prevention is the best cure. this behavior that's going on is the cause of aids. host: i will let you go there and answer that call. in florida, jimmy make it quick, the u.s. house coming in momentarily. caller: i agree with the guy who said if a woman is denied an abortion i think the male should be castrated. i don't think we should be punishing the women for what the men do. host: on that -- the abortion case just a reminder it will be over on c-span3 momentarily. also on the c-span now app. you can follow live there as well. washington journal is done for today, we hope you are back. we will take you live next to the u.s. house as the gavel in for speeches. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national

cable satellite corp. 2021] [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.] the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. the clerk: the speaker's rooms, washington, d.c. december 1, 2021. i hereby appoint the honorable greg stanton to act as speaker

pro tempore on this day. signed, nancy pelosi, speaker of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the order of the house on january 4, 2021, the chair will now recognize members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning hour debate. the chair will alternate recognitiobetween the parties, and time equally allocated between the parties and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and minority whip limited to five minutes, but in no event shall debate continue beyond 11:50a.m. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. bost, for five minutes. mr. bost: thank you, mr. speaker. real wages have decreased seven out of the past nine months.

the increase in the cost of consumer goods is at a 30-year high. what does these numbers actually mean to your daily life? you wake up in the morning and you go to make breakfast. scrambled eggs will be 11.6% more expensive. what about bacon? at 20.2% increase on bake, you might even take that off the menu. don't forget your morning cup of coffee. that's 5.6% more expensive. then you make a mad dash to get the kids ready for school and out the door. that will be 4.3% increase in the cost of their clothing and 7.5% increase in the cost of their shoes. you have got the kids on the bus and now you can go on to work yourself. gas prices are now 51.3% higher. so it's going to cost you a lot

more to drive to work. been thinking about that new car? you can forget that. prices are up 9.8% on new cars. save money? maybe you'll get a used car. good luck with that because they are up 26.4%. you arrive at work but you realize you left your lunch at home. the cost of a plate at a nearby diner is up 5.3%. on your way home, you stop to pick up your kids to take them to practice. you make sure to take it easy and make sure they don't wear out their sports equipment because their sports equipment is up 8%. well, now you're home for dinner. those pork chops you are making? they are up 15.9%. and the canned vegetables, 6.6% increase. your long day is finally over. you made it. time to kick back. relax. watch some tv. wait a minute. tv last year you bought for christmas, it's up 10.4%. there is no doubt that last

christmas it was down that much. what is the difference here? i think it's called the biden economy. maybe if we spent the day, just maybe, if people in the administration spent the days in the shoes of the average person, that person that goes to work every day, that person that has to pay these price that is we are talking about -- prices that we are talking about, maybe we'll realize the policies being done right now and being put in place right now and have been put in place over the last 10 months is the cause of this. and that they would work with us to get it fixed. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from alabama, ms. sewell, for five minutes. ms. sewell: mr. speaker, i rise today to honor an american pioneer and one of the greatest hero wins of our time. mrs. rosa parks. on the 66th anniversary of her arrest in montgomery, alabama.

today 66 years ago rosa parks took a bold stand against racial discrimination by refusing to give up her seat on a public bus in montgomery, alabama. rosa parks' refusal to give up her seat did more than simply desegregate the bus systems of montgomery. her dignified courage inspired a movement that changed our nation. rosa parks' quiet refusal to surrender her seat to a white passenger on december 1, 1955 sparked a citywide boycott of montgomery bus system that lasted one whole year and broke the very will of the city heavily steeped in segregation. biographer dougly brinkley recounted the powerful moment in his biography of rosa parks. he writes, are you going to stand up, the driver demanded? rosa parked straight at him and

said, no. flus terred and not sure what to do, the bus driver retorted, i'm going to have you arrested. and rosa parks sat next to the window and quietly said, you may do that. her soft yet forceful response led to an arrest, a $10 fine, and the beginning of the most important demonstration in american history. the montgomery bus boycott stands as a powerful testament of the will of a disenfranchised people to work collectively to achieve extraordinary social change. today while we commemorate the progress that has been made, we must also recommit ourselves to the struggle and the fight for equal justice. we must remain vigil lant in the struggle for voting rights -- vigilant in the struggle for voting rights and economic re-equity. rosa parks, and attorney fred grave whose lifelong work for

justice and equality resonates wi us today reminds us we cannot take for granted the battles endured by those before us. nor must we neglect our own responsibility to ensure liberty and justice. as benefactors of the sacrifice of these brave men and women, we must be willing to answer the modern day call and to dare to be trail blazers on our own. rosa parks' quiet refusal to surrender her seat on december 1, 1955 inspired generations of others to continue her legacy by standing up for the values that our democracy holds dear. and because of her contribution i'm proud to join with congressman jim cooper and c.b.c. chairwoman joyce beatty in introducing the rosa parks day act, which would designate today, december 1, as the new federal holiday in her honor. this bill will ensure that her private -- her brave sacrifice

lives on in american history. and serves as a reminder to continue to protect the gains that we have made over 60 years ago while tackling the challenges that plague this nation today. while we honor the guardian of the montgomery bus boycott today, we must also acknowledge her sacrifices and do our own responsibility as a call to action. though jim crow is no more, there are modern day challenges that require the time and talents of each of us. we must remain vigilant in seeking justice for the countless black americans that fall victim to police brutality. we must remain vigilant in our commitment to continuing the fight to protect the sacred right to vote. we owe rosa parks and so many others nothing less. thank you. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from north carolina, ms. foxx, for five minutes.

