Andrew Ogles

Mr. OGLES

Mr. OGLES. Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for her comments. Again, this encourages the VA to redouble its efforts in supporting States in constructing and maintaining excellent facilities to serve all veterans, especially the veterans of our foreign wars. Promises made, Madam Chair, promises kept. That is what we must do. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. OGLES

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

Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chair, my amendment adds the sense of Congress that the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System should not be permitted to develop, create, or implement a central bank digital currency or use any such tool to implement monetary policy. A major concern surrounding a government-run CBDC is the potential for the government to block transactions and exert control over people's finances. Not only that, but it would give the Federal Government unprecedented power to intervene in private transactions, deciding who can buy and sell and what they can buy and sell. It would also give the government unprecedented access to information about their daily lives. The government could keep a record of every transaction. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill).

Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chairman, there is a reason that China, under the rule of the totalitarian Chinese Communist Party, has the most developed CBDC program. It is about control. Their CBDC enables them to combine intrusive monitoring of the public and control their lives with their Orwellian social credit scores. Take what Canada did by cutting off money for the truckers. Look at what China is doing. If we go down this path, we are heading toward an Orwellian nightmare. My sense of Congress doubles down on the fact that the greenback is the reserve currency of the world. A CBDC undermines that, and it should not be pursued. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chairman, my amendment is simple, because it underscores that the Federal Reserve should not move forward with implementing a CBDC or use any policy that would forward that action. Mr. Chairman, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chairman, I urge adoption of my amendment. It is clear. It is concise. It is simple. It is just good policy. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. OGLES

Mr. OGLES. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I recognize Master Sergeant Steven D. Parker, who is retiring from the 218th Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group (ISRG) of the Tennessee Air National Guard. Master Sergeant Steven D. Parker began his military career over forty years ago on March 12, 1984. He honorably served the Tennessee Air National Guard as a C-130 Aircraft Mechanic for 28 years and an Administrative Craftsman for 12 years. His deployments include time in Tabuk, Minhad, and at Bagram Air Base to support Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He later served in Baghdad supporting Operation Inherent Resolve as an Administration Craftsman. Master Sergeant Parker's exemplary service and dedication to his country has twice earned him the 218 ISRG Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Quarterly Award. He also serves as the Sergeant at Arms at American Legion Post 141 in Tennessee, where he champions patriotism and community engagement, something which he commits to himself by volunteering in his community. I urge my colleagues to join me in thanking Master Sergeant Parker for his service to his country and in wishing him good luck as he retires.

Mr. OGLES

Mr. OGLES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and commemorate the outstanding bravery and valor of Metropolitan Nashville Police Officers Michael Collazo and Rex Englebert. Nearly one year ago today, two men answered the call to serve the most vulnerable members of our Nashville community, and without regard to their own physical well-being, they confronted a murderer and saved countless lives. At 10:13 am, on March 27, 2023, Metropolitan Nashville Police confirmed an active shooter situation was taking place at The Covenant School, a private Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee. After the first 911 call, officers rushed to the campus, entered the building, and reported shots coming from the second level of the school. On the second floor, in a common area, a team of officers encountered the shooter who had been firing through a window at arriving police cars. Two members of an officer team, the men we are honoring today--Michael Collazo and Rex Englebert--fired on the shooter and fatally wounded her. The Covenant School shooting remains etched in the minds of the Nashville community as an evil, brutish, and senseless assault against the most innocent members of our society. Six lives--three children and three adults--were needlessly taken from their families and those who loved them. In the face of such depravity, we are fortunate and grateful that two men acted in such a manner that they were willing to give their own lives to preserve the lives of strangers The heroism of Michael Collazo and Rex Englebert serves as a poignant reminder to each of us that evil will never triumph over good. On behalf of Tennessee's Fifth Congressional District, I express our profound gratitude to Officers Collazo and Englebert for their devoted service to their community. May we learn from these two men the virtues of self-sacrifice and fidelity to our beloved Nation.

Mr. OGLES

Mr. OGLES. Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 86. Stated against:

Mr. OGLES

Mr. OGLES. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I honor Inglewood Baptist Church in Nashville as it celebrates its 100th anniversary. First meeting on November 18, 1923, Inglewood Baptist was officially ``called to order'' on March 18th the following year. In the late 1920's, its congregation moved to its current location on Gallatin Road, meeting in a basement auditorium on the site where it still meets today. Its seventh and current pastor, Dr. Kevin Shrum, has shepherded his community since 1995. Existing to ``make known the Glory of God in the Gospel of Jesus Christ,'' Inglewood Baptist seeks to edify believers in their personal and saving relationship with their Lord. Over the past century it has continued to grow and build its community, completing its current auditorium in 1948 and finishing a four-story educational complex in 1955. In addition to its other ministries; it has instituted the Allegro School of Music, which provides an opportunity for music education and skill development for those living in the Nashville area. I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating Inglewood Baptist Church on its 100th anniversary and wishing it well as it starts its second century as a congregation.

