Congressional Record, House, May 19, 2021 — Three Major Crises Special Order

Summary

Page H2596 of the House section of the Congressional Record for May 19, 2021, from a special order titled Three Major Crises. A speaker recalls testimony in the Judiciary Committee about the Tulsa race riots, saying attackers burned an estimated 1,256 homes in Greenwood. Mr. Rose expresses support for the nation of Israel and says Israel has the right to defend itself against rocket attacks by Hamas, which is his view. Other speakers argue that enhanced unemployment compensation payments disincentivize work and leave businesses with a worker shortage, and one speaker uses a chart to show unfunded liabilities in Social Security as a core driver of debt.

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“Congressional Record, House, May 19, 2021 — Three Major Crises Special Order.” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2021-05-19-crec-2021-05-19-pt1-pgh2596-987f0c904d/, SHA-256 fe01ff00e7011546eb837c382216b12f95701182e7c4b7bec86fde257f8ffe9b.

Full text

H2596 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 19, 2021
thoughts. First of all, we are stronger publicans to solve these problems for Instead of encouraging these posi-
as a country when we stand up against the American people and for our allies. tions to be filled, my friends on the
hate at all times. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman other side of the aisle have
Today, in the Judiciary Committee, from Tennessee’s Sixth District (Mr. disincentivized going back to work and
we saw the results of hate now 100 ROSE). have made these benefits so appealing
years in the making, and that is the Mr. ROSE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today that it has disrupted labor markets
Tulsa race riots. The Tulsa race riots to express my steadfast support for the across the country, particularly in Ar-
showed that attackers looted and in- nation of Israel, our closest and great- kansas, particularly lower-income
tentionally burned an estimated 1,256 est ally in the Middle East. labor markets.
homes in Greenwood, America’s Black Hamas, a designated terrorist organi- Medical workers, small businesses,
Wall Street, along with nearly all of zation, has been targeting civilians by and restaurants all tell me that this is
the district’s churches, schools, and firing thousands of rockets on Israeli creating problems for them. It has hurt
businesses. cities. These attacks are both tragic States so much that a handful of indi-
The testimony of yesteryear saw and unacceptable, and Israel undeni- vidual States are now rejecting partici-
hundreds of men march through the ably has the right to continue to de- pating in Federal unemployment bene-
main business section of White town fend itself. fits.
with their hats off and their hands up. As Hamas continues these attacks, This is not the direction we need to
The brutality was unmentionable. Men, the United States must show its un- go, and it does not take an economist
women, and children, driven like cat- wavering support for Israel, condemn to understand this is not a permanent
tle, huddled like horses, treated like this aggression by Hamas, and sanction solution. We cannot keep tying policies
beasts. those who fund terrorism, such as Iran. back to a once-in-a-century pandemic
Today, we heard from Viola Fletcher, That is why I am a cosponsor of the that will systematically change our
107 years old; Hughes van Ellis, 100 Palestinian International Terrorism country forever.
years old; and Lessie Benningfield Support Prevention Act introduced by The solution is simple, and it is what
Randle, 106 years old. We ask for jus- Representative BRIAN MAST. America House Republicans are advocating and
tice for them. does not tolerate those who fund ter- have been advocating for months. We
In addition, I want to take note that rorists, and this legislation would put need policies that encourage Ameri-
this is Asian American and Pacific Is- in place sanctions on governments and cans to get back to work, not policies
lander Heritage Month, and to be able individuals that do. that encourage reliance on the Federal
to say that we stand against the hor- The nation of Israel is the only de- Government.
mocracy in the Middle East, and the Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr.
rific shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, on
relationship we share is indispensable. Speaker, I yield next to the gentle-
March 16, 2021. We have to stand
woman from Illinois’ 15th District
against hate. I am glad that we passed With the world watching, we must send
(Mrs. MILLER).
the bipartisan commission on January a clear message to Hamas, Islamic Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speak-
6 to show that America is unified. jihadists, and those that fund them er, I thank Congressman JOHNSON for
Finally, some good news to my con- that the United States stands with hosting this Special Order on so many
stituents: We will be launching the Israel. important issues that our country is
child tax credit effort. We want you to I unequivocally support our friend, facing.
get that child tax credit. Israel, and recognize its right to self- I stand for peace, and a lasting one.
f defense in the face of these horrific as- Side by side, the American and Israeli
saults by Hamas. I pray for peace in Je- people have stood for freedom and de-
THREE MAJOR CRISES rusalem and for the safety of all mocracy in the face of authoritarian
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under Israelis. aggression. Side by side, the American
the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. and Israeli people have stood for jus-
uary 4, 2021, the gentleman from Lou- Speaker, I thank the gentleman for tice with restraint in the face of reck-
isiana (Mr. JOHNSON) is recognized for those remarks on Israel. We do stand less violence. Side by side, the Amer-
60 minutes as the designee of the mi- strong with them. ican and Israeli people have stood for
nority leader. Mr. Speaker, I yield next to the gen- peace through self-defense in the face
GENERAL LEAVE tleman from Arkansas’ Second District of terrorism.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. (Mr. HILL). President Trump was working with
Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I commend various Islamic nation-states in the
all Members have 5 legislative days to my friend from Louisiana for bringing Middle East to adopt the Abraham Ac-
revise and extend their remarks and to our Members to the floor tonight to cords in order to foster better diplo-
include extraneous material on the talk about something that is so essen- matic relations with the nation of
subject of my Special Order. tial to American life, our careers, our Israel. Unfortunately, Joe Biden has
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there work, our independence, our ability to brought this peace process to a
objection to the request of the gen- pursue happiness. screeching halt.
tleman from Louisiana? This pandemic has thrown many off We know Hamas is a terrorist organi-
There was no objection. track for that, and it is House Repub- zation, and they are funded by Iran.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. licans that want to make sure we pur- The Biden administration continues to
Speaker, during my time tonight, my sue policies that get people back to negotiate with Iran to get them back
colleagues and I will address three work, back to opportunity, back to in the Iran deal. Iran is a funder of ter-
major crises happening here at home, independence. rorists, and the Iran deal would make
happening close to home at our south- Our small businesses in my home it easier for them to commit and fund
ern border; and happening to our clos- State of Arkansas and local economies terror. Iran has provided money to
est ally in the Middle East, and that is across our country are recovering from Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist
Israel. the devastation of the pandemic. They organizations. These groups’ intention
Each of these issues that my col- now face a threat that has resulted is to destroy Israel and the Jewish
leagues will discuss tonight can and from President Biden and House Demo- state.
should be addressed in a bipartisan crats’ inflated and fiscally irrespon- The ongoing rocket attacks against
way. We should all want Americans to sible approach to unemployment bene- Israeli civilians show why America
get back to work. We should all want fits. must act immediately to support

