Troy Nehls

Mr. NEHLS

Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th birthday of my constituent Pauline Pearson of Richmond, Texas. Being a pioneer resident of the Pecan Grove area for 28 years, it is my honor to wish her a Happy Birthday on this momentous milestone. She was born a twin sister in Rosebud, North Dakota, and has lived a life worthy of many memories. Having grown up working on a family farm and studying in a one room prairie schoolhouse in North Dakota, her story is truly one of the great American frontier. She was the proud wife to her husband, Robert, and a dear mother to her daughter, Sharon. They traveled across the country for work in California, and eventually moved to the Great State of Texas in 1996. She has brought joy and happiness to everyone who has crossed paths with, and her life story is a testament to her strength, wisdom, and resilience. I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Ms. Pearson on behalf of the people of the great state of Texas. Happy 100th Birthday to Pauline. May God continue to bless her and her family with abundant health, unending happiness, and boundless love.

Mr. NEHLS

Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor a great American hero, Clarence Eugene Sasser, who passed away on May 13, 2024, in Sugar Land, Texas, at 76 years old. While serving in the United States Army as a medic during the Vietnam war, then-Private First Class Sasser selflessly sprang into action to administer medical aid to his unit after they came under heavy fire from three different locations. Despite having incurred wounds and loss of a tremendous amount of blood, Private First Class Sasser dragged himself through the mud to tend to his wounded soldiers on an open rice paddy. As a result of his extraordinary heroism displayed that day, President Nixon presented Specialist 5th Class Clarence Eugene Sasser with the Medal of Honor, which is our Nation's highest and most prestigious military decoration. This week, we not only lost a selfless hero but a father, a public servant, and a very proud Texan. I have had the distinct honor and privilege to have represented Mr. Sasser in Congress. Specialist 5th Class Clarence Eugene Sasser is an inspiration for all of us and embodies the very best of our great Nation. May Specialist 5th Class Clarence Eugene Sasser rest in peace, and may his bravery continue to inspire future generations to come.

Mr. NEHLS

Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of Mr. Higgins' amendment before us today which seeks to address some of the concerns several law enforcement groups have with this legislation. As someone who has served in law enforcement for nearly 30 years, I understand the concerns our brave men and women in blue have with this bill. Now, more than ever, we must uphold law and order in our society and also ensure the Fourth Amendment rights of the American people are protected. That is why this amendment is so important. It clarifies data exceptions for public content, public records, background checks, and license plate readers in order to help preserve some of the tools law enforcement currently uses. I will give you an example. A kid threatens to shoot up a school on Facebook. A data collector is scanning social media for posts like this and sends it to local law enforcement. The police would be able to use this information gathered from social media under this amendment because it is public user-generated information. The same applies to police records, property deeds, and other public records. We want to make crystal clear these records will remain available for our law enforcement community to use in their investigations while also preventing unreasonable search and seizure by the government. As a former sheriff, I will always back the blue and always uphold the Constitution and the rights of citizens therein. I believe this amendment allows us to do both. Mr. Chair, I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote ``yes.''

Mr. NEHLS

Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Speaker, we are in unchartered waters. The swamp water is very murky and it is deep, and you try to navigate those treacherous waters. Every once in a while you try to find that safe lily pad to land on, but for George Santos there doesn't appear to be a safe lily pad. The United States' House of Representatives is attempting to expel a Member of Congress who has not been convicted of a crime. In the history of our country, Mr. Speaker, only five Members have been expelled from Congress. In 1861, John Clark, John Reid, and Henry Burnett were expelled on the grounds of treason for supporting the Confederate rebellion. In 1980, Michael Myers was convicted of bribery involving an FBI sting that led to the convictions of seven Members of Congress. Six Members resigned, and Myers was expelled on a vote of 376-30. Then in 2002, James Traficant was convicted on 10 counts, including bribery, conspiracy to defraud the United States, corruption, and obstruction of justice. All five of these men had one thing in common: They were all convicted under Federal law and then rightfully expelled from Congress. Kicking out Mr. Santos is setting a very dangerous precedent. Never before has Congress expelled a Member based on indictments. Indictments require nothing more than probable cause. An indictment is not a conviction. Then why today would we remove a Member from this House based on an indictment? It has never been done before. It shouldn't happen today. In this country, I thought everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. I do not and have not and will not support the removal of Representative Santos, and I encourage my colleagues to agree.

