Virginia Foxx

Mr. Speaker, Claims · 217 wordsyesterday, the Committee on Rules met and produced the rule, House Resolution 1499, providing for the House’s consideration of four measures: H.R.¹ 1501, H.R. 9436, H. Res. 1490, and H.R. 4795. The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1501, the Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025, and H.R. 9436, the Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act of 2026, under closed rules.² The rule provides 1 hour of general debate on each bill, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Natural Resources or their respective designees and provides each bill one motion to recommit.³ The rule further provides for consideration of H. Res. 1490, providing for the condemnation and denouncement of socialism in all its forms, and for other purposes, under a closed rule.⁴ The rule provides 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on House Administration or their respective designees. The rule also provides for consideration of H.R. 4795, the Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026, under a closed rule.⁵ The rule provides 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and the ranking minority member of the Committee on Education and Workforce or their respective designees and provides one motion to recommit. Mr. Speaker, Positioning · 22 wordswe have a strong slate of bills contained under this rule here today, bills that are as substantive as they are impactful.Positioning Claims · 28 wordsH. Res. 1490 makes clear the House’s strong disapproval of socialism and reaffirms our ironclad support for free, fair, and secure elections that the American people can trust. Positioning · 62 wordsThese are issues of monumental importance, Mr. Speaker. We have all seen how socialism continues to encroach upon our society, our constitutional Republic.Unearned certainty It is not some sort of ominous figure on the horizon. It is a threat standing directly upon America’s doorstep. Some will argue that socialism is a good thing and that it is steeped in benevolence, fairness, and righteousness.Positioning Claims · 34 wordsTell that to the millions of men, women, and children throughout history who have died because of socialism. Tell that to the people who lost their freedoms under socialism, the people who lost everything. Positioning · 23 wordsHistory reminds us that socialism has always been used as a cudgel against free people, Unearned certaintyas a cudgel against individual liberty and prosperity.Positioning The ask · 11 wordsIt must be denounced by this body in the strongest terms. Claims · 75 wordsThis resolution also makes clear that our system of elections here in America should remain secure, and participation should be limited to only American citizens. Noncitizens have no right whatsoever to cast a vote in our elections. We saw the failures uncovered in New Jersey, where thousands of noncitizens were registered to vote in that State.⁶ Votes cast by noncitizens negate legal votes cast by Americans who exercise their civic duty at the ballot box. The question · 9 wordsWhy in the world would we ignore this issue? Claims · 60 wordsThis is an issue that the American people care deeply about. They deserve the utmost confidence that their votes count and that our system of elections remains as secure as it could possibly be. H.R. 1501, the Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025, would work to preserve streamlined permitting eligibility for domestic mineral production right here in the United States. Positioning · 68 wordsWe are blessed to live in a country that is teeming with resources that we can harness and use to our benefit. Energy security and the resilience of our Nation’s supply chain will always be issues that we can make good progress on and build upon.Unearned certainty We can do so by passing this legislation and adding to the progress that we have made thus far in this Congress.Positioning Claims · 156 wordsH.R. 4795, the bipartisan Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act, prohibits institutions that distribute hardworking taxpayers’ dollars to students in colleges and universities from engaging in nonexpressive commercial boycotts of Israel. To be crystal clear, this legislation does not dictate viewpoints, and it does not prohibit anyone from expressing their opinions. Individuals remain free to advocate, protest, or engage in political speech protected by the First Amendment. Students can still choose to abstain from products made in Israel if they so choose. This legislation extends deference to the First Amendment by applying a successful model established by the State of Arkansas that has been validated by the Federal Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.⁷ What Congress cannot and should not tolerate is taxpayer money being used to marginalize Jewish people and undermine Israel’s major strategic partner status enshrined in law. This bill addresses conduct that is unacceptable to a majority of Americans and sends a simple message: Unearned certaintyPositioning · 49 wordsAmerican taxpayers should support institutions that foster academic opportunity and international collaboration and not institutions that erect barriers and engage in discriminatory boycotts. I am proud to author this legislation and to have worked in a strong spirit of bipartisanship alongside my colleagues to help it come to fruition.Positioning Claims · 80 wordsConfronting anti-Semitism is an issue of our time, and we cannot afford to place it on the back burner for even a second. Finally, H.R. 9436 would allow for a more thorough review of protections for one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world. It would allow scientists, fishermen, and government agencies the necessary time to study and refine protections for the North Atlantic right whale that could better protect fishing communities and the vitality of the species. Positioning · 18 wordsI will note that this is an issue that has received bipartisan support here in the people’s House.Positioning Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 7 wordsI reserve the balance of my time.Procedure