[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 68 (Thursday, April 18, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H2517-H2519]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ISSUES OF THE DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 9, 2023, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to look at three major 
issues. Sometimes with the minor day-to-day issues one forgets to 
analyze the major issues that I think are going to determine the fate 
of our country.
  In the last week, one more time, we got the results on the number of 
people crossing the southern border. While the results keep pouring in 
month after month, it is, in my opinion, and I think in most people's 
opinion, the most significant issue that Congress has to address.
  In March of 2024, and these, of course, all are estimates, we believe 
220,000 people crossed the southern border and stayed in the United 
States. This has something in common with every other month this year, 
and it goes up and down depending on the time of year; one more time, 
we hit an all-time record of the number of people coming into this 
country by that month.
  In March of 2024, it was 220,000. In March of 2023, it was 130,000. 
In March of 2022, it was 166,000. In the final year of the prior 
administration, it was 11,000. One more time, we see the increase from 
11,000 people coming here in a month to 220,000 people coming here in a 
month.
  We recently had a hearing on the border in a subcommittee related to 
the Oversight and Accountability Committee, and on that committee, the 
sheriff, Sheriff Waybourn, pointed out that right now about 25 percent 
of the Venezuelan prison population dropped by 25 percent.
  This is consistent with concerns raised by the Border Patrol that in 
addition to just plain taking people we can't afford to take, other 
countries are dumping their undesirables into this country.
  Does President Biden care that the number of people in Venezuelan 
prisons has dropped by 25 percent?
  That by itself should be a banner headline.
  The next thing to look at in addition to that drop is an anecdote 
from Sheriff Waybourn from Texas. He points out that someone asked a 
member of the cartels: Do they care about the fentanyl coming into this 
country and all the people who are dying?
  His quote was that they were okay as long as the fentanyl was killing 
Americans.
  Now, think about that, Mr. Speaker. This is consistent with what we 
think the worst possible motive for bringing fentanyl into this country 
is. They want to destroy the United States. China itself is playing a 
role in the amount of fentanyl coming in this country.
  The young people of this country may feel they are not involved in a 
war. They never enlisted in the Army, and they never enlisted in the 
Navy.
  Be that as it may, like it or not, you are involved in a war. As a 
matter of fact, more people are dying in the war that you have signed 
up for than in any of the wars that our armed services have fought in, 
about 108,000 people a year.
  They are dying in a war because the Mexican drug cartels and foreign 
countries that produce the fentanyl do not wish the U.S. well. They 
apparently like to see young Americans die, and young Americans have to 
realize that there are people gunning for them.
  We talked about those 110,000 people. That is about twice the number 
of people every year who die in the war on drugs compared to the number 
of people who died in Vietnam.
  Think about that, Mr. Speaker. I am old enough to remember Vietnam. 
People were dying all the time. Headlines said that people are dying in 
Vietnam. Twice as many people die every year as died in 12 years in 
Vietnam. It is just unbelievable.

                              {time}  1230

  Now, there are some people who get confused and think, well, we just 
have to take these people coming here illegally because we are, 
otherwise, cruel and not allowing enough people into the country.
  Here is something else that we ought to be talking about a little bit 
more. The number of people who come into this country or are sworn in 
as legal citizens goes up and down from year to year.
  First of all, the last year available, a total of 969,000 new people 
were sworn in as immigrants in the United States. If you break it down 
in 4-year increments--things go up and down--at least back to the year 
1910, there has never been a 4-year period when so many people from 
other countries were sworn in, in the United States. There is no reason 
to feel guilty if we turn these people around because, right now, a 
record number are coming here.
  In that 4-year increment, there are a little bit over 800,000 people 
every year being sworn in. It is kind of interesting. If we go back and 
look at the 1960s, which I remember well, normally you were around 
110,000 to 120,000. Therefore, we have gone up in the 1960s to swearing 
in about 110,000 new Americans, and now we are well over 800,000.
  That is before we add in new people who are becoming citizens by 
birthright citizenship. This is a new thing that barely existed in the 
1960s or 1970s, but in which you may have mothers fly over here from 
China, have the baby in San Diego, and fly back, and that is another 
citizen, as well. We are kind of

[[Page H2518]]

