[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 2, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H899-H905]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            THE BIDEN CRISES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Leger Fernandez). Under the Speaker's 
announced policy of January 4, 2021, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. 
Johnson) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority 
leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Louisiana?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, once again, an opportunity 
for bipartisan work on behalf of the American people has been blocked 
by the House Democrat leadership.
  Madam Speaker, you might have seen last year, the Senate passed a 
bipartisan bill to help counter the rise of China, and we all recognize 
that this is the existential threat of our generation. The rise of 
China is something that should keep all of us up at night and we ought 
to be acting upon it.
  And you might have also seen this year that the House was negotiating 
in good faith a companion bill to that Senate bill that passed in 
bipartisan fashion last year. But that was all before the rug was 
pulled out from underneath all of us by the House Democrat leadership 
just a few days ago. And it is as if the Democrat leadership here has 
forgotten how a bill becomes a law.
  Now, look, these are the facts. There is not a mandate for radical 
legislation here. In the election cycle of 2020, what we got was a 
divided House. We got a divided Senate. The Senate is 50/50.
  The Democrat majority in the House has the slimmest margin since 
World War II, but they seem to have forgotten that. So they are trying 
to act unilaterally. They are trying to bypass regular procedure. They 
are trying to skip over the regular committee process to have amendment 
and debate to legislation. And they are defying the opportunity for 
Republicans to work with our colleagues to address these great crises.
  Madam Speaker, so we are here to remind the American people tonight--
my colleagues will be speaking over this hour--that there is a failure 
going on here and there are huge consequences to that for the American 
people. And of course, the failures are not limited to what is 
happening in this Chamber. It is the Biden administration itself. So we 
will be talking about these crises tonight.
  My colleagues will come up one by one representing people from all 
across the country to talk about these great dilemmas that we are 
facing, unprecedented crises because of the policy choices and the 
actions of the White House and the Democrat leadership in Congress.

                              {time}  1745

  One of those that we will be talking about tonight is the passivity 
that we have seen in addressing the border crisis.
  Madam Speaker, I was in my office for the last couple of hours, I got 
multiple calls from constituents back home who are deeply concerned 
about what they are watching play out on the television in the news 
every night. They are seeing the border completely overrun. They are 
seeing the number of illegal crossings at the border, which has risen, 
at a faster rate under President Biden than at any time in recent 
history. The result is truly catastrophic for the country.
  We have an historic amount of illegal drugs coming across the border. 
That is just one aspect of this crisis that affects every American. 
Today, fentanyl overdoses--listen--fentanyl overdoses are now the 
leading cause of death for Americans age 18 to 45--the leading cause of 
death.
  What are the Democrats doing to address this? Nothing. They are not 
allowing us to do anything about it because we can't move our 
legislation. So we are here to talk about this issue and to raise the 
alarm, to let the American people know what it is we are facing.
  The Biden administration is asleep at the wheel when it comes to 
their number one job. The first job is to keep this country safe, to 
secure our borders, to maintain our sovereignty, to protect the 
American people. If you are an independent voter, it is becoming very 
clear that these Democrats cannot be trusted to fulfill even the most 
basic functions of government at any level.
  Many public schools remain closed or they are operating part-time. 
Defunding and demonizing police is leading to crime in our streets, and 
many Americans can't even get their own tax returns or Social Security 
checks or veterans benefits because of the Biden administration's 
Federal Government staffing policies.
  Democrats like to call themselves the party of competent government, 
but it is obviously clear to everyone who is paying attention that the 
last 12

[[Page H900]]

