Randy Weber

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one remarkable leader, Sheriff E.J. ``Joe'' King, whose life and legacy I hold with unwavering great respect. He was and is an absolute legend in Brazoria County and will be missed by not only Brazoria County, but by many, many more. Brazoria County has lost an outstanding public servant whose contributions to our community are immeasurable. Sheriff King's journey of public service began with 2 years in the United States Army, followed by a 12-year tenure as a trooper for the Texas Department of Public Safety. He then went on to serve as a lieutenant with the Brazoria Police Department for 2 years before being elected as sheriff in 1980. For an impressive 24 years, he led with dedication as the Brazoria County sheriff until December of 2004. Even after his tenure as sheriff, he answered the call to serve yet again once more becoming Brazoria County's judge in 2007 until his retirement in 2014. Throughout his distinguished career, Sheriff King exemplified the true essence of a law enforcement officer. His courage, integrity, and relentless pursuit of justice set a standard for others to follow. Under his leadership, the sheriff's office underwent significant reforms and embraced progressive initiatives, ensuring the safety and security of all its citizens. Beyond his official duties, Joe King was deeply involved in the community. He actively supported charitable causes and community-driven initiatives, understanding the importance of connecting with residents and developing trust and cooperation. As county judge, he bridged the gap between government and the people, tirelessly addressing the needs of Brazoria County's population. Sheriff King cherished his family most. His wife of 32 years, Jackie, his son, his daughter, and four grandsons were the center of his retirement years. He took immense pride in being a loving grandpa and a cattle rancher. As we mourn the loss of this extraordinary leader, we take comfort in knowing that Joe King's legacy lives on through the lives he touched and the positive changes he made in Brazoria County. It is now our responsibility as a community to honor his memory by carrying on his work, cherishing the values he embodied, and nurturing the spirit of service that he instilled in us all. Mr. Speaker, let us all come together to remember and celebrate Sheriff King's remarkable life. Sheriff King may no longer be with us, but his legacy will continue to inspire us to build a brighter future for Brazoria County.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Constable Christopher Bates, Sr., of Jefferson County Precinct 2, for being named the 2023 United States Constable of the Year by the National Constables and Marshals Association. Constable Bates is a mainstay in the Jefferson County community, a leader in his precinct and in his church. He is truly an amazing example of the best from Texas 14. I could not be prouder representing Constable Bates, as he not only represents Jefferson County, but the entire United States. With this accomplishment behind him, I am very excited to see what Constable Bates' future will hold for him and our community. Please join me in recognizing the extraordinary service of Constable Christopher Bates, Sr. We are extremely proud of him.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor and recognize the president and CEO of the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce, a fighter for small businesses, an advocate for our youth, and a dear friend of mine, Mrs. Gina Spagnola. I am very proud to stand here on the House floor and celebrate the remarkable Gina Spagnola for her 20 years of unwavering service to the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce. Under her guidance, the chamber has thrived. For over 178 years, the Galveston Regional Chamber's mission has been to foster business and community development, and Gina's leadership has elevated this historic institution to unprecedented heights. Gina has not only embraced this mission, she has embodied it. Her unwavering commitment to Galveston Island and the broader Texas Gulf Coast region has been a driving force behind the chamber's success. I could go on about the great work and things Gina has accomplished, but we could be here for hours. Instead, Madam Speaker, I will highlight a few things to give you a little picture of how lucky Galveston is to have her advocacy and passion for the businesses in our community. One of Gina's proudest accomplishments has been the inauguration of this very Galveston Women's Conference she started 16 years ago. After years of surprising and celebrating the amazing women in Galveston, we get to surprise her by celebrating her. Surprise, Gina. Gina's ability to build effective relationships with elected officials has facilitated numerous achievements. She championed the creation of Lemonade Day to help today's youth become the business leaders, the social advocates, the community volunteers, and the forward-thinking citizens of tomorrow. In times of adversity, Gina's resilience and commitment shine through. Just 2 months after Hurricane Ike wreaked havoc on Galveston Island, she spearheaded a successful recovery expo that enabled local businesses to reopen their doors. This initiative garnered State and national recognition, showcasing Gina's effectiveness in driving impactful initiatives. Gina's compassion extends beyond our District 14 and its borders. Gina's remarkable leadership has been widely acknowledged. In December 2022, the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce received a five-star accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the highest rating in the industry. Out of the 7,000 chambers in the Nation, only 142 hold this prestigious distinction, with the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce being just 1 of 27 in Texas and the only one in Galveston County, not to mention all of the awards and recognition she has received and all the boards she sits on and has sat on. As I said, I could go on and on. Madam Speaker, we thank Gina for two decades of remarkable service, but let us also celebrate the values of dedication, leadership, and community that she embodies. Gina's legacy is one of inspiration, and we are grateful for her tireless efforts to make Galveston a better place. Congratulations on her outstanding achievements. May her journey ahead be as bright and rewarding as the path she has for our community. I thank Gina for her unwavering commitment to Galveston and the Texas Gulf Coast. We are very blessed to have her in our lives, and I can't wait to cheer her on as she continues leading this chamber to greatness.