National Pennsylvania Day

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize today, July 20, as National Pennsylvania Day.

Since the inception of our Nation, Pennsylvania has played a transformative role in United States history. Pennsylvania's nickname, the Keystone State, represents the central role we played in shaping our Nation.

Pennsylvania was the site of many important battles and military milestones, like the Battle of Valley Forge in the Revolutionary War and the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War.

Pennsylvania is the home to a lot of firsts, including our Nation's first capital, Philadelphia; the first American flag sewn by Betsy Ross; and the first commercial oil well in my district, giving birth to the modern petroleum industry.

Pennsylvania has a proud history of American craftsmanship and work ethic, from our steel mills and coal mines to our farmland and forests.

Madam Speaker, as a lifelong resident of Pennsylvania, I am encouraged each and every day by the industrious spirit of our residents as we continue to build a bright path forward for our Commonwealth and our country.

Happy Pennsylvania Day. I am proud to be from the great Keystone State. Late-Term Abortion Should Be Illegal

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, Democrats are advancing an agenda of abortion on demand. Last week, House Democrats passed their radical abortion on demand until birth act, falsely named as the Women's Health Protection Act, and the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act.

Both bills go much further than codifying Roe v. Wade and would legalize abortion for all 9 months of pregnancy across the country, while undermining the health and safety of women. In advancing this legislation that would continue the murder of innocent unborn, Speaker Pelosi has confirmed Democrats' radical agenda by saying abortion is `` . . . core to who we are. It is about freedom.''

Madam Speaker, 80 percent of Americans believe that late-term abortion should be illegal. Impact of the National Defense Authorization Act on our Military Servicemembers

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, last week, in a bipartisan way, this body stood up and served those who serve in uniform, those who sacrificed for this great Nation in the United States Armed Forces.

I was proud, on Thursday, to join the majority of folks in this Chamber in passing H.R. 7900, the National Defense Authorization Act. I was proud to support this legislation, and I contributed significant legislative language, too.

The bill extends a prohibition preventing dishonorable discharge for servicemembers refusing COVID vaccines, while also extending a prohibition on COVID vaccine mandates for Department of Defense contractors.

The NDAA authorizes annual funding for the Department of Defense and defense-related programs at other Federal agencies. The NDAA authorized earned pay raises for our American troops. Included in the NDAA was my legislation from H.R. 7144, the Military Housing Transparency and Accountability Act, that directs the Secretary of Defense to develop a centralized military housing feedback tool for members of the United States Armed Forces and their families. This will allow these families to identify, rate, and compare housing options. Our military families have earned the right to safe housing conditions.

Additionally, it included provisions requiring the Department of Defense to report the dollar amount spent on foreign fuel that is used; report on the impact on low recruitment and retention, and the impact on servicemembers' mental health as a result of that; and finally, to report the impact of inflation, which is impacting every American family today.

This report specifically is asking the question: What is the impact of inflation--which is out of control, a record high--on our military families?

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