J. Hill

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate and thank the Milken Institute here in Washington, D.C., for this week's HBCU Cohort Reception, where they gathered to celebrate and welcome their second historically Black colleges and universities Strategic Initiative and Fellowship Program. I thank them for their leadership, and I congratulate these 20 impressive students that the Milken Institute has sponsored and identified from 12 different HBCUs across the country. Since I came to Congress, I have been an active member of the bipartisan, bicameral, Historically Black College and University Caucus. Before I came to Congress, I was very active with the Arkansas historically Black colleges and universities community, working mightily as a community banker with Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock. My work with ABC was impactful and meaningful, and I recognize their incredible contributions to both education and economic growth in my hometown of Little Rock by working with their students. Since I have been in Congress, I have advocated for HBCU growth and development, and along with Arkansas Baptist, I am proud to represent Philander Smith University and Shorter College. I would particularly give a shout-out to one of those 20 students, Mr. Speaker. Justin Woods is a senior at Philander Smith, and Justin was selected by Milken to be part of this cohort, and I congratulate him. I thank my co-chair of the HBCU Caucus, Alma Adams of North Carolina, and thank her for continuing to work together for Federal policy that aids our very important HBCUs, and I thank the Milken Institute for their continued leadership. KVRE/Tom Nichols

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, last week, the people of Taiwan went to the polls and elected the Democratic Progressive Party, the DDP Presidential candidate, President Lai, to be the next President of Taiwan. President-elect Lai will serve along with his Vice President, Vice President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim, who had a distinguished recognition here in Washington as Taiwan's diplomatic representative to America's Capital. This successful election signals to the Chinese Communist Party leadership that Taiwanese want to remain friendly, trading neighbors, but independent of the CCP and China. Although China has claimed it would not invade Taiwan, CCP Leader Xi has more openly stated of late that China will one day unify with Taiwan and has not reiterated taking force off the table. I met with President-elect Lai while on a visit to Taipei with House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman McCaul, and I know his desire for peace on the Taiwan Strait, the preservation of democracy and liberty on Taiwan, and an openness with all the countries of the world. In my view, the United States' mission and the job of all freedom- loving nations is to continue to support Taiwan in strengthening their security and countering the CCP's aggression in a military fashion toward the island. Let's let the people of Taiwan continue, as they have for five decades, the recent decades, to live in peace, democracy, and prosperity. Milken Institute HBCU Fellows 2024 Cohort Launch

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share the story of Corporal Noa Marciano. On October 7, Corporal Noa Marciano was one of more than 240 men, women, children, and elderly who were brutally kidnapped by Hamas terrorists as they stormed across the border from Gaza into Israel. Noa was a corporal in the Border Defense Corps' 414th unit. She was serving as an observation soldier at the Nahal Oz IDF base in southern Israel, just about a kilometer from the Gaza border. Her position was overrun. Most of her unit soldiers were female, and they were not provided a sidearm or a rifle to defend themselves. Their duty was to monitor the border with Gaza. On November 13, Hamas terrorists produced a video showing Corporal Marciano's dead body. She was 19 years old, Mr. Speaker. Last November, in our candlelight vigil on the House steps, I met with Noa's mom, Adi, as we prayed together for her daughter and all the hostages wrongly held by Hamas. It was just the next day that she learned her daughter was not a hostage but a victim of murder by Hamas. That is sick. Her family describes Noa as a girl who loved to dance, and sing, enjoyed music and literature, and whose dimples and smile radiated love. My heart breaks for Adi and her family. No family should have to experience this kind of loss due to the reprehensible actions of terrorists. We know how they feel in this country. We remember viscerally the pain and suffering, murder and mayhem, dust, smell, and smoke of 9/11. We know how her family feels. Sadly, while Noa can no longer be released, we remember her and her courage in her defense of the homeland. I stand here on the floor, Mr. Speaker, demanding that Hamas release all the remaining hostages. Those who have been fortunately released have shared their horrifying experience in captivity, something that they will never forget. America must stand unequivocally with Israel as it works to defeat this terror onslaught and free its citizens wrongfully held by Hamas. Israel has proven its willingness to pause the fighting for hostages to be returned home. Despicably, the terror group broke that first hostage deal just as the cease-fire was being put in place. Mr. Speaker, I call on all nations, all allies, all friends of Israel, and all those nations that have ties with this murderous terror group to press Hamas' leaders to cease military action and free those in captivity. Taiwan Election

