Mike Kelly

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson), a member of the Republican leadership group.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Johnson. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa). I think we came into Congress in 2011 and it has been a pleasure serving with you. I appreciate your comments tonight on this very important issue.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman), my friend and a strong defender of life.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Biggs. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Mann), another great defender of pro-life and consistent member of pro-life.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. 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 the topic of this Special Order.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 2,500 unborn lives we lose to abortion each day who cannot stand for themselves. That is nearly half a million little boys and little girls in the United States alone this year. These numbers don't reflect, though, and take into consideration self-administered chemical abortions. Last month, the Supreme Court announced what the pro-life movement was waiting half a century to hear: Roe v. Wade is overturned. As a proud pro-life grandfather of 10, I enthusiastically applaud the Justices for recognizing that this terrible relic from 1973 has no place in 2022. Roe was both a legal and moral abomination from the beginning. It mocked our Nation's Constitution and paved the way for the abortion of more than 63 million innocent babies in the years since. The men who first decided Roe invented the right to abortion out of thin air. By adding an extra line to our Constitution, they ignored one of the first sentences of the Declaration of Independence, which holds that we are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. With Roe in the dustbin of history, the abortion question returns to the democratic arena where it belongs. The most contentious of issues can now be properly debated and deliberated at both the Federal and State levels, where, ideally, the most logical and persuasive arguments can triumph and translate into new law. Let us have clear eyes to see exactly what science shows us, that fetuses in the womb are human beings who develop with each passing second. These innocent children have their own DNA and soon develop hands, feet, eyes, and lips. They can also feel pain. Just as importantly, they have the potential to grow up, flourish, and achieve amazing dreams. Let us have the compassion to give them that chance. For those of us in elected office who sincerely believe that human life is a sacred gift from God in need of society's protection, our position is no longer theoretical. We now have a pressing responsibility to examine how public policy can best be crafted to adequately accomplish our stated goal. I believe we already have an answer. When an expectant mother visits a doctor for an ultrasound, the image of a beating heart is the first confirmation that a child has been conceived. When someone is involved in a severe accident, a medic will check right away to see if there is a pulse to make sure the victim is alive. In short, a heartbeat means a life. Now, to legislate consistently with this truth, I introduced the Heartbeat Protection Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. This bill would legally prohibit future abortions from being performed if a preborn child's heartbeat can be detected, with the exception for when a mother's life is in danger. It is a science-based, humanity- respecting solution suited to the new landscape in which we find ourselves. The post-Roe world is here. As legislators in each State determine the extent to which they wish to defend life, pro-life Members of Congress can simultaneously take action to make our beloved country a place where both children waiting to be born and their mothers are acknowledged and safeguarded. Mr. Speaker, tonight, we have a very distinguished group of Members with us who will also speak on this subject. This doesn't have to turn into an angry debate. This doesn't have to turn into something that people get so upset with each other about that they can't even sit down and talk intelligently about what is going on. If we cannot see the value of life every day in every single person, then what have we witnessed this year, just this summer--the horror that has taken place in our own cities, the loss of life that we have experienced, the sincere sorrow that this country feels. Yet, we have a blind eye and a deaf ear to the cries of the unborn. Do they not deserve that same type of consideration that every human being deserves? Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. McClain).

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin).

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce), another member of the fantastic Pennsylvania conference group and a strong defender of life.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Grothman. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs), a great consistent defender of life.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the great State of Georgia (Mr. Carter), who is another great defender of life. We have been defending life for so long with such great patience and such great prayer. It has always been done in a peaceful manner.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the great State of Georgia (Mr. Allen). Again, I thank the Representative for being with us tonight. He is a great defender of life.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Representative for his remarks. Tomorrow is a big day for all of us. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the great State of Mississippi (Mr. Guest). As we all ponder tonight what tomorrow will bring, I thank Mr. Guest for being with us and defending life in every step of the way.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Representative Rose's being here tonight. Mr. Speaker, I will use some of the time we have remaining. I know that we always want to debate this proposed legislation about what is good about it and what is bad about it. Oftentimes, we use languages to actually disguise what it is that we are actually talking about. Tomorrow as we will debate and vote on the Women's Health Protection Act, abortion is the only medical procedure where two people go into the doctor's office and only one comes out alive. I know that in this people's House we have had heavy debate, and I know that both sides are divided on it and sometimes the language gets out of hand. It gets too hateful. My colleagues on the other side have often said to me: Look, we believe like you believe. We believe that life is sacred. We believe that every--every--child has a chance, and that unborn child is waiting to be born and waiting to experience all that life has to offer. But, you see, the Supreme Court took that option away from me. My personal preference would be life, but the Supreme Court took that option away from me. So tomorrow, as we debate the Women's Health Protection Act and we hear a lot of discussion that goes back and forth and defending and then tearing apart and people adding to and subtracting from, we come to a lot of different things. Mr. Speaker, I just want to share with you that last weekend while we were home, I had the opportunity to visit in Erie, Pennsylvania, in the district that I represent, I visited a women's care center. This is a center where too often they are described as people who are trying to discourage pregnant mothers from actually giving birth. They are trying to lead them into a different direction. I just want to say this: the people who man these agencies give up a day of their life