Tim Walberg · TranslatePolitics.com

House of Representatives

Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026

2026-09-03

“I want to say more. Schools should not boycott Israel. The government should not give money to schools that boycott Israel. Students and teachers should be free to study and do research with Israel. This bill makes sure schools treat Israel the same as other countries. Jewish students and teachers are facing more discrimination. Schools should be safe for all students. Schools should not work against Israel. This bill passed our committee. Now the House should pass it. It will protect academic freedom and make sure the government spends money well. I thank my colleague for her work on this bill. I hope everyone will vote yes.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, this legislation is about a simple principle: Our colleges and universities should not discriminate against Israel, Israeli institutions, or Israeli students; and Federal taxpayer dollars should never support institutions that engage in such discrimination. Academic freedom means students and faculty should be free to study, conduct research, collaborate, and exchange ideas without boycotts closing doors based on nationality. H.R. 4795 protects that principle. It ensures that colleges participating in Federal higher education programs do not engage in certain unjustified commercial boycotts of Israel and that academic opportunities involving Israel are treated fairly and equally. This is particularly important at a time when Jewish students and faculty are facing an alarming rise in anti-Semitism on American campuses. Our universities should be places where every student can learn without fear of discrimination or hostility and where academic partnerships are evaluated on their merits, not on campaigns that target one country. The United States has a strong and enduring partnership with Israel. Our colleges and universities should not be undermining that relationship while asking American taxpayers to support their institution. H.R. 4795 passed our committee with bipartisan support. Now it is time for the full House to stand for academic freedom, equal treatment, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. I thank Representative Virginia Foxx for her leadership on this issue, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 4795. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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“I want this bill to pass. It will stop colleges from boycotting Israel. Boycotts are bad and unfair. Our government gives money to colleges. Colleges should not boycott Israel if they get our money. This bill will stop that. The other side is wrong.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4795, Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act. In recent years, we have seen campaigns to boycott Israel spread across American campuses. These campaigns have pressured colleges and universities to cut financial, commercial, and academic ties with Israeli companies and institutions. That can mean restricting study abroad opportunities, research partnerships, academic exchanges, conferences, and other programs involving Israel. We cannot ignore the role these campaigns have played in fueling the alarming rise of anti-Semitism on college campuses. It is no coincidence that some of the largest supporters of these campaigns have applauded the October 7 attacks and continue to use anti-Semitic language. The Boycott, Divest and Sanctions, or BDS, movement singles out and demonizes Israel. It rejects the truth that Israel is a close friend and strategic partner of the United States. Our universities should not use taxpayer- funded Federal programs to discriminate against Israeli students, faculty, institutions, or businesses simply because they are Israeli. H.R. 4795 would prohibit participating institutions from engaging in boycotts of Israel that are not based on legitimate business reasons. It would also require colleges and universities to treat academic opportunities involving Israel the same as those involving other countries, ensuring Israeli students and faculty have the same access to academic programs and opportunities as their peers from around the world. This is about fairness. It is about justice. It is about protecting academic freedom. It is about accountability for Federal taxpayer dollars. The Federal Government provides significant support to higher education. American taxpayers should not be funding institutions that utilize Federal programs while simultaneously pursuing discriminatory boycotts or unequal academic treatment based solely on ties to Israel. H.R. 4795 passed the committee with bipartisan support, 24-9. That vote reflects what should be an important bipartisan consensus. Our institutions of higher education should be welcoming places for scholarship and exchange, not hotbeds of anti-Semitism and discrimination. I hope the floor vote reflects this principle. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4795 and send a clear message that academic and economic freedom must be protected on our campuses. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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“I want to cheer for a bill that will spend less taxpayer money on colleges that boycott Israel.”

House of Representatives

Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025

2026-09-02

“I want this bill to pass. It will help American businesses. American businesses should get faster permits. Some people want to slow that down. That is bad. I held a hearing about mining. Mining is important. America has many resources. We should use them. The other side wants to add rules. Those rules would slow down mining. Our bill will remove those rules. That will help businesses and workers. It will create jobs. It will help our country. I want my colleagues to vote for this bill.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1501, the Protecting Domestic Mining Act, to strengthen America's security, unlock economic investment, and support thousands of hardworking men and women. As chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee, I held a field hearing in Indiana earlier this year focused on the mining industry. I heard and saw firsthand how innovation and emerging technologies have transformed mining operations. These conversations reaffirmed what we all know: America has abundant natural resources, and when producers have a fair and efficient permitting process, they can safely and competitively access those resources to keep prices down, supply chains stable, and people employed. Unfortunately, the Biden-Harris administration sought to implement excessive permitting burdens that slow domestic production, increase costs on both producers and consumers, and deepen our dependence on foreign adversaries like China for essential minerals. These misguided efforts threaten both our national security and our competitive edge by narrowing the scope of projects eligible for expedited permitting. The Protecting Domestic Mining Act reverses that course. By expanding eligibility for fast-tracked mining permits, this bill cuts permitting delays and gives American producers the certainty they need to invest, innovate, and build here at home, creating more jobs for American workers. If we want to build on our manufacturing momentum, Congress must ensure we have reliable access to the critical minerals that support a surge in modern manufacturing. The Protecting Domestic Mining Act strengthens American manufacturing, encourages job creation and economic growth, and ensures we can fast-track projects, reducing costs for producers and consumers alike. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1501 and uphold American competitiveness.

