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The Leader’s Floor Lookout: Week of September 16, 2024

Washington, September 15, 2024
Here’s what to watch for on the House Floor this week:
 
Standing Up for American Women Against Criminal Illegal Immigrants

Time and time again, shocking headlines flash across our screens and in the papers about illegal immigrants committing atrocious crimes against American citizens. In particular, many of these headlines reference rape and sexual assault against women and girls at the hands of these criminal illegal immigrants – illegal immigrants who should never have been allowed into this country in the first place. 

In Houston, 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was tied up, assaulted, strangled to death, and left under a bridge by two illegal immigrants from Venezuela. In Martha’s Vineyard, an illegal immigrant from Brazil was recently charged with five counts of rape of a child – after he was already found guilty of strangulation, assault and battery on a family or household member and threat to commit a crime last year. In Florida, a Guatemalan illegal immigrant sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl in his van. And in South Louisiana, an illegal was arrested for raping a 14-year-old girl at knifepoint and brutally stabbing a man multiple times. These are just a few of the stories of the victims of the Biden-Harris border crisis. 
 

The Biden-Harris Administration has consistently failed to enforce the United States’ border laws and remove illegal aliens from our country, even if they have committed crimes, and even made it harder to arrest and deport those immigrants who commit crimes in our communities. In fiscal year 2023, 41 percent fewer criminal illegal immigrants were deported than in fiscal year 2020, and around 60 percent fewer were removed than in fiscal year 2019. 

Under President Biden and “Border Czar” Vice President Harris, over 8.2 million illegal immigrants have come across our southern border, including more than 378 people on the terrorist watchlist. Meanwhile, there are over 617,607 illegal immigrants on the ICE non-detained docket who have been convicted of a crime or have pending criminal charges, meaning criminal aliens are roaming freely in our communities.

Communities across America are suffering the tragic consequences of President Biden and Vice President Harris’ open border policies daily. We must take a stand against these life-destroying policies that continue to allow criminal illegal immigrants to enter and remain in our country.

H.R. 7909, the Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act, introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace, amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make illegal immigrants who are convicted of, who admit having committed, or who admit committing sex offenses or domestic violence inadmissible and deportable from the United States.

While President Biden and “Border Czar” Vice President Harris refuse to stand up for the safety of Americans over illegal immigrant criminals, House Republicans won’t stop fighting to protect our communities and secure the border. 
 

Holding Sanctuary Cities Accountable to American Taxpayers

Throughout the country, radical liberal ‘sanctuary’ states and cities like New York, California, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta disregard America’s immigration laws, instead putting in place policies to prevent immigration enforcement and protect criminal aliens from ICE, including refusing to comply with ICE detainers and denying ICE access to immigrants who have been arrested.

The sanctuary policies pushed by radical Left mayors and governors have exacerbated the already out-of-control Biden-Harris border crisis, encouraging illegal immigrants to cross illegally in the United States with the promise that in a sanctuary city or state, they will not face consequences for breaking our laws. 

Meanwhile, as they refuse to enforce U.S. immigration law, these Far-Left politicians use taxpayer dollars to foot the bill for their sanctuary policies and provide benefits to illegal immigrants – all while leaving American citizens out in the cold. In some places, like California and D.C., illegal immigrants even receive free health care.
 

Despite putting in place policies to combat federal immigration law and encourage illegal immigration, many of these woke mayors and governors continue to ask the federal government for financial assistance to handle the massive influx of illegal immigrants across the country. 

American taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for costly policies put in place by liberal bureaucrats because those bureaucrats are now facing the consequences of their own actions. They could repeal their sanctuary policies at any time – they choose not to. It’s time for these sanctuary cities, counties, and states to be held accountable for their disastrous policies, instead of hardworking American taxpayers. 

Rep. Nick LaLota’s legislation, H.R. 5717, the No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Act, ensures that sanctuary cities, counties, and states that provide benefits to illegal immigrants are ineligible for federal funds to assist such immigrants.

American families and workers are sick and tired of bearing the burden of liberal politicians’ harmful border policies. House Republicans will continue fighting to defend hardworking Americans, secure our border, and reinstate rule of law.
 

Restoring Freedom and the Marketplace of Ideas to American Campuses

American universities and colleges should be a safe space for students to explore ideas, educate themselves on topics they are interested in, and form their own opinions on world issues. Unfortunately, thanks to woke policies, radical faculty members, and partisan administrations, that is no longer the case.

Young people are being denied an open environment to thoughtfully engage with peers and educators and the opportunity to experience the marketplace of ideas in the classroom. Whether it is pressure to adopt their professor’s views for assignments, or intimidation by woke liberal students to stay quiet and not share differing viewpoints, fewer and fewer schools are places of free expression, instead becoming hubs of indoctrination.

