Bob Good

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ms. Laura Mulligan Thomas. On May 18, 2022, Laura Mulligan Thomas, alongside her students, presented her final concert as director of the Charlottesville High School orchestra. After a 40-year career at Charlottesville High School, Ms. Thomas will begin her retirement on June 30, 2022. She began in 1982 with a group of just eight CHS students as part of the CHS orchestra. Now that orchestra includes over 100 students and is internationally recognized. Ms. Thomas has received a number of awards, including winning the 2022 American String Teachers Association's Elizabeth A. H. Green School Educator Award. Beyond the accolades she has received, I specifically want to thank her for her commitment to supporting the students of Charlottesville High School. Perhaps the greatest testament to Ms. Thomas' work is knowing that many of her students have gone on to become music teachers just like her. I thank Laura Mulligan Thomas for her dedication to Charlottesville High School and her community. I wish her the best in her retirement.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Madam Speaker, it is disappointing to see Republicans in the Senate ready to make a deal that will do nothing except slide us down the slippery slope toward gun registration and confiscation. The gun deal being contemplated in the Senate will do nothing to stop criminals intent on doing harm. This is just another surrender by uniparty RINOs. This will do nothing to satisfy the radical left that wants, again, registration and confiscation. Why not do something that would truly reduce violent crime in blue cities where there are hundreds of shootings every weekend? Why not support our police, prosecute criminals, end no-cash bail, harden our schools, and do something that will actually make a difference in reducing the deaths by violent crime in this country?

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate student athletes from the University of Virginia for their success in winning the 2022 NCAA Division I Men's Tennis National Championship. Each year the NCAA supports student athletes from roughly 1,100 institutions of higher learning sponsoring 90 championships in 24 sports. Over half a million student athletes from across the United States compete each year for a national championship. Winning an NCAA championship is truly a remarkable achievement and something deserving of celebration. On Sunday, May 22, 2022, the many years of hard work and perseverance of these UVA student athletes paid off. They defeated Kentucky 4-0, securing the program's fifth NCAA Division I Men's Tennis National Championship, all coming in the last 10 years. Madam Speaker, I am proud to rise today to congratulate these student athletes and the University of Virginia for this great achievement.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Madam Speaker, one of the most fundamental, God-given rights that we possess, which is uniquely protected in our American Constitution, is the right to keep and bear arms for self- defense and to ensure that we remain a free people. We have seen under this administration, supported by the Democrat majority in this Congress, an unprecedented trampling on the basic rights of American citizens over the past 2 years. Our most precious freedoms to assemble together, to go where you want, to worship as you choose, to earn a living or operate your business, to keep your job or your employees, what you have to wear on your face, and whether or not you are required to receive a vaccine that you may not want or may not need all trampled upon by Democrats in power. Democrats simply do not believe in the inalienable rights of American citizens to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They believe that your rights come from government, and they, therefore, have the right to take them away. The guarantee provided by our Founders to ensure we remain free from foreign invasion and, yes, as our Founders clearly warned us, from an oppressive government like we see in Canada, Australia, and the Democrats' beloved Communist China is the constitutional right of law- abiding citizens to be armed as they choose. Over and over, the Founders affirmed and reiterated that Congress has no power--no power--to limit the right of lawful citizens to arm themselves. H.R. 2377 would create a nationwide system of red flag laws, undermining the constitutional guarantee of due process, which is required before depriving any American of their Second Amendment right.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Madam Speaker, Democrats believe that the government should control everything: what kind of car you drive, whether you have to get a vaccine, how or if you get to heat or cool your home, if you can keep your job, and if you can open or operate your business. Republicans, on the other hand, believe that Americans should control their own lives, their purchasing decisions, their healthcare decisions, and even their businesses and apprenticeship programs. Businessowners across the country try to utilize apprenticeships to develop the skilled employees that they need to succeed and grow. Sadly, this Democratic bill only funds government-approved apprenticeships that are registered with the Department of Labor, not those designed by businessowners who have the audacity to think that they know more about their business than those with no business experience, like President Biden and the progressive activists that make up his administration. Why would anyone trust Joe Biden to run their business? He has no private sector experience, but he is now the proud owner of the worst economic record in modern history--so there is that. Why would anyone trust Democrats in this Congress or this administration to run their business? These former educators, lawyers, community organizers, and progressive activists have ruined the outstanding economy that they inherited in January of 2021. House Democrats demand that you have your apprenticeship program designed by unelected bureaucrats in the Department of Labor because, of course, Washington knows best when it comes to everything. Look what they have done with inflation, supply chains, rising crime, the open border, and everything else. They are a picture of success. If Washington truly knew best, then one in four businesses would not have closed permanently in my home State of Virginia due to Democrat COVID restrictions. Employers in my district often ask me: Why do they have to submit to government control to be eligible for funding for their apprenticeship program? Who could do a better job developing apprenticeships than the people who, you know, actually create the jobs; despite Washington's best efforts to prevent them from doing so? That question was rhetorical, please don't answer. My amendment would actually let employers run their own apprenticeship programs and help them educate their workers the way they need to so they can expand their workforces. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Madam Speaker, the Supreme Court seems poised to finally, mercifully, reverse the only decision in the history of the Court that has cost more than 60 million precious innocent lives which, by the way, beyond the moral travesty, has contributed massively to our labor shortages and Social Security and Medicare being on the verge of bankruptcy. In typical fashion, Democrats are revealing who they are with their response, and their unlawful protests and intimidation tactics at the homes of the Justices, while the administration and their allies in this body cheer them on. Democrats can't win at the ballot box or through the legislative process, so they try to eliminate the electoral college, rig election laws, eliminate the filibuster, pack the Supreme Court, pack the Senate, give statehood to D.C. and Puerto Rico, and now threaten Justices at their homes. This is because Democrats are the radical extremists on abortion. They have become the party of death. Their position is abortion at any time, for any reason, up to and beyond the moment of birth, with taxpayers being forced to fund it. I didn't hear any Democrats criticize the former Governor of Virginia when he said a couple of years ago that a mother and her doctor can have a conversation after a baby is born and decide whether or not to kill it. I say, let's have this fight in this Congress. We had an election 6 months ago in purple Virginia when everyone knew that the Supreme Court would be reviewing Roe v. Wade, and the party of death got trounced in that election. Republicans must embrace this moment and stand for life, expose Democrats for the radical extremists they are, and work to end the brutal, horrific practice of abortion. To Democrats, I say bring it on. Let Democrats defend piercing a baby's skull and sucking out its brains, tearing an infant limb from limb, or burning it alive with a saline injection. Call it what it is and call them out for supporting abortion with no restrictions whatsoever. Just this week, Democrats pushed another failed abortion-on-demand vote in the Senate, a bill that passed this House with no Republican votes but, sadly, all but one Democrat supporting it, as they try to ensure that America remains among the most extreme nations in the world with the most radical laws on abortion. Now, this current piece of legislation will permit Federal dollars to be used to harm the unborn, as it includes a provision that allows taxpayer dollars to be used to ``address health needs and improve health and well-being'' and ``to identify and respond to physical and behavioral health challenges.'' However, a recent Marist poll found that 54 percent of Americans oppose using taxpayer dollars to fund abortions. My amendment would protect taxpayers from being forced to pay for abortions, even if Hyde were repealed. If this bill is not intended to fund abortion, then accept and pass my amendment.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Mr. Perry's leadership on this issue. Secretary Mayorkas' testimony today in a hearing was that the border is secure. You have to ask yourself: What would an unsecure border look like as defined by this administration, by this President, and by this Democrat majority? I wish the Democrats were with us across the aisle tonight to try to defend the indefensible. I wish the Democrats were here tonight to tell the American people why they are intentionally, willfully, and purposefully facilitating this border invasion. Many of us thought the President would open the border, would rescind the policies that were making the border secure under the Trump Presidency, but most of us probably underestimated how effective he would be in facilitating the invasion at the border, to your point, some 7,000 to 8,000 a day now that we encounter, that we apprehend before we bus or fly them into the interior of the country. Never in the history of the country has our own President done more to intentionally harm the United States than what this President has done in his first 16 months. If we secured the border now--if today we secured the border, we have done irreparable, untold harm to the country that will only be shown in the next days, weeks, months, and years ahead. We have got 2,000 criminal aliens a day evading apprehension. Think about this. This administration's policies are welcoming these illegal aliens into the country, giving them their free phones, free transportation, free education, social services, and healthcare, and releasing them into the interior of the country wherever they want to go without even a day to appear in court. Why are the 2,000 a day avoiding apprehension? Those are the ones with the criminal backgrounds, the terrorist ties, trafficking drugs, trafficking humans, children, and what have you, who don't want to be captured, don't want to be apprehended. This administration admits that 42 on the terrorist watch list have been caught in the last year coming into the country out of the 2 million plus who they apprehended. What about the 700,000 in the first 15 months that they didn't apprehend? How many of those have terrorist ties? We have no idea. The country will find out, sadly, in the days, the weeks, and the months ahead.