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69 public bills, H.R. 908-976; and 19 resolutions, H.J. Res. 33-35; and H. Res. 91-106, were introduced.
Pages H455-59
Report Filed
A report was filed today as follows: H. Res. 93, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 27) to amend the Controlled Substances Act with respect to the scheduling of fentanyl-related substances, and for other purposes (H. Rept. 119-2).
Page H455
Speaker
Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed Representative Begich to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
Page H437
Recess
The House recessed at 12:36 p.m. and reconvened at 2 p.m.
Page H441
Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party: Appointment
The Chair announced the Speaker's appointment of the following Members to the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party: Representative Moolenaar, Chair; Representatives Wittman, Barr, Newhouse, LaHood, Dunn (FL), Johnson (SD), Hinson, Gimenez, Bilirakis, Kim, Moran, and Nunn (IA).
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Recess
The House recessed at 2:09 p.m. and reconvened at 4:01 p.m.
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Recess
The House recessed at 4:46 p.m. and reconvened at 6:30 p.m.
Page H450
Suspensions
The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the following measures: 9/11 Memorial and Museum Act: H.R. 835, to provide a one-time grant for the operation, security, and maintenance of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center to commemorate the events, and honor the victims, of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001;
Pages H442-44
Alaska Native Settlement Trust Eligibility Act
H.R. 42, to amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to exclude certain payments to aged, blind, or disabled Alaska Natives or descendants of Alaska Natives from being used to determine eligibility for certain programs;
Pages H444-45
Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025
H.R. 43, to amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to provide that Village Corporations shall not be required to convey land in trust to the State of Alaska for the establishment of Municipal Corporations, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 412 yeas to 1 nay, Roll No. 28;
Pages H445-47, H450-51
Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act
H.R. 226, to take certain Federal lands in Tennessee into trust for the benefit of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; and
Pages H447-49
Nutria Eradication and Control Reauthorization Act of 2025
H.R. 776, to reauthorize the Nutria Eradication and Control Act of 2003, by a \2/ 3\ yea-and-nay vote of 361 yeas to 56 nays, Roll No. 29.
Pages H449-50, H451-52
Moment of Silence
The House observed a moment of silence in remembrance of the victims of the midair collision in Washington, D.C.
Page H451
Senate Messages
Messages received from the Senate by the Clerk and subsequently presented to the House today appear on page H442. Quorum Calls--Votes: Two yea-and-nay votes developed during the proceedings and appear on pages H450-51 and H451-52. Adjournment: The House met at 12 p.m. and adjourned at 7:32 p.m.
Every speech and line is the Congressional Record's own text, read from GovInfo. Speakers are matched to members by GPO's own metadata. Referandom places each turn on the Clerk's video by matching its words: 82 of 118 spoken turns were found. Turns without a time are still listed; they just can't seek.
Morning-Hour Debate
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of January 3, 2025, the Chair will now recognize Members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning-hour debate.
The Chair will alternate recognition between the parties, with time equally allocated between the parties and each Member other than the majority and minority leaders and the minority whip limited to 5 minutes, but in no event shall debate continue beyond 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, throughout the last years, the Biden administration waged war on our domestic energy sector, raising prices for each and every American.
This week, House Republicans will vote on the Protecting American Energy Production Act to ensure that States keep control of hydraulic fracking and that our energy resources continue to flow.
Following President Trump's flurry of executive orders to secure our domestic energy production, my colleagues and I in the House will continue to unleash American energy so that we can lower prices, attain energy independence, and create good-paying jobs for Americans.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Winell Zaitz Farm for being recognized as one of Pennsylvania's Century Farms.
The Zaitz Farm, purchased in 1875, spans 129 acres and is now being passed down to the family's fifth generation. Carol and her family continue to farm the land, which includes a historic farmhouse built before the Civil War and a barn from 1880.
On behalf of everyone in Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District, I congratulate Carol Winell Zaitz and her entire family on their family farm's designation as a Century Farm. I thank them for their enduring commitment to one of our State's most vital industries, and that is agriculture.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Presbyterian Village in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
Founded as a Presbyterian home, doors were opened in 1925 to 22 women and quickly expanded over the following decades to include men, women, and couples.
Having treated residents at this facility, I have seen the dedication of the entire staff who ensure accessibility to the services and the resources that are essential in our seniors' lives.
Always showing our fellow community members love and respect, I congratulate the Presbyterian Village for a century of commitment to the Blair County community.
Mr. Speaker, it is evident to me that 2 weeks into the new administration, we no longer have a Congress and that we no longer take care that laws be faithfully executed.
We passed a law that says TikTok must either be sold or be shut down, but that doesn't matter. It will not be shut down. The Constitution of the United States says that birthright citizenship is a fundamental constitutional right, but that doesn't matter. Apparently, it is not.
We have happily given up the power of the purse. USAID is a legally established organization, whatever you may think of it. We have given up the power of the purse.
Mr. Speaker, what we cannot give up in this institution is our obligation to keep the American people safe, safe from terrorism, safe from gang violence, safe from fentanyl. What concerns me as the ranking member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, much of what I am seeing out there is the attack, the purge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI, which Americans know is the premier law enforcement agency on this planet. Thousands of FBI agents go to work every single day, going after fentanyl dealers, going after violent crime, uncovering terrorist plots. I tell you this as a person who represents a district that was badly hurt on 9/11.
It is now part of the catechism of the Republican Party in the House and the Senate that the FBI is a corrupt and evil organization that must be turned on its head and that people who have dedicated their lives to the service of keeping Americans safe must be fired.
Mr. Speaker, the list is unbelievable: Executive Assistant Director Tim Dunham, 22 years of service; EAD Bobby Wells, 21 years of service; EAD Mike Nordwall, 22 years of dedicated service; Jackie Maguire, 24 years of dedicated service; Ryan Young--I could go on for my full 5 minutes of senior people who have been told that they must either resign from the FBI or be fired.
We hear that the FBI is being told that anyone who worked on the January 6 prosecutions, when this building was attacked and 140 police officers were assaulted, that they must be on a list, undoubtedly for retribution.
What does the FBI actually do? In June of 2024, the FBI arrested several people with suspected ISIS ties; October 2024, the FBI arrested an Afghan national for plotting a terrorist attack in the name of ISIS on election day. This goes on and on. The FBI investigated the assassination attempt on President Trump. Every day, all day, FBI agents are out there keeping us safe.
Why this attack on the FBI? I heard my colleague, Jim Jordan, just this weekend on Fox News once again promoting the conspiracy theory that the FBI was somehow involved in the attack on this Capitol on January 6. That is false.
Yes, there were 26 confidential human sources. These are people who know drug dealers and terrorists that the FBI talks to. Not one of them was authorized to break any law or to participate in January 6. There were no undercover FBI agents here in the Capitol on January 6. Yet, this continues because Donald Trump insists that that conspiracy theory animated rage against the FBI.
I am the ranking member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and we can get away with a lot of foolish things in this institution, but keep up the attacks on the FBI, keep it up, because there will be terrorist attacks. There will be an increase in drug deaths. There will be an increase in violent crime, and I promise you, Mr. Speaker, I will stand right here to hold those accountable for the attack on this storied American institution and the carnage it will visit on the American people if this keeps up.
The FBI deserves our support. They are not perfect, but they go to work every single day to keep our people safe. It is time for the majority in this Chamber to stop their attacks on these patriotic Americans.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Groundhog Day, a special tradition spearheaded in my district and celebrated not just nationwide but worldwide, having folks who attended from over 120 different countries and every State in the Nation.
This past Sunday, February 2, I was proud to join over 50,000 people, families from across the country, as we eagerly waited to see if spring was on the way or if 6 more weeks of winter awaited. Each year, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, crowds gather at Gobbler's Knob on the night of February 1 awaiting the appearance of our famed weather predictor, Punxsutawney Phil.
I recognize and thank one of the hardest-working, most reliable job producers in my district, Phil himself. Year after year, his dedication to forecasting the end of winter brings joy not just to the Pennsylvania 15th Congressional District but to people across the country.
For more than 130 years, this beloved tradition, rooted in Pennsylvania's strong German heritage, has captured our imagination. As the legend goes, if Phil sees his shadow, we are in for 6 more weeks of winter. If not, spring is right around the corner.