to come in and help counsel women who are going probably through some of the most difficult times of their life. Maybe it is not the right time for them to have that child. Maybe there is a financial problem, and it is just not right right now. Maybe there is something else that stands in their way, and they are saying: Well, I am so alone. I am by myself. I don't know how I would handle this. To those ladies who go through that, I would say that there are options available to you. The adoption option is there. We have thousands upon thousands of people who would love to adopt a child and to give it a loving home and to help nurture it as it goes through its lifecycles. We also have foster care that is available. I know that I have talked to too many women who have experienced the anguish of going through an abortion and then later on thinking that they made the biggest mistake of their life and holding that guilt feeling in their life. I would just like to suggest that we are a very forgiving society. We are a people who say: Look, don't let that ruin your life. Don't let that ruin your life. There is forgiveness, there is grace, and there is mercy. We know that. But as we stand here tonight in the people's House--in the people's House--how did we ever get to this point? How did we ever in the United States of America decide that all life is not precious? I mentioned earlier some of the horrific instances that have taken place just in the last few weeks, in the last few months, and in the last few years. I know that, on Wednesdays, a lot of Representatives wear red, and that is to bring about the remembrance of the Boko Haram and the little girls who were kidnapped and never returned. It is always about ``we need to get our girls back.'' We have such open hearts, and we have such understanding in some cases. Then in other cases, we just close our eyes. We plug our ears. We say: No, no. You don't understand. In this situation, the conception of that child was not what we were looking for. That is not what we wanted, but it happened, and now we have a problem. What are we going to do with this little girl or this little boy? I know people look away. They look to the sky, and they look to the walls, and they look to the floor, and they say: Look, my personal preference would be--but the Supreme Court made a decision. The Supreme Court has just righted a very wrong decision. I hope that, at some point, the greatest defender of life in the history of the world, the greatest defender of liberty and freedom in the history of the world, the United States of America, would take a look at the course and the direction it has been taking for the last 50 years. Millions upon millions upon millions of little boys and little girls have been denied the right to life. Where in our history did we ever come up with this idea that abortion is okay? Look, I said earlier, I understand there are times in your life--I can just tell you this: As a father of four and a grandfather of 10, between our firstborn child and our second-born child, there was a pregnancy that took place. It was an ectopic pregnancy. My wife has wondered forever what that child would have been like had she gone full term. I want to take a moment, Mr. Speaker, as we close now. In this building, in this room, in this town, tomorrow, we will have a chance to look at what it is we are doing and where we are going. I would just ask it all to be prayerful, peaceful, and understand that this is an issue that we can no longer close our eyes to. If it is your personal preference, if it is something that you think is right for life, then, please, walk away from any political bend that you may have and look at the policies. We are here for the best interests of the United States and the best interests of our American citizens. Mr. Speaker, I thank you so much for your indulgence. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, as the Nation awaits the Supreme Court's official ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson, which many of us pray will overturn Roe v. Wade, we have witnessed a despicable wave of leftwing threats and violence against our judges, our churches, pro- life groups, and crisis pregnancy centers. Let's be very clear on this. Pregnancy centers are 100 percent noble and heroic organizations that proudly serve vulnerable mothers at their most critical time of need. They are an invaluable resource across America. Because these centers save lives and not end them, they find themselves under attack. Since May 2, the day Justice Alito's draft decision was leaked, there have been nearly 30 documented attacks on these centers, including, but not limited to: A pregnancy center in Madison, Wisconsin, torched by a Molotov cocktail on May 8. Capitol Hill Crisis Pregnancy Center right here in Washington, D.C., vandalized with blood red paint on June 2. Pregnancy Resource Center in Buffalo, New York, firebombed on June 7. Pregnancy Resource Center in Gersham, Oregon, firebombed on June 10. And, of course, the attempted assassination of Justice Kavanaugh outside his home. Since May 2020, more than 130 acts of vandalism, or worse, have been committed across 29 States and the District of Columbia against pro- life Catholic properties alone. The proponents of these attacks are radical leftwing groups that are openly vowing to terrify pro-life leaders and institutions into backing down from defending the unborn. They have made threats like, ``If abortions aren't safe, neither are you.'' They have promised ``to take increasingly drastic measures'' and that ``those measures may not come in the form of something so easily cleaned up as a fire or graffiti.'' They are currently calling for a ``night of rage'' after the Supreme Court announces its decision. When fear, intimidation, and violence are deployed to compel legitimate government institutions to act a certain way, it must be called what it is: terrorism. These recent threats and attacks must be totally condemned, investigated, and prosecuted. This violence must end. Our Nation needs to hear from the leaders of our Democratic Party that these extremists call home: Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Schumer, and President Biden have so far refused to utter even a single word of disapproval or discouragement. To them, Americans of goodwill plead: Your silence is deafening. Speak up. To the Supreme Court Justices, to their families, and to the millions and millions of pro-life Americans from coast to coast, I say this: Be not afraid. We are most likely on the cusp of an epic victory. It will be the culmination of 50 years of work. We must not back down or tire, for the end of Roe v. Wade will mean the beginning of a new era in which our voices and our passion are needed more than ever. For those of us in elected office who sincerely believe that human life is a sacred gift from God and in need of society's protection, our position is no longer theoretical. We now have a pressing responsibility to examine how public policy can best be crafted to adequately accomplish that goal. I believe we already have an answer. When an expectant mother visits a doctor for an ultrasound, the image of a beating heart is the first confirmation that a child has been conceived. When someone is involved in a severe accident, a medic will check for a pulse to make sure the victim is alive. In short, a heartbeat means life. To legislate consistently to this truth, I introduced the Heartbeat Protection Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. This bill will legally prohibit future abortions from being performed if a pre-born child's heartbeat can be detected, with the exception of when a mother's life is in danger. It is a science-based, humanity-respecting solution suited to the new landscape in which we now find ourselves. The post-Roe world is here. As legislators in each State determine the extent in which they wish to defend life, pro-life Members of Congress can simultaneously take action to make our beloved country a place where children waiting to be born and their mothers are acknowledged and safeguarded. As we all move forward, may clarity, compassion, and our consciences, guide us. Madam Speaker, we have watched 50 years of the pro-life movement. I have attended many of the pro-life marches here in D.C. There is nothing more peaceful, there is nothing more prayerful than the assembly of hundreds of thousands of Americans from around the country coming together to march in support of the pro-life measures. I would hope at this point in our history, as we watch the rest of the world unravel and as we watch these horrible things happen around our country, we say to ourselves: It is time to stop the violence. It is time to look forward. It is time to save the lives of the unborn. After millions and millions of children have been aborted, it is time to start saving them. They are as important as any other life on Earth.