Jackie Walorski

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding. Mr. Speaker, this week the House is considering radical legislation that would unravel fundamental human rights and obliterate pro-life laws that are across our Nation. The Democrats' effort to advance this abortion on demand piece of legislation across the Nation could be considered the most consequential legislation of my lifetime. Much has changed since the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade in 1973. Four decades later our medical capabilities and understanding is far better. And with incredible advancements in modern sonograms and imaging, there can be no doubt that a child in a womb is a living person deserving of life. And yet in this moment we are about to embark on one of the biggest setbacks in our Nation's history. Right now, this very moment as it ticks by, lives are on the line as every second goes by. Some of this bill's supporters like to call pro-life Americans and our convictions extreme. Let me tell you in this House about extreme. I have seen extreme, and I am going to tell you about extreme. At home in South Bend, Indiana, I saw an extreme abortionist. I saw what an extreme abortionist can do in one decade in several States that happened to be on the abortion train. It is sickening beyond words what Dr. Ulrich ``George'' Klopfer did as he provided abortions in Indiana for decades. When he died in 2019, his family found the medically preserved remains of 2,411 children in formaldehyde bottles lining the walls in his garage. That is nearly 2,500 human beings. Law enforcement officials believe that the remains were gathered from his so-called medical practices in Indiana between 2000 and 2003. Dr. Klopfer had countless victims, both unborn babies and mothers, and he represents a grotesque violation of human dignity. This American society should not and cannot tolerate that. That is extreme. The abortionist revealed a callous disregard for life. If that isn't extreme, ladies and gentlemen, I don't know what is. Human life is precious, and every human life, every person deserves that dignity that we are fighting for tonight. We have an obligation to the next generation to oppose this extreme anti-life effort and to uphold the sanctity of life in this Nation. I am proud to join with millions of pro-life Americans to oppose abortion on demand and to defend the right to life. Science is on our side. More importantly, ladies and gentlemen, the truth is on our side. Our enduring commitment to life will prevail.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Terry Tucker, who retired this summer after decades at the helm of Maple Leaf Farms in Leesburg, Indiana. Under his leadership, this family-owned business has become a top duck producer in North America, as well as a major center of economic growth and job creation in our community. A lifelong Hoosier, Terry has firsthand experience with the many tasks required to run a busy duck farm. His history with Maple Leaf Farms began as a part-time job in high school when his tasks ranged from cleaning out duck barns to loading ducks for transport to processing plants. While he was in college at Purdue University, Terry married Sandra Wentzel, the daughter of Maple Leaf Farms founder Donald Wentzel. After graduating with a degree in agriculture economics, Terry returned to the farm full time in 1963 and quickly demonstrated leadership and business acumen. He was named treasurer in 1966 and, after Donald's death, was promoted to executive vice president in 1968. As Maple Leaf Farms grew in both capacity and numbers, Terry's responsibilities continued to increase. In 1974, he was named chief executive officer, president, and chairman of the board of Maple Leaf Farms. For more than 30 years, Terry strategically led Maple Leaf Farms and invested in its growth. Under his leadership, the Tucker Family expanded and modernized the farm's operations, including acquiring the United States' largest duck producer, C&D Foods of Wisconsin, constructing new biosecure facilities, and doubling the capacity of its Indiana duck processing plant. In 2001, Terry stepped down as president of the company and turned this responsibility over to his sons, Scott and John, who serve as co- presidents for the company. Since then, he has remained incredibly active in Maple Leaf Farms as CEO and chairman of the board of directors, helping to lead this Indiana company into the 21st century. In addition to his work at Maple Leaf Farms, Terry also has volunteered his time and expertise to invest in our region and the industry, serving on many boards, including Lakeland Financial Corporation, Indiana Chamber of Commerce, Purdue Research Foundation, Liberty Mutual, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Indiana State Poultry Association, Poultry & Egg Institute of America, and the Indiana Institute of Agriculture, Food & Nutrition. In recognition of his accomplishments, Terry has been honored with many awards, including an Honorary Doctorate of Agriculture from Purdue University in 1995. Terry and his wife, Sandra, have invested decades of hard work to our region, building a successful business and feeding American families. They are incredible leaders in our community and have made remarkable contributions to this vital industry. Madam Speaker, on behalf of 2nd District Hoosiers, I want to thank Terry Tucker for his exemplary leadership and commitment to Maple Leaf Farms, our region, and American families. As he embarks on a new chapter, I wish Terry and the Tucker Family continued good health, happiness, and success in the years to come.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to once again stand for life and to prevent American taxpayers from paying for abortion services overseas. Americans should never be forced to fund abortions against their conscience, period. I have long supported the Hyde amendment, which prohibits taxpayer funding from paying for abortions domestically. Yesterday, I proudly spoke in support of this key pro-life protection, which the Democrats stripped from these appropriations packages. Now, Democrats are trying to force Americans to foot the bill for abortions abroad. For decades, the Helms amendment has prohibited abortion services from being included in our Nation's foreign aid. Driven by a radical agenda, Democrats and the Biden administration have removed this longstanding, commonsense prohibition from the State and Foreign Operations bill on the floor today. To make it clear, congressional Democrats and the Biden administration are trying to force the American taxpayer to fund abortions in foreign nations. The facts are on our side. Seventy-seven percent of Americans oppose using taxpayer dollars for this purpose. It is deeply disappointing, but not surprising, that Democrats are continuing to attack our pro- life values and Americans' fundamental conscience rights. Taxpayers in Indiana and around the country should never be forced to bankroll abortion services here at home, and we most certainly should not be forced to bankroll abortions abroad. This is a dangerous path of destruction. I urge my colleagues to oppose the bill.