Austin Scott

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, this week, the House can advance six pieces of legislation under this rule. S. 1071, the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026, significantly improves the defense acquisition system. This bill implements the peace through strength agenda and restores lethality to our Armed Forces. It further secures America's borders and improves the quality of life for our servicemembers. The fiscal year 2026 NDAA reforms key programs and saves taxpayer dollars resulting in a ready, capable, and lethal fighting force. This legislation will deter China, defend Israel, and counter Russia, North Korea, Iran, and other foreign terrorist organizations. Finally, this bill strengthens our nuclear deterrence, supports the Golden Dome initiative, and grows our Nation's strategic space capabilities. This is a bipartisan, must-pass piece of legislation that all my colleagues should support. H.R. 3898, the PERMIT Act, contains targeted, balanced reforms to the permitting process under the Clean Water Act that will cut red tape, reduce project delays, and provide regulatory certainty. H.R. 3628, the State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act, will require State utility regulators to ensure we have reliable, secure baseload energy that keeps the lights on. H.R. 3638, the Electric Supply Chain Act, will direct the Department of Energy to ensure we are securing our electric supply chain. H.R. 3668, the Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act, aims to speed up the consideration of pipelines by promoting interagency coordination for reviewing certain authorizations for LNG facilities and natural gas pipelines under the Natural Gas Act. Lastly, H.R. 3383, the INVEST Act, will strengthen public markets, produce more opportunities for investors, and expand access to capital for small businesses. The bills before us this week give this body the chance to provide for our defense, to make energy more affordable and reliable, and provide opportunities and access to capital. They are all worthy of support, and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes'' on the previous question and ``yes'' on the rule. The material previously referred to by Ms. Leger Fernandez is as follows: An Amendment To H. Res. 936 Offered By Ms. Leger Fernandez of New Mexico At the end of the resolution, add the following: Sec. 9. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the bill (H.R. 6074) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the enhancement of the health care premium tax credit. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. The bill shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and on any amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means or their respective designees; and (2) one motion to recommit. Sec. 10. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the consideration of H.R. 6074.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to submit for the Record a PBS News article titled: ``Obama reveals how many civilians died in U.S. drone attacks'' under him. It states in here that various human rights groups suggest the range was as high as 1,100 killed by Barack Obama's drone strikes.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am thankful that we have a Speaker of the House with the character of Mike Johnson. He is a friend of mine. He is a very devoted individual in many, many ways, and I am thankful that he is the Speaker of the House of Representatives. I might ask my colleague if she is prepared to close. I don't have any further speakers, Mr. Speaker, so I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I will make sure that my colleague understood what I said and meant when I said that when I go to the pharmacy, I pay cash instead of using my insurance card. The retail cost of the drug is less than the copay on the insurance. Mr. Speaker, that is just the reality of the system that Americans are forced to live in. I thought I might share with you another bill that I kept, where the total charge was $111. As I said, I am covered under the Affordable Care Act. My copay for that doctor's visit was $60. The insurance provider and adjustments were a total of $51. Of that, the insurance company paid $7.99 and just discounted the doctor's bill by $43.01. Again, on a $111 charge, I paid $60, the doctor got beat down by $43, and the insurance company paid $7.99. Let me just tell you, the Affordable Care Act needs to be replaced with something that actually works for the American citizens. I think the worst thing that has ever happened is when it obtained the name of ObamaCare because then it became about President Obama instead of about what the actual law and the flaws in the piece of legislation are. Let's just be clear: If we could fix it, we would. However, giving more cash to the health insurance industry that already has record profits and record stock prices is not going to