Guy Reschenthaler

Mr. RESCHENTHALER

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, here to explain this amendment is my good friend and a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Congressman Jeff Duncan from South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Duncan).

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman from South Carolina an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, Democrats and their allies on the left can blame Putin all they want, and it is partially true that Putin's war in Ukraine is partially to blame. But gas prices have risen every month of this administration. Every month they were up a dollar a gallon before Putin even invaded Ukraine. The real issue here is supply. Why do we have the supply issue? It is because Joe Biden on day number one canceled the Keystone XL pipeline. That dried up all capital investment into hydrocarbon infrastructure. Maybe it is a problem because we cannot get the oil and gas to refineries to make sure that we have a supply. So what does Joe Biden do instead? He blames everybody else. He goes to Venezuela and elsewhere, and begs them to produce more oil when just one administration before under President Trump, we were actually a net exporter of energy. Biden and House Democrats have created this mess, and the American people know that. Are you ready for this fact, Madam Speaker? The American people will also spend $5,000 this year on gas--$5,000 for the average American. That is a 78 percent increase from a year ago. In other words, Americans are spending over $2,000 extra a year on gas under Joe Biden. Blame who you want, Madam Speaker, but every time an American looks up and sees $100-plus on that gas tank that he or she just filled up, they know who to blame--Joe Biden and Democrats. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from the great State of Texas (Ms. Van Duyne).

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, just some quick facts. As Mr. Duncan stated, House Democrats have blocked consideration of legislation to unleash America's energy independence six times. Six times we have been down this road, and House Democrats have blocked it. Gas prices have gone up 49 cents since the last time Republicans asked Democrats to bring this bill to the floor. Here we are again. To talk more about this issue, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Lesko).

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber), my friend and a former police officer.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to my good friend to close.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I still find it somewhat amusing that my friends across the aisle continue to blame all this on foreign nations and their actions. Let me give a quick history lesson on how President Joe Biden and Democrats actually caused this crisis. Number one, day number one, Joe Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline. Number two, he emboldened Putin with Nord Stream 2. I would actually argue he emboldened Putin to invade Ukraine when he recklessly pulled us out of Afghanistan, which served zero military purpose. But I digress. Additionally, Joe Biden suspended oil and gas leasing on Federal lands. He delayed permits for energy and infrastructure pipelines. He drained the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. He revoked permits for critical mineral projects. He canceled oil leases in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico. What has this done to gas prices? Well, in California, gas prices are now $9 a gallon. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa).

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers at this time, and I am prepared to close. I yield myself the balance of my time and remind everybody that, in Joe Biden's America, gas prices are averaging more than $5 a gallon; inflation is at a 40-year high; and real wages have decreased 10 out of the last 12 months. Yet, with today's rule, House Democrats are doubling down on far- left, radical policies, really failed policies, that created Joe Biden's economic crisis in the first place. It is well past time that the Biden administration and congressional Democrats admit that they are to blame for the economic pain families are facing and workers are facing, and work with Republicans on solutions to immediately help the American people. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the previous question and ``no'' on the rule, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. RESCHENTHALER