months have shown us that unified Democrat control is just incompetent. 
If you put this simply, the Democrats have failed to do their job. I 
believe, we believe, we are certain, that there is going to be a 
reckoning for this in the election cycle before us.
  Madam Speaker, I thank all my colleagues for being here tonight to 
discuss this disastrous House Democrat agenda and the Biden 
administration's shameful management of our government.
  Madam Speaker, for the next hour you will hear about a number of 
crises.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Clyde).
  Mr. CLYDE. Mr. Speaker, since President Biden stepped foot in the 
White House, over 2 million illegal migrants have invaded our southern 
border, making the last 12 months an all-time record high. Even DHS 
Secretary Mayorkas recently admitted that the border is ``worse now 
than it, frankly, has been in at least 20 years, if not ever.'' Well, 
that ``if not ever'' part is certainly the truth. I couldn't agree with 
him more.
  The difference is that my Republican colleagues and I actually want 
to bring an end to this nonsense, not gaslight the U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection agents who are tirelessly working around the clock to 
keep Americans safe.
  Unfortunately, the reach of Biden's self-inflicted border crisis 
extends far beyond our southern border. Illegal migrants, including 
those with criminal records, are being transported all across the 
country. I am sure you have seen the videos from this past week of 
illegals being released with GPS ankle bracelets. You don't put a GPS 
ankle bracelet on anyone but a criminal.
  In fact, TSA is allowing illegal migrants to use arrest warrants as 
an alternative form of ID to board airplanes. This negligent policy 
defies logic by allowing criminals to fly across the country at a time 
when illegal migration is out of control and crime is surging 
throughout most major cities. We must stop this insanity.
  Shame on the Biden administration for putting illegal migrants, human 
traffickers, drug smugglers, dangerous criminals, and terrorists above 
the American people. It is long past time that we put an end to this 
chaos and lawlessness.
  Mr. President, what will it take to shut down the illegal border 
crossings? America is waiting for your answer, sir.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend from 
Georgia. You are right, the American people are still waiting, and it 
appears that they will have to wait much longer if we are relying upon 
this White House.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin).
  Mr. BABIN. Madam Speaker, my Democrat colleagues have made it 
absolutely crystal clear that they have no intention of holding 
Communist China accountable, for anything. Whether it is stealing our 
intellectual property, flooding our colleges with Communist propaganda, 
committing academic espionage, or unleashing COVID-19 onto the world, 
this malicious regime does whatever it wants to and with zero 
consequences.
  Most shocking of all, is that much of their treacherous behavior is 
being covered up by the Democrat Party, who are more interested in 
Beijing's success than our very own American success. Let's be clear, 
the American COMPETES Act is not about contending with China; it is 
about surrendering to the Chinese Communist Party.
  While our country deteriorates from skyrocketing inflation, raging 
crime, open borders, crumbling supply chains, over 100,000 American 
deaths from overdoses on Chinese fentanyl, the Democrats spend their 
time empowering our adversaries with bad policies and American tax 
dollars.
  Democrats claim to care about human rights, but they will not make 
the Chinese Communist Party answer for its atrocities against the 
Uyghurs. Democrats prioritize climate change above everything else, but 
make no effort to call out China, the world's biggest 
polluter. Democrats fight to keep COVID-19 in the spotlight, but refuse 
to hold a single hearing about the virus' origins. Shameful. The list 
goes on and on.

  Americans can see this is hypocrisy, and as my friend from Louisiana 
said, there will be a reckoning this coming November. The American 
people deserve better from those that they elect to keep them safe.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I am grateful for his 
recognition. The madness of this bill--it is a climate change bill that 
is masquerading as a China bill. It mentions coral reefs more times in 
the bill than the word China. Doesn't that say enough? I thank my 
friend for his comments.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. 
Harshbarger).
  Mrs. HARSHBARGER. Madam Speaker, America's drug epidemic hit a mild 
sobering milestone recently when last year over 100,000 people died of 
drug overdoses. There are 275 Americans dying every day. That is the 
highest level ever.
  My home State of Tennessee experienced some 3,400 fatal drug 
overdoses, which is a 49 percent rise from the previous year.
  Having served as a community pharmacist for over 30 years in East 
Tennessee, this is personal for me. Every one of those people are 
someone's parents or someone's children. The main driver of this 
increasing death toll is illegal synthetic fentanyl, which is 
inexpensive to manufacturer, can be 50 times stronger than heroin, and 
people can die from doses equal to only a few grains of sand.
  Most illegal, counterfeit fentanyl is developed in China and 
trafficked into the U.S. across the border with Mexico by drug cartels 
and other criminals. As a Member of the Homeland Security Committee, I 
have been to the border to see things firsthand.
  Customs and Border Protection officials outrightly admit that 
increasing amounts of illicit fentanyl being smuggled, infecting our 
communities, and fueling overdoses is largely due to the Biden 
administration's chaotic open border policies. When you have the drug 
totals up higher than what the cost is--you can get a dose for $20 on 
the street, which is unbelievable right now.
  These open border policies are effectively a green light to Mexican 
drug cartels--looking to exploit an increasingly overloaded immigration 
system--to trafficking alarming amounts of counterfeit fentanyl across 
the border.
  President Biden must take immediate action to reverse the border 
crisis his policies created, secure our southern border, and stop the 
influx of fentanyl pouring into our country and wreaking havoc on our 
communities.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman so 
much for her expertise, especially in pharmacology. This is something 
that everyone needs to recognize. This fentanyl problem is a problem 
that is avoidable.
  I said in the opening that it is a leading cause of death for 
Americans aged 18 to 45. We could stop this. This is a policy choice 
that is perpetuating this crisis, and it is absolutely outrageous that 
the White House and the Democrat leadership in this House will not 
address this issue.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta).
  Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and 
hosting this Special Order, it is so important.
  Madam Speaker, I rise to bring needed attention to the ongoing 
overdose crisis in our country that is ruthlessly taking lives. I can't 
speak on this without focusing on a major culprit: fentanyl. The CDC 
recently announced 101,263--again, 101,263--Americans died of drug 
overdoses during a 12-month period ending June 2021. The number of 
deaths is going up, not down.
  The vast majority of these preventable deaths were caused by fentanyl 
and illicit fentanyl analogs, which are 50 times stronger than heroin 
and 100 times stronger than morphine. From October 2020 to September 
2021, Customs and Border Patrol seized 11,201 pounds of fentanyl, which 
is enough to kill 2.5 million, or the entire United States population 
seven times over. This is what they were able to interdict. We don't 
know how much more got into the country.
  Fentanyl is temporarily scheduled as a Schedule I drug, but that is 
set to expire in just a few weeks on February 18. Congress must act to 
provide a permanent solution.

