Michael Waltz

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in celebration of Mr. Francis Albert Smith of Palm Coast, Florida, who, on July 18, 2023, will celebrate his 100th birthday. Throughout his life, Mr. Smith has been unwavering and relentless in his service to the United States. Serving in the Pacific during WWII, taking part in the Invasion of Ie Shima during the Okinawa Campaign, and in his role as a Staff Sergeant in the Armed Forces from 1942 to 1946, Mr. Smith's service falls nothing short of true servant leadership. Mr. Smith was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1923. Throughout his life, he has taken on many roles, including that of husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. In 1944, he married Ms. Dorothy Murtha, and became the father of 4 wonderful children, Barbara, Diane, Douglas, and David. Over the years, his family has continued to grow, and now includes 11 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren. In 2006, Mr. Smith married Gretta Woodward, a fellow veteran of WWII. Mr. Smith's service was, and remains, essential to maintaining the freedoms we as Americans are so fortunate to enjoy. Again, I thank him for his dedication and commitment to the United States of America. Every American owes a debt of gratitude to him. His dedication and courage in uniform helped to ensure the safety and prosperity of this Nation and all the people in it. Happy Birthday to Mr. Francis Albert Smith. Here is to many more.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment to allow the Department of Defense excess property 1033 program to be administered as intended by Congress to assist State and local law enforcement agencies. For more than 25 years, this program has often allowed cash-strapped local law enforcement jurisdictions to get the equipment they need to help our communities stay safe at a low cost. I am proud this amendment is supported by the National Association of Police Organizations, the National Sheriffs' Association, and the Florida Police Benevolent Association. Through the 1033 program, the Defense Logistics Agency transfers unneeded excess military property to State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies. This property ranges from helicopters and vehicles to computers and medical supplies. This program has been crucial in allowing State and local law enforcement to acquire items needed for search and rescue operations, disaster response, active- shooter situations, and other situations with equipment they otherwise could not afford. The 1033 program is not militarization of the police but an important tool in protecting our communities. Last May, President Biden issued an executive order titled: ``Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety.'' Despite what its title indicates, this executive order actually jeopardizes our public safety by effectively eliminating law enforcement's access to this vital surplus equipment. The EO institutes onerous reporting requirements and gives President Biden's politicized Department of Justice veto power over lawful transfers of equipment. This effort is a continuation of the Obama administration's policies that discount the critical needs of police officers in the interests of political optics, often for the far left's defund the police movement. This amendment is simple. It rolls back this misguided EO. It requires the Secretary of Defense to make all excess equipment meeting the definition of controlled property available for transfer through the 1033 program. This is important. Congress has prohibited the transfer of bayonets, grenades, weaponized tracked combat vehicles, and weaponized drones under the program. President Biden, however, overruled congressional intent by implementing this executive order unilaterally barring additional items from the 1033 program. The program was authorized by Congress to keep our communities safe from violent criminals and help local law enforcement respond to natural disasters. Contrary to the narrative on the other side of the aisle, access to this equipment is vital to these law enforcement agencies' ability to protect our communities. There are countless examples in which this now-prohibited equipment proved vital for law enforcement. Our State and local law enforcement put their lives on the line to keep us safe. Their jobs are tough enough. We cannot seek to demonize them, defund them, or certainly deprive them of the equipment they need. This amendment doesn't fully address many of the burdensome paperwork and regulations that President Biden has placed on the program. It is a good first step to get them the equipment they need as Congress intended. Mr. Chair, I urge support for this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chair, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Good).

