Michael Waltz

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, as my colleague, Mr. Meeks, eloquently mentioned, it is worth repeating again that Peng Shuai on November 2 posted on her social media account a detailed allegation of sexual abuse against a former Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China, a very senior official. In her post, she said: ``I couldn't describe how disgusted I was and how many times I asked myself, am I still a human? I feel like a walking corpse.'' It shouldn't surprise anybody that the CCP, the Chinese Communist Party, immediately censored her post and any mention of these allegations and basically wiped it off the face of the Earth. She has since been absent and unresponsive to friends except for a clearly fabricated statement and video in a clearly coerced session, shamefully with International Olympic Committee officials. This would be like if a U.S. tennis star made an accusation, a credible one, of sexual abuse against a Vice President of the United States, and then she disappeared. That is what essentially has happened. On November 21, the IOC said in a statement that its president, Thomas Bach, had a 30-minute video call but yet wouldn't release the video afterward. The IOC's participation in this charade is a disgrace. After the call, IOC official Dick Pound said it is the IOC's unanimous conclusion by IOC officials that Peng is fine. This is the definition of perpetuating CCP propaganda. It is exactly the opposite of what we should expect in the world. The Women's Tennis Association has demanded accountability, demanded that her whereabouts be disclosed, that she be able to talk to colleagues and friends, and that her sexual assault allegation be taken seriously and fully investigated. Importantly, unlike the National Basketball Association, the Olympics, and so many others, the WTA has said they are going to forgo any future tournaments in China, which is a significant, significant portion of their revenue. In short, they are putting their money where their mouth is. They are walking the walk, not just talking the talk. This is exactly why we cannot send our athletes to the Beijing Olympics. We cannot guarantee their safety. We cannot turn a blind eye to the ongoing genocide. We cannot allow American companies that want to preach social justice here in the United States because it helps their balance sheet to then ignore basic human rights when it comes to China to also pad their balance sheet. I would ask any of my colleagues, when it comes to the Winter Olympics, did they agree with the IOC stepping into politics when it comes to apartheid? The IOC not only banned the Olympics from happening in South Africa under apartheid, but they banned the South African Olympic Committee from participating in the Olympics for 30 years. Yet when it comes to China, when it comes to the abuses of the Chinese Communist Party, we have a whole heck of a lot of silence. If we won't take a stand now, what will we take a stand for? I support the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul), the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks), and the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. Wexton) in this important effort.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service and career of combat veteran and public servant Dr. Julia Nesheiwat, who has devoted her entire life in service to this country and by every metric, exemplifies duty, honor, and the American Dream. Born to Ben and Hayat Nesheiwat, Jordanian immigrant parents who worked tirelessly to provide for her and her four siblings, Dr. Nesheiwat graduated from Stetson University. She then went on to earn her M.A. in security studies from Georgetown University, Washington D.C. and a Ph.D. from the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan. Dr. Nesheiwat is a lifelong member of the Council on Foreign Relations and served on the Governing Advisory Council for the World Economic Forum. After the September 11 attacks, Dr. Nesheiwat was immediately deployed in the U.S. Army military intelligence corps. She served multiple tours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq for which she was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. Dr. Nesheiwat subsequently was selected to serve on the U.S. Presidential Commission on Intelligence Capabilities Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction, leading the North Korea and Iran policy steering committee. She went on to help establish the newly formed office of the Director of National Intelligence as the Chief of Staff for policy and planning, where she managed the integration and collaboration of analysis and reporting with all intelligence agencies. During her time at the Department of State, Dr. Nesheiwat served as the first Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy where she built a new bureau that addressed the nexus of energy, climate, technology, development, international programs, and public-private partnerships. She then collaborated with the Department of Defense to create a new curriculum on energy security as a visiting professor at the Naval Post Graduate School. Dr. Nesheiwat continued her call to service as the first U.S. Deputy Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs focused on the release of U.S. citizens legally detained or held hostage abroad. Dr. Nesheiwat's diplomatic work was instrumental in the release of dozens of Americans illegally held overseas as well as her work with the families of those detained. Returning to her home state of Florida, Dr. Nesheiwat was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to serve as Florida's first Chief Resilience Officer, a cabinet-level position tasked with preparing Florida for the environmental, physical, and economic impacts of sea level rise. In 2020, Dr. Nesheiwat once again answered the call to serve, this time in the White House as Deputy Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Resilience. At such a perilous time in our nation's history, she brought her extensive expertise on national security and resilience to develop strategies to help protect America against the COVID pandemic, natural disasters, critical infrastructure protection, foreign election interference, civil unrest, counter- narcotics, and wildlife and trafficking crimes. Dr. Nesheiwat was later appointed to serve a four-year term as a Commissioner on the U.S. Arctic Research Commission. The Commission is an independent federal agency that advises the President and Congress on domestic and international Arctic research. She is also a Distinguished Fellow with the Atlantic Council with the Global Energy Center. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the lifelong servant leadership of Dr. Julia Nesheiwat and her career spanning the Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden Administrations. She has brought great credit to her country and we thank her as she continues to serve the American people.