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate a century of excellence at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. For 100 years, this institution has been a beacon of knowledge, innovation, and progress in the great State of Texas. From its humble beginnings to its current status as a thriving hub of education and research, Lamar University has transformed countless lives and shaped our community. I commend the dedicated faculty, the staff, and the students who have contributed to this remarkable legacy. Here is to 100 more years of empowering minds, fostering creativity, and making Texas and our Nation stronger. Happy centennial, Lamar University.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1338 promotes U.S. leadership in the commercial satellite communications industry by creating a regulatory environment that encourages innovation and investment in the United States. Mr. Speaker, I will tell you something. The Energy and Commerce Committee is all about encouraging innovation and investment in the United States. This bill helps us to beat China. China is actively working to undermine U.S. leadership in the satellite communications marketplace and provide service to other allies so that they can gather intelligence. This bill streamlines the process for modifications to existing satellite communications systems. The bill would ensure that modifications to existing satellite communications are not held up unnecessarily by new applications that may be more complex. The bill also creates a regulatory fast lane for minor modifications that do not change the spectrum interference landscape in a meaningful way. It incentivizes satellite communications systems to be good stewards of spectrum. By establishing a quantifiable level of protection that defines how each satellite communications system licensed by the FCC may use spectrum, the bill ensures a balance between competition and innovation. It enhances FCC transparency and efficiency of processing NGSO satellite applications, for example, SpaceX. The bill would provide direction to the FCC on how their satellite communications licensing rules should be designed. By creating objective, measurable, and technology-neutral performance objectives, satellite operators will have flexibility to design their systems without government overregulation. Mr. Speaker, we need H.R. 1338.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Chair, would that the other side of the aisle cared as much about unborn babies and worried about their safety as well. Mr. Chair, let's get this right. First, the Biden administration decides to come after the cars that Americans drive, then it is how Americans heat their homes, and now they want to determine how Americans cook their food? For what? All in the name of climate change? Oh, this ought to help, making sure that Americans can only use stoves that they think they ought to use. Mr. Chair, I am not sure what dimension--or might I say dementia-- that the Biden administration is living in, but the American people do not want out-of-touch bureaucrats to control what stoves they use in their houses. I might add that folks in my great State of Texas have a slogan, ``Don't Mess with Texas.'' My message to the Biden administration is, don't mess with our gas stoves. House Republicans, Mr. Chair, are tired of the blatant overreach, and that is why I am proud to cosponsor the Save Our Gas Stoves Act, and I urge all my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill. Once we get this bill passed, then we can say, now we are cooking with gas.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Mr. Bruce Spitzengel and GrantWorks: Whereas, 48 years ago, Mr. Bruce Spitzengel started working as a city planner for Texas City and a year later became the assistant planning director for Pasadena, Texas; these positions led to the founding of a company in 1979 that would eventually become GrantWorks, benefiting State, county, and city governments with services to facilitate resilient infrastructure facilities, economic development, and single- family and multifamily affordable housing; and Whereas, GrantWorks provides the knowledge of both State and Federal programs to address the primary needs of local governmental localities to serve their constituents with facilities and housing components to create a more resilient future for their communities; and Whereas, Mr. Spitzengel and his lovely bride, Jody, utilized the principles learned through years of experience to expand vital services not offered by other companies assisting more than 450 cities and counties across the State and recognizing the need to expand services to address disaster recovery assistance beginning with Hurricane Rita and continuing with Hurricanes Dolly, Ike, and Harvey, as well as other Federally declared disasters to this day; and Whereas, GrantWorks' record of service continues by assisting with the acquisition and management of financial awards for resilient infrastructure, having managed over $8 billion of assistance for local government and provided administration services for over 5,000 single- family units for low- and moderate-income houses; and Whereas, recognizing the needs of others, Bruce and the GrantWorks' culture of service to those they serve, the company matched 100 percent employee contribution for many years supporting food pantries, and has assisted thousands of households with relief for medical debt; and Whereas, GrantWorks created an ongoing scholarship program in recognition of a valued employee in her name, Betty Collier, upon her passing, to the Texas Municipal Clerks Association, a professional organization dedicated to serving the demands of excellence in Texas' local government; and Whereas, since Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Rockport, Texas, on August 25 of 2017, GrantWorks contributed an executive staff member to assist the county for over 1 year with emergency management support at no cost; and Whereas, GrantWorks to this day ranks number one in serving more Texas cities and counties with the widest range of program offerings than any other company in Texas. Now, therefore, I, Randy Weber, Representative of Texas' 14th District, do hereby proclaim an official recognition of Bruce Spitzengel and GrantWorks, Incorporated, for tremendous work serving the needs of Texas families and local government. Proclamation to Honor Steve Mataro, Servant Builders, and DSW Homes

