Holding Secretary Blinken Accountable

Floor Speech

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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

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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

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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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