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, as we as a nation reflect on 13 more killed in action, 13 more Gold Star families, I think it is worth noting that they did their mission. They did their jobs. Their operation, their mission, was to secure Kabul International Airport, to evacuate our Embassy, to evacuate those who had worked with us, to evacuate the remaining military assets. And they did their job. They secured Kabul International Airport. But they went above and beyond. After pulling grueling, long shifts in the August heat in Afghanistan--and everybody who has served there knows how difficult that could be--they went on their own time and were working with grassroots veterans organizations who sprung up, who stepped up to do, frankly, what should have already been done and to help those who had stood with us and stood for that flag for 20 years. They, on their own time, at great risk, were getting people out. They knew the dangers. Everybody who had served there knew that it was only a matter of time till they were going to be hit. They knew that it was only a matter of time. Yet, they did it anyway. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support this legislation for the Congressional Gold Medal, but we owe them answers. We owe their families answers. We owe this country answers. Why were they defending an airport in the middle of a city of 4 million people? Why were the military assets pulled before--before--all of our civilians and our government employees were out? Why? Why? Why? So many questions. So many answers. I can tell you, and I could tell these families, I tell this body, I will not rest, I will never forget, and we will get those answers that those 13 Gold Star families deserve. And there will be accountability for why we now have 13 more dead Americans.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to thank Ms. Deborah Hansen for her service to the people of Florida's Sixth Congressional District over the last 3 years in my office. Deborah was born in Salem, Oregon, to her parents, Bill and Fae Hansen. After graduating high school, Ms. Hansen left Salem to attend the University of Utah where she received her bachelor's degree in science and sociology with an emphasis in criminology, social work, and child welfare. Upon graduating from the University of Utah, Ms. Hansen began her steadfast and inspiring career of public service. Deborah devoted over 30 years of work to the juvenile justice programs in Oregon and Utah. During this time, she also taught criminal justice courses as an adjunct professor for local community colleges. While attaining all of her accomplishments, Deborah is most proud of raising her four beautiful children--Dustin, Dalton, Dain, and Danelle. Prior to coming to my office, Ms. Hansen served with Representatives Cresent Hardy from Nevada and Representative Jason Lewis from Minnesota. In 2019, I was fortunate enough to have Deborah join my team as my office manager. She quickly proved herself to be an invaluable asset, overseeing multiple meetings, the many requests we received, managing the daily operations of my Washington, D.C., office, and most importantly, keeping a freshman Member of Congress on track--no easy task, for sure. Not only did she keep all of us in line, but Deborah also brought a great spirit to our office. She always brought in baked goods to share, had a new story to tell--whether it be a memory of her time on the West Coast, the latest adventures of her grandchildren, or about some mischief her new puppy, Tucker, had managed to get himself into--we were all ears. Deborah is diligent; she is talented, hardworking, but above all, she is kind. And while I am sad to see her leave, I can say without a doubt, she has made both our office and our country a better place. We wish Deborah a happy and hopefully, very relaxing retirement in the country filled with quality time with her four children, 13 grandchildren, and her favorite puppy, Tucker. However, I know this is not the end of Deborah's public service but the start of a new adventure in service to her community. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues and the United States House of Representatives to join me in commending Ms. Deborah Hansen for her lifelong career of servant leadership. From the bottom of our hearts, we wish Deborah the best as she embarks on this next chapter in her life.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of Representative Gallagher's bill, to get us some simple facts: How many Americans are stranded and are we going to get them home. Yes, these issues are important. We should debate these issues. Infrastructure, healthcare, all of these issues are critical to our country. But the number one job of the Federal Government is to keep Americans safe. Today, America is less safe. Americans are stranded behind enemy lines, and they are not all going to get out by August 31. Colleagues, what happens in Afghanistan does not stay in Afghanistan. It will follow us home. Terrorism is a cancer that once again will threaten the United States. I want everyone to see this picture and remember it: Osama bin Laden--by the way, then-Vice President Biden opposed the raid to bring this man to justice. His deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri--know that name--who is now leading al-Qaida, now has a terrorism playground from which to plot and plan attacks on the United States once again. The intelligence has been clear. Al-Qaida 3.0 will come roaring back. The Taliban equals al-Qaida. As we head into the 20th anniversary of 9/ 11, we once again are going to face the prospect of more Pulse nightclubs, San Bernardinos, and, God forbid, another 9/11. What has me so upset, so flaming mad, as a veteran, as a Green Beret that has had to fight this fight, is future soldiers are now going to have to go back and deal with this again, but now with no bases, no local allies, and a Taliban that is armed to the teeth with our own equipment. That is unconscionable. It is unacceptable. If the White House won't lead, then Congress will.