ms. foxx: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, middle and lower income households across the country are getting the srt end of the stick under the so-called build back better act. for months house republicans have exposed radical provisions in this bill that do nothing to help the american people or the country. one such provision is the raising of state and local tax deductions commonly referred to as salt. under the tax cuts and jobs act, a $10,000 cap was placed on salt deductions. this meant that taxpayers who itemize their returns could deduct up to $10,000 in certain taxes that are paid to state and local governments. under the so-called build back better act, the cap would be set at $80,000. that's a $70,000 increase for

tax deductions for high income households in america. the committee for responsible federal budget estimates that raising the salt cap to 80,000 equates to a gift of $625 billion until perpetuity to wealthy americans. speaker pelosi was quoted as raising salt deductions is, quote, about which states get the revenue they need in order to meet the needs of the people. end quote. mr. speaker, that claim may sound appeasing to some, but not all members of the democrat party are sold. jason, theormer chair, former president obama's council of economic advisors and current economist calls this giveaway obscene. representative jared golden, a democrat from maine who voted against the so-called build back better act, said he was

concerned about tax giveaways to millionaires. even senator bernie sanders came out in staunch opposition to these proposed changes for the salt cap. noticing a pattern here? consider who will be the people reaping these benefits. here's a hint. it's not hardworking american families. with the tax deduction cap at $80,000, the households with the highest income would be saving $$25,900 more than they do under the current law. the tax policy center found that this $80,000 cap would directly benefit the top 1% of households. middle and lower income households will be left behind. with only 5.4% of households earning more than $200,000 per year in north carolina, few people would receive this handout. higher income states such as

california and new york and new jersey have historically benefited from salt cap deductions with north carolina being far remopped from the conversation. removed from the conversation. economic experts, republicans, and even democrat members of congress agree that washington has too much salt in its diet. if the majority believes upping salt deductions and leaving both middle and lower income americans behind is a viable route to tak the consequences would be a lot more than they bargained for. the senate should kill the so-called build back better act immediately. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from texas, ms. garcia, for five minutes. ms. garcia: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to call attention to a mounting problem which is affecting every texan, our deteriorating infrastructure. now, i know a thing about infrastructure. when i was a county commissioner

i saw firsthand how a lack of investment directly impacted people in my area. as the state, we regularly have received scores of c and d on our infrastructure. and in my own area, it was even worse because of the damage that hurricanes and flooding did on a regular basis. these deteriorating roads and bridges cost texans over $700 a year in damages in extra vehicle maintenance. that's an entire paycheck for many of the people in my district. on top of that, we have had to deal with the twin trouble of decaying roads and rapid growth. harris county is now home to over 700,000 more peop than it had in 2010. without significant investment, we are trying to fit more and more people on to the same deteriorating roads. mr. speaker, the traffic is so bad in parts of my city that i and many other hue stonians

avoid entire neighborhoods. this hurts small business owners who depend on infrastructure for people to reach their stores. but, mr. speaker, poor infrastructure does more than hurt families' pocketbooks, it has already cost us lives. every one in texas remembers the winter storm this past february that left millions freezing in their homes without power. the extreme cold weather brought state power systems to the brink of collapse. over 200 texans died in ts storm. many of them seniors from cold weather exposure. it didn't have to be this way. the state government has a choice. the last time this kind of storm happened in 2011 to take the advice of federal regulators and prepare our power grid for winter emergencies. instead the state has done nothing and will have to bear the cost. many houstonians will also

remember hurricane iraq, rita, and harvey. it comes one after another. every year another storm of a century. these storms have cost hundreds of deaths, billions in damages, and displaced thousands from their homes in houston. . my district is facing a clear and present danger from the failure to invest in reliable infrastructure during the previous administration, we heard a promise after promise, from republicans they were going to address this with a so-called infrastructure week. i can't even remember how many of those we had, but it certainly stretched for four years. promises made, promises broken. but i'm proud that today i can go back to my district and say that these critical investments are finally, finally under way. thanks to president biden's commitment to working with congress to get this done, texas will receive $35 billion to

rebuild our infrastructure. for all the problems i have spoken about, the infrastructure investment and jobs act has also solutions. this law will invest over $26 billion in funding for better roads and bridges built to last and to handle future growth. it will invest $3.3 billion to improve public transit options that reduce congestion and improve transportation for everyone. texas will also benefit from $3.5 billi in -- that will protect power systems from weather emergencies, like the winter storm. but this law doesn't just solve today's problems. it's also about preparing us for tomorrow's opportunities. the infrastructure investment and jobs act will deliver reliable internet access to rural texas communities by investing over $0 million in expanding coverage. this will allow rural texans to finally access jobs and commerce

