Jim Jordan

Mr. JORDAN

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, in closing, I would just say the gentleman in his introduction of the amendment said that while President Trump-- he talked about President Trump and the riots that took place last summer--he said, well, I would just point out that while President Trump was talking about deploying the military to deal with the riots that were happening in so many major urban areas around our great country, what were Democrats doing? What were Democrats doing? They were defunding the police, and they were raising money to bail the very rioters out who were destroying property and attacking police officers to raise money to bail those individuals out of jail. And now here tonight we have some policy that hasn't been through committee and hasn't been through any process trying to be put into the National Defense Authorization Act. Again, Madam Speaker, I urge opposition to this, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JORDAN

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I am honored to commend to the House the memory of Special Agent Michael J. Lynch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special Agent Lynch was killed in the line of duty in Ohio nearly four decades ago. Michael Lynch was raised in St. Marys, Ohio. An Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War, where he served as a C-130 loadmaster, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for successfully completing a critical resupply mission over Khe Sanh in February of 1968. Special Agent Lynch joined the FBI in 1976, assigned first to the Indianapolis division and later to Chicago, where he was part of the SWAT team. On December 16, 1982, he and three other agents lost their lives in an airplane accident while investigating a bank fraud and embezzlement case near Cincinnati. Tomorrow, at a site just a few blocks away from his childhood home, the Michael J. Lynch Memorial Garden will be dedicated in St. Marys. On behalf of the people of Ohio's Fourth Congressional District, I offer my condolences to his family, friends, and FBI colleagues as they gather to celebrate his selfless service to our nation. I am grateful to the men and women of the FBI for pursuing this honor in tribute to their fallen comrade and thank the leaders and residents of St. Marys for making it a reality.

Mr. JORDAN

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives just applauded Texas legislators for not showing up to work, for not doing their job. I mean, the things we see today, it is truly amazing to me. Madam Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, was it a big lie when the Democrats for 4 years questioned the 2016 election, when in October of 2020 Secretary Clinton said the election was stolen from her in 2016? Was that the big lie that the previous speaker was talking about? I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Bentz).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Thousands of Americans are stranded in Afghanistan, fearing for their lives, and Democrats are focused on passing legislation to make sure States can't require a photo ID to vote. Thousands of Americans are stranded in Afghanistan, while hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants cross our southern border every single month. March was the largest month on record for illegal crossings until April; April was the largest month of illegal crossings until May; May was the largest month until June; and June was the largest month until July; and Democrats are focused on passing legislation which says: States who want to go back to the election law they had just a year ago before the virus, you can't do that unless you come get permission from the Department of Justice. As Mr. Davis said, in 1965, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act, a good piece of legislation that did things that needed to be done, put things in place that needed to be put in place. But we are a long way from that and so much better. In 2013, in the Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court decision, the Court said there is no need to continue preclearance requirements. Here's a quote from the Chief Justice: ``The conditions that originally justified'' these measures ``no longer characterize voting in the covered jurisdictions,'' Justice Roberts stated. African-American turnout today exceeds White voter turnout in five of the six originally covered States. During the past election, voter turnout was higher across all racial groups as compared to prior presidential elections. The United States of America is the greatest country in the history of the world. There is no question that our country has done more to advance the cause of liberty and democracy than any other Nation. But, unfortunately, it seems the Democrats do not want to acknowledge all of that amazing progress that has been made and where we are at today. H.R. 4 would subject States and localities to the whims of partisan bureaucrats within President Biden's Department of Justice. They get to decide--not States, as our Constitution says--no, no, no, you have to go get permission from the big Federal Government, do what they say, when it comes to your election laws, even if, as I said before, you just want to go back to where you were a year before COVID. Republican States that Democrats always want to target actually do better than Democrat States, like President Biden's home State of Delaware. But for some reason, you don't hear Democrats raising alarms about Delaware, and you don't see the Biden administration bringing lawsuits against Delaware. Democrats want to focus on this manufactured crisis, because they have no plans to deal with the real crises that are facing our country: inflation; crime; the border; and, of course, what is going on in Afghanistan as we speak. Don't be fooled. Today, it is easier to vote than ever in our country. We need to applaud the strides this Nation has taken. We need to embrace the greatness of our country. This bill is not about expanding voting rights; it is about Democrats consolidating their political power. That is why they are focused on this. At a time when there are so many critical issues and crises facing our Nation, they are focused on consolidating their power and, I think, taking it away from the States. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I would just remind the gentleman that Democrats have objected to the electors for every Republican President this century--every single one. I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Steil).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis), the ranking member of the House Administration Committee.

