Keith Self

Mr. SELF

Mr. SELF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Plano East Panthers basketball team for their perfect season, going 40-0 and capturing the program's first-ever division 6A State championship. This was the Panthers' first State title in any team sport. The Panthers, led by Head Coach Matt Wester, became the first men's basketball team to go unbeaten in 6A, the highest level, amassing 40 wins by an average 22.7 point differential across the season. Each of East's seven playoff wins came by double figures, amassing an average margin of victory by 23.4 points. In the State championship game, the Panthers only gave up 41 points, which ranks as the eighth fewest points the team surrendered all season. As the top-ranked Texas team and number three team in most national polls, the Panthers claimed the first State championship in school history, led by D.J. Hall's 18 points and six rebounds. Hall was named the Conference Final Most Valuable Player. In addition, Rachard Angton added 13 points and Jordan Mizell pitched in 8 points and eight rebounds. Through their display of teamwork and dedication, the Panthers made both the city of Plano and the State of Texas proud. It will be exciting to watch them next year and see if they can run it back. Madam Speaker, I congratulate the Panthers on a remarkable season. They were perfect. Honoring Sergeant Nicholas B. Lovren

Mr. SELF. Madam Speaker, it is with great honor I rise today to recognize Sergeant Nicholas B. Lovren of the Fairview Police Department as he retires after 20 years of dedicated service in law enforcement. Sergeant Lovren's steadfast dedication to serving and assisting those in need has been a constant motivation throughout his career. His deep understanding of the noble responsibility entrusted to him as a guardian of the community was always evident. Sergeant Lovren exemplified his commitment to protecting the community during the May 6, 2023, mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets, displaying exceptional bravery and professionalism in the face of intense adversity. His passion for his profession was recognized not only by his colleagues but also by the community he served, as evidenced by commendations and accolades throughout his tenure. Beyond the call of duty, Sergeant Lovren is active in various outreach programs in his community and is a devoted family man to his wife, Lendsie, and their three children, Alice, Hunter, and Libby. As he embarks on this new chapter of his life, I commend Sergeant Lovren for his outstanding contributions to law enforcement and the community, and I want to extend my congratulations and best wishes for a well-deserved retirement.

Mr. SELF

Mr. SELF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule to allow consideration of H. Res. 1065, denouncing the Biden administration's immigration policies. Every day we see a new horror story in the news, a new headline about some violent crime committed by an illegal alien: 22-year-old nursing student, Laken Riley, brutally murdered by a Venezuelan illegal immigrant; Travis Wolf, one day away from celebrating his 12th birthday, killed by an illegal immigrant driving the wrong way; 16- year-old Texas teen, Lizbeth Medina, stabbed to death by an illegal immigrant from Mexico with a criminal background. Laken Riley, Travis Wolf, and Lizbeth Medina should still be here today. Every crime committed by an illegal alien is preventable. Every murder, every rape, every robbery is preventable. Criminal violence is the current outcome that we are seeing every day due to Biden's open-border policies. What about the risk of terrorism? In my 25 years in the Army, if I learned anything, it is that evil still stalks the world. We are importing part of that evil to the United States today. We have seen an escalation of the horrors inflicted on American families by the invasion on our southern border. How many horrific headlines must we endure before Biden closes the border and stops the carnage against Americans?

Mr. SELF

Mr. SELF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support the underlying bill that will keep our airports operational while we work to pass a full FAA authorization bill. However, I have major questions for the FAA, and I will be brief. The single worst terror attack in our history started at airports. Yet today, some of our largest airports, including Boston Logan, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, and Chicago O'Hare are housing unvetted illegal aliens from around the world--potentially terrorists. Who would have thought this was a good idea? This reeks of danger. How can we be sure that none of these unvetted illegal aliens are not terrorists who intend to strike our airports or airliners? In some cases, they are being housed in terminals inside airports or in bus terminals just off active runways. If just one person were to smuggle a shoulder-fired weapon into one of these migrant holding areas, they would have an easy takedown of a jetliner. Using airports to shelter illegal immigrants is a major national security threat and an outrageous misuse of taxpayer funding. Therefore, as we pass the FAA extension and press on toward a full-term bill, I urge my colleagues to include a section that explicitly bans housing illegal immigrants within airport premises.

Mr. SELF

Mr. SELF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey as he retires after 44 years of dedicated service and leadership in the field of law enforcement. Chief Harvey took the oath of office as the Allen Police chief on February 7, 2012. During his tenure, he demonstrated steadfast leadership, strategic guidance, and an unyielding commitment to public safety. Prior to leading the Allen Police Department, Chief Harvey contributed 32 years of valuable law enforcement experience as the deputy chief of police with the Dallas Police Department. Chief Harvey's leadership has been characterized by stability, innovation, and a commitment to the growth and efficiency of the police department. During his tenure, Chief Harvey enhanced community outreach and transparency, and implemented vital police recruitment initiatives, including expanding the school resource officer program and providing imperative mental health training and resources for the department. Chief Harvey continually spearheaded efforts to keep the department updated on the latest technological advancements, setting a precedent that other departments emulated. Chief Harvey's leadership during critical moments, including during the May 6, 2023, active-shooter incident at the Allen Premium Outlets and the subsequent weeks, demonstrated exceptional bravery and courage among his responding officers, saving lives and showcasing the resilience of the Allen Police Department. Chief Harvey's retirement provides an opportunity for reflection on his remarkable achievements and lifetime of service. For that, I extend my gratitude.