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise to defend the dignity of life and the rights of pro-life Americans. We must protect taxpayers from being forced to fund abortion against their own conscience. The Hyde amendment which prohibits taxpayer dollars for paying for abortion has had bipartisan consensus since 1976 and the majority of Americans still support it today. This pro-life protection has saved nearly 2.5 million lives. Driven by a radical agenda, Democrats and the Biden administration have stripped this vital amendment from these appropriation packages. It is incredibly disappointing that Democrats want to force American taxpayers to bankroll the destruction of life. I am proud to cosponsor H.R. 18, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which would make this prohibition the law of the land. Pro-life Americans must stand together to protect the most vulnerable among us. Lives are depending on us. I urge my colleagues to oppose this rule and the underlying bill to prevent taxpayer funding from paying for abortions.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to defend the unborn and protect taxpayers from being forced to fund abortions. The Hyde amendment, which prohibits taxpayer dollars from paying for abortion, has enjoyed broad, bipartisan consensus since 1976, and a majority of Americans support it today. It is estimated to have saved nearly 2.5 million lives. It saddens me that I now have to defend this commonsense provision from attacks by congressional Democrats and the Biden administration. Americans should not be forced to financially support the destruction of life. That is why I am proud to cosponsor H.R. 18, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which would codify this vital prohibition into law. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 18, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate former Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson on her recent retirement and to thank her for many years of dedicated service to Hoosiers. Throughout her years of public service, Connie has dedicated herself to moving Indiana forward. She was elected to the Indiana State Senate in 1996, and, in 2006, she became the first woman to serve as Senate Majority Floor Leader. In 2012, she was appointed to serve as Indiana's 61st Secretary of State. In these roles, she worked tirelessly to strengthen our communities and advance opportunities for future generations. Connie truly made our state a better place for Hoosiers to live, work, and thrive. I am grateful to have worked with Connie on behalf of our state's businesses, workers, families, and voters. Her strong conservative values and Hoosier common sense have helped bring Indiana's businesses into the 21st century and ensured our elections remained free, fair, and secure. Her unmatched leadership, tenacity, and integrity, both in the Indiana Senate and as Secretary of State, have helped secure Indiana's status as an economic powerhouse. With a AAA credit rating, fiscally responsible budget, and low unemployment rate, our state is among the best places in the country to start and grow a business. Governor Eric Holcomb has dubbed Connie ``Indiana's own Iron Lady,'' and I couldn't agree more. She is a true patriot with a servant's heart, and her passion for helping her fellow Hoosiers has always been clear. I have no doubt her legacy will last far into the future. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Indiana's 61st Secretary of State Connie Lawson for her lifelong commitment to serving our communities. On behalf of 2nd District Hoosiers, I wish her the best as she embarks on this next chapter in life.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for hosting this critical Special Order to discuss the ongoing impact of enhanced unemployment benefits on Main Street businesses, the American workforce, and our economic recovery. Like many of my colleagues, I have seen ``help wanted'' signs all over my district. I have heard from local job creators about the difficulties they face in hiring workers they need just to stay open. Many have told me they can't even get people to show up for an interview. Enhanced Federal unemployment benefits made sense last year as a way to keep those who lost a job and to reduce the economic impact of government-imposed business closures and stay-at-home orders. But now, we are facing a much different situation today. Safe and effective vaccines are bringing us closer to defeating COVID-19. Employers have updated their facilities and operations so workers can safely return back to work. Businesses are fully operating. Now is the time to reconnect unemployed workers with their jobs, but enhanced jobless benefits are discouraging Americans from returning to work, making it impossible for businesses to hire. The Democrats' partisan $1.9 trillion spending bill extended supplemental unemployment benefits of $300 per week until September 6. At this level, nearly 40 percent of jobless Americans can make more on unemployment than they can by returning to work. Main Street businesses shouldn't have to compete with the Federal Government for workers. In fact, they can't compete with the Federal Government for workers. The labor shortage currently is crushing small businesses, which are fighting to keep their businesses alive while coming out of a pandemic. In late March, I hosted a virtual roundtable and heard from a Hoosier who owns a small insulation company. He told me: It has been quite the burden to have all these tools on hand and all these trucks in the driveway and to put people in the seats to get them to be able to drive to homes to provide insulation when nobody wants to come to work. Just