Bob Good

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for the time this morning. I rise today in support of H.J. Res. 88, a resolution that will nullify President Biden's irresponsible student loan repayment plan. It is no secret that President Biden wants to borrow and spend taxpayer dollars to force you and your children to pay for other people's education. Earlier this year, Biden vetoed my bipartisan resolution that nullified his student loan transfer scheme. Thankfully, the Supreme Court agreed with Congress that unilateral Federal spending for outright forgiveness by the President is unconstitutional. However, the administration lost no time in devising yet another scheme to transfer loan debt to taxpayers, this time under the guise of repayment. The Biden administration's new repayment scheme would permit even more graduates to contribute even less money to loan payments. These borrowers, who voluntarily took taxpayer money, will contribute just 5 percent of their monthly income to the loan. They can also be exempt from paying interest, and if enough time passes, the loan will be forgiven altogether or actually paid for by other Americans. The Biden administration sells this scheme by promising it will reduce many borrowers' loan payments to zero. However, the American taxpayer will foot the bill. I am reminded of October of 2020, the vote-buying scheme that was the previous student loan transfer scheme, transferring that debt to other Americans. Policies like this undermine personal responsibility and teach a generation to have little regard for the value of money. Thanks to Bidenflation, the dollar has far less buying power today than when he took office. Americans feel this at the grocery store, the gas pump, and when paying their rent and utility bills. Yet, this new scheme means that at least $276 billion in loans paid out to students will never be returned to the Treasury as promised. As he overspends by $200 billion a month and drives us to $34 trillion in debt, the President may personally be insulated from the impact of his reckless, wasteful borrowing and spending, but the American people are certainly suffering from his harmful policies. Many of my constituents paid their way through college or didn't go to college because they couldn't afford it, and they should not have to cover Biden's $276 billion in student loans. As Dr. Foxx said just a moment ago, my district also has an example. I have 293,000 individuals in my district who don't have a college degree, and they should not have to pay their share, $3,800 each, for this latest student loan transfer scheme by the President. Over the last 3 years, our government has nearly destroyed the student loan system by freezing payments, promising forgiveness, and changing loan terms. It has to stop. Americans cannot afford it. Mr. Speaker, we can help today by voting in favor of this legislation.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Amherst County teacher John ``Andrew'' Fister. Mr. Fister was an exemplary educator who dedicated nearly 25 years of his life to teaching, training, and developing his students. After teaching Bible, math, and German for 18 years in Ohio, he moved to Virginia to serve 3 years as an academic instructor, helping young adults enter the workforce. In January of 2022, Mr. Fister joined Amherst County public schools as a math and German teacher. Despite his relatively short time there, he left an indelible impact on the student body. Mr. Fister was loved by many students, even those not in his classes, and served as a mentor for many who walked those halls. With a special gift working with students needing a second chance or just a little extra help, he taught them to believe in themselves and to work hard to achieve their dreams. Mr. Fister's enthusiasm for life was contagious, and he meant so much to so many in the Amherst community. Only 50 years old, his time on Earth was too short for those who loved him, but his personal testimony and the influence he had on others will live beyond his life here. His family and those who knew him best are comforted by the knowledge that he is in Heaven with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Chair, I support the DETERRENT Act, and I urge all Members to vote for this bill. Education is a battleground for influence, and it seems that foreign countries understand this better than some Members of this Congress. On our watch, the Federal Government doles out billions in taxpayer dollars to fund expensive degrees that empower an anti-American agenda while these woke universities secretly collect checks from hostile nations and watch their endowments grow and grow. The DETERRENT Act would strengthen existing law, requiring colleges to publicly report gifts and contracts with foreign countries. Under the DETERRENT Act, this information would be publicly available on a searchable database because taxpayers, parents, and students deserve to see who is buying the opportunity to influence the next generation of Americans. The DETERRENT Act would further expose disturbing data that has recently come to light. At least 200 American colleges declined to report a total of $13 billion in contributions from authoritarian countries like Qatar, China, and Saudi Arabia. For some reason, the Biden administration has halted many of the existing investigations of reporting violations and has declined to enforce current law. Why would that be? Could it have something to do with the $14 million donated to the Penn Biden Center from unnamed contributors in China? The Biden administration minimizes it, and universities try to hide it, but the American people are suffering the effects of foreign influence. Just yesterday, in the Education and the Workforce Committee, the presidents of Harvard, Penn, and MIT defended the influence Hamas has on our campuses and students across this country. The number one donor of these undisclosed funds, Qatar, is a country that says Israel alone is responsible for the attacks by Hamas and even houses an office for the Hamas leader in its capital city. International partnerships can be beneficial for universities but should not come at the cost of our national security, intellectual property, academic freedom, or perpetuation of our American values. Mr. Chair, I support passage of the DETERRENT Act to ensure greater transparency regarding who is funding our colleges and universities, and I urge all of my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I am here tonight, concerned about our country, and I am concerned about our willingness