Doug LaMalfa

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, the Biden administration has now issued at least 42 executive actions, including 25 executive orders, by far the most of any President during this span. Clearly, all his rhetoric about unity is, to use his favorite word, malarkey. This week, the President signed three more executive orders to destroy progress we have made on immigration and border security. He reversed President Trump's public charge rule. That rule prevented immigrants likely to rely on social welfare programs--paid for by you and me, the taxpayer--from accessing green cards. Asylum seekers will no longer be required to wait in Mexico while being processed, which is a commonsense deterrent against dubious asylum claims. Instead, it just waves them right in, with a backlog already of years on asylum hearings. This power has been transferred from the proper agencies now to the White House, where immigration no doubt will be politicized. Americans are suffering. Many need work because their jobs have been shut down due to the corona China virus. How can we justify closing our schools and businesses but putting our borders wide open? If the President wants to heal this Nation, he must pull together for the needs of struggling Americans, not these others.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, I pray people of all stripes wake up to the spectacle and exercise their rights to put a stop to it through free speech and through fair elections.

Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the second annual impeachment show extravaganza, brought to you by the censors in left-wing media, the fact-check ministers of shutdown in Big Tech, and the Democrat Party. Today, the second annual impeachment of President Trump isn't really about actual words spoken at a rally. No. This is all about, Madam Speaker, the unbridled hatred of this President. You use any extreme language and any process to oppose the core of what he has really fought for. You hate him because he is pro-life, the strongest ever. You hate him for fighting for the freedom of religion, to not be persecuted by unfair mandates and limitations on speech. You hate him for not subscribing to and shackling us with the religion of climate change and one-sided Paris accords. You hate him for Israel. You hate him for defending our borders. You hate him for letting families and small businesses keep what they earn, for trying to keep the agents of government off their back. You hate him for putting America first, which is what I thought we do when we swear the oath. No, this shabby show isn't about a threat to our Republic. This is the impeachment and muting of at least half of the American people. This is a shameful abuse of a process.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, this week in 1773, Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty organized the Boston Tea Party, one of the most iconic protests in American history. They dumped 342 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor in an uprising against an oppressive government and taxation tyranny. Three years ago this month, Republicans built upon our Founders' ideals and passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. We delivered pro-growth, pro-jobs, and pro-America policies to end the economic slowdown of the previous administration. Following tax reform, the middle class experienced record financial growth, household incomes soared by nearly 8 percent, and Americans had a greater say over their own paychecks. Our Founders knew lower taxes would be better for the economy of 1773, and Republicans proved through the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act 3 years ago that Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty were correct.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, on this day in 1903, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first successful aircraft flight in history. In the years leading up to their first flight, they built and tested air gliders in their bicycle shop in their hometown of Dayton, Ohio. After making hundreds of successful flights in their glider, they designed a 12-horsepower engine to fit into the frame. In the fall of 1903, the Wright brothers transported these pieces down to Kitty Hawk, assembled it, and made their first attempt at powered flight. Unfortunately, the engine stalled during takeoff and the engine was damaged. After making a few repairs, on December 17, Orville ran the aircraft down a track and into the air, flying 120 feet for 12 seconds. Madam Speaker, of course, in the 117 years since, we have seen amazing leaps in aircraft ability and technology. Forty-four years after, Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier, and now we have people landing on the Moon and satellite equipment going beyond the stretches of our solar system. The Wright brothers' story is one of our most well-told tales of success in American modern innovation. Their drive and spirit is something that can inspire us all.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, America's confidence in our electoral system has suffered an egregious blow this cycle. Of the many credible concerns surrounding this year's process, Dominion voting machines have neared the top of the list. From crashing during a recount in Georgia to several errors in Antrim County, Michigan, it is clear that Dominion's authority on vote counting is in question. There needs to be a fully independent audit of Dominion's voting machines. No, this is not an attempt to overturn an election; this is about making sure, moving forward, all Americans have faith in our elections, whether it is the constitutional actions setting election process in place or transparency in the tabulation of the vote. Madam Speaker, my Republican colleagues and I have stressed that every legal vote must be counted, but we must also ensure those who count our votes, whether a person or a machine, are also fully complying with the law.