[[Page H901]]

  That is why I am co-leading legislation with my friend, the gentleman 
from the Ninth District of Virginia. Our bill, the HALT Fentanyl Act, 
would permanently schedule fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule I 
and cut red tape enabling researchers to continue to study Schedule I 
substances for the purposes of identifying any possible medical 
benefits.

  Let's put politics aside and do what is right. I encourage all of my 
colleagues to cosponsor this legislation and help us provide immediate 
assistance to those in need. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
hosting tonight.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, those statistics are 
shocking indeed, and the fact that we had over 101,000 overdoses in a 
12-month period and we hear nothing from the White House about this is 
just unforgivable.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. 
Burchett).
  Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, when we come to the floor to talk about 
the border crisis, it is a lot like the film Groundhog Day. If you 
listen closely, I think you can hear ``I Got You Babe'' by Sonny and 
Cher, and it is probably echoing through this Chamber as we speak. We 
expect President Biden to do something about this disaster, Madam 
Speaker, but just like in the movie, he does the same thing every 
dadgum day--absolutely nothing.
  Two million, thirty-five thousand, ten, that is how many migrants our 
border agents apprehended at that southern border since President Biden 
took office last January--over 2 million people. Hiding among the 
massive crowds of people are smugglers working for drug cartels. They 
are smuggling in children for all kinds of deviant things. In 2021, 
over 860,000 pounds of drugs were confiscated from smugglers. More 
concerning are the smugglers who are not caught.
  Fentanyl is among the drugs flooding through the gaps in our southern 
border. Just a tiny amount of this drug--as small as a pinhead--is 
enough to kill everyone in this Chamber right now. Opioid-related 
deaths in the United States topped over 100,000 for the first time last 
year. 100,000 souls lost. Experts believe fentanyl is responsible for 
this tragic milestone.

