Roger Williams

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition of the Biden administration's proposed rule to increase emission standards for light- and medium-duty trucks. In full disclosure, I am a car dealer. I know what I am talking about, and I am the expert in the room. This rule is an attack on hardworking Americans and, if implemented, would require up to two-thirds of new cars and nearly 40 percent of trucks sold in the U.S. to be electric vehicles in the next 8 years, threatening consumer choice and furthering our reliance on foreign adversaries. As chairman of the House Committee on Small Business and owner and operator of car dealerships in Texas for over 53 years, I have seen firsthand the impact that overregulating can have on small businesses. We are a country of competition, of risk and reward. The Federal Government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers. We must let competition drive innovation and allow people to choose the vehicles that best suit them and their needs. The dealer must sell that vehicle, and the consumers must be able to buy it. As you have and will hear today, this proposed rule will limit consumer choices and increase costs for Main Street America. Try pulling a two-horse trailer, a boat, and a jet ski from Weatherford, Texas, to Midland, Texas. You are never going to get there. It is clear the Biden administration and the EPA are out of touch with the American people. While many families are struggling to pay bills and save for their future, this administration is ignoring out- of-control inflation while pushing a green energy bailout that nobody wants. Let me tell you, there is no market for EV vehicles. I can tell you firsthand. Madam Speaker, I stand for consumers. I stand for the car dealer. I stand for the customer. I urge my colleagues to stand with the American people and stop this administration's America-last energy policy. In God we trust. Does anybody want to buy a car?

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7980 to end the dangerous Chinese dominance of electric vehicles in America. Mr. Speaker, EVs are inefficient, they are expensive, and they are totally unreliable. For 4 years, this administration has pushed this phony industry, forcing these cars on the American people and the American car dealer and furthering their China-first, America-last agenda. I can say firsthand because I am the expert in this room on the car business. I sold my first car in 1971. I have been a car dealer for 52 years. I still have my car dealerships, and I can say the demand for electric vehicles simply is not there among Americans. No one is buying them. I repeat: No one is buying them. The Democrats' irresponsible Inflation Reduction Act provided EV tax credits with lenient FEOC rules, which allows Chinese companies to benefit and be eligible for these EV tax credits. This is why we need to pass the End Chinese Dominance of Electric Vehicles in America Act, to close these loopholes and to prevent China from recovering tax credits funded by the American taxpayer. When taxpayer dollars are spent, they should be used to invest in American businesses. That is a new concept. Let's invest in America. Let's invest in the American worker. Quality manufacturing comes from that, not to line the pockets of the CCP. Mr. Speaker, again, I feel like I am the expert in this. We need to get right and side with America for a change. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stand with the American people and vote in favor of H.R. 7980 to ensure taxpayer dollars don't go to Chinese billionaires and manufacturing companies. In God we trust.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to raise awareness for the millions of patients, families, and caregivers who are battling glioblastoma. Glioblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in the U.S., with 14,490 new cases diagnosed last year. Recently, I introduced a bipartisan resolution expressing support for the designation of July 17, 2024, as the Glioblastoma Awareness Day. This resolution increases glioblastoma awareness, which is critical to research and treatment advancements and brings hope to those fighting this devastating disease. This is personal to me, as my wife, Patty, battles glioblastoma. Together, we will continue to build on the progress we have made as we search for a cure. I thank my colleagues for their support in bringing the crucial legislation to raise awareness by designating July 17, 2024, as Glioblastoma Awareness Day to the House floor and across America. In God we trust.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 8281, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE Act. It should not be controversial to say that Americans should decide who Americans vote for. As a former Texas secretary of state, I know the importance of election security. Now more than ever, with Biden's border invasion releasing millions of illegal immigrants into our country, we must ensure that only American citizens can vote. The SAVE Act does just that. This legislation will require proof of citizenship for voters to register for Federal elections and will empower States to clean up their voter rolls. It is critical that we safeguard our elections. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to put America first and pass the SAVE Act. In God we trust.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to stand before you today. Last week, Republicans and Democrats played our Congressional Baseball Game at Nat Stadium. The game has been played since 1907. The money goes to charity. We raised over $2.5 million, which is a record, and all of it goes to charity, local charities, here in Washington, D.C. We had almost 30,000 people in attendance, which is great. Most importantly, we also set records. I am honored to represent the Congressional Republican Baseball Game, and I am called their ``Skipper.'' I appreciate the way the team played. I appreciate Manager Sanchez and the way the Democrats played, but at the end of the day we set another record. Republicans won 31-11. We now continue to be America's team. It is with humility that I accept for the team this trophy. Thank you very much.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. I yield to the gentlewoman from California.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of amendment No. 45. Small businesses are the lifeblood of America. Their contribution to the success and security of the country cannot be overstated. Simply put, they are the driving force behind America's dominance in the world. The men and women who start small businesses take calculating risks to compete in the marketplace. It is one that is supposed to allow the best products and services to rise to the top, through spirited competition free from government influence. At least this is how it is supposed to be here in America. That is why it is appalling that an investigation led by the Committee on Small Business uncovered that the Federal Government is actively silencing entrepreneurs and driving them out of business simply because they exercise their right to free speech. Under the guise of misinformation and disinformation, the Biden administration is funding third-party entities, such as NewsGuard, to label entrepreneurs' free speech as dangerous and prevent them from doing business online. In a country that was founded on the free flow of ideas, it is unconscionable that the government would seek to interfere with an individual's ability to make a living over the internet because of their beliefs. NewsGuard and similar companies receive funds from the Department of Defense, the State Department's Global Engagement Center, and other Federal agencies to actively suppress and demonetize small businesses by labeling certain speech as untrustworthy, using partisan tactics and skewed determinations of fact. This has resulted in massive revenue losses and businesses having to completely change their operations, including downsizing. Worst of all, these efforts have been paid for by American taxpayer dollars. Make no mistake: This is a direct effort by the government to skirt the Constitution and force a single viewpoint on America. Some will have you believe that government-forced censorship and demonetization of small businesses who spread supposed misinformation is the only way to protect America. The reality is that those same people simply label speech they dislike as misinformation. That is why one of America's founding principles is that more information, not the suppression of it, brings out the truth. My amendment is just the first step in cutting off the head of the snake that threatens the God-given rights afforded all Americans. This amendment would prevent any Federal funds from going to any organization that looks to demonetize businesses based on lawful speech. Too often, we have seen the self-proclaimed fact checkers get it wrong, and these determinations should not be deciding which businesses survive online. That is why this amendment is so critical to an open marketplace where small businesses can compete. The government should never seek to demonetize or censor American businesses, whether directly or indirectly, as it has done through NewsGuard and similar entities. No small business owner should ever fear that their government will actively fund efforts to threaten their livelihoods and put them out of business. Unfortunately, if we continue exporting what is considered truth to outside organizations, this will not be the case. I urge all of my colleagues on both sides to support this amendment so that we can preserve free speech, free enterprise, and put an end to this attack on small business. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Chair, may I inquire as to the time remaining.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Luna).

