DRAINING THE SWAMP IN ORDER TO PUT AMERICA FIRST

On 2025-03-03, Representative James Comer (R-KY-1) delivered a floor speech titled "DRAINING THE SWAMP IN ORDER TO PUT AMERICA FIRST" in the House. The speech addressed taxes and also covered labor policy, agriculture.

DRAINING THE SWAMP IN ORDER TO PUT AMERICA FIRST

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 40 (Monday, March 3, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 40 (Monday, March 3, 2025)] [House] [Page H924] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] DRAINING THE SWAMP IN ORDER TO PUT AMERICA FIRST The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Comer) for 5 minutes. Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I want to make it very clear to my constituents in Kentucky what my objectives are over the next 22 months of the 119th Congress. First of all, President Trump received an overwhelming mandate not just in Kentucky's First Congressional District, but all across Kentucky. The mandate was to do two major things. First of all, obviously, the mandate involved draining the swamp. That is what President Trump campaigned on; and, secondly, to pass an America First agenda. With respect to draining the swamp, President Trump nominated disrupters to lead his Cabinet and agencies, people like Kash Patel at the FBI; John Ratcliffe at the CIA; and RFK, Jr., at HHS. I was proud to support every single nominee, and I am pretty confident that every single nominee will win Senate confirmation, which has never happened before. With respect to passing an America First agenda, the first step in that was what we voted on last week, a budget reconciliation bill. I was proud to work with our House Oversight and Government Reform Committee as a major committee of jurisdiction on the budget reconciliation bill. We pledged to come up with $50 billion in savings to go along with the first real effort in the entire 8 years I have been in Congress by this body to actually save money and to cut wasteful, unnecessary expenses which is what the mandate was all about. This is what President Trump campaigned on not just in Kentucky but all across America. I pledge to continue to work with President Trump. Next, he has asked us to pass a continuing resolution. It is a shame that Congress is broken. In the entire 8 years I have been here, the Senate has failed to pass any individual appropriations bill, and this is what we have to do to be able to pass the Trump agenda with respect to renewing the Trump tax cuts, with respect to creating and passing legislation to prohibit tax on tips and tax on overtime, and all the new blue-collar, working-class tax cuts that President Trump campaigned on and received a mandate to do. After the mandate, draining the swamp, and passing the America First agenda, next is to work with DOGE. In the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee we created a DOGE Subcommittee. I asked Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia to lead that subcommittee. The first three hearings of that subcommittee have involved improper payments and looking at the USAID's mishandling of funds. The next hearing will be on defunding NPR and other government-funded media outlets. This is exactly what President Trump campaigned on. This is exactly what I talked about with my constituents when I ran for reelection last November. We want to look at the spending. I know there are protesters, there are the Indivisible groups funded by George Soros who also funded the Congressional Integrity Project who spent at least $2 million harassing me over past 2 years with banners and all the TV cameras, the mobile TV units that drove through rural Kentucky trying to intimidate me from the Biden investigation, which, by the way, ended with Joe Biden's last act as President of the United States to pardon his entire family. I know my friends on the other side of the aisle don't like to think about that, but that is a fact. All DOGE is wanting to do is look at spending and see if we can cut out unnecessary spending. I think the American taxpayers want that. We continue to pledge to see if we can find wasteful spending and eliminate it altogether. Recognizing Terry Forcht of the Forcht Bank Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Terry Forcht, Forcht Group of Kentucky chairman and CEO of the Forcht Bank, for an impressive 40 years of service and dedication to communities across the Commonwealth, including in the First Congressional District. The core banking principles of Forcht Bank are respecting the customer, offering competitive rates, and serving the community. Across Kentucky, with 23 banking centers and three loan production offices, Forcht Bank continues to serve Kentuckians and Bluegrass businesses. Mr. Forcht's role has allowed for the enhancement and visionary leadership of Forcht Bank to celebrate this 40th anniversary signifying exceptional dedication and service to Kentucky communities. I consider Terry Forcht a close friend, and I appreciate all that he has done for all the communities in Kentucky and all the charitable organizations. I congratulate him on his outstanding achievement. ____________________