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, tonight we are going to be taking some time to talk about life. I know today on the floor of the people's House we observed the one millionth death from COVID. When I came to work today, I saw that the flags were at half-mast, and I didn't know why they were at half-mast, and then I found out why. It was because we were observing the loss of life during the time of COVID-19. Loss of life is always a critical issue in the people's House and in the United States of America. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Keller), my good friend from the 12th Congressional District and the young man who I stood with today as we did take that moment to observe the one millionth death.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Pennsylvania. I think today as we look at this, and I know it has become such a horrible thing to even talk about, so when we enter this floor, the people's floor, the people's House, and we are not willing to talk about an issue like this and do it civilly, but it erupts in some type of anger that just, quite frankly, is not understandable. Madam Speaker, I am sure many of the folks watching at home know the Supreme Court is in the midst of one of the most important cases in American history, but many folks might not fully understand the issue before the Court. So I wanted to take a moment to lay out the facts. In 2018, the State of Mississippi passed a law protecting life after 15 weeks in the womb. After this law was passed, the Jackson Women's Health Organization, the last remaining abortion place in the State of Mississippi, filed suit against the State, alleging the 15-week protection was unconstitutional. The Jackson Women's Health Organization believed there is a constitutional right to an abortion, a right legal experts have said for years that doesn't really exist. But despite this, the Jackson Women's Health Organization has persisted in arguing their case. So after years of trials and multiple rounds in the Federal courts, the Supreme Court decided to step in and settle the question once and for all, which brings us to today. Now, the question before the Court fundamentally is whether there exists a constitutional right to an abortion. We believe the answer is clear, and Justice Alito and his colleagues appear to agree. The Declaration of Independence affirmed our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Nowhere in the Constitution is there a right to abortion. I know there are times in our lives that it is inconvenient for the birth of a child, but the right to life is fundamental. One last thing I think is worth noting about this Supreme Court: The case was brought by the Jackson Women's Health Organization, which is the last abortion clinic remaining in Mississippi. The organization, which has devoted itself to aborting lives, unborn lives, chooses to call itself a women's health organization despite the fact that more than half of all the lives they end each day are female. Little boys and little girls are aborted each day within those walls, yet abortionists who work there continue to fight for their right to abort. That is a point we must never forget. Abortion is not healthcare. It is the only medical procedure, as my friend Mr. Keller just pointed out, where at least one of the patients always dies. Ultimately, the leak at the Supreme Court was unacceptable, and we need to get to the bottom of it, but we shouldn't let that leak distract us from the real issue here. That is the victory, the possible victory for the unborn. The truth is, we don't really know how many babies die each year from abortion, but the best estimates are that 906,000 babies will die in the United States this year alone. That is nearly two babies per minute. We are engaged in this great observation of what is taking place in Ukraine, and we talk every day about the loss of lives, and we talk about how could the Russians be so cruel to bomb a hospital where there are expectant mothers and end the life not only of the expectant mother but also of the unborn child. But that is what we worry about. So we turn our eyes to Ukraine, and we shade our eyes from what is happening in the United States of America. Because if we don't see it, we don't have to admit that it is happening. Look, about 870,000 babies are estimated to have been aborted last year, and that number keeps getting higher and higher, but this statistic doesn't capture the true numbers. Some States don't report accurate information or require abortionists to collect data. The CDC doesn't properly catalog this information, either. Chemical abortions further complicate the picture because these are drugs that can be taken at home with no doctor's oversight and no data reporting at all. Totally unrecognized, totally uncounted, totally ignored. All of this results in an incomplete patchwork of abortion data that hides the true number of deaths. Contrary to the claims of the abortion industry, chemical abortion drugs are not safer or easier for expecting mothers. Women experience severe pains, heavy and prolonged bleeding, vomiting, and infections that can become as severe as sepsis. These complications can be deadly for expecting mothers. One study found that one-fifth of all chemical abortions results in complications. It also found that chemical abortions are even more deadly than regular abortions. So chemical abortions are not safe, they are not safer. Yet, the abortion industry keeps promoting them to women as an easier alternative to eliminate the life of an unborn baby. Isn't it great to put it as an ``easier alternative''? Now, despite this evidence, in December 2021, the Biden administration announced it was removing the requirement that the chemical abortion drug, mifepristone, be dispensed to a pregnant woman by a healthcare provider. Look, this change does possess a serious threat to women across America and has serious implications for the unborn. So many on this side have always been champions of life, all life, from its conception to its natural end. I have a piece of legislation called the Heartbeat Act, which was introduced by former Representative, Steve King. And this is a very simple bill. No abortion can be performed if a heartbeat is detected, except in cases where a mother's life is directly in danger. And I hear people tell me, Listen, you shouldn't be using that as an indicator. Yet, any time I have ever gone in for my medical procedure, either the doctor or whomever is there helping them, the first thing they do is grab my wrist and try to see if my heart is beating through the