Guy Reschenthaler

Mr. RESCHENTHALER

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life of Rhys Taylor Frost, president of the Donora Fire Company, who sadly passed away on June 24, 2024. Rhys was born and raised in Donora, Pennsylvania. He had a passion for his local community and always wanted to be a first responder to help those in need. At only 14 years old, Rhys became a volunteer firefighter at the Donora Fire Company and later became an emergency medical technician (EMT) in 2018. Through his determination and selfless work ethic, he became president of the company a year later in 2019. Rhys never stopped finding ways to serve southwestern Pennsylvania and always answered the call of duty. It was his dream to simultaneously serve as a policeman, EMT, and firefighter, a testament to his desire to protect and defend his community. Those who knew Rhys best will never forget his infinite selflessness and his eternal love for Donora. As the community comes together to celebrate his life and legacy, I am grateful for his vast impact on our commonwealth and his fellow Pennsylvanians. Mr. Speaker, Rhys Taylor Frost dedicated his life to the people of Donora. His legacy is an example of a selfless and inspiring life. On behalf of the people of Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District, I wish his family healing during this difficult time.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life and legacy of former U.S. Representative, Austin ``AJ'' Murphy, Jr., who passed away at the age of 96 on April 13, 2024. Congressman Murphy was a native of Monongahela, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Charleroi High School in 1945. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Duquesne University in 1949 and received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1952. Throughout his life, the congressman demonstrated a strong commitment to the people of southwestern Pennsylvania. He served our nation as a corporal in the United States Marine Corps during World War II and later continued serving in the United States Marine Corps Reserve from 1948 to 1951. After returning from World War II, Congressman Murphy still felt called to give back to his community. He served as a member of the Speers Borough Council and an assistant district attorney for Washington County, Pennsylvania. In 1958, he won a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, where he served for 12 years. He was later elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate and assumed that office in 1971. Following his tenure in Harrisburg, Congressman Murphy ascended to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976 and tirelessly fought for our community until his retirement in 1995. He spent his time in the House working on social security, education, and labor issues. He chaired the Subcommittee on Labor Standards and sponsored the Fair Labor Standards Amendments of 1989, which was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on November 17, 1989. In addition to his political career, the congressman also volunteered as a Boy Scout Troop Leader and participated in many civic organizations. He was a lifelong member of the American Legion with 78 years of continuous service and was commander of Post 51 in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Congressman Murphy cherished his loved ones, and his memory will live on through his seven children, 16 grandchildren, 16 great- grandchildren, and his sister. His life will undoubtedly serve as an example of love, devotion to one's family, and selfless service. Mr. Speaker, Congressman Murphy dedicated his life to the people of southwestern Pennsylvania. His legacy is the epitome of a life well- lived. On behalf of the people of Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District, I wish his family healing during this difficult time.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the Arnold Volunteer Engine Company No. 2 on its 100th anniversary. The Arnold Volunteer Engine Company No. 2 held its first meeting at Arnold High School on May 12, 1924. Shortly afterward, Westmoreland County granted the company an official charter on June 14, 1924. It's 17 founding members dedicated their lives and work to the people of the Allegheny-Kiski Valley. Company No. 2 quickly became a pillar in its southwestern Pennsylvania community. The company constructed its first fire hall in 1928, which is still in use today. Additionally, the firefighters, efforts to engage with the community extended beyond protecting citizens and responding to emergencies. In 1949, they built a clubhouse for members, their families, and the community to gather and socialize. Due to continued outreach and service, they assumed the responsibility of transporting Santa Claus through Arnold, Pennsylvania, during the annual Christmas parade. This tradition continues today. Over the past hundred years, Company No. 2 operated with professionalism, speed, and dedication. After a destructive fire took the lives of three first responders in 1995, the firefighters began training in rapid intervention tactics and protocols. Company No. 2 still provides this rapid intervention training to fire companies around the Allegheny-Kiski Valley area. The volunteer firefighters of Company No. 2 remain focused on sharing their expertise and working with other fire companies to ensure all first responders are trained and ready to respond to emergencies effectively. There are 42 active members of the Arnold Volunteer Engine Company No. 2. Notably, five charter members of the inaugural Junior Firefighter Program are celebrating 50 years of volunteer service. I want to thank and honor James Duncan, Donald Ferrante, Joseph Puet, John Tort, Jr., and William Weber for their devotion to the people of southwestern Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District, I congratulate Arnold Volunteer Engine Company No. 2 on its 100th anniversary and its great work serving the community.