Barry Moore

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Ciscomani).

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H.R. 3602.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Jordan), my good friend and chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy), my friend from another border State.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs), my friend.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry), my friend.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise).

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

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for closing. We had Sheriff Daniels in the Judiciary Committee a few months ago now, and he said he had never seen the border as secure as it was in 2018 and never as broken as it is today. Our colleagues across the aisle often want to set the building on fire and then fund the fire department. We have solutions to the problem on the southern border. We are not trying to make this a political issue. It is an issue of our time. The American people see it. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 3602, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Madam Speaker, evangelists with Mountain Gateway Ministries have worked across the country doing disaster recovery, providing food, clothing, and planting churches with the support and assistance of the Nicaraguan Government. Americans and their Nicaraguan counterparts associated with Mountain Gateway have made it their mission to spread the hope of the Gospel to the Nicaraguan people for nearly 30 years. In January, the attorney general of the Nicaraguan Government began pursuing charges against 3 U.S. citizens associated with Mountain Gateway and 11 of the Gateway Nicaraguan pastors on trumped-up charges of money laundering and organized crime. Since then, 11 pastors have been charged with up to 15 years in prison and a combined $1 billion in fines. These pastors were working to bless the people of Nicaragua, and now all their personal property has been seized. They have no legal representation, which is a violation of their human rights. These sentences leave families without income, children without mothers and fathers, simply for sharing the good news of Jesus. I am deeply concerned these citizens and pastors are being targeted for sharing their faith. I ask the Nicaraguan Government to release the imprisoned pastors immediately. Matthew 5:10 says: ``Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.'' I am praying for a swift resolution to the persecution of these pastors and that they be safely returned.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, 3,394,053. That is the estimated number of U.S. person queries conducted by the FBI during my first year here in Congress. The number of improper searches by the FBI is in the hundreds of thousands, according to a DOJ audit. We may be voting to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, but the people of Alabama clearly see it is being used to spy on Americans like themselves and President Trump. That is why I voted in the Judiciary markup and will continue to support the Biggs amendment that requires a warrant or a court order before the query of a U.S. person under section 702. We, as Members of Congress, owe it to our constituents to protect their civil liberties. We cannot allow the intelligence community, which recently spent its resources weaponizing against pro-life grandmothers, concerned parents at school boards, Catholics, and Biden's political opponents, to freely spy on American citizens. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to adopt the rule, and I urge the adoption of the warrant amendment.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Auburn University's men's basketball team as the 2024 SEC Tournament champions. It is my honor to congratulate Coach Bruce Pearl, the players, and staff on an outstanding season once again. The Auburn Tigers won their third SEC championship in program history as they fought to the finish line, beating the University of Florida 86-67. As 1 Peter 4:10 says: ``As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.'' Winning this championship is not just about the celebration on the court, but it is a testament to the Tigers' character, dedication, and efforts for Christ. Through the leadership of Coach Pearl, this program has embodied the Auburn creed by believing in a sound mind, a sound body, and a spirit that is not afraid. As they have developed these qualities, they have worked heartily and confidently to achieve their worldly and eternal goals. The Auburn men's basketball team, under the leadership of Coach Bruce Pearl, has set a standard of excellence that will be remembered for years to come, not just in athletics, but in every aspect of life. The State of Alabama is blessed to have men like them, and it is great to be an Auburn Tiger. ``War Eagle.'' Second Chance Month