Mr. SELF

Mr. SELF. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 966) condemning rape and sexual violence committed by Hamas in its war against Israel.

Mr. SELF. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. SELF. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 966. On October 7, Israel suffered one of the worst days in its history as over 1,200 innocent people were slaughtered in cold blood and more than 220 people taken hostage. In the days following the initial attack, Israeli police began gathering evidence of the atrocities committed that day. Since then, eyewitnesses from survivors and captured terrorists have confirmed that Hamas terrorists were ordered and encouraged to commit disgusting acts of sexual violence against Israeli civilians. These gruesome assaults did not end on October 7. The Hamas terrorists that perpetuated this attack dragged innocent men, women, and children away from their families into dark, cold, underground tunnels where they were kept hostage in brutal conditions. Only recently has it become clear what kind of horrors the hostage faced in their captivity. Survivors have described the awful conditions they were kept in and the abuse they suffered underground, including instances of rape and sexual abuse. The U.N. and other international bodies have glossed over these atrocities and failed to fully condemn Hamas for its rape and sexual assault, despite purporting to stand for human rights. Today, we will unequivocally condemn sexual violence as a weapon of war by Hamas and all other depraved aggressors. I thank Congresswoman Frankel for introducing this resolution, which I am proud to support and which deserves our unanimous support. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SELF. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew).

Mr. SELF. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SELF. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SELF. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, Hamas' barbaric attack on Israel on October 7 can never be forgotten. The brutal torture, murder, and rape of innocents will forever go down as one of the worst terrorist attacks in the world's history. We, as the United States, must stand against the use of sexual violence in any form as a weapon of war. We must continue to work for the safe return of all remaining hostages. It is essential that Congress stands united to show the world that we will not turn a blind eye while terrorists slaughter, torture, and rape innocents. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this resolution. I ask all of my colleagues in this House to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. SELF

Mr. SELF. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5375) to require a strategy for bolstering engagement and cooperation between the United States, Australia, India, and Japan and to seek to establish a Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working Group to facilitate closer cooperation on shared interests and values, as amended.

Mr. SELF. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

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

Mr. SELF. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5375. The Chinese Communist Party is a generational threat and is becoming increasingly coercive toward its neighbors and other nations around the world. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue--commonly known as the Quad-- brings together the United States, Australia, Japan, and India, four nations that share democratic principles, respect for the rule of law, and a vision for the free and open Indo-Pacific. In the face of growing CCP aggression, it is more important than ever to foster strong, resilient ties with our Quad partners to combat malign CCP influence and protect democracy in the Indo-Pacific. That is why I support the Strengthening the Quad Act, introduced by my colleague from New York (Mr. Meeks). This legislation will enhance Quad ties by ensuring regular engagement between the United States Congress and the legislatures of the Quad countries. It also requires the administration to provide Congress with a strategy for bolstering engagement and cooperation with the Quad. I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill. Together, we can more effectively counter coercion from any nation looking to dismantle democratic values and the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SELF. Mr. Speaker, I will point out that the recently approved National Defense Authorization Act, indeed, pivoted our hard power, our military power, toward the Indo-Pacific. This is a critical and important piece of building our alliances across the Indo-Pacific so that we can have a coherent, coordinated approach toward the CCP. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SELF. Mr. Speaker, I thank both President Trump and President Biden for their vision of the importance of the Indo-Pacific. I thank Ranking Member Meeks for introducing this bill, which was unanimously supported by the Foreign Affairs Committee at our markup. I support its passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SELF