changing America more quickly, in my opinion, than at any other time in 
our history.
  In summary, when we view the border crisis, we are one more time at 
an all-time record for March. We are not being callous or cruel because 
we are at all-time records in the number of people who are coming here 
legally, as well. We are allowing over 100,000 Americans to die every 
year because of drug poisoning, and at least there is anecdotal 
evidence that the countries or the people bringing the fentanyl here 
want Americans to die. They have declared war on America, and their 
attitude is: The more Americans who die, the better.
  There is also evidence that foreign countries are letting people out 
of their jails and into the United States, taking advantage of our weak 
and uncaring President, who apparently does not consider it a priority 
that over 100,000 people die and apparently doesn't see a problem with 
having other countries emptying their jails into the United States.
  The border is the number one problem facing this country right now, 
and this body has no business taking up any other issues until the 
border is dealt with.
  Now, one of my colleagues from Texas decided to address the situation 
in Israel, and I think there is a lack of a narrative being talked 
about there as well that ought to be addressed at this time.
  People, such as my colleague, like to tear down Israel, say they have 
done something wrong, say they must stop fighting, and kind of imply 
all the way around it is not that nice or a good country. As a matter 
of fact, if there is one country Israel is probably more like than any 
other, it is the United States of America. One way we can see it is 
like the United States of America is that people from all over the 
country want to come there.
  Indeed, I was recently at a mosque in my district, and they, with 
pride, pointed out that their sect of Islam had recently built a mosque 
in Israel, of all the places in the world that you would want to go.
  There are many people who, with the whole world to go to, are trying 
to get into Israel.
  When you read about the attacks last October, you may remember that 
some of the people who died were from Thailand, and some of the 
hostages taken were from Thailand. You might wonder: I didn't know 
there were so many Jewish people from Thailand. Actually, the reason 
people are going there from Thailand is because there is so much 
opportunity there and so much freedom there that, if you wanted to get 
a job anywhere in the world, people from Thailand or other places in 
Asia have decided to come a significant way around the world to work in 
Israel.
  There were newspaper articles--we don't know what has become of it--
but tens of thousands of people from Ecuador apparently are thinking 
about coming halfway around the world and work in Israel. Why don't we 
ever hear about that?
  There was a time a while back in which Israel began to embark on a, 
perhaps, two-state solution--something they regretted. In any event, at 
the time they did it, maps were drawn up so that people could move from 
one part or the other. Presumably Arabs would want to move to areas 
controlled by Arabs and Jews would want to move to areas controlled by 
Israel.
  To their surprise, the Arabs who were living in Israel proper did not 
want to move. They would have rather lived in the new country or the 
new lines. They would have rather lived in Jewish Israel than in a new 
Arab State. Isn't that interesting?
  Nevertheless, all we get is criticism about Israel. However, when 
push came to shove and you see where people want to live, people 
everywhere--be it in Asia, be it in South America, or be it in and 
around Israel--want to live in Israel and want to live in Israel more 
than a new country.
  You look at it and say: Why aren't things better in Gaza? Has Israel 
done something wrong? In fact, Gaza has been a corrupt country. Foreign 
aid which flows into Gaza, particularly from Europe, winds up going to 
the leaders of Hamas, who may be living in Qatar and may be living in 
Turkiye and may be living in France.
  Indeed, many of you know the name Yasser Arafat, who for many years 
was the voice of the Arabs in Israel. When he died with all the money 
that he got--I don't know why he got it all, obviously taking money, 
foreign aid from around the world--his ancestors got out of Gaza. They 
weren't going to spend money there. They got out of Israel. They are 
living in Paris, France, right now, another Western country, rather 
than living in the Arab parts of Israel.
  Therefore, when people say Israel must call for a cease-fire or stop 
fighting, in fact, Israel is a very desirable country. They have every 
right to protect their country from horrible people who try to cut off 
the heads of little children. If anybody should surrender, it is Hamas 
who should surrender. They at any time, I am sure, could come out of 
their tunnels and say: We surrender. We are going to escort the Israeli 
Army through these tunnels so we see exactly what was here.
  The war would end. Any killing would end.
  Instead, people tell Israel they should stop fighting, and I think I 
know the reason for that. If you look at a parent and they have a 10-
year-old child and a 4-year-old child fighting in the back seat of the 
car, which child do the parents address? They address the 10-year-old 
child because that is the older child and the more likely one to 
understand what is right or wrong.
  I kind of think, when I see these protesters outside of this building 
every day when we walk by them, that purport to care about the people 
of Gaza, they ask us to tell the Israelis to stop fighting. They don't 
have demonstrations to tell Hamas to stop fighting.
  I think that is because they know, deep down inside, they want to 
treat Hamas like children and don't expect them to wake up and realize 
that their behavior is causing some civilians, innocent civilians, to 
be killed.
  In any event, to summarize, everybody should remember: People from 
all around the world are trying to go to Israel, not just Jewish 
people, but people from Ecuador and people from Thailand. There are 
mosques of people from Islam who are apparently happy to live in 
Israel. You do not see Jewish temples in Gaza because that is not a 
country that naturally wants peace or is willing to live with people 
other than--or largely other Arabs.
  In any event, I will call for Hamas to stop their fighting. If they 
care about their people, just step out of your tunnels and say: Here we 
are, Israel Army.
  That will be the end of a war in which, sadly, too many civilians 
have died.
  Now, the third critical issue that we should be addressing right now, 
and we have not talked about enough, is what I will call the war on the 
American family. I think it is probably the biggest issue facing 
America today.
  The war on the American family started in earnest with the Great 
Society programs in the 1960s. The Great Society programs were programs 
in which material things were given to families, not always, but 
usually families without a man in the house. Sadly, there are 
ideologies which want to get rid of families in which you have a man in 
the house, families which are self-supporting.
  The type of programs which are, not always, but usually available to 
households without a husband or a father around, are many. The big ones 
are the nutrition programs; very generous housing programs; healthcare 
programs; education programs, such as Pell grants; other cash programs, 
like the earned income tax credit.
  All of these programs require that you not work too hard or make too 
much money in order to get these programs. All of these programs have 
in common that, if there is a man in the house making a relatively 
decent wage, that family is not considered in poverty, and they will 
not be eligible for their free low-income housing or free food or 
earned income tax credit, which can result in a check of 10 or $15,000. 
You are not eligible for special cash benefits that go to parents with 
disabled children.
  All the way across the board, we seem to be encouraging the breakdown 
of the family. Now, you may say: Oh, Glenn, family is like mom and 
apple pie. Everybody wants families.
  However, that is not true. If you look at Karl Marx and his ilk, they 
believe