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I had a constituent say to me a couple weeks ago: Nothing this Democratic Party is doing makes sense unless they hate the country. Carry these policies to its logical conclusion. As Congresswoman Boebert said, they are on track for 10 million illegal border crossings in this President's first and only term, I hope. Ten million, apparently, is not a problem. We cannot get one Democrat. We cannot get one Democrat. Where are the Democrats? Mr. Speaker, do you want to know why they are going to lose the majority? It is because of what Congressman Cloud just said. Carry these policies to its logical conclusion. Ten million is not scary to them. What if it was 100 million? What if it was 1 billion? We have got 7 billion people in the world who don't live in the United States. How many of them would come here if they could? We have put out the sign, the Democratic majority and the administration, come. If you want to come in the country, come now. The border is open. We are welcoming as fast as we can, as much harm as we can do before the election in November, before 2 years from now in 2024 when the Presidential election changes. Carry it to its conclusion. Is there any number that would concern the Democrat majority? Is there any number where we could get Democrats to sign on to this? Nothing they are doing makes sense unless they hate the country.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Of course. That is why they are getting rid of it because it has been used to turn back some illegal immigrants at the border.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, in addition to not showing up here to do the job that their constituents sent them here to do, they are literally lying about the reason they are not here.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Same here.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. I have been tempted to interrupt during the proxy voting to ask the Speaker to allow me to offer a prayer for the healing and recovery of the dozens of Members of Congress who are not at work and who are apparently too sick from COVID to show up and do their job.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. We did. Where just a couple months ago you had ``Bidentown'' with some 20,000 illegal Haitian immigrants gathered under the bridge. We learned a lot while we were there, and I thank the gentleman for leading that trip. I also want to say thank you to my friend, the Congressman from Wisconsin, for allowing us to do this, and Congressman Roy for allowing me to join him. But we had the 20,000 illegal Haitian immigrants gathered in ``Bidentown'' under the bridge which they quickly--they weren't concerned that the immigrants were coming in the country illegally. They were concerned about the image and the embarrassment of 20,000 of them in ``Biden's village'' there under the bridge, so they wanted to distribute them into the interior of the country as quickly as they could to hide it from the American people. The gentleman will remember at first they tried to keep the media from covering it. And then what they did was bus them into the country to wherever they wanted to go. They flew a few back to Haiti, but most of them they distributed into the country. But we learned when we were in Del Rio--and my friend may have already known this--I learned it that day when we were there that there were 1,000 a day coming just through that corridor. Sadly, that is just a fraction of the 7,000 a day who are coming across the southern border along Arizona, New Mexico, Arizona, and, of course, Texas. But to this President's policies now, what is the response? We want to try to double or even triple that by rescinding title 42.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. That is right.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. I'm not aware that they have apologized. As a matter of fact, at least the President and the Vice President, to my knowledge, have never been to the border to see what is happening. Again, my friend led one of the trips I was on. I have been to the border four times in my first 15 months here in Congress so that I could see better and experience in person the crisis at the border, to see the human toll, to see the environmental toll, and then to see exactly where that was happening. These are Border Patrol officers who were trying to stand in the gap, to be on the front line, and trying to do their job despite the efforts of this administration to prevent them from doing their job, and putting their lives, literally, at risk. The previous time I was at the border--not the Del Rio trip--but the previous time I was in Arizona, there was actually a shooting of a Border Patrol officer while I was there. And yet here we have--as my friend has said--the Department of Homeland Security Secretary besmirching, smearing, and demeaning his own employees knowing full well that is a lie, knowing full they are just leading those horses as they do and trying to protect us American citizens from what is happening at the border.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. That is right. They say they want to identify the root causes. I can tell my friend what the root causes are. The root causes of the massive surge across our border, if you will, the invasion at our border: is the cessation of the Trump policies that were working. It is the enhancement of the catch-and-release practice. It is ending MPP. It is stopping building the wall. And it is promising amnesty and an open border during the 2020 election for illegals to come. That is why they were coming with their Biden T-shirts on. It is not mandating E-Verify. It is allowing the economic incentive to come. It is allowing individuals to come and be apprehended and provided free social services, free healthcare services, free education, and to be flown or distributed wherever they want to go around the country at taxpayer expense with no specific court date to even appear to have their case heard. I want to compliment the gentleman's Governor from yesterday. I hope that he will follow through on this. I hope this will actually happen. Perhaps the gentleman from Texas has some thoughts on that. He announced yesterday that he is going to bus these illegal aliens right here to Washington, D.C., so our Democratic majority and our Democratic administration who are willfully and purposely facilitating this invasion at our southern border through their policies can accommodate these illegal aliens when they are brought here. I call on my Governor from Virginia and Governors throughout the country to do the same thing.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. $1.6 trillion, less than 1 percent of which was for Ukraine support. Some justified their vote for that because it was supporting Ukraine. So 99 percent of the bill had nothing to do with Ukraine. Yet, 54 Republicans, one-fourth of our body, voted against that $1.6 trillion spending, with no leverage, no concessions, nothing really gained. We didn't secure the border; we didn't end the vaccine mandates; we didn't unleash American energy independence.