number of pulses, or they put a stethoscope on. And I am assuming they are trying to find out, is this guy still alive. The way they do it is by listening to my heart through a medical device. We worry so much about life. We worry so much about protecting life. We worry so much about this horrible type of activity that is taking place all over our globe, and we are more concerned about what the Russians are doing in Ukraine than what we are doing right here in the United States of America. The numbers pale in comparison to what we are doing. Now, we can continue to ignore this, and we can continue to argue over this, but we can't defy the one basic fact: That we are eliminating a life. It is undebatable. Now, I think as Republicans, we always believe in the sanctity of life. And I will guarantee you there are people on the other side of the aisle, many of them feel the same way, they are just limited on that which they can speak. And it goes back to the old adage, There are no secrets in our house. There are just a lot of things we don't talk about. Now, we can never compromise on this. I tell people all the time, Look, I know there are times in your life where this is an inconvenient pregnancy, and that the birth of this child could be an inconvenient burden on the family. That is why we have the adoption option. That is why we have foster care. We have thousands upon thousands upon thousands of loving families that would love to take in this new, little baby girl or this new, little baby boy; it isn't that there is not a home for them. And while it may be inconvenient at the time, there is nothing more precious than life. Mr. Keller referred to this board that we brought in that said: Abortions as of May 12, 2022, 327,649. Now, we went a little step further. We are talking about deaths by decision. Since we started this talk, 17 more lives have been ended. So the 327,649 more accurately should read 327,666. Madam Speaker, I would ask all of our colleagues to stop and think about what we have done. Some of us fight for life and others of us fight for another issue. I'm not sure I ever understood it, because usually where it ends up is a screaming match as opposed to a debate in saying, What in the world are you thinking? Why do we allow the slaughter of these innocents? Now, I know people don't like it because they say, I don't like you describing me as that and I don't like being accused of that, and so what I would rather do is not talk about it at all. Madam Speaker, I had the honor when I first got elected to Congress to have lunch with Justice Scalia. We talked about the life issue. Justice Scalia looked at me and said, You know what, Mr. Kelly, I find it abominable that 50 States who have the responsibility and the jurisdiction choose to give the issue to nine former lawyers to make a decision for them. On this issue, we should never, ever cower away from it. We should never, ever deny that it is happening. We should never, ever say that my personal preference is for life. But the Supreme Court deemed that it was their responsibility. The real test will take place if the decision goes back to the States and the States and their elected officials make the decision. At that point, I would expect those who say, Well, my personal preference would be to stand up and defend life because the Supreme Court is no longer your barrier, no longer your excuse, and won't be taken into consideration. Madam Speaker, we have these conversations from time to time, and we find them very uncomfortable, and we talk about things like, well, words matter, words hurt. Can't we just avoid this? By doing so, we are ignoring the fact that we are ending a human life. I just tell all the Members that I come in contact, Aren't you glad that your parents were pro-life, and you had the chance to actually weigh in on it in your time and make a difference? It is an issue I don't think should ever go away, and I think it is the most important issue that faces us today. I am very concerned about what is going on in Ukraine. I am more concerned with what is happening in the United States of America and our fellow citizens looking at us to say: You need to make a decision. And we are saying to them, your individual States with the people you elected should have that debate and they should make that decision for you. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Now, I just tell you, I am going to use up some time, and you can keep hammering me, but you know what? In the time we have been talking, so far, as of April 5----

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. ``We take this stand because abortion is not healthcare. It is the antithesis of healthcare.'' Now, I know I am out of time, but me being out of time here on the floor does not take this country from being out of time to address the most egregious actions that are taking place.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to address some of the biggest problems facing the United States today and, quite frankly, the world. As the war between Russia and Ukraine wages on, many Americans have been quickly reminded of just how global our economy really is. Now, prior to the war, Russia provided the United States with 8 percent of our Nation's oil and refined products. A war involving Russia can suddenly spike fuel prices at your local gas station. Like many nationwide, drivers in my home district of western Pennsylvania have seen gasoline at over $4 a gallon for well over a month. The interruption of our Nation's oil supply and subsequent skyrocketing prices are just the latest reminder that we need to refocus our energy policies in Washington and produce more energy right here at home in America. Let's go back to May 2021, when two things happened: the United States imported a record amount of Russian oil, and President Biden waived sanctions on Nord Stream 2. That is the Russian natural gas pipeline set to supply much of Europe with energy. Now, 4 months earlier the President canceled the Keystone XL pipeline between the United States and Canada. That pipeline would have delivered an additional 830,000 barrels of crude oil a day. That is 830,000 barrels of crude oil per day. That would have gone to U.S. refineries, and it would have created thousands and thousands of jobs. That is more oil than the United States imports from Russia each day. This is a no-brainer. Just bring back the pipeline. It is so easy to do and so easy to institute. Why would we not do that? Why would we not be energy independent? We can't depend on bad foreign actors such as Russia, Venezuela, or Iran to help provide our Nation's energy. Above all I applaud the collective effort right here in Washington to stop bankrolling the Russian war machine by buying their products. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, revenue from the energy sector is responsible for more than 40 percent of Russia's federal budget. Some quick, back-of-the-envelope math, the 8 percent of Russian oil we imported equates to 672,000 barrels of oil per day. But this moment calls for a broader push to end our reliance on foreign energy sources. To start, President Biden should reverse his executive order banning the Keystone pipeline. Next, we must return to Trump-era energy policies that made the U.S. energy independent. To amend the former President's famous tag line, let's change it to make North America great again. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 61 percent of U.S. crude oil imports come from Canada. Another 11 percent comes from Mexico. Seventy-two percent comes from our neighbors to the north and our neighbors to the south. We should be expanding oil imports from our allies and neighbors rather than paying our adversaries who can hold our energy sector hostage. Doing so not only makes economic sense, but it improves relations with those closest to us and further strengthens our national security by becoming less dependent on bullies like Russia, Venezuela, and Iran. Now, on the other hand, President Biden has single-handedly made Americans poorer and our Nation's security weaker during his first year in office. His anti-fossil fuel, Green New Deal wish list has placed unnecessary burdens on the oil and gas industry. Even as gas prices are reaching record highs here nationwide, just last month President Biden had announced that he is pausing decisions about new Federal oil and gas drilling as part of his plan to tackle climate change. And that is just the beginning. So far, President Biden has announced the release of 80 million barrels of oil from the Nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Just last week President Biden announced he will release up to another 180 million barrels of oil over the next 6 months in an effort to drive down gas prices. That doesn't drive down gas prices. That theory really sounds good, but, Mr. Speaker, I want you to think about where that oil is coming from. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is to be used in times of a national emergency when we don't have a supply. It is not used to just try and rack up some cheap political points by saying: I am doing this so you won't have to pay that much at the pump. It is not working. It never will work. Now, on November 23, the administration released 50 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average price of gas dropped by a whopping 2 cents. In following days, by December 6, it dropped another 3 cents. So we saved a nickel, but we attacked our Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Now, as of March 25 the reserve supply was 568 million barrels, meaning that President Biden is ready to take one-third of our Nation's reserve and use them for his short-term political gain that has already proven to not lower gas prices for America but has weakened the reserve. Now, keep in mind, the purpose of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is to counter severe supply chain disruptions and enhance national security. It is not to make your polls look better, Mr. President. The 80 million barrels the President previously released are worth only about 4 days of U.S. oil consumption. Only the President can decide to withdraw oil from or refill the reserve. What is even more frightening so far is China has hardly tapped their oil reserves. President Biden's shortsighted decision-making is dangerously harming our national security. Now, I am proud to represent the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a place once deemed and called the Saudi Arabia of natural gas. Pennsylvania produces 21 percent of the natural gas extracted in the United States. That is second only to Texas, according to the Energy Information Administration. In 2020, the Energy Information Administration adds that U.S. dry natural gas production was about 10 percent greater than U.S. total natural gas consumption. That means we can export natural gas that we produce creating energy security for other nations, notably our European allies who are currently dependent on Russia for their natural gas, and it forges a stronger foreign policy in the process. Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the spike in fuel costs go hand in hand with American foreign policy. If we are dependent on bad actors for energy, then we are subjecting ourselves to their demands. But if we can supply the world with affordable energy, then we can strengthen our international ties and reinforce relationships instead of falling behind. Most importantly, we give the American people a greater sense of security that Russia so desperately seeks to have only for itself. On the topic of foreign policy, Mr. Speaker, I want to quote a great fellow Pennsylvanian, Benjamin Franklin, who said: ``By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.'' Now, I have thought an awful lot about our Founding Father's words as we watched current events unfold around the world. So much of what we are seeing right now mirrors itself in history. Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is a stark reminder that bullies like Vladimir Putin will stop at nothing to achieve their end game to upend democracy and freedom while chilling all the opposition in the process. This type of takeover carries a precedent. Putin's quest to conquer Ukraine should remind all of us of what happened in the 1930s and 1940s when Adolph Hitler began a similar pursuit across Europe. Now, for far too long the free world watched from the sidelines hoping that European forces could prevent further escalation only to find that Hitler and the Axis Powers were relentless. Thankfully, the Allied forces defeated the global bullies of that era. Now, over 80 years later, we can consult history for potential answers to modern power struggles. As Russia's military assault on Ukraine continues, the United States and NATO allies must respond together. After all, NATO, which is a collection of over 30 nations, was formed in 1949 after World War II to prevent what? Soviet aggression. NATO has a responsibility to step up. Those member countries have a responsibility to step in. All in all, hand in hand, the United States--which is also the first responder to anything that goes wrong in the world--needs to have help from other people, not America alone, but America with our allies. NATO's purpose remains as important today as it was back then. A powerful, unified response has served the free world well throughout history. Now, much like World War II, we have existing or looming conflicts in multiple regions or theaters of the world including Asia. Today, China is threatening Taiwan. Now, as we are deflected from watching what is going to happen in Taiwan and watching the dangerous situation in Taiwan by what is going on in Ukraine--and I don't say we should take our eyes off of what is going on in Ukraine--we should just not think that that is the only theater that we have to be concerned with. Taiwan is one of our major allies, and in recent months multiple reports indicate that China has been quietly conducting combat readiness drills near Taiwan, an island territory that China still claims to own. This matters for two reasons: First, the Chinese are watching the world's response to Putin's attempt at a land grab in Ukraine because China is threatening to take over their own neighbor as well. Secondly, this could directly impact the American consumer. Ninety- two percent of the world's supply of advanced semiconductor chips--used in everything from automobiles to cellphones--are made in Taiwan. If we have learned nothing from the COVID pandemic, it is that we cannot depend on other people around the world to supply us with those things that we need the most. It is a fool's errand to think that somehow this ends well. It does not. It ends terribly for us, and it ends terribly for the free world. Any large-scale attack on Taiwan means these chips would likely become very scarce as almost everything else in the world is right now, and in some cases probably unavailable altogether. That is why I am cosponsoring the Facilitating American-Built Semiconductors, or the FABS Act, with Congressman Mike McCaul. This piece of legislation allows for a new tax credit through 2032 for investment in any semiconductor manufacturing facility and semiconductor-designed expenditures right here at home. What an unusual concept: to invest in American technology with American workers to make America safer and stronger, not somebody a world away from us. Let's do it right here at home. Let's do it right here at home. Now, currently