Brad Knott

Mr. KNOTT

Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of my bill, H.R. 6267, the Aviation Supply Chain Safety and Security Digitization Act. I thank Chairman Graves for the opportunity to speak today, and I also thank my colleague from Michigan (Ms. Scholten) for joining me as a cosponsor of this important piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, we often take for granted the delicate complexity of airplanes, millions of parts and components working together to ensure passenger safety. The FAA protects the supply chain by requiring certification documents for each part following its manufacturing, assembly, and repair. Known as an Authorized Release Certificate, or an ARC, these documents certify each part meets rigorous FAA airworthiness standards before an FAA certified technician can perform any necessary work. Unfortunately, today, Mr. Speaker, ARCs and similar certificates represent a weak link in our aviation supply chain security. Despite many advances since the Wright brothers' first flight in my home State of North Carolina, the FAA's recordkeeping is stuck in 1903. Ink and paper hold up the efficiency and the security of this delicate supply chain. A few forged signatures are all that it takes for a nefarious actor to inject hundreds, if not thousands, of fraudulently and potentially dangerous parts into planes around the world. Unfortunately, this is not hypothetical. This very scenario has already happened. In the summer of 2023, service employees in Europe discovered that some of the engine's parts that they were working on were noticeably older than their documentation indicated, and they alerted the appropriate authorities. It was then discovered that questionable parts had infiltrated more than 126 airplane engines, affecting Delta, American, United, and Southwest Airlines, among others. This bill is a simple, industry-driven step towards defending against similar occurrences. This bill would require the GAO to conduct a study into barriers that prevent the FAA and the aviation industry from modernizing their supply chain security by digitizing ARCs and other safety documents which would prevent bad actors from so easily compromising these important records. My bill would also require the GAO to make prompt recommendations to Congress on accelerating the FAA's adoption of digital documentation and a path to voluntary adoption within the industry. Again, Mr. Speaker, I thank all of the members of the aviation industry who joined the Aviation Supply Chain Integrity Coalition. The coalition's quick and focused efforts in response to the 2023 incident that I just mentioned laid the important groundwork for this bill. Mr. Speaker, I once again thank Chairman Graves and Representative Scholten for their support, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 6267.

Mr. KNOTT

Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Haridopolos for hosting this Special Order hour on one of the critical issues that we face as a nation and have faced for the better part of 20 years now. I am referring, of course, to ObamaCare, a deceptively named bill, the Affordable Care Act, which has, of course, been a disaster for Americans all over the country. Before it was passed, Democrats essentially allowed big insurance companies and Federal bureaucrats to craft an extremely regulated patchwork of rules and cloudy regulations to enrich themselves at the expense of the American patient and American physician. They then jammed it through Congress without a single Republican vote, ushering in a new era of high costs, restricted access, and lower quality healthcare. As is the case far too often, this law is now harming precisely the groups of people it was designed to assist. At its core, ObamaCare is a redistributionist program that empowers a public and private bureaucracy rather than patients and physicians. In various medical fields that are not part of the ObamaCare web, the harmful effects of its policy have not been seen since the law's passage. For example, over the past decade, the cost of outpatient services rose between 80 and 100 percent on average. Prescription drugs are up, at times, 200 percent. Meanwhile, as a counter example, the cost of LASIK surgery, which is not covered under the ObamaCare policy or subjected to its onerous regulatory framework, has decreased by 30 percent over the same time. Free from bureaucratic suppression, more providers have entered the LASIK market, and innovations like bladeless lasers have made operations safer, more efficient, and more available. Another example: Cash-pay diagnostic imaging is often 75 percent cheaper than the ObamaCare-approved MRIs. Direct primary care providers offering wholesale labs can be, at times, 15 times cheaper than doctors who are required to fill out government-mandated paperwork. The examples could continue on and on. Sadly, ObamaCare has succeeded in blocking free market innovations from reaching the broader American healthcare system. Rather than reform the broken system that they designed, the Democrats are committed to throwing more money at the problem, literally subsidizing a framework that has elevated costs so much that they are even willing to subsidize households earning $600,000 per year. It is time to reintroduce competition into healthcare by removing handouts to corporate titans. We must cut the layers of red tape that hurt patients and providers. We must build a commonsense system that enables the patient to have choices, which will, of course, bring about more quality care and increased access. In a very basic sense, we should not make healthcare a DMV-type experience. I thank Congressman Haridopolos again for holding this Special Order.

Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in order to commemorate the extraordinary story and mission of one of my neighbors and her family in North Carolina, someone by the name of Olivia Wooten. Olivia is currently suffering mightily in a battle with ALS. I have watched in admiration as she has remained a constant source of robust encouragement and joy despite her debilitating illness. Her circumstances have only brightened because of the eternal hope that she has in the Lord, her Savior, Jesus Christ. I spoke to Olivia earlier today, who fearlessly and joyfully awaits entry into eternal life, where `` . . . there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, nor shall there be any more pain. . . . `' as stated in Revelation 21:4. She helped me draft these remarks knowing that they would be heard by all today. Olivia Wooten's parents, Robin and Elizabeth, met while attending college in Raleigh, North Carolina. Robin attended NC State, and Elizabeth enrolled at Saint Mary's School. They were married shortly after graduating in 1989 and returned to Robin's hometown in Kinston, North Carolina. Robin and Elizabeth passed the years enjoying all that makes east North Carolina so special. They, with their loved ones, enjoyed hunting, fishing, time at the Crystal Coast, and a community that is more of a family than a neighborhood. In the greatest blessings of all, Robin and Elizabeth became parents to two girls, Olivia in 1992 and Carrington in 1995. In 2016, Robin was tragically diagnosed with ALS. Up to that point, Robin's faith in the Lord had been more ceremonial. While his wife, Elizabeth, regularly attended neighborhood Bible studies and prayer groups for years, Robin had not. However, that fully changed as Robin came to grips with his diagnosis. Rather than indulging in fear or resentment of assured physical suffering here on Earth, Robin encouraged anyone he met to look up and to consider Christ. He pushed others to focus on eternity and to rely on the Lord rather than the fleeting things of this Earth. Robin helped others grow in their faith until entering his Heavenly home 1 year after his diagnosis. Tragically, in July of 2023, Robin's daughter, Olivia, would herself be diagnosed with ALS. Since that time, Olivia has surpassed every expectation in how long and how well she has fought this vicious disease. Yes, while she has weakened, she remains buoyant and inexplicably joyful in a manner that can only be called inspirational and miraculous. It was my honor and my privilege to speak with Olivia today. In spite of her physical limitations and her suffering, which are unbelievably real, she will likely not walk unassisted again. She cannot go out with friends today. Absent a miracle, she will no longer be able to travel far from home. Absent a miracle, she will likely never meet her nephew, who will likely be born in the next few weeks. Despite this very real suffering and the limitations that she is currently experiencing, her joy and her hope remain palpable. Olivia knows that her earthly departure is not the end but, rather, her new beginning in Heaven is with her Savior, Jesus Christ. When I asked her what she wanted me to share with all of us, she simply requested the following for our consideration. She did not bring up policy. She did not bring up new types of ideas for Washington, D.C. She simply said the following: ``This Earth is fallen, and it offers afflictions for which there is no remedy other than the Almighty. My faith in Jesus has become more vibrant and real than anything I could have ever imagined. To anyone who hears this message, if you do not know Christ, I urge you to consider Him. Where this Earth offers temporary solutions, it cannot and it will not offer durable and lasting ones. Only Christ can offer real peace, real healing, real rest, and an eternal home.'' Olivia closed our conversation with a verse, which she aptly described as her life verse. It is Romans 8:28, and it simply states: ``And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.'' In Olivia's testimony, I can see firsthand and I have seen firsthand the truth of this passage. As we enter the week of Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of Christ, I stand in awe and in gratitude for Olivia and her family's witness and example, and I urge each person who hears this to consider her Savior, the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.

