Matthew Rosendale

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for being a leading example on this charge for us. Tomorrow will be a unique and significant day. Tomorrow many of us will take the unfortunately similar steps of a march that began in 1974. This March for Life however may be the last one before the stain of Roe v. Wade is lifted from this Nation. However, even if we are so fortunate, the decision to continue this crime will likely remain in many of the States. Sadly, millions of Americans have yet to awaken, awaken to the cruelty and the evil that is abortion. The reason for this slumber is no less devastating than the murder of 63 million children. It is the failure to recognize the inherent dignity of every life. This failure has justified the intentional killing of a living child, led to the many atrocities of the 21st century and this American tragedy. We, however, are not reconciled to continue this moral failing. I often think about the abortionist who has woken up to the evil which he has been so complicit in. That moment when his heart converts, when he has been availed of the truth inherent in human life. He looks back at the trail of broken bodies that he has traveled. But if we stop there at the horror and the tragedy, we would not have hope because we know that when he looks up he now sees those glorified souls looking down on him, singing in praise and rejoicing in his conversion. There is renewal in our movement, and there is hope. There is the hopeful anticipation that everyone in every State will also see the obvious truth and the inherent beauty in the tiniest life. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for including me in this Special Order today.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from South Dakota for yielding to me. I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who helped bring this bill to the floor today. I am proud to rise in support of this bipartisan bill with Congresswoman Schrier, H.R. 4489, the National Forest Restoration and Remediation Act, which would allow the Forest Service to use accumulated interest on settlement agreements to restore our national forestlands. Montana is blessed with an abundance of public lands with well over 20 million acres available to all for recreation, hunting, fishing, camping, and more. It is part of who we are as Montanans and an important aspect of our Montana way of life. These public lands are a patchwork of land managed by the State as well as the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Forest Service. If these Federal lands are damaged, an agency will reach a settlement agreement with the responsible party to support restoration and cleanup efforts. And while the Department of the Interior, which houses the National Park Service, and the BLM has the authority to retain interest from these settlement funds, the Forest Service does not. This commonsense bill would rectify that by allowing the Forest Service to use the interests on settlement funds to restore damaged public lands, which improves forest health and supports conservation. It merely will mirror the policy that is already utilized by these other agencies. When the Forest Service enters into a settlement agreement, the funds are deposited into the Treasury account that is used to remediate the damaged land. However, these accounts do not allow the Forest Service to take advantage of the interest generated in them, leading to the value of funds available for forest restoration to diminish over time creating the potential for years-long delays and budget shortfalls from remediation efforts. The National Forest Restoration and Remediation Act would ensure the Forest Service has adequate funding for restoration work by unlocking this additional funding without additional expenses to taxpayers. I, again, urge my colleagues to support Congresswoman Schrier and my bill and I thank all those involved in this commonsense, bipartisan legislation.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, on this National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, I rise to honor Charlie Dowd, Montana's last living Pearl Harbor survivor. Charlie was just a 17-year-old radioman stationed at Pearl Harbor when he was awakened by the sound of the Japanese surprise attack, a day which lives in infamy. Charlie immediately raced to the window of the ship where he saw a nearby hangar go up in a plume of flames. Wearing just a T-shirt, he grabbed a rifle and climbed on to the roof where he and other volunteers started firing at the attacking planes, some of the first shots fired by Americans in World War II. Charlie's heroism, and that of others on that day, undoubtedly saved lives, and their bravery and resolve should be commended. He served for nearly 5 years in the United States Navy. Charlie lives in Anaconda, Montana, and will be celebrating his 98th birthday on December 23. On behalf of all Montanans and a grateful Nation, I want to thank Charlie Dowd for his service and wish him an early happy birthday.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Madam Speaker, I rise to condemn Merrick Garland targeting parents who express their views on how their children are educated. Recently, parents have risen up to voice their opposition to schools indoctrinating their children with critical race theory, but Merrick Garland won't stand for folks exercising their parental rights. Merrick Garland testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that he didn't think parents getting angry at school boards constitute domestic terrorism, and that he could not imagine a circumstance where they would be labeled as domestic terrorism. Despite this, it is now clear Garland has weaponized the FBI's counterterrorism division against concerned parents, using threat tags to label and surveil them as domestic terror threats. Parents have a right and an obligation to voice their opinion on how their children are educated, and I wholeheartedly agree critical race theory has no place in our classrooms. Weaponizing the FBI against concerned parents is dangerous and an absolute disgrace. Merrick Garland must resign immediately. Thank God he isn't on the Supreme Court.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for yielding to me. Madam Speaker, my constituents sent me here to Washington to fight tooth and nail on behalf of the unborn. I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 239, the Equal Access to Contraception Act for Veterans. This radical piece of legislation would require taxpayers to subsidize the full cost of all contraception through the Department of Veterans Affairs, including Plan B and Ella. Let me be clear, drugs like Plan B and Ella are not contraception, they are abortifacients. These chemical drugs prevent a newly conceived embryo, a human embryo, from implanting in the uterus and continuing to develop as a child. Again, that is not contraception, that is abortion. Using taxpayer funding for abortions is not only wildly unpopular, it is immoral. It forces tens of millions of people who have personal or religious objections to abortion and abortifacient drugs to fund the termination of life. That must not and should not be the public's obligation. The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable, especially the unborn. Since the ruling of Roe v. Wade, well over 62 billion abortions have occurred in the United States. To put it in perspective, that is more than the amount of worldwide casualties directly caused by World War II, the most deadly military conflict in the history of the world. The loss of life on such a tragic, massive scale due to abortion is heinous. If passed, this legislation will increase abortions committed in the United States, and that is at the taxpayer's expense. This is absolutely unacceptable. We must do better as a Nation. When this bill was considered in committee last month, a majority of the Republicans voted against it. Last week, we considered this bill under suspension of the rules, and fortunately, 187 of my Republican colleagues joined me and stood for life. Due to this strong showing of opposition, we were able to prevent the two-thirds supermajority needed to pass this bill under the suspension of the rules, dealing Speaker Pelosi a significant legislative defeat. That is why Democrats--and even some Republicans, unfortunately--have brought this bill back to the floor today under a rule for debate. I hope the Republicans will be just as unified in opposition of this bill today. Another strong vote would send a message that the Republican Party is the party of life. Our constituents expect us not to compromise in our defense of the unborn. To support legislation like H.R. 239, which promotes the killing of the unborn, at taxpayers' expense, is the ultimate betrayal.

Mr. ROSENDALE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Detective Travis Burrow for his remarkable contributions to his community as general case detective for the Great Falls Police Department. This past week, Detective Burrow was named Officer of the Year by the Montana Police Protective Association for his service as lead investigator for major criminal activity in Great Falls. His investigations included high-profile cases such as homicides, kidnappings, robberies, arson, missing persons, and suspicious death investigations. Detective Burrow's competence and experience has made him a valuable resource to the department, where he consults on his coworkers' cases and serves as a leader and mentor to his colleagues. Detective Burrow continues to serve the Great Falls Police Department with honor and distinction. I commend Detective Burrow for his outstanding service to Great Falls and the State of Montana and wish him and the department continued success.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROSENDALE

Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.