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues who were just on the floor discussing one of the biggest challenges that we face in this country, which is having a secure southwest border. It is, in fact, a national security problem and a homeland security problem, and it is the Biden's own policies that have caused this to happen. This avalanche of humanity at our border that is a colossal challenge to our Nation is due to specific decisions taken by President Joe Biden and his lack of leadership to recognize it is a disaster. Then to do nothing about it, compounds it. Since President Biden took office, there have been 7.1 million known border crossings across our southwest border; almost a million got- aways, these are people that we don't know that crossed the border. In December, as my colleagues noted, a record 300,000 migrants were apprehended at the border. Yet, President Biden has still not agreed to work with Congress to solve this problem. Mr. Speaker, 300,000 in one month; never before have we seen numbers like that in 20 years. Mr. Speaker, I went down to the border a few days ago with our new Speaker Mike Johnson. Over 50 of my colleagues were on that trip to Eagle Pass. That was my eighth trip to the border, which is about eight times more than Joe Biden has been to the border in 50 years of public service. While there, we saw a group of Venezuelans come across the border illegally to the United States right in front of the new Speaker of the House as he was meeting with Texas Department of Public Safety. Now, I can promise you, despite Secretary Mayorkas saying that the Biden administration has operational control of the border, that is nonsense. It passes no smell test of any practical commonsense American to think that you could say, with 300,000 people interdicted in one month, that we have operational control. President Trump inherited an open border from President Obama, but through many tough choices, over 4 years of trial and error and several homeland security secretaries, he got a strategy that began to work. It was President Biden on January 20, 2021, that threw those working policies away. Now, we have an avalanche of fentanyl coming across our border, an avalanche of human trafficking, and kids being trafficked across our border. Over 300,000 people since the President has been in office that are on the terror watch list have crossed the border. Let that sink in. What happened to them? How many people came across the border on the terror watch list that we did not catch. As has been said, we have challenges: Criminal cartels making billions, not from selling drugs to our citizens, but criminal cartels making billions trafficking people across our border. As we were told by the FBI in this House last month, this is the most serious moment for America since 2014, and some argue since 9/11, for the risk of a terror attack in our country. Yet, we don't have a secure border. This is why we passed H.R. 2 across this House floor, with Republican support, and sent it to the Senate, where it sits since last May, Mr. Speaker. The President of the United States and the Senate have known the views of this body in detail about what immigration policies we would change, what funding we would apply, and what border security ideas we have. They are all in H.R. 2. Yet, there has been no action by the Senate. Mr. Speaker, I join my friends. Although, I am not sure that we have a lot to look forward to, I am an optimist. President Biden told the Speaker yesterday: No, I want to change policy on the border. I want to work with Congress on a border solution. Bring it on. We want to see it. So as an optimist, I hope that when we come back to this House one week from now that, in fact, we see a deal that is something that House Republicans can support that is not lip service but true border security and immigration reform. Noa Marciano--Israeli Hostage

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Don Walker on his retirement from Arvest Bank. Don spent the past four decades in the banking industry, with most of that spent making major strategic decisions at Arvest, including helping craft their own corporate name, Arvest. During his tenure, he served as president and CEO of their expansion business in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which became one of their largest and most successful markets in their company. Don is known for not only being a great business leader and banker but for being a friend to many in northwest Arkansas and throughout our State. I applaud my friend Don Walker on his impressive career and wish him a very happy retirement. Congratulating the Harding University Football Team

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, since 1958, my good friend, Tom Nichols, has been an impactful voice for many Arkansans. This past November, Tom completed 65 years of broadcasting, an extraordinary accomplishment. His station, KVRE or 92.9 FM in Hot Springs, Arkansas, is family-owned and operated by Tom, and now his daughter, Alice. Sadly, KVRE is only one of the few family-owned radio stations left in Arkansas, and it has a great audience of over 600,000 Arkansans. Their station is celebrating 30 years this year; also a remarkable milestone. Tom and Alice are dedicated to ensuring that Arkansans are informed, while providing daily entertainment. In a world where media outlets are frequently corporately owned, it is terrific to recognize a local, family-owned, and independently operated radio station. I congratulate KVRE for 30 years on the air and Tom for 65 years of broadcasting. My thanks to the Nichols family for their dedication to the communities they serve over the air. I look forward to many years ahead of their success. Congratulating Don Walker