Mr. KNOTT

Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to speak in favor of H.R. 4070, the Tren de Aragua Border Security Threat Assessment Act. I thank Chairman Guest and Chairman Garbarino for their support and leadership on the Homeland Security Committee from which this bill has originated. Before Congress, I had the privilege to work in law enforcement. I saw firsthand the horrible effects, the dangerous effects, and the lasting effects that weak borders have had on our wonderful country. Of course, there are pressures on housing, healthcare, and education wherever there are millions and millions of illegal aliens allowed to come into the country and then placed throughout our country. Of equal, if not greater, concern to me is the rampant growth and the effects of transnational criminal organizations that have grown throughout our country. This is perhaps best seen with Tren de Aragua. Tren de Aragua has grown its presence throughout the United States. It is growing every day and includes growth in my home State of North Carolina. My legislation would require the Department of Homeland Security to conduct a comprehensive border threat assessment to identify the criminal threats posed by TdA members, the threats that are posed to our communities, and how exactly they are so successful in growing in our communities. With this information, law enforcement and their intelligence counterparts will be better able to deploy a unified and focused strategy on how to appropriately dismantle and remove these threats from our country. It is past time that we return to a posture of strength to defend America and our citizens. We must clearly and effectively send a message that the United States will no longer be a safe harbor for violent foreign terrorist organizations like Tren de Aragua. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation.

Mr. KNOTT

Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I have been very supportive of this effort, specifically to bring justice to the victims of this horrific series of crimes. However, I have worked behind the scenes to raise concerns with this petition as it is currently drafted. Specifically, I believe that there is a grave risk of harming innocent people, and I repeat, harming innocent people. When innocent people are harmed, that is not furthering justice. With an investigation of this size and a file that is as large as the Epstein files and as poorly defined as that is in this petition, there will invariably be people who are released, pursuant to this discharge petition, who had nothing to do with criminal activity. Imagine, if you will, a bellman, a waiter, some type of doorman, a mere social attendee who had no impact whatsoever on the criminal activities of Jeffrey Epstein, no participation. Their lives are forever ruined. I am reading specifically from the petition's language that ``prohibited grounds for withholding'' information in this file are ``embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.'' I would just submit that if you were going to be embarrassed, if you were going to suffer social harm, and that is all the encompassed activity that you were a part of, you will be named in this petition. I resent that. Innocent people should not be harmed when we are pursuing justice. I understand the political nature of this petition. I resent the fact that there was not room for good faith amendments, and I urge the Senate to protect innocent people.

Mr. KNOTT

Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 682, I call up the bill (H.R. 3486) to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase penalties for individuals who illegally enter and reenter the United States after being removed, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 3486.

Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to open remarks on this important legislation which holds a specific criminal category to account, specifically those who exploit weak border policies to bring crime into the United States. I certainly feel that it is appropriate, before I begin my remarks, to note that today is the 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, and in that same vein, Mr. Speaker, this proposed legislation profoundly enables law enforcement to protect us from all threats that seek to enter our country illegally. Let me begin by commending Congresswoman Bice for partnering with me on this important issue. As to the bill, Mr. Speaker, no matter the type or category, all crime is made worse by illegal immigration. Theft, assault, murder, drug trafficking, human trafficking, violent crime, and property crime, you name it, Mr. Speaker, illegal immigration makes it worse. What is perhaps most unfortunate is that many of the worst offenders in this specific category return to the United States after being deported due to gaps in the current immigration