Barry Moore

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Madam Speaker, today, I rise to recognize the life of Charles Lamar Adams, who sadly passed away on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, at the age of 96. Mr. Adams was a graduate of Graceville High School and he later attended Auburn University in 1943 for a few weeks before putting his education on hold to bravely enlist in the Navy and serve his country in the Second World War. When he returned from his time in the service, Charles met and married Ms. Nelma Grace from Hartford, Alabama. Together, they were blessed with 3 lovely daughters, 8 beautiful grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren, who now carry on the family legacy. After resuming his education, Charles went on to receive his Associate of Arts degree, a Bachelor's degree, and a Master's degree. Later, Charles continued serving his community by pursuing a career in education--becoming a high school teacher, a high school principal, a college professor, and the Superintendent of Education in Washington County, Florida. Charles continued to teach and remained active in the education system well into his seventies. In total, Charles' career in education spanned 54 years. Charles dedicated his life to serving his community and his country. He was an American hero that touched many of the lives around him as an educator, a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a grandfather, and a great-grandfather. Charles Lamar Adams left a lifelong impression on every student and member of the community that crossed his path. I join his many friends, family members, and the entire Second Congressional District of Alabama in honoring and preserving his legacy of service.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act is bringing fire and rain to the White House and to the American people. Yesterday, Biden and a host of celebrities and politicians, highlighted by a James Taylor serenade, celebrated their Inflation Reduction Act even as the economy cratered in real time. As the President spiked the football on his supposed accomplishment, the Dow tanked nearly 1,300 points and the Consumer Price Index rose to 8.3 percent. President Biden and Speaker Pelosi have taken every opportunity to herald deficit reduction, the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, and what it would provide. But the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office just updated the score on the new law, and it is worse than we thought. The reckless government spending on the Green New Deal policies in this bill will increase our deficit spending through 2026. This means the IRS will need to take an additional $60 billion from middle-class Americans through increased audits to pay for this out-of- control spending. It shouldn't surprise anyone that we are already suffering the negative effects of this spending. But Democrats are basking in the sunshine of their political accomplishment despite the economic storm it brings for the American people. Remember: Democrats aren't just taking more money out of your wallet; they are celebrating it.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Madam Speaker, today, I recognize the life of Agnes Louise Windsor, who sadly passed away on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, at the age of 89. Agnes Louise Windsor impacted thousands of young lives through her time as an educator and local historian of Slocomb, Alabama. She was a tireless volunteer who served on local, county, state, and national boards for service projects during her career, which spanned sixty- eight years. Mrs. Windsor's drive to make a difference in her community led her to dedicating her life to volunteerism and serving others. She has received recognition for her outstanding leadership and tireless efforts in addressing and raising awareness about issues to include hunger, literacy, GED classes, senior concerns and welfare, children's educational issues, political concerns and voter education and registration. Because of her efforts, Mrs. Windsor earned numerous awards and has the gratitude of those she served, her church family, community, and her peers. Her achievements include numerous teacher of the year and volunteerism awards, notably the Volunteer Action Award presented by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, as well as the NAACP Image Award in 2016. Agnes Louise Windsor was an upstanding and respected citizen of Alabama's 2nd District who left lifelong impressions on many students and community members. She will be sorely missed by many friends, family members, and all those she taught.