Mr. SELF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on a very heavy subject. I have images of a very disturbing and graphic nature here with me showing the violent, horrific reality of abortion. This should shock every American. What would you do if you found the dead bodies of five babies inside a cardboard box? Would you call the police? Would you throw the box out? Would you let it be taken away to a medical waste incinerator and forget you ever found it? This is not a hypothetical. This is exactly what happened right here in this city just 3 miles from this House Chamber. On March 25, 2022, Laurel Handy and Terrisa Bukovinac found these children in a box labeled ``medical waste'' outside the Washington Surgi-Clinic abortion facility. They suspected it contained human remains, and the medical waste services truck driver agreed to give it to them for a proper burial. What they found inside scarred them: the bodies of five late-term aborted children. Experts attest that these babies were between 26 and 32 weeks of development when they were aborted. They had lungs, beating hearts, fully formed fingers and toes, eyelids that would open and close. These children could feel pain. As these images show, their bodies were disfigured, crushed, chemically burned. One baby girl bore wounds, a deep laceration to the back of her neck that likely indicates an illegal partial birth abortion. Another baby girl had the marks of a D&E abortion, dilation and evacuation in which the abortionist dismembers the baby limb by limb and crushes its skull to remove it from the womb. This occurred nearly 2 years ago. Yet, shamefully, neither the Department of Justice nor the D.C. Metropolitan Police nor the D.C. Medical Examiner did anything. No autopsies were done. No investigations were opened. The entire case of the D.C. five was swept under the rug. Something is very sick in our society. When a baby at 30 weeks in utero is wanted, a doctor will do anything to save its life. However, when a baby is unwanted, the abortionist takes its life. When a mother miscarries, we mourn with her for the loss of her unborn child, but when she gets an abortion, we are told there is nothing to mourn, nothing to see. These aren't human beings. These aren't real babies. They are only medical waste. Move along. Don't be bothered. Don't open the cardboard box. Lauren and Terrisa opened the box. They recognized the dignity and inherent value of all human life, even babies still in the womb. Five days after discovering the box, Lauren was arrested on charges of protesting outside an abortion clinic. Today, she is still detained and could face 11 years in prison. What has gone wrong in our country, that a woman who found these babies is imprisoned while the man who killed them, the notorious late- term abortionist, Dr. Santangelo, goes free? The District of Columbia allows abortion up to and including the moment of birth. In other words, in this city, a baby's right to life depends on which side of the birth canal it is on. Location, mere geography, is the difference between legal abortion and murder. One pro-abortion surgeon became pro-life the instant he witnessed the abortion of a 19-week-old baby. He wrote: ``And it has happened that you cannot reason with me now. For what can language do against the truth of what I saw?'' These are second- and third-trimester babies. What can any pro- abortion argument say against these images? The D.C. 5 were children, human beings with distinct DNA, weeks from birth, before their lives were brutally and barbarically snuffed out. The DOJ must immediately investigate the likely violation of the partial birth abortion ban. I demand the D.C. medical examiner allow an autopsy, and I stand with my House colleagues in calling for Congress to investigate. Justice for the D.C. 5 demands no less.

Mr. SELF

Mr. SELF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6976, the Protect our Communities from DUIs Act. I will be on the border Saturday yet again, and it is a total mess. Illegal aliens continue to surge through the southern border and are overwhelming many States, to include those from the other side of the aisle. In addition to the fentanyl overdoses and cartel violence, drunk driving has been a major issue that has senselessly taken too many American lives. Last year, 52-year-old Special Olympian Craig Schimming was hit and killed in a car wreck on his way to church by an illegal alien drunk and high on meth. Devastating stories like this happen far too often across our country, and there is absolutely no reason illegal aliens with DUI convictions should be able to stay in the United States. The Protect our Communities from DUIs Act would deport illegal aliens who have been convicted of or committed the offense of driving while drunk or impaired. This is commonsense legislation, and every Member of the people's House should support this bill.

Mr. SELF

Mr. SELF. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of this bill. Listening to my colleagues across the aisle talk about pregnancy centers is astounding. They appear to have never set foot in one and have fallen for the abortion industry's lies, hook, line, and sinker. I served on the board of a pregnancy center in my area for many years. During my service, we even contracted for a mobile sonogram to go to help the ladies who were in disadvantaged areas and lacked transportation to get to the pregnancy center. The sonogram is the greatest tool in use against the death culture. In Plano, Texas, if you find yourself unexpectedly pregnant without a support network, feeling lost and anxious, you can go to a number of local pregnancy centers. There, you will be met by kind, caring, compassionate staff, both volunteer nurses and medical doctors. They offer pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, counseling, classes, and testing, all at no cost. There are nearly 3,000 of these centers around the Nation, mainly run by local volunteers simply because they want to help. In 2021, the pregnancy centers served almost 1 million women and their babies, and this number does not even include the fathers, who are part of this equation. Yet, in spite of all this good, the administration has decided to punish pregnancy centers. Why? Because they do not perform abortions. Let that sink in. Your tax dollars fund the death culture but not the life culture. Pregnancy centers give out free diapers, parenting classes, and ultrasounds, and their volunteers lend a helping hand to moms across America who decide to keep their unborn person. Because these centers will not bend the knee to the President's radical abortion agenda, they are going to be punished. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill and to stand with pregnant moms and their babies.

Mr. SELF

Mr. SELF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my Texas colleague's H. Res. 957. We all know the eye-watering figures: 10 million greater than the population of our seventh largest State, 1.7 million got-aways. I want to focus on the 100,000 minors that we have literally lost in the interior of the United States, supposedly because under some treaty, we are not authorized to collect and store information on minors. They are simply in the United States, who knows doing what--slave trade, indentured servitude. The cartels will collect their pound of flesh from the people who pay them to bring them across the border. They are in every State, and they are in many of our cities. They are now collecting from indentured servants, from the sex trade, from the slavery that we have, from the fentanyl that they bring across and sell. No new policy, no new law, no new tax dollars are a solution for this issue. It is the lawless behavior of the administration that must change. If you want a solution, I urge my colleagues across the aisle to address the lawless behavior of this administration. That is the only solution to secure our border.

Mr. SELF

Mr. SELF. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Clyde).

Mr. SELF. Mr. Chair, may I inquire as to the time remaining.