stretch of historic Route 66. Montgomery County continues to be a vibrant community that supports family, sports, fine arts, churches, and numerous organizations for more than 30,000 residents that make up 20 municipalities. I am proud to represent Montgomery County and the many people who make it a wonderful place to live. Congratulations to everyone in the county on celebrating their bicentennial. Thank You to David A. Northern, Sr.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize David A. Northern, Sr., for his leadership and service to the people of Champaign County, Illinois. I have had the privilege to work with David through his role as the chief executive officer of the Housing Authority of Champaign County, an organization which provides housing and related services to the most vulnerable populations in our community. He oversaw various programs that provided housing opportunities and assistance to over 13,000 citizens. Under David's leadership, the agency launched numerous projects to develop affordable housing, update existing properties, and bolster support programs. David believes that the Housing Authority's mission is just as much about transforming futures and putting families on a path to economic self-sufficiency as it is to just providing homes. That vision and drive has served him well. David's distinguished career and experience in Federal housing assistance has been a blessing to Champaign County. While we will certainly miss him in Illinois, we wish him the very best as he begins a new journey as the president and CEO of the Housing Authority of Birmingham District in Alabama, the largest in the State. Mr. Speaker, I, again, wish to thank my friend David Northern for his service to Champaign County and congratulate him and wish him the best in his new home in Alabama. Remembering David Pickett

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of David Pickett, my friend from Taylorville, Illinois, who sadly passed away right before Christmas. David graduated from Taylorville High School in 1977, and then graduated from Western Illinois University in 1981, with degrees in accounting and computer science. He will be remembered in our community for his entrepreneurial spirit, his photography skills, and for his love of sharing with others in the community. His most memorable feat in Taylorville will be taking the hobby of photography and turning it into a business called Fun Photo. It was his own sports photography business. I saw David at sports events, and I still have pictures of my young kids in youth football and youth baseball that line my household because David was there. He was part of our community and he was part of our kids. David was an avid fisherman, a diehard Cardinals fan. He had a talent for cooking and loved to entertain his friends and family. His vibrant personality and remarkable smile will be missed. I really wish the best for his family right now. It is a sorrowful loss for them, but also everybody in our hometown of Taylorville. Shannon and my kids send our thoughts and prayers to his wife, Debbie; his children, Mark and J.D.; his grandchildren, Libbey, Bennet, Jamison, Charlotte, and Connor; his parents, James and Mary; and his siblings, Linda and Tom. David, may you rest in peace, my friend. Remembering Rosemarie Long

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is a sad day today. Last night, not just my good friend, but a great friend to our community and Sangamon County, Illinois, passed away. Rosemarie Long was somebody who I came to know as the head of our local Republican Party in Springfield, Illinois. I can tell you that Rose Long gave such good advice and great mentorship to many people like me and others who have walked this institution. Rose Long was somebody who cared about her community and cared about making her country better. My heart goes out to her family at this trying time, and I certainly want them to know that I know without Rose's guidance, without Rose's friendship, without Rose's support, I would not be blessed to serve as a Member of Congress. One thing about Rose, she was not shy, at all, of letting me know her concerns about what we may or may not be doing right for her in this institution. I cannot believe that Rose is gone. I cannot believe that the world is going to be a better place without her. But I know one place that will be better with her, and that is Heaven. Good luck, my friend. May you rest in peace, and may God continue to bless you and your family at this very sorrowful time.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 22.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank the U.S. Police and the Sergeant at Arms employees who were here on the front lines protecting this Capitol last week during the unprecedented attack. It is imperative that we focus on ensuring a safe Inauguration Day, protecting Members and staff during this time of increased threats, and making sure that our Capitol Police officers have the support that they need. We need to ensure that what we saw happen a week ago today never happens again. Yesterday, I introduced, along with Representatives Katko and Comer, a bill that would create a national commission on the domestic terrorist attack upon the United States Capitol. The bipartisan commission would consist of 10 Members--5 Republicans, 5 Democrats-- appointed by the next President and by House and Senate leadership. This commission would be tasked with investigating the domestic terrorist attack that occurred in this building just a week ago, and it will provide us recommendations to prevent similar attacks from happening in the future. What we saw last week scared all of us who were here. But it also showed adversaries what it takes to take out a branch of government. When this commission is done with its investigation, it will submit a report to the President and the Congress detailing its findings and recommendations to ensure that no foreign or domestic adversary could accomplish what was done on January 6. We need to ensure that we fully understand what took place last week and any and all issues that occurred during our response. Republicans and Democrats need to work together. We must unite to prevent any attacks like this from happening in the future, and we must protect this institution, not just for us but for the American people. That is why we should defeat the previous question so that we can establish this bipartisan commission to equip us with the information that we need to support our Capitol Police and the men and women who work in these buildings.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Nevada seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr., of the State of Delaware received 4 votes for President and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California received 6 votes for Vice President.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of New York seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr., of the State of Delaware received 29 votes for President and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California received 29 votes for Vice President.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Oklahoma seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Donald J. Trump of the State of Florida received 7 votes for President and Michael R. Pence of the State of Indiana received 7 votes for Vice President.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of South Carolina seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Donald J. Trump of the State of Florida received 9 votes for President and Michael R. Pence of the State of Indiana received 9 votes for Vice President.