Providing for Consideration of H.R. Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, Providing for Consideration of S.J. Res. Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title United States Code, of the Rule Submitted By the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Relating to ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Lesser Prairie- Chicken; Threatened Status with Section 4(D) Rule for the Northern Distinct Population Segment and Endangered Status for the Southern Distinct Population Segment''; and Providing for Consideration of S.J. Res. Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title United States Code, of the Rule Submitted By the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Relating to ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Status for Northern Long-Eared Bat''

Floor Speech

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Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 614 and ask for its immediate consideration.

The Clerk read the resolution, as follows: H. Res. 614

Resolved, That at any time after adoption of this resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4366) making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees. After general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. The bill shall be considered as read. Points of order against provisions in the bill for failure to comply with clause 2 or clause 5(a) of rule XXI are waived.

Sec. 2. (a) No amendment to the bill shall be in order except those printed in the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution, amendments en bloc described in section 3 of this resolution, and pro forma amendments described in section 4 of this resolution.

(b) Each amendment printed in the report of the Committee on Rules shall be considered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment except as provided by section 4 of this resolution, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole.

(c) All points of order against amendments printed in the report of the Committee on Rules or against amendments en bloc described in section 3 of this resolution are waived.

Sec. 3. It shall be in order at any time for the chair of the Committee on Appropriations or her designee to offer amendments en bloc consisting of amendments printed in the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution not earlier disposed of. Amendments en bloc offered pursuant to this section shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for 20 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees, shall not be subject to amendment except as provided by section 4 of this resolution, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole.

Sec. 4. During consideration of the bill for amendment, the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees may offer up to 10 pro forma amendments each at any point for the purpose of debate.

Sec. 5. At the conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill to the House with such amendments as may have been adopted. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit.

Sec. 6. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the House the joint resolution (S.J. Res. 9) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service relating to ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Lesser Prairie-Chicken; Threatened Status With Section 4(d) Rule for the Northern Distinct Population Segment and Endangered Status for the Southern Distinct Population Segment''. All points of order against consideration of the joint resolution are waived. The joint resolution shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the joint resolution are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the joint resolution and on any amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Natural Resources or their respective designees; and (2) one motion to commit.

Sec. 7. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the House the joint resolution (S.J. Res. 24) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service relating to ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Status for Northern Long-Eared Bat''. All points of order against consideration of the joint resolution are waived. The joint resolution shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the joint resolution are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the joint resolution and on any amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Natural Resources or their respective designees; and (2) one motion to commit.

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. D'Esposito). The gentleman from Pennsylvania is recognized for 1 hour.

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Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Neguse) pending which time I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

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Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and in support of the underlying legislation.

House Resolution 614 provides for consideration of three measures: H.R. 4366, S.J. Res. 9, and S.J. Res. 24.

The rule provides for H.R. 4366, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2024 to be considered under a structured rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member on the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees, and provides one motion to recommit.

The rule makes in order 41 amendments.

Additionally, the rule provides for consideration S.J. Res. 9, a resolution of congressional disapproval related to the lesser prairie- chicken under a closed rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Natural Resources or their designees, and provides one motion to commit.

Finally, the resolution provides for consideration of S.J. Res. 24, a resolution of congressional disapproval related to the northern long- eared bat under a closed rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Natural Resources or their designees, and provides one motion to commit.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4366 fulfills our commitment to America's veterans by fully funding their healthcare programs and benefits, providing robust funding for mental health services, and rejecting the Biden administration's efforts to insert far-left policies into the VA.

As a Navy veteran, I am proud that this bill improves the quality of life for servicemembers by investing more than $17.6 billion in military construction and family housing for our heroes.

This includes critical investments in childcare development centers, upgrades to barrack housing, and billions to counter China in the Indo- Pacific.

Additionally, H.R. 4366 includes a provision prohibiting the closure of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and also prohibiting the use of funds to build detainee facilities on U.S. soil.