reduce the premium for American citizens as a whole or is it going to improve the quality of care. We have to get competition back into the market. If it wasn't named ObamaCare, we might have been able to fix it. We might have been able to fix it, but the Democrats are scared to do anything, because their primaries, to change ObamaCare. They are sure not going to give President Trump a vote to fix the mess that they made. They don't want him to get the credit for fixing the mess that they made, so they simply won't vote for anything that would actually work. Mr. Speaker, I want to get back to some other issues. I want to get back to the National Defense Authorization Act. It is a dangerous time in the world right now. It is a dangerous time with all of the things happening in China, with all of the aggression of Russia, with all of the things happening in the Western Hemisphere. The National Defense Authorization Act is probably the most important piece of legislation that we pass on an annual basis in this country. We have two good leaders, Adam Smith and Mike Rogers, and we have a committee that has been able to work together in a bipartisan fashion to put this piece of legislation on the floor of the House of Representatives. It is time to pass this rule. It is time to pass this bill. As you have heard from some of my Democratic colleagues, they have amendments that they are very proud of in this legislation. I am glad it is a bipartisan piece of legislation. Let's pass this rule. Let's pass this bill, and let's move on. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, first of all, if you are over 65, you are not eligible for the tax credit. If you or your spouse work for someone who even offers health insurance, you are not eligible for the tax credit. People on CHIP are not eligible for the tax credit. People on Medicaid are not eligible for the tax credit. If my colleagues think that expanding this tax credit is going to fix the problem, let me just give you a couple of examples from my personal life. I am covered under the Affordable Care Act today. Do you know what I do when I go to the pharmacy? I don't file it on my health insurance. I pay cash because the cash price is less than the copay on my health insurance. The plans, for the most part, are junk. It is junk, and we are not going to continue to send billions upon billions of dollars to the insurance companies. The President has made it very clear. We will give the people money to help them purchase their health insurance, but we need more competition in the system so that people could actually buy a good plan that works for them instead of this junk that I have. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the rule and ``yes'' on the underlying piece of legislation, especially the National Defense Authorization Act. Mr. Speaker, I want to address a couple of things since, as usual, the Democrats continue to blame President Trump for everything. Just as a reminder, the Democrats controlled the House, Senate, and White House until January 2023. They controlled the Senate and White House until January 2025. Every State in this country has a public service commission, so it doesn't make any sense to blame President Trump for what is happening with energy prices when, if you look, it is the States that are controlled by Democrats that have the highest energy prices. I would suggest that we have a little honest reflection here as we talk about different types of things and where inflation comes from. I would remind my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and the American citizens of the deficits that they ran when they had the House, Senate, and White House. When they passed the Inflation Reduction Act and the American Rescue Plan, as they call it, it cost trillions upon trillions upon trillions of dollars. By the way, it was the Democrats who chose not to extend the subsidies beyond this year when they had the House, Senate, and White House, not the Republicans. It was the Democrats who did that. They voted for it, not us. Let's just be honest. President Trump is doing a good job. He is making sure that the rules of engagement are set so that the American citizens are protected and the pangas go to the bottom of the ocean. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Sykes) on the success of her amendments in the legislation. The National Defense Authorization Act is something that I am proud to work on year-round on the Armed Services Committee. I give a lot of credit to Ranking Member Adam Smith, Chair Mike Rogers, and the members of the House Armed Services Committee for working together in very much a bipartisan fashion to make sure that American citizens are protected, not just here in America, but that our troops have the resources they need around the world to protect themselves so that we can be free here in the United States of America. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from South Carolina (Mrs. Biggs).