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and in support of the underlying legislation. Before I talk about the rule, I want to recognize our staff director, Kelly Dixon. I recognize the staff director of the House Rules Committee, Kelly Dixon Chambers. I first met Kelly as a freshman Member of Congress. She has been a mentor of mine and, most importantly, she has been a friend. This is before I even joined the Rules Committee. Kelly has been a vital member of the House of Representatives for over 25 years. From Congressman Ken Calvert's office, to the House Judiciary Committee, to the New York delegation, to the former offices of Speaker Kevin McCarthy when he was whip and leader, to today where she is a staff director of the Rules Committee majority staff under Chairman Cole and Dr. Burgess, Kelly has always been a leader in the House during some of the most consequential decisions over the past two decades. Mr. Speaker, the House owes Kelly a debt of gratitude, and I look forward to working with her in the years to come. Now back to the rule. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1269 provides for consideration of H.R. 8580, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2025. This is under a structured rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees, and it provides for one motion to recommit. The rule makes 47 amendments in order. Additionally, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 8282, the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act, under a closed rule, with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs or their respective designees, and provides for one motion to recommit. Mr. Speaker, on October 7, 2023, Hamas launched the largest mass killing of Jews that we have seen since the Holocaust. This horrific assault attacked Israel by land, sea, and air, killing over 1,200 innocent civilians, including dozens of Americans. For perspective, this would be the equivalent of over 40,000 American dead and nearly 9,000 Americans being taken hostage. In the aftermath of that atrocious attack, we have learned that families were burned alive, infants were decapitated, women were sexually assaulted, and other unthinkable acts of violence were committed. To date, Hamas continues to hold as many as 130 hostages. Since those attacks, we have seen a clear divide in the United States and around the globe between those who stand with our ally, Israel, and those who stand with Hamas. One of the organizations that stands with Hamas is the international kangaroo court, also known as the ICC. This court is anti-American, anti-Israel, and anti-Semitic. The United States and Israel are not members of the ICC, and the court has absolutely no standing and no jurisdiction over our Nation or the nation of Israel. Previously, the court has targeted American warfighters for defending our Nation in Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks. They are now targeting our ally and partner, Israel, and drawing a false equivalence and distorted moral equivalency between the leaders of Hamas and the democratically elected Government of Israel. That is why House Republicans will pass the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act introduced by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy), my good friend. This legislation would reimpose the Trump administration's sanctions against the ICC officials that investigate, arrest, detain, and prosecute U.S. citizens or allies, like Israel. The choice is clear: Do you stand with our ally, Israel, or do you stand with Hamas? Do you stand with this illegitimate court? Additionally, as a Navy veteran and a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I am proud to introduce FY25 MILCON-VA bill, which was introduced by Chairman Carter. Under Chairman Cole's and Chairman Carter's leadership, H.R. 8580 will fully fund veterans' healthcare programs and benefits. It provides for an extra $75 million above the President's budget and $30 billion above last year's enacted level for veterans. Further, this legislation also provides for robust funding for the Indo-Pacific region, invests billions in quality-of-life projects for our servicemembers and their families, and blocks the Biden administration from placing al-Qaida terrorists in our local communities. This bill provides for an additional $412 million over the President's budget for military construction so we can invest more in our national security. As we approach the 80th anniversary of D-day, this week's vote will be an important step in supporting our Nation's veterans. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, good luck hiding behind procedural arguments when talking about defending the ICC. This is a kangaroo court, and to defend it is to defend an institution that is anti- American, anti-Israel, and anti-Semitic, but we shouldn't be shocked that this is coming from the left and the Biden administration. This administration has been weak. They have been feckless. They have been incompetent on foreign policy from now going back to when Joe Biden was sworn into office. What are we seeing? The world is absolutely on fire. In his first year alone, President Joe Biden green lit the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to provide Russian gas to Europe while at the same time blocking the Keystone XL pipeline that would have actually led to energy exportation from this country. He also issued 94 executive actions on immigration which led to an unprecedented invasion at our southern border. The President and his unelected bureaucrats in the administration are also directly responsible for the failed withdraw of the U.S. from Afghanistan, giving up the Bagram Airbase before we even evacuated, which led directly to the death of 13 American servicemembers, it stranded thousands of American citizens abroad, and it brought the Taliban back into power, something that we were there to counter for the last 20 years. Let's talk about President Biden making the decision to delist the Houthi rebels from the terrorist watch list. What did that do? It led to a crisis in the Red Sea. He also placed an indefinite pause on LNG exports, which benefits--I can't make this up--Russia and Iran, rather than helping ourselves and our allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific. That is just the start of the blunders of the Biden administration on Foreign Affairs. He also waived the billions of dollars in sanctions on Iran so their energy sector could grow and they could export energy, which, of course, led to Iran being able to fund Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthi rebels, which has led to all the chaos in the Middle East. Since October 7 alone, our servicemembers in the Middle East have been attacked over 100 times, including the deaths of three Americans in Jordan. It just doesn't stop there. I just got back from a trip to Turks and Caicos, an official trip, a congressional delegation. There you have a small island nation that has roughly 60,000 citizens, and they are allowed to commit human rights violations on Americans, holding American detainees in a North Korean-style court system and legal system there. All it would take to bring the Americans that are wrongfully detained in Turks and Caicos home would be a do not travel order from Antony Blinken. Do you think Secretary Blinken has issued an order? Of course he hasn't. We have seen weakness. We have seen indecisive action from the State Department and that has emboldened these banana republics like Turks and Caicos to have draconian laws on their books that target American citizens. Biden's weakness has done nothing but embolden our adversaries. It has emboldened Russia. It has emboldened China. It has emboldened Iran, and now you are seeing it embolden banana republics that are holding American hostages in basically the North Korea of the Caribbean, Turks and Caicos. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy), my very good friend and fellow Rules Committee member, to talk more about the ICC.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1269 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. You can't make this stuff up. It is amazing. I am being gaslit in real time here, and so are the American people. I often say if it weren't for double standards, the Democrats would have no standards at all. Here we are, talking about process and procedure and totally ignoring the fact that the Democrats ran roughshod over process and procedure last Congress when they were in control. Don't believe me? Let's look at the facts. Last Congress, the Democratic-controlled Rules Committee considered 30 pieces of legislation that did not go through regular order. That includes 28 McGovern waivers for unreported bills. You might say, oh, 28 out of 30, what about the other 2? Well, the other two were reported but without hearings. It is amazing and so rich, being attacked for having a bill not going through regular order on a few occasions when the Democrats themselves had it 30 separate times in the last Congress. That is quite amazing. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Alford).

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 2 minutes.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Again, it is amazing that I am hearing my friends across the aisle complain about closed rules and going through regular order. Again, we are being gaslit in real time by the left. I remind my friends across the aisle that at this point in the 117th Congress--again, when Democrats were in control, this is when Chairman McGovern ran the Rules Committee--Democrats had made 61 percent of their rules closed. In this Congress, the GOP has passed 66 more measures out of the Rules Committee compared with the Democrats at this point in the 117th. The GOP is legislating in this Congress. We have proportionally fewer closed rules over a much larger pool of bills, and 33 percent of our closed rules were because no amendments were submitted. They were closed because no one even put forward amendments. In the 118th, 81 percent of the Rules measures that have gone to a floor vote have garnered bipartisan support for final passage. Again, Mr. Speaker, my friends across the aisle like to complain about amendments being made in order and they like to complain about regular order, but facts don't lie. They had 61 percent of their bills with closed rules. I just had a litany of bills that did not go through regular order. You can't hide from the stats. Let's