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chair, we talk a lot about misinformation. There are no instances of artillery, missiles, flamethrowers, or anything else that has been said about this being passed on to law enforcement that is prohibited by Congress, and this amendment would not change that. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this 2024 National Defense Authorization Act. As chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee, I have focused our efforts on ensuring the Department of Defense is ready to fight around the world, especially in the Pacific, by improving its maintenance, improving its logistics, and the availability of our defense assets. This bill moves us in the right direction. As Representative Gallagher and others have said, we are witnessing the largest military buildup in China since we saw in Germany in the 1930s, particularly with their Navy, as they head toward 500 ships and we shrink to under 300. This bill instills accountability for the Navy, especially for its lagging availabilities in its amphibious warships and attack submarine fleets. Mr. Chairman, 18 of the Navy's 49 attack submarines are in maintenance right now as we speak. This is the lowest number of ready attack submarines since 2008, and it is unacceptable. Believe it or not, Mr. Chair, our bases in Europe have been reliant on Russian energy. This bill mandates the Department eliminate that reliance on Russian energy for all our installations in the European Command, and this bill directs a report on foreign control and influence over the supply chain for critical minerals and metals used for defense technologies. Mr. Chairman, importantly, this bill moves our military back toward being a meritocracy focused on lethality and winning our Nation's wars. Our enemies' bullets do not care about race, religion, or socioeconomic background, and neither should we. I am proud that this bill includes my provisions to combat divisive ideologies in the Department. This defense bill contains my language requiring the Department to report to Congress on the total cost of this extremism training, and it also includes my amendment to prohibit critical race theory. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I thank my friend, Ranking Member Garamendi, for his partnership.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan's Independence Day. America and Jordan have a long history of friendship and cooperation after establishing diplomatic relations in 1949. Jordan plays a vital role in advancing peace, stability, and moderation in the Middle East. I recently visited Jordan. In fact, I had the honor of being flown by Jordan's first-ever female helicopter pilot. On that same visit, King Abdullah graciously hosted our delegation and took us to the holy site where Jesus was baptized on the east bank of the Jordan River. Jordan is a shining example of tolerance, with traditions of hospitality between all religions. This visit was especially moving, and it was an experience I will remember for the rest of my life. It is especially meaningful to me personally as I married into a Jordanian-American family, the Nesheiwats, who immigrated to America from their ancestral home of Salt through Ellis Island. We look forward to returning to Jordan soon to baptize our newborn son, Arman. I wish King Abdullah and the Jordanian people a happy Independence Day, and I remain committed to supporting the friendship and partnership between our two countries.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, we know the activities of the Chinese Communist Party under the leadership of Xi, the worst genocide since World War II, not just according to the United States--multiple administrations of the United States, but also according to the U.N.-- Hong Kong, South China Sea, threats to India, and threats to Taiwan. Xi is telling his country to prepare for war. Here at home, we have the cornering of critical supply chains and dependencies on China that is being done deliberately as they steal their way to the top through our intellectual property, spying on the Federal Reserve, flooding our key institutions, including academia, with money, buying up farmland. Mr. Speaker, this is a whole-of-government, whole-of-society challenge that we have never before faced in American history. That is why we need a committee like this. That is why we need a committee that spans all of these jurisdictions, and we certainly need the leadership of my good friend and colleague, Representative Mike Gallagher.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 524. Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress Auchincloss (Beyer) Axne (Pappas) Beatty (Neguse) Boebert (Gaetz) Brooks (Moore (AL)) Brown (MD) (Evans) Carter (LA) (Horsford) Cawthorn (Gaetz) Cherfilus-McCormick (Brown (OH)) Cicilline (Jayapal) Clyburn (Butterfield) DeFazio (Pallone) DelBene (Schneider) Dingell (Pappas) Doyle, Michael F. (Evans) Dunn (Salazar) Escobar (Garcia (TX)) Espaillat (Correa) Ferguson (Gonzales, Tony (TX)) Gibbs (Smucker) Gosar (Weber (TX)) Herrera Beutler (Owens) Houlahan (Slotkin) Hudson (Murphy (NC)) Jacobs (NY) (Sempolinski) Johnson (TX) (Pallone) Kelly (IL) (Horsford) Kim (NJ) (Pallone) Kirkpatrick (Pallone) Krishnamoorthi (Pappas) LaHood (Wenstrup) Larson (CT) (Pappas) Lawson (FL) (Evans) Levin (CA) (Huffman) Malliotakis (Armstrong) Maloney, Sean P. (Beyer) McHenry (Salazar) Meeks (Horsford) Moore (WI) (Beyer) Moulton (Trone) Newman (Correa) Norcross (Pallone) O'Halleran (Pappas) Ocasio-Cortez (Tlaib) Palazzo (Fleischmann) Pascrell (Pallone) Payne (Pallone) Porter (Beyer) Pressley (Neguse) Rice (SC) (Weber (TX)) Rush (Beyer) Schrader (Correa) Sewell (Schneider) Sherrill (Beyer) Simpson (Fulcher) Sires (Pallone) Stevens (Craig) Stewart (Owens) Strickland (Correa) Tiffany (Fitzgerald) Titus (Pallone) Trahan (Lynch) Welch (Pallone) Yarmuth (Beyer)