as Members of Congress to meet the moment, to stand in the gap, to validate the hope placed in us as the Republican majority, to stand in the gap and to meet the moment to deal with the great crisis, the threats facing our country. I will begin by mentioning our national debt. The days of spending without consequence are over. We have 40-year-high inflation as a result of unprecedented, excessive, reckless spending. We are on track this year for a $2.5 trillion deficit. We are running a monthly deficit of about $200 billion a month. We are suffering the consequences with 40-year high inflation and grocery prices where Thanksgiving dinner costs 40 percent more than it did when this President was sworn in 3 years ago. Gas prices are up, utility prices are up, housing prices are up, rent prices are up, and then you have got interest rates. The American people are suffering further under 20-year high interest rates, interest rates that have been increased by the Fed in a futile attempt to try to combat inflation. Historically, you raise interest rates because you have a hot economy and you are trying to ward off inflation. In this case, the inflation has been caused by the unprecedented levels of spending, and then we have further exacerbated this, this administration, this Federal Reserve under this President, with interest rates that have put home prices out of reach for most Americans. Now, we have got our credit being downgraded. Two credit rating agencies have downgraded our debt, which will further cause interest rates to go up and payments on our national debt to increase even more. The snowball effect of $34 trillion in debt, record interest rates, a $200 billion monthly deficit, is taking its toll. With each passing day that we fail to deal with the greatest fiscal crisis in the history of the country, we deepen the pain and the suffering that is put upon the American people not only just today but in the future. Meanwhile, how do we see Congress responding? Do we see a commitment here in this House to cut our spending, to deal with our discretionary spending, as we call it? Every dollar we spend in this House and in the Chamber next door, every dollar we spend for discretionary spending, everything that we vote on in spending, is borrowed. The total this year of discretionary spending is somewhere around $1.7 trillion. Again, with a $200 billion monthly deficit and $2.5 trillion worth of deficit for the 12-month period, all of the discretionary spending is essentially borrowed. Are we going to meet the moment? Are we going to rise to the occasion as a Republican majority? If not now, when? When will we take this seriously? When will we be willing to do what the American people elected us to do? If not now, when? If not us, who? I am pleased to have with me my good friend, the courageous fiscal warrior from Arizona, Mr. Andy Biggs, and I would like to hear his thoughts on this national debt subject. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs) for the purpose of a colloquy.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate his bringing up the supplemental, because I want to give Speaker Johnson credit for what he did with that House supplemental. The supplemental, the $106 billion package that was proposed by the President and the Senate majority leader of the Democrat-controlled Senate, represents everything that is wrong with Washington. To the point, we are running a $200 billion deficit, and yet we have a supplemental, which again, as he said, means we don't pay for it. We add it on; we tack it on; we borrow more; let's borrow $106 billion. Virtually everyone in Congress, I think--certainly all Republicans and most Democrats--want to support one of our true allies on the global stage--one of our, I would submit, two or three allies at a minimum-- Israel, through the brutal terrorist attack by Hamas. We want to come to the aid of our friend and our genuine ally Israel and give them the help that they need, but Israel doesn't have $34 trillion in national debt. Israel is not running a $200 billion deficit. Israel is fiscally solvent. We are not. Even for something so worthy as this cause, we have a responsibility to pay for it, if we can, and we can. Therefore, Speaker Johnson met the moment and said let's pay for it by taking some of the $80 billion that was allocated for the 87,000 IRS hirings in the inflation increase act last summer, let's cut $14 billion from there to pay for the $14 billion for Israel, and it passed on a bipartisan basis in this Chamber. Twelve Democrats voted for it. Honestly, I thought, you know what? We are plowing new ground in the House. We are separating the Israel aid. We are not doing again that which is represented by what we typically do here in Washington, which is all that is wrong with Washington. We say, we are going to hijack or hold hostage our desire to support Israel. We can't give them that $14 billion unless you also give them the $92 billion that has nothing to do with Israel: $60 billion for Ukraine, as was said, humanitarian support for Hamas, and more money for Mayorkas to process illegals in the country more quickly and more deceptively, another ill-defined, disastrous humanitarian system. We are going to hold hostage $14 billion for Israel with the $92 billion we have got to choke down. I thought when Speaker Johnson and this Republican majority rose to the occasion with the support of 12 Democrats, who courageously crossed the aisle and did the right thing, that the Senate would have to take it up, that they wouldn't hold up support for Israel on a bipartisan bill just because it was paid for and just because it was going to cut by $14 billion the $80 billion IRS expansion and just because it didn't include the $92 billion that didn't have anything to do with Israel. I know my colleague joined me in calling upon the Speaker and calling upon our Republican majority to stand with our Speaker. He needs to know we have his back and we stand with him. We have passed Israel support out of this House. We are requiring it to be paid for because that is the responsible thing for our kids and our grandkids and for the American people. We are not going to take up any other supplemental that has support for Israel, and every supplemental must be paid for. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs) to hear some additional thoughts.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. That you were responsible in helping to craft that bill--you and our friend Chip Roy.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Just in Portland?