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I also rise to honor Steve Mataro: Whereas, just over 35 years ago, Mr. Mataro founded Servant Builders as a recovery mission geared toward helping young men with addiction learn a trade in construction while rebuilding relationships with families and communities; and Whereas, Servant Builders provided job training and placement assistance for over 200 men, enabling a better future for their entire families; and Whereas, Mr. Mataro utilized the same principles learned through Servant Builders in launching DSW Homes in southeast Texas in 2009 to assist rebuilding homes following Hurricane Rita, often providing job training and assistance to the very men whose homes were being rebuilt; and Whereas, lessons learned via Servant Builders are displayed in often accommodating low-income and elderly homeowners, driving clients to construction appointments, and even temporarily paying their rents; and Whereas, now operating in four states and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DSW Homes currently completes an average of 1,000 homes annually in disaster-hit regions with a record of 15 days from demolition to completion for a total of 12,000 homes; and Whereas, since Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Rockport, Texas, on August 25, 2017, DSW Homes has rebuilt homes for over 3,000 families throughout five recovery zones. Now, therefore, I, Randy Weber, as the Representative of Texas' 14th District, and Michael Cloud, Representative of Texas' 27th District, on June 7 of 2023, do hereby proclaim an official recognition of Steve Mataro for tremendous work with Servant Builders and DSW Homes.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, our truckers are the heartbeat of America, transporting about 70 percent of the United States freight. We depend on our truckers more than the left cares to admit or realize. Now they want to attack our truckers, even after the trucking industry has come to the table time and time again, Mr. Speaker. In 1998, one truck emitted what 60 trucks emit today. They have removed 98 percent of what comes out of the tailpipe. Still, the climate activists and converts will continue pushing their radical green deal on Americans invariably and inevitably damaging our economy and making us reliant on, guess who, China. The Biden administration should be ashamed of taking a page from California's radical playbook to ban gas-powered vehicles. Over 200,000 Texans are heavy-duty and tractor-trailer truck drivers. Now, let me tell you: We don't want the Federal Government messing with our way of life and our livelihoods in Texas. This dangerous EPA rule would increase costs for the trucking industry and, in turn, would increase costs for communities that rely exclusively on trucking for their freight. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to vote in favor of S.J. Res. 11 to reverse the Biden EPA's new burdensome trucking regulations in order to protect small business truckers and to prevent more inflation and supply chain issues. This is a matter of life and death for our truckers.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arkansas for his service to the people of Arkansas and the people up here in this very humble institution. Mr. Speaker, today marks the 5-year anniversary of the shooting in Santa Fe High School where 10 innocent lives were lost at the hands of evil. We will never forget that. We will never forget that tragic day that has forever changed Santa Fe, Texas. My heart and my prayers still go out to the family and friends of those we lost, and I remain immensely grateful to the law enforcement officers who responded to that scene at their own peril. Mr. Speaker, it is often a good guy with a gun that stops the bad guy with a gun. In Santa Fe, Texas, it was a brave law enforcement officer. Let me tell you that disarming legal gun owners will never, ever make us safer. There are, however, Mr. Speaker, steps that we can take to secure our schools without infringing on our citizens' Second Amendment rights. There is no reason why our schools should be soft targets. We clearly have the resources and the means to protect the most precious amongst us, and that is going to be our children and their teachers. Mr. Speaker, we should do everything we can to help school districts. We can hire armed professional police officers to help protect our schools, the kids, protect their teachers, and the staff. Following the shooting in Santa Fe, I participated in roundtable meetings to discuss that very thing; namely, enhanced security for our schools. I heard about the need to emphasize safety in school architecture and design. We heard about ways to encourage gun owners to responsibly lock away their weapons, and the ways school marshal programs can ensure that armed and trained personnel are present on those campuses. In response, I introduced a school safety package, Mr. Speaker. The first bill in that package is the Protect Our Children's Schools Act, which would allow the Secretary of Education to use unspent COVID-19 funds designated for schools and localities to reprogram those funds to make our schools safer against those kinds of attacks. This money would be used to strengthen and enhance security systems already in place at those schools. The second bill, Mr. Speaker, the Protect Against School Shootings, or the PASS Act, would allow qualified law enforcement officers, retired law enforcement officers, and those permitted by State law to carry a firearm in an otherwise gun-free school zone. Then there is the School Resource Officer Compensation Act, which would incentivize school districts to