Ralph Norman

Mr. NORMAN

Mr. NORMAN. Madam Chair, my amendment would prohibit funding for policies that advance the Biden administration's radical DEI agenda, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Specifically, my amendment would prohibit the use of funds for the Department of Energy's Office of Scientific Workforce Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This office's mission is to promote diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces. Now, even science must bow to equity and inclusion. Science should be rooted in fact and research, not wokeism. We have seen what happens when DOE prioritizes diversity and inclusion over all else. It results in hiring nonbinary nuclear officials like Sam Brinton, who uses they/them pronouns to address his cohorts. It is time to be serious. We cannot waste taxpayer dollars funding an office of science whose sole purpose is to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion over science. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NORMAN. Madam Chair, I think my good friends on the left don't realize the cost of DEI is borne by the businesses in this country now more than ever when they are paying double and triple for gas and have supply chain shortages, interest rates at a 40-year high, and inflation that we have never seen the likes of. We have seen what DEI does in the military. The military is down 25 to 30 percent. If you want a definition, define for me the pronouns ``they'' and ``them.'' If you are referring to your fellow coworkers as ``they'' and ``them,'' does that make sense? No, that is the stupidest, craziest idea to even entertain. People are trying to put food on the table, trying to protect their loved ones, and you are really promoting this with a price tag? You all ought to be ashamed of yourselves for doing this at a time when America is struggling like never before. It has a price tag to it, and to even have to discuss this is really unbelievable in today's world. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. NORMAN. Madam Chair, this is my amendment, which is similar to what we talked about before on the DEI lunacy. My amendment would prohibit funds from being used by the Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases. The interagency working group was originally convened by the Obama administration before being disbanded by the Trump administration and reimposed through Biden's radical climate Executive Order No. 13990. Democrats use the social cost of greenhouse gas metrics to justify sweeping climate policies and strict regulations. I will add that President Biden, when asked what the main concerns and threats for America are, mentioned climate change. We have people being blown up over in Israel, and his focus is climate change. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment and ensure we don't waste valuable tax dollars and resources to fund the Biden administration's radical climate agenda. The other thing I would add is we have to, for dollars that are just vaguely named in these bills, see where the money actually goes. I think America would be astounded. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NORMAN. Madam Chair, I am glad the gentlewoman mentioned forest fires. If you talk to any forester, this is something we could have a direct impact on. Do you know how much thatch is causing a lot of these fires? Thatch, in a lot of cases, is this high, and the environmentalists won't let them cut some dead trees and won't let them take the thatch out. How stupid is that? It defies logic. You mentioned the oceans. Try to explain to anybody in this country how man is going to control the oceans. We are all for clean water and clean air, but the price tag that is put on these programs that are paying some bureaucrat to give his opinion is, again, lunacy at its highest at a time in this country when Americans cannot afford it. I promise in your district, if you talk to your constituents and put the price tag on it, I think they would have a different opinion than your President saying that climate change is the biggest existential threat in this country. There are far greater things than that. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NORMAN. Madam Speaker, this is similar to the other amendments we have been talking about. This particular amendment, 49, prohibits the use of funds for the consideration of the social cost of greenhouse gases in the development and implementation of budgets, Federal procurement processes, or environmental reviews. I don't know how you calculate that, but the dollars are going toward it. President Biden is directing agencies to consider the social cost of greenhouse gases in the development and implementation of budgets in the Federal procurement process. Democrats use the social cost of greenhouse gas metrics to justify funding sweeping climate policies and strict regulations. Where is it legitimately going to? To my good friends on the left, if it were coming out of your paycheck, I think you would probably have a different opinion of where the money should be used. This is, again, similar to what we have been talking about. It is similar to what we face in the Financial Services Committee where groups are demanding banks, banks that loan money, fill out 500-page reports on the carbon imprint that banks have. How stupid is that? Again, this is down the same lines we have talked about. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NORMAN. Madam Chair, I wish during a lot of the hearings I have been to and the advocates for us humans controlling the climate and those like Al Gore who says, ``the oceans are boiling''--he literally said that--it fits right in line with this radical agenda that America can't afford now. I urge support of my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NORMAN. Madam Chair, my amendment is similar to the others that I have proposed. It prohibits funding for the American Climate Corps that the Biden administration recently established through an executive order. Thank God it is not binding after his administration is gone. The Biden administration describes the American Climate Corps as a workforce training and service initiative for careers in the clean energy and climate reliance economy. The corps will focus on equity and environmental justice. Instead of funding Democrats woke climate agenda, why don't you focus on a pro-growth agenda that spurs the economy and prioritizes American energy independence? Imagine if this administration reversed course and instead of buying it from OPEC countries that hate America, maybe buying it from our country where we have a 100-year supply, if not more, and become energy independent. I am in the construction business. I haven't seen too many trucks that operate on batteries. When I get on a plane, I don't see too many airplanes flying on batteries or solar panels, much less the batteries that are made predominantly in China, which is a country that doesn't like us. I urge passage of my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NORMAN. Madam Chair, to my friends on the other side of the aisle, I agree with you. The people that joined the corps, they are well-meaning people. They work. They build trails, as you mentioned. They fix houses up. Their motives are pure, or they wouldn't do that. It requires physical labor. I have met them on-site. What this does has nothing to do with the good that they do. It just burdens them. In America, we have become the country we were in the past not by guaranteeing equal outcomes but by guaranteeing equal opportunity. What I want to do is grant the opportunity for people to join the American Climate Corps to reach their highest potential. It is not putting the money or making them fill out some crazy form like the banks are having to do. For those who have been in the private sector, they would be with us at every level to stop this kind of rampant spending of our tax dollars. I urge support of this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. NORMAN. Madam Chair, my amendment cuts the salary of the Secretary of the Department of Energy, Jennifer Granholm, to $1. The job that she has done is far below standard by any measure. She testified and promoted a company in Greenville--my State, not in my district but my State--that she was a former board member on and requested funds from the American taxpayer. I have learned now with bureaucrats who make wrong decisions, the only way you deal with them is to cut their salary. I recommend that her salary be cut to a dollar. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NORMAN. Madam Chair, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. James), my good friend.