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to end the humanitarian crisis at our The Wall Street Journal reports Israel, condemn Hamas, and sanction
border, and we should all want to sup- there are over 8 million job openings, those who fund terrorism.
port one of our closest allies from ter- Mr. Speaker, in the United States right My family and I will continue to pray
rorism. now. That is almost more jobs open for the peace and safety and for the
It is time for President Biden and our than every person currently out of people of Israel as they combat ter-
Democrat colleagues to work with Re- work. rorism.

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May 19, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2597
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. the Dow Jones predicted 1 million jobs American people are being lied to
Speaker, we are admonished even by would be added. about who is actually going to be af-
Scripture to pray for the peace of b 1930 fected by those tax hikes.
Israel, and we will. The spinmasters are trying to paint a
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentle- Why this incredible underachieve- picture that equates the big evil word
woman from Minnesota’s Seventh Dis- ment? Because the policies of the ‘‘corporation’’ as big-box players and
trict (Mrs. FISCHBACH). Democrats and the Biden administra- tech behemoths such as Amazon,
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I tion are failing our economy, failing Netflix, and Facebook. But here is the
thank my colleague from Louisiana for our business owners, and failing the truth, the term ‘‘corporation’’ is really
organizing the Special Order this American people. only a tax designation for a business
evening. Gas prices are skyrocketing across entity. Corporations include your local
Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight in soli- the country. The per-pound cost of cop- mom-and-pop restaurant. It includes
darity with the State of Israel. As the per is more than double what it was the local corner street pharmacy. It in-
only democracy in the Middle East, just 12 months ago. And the price of cludes the farms that supply the local
Israel is among our greatest allies and homes is rising. The annual inflation farmers markets. It is the local fisher-
friends. rate is triple what it was in 2020 and men, the family-run dance studio, the
Since the beginning, Israel has had the highest it has been in over a dec- store that sells football uniforms to
two goals: to live as a Jewish state and ade. the local high school team, the music
to do so in peace. These are the consequences of spend- instructor helping prepare kids for the
This was true at its founding, and it ing trillions of dollars on COVID relief next concert, and the guy who scraped
remains true today. and continuing to pay people not to together his earnings and started a
But just as it has been throughout work. The swamp continues to waste plumbing business.
history, Israel again finds itself under taxpayer dollars on failed policies they While the progressive left wants to
say we can fix by continuing to spend take swipes at major billionaire com-
attack, this time by Hamas terrorists,
trillions more. When is enough enough? panies through extreme taxation, they
who, with the help of Iran, are bent on
When are we going to let the free mar- are bringing all of us along with them.
destroying the only Jewish state in the
ket flourish? We are all going to be paying more.
world. At a time when our economy has con-
Does Israel not have a right to defend That is the path back to our historic
economy pre-COVID. The sooner we de- tinued to rebound from the COVID–19
itself? pandemic, we should be encouraging
Make no mistake, Hamas is not in- cide to get back to lower taxes, less
small businesses to reopen, rehire
terested in peace. They want to destroy regulation, and more economic free-
workers, and spur our local economies,
Israel and its people, and are willing to dom, the quicker we can get the Amer-
not punishing them with more taxes
use women, children, and journalists as ican people back to work and the econ-
and more regulations.
human shields to do so. omy back to health. America’s small businesses and our
Some, including Members of this Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. middle-class workers deserve much
body, have taken to propaganda to Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from better than this. I know we can and
paint Israel as the aggressor, but that Florida’s 26th District (Mr. GIMENEZ). will do better if my colleagues across
is nothing more than cheap Mr. GIMENEZ. Mr. Speaker, one the aisle choose to work with us in ear-
gaslighting. Israel is not now, nor have thing has been made absolutely clear nest. Let’s stop this political
they ever been, an aggressor state. Its in last’s month abysmal jobs report: grandstanding for the majority and get
only actions have been in its own de- More government spending, bigger to work.
fense. mandates and regulations, Republicans are waiting, and we are
There is simply no moral equivalence incentivizing people to stay on unem- willing.
between a nation defending itself and ployment, and punishing States that Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr.
those who would use terrorism to anni- encourage small mom and pops to re- Speaker, there are three major crises
hilate the Jewish people. In fact, de- open is not the way to Build Back Bet- we are talking about again tonight: the
feating this terrorism is a prerequisite ter. It is time for us to pursue policies economic crisis here at home, the cri-
for peace. that put Americans back to work. sis happening close to home at our
Mr. Speaker, these ongoing attacks All the so-called experts and eco- southern border, and what is happening
are exactly why the United States nomic forecasters wanted to believe so to our closest ally in the Middle East,
must stand with our Israeli allies, con- hard that the massive $1.9 trillion Israel.
demn Hamas terrorists, and sanction spending package that the Speaker and I yield to the gentleman from Penn-
those who provide them support. I call President Biden rammed through Con- sylvania’s 12th District (Mr. KELLER).
on all Members of this distinguished gress was going to be the answer. But Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I thank
body to continue our long history of the truth always prevails. That is why, the gentleman from Louisiana for
support for our Israeli allies. for the first time in Congress, Demo- yielding.
The current economic crisis facing
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. crats actually joined Republicans on a
our Nation is troubling but not sur-
Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from major piece of legislation in voting
prising. Skyrocketing inflation, rising
Texas (Mr. NEHLS), a former sheriff. against that sham of a bill. But it
gas prices, and growing unemployment
Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Speaker, it is time passed anyway.
are the results of a White House that
to get Americans back to work. The When Republicans stood up on this
fundamentally believes more govern-
vaccine is available for all. Cases are floor to explain line item by line item ment is the solution.
down across the country. Businesses what was wrong with that bill and why To be clear, President Biden’s mas-
have openings they need to fill. this was the wrong approach, we got sive tax-and-spend policies constitute a
Using COVID as an excuse to stay attacked by our colleagues on the losing formula, which will drag our Na-
home and collect unemployment insur- other side of the aisle for everything tion deeper into debt and government
ance is not healthy for our economy or imaginable. But once again, we were dependency. The April jobs report is a
workers. We should be encouraging proven right. The Speaker and Presi- testament to this.
folks to take control of their lives and dent Biden were proven wrong. A record 8 million jobs are available.
get back to work, but the multitril- Now, they are wanting to do this all However, only 266,000 were filled last
lion-dollar proposals out of the Biden over again with infrastructure. The month because Biden is promoting gov-
administration and the continued current infrastructure proposal being ernment control rather than the sus-