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 438.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the grand opening of B. Braun Medical Inc.'s new pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Daytona Beach, Florida. B. Braun has long been a leader in manufacturing medical devices and IV solutions. The company has been able to emerge as a leader while also maintaining its staunch commitment to protecting patients from exposure to harmful chemicals--ensuring their devices and products are made with the highest quality materials. Their new facility in Daytona Beach is no different as it will manufacture Sodium Chloride for Injection in B. Braun's Excel Plus IV Bags, which are free from PVC, DEHP, and natural rubber latex. As our healthcare providers know, Sodium Chloride for injection is a solution used to administer lifesaving and life-sustaining therapies. These IV solutions are often used for adult and pediatric patients as sources of electrolytes and water for hydration--commonly used to treat COVID-19 and Flu patients. Not only is Sodium Chloride included on the FDA's list of Essential Medicines, but there have also been several shortages of Sodium Chloride in the last 5 years. With an investment of more than 300 million dollars, B. Braun's impressive 218,000 square foot facility will play a critical role in alleviating IV fluid shortages across the country. We learned the hard way during the COVID-19 pandemic that we can no longer rely on importing medical products from overseas and that reliance can be a matter of life and death. This new Daytona Beach facility will bring healthcare manufacturing back to where it belongs--right here in the United States. This past August, I had the privilege of attending the ribbon cutting ceremony of B. Braun's new facility in Daytona Beach. During this ceremony, I was excited to learn about the economic and educational impact B. Braun will have on our local community. In addition to their plans to expand beyond the 500 employees currently on site, B. Braun has also collaborated with local educational institutions, including Daytona State College and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, to establish a workforce development initiative to train employees for high-skilled jobs. There is no doubt that B. Braun's new pharmaceutical manufacturing site in Daytona Beach will provide much needed relief to our healthcare industry and bring us one step closer to a self-sustaining medical manufacturing industry here in the United States. As the Representative of Florida's 6th Congressional District, I am proud to have this B. Braun facility in our community and I look forward to the positive impacts it will have on my constituents, Floridians, and every American.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Rogers for their strong bipartisan product that is worthy of our servicemembers. I also thank the chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee, Representative Garamendi, for his thoughtful and collaborative work on this bill. Mr. Speaker, the threats are growing: Russia, Iran, North Korea, and, most significantly, China's most rapid military buildup that we have seen in modern history. The bipartisan top-line increase above inflation is a positive step, but our defense investments still fail to keep pace with the Chinese Communist Party and their rapid military buildup. Mr. Speaker, I don't want to keep pace. Our servicemembers deserve better. We need to have overmatch over that military buildup. That is how we then keep the peace and maintain deterrence. As the ranking member of the Readiness Subcommittee, I know we cannot continue to afford to use our operations and maintenance accounts to pay for other priorities. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a teachable moment for all of us. The entire world is witnessing that logistics, training, and maintenance win or lose wars. China's own growing aggression in the vast Indo-Pacific requires more operations and maintenance funding for our partners and allies. We have to keep our forces forward, again, in order to maintain deterrence, and I will oppose amendments that thoughtlessly take from those accounts. We cannot, as a body, continue to rob Peter to pay Paul. Overall, I believe this is a strong bill. It does hold our military accountable but also makes significant steps toward deterrence. Some key priorities: We authorize interoperable military exercises with Taiwan. We permanently prohibit purchases of goods by the Defense Department from the Xinjiang province. We require universities in China that support the CCP and the military to be identified and listed. We allocate funding for incredibly important new construction projects at Florida's military bases. We set gender-neutral fitness standards for our combat military occupational specialties in the U.S. Army. Perhaps most importantly, we passed a wounded warrior bill of rights. Finally, Mr. Speaker, as we continue to aid Ukraine, we must be accountable for those taxpayer dollars, and this bill would appoint an inspector general to oversee the aid that we are providing. Mr. Speaker, the number one job of the Federal Government is to keep the country safe. I urge my colleagues' support for this bill.

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, this amendment requires local preferences and State construction licenses for all facility sustainment and military construction projects. Mr. Speaker, it is notable the opposition to this amendment includes the Chamber of Commerce, the National Defense Industrial Association, the Associated General Contractors of America, the Association of Building Contractors, and the American Council of Engineering Companies. All of them oppose this, and notably, this provision last year was strongly opposed by the Biden Administration. Mr. Speaker, this provision would increase time and money to an already difficult, lengthy, and often slow military construction process. These are facilities that our fighting men and women desperately need. Mr. Speaker, it also impacts the skilled workforce. The local hiring preferences would significantly impact a military construction contractor's workforce by creating scenarios where long-term, highly skilled workers may have to be released and may have to be laid off in order to meet the local hire mandate. Then in order to comply with the requirements, employers would have to bring in unnecessary and unskilled workers to fill these now vacant positions, creating additional costs and creating additional safety concerns. Local preference requirements falsely assume--and here is the fundamental issue. It is a false assumption that there is this automatic pool of qualified military contractors and workers wherever this military construction project may take place. Often, there is, in some locations. But often, in our most rural locations, there is not. There is an assumption that they are capable of performing this work. Mr. Speaker, the bottom line is the provision would increase costs. Again, it would expand an already bloated military construction timeline, and it will reduce skilled employment and decrease the quality of construction in these vital projects. Mr. Speaker, I urge opposition to this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman).

