John Joyce

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, tomorrow we will recognize World Psoriasis Day. Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are diseases that affect over 125 million people worldwide. As a practicing dermatologist for 25 years, I have seen firsthand the toll that this condition can have on patients. This disease can often have serious and long-lasting consequences, including anxiety, depression, diabetes, and even cardiac issues. In the past, we were often, unfortunately, unsuccessful in treating the symptoms that the men and women battling psoriasis face each and every day. Recently, however, we are seeing new treatments and therapies that have dramatically improved our fight against psoriasis. Finding new and more effective treatments or finding a cure to this disease will take all of us. It will take doctors, it will take legislators, researchers, patients, and advocates working together to find solutions. It is my promise that I will continue working to address the disease of psoriasis.

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in strong support of America's small businesses. Nearly half of American workers are employed by small businesses, and their livelihoods are being threatened by new taxes and new regulations that are being proposed by the administration and liberals in Congress. In the past year already, our small businesses have been hamstrung by arbitrary lockdown orders that have stunted growth and strained our recovery. Now they are being squeezed even harder by supply chain issues and labor shortages caused by President Biden's policy of paying workers to remain at home. Now the President is refusing to address the crisis that his administration has caused. Recently, I visited Guy Chemical in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The supply chain issues that they face have delayed shipments for months. Problems ranging from backlogs at the Port of Los Angeles to a lack of truck drivers on our Nation's highways have resulted in shortages and backlogs that are straining businesses that actually hold our communities together. Small businesses are truly the backbone of our economy. Let's be clear: This administration's failed policies are threatening these American small businesses. To make matters even worse, some Members of this body are now threatening to impose new taxes that would take as much as 39 percent of revenues away from these vital small businesses. This wasteful taxation directly harms the Americans that work for small businesses and rely on them for their daily needs and for their paychecks. Now is the time to put a stop to this tax-and-spend spree. Now is the time to stand up for the small businesses that truly sustain our economy. And now is the time to put Americans first and not the liberal politicians.

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, in my home State of Pennsylvania, a woman was brutally raped by an illegal immigrant. In Congress, one of our primary duties is to protect the American people. By allowing illegal immigrants who have committed crimes to remain within our borders signifies that we are failing. Allowing an illegal immigrant who has committed acts of sexual violence to remain in our country shows that we are failing. Congress must move immediately to pass legislation ensuring that any immigrant who commits acts of violence is deported. What happened in Philadelphia this week was a failure of American leadership. It showed clearly that the Biden crime crisis is escalating. Now, as apprehensions at our southern border hit record highs, President Biden is taking away the vital resources that our Border Patrol agents need to do their job. The answer to stopping our border crisis and our crime crisis is not to defund the police. The answer is not to be more lenient on illegal immigrants who have committed violent crimes against Americans. We must put the safety of the American citizens first, and we must put the security of the American citizens first.

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Penn- Mont Academy in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, as they celebrate their 60th year providing a Montessori education to the students of our community. Penn-Mont Academy was founded in 1961 by Aline and Gerald Wolf, who founded the school in their home with a vision to create one of the first Montessori institutions in the United States. Over the past 60 years, the school has worked to provide a creative and insightful education that molds independent-and lifelong learners. This school is important to my family and me. My wife, Dr. Alice Plummer Joyce, was one of the school's first graduates. I am incredibly grateful for the outstanding work that The Penn-Mont Academy does in our community. From the Wolfs front porch to their current home in Hollidaysburg the Penn-Mont Academy has offered generations of students the foundation they need to succeed. The school's commitment to educating the children of Blair County is exceptional, and I look forward to their continued work to support and inspire our future leaders. On behalf of the people of Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District, I congratulate the students, staff, and administration of Penn-Mont Academy on reaching this historic milestone and wish them every continued success in the years to come.

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 322.

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, this weekend, 17 Christian missionaries were taken hostage in Haiti. I have spoken with their family members. To hear their story is heartbreaking. These men and women went to Haiti because they felt called to serve. They said: ``Here I am, Lord, send me.'' We cannot allow for Americans to be kidnapped abroad. When these missionaries went to serve, they were met with violence. Attacks like this prove that we must remain committed to the safety and the security of Americans abroad. We must never capitulate to those who wish us harm. Whether it is in Haiti, in Afghanistan, or even on our southern border, Americans must always be protected. Now is the time to bring these American missionaries safely home. I urge all of my colleagues to join with me in prayer for the safe return of our missionaries.