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on the House floor to congratulate the Harding University football team for winning the NCAA Division II Football National Championship. That is right, a national championship from Arkansas. The Bisons wrapped up an undefeated season, going 15-0, while only completing 26 passes all year. This team was a running machine. They found success by running the ball and racking up 6,300 rushing yards for the season. Mr. Speaker, this is the first time in college football history that a team has rushed more than 6,000 yards in a season. I congratulate head coach Paul Simmons and his exceptional team on their incredible achievement and hard work, and I really look forward to the team building on this success in their next season. Go Bisons. Congratulating Kathy Webb

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Kathy Webb on her retirement from the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance. Kathy served as the CEO of Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance for the past 12 years while simultaneously also representing Ward 3 on the City of Little Rock Board of Directors. During her time as CEO, Kathy expanded access to food across our region and our State, creating new partnerships to fight hunger and improve public policy at both the State and the Federal level. She was a real leader in our community as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted work and food access. She will now carry out a 2-year term as vice mayor of Little Rock and work as a consultant on a variety of issues in central Arkansas. I congratulate Kathy for her outstanding leadership and work on combating hunger. I wish her a happy retirement from this mission, and I look forward to my continued work with her on issues of mutual concern in our city. Celebrating the Accomplishments of Carson DeLong

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the accomplishments of Carson DeLong, a fifth grader from The Baptist Preparatory School in Little Rock, Arkansas. At such a young age, Carson has become the embodiment of kindness and giving for many this season. Starting in his own classroom, Carson aimed to donate 50 pairs of socks to the homeless in central Arkansas. As his sock drive grew, he ended up collecting 500 pairs. Arkansas has a homeless population of approximately 2,500 people, but because of Carson's passion, his commitment, and his love for everybody, some of those will have a much warmer winter. Even amongst his newfound fame, Carson remains humble and attributed much of this feat and success to his classmates. His class has started another drive for other pieces of clothing, and Carson says he is happy just knowing that he could help start this cycle of generosity. Carson is not done yet, as he started a new drive that collects teddy bears and stuffed animals, and he hopes to donate that to the patients at our outstanding Arkansas Children's Hospital. His kindness shines through, and I am looking forward to the future of this fine young man. Recognizing the Impressive Career of Randy Hankins a/k/a Craig O'Neill

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor World War II veteran and Arkansas native Mrs. Elnora Cranford who celebrated her 100th birthday on December 20. Elnora's call to service began long before joining the Women's Army Corps. Prior to service, she worked at the Jacksonville ordnance plant as a detonator assembler in Jacksonville, Arkansas. She joined the Women's Army Corps in 1944 and served honorably, receiving medals including the Good Conduct Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the American Theater Service Medal. She earned the rank of corporal before she separated from the service in 1946. After her separation, Elnora, a second generation Arkansan, married Robert Cranford, who began his service in World War II, as well. They were married for 56 years and have two daughters, Glenda and Judy. For over 25 years, they were the owners of Earl's Cafe in North Little Rock, Arkansas. I thank Elnora Cranford for her service, her love of life, her family, and I congratulate her on her 100th birthday. Recognizing Eli Paladino

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Eli Paladino of Morrilton, Arkansas. During the most recent Christmas season, Eli hosted a toy drive fundraiser for the kids at Arkansas Children's Hospital, the same hospital where he receives his care for his congenital heart defect. A sixth grader at Sacred Heart School, Eli got the idea for a fundraiser from how happy the toys made him the previous year, and he told his mom that he wanted to host a fundraiser the following Christmas. With an initial goal of raising $300, he has raised over $2,000 from family, friends, and the community for his toy drive. Eli now wants to work in the hospital when he grows up, because the employees there make the kids feel so happy. I commend Eli and his family for their successful toy drive and for creating countless memories for those kids who have to spend some time in a very caring place, but away from home, our Arkansas Children's Hospital. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the impressive career of Randy Hankins, a/k/a the beloved Craig O'Neill, who, after 50 years of working as a news anchor and radio DJ, retired at the end of 2023. Craig has spent the best part of 24 years of his career working as a broadcaster on Little Rock's KTHV Channel 11, and I was really amused and happy as I watched the great tribute they delivered for him on his last sign off on December 29. Craig's career includes accolades and awards, including a regional Emmy, the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award in Broadcast Journalism, and Craig was inducted into The National Academy of Television Arts this past year. Randy and his wife, Jane, are devoted to Arkansas. They have helped raise millions of dollars for charities and community causes, and they have delivered decades of laughter to all of us in central Arkansas. On behalf of the people of Arkansas, I thank Randy for his years of service, love, and humor in the community as he prepares for his well- deserved retirement. Honoring Mrs. Elnora Cranford