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Arkansas seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Donald J. Trump of the State of Florida received 6 votes for President and Michael R. Pence of the State of Indiana received 6 votes for Vice President.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Delaware seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr., of the State of Delaware received 3 votes for President and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California received 3 votes for Vice President.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Hawaii seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr., of the State of Delaware received 4 votes for President and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California received 4 votes for Vice President.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Illinois seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr., of the State of Delaware received 20 votes for President and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California received 20 votes for Vice President.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Maine seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Joseph R. Biden, Jr., of the State of Delaware received 3 votes for President, and Donald J. Trump of the State of Florida received 1 vote for President and Kamala D. Harris of the State of California received 3 votes for Vice President, and Michael R. Pence of the State of Indiana received 1 vote for Vice President.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. President, the certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Mississippi seems to be regular in form and authentic, and it appears therefrom that Donald J. Trump of the State of Florida received 6 votes for President and Michael R. Pence of the State of Indiana received 6 votes for Vice President.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I have a motion to refer at the desk.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I appreciate my good friend, Mr. Cole, yielding. It is disappointing that House Democrats have completely dismissed the first opportunity to work together in this new Congress to instill voter confidence and protect the integrity of our election process. The purpose of H. Res. 5 is to address many of the election administration problems that occurred in 2020, something I have encouraged the Committee on House Administration and this House to address long before the 2020 general election. The resolution would have required the Committee on House Administration to report out a bill that contains five main provisions: First, a provision to ensure this House's commitment to upholding the U.S. Constitution by maintaining that it is States that have the primary authority to conduct elections, not the Federal Government. Second, it ensures ballot integrity for votes cast by mail. Third, this provides a Federal baseline for signature verification. Fourth, it includes measures to improve voter confidence and certainty in our election results by counting ballots in a timely manner. And lastly, a provision to ensure proper oversight of Federal dollars provided to States to help them administer elections through the Help America Vote Act. These issues are nonpartisan. They are problems both sides struggled with in the 2020 election. As the committee with jurisdiction over Federal elections, it is our responsibility to address them. Arguably, the time to address these issues was before the 2020 election, but it is never too late to do the right thing. In 2020, more than 65 million people voted by mail, more than ever before. Just as we have baseline standards for administering in-person elections, we should have them for mail-in voting. Baseline standards for these ballots would help ensure every legal vote is counted. There were many last-minute changes made during the 2020 cycle, in the name of COVID-19, that chipped away at the integrity of our election system, and it is important that we do not maintain this pandemic-style voting in the long term. The worst thing that can happen to our government is for the American people to lose all confidence in our elections. There are bipartisan steps we can take to help restore public confidence in our elections and protect our Republic. While it is disappointing that House Democrats have dismissed the first opportunity in this new Congress to work together to protect the integrity of our elections, I am hopeful that, working with Chairman McGovern, Ranking Member Cole, and Chairperson Lofgren and others in this arena, we can set politics aside to achieve this goal.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I want to say in closing, I encourage all Members to support this bill. I also want to say thank you to the colleagues that don't get a chance to come back here on January 3, like Mr. Cunningham and so many of my other friends. These are good people who served in a great institution where we worked together to make sure we made this country a better place. I thank them for their service. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, thank you to the chair of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee, Ms. Holmes Norton, for her support for this bill. I also really thank my good friend and colleague from the great State of Minnesota, Congresswoman Angie Craig, with whom I was happy and proud to be the colead of H.R. 3779, the Resilience Revolving Loan Fund Act of 2019. This is the House companion bill to the bill that we are now debating, S. 3418, the STORM Act. I thank Congresswoman Craig for her leadership on this legislation and for allowing me to be the colead on this bill with her that ensures that much-needed support is available to our rural communities. This bill will prevent catastrophes across the country before disaster strikes, saving lives, livelihoods, and heartache for many Americans. Madam Speaker, imagine this: Communities that are prone to consistent disasters on an annual basis can now have a pot of money to make their community safer before disasters hit, thus, investing on the front end to save taxpayer dollars on the back end. This bill is going to establish that revolving loan fund to support these important disaster mitigation efforts, and in most areas in my district, that usually means my rural communities. Upfront investment, as I just mentioned, in mitigation has been proven to reduce disaster costs and save lives, and that is why this bill is so important. While Congress has worked in the past to increase support for mitigation, many local projects still go unfunded. Unfortunately, localized disasters that hit communities like those in my district, while devastating, may never receive a major disaster declaration. We have passed reforms to address this issue, including my bill, the Disaster Declaration Improvement Act, but more reforms are obviously needed. S. 3418 will provide these communities more options in mitigating the impact of disasters that have left so many communities without relief. And with the flexibilities built into the bill, this bill will ensure key projects will be eligible for these loans. I also take this opportunity to thank one of my constituents for his advocacy on this bill, and that is Mayor Rick Eberlin of Grafton, Illinois. Grafton, Illinois--the Key West to the Mississippi, I like to call it--is a prime example of a community that would benefit greatly from this piece of legislation. Mayor Eberlin has tirelessly fought for the people of Grafton and was the individual who brought this partnership and this legislation to my attention. I have no doubt that the funds made available under this bill will ensure Grafton and its surrounding communities are better protected during the next flood season. Madam Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.