The excitement begins the night before, as visitors gather to wake Phil with chants of his name in the early morning hours of February 2. When our esteemed seer of seers emerges, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club Inner Circle President interprets Phil's forecast and shares the news with the eager crowd. Despite some naysayers who suggest replacing Phil with an animatronic groundhog, a gold coin, or even worse, a cake, he remains a cherished figure.
Phil actually has a condominium, so to speak, in the Punxsutawney Library where he lives with his wife, Phyllis, and their two children, now teenagers, who were born earlier this year.
I believe in creating jobs, not eliminating them, and that includes our most famous furry forecaster. I will always stand up for the hardworking men and women, and, yes, rodents, of Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District.
Beyond the fun and folklore, Groundhog Day is an event that brings people together, strengthens community spirit, and serves as an economic boost for the region. It is a celebration of tradition and a source of great pride.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Phil for sharing his wisdom and bringing smiles to so many. However, standing on stage with the inner circle and looking out over the 50,000 people when he announced 6 more weeks of winter, maybe people weren't smiling quite as much this year.
Mr. Speaker, NBC News is reporting that President Trump plans to eliminate the Department of Education with an executive order. This is an assault on every young American who went to public school like me.
This is an assault on every American family who has someone who is disabled and needs the IDEA program to provide education. This is an assault on every neighborhood in America that has a public school that gets title I funding. This is an assault on every child who gets school lunches in America.
This is an assault on our public teachers across this country. This is an assault on every American who has gotten any Federal financial aid to go to vocational school or to go to public college or to get an education like I did.
The President does not have the Constitutional authority to do this. It is cruelty. It is taking away the bedrock of education in this country.
Thomas Jefferson said that you can't have a democracy without an educated citizenry. What built America, what made us exceptional, is that we allowed Americans to go and finish high school before World War II while the Europeans didn't. Mr. Speaker, America had a record of 80 percent high school graduations compared to 20 and 30 percent in the European nations.
President Trump wants to take all of that away, snatching money from our public schools, snatching money from our teachers, and snatching money from our families who have kids who need the help.
Mr. Speaker, we need to rise up and oppose this blatantly unconstitutional executive order. We need to stand up for public education in America.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose Donald Trump's reckless tariffs on food products.
I am for strategic tariffs to protect our strategic industries in steel, aluminum, and semiconductors and our national champions.
We know, from Hamilton to Paul Krugman, that tariffs work for infant industries and important national industries, but who thinks we need tariffs for Corona beer? Who thinks we need tariffs for vegetables?
Here is what we get from Mexico. We get 85 percent of our strawberries from Mexico. Donald Trump put a 25 percent tariff on it. We get 86 percent of our tomatoes from Mexico. Donald Trump put a 25 percent tariff on it. We get 69 percent of vegetable imports from Mexico. We get 90 percent of our avocados from Mexico. Donald Trump put a 25 percent tariff on it.
So much for lowering grocery prices, Mr. Trump. You want Americans to pay 25 percent more for their avocados, for their strawberries, for their beer. In what world does this economic nonsense make any logical sense?
Then, you caved to the President of Mexico, President Sheinbaum and caved to Prime Minister Trudeau because you saw the stock market dip.
We are in dangerous times where we have a President who could impose these tariffs on food at any moment. That is why retailers are already raising prices. They don't believe Trump in terms of a 30-day pause. They are raising the prices on all of these food products today.
We need to be very clear, Mr. Trump: Learn Economics 101. Stop raising grocery prices for ordinary Americans.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to direct their remarks to the Chair and not to a perceived viewing audience.
Mr. Speaker, I originally came to the floor today because I was dismayed by the President's continued assault on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The Department of Defense, the State Department, and countless other agencies have been instructed to no longer recognize Black History Month as part of a broad order to pause all activities and events related to ``special observances.'' It is because the President is trying to scrub our government and our country of its history and its diversity.
Our diversity is our power, and the President is threatened by that power. That is why he wants our country and our government to fit his narrowminded view of what it should be like.
We know who President Trump is. Barely coded racist rhetoric is his standard practice. The disgusting comments the President made, blaming the tragic crash at Reagan National Airport on DEI, were just the latest example. It is sickening, inflammatory, and pathetic.
We should all be clear-eyed about what the President is doing. While the President has picked up right where he left off with his racist and xenophobic attacks, it is part of a broader mission by him and shadow president Elon Musk to dismantle and destroy our government.
Since last Friday, Elon's acolytes, none of whom are government employees and by all appearances have no understanding of how our government even works, have been installed and have taken over at the State Department, the U.S. Treasury, the Office of Personnel Management, the General Services Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Here is what they have done. They have downloaded the most sensitive personal information of millions of Americans to private servers. They have taken possession of all financial and personal information of everyone who does business with the Federal Government. They are taking control of security systems, personnel files, and intelligence reports that pertain to thousands upon thousands of U.S. Government workers operating overseas, many of whom are in classified roles.
This is all to say that we are witnessing a coup of our government. Without any legal authority, robber baron Elon Musk has embedded himself in our government, unlawfully obtained information that affects millions of Americans, and tasked himself with carrying out President Trump's grievances against his political enemies, not to mention the President has already fired over a dozen January 6 Federal prosecutors, begun to scrutinize the perceived loyalty of thousands of rank-and-file FBI agents, and invalidated the contracts of thousands of government employees.
Again, we are witnessing the power grab of two men who idolize dictators and who are now playing at being one.
This is a coup. The American people will not stand for this. They will not. I have heard from my constituents who have called my office, expressing their outrage at the criminality and corruption. I plan to do everything I can at every opportunity to call out the President and Elon Musk for what they are doing.
I ask my Republican colleagues to actively examine what is going on, to sincerely ask themselves if this is acceptable. Throughout our country's history, our government has served to assist the people in their times of need, to act in service of the common good, and to work for the people. The President and Elon Musk are trying to make a mockery of that purpose. They are actively perverting that purpose to make the government act as a tool of retribution and to work against the people, specifically against their political enemies.
That is not why I serve.
Service and leadership are not about bending government to your own personal will. It is about civic duty and public service. It is about good people doing the right thing.
I ask my Republican colleagues if they really think the President and Elon Musk are doing the right thing. It is time for the people of this House to speak up.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the President.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about Social Security, the Nation's number one antipoverty program for the elderly and the Nation's number one antipoverty program for children.
Every Member of this 435-person body is impacted by Social Security. It might surprise you, Mr. Speaker, that Social Security has not been enhanced in over 50 years.
For what purpose is Mr. Trump's latest proposal, and that of Elon Musk, to acquire all the data and information on the more than 70 million Social Security recipients and Medicare and Medicaid recipients?
Americans should be outraged. Clearly, one would hope that people in this body are outraged enough to speak up on behalf of their citizens. Why? More than 10,000 baby boomers a day become eligible for Social Security. More than 70 million people across this Nation receive Social Security, a governmental insurance program that has never missed a payment. Yet, Congress hasn't enhanced the program in over 50 years.
God help us, but Mr. Musk has plans for Social Security and Medicare. They have been charged with cutting $2 trillion out of the budget. The three largest items in the Federal budget are Social Security, Medicare, and defense. Where is Mr. Musk going with this, and why does he need the data and information on every American citizen and more than 70 million Social Security recipients?
I hope that you, Mr. Speaker, are mentioning this to your constituents in your district. You have over 115,000 people who get pensions from Social Security; 88,000 retirees; 10,000-plus disabled workers, most of them veterans; 5,486 widows; 2,509 spouses; and 8,000 children.
Mr. Speaker, what most Members don't realize is that this is the number one economic development plan for every single congressional district. Why? Every district, on average, gets $2 million a month from Social Security because it goes directly to those constituents, Mr. Speaker, who I just named.
Where do they spend that money, Mr. Speaker? Right back in their own districts, right back at the local pharmacy, at the grocery store, on heating and cooling their homes, and on putting gas in their tanks.
This is what the American people are facing.
When are people in this body going to have the guts to stand up and take a vote for their constituents, people who haven't seen a benefit enhancement in more than 50 years?
Do we think the cost of living has changed a little? Is it okay that 5 million of our fellow Americans get checks below the poverty level, having paid into a system all their lives? Is it okay that most of them are women because they have spent less time in the workforce while taking care of their children? When they were in the workforce, they were earning less.
Rise up, America. Rise up, Mr. Speaker. Join us in saying: Let's have a vote. Let's send what our constituents need. We haven't done the job in more than 50 years. Now is the time to act.