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, for me, as well, this is a very personal endeavor and a very personal bill. Speaking as a combat veteran of the Afghan war, the Afghans supporting our troops weren't just interpreters; they became our brothers and our sisters on the battlefield. We depended on each other for survival. They fought with us; they bled with us; and in many cases, they died with us, all for the dream of a better Afghanistan, for a safer world, for prosperity for their families, and for ripping out the dangerous and sick extremist ideology that has tormented their country, taken their society backward, and threatened the United States of America. Unfortunately, the Biden administration's reckless withdrawal is allowing the Taliban to once again seize control of Afghanistan. The urgency of the situation on the ground is not hyperbole. Just yesterday, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs said the Taliban appears to have strategic momentum in their offensive, and I hope that this Congress can continue supporting the Afghan security forces to help them halt that advance and, in the wake of it, al-Qaida's and ISIS' inevitable rise. No one is safe from the Taliban reprisal. We have seen in recent weeks the mass execution of surrendering Afghan security forces and the Afghan interpreters who worked with our troops that are now at the top of the Taliban's target list. The United States made a commitment to our allies in this conflict, and these individuals have lived up to their end of the bargain. Now, we have an obligation to honor our promises to them. According to the State Department, the average processing time for an SIV applicant is over 700 days. This is unacceptable, given the urgency. I want to be clear. The legislation before us, which I strongly support, does not diminish or circumvent the screening process. Trust me, before these men and women were allowed to work with our units, they were heavily vetted, and that is before this 700-day process that they are now going through. I support increasing the number of Special Immigrant Visas by 8,000. I support streamlining this process. And if it comes to it, I support taking care of the families of those who didn't make it back, like one of my interpreters, who we called Spartacus, who was found with American documentation on him and taken back to his village and beheaded along with members of his family to send a message. It is notable, Mr. Speaker, that, in 1975, then-Senator Biden did not support the evacuation of our South Vietnamese allies. I hope now- President Biden will erase that sin. It is not just a moral obligation. It is a national security obligation because when our soldiers have to go back to deal with a rising al-Qaida, which I sadly predict they will have to, we will need local allies once again. We are sending a message right now by our conduct. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this critical legislation and ask the Senate to swiftly pass it.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to stand with the people of Cuba. I rise today to stand with these brave people who are risking everything, their lives, their families, their livelihoods. Standing for freedom in Cuba isn't an academic exercise. They not only put their lives on the line, they put their entire family's lives on the line. And as they do this they are reading from the Constitution of the United States of America, they are reading from the Declaration of Independence, they are waving the American flag. They are not waving flags of Europe or other countries. They are waving the American flag, the international symbol of freedom. Madam Speaker, socialism does not work, is not working, has never worked anywhere around the world. The only place in the world where the Cuban people are not succeeding is in Cuba. We must stand with them. We will stand with them. And the Cuban people will be free.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2225, the NSF for the Future Act, which I am proud to be an original cosponsor of, along with Chairwoman Johnson, Ranking Member Lucas, and Chairwoman Stevens. As ranking member of the Research and Technology Subcommittee, I am proud of the process this bill went through to get here today, with well over a year's work, including meetings, roundtables, legislative hearings, and two committee markups. The final bill includes over 13 Republican amendments and standalone pieces of legislation and 11 recommendations from the House GOP's China Task Force. It is projected that China surpassed the United States in 2019, in total research and development spending. I would like to thank Chairwoman Johnson and Ranking Member Lucas for their leadership throughout this process, which set the tone for developing thoughtful legislation. H.R. 2225 takes important steps in expanding the mission of the National Science Foundation to ensure we maintain our edge against rising global competition, while protecting the foundation's primary mission of supporting fundamental research. It makes key investments in the STEM workforce to expand the American talent pipeline. It supports world-class research facilities, like Embry-Riddle, Bethune-Cookman, and Stetson Universities, all of which are in my district. It promotes the research needed to develop revolutionary technologies that are crucial to our national and economic security. While making these investments, we also secure taxpayer-funded research and technologies from adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party. The National Science Foundation Inspector General is seeing a 1,000 percent increase in FBI referrals for research theft inquiries. H.R. 2225 gives the NSF security office the resources, the authority, and the tools for the foundation, for the sponsoring institutions, and for the applicants to identify and address malign foreign influence and to address research theft. The bill also instructs the NSF to develop mandatory security training to ensure that individual researchers, frankly, have no more excuses and that they understand the threat and the Federal policies and guidelines. Lastly, Representative Randy Feenstra and I successfully added an amendment during the full committee markup that bans grant applicants from participating in malign foreign talent programs, like the Chinese Communist Party's Thousand Talents program. It is critical that we strike a balance between keeping our research enterprise open, but also protecting it from adversaries who seek to take advantage of our open system. There is more work to be done, but I think these provisions take some big steps in striking that balance. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote for this bill.