not fool ourselves. The American people don't care about arcane rules of procedure in the House. No one cares about this. What they do care about are things like foreign policy. It is amazing, like I am being gaslit on procedures in the House, I am being gaslit about the last administration's position on foreign policy. I am sure if you would ask people around the world if they would rather have President Trump or President Biden, it would be President Trump, and here is why: President Trump actually killed al-Baghdadi, and he dismantled ISIS. When it comes to Iran, he neutralized Soleimani. He also targeted proxy groups that were controlled by the Iranians in the surrounding area. He put the Quds Force and the Houthis on the terrorist watch list, actions the Biden administration has tried to reverse. He blocked the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which weakened Russia. He had the Abraham Accords. We had zero attacks from Russia during the period. Remember, it was under Obama that Russia came into the Crimea, and then Russia didn't do anything for 4 years. Then, magically, when the Democrats came in, showing weakness and vacillation in the face of aggression, then the Russians invaded more parts of Ukraine. Also, when it comes to China, it was President Trump who put tariffs on China and held China to account. The Biden administration has done very little on that front. The list goes on and on, but I will leave it at that for the sake of time. Talking about being gaslit, we are being gaslit on the ICC, this international kangaroo court. There is so much disinformation out there about the ICC, especially regarding their actions on Israel. Let me just clear some things up. One, the ICC's warrant filings are factually wrong; two, Israel has conducted itself consistently with international law and its humanitarian obligations; three, the ICC does not have jurisdiction over Israel as the nation is not an ICC member; and, fourth, the ICC warrant applications for Israeli leaders threaten U.S. national security. Let's just get the facts out there. Those are the facts, and you can't hide from them. It is amazing how many of my friends across the aisle, beholden to the extreme far left, want to talk about these make-believe Israeli transgressions, when they wholeheartedly ignore the transgressions of international law by Hamas. You want to go through a list of all the international law that Hamas has broken? Let's do it. Let's start with targeting civilians; not wearing a uniform; hiding among civilian populations; storing weapons in places like mosques and schools; having their military headquarters in a hospital; using torture, and rape; and deprivation of food, water, and medical aid for their hostages. This is just a short list, but it is amazing how the left, controlled by radical, dangerous extremists, refused to call out Hamas and their violations while latching on to these false perceived notions that the Israelis are somehow the ones in violation of international law. I am sick and tired of the gaslighting. The American people know the truth, and we are going to see the results of that in a few months. Mr. Speaker, I would like to tell my friends across the aisle that I have no further speakers at this time and I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it is amazing. I continue to get gaslit up here. At the end of the day, facts don't care about your feelings, and numbers don't lie. I will distill this argument into two facts right now to show you the hypocrisy from the other side. Last Congress, the Democrats had 30 pieces of legislation that came outside of regular order. At this same point in the 117th Congress compared to this Congress, the 118th, the Democrats had 61 percent of their bills come to the floor under closed rules. Again, numbers don't lie. Don't sit here and try to gaslight me. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. In closing, I don't even know where to begin, describing closed rules as threats to the institution, as disrespectful, as shameful. Again, I remind the gentleman that last Congress, they brought 30 pieces of legislation to the floor that had not gone through committee. At this same time last Congress, 61 percent of their rules were closed rules. The gaslighting has got to stop. We are here today to talk about MILCON-VA and the international kangaroo court known as the ICC. This week when it comes to these two bills, Americans will see a stark difference between House Republicans and the dangerous far-left extremists on the other side of the aisle. Some are saying that the bills are partisan exercises, and they are full of culture war issues. It is the Republicans that are taking the culture war issues out of these bills, at least out of MILCON-VA. If you don't believe me, look at the actions of the VA. Under President Biden, the VA has gone far left and woke. These include initiatives in the VA like DEI and CRT. They just waste taxpayer-funded resources on these far-left culture wars that are coming from the left. If you don't believe me, just look at the actions of the VA. The Department backtracked not too long ago after removing the iconic V-J Day picture from Times Square. The iconic picture of V-J Day, for whatever reason, wasn't woke and had to be removed. That is quite amazing coming from the VA. The VA also removed from their mission statement a quote from Abraham Lincoln. Why? Because that quote used male pronouns. You can't make this stuff up. The Department