Mr. Trump says that he is going to make sure he eliminates taxes on Social Security. That is another major problem. Of course, we have that in a bill that is before this body. The difference is we pay for it. Mr. Musk and Mr. Trump don't want to pay for it because what they want to do with that money is provide another tax break for the wealthy on the backs of everyday working Americans who have done this throughout their lifetimes.
Mr. Speaker, I hope everybody in this Chamber finds some spine, stands up, and takes a vote on Social Security.
Mr. Speaker, I rise because we are at the crossroads of a constitutional crisis.
While I represent and fight for tens of thousands of Federal workers and contractors in my district, this affects every single American.
There is a Treasury takeover. Every man, woman, and child's most personal information is in the hands of people who have no real vetting or formal role in our government. They have control of the Federal Government's payment systems. They can now decide which programs, projects, and contractors get funded. That is unconstitutional.
Federal agencies authorized by Congress are being cut without any input from Congress. That is unconstitutional.
All Federal spending was frozen with little warning to Americans. That is unconstitutional.
The Federal workforce is being intimidated and decimated before our eyes, which is illegal.
We are damaging our country in a way that could take years, if not decades, to recover.
Cutting USAID undermines our standing in the world and keeps us less safe. Cutting funding for agencies and nonprofits that feed kids or run essential services will make us less healthy and less secure. Firing Federal workers and contractors will lead to a brain drain in our government and hurt every single function of our government.
This is not rightsizing or downsizing of government. This is dumb- sizing of government. How do I know this? I know these Federal workers and contractors personally. I see them at the grocery store, farmers market, and school drop-off. They take an oath to our country to keep our government running and, most importantly, keep us safe. They often take lower salaries out of a sense of duty to their Federal citizens.
They don't care who is President. Why? Federal food safety should not stop because of who is President. Disaster relief should not stop because of who is President. Veterans' benefits should not stop because of who is President.
Federal workers make America work. They make America great.
At a townhall last night in my district, these Federal workers shared their stories. Their stories were frightening and should alarm all Americans. We had one constituent who is a nuclear scientist. We can't get rid of a nuclear scientist and expect to replace that expertise ever again.
This is a constitutional crisis. What are we going to do about it? That is what the people want to know.
There must be real oversight and accountability for this administration, especially when there are dangerous incursions into Congress' powers and independence as a legislative branch. We must introduce legislation, hold hearings, speak out, and do everything possible to make sure that this stops.
I am introducing legislation to protect Federal workers, prevent unnecessary agency relocations, and stop unconstitutional actions that undermine our democracy and the separation of powers.
If citizens are listening at home, they should know that their voice matters. When people spoke up about the Federal freeze, they backed down. Our constituents should speak out, use their voice, and push back because the time for action is now. Join me.
Mr. Speaker, the people of northwest Ohio and the Great Lakes region, which is heavily industrial and agricultural, overwhelmingly oppose the Trump administration's ill-conceived trade war with Canada, Ohio's top fair trade partner and our largest fair trade partner.
Apparently there is a plan for a 1-month pause with this tariff relationship with Canada, but remember, Canada has been critical to the automotive industry, the lumber industry, the oil industry, the truck industry, every single industry you can think of, and now we are not sure what is going to happen in 1 month.
There is an old expression that says don't break what doesn't need fixing. There is another stronger adage that says don't shoot yourself in the foot.
The administration's imposition of tariffs across our Great Lakes region adds up to a big lollapalooza-sized mistake. It will cause prices to rise, unemployment to increase, and act as a throttle to economic progress across our Great Lakes region. Rising tariffs will put a brake on our region's economy and strong, two-way trade partnership. They put a 25 percent tariff at the northern border, right, but with China it is 10 percent. That is 25 percent among free traders and 10 percent on those that don't exercise in a manner that creates free trade.
Indeed, the U.S.-Canadian trade partnership is the strongest economic growth engine in our part of the American continent. With meager help from Washington, except for President Eisenhower's investment in our region after World War II, our region's economic growth has been hard- fought, especially recently.
Far too often, firms here have been disinvested and traded away by Wall Street, Big Tech, and Washington bigwigs who don't understand our region's free market struggle. All those billionaires simply love shipping our jobs to penny-wage nations, and I am truly surprised President Trump has joined them.
Great Lakes region economic growth across the U.S.-Canadian border has been hard-fought, not exploitative. Middle-class jobs have grown here, albeit far too slowly, and tariffs will cause a downdraft on economic growth, rising prices, and lost jobs.
The investor class has been shipping out our jobs everywhere in the world. Growing jobs in our mid-continent freshwater economy requires cooperation, not upending U.S.-Canadian relationships that have taken decades to build in both our nations. Frankly, both coasts have made it harder for us to ship through the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway. This is wrong. We should be allowed to compete fairly. Let the President go to that thought.
Our Nation should stand for free trade among free people. Imposing tariffs on North American companies that are struggling to meet penny- wage global competition is driving our economy backwards.
President Trump should study the trade numbers. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that of the United States' top 15 trading partners, Canada is the fourth smallest contributor to the U.S. trade deficit compared to countries like China, Mexico, and Vietnam, each of whom engage in unfair and exploitative labor practices.
Focus on the nations with whom we have mammoth trade deficits, like China. Don't hurt North America. Rethink the administration's costly, unnecessary burden on our Great Lakes region which the President carried. The President should be helping us, not hurting us.
As a result of Trump's tariffs, the prices and costs of doing business already are rising. Layoffs will occur. You will see more foreign cars flood into our country as China will increase shipments of its low-wage produced goods.
Across our Great Lakes States of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, New York, and Minnesota, let our people remember President Trump's ill-conceived tariff edict. President Trump is driving up costs in our trusted two-way U.S.-Canada trade relationship. Our Great
Canada is our Nation's largest fair trading partner and Ohio's biggest trading partner. Our region will work with any President and Prime Minister to reinvest in our Nation's industrial and agricultural base. Why not focus tariffs on China where the trade gap is enormous and there is no fair trade, or Mexico where the wages and the gap of wages is horrendous compared to our country? Why pick on the middle- class and hard-laboring people of the Great Lakes?
We live in a fair market economy. We should. Rising tariffs will only cripple economic growth here, and the Trump administration has just shot itself in the foot again. Our Nation's trade gaps need to be fixed with far too many unfair penny-wage nations and exploitative trade relationships.
Don't pick on our part of the country. Don't break what doesn't need fixing.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize World Cancer Day.
Today, on World Cancer Day, we unite to raise awareness, show support, and reaffirm our commitment to the fight against cancer.
This disease knows no boundaries. It touches every community, every family, and too many lives, including my own.
Today is not just about recognizing the challenge but strengthening our resolve. It is about honoring the fighters, survivors, and those that we have lost. It is about supporting researchers, doctors, caregivers, and advocates who work tirelessly to improve treatments, find cures, and bring hope.
Cancer may be a formidable opponent, but we are not powerless. Early detection, better treatments, and continuous advancements are saving lives. Awareness leads to action, and action leads to progress.
Whether it is through fundraising, supporting a loved one, or promoting healthy lifestyles, each of us has a role to play.
Mr. Speaker, let's commit to stand together as we move closer to a world where cancer is no longer a devastating diagnosis but a challenge that we overcome.
Mr. Speaker, day after day, Donald Trump is abusing power, breaking the law, and tearing apart our Constitution.
Trump has handed over the government to Elon Musk, an unelected billionaire who does not care about the American people.
Trump has given Musk and his cronies extensive access to confidential, personal information across all Federal agencies, including the Treasury. The Treasury makes 1.5 billion payments a year to taxpayers, businesses, and seniors, everything from Social Security benefits to tax refunds, Medicare, and Medicaid.
Musk now has access to Americans' confidential tax refund information, which includes their names, Social Security numbers, and home addresses.
That is why I am headed to Treasury this evening to stand up for Arizonans' privacy and to stand up for our democracy.
As a member of the House Oversight Committee, we are calling out this breach of law, privacy, and national security on behalf of the American people.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the President.
Mr. Speaker, Donald Trump has been President only 2 weeks, and he is delivering on his Promises Made, Promises Kept on behalf of the American people. I know firsthand of his courage, as I led the House delegation for the opening of the American Embassy in 2018 in Jerusalem.
