Yesterday, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Republican Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Rep. Erin Houchin (R-Ind.), and Rep. Rudy Yakym (R-Ind.), at a press conference at the House Republicans Issues Conference to discuss how House Republicans are following through on their Commitment to America. Leader Scalise highlighted how in just a few months, House Republicans have taken strong action to restore American energy independence, fight inflation, address rising crime, secure our southern border, and protect parents’ place in education. Additionally, Leader Scalise emphasized that House Republicans will continue to pass legislation to combat President Biden’s far left radical policies that have caused the crises American families are struggling under today.   
  On House Republicans following through on their Commitment to America:

“This new House majority in just a few months is off to an incredibly strong start fighting for the hardworking families who have been left behind by Washington for too long. And we are just getting started. 

“As the Speaker just talked about, we wanted to come out strong, bringing a good, bold, conservative agenda to the House Floor that addressed problems that families are facing all across America. And frankly, most of those problems that families are facing are the result of the failed policies of [President] Biden's reckless spending, radical extreme regulations, continuing to just want to appease the radical left at the expense of lower income families who are paying more for everything that they have to buy to live their lives. 

“So we said we were going to address inflation when we ran and rolled out the Commitment to America. We were going to focus on lowering energy costs. We were going to address our open southern border so that we can actually have security again at the border. We said we're going to fight for those parents who want to have a say in their kids' education and who deserve nothing less. And we talked about dealing with crime all across communities in America. And on every one of those points, we've already been taking strong action.” 

On H.J. Res. 26 and protecting communities from soft-on-crime policies:

“We've had a number of bills passed through the House and go over to the Senate. We had a bill that even some in the D.C. press called a partisan bill, that President Biden said he opposed, that said if a violent criminal in D.C. commits a crime like carjacking at gunpoint, our bill said you shouldn't be able to walk scot free and not serve a single day in jail as the D.C. Council wanted. When we said you ought to serve mandatory minimums that used to be in place, President Biden said no. 

“We didn't worry about the uphill battle that bill might have faced. We said we made a commitment to fight for those families who deserve to be safe in their communities, and we passed that bill to the Senate. And ultimately, as the Senate felt pressure from people, not just in D.C. but in communities all across the country, as they watched the mayor of Chicago get voted out of office because she was soft on crime, they said, “Maybe we don't want to be the last ones left on the wrong side of this issue.” And they finally passed it to the President. 

“When the President realized the bill was going to be on his desk, he reversed course and said he would sign it. And you know what, I think that's going to happen with a number of these other bills that we're moving forward.”

On H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights Act:

“As we're on the forefront of bringing the Parents Bill of Rights in just a few days in the House and having a robust debate on [Rep.] Julia Letlow's bill that really represents the fabric of America – parents having a say in their kids' education. When they just wanted to get the curriculum during COVID, you had some in the President's Justice Department calling them domestic terrorists and saying they shouldn't have that right. 

“When the President had to make a choice over and over again, do you side with union bosses or kids? There was no middle ground, you had to pick a side. The President over and over again sided with union bosses against kids, and parents got outraged.

“The good news is Republicans took action to stand up for those parents and we're going to have a vote on the House Floor and everybody gets to pick a side: Do they want to stand with the kids as well, who deserve the opportunity that comes with an education, or are they going to side with union bosses?” 

On H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act:

“And then a week later, we're going to bring the Lower Energy Costs Act to the Floor – a combination of about 20 different bills from three different committees, Natural Resources, Energy and Commerce, and Transportation, where again, Republicans are following through on our promises to fight for those families who are tired of paying 40 percent more at the pump when they fill up their car, or double digits more in their household electricity bills because of President Biden's failed agenda. And so the Lower Energy Costs [Act] is focused on fighting for those families. 

“I know [Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer and others in the Senate right now think that they're going to just be able to be opposed to this and that nobody's watching. Yet all those families in New York that are paying too much for their energy, I think they're going to be vocal saying, “Why should a Senator side with Saudi Arabia sending us energy when they can get our energy from America?” We do it cleaner. We do it more [efficiently] than anywhere else in the world. So people are going to have to pick a side, and I hope they side with those families who are struggling. 

“In fact, one of the things we have in that bill, we get rid of President Biden's $6 billion energy tax, when he put a tax on natural gasoline that people are paying in their household electricity cost. That's $6 billion more in the pockets of hardworking families that's in our bill, bringing more critical minerals back from countries like China so we don't have to be dependent on China. We're going to continue fighting for those hard working families who have been left behind too long.”

On how committees are working for struggling American families:

“And then you're seeing the committees, Judiciary and Homeland Security, working on a border security package. You're seeing Financial Services and other committees working on a bill to address inflation. 

“This Republican majority will not stop working a single day for those families who are struggling under the weight of President Biden's far left radical agenda. There's a way to get our country back on track. The Commitment to America laid it out and House Republicans in our majority are following through on those promises to stand up for those families.”