                              {time}  1800

  There should be severe punishments for fentanyl trafficking and 
smuggling this stuff across our borders.
  The Fentanyl Trafficker Elimination Act, legislation I recently 
introduced, oddly enough, sends a clear message to these cartel thugs 
about their fate if they are caught. Under my bill, convicted smugglers 
would be locked up in an American prison for the rest of their lives.
  More Americans will overdose on fentanyl and die if nothing is done 
to deter drug smuggling activity or secure our southern border, Madam 
Speaker, and our Vice President, the so-called border czar, is, 
frankly, a joke.
  Time is not on our side. President Biden cannot waste another day 
ignoring the border crisis.
  Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his, as always, more than a 
lackluster attempt at governing.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for 
keeping me humble.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson), who is the Republican leader on the House 
Agriculture Committee.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman 
for leading the Special Order.
  Madam Speaker, President Biden is devastating Pennsylvania families. 
One year into Joe Biden's Presidency, Pennsylvania voters are concerned 
about the highest inflation in over 39 years, decreasing real wages, 
and a supply chain in crisis.
  Rising prices are causing families in Pennsylvania to shell out an 
average of $3,500 extra a year just to maintain their same standard of 
living. It is an inflation tax that disproportionately hurts lower 
income households.
  The supply chain issue fueled by Joe Biden's inaction is affecting 
Pennsylvanians in every corner of the State. Even Vice President Kamala 
Harris admitted that these crises are ``a big issue for western 
Pennsylvania, throughout the Nation, and actually a global issue.''
  Madam Speaker, Joe Biden and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf's 
policies are wreaking havoc on Pennsylvania families and on families 
across America. Their authoritarian mandates have created a labor 
shortage that is wreaking havoc on Pennsylvania's economy.
  Pennsylvania is in the bottom half of States for the percentage of 
lost jobs recovered from the coronavirus pandemic. As of the latest 
Pennsylvania State unemployment report released by the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics, Pennsylvania's unemployment rate was 5.4 percent. Forty 
States have an unemployment rate equal to or lower than Pennsylvania.
  December's Consumer Price Index rose by 7 percent compared to last 
year. This is the largest annual increase in over 39 years. In the mid-
Atlantic region, prices rose by 5.8 percent, and Pennsylvania families 
and workers are feeling the squeeze of inflation.
  Madam Speaker, Pennsylvania families and families in this great 
Nation deserve better, and it is not like better is out of reach. What 
I just shared with you are the statistics provided by the government's 
own government agencies. It is just an honest evaluation of the failed 
policy of the Democrat Members of this Congress and of President Joe 
Biden.
  Once again, American families and Pennsylvania families deserve 
better.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
that insight. He has been in Congress a while, and he has seen a lot of 
leadership come and go. But I will tell you, Madam Speaker, what we are 
having right now is causing these crises. Once again, these crises are 
created and perpetuated by bad policy choices, and it is hurting the 
American people.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. 
McKinley), who is a gentleman with a lot of seniority in Congress.
  Mr. McKINLEY. Madam Speaker, my question is: Why hasn't Speaker 
Pelosi called for a vote on the HALT Fentanyl Act, which would make the 
dangerous fentanyl derivatives illegal permanently?
  Drug overdoses from fentanyl and derivatives have skyrocketed, 
hitting a tragically high level. Madam Speaker, 100,000 people died in 
America last year.
  Law enforcement officials in West Virginia are frustrated. From 
Clarksburg, Parkersburg, and Martinsburg, they are all saying the same 
thing, Madam Speaker: Enough is enough.
  A slap on the wrist, and these fentanyl dealers are back on the 
street, pushing their deadly poison into the hands of our children.
  What is Speaker Pelosi waiting for? Close the border. Put traffickers 
in jail. Increase sentences for dealers. Keep them out of our 
neighborhoods.
  Madam Speaker, enough is enough. Children are losing their mothers; 
wives are losing their husbands; and parents are losing their children.
  How many more people will lose their lives from fentanyl derivatives 
before Congress--the Democrats--take action on this legislation?
  I will say it one last time: Enough is enough.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, West Virginia is a long way 
from the southern border, but these drugs make it all the way across 
the country, and it affects everyone in one way or another. We all know 
people who have lost their lives because of overdose. I thank the 
gentleman for his insight.
  Madam Speaker, I will go from West Virginia to the other side of the 
country.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from California 
(Mr. Garcia), who served this country so valiantly.
  Mr. GARCIA of California. Madam Speaker, the Chinese Communist regime 
under Chairman Xi is certainly our greatest opponent. His vision and 
mission is to eliminate the United States by 2050, and his investments 
are aimed toward this end.
  The CCP is not on our team, and we should not encourage competition 
from China, as the White House has stated. In many domains, they are 
outpacing us.
  In lower altitude hypersonic weapons development; in the advancement 
and proliferation of high-altitude nuclear ICBMs, such as the DF-41; in 
the space

[[Page H902]]