that were previously locked away. this bill will also prepare texas for electric vehicles of the future by investing nearly half a billion dollars to build our charging station network. mr. speaker, texas is facing serious infrastructure problems, but this is a solution, and i am proud this money will soon flow directly to communities in my state and improve lives. thanks to the leadership of the president, speaker pelosi, and leader schumer, ansome of our friends across the aisle, this bipartisan infrastructure bill will send help and it is on the way. with that, mr. speaker, iield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from iowa, mrs. miller-meeks, for five minutes. mrs. miller-meeks: thank you, mr. speaker. today i rise to recognize a man from my district for his commitment to keeping iowa beautiful and preserving some of our most treasured historical

site. mark mowan was recently presented with the iowa architectual foundation's 2021 community enhancement through architecture and design award. it recognizes individuals, organizations, agencies and communities outside the arc secture -- architecture profession who has continually championed the cause of architecture in ways that better iowa. he advocated to save the first brick house in iowa city from being raised and began restoring the building instead. since then, mark has made iowa city the beautiful city it is today. thank you for your dedication to our community and our state. mr. speaker, today, i rise a man from my district for continuing his family legacy of leadership in iowa agriculture. this year, louis payne was

awarded the heritage award by the iowa farm bureau. it recognizes industry leaders who have carried on the tradition of family owned family their land. known as the pickard farm, louis's 26.1 ae-feet of land was purchased by his grand over 100 years ago and it was passed down then to his mother who passed it down to louis who has been raised on that farm helping his parents. when asked about the future of his family farm, louis said his goal is to be a steward of the land and eventually pass it down to the next generation. thank you, louis, for continuing a fantastic iowa family traditn and for making iowa a better place to live, work, and raise a family. mr. speaker, i rise today to share a heartwarming storabout

total strangers coming together to make a positive impact in a child's life in my district. 6-year-old kagan of iowa loves to run. diagnosed with autism at the age of 2, keegan is nonverbal but he's very social and has several passions, including playing outside with other chiren, showing affection through hugs, and watching videos on his tablet. because of keegan's love of running, extra measures are needed to ensure says safety, and this is where a fantastic organization has come in to assist keegan and his parents. four pause for ability is a group that provides and trains service animals to assist families like the burney family across the globe. currently, the organization has raised over $43,000 towards providing keegan with a fully trained service dog with the largest single donation being $10,000 from a complete stranger whose own child has benefited fr a service animal. thank you to four paws for ability and everyone who has

contributed to lives like keegan all over the world. thank you and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from georgia, mrs. mcbath, for five minutes. mrs. mcbath: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to say enough is enough. enough is enough. enough gun violence in our schools, enougchildren hiding in fear, enough parents trembling in terror as they search for any news of their own kids. there were 100 calls made to 911 inxford yesterday. hundreds of children stuck in their classros cryinout for help. hundreds of kids scared to death that this would be their last

day of school. we have our yog people learning how best to survive a shooter in between math and science classes. 6-year-olds asked to figure out for themselves whether they have a better chance to survive if they hide in a closet or if they should rush the gunman. and then on days like yesterday, ys that repeat with the same frequency as this body's failure to respond, we hear the stories of teenagers texting their parents from behind a desk saying things like, mom, if i don't make it, i love you. and i appreciate everything that you've done for me. parents begging their children to barricade yourselves behind the doors, to hide in classrooms and to please hold your tears.

you cannot make a sound. this chamber has heard much about god since men stood within these hallowed halls. this chamber has hearduch about the god-given rights our creator inalienly endowed. so i ask you then -- what rights has god given our children? do they enjoy the god-given right to exist in their schools withoutear of death or gun violence? do american parents have the god-given right to drop their children off at school and expect to see them come home at ght? parents from columbine to sandy hook to parkland had to bury their babies. and the children who survived have had to live with therauma that only stepping over a friend

painted in blood could ever ing. do we, as nation, be have the god-given right to live free from this epidemic of gun violence? of senses loss? of unimaginable pain? i ask all of you here today to put yourselves in the shoes of those parents. put yourselves in the shoesf the mothers and the fathers who have gasped for air when desperation would not let them breathe. t yourself in the shoes of all those who have sunk to their knees when the agony would not let em stand.

do you have the courage to do that? to feel what it might be like to bury your own child? to suffer with your god day after day to make sense of the senseless, unnecessary gun do you have the courage? do you, this body, have the courage to do what is right? to save our children and to protect our families? and if not, do you really truly have the courage to look away?