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Madam Speaker, today, I rise to recognize and celebrate the life of Mr. Horace Edwin Crump of Montgomery, Alabama, who sadly passed away on Friday, June 10, 2022. After graduating from Thomas A. Levy High School, Mr. Crump earned a bachelor's degree and an Education Specialist degree from Alabama State University and went on to be an Assistant Professor in Alabama State University's Department of Health and Physical Education. Mr. Crump also served as Alabama State University's head track and field coach and was inducted into the Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame in 2009. Coach Crump worked at Alabama State University beginning in 1977 and coached the Hornets for thirty-one seasons until his retirement in 2008. During those years, he guided his team to fourteen Southwestern Athletic Conference championships with at least one of his teams winning a conference title for six years straight. Coach Crump took the program from what it had been to unthinkable heights. He threw the discus and shot put as a collegian. When he became the Hornets' coach, his goal was to have a balanced team that could score points in the field events and the running events. Coach Crump was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Gertrude Crump; his son, Damian Crump; his sister, Marion Davenport; and his brothers, Charles and Harrison Crump. He leaves behind his beloved wife, Delores Crump; his son, Kenneth Crump; his daughter, Crystal Crump; his stepsons, CV and Rodney Hill; his brother, Donny Crump; and his sister, Yolanda McClinton--along with grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and nieces and nephews. Coach Crump was an upstanding and respected citizen of Alabama's Second Congressional District that left lifelong impressions on his many students and athletes. I am proud to rise in honor of his life, and I am confident that he will be sorely missed by his family, his many friends, and the countless men and women he impacted throughout his lifetime of service.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Madam Speaker, today, I recognize the service of Colonel Michael Breslin. Over 30 years ago, Michael began a long and storied career in the U.S. Army. Michael began his career in 1992, attending flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where he learned to fly the U.S. Military's premier medium lift tactical transport aircraft, the UH-60 Black Hawk. Michael then went on to serve in a myriad of commands starting at Fort Campbell and Fort Bragg, then moving to several locations in Asia and Europe--ultimately becoming the Commander of the 1-214th Aviation Regiment in May 2005, where he served until May 2007. At the conclusion of his service with the 214th Aviation regiment, Michael went on to earn his Master of Business Administration degree from Webster University. Upon completion of his degree, he assumed the position of Directorate of Evaluation and Standardization Operations Officer, where he established Army aviation policy and ensured compliance across all mission sets and components. He also went on to plan and execute four separate team deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan to assist deployed commanders and bring back evolving tactics to follow on units. Immediately following this assignment, he served as the Commander of the 1-228th Aviation Regiment in Central America. In 2012, Michael was assigned to the Pentagon, where he served as the Chief, Current Operations, U.S. Army Aviation G3, and was responsible for the movement of over 1,000 aircraft in and out of numerous combat zones, sequencing all redeployed aircraft to the Reset program while ensuring Commanders were adequately resourced for their mission. While serving in this capacity, Michael simultaneously managed over 300 taskings over the course of his two-year assignment. Michael was subsequently returned home to Alabama, where he served as Director, Army Medical Evacuation Proponency, defining and articulating Aeromedical Evacuation requirements for the entire U.S. Army. He also managed all programmatic efforts to sustain and improve the aeromedical evacuation fleet of over 600 aircraft, and he successfully collaborated with over twenty different entities--centered on the training, organizing and funding of the Army medical evacuation program. Colonel Breslin's final assignment came in 2018 as he took on the title of Assistant Dean of the U.S. Army School of Aviation Medicine. In this position, he oversees fourteen programs of instruction, including 37 staff members and over 2,000 students. After 30 years of military service, Michael began his hard-earned and well-deserved retirement on June 1, 2022. Colonel Breslin represents the best of what this country has to offer. Michael and his family have given so much over the years, and I could not be prouder to pay tribute and honor his decades of selfless, dedicated service to our country.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Madam Speaker, when it comes to the economy, the Biden administration continues to insist that all is well. His press secretary claims the economy is in a better place than it has been historically. Historically? Perhaps she needs to read a history book. Inflation is at a 40-year high in this country. President Biden himself makes the false claim that inflation is worse elsewhere in the world than here. Mr. President, the United States has worse inflation than Germany, France, Japan, Canada, India, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and the list goes on. What is this explanation? The Biden administration blames the pandemic and Putin, but each of those countries has also had to deal with the same problems we have dealt with. Why is their inflation not like ours? Mr. President, the answer is easy: Quit overheating the economy with government spending. Cut red tape and regulations hampering our industries. Let the American people keep more of their hard-earned money. Conservatives once warned against our economy turning into Europe. Unless we change course, Europe will be worried about becoming us.