law. As a former U.S. prosecutor, I saw how deportation alone is insufficient to deter the committed illegal immigrant criminal. I have investigated, tried, and convicted many individuals who had been deported 2 times, 3 times, 4 times, and some even beyond 10 times. Yet, they continue to illegally return with the sole intent--the sole intent--to commit crime here in the United States. The original version of this bill, Mr. Speaker, was drafted after a 32-year-old woman, an American woman, was tragically murdered by an illegal alien who had five felony convictions and had been deported multiple times from the United States. Tragically, her case is not an outlier. It has become far too common. Under the current law, we must wait for a repeat felon, a recidivist illegal alien, to harm another American before we can effectively punish him or her for the crimes they seek to commit. Enough is enough. For any illegal immigrant who has demonstrated a clear and perverse disregard for our law, this bill shows that we will not wait for them to harm another American before we punish them. The act of returning after deportation is a serious crime, and it should denote serious consequences. Further, if a person is here illegally, commissioning and being convicted of a felony is not a victimless crime. All felonies have a victim. Enough is enough. In the current state of the law, we must wait for an American to be harmed before significant punishments are issued to those who are here illegally. That is the core motivation of the changes being sought in this bill. Candidly and specifically, if a person is here illegally with demonstrated criminal intent, that alone is sufficient to be punished meaningfully in this country. Utilizing my own experience prosecuting this specific class of criminal, this bill implements the following commonsense provisions. First, if any illegal alien is found guilty of a State or Federal felony, that alone qualifies the illegal alien for a new Federal charge that will bring a minimum of 5 years in Federal prison. Secondly, rather than capping the sentence for illegally reentering-- again, this is not the first attempt--illegally reentering the country at 2 years in prison, which is, again, the current state of the law, the new maximum would become 10 years for all illegal reentries regardless of the criminal history that they have. Thirdly, if an illegal alien is convicted of any felony and then deported, and that illegal alien attempts to enter the country illegally again, that will qualify the illegal alien for a new Federal charge that carries a minimum of 10 years and up to life in Federal prison. I want to make it very clear that this bill does nothing to remove the current immigration authority. If a swift deportation is sought, it can be achieved. If apprehension for an underlying crime and prosecution is sought, that is within the discretion of law enforcement and the prosecutor. This merely adds new tools with which we can fight illegal immigrant criminals. The premise of the bill, Mr. Speaker, begins with the reality that anyone who is in the country illegally is guilty of criminal conduct. However, what triggers the enhanced penalties is either illegal reentry--illegal reentry--after deportation or a felony conviction within the United States. Let me be clear to preempt some of the concerns on the other side of the aisle. This bill adheres to strict and constitutionally protected due process, requiring a conviction in a court of law to trigger the enhanced penalties while leaving room for discretion as the prosecutor deems necessary. Yes, we need the law. Yes, we need deportations. Yes, we need to remove those who are here illegally, especially those who have committed crimes that harm Americans. The President has shown that these steps are essential. However, from my firsthand experience, from my conversations with these criminals, and from the crime data that is all over this country, sophisticated criminal networks with vast resources extend their reach into America due to the open-border policies that the left seems so committed to. It is only through maintaining the policies of this President and strengthening deterrence that we can ensure that illegal immigrant criminals do not continue to flood this country. We must send a message to those around the world who want to come here to commit harm: Our tolerance for that activity is over. With the tools in this bill, investigators and prosecutors will be better able to dismantle organized crime rings across America. Most importantly, they will employ an efficient deterrent to anybody who seeks to enter or reenter this country illegally. It is time for the illegal immigrant criminals to know that we are finished tolerating their presence with the illegal activity that they engage in. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Harris).

