E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 117 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 167 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2021 No. 36 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was low-skilled workers. It was because the doubled from 2,000 a day to 3,500 a day. called to order by the Speaker. Trump administration restored control The number of illegal immigrants en- f of our borders and stemmed the flood countered on the southern border dur- of low-wage labor that had been sup- ing the first 4 months of the last fiscal MORNING-HOUR DEBATE pressing wages for American workers year was nearly 165,000. That number The SPEAKER. Pursuant to the for decades. Big business and big agri- has nearly doubled this year to more order of the House of January 4, 2021, culture hated this policy because it re- than 295,000. the Chair will now recognize Members quired them to pay higher wages to Every American needs to clearly un- from lists submitted by the majority Americans, but in the growing econ- derstand what this means to their and minority leaders for morning-hour omy it produced, working Americans lives, their families, their commu- debate. who had been left behind for decades fi- nities, and their futures. The Chair will alternate recognition nally began to prosper. How are American workers helped by between the parties, with time equally Now, did we learn nothing from this flooding the labor market with another allocated between the parties and each blue-collar boom? wave of illegal immigration? Member other than the majority and The Democrats that these families How are our children, who have been minority leaders and the minority trusted to look out for their interests robbed of an entire year of their edu- whip limited to 5 minutes, but in no in the recent election are betraying cations, helped by filling their class- event shall debate continue beyond them at every turn. Nowhere is that rooms with non-English speaking class- 11:50 a.m. clearer than the Democrats’ zeal to mates? How are our streets made safer by al- open our borders to a new wave of ille- f lowing aliens who drive drunk to re- gal immigration. OPEN BORDERS BETRAY BLUE main on our roads rather than be ar- The President’s executive orders COLLAR WORKERS rested and placed in removal pro- have already produced a new migrant ceedings? The SPEAKER. The Chair recognizes crisis on the southern border. One the gentleman from California (Mr. How is our Nation made safer by re- abandoned the border wall in mid-con- opening virtually unrestricted travel MCCLINTOCK) for 5 minutes. struction. Another undermines the with nations that foster terrorism? Mr. MCCLINTOCK. Madam Speaker, longstanding requirement that immi- How are our communities made safer before the lockdown left took a wreck- grants be able to support themselves by making it harder to deport criminal ing ball to our economy, we were en- and not burden American taxpayers. illegal aliens and gang members? joying one of the greatest expansions Another ends the Remain in Mexico How are our hospitals made more ac- of economic opportunity in our life- policy for those making asylum claims, cessible by overwhelming emergency times. Unemployment was at its lowest the vast majority of those claims being rooms by illegal immigrants demand- rate in 50 years. The poverty rate was dubious. Yet another effectively re- ing care? at its lowest rate in 60 years. Most im- leases illegal immigrants accompanied Why would they pursue these policies portantly, wage growth was the strong- by youths under 18 directly into the that strike most acutely and painfully est in 40 years, and the wage gap be- United States. at America’s working families? Espe- tween rich and poor was narrowing for Another grants what amounts to cially now when those families are the first time in many years as blue- sanctuary status for a wide variety of reeling from the effects of a year of re- collar wages increased dramatically. criminal offenses, including drunk pressive lockdowns? The unemployment rate for women was driving and sex offenses. Another re- Those blue-collar workers who made the lowest in 70 years. For African stores unrestricted travel from hotbeds the greatest gains during the Trump Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian of international terrorism. economic expansion are the most Americans, veterans, disabled Ameri- The worst one orders ICE not to de- harmed by reversing the immigration cans, and those without a high school port illegal immigrants for 100 days. enforcement that produced it. diploma, unemployment was the lowest That order now enjoined by a Federal Let us not forget that millions of ever recorded. judge begs the question: What is the legal immigrants who obeyed our laws, Now, the tax and regulatory relief we difference between abolishing ICE and respected our Nation’s sovereignty, won in 2017 and 2018 explained much of forbidding ICE to do its job? waited patiently, and have done every- that success. But something else was Customs and Border Protection thing our country has asked of them going on that caused the extraordinary agents report in the last month the have also been made victims of the improvement of wages for unskilled or flow on the southern border has nearly Democrats’ pursuit of open borders. b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H621 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 10:39 Feb 26, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A25FE7.000 H25FEPT1 dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with HOUSE H622 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE February 25, 2021 Without enforcement of our immi- munity, generously giving his time, en- trol of Iwo Jima. It was that day that gration laws, our borders are meaning- ergy, and financial support to many Mount Suribachi was captured and the less. And if our borders are meaning- local nonprofit organizations. flag was raised for all to see. The Bat- less, then America ceases to be a na- David’s proudest accomplishment tle of Iwo Jima would become the dead- tion and instead becomes a vast inter- was his family, especially his 56-year liest battle in the United States Ma- national territory between Canada and marriage to Marilyn and the sons and rine Corps history. Having visited Iwo Mexico. grandchildren their happy union pro- Jima during my service, I will always Mr. Speaker, I fear that is the ulti- duced. remember those sacrifices of my fellow mate objective of the left and that the May God bless the memory of this marines. only force that can stop them now is wonderful man, and may God bless his Semper Fi. God bless the Marine the American people at the ballot box. family, his friends, and all those who Corps and the United States. Oorah. f loved him. DEMOCRATS’ LATEST COVID BILL EXPANDING CIVIL RIGHTS f Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because the Democrats’ newest pro- The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. REMEMBERING RONNIE MOHR posal is, yet again, a political state- QUIGLEY). The Chair recognizes the The SPEAKER pro tempore. The ment rather than a sincere effort at gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. MUR- Chair recognizes the gentleman from COVID relief. PHY) for 5 minutes. Indiana (Mr. PENCE) for 5 minutes. Last year’s CARES Act distributed Mrs. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speak- Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today money mainly by State population, but er, I rise in support of the Equality in remembrance of my friend and fel- much of the $220 billion for States in Act, a long overdue measure I cospon- low Hoosier, Ronnie Mohr. the new bill will be allocated based on sored to expand important civil rights Ronnie was a 1966 graduate from Han- average unemployment over the 3- protections to every American. cock Central High School before re- This is personal for me and my dis- ceiving a degree at Purdue and then month period ending in December. trict. Central Florida is an area that serving in the United States Army In other words, States who fought prides itself on its diversity, compas- 101st Airborne Division during the COVID–19, took care of their small sion, and inclusiveness. But tragedy Vietnam war. businesses, and helped their citizens struck in June 2016, when a gunman Ronnie was a pillar in the Greenfield stay afloat during the pandemic by walked into the Pulse nightclub and community and a well-respected farm- being open are receiving less funds. took the lives of 49 innocent individ- er across the State. He was also a Meanwhile, leftwing States—like New uals. Our community relied on those member of my Agricultural Advisory York, Illinois, and California—are get- same values—diversity, compassion, Board on top of being a member of the ting rewarded for crushing small busi- and inclusiveness—to overcome hate Indiana Corn Growers Association, nesses. and move forward together with love. Hancock County Sheriff’s Merit Board, Relief for hardworking Americans But despite tremendous progress our NineStar Connect Board, and Hancock must be bipartisan, and it must be fair, Nation has made toward equality, too County Drainage Board. end of story. many LGBTQ Americans still live in My thoughts are with his wife, Sarah; MARCH MADNESS fear. That is because LGBTQ people his three children; and his 10 grand- Mr.