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COVID Federal unemployment insur- put forward not only adds trillions of tainable income of a job.
ance payments of $300 per week are en- dollars in spending on top of the $1.9 Job creators across Pennsylvania, in
couraging folks to stay home. trillion Congress has already approved the hospitality, energy, manufac-
We just saw the Democrats and the to be spent in the previous spending turing, agriculture, and many other in-
Biden administration deliver 266,000 spree, but now the solution is paying dustries, say the same thing: They are
new jobs in the month of May, when for it by raising taxes. Once again, the struggling to find workers.

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H2598 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 19, 2021
Biden’s policies are detrimental to work. That support, if I spoke as loud The April jobs report showed that the
our economic recovery and are the last as the support that I gave, you would economy added less than 270,000 new
thing America needs. Even more frus- probably have to tone down the micro- jobs. That is disappointing, and it was
trating, the solution to get us back on phone system. an underperformance from the 1 mil-
track has been present all along: re- As we look toward the future and to lion jobs that economists expected.
open the economy, stop piling debt on getting our economy back on track, I It really should be no surprise to
our children, and get Americans back am increasingly concerned with the anyone because the enhanced unem-
to work. Federal Government’s indiscriminate, ployment benefits that were approved
It is time that President Biden recog- uncalculated interference. by Congress, against all of our objec-
nizes that Big Government is the prob- In April, we saw the unemployment tions, under President Biden’s initia-
lem, and only the ingenuity and resil- rate increase to 6.1 percent at a time tive have truly disincentivized people
ience of the American people will lead when you have more ‘‘help wanted’’ from going back to work.
us to prosperity. signs out than you can imagine. Frank- Then, on the second front, we have
Now more than ever, our government ly, as I drive across my district in the seen over the past week or so Hamas
needs to get out of the way and allow beautiful part of northern Michigan continue to launch thousands of rock-
Americans to reclaim control of their where summer has just now thought ets at Israel, aiming to kill as many in-
lives and their government. about arriving, and I see all those nocent lives as possible.
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. ‘‘help wanted’’ signs hanging in the Let me be clear: I strongly condemn
Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from windows of countless small businesses. these attacks. Everybody on this side
Georgia’s 12th District (Mr. ALLEN). That number, unfortunately, comes as of the aisle strongly condemns those
Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank no surprise, given the current adminis- attacks. We fully support Israel’s un-
Mr. JOHNSON for yielding and for hold- tration’s policies. equivocal right to defend herself and
ing this Special Order this evening. We in Congress should be thoroughly her citizens.
Thanks to the success of Operation angered that with so many businesses Yet, President Biden has taken a
Warp Speed, we have been able to get looking for help, we instead advance weak approach, demonstrating to ter-
millions of Americans vaccinated. policies that encourage people to stay rorist organizations that his adminis-
Georgia has led the Nation in unemployed. tration won’t stand up for one of our
COVID–19 economic recovery, and I am The expanded unemployment bene- greatest nations, greatest friends, and
proud to say that Georgia’s economy fits served a positive and caring pur- greatest allies, and that is Israel.
has reached prepandemic levels. pose when businesses were being forced America’s support of our strongest
Now that the CDC has rolled back to close in response to the pandemic a ally in the Middle East, it should never
mask recommendations, we are finally year ago. However, as more Americans be quiet. That sends a terrible message
seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. get vaccinated, and we return to a to the rest of the world.
But there is a lot of work to be done more normal life, the need is not the Ultimately, we need a government
to get this great American economy, same as it was in March 2020. that is more efficient, more effective,
the greatest economy in the world, Instead, the extra $300 a week Presi- and accountable.
growing again. Unfortunately, the dent Biden and the Democrats gave in We need to get people back to work.
Biden administration is asleep at the their latest relief bill to those who stay We must reopen our economy, lower
wheel when it comes to what needs to unemployed does little but distort the taxes, and get our children back in
be done to spur economic growth. job market, disrupt our supply chains, school.
As of March, U.S. job-makers re- and encourage many to simply stay Lastly, we have to show the rest of
ported 8.1 million available jobs, a home instead of finding a job. the world that our support for Israel
record high. But I am hearing from Meanwhile, the backbone of our econ- will never waver, that we stand strong
small businesses that they can’t get omy, small businesses across the coun- in defending the Jewish state together
their employees to go back to work. try, are struggling to find enough as one.
That is because President Biden and You know, Prime Minister Benjamin
workers, despite offering competitive
congressional Democrats are paying Netanyahu once said, and I will para-
wages, benefits, and, in many cases,
people more money to stay home than phrase: If Arabs put down their weap-
hiring bonuses.
to go to work. To start addressing this problem, ons today, there would be no more vio-
I am grateful that, starting next States like Michigan should imme- lence. If the Jews put down their weap-
month, our Governor, Governor Kemp, diately end their participation in the ons today, there would be no Israel. I
is ending the extra $300 in Federal enhanced supplemental unemployment think that pretty much sums it up.
weekly jobless payments. It is time for Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr.
program.
all States to opt out of this Federal job Speaker, that does sum it up. It is a
The only way for us as a country to
supplement and quit wasting tax- very real crisis we face.
fully recover from this pandemic is by
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman
payers’ money. having the Federal Government stop
from Texas’ First District (Mr. GOH-
Let’s get Americans back to work sabotaging our economy and instead
MERT).
and focus on rebuilding our economy. encourage Americans to get back to
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. work. b 1945
Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from The dignity of work, of a job well Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Speaker, here is
Michigan (Mr. BERGMAN), who knows done, cannot be underestimated when an article by Tristan Justice: ‘‘April
quite a bit about handling a crisis. He it comes to bolstering our citizens with job numbers are so bad, CNBC thought
is the highest-ranking military officer a sense of faith in the future and faith it was a typo.’’
ever elected to the United States Con- in our country. Another article: ‘‘New stimulus pack-
gress and also my friend. Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. age: Unemployment benefits, $300 per
Mr. BERGMAN. Mr. Speaker, the Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from week extended till September.’’
gentleman is not only my friend and Tennessee’s Eighth District (Mr. ‘‘America’s Vanishing Workforce,’’
colleague but also not well enough ac- KUSTOFF). article by Megan Cassella and Rebecca
knowledged as the largely singular au- Mr. KUSTOFF. Mr. Speaker, I thank Rainey.
thor of the Commitment to Civility by the gentleman for yielding, and I would And this one, The Hill: ‘‘It is time for
the bipartisan freshman classes in 2017. like to recognize my friend and col- States to take the lead in getting
That document, unfortunately, is too league from Louisiana (Mr. JOHNSON), a Americans back to work,’’ by Anthony