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about our local allies in Afghanistan, those that are trying to come to the United States through the Special Immigrant Visa program. Beside me here is one of the brave Afghan interpreters who stood alongside my Special Forces unit, my fellow Green Berets, in Afghanistan during one of my tours. He volunteered for that duty. He stood with us in combat. He faced extremism head-on. And when these brave Afghans stand up, Mr. Speaker, to stand with us, to stand with our soldiers, as a critical asset that enables us to deal with the populous and communicate with the populous that we are trying to protect, but also fight alongside our Afghan security forces partners, we could not do what we have done in the last 20 years in Afghanistan and around the world in places like Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and in places like Africa, without these brave individuals who not only put their lives on the line but put their families' lives on the line to stand with us against extremism. We called him Spartacus. We didn't use his real name, because if the Taliban found out that he was with us, they would not only track him down, they would track his entire family down. Well, unfortunately, after our redeployment, Mr. Speaker, the very thing that he needed to get a visa to the United States, the identification paperwork that he had fought with the United States, that he had fought with America, was found on him in a Taliban checkpoint. He was taken back to his home village and beheaded, along with his brothers and cousins in his family. This story of Spartacus is happening right now, as we speak. The Taliban, as they slowly and methodically take over Afghanistan, are hunting these brave individuals down who stood with us against extremism. We need to ask ourselves, as Americans, what message are we sending in terms of keeping our promises, not only with the Afghans, but again, around the world? The bottom line is, we need to get them out. We have a moral obligation to get them out. This is not just a moral obligation, but it is a national security obligation. The State Department has a 14-step process that takes over a year to do the appropriate vetting and to assign these visas. We don't have time for that anymore with U.S. forces withdrawing within weeks. The Defense Department is ready to do an evacuation right now. The Governor of Guam has said he is ready to accept these people, as they have done with our partners in South Vietnam, as they did with the South Koreans, as they have done with Cubans. We can process them in a safe third country and then bring those individuals home. The Defense Department says they are ready; Guam says they are ready. Everyone is waiting on the green light from the White House. Where is that green light, Mr. Speaker? Where is it? Will President Biden stand up and stand with those and do the right thing for those that fought with us? And I have to be candid, he hasn't always done so. He didn't support the evacuation of our South Vietnamese allies when he was a Senator. I pray and hope he will correct that past sin and stand with those who stood with us against extremism. I mentioned this is a national security issue as well. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Mr. Speaker, just testified that he believes there is a decent likelihood, a medium probability, that al-Qaida will come roaring back in the wake of our withdrawal. So we must also ask ourselves, when our soldiers have to go back into Afghanistan, who are they going to have to fight alongside? Will they have anyone left that will not have been hunted down like Spartacus was? Finally, this isn't just an interpreter issue. Twenty-five percent of the Afghan Parliament is set aside for women. These women are also being hunted, abused, forced to stay home, not go into their elected office. Some have had acid thrown on their face. Some are even executed themselves. Civil society leaders, journalists, all those who have spoken out against the atrocities that we have seen, that we have fought against are also being targeted. We have an obligation, as an American people, as a military, to support those who have stood with us. Mr. Speaker, should we not, time is running out. The world is watching, and when that last American soldier goes wheels up, these people will have a death sentence, and there will be blood on this administration's hands.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, since 1904, Bethune-Cookman University, a historically Black college, has contributed to a rich, diverse history in my district in Florida. Four thousand students proudly call this university home. In Florida's Sixth Congressional District, we are proud of all of Bethune-Cookman's accomplishments, especially in the STEM fields. I personally look forward to seeing the statue of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune represent the great State of Florida in Statuary Hall very soon. Mr. Speaker, minorities make up 30 percent of the United States population, but nationwide we are seeing a gap in minority representation in STEM fields. Believe it or not, minorities account for only 11 percent of the STEM workforce, and that 11 percent comes after years of slow improvement and diversity inclusion, but does not factor in how the COVID pandemic has disproportionately affected women and underrepresented minorities in STEM. There is fear that this limited progress may be undone by the COVID-19 crisis. Simultaneously, the demand for STEM skills is at an all-time high. Over the next decade, the STEM shortage is anticipated to reach 1 million professionals. So we have a math problem. If we want to maintain America's edge over the Chinese Communist Party and over our adversaries, then we need to make sure our workforce reflects our country's diversity and that the numbers for that workforce are there. We must commit to increasing participation in the STEM enterprise and supporting individuals and institutions disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Minority-serving institutions like Bethune-Cookman University play a critical role in bringing members of underrepresented groups into STEM training and careers. By partnering with MSIs, the bill we are considering today would help increase the capacity for minority students in STEM curricula and encourage partnerships with industry and Federal laboratories. While the Chinese Communist Party is trying to leapfrog America in STEM, this bill will enhance our domestic workforce to compete. If America wants to lead militarily, economically, and globally, then we must lead in STEM. Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss to not mention the importance of women as well in STEM. As I have said countless times since I have been elected, and will continue to say, from my experience as a Green Beret around the globe, where women thrive in business, in civil society, and in politics, the fact is that extremism does not thrive. So for that reason, amongst others, diversity in STEM is a national security issue. In Volusia County, in my district, just north of Cape Canaveral, Florida, and the Kennedy Space Center, we are seeing countless businesses participate in workforce programs like the Space Coast Consortium Apprenticeship Program. This program and others are making huge strides to advance STEM curriculum and workforce development. As the Republican lead on the MSI STEM Achievement Act, I want to thank Chairwoman Johnson, as well as Ranking Member Lucas, for working with me to improve participation in STEM at MSIs. For America's continued predominance in science and technology, I urge my colleagues to support this important bill and for its passage.