[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 184 (Wednesday, October 20, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H5720-H5721]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  REALITY OF THE TAX AND SPENDING BILL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 4, 2021, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah (Mr. 
Owens) for 30 minutes.
  Mr. OWENS. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Gaetz).


                        Threat of Assassination

  Mr. GAETZ. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding because 
I think someone maybe trying to kill me, and if they are successful, I 
would like my constituents and my family to know who stopped their 
arrest.
  Madam Speaker, on October 8, 2021, a Twitter handle styled 
@CIABobisatyourdoor tweeted to @repmattgaetz: ``Looky here, pal, I 
lived in Portland. Portland has ordered a hit on you. I accepted the 
contract. Have a good day.''
  Following this tweet, this individual traveled to Washington, D.C., 
and the Capitol Police recommended his arrest. That is information that 
was just shared with me by the Investigations and Threat Assessment 
section of the Protective Services Bureau and, specifically, George 
DiSesso. George shared with me that the Capitol Police recommended the 
arrest of this individual and that the Department of Justice refused to 
do so, declined to do so.
  On the eve of the Attorney General testifying before the Judiciary 
Committee tomorrow, it is just yet another example of the Department of 
Justice having a double standard. If my name weren't Gaetz, if it were 
Omar or Tlaib, you bet this person would have been arrested because 
that is what the Capitol Police recommended. But the Department of 
Justice doesn't seem to care so much when it is Republicans. I thank my 
colleague for yielding to me.
  Mr. OWENS. Madam Speaker, Utah is, in the Fourth District, now paying 
more for everything thanks to the Biden administration's disastrous 
economic policies. It is throwing our country back to a 1970s economy, 
and there is no end in sight.
  The Democrats' solution? Pack far-left policies into their $5.5 
trillion spending package and tell the American people that it cost 
them nothing. It is a bogus talking point that couldn't be further from 
the truth.
  In reality, this tax and spending bill would perpetuate labor 
shortages in Utah and across the country, which will harm economic 
recovery and hurt families in my district; violate Americans' financial 
privacy by increasing IRS access to our personal bank data;

[[Page H5721]]

and it will also mandate financial services providers to report 
financial transactions of $200 per week or greater. The IRS has no 
business tracking the checking accounts of Americans.
  They will also reduce our country's energy independence, causing gas 
prices to skyrocket nationwide, now, by the way, hitting record numbers 
in Utah.
  It will impose devastating taxes on small businesses as they attempt 
to get back on their feet.
  President Biden and Democrats in Congress want to use this trillion-
dollar spending bill to fundamentally reimagine our country's economy, 
and they are going to raise taxes on the middle class to make it 
happen. That means higher prices for families at the gas pump, in the 
grocery store, and everywhere in-between and the highest inflation 
levels we have seen in over 30 years.
  This fiscally irresponsible spending spree places a staggering debt 
on the next generation of Americans and leaves our country's economy 
worse off.


                         Honoring Taylor Hoover

  Mr. OWENS. Madam Speaker, 31-year-old United States Marine Corps 
Staff Sergeant Taylor Hoover from Utah was killed in the line of duty 
on August 26 by a suicide bomber in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was taken 
too soon, heroically assisting the evacuation efforts of U.S. citizens 
and Afghan allies.
  In his faithful service to others, Sergeant Hoover and the 12 other 
servicemembers who were lost on that tragic day embodied the military's 
core values: honor, courage, and commitment.
  I pray that they find solace in his memory and healing in the love of 
their family and friends. From Hillcrest High School and all the way to 
Arlington National Cemetery, I know this tragic loss will be felt by 
many.
  We will never forget the sacrifice and service of Sergeant Taylor 
Hoover. God bless the Hoover family and all of our Nation's Gold Star 
families.
  Honoring Todd Grossgebauer
  Mr. OWENS. I would like to honor a true public servant and a Utah 
hero, Commander Todd Grossgebauer, who lost a hard-fought battle 
against cancer over this last summer.
  Todd was the second employee hired by the Riverton, Utah, police 
department. He also served the Provo Police Department for 26 years. He 
studied at the FBI National Academy. He was a patrol division watch 
commander and instructor at UVU's Law Enforcement Academy.
  Todd and all of our brave men and women in law enforcement put their 
lives on the line every single day to protect our communities. They 
truly are hometown heroes.
  As we reflect on and honor the sacrifices of our law enforcement 
officers, I pledge to always back the blue. I am thinking of Todd today 
and praying for his wife, Brenda, and their entire family.


                           Honoring Brent Jex

  Mr. OWENS. Mr. Brent Jex is a retired police detective of 20 years in 
the West Jordan Police Department and served as president of the Utah 
Fraternal Order of Police since 2012.
  As a member of Utah's Joint Criminal Apprehension Team, Brent has 
participated in the arrest of the most dangerous and notorious 
criminals in the Intermountain West. But even more impressive is his 
dedication to advocating for our men and women in uniforms' mental 
health.
  Right now, even more than ever, our officers are under scrutiny and 
stress that none of us can imagine. They have a voice with Brent as the 
president of FOP.
  Referring to mental health treatment, Brent has said, ``Before I 
thought it was a sign of weakness to have to go seek treatment. 
Afterward, I realized that it is a sign of weakness not to.''

  Brent represents the best of us. He is an invaluable member of the 
law enforcement community and the State of Utah as a whole.
  Brent, thank you for all you have done and all you do to keep our 
community safe.


                    Honoring Utah's Small Businesses

  Mr. OWENS. Madam Speaker, like many industries across the country, 
the COVID-19 pandemic took an unyielding toll on small businesses. Over 
the past several months, I have had the pleasure of visiting hundreds 
of small businesses across my district to hear firsthand how they are 
coping through economic recovery. One thing is for certain: Utahns are 
innovative.
  Owlet, located in Lehi, is saving countless lives across the country 
with its in-home monitoring system for prenatal and newborn babies.
  Greek House is a family-owned and -operated restaurant in 
Taylorsville, currently celebrating its first birthday in Utah's Fourth 
District.
  Local advanced manufacturing companies like Hexcel Company, Rock West 
Composites, Inc., and Advanced Composites Inc., are leading in the 
defense, commercial, and aerospace industries.
  Neuroxorx in Sandy is providing innovative long-term physical, 
occupational, and speech therapy for adults and children affected by 
paralysis.
  Grifols in Salt Lake City is a small plasma donation center that 
helps save and improve lives across the country.
  These companies and everything in-between perfectly showcase the 
innovative and service-oriented spirit of Utah's Fourth District. They 
think big and bold in their pursuit of excellence.
  To every small business in every corner of Utah's Fourth District, 
thank you for all you do to save our State.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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