uses a gender gingerbread person that teaches veterans and employees that gender is a spectrum, and it is fluid. How about the Department's focus on the backlog of thousands of veterans' claims and veterans who can't receive timely care? Maybe they should focus on that instead of gender-neutral gingerbread men. That is why House Republicans will pass FY25 MILCON-VA that will focus the Department's mission back to its core mission, which is taking care of veterans; not fighting culture war issues. We protect veterans' Second Amendment rights. We prohibit DEI. We prevent critical race theory, and we put the Hyde amendment into the bill. We are making this bill neutral and bipartisan. We are stripping out culture war issues that the far-left extremists have put in it. Lastly, let's talk about the rule before us bringing up the piece of legislation that will protect U.S. citizens and servicemembers and our allies, including Israel, and that is to make sure we are working against the illegitimate sham court, the kangaroo court known as the ICC. H.R. 8282 will reimpose the Trump administration sanctions against the ICC and demonstrate to the world that the United States supports our number one ally, Israel, and Israel's right of self-defense.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the previous question, and I urge them to vote ``yes'' on the rule. I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Somerset Borough Police Chief Randy Cox on his 47 years of service to our community. Randy felt called to serve from a young age and always wanted to be a police officer. He began his law enforcement career as a police officer in 1977 for Seven Springs Borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. He transitioned to the Ligonier Borough Police Department in 1981 and rose to the rank of police chief in 1990. On August 9, 2004, Randy became the chief of the Somerset Borough Police Department, where he served for the past 19 years. Randy kept a local and positive approach to his law enforcement duties. Through his teaching role at the Westmoreland County Community College Police Academy and Penn State-Fayette, Randy prepared officers for all the hardships associated with law enforcement. Additionally, he graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy's 204th Session in 2001. Randy took this education and incorporated what he learned into training sessions at local academies. He also served as an assessor for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Committee to ensure that all police officers were qualified for the job's rigorous duties. He demonstrated a long-lasting commitment to southwestern Pennsylvania law enforcement officials, and his legacy will be remembered for generations to come. Mr. Speaker, Randy Cox served southwestern Pennsylvania dutifully for the past 47 years. On behalf of the people of Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District, I congratulate him on a long, successful career serving southwestern Pennsylvania communities.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. For the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), the ranking member of the Rules Committee and my good friend, pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and in support of the underlying legislation. House Resolution 1149 provides for consideration of six measures: H.R. 6323, H. Res. 1143, H.R. 4691, H.R. 5947, H.R. 6046, and H.R. 4639. The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 6323, the Iran Counterterrorism Act of 2023, under a closed rule, with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Financial Services or their respective designees and provides one motion to recommit. Additionally, the rule provides for consideration of H. Res. 1143, a resolution condemning Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel, under a closed rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs or their respective designees. Further, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4691, the Iran Sanctions Relief Review Act of 2023, under a closed rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs or their respective designees and provides one motion to recommit. The rule also provides for consideration of H.R. 5947, which provides for the rescission of certain waivers and licenses relating to Iran, under a closed rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs or their respective designees and provides for one motion to recommit. The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 6046, the Standing Against Houthi Aggression Act, under a closed rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs or their respective designees and provides one motion to recommit. Finally, Mr. Speaker, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4639, the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act, under a structured rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary or their respective designees and provides one motion to recommit. The rule makes in order three amendments. Mr. Speaker, President Joe Biden's foreign policy decisions have been a complete disaster on the world stage and have emboldened our adversaries and empowered foreign terrorist organizations. Sadly, we were forewarned about all of this. Former President Obama's Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, stated nearly a decade ago regarding President Biden: ``I think he has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.'' He is right. Let's look