The failed policies of Biden-Harris have left American families in danger of illegal aliens bringing in lethal drugs, including fentanyl.
Yesterday, President Trump announced a deal that the Mexican Government will deploy thousands of Mexican troops to the border. Canada is implementing new protective commitments. House Republicans are taking action, voting on the HALT Fentanyl Act, led by Congressmen Morgan Griffith and Bob Latta.
Sadly, the regime in Tehran is defiant, having sent assassins to murder Donald Trump as war criminal Putin has ignored peace initiatives with record rocket attacks on civilians in Ukraine, and Putin state television has shamefully broadcast nude pictures of America's First Lady, Melania Trump, who is so beloved.
In conclusion, God bless our troops as the global war on terrorism continues. Trump is reinstituting existing laws to protect American families with peace through strength.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today because Elon Musk, an unelected billionaire, is repeatedly and blatantly
Musk has claimed powers that even the President himself does not hold, including the authority to ``delete'' agencies created and funded by this body.
Among other things, he has gained control over the Treasury's payment system, the mechanism for processing all payments made by the Federal Government.
Musk promised to cut $2 trillion from the Federal budget. The entire domestic discretionary budget is only $917 billion, which means the only way Musk can achieve this promise is through massive cuts to Social Security and Medicare.
Musk now has the ability to shut off Social Security and Medicare payments with the flip of a switch. Controlling our payment systems also gives Elon Musk access to the personal information of every American who has ever received a Social Security, tax refund, or other government payment. Why does he need this information? What safeguards are there against abuse? We don't know.
This cannot stand. We in Congress must act, enforce the law, and uphold the Constitution.
Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 835) to provide a one-time grant for the operation, security, and maintenance of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center to commemorate the events, and honor the victims, of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. Ansari) each will control 20 minutes.
Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 835, the bill now under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Arkansas?
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of Representative LaLota's bipartisan bill, the 9/ 11 Memorial and Museum Act. This important legislation honors the victims of the horrendous 9/11 attacks by providing a one-time grant to assist with security costs for the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.
Located in Lower Manhattan, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum occupies the former World Trade Center site. This unique facility serves as the principal tribute of remembrance and honor to the nearly 3,000 people killed in the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, and February 26, 1993.
A prominent feature of the museum is an art installation with the quote ``No Day Shall Erase You From the Memory of Time.'' These words are much more than a quote. They are a solemn promise from each and every American that we will never forget and will not allow our future Americans to forget the tragic events of 9/11.
More than 23 years after these horrific attacks, we still remember the innocent men, women, and children who perished on that September morning. We know that time has not erased the scars, both visible and invisible, carried by the survivors, families of victims, and all who watched those horrific attacks unfold.
Representative LaLota's legislation will help ensure that the memories of those we lost on 9/11 remain eternal by providing a one- time grant of between $5 million and $10 million to assist with security costs for the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.
As the location of one of the most high-profile terrorist attacks in American history, the museum shoulders more than $1 million per month in security costs to protect visitors and the exhibits throughout the museum.
This grant, which would come from Department of Homeland Security's existing appropriations, will help reduce the burden of those significant security costs.
I thank Representative LaLota for his efforts to advance this legislation. As a native New Yorker and veteran of the global war on terrorism, he has a profound respect and understanding for what it means to never forget the events of September 11, 2001. His bill would help the 9/11 Memorial & Museum continue operations, fund safety measures, and provide free admission for military veterans, first responders, and victims' families.
H.R. 835 passed the House unanimously in the 118th Congress, and I urge my colleagues to support it again today.
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum Act.
September 11 remains a horrific, indelible moment etched in our Nation's history. We will forever strive to honor the innocent lives lost and reckon with the sacrifices of so many.
That is why House Democrats have stepped up time and time again to support the ongoing management needs of the national September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City.
Located at Ground Zero, this site is the principal tribute of remembrance to honor the lives lost on this tragic day, as well as the lives lost in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. It is a hallowed ground and deserves our support. Over the years, Congress has provided significant financial support to the nonprofit organization that operates it.
This bill continues that tradition by calling on Congress to authorize the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to provide a one-time grant for security, operation, and maintenance of the grounds.
I say ``calling on'' because one big caveat is that the bill does not actually create this grant program. Due to the Freedom Caucus' budget protocols, the bill instead clarifies at the end that the grant program shall not be authorized until subsequent legislation authorizes it and that, of course, it will not be funded until a third bill passes to appropriate the money.
Those are the fiscal gymnastics necessary to comply with Republican spending protocols. Yes, even the 9/11 Memorial gets only lip service and window dressing. To be crystal clear, this bill doesn't do anything at all.
Of course, even if Congress some day passes a bill to authorize the grant envisioned here and then passes a third bill to appropriate the money for this grant, we have seen in recent days that some Republicans believe that congressional appropriations are completely optional.
Republicans in the White House are illegally stopping vital funding that Congress has ordered to be spent, and their friends in Congress are defending them. The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee said last week that all the bills in his jurisdiction that Congress passes are actually not laws.
If we ever do create this grant, I hope no one in New York makes any enemies in this administration because apparently the administration thinks it can just ignore Congress and block the money.
Madam Speaker, I want to be clear that my criticisms are not aimed at the sponsor of this bill. He is doing everything he can to advocate for the museum under the unreasonable constraints of the Freedom Caucus and the administration. I commend his efforts.
Finally, I note that the 9/11 Museum has faced criticism from local community members since its opening for some of its content. We continue to encourage the museum's management to engage with stakeholders to ensure that the site is welcoming and representative for all. Perhaps it is something we can address in the multiple pieces of future legislation that will be necessary to actually make this grant a reality.
I wish we were here today to actually do something to support and improve the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, but unfortunately, that is not the case. On balance, this bill doesn't do any harm either. It attempts to bring attention to a very important effort. I will be voting for it, but I am disappointed that this is where things are.
Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee for yielding and for supporting this bill but most importantly for supporting the 9/11 families.
Madam Speaker, September 11, 2001, was not just a day of immense loss, it was a day that changed our Nation forever.
Nearly 3,000 innocent lives were taken from us in an act of unimaginable evil. First responders, driven by duty and selflessness, rushed into danger, and many never returned. Families were shattered, communities forever altered, and the scars of that day remain with us even now.
From that darkness came an incredible light, the resilience of the American spirit. We vowed on that fateful Tuesday morning never to forget and promised to honor the victims and the heroes that gave everything in the face of terror.
Today, we have a chance to uphold that promise. The 9/11 Memorial & Museum stands as a sacred place, a place of reflection, education, and unity. It is where generations can learn about the courage and sacrifice that defines us as a nation. It tells us the stories of firefighters who climbed up while others ran down, the passengers on flight 93 who fought back, and everyday Americans who became heroes.
However, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum remains a top target for terrorists and faces financial challenges stemming from the COVID-19 shutdown that threatens its ability to keep up its essential work.
My bill, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum Act directs the Department of Homeland Security to award a one-time grant to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum for the security, operation, and maintenance of its facilities and grounds.
As a condition of receiving this grant, the museum must provide free admission for active and retired members of the Armed Forces, individuals who were registered first responders to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the family members and victims of the attacks.
It also provides for dedicated free admission hours for the general public at least once a week and allows for annual Federal audits of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum's financial statements.
This ought not to be a partisan issue. This is about honoring our history, protecting our legacy, and teaching future generations the lessons of 9/11.
We must not let the memory of that day fade. We cannot allow the heroism, the sacrifice, and the unity that followed be forgotten.
Supporting this bill means standing with the families of the fallen, with our first responders, and with every American who still carries the weight of that day on their hearts.
I urge my colleagues to join me in ensuring that we keep our promise. Let's pass the 9/11 Memorial and Museum Act and uphold our commitment to the American people.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 835 ensures that the hallowed grounds on which the 9/11 Memorial & Museum are located remain a place of remembrance and honor for families, first responders, and Americans from across our great Nation.
I urge the adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 835.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 42) to amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to exclude certain payments to aged, blind, or disabled Alaska Natives or descendants of Alaska Natives from being used to determine eligibility for certain programs, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. Ansari) each will control 20 minutes.
Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to add extraneous material on H.R. 42, the bill now under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Arkansas?
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 42 would exclude the amounts distributed or benefits provided from the Alaska Native corporation, or the ANC, settlement trusts to Alaska Natives who are blind, disabled, 65 years or older, or their descendants, when determining eligibility for means- tested Federal benefits.