Mr. NEHLS

Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Speaker, my amendment prohibits the National Park Service from placing any limitation on the number of air tours at our Nation's parks. There are over 45,000 commercial scenic air tours over our national parks every year. These air tour operators provide that breathtaking experience for visitors that should remain, if not even increase. I have been following this issue for quite some time now, and I don't think people really fully understand what is going on here. Two decades ago, Congress passed the National Park Air Tourism Act which required the National Park Service and the Federal Aviation Administration to work together to develop air tourism management plans for any park that had 50 or more annual air tours over its landscape. After 20 years of bickering and bureaucratic incompetence, jurisdictional fights between Federal agencies, and the actions of what we would see in a kindergarten, neither the National Park Service nor the FAA had completed their congressional mandate. An effort was spearheaded by radical environmentalists whose sole goal is to end air tours because they think noise ruins the experience of visitors and the animals who live there. As a result of these efforts, in 2019, a court ordered that any park hosting 50 or more sightseeing air tours a year develop a management plan by August 2022. Twenty-four parks are named in the resulting court order, and some of these parks developed plans that will drastically reduce the number of air tours or outright ban them. This is completely nuts. Did they depose an elk or a moose or a trout and find that these air tours offend them? Give me a break. These air tours are not reserved for the millionaire and billionaire class, as some of my colleagues like to pretend. They are utilized by families, the disabled, the elderly, and middle-class Americans. I will also point out that the level of noise from our air tours is decreasing every year with technological advances and investments from our air tour operators, not to mention many of the flights fly at an altitude that people on the ground wouldn't even notice. If there are any Democratic staffers or Members listening to this right now, I would like them to answer this question. We hear a lot of talk about fairness, equity, and civil rights, but if we reduce or phase out air tours, then what is your plan for the disabled or the elderly? How are they supposed to traverse these landscapes? Where is the fairness there? Air tour operators offer a crucial alternative for individuals who cannot easily walk the often treacherous terrain of our national parks. I understand some of these more radical environmentalists believe these flights disrupt the natural landscape and experience because of noise, but what about the families that have children who are disabled or those who want grandma and grandpa to participate in that family vacation? Who is advocating for them? Where is the sympathy for them? And who the hell are we to deny them that experience? Let's do the right thing and save our air tours and ensure access for our elderly and the disabled by supporting my amendment. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar).

Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Chair, I couldn't agree more with my colleague from Arizona. The only ones against this, it appears, are the environmentalists because I haven't talked to a moose or an elk or a trout that has found these tours offensive. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NEHLS

