Jackie Walorski

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Armstrong).

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman.

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Good).

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins).

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert).

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Jordan), the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee.

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Rice).

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I absolutely reject violence and calls for violence against any Member of Congress or anyone else. But by rushing this vote to the floor today and ignoring the process, the majority is setting a precedent that I fear may not serve this institution well in the future. The majority should withdraw this resolution, and, if it chooses, pursue this matter properly through law enforcement and/or the Ethics Committee. If the resolution is not withdrawn, then I am going to vote ``no'' and hope at some point that the Ethics Committee will, once again, serve this body as it was intended. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to vote ``no,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, my fellow Hoosier, I rise today to expose an outrageous scheme by the Biden administration to pay out hundreds of thousands of dollars to migrants who have violated our laws by illegally crossing our southern border. Right now, there is already a national security, humanitarian, and public health crisis on the southern border. Every neighborhood in America, including mine in Indiana, is facing the devastating consequences of this crisis as illicit drugs come across the porous border and wreak havoc in our communities through more violence and drug overdoses. Instead of protecting our country by securing the border, President Biden wants law-abiding American taxpayers to pay illegal migrants, whom people know and we know broke the laws, a ridiculous sum of money. This decision will do nothing more than encourage human trafficking and drug smuggling. The administration's border policies are downright inhumane and will continue to incentivize migrants to make the dangerous journey to reach our border. This radical proposal should be abandoned immediately. It will not only exacerbate this crisis but it will also be put on the taxpayers' dime. As inflation skyrockets under the Biden administration's Big Government giveaways, working families are struggling right now to pay for everyday necessities. Small businesses are struggling with supply chain and workforce shortages. While Americans face these obstacles, President Biden has decided that rewarding people who break our laws is more important than fighting inflation, securing our border, or ensuring that we have the necessary energy to heat our homes this winter. This is Big Government insanity at its worst, and I wholeheartedly reject it.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 5661, the Continued State Flexibility To Assist Older Foster Youth Act. America's most vulnerable foster youth face unique challenges even in normal times, and the COVID-19 pandemic created even more obstacles to overcome. Nearly 20,000 youth age out of foster care every year. While the COVID pandemic has presented difficulties for all Americans, foster youth and former foster youth are particularly vulnerable, given that they are most likely to be without reliable adults and other kinds of supports in their lives. The Continued State Flexibility To Assist Older Foster Youth Act would allow States to keep in place important flexibilities in the Chafee child welfare program so they can continue to support vulnerable foster youth in Indiana and across the country. I am grateful to Chairman Davis for his continued partnership in building on our past reforms to help families thrive and this committee's tradition of bipartisan action to protect young people in our foster care system. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon).