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Chair, here is the bottom line: We can have all this dialogue, but it is not DOD's job to police speech. This amendment will prevent the government from funding organizations that tip the scales against certain businesses from succeeding online. Competition is what makes this country great. A business should try to gain market share by having the best product, lower prices, or better service than other businesses, and I personally deal with that every single day. When the government gives money to third parties to decide which entities are allowed to take part in this exercise, it is simply un- American. Madam Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. It is special to be here tonight, and I thank my friend for calling us together to remember this day. To me, it is like it was yesterday. I got up that morning just like we all did, got ready, and went to practice. My situation was that I was hitting ground balls to Trent Kelly. I finished with Trent and went around and started hitting balls. I said to Scalise: ``I am coming at you.'' I remember I threw the ball up, and as soon as I hit it with the bat to Scalise, a shot went off. Little did I know that the shooter was probably 30 feet or 20 feet behind me. I did not know that. A shot went off, and Trent Kelly yelled: ``He has got a gun. Head for cover: When he said that, my instincts told me to get to the dugout. Fortunately for all of us, the dugouts were dugouts. They were dug into the ground, not like today where they are flat. I remember I ran to the dugout and jumped, and it was like jumping into a swimming pool with no water. I remember as I was in the air heading into the dugout, what went through my mind was: I am not surprised because of the anger we have up here. When I hit the dugout, I slid all the way on the concrete to the dugout and slid into the arms of two of my teammates, Jeff Flake and Mo Brooks. We three were in the corner, and as Brad said, this guy was firing. There were actually some shells going into the dugout. Two of the coaches, Larry Hardy and Donnie Watson, were in that dugout. We were all trying to stay away from the action. Out of nowhere came my aide who worked for me and who came with me to every batting practice, Zach Barth, and Zach had been in center field shagging balls. When the shooting started, he ran to the right-field foul pole to get as far away as he could from the shooter, but the shooter followed him and shot at him 10 times and missed him. Zach decided the only way he was going to stay alive was to get to the dugout, and he ran to the dugout. During that running from the right-field line to the dugout, he got shot in the leg. He dove into the dugout, as I did, not knowing I was there. He dove into the dugout and dove right into my arms. At that moment, you had a bonding of a 67-year-old man and a 24-year-old kid. I held him in my arms, and he was saying: ``I'm hit, I'm hit.'' Mo Brooks, Jeff Flake, and I were there. We didn't know what to do. We didn't have the experience that Dr. Wenstrup and others had had, but God kicked in. Mo Brooks removed his belt, and we tightened it around his leg to stop the bleeding. We all hunkered down. Then we heard that Scalise was down. We couldn't see it. We were in the dugout, but we heard that Steve had been hit. These shots were going off, and we didn't hear anything from the Capitol Police. In our situation, we thought they had probably been killed. We decided if this guy came around where we were, we were going to charge him. Maybe it would work, maybe it wouldn't, but we had made that commitment to each other that we would do that. Then, we heard the sirens, and we were praying for sirens. When you are praying for sirens, Mr. Speaker, it takes a long time, but we heard the sirens, which told us people knew we were in trouble. It was the Arlington Police. When they got there, we heard shooting. It was not just an AK-47 going off. We heard 9 millimeters that were going off. We praised God for Crystal Griner and David Bailey. I remember being in the dugout and looking up, and David Bailey was down in the dugout and shooting like this at the perpetrator to keep him from coming around to the rest of us. Finally, it ended. I remember somebody started yelling: ``Everybody out of the dugout. Everybody out of the dugout.'' I told the guys I was with: ``I'm not getting out of the dugout. I don't know who that is. I am staying here.'' About that time, we saw the police, and we got out of the dugout. A helicopter, I think, had come to get Steve, if I remember. There was a lot of chaos. People gathered around together. Dr. Wenstrup saw me, and I had been injured in the ankle, and he called an ambulance for me and said: ``Get him to the hospital.'' It was the first time I had ever been in an ambulance, and they took me to the hospital. That night I was in the hospital, and Brad came to see me. I will never forget that. President Trump called me, and Vice President Pence called me. He said: ``Should we play the game tomorrow?'' I said: ``Absolutely. We can't let this end like this.'' In my situation, I had got hit with shrapnel, and Dr. Wenstrup knows exactly what I had, but I had a lot of treatment. There was a decision made that if I didn't get better in 2 weeks that I might lose my leg. It was a life-changer for all of us. Steve Scalise and Brad Wenstrup showed courage like I have never seen. Even today, they show that courage. We have--what?