thank you and i yieldack the balance of my time. the speaker pro tpore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from kansas, mr. mann, for five minutes. mr. mann: mr. speaker, i rise today to discuss president biden's shortsighted decisn to release 50 million barrels of oil depleting this nional security asset by nearly 10% when there is no oil supply shortage, only a man made one. it is not a tool for the president to fix his own political problem. sadly, this administration throws money away whenever the problemshey create reflect poorly on them. we've seen thiwith covid-19 pandemic shutdowns and vaccine mandateskeeping people out of work. leftist political aims resulting in bad legislation and a flagrant disregard for the national debt, all leading to wasteful spending. rather than drain one of our essential national security assets to temporarily mask the effects of their polies, this administration should eourage

our domestic independent oil and gas pducers to take steps to get oil production back up. i shutter to think the president might drain another 10% of our stratec petroleum reserve two months from now if our oil production continues to wain. there are other solutions to this issue. like reinstating the keystone instead, this administration has canceled the keystone pipeline which would make 860,000 barrels of oil daily. and just two years ago, the united states was producing two million barrels -- more barrels of oil per day than we are now. we're now down from 13 milon barrels per day to 11 million barrels per day. that means if we c lift regulations and find creative strategies to get our oil production back up, we can create 50 million barrels of oil in just 25 days rather than dip into the emergency reserves. historically, the strategic petroleum reserve was onlever

disaster and war.s of natural witglobal unrest from covid-19 and america's enemies looking to do us harm, this is not the time to needlessly weaken a national asset that exists to provide energy to america in an event in an actual catastrophe on the country. i oppose the president using our emergency oil reserves in this brazen political tactic. this is unnecessary, irresponsible, and dangerous. mr. speaker, i rise today in defense of kansas farmers and ranchers who have the right to manage their own resourc without overreaching regulation from the federal government. the biden administtion is hurting farmers, ranchers, and ag business owners. recently, they withdrew from the navigable waters protection rule whicsought to undo harm from the wrda.

it is regardless of size or connection to larger waterways. because of this legislative mess, farmers and ranchers have had to conduct their businesses under three different regulary definitions of water in just the st six years. on a farm, water's the lifeblood of the operation, and farmers in kansas don't need the feral government to tell them how to take care of it. our farmersnd ranchers are the original conservationists who continually update their practices to reduce water use and inputs to produce safe, affordable food while maintaining their water supply for generations to come. instead of worrying about farmers in kansas are doing with administration should instead focus on curbing inflation, getting americans back to work, facing the -- fixing the supply chain and securing our borders. and lastly, mr. speaker, i rise greatestrivileges as a member of congress, participating in a service academy nomination's process, which brings togeer my passion with engaging with

young people, leadership development, and military service in this great cntry. i'm proud to come from a state with a rich hiory of military service. president eisen hauser -- eisenhower graduat in 1915. after watching young kansas men and women go through the exteive an competitive mination exercise, one of the members of our selection committee said, meeting and working with these young people gives me ho f the future of our country. in the united states, we have a longradition of young american patriots willingly embracing the duty to serve, to protect the homeland, keep the peace abroad. leaders serve and i want to congratulate all the deserving young leaders who are recipient of service academy nominions and i want to thank them from the bottom of myeart for the willingness to sacrifice for this great country. with that iield back.

chair recognizes the gentleman from louisiana, mr. carter, for five minutes. mr. caer: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for five minutes. revise and extend. s -- the speaker pro tempore: without objectio mr. carter: this week, a louisiana legend turned 102. dr. johnny jones sr. has lived a lifetime fulfilling every day with service, activism, andove born in 1919, he was onef eight children in the successful familyhoeased land in easter louisiana. he aended southern university until being broadcasted in the army in 1942 during world war ii where he was the first ever african-american warrant officer in the united states army's history. he was injured in the battle at normandy on d-day, 77 years ago. before landing on the beach his ship hit a mine and it flew from

the second deck down to the first. as he described it, he flew like a blulet. he survived. coming ashore on omaha beach facing off with german snipers. later the war, he was hit with shrapnel during a bomb attack and finished his military service in the btle of the bulge. these nightmarish memories have remained with mr. jones until today. much of his paperwork and records of service were los during hurricane katrina so it was earlier this year at the age of 101 thatr. anthony jones, tony jones, finally received the purpleeart award in recognition his battle injuries. through all enendured he peisted. he served in a different capacity this time as a lawyer. just 15 days out of southern

university's law school in 1953, the reverend t.j. recruited him to organize the united defense league eight day bus boycott in baton rouge and defended those participants. after the baton rouge city council revoked his license of black owned transportation companies, many african-americans were forced to ride segregated buses and sit on the back of the bus or stand. when hundreds of patrons boycotted riding in protest, some positive changes were made. the segregation still remained the law of the land. the reverend dr. martin luther king used baton rouge protests as a model for his bus boycott in montgomery two years later. dr. jones defended students in drugstore sit-ins and actions of civil rights protest spread throughout the south. during these efforts his car was bombed twice. immediately after his return from war, he was beaten by white officers on his way to a