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from New York for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the rule before us today provides for consideration of three pieces of legislation, including H.R. 350, which my colleagues claim will prevent incidents of domestic terrorism. But let's make no mistake, Republicans are committed to fighting hatred and violence in all forms. Unfortunately, H.R. 350 does absolutely nothing to actually make our communities safer. Rather, this legislation expands the Federal bureaucracy. It ignores new and evolving domestic terrorist threats, and it makes it more difficult for law enforcement to recruit and retain qualified candidates. Alarmingly, it empowers Biden's DOJ to continue labeling American parents and other political opponents as threats to stifle their First Amendment rights. The rule before us today also provides for consideration of H.R. 7688, the Democrats' attempt to distract and shift blame for President Biden's self-inflicted energy crisis. Since his first day in office, President Biden has waged an unrelenting war on American energy producers. From canceling the Keystone XL pipeline to suspending oil and gas leasing on Federal lands, President Biden's radical Green New Deal policies have discouraged and denied development of American energy resources and the American energy sector. Yet, at the same time that Joe Biden has done all this, he absolutely refuses to take any accountability for the soaring gas prices and the economic pain he continues to inflict on hardworking American families. First, the President tried to blame Putin, despite the fact that gas prices had risen more than 50 percent during his first year in office. A quick history lesson: That is 1 year before Russia ever invaded Ukraine. In fact, gas prices have increased every single month of this Presidency. Now, the President is blaming hardworking oil and gas producers in places like Pennsylvania and across the country, accusing them of price gouging, even though multiple FTC investigations have repeatedly concluded supply and demand is the ultimate driver of these rising prices and, by the way, an artificial decrease in supply thanks to these radical policies. H.R. 7688 will impose a socialist price-fixing scheme on oil and gas, leading to even less production, which will hit small businesses and American families the hardest. Now, I wasn't alive in the 1970s, but I know there are a lot of Members in this Chamber who were, and I am sure they can remember waiting in line to fuel up their cars. If H.R. 7688 is signed into law, that travesty will once again be a reality. Finally, the rule before us makes in order H.R. 7790, the Infant Formula Supplemental Appropriations Act. Under President Biden's leadership, our Nation is facing an infant formula supply crisis, with reports that more than 40 percent of formula is out of stock. Instead of working with Republicans to redirect excess stocks of formula at Federal agencies and force the FDA to develop a plan to address this shortage, House Democrats simply want to throw money at the problem with absolutely no plan, no guardrails to ensure that funding is spent to actually put baby formula back on grocery store shelves. Let me be clear. We are giving $28 million to the very same unelected career bureaucrats who failed to address this crisis when it came to their attention a year ago. It is absolute madness. H.R. 7790 will do nothing, absolutely nothing, to alleviate Biden's baby formula crisis, and it is American babies and American families who will be forced to suffer the consequences. Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I failed to mention that today's rule also does not make in order a single Republican amendment, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Republicans have attempted to work with our Democratic colleagues to make our communities safer, to address inflation and lower gas prices, and to help parents feed their babies. But it is absolutely clear from today's rule and from their actions over the last 3 years that House Democrats would rather continue their partisan political theater than put forth real solutions to help real Americans. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice), my good friend.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I would be more than happy to answer the question that my friend from Illinois posed. The difference from 2 years ago and now is that the DOJ has started going after concerned parents that are showing up at school board meetings labeling them domestic terrorists. The difference is that the Department of Homeland Security thinks it is fitting to have a truth and disinformation board, like something from an Orwellian novel. This is a different time. Also, in the last 2 years, we had $2 billion of damage that was caused by antifa. Yet, my colleagues across the aisle refuse to label antifa a domestic terrorist organization. Those are just a few of the things that have changed between now and the last time we had this bill. Now, my good friend from New York was talking about the oil and gas industry. Let me just remind everybody that in 2020, the oil and gas industry lost $76 billion. There was talk about buybacks. Maybe we should consider why these buybacks are occurring. Maybe it is because of investor shareholder activism and this notion of ESGs that has something to do with it. And by the way, that activism also dries up investment and capital into the oil and gas industry. But don't take my word for it, Dr. Jason Furman of Harvard University--clearly no bastion of conservative thought--he actually was an adviser to President Obama. Listen to what he said: ``When more people want to buy things than companies are capable of making, prices go up. That's just the law of supply and demand. Companies always want to maximize their profits. I don't think they're doing it any more this year than any other year.'' Again, that was Jason Furman, not exactly a conservative. But while we are talking about all these issues, we are also failing to talk about police week. It is National Police Week. Across our Nation, police departments are struggling to recruit new officers, to fill open positions. Some cities are facing shortages as high as 17 percent. At the same time, our Nation is in the midst of a crime crisis with homicide rates up 48 percent compared with just 2 years ago. The crime crisis is a direct result of President Biden and the Democrats' efforts to demonize the police, to defund the police, and also pushing for soft-on-crime policies. House Republicans will always stand with our police. We will always invest in our Nation's law enforcement, and we will always fight to make our communities safer. That is why, if we defeat this previous question, I will personally offer an amendment to the rule to immediately consider the Communities Deserve Cops Act. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment into the Record, along with any extraneous materials immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rutherford), a former sheriff, good friend, and the author of this legislation, here to explain the amendment.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I just have to push back a little bit on my good friend from New York because the facts just don't line up with his argument, respectfully. I will give you a great example. During the committee markup, Representative Steube of Florida offered an amendment to strike references to white supremacists and neo-Nazis, and insert neo-Nazis, white supremacists, antifa, Black Lives Matter, and radicalized social justice organizations. So when the Democrats had the chance to actually include a whole slew of domestic terror organizations, when they had the chance, that amendment that Representative Steube offered, it failed on a party-line vote with only one Republican joining the Democrats in voting ``no.'' While Democrats refused to put antifa, Black Lives Matter, and radicalized social justice organizations into the definition of ``domestic terrorism,'' they simultaneously believed that concerned parents at school board meetings are the domestic terrorists. That is the problem, and that is what has changed between 2 years and now. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Rice) to talk more about the police. Again, it is Police Week, and we are doing very little talking about the police.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I have a lot of respect for my good friend from New York, but, again, facts don't care about friendships. If you look at the facts, and just a quick history lesson, on September 29, 2021, the National School Boards Association sent a letter to the Biden White House asking the administration to treat parents as terrorists. Madam Speaker, 5 days after that letter, which, again, asks Biden's DOJ to treat parents as domestic terrorists, 5 days later, Attorney General Garland sent a memo to the Director of the FBI, directing the FBI to work with each U.S. attorney to convene meetings with Federal, local, and territorial leaders within 30 days of the issuance of the memo and to open dedicated lines of communication for threats reported at school board meetings. Just a few weeks after that, they created a threat tag to be used on parents. Fast forward, during a markup in the Judiciary Committee, Judiciary Republicans expressed concerns that H.R. 350 will codify what took place last fall, treating parents as domestic terrorists. To date, that memo has not been rescinded. Madam Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Morelle) to see if he supports the actions of the Attorney General, if he supports the letter, and if he has anything to say in response.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, reclaiming my time, the question was simple. It is on the issue of the memoranda, whether or not my colleague agreed that the FBI should treat parents as domestic terrorists. The letter has not been rescinded. It is still in place, and the actions of the Attorney General and the DOJ are irrefutable. Again, I point to the fact that that letter has still not been rescinded. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Guest) to elaborate more on this matter.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Malliotakis), my good friend.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Herrera Beutler), my good friend and fellow appropriator.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy), my good friend.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers at this time, and I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, for over 3 years, House Democrats have pushed for a radical, far left agenda that does absolutely nothing to address the serious issues facing American families. The legislation made in order under today's rule is no exception to that. H.R. 350 adds bureaucracy and adds red tape to existing law enforcement resources, while completely ignoring new and evolving terrorist threats. H.R. 7688, this is the Democrats' socialist energy price-fixing scheme that will actually lead to less energy production and further exacerbate American families' pain at the pump. Finally, H.R. 7790, does nothing--I repeat, nothing--to put more formula on store shelves or hold Biden's FDA accountable for ignoring this crisis despite knowing about it for the last year. Madam Speaker, the American people deserve more than empty promises and meaningless legislation, they deserve action. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the previous question and ``no'' on the rule, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. RESCHENTHALER