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Madam Speaker, last year alone fentanyl killed more Americans than any weapon of mass destruction in our Nation's history. Fentanyl is now the number one cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. It is not guns. It is not COVID-19. It is not even car accidents. It is fentanyl. CDC numbers show more total drug overdose deaths last year in the U.S. than those killed by the atomic bomb blast that ended World War II. The direct cause of so many American deaths from fentanyl is the Biden administration's surrender on our southern border. In 2021 alone, more than 11,000 pounds of fentanyl was seized at our southern border. So just imagine how much fentanyl got across the border and into our communities. Fentanyl is a drug so deadly poisonous that the Russian military has reportedly weaponized it. Countless families who have lost loved ones to fentanyl deserve better than what we are getting from this administration. That is why I cosponsored Congresswoman Boebert's Fentanyl is a WMD Act, a designation that follows the 2019 proposal from the Trump administration that would enable our government to treat the fentanyl crisis with the urgency that it deserves. We can't turn the other way as the Mexican drug cartels kill thousands of young Americans. We must take the fentanyl threat seriously, and we must secure our border.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, as a Christian and father of four, the issue of abortion is personal to me. I believe an unborn child is a human life, fearfully and wonderfully made and worth protecting. In the last 50 years, scientific advancements have taught us a great deal about the early stages of life. As early as 5 weeks, babies in the womb have a heartbeat. Roe v. Wade is an inherently flawed opinion. Nowhere in our Constitution exists the right to abort a child. Recently, we watched the far left and liberal media attack our Supreme Court Justices after a leaked draft opinion shows that the Court might overturn Roe and give the States the power to decide this issue. Never content to let a crisis go to waste, the Senate Democrats tried to advance a radical and inhumane bill that would guarantee the right to abort a baby up until the moment of birth--until the very moment of birth. Shouldn't a debate like this take place in the States, where citizens will have more input on this important issue? I will continue fighting for the unborn, as well as the radical propaganda coming out of Washington. We must stop extreme attacks and protect the sanctity of life at all costs.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I have been here probably about 16 months now, and I am really getting tired of being right on so many issues in general, just the things we talk about from sort of the right of the political perspective. We warned that if we spent trillions and trillions of dollars on COVID that we would see inflation as a result. Now, the American people are feeling that pain. We warned that if we shut down the Keystone pipeline, and then we had to beg OPEC to increase production, we would see an increase in prices. We continue to see that impact the American families. Today, I am here to yield another warning, and I hope I am wrong on this. I really do. I had an opportunity to go down to the border, and I have been down a couple of times. One of the things that I found very interesting is that people coming to this country are having to deal with the drug cartels. We no longer have operational control of the southern border, no matter what Secretary Mayorkas says. We don't have control of the southern border. What is happening is now we have people coming to this country, and they have a couple of different options, depending on where they are coming from. If you are coming from Mexico, just south of the border, you can pay the drug cartels approximately $4,000 to $5,000. Those prices, I think, are changing gradually. But if you want to come from the triangle nations a little further south, it will cost you about $8,000 to come to America. Syria, the last price I heard was $20,000. This week, we had a sheriff's department in Texas on a random traffic stop that had two Chinese people who they arrested and detained who had paid $80,000 each to come to our country. What do the people do that don't have the money to come to our country? What do they do? What are the policies of Biden's southern border? What do they do? They have a couple of options. One option is they can become drug mules. If you want to pay passage to the drug cartels, you have an option. You can backpack heroin, fentanyl, or cocaine across the U.S. southern border to pay for your passage to the Mexican drug cartels. Now, the thing we need to be reminded of is those drugs are not going to stay in those border towns. We saw that this year. We are losing about one person every 5 minutes to fentanyl overdoses. We are setting a new record level. There were a lot of sad mothers on Mother's Day this past Sunday. I talked to a physician friend of mine in a college town, and she warned me. She said, Barry, we are seeing a lot of young people who see these drugs online. They might think they are getting Xanax, and they are getting something laced with fentanyl. That is one of the warnings that we are issuing here today: The drugs are coming to a town near you. The other thing that this policy