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. I want to go back to what you were talking about in the supplemental, actually on the spending, as well as on the FISA reforms. This is a town of power and persuasion of leverage. I'm not sure we effectively know how to use leverage when we have it. We are a town that does things--a body that only does things when we have to, when there is a deadline and when there is the pressure. You talked about relieving the pressure on the FISA reforms because of the approaching deadline, the expiration of the current authorization. Why would we be so fearful of that expiration to the extent that we are unwilling to force upon the Senate the reforms that we are trying to pass out of the Judiciary Committee? The Judiciary Committee voted 35-2 on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis that would pass this body if we put it on the floor today. The Senate apparently isn't so worried about the expiration that we think they will take up our bill and pass it. There we would relieve the pressure to reform FISA so it doesn't expire. You can apply that to the debt situation. We did another continuing resolution where we extended the Biden, Pelosi, and Schumer policies and spending levels into mid-January and early February with the promise that we work on passing our remaining five bills. I am sorry to say and disappointed to acknowledge, we have not had any demonstrated effort to bring those remaining five bills to the floor. We don't have the commitment to the top line total programmatic spending levels. Our commitment to cut spending, no matter how modest, to cut spending from a year ago. This is something Congress hasn't done--you know your history better than I do--in how many years, where they cut the spending year over year. We relieve the pressure. And then instead of trying to work during the time that we have to pass these spending bills, we are not doing it as we approach January 19. I expect this body is going to go home next week and not report for nearly a month to work on the spending bills that, in theory, we are supposed to pass before January 19's expiration, this continuing resolution. Where is our unified commitment? We talk a lot about unity here. Unity requires a unified mission, a unified purpose, and a unified vision to accomplish what? We could point to so many existential crises created by our friends on the other side, the Democratic majority when they had control, the Senate majority, and the White House. I think you might agree, the two most pressing are the two we mentioned tonight: the border and the spending. What, in the words of one of my favorite movies, ``The Untouchables,'' Sean Connery saying, ``What are you prepared to do?'' What are we prepared to do to force a lawless administration to secure the border? What are we prepared to do to deal with the unprecedented level of spending that is literally crushing us, creating the greatest fiscal crisis the country has every faced? What are we prepared to do as a Republican majority to come together in a unified manner? Why would we continue to fund our fiscal demise? Why would we continue to fund an open border? You know the border issue better than anybody. Some 8 million plus were helped across this border by this administration and this President's policies. Helped across. There would be irreparable harm done if we secured the border today. There are some 2 million known got-aways. These are the ones who don't want all the free stuff and don't surrender to Border Patrol under the policies of this administration for free travel, free housing, free social services, free education, free--just about everything--benefits that the American people don't get as citizens. These are the ones who don't surrender for that because they have criminal backgrounds and terrorist ties. We find 100 a year, the dumb terrorists who Border Patrol apprehends. There are 100 a year with terrorist ties. How many are among the 2 million? If we sealed the border today, only time will tell on what scale the American people will suffer catastrophic harm because of this President's policies--far beyond what we have seen across the ocean with our friends in Israel. What are we prepared to do?

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. I thought you might.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. You cannot overstate the harm being done and the damage to our country by this border invasion. It is a border invasion. As we have had hearings on this issue in the Budget Committee or in the Education and the Workforce Committee, my friends across the aisle don't like that I call it a border invasion. Mind you, they don't care about the border invasion. They just don't like me to call it a border invasion. This is on purpose. This is intentional. Every resource and every effort directed to the border over these past 3 years from this administration has been with the intent to get as many illegals, as quickly as possible and as successfully as possible, into the country. To your point, why would we continue to fund and give billions of dollars a month--hundreds of billions of dollars a month to a lawless administration that is perpetrating this kind of harm on the country? I would submit that never in the history of the country has our own President done more to intentionally harm the United States than what is happening with this border. I will say it again. 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 with the border. Give me an example of something that comes close. The American people are counting on us. They gave us the majority a year ago because we ran on fiscal responsibility. We have not met that responsibility. We ran on securing the border, yet we continue to maintain the spending levels and policies with continuing resolutions and extensions that don't deliver for the American people. They are trusting us, and they are putting their faith in us to stand in the gap to be that one barrier to the policies under which they are suffering and that are destroying the America that we know and love. I am proud to serve with the gentleman from Arizona and many of my colleagues here in Congress who are ready to do what needs to be done, to make the tough choices, to cast the tough votes, and to honor the trust and faith that the American people placed in us. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs).