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House of Representatives

Providing for the Condemnation and Denouncement of Socialism in All Its Forms, and for Other Purposes

2026-09-01

“I support this resolution. It condemns socialism. Socialism is bad. The other side supports bad socialist policies. These policies will hurt my state. Socialism is never good. It takes away freedom. I want this resolution to pass. I want to protect families from socialism.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 1490 to condemn socialism and the dangerous policies being pushed by the Democratic Socialists of America, and, sadly, by my Democrat colleagues on the other side of the aisle. The United States, including my home State of Michigan, has seen a troubling rise in support for socialism's destructive policies and leaders who seek to expand bureaucratic control in every sector of Michiganders' lives. From defunding the police to letting noncitizens vote and seizing private small businesses, the DSA is promoting radical policies, Mr. Speaker, that undermine the values that have carried our Nation through 250 years and blessed the world. There is nothing democratic about socialism. All it is is a soft word for communism. I agree. It has never produced prosperity. It has only led to fewer choices, more poverty, and more government control, with the cruel loss of freedom and liberty. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to listen to what we are talking about, to ultimately get past the idea of stupid and get on the idea of genius in favor of this resolution, to reject this radical ideology and protect the rights and freedoms of hardworking Michigan and American families.

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House of Representatives

Putting Patients First by Strengthening Provider Accountability in Feca Act

2026-07-20

“We need to stop fraudsters. They should not get taxpayers' money. That money is for people who really need help. If fraud takes that money, it is bad. We must stop it. This bill will help stop fraud. I want this to pass. Our government should only spend money on people who really need help. We need to be careful with taxpayers' money. I want the government to stop fraud.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, families across the Nation carefully budget every dollar they earn to provide for themselves and their loved ones. When they send their tax dollars to Washington, they deserve to know that their hard-earned money is being managed with the same discipline and responsibility. The American people expect us to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. They work hard, pay their taxes, and deserve to know that those funds are not lining the pockets of fraudsters who exploit the system for personal gain. Fraud is never a victimless crime. It steals taxpayer dollars and diverts funds away from those they are intended to serve. Every dollar lost to fraud is a dollar that cannot be used to provide legitimate care for injured workers or fulfill commitments we have made to them. Congress has a responsibility to protect both the integrity of our programs and the taxpayers who fund them. That means ensuring there are real consequences for those who abuse the public's trust and preventing them from continuing to do so. It also means taking commonsense steps to strengthen accountability and safeguard the programs that millions rely upon. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 8823 does exactly that. It helps ensure that providers who have been convicted of defrauding the Federal Employees' Compensation Act program cannot continue to be allowed to profit from the very program they exploited. This is a straightforward measure that protects taxpayers, strengthens accountability, and preserves the integrity of an important program for injured Federal workers. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, stand up for responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and vote ``yes'' on H.R. 8823. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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“I support this bill. Some medical providers have been convicted of fraud. They took money from the federal workers compensation program. The bill will let the government stop paying those medical providers. That is good. It will protect taxpayers and injured workers. Cheating the system is bad. People should not do it.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8823, bipartisan legislation that protects both taxpayers and the Federal employees who rely on the Federal Employees' Compensation Act, when they are injured on the job. Federal workers who are navigating an injury deserve timely, honest, and compassionate care, not to become the target of fraud. Programs like FECA exist to ensure these workers receive the medical treatment and support they need to recover. Unfortunately, some bad actors have exploited that trust. Instead of following through on the responsibility to care for injured workers, certain medical providers have treated FECA like a personal ATM: submitting fraudulent claims, abusing the system, and enriching themselves at the expense of both taxpayers and the very people they were entrusted to help. The Office of Inspector General recently testified before Congress that since 2015, it has opened more than 320 criminal investigations involving the FECA program. These investigations have resulted in the indictment and conviction of 322 individuals and more than $1.7 billion in recovered funds. This is unacceptable. Every fraudulent claim weakens the program that countless injured Federal employees depend on. Every act of deception undermines confidence in a system that exists to support workers during a difficult moment in their lives. H.R. 8823 delivers a straightforward, commonsense solution. It codifies existing Department of Labor policy to prevent medical providers who are convicted of defrauding FECA from continuing to receive taxpayer-funded payments through the program. If someone has been found guilty of exploiting injured workers and stealing public funds, they should not continue to profit from the very program they abused. This legislation sends a clear message, Mr. Speaker: If you cheat taxpayers, exploit injured workers, and abuse the public trust, there will be consequences. Fraud should have no place in our workers' compensation system. Ambulance-chasing schemes and dishonest providers have taken advantage of this program for far too long. Today, we have the opportunity to put an end to that abuse and reaffirm that these funds are meant to serve injured workers, not line the pockets of fraudsters. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 8823 and tell these scammers that their payday is over. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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“I want to pass a bill. The bill will let the government stop paying some medical providers. The medical providers must have been convicted of fraud.”