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize someone very special on my team, a real-life superwoman, a warrior, a hard worker, an Air Force lieutenant colonel, and--perhaps her most important job--a mother of five. Her name is Amanda Naylor, and she has been part of my office for her yearlong Defense fellowship. Amanda took the hustle and bustle of Capitol Hill in stride. She made it look easy. She hit the ground running, and whether it was committee hearings, briefings with Defense Department officials, or working with other offices, Amanda was always there to provide our team expertise and drive issues forward. She used her own experience in the military and the Air Force to craft legislation like the Rent the Camo Act that provided affordable maternity uniforms for our servicewomen. It is truly a testament to her insight and her hard work that she got this bill into the NDAA, into the defense bill. She is a perfect example of why we need more veterans in Congress and more veterans in government at every level. They bring that on-the-ground expertise into our legislation. Amanda is talented, smart, and, above all, kind. Congress could certainly use more like her. I am sad she will be leaving us, but she has made our office and she will make the country a better and safer place.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, H.R. 4447, the Clean Economy and Jobs Innovation Act, authorizes research and development activities across the Department of Energy's applied energy programs. As my colleagues have noted, while there are several bipartisan provisions in this package, they are outweighed, unfortunately, by partisan priorities in a rushed and irresponsible legislative process. I think, by now, we can all recognize how many missed opportunities for true bipartisanship have been complicated by this approach. Critical minerals is certainly one of them. Critical minerals play a vital role in our everyday lives. Battery storage, defense systems, healthcare equipment, medicines, things that impact U.S. national security, economic growth, and energy independence are all reliant on secure and safe access to critical minerals. However, currently, the United States is dependent on other countries for 31 of 35 critical minerals identified by the Department of the Interior; and of these, 14 are imported to the U.S. at a rate of 100 percent. On the list are lithium and graphite that power clean energy solutions, all of which are controlled by China. China, in fact, holds an overwhelming advantage in access to critical minerals, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made it dangerously clear that we cannot, as a nation, rely on China for our essential resources. In May, I introduced H.R. 7061, the American Critical Mineral Exploration Act, which builds on the successes of the Senate's American Mineral Security Act by taking a more comprehensive approach to onshoring these critical mineral supply chains. Earlier this year, it seemed like many of these provisions would be considered in good-faith negotiations with Science Committee Democrats, but unfortunately, despite our shared goals, we have had to pause negotiations in order to now consider this partisan messaging bill that is on the floor today. This is a waste of the taxpayers' money, and a waste of the few remaining legislative days.

Mr. WALTZ. This is why I offered an amendment to replace the critical materials text in H.R. 4447 with the American Critical Mineral Exploration Act, and I was disappointed to see it was not made in order. I find this surprising, since my bill serves as an expanded companion to the Senate's Critical Mineral Security Act, which was included in Chairwoman Murkowski's American Energy Innovation Act, and House Democrats claim the goal of H.R. 4447 is to mirror that package. We clearly see that is not to be the case. It is time to get back to work on clean energy solutions, on bipartisan solutions, and addressing China. It is time to act on our promises of bipartisanship. The majority has now canceled our agreements on the China Task Force, clean energy, and critical minerals. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, as a combat veteran, I think a lot about my past experiences in battle and personally have dealt with my own struggles, from PTS to survivor's guilt. But this year, we are in a collective battle, and the front lines look very different. We are fighting against an invisible enemy, against COVID-19, and we are forced to distance ourselves and to change our entire way of life. This isolation is causing anxiety, depression, and sometimes takes us to even darker places, even with suicidal thoughts. September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and I am teaming with a veterans group, Mission Roll Call, to raise awareness about suicide prevention, especially the 22 veterans per day we are currently losing. In combat, we are constantly checking on our brothers and sisters to our left and our right, and we have to do the same back here at home. So I say to all veterans out there: Reach out. Ask your buddy how they are doing. Share a memory. Let them know that you are thinking about them and you have their back. Together, we are stronger. Together, we can win this fight.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, today I recognize Major Andrew Joseph Crowe of the United States Army for his extraordinary dedication to duty and service to our Nation. Major Crowe recently transitioned from his assignment as an Army Congressional Liaison in the House of Representatives to attend Army Command and General Staff College with follow on assignment at Fort Belvoir. MAJ Crowe, having grown up in a non-military family, joined the Reserve Officers Training Corps through Western Michigan University and commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in 2006. He has held numerous leadership positions in a variety of units, highlighted by combat service in Iraq and Afghanistan with the 25th Infantry Division and the 75th Ranger Regiment. During his time in Washington, MAJ Crowe attended The George Washington University earning his Masters Degree in Legislative Affairs and served as a Congressional Fellow for Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina. In the winter of 2017, MAJ Crowe was selected to serve as a Congressional Liaison in the United States Army House Liaison Division. As the primary liaison between Members of the House of Representatives, their Staffs, Committees, and the Army, he provided insight and understanding of Army policies, actions, operations, and requirements. His first-hand knowledge of the military, its culture, and traditions has been a tremendous benefit to Congressional offices. His wit and humor kept everyone around him in good spirits and kept me on my toes. As a busy freshman office with great ambition, our legislative successes would not have been possible without him. In 2019, I had traveled with MAJ Crowe to Normandy France for the 75th Anniversary of D-Day. It was a historically significant event in which MAJ Crowe planned and executed the largest overseas CODEL in history. Madam Speaker, it has been a pleasure to work with MAJ Crowe during his time as an Army Congressional Liaison Officer in the House of Representatives. On behalf of a grateful Nation, it is my honor to recognize the selfless service and sacrifice of Major Andrew Crowe, his wife, Michelle, and their children, Charlie and Samantha. I wish them the very best as they continue their journey in the United States Army. They have dedicated their lives to the service of our Nation. Rangers Lead The Way.