Kevin Hern

Mr. HERN

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the Fourth District of Indiana (Mr. Baird). Mr. Baird is a decorated Vietnam veteran who was recognized with two Purple Hearts for the wounds he received while protecting our freedoms.

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, may I ask how much time I have remaining.

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, I would like to give one last shout-out to Republican Study Committee Chairman Jim Banks. He has been fighting this ridiculous spending from the get-go. It is largely due to Jim's leadership that so many Americans know just how bad this reconciliation bill really is. I would like to thank everyone who participated in tonight's Special Order. We heard really compelling stories from our colleagues about the dangers of Biden's out-of-control socialist spending. Our Nation is still recovering from forced lockdowns that killed small businesses across this country and wreaked havoc on the intellectual development of an entire generation of students. Our number one priority should be empowering job creators to grow and succeed and growing their local economies with them. Biden's build back broke plan kills small businesses and increases our reliance on cradle- to-grave welfare systems. I am living proof that never-ending handouts simply do not work. They only increase the dependence on the system that will never help individuals become self-sufficient. To quote my favorite President, Ronald Reagan, the greatest social program in the world is a job. We need more people in jobs, not less. All that the Biden administration has to show for 9 months in power is an abysmal unemployment rate and record high inflation. It is simply not working. It is time to give fiscal responsibility a serious try. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Moore).

Mr. HERN

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the First District of Oklahoma's September Veteran of the Month, Michael Coon. Michael Coon served our country in the United States Army as a paratrooper. Coon comes from a family that takes pride in their Military service to the United States; both his father and his son faithfully served our country. This family's heart to help and protect others is commendable. Michael Coon continues to help and protect members of our veteran community. Michael goes above and beyond to advocate for his fellow veterans. He is involved with Mission 22, a non-profit organization that support veterans suffering from PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury, suicide risk, and other challenges. Michael lost his own son to suicide after his service. Michael continues to raise awareness of veteran suicide and help others struggling. A silhouette of Michael's son will be included in ``The War at Home Memorial'' currently being built in Broken Arrow. This memorial will help bring awareness to the 22 veterans that are lost to suicide every day. Michael is a veteran, advocate, and a father. He answered the call to defend freedom and continues to serve others in our community. It is my honor to recognize Michael Coon as the 1st Congressional District of Oklahoma's September Veteran of the Month.

Mr. HERN

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, today I rise in support of important funding included in this year's NDAA that will benefit an important initiative with respect to industrial control systems. Specifically, this funding will advance a key concept in the Army's Smart Installations Strategy and begin to address critical research required to advance our capabilities in the area of testing the cybersecurity and our embedded industrial control systems. The University of Tulsa in my district has significant capabilities in the area of cybersecurity research and has been engaged in attempting to address many of the issues associated with industrial control systems. TU's research efforts in the area of cybersecurity protection are unmatched in the Nation. They play an important role in our national security and deserve this essential funding. I want to thank my colleague from Oklahoma City (Mrs. Bice) for her work on the House Armed Services Committee to ensure this funding was included in this year's NDAA.

Mr. HERN

Mr. HERN. Mr. Speaker, in what is, no doubt, a knee-jerk reaction to the recent legislative victory to protect unborn life in the State of Texas, Democrats have introduced the Women's Health Protection Act. However, we know what this piece of legislation really should be called, the abortion on demand act. H.R. 3755 completely strips State legislatures of their autonomy to write the laws of their own State and will, in effect, make all 50 States late-term abortion States. Not only is this a gross overreach of the Federal authority, a direct violation of States' rights to decide their own laws, it is just plain wrong. Provisions in H.R. 3755 include the elimination of laws requiring parental involvement in a minor's decision to abort a baby, laws preventing abortions based on a baby's sex or diagnosis with a mental disability, as well as laws preventing dismemberment abortions. It is clear that this bill has nothing to do with protecting women's health; rather, it is the result of Democrats bending the knee to the unethical abortion industry. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the abortion on demand act.

Mr. HERN

Mr. HERN. Mr. Speaker, since gaining complete control of the U.S. Federal Government with the presidency, a narrow majority in the House, and the deciding vote in an equally split Senate, Democrats have started on a big and historic deficit spending spree. The national debt exceeds $28.7 trillion, and it is growing fast. There is no end in sight. To continue doing what the government has done for decades-- recklessly spending money with no regard to the impact on future generations--is the coward's way out. True leadership takes courage. It doesn't take much effort to stand here today and tell you about how stupid this kind of spending is, Mr. Speaker. The real challenge is actually doing something about it. Writing a budget, passing the budget, and appropriating money according to the budget is a process we have not completed on time since the nineties. Secretary Treasurer Janet Yellen recently said that failing to raise the debt ceiling risked ``irreparable harm to the U.S. economy and the livelihoods of all Americans.'' Ignoring their own Treasury Secretary's warning, Democrats decided to leave the debt ceiling increase out of their partisan budget reconciliation bill, risking financial disaster for the entire Nation. I recently led a letter to over 100 colleagues asking them to suspend this continuing resolution. While the Democrats want to wave a magic wand and pretend the debt doesn't exist, our debts are very real. Our Democrat colleagues need to do something about this.