Federal means-tested benefits include programs such as Supplemental Security Income, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Federal housing benefits.
In 1988, Congress amended the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, or ANCSA, to exclude the first $2,000 any Alaska Native individual receives from an ANC when determining eligibility for means-tested Federal benefits.
Additionally, the 1988 amendments authorized ANCs to establish settlement trusts to distribute benefits to Alaska Native beneficiaries.
Yet, benefits from settlement trusts were not excluded when determining recipient eligibility for government assistance programs, as with the first $2,000 of other benefits Alaska Natives can receive from ANCs.
ANCs have brought forward concerns with this discrepancy and the impact it has on Alaska Natives, particularly those who are aged, blind, or disabled. Often these individuals are placed in the position of choosing between accepting the settlement trust income or qualifying for government assistance programs.
H.R. 42 would address this oversight and exclude the amounts for benefits distributed to aged, blind, or disabled Alaska Natives from settlement trusts when determining eligibility for means-tested Federal benefits.
I thank the sponsor of this legislation, our freshman Member from Alaska, Mr. Begich, for his leadership in addressing this important issue and for introducing this bill on the first day of the 119th Congress so it could quickly be brought to the floor for consideration.
Madam Speaker, I support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of Representative Begich's H.R. 42, the Alaska Native Settlement Trust Eligibility Act.
Congress passed the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act in 1971 to address land claims in the State of Alaska. Per an agreement, Alaska Native corporations were established, and the Federal Government transferred to them 44 million acres and $962.5 million in compensation funds.
However, when an individual receives a distribution from an Alaska Native settlement trust, part of this law requires that the Federal Government include that distribution when determining the person's eligibility for various governmental programs such as for housing and supplemental income and nutritional assistance.
H.R. 42 would amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to exclude from that calculation any such distributions provided to aged, blind, or disabled Alaska Natives.
These are critical services that support the livelihoods of some of the most vulnerable Alaska Natives. Over the years, the failure to address this issue has often forced Alaska Natives to choose between receiving the settlement trust fund benefits they are entitled to or qualifying for need-based Federal benefits. H.R. 42 would solve this problem, which is great news.
I will remind my colleagues, though, that this bill of course, doesn't remove the risk that this administration will try to illegally freeze or pause anyone's Federal benefits. Moreover, this bill will be of small comfort if Republicans make good on their promises to cut need-based Federal programs to pay for their billionaire tax breaks. These aren't hypotheticals. The House Republican Study Committee's budget proposal last fall called for cutting SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, by about 22 percent, for example.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, but I also urge them to oppose the lawlessness we have been seeing in the administration and to oppose cuts to programs that help the most vulnerable people in our communities. I reserve the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 42, the Alaska Native Settlement Trust Eligibility Act. This legislation makes a simple but necessary fix to Federal law, ensuring that certain benefits distributed through Alaska Native corporation settlement trusts do not unreasonably disqualify vulnerable Alaskans from receiving assistance.
For decades, Alaska Native corporations have provided vital support to their shareholders, including through settlement trusts, an essential tool Congress authorized in 1988 to deliver benefits in a structured, perpetual way. However, due to an oversight in the law, payments from these trusts are counted as income when determining eligibility for Federal programs like Supplemental Security Income, SNAP, and housing assistance.
That means visually impaired and disabled Alaska Natives and elders are forced to make an impossible choice: accept the benefits from their settlement trusts or maintain their access to critical assistance.
By ensuring that these benefits are not counted as income, H.R. 42 aligns settlement trust distributions with other Alaska Native benefits already excluded from eligibility calculations. It upholds the original intent of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and protects the most vulnerable in need in our Alaska Native communities.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan, commonsense legislation. Let's ensure that no one has to choose between their critical assistance and their well-being.
Madam Speaker, again, this legislation would ensure that amounts distributed or benefits provided from Alaska Native corporation settlement trusts to Alaska Natives who are blind, disabled, or elders aged 65 and older, or their descendants, are excluded when determining eligibility for means-tested Federal benefits.
Again, Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Begich for his work on an important issue for Alaska Natives, I urge the adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 42.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 43) to amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to provide that Village Corporations shall not be required to convey land in trust to the State of Alaska for the establishment of Municipal Corporations, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. Ansari) each will control 20 minutes.
Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to add extraneous material on H.R. 43, the bill now under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Arkansas?
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
H.R. 43, the Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025, would amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, or ANCSA, and to return lands back to Alaska Native Village Corporations that are currently held in trust by the State of Alaska for future municipalities.
ANCSA was enacted to settle aboriginal land claims of Alaska Natives, and in doing so Alaska Native corporations were created to receive land and disburse payments to Alaska Natives.
ANCSA required Alaska Native Village Corporations that received land to convey some land to an existing municipality. If no municipality existed, the land was conveyed to the State of Alaska to be held in trust for a future municipality.
Over the past 53 years, only eight Village Corporations have seen a municipality created, with the most recent municipality created in 1995. This leaves 11,500 acres throughout 83 villages unable to be developed because it must be held in trust by Alaska in perpetuity for the unlikely creation of a municipality.
H.R. 43 would end this requirement for Village Corporations to reconvey lands for a potential municipality and return land already conveyed under this provision to Village Corporations. If returned, Village Corporations anticipate developing this land for housing, community buildings, and other economic development projects.
There is widespread support for H.R. 43 within the State of Alaska.
The Alaska State Senate unanimously passed S.J. Res. 13 on May 9, 2024, which encouraged the enactment of Federal legislation to return the reconveyed lands to Alaska Native Village Corporations. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy is also supportive of the legislative fix that H.R. 43 would provide.
Again, Madam Speaker, I thank the sponsor of this legislation, Mr. Begich, for his work to introduce this bill on the first day of the 119th Congress so that we could bring it to the floor quickly. I appreciate his diligence and swift work on behalf of Alaska, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of Representative Begich's H.R. 43, the Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025.
Under current law, when an Alaska Native Village Corporation receives land pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, then the Village Corporation must convey certain lands to its municipal government. If none exists, then the law requires them to convey the land to the State of Alaska to be held in trust for when a municipality is established in the future.
The problem is that in many remote Alaska Native communities, it is unlikely that a municipal government will ever be formed, which means the land being held in trust won't ever be used for its intended purpose.
In fact, since the passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act in 1971, 101 Village Corporations have had lands held in trust by the State but only 8 of those villages have incorporated into a municipality, and none have done so since 1995.
This bill would remove the requirement that Alaska Native Village Corporations convey land in trust to the State of Alaska for the hypothetical establishment of Municipal Corporations, and it would allow the Village Corporations to have the State of Alaska reconvey such lands back to them.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, which will allow communities themselves to make decisions about how best to utilize their own lands. I reserve the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 43, the Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act. This bill corrects a decades-old oversight in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to ensure Alaska Native communities can fully use their own land.
In 1971, ANCSA granted fee simple land ownership to Alaska Natives, resolving historic land claims and enabling statehood land entitlements. However, section 14(c)(3) required Native Village Corporations to transfer land to the State of Alaska to be held in trust for future municipalities. More than 50 years later, only 8 of 101 affected villages have incorporated, leaving 11,500 acres in 83 villages frozen in bureaucratic limbo.
H.R. 43 eliminates this outdated requirement and returns these lands to Village Corporations, allowing for housing, economic development, and community expansion. This bill restores self-determination, ensuring Alaska Natives, not government bureaucracy, decide how to use their own land.
This legislation has broad support, as was mentioned, including from the Alaska Governor and State Legislature, and was unanimously passed by the Senate in the last Congress. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense fix and allow these lands to be used by their owners to support their own communities.
Madam Speaker, again, this legislation would amend ANCSA to return the land in question to impacted Alaska Native Village Corporations and eliminate the unnecessary land conveyance requirement in the statute.
I thank Mr. Begich for his leadership and working on this important issue for his constituents in Alaska.
Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of H.R. 43, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 43.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 226) to take certain Federal lands in Tennessee into trust for the benefit of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. Ansari) each will control 20 minutes.
Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 226, the bill now under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Arkansas?
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 226, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act, introduced by my friend from Tennessee, Congressman Fleischmann.