As a veteran of the global war on terror and someone who prosecuted terrorists in the Iraqi court system, I saw firsthand the destruction and chaos caused by these radical extremists. Bringing these terrorists to U.S. soil is unthinkable to me, and many of these terrorists were directly involved in the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Mr. Speaker, the underlying legislation also provides important congressional oversight of the Biden administration.

S.J. Res. 9 and S.J. Res. 24 utilize the Congressional Review Act to nullify the Department of the Interior's rules related to the lesser prairie-chicken and the northern long-eared bat.

In both instances, bureaucrats from the Biden administration are placing red tape on economic development and private land use, and without warrant. These rules expose farmers to litigation and lawsuits for routine farming activities, shut down existing conservation efforts from private industry, and impose new restrictions on farmers and ranchers.

This is just another example, another instance, of far-left, extreme Democrats in Washington, D.C., making it more costly for Americans to make a living, put food on the table, and develop our rural communities.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Let's just go back and look at what has been said over the last few months. For the last few months, the administration and extreme congressional Democrats have been spreading lies that House Republicans were cutting veterans benefits. These lies were merely designed to score cheap political points at the expense of our veterans.

Let's go through a few of the quotes from extreme Democrats.

President Biden stated in May: ``Republicans in Congress proposed budget cuts that would threaten veterans housing services, medical care, and mental health care.''

It didn't stop there. Ranking Member Takano stated, on April 26, they are holding veterans benefits ``hostage, again pointing to concerns about fiscal responsibility.''

In the Senate, Senate Majority Leader Schumer stated, on March 1: ``Republican proposals would narrow healthcare eligibility for veterans and cut VA mandatory funding.''

Now we get to this week, when House Republicans will pass a bill that will fully fund veterans benefits, fully fund veterans healthcare, and fully fund all other veterans programs. This bill provides the VA $16.4 billion over the fiscal year 2023 enacted level and matches the President's budget request for fiscal year 2024.

There is no question who was and who was not misleading the American people. There is no question that our actions today support veterans. Just watch to see how many of those Democrats will vote ``no'' tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, since we are discussing the Department of the Interior's out-of-touch rulemaking decisions this week, let's talk about last week with the Department of the Interior. The Department proposed a new rule adding barriers to the future of energy production. This decision will drastically impact oil and gas investments and will raise energy costs for hardworking Americans.

Let's not forget that under the Trump administration, our Nation was energy independent, and this rulemaking will only deepen our reliance on foreign adversaries for energy.

According to a recent Morning Consult poll, 88 percent of Americans believe we should produce oil and gas here in the United States, and 85 percent agree domestic energy production counters China and Russia. Again, that is 85 percent. In addition, 88 percent believe that domestic energy production will help lower costs for families. That is 88 percent. These seem to me like pretty overwhelming numbers.

However, we have a bunch of unelected, career bureaucrats who are accountable to no one who are making these decisions. It is clear that Biden's Department of the Interior rulemaking continues to hurt our national security, our economy, and our energy independence, not to mention how wildly out of step this administration is with the American people. It is time that extreme Democrats stop the war on American energy.

Mr. Speaker, it is amazing, I guess if you say something to knock people, you just assume they are going to think it is true.

Let's talk about the facts. Let's talk about the numbers. This bill provides the VA $16.4 billion above FY23 levels. We are over the levels the Democrats passed last year. We are actually at the levels that the President wanted, that he put in his budget request for FY24. We are fully funding the VA.

My crystal ball is broken today, but I am willing to bet that every single Democrat will vote ``no'' on this bill which, again, fully funds the VA and all the programs that they are talking about. Let's just see where they vote tomorrow. It is quite amazing.

The talk about DEI in the military, under the Biden administration DEI created a recruiting and retention crisis without any reason for doing this, and that has weakened our military readiness. I was in the Navy. I lived through this.