at the facts. In the first year alone, the President green-lit Nord Stream 2 to provide Russian gas to Europe while simultaneously blocking the Keystone XL pipeline here at home. He issued 94 executive orders on immigration, which has led to an unprecedented invasion at our southern border. To appease his far-left radical base, he delisted the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization, which directly led to this conflict in the Red Sea. He is responsible for the complete surrender of Afghanistan, which killed 13 American servicemembers, stranded thousands of Americans, returned the Taliban to power, and expanded ISIS-K and al-Qaida. In 2022, his policies of appeasement led to the largest invasion of Europe since World War II. To help his party in the mid-terms, he depleted the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to its lowest levels since I was born, 1983, and he sent millions of barrels of oil to Communist China. In the first days of 2023, he allowed a Chinese spy balloon to cross the entire country, which collected intelligence on innocent Americans. On the 22nd anniversary of 9/11, on the very anniversary, in an insult to the people who suffered those terrorist attacks, Joe Biden unfroze $6 billion in oil sanctions to Iran just days before an Iranian proxy group killed over a thousand people in Israel. How does Iran thank us? Our troops in the Middle East faced over 100 attacks from proxy networks, which led to the death of three servicemembers in Jordan. Just this year, Biden waived billions of dollars in sanctions to allow Iranian energy exports into Iraq--and I kid you not--while also announcing an indefinite pause to new approvals of U.S. liquefied natural gas exports from here. Guess who benefits from that? It is not the United States. It is not the American worker. It is Russia, China, and Iran who benefit from Joe Biden's reckless foreign policy. This administration's policies truly embody the slogan: America last. That is why House Republicans are bringing to the floor this week legislation to condemn Iran's recent attack on Israel, block Biden's ransom payments to Iran, redesignate the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization, and apply maximum pressure on the Iranian regime. We cannot stand idly by as the Biden administration hands over the keys to the Ayatollah; the dictator in Communist China, Chairman Xi; and the dictator Vladimir Putin. This week's votes will be very clear: Do you stand with our ally and strategic partner Israel, or do you stand with the authoritarian regime in Tehran? Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1149 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, in recent days, far-left activists have chanted ``Death to America'' and ``Death to Israel.'' In Chicago, cheers broke out over the weekend when Iran started attacking Israel during a meeting about the upcoming DNC convention. Just think about that for a moment. This isn't your grandfather's Democratic Party. In the 3 months following the October 7 attack, there has been an increase of 360 percent in anti-Semitic incidents in this country. It was reported earlier this year that there was an exodus of Jewish families leaving Oakland, California, because of the anti-Semitic radicalization of the teachers union in that city. This isn't 1930s Nazi Germany. This is 21st century California where we are seeing this happen. If you doubt me, just listen to the leaders of the Democratic Party. Here is Representative Rashida Tlaib, who said: ``From the river to the sea is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate.'' This is an absolute lie. ``From the river to the sea'' is a call for genocide of the Jewish people and the destruction of the State of Israel. There is Representative Tlaib condoning a call for genocide. Let's not forget about Representative Ilhan Omar, who said: ``We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban.'' Equating the United States, the U.S. military, and the Israeli Defense Forces to terrorist organizations is not only disgusting, it is absolutely disgraceful. She also said: ``Israel has hypnotized the world,'' alluding to an anti-Semitic trope that we have seen for absolutely centuries. Now, here is Representative Jayapal, as well, who said: ``Well, we condemn Hamas' firing of those rockets, but I think you have to look at what prompted even that behavior.'' It is very clear, far-left activists look to their leaders for direction. The Democratic thought leaders in that party sympathize with terrorists. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), my good friend and the chairman of the Rules Committee.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. You know, there is a lot of emotion coming from the other side of the aisle, but as a really good friend has told me before, facts don't care about your feelings. If you look at the facts it is pretty clear the difference between the Democrats, Obama and Biden, and President Trump. Let's just look at Russia. It is not a coincidence that Vladimir Putin moved into Crimea and parts of Georgia when President Obama was in office, and then for the 4 years President Trump was in office, there were zero military incursions. Then as soon as Joe Biden took office, he moves into Ukraine. Actions speak louder than words. Again, those facts don't care about your feelings. Let's look at Ukraine. You want to talk about conditioning aid? Joe Biden conditioned lethal aid on Ukraine, forcing the Ukrainians