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Military construction and sustainment is bureaucratic; it is cumbersome; it is slow; and it is not providing our servicemembers what they need. That needs to be the focus, period. This provision would represent a momentous shift, a sea change in the way the Department of Defense and defense contractors perform work, with unknown costs to both the government and the contractors, especially small business contractors. We have to get these projects done timely and on budget and get the facilities that we need to our servicemembers. Mr. Speaker, I urge opposition, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, I just want to take a moment. I have no issue in principle with more Joint Strike Fighters. We need more Joint Strike Fighters, and we need to continue to modernize our aviation fleet. My issue here is where the money for it comes from. As I was just saying in my previous comments, we have to as a body, we have to as a Congress, and as a military to stop robbing Peter to pay Paul, to stop robbing operations and maintenance to buy new things. Just as a few examples of the many accounts that would be decremented to pay for these F-35s: we have got $50 million from Army operations and maintenance from their maneuver units, $100 million from Navy military manpower and personnel, $56 million from Air Force maintenance, $62 million from base support, and the list continues. Colleagues, we have to build in the operations and maintenance for new things we want to buy rather than taking from the things we have already bought that literally cannot sail or fly.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, I missed the passage vote on concurring in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 7018--Suspending Normal Trade Relations with Russia and Belarus Act. Had I been present, I would have voted Yea on Roll Call No. 124.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, on December 25, Volusia County, Florida, lost a great businessman and valued community leader, Mike Jiloty. Through Mike's hard work and personal approach to business, he received hundreds of industry awards. Serving as the president of United Way of Volusia and Flagler Counties, Mike fought for the health, education, and stability of every person in his community. He dedicated his time to the FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools to better prepare students for their careers. As a graduate of the Leadership Florida Class XIV, Mike used his skills as a leader to serve his community and was honored by several organizations, including the Volusia Association of School Administrators, the Daytona Beach Community College Foundation, the Conklin Center for the Blind, and the Lodging and Hospitality Association of Volusia County. Madam Speaker, Mike Jiloty is a true example of a servant leader. He sought to inspire others, to make his community a better place, and he is missed dearly. It is my honor to recognize him on the floor of the House of Representatives today. Honoring the 75th Anniversary of Jackie Robinson Integrating Baseball

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, Jackie Robinson once said, ``A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.'' On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson created a lasting impact on the lives of generations of Americans when he stepped out of the dugout at Ebbets Field before a crowd of more than 26,000 spectators. This moment would change the course of history and have a lasting impact for generations as he broke the color barrier as the first African-American player in professional baseball history. Jackie Robinson is a true servant leader, and his life and legacy has had a major impact across the country, including in my own congressional district, where I am honored to have a piece of his legacy at the Daytona City Island Ballpark where, in 1946, Jackie Robinson played in the very first integrated major league baseball spring training game. In 1990, in honor of the life and legacy of Jackie Robinson, the Daytona City Island Ballpark would be renamed the Jackie Robinson Memorial Ballpark. Jackie Robinson's impact was felt across the Nation. It was the first time a Black player competed with a minor league team against a major league team since the color line was implemented in baseball in the 1880s. As we observe the 75th anniversary of his courageous act, it is clear the impact and legacy of Jackie Robinson on the advancement of human rights will be everlasting. A1A Designated an All-American Road

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, of the approximately 4 million miles of byways and highways that stretch in all directions across the United States, there are very few that come close to the beauty, history, and serenity that encompasses the 72-mile stretch of A1A that runs from St. Johns County, Florida, to Flagler County. Flanked by the Atlantic Ocean and crisscrossing the St. Johns River and Intracoastal Waterway, for more than 75 years the A1A has provided motorists with breathtaking views as it seamlessly intertwines Florida's most remarkable coastal landscapes and deep- rooted history. As a kid growing up in northeast Florida, any drive along the A1A scenic and historic coastal byway was a reminder of how lucky we were to live in such a beautiful place. Now, as the Representative of Florida's north central region, home to beautiful segments of A1A, I was proud to cast one of my very first votes in support of the Reviving America's Scenic Byways Act in February of 2019. This act requires the Department of Transportation to issue a request for nominations to be designated under the National Scenic Byways Program and make publicly available a list specifying the roads designated. President Trump signed the bill into law in September of 2019. I am pleased to announce in the Congressional Record that on March 29 of 2022, the ribbon-cutting ceremony occurred for the Federal Highway Administration's designation of this beautiful stretch of A1A as an All-American Road.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, I missed a Previous Question vote on January 11. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 2.