Mr. HERN

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 76th Anniversary of V-J Day on August 14th, 2021. I am forever grateful for the sacrifices of our service members. Victory over Japan Day, V-J Day, marked the triumphent end of World War II. This day commemorates the announcement of Japan's surrender. This is an event that is important to the United States, the state of Oklahoma, and the veterans in our community. For the past several years, Frank Reisinger has helped coordinate a remembrance event in Broken Arrow. This is a special occasion that allows our community to honor our veterans, especially those who served in World War II. Frank, a veteran himself, can still recall witnessing the celebrations in downtown Tulsa 76 years ago. He was an 18-year-old standing in his dad's office overlooking the festivities in the streets below. It is this memory that inspires him to continue to remember this wonderful day in American History. I am truly grateful for this event and the work of Frank Reisinger and the City of Broken Arrow to honor this day.

Mr. HERN

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, last year we lost Senator Tom Coburn, a dear friend of mine, and a legend in both this Chamber and across the Capitol for his consistency and dedication to the fiscal responsibility of our country. Tom taught me so much about the way our government works, about our broken budget process, and about the importance of spending American tax dollars wisely. It is pretty clear that a lot of my colleagues have forgotten one monumental fact: that the Federal Government has no money of our own. Every dollar comes from the American people. When we are in this Chamber debating spending another billion here and a trillion there, it doesn't come from some bottomless bank account. It comes from the hardworking American people, and we can never take that for granted. I have with me today Senator Tom Coburn's black book, an outline of his deficit reduction plan in 2011 to get the United States on track to eliminate our debt and balance the budget. My colleague from Oklahoma, Senator Lankford, has taken on Tom's mantle as the fiscal hawk of the Senate and now produces a similar report detailing the many, many line items of waste and abuse in the Federal Government. In his memory, I helmed the Republican Study Committee Budget and Spending Task Force this Congress, and we produced what is still the only budget introduced to the House. My budget is not only a clear path back to black, as my friend Tom would say, it balances in just 5 years. Our interest costs on the debt alone are expected to nearly triple in the next 10 years, making interest costs the third largest Federal expense behind Social Security and Medicare. As our spending continues to rise, so, too, do the concerns of our constituents. Our esteemed majority leader just criticized the Senate on their lack of passing appropriations bills. Speaker Pelosi has often said, ``Show me your budget, and I will show you your values.'' It is alarming to me the Speaker abandoning her responsibilities outlined in the Congressional Budget Act for the third year in a row. This majority and their leadership do not care about American taxpayers, and they don't care about the fiscal health of this country. When I came to Congress at the end of 2018, our national debt was $19 trillion. In just 2\1/2\ years, we are quickly approaching $30 trillion. Our debt has grown some 58 percent. Meanwhile, our economic growth has been somewhere around 2 percent. In the past 12 months, our country has been devastated by COVID-19, both physically, mentally, and financially. With millions of Americans losing their jobs, businesses, or both, they turned to the Federal Government for help. Since last year, Congress has spent $13.3 trillion of American taxpayers' money on government COVID relief programs. To date only $8.7 trillion of those funds have been spent, leaving us with $4.6 trillion of the American people's money in government bonds. Pelosi and Biden are spending money as fast as they can without any oversight into the effectiveness of what has already been appropriated. From day one of the Biden administration, President Biden and Vice President Harris have shown nothing but contempt for the American taxpayer, choosing to increase spending, increase taxes, and destroy jobs across the country. All they have to show for it is rampant inflation and continued unemployment. What we are looking at today is a drastic expansion of Federal spending across the board. My colleagues across the aisle are throwing money at every Federal department and agency except for the defense of our people, of course. Flagrant overspending is on the menu today. The Department of Energy will be increased by 7.6 percent; the Department of Interior's budget is expected to expand by some 19 percent; the Department of Labor by 17.6 percent, with $4.2 billion to bolster Biden's unemployment programs, preventing people from returning to work. HHS is getting a 23 percent expansion, including $110 million to research the impacts of climate change and $400 million in Title X funding, which Planned Parenthood is now eligible for since Democrats are eliminating the Hyde amendment. The Department of Education will receive a staggering 40 percent increase in funding, and it just gets worse from there. Every penny they spend comes at the cost of the American taxpayers. When Oklahomans lose their jobs, Democrats will be to blame. When American job creation and wage growth halts, Democrats will be to blame. That is why today I am offering amendments to each division of this package to do one simple thing: cut spending by 20 percent. Speaker Pelosi doesn't want fiscal accountability, which is why she piled all these amendments into an en bloc, to ensure none of them pass. Congress has spent recklessly this past year, and the American people are sick of it. I want to thank my colleagues who have talked about these amendments, who have joined me in these amendments, who are wanting to speak today, and I urge adoption of this en bloc to rein in Democrats' reckless spending and ensure a fiscally secure future for generations of Americans to come.