doctor's appointment. things weren't right, said dr. jones. i wanted to fight and make it better. here's a man who has been through so much, who has tasted the evils of the world, and has every reason to be bitter. but he isn't. however, he has insisted on remaining focused, focusing his life on sharing love for the state and fighting for equality. jones was the first african-american member of the baton rouge bar association. he served in louisiana state house of representatives. throughout his career as a lawyer he successfully fought for pay equity for teachers and sued to desegregate parks and communities in louisiana. he also represented students, protested at southern university during civil rights movements. countless indigent defendants and challenged voter discrimination practices throughout the south. i was grateful to have the

opportunity to speak with dr. anthony jones on veterans day to thank him for his incredible service to our people in america. on his birthday, he celebrated with friends, family, and with good louisiana seafood. today let's all thank dr. jones for his great advice that he shares with us which is, he said, you have to deal with the past. you have to deal with the history. you have to read and understand so we don't repeat the past. let's build better. let's build a future for everyone. please join me in wishing happy birthday, 102nd to dr., attorney anthony jones sr. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york, miss mailo tackis, for five minutes. ms. malliotakis: i rise to discuss an issue that is an unprecedented issue. the border crisis we are facing in this nation fueling other

crises, national security, public safety, health, and fentanyl all on the burden of the hardworking taxpayers and the american people. on october 3, following court orders, the biden administration said that it would reinstate the remain in mexico policy by mid november. i rise today to point out that we are now in december and no such action has been taken. since president biden's taken office, c. b.p. encountered more illegal immigrants than in 2018, 2019, and 2020 combined. in october 164,303 individuals, the highest number of -- ever in recorded history, 80% higher than the previous record for the month of october, which is from october, 1999. 1.7 million people, which is

roughly the same as the population of president biden's home state of delaware and vice president harris' home city of san francisco combined. these are creating many issues throughout our country. first, talk about safety and security. in the first month of this fear -- fiscal year, october, c.b.p. arrested over 600 individuals with criminal convictions and dozens of known gang members, including 23 members of ms-13. that is in just one month. multiple individuals and the f.b.i. terrorist watch list have also been encountered over the last year. as a native new yorker who was just blocks away from ground zero in 9/11, i can tell you i was schticken to my core by reports -- i was shaken to my core by reports that have to deny over 52 al qaeda affiliates at they are border coming to the united states.

last month a 24-year-old man who posed as an unaccompanied minor while illegally crossing our border entered this country and then murdered his foster parents in their florida home. when is enough going to be enough for this administration and for my colleagues in the house? let's talk about fentanyl. every member of this chamber knows the widespread pain plaguing our communities. we all have constituents who are suffering from the loss of life caused by an abunkeddance of drugs being -- abunkeddance of drugs being smuggled into our country. counterfeit products laced with fentanyl streaming over our open borders. the d.e.a. is telling us so. they say that 80% of fentanyl in the united states has come over our border smuggled by the cartels. in the first month of this fiscal year, 2022, october, c.b.p. seized over 1,000 pounds of fentanyl. that means in just one month c.b.p. seized enough fentanyl to

kill 236,775 -- 236,775,000 people. american citizens. the u.s. recently recorded its highest number of drug overdose deaths in a 12-month period, surpassing 100,000 for the first time. over 170 people overdosed on drugs during the first nine months of 2021 in my community of sattent island. i know you have similar stories, fentanyl was present in about 80% of the completed toxicology reports for the 2020 failed -- fatal overdoses in statant island. i ask my colleagues, whose side are you on? are you on the side of the drug cartels or are you on the side of the american people? i visited the border. i met with the c.b.p. agents. i rode with the texas department of public safety.

can't say the same for our president. can't say the same for our vice president. can't say the same for the speaker. despite all this the biden administration has halted the construction of barriers while american taxpayers still foot the bill, a contract that's been in place we are paying every month. yet the barriers aren't going up. instead, they want to further incentivize illegal border crossings by giving illegal immigrants $450,000 of taxpayer money, a total slap in the face to the taxpayers who bust their butts and pay taxes and expect this government to perform properly. and the biden administration now, misguided build back bettel wants to reward illegal immigration by granting mass amnesty, free college tuition, childcare to those who unlawfully crossed. as the daughter of immigrants i think it's incredibly important that we enforce our laws. give people opportunity. make sure they are doing it the

right way. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. babin, for five minutes. mr. babin: mr. speaker, i ask permission to speak five minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. babin: thank you. i rise to honor the life of navy seaman second class charles lewis "sonny boy" saunders of whinny, texas, in my district. he was serving aboard the u.s.s. oklahoma on the morning of december 7, 1941. tragically the oklahoma sustained 429 casualties during the attack on pearl harbor,

claiming mr. seanedder's life that morning. after eight decades, 80 years, the defense p.o.w.-mia accounting agency has identified seaman seanedders -- sanders remains. after 80 years. this year he will be reinterred in his hometown on the 80th anniversary of pearl harbor. he was born to -- on october 16, 1923. he was the sixth child of one of four boys. his oldest brother, adam, passed away at just 13 months old. he grew up with his sisters. along with his brothers. the great depression led to difficult times as their father worked in construction and labored in the rice fields to provide for his family while his