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service and career of news anchor Bret Baier as he celebrates his 50th birthday. Mr. Baier has dedicated many years to hard-hitting journalism and pursuit of conveying hard truths to the American people, often putting his own life on the line in warzones to do so. His informative journalism and steadfast moral compass embody the principles of a true servant leader. Bret Baier earned his bachelor's degree in Political Science and English from DePauw University in 1992. He made his way into the television scene by working for several news stations from Raleigh, North Carolina, to Rockford, Illinois and Beaufort, South Carolina before sending his audition tape to Fox News in 1998 and serving as the Atlanta bureau's first reporter. When our nation was attacked on September 11, 2001, Bret didn't shy away from danger. He drove all the way to Arlington, Virginia to cover the attack on the Pentagon. The reporting he did during this time landed him a job as the Pentagon correspondent, covering key national security, intelligence, military, and foreign policy issues. In 5 years time, he covered some of the nation's most impactful national security events, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He again did not shy away from danger, reporting from Iraq 12 times and Afghanistan 13 times. Baier has interviewed President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, former President Barack Obama, former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney, traveling with these administrations and top military officials to report in 74 countries. In 2006, he served as the chief White House correspondent, covering the second term of the Bush administration. He has since covered the political cycles of the 2012 and 2016 elections, moderating five Republican primary debates in 2012 and anchoring three GOP debates for Fox News in the 2016 cycle. Bret currently is Fox News Channel's Chief Political Anchor and the anchor of his own show, ``Special Report with Bret Baier.'' It is worth noting that Special Report is the top-rated cable news program in its timeslot and consistently one of the top five shows in cable news. In a world defined by political division, Baier is known and respected as a straight shooter. His accolades include the 2016 Kenneth Y. Tomlinson Award for Outstanding Journalism by the Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship Program, the 2017 Sol Taishoff Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism by the National Press Foundation, and the 2018 Urbino Press Award by the Municipality of Urbino. He is a New York Times bestselling author, a loving father to his two sons Daniel and Paul, and a devoted husband to his wife Amy. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the career and lifelong servant leadership of Bret Baier. It is with great pride that we thank him for his service and wish him continued health and happiness with his friends, family, and loved ones. We hope his 50th birthday is filled with joy, love, and peace. Here's to many more.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight a glaring deficiency in this bill and a missed opportunity to improve America's clean water infrastructure. The infrastructure package before us today, unfortunately, fails to modernize the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, or the Clean Water SRF. This program allocates Federal money to States and to communities through the States for clean water initiatives. Mr. Speaker, this bill, H.R. 2, finally reauthorizes the program for the first time since 1987. For that reason, a debate on improving the program, creating efficiencies, and investing more in clean water infrastructure is certainly warranted. Unfortunately, that debate has not occurred in this bill. What this bill does do is increase spending for the program fivefold, from the $1.6 billion appropriated in fiscal year 2020 to an $8 billion authorization for fiscal year 2021. However, we have not done any evaluation of how that money has been distributed to States through a formula that EPA calls the allotment. The allotment determines how much funding each State receives on an annual basis, and that hasn't changed since 1987. Frankly, no one really knows all the components that make up this formula. So let me reiterate: The bill before us this week increases spending for the program by five times without even a discussion or a debate at the committee or on the House floor about how that money should then be provided to the States. Mr. Speaker, I offered a bipartisan amendment with Representative Brown of Maryland that would implement the EPA's 2016 recommendations to Congress for updating the allotment by considering population, considering infrastructure, considering other needs, considering water quality. Mr. Speaker, I urge the chairman to work with us to address this issue in conference or on the water resources bill. If the Congress authorizes the program for the first time in over three decades, we certainly must address the antiquated and unclear allotment to States.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, we are hearing a lot today about Democrats support this; Republicans support that. I don't think this is the time for that. Americans don't care. They don't care about party. This virus doesn't care. They care about this Congress getting things done and about America pulling through. This is a good day for our businesses, for our hospitals, but I think a silver lining in all of this will be all of us seeing America pull together. And I think the other silver lining will be us drastically changing how we view our relationship with China, and understanding the Chinese Communist Party is not our friend, they are manipulating international organizations, they are hoarding supplies, have brought manufacturing away from a place where we, as America, can benefit. We must bring that manufacturing home. We will do that on the other side of this. Madam Speaker, I am proud to introduce legislation today to not only bring our pharmaceuticals home, but our technology and our business that China is preying on right now, as we speak. Wake up America. We are in a cold war, and we have to do better.