are trump appointed judges who are approving asylum because people meet that standard. that is a crucial thing to understand. whether or not there should be additional restrictions on asylum, whether the asylum system needs to change because of the number of people arriving at the u.s.-mexico border, that is a point of political debate. i think across the aisle, left, right, and center, i think people see value in providing options for safety and protection for people who are fleeing instability. i would point out venezuela is not a country the u.s. typically has strong relations with. it is also a country that faces tremendous instability. in fact, there are more of it is wayland seeking asylum now and facing deportation than people from mexico and central america at this point. the largest number in the immigration court backlog has been from venezuela.

>> we are going to take you live to the house floor where mother -- numbers are expected to consider bills related to land conservation and consider a bill of marjorie taylor greene's to consider ill had omar that representative ellen omar for century. -- censure. [captioning made possible by th, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.] the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the chair lays before the house a communication from the

speaker. pursuant to the order of the house -- the clerk: the speaker's rooms, washington, d.c. february 5, 2024. i hereby appoint the honorable jerry l. carl to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, mike johnson, speaker of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the order of the house of january 9, 2024, the chair will now recognize members from lists submitted by the minority and majority leaders from the morning hour debate. the chair will alternate recognition between the parties with time equally allotted between parties and each member, other than the majority and minority leaders and the minority whip, limited to five minutes, but in no event shall debate continue beyond 1:50 p.m. the chair recognize thes the gentleman from pennsylvania -- recognize thes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. joyce --

recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. joyce, for five minutes. mr. joyce: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, last night the senate released a text of legislation that would do irreparable harm to our border security. by announcing a plan that permits thousands of illegal immigrants to enter the united states and creates new eaves for asylum -- avenues for asylum, this is a bill that will only make our nation more dangerous. incentivizing more illegal immigration will not address the crisis that has been created in border communities like eagle pass, texas, or in major cities like new york, where schools have been forced to close in order to house undocumented migrants. since joe biden took office, there have been more than eight million illegal border crossings and 1.7 million known getaways that have evaded our border

patrol agents. this massive surge has led to border patrol agents being forced to suspend vehicle inspections and patrols in order to handle the influx. leading to more opportunities for cartels to bring dangerous drugs like heroin, methamphetamines and fentanyl into the united states. it is clear that these issues are not being addressed by homeland security secretary mayorkas and that his policies have contributed to a national security crisis. despite clear evidence that his refusal to comply with the law has led to unprecedented levels of illegal immigration, secretary mayorkas has implemented a catch and release scheme, violating detention requirements and misusing parole authority. it's clear that the house must act to impeach secretary

mayorkas and finally hold the biden administration accountable for putting american lives at risk by allowing an open southern border. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes -- joyce mr. speaker. mr. speaker, -- mr. joyce: mr. speaker. mr. speaker, during his first year in office, president biden canceled the keystone x.l. pipeline, a decision that caused oil prices to rise and cost over 16,000 american jobs. this decision was only the beginning of a sustained attack on american energy producers that the biden administration has continued to carry outer each and every day. during his time in office, president biden has ordered our strategic petroleum reserve drained by over 40%. this reserve is meant to be used in case of a national security crisis, not to score cheap political points ahead of an

election. it's time to stop playing politics with our nation's energy. this week the house will vote on h.res. 987, which condemns the harmful and anti-american energy policies that have become the hallmark of joe biden's presidency. it's time to put an end to the failed energy policies that have led to higher prices at the gas pump across the entire united states. and it is time for joe biden to focus on returning to american energy dominance instead of continuing to dismantle our energy infrastructure, an infrastructure that is so vital to the strength of america. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield. the speaker pro tempore: the chair now recognizes the gentleman from connecticut, mr. larson, for five minutes. mr. larson: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i come to the floor today to talk about america's

number one anti-poverty program for the elderly and the number one anti-poverty program for children. that program is social security. our nation's number one insurance plan. and currently it's under siege. both senator wyden and president biden have, i think, rightly said that what this amounts to is a buzz word for cuts to social security, a fiscal commission that's designed to have backroom meetings without hearings, unamendable, and yet bring to both floors of the house and senate an up or down vote. put together by 16 people, four of whom have no vote and six from the senate, six from the house, only seven votes required to pass a bill that goes

directly to the floor for a vote. that is an abomination and dereliction of duty on behalf of the house and the senate. and i strongly oppose it. it's been 53 years since congress has enhanced social security. these are your brothers and sisters, your family members, your neighbors, the people you go to church with. this money comes directly back to every single congressional district and your community and goes to help people. the average social security check is $18,000 for a male, $14,000 for a female. and there are five million of our fellow americans who get below poverty level checks from the government. below poverty level checks. because congress hasn't taken the responsibility. we have a plan to change that.