of crossing our southern border, this open border policy of the Biden administration, the other thing it is doing is creating human trafficking. We heard a briefing yesterday morning. What happens now is, used to, they would at least separate the child from the mother and do an interview to try to get to the bottom of: Are these people really related, or are these children being trafficked into America? The Border Patrol agents are so overwhelmed right now on our southern border--the text I heard was ``broken arrow,'' I believe was the term. They don't even interview now. We are putting these children on buses. We don't know what cities we are sending them to. I remember asking an admiral at Fort Bliss: Sir, what are we doing with these children? Where are they going? He said: Well, we are shipping them to addresses. My question was: Why don't we send them back to where they came from? Now, these are kids who are 14 to 17 years of age. His response to me was: Well, they don't really have an address where they came from. You are telling me they lived there most of their life, but we are going to send them to a Google address in America? We are creating a crisis in this Nation, and I hope I am wrong, but I am afraid I am not. The drugs are coming to your community as the left wants to defund police. These people are making payments. Most of this money now, the indentured servants and the human traffic, the ones who don't traffic the drugs across in a backpack, they are making installment payments to the cartels south of the border. Most of the money that is being made is being sent south of the border. We have a ton of statistics here, and I don't want to try to go through this, but let me say this: Under this administration, instead of every 30 years, about every 30 to 40 days, we are seeing a new historic event, whether it is inflation, gas prices, the border crisis, or the number of deaths as a result of drug overdoses. Again, I hope I am wrong on this, but let me say this for all of our friends: I hope you will go see the border. I would encourage the President, the Vice President: Please, go see what is going on. We have an invasion on the southern border. We do not have operational control anymore of the southern border. The drug cartels are controlling our southern border, and it is estimated that they are going to make close to $100 billion on just human trafficking across the border alone. That does not count their drug profits. We have a crisis on our southern border, and I will say this: A closed border is a compassionate border.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Madam Speaker, today, I recognize the life of Mr. Horace Milton Taff, who passed away peacefully on April 20, 2022, at his home in Montgomery, Alabama. At a young age, Milton answered his country's call to action and joined the United States Army, where he bravely served throughout World War II and the Korean War. Following his service during World War II, Milton attended Auburn University to study electrical engineering and grew as a leader in the Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) Fraternity. While studying at Auburn, Milton met his future wife, Eloise ``Sis'' Jordan. He soon fell head over heels, and following his graduation with honors in 1951, Milton and Sis were married. Soon after, Milton began his career at the Alabama Power Company, initially working as its lead engineer in Montgomery and later as its Auburn District Manager in 1957. In 1971, Milton was promoted to the position of Montgomery District Manager, overseeing operations in the largest district in the State of Alabama. During his time in Auburn, Milton served as the President of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, the President of the Alabama State Jaycee, the Vice President of the National Jaycee, and the President of the Saugahatchee Country Club. A devout Auburn fan, Milton also faithfully served as the official timekeeper of the Auburn Men's Basketball team for over thirty years. Milton retired from the Alabama Power Company in 1989; however, he remained active in his local community--elected to serve on the Alabama Silver Haired Legislature and the Montgomery County Republican Executive Committee. Milton was also a committed member of the Capital City Kiwanis Club, and he was a legislative volunteer for the Alabama Children's Trust Fund. Due to his extensive record of serving the men, women, and children of Alabama, Milton was later inducted into The Alabama Senior Citizens Hall of Fame. Milton spent much of his retirement with his family at their vacation home on Lake Martin, Alabama. He and his wife Sis enjoyed hosting their friends and family--often taking their children and grandchildren boating on Milton's pontoon boat. Milton was preceded in death by his beloved wife of sixty-six years, Eloise ``Sis'' Jordan Taff; his parents Freeman and Elizabeth Short Taff; his brothers Clarence, Hillary, and Foy Taff; and his beloved granddaughter, Lauren Nicole Taff. He is survived by his seven children: Terry, Jerry, Mickey, Kathy, Joey, Betsy, and Davy; thirteen grandchildren; and four great- grandchildren. Milton's lifetime of service and passion for his community has without a doubt created a lasting legacy for his friends, his family, and the entire state of Alabama. On April 20, 2022, Milton passed away at the age of 95, and he will be sorely missed.