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. We know that during this time of the year, with so many holidays in a compact amount of time, that the risk is higher. Indeed, over one-third of traffic-related deaths in the United States involve a drunk driver; and we know that, throughout the holiday season, drunk-driving crashes increase. For example, last December nearly 1,000 people in the U.S. died in alcohol-related crashes, and 35 of those happened on Christmas Day. Every single one of those deaths is preventable. I sincerely thank our law enforcement and our first responders for being there on the scene during these tragedies and working to prevent them from being worse and from having these impaired accidents happen. However, the decision to drive sober comes from taking personal responsibility for all of our actions and making travel plans before your holiday celebrations begin. Let's keep every seat at our Christmas tables and at our holiday tables during this time of year safely filled with family and friends instead of tragedy. Let's make sure our loved ones are making smart choices and help them out to be smart and safe during this time of the year.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the recognition of National Bible Week by my namesake from Colorado, Douglas Lamborn, for always being so faithful to this. Christians believe the Bible is the divine and inherent Word of God. I believe that. And we hear a lot of things in this society today that would try to denigrate that, denigrate the faith, and, indeed, there is nothing wrong with what the Bible says as a guidance for life. The Ten Commandments: there is nothing wrong with living by those even if you don't believe in the Bible. It is indeed, we know, the best seller, the most quoted, a treasure for all of us to go by. So as I contemplate here what we are doing tonight, I just want to leave you with this as a guidance for working in this town, in Proverbs 4:23-27: Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Rid yourself of a deceitful mouth and keep devious speech far from you. Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Keep straight paths of your feet, and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right or to the left; turn your foot from evil. Indeed, if we could do more of that around here, we would be much better off. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, in December 1636, the first militia regiments in North America were organized in Massachusetts and recognized by Massachusetts Bay Colony's General Court. This date marks the founding of State militias that collectively make up the National Guard. The men and women of the National Guard make great sacrifices to protect our homeland and citizens from harm. Their duties encompass more than just mitigating violence and civil unrest or being mobilized overseas. For example, just this year, in my home State of California, two National Guard aircrews flew repeatedly into the raging Creek fire in southern California to rescue nearly trapped campers, hikers, and residents. Their heroic efforts saved nearly 400 lives. This bravery is not uncommon to National Guardsmen, and for 384 years they have always been, and always will be, there for us.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise to recognize the loss of a very great American, Brigadier General Chuck Yeager, who passed last evening. He and his wife, Victoria, are constituents of ours in Nevada County in our district in northern California. Truly, he was an American icon. He inspired the world to push farther and faster and to push the envelope, as they say, a man I was honored to call a friend. He grew up in West Virginia, a country boy hunting and fishing the hills where he lived. He entered World War II and became one of the greatest pilots that we would know. He had an amazing 20/10 vision that helped him to see enemy aircraft sooner than the rest of his colleagues or the enemy could see ours. His exploits in the sky continued after World War II, when he was the first man to break the sound barrier in his Bell X-1 aircraft. Indeed, he was an amazing gentleman. He was a determined man with a lot of grit, provided a lot of help advancing the aviation situation in this country, even just a few years ago, exceeding the sound barrier once again. He had a straight and dry sense of humor. He didn't have a whole lot of use for politicians. I was lucky to be able to count him as a friend, not as a politician but as more of a neighbor. We will grieve this man and we will grieve his loss, because they don't make very many like Chuck Yeager. Indeed, he will be irreplaceable. God bless him and his family.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, at 7:48 a.m. on December 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan deliberately attacked the United States--a sneak attack--at our naval station at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. This surprise attack was meant to cripple the United States Pacific Fleet before we had the chance to do anything about World War II. Rather than facing defeat, the American people--our soldiers, our military, all of us--fought back. In the end, it was the determined spirit of the American military and the commitment of Americans to innovate and use all of our materials to produce wartime products that ultimately led to an Allied victory. Just a few short months later, on April 18, 1942, America struck back with the Jimmy Doolittle Raiders telling the islands of Japan that we are here and we are not going away. They were heroes there as well. Mr. Speaker, 79 years later we honor the 2,403 servicemembers and civilians who were killed that day--a day which President Roosevelt said was a date which will live in infamy. We owe them a huge amount of gratitude, and we also need to remember that our own military readiness needs to be on constant alert and that we need to do everything we can today to make sure that we as Americans are ready for any threat.