I can tell you that DEI and CRT are plummeting our recruitment numbers. For what? From 2015 to 2020, the Army went on a witch hunt. The Army reported 21 of roughly a million soldiers were subject to disciplinary actions due to participation in extremist organizations. That was in 2020, they said a million soldiers were involved in this.

In 2021, the DOD did a study on that, and it reported that less than 100 of the over 2 million servicemembers actually participated in prohibited activity. For those of you without a calculator, that is roughly 0.00005 percent. That is what we are fighting over here.

The underlying legislation we are talking about actually eliminates wasteful spending for DEI and CRT, and puts it where we need it, in veterans' programs and military construction. It also does a lot to reverse the negative impact on military readiness and what is driving down our recruitment--just one of the many things that is driving down our recruitment.

We can sit here and talk about the numbers all day because the Republicans, we have actually increased military construction $800 million over what President Biden requested in his budget. We are $800 million over what the President wanted.

Where are we using that money? Well, we are using it in places like the South Pacific. Today, China is the global leader in human rights abuses.

In 2021, the Trump administration determined that the CCP is committing genocide against the Uyghurs. In the South China Sea, China is militarizing disputed territory and growing their malign influence.

In 2020, let's not forget that China ended Hong Kong's longstanding autonomy and a democracy came crashing down.

In 2019, a manmade virus escaped from a Chinese lab in Wuhan, killing tens of millions around the world. In the near future, the CCP plans to invade our ally, the free and independent democracy of Taiwan.

That is why I support the underlying legislation which focuses investment in the Pacific theater by providing $1.425 billion for infrastructure related to the Pacific Deterrence Initiative and $131 million for U.S. INDOPACOM. That is the Indo-Pacific Command.

Again, think about those numbers. Think about combating China and their malign influences. When the Democrats sit here and say they are going to vote against this bill, they are voting against strengthening our Pacific theater against the malign influence of the CCP.

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Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers at this time, and I am prepared to close.

I thank my good friend from Colorado for the spirited debate. I always enjoy it.

We are here today because the Biden administration wants to tell the American people what they can do, how they can live. They want to tell you what kind of car you have to drive. They want to tell you what kind of stove that you can buy. They want to tell you what kind of energy you can use to heat your home.

Now, under these Department of the Interior rules, Biden bureaucrats want to place further burdens on our farmers and ranchers, our rural communities, and economic development and on public and private land.

Instead of focusing on the lesser prairie-chicken and the long-eared bat, maybe the Department should focus on securing our domestic energy supply chains and supporting American energy independence. Maybe that is the real purpose of why we are here talking about these issues, to force this Department to actually focus on what matters to American security and the American economy.

I urge my colleagues to send that message to the Biden administration and support the underlying legislation.

Additionally, as a Navy veteran, I support the underlying legislation that fulfills our commitments to America's veterans, our servicemembers, and their families.

Let's not forget that this MILCON-VA bill is $800 million for military construction over what President Biden requested in his budget request for FY24. It is also at the President's requested level of FY24. Maybe instead of attacking these numbers, my Democratic colleagues should be attacking their far-left Democratic President who wanted numbers below what the Republicans wrote for these numbers, and, again, we are fully funding Biden's requested VA numbers.

It is simple that a ``no'' vote on this is a vote against our veterans, and that is absolutely horrifying. Our country has sent generations of heroes around the globe to defend our freedoms and the freedoms of others. It is essential that we now take care of those who took care of us.

For those reasons, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the previous question and ``yes'' on the rule.

The material previously referred to by Mr. Neguse is as follows: An Amendment To H. Res. 614 Offered By Mr. Neguse of Colorado

At the end of the resolution, add the following:

Sec. 8. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the resolution (H. Res. 178) affirming the House of Representatives' commitment to protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare. The resolution shall be considered as read. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the resolution and preamble to adoption without intervening motion or demand for division of the question except one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means or their respective designees.

Sec. 9. Clause 1 (c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the consideration of H. Res. 178.

The previous question was ordered.

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