we make just 12 percent of the world's semiconductor chip supply. That is hard for me to imagine that we knew at the time how necessary the semiconductor chips were, but we had kind of a blind eye and a deaf ear to what it was that manufacturers were talking about. We said: Do you know what? For a couple of pennies we can save, let's send them over to Taiwan and have them make it. And we walked away from what is so critical to us. Now, the scary thing is that these are just the crises before us right now. History reflects how a robust American foreign policy has significantly shaped the world, specifically the Western Hemisphere. So when we talk about the Western Hemisphere, this is one of the things I think that is probably going more unnoticed than anything: In the 1800s President Monroe knew that in its infancy the United States was developing at a very quick rate, and it really looked like something that other places around the world would look at with envy and say: Do you know what? They are getting stronger every day, and they are getting better every day. Maybe we need to get over there and colonize. Maybe we need to get involved there. So the Monroe Doctrine came into effect, and the whole idea behind that was, let's make sure that people around the world cannot make an effort to come in and get into our Western Hemisphere and cause us great danger. So the Monroe Doctrine came out. But then as things went on and we got more powerful and we had more and more going for us, all of a sudden, the world looked to us, and they just didn't take a slight glance at us, but they looked at us with covetousness. They looked at us with who we were and what we were becoming and all the valuable things that were right here in our hemisphere. So Teddy Roosevelt says: You know what? I am going to put together the Roosevelt Corollary that really establishes guidelines for any intervention in the United States or our Western Hemisphere. The content within these policies largely addressed actions by European nations or the inactions of Latin American nations. But I believe they are relevant, once again, and are worth further review, and here is why. If you were to take a look at the Western Hemisphere and just take a real broad look at it and say: Okay, fine, let's take a close look. South America, Central America, up into the triangle, the deepwater ports in Cuba, and both ends of the Panama Canal all have significant foreign countries--and they are mainly China. People tell me: You don't need to worry about that Panama Canal; China is not really taking it over. I say: You know what? If you don't read history, you don't study history, you are doomed to repeat it. Why would we not look at what is going on right now in our Western Hemisphere and say, we have put things into place to protect us from foreign intervention. I want to tell you, you look at the Western Hemisphere, South America, Central America, the triangle, the deepwater ports in Cuba, that would be ideal for heavy military use, and both ends of the Panama Canal. If you don't think that is a threat to American security, then you need to wake up. We are in great danger right now and not knowing it. First of all, the Chinese are not very quiet about what they are trying to do. They have a theory that they want to take over the world. They don't whisper about it; they don't sneak around about it; they just do what they want to do. Their presence in Africa should be a great awakening for us. We have crippled ourselves with regulations and sanctions on so many things that we need, and I don't know for what reason, other than somehow we think that we are smarter than everybody else and we know that we can protect ourselves. And the question is: Really, how? And the answer is: Well, we really can't. I guess our answer will be what it always is: We will write a strong letter, and Jinping will get it. We will tell them: Please, stay out of our hemisphere and please stop trying to influence the rest of the world for evil. And we will tell Putin: You need to stop doing what you are doing in Ukraine. At some point, we will actually read history and say we have been down this road before, but we failed to take action at a time that was absolutely critical and pushed it on and pushed it out of sight, and the price we paid was incredible. Let's not do that again. There is an old saying that is: To be foretold is to be forewarned. With everything going on in the world today, we hear a lot of people using the term ``world war III.'' I am not here tonight telling you that that is what is going to happen. I am here telling you tonight that America and the free world have to understand that we have seen this action before. We know what lies ahead of us, and we know the cost of not addressing it early. We can do it through policy, but peace always comes through strength, not through weakness. Diplomacy is one thing, as Teddy Roosevelt said: ``Walk softly, but carry a big stick.'' I would just suggest to you that if you go back to the year 2016-- actually 2017, when our 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, came into office, please tell me why for the 4 years Mr. Trump was in office, the rest of the world stayed at bay? The bad actors of the world didn't attempt to do any of the things that they are doing today. Certainly, last summer, in our demonstration of how we would leave a country high and dry, that we would take out our military first and leave our military equipment and citizens to face what was going on in Afghanistan was a warning to the rest of the world that you better be careful with the United States, because if you are not, they will pack up their bags in the middle of the night and leave. That is not who we are, that is not who we have ever been, and that is not who we can be in a free world. If our friends and allies in the free world take a look at what our actions have been later--because actions always speak louder than words--but we continue to use words, thinking that somehow bad actors will cower and walk away from us, that is not the America that we know. That is not the America that 1.4 million of our men and women in uniform have died to protect and to send a message to the bad actors of the world, we will always be here, we will always be on guard, and we will never walk away from our responsibilities. I don't know what has happened to America in a little bit over a year. People always say: I think it is better to be respected than feared. I think both have a great effect on everybody. I want both those to be in effect. I will tell you this: When Donald Trump was our President, nobody but nobody messed with the U.S.A. Mr. Speaker, we have so many things going on right now. We wonder: What is the future? What is the future not only for America but for America's friends and allies? We look at energy as one of the key issues that we are talking about today, and we know that in America we have endless supplies of energy. What is holding us back now are our own regulations. I heard the administration say: We have thousands of permits; why don't you just go ahead and use them? Which really shows that they have absolutely no idea that having a permit isn't the same as extracting energy. Somehow, I guess, if you say it long enough and loud enough and to the right crowd, they will nod their heads and say: I know. You are right. You know what? Get out into the field and see the people that actually do it. Talk to the people that know how to extract energy. Talk to the people that can go offshore. Talk to the people that go deep down into the Earth. Talk to all of those people and tell them: Don't worry. You have a permit. Just go ahead and use it. And by the way, if you don't use it, we will start taxing you on your nonuse. How upside down is this thinking? Pro-Life Information