[[Page H2519]]

the key to destroying the West, including the United States, was 
getting rid of the American family.
  More recently around here, we had the Black Lives Matter group. I 
realize not everybody who had a sign in their yard agreed with this, 
but the founders of the group did. They wanted to get rid of what they 
referred to as ``the Western-prescribed nuclear family.'' In other 
words, they viewed a family with a husband at home as being a problem.
  I recently ran across a quote in a book that somebody gave me, and I 
just opened the book, and I came to a few lines which I think everybody 
in Congress ought to be aware of. The lines were from a woman by the 
name of Kate Millett, who, if you are my age, you frequently remember 
she was a very prominent feminist in the 1960s, the decade which really 
began to result in the decline of America. Her sister quoted her as 
saying that a goal of feminism should be destroying the American 
family.
  Therefore, one more time, we run across not a huge number of people, 
but disproportionately influential people saying that a goal should be 
to weaken the family. Then you look at, one more time, President Biden 
proposing increases in programs, be it low-income housing programs, be 
it the earned income tax credit programs, be it the Pell grant 
programs, all of which are really made for families without a husband 
earning a decent salary at home. All these programs are being increased 
by President Biden.
  In fact, what we ought to be doing is we ought to be doing the 
opposite. Right now, it is not surprising if a man is not in the house 
because, in some cases, his family would be materially better off 
without him being in the house.
  In particular, some of the low-income housing projects, particularly 
section 42 projects, are new buildings which are superior to the 
buildings or superior to the rental units that American families are 
sometimes living in.

                              {time}  1245

  Of course, the healthcare programs designed for the poor people don't 
have sizable deductibles in them. In that regard, they are, in many 
ways, superior to the healthcare plans the working poor get.
  There are programs, like I said, for college scholarships. I will 
recite, again, a quote from a gal I ran across when I talked about the 
marriage penalties in Wisconsin. I recited all the benefits that people 
were able to get if they didn't marry a man with a decent income, and I 
asked her what she thought about my speech. She told me: Well, I am 
married and have a child, but none of my friends are getting married. 
They get free college.
  Here was another program, the Pell Grant Program, designed to 
encourage the breakdown of the American family.
  It is important that when we go into the budget negotiations and the 
appropriations negotiations for the year beginning October 1, that our 
appropriators and leaders go to bat and say no more special benefits 
for making sure there is a man not in the house.
  As a matter of fact, we should go backward because, not surprising 
after Lyndon Johnson--in my opinion, the worst President of the United 
States until Joe Biden came along. It is not surprising that what used 
to be called the out-of-wedlock rate has skyrocketed since the 1960s 
and with it a variety of problems that come with not having a father in 
the household.
  It is time to look at these programs again and, rather than pay 
people to keep the husband out of the house, encourage people to have 
the father at home.
  This is not just a material matter. It is a matter of it is better 
for the children to have a father at home, and it is better for the 
father himself to be at home.
  As George Gilder points out, an author that I think we all ought to 
be reading, the number one person hurt by the war on the American 
family, be it Karl Marx's war or Lyndon Johnson's war, whatever you 
want to say, the number one problem is to men who now don't have a 
function in life.
  If you look at certain areas of our society, it is the men who are 
more likely to do the drugs or commit the crimes. If they were a father 
with responsibilities at home, I think these crimes would happen a lot 
less. I think there would be less drinking. I think there would be less 
drug abuse. I think America would slowly work its way back to the more 
wholesome, less crime-ridden, less drug-ridden time of the 1960s.
  I hope both parties pay attention to the impact of incentives or 
disincentives that their programs have on having men in the household.
  In any event, there are three issues that we have dealt with today.
  We have dealt with the border, where we hit record numbers and the 
fact that it has become apparent that we are not getting the best 
people. Apparently, other countries are emptying out their prisons.
  We have dealt with what is going on in Israel and what a wonderful 
country it is as people from all around the world, including people who 
aren't Jewish, try to get into Israel. It is kind of like people from 
all around the world trying to get into our country, but ignoring this, 
they are still subject to criticism by people like the protesters 
outside or my predecessor here in Congress who just got done talking.
  Finally, I hope the press and the Republican Party pay attention to 
the increase in benefits to families without a father at home that he 
wants to put in this budget, which I am sure if it was enacted would, 
again, push up the number of families in which, sadly, there is not a 
father at home to help raise the children.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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