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well hidden. I thank you again for all great leader. I thank him for orga- Hughes.
the work you did because you laid it nizing this evening. Why is that? It is because we have an
out, and it is more applicable today Mr. Speaker, I want to address two administration that is doing every-
than it was back 41⁄2 years ago. different fronts of President Biden’s thing it can in conjunction with the
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my policies, both of which are failing the Democrats in Congress to keep people
support for getting America back to American people. from going back to work.

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May 19, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2599
Now, when I was between my sopho- paying more at the pump than they more meaningful and necessary to the
more and junior year at Texas A&M, I have in 7 years. This is unacceptable, pursuit of worldwide stability than the
was accepted on an exchange program and it is unaffordable for every Amer- modern partnership between the
for the summer to the Soviet Union. ican family. United States and Israel.
And at one point, being out at a collec- Third, President Biden and Speaker I believe the recipe for a lasting rela-
tive farm many miles outside of Kiev, I PELOSI have single-handedly created a tionship between our two nations and
couldn’t tell what was cultivated and historic border crisis leading to ramp- achieving stability in the region in
what wasn’t. It looked brown. It didn’t ant human trafficking, an influx of pursuit of peace, is comprised of the
look good. But all the farmers in the criminals and dangerous drugs, like following key tenets.
middle of the morning—10, 10:30—they fentanyl, rushing across the border. Number one, maximum foreign mili-
are sitting out under a tree in the And make no mistake, this does not tary funds from the U.S. to Israel with
shade, and they are visiting. just affect our border States along the a focus on providing Israel a quali-
And I tried to have a smile and use southern border, every State in this tative military edge.
my best Russian. And I asked, ‘‘When country is a border State and every Number two, an undivided Jerusalem
do you work out in the field?’’ Because city is a border city experiencing the as the capital of Israel.
I had stood there for a while. And they consequences of this border crisis. Number three, the Golan Heights
all laughed, and I thought maybe I Fourth, the world is watching in hor- must remain under the control of
didn’t say it right in Russian. ror as we are facing a national security Israel.
And finally one of them said, ‘‘I crisis in the Middle East and a resur- Number four, the worldwide elimi-
make the same number of rubles if I gent Russia and China. Israel is under nation of boycott divestment and sanc-
am out there in the sun as I do in the attack by Iranian-backed terrorists, tions against Israel and Jewish com-
shade, so I stay in the shade.’’ and our radical socialist Democrat col- munities here in the U.S. Such prac-
I got a message from one of my leagues across the aisle cannot decide tices are blatantly anti-Semitic.
friends, a lady, that says her yard guy whose side they are on. Number five, prosecution of and de-
Let me be clear, my colleagues, the fense against mutual threats to Israel
says he can’t get people to come back
Republicans, we stand with Israel. in the United States. Any threats to
to work. He has got 125 yards. And her
More importantly, the American peo- Israel should be treated as a threat to
hairdresser’s kids, they are not work-
ple stand with Israel. And these four the United States.
ing, all because of this big bonus if you
crises are impacting every American Number six, we cannot allow a nu-
don’t work. It is time to get people
family across this Nation. In my dis- clear-capable Iran, and we should not
back to work, having them earn their
trict, in New York’s 21st District, reenter the JCPOA nuclear deal.
money. America will be better for it. Mr. Speaker, I have seen war first-
small businesses have more ‘‘Help
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr.
Wanted’’ signs than they have workers. hand. War is an ugly thing, but failing
Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
Restaurants, like Ted’s Fish Fry in Up- to unequivocally support an ally as
Texas.
state New York, have been forced to critical as Israel in pursuit of world-
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentle-
close one day a week, just as we are wide stability is the ugliest of things,
woman from New York (Ms. STEFANIK),
heading into summer, because they are especially at a time like this when sta-
our newly elected conference chair-
unable to hire workers. bility worldwide is eroding in front of
woman. Families are bearing the brunt of the us.
Ms. STEFANIK. Mr. Speaker, Ameri- abrupt tax hikes caused by sky- Mr. Speaker, I urge Congress and this
cans across this country are facing cri- rocketing gas prices. Border patrol administration to fully support Israel.
sis after crisis. agents that should be securing our Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr.
Just think, just over a year ago, in Speaker, I thank my friend from Cali-
northern border have been sent to the
early 2020, our economy was booming, fornia, and I move to the great State of
southern border, leaving hundreds of
our standing in the world was strong, Texas next, the 36th District.
miles of border in my district exposed
we had just rebuilt our Nation’s mili- Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman
to drug traffickers and criminals.
tary, and our communities and families And people are struggling to grasp from Texas (Mr. BABIN).
were thriving. the unthinkable. How is the Biden ad- Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my
Here we are, a little over one year ministration negotiating with Iran, the good friend from Louisiana (Mr. JOHN-
later, in just over 100 days, President world’s largest state sponsor of terror, SON).
Biden and Speaker PELOSI have dis- who has targeted our friends, neigh- Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor
mantled that foundation, and the bors, and the soldiers of the 10th Moun- today with one clear message for the
American people are paying the price. tain Division in my home district. American people: Bad policies have bad
Americans are suffering under four Republicans and the American people consequences.
crises from the far-left radical socialist are united in rallying against the de- Not that many weeks ago, we had a
policies of President Biden and Speak- structive, radical far-left policies of thriving and stable economy. We were
er PELOSI. Biden and Pelosi, causing crisis after energy-independent. We were a sov-
First, American families are facing crisis in our country every day. ereign Nation with a secure border.
an economic crisis, fueled by trillions We will continue to stand strongly Now, roughly 100 days into Joe Biden’s
of dollars in uncontrolled spending, with American workers, American fam- presidency, we are living in what feels
rampant inflation, and unemployment ilies, small businesses, as well as our like the twilight zone with gas short-
benefits that incentivize workers to allies around the world. And we will ages, 2008 levels of inflation, rampant
stay home while businesses are des- fight back against these policies that and out-of-control spending, high un-
perate to hire employees. have led to the devastation and de- employment rates, destruction in the
We just experienced one of the worst struction across this country. Middle East, political correctness and
jobs reports in over 20 years, with un- Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. wokeness, winning the war on common
employment rising, cost of living in- Speaker, I thank our conference chair sense, and worst of all, a massive bor-
creasing every single day, and small from the great State of New York, and der crisis.
businesses unable to hire. This impacts we will go across the country to the These things didn’t just happen,
every hardworking American family, other coast to the State of California, folks. They are the direct result of the
and it is a crisis with no end in sight, the 25th District represented by Mr. left’s conscious policy decisions—or
except the trillions and trillions of dol- GARCÍA. rather delusions. Is this the America
lars in new taxes proposed by President Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman they really wanted?