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of the Liberty University Football Team. On November 25, my alma mater and hometown team earned their 12th straight victory and secured the first undefeated regular season in the program's 50-year history. Led by new head coach Jamey Chadwell, the Flames set a new school record and became the first FBS football team in Virginia history to win 12 games. As an alum, former student-athlete, parent of three graduates, and a former employee in the Liberty University Athletic Department, I am incredibly proud of this team. The Flames' 12-0 record and current number 20 national ranking reflects the discipline, commitment, and work ethic of these talented young men. Their individual sacrifice, unselfishness, and willingness to play for one another and give everything for a cause bigger than themselves has placed them in tonight's Conference USA Championship game, after which they will have the opportunity to play in a prestigious bowl game. Madam Speaker, I congratulate the Liberty Flames on their historic season, and I am honored to represent them in Virginia's Fifth Congressional District.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Chair, today, I ask for my colleagues' support for my amendment to cut $10 million from this appropriations bill and contribute those funds instead toward deficit reduction. This particular $10 million is set aside to increase diversity in biomedical research. The Federal Government has an addiction to growth and expansion. Find a problem? Just create a new program and assign a few bureaucrats to handle it, and that will somehow allegedly fix the problem. Under this administration, you don't have to set aside special money to support diversity. President Biden has made it very clear through nearly every executive action that he takes that every agency should look at every issue through a diversity lens. The Biden administration makes everything about race anyway. We should not believe they need a few more million in taxpayer dollars just to make a difference in this aspect. At some point, the Biden administration needs to stop dividing everyone based on the way they look and instead focus on actual health solutions for all Americans in need. Americans are tired of everything being about race. When it comes to the future of biomedical research, we want to know that the best of the best are researching ways to cure cancer, fight heart disease, and help us lead longer and healthier lives. None of those are racial problems. They are human problems. Throughout our history, American innovation has been at the top of the charts for finding breakthrough cures and therapeutics. This year, through this bill, we are already set to invest in that research, and we can spare the $10 million that focuses on diversity and instead spend it on something that helps every American-- contributing to the spending reduction account that would actually decrease our deficit. Mr. Chair, I hope my colleagues will join me in this simple cost- saving amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, we have made progress today. I am glad to hear the gentlewoman from the other side of the aisle recognizes there are differences between men and women. We may next actually be able to define what a woman is and what a man is. I am glad to hear that recognition from my friends on the other side of the aisle. If President Biden were serious about helping people, he would cut our spending. He would renew American energy. He would secure the southern border. In fact, there are millions of illegals pouring across our border, costing taxpayers $150 billion a year. While every issue is not a racial issue, as the administration would have you think, and every issue is not a climate issue, as the administration would have you think, today, every issue is a border issue and a spending issue. Yet, President Biden focused on woke initiatives like the Justice40 Initiative that promotes equity across the Federal Government. Certainly today we would not criticize biomedical research. As a matter of fact, we recognize the value that it brings to our country, and I am thankful for those in the field who are doing their best to help all Americans. We want the research done by the best researchers for all Americans, regardless of what any of them look like. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Chair, today I ask for my colleagues' support for my amendment to transfer $524.4 million from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities to the spending reduction account that would reduce our national debt and our current deficit. The way we throw around trillions of dollars and billions of dollars, I guess $524 million doesn't seem like a lot here in Washington, but to average Americans, that is real money. Well, this office--formerly created by ObamaCare--brags about being a leader in the scientific community's focus on socioeconomics, politics, discrimination, of course, culture, and environment in relation to health disparities. I have heard enough there. Americans don't want politicized science. We want scientific science. We don't want health research that divides by race. We want health research that unleashes American ingenuity on a horrific disease. Let's talk about some of the studies that are associated with this particular office: A report on how various racial groups have faced COVID-19 discrimination; a program to address how--COVID-19 discriminates, of course. Didn't you know that? Another program is a program to address how access to safe spaces-- safe spaces--impacts health, and of course, a program on how climate change in and of itself is somehow racist. I submit to my colleagues today that any actual scientific health innovations that come out of this office could develop in one of the other offices or projects that the $43 billion--with a b--NIH budget supports. We don't need to set aside $524 million to focus on race once again and publish more politically charged studies that do nothing to contribute to meaningful health outcomes. I hope my colleagues will join me to reduce spending, reduce the size of government, and support the best possible health research that is not done on a racist basis. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Chair, it continues to be clear that our friends on the other side just cannot tolerate or abide by the absence of racist initiatives or disparate treatment based on race, but Americans are done with the politicization of science, especially after the tyrannical government mandates that shut down the economy during the coronavirus. President Biden promised a few years ago a return to normalcy, but his administration has only weaponized the government against the American people even more. I wish the Biden administration would focus as much on cutting the reckless spending, securing our border, and putting Americans first as they do on dividing people along racial lines. Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Chair, today, I ask for my colleagues' support for my amendment to cut $28 million from this bill and contribute that money to paying down our deficit. My amendment takes the funds from the allocation to minority AIDS prevention. The targeted $28 million is actually a small fraction of what Americans pay in research and prevention of AIDS. According to HIV.gov, we spent $28 billion--1,000 times this targeted amount--on the domestic response to HIV/AIDS this year. The government approach to tackling HIV/AIDS encompasses five agencies and countless offices within those agencies. Our Housing and Urban Development Department, our Justice Department, our Defense Department, all of them spent money to combat AIDS last year. In fact, there are at least a dozen programs focused on AIDS, and the more you look into it, the more it represents the typical, bloated, ineffective government spending. My amendment targets, again, one-tenth of a percent of those funds that are racially focused because, once again, we are dividing people and our research based on race, which does nothing to help all Americans. Race can be a contributing factor in health outcomes, but that doesn't mean it needs special funding. If a disease disproportionately impacts a certain group, that will come out in the research and that group will benefit more from the program. The funds themselves should not be allocated based on race but allocated based on need. I hope my colleagues will join me in reducing a small amount of spending for an issue that our government already spends billions upon. If Members are bold enough to cut spending, we can contribute to reducing our deficit, and that is an issue that actually helps all Americans regardless of race. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Chair, I reiterate, there are over a dozen agencies that focus on this issue, and this amendment reduces by one- tenth of 1 percent the amount that is allocated toward AIDS research and prevention in our country today. This is the portion which is race based, which of course my friends across the aisle cannot tolerate any reduction or elimination of any program that is race based because their policies seek to divide the country. This $28 million may seem like a drop in the bucket of what does need to be cut from our Federal spending, but this is a start. I urge my colleagues to support ensuring funding allocation that is based on need and not based on race and to vote in favor of this amendment. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, we have the opportunity today to stop treating people differently based on race and to cut our spending together in one amendment. I support it, and I urge passage of it. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, this evening, I rise in support of my amendment to ensure that no funds will be used to require universities to enforce COVID-19 vaccine requirements for students and faculty. My amendment is important for two reasons. The first is because many universities, unbelievably so, are still actively mandating COVID-19 vaccines for their students. Their students, mind you, Mr. Chairman, were never at any serious risk of the virus. At the start of the 2023-2024 school year, there were still nearly 100 universities in this country that required a COVID-19 vaccine to attend their universities. Mr. Chairman, think of that. It has been about 4 years since the China virus first came to the United States, and the Federal Government finally, in May of this year, declared the pandemic was over. For many of us, the remediation efforts were over as soon as we realized what we suspected, that the masking up and the vaccine requirements were exploited by a bureaucracy that was trying to impose their will on normal Americans. Yet, so many universities are still forcing students, who have likely already contracted COVID at this point--everybody has had it by now. Many of them were never sick with symptoms and all have recovered. In the event that there were any serious risks, to begin with, it didn't matter. They were required to take a vaccine that they didn't need and didn't want. The second reason it is important that my amendment is supported is to preemptively check the government authority, a government that has, sadly, broken the trust of the American people on this and many other issues. Over the last 3 years, we have seen this government push so many unconstitutional vaccine mandates for healthcare workers who treated us during the height of the virus, government employees, members of the military and Armed Forces who were discharged for not getting a vaccine, law enforcement officers, first responders, and lots of other regular Americans and workers across the country. In fact, the Biden administration is still spending money to promote the COVID vaccine, and they have a program to pay for the vaccine for uninsured Americans through the end of next year, the end of 2024. We cannot assume that because the pandemic is officially over, the anti-freedom vaccine agenda will stop. Students should be free to pursue an education without the government violating their most basic personal freedoms. Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.