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Placer County, California, Sheriff's Office Lieutenant Andrew Scott and his 30 years of dignified service. Since joining the sheriff's office in 1990, Lieutenant Scott has worked in nearly every capacity. I personally saw his outstanding leadership and dedication as a Placer County Deputy Sheriff's Association president. Over the decade I have known him, I have witnessed his love and passion for the public safety of his community. He is a shining example of what a warrior, a man of God, embodies: a true friend, defender of the weak, devoted to truth, dedicated to his loved ones, and strong in his faith and love of the Lord. Andrew has gone above and beyond to provide support for his fellow law enforcement officers through the 10-35 organization. His dedication to never forget officers who have fallen in the line of duty should be an example to all of us to remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of all of our freedoms. Andrew's service as Placer County Sheriff's Office Lieutenant has made our area a safe place to live, a better one, a better one to raise our kids. I consider Andrew a true friend, and I wish him the best during his retirement.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, the Christmas season is here, a time during which our small businesses typically thrive, the season that gets them through much of the rest of the year fiscally. This year, however, restaurants and stores are forced into shutting their doors on much of Main Street America. However, the Paycheck Protection Program has saved 51 million jobs across the country. Speaker Pelosi could use this legislative week to free up the remaining $135 billion in PPP reserves, but instead we are voting on legalizing a schedule I narcotic, and then whether to pass a Carole Baskin anti-tiger bill. Now is not the time to play politics by withholding money that has been already allocated on behalf of small business. At the end of the year, if we do not use these funds, they will expire. I encourage all my colleagues to join me in signing the discharge petition for H.R. 8265, freeing up these funds immediately and reviving the tested and effective PPP to save more small businesses this year, especially as governments clamp down even more so on their closures.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, on Thanksgiving Day this year, Betty and Ellington Peek were also celebrating something else, their 70th wedding anniversary. After meeting at a dance in 1950, Betty and Ellington got married and moved to Oakdale, California, which is a well-known ranching and rodeo town south of Sacramento. Shortly after that, Ellington was drafted for the Korean war and he served in our military for 1 year. He came home to Betty and their first son, Andy, who was born while he was overseas. They lived in both Susanville and then later the Cottonwood/Anderson area, running auction yards for cattle until Ellington was finally able to live the dream and buy the Shasta Auction Yard that he had worked at for so many years. For over 30 years, Ellington and Betty have been staples, not just in their Shasta County livestock community, but all northern California with their innovative way of doing business, helping ranchers from across the country sell their cattle via satellite and on the internet. Through hard work and a strong bond, the Peeks have found great success in livestock, but even greater success in marriage and family and their long list of friends, of which I count myself, and am proud to do so. So Betty and Ellington, happy 70th anniversary. I wish you continued happiness for many years to come. You are pillars of our community. We are proud of you.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, we have a lot to be thankful for in this country: the opportunity to raise our families, our freedom, our servicemembers and law enforcement who protect us, and the opportunity for prosperity and success. Many people come to America for exactly these reasons, to pursue that dream. This year, so many self-made Americans are struggling to keep their small businesses afloat. COVID-19 relief and leftover PPP funds continue to be held onto in this Chamber. Next Saturday, November 28, is Small Businesses Saturday, an opportunity for all of us to support the small businesses and the dreams of our fellow citizens that own them. If we all collectively make a conscious effort to shop small for our holiday gifts, we can help these local store owners in our neighborhoods pull through these difficult times this winter. Our small businesses are doing everything they can to stay open for their employees, and we really owe it to them and their futures to help them do so. We can be part of that by patronizing their businesses, not only this coming Saturday, November 28, but all through the year.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize National Rural Healthcare Day. One in five Americans calls rural America home, including the great people of northern California. We have some great healthcare providers, and I would like to thank them for their efforts, especially during the pandemic, to keep everyone safe and healthy. As great as it is to live in our State, we have a severe shortage of physicians, and recruiting new ones has proven to be a challenge. The 12 community health centers and teaching health centers serve over 200,000 patients alone. These medical facilities provide much- needed short-term care but also help train physicians who will plant their roots, hopefully, in underserved areas and be available for their patients long term. Community-based programs with stable funding are sometimes the only way that people in rural areas can get the care they need. Let's hope we can have a stronger push and use National Rural Healthcare Day to spotlight more of this issue.