last week, we saw the undeniable impact of these misguided policies when the monthly jobs report showed hiring slowing to a crawl in April in this country, despite millions of job openings. My biggest fear is that we will see permanent job loss across our economy as small businesses close their doors because they can't hire workers that they need. But it is not too late to avoid this outcome. I recently joined Ways and Means Republican leader Kevin Brady in introducing the Reopening America by Supporting Workers and Businesses Act. Our bill would turn extra unemployment benefits into a back-to-work bonus that would incentivize these workers to come back to work instead of staying on unemployment. The legislation would also reinstate the Federal requirement that those receiving unemployment benefits be engaged in actively searching for a job. The American people have faced unprecedented challenges since last spring. Now, safe and effective vaccines have given us renewed hope that we can defeat COVID-19, rebuild our economy, and return to normal life. Let's not put our recovery at risk by pushing workers to the sidelines of this economy. Let's get Americans back to work, Main Street businesses back on their feet, and the American Dream back on track for every single American.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Geraldine O'Mara who will celebrate the milestone of her 95th birthday on April 4, 2021. A New Yorker through and through, Geraldine was born in Queens and grew up in Sag Harbor and Steward Manor. One of 12 brothers and sisters, Geraldine has always held family as a guiding light and source of strength. Geraldine was married to the late Thomas J. O'Mara, a World War II veteran, and together they had three children, Sharon, James, and Michael. She has dedicated her life to being a role model for her children and giving them every opportunity to learn, grow, and find the path to success. Coming from a large family, one of Geraldine's greatest blessings in life is spending time with her seven grandchildren and seven great- grandchildren. To this day, she enjoys reading scripture and tending to her garden, and is known for giving back to those in need and lifting others up with her strength. Madam Speaker, people like Geraldine make our country a better place, and I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing her good health and many more birthdays.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor United States Air Force Colonel Larry H. Shaw on his highly decorated, 33-year career serving our nation, and to congratulate him on his retirement as commander of the 434th Air Refueling Wing, Grissom Air Reserve Base in Miami County, Indiana. Colonel Shaw began his military career in 1988 after earning his commission from Reserve Officer Training School at the University of Nebraska, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. He went on to accumulate more than 5,700 flight hours and deployed overseas for multiple operations. Colonel Shaw's years of leadership, pilot training, and mission development have ensured the nearly 1,900 military, civilian, and contractor personnel at Grissom have what they need to support the United States Air Force mission and defend our country. Grissom Air Reserve Base is a source of pride for Hoosiers in our community. It is the largest employer in Miami County, and it is home to the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Since Colonel Shaw became commander in 2016, I have seen firsthand the positive impact of his dedication and commitment to excellence. I want to thank him for his outstanding initiative throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. He has gone above and beyond to ensure the brave men and women under his command remain safe and healthy. In addition, his innovative thinking has brought numerous economic development opportunities to northern Indiana, strengthening the communities surrounding Grissom Air Reserve Base. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Colonel Shaw's accomplishments through more than three decades of service in the United States Air Force and Air Force Reserve. On behalf of 2nd District Hoosiers, I am grateful for the incredible legacy he will leave behind, and I wish him all the best in the years to come.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I believe every person born or unborn is worthy of our protection. A majority of Americans--nearly 60 percent-- believe that Federal tax dollars should not be used to pay for the destruction of life. Hyde protections to prohibit taxpayer funding for elective abortions have been in place in this country ever since President Ford. Even President Biden supported them as a Senator. But now House Democrats have abandoned nearly a half century of bipartisan consensus. I offered an amendment in the Ways and Means Committee to include Hyde protections, which have saved more than 2 million innocent lives in this $1.9 trillion bill. I also joined my colleagues in submitting a similar amendment for floor consideration. Democrats rejected both. This is a moment that calls for healing and not destruction, for saving lives and not ending them, for bringing Americans together and not tearing us apart. It is sad to see partisanship take priority over the most vulnerable among us, the unborn. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in protecting innocent life by opposing this bill.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to a massive spending bill filled with payoffs to progressives. We should be focused on defeating COVID, getting Americans back to work, and helping small business recover. Instead, House Democrats are tossing bipartisanship aside to ram through a one-sided $1.9 trillion bill. We need a full accounting of the $1 trillion in existing COVID relief that hasn't even been spent before asking taxpayers to foot the bill for trillions more. And this isn't even emergency relief. Less than 10 percent is for actually fighting COVID. The rest will only make it harder for small business to recover, hire workers, and rebuild our economy. On top of that, it is a massive bailout for fiscally irresponsible cities and States. Put simply, Hoosiers should not have to pay for the bad decisions of progressives in California. This is not the unity President Biden called for. It is not the bipartisanship Americans expect. It is certainly not the targeted COVID relief our country needs.

