Fred Keller

Mr. KELLER

Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, we heard about the justification for this legislation, and we are discussing older job applicants. Just some context that I would like to add about how well older job applicants and workers have been faring in recent decades. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, for workers age 65 and older, employment tripled from 1988 to 2018, while employment among younger workers only grew by about one-third. Among people age 75 and older, the number of employed people nearly quadrupled, increasing from 461,000 in 1998 to 1.8 million in 2018. The labor force participation rate for older workers has been steadily increasing since the late 1990s, while participation rates for younger age groups either declined or flattened during the same period. Over the past 20 years, the number of older workers on full-time work schedules grew 2\1/2\ times faster than the number working part time. Full-time employees are now a majority of older workers. They were 61 percent in 2018, up from 46 percent in 1998. These statistics paint a picture of rising full-time employment among older workers, and they do not portray rampant discrimination against older job applicants. As the economy recovers from the pandemic, older workers will continue to prosper. H.R. 3992 is yet another Democrat bill in search of a problem. It will result in an avalanche of class action litigation against employers for using standard, reasonable recruiting methods, and I encourage a ``no'' vote on the bill.

Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, before considering any legislation, the House should first make a determination about whether the proposal is actually needed and then should always carefully study the pending legislation to determine whether it will adequately and positively address the issue it purports to address. Unfortunately, Democrats have failed on both counts with H.R. 3992. The bill was introduced only 8 legislative days before the Committee on Education and Labor markup, and the committee did not hold a hearing on the legislation. As such, we are flying blind as we consider H.R. 3992 today. H.R. 3992 authorizes disparate impact claims for job applicants under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and it has wide-ranging and damaging implications that need thorough examination. Significantly, we have had no data on whether excluding job applicants from disparate impact coverage under the ADEA has a significant negative impact on older job applicants. Indeed, to date, there have been zero circuit court decisions ruling that the ADEA authorizes job applicants to sue under a disparate impact theory. Further, we have no information about the numerous effects this sweeping bill would have on job seekers and businessowners. As we have heard during this debate, H.R. 3992 could needlessly interfere with routine recruitment practices, such as college recruiting, apprenticeship programs, and online job postings. Given the appalling lack of data on the issue and the rush by Democrats to pass the bill, this amendment simply requires the GAO to conduct a needed study on whether excluding job applicants from disparate impact coverage under the ADEA has a significant negative impact on older job applicants. If the study finds no such negative impact, the bill would not go into effect. This House should not legislate in the dark. Unfortunately, this is exactly what we are doing here today. This amendment will shed some much-needed light on a far-reaching bill that has not received proper examination. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I heard my colleague from Texas say that they have had a hearing on the subject. Well, our contention is not the subject, but the bill. There have been zero hearings on this bill, which was introduced 8 legislative days ago. So I don't know why there is a rush to judgment on whether we should vote on this or not without making sure we understand all the issues. And since the Democrats are unwilling to do that, this amendment makes perfect sense, if you don't want to examine it and do that beforehand and do the proper work up front. Let's make sure before this takes effect and could harm older Americans or job creators, we should understand the impacts and what it means. So you can sit here and correct the Record all you want. What you think you are doing when you talk about the subject, we are talking about the legislation. And we need to know exactly what this legislation is going to do and how it is going to impact older Americans and our job creators. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. KELLER

Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, Northeast Pennsylvania is home to a world- class energy industry that is creating prosperity and opportunities for our students, families, and economy. It is one of those things that you must see to believe. That is why I recently hosted my colleagues from the Western Caucus, Representatives Yvette Herrell and Chairman Dan Newhouse, to see firsthand the widespread benefits of Pennsylvania's natural gas industry. We saw how students are being prepared for good-paying energy jobs at the Lackawanna College's School of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center. We experienced the sheer volume of natural gas production at an active drilling site, the Williams' Potter Compressor Station and Coterra Energy's natural gas wells. To put Pennsylvania's energy dominance into perspective, one well in Susquehanna County produces as much natural gas as 4,000 wells in West Virginia. This energy means national security, a stronger workforce, and lower energy costs. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleagues for taking time to see the great work happening in Pennsylvania. We must protect it.