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

Mr. RESCHENTHALER

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York.

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman, my good friend from Maryland, (Mr. Raskin), for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the rule before us today provides for consideration of S. 3522, the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022. Mr. Speaker, let me start by saying that I strongly support this bill, which streamlines existing defense authorities to enable the President to enter into a lend-lease agreement directly with Ukraine and Eastern European countries. I know I speak for my Republican colleagues in expressing my wholehearted support for the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves and their democracy against Vladimir Putin's atrocities. That is why I look forward--and so do so many of my colleagues--to voting for this bill later today. However, I have to urge my colleagues to oppose this rule as it continues Speaker Pelosi's authoritarian lockdown of the House of Representatives. For over 2 years the Speaker has used COVID-19 as an excuse to deny Members the ability to advocate on behalf of the people they represent. This rule keeps those oppressive procedures in place, despite the fact that even the bluest of States are easing their COVID restrictions. This is just further proof that my colleagues across the aisle care only about political science, not about real science. Further, Mr. Speaker, this rule fails to provide for consideration of legislation to address the serious issues facing the American people. Under the Biden administration, our Nation has careened from one crisis to the next. Right now, families across the country are facing a 41-year high in inflation and skyrocketing gas and food prices. These are expected to cost the average American family $5,000 a year. This morning we learned the U.S. GDP fell by 1.4 percent during the first quarter of 2022. This is getting worse by the day. Forty percent of small businesses are planning to raise prices by 10 percent just to keep up with inflation. This economic crisis is not the result of the war in Ukraine as President Biden and the leftists on the other side of the aisle like to claim. This crisis is a direct result of the Democrats' out-of-control spending and their far-left, dangerous, radical policies. Just look at the fact that inflation has increased every month since Joe Biden has been President. Putin didn't invade Ukraine until February of this year, yet during President Biden's first year in office--again, well before the invasion of Ukraine--gas prices jumped nearly 53 percent, from $2.25 a gallon to $3.44 a gallon. Again, that was before Russian soldiers ever crossed the border in Ukraine. But talking about borders, let's talk about our southern border. The border crisis is a direct result of Joe Biden's incompetence, and the radical policies of the left are leading to disaster. Thanks to the open border policy of the left, last month over 200,000 illegal immigrants were encountered at our southern border. That is a new Biden-era high. Again, that is over 200,000 illegal immigrants. To put this in perspective for my colleagues, that is roughly three congressional districts. Since Biden took office, over 2.4 million illegal immigrants have been apprehended at our southern border, including more than 40 individuals who are on the terrorist watch list. This is only going to get worse if President Biden gets away with lifting title 42. So, again, Mr. Speaker, while I support S. 3522 and, of course, the people of Ukraine, I believe this is a missed opportunity to help the American people, the people in southwestern Pennsylvania, and the people throughout this Nation. Mr. Speaker, I, therefore, urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the previous question and ``no'' on the rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.