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, I would like to spend my 2 minutes speaking directly to the American people. We talk a lot in here to each other and about each other and to one another and behind each other's back, but I want to speak to the American people because they are the ones who need to call their Members of Congress. You understand that when you increase budgets 30 to 40 percent, and then my amendments are a 20 percent cut, that somehow that is destroying America? We know better. You, as the American people, know that you have to create a budget. Your counties create a budget. The cities create a budget. Your States create a budget. The only place in this free United States of America that no budget was created for the last 3 years is here in the United States Congress. My team on the RSC Budget Committee produced the only budget that was floor-ready for a vote, and the Speaker chose not to put it on the floor. Why, you ask? Well, I am going to answer the question. It is because the Democrats didn't want you to see what fiscal accountability and responsibility are. They didn't put their own budget on the floor when they had control of the House, the Senate, and the Presidency. They could have passed a budget without one single Republican vote. Ask your Member of Congress why they didn't produce a budget. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to be fiscally responsible and accountable to your money, the taxpayer's money.

Mr. HERN

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the First District of Oklahoma's July Veteran of the Month, Michael Bell. Michael Bell served our country in the United States Air Force for over twenty years. He worked in Security Forces and retired as a Master Sergeant. Throughout his service, he was deployed to several military bases around the United States and overseas. Upon retirement, Mr. Bell continued to serve and protect his community as a member of law enforcement. Michael truly has a heart for serving others. As a member of law enforcement, Michael goes above and beyond to serve his community. He was involved with Atlus Public School's Red Ribbon Week program and taught their D.A.R.E. program. He served as chairman of the Jackson County Tobacco Education Committee and President of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 120. Michael currently serves as Chief of Police in Coweta, OK. He was recently recognized for saving the life of a fellow veteran who was suffering from PTSD and contemplating suicide. He is a life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion along with several law enforcement organizations. Michael, through his compassion for others, has touched so many lives in our community and across the globe. He answered the call to defend freedom and sacrificed whatever was necessary in the name of that noble cause. It is my honor to recognize Michael Bell as the 1st Congressional District of Oklahoma's July Veteran of the Month.

Mr. HERN

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of our most vulnerable Americans; the unborn. They do not have a voice. It is up to us to be their champion and fight for their right to life. I am deeply concerned by the actions of the majority and the current occupants of the White House. They are actively destroying decades of progress and protections for the unborn, which is why it is essential to pass the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 18 and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. HERN

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to shed some light on history. In 1854, members of the Whig Party met to begin discussions on a new political party--the primary platform being the abolition of slavery. The idea spread like wildfire, and just six years later, the newly formed Republican Party successfully elected their first President, Abraham Lincoln. Republican leadership fought to eradicate the scourge of slavery, defeat the racist Southern Democrats, and forge a new future for America where all were equal--no matter the color of their skin. Republicans, as the Speaker of the House so eloquently explained earlier, voted to pass the 14th amendment to give Black Americans the right to vote. Against the will of the Democrats. This history is integral to the discussion we're having today, as the men who fought to perpetuate slavery, impose racist policies, and oppress newly freed Black Americans were all Democrats. Now, the Democrats of today don't want you to know that. They've worked hard to hide their history and supplant the accurate story of their party with the narrative of the Democratic savior. What they're attempting to do today is further bury their racist past and hide it from the American people. I represent Tulsa, a city that knows something about Democrats hiding their past. Just this month, we observed 100 years since the horrific race massacre that destroyed Black Wall Street and killed hundreds of Black Tulsans. These attacks were orchestrated by Oklahoma Democrats and subsequently hidden by Oklahoma Democrats for decades, until we began to seek out the truth. Tulsa no longer hides this shameful part of our history. Under Republican leadership, Tulsa has worked hard to honor the memories of the race massacre victims and share the accurate history of the horrific, racist attack that took place 100 years ago. We are stronger now because of our commitment to shine a light on our history . . . even the painful pieces. We do not hide it, obfuscate it, or rewrite it--like my Democratic colleagues are attempting to do today. There are men on display in the Capitol Building who did terrible things. They should never have been placed in such positions of prominence, but it was Democrat leaders at the state level who sent them here. Many such states are now working to remove their statues under the proper process, led by Republican leaders at the state level. Congressional Democrats are attempting to usurp the authority given to our states and claim it as a moral victory for themselves. For the statues and busts under Congressional jurisdiction, I fully support efforts to remove terrible men from positions of prominence, but I cannot justify usurping power from the states--states that are already working to rectify the decisions made generations ago by racist Democrats. I urge my colleagues to join me in opposition to this bill.