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, for me it is a sad day to come to this House floor. When I think of all the battles on this House floor over the better part of a decade that I have been a part of and witnessing the leadership of Kevin McCarthy, I have to flip Shakespeare on his head today. Mr. McCarthy loves the House of Commons and he loves this House of Representatives, and so we are two nations, of course, separated by a common language. It seems like it would be good to quote The Bard. I come to this House floor to praise McCarthy, not bury him, because Speaker Emeritus McCarthy has many years of leadership, decades of leadership ahead, not only at home, not only here in America, but around the world because of his leadership exhibited in this House. As Shakespeare talked about, he, too, has suffered the slings and arrows that life brings in the public world, in politics, in this Capitol, in this House, but he has handled those every single day with grace, with humor, with leadership, exhibiting his commitment to being that happy warrior that we all know and love; that happy warrior that worked to advance every Member of the House's objectives more than his own, because that is how he is wired, Mr. Speaker. That is in his DNA in recruiting candidates--minorities, vets, women, making the Republican Party the party of the United States that reflects our entire society that believes in those fundamental tenets of America. He nurtured that in each of those Members once they were in this House on their legislative priorities because he believes in his favorite book's mantra that we want to go from good to great, and he wanted every Member to go from good to great. Kevin McCarthy delivered on that in his leadership responsibility in this House. He put the right people in the right seat every time. As I conclude, Mr. Speaker, in this tribute to my dear friend from California, our Speaker Emeritus, I go back to Shakespeare, and like Mr. McHenry from North Carolina, it is not farewell; it is adieu. Let me tell you something, Mr. McCarthy, as they said in Henry V, when you tackle the next agenda: ``Once more unto the breach, dear friends,'' we are at your side. We are charging forward. Mr. Speaker, may God bless him, God bless his family, and God bless this House.

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, of course, I rise in favor of S.J. Res. 32, a joint resolution to disapprove this dumb idea from the CFPB. I am proud to stand with our chairman of the Small Business Committee who is a humble small business man from Texas. I know the ranking member of the full committee knows that Mr. Williams, being a humble small business person, knows how to borrow money, knows how to be turned down for a loan, have a loan accepted, and he knows that banks tell him and explain that to him. I am proud to stand here. I think it is so interesting that I have heard from the opposition today, Madam Speaker, well, this is a voluntary thing. Well, if it is voluntary, then you should vote for this resolution because it is obviously unnecessary because it is voluntary. Mr. Meuser makes a very good point, because he says that a sign that a bank has constant small business lending where they don't report because every customer for that bank voluntarily said they don't want to provide that data, it will be a sign of noncompliance. The bank will be out of compliance. They will be in trouble. They will have an exam. They will fail that exam. This rule, Madam Speaker, is not the right approach. I have spent 30 years of my 40-year career lending money to small businesses, raising equity capital for small businesses. We want every loan we can make and the bank made. We are in the business to make loans. We are not in the business to turn down loans. We want them for Black people, White people, LGBTQ people--all people-- banking in our bank, helping us make a profit, helping us serve the community. This is overdoing bureaucracy. It is applying a set of rules to collect a bunch of data that is not going to make small business loans more affordable or more available in this country. It is not. Madam Speaker, Republicans are standing here and in the Senate. Democrats in the Senate voted for this resolution. They know this is governmental overreach. It shouldn't be imposed on the private sector. It is going to hurt small business, raise the cost of small business. This body stands on the side of those community lenders and those borrowers who want available capital at a reasonable cost to bring their idea, their dream to life. So five Democratic Senators joined with Republicans to say: Bad idea, send it back to the drawing board. We are standing on this side of the aisle asking our friends on the other side of the aisle: Bad idea, send it back to the drawing board. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' for this resolution.

