WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, during debate on H.R. 3239, The Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in Customs and Border Protection Custody Act, in…

“Apparently, Chairman Nadler doesn’t think that the people of Florida—and a number of other states—deserve a voice in one of the most important hearings of this Congress. Instead, he wants to limit debate to only a #Famous11 while denying me and my colleagues the opportunity to ask questions of Mr. Mueller. The American people deserve better.”

“It is sad that some of my colleagues seek to undermine the president’s authority with an amendment that protects the Ayatollah instead of our nation’s security interests. I lost brothers and sisters in arms during my service in Operation Iraqi Freedom thanks to Iranian improvised explosive devices, and we cannot sit by as these state sponsors of terror try to acquire nuclear weapons. A nuclear Iran is a threat to America, our allies around the globe, the entire Middle East, and our friends in Israel.
Nobody wants war with Iran, but a distinction between war and protecting American interests in the region must be made. The president should be able to take timely and decisive action to protect our country and its servicemembers and this amendment subverts the president’s executive authority to do so. The president is the Commander in Chief, not Congress.”

“Since 1968, North Korea has illegally held the USS Pueblo, and it is long past due that this vessel be rightfully returned to the United States’ possession. There are veterans in my district and across our country that served valiantly on this ship, and we ought to honor their service by bringing this ship home.”

“It’s estimated that in 2018 alone, dead people received $1 billion in benefits from Medicare, Medicaid, social security payments, and federal pensions. This bill simply directs federal departments and agencies to verify the eligibility of those seeking benefits who have reached the age of 105.”

“The American family is the backbone of our nation and marriage is a fundamental part of our society that should be incentivized, not deterred, by our tax code. Ask any married person and they will tell you that the Marriage Tax Penalty is tough—it makes it harder to pay the bills, provide for your family, and save for the future, all because you’re married. This bill would change that.”

“Again, instead of helping Floridians with disaster relief, Democrats are playing partisan politics. I stood with President Trump and voted no on this bill. H.R. 2157 was advertised as a savior to disaster relief and a necessary step to funding key emergency response programs, but it was really a blank check full of wasteful spending to Planned Parenthood, a serious threat to our nation’s growing deficit, and it would not have given a single cent to the state of Florida. I pledged throughout my campaign to address America’s growing debt and wasteful government spending and stand up for Florida values and today, I kept that promise.”

“What we witnessed in today’s Judiciary Committee markup was a complete affront to this institution, our Constitution, and democracy at-large. Chairman Nadler and his democratic colleagues on the committee chose partisan theatre over public service and held an honorable man in contempt for simply following the law. “

“I’m offering this Amendment today to ensure that our daughters are provided an equal playing field in sports for generations to come, and that female athletes are not competing against male athletes for athletic scholarships and Title IX funding. As we debate this so called ‘Equality Act,’ I want to guarantee that biological women are not forced to compete against biological men at all levels of athletic competition.”

“I stand with Attorney General Barr, and I applaud his decision to not be subjected to the circus that is the House Judiciary Committee. The Attorney General agreed to appear before the committee under a certain set of rules and then Chairman Nadler changed them—a classic bait and switch. In the process of changing these rules, the Chairman also violated the rules of the House. He chose to throw out decorum to advance his partisan agenda, denying the American people the opportunity to hear from Attorney General Barr in the process. The decision of Chairman Nadler to have staff ask questions of a sitting Attorney General is abhorrent and frankly the American people should be offended their elected representatives were so willing to shirk their responsibility in the name of partisanship. It’s time for Democrats to end the circus and move on to doing the business of the American people.”

“It’s clear Representative Ocasio-Cortez has never dealt with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or relied on them for care. If she had, she would know that their system is in dire need of reform. From veterans waiting 30-60 days for an appointment, suicide hotlines going to voicemail, to the rationing of medicine and vast cost overruns, this Department is failing on multiple fronts. To say that this is the level of care those who put their lives on the line to defend our nation deserve is frankly offensive.”

“I’m pleased to see that Attorney General Barr has followed the will of Congress and released the Mueller Report. After nearly two years of investigation by over 40 FBI personnel including over 2,800 subpoenas, nearly 500 search warrants, and over 500 witness interviews, we have what the President’s opponents have been asking for—the report.”