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, last night the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 936, providing for consideration of six measures. S. 1071 is the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Armed Services or their respective designees, and provides one motion to recommit. H.R. 3898, the PERMIT Act, is under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure or their respective designees, provides one motion to recommit, and makes eight amendments in order. H.R. 3628, the State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act, is under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce or their respective designees, provides one motion to recommit, and makes one amendment in order. H.R. 3638, the Electric Supply Chain Act, is under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce or their respective designees, provides one motion to recommit, and makes five amendments in order. H.R. 3668, the Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act, is under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce or their respective designees, and provides one motion to recommit. H.R. 3383, the INVEST Act, is under a structured rule. The rule provides for 1 hour of debate, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Financial Services or their respective designees, provides one motion to recommit, and makes five amendments in order. Mr. Speaker, we are here today to debate a rule on six pieces of legislation. First is S. 1071, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026. Mr. Speaker, under the leadership of Chairman Mike Rogers and Ranking Member Adam Smith, one of the top priorities of the fiscal year '26 NDAA was to reform the defense acquisition system and equip our armed services with the technology they need to deter national security threats. As anyone who follows this process knows, it can take more than a decade before new capabilities are finally deployed. Yet, by then, the threat has changed, the technology is outdated, and the program is over budget. This bill cuts red tape and shifts the focus of the defense acquisition system from compliance to quickly and cost effectively fielding new capabilities to ensure that our armed forces are the most lethal and effective fighting force in the world. Implementing the Peace Through Strength agenda, the fiscal year '26 NDAA codifies all or parts of 15 executive orders and 30 legislative proposals from President Trump. It fully funds top defense priorities. It revitalizes the defense industrial base. It grows manufacturing jobs in America, all while pressing our NATO allies to pay more for their own defense. Building upon last year's NDAA, which focused on servicemembers' quality of life, this bill supports a 3.8 percent pay raise, Mr. Speaker, for all servicemembers. It improves housing and Department of Defense schools, and it expands access to healthcare and childcare. To deter our adversaries, the fiscal year '26 NDAA focuses on countering threats from China, bolsters Taiwan's defense, and supports Indo-Pacific allies and partners. Additionally, this bill continues the focus on countering threats to our national security from Russia, North Korea, Iran, and other foreign terrorist organizations. To counter emerging threats, the bill focuses on rapidly deploying new and innovative technologies to our warfighters, while strengthening nuclear deterrence and missile defense. To further secure our border and fight drug trafficking, the fiscal year '26 NDAA fully funds the establishment and enforcement of national defense areas along the southwest border of the United States of America, authorizes the Department of Defense to provide additional support to Customs and Border Protection, and authorizes over $1 billion to combat drug trafficking. Finally, the fiscal year '26 NDAA reforms programs and saves taxpayer dollars. It saves over $20 billion from DOGE cuts and Department of Defense workforce reforms, improves congressional oversight of Department of Defense audit results, and overhauls military construction to reduce costs and expedite project delivery. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues and all of the staff for their work that went into the fiscal year '26 NDAA which should pass with overwhelming bipartisan support. Second, Mr. Speaker, we have H.R. 3898, the PERMIT Act. This bill contains targeted commonsense reforms to the permitting process under the Clean Water Act, restoring the balance between the need to ensure both water quality and economic growth. Simply stated, this bill will cut red tape, reduce costly project delays and frivolous litigation, and provide greater regulatory certainty for our Nation's infrastructure builders, energy producers, farmers, homebuilders, water utilities, and small businesses. Third, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3628, is the State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act. This bill amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to require State utility regulators to consider sufficient and reliable generation when considering electric utilities' integrated resource plans. A stable supply of electricity is critical for most aspects of modern life, and peak demand growth is now higher than any point in 20 years. Net-zero mandates of renewable subsidies have disrupted the market, causing grid reliability issues as demand grows. This bill clarifies that reliable electricity means dispatchable, baseload energy. Reliable energy is foundational to everything, and this bill will help ensure we have reliable, secure generation that keeps the lights on. Fourth, Mr. Speaker, is H.R. 3638, the Electric Supply Chain Act. This is a simple bill that directs the Department of Energy to assess our country's electric grid component manufacturing capacity and determine potential problems with imported grid components. We can't afford to fail in securing our electric supply chain. This bipartisan, commonsense legislation aims to ensure we won't. Fifth, Mr. Speaker, is H.R. 3668, the Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act. This bill aims to speed up the consideration of pipelines by promoting interagency coordination for reviewing certain authorizations for LNG facilities and natural gas pipelines under the Natural Gas Act. Demand for natural gas in the United