Mr. OGLES

Mr. OGLES. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I recognize Mr. Porter Frierson, who served in the 42nd Regiment of the Union Army during the Civil War. A native Tennessean, Mr. Frierson was born in 1849 in Macadonia. Joining the Union Army at a young age, Mr. Frierson served as a drummer in Company A of the 42nd. Formed in both Chattanooga and Nashville, the 42nd performed valuable service as a garrison regiment; providing for the protection of territory held by the Union Army before being disbanded in 1866. Mr. Frierson is buried today in Rose Hill Cemetery in Humboldt, Tennessee. The son of an enslaved woman with two brothers and a sister, Mr. Frierson would go on to raise a family of his own after serving his Nation. He is remembered today by his descendants, who are rightly proud of his service. I invite all my colleagues to join me in honoring the memory of this great American hero.

Mr. OGLES

Mr. OGLES. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 14, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 15, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 16, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 17, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 18, and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 19.

Mr. OGLES

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

Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chairman, my amendment is really rather simple. It is about transparency. It is about simply moving the reporting requirements. My amendment reduces the threshold for the value of gifts that must be reported from $50,000 to $1. It simply lowers the threshold. Mr. Chairman, this is about transparency. The underlying bill, which represents a solid and sorely needed first step, advertises much-needed transparency. If we are going to stop America's foreign adversaries from targeting our Nation's educational institutions and students, we need transparency at every level. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chairman, the Trump administration discovered $6.5 billion in previously unreported foreign money to universities from adversarial countries. In response to the terrorist attack against Israel, I think it is important that we make it tougher. That we make it more clear who is trying to unduly influence our universities and our students--the future of America. Qatar, an anti-Semitic country, earlier this week accused Israel of committing genocide, has contributed $5 billion to U.S. universities. There are billions of dollars going unreported. Saudi Arabia has contributed $3 billion. This can't be allowed. We have foreign adversaries, adversaries of Israel, adversaries of the West, adversaries of America donating to universities, and we need to know. That is all we are asking. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chair, I think it is important to understand that we are in a new day. October 7 changed the world. Qatar, for example, has praised Hamas. They have literally praised the systematic rape of women and the torture and rape of little girls. Surely, my colleagues understand why reporting donations is so paramount. I can't stand by and pretend that this isn't going on. Qatar is trying to buy forgiveness--$500 million to Hamas. How many rapes did that pay for, Mr. Chairman? How much is enough to absolve their sins? I am appalled that anyone would be opposed to this. We need reporting. We need transparency. We are in a new day. The West is under attack. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chairman, I could go on about Al Jazeera, which is funded by Qatar, praising the torture. They were cutting off the genitals of men. They were cutting off the breasts of women. They were gang-raping women. Foreign contributions need to be found out, discovered, and disclosed. The only way to make sure that nothing is slipping through the cracks is to lower the threshold. There is no reason to oppose this amendment. If the universities are doing nothing wrong, then they have nothing to hide. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chairman, I urge adoption of my amendment. It is common sense, and it takes a stand against the atrocities that took place in Israel, the pay-fors, and the forgiveness that Qatar is trying to buy through our American universities. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. OGLES

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

Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chair, the unprovoked assault on Israel on October 7 shocked millions around the world and demonstrated the unrelenting brutality of Hamas. While many countries around the world supported Israel as it confronted this single deadliest day for the Jews since the Holocaust, many did not. Many of the countries that pointedly refused to condemn Hamas are located in the Middle East. Mr. Chairman, my amendment expresses a sense of Congress that all U.S. allies in the Middle East should publicly and unequivocally condemn the anti-Semitism displayed by the Iranian-backed terror groups, including Hamas. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman, Kuwait, a country that American soldiers liberated from Saddam Hussein, expressed its grave concern and blamed Israel for the blatant attacks. Kuwait further urged the international community to stop the provocative practices by the occupation. Talk about victim blaming, Mr. Chairman, especially when the guilty party, Hamas, has proudly taken responsibility for attacking and raping Jewish civilians. Lebanon, a country which at this point is effectively controlled by the terrorist group Hezbollah, congratulated the resisting Palestinian people. Hezbollah hailed Hamas for its large-scale heroic operation, an operation that saw an 8-year-old girl have her hands cut off and then being left to bleed to death. Tunisia declared its full and unconditional solidarity with the Palestinian people following Hamas' brutality on October 7, an attack that saw a pregnant woman have her mouth duct-taped and her baby cut out of her stomach. In no uncertain terms, the country, a listed major non-NATO ally, maintained their position to fully stand by the Palestinian people until they recover their entire land. Qatar, a country whose state-controlled media outlet, Al Jazeera, which should also be known as the Qatari news network, is the mouthpiece of Hamas terrorists and blamed Israel for being solely responsible for the ongoing escalation and stressed their unwavering stance on the justice of the Palestinian cause and for the international community to compel Israel to cease its blatant violation of international law. These attacks saw women bound, gang-raped, and then murdered, attacks that saw a baby put in an oven and baked alive, the father's eyes gouged out and the mother raped. On November 1, the Kingdom of Jordan, a country which was given well over half a billion in taxpayer dollars in this last year's omnibus, recalled its Ambassador to Israel. Other countries, including Oman, Turkiye, and Egypt, choose to equivocate instead of condemning Hamas. Wherever you are on the political spectrum, the attack was inhumane. It was brutal. It was blatant, and those culpable should be punished. The international community, including many of the Arab states that I have mentioned, should join with the international community in condemning Hamas and should speak for the innocent. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

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

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

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