Mr. HERN

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the First District of Oklahoma's June Veteran of the Month, Joshua Starks. Joshua Starks faithfully served our country in the United States Army and the Oklahoma National Guard. He was a Combat Outpost Commander in Afghanistan and an Infantry Officer in both the Army and National Guard. Mr. Starks has continued to help others in his community and assist his fellow veterans. His commitment and passion for service speaks volumes about his character. Mr. Stark's dedication to service is evident through his work in our community. He is the former Post Commander and current Sr. Vice Commander of VFW Post 577. Mr. Starks is also the Tulsa Veteran's Day Parade Chairman. He represents his fellow veterans as a member of the Tulsa Human Rights Commission. Joshua is also involved with the Tulsa Area United Way. In 2019, he was recognized as the 2019 Emerging Leaders Society Volunteer of the Year Award. He answered the call to defend freedom across the globe and sacrificed whatever was necessary in the name of that noble cause. It is my honor to recognize Joshua Starks as the 1st Congressional District of Oklahoma's June Veteran of the Month.

Mr. HERN

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize that Tulsa's Greenwood Business District has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. Nearly erased by the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, the Greenwood Business District helped provide a foundation for African American resilience and success. Today, the business district has more than 30 African American owned businesses in the last brick buildings on Greenwood Avenue in Tulsa. Placement on the National Register for Historic Places opens possibilities for business and property owners to seek historic preservation and property improvement. The preservation of history is critical, and I'm glad to see this portion of Tulsa receive the historical recognition it deserves.

Mr. HERN

Mr. HERN. Madam 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 the topic of this Special Order.

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, our country is facing a crisis of our own making. Republicans and Democrats alike have contributed to the rampant spending in Washington over the last several decades. But it is time for someone to stand up and say enough is enough. I am here tonight with some of the greatest minds in Congress to talk about our floor-ready plan to tackle wasteful spending and restore fiscal responsibility to the Federal Government. In December, Republican Study Committee Chairman Jim Banks asked me to lead the Budget Task Force for the 117th Congress, and I gladly accepted. I put together a team of incredible fiscal conservatives to help repair our fiscal year 2022 budget. I thank these intelligent, hardworking colleagues for rising to the occasion, working diligently to meet our ambitious goals, and putting together a fine product that will serve all Americans. They are Chairman Jim Banks, Roger Williams, Trent Kelly, Ralph Norman, Ron Estes, Michael Cloud, Ben Cline, Byron Donalds, and Bob Good. Thank you, gentlemen. In addition to my task force members, I would like to thank a man who is integral to the work of the task force and is a huge reason for the success of this final budget, Richard Stern. When I said yes to drafting the budget for fiscal year 2022, I committed to creating a thorough, floor-ready budget that reflects the conservative values that gave us the greatest economy in the history of the world before the pandemic. I believe, as do my colleagues, that the pro-growth policies of the Trump administration are proven tactics to grow the economy and give Americans more control of their own money. Everyone in Washington seems to forget that we have no money of our own. Everything we appropriate in this Chamber, every dollar, comes from the American taxpayers. None of it belongs to us. In the last year, we spent $7.6 trillion, largely due to an unprecedented global pandemic. The Biden administration has shown no sign of slowing down and is starting to alarm more than just conservatives. It is our responsibility to hold this administration accountable and prove to the American people that there is someone left on Capitol Hill who cares about our debts. We need to return to federalism, where the Federal Government, the State, and the individual have their own distinct roles. In order to combat aggressive spending, we need an aggressive plan. That brings us to this year's budget, aptly named ``Reclaiming Our Fiscal Future.'' President Trump's budget proposal to Congress would have balanced in 15 years. That was our starting point, and we knew we were capable of balancing in less than 10. Madam Speaker, I am proud to say that our budget will balance in just 5 years. Many of you would ask how that is even possible. There are two parts to that answer. The first part is due to changes in inflation and interest costs following the COVID-19 pandemic. The second is due to pro-growth policies like the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. When we give Americans more control of their own money, the result is market growth, wage growth, consumer confidence, and, yes, increased revenues for the Federal Government. We are making provisions from the Tax Cuts and Job Cuts Act permanent, reducing the tax burden by $1.9 trillion, almost $16,000 per household. We are shielding the middle class from capital gains taxes, eliminating the death taxes, and repealing market-distorting tax carve- outs. Our budget is the most pro-life budget ever introduced, with 17 pieces of pro-life legislation included. Our budget stands strong for the issues Americans care about, and we are crystal clear about how to pay for it. We are securing our border and building the wall. We are protecting your Second Amendment rights. We are supporting our police officers and ensuring our communities remain safe for everyone. Our budget includes over 30 specific deregulation bills ensuring liberty for American job creators and workers alike. We are putting Medicare and Social Security on a path to solvency without cutting immediate benefits. Whether you call them earmarks or community project funding, we are getting rid of it for good. We are reforming the budget process to be transparent and effective. To put it simply, we are fighting for Main Street America. Tonight, you will hear from me and my colleagues who helped shape this budget, whether as a member of the task force or by contributing legislation that is included in our budget. These Members all have something very important in common, a deep respect for the American taxpayer. It is our job to ensure that Americans' tax dollars are being spent wisely, that the government is making every effort to prevent waste and promote efficiency. It is pretty clear this hasn't been the case in Washington for a long time. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy), my dear friend from the 21st Congressional District.