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, on October 7, Israel suffered one of the worst days in its history as it came under attack by the Hamas terror group. These terrorists stormed across the border at Gaza and murdered 1,200 people and took 240 innocent people hostage, dragging them against their will into Gaza. From elderly Holocaust survivors to young babies, Hamas did not discriminate in its cruelty. Mr. Speaker, American citizens are still among the hostages. Many of us in this House have met with these hostage families. The pain and suffering that these families are enduring is beyond what any human should have to go through. Young children forced to be witness to their parents' murder right in front of them, babies ripped from their mothers arms, teenagers at a music festival gunned down. The atrocities that were committed that day and the glee with which the terrorists acted is unimaginable, Mr. Speaker, and it is the height of human depravity. Hamas filmed and broadcast these atrocities. This savage, sick terrorist group wanted to brag to the world about the massacre at their hands. These terrorists, Mr. Speaker, are monsters, and we have not seen this type of violence and cruelty since ISIS was running rampant in the Levant. The Jewish people have not witnessed this much diabolical death in one day since the Holocaust. After holding these hostages for 7 long weeks, Hamas has agreed to release some of these innocent women and children in an exchange for Israel temporarily pausing its military campaign and releasing Palestinians in jail. All of us on this House floor are grateful for those hostage releases, and we are grateful for the leadership of the United States, Qatar, and the Government of Israel to achieve that modicum of peace and help for those families. However, listen to the deal, Mr. Speaker. It was three jailed criminals for each innocent person captured and drug across the Gaza fence line on October 7. Despite the good news that we have witnessed in the last few days, Hamas is still holding over 150 innocent people. Hamas must release all the remaining hostages. The United States continues to stand alongside our ally Israel in their fight to secure that safe release of all the hostages unconditionally and safely. It was an honor and privilege working together with Congresswoman Haley Stevens, and I am so proud to be on the House floor tonight alongside Congresswoman Haley Stevens to introduce this resolution. With this resolution, the House of Representatives strongly condemns Hamas' attack. It calls on Hamas to immediately and unconditionally release all the hostages taken on October 7. The House Foreign Affairs Committee has marked up this legislation earlier in the month, and it received unanimous support. I expect it will receive that today on this House floor. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to stand with the hostages, with their families, and support this measure. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Lawler), a very passionate supporter of our ally Israel and a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 793) calling on Hamas to immediately release hostages taken during October 2023 attack on Israel.

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Michigan for her passionate words and her outstanding work in crafting this H. Res. 793, which calls on Hamas to release everyone unconditionally to return to their families. Ms. Stevens has done a great thing. Between us, we come to this House floor with some 236 cosponsors for this resolution, Mr. Speaker. I would certainly hope that on both sides of this aisle that we have a unanimous vote on this important statement of the American people, representing the American people, calling out against the atrocities that have been committed against the innocent people in Israel. I thank my friend from Michigan, too, for our work together and partnership and co-chairing the Congressional Task Force on American Hostages and Americans Wrongly Detained Abroad. This is important work. It has been truly tested in these past 7 weeks. Our congressional family is grieving with our Israeli families and other nationalities who have someone as a murder victim of these terrorists or someone who remains a hostage of these terrorists. It is our goal to be a resource to our fellow Members through that task force to try to help them work with our State Department and make sure those families understand what information they can have and how they can be helped through this challenge. We want to bring all these Americans home. Before I conclude, Mr. Speaker, I just would say we were all on the front steps of the Capitol together, Democrats and Republicans, and we stood as Americans that night with our new Speaker, Mike Johnson; our minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries; Ms. Stevens, myself, our colleagues; our committee chairs, Mr. Meeks of New York as our ranking member of Foreign Affairs; and our committee chairman, Mr. McCaul of Texas, in solidarity against the atrocities in Gaza and in Israel. That night, I had the opportunity to have the most wonderful visit with the most hopeful mother, Adi Marciano--a beautiful woman. We hugged and talked, and we had in the candlelight of that moment on the House steps a moment of hope, but just a few hours later, she learned that her daughter, Noa, 19 years old, Mr. Speaker, a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces, was among the murdered, not among the hostages. We don't want to forget those who have been killed in this process as we pray for the release of the hostages, and we call politically on this House floor for the release of the hostages. We lift up these families, and we lift up all those who are grieving over the loss and tragedy on both sides of the fence in Gaza. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support H. Res. 793. I reserve the balance of my time, and I have no additional speakers.

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from New York.