mother cared for the home and raised their children. his younger sister, annabel, always spoke of her brother's compassion and how he sacrificed so that she could have shoes for her daily walk to school. his kind, caring, and playful nature fueled his ambition to serve our nation. on november 23, 1940, one month after his 17th birthday, he joined the united states navy. not only did he possess a deep desire to defend our country, but he also had a great determination to make a better life for his parents and his siblings. on december 7, 1941, japanese aircraft launched a surprise attack on the american fleet of battleships that were moored in pearl harbor, thrusting the united states into the second world war. after seaman sanders warship capsized because of the dang from the multiple japanese

torpedoes, his whereabouts were unknown. according to a casualty roster of the oklahoma compiled two weeks after the attack, seaman sanders status was labeled as missing, but then later was amended to be killed in action. those who perished aboard the u.s.s. oklahoma were buried at two different cemeteries in hawaii. most of the remains were recovered during salvage operations, but were unable to be identified before their internment and therefore they were buried as unknowns. in recognition of his service, seaman sappedders was awarded a purple heart for military merit and three ribbons for american defense, american campaign, and the asiatic pacific campaign. as the last living sibling, annabel was committed to bringing her brother home and laying him to rest at the gravesite of their parents prepared for him those years and

years ago at fairview cementtary in whinny, texas. in 2015 the d.p.a.a. was given authority to exhume the unknown remains of service men associated with the u.s.s. oklahoma and re-examine thevment it was at this point the military contacted anna. she worked tirelessly to gather and provide d.n.a. of family members to help identify her brother's remains. . she passed away on july 19, 2019, but never lost hope that her brother would one day return home. she prayed her unwavering mission would be continued by those who survived her, and it was. on february 11, 2021, the saunders family received word that their long lost relative had finally been found and identified. mr. speaker, seaman second class

charles "sonny boy" saunders arrival in winnie, texas, will be welcomed by friends, family, fellow patriots finally coming home. on the 80th anniversary of his passing, mr. saunders will be buried alongside his parents with full military honors. may god continue to bless this family for their long record of service and sacrifice to our great nation. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. davis, for five minutes. mr. davis: mr. speaker, i rise today to talk about a national problem that has continued for years and that's the rise in student loan debt. over 40 million borrowers hold outstanding loan balances that

exceed $1.7 trillion. the average borrower holds about $39,000 in student debt. this is unacceptable. but instead of talking about pie in the sky policies like debt forgiveness that come maybe from the other side of this capitol or chamber that we call the u.s. senate, these proposals, they're not just pie in the sky. they're b.s. they're not going to happen. but it's time that members of this body talk about the solutions that all of us here help implement. we actually addressed the student debt issue. and it's through legislation i led with my colleague, congressman scott peters of california, that was signed into law by president trump last year and would allow employers to make tax-free student loan payments of up to $s 250

picture -- $250 per employee who holds a student loan. lowering payroll taxes for both employers and employees. this public-private partnership model makes student loan payments eligible for employer-sponsored educational programs, just like tuition assistance has been for years. in fact, my good friend at -- i have four public universities in my district. four private universities in my district. a handful of community colleges. and every one of my students, like my three kids that are in college right now and community colleges, chek is where they get their book. it's to lower the cost of textbooks nationwide. well, the people there know how important student debt is because they've actually forgiven, paid back over $1 million in student debt for their employees. they've actually taken advantage

of this program that we all passed in a bipartisan way to address this $1.7 trillion problem. you know, every employer out there, do what cheg has done -- do what chegg has done. do what was put in place and signed into law by president trump. let's make sure you use this as an effective recruitment tool and a retention tool in this economy. so mr. speaker, i am asking my colleagues to help get the word out to our employers across this great country. use what is already available to you and to your employees who have student debt. use the student loan debt benefit to help recruit more workers. use it to retain more talent. use it to give your employees financial freedom and make a real difference in their lives by reducing their student debt and by reducing the $1.7

trillion in debt that we have in this country which outnumbers all auto and credit card debt combined. help your employees. help america. let's get this economy back on track. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york, ms. tenney, for five minutes. ms. tenney: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today as the co-lead of h.r. 3733, the essential caregivers act, to tell the stories of americans across the country who are desperately calling on congress to immediately act on this bill. i also thank representative larson, who is my co-lead, for helping me sponsor this bill, and i'm grateful to him for his leadership and compassion. i've shared many heartbreaking and tragic stories before this

chamber, and i will continue to do so until there is action on my bipartisan essential caregivers act. just as there were so many families watched loved ones die in care facilities, first and foremost, the essential caregivers act would ensure policies, the policies that were put in place during the covid-19 pandemic never happen again. in my home state of new york, and many states across the nation, families were literally shut out from their loved ones livings in long -- living in long-term care facilities, neglecting their basic needs and the basic needs of their loved ones in these facilities. these decisions to isolate long-term care facility residents were fatal, that will have long lasting impacts. today, i'm here to share stories that go beyond my home state of new york. i'll begin by sharing a story from the state of alaska. this is an excerpt from the book