we put our plan out on the floor. contrast that with a behind-closed-doors study. how about we do something for the american people like vote, mr. speaker, vote on something that is essential to their livelihood. as you know, mr. speaker, social security isn't just a pension plan. more veterans rely on social security disability than they do on the v.a. and spousal and dependent coverage as well that we're providing. even president trump has gone so far as to criticize nikki haley and say, hey, listen, this idea of raising the age, which the republican study committee calls for, is cutting benefits in social security. you listen to donald trump on everything else, let us hope that you understand what he's talking about here in terms of gutting social security and

causing across-the-board cuts to a vital, vital program that every single american needs. mr. speaker, there are also more than 28 million americans who the only benefit that they have in retirement will be social security. it is an outrage that this body in the house and in the senate have not taken up social security, both to improve its solvency and also to enhance its benefits. we have a program that does that. a 2% across-the-board increase for everyone. lifts five million americans out of poverty who have paid into a system all their lives and get below poverty level checks from

the government because of congress' inaction. it repeals for teachers and firefighters and municipal employers. it will provide a tax break for more than 23 million americans. and it does so by simply lifting the cap on people over $400,000. and what does that do? it pays for all of these benefits and also extends solvency well into the future. that's what we should be doing as a body. we don't need to study social security. we know what this program does. if you can hon list and go -- honestly go home and look in the fellow -- look any fellow citizen in the eye and tell them we don't need to improve social security, we need to study it, god bless you. but what we need here is a vote on social security 2100, to make

sure that we're enhancing benefits for the citizens we're sworn to serve. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from tennessee, mr. rose, for five minutes. mr. rose: mr. speaker, i rise today to shed light on the ongoing war against american energy producers. the biden administration recently announced a pause on all pending nonfree trade tbreement export per -- agreement export permission applications for projects. this policy will no doubt have a negative impact on job growth, economic development and energy exploration, but it will also empower america's adversaries. by you are with tailing our energy dominance -- by curtailing our energy dominance, we're making our economy and the world more dependent on

countries like russia and iran for energy production. for obvious reasons, we should want to do everything within our power to hinder, not help, their cash flow. but this is more than a strategic failure. it's also contrary to the goal of reducing carbon emissions. we know that american natural gas is cleaner than that of many other producers, especially russia. in fact, our natural gas is 41% cleaner. the benefit of exporting more, not less, energy would remove hundreds of tons of emissions from entering the atmosphere and it would also pose an economic benefit here at home. this isn't a problem just for the natural gas industry. all of america's energy producers, putting aside the renewable sector, have taken negative regulatory hits from the biden administration. and we've seen energy prices soar as a result.

on the campaign trail in 2019, then-candidate biden vowed to end fossil fuels. this helps explain why he killed the keystone x.l. pipeline on his first day in office. it also explains why he went on to put a moratorium on new oil and gas leases, on public lands, and raised taxes by nearly $150 billion on oil and gas producers. for those who don't remember, this anti-energy agenda resulted in the president of the united states begging opec to increase their supply. it's an important -- it's important to note that we were not just energy independent during the trump administration. mr. speaker, we were energy dominant. and a net oil exporter. gas prices averaged just $2.39 per gallon the day president biden was inaugurated. today the average is $3..15. but let's not forget, as a

direct result of this anti-american energy agenda, gas prices reached an all-time high of $5 per gallon in june of 2022. the president is also responsible for the largest ever drawdown from our strategic petroleum reserve. 180 million barrels of oil over six months. our reserve is supposed to be used for adverse events like weather or national security emergencies, not to combat bad policy and harmful regulations from a misguided whrows -- white house. that reserve, which is now depleted by more than 40%, is at its lowest level since the early 1980's, when i was in high school. in addition to the pause on natural gasper mitts -- gas permits during his administration, the president announced he would no longer hold court-ordered offshore oil and gas lease sales in the gulf of mexico and alaska.

this is an assault on domestic energy producers, destroys any eventtives for investment, growth -- incentive for investment, growth and will continue to lead to price volatility at -- volatility at home and around the world. this causes a pinch for families, which is why one of the first things we did after taking the majority in 2023 was to pass h.r. 1, the lower energy costs act. h.r. 1 makes sense to most people. it's not radical or extreme. it would unleash american energy and get government out of the way by reforming our permitting system and removing red tape. it fosters more economic growth and job creation while lowering prices for american families. yet this administration seems committed to doing the opposite. since president biden's inauguration, his administration has finalized 812 new

regulations, costing the u.s. economy about $451 billion in compliance costs annually, and requiring 283 million hours of additional compliance paperwork by american workers. i continue to support an all-of-the-above i continue to support an all of the above energy approach to fuel our economy. at a time when prices are still hurting families -- the gentleman's time has expired -- joy the gentleman's time has expired. mr. rose: we should be unleashing, not overregulating -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the chair recognizes the gentleman from guam, mr. moylan, for five minutes. mr. moylan: mr. speaker, i rise today to congratulate the 2023 guam business magazine executive of the year, mr. david alcorn.