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, in the last 15 months, President Biden and House Democrats have dumped trillions of dollars on the struggling economy already weighed down by left-wing overspending. We warned them that if they continued to print money to fund their reckless liberal wish list, inflation would hammer the American people. Now, inflation will cost the average American family an extra $5,000 this year. Folks are traveling less; they are buying less because of Joe Biden. Inflation is crushing the working-class people. Last week, I introduced the Household Income Tax Suspension Act to provide the equivalent of a 6-month Federal income tax holiday for millions of hardworking Americans. Americans want relief. Let's allow them to keep more of their own money instead of weighing down the economy with ineffective stimulus. This is common sense. We need to put more money back into the working people's pockets.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to call up H.R. 471, the PAUSE Act, to protect all Americans from Biden's border crisis.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor an outstanding group of young men from my hometown who represented both their school and state this season. Enterprise Native, Head Coach, and friend, Coach Rhett Harrelson, led his team to their first-ever Wildcat 7A championship win. This team showed dedication and determination this season as they rallied around one another for the final game. To the players, Keion Dunlap, Jordan Hines, Elijah Terry, Tomar Hobdy, Kenneth Mitchell, Jr., Tre Kemmerlin, Mykel Johnson, Eric Winters, Dylan Baldwin, Tristan Agard, Quentin Hayes, Matther Reed, Nick Roberts, Talmadge Sessions, and Reese Dowling, cherish this win and continue to represent the wildcats with the same attitude you showed throughout the season and through long hours of practice. You knew as a team what it meant to get to this point in your basketball career and how to accomplish the goals you set for your team and yourself. Celebrate this win and remember the legacy you are creating as the first team in Enterprise history to win the championship. To assistant coaches and staff Clark Quisenberry, John Wadsworth, and Keith Sesions, I thank them for molding these students into the young men that we see today. I thank them for their dedication to their student-athletes as they worked long hours to teach them not only how to play the game well, but also how to love the sport. I know they will cherish this win and will continue to mentor students for years to come. To the fans, we thank them for always going the extra mile to be at games and always making sure their team was represented throughout the season. As a fellow wildcat, I want to honor this amazing team for all that they have accomplished, and I can't wait to see their legacy continue. May this commemoration forever be preserved.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, President Biden is planning to lift President Trump's successful title 42, a tragic decision that will endanger every American's safety. Recent reporting further exposes the devastating consequences of President Biden's doubling down on his far-left, open-border agenda. Not only will Biden's reversal welcome in countless new illegal immigrants, but Biden wants Americans to pay to vaccinate them. But it gets worse. According to this report, the Biden administration is even considering pulling medical personnel from the Department of Veterans Affairs to assist at the border, taking much-needed medical care away from our veterans, our very own veterans. I ran for office because of our veterans, because they are not receiving the care they have earned. That is why I have asked to serve on the Veterans' Affairs Committee. These reports should outrage every patriotic American, regardless of party, Republican or Democrat. We must never prioritize foreign citizens illegally entering our country over our very own veterans. I was watching this morning, and we see these unaccompanied males coming into our country by the busloads. We have an invasion on our southern border, and our administration, this President's administration, wants to take our veteran care and our healthcare workers to help treat the invading army.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

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

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, it is my great privilege to honor Enterprise High School men's basketball team on winning their first- ever Class 7A championship. As a Wildcat alum, I could not be prouder of these men for their dedication and performance. The players who sweated through countless practices, the coaches who led them, and the faithful Wildcat fans who traveled to support the team should all be proud of this remarkable achievement. Coach Rhett Harrelson, a friend and fellow Enterprise native, and his staff deserve great credit for leading our young men to this championship. Our fans have our sincere appreciation for ensuring that the home games were rowdy and our team always had familiar faces screaming at the away games. As a fellow Wildcat, I want to honor this amazing team for all they have accomplished, and I look forward to watching this program continue to grow.