Mrs. WALORSKI

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy), the Republican leader.

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, let me be clear: I absolutely reject racism, anti- Semitism, and bigotry. I condemn conspiracy theories and calls for violence. I do not, in any way, condone these reprehensible views. I am not here today to defend any comments made by Representative Greene, whether as a private citizen, candidate, or Member of Congress. I am here today to defend the precedent set by years of the majority and minority parties coexisting in this body; and I am here today to defend the House Ethics Committee, on which I serve as the ranking member. H. Res. 72 is nothing more than a partisan power grab at a critical time when the majority party itself repeatedly calls for unity as our path forward. Bringing a majority resolution to the floor to remove a minority Member from her committee assignments is wrong and unprecedented. Referring such a resolution to the House Ethics Committee is unprecedented. Referring such a resolution to the House Ethics Committee and then completely bypassing the committee's role is unprecedented. On this floor today we are witnessing one more effort to consolidate power with a majority party and diminish the rights of the minority. This is not the first power grab effort by this majority in Congress. Earlier this year, the Democrats destroyed over 100 years of representation in Congress and effectively eliminated the only tool that safeguarded the minority's voice: the motion to recommit. And they are doing it again today with H. Res. 72. In the last 20 years, several Members have been removed from their committee duties. Members on both sides of the aisle have been removed and for various reasons. But those reasons and that decision was always made by the Member's party leadership, or party's membership. Even if the decision to remove a Member was followed with a voice vote on the House floor, the decision itself was made by that Member's caucus following weeks of public and private infighting. Last night, the Republican Conference met to discuss statements made by Representative Greene prior to her serving the Congress. We listened to Representative Greene. She made similar statements as she did on the floor today. She assured the Conference that her prior statements did not reflect her views today as a member of this body. The Democratic majority claims the Republican Conference hasn't acted, but that simply isn't true. The Conference just hasn't done what the Democrats want it to do. Regardless, the majority has brought this unprecedented resolution before the House today. The majority party could have brought this matter directly to the floor as a privileged question and the question of removal would have been a swift vote on the floor. Instead, the majority referred the resolution to the Ethics Committee to then immediately and completely bypass the Ethics Committee and its functions by bringing this resolution directly to the floor. Involving the committee, then to only bypass the committee, violates the collegial and bipartisan manner by which the Ethics Committee should operate. This is my second term serving on the Ethics Committee and I was looking forward to working with Chairman Deutch in a collegial and bipartisan manner. You see, the Committee on Ethics is unique. It is the only standing House committee with equal numbers of Democrat and Republican Members: five Democrats and five Republicans. There is a reason that neither party holds a majority on this committee and that reason is to avoid one party or the other weaponizing the committee's purpose for use in a political and partisan fashion. The committee has publicly warned of this risk before. In 2012, following a particularly contentious investigation, the committee publicly expressed the necessity of bipartisan cooperation within the committee leadership. The committee stated: ``Unlike any other committee, this committee avoids partisan legislative concerns and policies, and must have bipartisan cooperation for the committee to fulfill its constitutional mandate to police the Members, officers and employees of the House. That mission calls upon Members to step out of their partisan framework and approach the work of the committee without regard to their party. It is our recommendation, for any Member that serves on this committee, that he or she constantly evaluate their actions on the committee to ensure that they are living up to the highest standards of this committee.'' Today, we do not see the Ethics Committee's leadership upholding the highest standards of bipartisan cooperation. We don't see today the chair and ranking member presenting a resolution on the House floor together. At the end of each Congress, the committee issues a report detailing the activities of the committee during the Congress. For each Congress Chairman Deutch has served on Ethics, the committee has worked in a collegial and bipartisan manner, to be able to