H.R. 226 places approximately 96 acres of Tennessee Valley Authority land and permanent easements along the shores of the Little Tennessee River and Tellico Reservoir in Monroe County, Tennessee, into trust for the benefit of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
These areas include the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, the Chota Memorial, the Tanasi Memorial, and lands to support these properties and cultural programs.
The parcels placed into trust under the bill will be used to memorialize and interpret the history of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is one of three federally recognized Cherokee Tribes. Their ancestral homeland includes substantial parts of seven eastern States, including Tennessee, and the 57,000-acre Qualla Boundary Cherokee Indian Reservation in North Carolina.
In 1979 after the TVA completed the Tellico Dam, the Tribe approached the TVA about lands that were historically significant to the Tribe and impacted by the dam. In 1984 and 1986, the Tribe and the TVA reached an informal agreement that allowed the Tribe to manage two easements, including the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum.
H.R. 226 helps this cause by transferring approximately 76 acres of historically significant lands from the TVA to the U.S. Government to be held in trust for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
It also creates two permanent easements over TVA property, held in trust for the Tribe, to create recreational trails between the sites.
This legislation will give the Eastern Band greater control over the historic homelands and the opportunity to memorialize the history and culture of the Cherokee people.
Pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, gaming will be prohibited on the land. The bill also ensures that the TVA will be able to continue its river control and development activities to power the Tennessee Valley region.
Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure and commend the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann) for his continued work on this important legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act introduced by Representative Fleischmann of Tennessee.
This bill would place specified lands and easements in Monroe County, Tennessee, into trust for the benefit of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. These lands include the Sequoyah Museum, the Chota Memorial, the Tanasi Memorial, and land that supports these properties and the Tribe's cultural programs.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, one of three federally recognized Cherokee Tribes and the only federally recognized Tribe in North Carolina, has ancestral homelands spanning across seven Eastern States, including Tennessee.
In 1979, the construction of the Tellico Dam by the Tennessee Valley Authority, or TVA, flooded large portions of the Tribe's ancestral lands along the Little Tennessee River, submerging sacred sites and archeological remains. Among the losses were the historic Overhill Cherokee towns, which served as the Cherokee capitals during the 1700s.
While the Eastern Band can never reclaim the land and sacred sites lost to flooding, other historically significant locations in the region remain in need of protection and preservation.
This bill would address this critical need by transferring approximately 76 acres of culturally significant lands from the TVA to the U.S. Government to be held in trust for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
The bill would also establish two permanent easements over TVA property to be held in trust for the Tribe, facilitating the creation of recreational trails that will be between these important sites.
Passing this legislation would grant the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians greater control over their historic homelands, enabling them to preserve and honor their rich history and culture. It would represent an essential step toward safeguarding these culturally significant sites for future generations.
I do remind my colleagues, though, that these kinds of land arrangements don't happen by magic when we pass a bill like this one. Even if this bill becomes law, we will need actual staffing in the executive branch to carry it out. Unfortunately, in the past week, we have already seen basic government functions halted or put at risk from reckless orders to freeze spending, fire or place government workers on administrative leave, and more. These orders are, in many cases, unconstitutional and illegal.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill, but I also urge them to join Democrats in calling for an end to the paralyzing chaos we have been seeing from the White House.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 226, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act. I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their kind words in support of this bill.
Madam Speaker, this legislation has passed this House four times and must pass again today. It needs to go to the United States Senate, and it needs to go to President Trump's desk for signature.
It has been far too long. The Eastern Band of Cherokee have been waiting and had a lot of promises made to them over the years, which have been broken.
This is a great bill for America, and it is a great bill that will honor our wonderful Eastern Band of Cherokee. In my home State, the great State of Tennessee, it takes its name from Tanasi, a historic Overhill Cherokee settlement in present-day Monroe County, Tennessee, in the Third District of Tennessee, which I am privileged to represent.
Tanasi served as the Cherokee capital as early as 1721. Unfortunately, due to misguided Federal policies, the Cherokee were forced from their homes in Tennessee and surrounding States. This tragic period in American history led to the Trail of Tears, a journey in which 15,000 Cherokees were forcibly marched to the Indian territory.
My bill returns important historic sites back to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the Tribal Nation comprised of descendants of those Cherokees who resisted removal in the Great Smoky Mountains and escaped the Trail of Tears.
It is on these same lands where the Eastern Band of Cherokees have, for decades, honored the birthplace of Sequoyah, whose likeness we all in this House have the opportunity to pass as we make our way from the rotunda in our Capitol to the House floor.
Let me be clear. My bill, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act, is limited and targeted. It restores 76.1 acres of federally owned Tennessee Valley Authority land to the Eastern Band of Cherokees and will grant two permanent easements over TVA property to be held in trust for the Tribe to create recreational trails between the sites.
Madam Speaker, this is about honoring history and keeping our promises. I strongly urge Members of both Chambers to understand the importance of the Cherokee Tribal land preservation and support H.R. 226 so it may be brought to President Trump's desk promptly.
Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 226 is a commonsense bill that facilitates greater control for the Eastern Band of Cherokee over their sacred and historic homelands in Tennessee. It ensures the protection of their timeless heritage, culture, and tradition and allows them to memorialize the history and culture of the Cherokee people.
This Tribe has worked with the Tennessee Valley Authority for over three decades on this issue, and this legislation is long overdue.
I will echo the words of my colleague, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann), and say that the Senate needs to take this bill up and act on it when we pass it again.
Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Fleischmann for his leadership on the matter. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 226.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 776) to reauthorize the Nutria Eradication and Control Act of 2003.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. Ansari) each will control 20 minutes.
Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 776, the bill now under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Arkansas?
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of Representative Harder's legislation, which would reauthorize the nutria eradication program at existing funding levels through 2030.
This bill is identical to the one passed in the House during the last week of the 118th Congress. Unfortunately, it failed to receive a vote in the Senate. I am glad to have the opportunity to speak again in support of this important legislation.
Nutria are invasive rodents native to South America that were imported to the United States in 1899 for fur production. Since then, the nutria population has exploded in places like northern California, Oregon, and the Louisiana bayous, as well as the Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore ecosystems.
These rodents eat, dig, and trample healthy wetland habitats, causing significant erosion and habitat damage to native ecosystems.
When this legislation was first enacted in 2003, an estimated 70 percent of the Chesapeake Bay's marshlands had already been destroyed by nutria. Due to the aid of this program, nutria eradication efforts have been very successful.
For example, in Maryland, they have been declared eradicated. In Louisiana, where more than 432,000 acres were damaged or destroyed by nutria from 2002 to 2021, over 5 million nutria have been taken. Passing the legislation would allow these successful efforts to continue.
I thank Representative Valadao for co-leading this legislation, which will benefit California's Central Valley in its work to eradicate nutria.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 776, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, which would reauthorize the Nutria Eradication and Control Act through fiscal year 2030, to ensure that Maryland, Louisiana, and California can manage and eradicate this destructive, invasive species.
Nutria are an invasive species of large, semiaquatic rodents found in coastal wetlands along the Gulf of Mexico, the East Coast, California, and other wetland areas within the United States.
Nutria were initially introduced into the United States in the 1930s for fur production. However, their rapid breeding and destructive tendencies toward native wetland vegetation have led to extensive erosion, displacement of native species, breached levees, and the
These actions pose severe threats to our national wetlands, which are essential habitats for waterfowl and other wildlife and act as buffers for extreme weather events.
According to estimates, if measures had not been adopted to control and eradicate nutria in Maryland's Chesapeake Bay, nutria could have destroyed 17 percent of the bay's marshes in just a few years.
In 2003, the Nutria Eradication and Control Act authorized the Secretary of the Interior to provide financial assistance to Maryland and Louisiana for a program to eradicate or control nutria and restore marshland damaged by nutria.
In 2020, Congress passed Representative Harder's bill to amend the Nutria Eradication and Control Act to include California, which faced a rapidly expanding breeding population of nutria in the San Joaquin Valley and adjacent areas. That bill also gave the Secretary of the Interior discretion to provide funding to States adversely affected by growing nutria populations through fiscal year 2025. This bill before us today would extend that authority to fiscal year 2030.
The Nutria Eradication and Control Act has significantly reduced nutria populations in all three States. In Maryland, nutria were entirely eradicated from Chesapeake Bay in 2022. In California, captures peaked in 2020 and have been steadily declining, but they are not yet fully eradicated.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill so this important work can continue, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, the Nutria Eradication and Control Reauthorization Act of 2025, because communities in California and across the country are in a war right now against these giant swamp rats.