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Madam Speaker, we are in the depths of the Biden energy crisis. On day one of Joe Biden's Presidency, he launched his war on American energy when he killed the Keystone XL pipeline, which could be supplying 830,000 barrels of oil a day from Canada to U.S. refineries. As recently as a few days ago, we imported 600,000 barrels of oil from Russia. During the State of the Union, President Biden claimed he wanted to ``Buy American.'' But regrettably, he did not apply that to our oil or our natural gas. Biden has made it crystal clear that his anti-energy agenda would continue. He also announced that he would once again tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and release 30 million barrels of oil in another desperate attempt to reduce gas prices here at home. The SPR is supposed to be used for national security emergencies and for major weather events, not for Biden to use as a political Hail Mary when his policies fail us. Energy security is national security. Let me say this: Winston Churchill said appeasement is like feeding a crocodile and hoping he eats you last. We must stop appeasing Russia. We must be Churchill in this moment, not Chamberlain.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I rise today to mark the 1-year anniversary of the Biden administration. And what a year it has been. The crisis raging across our Nation because of the incompetency of this administration threaten the lives and livelihoods of countless Americans. On his first day in office, President Biden gave a taste of what was to come by spitefully eliminating President Trump's border policies and stopping the wall, fueling a border crisis that we have not seen in a generation. The drug and human trafficking that we have seen at our porous border reaches every community in our Nation. Untold numbers of American families who have lost loved ones to drugs and violence, those families will be broken forever. But instead of coming after criminals, Biden's Justice Department has focused its crosshairs on engaged parents--moms and dads--and labeling them just because they had concerns about CRT or maybe mask mandates, they are labeled as domestic terrorists and now are charged with hate crimes. Our economy is in shambles. The Biden jobs deficit, the difference between jobs created and those he promised to create as part of his so- called stimulus from March, has swelled to 1.11 million. Historic inflation has surged to the highest level in four decades. Gas and energy prices are at the highest they have been since the Obama-Biden administration. The supply chain crisis has brought any economic recovery to a standstill. Have you been to the grocery store lately? Retailers are facing a 12 percent out-of-stock level on many household staples. Empty shelves are the new norm. And let's not forget the pandemic. President Biden centered his campaign on having a solution for the virus. It is clear now that like every other crisis we face, Biden has no plan. By resorting to harmful and unconstitutional mandates and shutdowns, President Biden is threatening the very liberty that is the foundation of this great American experiment. And then there is Afghanistan, an issue that is very personal to me. What the Biden administration allowed to happen there, leaving so many Americans and allies behind to the Taliban is a historic tragedy. But does Joe Biden seek unity? No. He resorts to smearing over half the American people who disagree with his radical agenda. But that is how this leadership of the Democratic Party in Washington thinks. They believe that the country is theirs to govern as they wish, to force their will on you and me. Well, we have had 1 year of Democratic Party control; and in only 1 year, the Democratic Party has tried to take our country from us. I say it is time we take it back.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, today the latest Consumer Price Index numbers were revealed, confirming what Americans buying gas, groceries, and other necessities already know. Over the past year, the CPI increased an astonishing 7 percent. That is the highest inflation rate we have seen in four decades. The last time we saw inflation like this, the University of Georgia football program had already begun its historic 40-plus-year championship drought that ended this week. This catastrophe could have been avoided, could have been headed off. But last July, despite economists insisting it was a fantasy, the Biden administration brushed off inflation concerns as just a transitory inconvenience. Of course, Biden--or at least his string-pullers--knew better, but he did not want the daunting economic realities facing American families to get in the way of this massive socialist tax-and-spend agenda. You don't need an economics degree to know that trillions more in government spending will drive up inflation. Unfortunately, that is exactly what we are seeing. If the Biden administration and the House Democrats get their way and pass this harmful Build Back Better scheme with trillions more in spending, inflation will soar like never before. Americans are suffering. We must defeat the Democratic agenda, restore fiscal sanity, and take meaningful steps to combat the record inflation crushing American families and businesses.