[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 102 (Wednesday, June 15, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H5549-H5550]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       BUILDING A BETTER AMERICA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Garcia) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
President Biden's and House Democrats' work in reducing the budget 
deficit, fighting inflation, and lowering the cost of goods in America.
  Madam Speaker, it is no secret Russia's cruel war against Ukraine is 
driving up prices not only here in America but all over the globe. 
Putin's price hike has increased gas prices by $2 a gallon in many 
places since Russian troops began to threaten Ukraine, and families are 
seeing higher prices in the grocery aisles also.
  But President Biden and House Democrats won't stand by and watch 
rising costs and inflation continue to burden our hardworking families. 
Putin may raise prices temporarily, but President Biden and House 
Democrats are fighting back with key legislation, and we will win.
  This week alone, Democrats acted to lower costs and crack down on 
outrageous ocean shipping fees by passing the bipartisan Ocean Shipping 
Reform Act. These shipping fees have made goods more expensive for 
American small businesses and American consumers. This bill will 
correct this inequity and make sure that American consumers are not 
being overcharged.
  Democrats soon will pass the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act, which 
aims to lower prices for American families in the grocery aisle and at 
the gas pump by giving American farmers and ranchers the support they 
need to thrive. This bill will take massive steps, including lowering 
fertilizer costs in the field to lower prices at the grocery store; 
lowering meat and poultry costs by increasing meatpacking competition 
and capacity; and lowering prices at the pump by making cheaper, 
cleaner Unleaded 88 more available.
  These are meaningful and practical steps we are taking to ensure 
lower prices and to lower inflation. But that is not all.
  This week, Democrats have delivered for the American people and will 
continue to do so. Last March, we passed the COMPETES Act. Now it is in 
conference, and we are negotiating with the Senate. The COMPETES Act 
will strengthen our supply chain and lower costs big time.
  This bill also will help us make more products right here in America. 
We will see ``Made in the USA.''
  It also will include my bill, which has language to provide critical 
grants for maritime centers that would ensure our supply chain is not 
interrupted by work shortages and to ensure a pipeline of the future 
workforce. This will lower prices for our districts, like mine in 
Texas-29, and it will also create many good-paying local jobs for 
people in my district and all hardworking Texans.
  Madam Speaker, I am hopeful that our negotiations with the Senate 
while we are in the conference committee will soon end and that we can 
find final passage of this very critical bill because this bill will 
make sure that America competes and that America will see products that 
say ``USA.''
  Madam Speaker, one major accomplishment less talked about but so 
important to all of us today and tomorrow is President Biden's historic 
Federal deficit cut. In a nutshell, President Biden has delivered the 
largest Federal deficit cut in the past 16 months than any other 
President's first 16 months.
  You see, Democrats understand that building a better America is not 
only about today, but it is also about our future generations. It is 
about building a better America for all of us here today but also for 
generations to come. That is why Biden is on track to drop the budget 
deficit by more than $1.6 trillion this year alone.
  In contrast, the Trump administration and my Republican colleagues 
raised the deficit every year that Mr. Trump was in office.
  President Biden and House Democrats will remain committed to lowering 
costs for working families, and I promise we will make good on that 
promise. We will continue delivering results for today and for 
generations to come.

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