March 12, 2024. I hereby appoint the honorable debbie lesko to act as speaker pro tpore on this day. Signed m johnson speaker of the house of representatives. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the order of the house ofuary 9 2024, the chair will now recognize members from lists submitty the majority and minority leaders for morningour debate. The chair will alternate recognition between the parties with time equally allocated between t parties and each member other than the majority and minority leade and the minority whip limited to five nutes. But in no event shall continue beyond 11 50. M. The chair recognizes the ntleman from new mexico,. Vasquez, for five minutes. Mr. Vasquez thankou, madam speaker. I rise today to pay tributeo a remarkable leader and cherished member of my district and the communy from the vlage of hatch, the chili capital of the james slim which the lock. Last whitlock. Last year i had the prilege of meeting mayor whitlock. It becamevident that slim wasnt just a mayor. Was a family man a community meer and dedicated Public Servant of the people. Hisassion for h dents raise residen radiated through everyere a his dedication to the wellbeing of h truly commendable. Slims impact reachedar bey th duties of his office. He was a pillar of strength during celrations, a comforting presence iimes of need and a beacon of positivity with a smile that could light up a room. The phrase doing extra good embodied his vues, reflecting a man who consistently went above and beyond for his community. As we mourn the loss o mayor slim whitloc let us remember him not only as a leader but as a sbol ofelflesess and votion. The love he had for his community was resip could red reciprocad, creating a bond that wl forever endure in the hearts of t pple he served. Y his lacy inspire us to continue theork he srted. Mayor, you will be missed mr. Speer i rise tay to emphasize the critical impoance of federally qualified hea centers especial in Rural Communities like mine. I had the privilege of visiting one in my district andryorand high schools and rio grande high schoos schoolbased health center. Th are lifelines for countless new otherwise lack access to essentl health care services. Federally qualified Health Centers not only pvide primary care but also offer mental alth prentive care. They address the holistic needs of our commuties. However, Health Centers fac significant challenges, rt areas where o in five rural new mexica faceerious issues accessing health care. Thats w stand as a cosponsor of h. R. 834. The rural physician work force production act. This legislation aims to system by incentivizing the training and placement ofhysicians in undeerved areas. By vifnting in healthenters d suprting initiatives like the rural phycian work force production act, we can eure that all new mexicans, regardless of theirip code have access to the qty alth care that they deserve. We must poritize a heah and wellbei of our rural commities by adequately fuing these vital centers. Madampeaker, thank you and i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore thank you. The chair recognizes thegentleman from tas for five mississippi. Mr. Arr thank you, madam speaker. Last week the president stood in this chamber and declaredhe state of the union isat our lives are better. Fo the sake of our count i wish that were so. Butt couldnt be further fm the truth. Afr three years of one seinflicted disaster afteranother, border, crime spree cost of living crisis, a more destabilized and dangerousor cause ofhe weakns, the weak posture the effectless foreign feckless foreign policies were supposed to lieve somehow thatife is better in america. President biden wasnt able to suspend reality even in a state of the union speech. Why . Because the American People know better. Th know that under the reckless spendin andailed policies of thi president their country has become weaker and more v abroad. And if you thi tha the ste of the union speech was disconnected from reality and the needs of the American People read his budget. He just introduced it yesterday in the m spendinginduced inflaon Interest Rates and the cost of living thats crushing wng families in a comaj aisle and uncertain fraj child and uncertain frale andn economicuture for the American People, the slide toward socialism the slide ward sovereign debt crisis, heres his answer. Double down on the borrowing and the speing a the taxing. In fact, his budget proses the highest sustained levels o spending borrowing and taxing in theistoryf the United States of ameca. Adding 16 trillion to the deb over 10 years 5 tllion from hardworking attempt to pay for i taxes on energy and ag producers taxes on wking families, taxes our job creators who are competing not jus here at home but on inationa marketplace. D then he expands mandatory spending. You have to understd thawe have 75 of our auto spend. Thats the driver of the debt. If we dont rein in mandatory ending and grow this economy well ner get out of this dangerous and unsustainab fiscal path that will end with irrerable rm to this end wit our children being robbed of the freedom and their oortunies. It will upend the republic and our leadership in the world the wholeorld order will change and china wont have to fire a single shot, ladies and gentlemen. But he eands mandatory spending. Becae he wants mor climate subsidies and clean energy, green energy, tax giveaways to corporations. Its more cradle to grave welfare without work, trappingmore people in dependence on government. And