domain; in the cyber domain; in shipbuilding--they are currently 
building two ships per month; in the construction and networking of 
UAVs, or unmanned aerial vehicles; and in the advancement of low 
observable fighter jets both in terms of capacity as well as quantity, 
China certainly is our greatest threat.
  They are not on our team, and their progress and their advantages are 
designed to be used against us in a coordinated fashion in all of those 
domains. But the single biggest threat to our Nation is not China 
alone. It is our own weaknesses within--weaknesses from people who are 
supposed to be on our team and weaknesses from those who seek to 
cooperate and profit from the CCP's behavior that ultimately enables 
the CCP in their atrocities.
  Those who may chastise the CCP with Twitter posts in the same day 
enable them with joint ventures, small words compared to large 
supporting investments or bills such as the ones brought to the floor 
this week. This is exactly what Chairman Xi wants: big carrots and 
small sticks.
  We must disentangle all of our interests from China. But above all 
things, we must disentangle our corporate interests from China as soon 
as possible.
  Disentanglement takes courage, which is often not present in most 
boardrooms and certainly not present in our own Treasury Department. 
American corporations and our own Treasury are exchanging their own 
long-term security and our collective security for the short-term high 
of profits and business in a market they have been seeking for a long 
time.
  These corporate leaders think they are fishing in knee-high water in 
a trout farm. But in reality, the water, that market space, is filled 
with piranhas, leaches, and sharks. The bare and bloodied ankles of our 
economy and our intellectual property and technology are now fully 
exposed to these very intelligent predators.
  The Chinese Communist Party is not on our side, and our own greed and 
a willingness to compromise the integrity of our business ethics system 
in order to profit from endeavors with China are our greatest 
weaknesses and, I would say, our greatest threat.
  We cannot afford to profit from selling the rope to China that will 
ultimately be used to hang us by 2050.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, these are harsh words about 
China. The gentleman is correct. It is the number one threat.
  This bill that they are proposing and advancing right now--we call it 
the America concedes act--mentions climate change more than twice as 
often as the phrase ``national security'' in the bill. I think that 
says a lot.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. 
Rodgers), who is our Republican lead on the Energy and Commerce 
Committee.
  Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
bringing us together to highlight such an important issue, the issue of 
fentanyl and fentanyl substances that are surging on our southern 
border. We must take action.
  We have legislation, the STOP Fentanyl Act. Why it is not moving 
forward is the question before us tonight. There have been over 1 
million years of life lost because of teenagers and young adults who 
have died due to overdoses--1 million years.
  I think about a 23-year-old young man from Spokane, Washington, 
Carson, who lost his life. He had his entire life ahead of him. His 
mom, Molly, told me that all he wanted to do was to make this a better 
place. When his dad passed away, it was Carson who helped maintain 
their home. He lent a hand to those in need and did not expect anything 
in return.
  The day after Thanksgiving, he took one pill from a drug dealer on 
Snapchat who told him it was Xanax. It was laced with illicit fentanyl, 
and it killed him instantly.
  His mom, Molly, is pleading with us to stop fentanyl and stop these 
weapons-grade poisons so that other parents, other people, and other 
family members all across this country do not have to feel her grief 
and pain. She deserves justice.
  Let's help end this crisis, save lives, and pass the HALT Fentanyl 
Act.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, that is so well-said and 
such a tragic story. Our prayers go out to that family. What a loss, 
and losses like that are all over the country. Fentanyl is weapons-
grade, as Mrs. McMorris Rodgers said. It is a weapon of mass 
destruction.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), 
who has a deep background in pharmacology.
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding and hosting tonight. This is extremely important, as we all 
know.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to hold this administration accountable, 
to hold them accountable for fueling a public health crisis, and it is 
not COVID-19.
  It is no secret that we are dealing with a serious problem at our 
border. As apprehensions spike, so is the availability of fentanyl, 
which is largely coming from South and Central America.
  Fentanyl is an extremely potent and deadly chemical that is used to 
cheaply enhance the highs of other drugs.
  Early reports indicate that 2021 was the deadliest year on record for 
overdoses in my home State of Georgia. As of April 2021, we experienced 
a 110 percent increase in opioid-related deaths, and that number is 
expected to climb in 2022.
  The neglect at our border has only enabled drug traffickers who wish 
to do our people harm and make every State a border State. The Biden 
administration's refusal to act on this crisis has resulted in 
thousands of lives lost, including children. As a matter of fact, one 
of the only things to get cheaper during Joe Biden's term as President 
is fentanyl.
  I am a proud supporter of the HALT Fentanyl Act, which will 
permanently schedule fentanyl and prevent future mothers, fathers, 
daughters, and sons from murder at the hands of this lethal drug. The 
longer we wait, the more people will die from this poison. The time to 
act is now.

  We must commit to those Americans whose families have been forever 
altered by this administration's unwillingness to even acknowledge the 
crisis at our border that is quickly becoming a public health crisis.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for his 
insight.
  We were told, and we heard this morning in a briefing, that there are 
more than 140 derivative drugs that this poisonous fentanyl is being 
used with, and it is such a crisis.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Rose).
  Mr. ROSE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for 
yielding.
  Madam Speaker, Democrats marketed the America COMPETES Act as a bill 
that would decrease our economic reliance on China and ramp up our 
domestic production. However, as we have already heard, a more 
appropriate title for this bill is the America concedes act.
  Unfortunately, the Democrats employed the same strategy with this 
bill as they did with the Build Back Better Act. They used the 
legislation as a vehicle to ram all their far-left social policies 
through Congress without any Republican input.
  Democrats claim this bill would crack down on the Chinese Communist 
Party, but it does nothing to prevent them from growing their influence 
here in the United States and around the world, nor does it hold China 
accountable for their role in the COVID-19 pandemic.
  The America concedes act does more to answer the Democrats' radical 
social agenda and further their massively expensive climate change 
schemes than it does to improve domestic production.
  Why does this bill, which authorizes or appropriates hundreds of 
billions of dollars, include $2 billion in foreign aid to combat 
climate change or $8 billion for the United Nations Green Climate Fund?
  These provisions, along with many others, have nothing to do with our 
economy but everything to do with Democrats' obsession with furthering 
their leftwing agenda. This bill is just another attempt to move toward 
changing our great Nation into a mythical socialist utopia.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to 
stop thinking about their woke political agendas and start focusing on 
getting our economy back on track.

[[Page H903]]

  

  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend so much 
for highlighting that. As Mr. Rose said, there is $10.3 billion in this 
bill for climate funding over the next 2 fiscal years. But there is 
also $2 billion in there for a climate program, and it is authorized 
every fiscal year with no sunsets--no sunsets.
  I know that upsets my good friend, Mr. Grothman.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. 
Grothman).