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

Mr. NORMAN

Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the rich history and 150th anniversary of Grace United Methodist Church in Union County--a testament to the enduring spirit of the faith and community among all its members. Early Methodism found its roots in Union County thanks to the tireless efforts of the renowned Methodist missionary, Francis Asbury, who visited Union County between 1788 and 1802. By 1826, a ``new'' Methodist church had already been established on North Enterprise Street. Regrettably, it was eventually demolished in 1893 to make way for the Union Cotton Mill facilities. In 1871, the dream of constructing a stone church was realized, largely due to the generous donation of granite by Benjamin Dudley Culp. The church was fittingly renamed ``Grace'' in honor of this contribution. Colonel John L. Young, a dedicated church member, businessman, and builder of the Union and Spartanburg Railroad, oversaw the construction. By 1873, the church had taken its current form. In 1919, further expansion and renovation work transformed Grace United Methodist Church into its present appearance. The center tower on the front was removed, and the belfry tower was raised and given a lower roof. On the right side of the sanctuary, a new section of pews was added, complete with a full basement and rooms on the main floor for a parlor, choir room, and Sunday school classes. The architectural integration of these changes was so skillful that the addition became virtually seamless. A significant milestone was achieved in 1968 when a new Casavant organ, boasting twenty-one stops, twenty-eight ranks, and 1,476 pipes, was dedicated to the church. The stained-glass windows in the church add to its beauty and significance. Four unique windows on the left side of the nave are particularly meaningful. The first window features a crown and cross, symbolizing celestial light. The second window displays an anchor, representing hope and fundamental truth. The third window showcases tablets with the Ten Commandments, a reminder of moral laws. The fourth, known as the Holy Bible window, depicts an open book, symbolizing accessibility to all and honoring the memory of Mary Elizabeth Greer, made by her sister, Cornelia Greer Walker. As I reflect on the history of Grace United Methodist Church, I want to recognize the profound impact it has had on the spiritual and social fabric of Union County. Grace United Methodist Church stands as a timeless testament to the enduring power of faith, community, and the unwavering dedication of its members. May it continue to inspire and uplift the hearts of those who gather within its hallowed walls for generations to come.