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and legacy of former Redding Police Department Chief of Police Bob Blankenship after his passing late last month at the age of 73. Chief Blankenship started his career at the Redding Police Department in 1972. After being promoted through the Redding PD ranks, he became chief of police in 1988. He retired after 30 years of service in 2002. Chief Blankenship served on the State of California Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission and was president of the California Police Chiefs Association. He was instrumental in developing statewide policies for police response to domestic violence incidents, and he brought the first Neighborhood Policing Unit to the area. Bob was a genuine public servant who cared about the well-being and safety of all his Redding residents. I send my sincerest condolences to his family and all of his colleagues he served with so many years.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, China continues to grow as a threat to freedom and human rights worldwide, and the People's Liberation Army is one of their strongest tools. Unfortunately, large U.S. investment funds are shelling out millions of dollars to Chinese companies that support the PLA. Individuals, banks, and companies should not be putting our financial security at risk in order to inflate their financial portfolios. President Trump has been consistently tough on China and recently issued an executive order banning American investment in these dangerous companies. Similarly, Congressman Banks, Congressman Gallagher, and I introduced the Stop Funding the PLA Act to prohibit American funds from going to entities that support China's growing military presence. Madam Speaker, I urge my House colleagues to join us in making this bill a permanent part of our strategy to hold China accountable. We should stand strong and never support the Chinese Communist Party or any of its entities.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, many in the media or in opposition are calling for President Trump to concede, but just as many are supporting his pursuit of legitimate legal challenges. A lack of transparency in the monitoring and vote counting process has raised flags for many Americans, and if left unchecked, will undermine the faith in our electoral process, an important integrity to all Americans. The President's team has hundreds of sworn affidavits from election workers, postal employees, and election observers everywhere about questionable activities in key States. These workers do not have built-in safety guarantees like members of the Washington swamp. They are regular Americans putting their livelihoods on the line to speak up and protect our elections. After 4 years of scare tactics, of fake impeachment, fraudulent dossiers, and Russia witch hunts, the American people have a right to know that every legal vote has been counted and all illegal votes removed. Americans must have all questions surrounding the outcome of this election answered before we can move forward so we do have election integrity that we can count on.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. One in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Other than skin cancer, this is the most common cancer among American women. Over 42,000 of affected women are expected to die in 2020 in the United States alone. Rates have been declining since 2007, but there is more to be done to make sure they continue to decrease. As our Nation battles COVID-19, many people have delayed their annual doctor's appointments. For women, delayed screening, most of all, can be dangerous if breast cancer goes undiagnosed. Early detection is key for those affected by the disease. As a husband and a father to three girls, raising awareness for breast cancer and encouraging them to be proactive with their health is of the utmost importance.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate a man who was known as a voice in not only Butte County, where he had lived previously, but a voice of mainstream media, he called himself, Bruce Sessions. This was a surprise to me. I just got word of his passing last night. Anybody in Butte County who listens to the radio knows who he is. Bruce spent many years on KRIJ radio, broadcasting from Paradise, California, and then he was a news director at KNVR in Chico. But finally, he was hired, where he really came into his own, on KPAY radio, in 1991, as a talk show host. All those afternoons Bruce hosted the KPAY Liveline. For 10 years, he hosted that show, a 3-hour show each afternoon. And for me, way before I got into the political realm, I was listening to it out in the fields as I drove the tractor and helped plant a crop or harvest a crop or irrigate in between. Bruce was the voice of the Liveline all those afternoons bringing largely conservative radio content to all of us in a several-county area there, and doing it with a lot of fun and doing it with a lot of humor--and a lot of self-deprecation, too. Bruce was quite humorous, but also very pointed and very direct, too. When I finally became an elected official, you would find yourself on the end of: ``Are you doing it right? Are you doing what you said you would do?'' So I appreciate that about him. Before being in Butte County, before moving to Magalia, California, Bruce spent 8 years as a reporter for radio stations down in the Las Vegas area. I can see Bruce fitting in pretty good down in Las Vegas, as well. Bruce Sessions, indeed, was a treasure for our area, and I always enjoyed him at community events and political events, where he would bring that wry humor and his Navy humor, because he did spend many years in the U.S. Navy. One of Bruce's sayings as he signed off was, ``Always keep a zero bubble,'' keep yourself level. So, when Bruce finally retired from doing the talk show host every day for those 3 hours, he backed