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).

Mr. JORDAN

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I am honored to commend to the House the extraordinary heroism of Todd J. Corbin. Sixteen years ago, as a lance corporal in the United States Marine Corps Reserve serving as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Todd Corbin rescued several of his comrades at great risk to his own life--an act for which he was awarded the Navy Cross. A motor vehicle operator for Third Battalion, Twenty-Fifth Marines, Lance Corporal Corbin was part of a convoy responding to a report of a platoon under fire near Haditha on May 7, 2005. As they approached the scene, a van loaded with explosives charged toward them, detonating between two of the convoy's vehicles. A brutal firefight ensued, during which many were injured and four--three Marines and a Navy corpsman-- were killed. Most of the convoy's vehicles were disabled in this initial attack. Lance Corporal Corbin immediately positioned his seven-ton truck between the enemy and the wounded Marines. After reporting the situation to the battalion, he immediately took charge at the scene, directing return fire. Under this covering fire, and disregarding the continued onslaught of the enemy, he retrieved his wounded patrol leader, placing him over his shoulder and bringing him back to the truck--all while firing at the enemy with his free hand. He made five total trips through the kill zone to recover his dead and wounded comrades, shielding them from the enemy while returning them to the convoy. Despite the severe damage to his truck, which by this time had three flat tires, Lance Corporal Corbin drove it away from the scene and to an aid station five miles away. Because of his quick-thinking and heroic actions, no Marine was lost after the initial attack. Lance Corporal Corbin is now Huron County Sheriff Corbin, re-elected to a second term last year. He credits the Marine Corps for helping him enhance the leadership skills that are so essential to his job, encouraging everyone in his command to be at their personal and professional best when interacting with the public. Madam Speaker, we are grateful that people like Todd Corbin stand up and volunteer to serve this great Nation. He risked his life to save others under the most difficult conditions. For this, each and every one of us owes him a great debt of gratitude. I thank Sheriff Corbin for his many sacrifices on our behalf and wish him every success in the future.

Mr. JORDAN

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy), and I ask unanimous consent that he be permitted to control the balance of the Republican time.

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. We all condemn violence against people based on their race. In America, no one should live in fear that they will be a victim of a crime based on their beliefs, the color of their skin, or the country in which they were born. We have seen reports of violence directed at Asian Americans increase recently in some places around our country. While the perpetrators of these violent acts must be held accountable, we have serious concerns about some aspects of this legislation and the process behind moving it forward. For instance, the legislation sets up ambiguous hotlines for people to report anything they find troubling. These hotlines are separate from traditional law enforcement reporting mechanisms, such as calling 911 or your local police department's nonemergency line, and they could enable anyone to report anything that that individual may find offensive. All crimes should be reported, investigated by law enforcement, and prosecuted. Telling the public that criminal complaints shouldn't be reported to law enforcement but, instead, to a new unrelated State office creates unnecessary confusion and could harm public safety. In addition, this bill establishes online reporting for complaints about ``incidents,'' but, of course, the bill doesn't specify what an incident is; no definition at all. This means, essentially, that we are asking State governments to act as speech police, and creates a precedent that could extend to any manner of things someone may deem offensive. We were hopeful that there could be a meaningful discussion and input on this bill, but the chairman pulled the bill from our scheduled markup in the Judiciary Committee last month, preventing Republicans from offering any amendments. Republicans had a number of amendments that would have ensured that the reporting hotlines were focused on actual criminal conduct and not random citizen complaints. Finally, it is important to note that the Democrats have attempted to blame President Trump for this rise in violence against Asian Americans, but the facts tell an entirely different story. This violence, by and large, is happening in Democrat-controlled cities, many of which, interestingly enough, have defunded their police departments. For example, New York City saw a 223 percent increase in reported Asian-American hate crimes, while defunding their police over $1 billion. San Francisco saw a 140 percent increase in reported Asian- American hate crimes, while defunding their police by $120 million. Los Angeles, 80 percent increase in reported anti-Asian hate crime, while defunding their police $175 million. One report found that nearly 60 percent of the reported hate crime incidents from March of 2020 to February of 2021, the past year, were from these two States, California and New York. It sort of begs the obvious question. Maybe if we weren't defunding the police, if these Democrat-controlled cities weren't defunding the police, we would not have the rise in incidents and the rise in hate crime for Asian Americans. If money wasn't taken from police and they were allowed to do their jobs, we would probably be in an entirely different position. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JORDAN

Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, the continuing attacks on Israeli civilians by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip are a shocking reminder that Israel's very existence has been threatened throughout its seven decades as a nation. We strongly condemn these attacks and the terror campaign being waged against our Israeli allies. As a sovereign country, Israel not only has the right but the responsibility to protect its own citizens. No nation could be expected to withstand these assaults without acting in its own defense. Even in its military response, under constant threat of further attacks, with air raid sirens driving hundreds of thousands of Israelis to bomb shelters, Israel has shown remarkable restraint. Hamas has certainly not. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government should have the full support of this Congress and this President as it works to end the waves of terror coming out of Gaza. As the Prime Minister said in this Chamber 10 years ago, ``Israel is the one anchor of stability'' in the Middle East. Mr. Speaker, we must continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel, united against all threats to its peace, stability, and its very existence.

Mr. JORDAN

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, last week we commemorated ``National Correctional Officers Week'' and recognize the men and women who serve as correctional officers across the United States. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first week in May as National Correctional Officers Week thirty-seven years ago ``in recognition of the contributions of correctional officers to our Nation.'' Especially over the past year, we have witnessed the substantial contributions of correctional officers and all law-enforcement officers in our neighborhoods and communities. As we continue to face challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to recognize the vital work that correctional officers perform on a daily basis, risking their lives in the course of carrying out their duties. ``Stay-at-home'' orders do not apply to our correctional officers. Public safety demands that these brave men and women come to work every day. Our nation's correctional officers did their best to keep themselves and those under their custody and care safe under these challenging circumstances. There are currently over two million people incarcerated in jails and prisons throughout the United States. Our nation faces a great challenge to keep both staff and inmates at correctional facilities safe during this pandemic and amid radical proposals to defunct law- enforcement entities. Correctional officers are an integral part of our criminal justice system and they play a key role in helping maintain public safety. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 400,000 correctional officers in the United States for the difficult and often thankless job that they do day in and day out.

Mr. JORDAN

Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, this week we commemorate ``National Police Week'' and recognize the men and women who serve and protect in the law enforcement community. A Joint Resolution of Congress established National Police Week in 1962. That resolution authorized President John F. Kennedy to proclaim May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15 falls, as National Police Week. In that resolution nearly sixty years ago, Congress noted that ``the police officers of America have worked devotedly and selflessly in behalf of the people of this Nation, regardless of the peril or hazard to themselves; and . . . have safeguarded the lives and property of their fellow Americans.'' Those words are as true today as they were in 1962. Over the past year, our law enforcement officers have endured verbal and physical abuse, sometimes from their political leaders. Some made the ultimate sacrifice while working to keep their communities safe. They did this while some politicians were calling for their departments to be defunded, disbanded, or dismantled. They did this while working on the front lines during a global pandemic. We should not just stand with the Police this week, but every week. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the law enforcement officers in their communities and thank them for keeping us all safe.