to fire a prosecutor that was investigating a corrupt oil and gas company that Hunter Biden just happened to be on the board of. I will let you draw your own conclusions on that, but it is very clear that Joe Biden actually did what President Trump was wrongfully impeached for, and then he actually bragged about it on TV. He also had many missteps. Remember at the beginning of the lead-up to the war, Joe Biden said that we would tolerate a ``minor incursion'' in Ukrainian territory, just whetting the appetite of Vladimir Putin. Then when the Russians did invade, and Joe Biden slow-walked lethal aid. Where were the MiGs that were sent? Why didn't we get the Ukrainians antiaircraft air batteries? Why didn't we jam the electronic abilities of the Russians to make sure that they didn't have air superiority? The Ukrainians still don't have the lethal aid because Joe Biden and his far-left radical administration slow-walked the aid from the beginning of this war. It has been an absolute disaster because of Joe Biden's incompetence and the incompetence of those he surrounds himself with. I find it very rich to then attack President Trump's record on Israel. Who was the first U.S. President to move the Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem? It was Donald Trump, making him the most pro-Israeli President we have ever had. Who was it that had the Abraham Accords? It wasn't Joe Biden. That was President Trump who had the Abraham Accords. If he was a Democrat, he would have won two Nobel Peace Prizes for that. Let's not forget about Joe Biden, who still up to today, is calling for a ceasefire when our number one ally in the world, Israel, is fighting for its life against a terrorist organization in Hamas. The people across the aisle and people in the White House are calling for a ceasefire on that. I think that is absolutely unacceptable. For all the talk about supporting our fellow democracies, let me remind you that there is one thriving democratic state in the Middle East. There is only one democracy in the Middle East, and that is Israel. It would be nice if my friends across the aisle would support that democracy. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Langworthy), my good friend.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I guess I should congratulate my friends from across the aisle for finally realizing there is a link between Russia, China, and Iran. This has been U.S. foreign policy since at least the early 2000s, but better late than never, I guess. I am taken aback by the fact that there is an allegation that Joe Biden is a strong President because he shot down the drones that Iran sent into Israel. If the President was strong, drones would not have been sent to Israel in the first place. Again, let's not forget that under President Trump, Russia was not attacking Ukraine and Iran was not attacking Israel. It is the President's weakness and his policies of incompetence and American weakness that have invited this aggression. For the talk about Ukraine, we on this side of the aisle have intellectual honesty and consistency on this because you can be for defeating Russia and also for Israel defeating Hamas. You can also be for holding Iran in check. It is weird that the same people on the other side of the aisle who say if you talk about a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine, that we are somehow using Russian talking points. Those same people will be the same ones who say we need to have a cease-fire in Gaza before the IDF is afforded their God-given right to destroy their enemy, Hamas. It sounds to me like the talking points of Hamas, but I will let others draw their own conclusion on that. Talking about more failures in the Biden administration, let's talk about the southern border and about how many terrorists have crossed that southern border. Since President Biden took office, there have been over 340 encounters at the southern border from individuals who are actually on the terrorist watch list. Just this month, news broke that a terrorist from Afghanistan, whose organization is responsible for the deaths of numerous Americans, was released twice--not once, but twice--into the interior of the United States after crossing our southern border. He then roamed around unrestricted for almost a year before he was captured. Then earlier this year, a member of Al-Shabaab, which is an al-Qaida affiliate in Somalia, one of their members was able to live in the U.S. freely for almost a year, as well. It is absolutely crystal clear: Biden and radical, extreme leftist Democrats cannot be trusted to protect our communities and secure the southern border. The numbers speak for themselves. Mr. Speaker, talking about incompetence, let's go back and talk about the surrender of Afghanistan. Remember, under President Trump, there were zero fatalities for the last 18 months before Joe Biden took office. Yet, the President, Joe Biden, felt the need to surrender Afghanistan to the Taliban. In 2021, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was absolutely the worst military blunder in my lifetime. The Biden administration abandoned the Bagram Air Base and released terrorist fighters from prison, including one that killed 13 servicemembers at Abbey Gate. It has led to a rise in al-Qaida and ISIS-K. The CENTCOM Commander testified just last month that ISIS-K will have the capability within 6 months to do external operations against the West. We know through our OIG reports that President Biden and his failed bureaucrats in the State Department are funding the Taliban and al- Qaida through international assistance, but it didn't impact just the Middle East. This has also emboldened China, Russia, and Iran, the three countries that Democrats apparently just discovered there is a connection between in their anti-Western positions. Reports indicate that the withdrawal helped Putin justify his invasion of Ukraine. It is just another blunder in a long list of Biden foreign policy failures. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rutherford), my good friend and a sheriff.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Davidson), my good friend and the author of the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for closing. Under President Trump's leadership, our Nation was safe and our adversaries were put on notice. He truly embodied the slogan: Peace Through Strength. As President, President Trump destroyed the ISIS caliphate and took Iranian General Qasem Soleimani and the founder of ISIS, Al-Baghdadi, off the battlefield. President Trump refocused our Nation on the Indo-Pacific and the growing threat of the Chinese Communist Party. He enacted a maximum pressure campaign on Iran by pulling out of the disastrous Iran deal, placing significant sanctions on the regime, and used military deterrence against their proxy networks. In stark difference to President Biden, the Trump administration designated the IRGC and the Houthis as foreign terrorist organizations. When former President Obama failed to enforce his own red line and allowed chemical weapons to be used against the Syrian people, it was President Trump who targeted the Assad regime through force. He also helped bring peace and stability throughout the globe by negotiating the Abraham Accords, pushed our NATO partners to do their fair share, and moved our Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. He stood up for the American worker, not the global elite, when he renegotiated NAFTA, placed tariffs on China, made America energy independent, and secured our southern border. In comparison, the Biden administration's foreign policy agenda is worse than simply a nightmare because it is reality. That is why House Republicans this week will stand up for our ally Israel and block some of the disastrous decisions that have helped fund Iran's terrorist network. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the previous question and ``yes'' on the rule. I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life and legacy of Allen Q. Jones, who celebrates his 100th birthday on April 11, 2024. Allen was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, and attended Uniontown High School during the early years of World War II, receiving a draft notice shortly before graduation. In 1943, Allen departed for training with the U.S. Army's 717th Tank Battalion. The following year brought him through Forts Chaffee, Knox, and Meade before leaving for Europe aboard the S.S. Cristobal on Christmas Eve, 1944. Corporal Allen Jones and the 717th Tank Battalion crossed the River Rhine in the spring of 1945 and remained in Germany until the end of the war. Once he returned to the United States, he attended Waynesburg College and joined the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 21 in Connellsville, Pennsylvania. Allen stayed active in the VFW for over 70 years, winning leadership elections at the local and national levels. He began his tenure as Fayette County Commander but soon rose to the rank of District 23 Commander. Allen's peers elected him Pennsylvania State Commander in 1986, where his work ethic earned national acclaim. He served on the VFW National Home's Board of Trustees for two years before winning the Board President election in 1995. Allen gained further distinction at the 1999 VFW National Convention when the delegates appointed him to the National Council of Administration. His leadership tenure ended in 2016 after a one-year commission as National Chief of Staff. Allen's call to service inspired him to become an active member of the Connellsville Area School District community throughout his adult life. He taught science and special education for 30 years and served as president of the Connellsville Area Education Association after retiring from teaching in 1984. Allen also coached multiple sports teams at Connellsville Junior High School. He led the Connellsville Junior High East boys basketball team through an undefeated season in 1970, cumulating in winning the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League Junior Championship. He also won a league championship in 1984 while coaching the Connellsville Junior High girls basketball team. The Connellsville School Falcon Foundation recognized Allen's years of commitment to student-athletes by inducting him into their Hall of Fame in 2016. Allen married Nancy Carol Dayton in 1950 and shared 70 happy years of marriage before her passing in 2021. The couple raised two children together: Marcia Knight and Charles ``Chuckie'' Jones. Over the years, their family grew to include two granddaughters and one great- granddaughter. Allen's selfless service left a mark on southwestern Pennsylvania and made his community a better place. Few people share his remarkable ability to connect with and mentor young students. His story is the epitome of a life well-lived. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District, I wish Allen Q. Jones a happy 100th birthday surrounded by friends and family.