States has grown by 47 percent since 2013. Infrastructure to deliver that gas, however, has only increased by 26 percent. Currently, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, has the responsibility of authorizing pipelines, and generally, after thorough review, finds these projects consistent with the public interest. Yet many of these federally approved projects often don't come to fruition because certain States and other agencies fail to issue the proper certifications. Under the current process, one State has the ability to veto a multi- State pipeline project for reasons far outside the scope of water quality. This results in reliability and affordability issues in resource-constrained areas in our country. Natural gas is clean, affordable, and reliable. The United States also has an abundant supply, and this bill will ensure we have the pipelines needed to keep up with the continually increasing demand for electricity generation. Finally, Mr. Speaker, we have H.R. 3383, the INVEST Act. This is a bipartisan package containing 22 pieces of legislation that have all been reported favorably out of the House Committee on Financial Services. This legislation will strengthen public markets, produce more opportunities for investors, and expand access to capital for small businesses. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to consideration of these pieces of legislation. I urge passage of this rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez), 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. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 936 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, wow. There has been a lot said in the last few minutes. Let's be clear: Senate Democratic leadership knew about the language, as well as Senate Republican leadership. Both sides knew about this language. Nobody in the House supported this language. This language did not go through any committee in the Senate, did not go through any committee in the House, and could never be passed and signed into law if it was discussed openly where the American citizens could actually see and understand what was happening. We were given a choice the other day, open the government or keep the government closed. The people on my side of the aisle, almost unanimously, voted to open the government. I am glad that we ended the chaos, Mr. Speaker. I want you to know that because if the Democrats had had their way, the chaos would be ensuing today. There is a provision in this bill that I believe is probably the most self-centered, self-serving piece of language that I have ever seen in my time in office in any piece of legislation. For the people who are saying it is $500,000, I want the American citizens to know this: It is not $500,000. It is $500,000 per account, per occurrence. We have one Senator, one, who maintains that this provision is good and is currently saying that he is going to sue for tens of millions of dollars. I believe my side did the right thing in voting to open up the government. There are a select few people that did the wrong thing in putting language in the bill that would make themselves individually wealthy. All this language does is repeals that. All this does is repeals that one provision of the law that would enrich what is now down to one individual Member saying they are going to sue for tens of millions of dollars. There is not a whole lot to debate here. I hope all of the House will vote unanimously to do it. Then I hope that, like yesterday, Senator Thune will immediately put the bill on the floor, so we can immediately get this to the President's desk and get back to doing the business of the people now that the government is open.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, the American farmer needs this bill to pass. The American soldier needs this bill to pass. Our air traffic controllers need this bill to pass. The men and women who protect us here in this Capitol and all Federal law enforcement need this bill to pass. Mr. Speaker, I am one of those who represent a lot of Federal employees, and they have been without a check for a long time. This is very simple. It is very simple. It is way past time to open the government up. There are going to be a lot of excuses about could have, should have, would have, and that we need to take this provision or that provision out, or Democrats are going to vote to keep the government shut down. Mr. Speaker, the vote today is straight up or straight down. You vote to open the government up today, or you vote to keep it closed. That is all there is to it. As for the provision that has been mentioned a few times about the Senate language, I have introduced a piece of legislation already to repeal the Senate language, and I am hopeful that we will have a vote on that as soon as we get back.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Chair, this is an extremely important program. It was originally done in fiscal year 2020 under the Trump administration. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania deserve our support. If you look at what happened last night with the Russian incursion of drones into Poland, I think it is now, more than ever, necessary that we make sure that these countries have what they need to defend themselves from Vladimir Putin's aggression. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Chair, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon).

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Turner).

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Chair, first, I thank my friends, Mr. Panetta and Mr. Carbajal, from the Democratic Party for being sponsors of this amendment as well, making it bipartisan. My amendment authorizes the Secretary of Defense to carry out a security assistance program known as the Baltic Security Initiative for the purpose of expanding security cooperation with the armed forces of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. This security assistance program has been in existence since the first Trump administration in fiscal year 2020. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Carbajal).

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 682 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon), 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. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.