hire retired law enforcement officers to serve as school resource officers, or SROs, by exempting the respective school districts from the additional expense of having to pay matching Social Security contributions to anyone desiring to serve in this critical safety role. Mr. Speaker, it is a win-win-win. Schools get armed and trained by professionals. The schools can hire those professionals at a reduced rate and enjoy the additional savings. The law enforcement officer professionals can continue to serve their communities by protecting those very kids in their communities without financial penalty. The last bill in the package is the Securing Our Schools Act, which would enhance school security, including doubling school resource officers, hiring more school-based mental health counselors, and expanding the nonprofit security grant program. Mr. Speaker, I think we all agree that we need to secure our schools to ensure another senseless crime doesn't happen in our communities. Today, I pray for Santa Fe High School and the families who lost their loved ones. May 18, 2018, will forever be ingrained in me and etched on my heart. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Sadly, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I wish we weren't here. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Jennifer Wickre, a public servant and trailblazer in the science, space, and technology community. When I got here in 2013, I was put on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee then, and I have been on it a long time. I have got to see a lot of staffers, though I think the gentleman from Oklahoma has, too. I have had the privilege of getting to know Jenn during my time on the committee. Let me tell you, Mr. Speaker, her enthusiasm, her brilliance, and her commitment, as the chairman laid out, were second to none. Her smile--she always laughed at my jokes. She always laughed at my jokes. I think she was trying to make me feel better. God knows I wish she felt better right now. I wish she felt better. People don't often realize how impactful folks like Jenn are at drafting and moving the needle on very important legislation that has impacted the science, space, and technology community. Likewise, they don't often recognize or realize what the staff means to us when you have got somebody like Jenn--what a jewel. What an absolute jewel. She is an avid Oregon Ducks football fan. I don't know why she wasn't for the Dallas Cowboys. I am trying to figure that out. Go Ducks. She sings in the Congressional Chorus and loves to walk her rescue mutt named Finn. With a lot of the good humor that she had, the dog could have been named Huckleberry Finn for that matter. All at the young age of 42 Jenn has achieved more than most people do in a lifetime. She should be proud of that, and I promise her that we are not only proud, but we are grateful. We thank Jenn for the time she has invested in our great Nation, and we want her to know that we are rooting for her, we are praying for her, and we are in her corner. We expect God to do a miracle from what little power we have in this House of Representatives-- as I believe this country was ordained by God--to the throne of grace that He would heal Jenn. Cancer sucks, and Miss Jenn is fighting the good fight. I pray she is at peace knowing the positive impact she has had not only in the Halls of Congress but on every single person and staff member she has come in contact with. Mr. Speaker, I want to urge all my colleagues to keep Jenn and her family in their prayers. I want to end with a Bible verse from Deuteronomy 3:16 that says: Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or terrified because of them; for the Lord your God goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. God in Heaven, hear our prayers for the healing of our one great Miss Jenn.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Madam Chair, I thank the chairman for yielding. Madam Chair, this bill is absolutely critical to our Nation, critical for hardworking Americans, not to mention critical for national security. We produce energy cleaner, more efficiently, and cheaper than any other country. We need to start acting like it. The best way to reverse the damage of Biden's energy crisis and drive down energy prices is by flipping the switch and unleashing American energy at home. We have real solutions in H.R. 1 to do just that very thing. Bills like Representative Crenshaw's Keeping America's Refineries Act will help ensure that our Nation's refineries can continue to operate and keep the lights on in our country. My energy-heavy district, as the chairman referred to, houses about 50 percent of Texas' daily refining output. Our district is home to America's largest petroleum refineries, which process 2.6 million barrels of oil a day. This bill will ensure our refineries stay online. This bill fights back on overburdensome regulations imposed by the Biden administration that target the use of hydrofluoric acid that goes into everything from aluminum cans to vehicle fuel cells. Our country simply cannot run without energy, and let me tell you: We can't afford to live in the greenies' dystopia that the folks on the other side of the aisle dream about, either. Madam Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this vital piece of legislation that will unleash American energy, lower energy costs for hardworking Americans, increase production, reform the drawn-out permitting processes, streamline energy infrastructure, and boost the production and processing of critical minerals. Our country depends on it.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous materials.