                              {time}  1815

  Mr. GROTHMAN. Okay. I don't know why the public tolerates President 
Biden's energy policy. Okay. I think the policy is predicated on the 
idea that we have some new or booming pollution problem in this 
country, and that is just not true.
  I particularly ask young people to pull up pictures of Pittsburgh, 
Pennsylvania, or Los Angeles, California, 50 years ago, and you will 
see how much better things are than they were a relatively short period 
of time ago. The overall air pollution in this country in the last 40 
years has fallen 73 percent.
  Meanwhile, in the last 10 years, carbon dioxide, which everybody 
likes to talk about, has fallen 7 percent. At the same time, 
CO2 emissions in China went up 38 percent and, in India, 
they went up 56 percent.
  Right now, what is going on is our European allies make it that much 
more expensive to produce any energy. Steel plants are flooding to 
India and China, and China isn't backing off. They are making 43 new 
coal-fired power plants, as we speak.
  So what is the net result of chasing energy-related jobs out of this 
country and out of western Europe? It means the metal-producing 
foundries are headed to other countries with their jobs. And as the 
U.S. and Europe becomes economically weaker, those jobs go to higher 
polluting countries like India and China. And the clean countries with 
the clean air and clean water, like the United States, get penalized.
  So it is time to treat U.S. as number one again; for President Biden 
to change his energy policies; and get some more of that good air 
pollution-free or almost free plants in the United States, and not have 
the manufacturing done in the polluting countries of India and China.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, what great points. I thank 
my friend for highlighting the problem. These energy policies from this 
White House are not only making fuel more expensive, more expensive for 
every American to put gasoline in their vehicle; it is also harming the 
environment, harming American interests, and benefitting China and 
India. What an incredible thing.
  Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield to the gentleman from Utah 
(Mr. Owens).
  Mr. OWENS. Madam Speaker, the so-called America COMPETES Act is not a 
genuine attempt to hold Communist China accountable for its aggressions 
toward American security and prosperity.
  If you ask the Democrats, they will say this bill takes strong action 
to combat the Chinese Government. But in reality, this bill includes 
zero measures to hold Communist China accountable for the cover-up of 
COVID-19, human trafficking, torture, forced sterilization, or slave 
labor. Yes, slavery is alive and well today in Communist China.
  This bill provides no resources to enforce our sanction laws or 
increase our military strength. It omits provisions on export controls, 
security assistance, to our allies, and it fails to curtail Communist 
China's military modernization and weapons development.
  If there was ever a bipartisan issue, this should be it. This $325 
billion, 3,000-page do-nothing bill developed behind closed doors fails 
in multiple ways to protect America's interests.
  I call upon my colleagues to support meaningful legislation that will 
achieve enforceable laws and show real results.
  This should be called the America concedes act; no question; another 
spend and waste of taxpayer money.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for those 
comments. He is exactly right. If the Democrats are serious about 
countering China, they would have worked across the aisle. They would 
have worked in a bipartisan fashion. They would have sent some of our 
bipartisan legislation to a committee to work out real solutions.
  But instead, they are trying to jam together this massive package 
full of partisan wish list items that they know the American people 
don't want, and we don't need, and we are not going to have any part of 
it.
  Madam Speaker, I am happy to yield next to the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser).
  Mr. MEUSER. Madam Speaker, I thank my very good friend from Louisiana 
for his leadership.
  Madam Speaker, the Biden administration has created a crisis at our 
southern border. And instead of addressing the problem, they are 
empowering it.
  The administration has been flying illegal immigrants into my home 
State of Pennsylvania and across the United States on ``midnight 
express flights'' in the middle of the night. HHS has conducted these 
flights with zero forewarning in order to facilitate the Biden 
administration's open border policies.
  After meeting with the Biden administration, Madam Speaker, regarding 
these flights, I was told--this is incredulous, but I was told it is 
simply a coincidence that each one of these flights came in in the dark 
of night.
  Madam Speaker, I was born at night, but it wasn't last night. I 
questioned that answer. And when questioned regarding these specifics, 
the administration refused to answer.
  This is not right, and the American people deserve better. To address 
this, I will be introducing the Immigration Transparency and Transit 
Notification Act, which will bring light to this process, ensuring that 
the States have a say.
  This bill will:
  Number 1, require DHS and HHS to notify the appropriate Federal, 
State, and local officials of the placement and transportation of 
illegals in their State before the process begins.
  Number 2, grant Governors an opportunity to question the placement of 
illegals in their States.
  Number 3, ensure the safety of unaccompanied minors from human 
trafficking by requiring agencies to provide information about the 
sponsors of where these young people are being placed to the Governor 
and other relevant officials.
  Madam Speaker, it is time for Congress, all of Congress, Republicans 
and Democrats, to act. We must control the southern border and take 
control of the crisis that is truly deteriorating our country.