Mr. NEHLS. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. NEHLS. Madam Chair, my amendment would simply prohibit funds to be used for the shooting of cattle in the Gila National Forest or any other national forest. Folks, let me tell you why this issue is so important. I am offering this amendment to ensure that the voices of the concerned residents of New Mexico and cattle grazers across the country are heard. The Forest Service has been using your hard-earned taxpayer dollars to issue and execute aerial kill orders for feral cattle in the Gila National Forest due to environmental concerns. The Forest Service defines feral cattle as cattle without brands, ear tags, or other signs of ownership. However, it is oftentimes difficult to tell the difference between a feral cow and a non-feral cow. My staff and I tried it. We couldn't tell the difference. Even if the cows are feral, under New Mexico State law, feral cows are the property of the New Mexico Livestock Board, which opposed the actions taken by the Forest Service to shoot these cattle in the first place. Cattle grazers are rightfully concerned that their own branded cattle could have ventured into the area in question due to fences being burned down by wildfires or damaged from an unusually strong monsoon season. The area in question in the Gila National Forest comprises over 500,000 acres, and only 19 of the estimated 50 to 250 feral cattle were killed. After the aerial shooting of cattle takes place with high-powered rifles, the Forest Service leaves the cattle carcasses to decompose without removal. They don't care. The Forest Service is clearly appeasing radical environmentalists and is not taking in the concerns of local landowners and cattle grazers. Even New Mexico Governor Grisham, the very liberal Governor, said that the Federal Government needed to do a better job of listening to residents about this issue. To my colleagues in Congress: Whether it is local landowners, cattle grazers, the New Mexico Livestock Board, the New Mexico Farm Bureau, or Grant County cattle growers, they have all voiced their support for my amendment. To my colleagues on the left: Even prominent animal rights organizations, such as Animal Wellness Action, the Animal Wellness Foundation, and the Center for Humane Economy have all come out in support of my amendment. With that, I believe I should be able to sit down. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NEHLS. Madam Chair, I don't believe I have to say anymore. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NEHLS. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. NEHLS. Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of my amendment before us today, which would prohibit funds for the EPA's Clean School Bus Program. Let's get right to it, folks. Every Member of Congress and their staff searching for a pay-for, here it is. Cite this worthless program. There is no need for the American taxpayer to continue to foot the bill for activities like this. This program provides $5 billion, with a b, over 5 years to replace existing schoolbuses with zero-emission and low-emission models. While everybody knows that schools are failing our students, the Biden administration would rather facilitate the transition of schoolbus fleets to zero-emission, low-emission, and electric bus alternatives when we have perfectly capable buses now that work every day. A majority of eighth graders in our Nation are at basic and below proficiency levels when it comes to math and reading, yet we are focused on electrifying our bus fleets. Help me make that make sense. With limited government funds and a national debt out of control, pet projects for this radical environmental ideology are not functional and has no place in a Republican-controlled House of Representatives. Furthermore, EPA's top watchdog also said that he is not confident in the way the Agency has been handing out billions of dollars under this new program. He said: ``We have seen this before: the equation of an unprepared agency dispensing an unprecedented amount of money times a large number of struggling recipients equals a high risk of fraud, waste and abuse.'' I urge my colleagues to support my amendment to prohibit funds for EPA's so-called Clean School Bus Program and to prioritize the most immediate needs of the American people. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NEHLS. Madam Chair, buses are a mode of transportation to get our prized possessions to the school. Now, my colleague mentioned about the kids talking with the bus driver saying, How far can the bus get? They are trying to do some math. I would probably figure the kid probably doesn't even know the math, because our schools are failing, so the point is it is prioritizing the need. We have to help educate our kids. The school system is failing. They are failing in States across our country, mostly in these very, very large cities run by liberals, mayors and city councils, so let's get our priorities straight and let's help the kids and not worry about the mode of transportation we have to get them there. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NEHLS

Mr. NEHLS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Beth Pelz, a criminal justice professor at the University of Houston-Downtown. For over 30 years she helped countless criminal justice students and her community, and now she is enjoying a well-deserved retirement. Throughout her career she helped students access scholarship funds to pursue higher education, with some of those funds extending to the University of Houston-Downtown Police Academy. She also established the Robert S. Brown Memorial Scholarship fund to help criminal justice students. Dr. Pelz helped and assisted law enforcement in both Houston County and Harris County, related to street and prison gang issues. She is an expert. In fact, Dr. Pelz played a very important role as one of my professors while I attended the school for my master's degree. Dr. Pelz helped shape and mold countless public servants and law enforcement officers throughout her dedicated career. I thank her for mentoring me and helping prepare me to serve my community during my time as the sheriff of Fort Bend County, Texas. Madam Speaker, I wish her the most well-deserved retirement after her tireless dedication to every student at the University of Houston, and those she helped in the community. Beth, you truly mean the world to me. I love you.