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, the last thing I am going to address tonight is probably the most important issue of all, because everything we talk about right now, everything we have addressed already, is about life. There was a tradition here that on Wednesdays people would wear red, and they would wear red to remind people of the girls that had been kidnapped by Boko Haram. We wanted those girls back, so we would wear red and would walk around here and say: We have got red on today because we want those girls back; Boko Haram has got to return those girls. So I started wearing red on Wednesdays. Friends on the other side would say to me: So you are in concert with us; you believe the same things we do? I would say: I absolutely do. I absolutely do. They said: You want those girls back? I said: Yes, I do. But I don't want just the girls that Boko Haram took; I want the girls back that have been aborted. I want those girls back whose lives were ended. I want you to really face the truth of what is going on in America today. The wordsmithing that takes place here in the people's House, on the floor, people talk about abortion as healthcare, taking the life of a little boy or a little girl is healthcare. Every night, we see pictures of what Russia is doing to Ukraine. Yet, we have a deaf ear to the cries of the unborn, and we don't look at all to those who are being lost every day. Because if you don't see them, I guess they don't count. Congress has long required that taxpayer dollars are not to be used for abortions, and President Biden has actively tried to circumvent this requirement. In April of 2021, under President Biden's leadership, the NIH announced it would no longer require fetal tissue research projects funded by the agency to go through an ethics advisory board. So the question then becomes: Why do we have an ethics advisory board, if we are not going to go to them to find out what it is that we are talking about? Then in September of 2021, we began hearing the horrific allegations of illegal abortions being performed at the University of Pittsburgh for harvesting fetal tissue. I can tell you, me being on the floor tonight will resonate in Pittsburgh and, unfortunately, it won't be by those who are pro-life; it will be by those that think that somehow this is an attack on Pitt and not an attack on little unborn boys and girls. For all of those who do not like what I am saying tonight, please take off your blinders and understand what is taking place. We began hearing all of these horrible allegations of illegal abortions being performed at the University of Pittsburgh for harvesting fetal tissue. These abortions were performed as part of Pitt's participation in an NIH program for the university to operate as a fetal tissue repository for research happening around the country. The types of abortions Pitt is accused of performing are horrific. Babies that survived the abortion would be born alive and then killed. This was to preserve--this is really hard to understand--this is to preserve the fetal cells longer, a process known as maximizing warm ischemia time. When you say: Well, what is that? When you talk to the scientists, well, the idea is the warm tissue is actually more valuable for our studies. So a baby boy or girl that survives this abortion, that is the tissue that is the most valuable to us. Now, I think if any of us came upon some kind of accident or saw somebody who was in grave danger, we would want to save them. Somebody who has endured an unbelievable process and survived it, we would save them; we would not take advantage of that. This program was supported by taxpayer funding through the NIH program. So congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer, for all the things that you hate, you are helping to fund it. This isn't the only abortion project that the National Institutes of Health is funding, though. The NIH expects to spend $88 million on human fetal tissue research in this year alone. When these allegations began coming out--which I thought was a real good move by the university--they hired a law firm to conduct an independent review of Pitt's abortion process. Somebody is questioning the process you do, so you say: Here is what I will do. I want to participate with you, so I will provide the funding to an independent research group. That law firm was a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm that employs Pitt grads. What a surprise. The review determined that Pitt was totally in compliance with the law. They didn't say what Pitt was doing was right; they said they were in compliance with the law, even though that report completely failed to look into Planned Parenthood or UPMC, who were partners with this NIH program. When all of this came out, we sent a letter, along with Representative Morgan Griffith and over 50 of our colleagues, asking the NIH for answers on how it funds and oversees these abortions programs. It took them months to respond to me, which is not unusual for any letter you send to any agency here in Washington, D.C. When they finally did reply to us, they simply pointed out to me and to the rest of us: Please, look at Pitt's independent review. Now, this level of accountability to Congress is completely unacceptable, and it shouldn't take months for a government agency to respond to letters from any of us here in the House of Representatives. We are here representing the people who voted us in office. And when they do respond, they should respond with a substantive answer. I don't need to be horsed around and told something and told: Well, you just don't understand. Which is absolutely correct. I don't understand. In the United States of America, why are we doing things and then covering them up and saying, we did an independent review. We paid for it, and these guys actually came up with an answer that we were looking for. So they followed the money. A few weeks ago, Congress finally passed a budget, the first since President Biden has been in office. It was far from perfect, but it included strong protections for the unborn, protections which have been in place since the 1970s. Less than 2 weeks later, President Biden released his 2023 budget proposal, which included a full wish list of Democrat anti-life priorities. Here are some examples from his recent budget: Number 1, it eliminates the Hyde amendment, which prohibits federal funding for abortions. It became law in 1976. The Hyde amendment has saved over 2.4 million lives. It also wants to eliminate the Dornan amendment. The Dornan amendment prevents taxpayer dollars from being used to pay for abortion in the District of Columbia. Without this protection, D.C. taxpayer dollars could pay for an estimated 1,400 to 1,500 abortions every year. Every year. It increased Title X family planning funding by $113 million. Title X is a prime funding source for Planned Parenthood, providing it with $56 million taxpayer dollars annually. Now, on January 21, 2022, the Biden administration awarded $6.6 million in Title X funds from the American Rescue Plan to abortion providers. $6.6 million in American taxpayer money to provide funds for abortion providers. Now, I am Catholic, and oftentimes I have gone to my priest and I have said, ``Father, is there some reason you cannot go into the pulpit and talk about the horrendous things that are going on in our country today?'' You know what the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops said? ``The USCCB remains gravely concerned about the continued efforts to expand taxpayer funding of abortion, which would occur if the Hyde amendment or any other lifesaving appropriations riders were to be removed from the annual appropriations bill.''

