Virginia Foxx

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, this is not a serious proposal. Madam Speaker, it is really rich. Now, it is the fault of Republicans that the Department of Homeland Security is not funded. It is just too rich. Crime is down in this country because we have shut down our border and denied people coming in illegally. Madam Speaker, we need to fund all of Homeland Security so that we can keep the border closed. Obviously, our colleagues want to open the border again just like President Biden did. There were people waiting at the border when President Biden was elected with shirts on that said: Thank you, Biden. We can't do that. We need to fund all of Homeland Security at the same time. By the way, Madam Speaker, it was the Bipartisan Policy Center that said that the 19 percent reduction in deficit had occurred. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, our colleagues across the aisle said that they want to keep the border closed. If they are serious about keeping the border closed and safe, then how are they going to do it without funding border patrol and they don't want to fund border patrol? Mr. Speaker, our colleagues across the aisle have spent their time during this debate drawing caricatures, weaving a tapestry of tangential statements, and engaging in theatrics. This is unserious behavior, Mr. Speaker. Might I remind them we are here debating substantive legislation that aligns with the priorities of the American people. Our colleagues across the aisle are welcome to join us in supporting them, standing for law and order, and returning freedom and choice back to the custody of the American people where they belong. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the previous question and ``yes'' on the rule.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise to welcome the American Optometric Association to our Nation's Capital for the 2026 Federal Keyperson Summit. Since 1898, the AOA has distinguished itself among medical specialists and policymakers for its outstanding leadership, reliability, and advocacy for optometric professionals and students. From years of standing at the forefront of innovation and high quality in healthcare, we understand that steadfast leadership is essential for positive outcomes in public health policy and a patient's health. The advocates of the AOA are a model of just that, providing insight on pertinent issues so that optometric doctors, professionals, and students are primed to deliver the critical, high-quality care that patients deserve. I am confident that this year's summit will prove to be a valuable experience, and I commend the advocates and members of the AOA for their dedication to their profession and patients.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, March is Women's History Month, a time when we make an extra effort to honor and recognize women across the United States and the world who have made a positive, sustained impact upon society. The Wall Street Journal recently ran an article honoring the life of Gladys West, a brilliant mathematician who played an integral role in creating GPS technology. Gladys was a 42-year civilian employee of the United States Navy. Due to the classified nature of her work, few individuals knew of her contributions to this now popular and essential technology as it was being developed. Here are quotes from the article I have referenced: ``In her 42-year career as a civilian employee of the Navy, West learned to program computers and solve mathematical problems she could never have imagined in graduate school. Some of her work involved measuring the precise contours of the Earth, on land and at sea, allowing for the effects of tides and other forces. She was particularly diligent about checking for accuracy. The research was vital for creation of the Global Positioning System, or GPS, a priority for the U.S. military in the 1970s and 1980s.'' Ms. West was inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2018 and was awarded the President's Award by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers for her work in helping create GPS. Mr. Speaker, Ms. West's story is one of service, hard work, determination, and perseverance, and I am quite certain that her story and accomplishments will continue to serve as an inspiration for generations of proud Americans to come. I thank Gladys' family for sharing her so wonderfully with the rest of the world. I thank Gladys, even though she is now gone, for the wonderful work that she did in helping our country and the world.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to take the opportunity today to recognize members of the Chriscoe family for their outstanding generosity, service, and dedication to their faith. I had the pleasure of meeting the Chriscoes during their visit from Summerfield to the Capitol and was amazed by their commitment to using their gifts to celebrate and share the message of the Lord through their work in the Only God Choir and Ministries. Music has been a touchstone of faith for the Chriscoe family through generations, and daughters Laura and Claire have sung in the Only God Choir for years, sharing God's message through beautiful music that has touched listeners across the country and the world. Mr. and Mrs. Chriscoe, Ajay and Trish, have blessed countless students by opening their home and their hearts, offering their talents to provide the crucial support that makes the vision of ministry a reality. With tens of thousands of miles of travel and countless hours of service behind them, the Chriscoe family has helped the message of the Only God Choir and Ministries reach over 2 million people. As they are closing this chapter of their service with the Only God Choir and Ministries, I am confident that they will remain a living testament to the value of heeding the command to store our treasures not on earth, but in heaven. I wish them the best in all their future endeavors.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Georgia for yielding. Mr. Speaker, yesterday in the Rules Committee, I offered my sentiments as to why we must pass all the underlying measures that are being considered under this rule. For our rule debate here today, I will touch upon the appropriations measure that is under consideration. To make the record crystal clear, not once did the people's House court a government shutdown during the appropriations process. The various subcommittees of the Appropriations Committee did their jobs. They worked collaboratively to deliver to the full House their recommendations. As Chairman Cole said more than once in the Rules Committee, these appropriators knew their subject matter better than anyone else and presented to the rest of us their best effort. Then the House did its job. We passed all 12 appropriations bills and sent them to the Senate, which had negotiated with their House counterparts and agreed to take what had been produced in the House. In doing so, we plowed a path toward regular order that was sorely overdue. Unfortunately, the Senate reneged on the agreement. The Senate did not pass what it had agreed to pass and, instead, made a change after the House completed its work. That delay on the part of the Senate caused the government to shut down. Now, what the Senate should have done was approve the six-bill appropriations package that was negotiated in good faith. This process should have been over and done with by now. We don't have time to be playing games, Mr. Speaker. Now, I wholeheartedly echo the sentiment offered by Chairman Cole that doing the right thing for the American people is something that does not get old. Congress holds an explicit mandate that is outlined in our Article I responsibilities to appropriate funding for the missions of departments across the government. When we fail to uphold that mandate, we fail to serve the American people. We fail to do right by them. We must bring the appropriations process to a close. We must move forward and complete more work in service to the American people. Mr. Speaker, I support the rule and the underlying measures, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1014 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and of the underlying legislation. This morning, the Rules Committee met and produced a rule, House Resolution 1014, providing for consideration of H.R. 7147 and H.R. 7148. The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, under a structured rule with two amendments made in order. The rule further provides that H.R. 7147, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026, will be considered under a closed rule. The rule provides each bill 1 hour of general debate divided equally between the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees and one motion to recommit. Additionally, in the engrossment of H.R. 7148 after final passage in the House, the text of H.R. 7006, the Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026, and H.R. 7147 will be added to the bill. The Clerk will redesignate the sections and be authorized to make technical and conforming changes. Mr. Speaker, with consideration of this rule and its two underlying measures, the House stands firmly upon the 1-yard line. We are, indeed, ready to move forward and complete the appropriations process. We are ready to lock in the final components of our 12 fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills. Additionally, we are ready to further cement our long-overdue return to regular order in this legislative body. It will be a welcome return, indeed, Mr. Speaker. Here is the simplest of truths that all of us here understand and need to be reminded of regularly: There will never be such a thing as a perfect piece of legislation or a perfect package of bills. Perfection is a phantom. Many may seek it with the best of intentions, but in the end, it is unattainable. That is just a fact of life that we must understand. I can imagine that there are Members who want to see more within these measures, and there are some who want to see less. Both positions are to be expected, but here is the bottom line: We should never let the perfect be the enemy of the good. The two appropriations measures under consideration here today, as well as the ones this body has passed previously, all bear the hallmarks of the America First agenda. They meet the priorities of the President and the priorities of the American people. They make sizeable contributions to America's strong posture of defense, our Nation's systems of infrastructure, national security, and research and innovation within health. As Chairman Cole has noted multiple times over, this process has been Member-driven and deliberate, and I wholeheartedly agree with that. I will also add that this process and the monumental victories that we have achieved thus far signal a fundamental, positive change within this legislative body, a change we should take note of and celebrate. Let's finish out this process and deliver this final tranche of appropriations bills across the finish line. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, this is the most targeted process in two decades. We got the Senate to do its job. I will stack this process up against that of the Democrats when they controlled the process and let the public decide. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Webster).