generations in poverty. This is his vision for america. Thing thats not in there is any consiration for this current fragile economy or our childrens futurd im concerned as the budget chr of the united stas Budget Committee im concerned as a family man withhree children whore hoping to have the American Experience tt wevead. Listrward their budget, their blueprint tt wouldut this nation on a path to balance instead of adding the 16 trillion in debtver 10 years we take that debt away. We reduce trillions of dollars debt,e rede oebt to g. D. P. Which by the way ishighest indebtedness the historyf o count surpassingorld war ii. When we were fighting imperial nazi germany. Wee in relative peace and prosperity and we have higher indebtedness that we did in thane did in world war ii and its going toet exponentially worse. today our debt is 25 higher than the tal economic output of the greatest and bigge most robust economy inhe world. Be twice that in 30 years. 120 trillion on top ofhe 34 trillion dt that were i now. Now, if you can lookt those c. B. O. Projections if you c look a the uunded liabilities 30 years in the future a not shouer to your core for the fure of you country then youre not reading fro same documents im readirom. My time bass to expire. I say this. Look at then bidens budget and the reblican budget. He ss show me your budget ill show you your priories. Look at his priorits. And look at ours. And i thi youll understand we choose econoc freom and fiscal responsibility and a bright fure for our children. God bless america at texas. The speaker pro tempore the chair now recognizes the gentleman from maryland, mrho for five minutes. Mr. Hoyer madam saker i rise dayn storeo sorrow. One that seres me not only as a member of member of congress c not only as a supporter of the state of israel and its people, not only as an american, but as a parent. Since october 7, ive become close with ruby and haiget hen. Theyre the etai hen, a brave american who was serving in the i. D. F. When he was taken hostage by hamas on october 7. When last i saw ruby and the other families of the american hostages held in gaza, less than a week ago i repeated the refrain, send not to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee. Sadly, ladies and gentlemen of this house, we know that bell tolls just this morning intelligence American Peopled indicating that short emerged indicating that shortly after hamas took etai hostage on october 7, they executed him. An unarmed defenseless hostage. It was an act of supreme cowardice, terror, murder. Theirs was a crime that violates every International Law every rule of war every moral ideal and every principle of basic human decency. His murder satisfied only one tenant. The one hamas laid out in its own charter. Which states that their terrorist organization was put on the earth to, quote, fight and kill them. And to eliminate israel. These terrorists robbed etai of his future. He was only 19 years of age. They robbed roy and elan of their brother. They robbed our nation of a great american. A young american. An idealistic american. An american who loved his country, the United States of america, and loved his familys homeland israel. Crucially they robbed our world of a generous soul. Madam speaker theres no sequence of words, no order of syllables that language that can dull the pain that etais family feels this hour. But they ought to know that our commitment to secure their sons return is unbreakable. We will not yield until we have recovered his remains for his family cannot put him to rest and sit shiva until his body is returned. And we will not relent, madam speaker, until we get every last hostage returned home. Madam speaker, i wish etais family this terrible loss, the strength they have shown throughout this grueling you have met his mother and maybe his aunt. Indeed the bell tolls for them and their son today. But it tolls for all of us. All of us who are vulnerable to the acts of terrorists and murderers and those without conscience. May the hands take comfort in knowing that bells peel resonates in the heart of every person who cherishes the human decency, currently and generosity that etai displayed. May etais memory be a blessing. Back. Madam speaker during president ion address, we saw a desperate attempt to jumpstart a failing presidency. After three years of weak ande leadership ineffective leadership, the American People continue to suffer under soaring inflation increased crime and a wideopen southern border. Mr. Joyce now is not the time for more empty promises from a president who is unable to deliver. It is time to address these challenges headon by cutting back on spending, like giving Law Enforcement the tools that they need and returning to border policies that keep our nation safe. 3. 2 in the month of february alone. This consistent inflation is continuing to force American Families to make difficult decisions about what they cant afford and what they can afford. Right now a gallon of gas in Mifflin County pennsylvania, cost 3. 66. Instead of addressing these prices, President Biden has continued to attack American Energy producers stifling new development and making it more difficult to open new refinery refineries. Energy prices now cost americans over year than when joe biden first took office. It is clear that the president s failed policies are to blame for the skyrocketing costs of gas oil, and electricity. It is time to rein in these run away prices by underneath the feet of my constituents. Thank you, madam speaker. I yield. The speaker pro tempore thank you. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina, mr. Nickel, for five minutes. Mr. Nickel thank speaker. On saturday, President Biden signed a government funding package into law. This bipartisan slate of bills wi make meaningful investments in federal programs that north carolinianss rely on. It will help lower the cost of living, create good jobs, and grow our local economy. Im particularly proud to have secured over 14 million in federal dollars for 15 Community Supported projects throughout North Carolinas 13th district. This will go a long way in getting local priorities moving and im proud to have gotten this funding across the finish line. For transportation infrastructure, i secured nearly 1. 8 million for two different projects. This funding will help go triangle purchase 16 zero emission vehicles and will also allow the city of raleigh to make street scape improvements and enhance connectivity and Public Safety on taborough road. For economicsecured 2. 2 million for three different projects. This funding will help the i95, i40 crossroads of America EconomicDevelopment Alliance complete an advanced manufacturing and biotech training center. Getting north carolinians back to work. It will help the city of goldsboro to dispose of the herman Park Building closed due to contamination issues and safety concerns. It will help make the town of garner with the partial removal of a deteriorated dam and facilitate a lake and stream Improvement Project at meadow brook park. For Water Infrastructure, i secured nearly 7. 3 million for six different projects. This will help the city of raleigh to install storm Water Infrastructure within the cottages of idle wild, and bring the project closer to completion. It will help the town of apex to complete a sewer interconnection project which will reduce maintenance public utilities. The town of benson to make pipe repairs and water system upgrades as part of the improvement plan. The town of cary to improve storm Water Management and Water Quality in the walnut creek water shed. It will help the town purchase a new one million gallon elevated water stock tank to improve and the town of Holly Springs to make Water Infrastructure improvement, a water conveyance system so needed. For publicred 1. 3 million for three different projects t will help wake county purchase body corn cameras radar, and other upgrades for the wake county Sheriffs Office. The town of smithfield to purchase body cameras and more data storage resources. It will town of selma Purchase Police equipment. And folks, in the fight for justice, body cameras arent just accessoryies they are tools of accountability. For agriculture i secured nearly 1. 5 million for n. C. State to continue corn and Soybean Research at the Crops Research station. I came to congress to get things done. This funding will alleviate the burden and expense on our local cities and towns. And get these projects closer to the finish line by putting our federal dollars to good use in north work across the aisle to find solutions and deliver for the people of North Carolinas 13th district. Thank you. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the chair now recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania mr. Thompson, for five minutes. Mr. Thompson thank you, madam speaker. Madam speaker, i rise today to recognize darlene everyhart of sent a county, pennsylvania. I had the privilege of meeting with her last week while she was in washington, d. C. For the National Agricultures promise forum. She is a junior at State CollegeArea High School and currently representing pennsylvania for the National Young farmers Education Association. Her passion for agriculture started at a young age. She grew up going to her grandparents farm for tours before heading to school. As a member of the little lions f. F. A. Chapter and 4h she advocates for a agriculture education on a wider level. Encouraging educators to include education in classrooms. In december, jay lean was one of two High School Students in pennsylvania compete at the National Young farmers Education Association institute and Agriculture Communications competition in College Station texas. Texas a m university. The Association Works with local f. F. A. Chapters and 4h associations to help raise the next generation of agriculture leaders and advocates. During the event she attendeducational tours to learn about the variety of agricultural opportunities and what Texas Agriculture is all about and competed in a variety of agriculture advocacy and communication competitions against college and High School Students from across the country country. She played first in the agriculture expressions contest which consisted of a 500word essay on a current agricultural topic. Personal biography and released statement for publication. She also participated in the Agriculture Communications contest. Social media posts, radio tv, and news print submissions throughout the week to exemplify the impact in education of the institute. Madam speaker, as chairman of the House Committee on agriculture, i take great pride in meeting with our next generation of leaders. Jalene has had an incredibly bright pew future ahead of her inspiration to other Young Farmers looking to get involved. Without students like her who have such a passion for the agriculture future food supply. Im also looking for ways to lift the voices of her generation in congress. Encourage our next leaders. We must encourage the participation