Mr. KNOTT. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Schmidt).

Mr. KNOTT. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice).

Mr. KNOTT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I will say that my friend from Maryland mentioned robbery, rape, and murder. This bill's goal is to apprehend dangerous criminals before they rob, rape, or murder Americans. Secondly, and most importantly, referencing a farmworker, if they are here illegally and they do not commit a felony, this bill does not touch them. The only standard that this bill has: Do not come back into the country a second time illegally, and do not get convicted of a felony. How low do you think of the farmworkers that they cannot meet that standard? Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Kennedy).

Mr. KNOTT. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Moore).

Mr. KNOTT. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KNOTT. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. KNOTT. The issue with your characterization, sir, is number one, someone who enters illegally must be convicted of illegally entering the country. Then they must be convicted of illegally reentering the country to get a felony conviction. There is no compulsion to charge the most serious layers of this offense. There is prosecutorial discretion. Under this law, if someone is apprehended, they can be deported without any charging, and that is where the misconception and the mischaracterization is. If someone is convicted of illegal reentry and deported and they come back, a prosecutor would have the discretion to charge the 10-year minimum. It is not compulsory. It is within the discretion but, yes, he would meet the element.

Mr. KNOTT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I have heard a lot from the other side about costs, whether it be costs to law enforcement, costs to imprison, costs to society. I want to talk about the costs of open-border policies that is felt in this country. In the year 1990, roughly 5,000 Americans died because of illegal drug use. Since the year 2000, almost 1.5 million Americans have lost their life because of using illegal drugs. Of course, there is involvement locally and domestically in the drug trade, but just about all drugs--statistically, all illegal drugs--come into the country illegally. That is just one category dealing with the cost of illegal immigration. Any criminal code should have three objectives: First, it should protect Americans. It should protect American children. It should protect American families, neighborhoods, and businesses from the ill effects of crime. Second, it should punish illegal activity. When someone harms another American, there should be adequate and reciprocal punishment. It should be efficient, and it should work, again, to protect Americans. Thirdly, it should deter ongoing criminal conduct in that same vein, repeat criminal offenses, or anyone who would want to copy criminal conduct to enrich themselves. When you look at the scale of illegal immigration, when you look at the problems that are being inflicted upon this country across every metric, the criminal law is failing to protect Americans. This bill, again, aims to target the committed criminals who are here illegally. There is no distinction under the current law for people who commit crimes when they are here illegally versus those who commit crimes who are citizens. That discrepancy enables hordes of illegal immigrants to come from around the world to harm Americans. Again, I repeat, Mr. Raskin, in good faith and with sound logic, talked about robbery. He talked about property crimes. He talked about rape and murder. Some of these people have been convicted of rape, murder, property crimes after they have been deported. They return illegally and harm Americans. This bill aims to preempt the harm Americans feel by committed illegal immigrant criminals. Just this week, there was a release from the Department of Homeland Security. A 34-year-old gang member from Mexico had illegally entered the country 26 times. He has received convictions for burglary, tampering with government records, government witnesses, criminal enterprises, illegal reentry multiple times. When you look at cases like this that are so voluminous, it is hard to summarize. Again, the only conclusion--the only conclusion is the law is insufficient as it is currently drafted. We are in Congress to make laws to protect Americans. When we have such gaping holes in our criminal justice law as it relates to illegal immigrant criminals, not dairy workers, not those who are not committing crimes, the conclusion is straightforward. We need to change the law. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle candidly are twisting themselves into circles to defend the policies of the status quo. They want more illegal immigrants. They do not want stricter enforcement. They are turning every opportunity to resist the changes that Republicans and this President are trying to implement. Again, as a Federal prosecutor in my previous career, I saw how illegal, unchecked immigration harmed every corner of my State and the country. When you have an open flow of illegal immigration, crime flourishes. It is hard to quantify the cost. Again, with this bill, for any illegal immigrant to be under its effect, they must commit a felony and get convicted or they must illegally reenter--not enter--reenter after deportation. That is not a standard too high. That is not detached from logic. Again, when you look at the goals of what all criminal laws should achieve, protecting Americans, punishing illegal activity, and to deter repeat offenses, this is a needed step to accompany the legitimate approach that the President has been implementing over the past few years. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KNOTT

Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill. After listening to the previous few hours, it should surprise no one that the party of open borders, the party of illegal aliens, and now the party of State-run grocery stores hates this bill because this bill secures America's borders. It protects America's farmers and America's businesses. It protects us from tremendous amounts of waste, fraud, and abuse, and it stops the largest tax hike in American history. This bill is a win for the American people.

Mr. KNOTT

Mr. KNOTT. 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. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today alongside four of my esteemed colleagues to both highlight and condemn the misuse of taxpayer dollars funneled to illegal immigrants. An outrageous pattern of perverse and intentional incentives reveal deliberate efforts to worsen the border crisis and to allow tens of millions of illegal aliens to invade our Nation at direct cost to the American taxpayer. The Biden-Harris administration cycled through repeated falsehoods: claiming the border was secure, claiming they did not have what was needed to stop this invasion, claiming that they were helpless and needed Congress to take the lead. Meanwhile, that same administration lined the pockets of leftwing NGOs to shower illegal immigrants with incentives in the form of open-ended access to your tax dollars. Earlier this year, reports surfaced from the watchdog group, Open The Books, exposing Biden's Department of Health and Human Services for awarding shockingly large amounts of grants and dollars to nonprofits focused on aiding illegal immigrants, amounting to as high as 20 million people who illegally crossed into our country during Biden's term in office. Taxpayer-funded awards paid for illegal aliens' housing, healthcare, education, even music lessons, therapy. You name it, the taxpayer covered it. Using NGOs as a proxy, the Biden administration sent a clear message that our laws were not to be taken seriously, and living off of the American taxpayer was both acceptable and encouraged. The same people fueling this elaborate scheme also pushed a false narrative that supporting illegal activity somehow gives them a moral high ground. This, of course, is false. Mr. Speaker, I am here to tell the American people that they are right to expect secure borders. They are right to demand law and order. They are right to be outraged that hundreds of billions of their dollars have gone to illegal aliens and politically connected NGOs who facilitated this recent invasion. President Trump's swift actions to halt illegal crossings and to deport illegal aliens in his first 100 days has made one thing painfully clear: The Biden-Harris administration was never working to fix our immigration system. They actively and deliberately worked to undermine it. The Center for Immigration Studies found illegal immigrants annually take--and this is a conservative estimate--nearly $120 billion directly from public services, to include public schools, public welfare, and healthcare. Every American across the country should expect more from their government. Joining me today are a few of my colleagues. I yield first to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Moore), my fellow North Carolinian and a fierce border security advocate. Congressman Moore has been a leading voice in the fight to reform FEMA and to ensure its funds go toward helping American citizens rather than to illegal immigrants, especially those recovering from Hurricane Helene.

Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congressman from North Carolina (Mr. Moore). Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Haridopolos), my good friend from the Eighth Congressional District, otherwise known as the Space Coast. Congressman Haridopolos and I have had many conversations about the cost of illegal immigration on programs that are designed to help and support vulnerable Americans, especially Medicaid. Congressman Haridopolos has extensive experience in the Medicaid space, and he knows that it must be guarded to protect those who rely upon it here in the United States. It is not an international charity, and it is especially not for the illegal immigrants here in this country. I will ask him to elaborate on his experience with this issue.

Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I am ready for that debate any day, and I am ready for that discussion any day. Again, the Republicans believe that American tax dollars should serve American citizens and not those who are here illegally. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the Eighth Congressional District of the great State of North Carolina (Mr. Harris). Congressman Harris pointed out back in February that an NGO in North Carolina was actively working to hinder law enforcement, aid illegal immigrants, and further worsen the crisis engulfing our communities both in North Carolina and all over our country. A pastor of more than 30 years, Congressman Harris is proof that allowing this humanitarian crisis to continue is not compassionate and that enforcing our laws is not hateful.

Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Harris for his remarks. At least 1 million illegals are on Medicaid. I would submit that I have heard not one syllable from the Democratic Party from 5 years ago when Joe Biden took power until today protesting that fact. The Republican Party wants to protect Medicaid and get the 1 million-plus illegals on it out of the country and off of the program. Mr. Speaker, I mentioned earlier that some of the ridiculous benefits that taxpayers have unknowingly funded for illegal aliens include something as unique as music lessons. When digging into this issue, Congressman Kennedy and I were both outraged and simply shocked at the brazen and flagrant waste of funds on these perverse incentives. I know Congressman Kennedy to be a fierce advocate for conservative principles both for his district in Utah and for the country at large. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the Third Congressional District of Utah (Mr. Kennedy).

Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his remarks. Mr. Speaker, you have heard today from our colleagues and myself about the outrageous government-funded incentives and plans to keep illegal aliens not only flowing into this country but also to stay in this country. This scheme goes beyond waste. It represents, candidly, a betrayal of the American people and the American taxpayers, who have suffered mightily in this country because of the illegal immigration crisis. In closing, I simply ask the following of the American citizens who rely on Medicare or Medicaid: Should we allow illegal immigrants to dilute the quality of your benefits and run up costs in emergency rooms who are precluded from turning illegal immigrants away? I say, along with my colleagues: Absolutely not. No tax dollars should be allocated to covering healthcare costs for any person who is in this country illegally. To the American parents, whether rural or urban, who are struggling to feed your children, I ask: Should illegal immigrants receive tax- funded meals day in, day out to eat on your dime? Again, I heartily say: Absolutely not. To the children at risk of falling behind in lagging schools all over this country, I ask: Should we continue to allow millions upon millions to arrive here illegally and crowd out your classrooms? I would say, again: Under no circumstances should we give public education dollars to any person or any family who is here illegally. To the Social Security recipient I ask: Should we take on more debt and endanger your access to continued benefits just to keep our borders open? With no hesitation, I again say: Absolutely not. We must protect the tax dollars of American citizens. To the veterans who are battling homelessness or addiction or the western North Carolinians who are left without shelter following Hurricane Helene, I ask: Should your tax dollars go to housing illegal aliens, to transporting illegal aliens while you continually suffer? Again, I say definitively: Under no circumstances is this appropriate. I urge all of my colleagues in Congress to join me in reversing this perverse incentive structure by sending a clear message that the United States laws are to be respected. Put candidly, if you are here illegally, leave. If you return here illegally, you will be punished. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KNOTT

Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, due to unforeseen circumstances, I was unable to cast my vote for S. 146, TAKE IT DOWN ACT. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 104.