Freedom of speech and the other First Amendment rights have come under attack on campuses across the nation. Speakers get shouted down and attacked for sharing views that differ from woke activists, students who speak up against the activist mob are ostracized, and, as we unfortunately saw during the disturbing pro-Palestine campus protests, students were blocked from class or intimidated for being Jewish. This is unacceptable in every sense.  

Meanwhile, accrediting agencies are going so far as to require schools to implement woke policies like diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) frameworks and critical race theory, crushing academic freedom on campuses and imposing a one-sided partisan agenda on schools that should have no agenda but education and preparing students to think for themselves.

House Republicans are bringing forward legislation to end wokeness in higher education and restore the American principles of freedom of speech and a competing marketplace of ideas to campuses across the country. This legislation includes Rep. Burgess Owens’ Accreditation for College Excellence Act of 2023 and Rep. Brandon Williams’ Respecting the First Amendment on Campus Act.

H.R. 3724, the End Woke Higher Education Act, introduced by Rep. Burgess Owens, includes legislation that amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to require colleges and universities to put in place First Amendment principles in order to receive funding, and prohibits accreditors from requiring schools to adhere to partisan frameworks and ideological litmus tests to receive accreditation.

What is happening on college campuses and in classrooms goes against the values America was built on. House Republicans are fighting to ensure American students are able to freely express themselves and have the opportunity to allow their ideas to compete without repercussion. 

Defending American Retirement Funds from Risky ESG Factors

On November 22, 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration's Department of Labor released a final rule to expand and facilitate the practice of retirement plans using workers’ invested funds to pursue environmental and social causes. The rule gives retirement plan managers the green light to factor ESG into investment decisions for the retirement funds of more than 152 million Americans. It even allows plan managers to automatically enroll retirement savers into ESG investments.

Under President Trump, retirees were protected from their funds being abused in this way by a rule that made clear retirement fund managers could not engage in ESG investment if it would hurt or risk a retiree’s savings; however, the Biden-Harris Administration chose to undermine that rule and put their political agenda before American retirees.

At a time when Americans are seeing their retirement nest egg fail to keep up with soaring inflation, the last thing that the Biden-Harris Administration should do is encourage financial managers to make decisions that put left-wing environmental and social issues ahead of retirees’ financial security, especially since ESG funds are high-risk and well known underperformers.

Americans invest and depend on their retirements for their future and their family’s future – not so radical Democrats can push their political Green New Deal ideology on the American people. Let’s be clear: Retirement plans should be solely focused on delivering maximum returns for the men and women who rely on them, not advancing a political agenda. 

House Republicans are bringing legislation to protect Americans’ retirement funds from being jeopardized by politically motivated ESG considerations. This legislation includes Rep. Allen’s Roll back ESG To Increase Retirement Earnings (RETIRE) Act, Rep. Houchin’s Retirement Proxy Protection Act, Rep. Good’s No Discrimination in My Benefits Act, and Rep. Banks’ Providing Complete Information to Retirement Investors Act.

H.R. 5339, the Protecting Americans’ Investments from Woke Policies Act, introduced by Rep. Rick Allen, forces financial institutions to focus on maximizing returns in retirement plans instead of woke ESG factors by ensuring financial institutions base investment decisions solely on economic factors and complete information is provided to retirement investors.

House Republicans will continue to stand up against Democrats’ woke ESG agenda for the millions of Americans who depend on their 401(k)s for their retirement.

Keeping Political Agendas Out of America’s Financial System

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, radical regulators have been weaponizing agencies to force their far-Left agenda and ESG initiatives on public companies, investors, American retirees, and workers through partisan policies and regulatory mandates – at the expense of the American people and our financial system.

By pushing their political views on public companies, these out-of-control regulators and their partisan mandates lead to higher costs for companies in the public markets, hinder American public companies’ ability to compete effectively on a global scale, burden corporate resources, and put workers and investors of these companies at risk.

These rogue regulators have allowed the takeover of the public company shareholder proxy process, reached far beyond their statutory authority with radical rules and guidance, handed over financial regulatory authority to global governance bodies, and redefined the ‘materiality standard.’ 

Unelected bureaucrats like these progressive activists do not have the authority to make these decisions on climate and social policy – that’s the job of elected representatives in Congress. We cannot sacrifice a strong financial system and capital market dominance for Democrats’ radical woke agenda and ESG initiative that threaten hardworking Americans’ financial security. 