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of my amendment to replace the underlying bill with the text of my bill, H.R. 2047. This amendment would provide additional eligibility for members of the National Guard who are called up on Federal Active-Duty orders for service other than for training. As a former member of the National Guard, I know all too well the challenges that they face. The National Guard has transitioned in recent years from a reserve force for domestic missions to a full-time force operating around the globe. My amendment would remove the Presidential declaration requirement that has restricted benefits for so many members of the National Guard in the past. It would make it so that members of the National Guard would receive eligibility for the time spent under any Federal Active- Duty orders that are not for training. This would provide eligibility for Federal benefits to those who support COVID-19 relief, respond to natural disasters, and protect our southern border. I agree with Chairman Levin that we must take a hard look at duty status reform and the expansion of benefits afforded to the National Guard and the Reserve component while operating under Federal Active- Duty orders. My amendment would make it clear that if you are called up on Federal orders for something other than training, you should receive eligibility for GI Bill benefits. However, I am concerned that the expansion proposed in his bill is a little too broad. We should allow the DOD to complete their efforts to better align benefits to certain duty statuses before we move forward with such a broad expansion. I think General Bergman hit on that point today, that we need to give them time to work through the process. An expansion of every day in uniform could cost over $2 billion over the next 10 years in mandatory benefits, where my expansion is only $16 million. We talked about inflation in the hearing today. We have seen the highest increase in 40 years. I think we need to try to get a handle on this kind of runaway spending. I think my approach is more surgical, if you will. It allows the benefits to our Guard and servicemembers without just painting a broad brush for everyone in uniform. My amendment ensures that members of the National Guard that are called to action receive access to educational programs, like all other veterans, while doing so in a fiscally responsible manner. Finally, I would like to thank Ranking Member Bost and all his staff for their support on this amendment. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost), the ranking member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

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

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss an important issue in Alabama and across the Nation. Chronic wasting disease is a neurological disease that affects deer, moose, and elk, and it is 100 percent fatal. Unfortunately, there is no known cure. CWD could absolutely devastate deer hunting in Alabama and the revenue it brings in each year. I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 5608, the Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act, which passed the House of Representatives last month. This bill will help research and prevent chronic wasting disease from spreading further, protecting Alabama's deer herds, outdoor economy, and traditions. Last week, the first case of CWD was reported in Alabama. While there is currently only one case, it is important that we do what we can to prevent this terrible disease from spreading even further. I am hopeful the Senate will answer the call and take up this legislation so important to Alabama and our Nation. I will do whatever I can in Washington to help prevent CWD from taking hold in Alabama.

Mr. MOORE of Alabama

Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Madam Speaker, today I would like to bring to your attention Operation Iron Ruck, an event led by the University of Alabama and Auburn University's Student Veteran Associations to raise awareness of the critical issue of veteran suicide. Operation Iron Ruck is held every year ahead of the Iron Bowl, the classic football game where the Auburn University Tigers face off against the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. Unfortunately, each day, twenty-two veterans and active-duty service members take their lives. To raise awareness of this tragedy, Operation Iron Ruck participants hike 151 miles from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, all the way to Auburn. Participants carry twenty-two pounds of gear to represent each of those fallen warfighters. Once at Auburn, the items inside the rucks are then donated to Alabama State Veteran homes and to Three Hots and A Cot, a nonprofit organization committed to securing housing for veterans in need. Additionally, over $5,000 was raised this year to further support these organizations and other support groups, such as Mission 22 and the student veterans' associations of both universities. Madam Speaker, we owe it to every American who has ever worn a uniform in military service of our great nation to honor their sacrifices and ensure that they never face a scenario where they falsely believe their last option is to tragically take their own life. As a country, may we renew our dedication to these men and women and care for those who have put their own lives on the line for our liberty and safety. Let this commemoration forever be preserved in the Congressional Record of the United States, and may the world never forget the sacrifices of these brave men and women.