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Biden and Speaker PELOSI. from California (Mr. GARCÍA). Unfortunately, the mainstream
Second, American families are facing Mr. GARCÍA of California. Mr. media wants to distract you from the
an energy crisis. This is the first time Speaker, I rise today in direct support colossal failures of America’s weakest
my generation is experiencing wide- of our most critical ally, Israel. President and his administration. In
spread gas lines and stations with no Rarely in history has the strategic fact, the liberal media dedicated ap-
gas. If we do find gas, Americans are alliance between two nations been proximately zero minutes of airtime to

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H2600 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 19, 2021
the April illegal border crossing num- for Russia? That pipeline with Russia Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Speaker, Joe
bers, which were the worst in our Na- is literally going to give billions of rev- Biden says America is on the move
tion’s history. enue to the Putin regime, and the com- again. But to me, folks, it looks like
But I am here to tell you the truth. pletion thereof is going to cause our al- Americans are still at home. There are
Biden’s foolhardy policies have created lies in Europe to have to rely more a record 8 million job openings in
a disaster on America’s southern bor- heavily on Russian oil. We are the ones America right now. Eight million,
der. He has failed us. He has failed you who ought to be selling American oil to folks. That is the population of the
and your family. And most impor- Europe, not enabling their reliance great State of Tennessee, where I come
tantly, he has failed to maintain the upon the Kremlin. from.
sovereignty of our beloved Nation. Under President Trump, we had a We are hurting small business recov-
We cannot begin to comprehend the policy where America was first. It ap- ery and the economic growth. We have
lasting impact that Biden’s border cri- pears under this current administra- got to get our country back to work,
sis will have on the sanctity and secu- tion that America is last. And I will Mr. Speaker. Joe Biden and the Demo-
rity of this Nation. And as I wade just repeat this: This is what we have: crat policies are not helping our recov-
through the anarchic waters of living Under President Biden, sanctions ery. The $15 minimum wage makes it
in Joe Biden and the Democrat’s Amer- against Russia are canceled and they harder on the very small businesses.
ica, I am reminded of the words of build a pipeline. Under President The McDonald’s restaurants in the dis-
Alexander the Great, when he said, ‘‘I Biden, he cripples our own economy by trict that I represent are now starting
am not afraid of an army of lions led canceling Keystone. folks off at $15 an hour, and some are
by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of It is time for us to get back to work. offering health benefits as well.
sheep led by a lion.’’ Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Bonus unemployment benefits that
My friends, leadership is everything. Speaker, may I inquire how much time we are paying Americans to stay at
And sadly, right now, our country is in I have remaining? home is just not working. The job-kill-
desperate need of a real leader. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gen- ing regulations that are directed at in-
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. tleman has 201⁄2 minutes remaining. dustries, like our energy sector, as
Speaker, I thank my friend for that b 2000 well. The Green New Deal and more of
great reminder. Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. this push to the left is only hurting us
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from further.
from Georgia (Mr. HICE), my friend Pennsylvania (Mr. THOMPSON). Worst of all, we are pushing tax in-
from Georgia’s 8th District. Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. creases during an economic recovery.
Mr. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman This is totally backwards, Mr. Speaker,
thank my friend for yielding his time. from Louisiana for his leadership to- and this is keeping Americans depend-
Mr. Speaker, we are all seeing gas night and for hosting this Special ent on Big Government, which I am not
prices soar—35 percent since January, Order. so certain is not the ultimate goal.
since this administration took office. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because it Instead, we need to be encouraging