Mr. NORMAN

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

Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Chair, what my amendment does is it eliminates funding to the tune of $470 million for ARPA-E, Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy; $470 million. What this Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy is designed to fund are high-risk, high-reward projects in which the private sector would never invest in. Since it is taxpayers' money, what this proposed amendment does is to cut funding because it doesn't do the job that the dollars that they expended it to. The problem is that ARPA-E does not always seem to follow its own guidelines. The Federal Government has awarded several ARPA-E grants to companies and projects that are neither high risk nor something that private industry cannot support. In other words, they don't need the crutch. These problems with ARPA-E were identified by the GAO, the Department of Energy Office of Inspector General, and the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. Of the 44 small- and medium-sized companies that received an ARPA award, the GAO found that 18 had previously received private-sector investments for similar technology. It is a duplicate. The GAO found that 12 of those 18 companies plan to use ARPA-E funding to either advance or accelerate prior funded projects. I am in the real estate business. That is like paying me double to build you a house or a shopping center. How much sense does that make? It doesn't. Mr. Chair, in your world, it pays double to do one surgery. How does that work out? It is taxpayers' money. It should never have been funded in the first place. High-risk, high-reward programs are not necessary, especially when there is a bias to fund technologies that have already received funding to make the program appear on the surface successful. Congress should restructure the DOE to conduct the basic research that the private sector would never undertake and create a system that allows the private sector, using private funds, to tap into that research and commercialize it. Federal labs should allow basic research to reach the market organically. Until that happens, we should defund ARPA-E, just as the Trump administration did. The market is the best place to determine the merit of an investment and whether it is a good or a bad investment. If a project cannot find private support, it is a good indicator of its prospects for success. Certainly, a lack of private investors alone does not justify using taxpayers' money to support a project. Indeed, technologies that lose private financing as they move closer to commercialization are likely the worst bets for taxpayers' money, since professional investors have already determined them to be losers. What you find out on grants such as this, if you really analyze the line items, it goes to overhead. What is overhead? That is paying salaries of people with jobs that you can't have an outcome for. I have seen these. That is why a lot of the grants that are written are vague; they can use the money wherever. This isn't like it is a $50,000 investment, it is $470 million. At the time when our growing national debt has surpassed $33 trillion, we cannot continue to use taxpayers' dollars to fund this useless research. I think the last figure I heard one of my colleagues mention, that we are paying $20,400 per second in interest on the $33 trillion. That is just the interest, not counting the principal. As I mentioned, ARPA-E does not follow its guidelines. It is loosely interpreted. They can use the money wherever they want. My question is: Why ARPA-E funding and not private capital? If it is that good of a project, let the private sector invest in it. You have sharp investors that know what they are doing, they could determine whether they want to risk their capital. In short, this project should be defunded. It is at a time we can't afford it. I would urge the cut of this $470 million project, for something that yields no benefit to the taxpayers, and I urge adoption. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. NORMAN

Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I rise today to recognzie the outstanding work of the Wilson Family in Lowrys, South Carolina and their dedication to providing locally grown produce for over 140 years. Cotton Hills Farm was given to Joseph Wilson and Theodosia Abel as a wedding gift by the bride's father in 1880. It has been passed down multiple generations and is now run by JEB Wilson along with his brother, Pete, and his father, Jeff. For 100 years, cotton had been the primary crop planted on Cotton Hills Farm. Starting in the 1940s, JEB's grandfather started planting peaches as well. Today, the family farm has expanded to pumpkins, peaches, watermelon, and cantaloupe. JEB Wilson has proudly said, ``basically anything that can be grown in South Carolina, we grow it.'' The family also operates three retail locations in Chester County, South Carolina and sells wholesale produce. Conservation and sustainability have been a key element to the long- term success of Cotton Hills Farm. The Wilson family is constantly looking for ways to improve the farm and keep it sustainable for years to come. I would like to recognize that the entire family is also very accomplished in their community. Jeff is a long-serving member of the Soil and Water Conservation District in Chester County and currently serving as the vice chairman. Additionally, JEB and Pete have been named Conservationist of the Year in Chester County. JEB credits the family's success to their adaptability to challenges and willingness to try new farming methods that will continue to decrease their environmental impact. The Wilson family continues to be devoted to their farm and are looking forward to passing it down the family line. On behalf of the 5th District of South Carolina, it is my most sincere pleasure to recognize Cotton Hills Farm and the Wilson family for their great service to our state. Please join me in recognizing the farm on its advancements in agricultural innovation and conservation.

Mr. NORMAN

Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I rise to celebrate the thirty- five-year journey of Domtar's Rock Hill Converting Plant, a cornerstone of South Carolina's industrial and community landscape. Established on October 3, 1988, the Rock Hill plant marked Domtar's commitment to the Southeast's expansion. They constructed a paper mill in Bennettsville, South Carolina, and concurrently set up a converting plant at Rock Hill's Tech Park, complete with a rail spur for convenience. Recognizing the importance of education and workforce development, Domtar partnered with York Technical College. They generously donated a commercial printing press, in addition to fostering skills among students and offering employment opportunities to graduates. Starting with thirty employees and three machines producing 102 tons per day, the plant has grown monumentally since then. Today, it employs fifty-three individuals, operates eight machines, and boasts an annual capacity of 65,000 tons. Over the past thirty-five years, the plant has received numerous safety awards, highlighting its dedication to ensuring a secure and healthy workplace for its employees. In 2021, the plant achieved an extraordinary milestone by being awarded twenty-five years without a lost-time injury, a significant accomplishment in the manufacturing industry. The Rock Hill Converting Plant is not just about business; it's about community. The plant and its employees regularly contribute to nonprofit organizations, both large and small, demonstrating their commitment to investing in the welfare of the area they call home. The employees have generously donated their time and energy to support education, sustainability, and humanitarian aid initiatives, further cementing the plant's role as a responsible corporate citizen. Domtar's Rock Hill Converting Plant stands as a beacon of growth, safety, and community engagement. Over the past thirty-five years, this facility has not only played a vital role in the local economy, but has also become a source of inspiration and pride for the South Carolina community. It is with great honor that I recognize the accomplishments of the Rock Hill Converting Plant and look forward to witnessing their continued success in the years to come.