entitled, "protecting them to death." this book was compiled and written by my great constituent, carla abraham conley, who lost her mother in a long-term care facility. this is an excerpt from the book, which is compiled using covid-19 isolation stories. the first one is a story from denise brown. ohana means family in hawaiian, and that no one is left behind. this word means a lot to us. my mother's skilled nursing facility was an hour away from her home and ours. so they became her pseudo-ohana. she was moved there by the state of alaska when an employee brought covid-19 into her extended care facility. she was able to see us through a window once or twice a week because she was on the ground floor at the time. we talked every day on the phone except for those days when she was too weak to answer my call. last year on her birthday when she was in the final skilled nursing facility that the state had moved her to, we cooked her

dinner outside her window, we sent it to her via a c.n.a. we sang happy birthday. all through the window. but the moment they moved my mother to the second floor i think she gave up hope by getting strong -- of getting stronger, of seeing the faces she loved through the window. it was her one connection to us that still seemed real and wasn't through a virtual visit. we lost her on january 12, 2021. madam speaker -- mr. speaker, ms. brown could still be with us here today if she had access to an essential caregiver. the next two stories come to us from arizona. the first story is from linda thompson, also featured in the book "protecting them to death." quote, my husband is in a memory care facility. he no longer speaks as a direct result of the isolation during the pandemic. he uses a walker because he was confined to his room. he was unable to exercise his legs. all his physical abilities have

declined significantly. change of any kind takes a toll on dementia residents. knowing he spent 17 days in a sterile room in the covid-19 facility is heartbreaking. he had very few symptoms. he lost 20 pounds. i'm still praying this never happens again. if he had access to his loved ones, mrs. thompson's husband might still be speaking today. but the moment he was shut off from his essential caregivers, his health took a devastating toll. also from arizona, here's a story from anne martinez, who lost her mother in the pandemic. quote from the book "protecting them to death", every time i visit my mother, she looked like a zoo animal behind the patio door. she would mouth that she was hungry or motion for what i had brought to drink. the blueberries i left her got moldy. the almond milk stale and the canned organic soup collected dust. my dad told her how much he

missed her. she avoided contact so as not to cry. i was allowed to bring home cooked meals and some days not. on the day she was transferred to a hospice facility, i could see the particles in her dentures and black from underneath her fingernails. i was relieved when they said she contracted covid shortly after being vaccinated. no one deserves to spend their last months, weeks, or days alone in a facility without their loved ones at their side. anne's story is just one of thousands that are occurring across this nation. i will continue sharing these stories and urging immediate passage of the bipartisan essential caregivers act. denise, linda, anne, their families and friends and loved ones are depending on it. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia, mr. carter, for five minutes.

mr. carter: mr. speaker, it is with great pleasure that i rise today to honor a man who has dedicated his life to a better georgia and a better united states. robert hamilton hurt. bob hurt is retiring this year but his legacy will last generations. you'll be hard pressed to find a better advisor, a more loyal friend, or a hardworking foot soldier for every cause to which he's dedicated himself than bob hurt. this includes his commitment to his lovely family. virginia and daughters emma and louisa who are daily witnesses to bob's unwavering support. bob is a proud graduate of mercer university in macon, georgia, where he studied history. during this time reporting for and editing the campus newspaper, "the cluster", bob both covered and advocated for

the school's desegregation and served as editor of the campus newspaper, "the cluster." after graduating, bob cashed in on a couple of summers interning for "the atlanta constitution" to score a full-time job reporting for the paper. that career was put on hold as bob was commissioned as an officer for the united states army through mercer's rotc program and was then called to defend our nation in vietnam. while in vietnam, he served as an army infantry man and military intelligence officer with the 173rd airborne brigade and with the fifth special forces, or more commonly, the green berets. bob returned to georgia. he moved to washington to report the happenings inside this building for the people of atlanta. while in washington, bob

continued to pursue his goals while studying legislative affairs at george washington university where he went on to receive a master's degree. bob left the atlanta constitution and began an il-luss russ career -- illustrious career in the united states congress, working for both the house of representatives and the united states senate. accumulating an incredible 24 years of combined service, bob has truly seen it all but never lost his commitment to the people of his beloved peach state. he serves as chief of staff to two of my pred setters -- predecessors, as well as staff director for senator sam nunn. though his dear friend, frank norton, may have convinced bob to leave the government service, bob never stopped working for our state. he has been a trusted advisor to members of both sides of the aisle to further the interest of georgians at the federal level.