Mr. KELLER

Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Luetkemeyer for having this Special Order. At a time when we should be doing everything we can to help small businesses thrive and strengthen America's workforce, President Biden's radical socialist agenda is driving a wedge between job creators and the workforce. Drawing upon 25 years of experience in private industry, working in a factory, later managing that factory, I understand the challenges that our businesses face and what it means to get up every day, go to work, and support a family. President Biden and House Democrats aren't looking out for American families. If they were, they would not be working to increase the tax rates for small business owners or dumping more than a trillion dollars into the economy. That will only worsen the inflation we have seen and the supply chain crisis. This build back better scheme is a farce. It is simply out of control. Whoever controls more of an individual's money and how they earn it controls more of their actions. That should be the person who earns it, not the government. When you look at these tax policies, when you look at inflation, when you look at the fact that this administration has taken us away from energy independence, people are spending more for groceries, they are spending more for fuel, they are going to spend more to heat their homes, and that is controlling more of their money because of these poor policies. The best thing government can do is get out of the way and return economic independence to the American people. I thank the ranking member for having this Special Order and allowing us to point out that we believe in the American people. They built the greatest economy the world has ever seen. They built the greatest nation on the face of the Earth, and I just wish that President Biden, when he talks about being frustrated with American citizens, would get half as frustrated with China and Russia and the Taliban.

Mr. KELLER

Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for hosting this Special Order and thank him for his distinguished service in the United States Marine Corps. America's military is the most powerful fighting force on the planet, and it draws its strength from the determination and might of its members, the men and women who have answered freedom's call. This Veterans Day, we recognize the many sacrifices our veterans have made in order to defend our way of life and secure the blessings of liberty for all to enjoy. From the dawn of our Nation, valiant Americans have risen to confront every threat we face. For generations, America's veterans have served our country with honor, beating back tyranny to the ends of the Earth. We also recognize America's military families: the wives, husbands, children, parents, and siblings who share in their sacrifice. We are fighting for them in Congress, pushing for policies like the RECORDS Act, which would expedite requests for the records our veterans need so they can access the benefits they have earned. A grateful Nation salutes your service. May God bless our veterans and the United States of America.

Mr. KELLER

Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, with executive order after executive order, President Biden dismantled America's energy dominance. In the first days of his administration, President Biden killed the Keystone pipeline, paused new oil and gas production on U.S. lands, and destroyed thousands of good-paying jobs. My Republican colleagues and I sounded the alarm knowing that this type of short-sighted policy would have a devastating impact on our economy and national security. Now energy prices are rising with winter quickly approaching, and hidden deep in the Democrats' reconciliation plan is a tax on heating your home, Madam Speaker, that could leave Americans paying 50 percent more to keep warm this winter. That is absurd. To make it worse, President Biden said he doesn't have a near-term answer for America's energy crisis. Well, we Republicans do. We have an answer. It starts with reversing Biden's harmful energy policies and investing in American energy.

Mr. KELLER

Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for those remarks. What an outstanding lady that the gentlewoman represents. The gentlewoman mentioned something that really makes me think of something when you talk about excuses. I was raised by my grandmother, and I can remember her telling me one time, my brother and I, she looked at us and said: Boys, people that make excuses are weak. It is time that we show strength, and we make them do their job. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Clyde), my good colleague and friend.

Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that each Member may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, my distinguished colleagues and I stand here on behalf of America's veterans. The last thing our veterans should be burdened with is any delay, let alone a prolonged wait time to access the benefits and programs they have earned through their service. The National Personnel Records Center is responsible for processing these records, and at this moment, there is a backlog of more than half a million requests, some dating back to February of 2020. Consequently, some veterans have been waiting for over a year and a half for copies of their service records which are needed to access VA benefits, adjudicate disability claims, request campaign service medals, and much more. We in the United States of America honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans and Active Duty military personnel, and any delay for them is unacceptable. That is why we introduced the RECORDS Act, legislation that would compel the National Personnel Records Center to take the necessary actions to eliminate the growing backlog of veterans' record requests. Dating back more than a year, there has been a broad, bipartisan push to deliver for our veterans and work toward addressing the National Personnel Records Center's unacceptable backlog. The RECORDS Act is an opportunity to achieve this. Our veterans fought for us. We must always fight for them. I appreciate my colleagues joining me this evening together in support of this goal. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rutherford).

Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for joining us this evening and so very well put about making sure that we help our veterans and the fact that the records center had the resources in previous legislation. We just need to make sure that they get the job done. I thank the gentleman for joining us. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cammack).

Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Clyde for his remarks and recognizing that there are veterans across our Nation in every district we have the privilege to represent. The gentleman mentioned the records center not wanting to--worried about danger. Well, our veterans didn't worry about danger when they went to protect our freedom and our way of life. I am glad to be joined by my great friend and colleague from Pennsylvania, Representative Kelly. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly).

Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for making a very valid point, that the rest of America is going back to work and doing what they need to do at full capacity, working at 100 percent. To have a government agency working at 45 percent, as the gentleman pointed out, for those who have done so much for us is unacceptable. I appreciate his help with this. I also look forward to hearing what my great colleague and friend from Wisconsin has to say. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).

Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments, so very well put, that we have people for which we work that are veterans that go to work every day, that maybe aren't veterans but taxpayers that go to work every day and expect our government to work. That is all we are asking for. People every day in America go to work, and they produce goods, they provide services. The Americans that have served, our veterans, and those that are serving deserve a government that is responsive to the needs that they have because of what they have earned. They are not asking for anything special. They are saying: Look, we have earned these benefits, and to gain access to them, we need you to do your job. Who would have thought it would have taken an act of Congress to try and get them to do their work. It is time that we make sure that the National Personnel Records Center does its job for our veterans and to make sure that they have a plan that this never happens again. We cannot let down our veterans because of some bureaucracy, because somebody doesn't want to make sure that it runs efficiently and effectively. It needs to be done. It needs to be done now. Madam Speaker, just let me say, we must first and always remember our veterans and Active Duty military personnel. Also, I would like to thank my colleagues for their participation this evening. This is an important issue. It is widespread, and it transcends party lines. These are veterans. They are Americans. They are not Republicans; they are not Democrats. They are Americans, and they are an outstanding group of Americans. I notice I was just joined here by a colleague of mine. So before I close, I will recognize a gentleman I have known for quite some time, actually a member of the military. When I knew him, he was still a member of the military, so a veteran then, a good friend of mine, a great American from Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).

Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend, Mr. Perry, who said it so very well. These people earned their benefits. Our veterans earned these benefits. They protected our freedom and way of life. They didn't question was it too dangerous to go do that job. They went and did it. They have earned benefits. What we need to do is we need to make sure that the bureaucrats that are running this--as he said, it is not the people that get the work done every day, but it is the managers of the National Personnel Records Center that need to make sure they do their job and put together a plan to address the issues, to get our veterans the necessary records, in a timely fashion, that they need to gain access to the benefits they have earned. As I mentioned before, this is an issue that is not a Republican or Democrat issue. It is an American issue, and it is about helping Americans. It is about helping Americans who have helped humanity from around the globe, stood up for freedom, stood on that wall and made sure we were safe. Now, it is our time to stand up for them and make sure they get the benefits they have earned. We all urge the National Archives and Records Administration to immediately take all steps to address this problem and prevent it from ever happening again. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLER

Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, America is experiencing an energy crisis. The price of oil, a gallon of gas, electricity, and natural gas are all topping 7-year highs. But what does that really mean for the American people? It means less money to buy groceries and more money at the gas pump; it means less money to take care of your kids and more money to heat your home; and it means less money for your healthcare and more money for overhead to run your business. That is a terrible tradeoff for every American working hard to support their families. It is only happening because the Biden administration is intent on implementing policies that make it harder for American energy producers to develop cleaner, more affordable energy right here at home. President Biden must wake up and see that there is only one way to reverse this course: Embrace American energy.