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, in December, we worked together to take action to help foster youth through the pandemic so they could build a stronger, more stable future. That bill, called the Supporting Foster Youth Through the Pandemic Act, provided much-needed additional support for foster youth and families, at-risk pregnant women and mothers, and kinship caregivers, including grandparents. Mr. Speaker, the bill included $400 million in funding to assist States in supporting foster youth transitioning to adulthood during the pandemic. That relief has provided a lifeline for thousands of youth to get back to school, back into jobs, and on the path of self- sufficiency. As COVID-19 continues to spur instability, young people with experience in foster care still face significant challenges to meet their basic needs and to access critical funds and services. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, 75 percent of these funds remain unobligated by States as of September 30, 2021, and States have another year to spend. In recognition of the needs of foster youth, this bill would extend those key programmatic flexibilities for another year. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support these vulnerable foster youth by voting for H.R. 5661, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose the previous question. If we defeat the previous question, Republicans will amend the rule to include H.R. 5586, the Prohibiting IRS Financial Surveillance Act, legislation to prevent the IRS from snooping into Americans' personal financial accounts. Under President Biden and Congressional Democrats' policies, American families continue to be squeezed by inflation at the gas pump, at the grocery store, and in their monthly energy bills. But this inflation squeeze isn't enough for them. Now, they want to monitor the average American's bank account. As part of Democrats' misguided tax-and- spending spree, they have proposed new reporting requirements, from financial institutions to the IRS, regarding private account information. This vast government overreach would turn financial institutions in my district into local outposts of the IRS, all with the sole purpose of reporting Hoosiers' personal financial account information back to the Government. Make no mistake, this will capture virtually every American, who will be subject to increased levels of IRS intrusion in their daily lives. The IRS already has been challenged by the leak of thousands of documents, including sensitive taxpayer information. The collection of additional data would only exacerbate this problem and subject many Americans to the potential exposure of their personal information. Let's not forget, under the Obama administration, the IRS systematically targeted certain groups applying for tax-exempt status simply because of their political affiliation. I hope that we can defeat the previous question to protect the privacy of all Americans and to ensure that the IRS won't be surveilling every financial transaction. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose the previous question.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3635, the Strengthening America's Strategic National Stockpile Act. A key lesson from the pandemic has been the absolute need to end our dependence on the Chinese Communist Party for the production of medicines, personal protective equipment, and other critical medical supplies. Now more than ever, we know that secure and resilient supply chains are vital to the safety and success of the American people. It is so critical to focus on breaking our dependency on China and move domestic manufacturing of PPE products back home to the U.S. Early on in the pandemic, the Department of Homeland Security concluded that China ``intentionally concealed the severity'' of this virus so they could hoard PPE by blocking exports and buying it up through its state-owned enterprises, a theory that has been confirmed time and time again. In March of 2020, the New York Times reported that factories in China were not authorized to export masks, and all the while bought up much of the world's supply first. In February of last year, Chinese entrepreneurs and aid groups visited pharmacies in affluent countries and emerging markets, buying masks in bulk to send to China. Similarly, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that the Greenland Group, a Chinese government-backed property giant, instructed its employees worldwide--even accountants and receptionists and their HR teams--to stop what they were doing and bulk buy as many medical supplies as they could in January and February of 2020. It is quite simple. We must not trust the Chinese Communist Party. The bipartisan legislation before us today is a strong step in the right direction toward strengthening American manufacturing of PPE in Indiana and across the rest of the country. Specifically, it includes the Medical Supplies for Pandemics Act I led with Congresswoman Dingell, that would enhance medical supply chain elasticity, improve the domestic production of PPE, and partner with private industry to refresh and replenish existing stocks of medical supplies. Our legislation takes other important measures, such as supporting State efforts to expand and maintain our own stockpiles, improving maintenance of the national stockpile to ensure it is in good working order and allow the transfer of stockpile items nearing their expiration dates to other federal agencies. To prepare for the next crisis and better protect frontline healthcare workers, we need to boost U.S. manufacturing of PPE and strengthen the Strategic National Stockpile. Madam Speaker, I urge support, and I thank my colleagues.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, while I voted for H.R. 4350, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, I would like to note that this authorization is imperfect. I remain opposed to the provision that would require young women to register with the Selective Service. The primary function for conscription under the Military Selective Service Act is to quickly replace front line fighters after sustaining casualties. I admire and support the women who have volunteered to serve in our Armed Forces, however, I remain opposed to the conscription of our daughters as it has the potential of hindering the country's combat readiness during a time of war. Selective Service shouldn't be a social experiment and our country isn't advancing women's equality by requiring them to be conscripted into combat during a time of war.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding. In America, the condition of a child's birth doesn't determine the outcome of their life, for every single person, born or unborn, should have the opportunity to live the American Dream. But this abortion on demand bill would destroy our country's future. Today, we are embarking on the biggest step backward in our Nation's history. This vote could be the most consequential vote that any of us take. Today, the science is even more clear than it was in 1973, that a child in the womb is a living person. And yet, my colleagues on the other side remain obsessed with killing unborn babies in the name of female empowerment. Many supporters of this bill, like me, call us pro-life Americans extreme. I have heard it already this morning. But I have seen extreme. I have witnessed the cruelty of abortion and it is ugly. In South Bend, Indiana, Dr. Ulrich Klopfer provided abortions for decades. When he died in 2019, his family found the medically preserved remains of 2,411 children hidden in his garage. That is 2,411 human babies preserved in formaldehyde in jars in his garage. It was national news for a week. This abortionist left a legacy of death and destruction. That is what extreme looks like. Abortions sold as healthcare is a sickening violation of human dignity that Americans should not and cannot tolerate. So I will ask this question: Will we allow this to happen again? As a nation, we have an obligation to future generations to reject abortion on demand and to fight for life. I implore my colleagues here today, join me in opposing this bill and standing for life. The truth is on our side, and, in the end, the truth is going to prevail.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of my fellow Hoosier, Corporal Humberto Sanchez. Alongside 12 of his brothers and sisters in arms, Corporal Sanchez died in the line of duty while helping to evacuate Americans and allies from Afghanistan. This young Hoosier knew the risks of the mission and yet, he stood in the face of danger to help vulnerable children evacuate Abbey Gate at the Kabul airport. Instead of running from danger, he stayed at his post and finished the job before him. Corporal Sanchez exemplified the greatest of the American spirit, a selfless willingness to lay down one's life to serve and protect. His service is the starkest reminder today that freedom is not free. The American people are indebted to Corporal Sanchez, to each of the fallen, and to their families. We will never forget these heroes.