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I want to celebrate in advance Texas Independence Day on March 2, 1836. They say everything is better in Texas. Let me just tell you, I am here to confirm that that rumor is true. More correctly, it is no longer a rumor. We have a saying in Texas, and that goes like this: It ain't bragging if it's facts, and that's the facts about Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am glad to be joined by my good Texas friends from both sides of the aisle to celebrate Texas Independence Day. On March 2, 1836, that was the day the Republic of Texas was born. During the Texas Revolution, a convention of 59 Texans met at Washington-on-the-Brazos and declared our independence of Texas from Mexico. The declaration decried the arbitrary acts of oppression and tyranny from the Mexican Government under the dictator General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. In particular, it noted that the government had ``ceased to protect the lives, liberty, and property of the people from whom its legitimate powers are derived.'' The Texans signing that declaration sought to protect our rights of free speech, our rights to keep and bear arms--sounds familiar--and our rights of freedom of religion. I am proud to report these same freedoms still hold true in Texas today. March 2 is a day that all Texans come together and celebrate the calls of ``Come and Take It'' and ``Remember the Alamo.'' We remember and honor the pioneering, independent, trailblazing spirit of the great State of Texas. Independence has flowed through the veins of Texans ever since. May our thirst for freedom never die, and may we and our offspring always remember that freedom is worth fighting for. Mr. Speaker, just like those iconic frontier days, we are still at work using what my grandfather--who came over on a boat from Germany, by the way, in 1903--what my grandfather called good old-fashioned Texas horse sense to get the job done. You tell kids that today, ``good old-fashioned horse sense,'' and they look at you funny. They call it common sense. The sad fact of the matter is that common sense isn't very common these days, but in Texas, it is still alive and doing quite well. Before turning it over to my fellow Texans here tonight, I would like to share two of my favorite quotes from Davy Crockett, who was a Member of Congress from Tennessee. His first quote is: ``I must say as to what I have seen of Texas, it is the garden spot of the world, the best land and best prospects for health I ever saw, and I do so believe it is a fortune to any man to come here.'' Of course, when Crockett ran for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives, he got defeated. Then he uttered his second, probably more famous quote. He said to the people who voted him out: Of course, I may not know what you all want to do. I am going to Texas. Y'all can all go to hell. I am just quoting Davy Crockett, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be a Texan and even prouder to represent the great people of Texas here in Washington. As the song says, ``God Bless Texas.'' Mr. Speaker, I recognize the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin), who is also my good friend.