  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
highlighting that critical issue. That is a big part of the border 
crisis that all these illegals are being brought to cities near you.
  My hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana, has had dozens of busloads of 
people dropped off over the last year. They send me a notice from ICE 
because I demanded it. But this legislation is so important because 
everyone needs to know what is happening right under our noses.
  Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield to the gentleman from Kentucky 
(Mr. Guthrie).
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Louisiana for 
yielding.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to address the rising number of drug 
overdoses. It is one of our greatest public health threats, and illicit 
fentanyl is the main driver.
  The class-wide ban of fentanyl analogs expires February 18, and if 
Congress does not act to extend the ban on fentanyl analogs, many of 
these illicit drugs would essentially become street legal.
  For context, fentanyl analogs have been found to be four to five 
times more potent than fentanyl, and fentanyl is 50 times stronger than 
heroin.
  In Kentucky, fentanyl was responsible for over 70 percent of all drug 
overdoses in 2020, and even tragically, took the life of a 2-year-old 
who ingested opioids laced with fentanyl that he found in his mom's 
purse.
  More recently, a 13-year-old overdosed from fentanyl in Connecticut, 
and authorities recovered around 1,000 bags of fentanyl in his bedroom.

[[Page H904]]

  The purpose of permanently scheduling in a class-wide ban is to save 
lives by reducing a criminal's incentive to develop new variations of 
fentanyl analogs to try to evade law enforcement. And we have seen 
fewer new fentanyl analog encounters during this ban.
  I am working to permanently schedule fentanyl analogs by passing the 
HALT Fentanyl Act. And I am disappointed that today the Democrats 
blocked consideration of the HALT Fentanyl Act.
  Now is not the time to scale back our fight against these deadly 
drugs. We need to permanently schedule fentanyl analogs and secure our 
southern border to stop these poisons from reaching our communities, or 
else thousands more American lives will be at stake.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for 
highlighting this terrible tragedy. It is just unimaginable the scope 
and the scale of this, and it goes on every day.
  Madam Speaker, I am happy to yield to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. 
Miller-Meeks).
  Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, the fine 
gentleman from Louisiana, for organizing this Special Order on such an 
important topic.
  It is no secret that our country has been ravaged by the opioid 
epidemic for years. Families and communities across the country have 
been destroyed by opioid abuse and addiction and, unfortunately, Iowans 
are no exception.
  I, and other healthcare providers, correctly predicted in the spring 
of 2020 that our actions by locking down, social isolation, and 
shuttering jobs, would lead to increased drug use, drug addiction, and 
drug overdoses.
  The Iowa Department of Public Health recently estimated that fentanyl 
deaths rose from 31 percent of all overdoses in 2016 to 87 percent in 
2021. The CDC reported that from April 2020 to April 2021, more than 
100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses, and that nearly 64,000 were 
related to fentanyl. This is up from 2,000 overdose deaths in 2011.
  These numbers are shocking and saddening, and truly underscore the 
impact the opioid epidemic has had on this country. U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection seized over twice as much fentanyl in fiscal year 
2021 than in fiscal year 2020, and nearly four times as much fentanyl, 
compared to 2019.
  Madam Speaker, 11,201 pounds of fentanyl were seized in fiscal year 
2021 alone, enough to kill 2.5 billion people, or the entire U.S. 
population over seven times.
  While it is great we are apprehending so many drugs before they reach 
our communities, and Border Patrol is doing amazing work, we know so 
much more is coming across our borders undetected and impacting our 
communities.
  I have visited the border twice and have spoken to law enforcement 
about what we can do to help them. The administration needs to address 
the border crisis as it is and take it seriously.
  I have been proud to see this Congress work in a bipartisan manner to 
pass commonsense and simple bills, like my DUMP Opioids Act, to help 
curb this epidemic. But we can all agree that there is more work to be 
done.
  I look forward to working with all of my colleagues to help make this 
country safer for the American people.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman so 
much for highlighting that critically important issue.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Keller).
  Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, since his first day in office, President 
Biden's decisions to halt construction of the border wall and reverse 
effective Trump border policies have had disastrous consequences. Every 
day, we see new videos and reports of humanitarian and national 
security crises at our southern border.
  On top of the massive influx of illegal aliens, President Biden's 
open border policies have also created an equally concerning crisis, 
the overflow of fentanyl into America. Tragically, every community in 
our Nation has been impacted.
  President Biden's failed policies have turned every State into a 
border State. This is not a rural or urban issue, it is an American 
issue, and one that requires the full force of the Federal Government 
to address.
  Fentanyl seizures increased 134 percent in fiscal year 2021. That is 
enough fentanyl to kill every American, not once, not twice, but seven 
times.