Mr. NORMAN

Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Chair, I cannot believe I am up here having this debate, particularly at this critical time for our military--$1.4 billion in 2022 for money spent on diversity, equity, and inclusion. A woke military is a weak military. The military's sole purpose is to provide for the defense of our great Nation. Our military's focus should be the protection of the American people and our freedoms, not liberal feelings. Therefore, my amendment would eliminate any offices of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Armed Forces and the Department of Defense. Woke ideology undermines our readiness in a variety of ways. It undermines cohesiveness by emphasizing differences based on race, ethnicity, and sex. We recently had 160 retired flag officers write a letter to Speaker McCarthy and House Armed Services Committee Chair Rogers about the dangers of DEI and the opposition to it in the military. The officers wrote: ``We respectfully request that Congress, pursuant to its constitutional powers `to raise and support Armies' and `to provide and maintain a Navy,' take legislative action to remove all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs from the Department of Defense.'' Another one: ``Our military must be laser focused on one mission: readiness, undiminished by the culture war engulfing our country.'' DEI is dividing, not unifying, our military and society. Another one: ``We have fought for our Nation and are sounding the alarm that DEI poses a grave danger to our military warfighting ethos and is degrading warfighting readiness. Social engineering, commonly called wokeism, has no place in our military.'' Finally: These indoctrination programs differentiate servicemembers along racial and gender lines, which runs completely counter to the military imperative to build cohesiveness based on common loyalties, training, and standards. What is more, the Army missed its recruitment target by 25 percent in 2022 at this critical time in the history of this great Republic. This is a Bud Light level of failure. Mr. Chair, I urge that this amendment be adopted in light of an administration that has completely left our Nation vulnerable. President Biden told a group of overseas Air Force airmen that the Joint Chiefs of Staff had determined that the greatest threat facing America was global warming, a claim that the Joint Chiefs had to walk back. He didn't mention Russia. He didn't mention China. He didn't mention the threat of the debt that has engulfed this country. He mentioned global warming. As I mentioned, the DOD spent $1.4 billion on their equity action plan. That is money we don't have, and it just adds to the national debt. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, this is just more liberal gibberish. $1.4 billion? Sir, you tell these young people behind me, you tell them instead of building ships, instead of building airplanes, instead of protecting cybersecurity, you are going to really pay for transgender operations. Hogwash. You try to make that case to anybody in this room, and they would laugh--well, it is so serious, they wouldn't laugh. Let me tell you some other things that I am sick and tired of-- feelings. Talk to the military Gold Star mothers who have lost their children. Tell them what you just said on this House floor. An Admiral told midshipmen at the Naval Academy that they need to read ``How to Be an Antiracist,'' a book that teaches the only remedy to pass discrimination. Another one. Military recruitment videos in recent years have touted the military's inclusivity to LGBT members. They use a rainbow flag. Enough is enough. Americans are tired of this. Why do you think there is a shortage of people entering the military who have to put up with this kind of thinking? For this reason, we shouldn't even be wasting our time debating this thing, but it is what it is. Thanks to the Biden administration and their anti-military and anti-readiness, it is a time in America that we are in severe danger economically and security-wise. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Chair, again, like the other amendment I have, I cannot believe we are sitting here debating this. What my amendment does is prohibits provisions of gender transition procedures, including surgery or medication, through the Exceptional Family Member Program. Let me tell you what the Exceptional Family Member Program is. It provides resources to military families with special needs. This program is designed for military spouses, children, and other dependent family members who require ongoing medical educational services such as individuals with autism, asthma, chronic respiratory illnesses, Down syndrome, and many others. The military has tried to politicize this matter, and my amendment ensures that we reserve the valuable programs and the dollars for these programs, which would go toward the intent of what it was put in for in the first place, which is to help families with special needs and prevent the further dissolution and misguided dollars spent on something like gender transition procedures. My amendment also prohibits the change of duty station simply for the purpose of providing a child with easier access to these procedures. I urge adoption of this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NORMAN

Mr. NORMAN. Madam Chair, I urge the reduction of the salary of this individual to secure our borders, and I yield back the balance of my time.