in 1975, dave moved from hawaii to guam to help launch king's restaurant. 10 years later alcorn and his wife bought the restaurant and became the owners of what is today one of the most successful local restaurant chains. after his success with kings, dave and his wife incorporated global food service, or g.f.s. in 2003 and began contracts with several entities, including the department of defense, the guam naval hospital, and the guam department of education. today g.f.s. is one of the largest food service contractors in guam, and is responsible for nourishing thousands of people on a day-to-day basis. over the years, through his leadership, g.f.s. expanded to

bring the national ruby tue tuesday's restaurant to guam. and opened domino's pizza inside the military installation. in guam, cuisine is large part of our culture. and dave has the immense job of bringing people together through this shared act of breaking bread. dave's dedication, hard work, and determination are vital qualities that emphasize the entrepreneurial spirit on guam and our nation. guam is the embodiment of the american dream. and a display of these qualities anyone can succeed. dave is certainly living the american dream. on behalf of a proud island and nation, i send. secretary mayorkas: sincerest congratulations to mr. david alcorn. his wife, and staff and management of kings and many

entities under global food services. for this momentous accomplishment, thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. lalota, for five minutes. mr. lalota: thank you, mr. speaker. sending federal dollars to new york city to pay for hotels and other free stuff for migrants will only make new york's migrant crisis worse. that is why i have offered the no bailout for sanctuary cities act. my commonsense bill would provide that sanctuary jurisdictions like new york city that refuse to cooperate with federal law enforcement such as i.c.e. are ineligible for federal funds intended to benefit such noncitizen aliens. mr. speaker, the migrants aren't coming to new york city for the warm weather or the broadway shows. the reason migrants are coming to new york city, 10,000 per, iy

laws and all the free stuff, clothing, and health care. the new york city mayor gives a heck after lot of free stuff to migrants. mr. speaker, it's not free. it's all paid for by lawful citizens. hardworking taxpayers. and just a few days ago, mr. speaker, it was revealed that new york city's giving out $53 million worth of credit cards to migrants. new york city democrats are literally incentivizing migrants to come to new york city and fayneing frustration -- fayneing frustration when they do so. the governor is doubling down. she's giving more free stuff to migrants. all the while she proposes to cut funding from 44 long island school districts. it's these backwards wrong and self-defeating policy choices

which will only make the migrant crisis worse. if we as a country want to secure the border and have cities without migrant crises, we need to remove the incentives which are causing it. no more free stuff. and until new york refeels peals its short sight the and self-defeating policies which incentivize new york's migrant crisis, it should not be entitled to federal funds for the migrant crisis its policies are creating. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from arizona, mr. ciscomani. mr. ciscomani: mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize cutter. a remark a recipient of the congressional youth award in our district. established by congress in 1979 stands as the highest honor

conferred upon young individuals by the senate and the house of representatives. i was thrilled to honor him for this award anti-hard work that led to this recognition. cutter has accumulated over 200 volunteer hours, including a noteworthy eagle scout project that involved constructing a brick plaza at a continental elementary school. he's invested significant time in training to become the kicker for the high school. as well as organizing a thr three-day trip to the chair krakow with a national monument. he started operating drones at 11. volunteering at a junior member of the volunteer ski patrol. having spent time in cross-country skiing in washington state. he now aspires to enter the medical field and pursue a career in this field. i take immense pride in having outstanding individuals like cutter and his family who i got to spend a good amount of time

with. dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in arizona sixth. mr. speaker, i rise today to honor and remember u.s. air force general earl t. olaf lynn. who passed away november 10, 2023, at the age of 93. he was a distinguished four star general who commenced his military journey during the cold war in 1951. an exceptional pilot, he navigated various aircraft range interesting the b-29 to the kc-135. over the course of his career, he covered up approximately 6,000 miles, including 240 combat hours. beyond his military achievements, earl was a devoted husband, a loving father,

brother, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle, and a cherished friend. the general emphasized the mantra, freedom isn't free. throughout his entire life. among his numerous accolades are the distinguished service medal, legion of merit, distinguished flying cross, the bronze star medal, meritorious service medal, air medal, and air force commendation medal. adorned with four oak leaf clusters. in the hearts of the tucson community anti-residents of district six, the general remains a true hero. we extend our gratitude for his dedicated service and i am eternally thankful for his contributions. with that, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until 2 p.m. today.

you can see the event live today on c-span, c-span now, or online at c-span.org.

>> in the weeks that lie ahead, as friedman's first major television series unfolds, the famous and influential men and women will occupy those seats are going to have a lot to say about friedman's view of the society in which we live today and his solutions for the ills of our time. >> today at 7:00 p.m. eastern, american history tv will air the 10-part series, free to choose, featuring nobel prize winning economist milton friedman. mr. friedman co-produced the series with his wife and fellow economist, rose friedman, and it first aired on public television in 1980. the freed ph-pbs also wrote a best-selling companion book of the same name, programs in the series take us to locations important to the u.s. and world economies. the freed ph-pbs advocate free market principles and limited government intervention in the economy and in social policy. other topics include welfare, education, the quality -- equality and consumer and worker protection and inflation. watch free to choose today at 7:00 p.m. eastern on american history tv on