Whereas, what this administration in- is time to get Americans back to work. the private sector to invest in recovery
herited, under President Trump, was At the beginning of the pandemic, in- areas. My Opportunity Extension Act
low and affordable energy costs and our dustries of all types were desperately does just that, giving investors more
Nation had actually achieved energy trying to keep their doors open and time to use the highly successful Op-
independence. There was record low un- thousands of Americans lost their jobs. portunity Zones program.
employment numbers across all demo- Since then, Congress has passed meas- Opportunities Zones are in areas that
graphics. And prior to COVID, the av- ures aimed to aid individuals and busi- are hit hardest by COVID economic
erage hourly wage earnings rose at the nesses, including five bipartisan relief fallout. These Opportunity Zones rep-
fastest rate in decades. bills, which I supported. resent areas such as our rural areas
So what has changed? Well, what has Today, we are starting to return to and our inner cities, areas which I am
changed is a reversal of those policies normal. Businesses across the country proud to represent.
that work. Unfortunately, President are opening their doors to pre-COVID Our Opportunity Zones were respon-
Biden has proved that he is far more operation levels. However, these indus- sible for $52 billion—$52 billion, Mr.
concerned with appeasing the fringe tries are facing a new challenge: Get- Speaker—in new investment, and a half
left-wing environmental extremists in ting qualified employees to return to a million new jobs in our underserved
his party than he is in helping the av- work. areas before COVID hit.
erage American by lowering energy This is abundantly apparent in my This bill renews investment in these
costs and creating good-paying jobs. district. The number one need of busi- communities. It spurs economic
So with prices continuing to soar and nesses, both manufacturing and service growth. It attracts business. It is cre-
massive labor shortages, it only makes industries, is qualified and trained ating good-paying jobs, a much better
sense that we should be doing the right workers. alternative than the Federal Govern-
kinds of things to get people back to This past April, Clarion County held ment handouts being pushed by many
work. And make no mistake, Biden’s their annual career fair. Employers of my colleagues across the aisle.
reckless energy policies have con- from numerous sectors gathered and Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to dis-
sequences. hoped to find employees of all skill lev- cuss my bill further with anyone who
I know I hear all the time from vet- els, great paying, family sustaining is interested.
erans in my district who literally are jobs available. Sadly, the career fair I thank the vice chairman for yield-
having to make the choice between lacked individuals ready to rejoin the ing to me. I appreciate you for orga-
driving 45-plus miles to a veteran’s workforce. nizing this event, brother.
clinic or trying to have enough money Stories like this are, unfortunately, Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr.
to survive. not unique. Right now, there are more Speaker, I thank my friend for his im-
However, on day one, President Biden job openings in the United States than portant comments.
celebrated the canceling of the Key- any point in our Nation’s history. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman
stone Pipeline and eliminated tens of Mr. Speaker, as we continue to re- from North Carolina (Mr. BISHOP).
thousands of jobs and millions of dol- turn to normal and more restrictions Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Mr.
lars for our economy. And yet, yester- are lifted, we must continue to follow Speaker, just like that, America faces
day, the Biden administration gave the the science and encourage Americans four simultaneous crises: loss of con-

dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with HOUSE
green light to finishing Russia’s pipe- to reenter the workforce. It is time to trol of the border, energy supply dis-
line going down to Germany. fully reopen America for business and ruption, a sudden spurt of stagflation,
This is the height of hypocrisy. Are put Americans back to work. and a key ally under assault.
you kidding me? That we are not going Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Why is all this happening at once on
to allow our own country to have a Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the eve of the 4-month anniversary of
pipeline, but we are going to approve it Tennessee (Mr. BURCHETT). Inauguration Day?