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, April is Second Chance Month, a time to raise awareness of the challenges people face when attempting to return to life after time behind bars. Securing a steady job, housing, and reintegrating into a community can be tough when you have a criminal record. This is a challenge that more than 70 million Americans face. However, America is built on the principles of God and His grace. It has always been a land of new beginnings and second chances. I am proud Alabama's Second Congressional District is home to J.F. Ingram State Technical College, which helps provide many of these second chances through education. J.F. Ingram State offers 20 technical training programs for incarcerated adults, including automotive repair, construction, cosmetics, and logistics. I can vouch for the extensive training, as I visited last year and got a wonderful haircut. In 2022, they placed nearly 250 formerly incarcerated adults in jobs. Those who participate in these correctional programs through education are 43 percent less likely to recidivate than those who do not. Lamentations 3:21-23 King James version says: ``This, I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness.'' May we all be reminded of God's compassion towards us as we consider supporting those who are committed to rectifying their mistakes. Getting back on track and making meaningful contributions to society can reduce recidivism and make our communities a better place.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, the only thing this CR does is prolong the out-of-control spending of Biden and Pelosi that fuels our 17.9 percent inflation rate. This legislation provides no funding for President Trump's border wall. More than 600,000 illegal alien criminals and 300 on the terrorist watch list have entered our open southern border under Biden, and there is no doubt that American families are in danger. Just this week in Alabama, two illegal aliens were arrested as part of a child trafficking sex ring. Last week in Georgia, a young girl, with a bright future ahead of her, was murdered by an illegal alien. The list of tragedies is growing, and it is past time to do something about it. I signed the Immigration Accountability Project pledge to oppose all government funding until the action is taken to secure our southern border. Instead of kicking the can down the road with another CR, the number one priority of this Congress should be funding Trump's wall and defunding this invasion. We must fund President Trump's wall and defund Biden's backdoor contributions to organizations that are sending illegals to a city near you. It should not take more than one tragedy for our border to become a priority. It is time to finish the Trump wall and protect Americans.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 980, I call up the bill (H.R. 6976) to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that aliens who have been convicted of or who have committed an offense for driving while intoxicated or impaired are inadmissible and deportable, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials on H.R. 6976.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, every 45 minutes: that is how often someone in the United States dies in a crash involving an alcohol-impaired driver. In 2021 alone, there were 13,384 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities. In the same year, drunk driving crashes led to 400,000 injuries. Those crashes don't discriminate. The victim could be me, it could be you, or it could be one of our family members. This issue hits close to home for me. There was a newlywed couple from my hometown of Enterprise, Alabama, named Angel and Jeremy Seay. I knew them personally. Angel and Jeremy were riding a motorcycle together when, out of nowhere, an illegal alien under the influence of alcohol collided into the newlyweds with his pickup. Their lives were cut dramatically short. Sadly, tragedies like this are not uncommon across our country. Consider this case from Missouri. Just 2 months ago, an illegal alien from Honduras was sentenced for driving drunk at 100 miles per hour and killing a man. Now, Mr. Speaker, if you listen to my Democratic colleagues, you may think that drunk driving is no big deal. In fact, at a Judiciary Committee markup in 2021, my Democratic colleagues voted down three Republican amendments that would have made certain aliens ineligible for green cards if they had 1, 2, or even 10 DUI convictions. Despite that, that should come as no surprise. In 2020, then-candidate Joe Biden said that illegal aliens with DUI convictions should be allowed to stay in the United States. Biden asserted that ICE should not arrest aliens with drunk driving convictions because: You only arrest for the purpose of dealing with a felony that is committed, and I don't count drunk driving as a felony. Candidate Biden even called for ICE officers to be fired if they arrested aliens without felony convictions. To President Biden and my Democratic colleagues, today we say: Absolutely not. If you are a guest in this country and you drive drunk, you should be removed from our country, period. Instead of hearing agreement on this from Democrats, today we will hear these farfetched hypotheticals and accusations that this bill is cruel and too broad. Instead of engaging in hypotheticals, let's again revisit the facts: Drunk drivers are involved in 31 percent of all crash deaths in the country. On average, drunk driving has killed nearly 11,000 people in the United States every year from 2012 to 2021. Yet, immigration laws do not explicitly make aliens inadmissible or removable if they drive drunk and recklessly break our laws. H.R. 6976 changes that, and it creates safer streets and safer communities for all of us. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Protect Our Communities From DUIs Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, Democrats want to pretend that this bill is extreme, cruel, and harsh, as if imposing consequences on aliens for breaking our laws is somehow unheard of. Yet, guess who also bar drunk drivers entry into ports? Canada. That is correct. In at least this one particular area, our liberal friends to the north get it right. Of course they do because it just makes sense. Mr. Speaker, if you are a guest in our country, and you drive drunk or impaired, you shouldn't be allowed to stay here as we wait for you to do it again or to kill or seriously injure someone. Mr. Speaker, let's pass H.R. 6976 today and make these sensible changes. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Posey).

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber), a former law enforcement officer and a good friend of ours.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Curtis).