Mr. JORDAN

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I always appreciate the opportunity to share positive news about young people from Ohio's Fourth Congressional District. Today, I am pleased to commend to the House twelve high school students who are being honored for their outstanding leadership skills and volunteerism. On Wednesday, the Noon Optimist Club of Lima, Ohio, will recognize Tyler Arheit, Anna Delamotte, Lily Floyd, Addison Jones, Aubree Linhart, Lucas Prichard, Trenton Stout, Sara Watkins, Thomas Williamson, Trace Wilson, Ryan Zheng, and Zachary Zwiebel at its annual youth appreciation luncheon. These students were each nominated by their schools for being good role models for their peers. I thank the Optimists for their efforts to celebrate the many achievements of these students and am proud to join in the accolades to them. They have my very best wishes for continued success in their lives in the years to come.

Mr. JORDAN

Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, Democrats started last week with one of their Members saying we should get rid of the police altogether. They ended last week with another one of their Members being admonished by the trial judge in Minneapolis for saying ridiculous things. What did they do in between? They passed out of committee this bill, which gives two more Democrat Senators to the District of Columbia. And less than 24 hours after that bill passed in committee, they introduced legislation to pack the Supreme Court. In 3 months of Democrats being in control of the Federal Government, they have increased the debt by $2 trillion; they created a crisis on the southern border; and they continued their push to defund the police. Now, so they can continue their radical policies, think about what else they have passed out of this body: a bill to federalize our voting laws, federalize our election laws; a bill to pack the Court, as I said. They introduced that legislation. The chairman of the Judiciary Committee, of all people, introduced that bill. And here we are today, with a pure power grab to give two Democrat Senators to the District of Columbia. There is a crisis on our southern border. The American people want us to focus on the crisis. Even the President called it a crisis. Let's stop the power grab. Let's deal with the issues the American people want us to deal with. That is what we should be focused on. I hope we vote this bill down. I urge a ``no'' vote.

Mr. JORDAN

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, the gentleman said it wasn't going to cost anything. This is straight from the Congressional Budget Office: $825 million over the next 5 years, this is going to cost. This is based on Customs and Border Protection telling the CBO what costs they are going to incur. So right there it is. He can say it is not there, but the CBO says it is. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cline).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Buck).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record this cost estimate on H.R. 1573 from the Congressional Budget Office. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate, April 15, 2021 H.R. 1573 would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to allow individuals subject to secondary immigration inspection at U.S. ports of entry to consult with an attorney, accredited immigration official, family member, or immigration sponsor during the inspection. The bill also would require DHS to allow the counsel or interested party to appear in person at the inspection site to the greatest extent practicable. (A secondary immigration inspection is conducted by customs officers if individuals entering the United States do not have the required documents for entry or if their information cannot be initially verified.) Approximately 10.2 million individuals were referred to secondary inspection at the United States' 328 ports of entry in 2019. Using information provided by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), CBO expects that roughly 8 percent of referrals would request access to counsel each year. Immigration at ports of entry has declined significantly in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic; CBO assumes referrals would return to pre-pandemic levels beginning in mid-2022. CBO estimates that CBP would need two new full-time officers on average at each port of entry to provide security and transportation services for individuals requesting access to counsel. (The number of CBP officers stationed at each port of entry ranges from several individuals to up to several thousands, and the number of additional officers needed at each port under the bill would vary by the size of the port.) CBO estimates that salaries, benefits, and overtime for the additional staff would cost about $700 million over the 2021-2026 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Additionally, using information provided by the agency, CBO expects that 222 ports of entry (nearly two-thirds of all ports) would need additional space or other upgrades to accommodate the bill's requirement to allow counsel to appear in person at inspection sites. Using that same information and historical patterns of construction costs, CBO estimates the total cost for construction and operation of the additional space would total $123 million over the 2021-2026 period. Specifically, CBO estimates that construction costs at 113 land facilities would total $62 million over the 2021-2026 period, with $10 million spent in subsequent years. CBO estimates the cost of renting additional space at 109 airport facilities would total $44 million over the 2021-2026 period. In addition, CBO estimates the cost of initial setup, recurring maintenance, and other operational expenses associated with the additional space would total $17 million over the 2021-2026 period. All construction and operational costs would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall within budget function 750 (administration of justice).

Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Van Duyne).