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Democrats continue to attack ICE agents in their operations. Instead of debating the complexities of arrest or the nuances of reasonable suspicion, Democrats are instead attacking their authority, their dignity, and their work at large. That is beyond unfortunate as ICE agents are arresting some of the worst criminals imaginable. During the first year of the Trump administration, ICE arrested 7,000 gang members from America's streets. This includes a criminal illegal alien from Venezuela, an active gang member. The perpetrator's rap sheet includes arrests for homicide, assault, cruelty toward children, domestic violence, and damaged property. He entered the U.S. in 2022 and was released by the Biden administration. ICE arrested him on February 28, 2025, and the Trump administration removed him on September 12, 2025. ICE arrested a criminal illegal alien from Cambodia, a Crips gang member, who was convicted of homicide, robbery, and battery. He was released into the U.S. by the Biden administration. ICE arrested him on March 4, 2025, and removed him on April 2, 2025. ICE also arrested a criminal illegal alien from Cuba and Bloods gang member, who was convicted for multiple homicides and burglary. ICE arrested him on October 27, 2025, and removed him on January 6, 2026. Beyond gang members, ICE has arrested some of the worst perps imaginable, including a 20-year-old citizen of Guatemala who was filming a child being raped. Mr. Speaker, despite all of this, ICE law enforcement is facing a 1,300 percent increase in assaults against them, a 3,200 percent increase in vehicle attacks, and an 8,000 percent increase in death threats. If Democrats want to debate the new Supreme Court interpretations of reasonable suspicion, let's do it. If they want to debate the very authorities of ICE stretching back decades over both Republican and Democrat administrations, let's do that. If they want to have concrete debates about the authorities or changes of laws, let's do that. But we should not attack the operational decisions that are directed to one goal and one goal only: keeping Americans safe and upholding our immigration laws. We enforce our immigration laws, or they are meaningless. We either grant ICE the mission of fulfilling its mandate, or we don't. We either give them the support they need to confront, stand face-to-face, and arrest the world's worst criminals, or we don't. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Edwards).