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, as a fiscal conservative, $2.2 trillion of our grandchildren's money is a tough pill to swallow. But this is a two-front war on our economy and on public health. On the economic front, we must provide a lifeline to individuals, businesses, and seniors that are suffering collateral damage. And on the health front, we must send reinforcements to our healthcare workers. This morning, I spoke with a physician and family member heading into the emergency room in Manhattan. She said she is scared. Like combat, I told her, you have to take a deep breath, stay focused, and do what you are trained to do. These hospitals are the Omaha Beach of this war. Colleagues, in the foxhole, nobody cares about race, religion, creed, socioeconomic background. They certainly don't care about Republican and Democrat. It is about mission. It is about country. We have a duty to provide these soldiers what they need. We have a duty to support this bill.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, I find this interesting and sad. Since the last time we were here, for all the handwringing, all of the hues and cries that the President was taking us to the brink of war, that he was a warmonger, that this was so reckless as we are still hearing today, well, what has actually happened? The problem with my colleague's argument is that it flies in the face of what is actually happened in the Middle East. What has happened is deterrence has been restored. It is relatively peaceful at this point. I say, ``relatively.'' The fact is that we don't have thousands of boots on the ground in Teheran or in Iran. What we all know who have actually fought against the Quds Force and fought against the Iranians is they are deterred by strength and emboldened by weakness. So this bill seeks to restrain the President, who has shown incredible restraint. Did he respond to the attacks on international shipping? No. Did he respond to attacks on world energy supplies? No. Did he respond to the attack on an American drone? No. Only after another American was killed--yet another American was killed--and our Embassy was attacked did he finally respond. And what did he do? A limited, proportional, targeted strike in Iraq--not Iran-- that had zero civilian casualties. And every American, from the lowest private to the Commander in Chief, has the right to self-defense. It was his duty. It was the President's duty as Commander in Chief to stop the Iranian escalation and to respond. And, by the way, what did he do? He took down the head of a terrorist organization who was declared, under the Obama administration, a terrorist, no different than Osama bin Laden, no different than al- Baghdadi. A terrorist is a terrorist. In this case, Soleimani was a massive and serial human rights abuser, responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of people across the Middle East, and the world is a better place for the fact that he is no longer on this Earth. Madam Speaker, all this is doing is seeking to tie the President's hands; and the last thing I want is any Commander in Chief--and to my colleague--for any party having to come back to this body to defend Americans, to defend our diplomats, and to exercise his right to take terrorists off the face of this Earth. I cannot encourage my colleagues more strongly to oppose this resolution. This is politics at its worst.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, today I rise to celebrate one of the most prominent African American women in my community and our Nation's history, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune. At an early age, Dr. Bethune took an interest in the power of learning and promoting civil rights. In 1904, Dr. Bethune opened the Daytona Literary and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls in Daytona Beach, which later merged with the Cookman Institute for Men in Jacksonville to form Bethune-Cookman College, now University, where she served as president. As Dr. Bethune worked to build the school she founded, she also became a national leader on issues related to civil rights, women, and young people, even providing counsel to U.S. Presidents. In 2018, the Florida legislature passed and the governor signed legislation to place a statue in her honor representing Florida in the National Statuary Hall collection here in the Capitol. Dr. Bethune knew education is the key to a quality life and a better life, and it is my honor to recognize her contributions on the floor here today.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of this important legislation, H.R. 4305, the PAWS Act. As a combat veteran, I have personally relied on service dogs in battle. We all recently witnessed the important role that service dogs play in combat roles and in national security when we saw Conan, the Belgian Malinois, who participated in the raid that killed ISIS leader al-Baghdadi. Service dogs also play an important role in transitioning veterans back to civilian life. There is no denying these connections. The support they provide our veterans puts that connection on an entirely different level of importance. Many of our veterans return back from their service not the same as when they left, and I can personally attest to that. They have three bad choices: either they don't come home, they come home missing limbs, or they certainly come home--when you have been in combat--different mentally than when they left. These invisible wounds often make life very difficult for our veterans who have served. We owe them. The least we can do is to provide a full menu of options to their medical providers when they need help, whether those are medicines, whether those are unconventional treatments like hyperbaric chambers, or whether they are service dogs. That should be one of the options that our providers can provide. I had the personal opportunity to meet with several veterans who have benefited from these service animals in my district last year and their stories were just incredible. The common theme amongst all of them was that they either completely eliminated or drastically reduced the amount of medication that they were on as a result of PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Almost all of these veterans who had service dogs in their lives not only reduced their medications, but they got out more and they socialized more. The dog served as an important and positive forcing function in their lives. I think this legislation is long overdue. This is long overdue for the VA to provide. I love the fact that it engages our veteran service organizations like K9s for Warriors which is just north of my district in St. Johns County, and others. These dogs can be life changing, and they have been life changing, and they should continue to be, and they should be provided by us, by our society that owes these vets so much. Our veterans deserve to live happy lives after their service, and we should do everything that we can to ensure their well-being. I urge my colleagues to pass this important bill. I thank my colleagues Representative Roe and Representative Stivers for their leadership, and we all should let them know and let these veterans know that we have their six and the House of Representatives stands with them on their path to healing.