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May 19, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2601
Because a weak President signals a their living and have portions of their mitted to duty and responsibility of
weak America. The President sets the income seized and sent to Washington, protecting their citizens. We know that
tone, and, today, it is very different D.C., let me help them get their head Israel will continue to need our sup-
than the previous 4 years. wrapped around $31 trillion in debt. port, even after this attack subsides.
On the world’s stage, our adversaries If this body, which is responsible con- While other nations fueled by anti-
are newly emboldened, and our allies stitutionally for all Federal spending, Semitism act to boycott, divest, and
more vulnerable. After several years of were to run a $1 billion surplus in a fis- sanction Israel, the U.S. hopes for pros-
creative Trump peace deals, Israel is cal year—meaning we spent $1 billion perity and flourishing for the Israeli
already under attack. less in Federal expenditures than we people. As such, we support continued
Is that a coincidence? took in Federal revenue, $1 billion—it economic cooperation and bold secu-
No. Hamas and other terrorists knew would require 31,000 years of a $1 bil- rity assistance that benefits Israelis
that with Trump there would be con- lion surplus to address a $31 trillion and Americans alike.
sequences. They know with Biden there debt. A trillion is a thousand billion, We applaud and stand by the accom-
will be none. and a billion is a thousand million. plishments of the Trump administra-
At our southern border, we have It is insane what is being presented tion to improve peace in the Middle
plateaued at a 20-year high for illegal as fiscal responsibility out of the Biden East. We recognize Jerusalem as the
border crossings. It is not slowing administration’s White House in their true capital of Israel. We affirm
down. The word is out: You can cross budget request. Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan
without consequences. In fact, Biden President Biden shut down the Key- Heights. We celebrate the historic
and his allies think progress is expand- stone pipeline, killed thousands of Abraham Accords, reestablishing diplo-
ing the throughput. American jobs overnight with the matic ties between Israel and their re-
Persons are also now experiencing stroke of his pen on his first day in of- gional neighbors.
gas shortages, last seen with Jimmy fice, and now has approved support for We oppose efforts within the U.N. to
Carter. Even before, the price at the a Russian pipeline under the guise of undermine Israel on the global stage.
pump sky-rocketed. ecological concern, which is why he
Why? We also oppose Iran’s nuclear ambi-
shut down Keystone, which is done in-
Because this President doesn’t value tions and call for the United States to
credibly clean in America.
or fight for American energy independ- The oil and gas industry, the energy withdraw from the Iran deal.
ence, like the last one. Instead, he can- industry in America is the cleanest in While the Washington left remains
cels our pipelines and green-lights Rus- the world. We are going to shut down weak on Israel, the American people
sia’s. Now families have new worries an American pipeline and approve and stand strongly in support of the Israeli
about their fuel budgets, while being authorize a Russian pipeline. It is ab- people. It is time for Democrats to re-
lectured to by this legislation on leftist surd the direction we are going in. ject the extreme left, anti-American,
green energy fiascos. Our border crisis. My sources, which anti-Israel, pro-Marxist agenda. They
Perhaps, most pressing of all, our are accurate, we have added at least need to work with Republicans to pass
economy is not recovering as it should, 700,000 to 800,000 illegal crossings this a bill to provide security aid to the
while all the warning signs of inflation year. Our vice president, alledgedly, Israeli Government.
grow stronger. Practically every day I has been put in charge of handling the b 2015
hear the same thing from North Caro- border. She can’t find her way to south Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr.
lina small businesses, that they cannot Texas. We should send a map to the Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from
find workers. And after that last pa- White House. the Second District of Alabama (Mr.
thetic jobs report, it is clear that this Israel. Could you imagine what our
MOORE).
isn’t isolated to any home State. response should be as a nation if we re-
Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speak-
Biden isn’t fighting for jobs. He is ceived 6,000 to 8,000 rockets fired at our
er, I thank Representative JOHNSON for
paying more to not have one. citizens?
What we are seeing across the board yielding.
We should be standing unwavering
is trickle-down weakness, and the ad- Mr. Speaker, in the last few days,
beside our ally, Israel. A nation that
verse effects are clear. For the first Hamas and Palestinian Islamic jihad
stands against Israel stands against
time in 4 years, America has a Presi- have fired 4,000 rockets targeting mil-
itself.
dent who backs down without a fight, Mr. Speaker, I thank the Speaker for lions of Israeli civilians across the
and it is costing us. Biden is nowhere allowing me to address the House, and country. Thanks to Israel’s Iron Dome,
to be found on the issues that matter. I thank my colleague for holding this many of these rockets have been inter-
In his absence, Republicans will keep important Special Order this evening. cepted, saving thousands of lives. The
fighting for the American people. Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Iron Dome is a byproduct of bipartisan
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from support from Congress that provides
Speaker, we will keep fighting, indeed. Texas (Mr. CLOUD). critical missile defense and coopera-
I thank the gentleman for his com- Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, today, our tion.
ments. prayers are with our faithful friend and Tragically, not all of these rockets
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman ally, Israel. The country is under at- have been intercepted, resulting in
from Louisiana (Mr. HIGGINS). tack by Hamas, a terrorist organiza- senseless deaths of many innocent ci-
Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. tion that will stop at nothing to kill vilians, women and children among
Speaker, Americans are bewildered and destroy. them.
about what is happening in our Nation The world is watching and hoping These terrorist attacks against our
today. Americans who actually work that Iran-backed Hamas and the Pales- strongest ally must stop, and Pales-
have deep concerns about the future of tinian Liberation Organization will tinian leaders have a responsibility to
our country. It is incredible to observe, cease their destructive and reckless at- do all they can to stop it.
from my perspective as a humble con- tacks on Israel. I commend my colleagues and our
stitutionalist servant within this au- Recently, pre-COVID, I had an oppor- government leaders from both sides of
gust body, exactly what is going on tunity to visit Israel. I spoke with one the aisle who have condemned this vio-
with my colleagues across the aisle and mom who talked about the horrific de- lence, telling the world and our mutual
our newly inaugurated executive cision they are faced with at times. enemies that America stands strong
branch. When the alarm goes off, when the mis- with Israel.
We have moved from policies out of siles are coming in Israel, they know To those who blame Israel and accuse

dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with HOUSE
our executive that put America first to they have about 13 seconds to make it them of terrorism, I will say what I
policies out of the President’s adminis- to a shelter, and they are faced with have always told my children: Don’t be
tration to put America last. We are the decision of: Which child on the the first ones who start a fight, but you
facing $31 trillion in debt. playground do you take with you? must be willing to finish it.
Let me help my American brothers This has got to stop. Israel’s actions Israel has a right to defend their citi-
and sisters who work very hard to earn are a clear example of a nation com- zens and their nation’s sovereignty.