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for hosting this Special Order this evening. The reconciliation package that my colleagues are pushing for may play well to focus groups in liberal cities, but in Pennsylvania, the energy policies being introduced in this legislation would be a death sentence for thousands of family-sustaining jobs. It is clear that this administration is openly hostile to the energy industries that are critical in our State and that provide the baseload power that our Nation relies on. At a time when gas prices just reached a 7-year high, this legislation would create new taxes on the oil and natural gas industries. These regressive taxes would directly harm our middle-class citizens. They would harm the rural Americans who have to drive further distances and take longer commutes in order to get to work. This administration claims these taxes would pay to support working families. That is false. In reality, these taxes would pay to enact radical policies like creating green workforce tax credits that cost over $10 billion. These taxes would pay to give kickbacks to liberal companies that promote the false solutions offered by the Green New Deal energy agenda. Let's be clear: These taxes do not benefit the American people. This administration is willing to raise taxes on working Americans for the sake of their socialist energy policies. This is not responsible government. It is not a government that is working to improve the quality of life for all citizens. It is disappointing to see the administration lying about what this legislation does. This bill would bankrupt our energy producers and send prices soaring even higher. This legislation would not help to build our economy, it would not help to build our workforce, and it would not protect the American energy consumers. The truth is simple: We cannot afford this legislation. We must vote against it. I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for organizing this Special Order.

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Penn- Mont Academy in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, as they celebrate their 60th year providing a Montessori education to the students of our community. Penn-Mont Academy was founded in 1961 by Aline and Gerald Wolf, who founded the school in their home with a vision to create one of the first Montessori institutions in the United States. Over the past 60 years, the school has worked to provide a creative and insightful education that molds independent and lifelong learners. This school is important to my family and me; my wife, Dr. Alice Plummer Joyce, was one of school's first graduates. I am incredibly grateful for the outstanding work that Penn-Mont Academy does in our community. From the Wolf's front porch to their current home in Hollidaysburg, the Penn-Mont Academy has offered generations of students the foundation they need to succeed. The school's commitment to educating the children of Blair County is exceptional, and I look forward to their continued work to support and inspire our future leaders. On behalf of the people of Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District, I congratulate the students, staff, and administration of Penn-Mont Academy on reaching this historic milestone and wish them every continued success in the years to come.

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, could you please clarify how much time I have remaining?

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I think the gentleman from Arkansas has made incredible points we all should be listening to. He highlighted the important role that coal continues to play in supplying power to our electric grid. In Congress we need to remain committed to addressing the needs of the American people and ensure that they have safe, reliable, and affordable energy. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. LaTurner).

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for his words specifically addressing the dismantling of energy independence. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the great State of Arkansas (Mr. Westerman).

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Kansas for his comments. The energy needs and the resources available throughout our country are very significant, and as we move forward it is essential that government bureaucrats are not choosing the winners and the losers. The best energy producers should rise to the top. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the Commonwealth of Kentucky (Mr. Barr).