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, today, and as the underlying premise for this legislation, we are hearing a lot of things. Number one, we are hearing that the President recklessly escalated our relationship with Iran. Wrong. The President responded to a series of escalations from Iran, and he responded responsibly. Our issues with Iran, this relationship, didn't start just in the last few months. It started in 1979. It started with Iranians taking our diplomats hostage. It continued with them sponsoring the suicide attack on our Embassy in Beirut, with killing hundreds of marines in Beirut, with bombing the Khobar Towers, with killing hundreds of Americans in Iraq at the hands of its militias, and on and on. Most recently, after the Iranians attacked international shipping, attacked global oil supplies in Saudi Arabia, stormed our Embassy and killed yet another American, finally, the President responded by taking down the mastermind of many of these attacks over the years in a way that was limited, that was precise, and that had zero collateral damage. The other thing you are going to hear is that this attack on Soleimani, the killing of Soleimani, the head of the Quds Force, was disproportional. I have to tell you, the families of the tens of thousands of people across the Middle East that Soleimani and his militias have killed, they didn't think it was proportional. They thought it was long overdue. The Gold Star families, the American Gold Star families who no longer have their loved ones with them holiday after holiday, they didn't think it was disproportional. They too thought it was long overdue. Soleimani should have been killed years ago. I am grateful the President finally took action. Mr. Speaker, I would ask my colleagues how many more Americans, how many more families, should go without their loved ones at the hands of this serial human rights abuser before the President should take action? In fact, I, as a Member of Congress, would have been pounding the table had he not taken action, given actionable intelligence and the opportunity to do so. You are hearing that the President assassinated a foreign leader. Also wrong. A terrorist is a terrorist, and this individual was designated a terrorist by the Obama administration. The Quds Force is a terrorist organization, as decided by the Obama administration. Whether it is al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden, whether it is ISIS and Baghdadi, or whether it is the Quds Force and Soleimani, we have an obligation to strike back at terrorism and to stop terrorism in its tracks. The President had a duty and a responsibility as Commander in Chief to take this action. Finally, you are hearing that the administration has no strategy. Also wrong. The administration withdrew from the Iran deal. It was a bad deal, narrowly focused on one aspect of its program. Its maximum pressure campaign is in place.

Mr. WALTZ. The Iranian economy is tanking. They came to the table in the first place in 2012 to enter into negotiations because the sanctions were working, and they will come to the table again. But this time, this administration will strike a better deal that encompasses terrorism, its missile program, and the fact that Iran is still taking American hostages to this day. Then, we will get the entirety of its nuclear program in a much better deal. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to step away from this partisan bill, to vote against these bills coming to the table, and to support the administration in taking on the world's leading sponsor of terrorism.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this important legislation. Every child deserves access to a quality education--every child--and, unfortunately, that is not always the case for girls around the world. Adolescent girls, in particular, are most at risk of dropping out of school. Worldwide, there are about 61 million girls between the ages of 6 and 14 who are not in school, and that is unacceptable. It is just unacceptable. Madam Speaker, as a Green Beret who has operated all over the world, I have seen this up close and personal. I have seen this firsthand. I can tell you this from my experiences: I know firsthand that, where women thrive in business, where women thrive in civil society, in politics, and in government, extremism doesn't. That is it. Where women thrive in all of those places, the extremists do not. So this isn't just an economic issue, although that is a very important one, or a humanitarian issue. This is a national security issue--for the United States of America, for the Western world, for the entire world. For me, in one of my combat tours in Afghanistan, an Afghan elder I knew, whom I developed a relationship with throughout this tour, in every meeting kept talking about his secret weapon, his secret weapon. This was how we were going to defeat the Taliban and defeat the extremists, with this secret weapon. I finally demanded to see this secret weapon. It wasn't a missile. It wasn't a weapon, per se, at all. It was his teenage daughters. That was his secret weapon. What he was doing was he was sneaking them out of Afghanistan and over to India to be trained as a lawyer and a doctor. He pointed to them and said: Commander Mike, this is how we are going to defeat the extremists. This is how we are going to win. So I echo my colleagues who have mentioned the hero Malala Yousafzai. My favorite quote from her is: ``Extremists have shown what frightens them most: a girl with a book.'' So as a father of a young woman who is here with me today on the floor, about to turn 16, this is personal for me. This legislation is especially important to me. And every girl around the world, like her, deserves the chance to attend school and access a proper education. This legislation is a critical step in increasing these opportunities for young women, globally. I want to commend my colleague and fellow Floridian, Madam Speaker, Representative Frankel, for her leadership on this issue. I also want to thank Ivanka Trump for her leadership. Girls' education and women's empowerment should not be a partisan issue at all. It is an American issue. It is one of leadership, and it is one of human rights, of basic human rights. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.