state that--for the 113th, 114th, 115th, and 116th Congress--all votes taken in the investigative subcommittees were unanimous. This stack of public reports represents all the hard work the committee has completed in the last four Congresses. All of this work of the committee--completed by its sitting Members, the Members who were asked to serve in the investigative subcommittees and the committee's professional and nonpartisan staff-- was accomplished in bipartisan cooperation. In fact, Chairman Deutch himself recognized in the committee report for the 116th Congress that: ``All of the committee's work . . . is made possible by the committee's talented, professional, nonpartisan staff. The members of the committee wish to acknowledge their hard work and dedication to the committee and the House. In addition, the committee wishes to thank its departing Members . . . for their service and for the thoughtfulness and collegiality they showed during their time on the committee.'' As you can see, the work on the Ethics Committee is extensive. In the 116th Congress alone, the committee commenced or continued investigative fact-finding gatherings for 50 separate investigative matters, impaneled six investigative committees, and filed five reports with the House, totaling over 3,300 pages regarding various investigative matters. These tasks were agreed to by the chair and the ranking member of the committee. In fact, the phrase itself, ``chair and ranking minority member'' appears 38 times, 38 times in the committee rules. The Ethics Committee operates effectively because it is consensus driven with decisions made jointly by the chair and the ranking member. But that is not what is happening today on this floor. The current chair and ranking member have not received a complaint and determined whether the information meets the requirements of the committee rules. The current chair and ranking member have not jointly gathered information concerning this alleged conduct. Until yesterday's Rules hearing, the chair and the ranking member had not had a single conversation regarding Representative Greene. As I stated earlier, involving the committee then to only bypass its function, violates the spirit of how this unique committee operates. Once a majority determined that the Ethics Committee was the place for the resolution, it should have allowed the committee to consider the issues properly. I know our colleagues want to see the Ethics Committee function effectively and not to be used as a partisan political weapon on a manipulated platform. If the Ethics Committee is to consider reviewing statements made by Members of Congress before they were sworn in, then the matter should come before the Ethics Committee in a way that complies with committee rules, preserves the bipartisanship intended, and allows the committee to make legal conclusions and factual determinations in a collegial environment. All I ask is that we let the committee work, as it is supposed to, to effectively serve this body. To do so, the majority should withdraw this resolution if it chooses, and pursue the matter properly through the Ethics Committee. I reserve the balance of my time. General Leave

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Jordan), ranking member of the Committee on the Judiciary.

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

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert).

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

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

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Good).

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

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Norman).

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Spartz), my new colleague.

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Clyde).

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Budd).

Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I absolutely reject racism, anti-Semitism, and bigotry, as I said earlier. I condemn conspiracy theories and calls for violence. I do not in any way condone these reprehensible views. Sadly, though, here we are today to effectuate another partisan power grab. The Democratic majority has taken unprecedented steps to marginalize Republicans just because we have not done what they want us to do, and that is wrong. There is a reason that neither party holds a majority on the Ethics Committee, and the reason is to avoid one party or the other weaponizing the committee's purpose for use in political and partisan fashion. The majority should withdraw this resolution and, if it chooses, pursue this matter properly through the Ethics Committee. If the resolution is not withdrawn, then I will vote ``no'' and hope at some point the Ethics Committee will again be used to serve this body as intended. Our colleagues deserve better, and the House, as an institution, deserves better. I ask my colleagues to vote ``no.'' Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.