My bill would reauthorize funding to strengthen eradication efforts for the invasive swamp rats, nutria, which are destroying our levees, harming local farmland, and infecting our very drinking water.
These 40-pound monsters are larger than the average dog. They eat 25 percent of their body weight every day and can reproduce 200 offspring every single year.
In 2023 alone, 78 percent of the nutria found in California were in newly infested areas, threatening our entire way of life. The only way to stop their spreading invasion is to support local eradication and control efforts.
In 2020, I was proud to work with President Trump to bring nutria eradication funding to California for the first time ever. Now, the funding is set to expire at the end of this fiscal year, right when we need it most. This comes at a time when our district is at a breaking point with nutria control efforts.
Last year, more than 1,300 nutria were captured in California, which is a record-breaking year for takings in the State.
We must reauthorize the Nutria Eradication and Control Act of 2003 to ensure States like California, Louisiana, and Florida are able to effectively curb the spread of this swamp rat once and for all.
We know that following wildlife management techniques to control and eradicate nutria is effective. For instance, the Chesapeake Bay region successfully eradicated nutria from their communities in 2018 after almost two decades of infestation.
We can't afford to let our foot off of the gas in California now. It is up to us to reauthorize this program to ensure that nutria is not only eradicated in the Chesapeake Bay region but in the United States.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass my bill to stop this infestation from poisoning our waterways and damaging our communities. I also want to take the time to thank my colleague, Mr. Valadao, for his tireless support of this legislation.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 776 would reauthorize a program that has proven very effective in protecting our country's vital wetlands and marshes from destructive invasive species. While great work has been accomplished in controlling these invasive pests, or swamp rats, as my colleague called them, continuing the nutria eradication program is crucial to ensuring our native species of plants and animals can recover.
Madam Speaker, I note that if gators and Cajuns can't eradicate these things from south Louisiana, we know our friends in the Central Valley need help, as well. I thank my colleagues for their diligent work on this bill, and I urge all Members to support this commonsense, bipartisan legislation.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 776.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 43) to amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to provide that Village Corporations shall not be required to convey land in trust to the State of Alaska for the establishment of Municipal Corporations, and for other purposes, on which the yeas and nays were ordered.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 412, nays 1, not voting 20, as follows:
Mr. FIGURES changed his vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Mr. Speaker, tonight we are gathered on the House floor to honor the men and women who tragically lost their lives on January 29. Together, we represent the districts and States impacted by the heartbreaking crash of Flight 5342 and a United States Army Black Hawk helicopter.
American Eagle Flight 5342 left my hometown of Wichita, Kansas, at 5:22 p.m. with 60 passengers and 4 crew members on board. They were young skaters, a rural Kansas couple, a college student, a group of friends returning from an annual hunting trip, and so many others who were taking a routine flight from the Air Capital to our Nation's Capital.
Their lives came to a tragic end within view of the DCA runway when a collision occurred with a Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River. As we know, all 64 passengers and 3 Army soldiers perished.
As we mourn the loss of these 67 individuals, there are truly no words to adequately describe the heartbreak we feel. We grieve with the families and friends they left behind and pray for those in our districts who are still in shock at the loss of their loved ones. Together, we commit to finding answers and to working to ensure another tragedy like this doesn't happen again.
In homes, churches, and community gatherings across the country, Americans have paused to honor the 67 souls who perished last week. Tonight, on this first meeting of the full House since the tragedy, we will do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the House observe a moment of silence to remember the lives lost and the families and friends left behind.
The SPEAKER. The Chair asks all Members in the Chamber, as well as Members and staff throughout the Capitol, to please rise for a moment of silence.
Nutria Eradication and Control Reauthorization Act of 2025
The SPEAKER. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 776) to reauthorize the Nutria Eradication and Control Act of 2003, on which the yeas and nays were ordered.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill.
This is a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 361, nays 56, not voting 16, as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Weber of Texas) (during the vote). There are 2 minutes remaining.
Messrs. FALLON, BABIN, and Mrs. BIGGS of South Carolina changed their vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Mr. DeSaulnier. Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was unable to vote today as I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 28, H.R. 43, Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025 and YEA on Roll Call No. 29, H.R. 776, Nutria Eradication and Control Reauthorization Act of 2025.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Dr. John W. Wells on his appointment as the 24th president of Young Harris College.
This marks a very significant moment in the history of the institution and its promising future. Dr. Wells' selection is a testament to his leadership, vision, and dedication to higher education.
He is no stranger to Young Harris College, having previously served as provost and interim president during a pivotal period of transformation. His contribution during that time laid the foundation for significant growth, and his return marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the institution.
With over 30 years of experience in higher education, Dr. Wells has consistently demonstrated excellence in leadership. At Emory & Henry College, he led record enrollment and fundraising efforts. He oversaw the transition of athletics to NCAA Division II and guided the institution toward achieving university status, showcasing his ability to drive meaningful progress.
Mr. Speaker, Dr. Wells' vision, passion, and leadership will undoubtedly guide Young Harris to even greater achievements.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Rosa Louise McCauley Parks today on her birthday. Her brave refusal to give up her seat ignited the civil rights movement and strengthened our democracy.
In 2005, I led Ohio to become the first State to recognize December 1 as Rosa Parks Day, passing unanimously in a bipartisan vote and signed by then-Governor Robert Taft.
Nearly 20 years later, this legacy inspires thousands to carry forward her justice. To honor her, I proudly introduce the Rosa Parks Commemorative Coin Act, directing the United States Mint to issue a coin in her name.
Mr. Speaker, more than 60 Members have signed as original sponsors, so I urge my colleagues to all do the same. This American hero--no, this American shero--deserves this recognition.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the incredible life of Mrs. Ann Rector Weigel, who passed away peacefully on December 17 at the age of 81.
She was born in Knoxville in 1943. She lived her life as a pillar of her church and her community where she met her loving husband, Billy, with whom she shared 56 wonderful years of marriage.
As a lifelong resident, Ann touched countless lives through her teaching career and her years of service as a member of Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority at University of Tennessee, Nine O'clock Cotillion, Junior League, and Sequoyah Presbyterian Church.
Ann's love for her family knew no bounds. She cherished every moment, from attending field trips to celebrating milestones, and she found joy in the small things in life, like preparing her famous Sunday brunch every weekend.
She will forever be remembered for the light and love she brought into the lives of those who knew her. She is survived by her husband, a dear friend of my mine and my family's; their children; and grandchildren. She will be missed greatly by the community.
Mr. Speaker, I want my neighbors back home to know that, like you, I am angry and I am furious about the constitutional crisis caused by the Trump administration.
They are handing over our data and private information to people who should not have access to it. They are firing patriotic civil servants. They are purging FBI agents, and they are trying to eliminate agencies like the USAID. All of this is unconstitutional.
We must protect the American people and our allies from this coup. To the Republicans in this House, it is time for you to stand up and speak out. You know what is wrong. You know this will jeopardize the lives of your own constituents, as well as mine. Yet you do nothing.
Lawsuits have been filed. We are introducing bills. We are taking action to keep Americans safe and support our Constitution. We need you at home to stay mad, talk to your neighbors, and organize against what they are doing
This is not what the American people voted for. This is your government, and that is what Democrats are fighting to restore.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to direct their remarks to the Chair and not to the perceived viewing audience.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an exceptional central Arkansan, Eddie Martin, for his dedicated service to Habitat for Humanity.
At last year's Gratitude Gathering, Eddie was honored for his tireless efforts to support Habitat's mission of providing affordable housing to families in need.
Over the years, Eddie has exemplified service, and his creative ideas and hard work have raised over $350,000 for the organization in central Arkansas.
When faced with the challenges of the pandemic, Eddie helped organize zoom fundraisers and other creative events like a pickleball tournament and BAGGO, Brats N' Blues to make sure that Habitat's work continued to benefit lives across our community.
On behalf of all central Arkansans, I thank Eddie for his generosity, ingenuity, and service. Our community is better off because of Eddie Martin and his efforts.
Mr. Speaker, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance defines anti-Semitism, in part, as using symbols and images associated with anti-Semitism and denying the intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people by Nazi Germany.
Here is Elon Musk, giving Nazi salutes, supporting the neo-Nazi party in Germany, and telling them that Germany has ``too much after focus on past guilt.''