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, I would yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Miller), the 15th Congressional District.

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the great State of Louisiana (Mr. Higgins).

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, Speaker Pelosi reminded us about 3 years ago when she infamously said: Show me your budget, and I will show you your values. That phrase and that statement have been made so many times by leaders talking about budgets. In America, individuals have budgets, counties have budgets, communities have budgets, cities have budgets, schools have budgets, businesses have budgets, and States have budgets. The United States of America has gone 3 years now without a budget from the Budget Committee that is run by my colleagues from the Democratic Party, the people in power. We have a budget that we are asking to get on the floor, a budget that is built on the pro-growth policies that we saw 16 months ago yield the greatest economy in our lifetime, the lowest unemployment rate, the most people employed with all diversity, of all ethnicities, of all countries of origin, women, African Americans, and Hispanics. Everywhere, people have seen the greatest jobs they have ever seen. There were double-digit increases for the lowest earning wage earners among us. We know these policies work. This budget builds upon them. The American people are demanding that we be accountable for the dollars they send us. What we are seeing now in the budget that was just put out by the President in a piecemeal fashion is a budget that sends jobs overseas and that destroys jobs in our energy-producing companies, some of the highest wage earners we have in this country. We see our defense budget being cut below the inflation rate. As we speak about inflation, the President promised the American people that he wouldn't raise taxes on anybody making less than $400,000 a year. Madam Speaker, I will tell you the greatest hidden tax in America is inflation, and what we are seeing right now is inflation rising at an annualized rate of 5, 6, and 7 percent that spans everybody in America on top of the proposed tax increases that the President is talking about. He is proposing looking at changing the tax rates for our multinational companies, our companies that were starting to move jobs back to America. Now we are seeing a deal is being struck by Secretary Yellen to try to take the G7 to tax our companies to the point that we are going to see jobs leave our country and return back to where they moved their headquarters overseas, to lower tax nations. To my colleagues out there, all we are asking for is to put a budget on the floor, our budget, to get your vote to be responsible to the American taxpayers so that we can see, once and for all, where everyone is on doing the right thing for the American taxpayers. For all of my colleagues that joined us tonight, what we have heard over the last hour was a clear vision for America, an outline of how conservatives intend to govern. It is sad that we have to call it a conservative budget. It is a budget for the American people. This is the future of our Nation. This is the hope of democracy. Before I finally close, I would like to yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Estes), my dear colleague, a member of the task force, to give his thoughts on what he saw and worked on, on our budget.

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin), the co-chair of the Border Caucus from the 36th Congressional District.

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Davidson).

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the Fourth Congressional District of Iowa (Mr. Feenstra).

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, may I ask how much time is remaining.

Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the Fifth Congressional District of Virginia (Mr. Good). He is also a task force member who gave us a tremendous amount of input on our process, and I want to thank him for his work. It was a 5-month journey that we went through to arrive at this budget and a lot of sleepless nights. I really appreciate the gentleman's inputs and his thoughts.