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, President Trump has reset our standing in the global market after decades of failed and unfair trade deals put the American economy last. Swift and decisive action has brought scores of countries to the negotiating table and numerous new trade deals including with the U.K., the EU, Japan, Australia, Korea, El Salvador, Vietnam, Guatemala, and Malaysia, just to name a few. These trade deals will help grow the economy, protect the American workers, and reassert our global standing. Our friends have selective memory. Let's remember: When President Biden took office about 5 years ago, he left President Trump's tariffs from his first term largely in place. We didn't hear a peep from our colleagues then. In fact, many of them advocated for keeping those tariffs and embraced the Biden decision. President Trump is simply doubling down on that successful approach. It seems the deciding factor for Democrats' newfound opposition is grounded in Trump derangement syndrome. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice).

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Nunn).

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I also thank Mr. Salazar for his work and, actually, all the staff who work so hard around this Capitol. We are very blessed. Mr. Speaker, I understand that Mr.--I am going to say this in a second--Mr. McGovern is ready to close, and I am ready to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time, and I thank the gentleman from Worcester. Mr. Speaker, for months, bipartisan, bicameral negotiations and collaboration have been underway. They have yielded consistent, consecutive appropriations products that deliver upon the Nation's highest priorities. I applaud Chairman Cole and Ranking Member DeLauro, as well as other appropriators, and especially their staff, for the time they have invested in these 12 appropriations bills. It is time to get them across the finish line and stamp our seal of approval on them. In a moment, I will offer an amendment to the rule that would repeal the Senate's Arctic Frost payout provision. The House has previously considered this under suspension by a vote of 427-0. This vote reflects a bipartisan consensus. I cannot overstate how wholly inappropriate it was that the Senate included this provision in the continuing resolution to reopen the government late last year. We must strike down this provision immediately. American taxpayers should not be on the hook for this inappropriate payout. Mr. Speaker, it is time to bring this process to a close. It is time that we return this legislative body to regular order and move forward with our work. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the previous question and ``yes'' on the rule. Amendment Offered by Ms. Foxx

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment to the resolution.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time and move the previous question on the amendment and on the resolution.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 992 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill and the underlying legislation. Yesterday, the Rules Committee met and produced a rule, House Resolution 992, providing for the House's consideration of a single measure, H.R. 7006, the Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2026. The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 7006 under a structured rule, with two amendments made in order. Further, the rule provides 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Appropriations, or their respective designees, and one motion to recommit. Mr. Speaker, following last week's progress in advancing three separate appropriations bills through the committee and on the floor, we have returned this week to continue our work. H.R. 7006 was negotiated in good faith on a bipartisan, bicameral basis. President Trump's priorities, alongside the priorities of the American people, are interwoven within this important package. Let me make this abundantly clear, Mr. Speaker: Not only does this legislative package contain no poison pills, but it also cuts foreign aid by 16 percent. That is more than $9 billion. Further, this package is part of an agreement that keeps fiscal year 2026 spending below the level that has been forecasted under the current continuing resolution. We are enacting targeted funding to accelerate entrepreneurship and economic prosperity, guard our Nation's national security posture and apparatus, and further cement true, unyielding, American leadership on the international stage. At the very same time, we are slashing incompatible mandates and provisions that were cooked up during the Biden administration that would have weakened America's trajectory to greatness. With fiscal restraint and an eye toward paving a new and prosperous path for our Nation, anything--yes, anything--can be possible. As I said in the committee yesterday afternoon, gone are the days of inflated omnibuses that have bogged down and constrained this legislative body. Indeed, we are moving in a better direction and chucking the Biden budget into the grave where it belongs. Good riddance. The bipartisan and bicameral underpinnings of this legislative package make a compelling case as to why the House must pass it immediately. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, we are here to debate this appropriations package, not every other issue under the Sun. I urge my colleagues not to lose sight of the legislative package at hand: We have a bipartisan, bicameral appropriations package free of poison pill riders that bring us closer to fulfilling our Article I responsibilities. My colleague says Republicans are in control, but the very bills we have passed and are passing are bipartisan. We are working across the aisle, which we should do. Our friends can't have it both ways. They can't say we are in control, therefore, everything is our fault, and say at the same time that these are good bills built upon bipartisan support. There will no doubt be time to debate other matters, but today the matter at hand is an appropriations package containing the Financial Services and General Government bill and the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs bill. Might I add that national security is the number one issue in our Federal Government. We need to stay focused and complete the task at hand. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.