Mr. KELLER

Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, the flow of illegal aliens into the United States is out of control. President Biden stopped building the wall, brought back the Obama-era catch-and-release policy, and rolled out an open borders agenda that is now devastating our country. More than 1.3 million illegal aliens have been apprehended at our border since January, and the men and women of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol are preparing for another surge of up to 400,000 foreign nationals sometime this month. We must invest in border security now. But instead, Washington Democrats are pushing a radical $5 trillion tax-and-spend package that will only make our borders and our border crisis worse. This package includes zero funding for border security and grants blanket amnesty to 10 million illegal aliens while providing them with $100 billion in taxpayer-funded benefits. The border crisis is real. Democrats' far-left, socialist reconciliation package would only make it worse.

Mr. KELLER

Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania for organizing this event this evening and yielding. For the last 8 months, America's energy employers and the individuals they employ are suffering a barrage of attacks from the Biden White House, all because this administration is fixated on dismantling America's energy independence and replacing it with a radical pipe dream called the Green New Deal. In Pennsylvania and across America, it is not just the energy producers and their workers who are feeling the impacts of President Biden's attack on American energy. Our schools, hospitals, local governments, and downstream job creators are also suffering. Pennsylvania's natural gas industry has created incredible partnerships that are working to ensure we can meet America's energy needs right here at home. The School of Petroleum and Natural Gas at Lackawanna College's Tunkhannock Center is introducing students to career opportunities in the oil and natural gas industry. The Susquehanna County Career & Technology Center is working to retain local talent by offering a CDL training program that offers students the chance to jump into an in- demand career. When President Biden dismantles American energy, these are the organizations and people who suffer. He is dismantling American dreams. Higher prices at the pump, energy shortages, and increased costs to fuel our businesses and homes are a clear sign that we must embrace American energy, not abandon it. We must invest in pipelines and refineries, harden our grid from cyberattacks, and cultivate innovation to ensure future success. If President Biden is serious about building back better, he should not be trying to destroy the domestic energy industry that will lead us to a better tomorrow.

Mr. KELLER

Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, this evening I am here with my colleagues in opposition to H.R. 3755, a bill that House Democrats are pushing this week that would eliminate protections for unborn babies and establish a nationwide system of abortion on demand. If enacted, this bill would overrule all Federal and State laws that recognize the sanctity of life. Under this proposal, an abortion could be performed for any reason at any time up until the baby is born. Contrary to what some have claimed, this bill is not healthcare. It is the exact opposite of healthcare, and it prioritizes the profits of the abortion industry above the sanctity of life. Washington Democrats' pro-abortion agenda is appalling, and you can count on me to always fight for life and shield taxpayer dollars from ever being used for abortions. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stand for life and support unborn babies and vote ``no'' on this bill.

Mr. KELLER

Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, later this afternoon the House is set to consider a continuing resolution on the Federal budget. Instead of taking time to hold meaningful discussions about budget offsets and reforms, Speaker Pelosi released bill text less than 24 hours before the scheduled vote. Make no mistake, Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats have no interest in reining in Washington's outrageous spending or addressing our national debt, now well over $28 trillion, which our children and grandchildren will have to repay. Earlier this year, House Democrats rammed through a partisan appropriations package that cracked the door open for their far left priorities. Today, they are blowing the hinges off that door and setting the stage for their $3.5 trillion tax-and-spend package, which will devastate America's families and send the skyrocketing inflation soaring to even greater heights. That is not responsible. That is not good governance, and it is certainly not good stewardship of Americans' taxpayer dollars.

Mr. KELLER

Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, the Hyde amendment has long been a bipartisan measure that prevents taxpayer dollars from being used to fund abortions. It is shocking to me that my Democrat colleagues are working to eliminate this amendment. Make no mistake, the Hyde amendment saves lives. I will continue to do my part to support pro-life legislation because our creator endowed every one of us with certain unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. After all, if we are unwilling to fight for life, what are we willing to fight for? Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 18, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. KELLER

Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Comer).