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, we are here tonight as members of the House Energy Action Team to discuss the Biden administration's assault on American energy. His policies have hurt our constituents, and tonight, members of the HEAT team will talk about how these actions continue to harm their districts. The last 9 months have painted a portrait of what the Biden administration's energy policies mean for our country. Madam Speaker, it is not a pretty picture. As we speak, Biden's allies in Congress intend to pass their $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package, only making this situation worse. Let's take the natural gas tax, for example. It will increase everyday Americans' bills by hundreds of dollars and destroy hundreds of thousands of American family-sustaining jobs. This will rob opportunity from the very communities that I represent in Pennsylvania and hundreds of towns just like this. And we will hear more about that this evening. This tax is a solution in search of a problem, and it is creating that problem. The United States has led the world in reducing greenhouse emissions in the last two decades, and the energy industry is voluntarily reducing methane emissions. Innovation is the ultimate answer to cutting emissions, and we cannot afford to stifle advancement. As a Nation, we cannot tax our way to a cleaner environment. And Americans are fed up with taxes. The biggest tax that our citizens are now facing is inflation. Across the board, prices are rising. The energy sector is particularly worrisome with gas prices climbing 63 percent in my home State of Pennsylvania. This cost falls disproportionately on low-income Americans. It is not fair for them to foot the bill for the policy preferences of liberal coastal elites. Let's take another example of the Biden administration's war on American industry. In their attempts to enact provisions of the Green New Deal, they have smothered American innovation. For years, our Nation has been at the cutting edge in nearly every sector of the economy. From cyberspace to advances in manufacturing, America has always stayed one step ahead of its competition. But that is starting to change. American researchers and developers have always been able to count on the access to the resources needed to manufacture new pioneering products. But a rising China threatens that access. Of the 35 essential minerals listed for the U.S. economic and national security, China is the top producer or top supplier of 23 of them. China controls the production of 80 percent of rare earth elements, 70 percent of graphite, almost 60 percent of lithium, and almost 60 percent of vanadium, and 36 percent of cobalt. Products like batteries and semiconductors that are needed in the liberals' remaking of America require large amounts of these rare earth elements. The good news is we have them, right here within our borders. The bad news is that under the Biden administration's burdensome regulations, companies are unable to mine these very elements that are under the ground that we stand on. We need to unshackle the American worker and allow businesses to extract these minerals so that we can make the products of the future right here at home instead of relying on foreign rivals. As the last 9 months have clearly shown, these policies are not the right way forward. Congress must continue to embrace the bottom-up innovation that will result in leaps in efficiency far greater than any mandate--instead of expensive taxes that will take money out of working Americans' pockets. We have a great group of colleagues here tonight from the House Energy Action Team to talk about how their communities are being affected by this administration. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Balderson).

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for his candor. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett), my friend.

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia, especially for raising the important point of the all-of-the- above approach to energy. But above all, we need to maintain the great jobs that comes from the fuels that are under our feet. Madam Speaker, I would yield to the gentleman from the great State of Washington (Mr. Newhouse).

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the great State of Georgia (Mr. Carter).

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Balderson. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg).

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I ask that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous materials.

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank the whip for his concise discussion about the assault on American energy and how that affects the working class communities throughout the United States. Madam Speaker, I yield to my colleague from North Carolina (Mr. Cawthorn).

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), the whip of the minority team.

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bergman).

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for his concise and inspiring words. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger).

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for his remarks. I want to thank all of the members of the House Energy Action Team for their work tonight and their commitment to the American people. We have heard examples of how President Biden's disastrous policies are harmful to energy producers and to the consumers. We have seen examples of how these policies create overburdensome regulations that harm small businesses and stifle innovation. I am proud to be working with my HEAT colleagues to push back against these disastrous policies. Right now, the United States must embrace an all-of-the-above energy solution that will combine the needs of the consumers with the strengths of our producers. What does that mean? It means embracing baseload power creators, including coal and natural gas produced from Marcellus Shale. These are critical components of Pennsylvania's energy industry. On the first day in office, President Biden signed an executive order that suspended work on the needed Keystone XL pipeline. In Pennsylvania, the natural gas and oil industry supports over 300,000 jobs, provides over $20 billion in wages, and contributes nearly $44.5 billion to our economy. Between 2018 and 2019 alone, natural gas brought in over $450 million in revenue in our Commonwealth. We have learned a lot tonight. We have learned the strong energy sector cannot and should not be negotiable. We recognize that energy security is clearly national security. Madam Speaker, I thank you for allowing my colleagues and me to present this important information tonight to the United States Congress. Madam Speaker, I yield back the remainder of my time.

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from the State of Washington and chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus for his insights and for taking the time this evening to present those. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the great State of Georgia (Mr. Allen), who is my friend and who is, more importantly, going to discuss the impacts in his State of Georgia.

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania

Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, this week, liberals will attempt to ram through the most egregious spending package since the New Deal. By adding $3.5 trillion in new spending, their plan would not lift families up; it would keep families down. By imposing liberals' hidden tax by inflation, by pumping billions of dollars into an economy that is already saturated from failed stimulus packages, my colleagues' actions will directly harm working Americans. Raising taxes on middle-class families and small businesses is not the answer to ending the COVID-19 pandemic. Forcing businesses to conform to new regulations won't get Americans back to work. Now is the time to support our families. It is not the time to spend more money than it cost to win World War II. We need to put a stop to this reckless tax-and-spend spree, and we need to get back to serving the American people.