HIGHLIGHTING REPUBLICAN SUCCESSES IN 2025

On 2026-01-21, Representative Burgess Owens (R-UT-4) delivered a floor speech titled "HIGHLIGHTING REPUBLICAN SUCCESSES IN 2025" in the House. The speech addressed immigration and also covered healthcare, the economy.

HIGHLIGHTING REPUBLICAN SUCCESSES IN 2025

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 14 (Wednesday, January 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 14 (Wednesday, January 21, 2026)] [House] [Pages H1159-H1162] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HIGHLIGHTING REPUBLICAN SUCCESSES IN 2025 (Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr. Moore of Utah was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.) General Leave Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Haridopolos). Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Utah? There was no objection. Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I am glad to be joined by my colleagues in this Conference Special Order. To start us off, I would like to yield to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Owens). Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, America is back, and so is common sense. [[Page H1160]] This last year has reminded us of what is possible when America has a competent and respected leader who understands the unique role that our great Nation should fill on the world stage. I am grateful to have President Donald J. Trump back in the White House with the strength and vision needed to be the leader of the free world. One of the things I have admired most about the President is that he is the same man behind closed doors as he is in front of the camera. Whether you like him or not, you know what he stands for exactly, and he will act on that. {time} 1710 It is the type of leadership that has delivered real results for the American people. We have seen real results on our southern border as illegal crossings and the flow of illicit drugs has dropped significantly. Families are feeling real relief at the gas pump and grocery store as their wages are going up and opportunities are increasing. In our schools and military, the emphasis is, once again, on merit instead of discriminatory DEI standards. In America, success should be earned and not engineered by woke bureaucrats. It is called common sense. Every day of this last year, the President and House Republicans have worked to ensure that you keep more of your own money and remove the red tape so you can thrive. We are blessed to live in the greatest country in the history of mankind every single day. America's brightest days are ahead of us, and I am grateful to have a Commander in Chief who believes in the spirit and promise of America. He is a leader who is working to make sure this beautiful country remains the land of freedom and opportunity for all who are willing to work hard, take responsibility, and dream big. Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from the greatest State in the Union, Mr. Owens, for his remarks. I am biased, of course. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bean). Mr. BEAN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Moore so much for the time. I appreciate it. Mr. Speaker, it is a new year and with every new year, I like to reflect on where am I going. What am I doing? What do I want to accomplish this year? What did I accomplish the year before? That is a great time to do it with America. Where are we? It reminds me, Mr. Speaker, at the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Benjamin Franklin famously looked at the chair behind the presiding officer that was carved with a Sun and he asked a question that still echoes throughout history: Was the Sun rising or was the Sun setting? In that moment, a fledgling Nation hung in the balance, and even the Founding Fathers did not know whether liberty would prevail. For far too long, Mr. Speaker, the American people have felt the same uncertainty, years of what many viewed as America last policies that left families struggling, dreams deferred, and our Nation asking itself: Are we on the rise or decline? To answer that question, we need to look at where we have been for the last year. We need to look at the results that this President, President Trump, and where the House Republican leadership has taken this country over the last year. Together, we have accomplished real results. It starts with tax relief for American families with the working families tax cut. Mr. Speaker, do I need to remind you, it is only the largest tax cut in U.S. history. Workers can keep more of what they earn with no tax on tips and no tax on overtime. To our seniors, I have good news for you, too. With the new deduction, you are not going to pay any tax on Social Security benefits. But wait, there is more, Mr. Speaker. We have unleashed American energy, restored our independence, and brought down costs at the pump. Do you know why we don't hear why eggs cost so much anymore, Mr. Speaker? Because they don't. Thank you, President Trump. We have restored law and order and brought accountability by securing the border, supporting law enforcement, strengthening the rule of law, shrinking the Federal bureaucracy, cutting wasteful spending, and demanding accountability for every taxpayer dollar. We are seeing it in real time. Finally, things are happening. We have rebuilt American strength at home and abroad, revitalizing our military, advancing peace through strength, standing firm with allies, and deterring adversaries. We have put veterans first by expanding access to care and ensuring the benefits that they have earned. Our country has made that promise to them. We are honoring promises, Mr. Speaker. Finally, we have brought transparency and common sense back to our institutions, dismantling DEI mandates, and restoring fairness, merit, and basic common sense. We have begun to make America healthy again by examining finally what is in our food supply, empowering patients, expanding health savings accounts, and improving access and accountability across our healthcare system. We ran on these promises. We delivered on these promises. Mr. Speaker, we are just getting started. Is the Sun rising or setting? I can say with absolute certainty, the Sun is rising under the leadership of President Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson, and House Republicans. Make no mistake, more is to come. As the Sun rises, we are ushering in America's golden age: a time of renewed strength, prosperity, and opportunity for every citizen in every community across this great land. The best days of our Nation are still ahead, and together, we will make America stronger, safer, and greater than ever before. It is, once again, Mr. Speaker, morning in America. Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida for his remarks. I feel ready to go out for the second half now, so the Sun is rising. I wish there was a second half to play. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the Commonwealth of Kentucky (Mr. Barr). Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Utah for organizing this Special Order. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate a year of success, of restoring the American Dream, and of making America great again. One year ago, Mr. Speaker, President Donald Trump returned to office with a clear mandate from the American people: secure the border, rebuild the economy, tame inflation, restore American strength, and put American workers first again. In just 1 year, he has delivered. Let's just start at the southern border. President Trump restored order by ending catch and release, reinstating proven enforcement policies, and deploying the resources necessary to defend our homeland. The results were immediate and historic. Illegal crossings collapsed to their lowest levels since the 1970s. Net migration turned negative for the first time in 50 years. Fentanyl trafficking at the southern border was cut by more than half, saving American lives and criminal cartels designated as terrorist organizations were stopped and the rule of law was reinstated. Thanks to President Trump and his administration, this country removed more than 2.6 million illegal aliens from the United States through deportations and voluntary self-departures. More than 400,000 criminal illegal aliens charged with or convicted of crimes were deported and over 2 million self-deportations, ending Biden-era release incentives and restoring credible consequences. This administration proved what Washington refused to admit for years: that border security works when the law is enforced. President Biden used to say that Congress needed to pass bipartisan legislation. No, actually, as it turns out, Mr. Speaker, all we needed was a President with a backbone to secure our border; and that President is Donald Trump. At the same time, President Trump rebuilt an economy that works for all Americans. Congress passed the largest tax cut in American history, delivering relief directly to families and workers. No taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security, but in my district, I will share two perfect examples of why this legislation really helps people. The made in America tax provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the working families tax cut bill, resulted in immediate investment. A $2.5 billion investment in Harrodsburg, in Mercer [[Page H1161]] County, Kentucky, in my district where Apple--making the iPhone-- decided to move jobs out of China to Kentucky. Now, as a result of the President's leadership and this Republican Congress and the working families tax cut bill, all the Gorilla Glass, as they call it, will be made for the iPhone and Apple watches at the Corning plant in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. That is a $2.5 billion investment specifically because of this bill in my district. In addition, we are known as the horse capital of the world in Lexington, Kentucky, and at Keeneland Sales, a world-famous, world- class horse sale, yearling sale, every September, it has a $6.5 billion economic impact to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. We are very proud of that, but because of the restoration o