off a little bit, but decided to still keep his fingers on the pulse, so he would have a twice-daily feature on KPAY radio called ``Tidbits from the B.S. Notebook,'' being his initials. But there you get that wry humor again because that might have a double meaning. Bruce would talk about the news events of the day in that format and just still keep that voice out there, keep that lively way of looking at things for those listeners in Butte County. I always enjoyed Bruce and his commentary and his discussion on the radio. It kind of helped me to understand things about life and about politics, as well, from a guy who had been around the block and was paying attention to a lot of things while I was paying attention to farming. Madam Speaker, I will miss Bruce. I thank him for his service. To his family, to those who go on, we all appreciated Bruce in Butte County, by and large. Maybe not so much on the other side of the political spectrum, but that is okay. We accept Bruce for who he was. But I enjoyed Bruce, and I am grateful to have been a friend and a listener for those many years in Butte County. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to memorialize and remember a friend that I first got to know when I got into the elective office realm. His name is Rod Lindsay, a gentleman from Shasta County. Early on, when I was a brand-new legislator and I didn't know a lot of people in other parts of our vast district that we have in rural northern California, it could be a little intimidating to get out and learn these new places and meet new people. And so for that brand-new legislator, this man here was one that embraced me fairly early on and wanted me to be successful in that interaction that we had. Mr. Rod Lindsay was many things, but during our overlap of time, he was mayor of Shasta Lake and I was a board member of Shasta Lake for several terms. More than that, he was a community leader that everybody knew and gravitated towards. Rod's heritage goes back as a member of the Miwok Nation Tribe in more central California. Northern California is very rich and steeped in Native American culture and history. Rod was one to always help make sure that that culture was part of the proceedings, part of what was going on in our communities for different community events. Rod would lead prayer. Rod would lead dance. Rod would lead in many ways that helped make sure the culture of northern California had diversity. We lost Rod recently, on August 27, after many years of service and many years of leading. I always thought of Rod as kind of everybody's elder, as kind of a Tribal elder for everybody in that Shasta Lake area. Rod did so much to help his community as an elected official, but also as an advocate for education, advocating for children for over 40 years, including as an executive director of a group known as LIFE, which is Local Indians For Education. He served on that until he passed away. Rod was a friend to many, a friend to me, a leader who just cared so much about his community, his friends, his neighbors, his family, and making things right for Tribes in northern California, as well. You don't get many people like this in your lifetime in your path that you cross, but I was proud to have walked that path and common ground with Rod Lindsay. I appreciate the time to be able to commemorate him here and acknowledge him. Indeed, a beautiful ceremony was had for him in his community just a few days ago, with a great outpouring of love and of shared stories and participation by local Tribes in northern California to have that heritage celebrated, as well. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the time that I was able to share with you about him here today. Honoring Bruce Sessions

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, for decades, America's mining industry has suffered at the hands of foreign competition from China. Yesterday, President Trump signed an executive order to expand the domestic mining industry, supporting thousands of American mining jobs and reducing our dependence on China for critical minerals. A domestic mineral supply chain is essential for our national security, because they are used for military, infrastructure, and energy projects. America certainly should not be depending on China for precious materials that are critical to our national defense. This should rest solely in our hands. By streamlining development of critical minerals at home and creating jobs for American workers along the way, this executive order is a win- win. With all the push for renewable energy in this country and electric vehicles, we certainly need to have this supply chain come from our country and not somewhere else. Madam Speaker, I am grateful for President Trump's bold action to continue our economic growth while also taking bold action against a foreign adversary.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to call up H.R. 8265 to extend the Paycheck Protection Program to keep millions of employees on the payroll of America's small businesses.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, the China Task Force uncovered reprehensible behavior from the Chinese Communist Party, and it is time that we hold them accountable. This body has taken action to condemn the gross state-sponsored oppression of the Uyghurs and stood strongly in support of freedom and democracy in Hong Kong. However, the COVID-19 pandemic spotlighted for the American people the growing threat the Chinese Communist Party poses. From the beginning, the CCP has covered up vital medical information, allowing what could have been a local outbreak in Wuhan to turn into the global pandemic that decimated our economy, killed almost a million people worldwide, and weakened the American resolve. Madam Speaker, I commend the China Task Force for their hard work making realistic policy recommendations to help the U.S. stand strong in the face of the growing threat in China.