House Republicans are bringing legislation to block the Biden-Harris ESG agenda and restore our capital markets and financial system to strength. This legislation includes Rep. Huizenga’s Guiding Uniform and Responsible Disclosure Requirements and Information Limits (GUARDRAIL) Act, Rep. Norman’s Businesses Over Activists Act, Rep. Steil’s Protecting Retirement Savings from Politics Act, and Rep. Loudermilk’s American Financial Institution Regulator Sovereignty and Transparency (FIRST) Act.

H.R. 4790, the Prioritizing Economic Growth Over Woke Policies Act, introduced by Rep. Bill Huizenga, prevents radical leftist regulators from inserting ESG and other partisan policy into America’s financial system by blocking regulatory overreach, fixing the SEC’s proxy voting process and holding proxy advisory firms accountable, and restoring the materiality standard.

House Republicans won’t stop fighting to protect investors and retirees’ financial security from risky ESG considerations and overreaching regulators, defending Americans’ financial interests and strengthening our financial system.

Protecting Americans’ Right to Choose Their Car

On March 20, 2024, the Biden-Harris Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a tailpipe vehicle emissions rule that places extreme standards on pollutants and greenhouse gasses for vehicles in an attempt to make two-thirds of all consumer vehicles zero emission by 2032 and force Americans to switch to EVs. This rule will essentially ban the sale of gas-powered and traditional hybrid vehicles gradually – forcing automakers to sell more electric vehicles and taking consumer choice out of Americans’ hands.

Electric vehicles are considerably more expensive than gas vehicles and much less reliable in cold weather and with our current grid stability, making them an unrealistic option for most American families. Amerians should be able to choose which car best suits their needs and the needs of their family, not be forced to choose an EV because it’s the only option left in the marketplace. 

Nearly half of EV drivers wish to go back to driving a gas car – and yet the Biden-Harris Administration are still trying to force these cars on hard working Americans. 
 

Additionally, the Chinese Communist Party controls around 90 percent of the processing and refining supply chain capacity for the minerals required to power electric vehicles, meaning American manufacturers currently rely on one of our biggest adversaries and the world’s number one polluter, China – also posing a risk to our national security.

We cannot allow the Biden administration to take choice out of consumer hands, force unaffordable options on Americans, and risk our national security by making us reliant on our adversary for power.

Rep. John James’ legislation, H.J. Res. 136, repeals the Biden-Harris EPA’s burdensome  emissions rule relating to “Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles” under the Congressional Review Act, protecting consumer choice, keeping more affordable and realistic car options in the marketplace, and preventing further reliance on China.

House Republicans will always work to ensure that Americans get to choose their cars based on what’s best for them, not the Biden Administration.
 

Supporting Israel’s Economy and Standing Against BDS Movement

Israel is a longtime ally and friend to the United States, and we continue to stand with the nation and its people as they defend their right to exist and fight to free the remaining hostages taken in the atrocious October 7th attacks perpetrated by Hamas. 

Disturbingly, some radical pro-Palestine activists and members of the disgusting and antisemitic BDS movement continue to look for ways to target our great friend Israel and work to cripple its economy, such as by promoting boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel. 

U.S. law requires imported goods to be labeled with their country of origin. In 1997, the Palestinian Authority asked if goods from Gaza could be labeled “West Bank/Gaza” or “West Bank/Gaza Strip,” which the U.S. ultimately agreed to. In 2020, however, under the Trump Administration, the State Department revised the labeling to distinguish between goods coming from areas of the West Bank controlled by our ally, Israel, and goods coming from Gaza or other areas of the West Bank. 

Under this guidance, goods from Israel and areas of the West Bank controlled by Israel are marked “Israel,” “Product of Israel,” or “Made in Israel.” Meanwhile, other goods must be marked “Product of West Bank,” “Product of Gaza,” or similar labels – not “West Bank/Gaza.” This gives Americans the power to support the economy of our ally and know where their goods are coming from. 

Recently, however, it has been reported that the Biden-Harris Administration is considering reversing the 2020 guidance, once again caving to the radical Left instead of standing with our allies against evil. 

H.R. 5179, the Anti-BDS Labeling Act, sponsored by Rep. Claudia Tenney, would codify the Trump Administration’s "Country of Origin Marking of Products from the West Bank and Gaza" guidance requiring imported products from Israel and Israeli-controlled parts of the West Bank to be labeled “Israel,” and imported products from Gaza or Palestinian-controlled areas to be labeled as “Gaza” or “West Bank,” and would prevent federal funds from being used to reverse or alter this guidance.

House Republicans will always support Israel, and we won’t stop standing against radical pro-Hamas activists and antisemitic movements.