  President Trump's policies were effective. During his administration, 
Washington Democrats tried to politicize border security. Now that 
President Biden's policies have created a crisis, they are trying to 
ignore the issue.
  These crises will continue to worsen until the Biden administration 
is forced to re-implement the Trump policies that worked. We will 
continue pressuring this administration to do exactly that.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, Pennsylvania has so much 
wisdom. We are going to bring you a one-two punch.
  Madam Speaker, I am delighted next to yield to another gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce).
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Louisiana for his leadership on this important issue.
  Right now, the clock is ticking. Do you hear it?
  Our communities are being destroyed by the illegal fentanyl that 
continues to pour across our southern border and, tragically, it pours 
into the hands of many unknowing Americans.
  In just 2 weeks from now, the emergency class-wide order that makes 
it illegal to possess this deadly drug will expire, and many forms of 
fentanyl will become legal on American streets. If this happens, police 
officers will be powerless to stop this drug from wreaking havoc on our 
communities.
  We know the consequences of leaving this drug. Sadly, fentanyl 
overdoses are the leading cause of death among 18- to 45-year-olds, the 
leading cause of death.
  Just a half a mile from where we stand here in the Capitol, the 
fentanyl crisis claimed three more lives last week.
  In my district alone in Pennsylvania, over 400 men, women, and 
children lost their lives to opioid overdoses.
  Being a part of a community means taking responsibility for one 
another. By not bringing this vote to the floor, liberals in this body 
are failing their responsibility to the American people. Our 
communities cannot wait any longer.
  Madam Speaker, now is the time to permanently ban this deadly drug. 
Now is the time to give law enforcement the tools that they need to 
keep our neighbors, our families, and our communities safer. Americans 
are counting on us.
  Can you hear the clock ticking?
  Now is the time to act. I thank the gentleman for leading this 
Special Order Hour this evening.

                              {time}  1830

  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Joyce for his 
comments. His insight and expertise are so valued and appreciated here.
  This is a crisis just of unspeakable proportions. I mean, over 
100,000 people lost their lives to overdoses just in a 12-month period. 
The White House is doing nothing about it. They seemingly are 
unconcerned about this, so we have to draw attention to it.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. 
Cawthorn), the youngest Member of Congress maybe ever.
  Mr. CAWTHORN. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Johnson, the great 
conservative champion we have here.
  Madam Speaker, the sons and daughters of America are not foot 
soldiers for your party's inept, geriatric despot. They are not 
expendable pawns to be dispatched at the whims of an idiot, tossed 
carelessly around the world to godforsaken caves and bloody sandboxes. 
They are Americans, worthy of honor and dignity. The only salute from 
them Joe Biden deserves involves one finger.
  American blood is not the currency of the world. It cannot be 
borrowed, exchanged, or lent to any man or any nation. Its worth is 
immeasurable. American patriots in uniform all signed a blank check to 
their Nation, and already under this administration in Afghanistan, Joe 
Biden cashed it for 13 patriots through his reckless incompetence.

[[Page H905]]

  The path to American national security does not lie in American 
international interventionism. It lies in securing our southern border, 
not the Russia-Ukraine border.
  Our greatness is forged in our resistance to interference. The war 
lobby has no ally in the America First Republicans. We will preserve 
our strength through nationalism. We will champion America First today 
and America First forever.
  Madam Speaker, we earned our greatness. Let others earn theirs. If 
Joe Biden hasn't prostituted our preeminence to the military-industrial 
complex by the time Donald Trump returns, we will preserve this great 
city on a hill for the descendants of our grandchildren.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Cawthorn and 
appreciate his insights.
  Madam Speaker, what we have heard here tonight are Members from 
across the country, across the Republican Conference, who represent 
Americans all across this great land. They have expressed the people's 
deep concerns about the multiple crises that we face.
  We have pointed out here and made the case and presented the evidence 
that these crises are the direct result of policy choices by the White 
House and the Democrat leaders in Congress. It is unconscionable. From 
the fentanyl crisis to the border crisis to the energy crisis to this 
mockery of a bill that they are trying to jam through Congress this 
week, the American people recognize this for what it is.
  Madam Speaker, as I conclude, I would just make a couple of reminders 
about what we call the America concedes to China act.
  This is a 2,900-page bill patched together in a back room somewhere 
with no regular order, no debate, no amendment process, no committee 
hearings, no input from the other side of the aisle at all. The 
Democrats went to the back room, put together a 2,900-page bill.
  It has a price tag of $325 billion. It is filled with unvetted 
policies, partisan poison pills, and provisions totally unrelated to 
China. It doesn't do anything to address the threat from the Chinese 
Communist Party as advertised, and it does more harm than good.
  Madam Speaker, we could be here all night. We could be here for 
multiple hours, highlighting all the crises. We don't have to because 
the American people can see this for themselves. They see China as the 
greatest threat to our national security and sovereignty and everything 
else of our lifetime. They see the border. They see the energy. They 
see the COVID crisis. Everything this White House touches has been a 
disaster.
  Madam Speaker, it is time for a change. I think the American people 
will let their voices be heard in the next election cycle this fall. I 
am delighted that will happen. I would say, as I conclude here, it 
cannot happen soon enough.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from 
engaging in personalities toward the President.

                          ____________________