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Self), another rising star in the Texas delegation.

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is now my distinct honor to have one of our newest stars from Texas, Ms. De La Cruz, come share with us.

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct honor to recognize another fellow Texan who has been very instrumental in this Congress. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions).

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa), a good friend of ours.

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his remarks. Mr. Speaker, a little historic perspective of what Congressman LaMalfa was saying. When you think about how Texas came into the Union, he called it annexation, but the truth of the matter is, Texas came into the Union unlike any other State in the history of the world, really. All the other States were annexed. Texas was a republic, so we came in by treaty. Of course we did. We had to do it our own way. If you think back to that time, Mr. Speaker, things were happening really fast. After America won its independence in 1781, the battle of Yorktown, some 30 years later, I guess, or 40 years later, Mexico, in 1821, won its independence from Spain. A scant 15 years later, the Texicans, as we were called, won our independence from Mexico. Now, when Congressman LaMalfa was talking about annexation, how annexation was happening fast--of course, Pete Sessions was right. Texas entered the Union as the 28th State on December 29, 1845. I think about that, Mr. Speaker, from time to time. What was the legislature of Texas thinking back then when we had a chance to annex the rest of the United States? What were they thinking? But nonetheless, that is what they did. It is my distinct pleasure now to bring up another rising star in the Texas delegation, Nathaniel Moran. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Moran).

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I will say all of our speakers today laid out an exact reason why Texans love freedom and why they are willing to fight for freedom at any cost. We need to be teaching our children that freedom isn't free. I hope we are. Texans get it. Freedom isn't free. I want to end by saying: May all the United States join us in reclaiming what the song says so eloquently: ``God blessed Texas.'' I say amen and amen. Congratulations, Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding to me and for his efforts in leading this fight. Let's get something straight. I am a proud Texan, and let me tell you, Texans are not happy when the government comes after their Second Amendment right. My District 14, on the Gulf Coast of Texas, has more concealed handgun licensees than any other congressional district in Texas, and I have to assume in the country, for that matter. The Second Amendment is extremely clear: ``The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.'' What is so hard to understand about that? But, let's face it, folks. The far left's dangerous attack on the United States Constitution continues unabated, with yet another example right here with the ATF's unconstitutional pistol brace rule, which bans millions of firearms with stabilizing braces. The ATF ruling could turn as many as 40 million Americans into felons, and those 40 million Americans are sick and tired of faceless bureaucrats trying to destroy the Second Amendment. Mr. Speaker, Thomas Jefferson once said, where the people fear the government, there is tyranny. Where the government fears the people, there is liberty. I would add, Mr. Speaker, fear the government that fears your guns.

Mr. WEBER of Texas

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 21. President Biden, true to his word of a war on fossil fuels, sold off an unprecedented 250 million barrels of oil in less than 2 years, which is more than 40 percent of the stockpile. Two of the four SPR sites along the Gulf Coast are now dangerously low on oil, leaving America more vulnerable to a true energy supply disruption caused by hurricane or natural disaster. Mr. Chairman, this issue is very personal to me and to my Gulf Coast district. We house 60 percent of the Nation's SPR. So when I say ``personal,'' I mean it. Mr. Chairman, I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill to prevent further abuse of the SPR.

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, this amendment fails to see that depleting our strategic reserve for nonemergent reasons hurts our ability to help hurricane victims. The Gulf Coast of Texas, District 14, where I am a Member of Congress, suffers all the consequences of hurricanes. We need to have the stability of a strong SPR. America needs that ability. Downplaying the role of domestic supply--as it seems the other side is intent on--guts the legislation in several ways. First, it treats swaps of oil out of the strategic reserve that were not done--were not done--Mr. Chairman, for emergency reasons--as an emergency. For instance, we could lend oil to China for any reason for an indefinite period without a need to explain how we are going to make ourselves whole in the interim, a/k/a, keep our country safe and keep District 14 safe in Texas. This is extremely personal to me. Second, it takes the lawmaking role from Congress and gives it to the executive branch. Mr. Chairman, I have read the Constitution. I don't think the President is supposed to make laws. I think it is supposed to be up to us in Congress. It gives the DOE, the Department of Energy, power to decide whether or not the law takes effect. That is not their role. Finally, even though it conditions the effective date on a finding by the Department of Energy, in no way does it require the Energy Department to make a finding of one way or the other. So this amendment would make this bill worse--absolutely worse. So we would love to see our colleagues say ``no.'' This amendment is not something that we need. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to amendment No. 36.