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H2602 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 19, 2021
The Lord told Abraham: I will make who tell me they have open jobs, but Maybe this will make sense. I have
of thee a great nation, and I will bless can’t fill them and compete with en- been here for a few years, and there has
them that bless thee, and I will curse hanced unemployment. One of the larg- always been the ability for those on
them that curseth thee; and in thee est employers in my district, East the left and the right to stand up and
shall all families of the Earth be Penn Manufacturing, is hosting weekly say: Look, we have a country that
blessed. job fairs to fill hundreds of good-paying works. No country is perfect, but it
I am proud to stand firm with Israel. manufacturing jobs they have avail- works, and it respects human rights,
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; may able and are going unfilled. and it is a functioning republic and a
they be secure who love you. Enhanced unemployment compensa- democracy in the Middle East.
Psalm 122.6. tion was never intended, Mr. Speaker, I was really sort of heartbroken last
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Amen to to be permanent, but it is now dis- week. Just before I did one of these
that. I appreciate my friend and those rupting the labor market on the onset presentations, there was a presentation
great comments. of what can be a strong recovery. As by not many Members, but some who
Mr. Speaker, I yield next to the gen- more Americans continue to get vac- said some pretty awful things. So I
tleman from the Sixth District of the cinated and our COVID cases continue hope as we all want the country of
great State of Wisconsin (Mr. Israel to prosper and do well—we want
to decline, it is time for us to stop this
GROTHMAN) with more thoughts about everyone in the region to prosper and
disincentivizing work.
Israel. Unemployment assistance programs do well—but we have to accept there
Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, a are other bad actors particularly fi-
should be revised to target those un-
tragedy is going on in Israel. Over 4,000 nancing things coming through Iran to
able to work, such as parents with chil-
rockets have been shot from Gaza and some very bad actors to do horrible,
a handful from Lebanon. Twelve dren at home due to school closures or
those not physically able. Those who horrible things in the region.
Israelis and about 200 Gazans have I wish we could sort of step back a
died. This is entirely unprovoked on can work and choose not to should not
be able to receive generous unemploy- few months and think of the joy that
Israel’s part. It may have something to many of us felt with the Abraham Ac-
do with a future election on the West ment compensation at a rate often
more than $20 per hour. cords that good things were happening.
Bank. Iran is showing support for The caring for Israel needs to be bipar-
Hamas and is giving them financial The U.S. Department of Labor re-
ports 8.1 million jobs were open in tisan, and my fear is we are seeing that
aid, so they are partly responsible. start to slip where some on the hard
Gaza, of course, could be a liveable, March, and there are plentiful well-
paying jobs in every industry offering left are moving away from supporting a
modern country. It used to be a vaca- fellow republic.
tion destination. And prior to 2005, incentives for new hires across Penn-
This is not a good thing for all of us,
when Israel turned it over, there were sylvania. Despite this, Pennsylvania’s
and we need to sort of rethink that dis-
greenhouses for an agriculture sector. unemployment rate is even higher than
cussion, stand up for our friends, and
It is their own fault by collectively the national average.
tell our enemies that they can have a
electing a government which not only That is why last week I sent a letter
home in our hearts if they stop the bad
declares a unilateral war, but chooses to the Governor of Pennsylvania urg-
acts. And maybe the Middle East, one
residential and commercial facilities as ing him to better target supplemental
day, really does have a future, as we
military locations, guaranteeing unemployment compensation to those
saw with the vision that came from the
deaths of civilians, including children. who truly need it and reinstate work
Abraham Accords.
Israel is a strong country, and, of search requirements that were waived Mr. Speaker, I get frustrated when I
course, they will not be defeated mili- last year. Despite an abundant job watch the floor. We all sit in com-
tarily. There is a danger, however. As market, our economy added only mittee, and so often what comes
explained by James Burnham in his 266,000 jobs last week. through these microphones are sort of
book, ‘‘Suicide of the West’’—now over Mr. Speaker, as I close, businesses trite talking points.
50 years old—a decadent West may are creating new jobs every day. We So let’s go back to the big picture:
blame themselves for the corruption owe it to them to at least create job What are we doing to actually deal
and lack of caring for human life in seekers. with it?
Gaza. Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. I have a new chart. I am trying to
Some Members of this body are al- Speaker, I thank all my colleagues for find over and over and over how do we
ready doing this. participating tonight. I realize we are actually all come together and under-
The United States and Israel must out of time. stand the reality?
not shirk from our responsibilities as Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance This is our future. This is my 5-year-
moral leaders of the world. We support of my time. old daughter’s future. It is $101 trillion
Israel in defending themselves from the f in debt adjusted in today’s dollars. So
attacks of the morally bankrupt gov- UNFUNDED LIABILITIES this isn’t 30 years of inflation. This is
ernment in Gaza. We encourage them today’s dollars. This is our future in 30
to continue this fight for as long as The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under years.
necessary to make sure their citizens the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- Many of us want to get behind the
are not at risk in the future. uary 4, 2021, the Chair recognizes the microphone and say: This is Democrat;
Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. gentleman from Arizona (Mr. this is Republican.
Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from SCHWEIKERT) for 30 minutes. It is demographics. We are getting
the Ninth District of the great State of Mr. SCHWEIKERT. Mr. Speaker, be- older as a society. We are getting older
Pennsylvania (Mr. MEUSER). fore I start my presentation—and I am as a people. And the reality of it is 67
Mr. MEUSER. Mr. Speaker, I thank going to focus sort of on some of the percent of our 30-year debt is the un-
my good friend, the gentleman from economics, the debt and economic funded portion of Medicare.
Louisiana, our Republican vice chair, growth, particularly in some of the Remember, Mr. Speaker, when you
for yielding. proposals that are hitting the House pay your FICA tax, you are paying the
Mr. Speaker, since the onset of the right now—I wanted to touch on some- part A, the hospital portion. The part B
pandemic, our small businesses have thing. and D, someone, a retiree contributes a
been faced with immeasurable chal- We just heard a number of folks get little tiny sliver to. The rest comes out
lenges. Though our recovery from the up and talk about their love and caring of the general fund. When you actually
pandemic is underway, businesses now for Israel, the Middle East, and the take a look at our population, Mr.

dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with HOUSE
face an unnecessary worker shortage concerns of the conflict. I want to do Speaker, the cost of healthcare, those
due in part to enhanced unemployment something that is a little bit different. things, then you start to realize it is
compensation payments that I have intense concern that our rela- the core driver of our debt.
disincentivize work. tionship with a fair and functioning re- The blue here is the unfunded liabil-
Each week, I speak with small busi- public in the Middle East never become ity with Social Security. So if you be-
ness owners from across my district a partisan issue. lieve Americans have the right to these

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