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina for leading the discussion on our House floor today on the gentlewoman from Michigan's excellent resolution, H. Res. 793. I am proud to be a cosponsor, proud to stand with 236 Members on both sides of the aisle to demand an unconditional release of those still held hostage by the terrorists in Gaza and their coconspirators. I urge a ``yes'' vote, Mr. Speaker, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the continued and growing threat of Iran to the region and the world. This administration is committed to giving carrots to the world's number one state sponsor of terrorism and getting nothing in return. This goes beyond the $6 billion hostage payment or the release of $10 billion of Iranian oil purchased by Iraq. Sanctions relief and appeasement under both the Biden and Obama administrations have resulted in sharp economic growth for the mullahs. According to the World Bank, under President Trump and his maximum pressure campaign, Iran's GDP was about $333 billion per year, down from $550 billion under President Obama, a substantial drop. Now, under President Biden, Iran's economy was back up to $359 billion in 2021. It was almost $390 billion last year and is growing. We have let Iran back into the global economy when our sanctions were effective, and we should not be shocked that they are now involved in nearly every conflict around the world. In Ukraine, Iran sells drones and arms to Russia. In Israel, Iran is the primary financier of its terror proxy, Hamas. In Syria, Iran is the principal financier of Hamas, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard units fight alongside Russia to prop up Assad's murderous regime. Iran-backed militias in Iraq also claimed responsibility for recent drone attacks against U.S. forces in northeastern Syria and our base on the Jordanian border. In Yemen, Iran is the primary financier of the Houthis, who have shown the capability to fire long-range missiles at Israel over the Saudi Arabian airspace and shoot down U.S. surveillance flights in the region. Iran is directly involved in all these conflicts. As a partner with Russia and China, Iran is the linchpin in what the American Enterprise Institute calls the ``coalition against democracy.'' They are the world's number one state sponsor of terror and have been for decades. Finally, Mr. Speaker, to cap it off, 91 percent of all Iran's oil exports go to China. Ninety-one percent of all Iranian oil produced goes to China. Iran, along with Xi in China and Putin in Russia, have formed this new coalition that seeks to overthrow America's presence in the world, our values of democracy, rule of law, and freedom. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining?

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, with Thanksgiving around the corner, central Arkansans and Americans are headed to the grocery stores, excited to shop for another holiday and to gather around the table with loved ones. Unfortunately, they are still wincing at the price of turkey, stuffing, and the sides 3 years later, thanks to the persistent inflation due to President Biden and his failed economic policies. In 2019, the average price of a turkey was 89 cents a pound. Last year's ``Turkey Day'' was up to $1.55 per pound. This is just another example of the negative effect President Biden's incompetent Bidenomics has had on the wallets of our working families and the detrimental effect it has had on our economy and our fiscal outlook. Interest rates are at a 23-year high, and Arkansas families are spending an average of $8,400 more per year on the same things that they buy every year for their families. Mr. Speaker, that is $700 more per month on just basic things, like back to school, Thanksgiving, Christmas presents, essentials, car payments, mortgage payments. This administration, along with Democrats in Congress, have led on failed policies that have created a destructive domino effect on our entire economy, from driving 40-year highs in inflation to out-of- control government spending. The Federal Reserve kept interest rates too low for too long and are now left playing catch-up in the hopes of beating inflation in the short run without causing too much damage to long-run economic growth. To combat this, I recently reintroduced the Price Stability Act with my friend and colleague Congressman Byron Donalds. This legislation would ensure that the central bank focuses exclusively on its principal mandate of price stability, which is exactly what the Fed should be doing now more than ever, instead of focusing on various policy fads. Over this past weekend, the United States rating agency Moody's downgraded the United States' credit rating from stable to negative, citing higher interest rates and another pending government shutdown. This is another alarm bell that Democrats and the Biden administration should not ignore. We must get our fiscal house in order. This is another critical element in combating rampant inflation and helping the American people who have been suffering under these failed economic policies for far too long. Reining in the outrageous spending we have witnessed over the past 3 years in Washington will help stop putting the burden of our record- high debt on our children and grandchildren and contributing to inflation. President Biden needs to wake up to the alarm bells that continue to signal how his spending, industrial policy mandates, and the regulatory burdens are crushing ordinary families as we approach this Thanksgiving. President Biden needs to work with Republicans in the House and Senate to get our long-term economy back on track. Let's work for American families, not against them. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.