Mr. NEHLS

Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Chair, my amendment would prohibit funds for the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at the Department of Homeland Security. Under Joe Biden, the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at the Department of Homeland Security, also known as CRCL, has become a corrupt, woke, and anti-ICE component of DHS. The CRCL is responsible for advancing equity at the DHS. As part of this principle, DHS created its first-ever equity task force in 2021. One of the task force's so-called accomplishments was reversing the public charge. I call it public disaster. President Donald J. Trump rightfully defined ``public charge'' as an immigrant who receives one or more designated public benefits for more than 12 months within a 36-month period. He rightfully included food stamps, housing vouchers, and Medicaid as benefits that would disqualify an immigrant from receiving a green card. Trump's rule protected the American taxpayer and put Americans first. Joe Biden and his woke CRCL continue to put Americans last. Under Joe Biden, through the CRCL, his administration has made it easier for illegal aliens to receive Federal benefits at the expense of hard-earned tax dollars. The CRCL said President Trump's rule ``had a chilling effect on immigrants of color and individuals with disabilities with respect to their willingness to seek any form of assistance from the Federal Government.'' This decision, folks, had nothing to do with skin color or disabilities. It is clear that DHS's Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties is catering to these immigrants in an attempt to get their votes. To me, it is criminal. Perhaps even more troubling, bureaucrats at the CRCL have deep ties to the abolish ICE movement, which seeks to stop deportation of illegal aliens. In fact, CRCL chief Shoba Wadhia has led the charge with pro- open border and anti-enforcement activities for years. She even advocated to take away funds from ICE and CBP. Prior to joining CRCL, she also suggested that even the most violent illegal alien felons should not be deported. Let me say that again. The chief of CRCL at DHS doesn't believe that violent illegal aliens, felons, should be deported. Tell me how that makes sense. Let me be clear. Someone who immigrates illegally is an illegal alien. Ms. Wadhia advocates against using the term ``illegal immigrant'' and suggests using the term ``noncitizens'' or ``migrants'' instead. Ms. Wadhia has no business leading this office. Other CRCL policy advisers have also directly supported the abolish ICE movement or worked with other organizations that have. These people are not concerned with defending our homeland. I remind my colleagues on the left that DHS has a vital mission to ensure a safe, secure, and prosperous homeland. It is abundantly clear that the DHS Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties is doing the exact opposite. We must defund this woke, corrupt, anti-ICE office within the DHS. Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk as the designee of Mr. Norman.

Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Chair, my amendment reduces the salary of Jonathan Davidson, the chief of staff of the Department of Homeland Security, to $1. His salary last year was $158,500. With his new role, it will be at least $180,000. $180,000 for this guy, and he does nothing. In a short stint in his role, he has completely failed in upholding his mission, a complete dereliction of duty under his leadership at DHS with the invasion that is currently happening at our southern border. Just in his first month on the job, there were over 232,000 enforcement encounters at the southwest border. This is a 36.5 percent increase in traffic. Mr. Chair, 101,000 single individuals, with the majority of these persons being military-age males, were encountered at our border just in the month of August. This isn't effective leadership, and we need to hold DHS officials accountable. This guy needs to be unemployed. We have written DHS 15 times this Congress to conduct oversight over the board. Again, we request documents and information to understand the Biden administration's plans, if any. We never get anything. My point is this: This guy's salary needs to be reduced to $1 because that is all he is worth. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NEHLS

Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Chair, let me start by saying, I commend Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Larsen, and Ranking Member Cohen on a very successful bipartisan FAA reauthorization bill. One of the issues that I feel very adamant about is addressing the pilot shortage, which is crippling the air industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it is projected that 14,500 pilots will be needed every year through the year 2030. Some other outlets have estimated the number to be even higher. For this reason, I am proud to cosponsor the Pre-Pilot Pathway Act by my friend Byron Donalds. This commonsense amendment requires the Secretary of Transportation to establish a voluntary apprenticeship program at Part 141 flight schools around the country. More importantly, this program incentivizes retired pilots, those who are often the most experienced--the guys with the gray hair around the temple--to remain involved in the industry and train the next generation of pilots. Mr. Chair, I support the amendment, and I urge adoption as one of the critical ways to support our pilots and alleviate the pilot shortage.

Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Chair, every person should have an opportunity to view and experience our amazing national parks, whether it is Mount Rushmore, whether it is select areas in Hawaii, or whether it is the Grand Canyon. I can't remember the last time somebody in this room or anybody has ever tried to walk it, if you have ever tried to walk it. I bet you there are people up in this gallery who have been to Las Vegas before, and they see these beautiful helicopters that give you an opportunity to view the beautiful Grand Canyon, that big hole in the ground. You can do it, and you can do it safely and effectively through a helicopter. The ranking member just mentioned that it supports the privileged few. I would argue that for the disabled and elderly, how else are they going to get there? That is not the privileged few. It is right for grandma and grandpa that may want to go and view the Grand Canyon or Mount Rushmore. It makes no sense what we are trying to do here. Air tours are often the only way that disabled and elderly are allowed to see our national parks. It is regulated by the FAA, and these operators have a great safety record. Unfortunately, the Biden administration is attempting to limit the number of air tours at a number of our national parks, all at the request--go figure, no surprise--all at the request of certain environmental stakeholders. This is irresponsible. It is un-American. Also, air tour operators oftentimes, in the off-season--don't forget what they do in the off-season--partner with Federal, State, and local governments to help fight wildfires. They are great Americans. We need to continue to support them. I ask my colleagues to support Representative Gosar's amendment.

Mr. NEHLS

Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S.J. Res. 11, which nullifies the Biden administration's heavy-duty vehicle emissions rule. I am proud to have led this effort in the House, and I commend my colleagues in the Senate for swiftly passing this important legislation. The joint resolution before us today would overturn the EPA's aggressive heavy-duty vehicle emissions final rule, which provides 80 percent more stringent regulations than current standards and unfairly targets our trucking industry. By imposing these new emissions reduction requirements for vehicle models that are made in 2027 and beyond, it will significantly increase the cost of heavy-duty vehicles. Whether you own an F-250 or a semitruck, this new regulation will directly affect you. According to the EPA, it is projected to cost between $2,500 and $8,300 per vehicle to adhere to this new final rule. Other estimates, such as the one from the American Truck Dealers Association, stated it is closer to $42,000 per truck. Mr. Speaker, let me be crystal clear today. Woke bureaucrats in Washington are on a climate justice crusade, using the heavy hand of government to go after the trucking industry that keeps America moving. In the last three decades, we have made significant strides in the right direction to decrease emissions and increase efficiency. Today's new trucks have reduced nitrogen oxide emissions by more than 98 percent since the 1990s. The EPA's final rule is also ineffective, given that it incentivizes older and higher emitting trucks to operate longer due to the expensive technology required for compliant vehicles. This is unacceptable and yet another blatant example of burdensome government regulation. Simply put, the EPA has failed to address legitimate concerns for the trucking industry. However, the EPA unilaterally imposes this detrimental rule, which could lead to a litany of further supply chain disruptions across the country, hit the smaller mom-and-pop trucking companies the hardest, and pass along increased costs to the American consumer. Amidst record-high inflation and supply chain challenges, more expensive freight costs and fewer truckers on the road will only further perpetuate this problem. This is exactly why it is imperative that the House pass this joint resolution to nullify this burdensome regulation. I thank OOIDA, Senator Fischer, and the trucking industry for being front and center on this issue. I proudly support our truckers, our small businesses, and progrowth policies to keep our economy strong. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this joint resolution.