for more than 40 years, bob hurt has had a hand in nearly every project to create jobs and improve lives in the first district of georgia. he's also been a fierce advocate for our military installations and for ensuring america's troops are the best equipped, highest trained, and most well cared for in the world. while he is the first to roll up his sleeves and commit to doing the hard things, bob is the last person who will ever take credit for getting the job done. so mr. speaker, i'm here today to shine a light on this fateful public servant who i am honored to call my friend. joining me in honoring bob today are former senator sam nunn, and my predecessors, lindsey thomas, and jack kingston. mr. speaker, i would ask unanimous consent to add their remarks to the congressional

record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. carter: mr. speaker, bob hurt is a great georgian. he's a great american. most importantly for me, he's a great friend who has helped me tremendously as he's helped so many people. i wish him well in his retirement. i know that he'll be living in my district. i look forward to representing him. . we need more people in the united states and congress like bob hurt. thank you, bob. thank you for your teutle edge. thank you for all you have done for our great state and for our great nation. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee, mr. burchett, for five minutes. mr. burchett: thank you, mr.

speaker. i seek unanimous consent to address the house for five minutes and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. burchett: thank you, mr. speaker. state and local governments across the country are caving to woke nandz and removing statutes from certain united states from public buildings. last week thomas jefferson statue was removed from new york city's city hall. radical leftists want them removed because their goal is to erase every part of our nation's history that doesn't get their stamp of approval. they don't want to see statutes of historical figures they don't like. they don't want you to see them, either, mr. speaker. governments can decide what they want to display in public buildings, but what happens to the statues of presidents they remove. will they get covered to tarp, moved to a dusty corner of the basement, or worse than that will they decorate our country's landfills?

instead of taking up space in some storage or waste facility, statues of u.s. presidents that get removed from government buildings should go to a national memorial garden that. way they can still be viewed by people who want to see them and learn about those who led our country in the past. in fact, there is a pastor in my district, a good friend, willing to take presidential statues these politicians don't want. he will start the national garden himself at crown college in tennessee where he serves as president. mr. speaker, he has probably one of the best collections of united states member more deal beila i have seen outside of the smithsonian and has letters and autographs and things from every president since george washington. the far left can pretend all it want that these figures do not exist. you cannot cancel history, mr. speaker. last summer's u.f.o. report, mr. speaker, from the director of national intelligence was bogus. the report raised more questions than answers and-b unidentified

objects in the skies. it stunk of a government cover-up, mr. speaker. now the pentagon is starting a new office to collect information on these unidentified objects. the office is called the airborne object identification and management synchronization group. don't know where they came up with that name. i'm sure they paid somebody a lot of money to come up that. i do not trust this new office, mr. speaker, i don't think it will be transparent with lawmakers or the public about its findings. this is a national security issue. congress needs to know what is going on so we can respond accordingly. today i'm requesting the leaders of this new office bring members of congress on their u.f. -- bring them in on their u.f.o. findings. this is matter of great public interest and has been for a very long time to loot of americans. our government should not hide the truth from us for another second f this new office is to be held accountable our country will get more reports like the one that came out last summer, or worse silent and hope we all forget about the phenomenon. we do not need to fear these

airborne and unidentified objects. they would have shown themselves to be dangerous a long time ago by now if they were a threat. our citizens and country can handle the truth, mr. speaker. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield the remainder of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from florida, ms. frankel, for five minutes.

ms. frankel: thank you, mr. speaker. many people sometimes ask me, what was the greatest moment in your life? i have had a lot of great moments, but i can say, i'll say three. the first was the birth of my son, ben. and i would say the next two were the birth my grandchildren. the decision for me to bring ben into the world, the decision to raise a child, it was a personal decision made by me and my husband. we didn't have to call a

governor. we didn't call a state legislator. didn't call my member of congress and say, hey, is it time? so, mr. speaker, i stand here to talk about freedom. freedom of everyone to have the right to make that very, very personal decision of whether or not to bring a child into the world, because we know the raising of a child brings so much blessings but also great responsibility. none of us really know the individual circumstances of other people. and i raise that point today, mr. speaker, because as i stand here in the chamber and across the street at the united states supreme court, the court is hearing a case about a law in mississippi that would effectively overturn the roe v. wade decision that has given

women a right to access to abortion for the past 50 years. that mississippi law is an effort by republican legislators, in this case the mississippi legislature to ban abortion. it's about politicians controlling women's bodies. it's about politicians taking away the personal decision of people to access the health care that they need. so, mr. speaker, as i stand here today and have trepidation whether or not the supreme court is going to uphold this right to access to abortion, it is a clarion call, a clarion call for the united states senate, across the hall, to take up and pass the women's health protection act which we passed here in the

house. and that act would forever protect a woman's right to access to a safe, legal abortion. let freedom ring. and with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until noon today today

senator mr. taylor: your deficit spending is creating the inflation that the americans needs relief from now. >> the gentleman from guam, mr. san nicolas, is now recognized for five minutes. mr. san nicolas: thank you, madam chairman. i'd like to begin by clarifying the fact that the deficit spending was addressing the pandemic concerns that was impacting this country. the unemployment of our people, the fact that there were so many businesses that needed support and one of the reasons why we enacted the relief packages that we did was to make sure that we didn't collapse our economy as a result of these pandemic circumstances. so let's make sure we're bifurcating the issues here and