[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 170 (Monday, November 18, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H6029]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HOLDING SECRETARY BLINKEN ACCOUNTABLE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, over the past 3 years, 
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has withheld critical information and 
worked to conceal the truth about the decisions that were made in the 
weeks and months leading up to the disastrous withdrawal from 
Afghanistan.
  The American people deserve to know the details about the failed 
strategy that allowed the Taliban to topple the Afghan Government.
  These failures have created a crisis that once again is providing a 
safe haven for terrorists in Afghanistan, giving space to al-Qaida and 
ISIS-K so that they can train, equip, and arm themselves to attack 
Americans and our allies.
  It is time to hold Secretary Blinken accountable for this coverup and 
for the State Department to fully comply with the congressional 
investigation into the withdrawal that has put Americans into danger 
and the failures that resulted in the deaths of 13 courageous American 
servicemembers at Abbey Gate.


                   Brendan Carr to be Named FCC Chair

  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, last night, President-elect 
Donald Trump announced that Commissioner Brendan Carr would be named as 
the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
  Over the past several years, I have been proud to work with 
Commissioner Carr to help deliver reliable high-speed internet to the 
communities across south central and southwestern Pennsylvania. 
Together, we have sat down with teachers, doctors, and businessowners 
in Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District and heard firsthand about 
the hardships that occur with the lack of access to internet 
connectivity.
  We spoke to a teacher who could tell which students had internet 
access by how well they had prepared their homework assignments. We 
spoke with a doctor about how spotty connections made it impossible to 
conduct telehealth visits for patients who cannot leave their homes. We 
spoke with businessowners who were struggling to reach new customers 
and work with vendors because of slow connection speeds.
  Commissioner Carr will help lead the way on internet connectivity, 
and I look forward to working together to ensure that everyone in 
Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District can have access to 
affordable and reliable internet throughout the district.


                       Unleashing American Energy

  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, under President Donald J. 
Trump, we used the energy that is underneath the feet of my 
constituents in Pennsylvania. President Trump lowered gas and 
electricity prices and expanded our national security through energy 
dominance.
  In sharp contrast to that, on his first day in office, President 
Biden sent a clear message to Americans when he canceled the Keystone 
XL pipeline and halted new permits for oil and natural gas development.
  With President Trump set to return to the Oval Office, we have a 
chance to unleash American energy by reissuing these permits and 
encouraging the development of new technologies that harness the oil 
and natural gas that we can produce right here in the United States.
  I look forward to working with President Trump's nominee, Chris 
Wright, once he is confirmed as our next Secretary of Energy, to 
utilize Pennsylvania's energy resources to power our Nation and to 
provide to our allies throughout the world.

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