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I think we should mark this down, March 29, 2022, the day that the people who were elected and came to represent our folks back home actually got together and did something on the House floor that was good for everybody in America. We are not firing bullets back and forth at each other. We are saying: Do you know what? Isn't it great, when we work together, what we can get done. Mr. Kind and I were walking over together, and he said: Mike, I am really happy this happened because there is a lot in there that we both worked on, and it looks like it is going to put a little more gold in our retirees' pockets when they hit their golden years. But this is one thing the press will never cover. They will never say: My God, these Republicans and Democrats got together for American workers to make sure that they go into retirement and lay their heads on pillows at night and sleep because they know they have enough to get through the rest of their lives. What a moment. What a moment. I have to tell you, I am so proud to be a part of this. I thank Mr. Brady and Mr. Neal. For both sides of the aisle, why don't we use this as an example as we move forward as to what the heck we are supposed to do for the people who sent us here to represent them?

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank Kara Getz, from Chairman Neal's staff, and Payson Peabody, from Ranking Member Brady's staff, for working together on this. They get so little credit for all the midnight oil they burn to make sure that we can get legislation done. I thank them so much, not just for me but for all the retirees and future retirees we have in this country.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize one of my constituents from back home in Western Pennsylvania, Mr. Paul Nelson. Mr. Nelson's commitment to the Erie and surrounding communities has existed for decades. He began working at Waldameer Park and Water World at the age of 11 and took over the park in 1965. His loyalty and tireless efforts have positively impacted not only the people of Erie, but those who visit. Mr. Nelson is truly a Community Champion and should be honored with highest regard for his dedication and commitment.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Lamborn for organizing this Special Order hour tonight to talk about the Bible. When we have so much reverence for the Bible--and even though from this very city we have been ridiculed for clinging to our guns and our Bibles--I find it so unusual in a country that has been so blessed, a Nation that has been so blessed by God that we would actually at times ridicule His Word. President Franklin Roosevelt, as we have been told, first declared National Bible Week in 1941. Why did he do that? It was on the eve of World War II. Throughout history, the Bible has been our source of hope, inspiration, and strength for many. In times of peril, adversity, and tragedy, its words provide even greater comfort. President Lincoln said, ``I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.'' And that is when we turn to our Bibles, that is when we fall to our knees. That is when we know, as men, we are not able on our own to change the things that need to be changed, and we have to cling to our Bibles. That is where we find solace. That is where we find faith. That is where we find trust. What a wonderful opportunity not only for this House but for the people of the United States of America to stop and take survey of where we are and where we are going, and then go back and reference in the greatest book ever written to find out what it is that we need to do. It is when we turn away from God that America fails, and it is when we do fall to our knees when it seems like there is no other place to go that we find great solace, great faith, and great confidence in our God, through the Bible. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Lamborn for what he did tonight. This is the time for the United States of America to open her Bibles and follow what is written there. It comes directly from God.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas. Mr. Speaker, I think a lot of us go out and actually do our own shopping. And I know now when I go out to shop, I not only look at the front of the box, I look to the back to see what is in it. So we have here the Biden build back better sauce. Here it is. It is flavored with SALT tax, by the way, so don't worry about your sodium content. And trust them. ``It is in there.'' What is in there; 150 new government programs. How about this? This is a great bargain for the hardworking American taxpayer. Now, they're saying it is only going to cost you $1.7 trillion, and only in Washington would they say ``only''. The cost per American, $53,000 apiece; $550 billion for the Green New Deal; $412 billion in small business taxes; $80 billion for those wonderful guys from the IRS that are coming to tear you apart; $7.8 billion on environmental justice; massive electric vehicle subsidies for the very wealthy; government paid leave for high-priced CEOs; subsidies for wealthy families; a SALT tax break for millionaires; and the Tree Equity Program. Who in the world would not buy this package? They will if they turn around and look at the back and understand that it is on sale right now in this House for $4 trillion. Hurry up, American taxpayers, before we run out of money.