--25 guys and gals. We all have our story, and everybody did their thing. There were angels that day, the angel that my friend talked about, and the angel was as small as something as David Bailey's cell phone. David reached to get his cell phone and moved it up. Because David thought we were surrounded by ISIS, which would have been another whole story, he reached for it and called for help and got hit. He got hit in the phone. If it hadn't hit his phone, it might have hit him in the side, and it might have been a whole different story. He may not have made it. I think that was an angel. I think the lock was an angel. It reminded me God was in charge. It could have been just the opposite. I remember in the dugout, as the shooting was going on, two things went through my mind. First of all, people asked me: ``Roger, are you afraid to die.'' I was not afraid of dying, but I did hope that my wife remembered I want the song, ``Put me in, coach, I'm ready to play today'' at my funeral, and I wanted to make sure I made it because I had a granddaughter coming in October. God was in charge. He took care of us. The perpetrator paid for his act. The Arlington Police saved us; David Bailey saved us; and Crystal Griner saved us. For that, we are all owing to them for the rest of our lives. It is not often you get to hug somebody who saved your life and be able to thank him like we were able to. It is a day I will never forgot, but like Brad and the others said, it just doesn't come along on this day, you wake up every morning thinking about it. Every time we have baseball practice, you think about it. Those of us who were there wear bracelets. We wear bracelets today that have the date of the shooting and say, ``In God We Trust.'' It is a day I will never forget. I am thankful to God for letting us have another chance. As Brad said, there were several articles written about the shooting. One article I read talked about if it had gone just the opposite, things politically and things in the world would have been much different. But they weren't. Because of people like David Bailey, Crystal Griner, Brad, and others, and the Arlington Police, I get to see my granddaughter. I get to still coach the baseball team. I get to still be in Congress. I get to still love my wife. For that, I am grateful. At the end of the day, we can do better than this. People should not be that angry, and that is a goal we should have as we are in Congress, to agree to disagree and not go out and kill people. I will just end this with the way I end all of my speeches: In God we trust. Praise the Lord, and God bless America.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7988) to amend the Small Business Act to include requirements relating to new small business entrants in the scorecard program, and for other purposes.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam 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 the bill.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7988, the Small Business Procurement and Utilization Reform Act of 2024, also known as the SPUR Act, sponsored by Representatives Stauber and Perez. Small businesses are vital to the health and resiliency of America's industrial base. Broad and robust small business participation ensures that America can continue to lead the world in innovation and defend us against foreign adversaries. However, small businesses are getting squeezed out of the industrial base at a staggering rate, a direct threat to America's dominance. There are just half as many small businesses participating in the industrial base as there were just a decade ago. This downward trend is a culmination of years of bad government policy and is being made worse by the Biden administration's regulatory onslaught, dissuading small businesses from even considering participating in the Federal marketplace. The SPUR Act is a critical step into looking under the hood of the government and bringing accountability to agencies. By grading agencies on how many contracts have been awarded to small businesses for the very first time, we will bring together a great focus on reversing the declining participation of small businesses in the industrial base. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for H.R. 7988, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber).

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, we must ensure that a greater number of small businesses are entering the government contracting space. By forcing agencies to recognize the shortcomings in awarding contracts to first- time suppliers of the Federal Government, I am hopeful that these numbers will begin to move back in the right direction. Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7989) to provide for a memorandum of understanding between the Small Business Administration and the National Council on Disability to increase employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, and for other purposes.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam 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 bill.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7989, the ThinkDIFFERENTLY about Disability Employment Act. Individuals with disabilities are more likely to be self-employed than the average American, and across the Federal Government, there are numerous programs and resources to assist American small businesses. Yet, many of these resources are not tailored to entrepreneurs with disabilities. In order to ensure that we are not leaving behind this population, this bill will increase coordination between the SBA and the National Council on Disability. The National Council on Disability is an independent Federal agency whose mission is to provide recommendations to policymakers on issues impacting individuals with disabilities. This bipartisan council is uniquely qualified to advise and assist the SBA in their pursuit of assisting individuals with disabilities to achieve the American Dream. I thank Representatives Molinaro and Pappas for their commitment to ensuring Congress works to pave the way to success for entrepreneurs and employees with disabilities. Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Molinaro).

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, from the start of this Congress, Representative Molinaro has been a strong advocate for individuals with disabilities. I am thankful for his efforts in the Committee on Small Business to continue his work to ensure Federal resources are being used as effectively as possible so every entrepreneur has a chance to succeed. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7984) to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to improve access to disaster assistance for individuals located in rural areas, and for other purposes.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam 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 the bill.