This weekend, Mr. Musk was given access to U.S. citizens' personal data and the disbursement of Federal resources, allowing him to decide which Americans are able to access Federal programs like SNAP, Social Security, and Medicaid.
Let me be very clear. Putting anti-Semites in charge of the allocation of government resources and personnel does not end well for any of us. Fascism survives only so long as the evil at the top is supported by cowards down below who are willing to look the other way in exchange for some proximity to power.
Is the Republican Party going to stand up against anti-Semites and stand up for American people, or will they sit in silent, cowardly complicity with the evil of their leaders?
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great pride to recognize two remarkable athletes in our community, C.J. Gardner- Johnson of the Philadelphia Eagles and Jawaan Taylor of the Kansas City Chiefs, who are facing off this weekend in Super Bowl LIX.
These two extraordinary athletes, who are actually cousins, started their journeys at Cocoa High School and continued their football years at the University of Florida. They are now making their hometown proud as we watch them take opposite sides of the field in the biggest game of the year.
Their story is one of hard work, perseverance, and excellence, values that define Brevard County. This year continues a remarkable condition as it marks the fifth consecutive year that Brevard County has been represented in the Super Bowl, proving that our community is the home to some of the best athletes in the country.
To Jawaan, Go Chiefs.
To C.J., Go Birds.
Good luck to both of them. Their hometown is always behind them.
Mr. Speaker, as with our colleagues, I rise tonight with a heavy heart as we mourn the devastating loss of 67 lives in the recent tragic plane crash over the Potomac.
Among those lost were members of America's finest figure skating communities. Each of these talented Americans, both coaches and America's rising Olympic stars, sparkled just like the blades on the skates that they commanded.
Skating is a difficult sport that is not just about competition but about artistry, perseverance, and pure love of command of the ice. It is my favorite sport. Figure skating has always held a special place in my heart, a sport that demands both strength and grace, a balance of discipline and freedom.
Those that we lost embodied these American qualities, pouring their hearts into every performance, every lesson, and every moment on the ice. Their absence leaves a void in America that cannot be filled easily, not just in the sport but in the lives of those who loved them. We grieve together. We hold their families and loved ones in our hearts. We remember their joy, dedication, and passion they brought to people across our world.
May we honor them by cherishing the beauty of their sport, by donating to the organizations that have been devastated by their loss, and by ensuring that those who take to the skies do so safely.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the victims of the tragedy that unfolded in Elkhart, Indiana, last week. What should have been a normal evening of shopping at Martin's Supermarket quickly turned into a nightmare. Tragically, 19-year-old cashier Annasue Rocha and a bystander, Benjamin Jeffery, were both killed.
Annasue was a kind and caring person who was just starting off in life. Benjamin was always willing to step up and help his community when it needed him. Our community will never forget Annasue or Benjamin.
I also want to recognize and thank the Elkhart Police Department for their heroic efforts. Corporal Paul Vandenburg and Patrolman Ethan Pasternak were both wounded when they
Our prayers continue to be with the victims and their families after last weekend's devastation. Elkhart, Indiana, is known as the City with a Heart. Although our hearts are broken, we know that our community is resilient and will come back from this tragedy even stronger.
Mr. Speaker, in this House, Democrats and Republicans came together, as they appropriately should, to remember the victims of the plane crash last week.
We should also come together and remind our President that we don't know what the cause of it was, and it certainly wasn't DEI. DEI has never caused deaths in this country's history. Never. We need to come together and remember we were all on this floor when it was invaded on January 6 by insurrectionists.
I don't think one of my colleagues on the other side has questioned the pardons given to all the January 6 insurrectionists who tried to take over this government, nor have they stood up to a President and his aide, private citizen Elon Musk, who are doing unconstitutional duties to take over government branches, which they don't have the right to do, that only Congress can pass bills to change. Only Congress can cut out spending under Article I. They can try to change the Constitution on birthright citizenships, but only Congress can begin a constitutional amendment.
We need to stand up for America. America is under attack as much as it was on January 6.
God bless America, and I hope we continue to exist as a democracy.
Mr. Speaker, America's energy independence is vital for our national security and economic prosperity. Hydroelectric power plays a crucial role in that energy grid. It provides nearly a third of our Nation's renewable electricity and is one of the cleanest, most reliable energy sources available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Instead of expanding this proven resource, we are watching it get torn down, including four dams in my district on the Klamath River. They are gone now. Hydroelectric power was paid for and is CO2-free, if we are worried about CO2. It is a beautiful thing, and they are gone because of some environment ruling.
Removal of these dams took out a significant hydropower source and reduced clean energy production, further limiting our ability to strengthen the grid. They are even targeting more of them, including one called Lake Pillsbury in Mendocino, as well as some Snake River dams up in Washington.
We are going to take all of this hydropower at the same time as they want to expand the use of electricity for automobiles, take out gas stoves and have more electric stoves. It is just one thing after another to stretch the grid, and we are taking it out.
The policies do not make a lot of sense. We need to have streamlined permitting so we can have more power plants like this and keep the ones we have. We need to renew the permits we have so we can keep them around. Instead, after the removal of the dams, we get dead fish.
Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to remind this body that the American people elected all of us with one clear mandate, which was to lower costs.
We are now 32 days into this session of Congress. Sadly, we have not held a single vote, not even a committee hearing on legislation to lower costs for so many who are struggling at the grocery store and at the gas station. While we waste our time on partisan bills that do nothing to lower costs, Americans continue to struggle.
My constituents will see me and this tracker often until House leadership brings to this floor bills to vote on and pass that lower the cost of living for our families.
To that end, I have proudly added my name to a suite of bills that help achieve this commonsense goal, bills that strengthen and modernize the child and earned income tax credits, improve paid leave, and more.
These are the kinds of bills that should be bipartisan, and they should be our focus. Let's roll up our sleeves, and let's get to work.
Mr. Speaker, unlike Donald Trump, I have no bacon or beef with Canada, but as an Angeleno I do have beef with a certain someone from The Six.
That beef officially ended at the Grammys in my district on Saturday night. Kendrick Lamar put the final nail in ``Certified Lover Boy's'' coffin when he took home the first-ever Grammy for a diss track proving once and for all they ``Not Like Us.''
Kendrick took home one, two, three, four, five Grammys in 2025. That is not a minor feat.
Kendrick wasn't the only one making Black history this February. Beyonce finally won Album of the Year after I expressed my grief about her being snubbed from this podium last year.
She became the first Black woman to take home the award this century and the first Black artist ever to win Best Country Album.
Last Sunday was for the Grammys. This Sunday is for the Super Bowl where K. Dot will pop out and show what L.A. is all about once again.
I won't be rooting for the Chiefs or the Eagles, but I won't turn the TV off for Kendrick either.
Mr. Speaker, in the past 2 weeks, a series of executive actions have directly targeted the LGBTQ+ community, attacking fundamental rights, fueling division, and ignoring reality.
LGBTQ+ people, including trans individuals, are part of every community. They serve in Congress, lead businesses, defend our Nation, and care for others as doctors, first responders, and educators. Like everyone, they deserve dignity, respect, and protection under the law.
Many of these executive actions violate the Constitution and Federal law. They will face fierce opposition, but their immediate harm is undeniable: threatening jobs and essential healthcare, restricting access to accurate identification, weakening nondiscrimination protections, and exposing individuals to greater harassment simply for being who they are.
I stand with the trans community in New York-20 and beyond. I will fight these actions with everything I have because equality, dignity, and justice are nonnegotiable.
Mr. Speaker, I rise with a heavy heart to honor the remarkable life of Columbia Mayor James Cahoon.
Mayor Cahoon's dedication to our Nation began with his service to the United States Army. His commitment to education was evident as principal and assistant superintendent of Tyrrell County Schools where he shaped countless young lives.
As the head deacon and beloved Sunday schoolteacher at Soundside Original Free Will Baptist Church, he embodied the spirit of love.
For more than 8 years, Mayor Cahoon devoted himself to serving the residents of Columbia. His unwavering compassion and advocacy for his community left a lasting impact that will not be forgotten.
I feel fortunate to have known Mayor Cahoon and witness the warmth and dedication he brought to those around him.
We will miss him.
My deepest condolences go out to his family and the town of Columbia.
Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.
The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 7 o'clock and 32 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.