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, in response to my colleagues on the left. First, my colleagues across the aisle say that it is a campaign issue, that we are trying to make this is a campaign issue. It is not. They made it a campaign issue when Joe Biden came in day one and did away with the remain in Mexico policy, when they started this catch and release program, and now they are saying they need more money. It is the executive orders that have created the problem on the U.S. southern border. I have been there a number of times--three times, to be exact--and Sheriff Dannels told us the best he had ever seen the border in 2018 was under Donald Trump. The worst he has ever seen the border was then, and that was before the recent 200,000 people came across last month. To get up here and say that the administration needs more money or that they need some law--no. Biden has every tool in the toolbox to shut the U.S. southern border down, and he has continued to create crises for our communities. This government is so good often at setting the building on fire and then wanting to fund the fire department. We don't need more money. We just need to apply the laws that are on the books and shut this flow down across this border before more and more people get killed and injured in these accidents we are talking about. The Democrats would prefer to engage in these outlandish hypotheticals and make light of driving under the influence rather than protect American communities from dangerous drivers. Again, here are some facts. According to the Mothers Against Drunk Driving: Most drunk driving offenders drive at least 80 times drunk before they are arrested. Additionally, a 2014 article detailed how more than one-third of the individuals who are convicted of driving under the influence are repeat offenders. The Protect our Communities from DUIs Act ensures that aliens who drive drunk can be removed from the United States after their first conviction--not after the tenth, not after they kill or seriously injure a child of yours or mine or a grandchild--instead of spending time on a 50-State survey of DUI laws to formulate some farfetched hypotheticals. I encourage my colleagues to grapple with the consequences of drunk driving and support this commonsense bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize the hard work and legacy of Mr. Marty Lentz. His devoted service of 30 years as a county engineer has made a difference in the life of many Alabamians. Mr. Lentz has served many of those years in my home of Coffee County, where I was born and raised and still live today. The citizens of Coffee County, including myself, are grateful for Mr. Lentz, as he has spent 28 of his 30 years of service enhancing our county. Mr. Lentz has many accomplishments as a county engineer that have helped the community, including being an integral part in the implementation of the County's Rebuild Alabama program. Because of his hard work, roads in Coffee County were repaved to offer better transportation for drivers. These roads would not have been resurfaced without Mr. Lentz' help. Mr. Lentz has also served as a faithful volunteer of the Wiregrass Men of Valor ministry. I would like to congratulate Mr. Marty Lentz on his well-deserved retirement and thank him for his public service.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize constituents of Alabama's Second Congressional District and their participation in the 2023 Farm and Land Exposition hosted in Mobile, Alabama on August 10-13, 2023 by the Alabama Farmers Federation. My constituents, Daniel Free of Elmore County, Sarah Temple of Houston County, Gracie Woodall of Houston County, and Caleb Connor of Montgomery County, participated in the discussion meet competition. Will Kirkland of Henry County and Nathan Parker of Houston County participated in the Excellence in Agriculture competition. While remaining good stewards of their land, these folks have also been gracious neighbors by extending their knowledge and expertise to others. The evident dedication to agricultural production by these young producers and families makes me hopeful for the industry's future. These young farmers have embodied exactly what it means to have a servant's heart while taking care of their land and their communities. 1 Peter 4:10 says, ``As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.'' The Second Congressional District of Alabama is fortunate to have outstanding individuals like them. I would like to recognize these young producers for their participation in this year's young farmer competitions and their dedication to production agriculture in Alabama's Second Congressional District. The farmers and producers in Alabama's Second Congressional District have created a remarkable legacy of feeding and supporting citizens across the great state of Alabama and the Nation.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, last weekend more than 20,000 illegal immigrants crossed the U.S. southern border. President Biden's only solution to historically massive border numbers is to warn migrants not to come and to claim our border is secure. Meanwhile, the cities that migrants end up in are forced to figure out where to house them and how to care for them, and the American taxpayer is footing that bill. So far this year, over $200 million of Chicago's $500 million budget deficit has gone to migrant care costs. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, recently warned citizens that the cost of migrant care could mean cuts to city services due to a financial tsunami. The Governor of Massachusetts has declared a state of emergency due to the onslaught. Leaders in sanctuary cities might have asked for this crisis by offering themselves up, but the American people did not. The United States is nearly $33 trillion in debt. Bidenomics has caused a 17 percent inflation on the American people, and 70 percent of them are now saying they are feeling financially stressed, but Biden still seems to think that taxpayers have millions to spend. Let me say this to the administration: You can either close our border or we will close the government.