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06Modifying Reciprocal Tariff Rates to Reflect Discussions With the People's Republic of China: Message From the President of the United States (H. Doc. No. 119-54)
25 public bills, H.R. 3479- 3503; and 3 resolutions, H. Res. 427-429, were introduced.
Pages H2145-46
Reports Filed
Reports were filed today as follows: H.R. 1578, to amend title 38, United States Code, to promote assistance from persons recognized by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for individuals who file certain claims under laws administered by the Secretary, with an amendment (H. Rept. 119-102); H.R. 1969, to amend and reauthorize the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, with an amendment (H. Rept. 119-103); H.R. 1815, to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take certain actions in the case of a default on a home loan guaranteed by the Secretary, and for other purposes, with an amendment (H. Rept. 119-104); and H. Res. 426, providing for consideration of the joint resolution (S.J. Res. 13) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency of the Department of the Treasury relating to the review of applications under the Bank Merger Act; providing for consideration of the joint resolution (S.J. Res. 31) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to ``Review of Final Rule Reclassification of Major Sources as Area Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act''; and waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII with respect to consideration of certain resolutions reported from the Committee on Rules (H. Rept. 119-105).
Page H2145
Speaker
Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed Representative Kim to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
Page H2109
Recess
The House recessed at 12:20 p.m. and reconvened at 2 p.m.
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Recess
The House recessed at 2:13 p.m. and reconvened at 3:23 p.m.
Page H2113
Recess
The House recessed at 5:49 p.m. and reconvened at 6:30 p.m.
Page H2135
Suspensions
The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the following measures: Clean Energy Demonstration Transparency Act of 2025: H.R. 1453, to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to require reporting regarding clean energy demonstration projects;
Pages H2115-16
Strengthening the Quad Act
H.R. 1263, to require a strategy for bolstering engagement and cooperation between the United States, Australia, India, and Japan and to seek to establish a Quad Inter- Parliamentary Working Group to facilitate closer cooperation on shared interests and values, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 334 yeas to 51 nays, Roll No. 132;
Page H2119-21, H2135-36
Communities Helping Invest through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2025
H.R. 217, amended, to amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent the pilot program authorized by the Communities Helping Invest through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2016;
Pages H2121-23
Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act of 2025
H.R. 1147, amended, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access;
Pages H2123-24
Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act
H.R. 1286, amended, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into an agreement with a federally funded research and development center for an assessment of forms that the Secretary sends to claimants for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary, by a \2/3\ yea-and- nay vote of 386 yeas to 1 nay, Roll No. 133;
Pages H2124-26, H2136-37
VA Home Loan Program Reform Act
H.R. 1815, amended, to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take certain actions in the case of a default on a home loan guaranteed by the Secretary;
Pages H2126-29
VA Budget Shortfall Accountability Act
H.R. 1823, amended, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Comptroller General of the United States to report on certain funding shortfalls in the Department of Veterans Affairs;
Pages H2129-30
Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma Claims Act
H.R. 2201, amended, to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve claims, made under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, regarding military sexual trauma;
Pages H2130-32
Automotive Support Services to Improve Safe Transportation Act of 2025
H.R. 1364, amended, to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide clarification regarding the inclusion of medically necessary automobile adaptations in Department of Veterans Affairs definition of ``medical services''; and
Pages H2132-33
Veterans Claims Education Act of 2025
H.R. 1578, amended, to amend title 38, United States Code, to promote assistance from persons recognized by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for individuals who file certain claims under laws administered by the Secretary.
Pages H2133-35
Suspensions: Proceedings Postponed
The House debated the following measures under suspension of the rules. Further proceedings were postponed. Accelerating Networking, Cyberinfrastructure, and Hardware for Oceanic Research Act: H.R. 1223, to require a plan to improve the cybersecurity and telecommunications of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet; and
Pages H2113-15
Strategic Ports Reporting Act
H.R. 1701, to require the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State to monitor efforts by the People's Republic of China to build or buy strategic foreign ports.
Pages H2116-19
Discharge Petitions
Representative Meeks presented to the clerk a motion to discharge the Committee on Rules from the consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 391) entitled, a resolution providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H. J. Res. 72) relating to a national emergency by the President on February 1, 2025 (Discharge Petition No. 4). Representative Meeks presented to the clerk a motion to discharge the Committee on Rules from the consideration of the resolution consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 393) entitled, a resolution providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H. J. Res. 73) relating to a national emergency by the President on February 1, 2025 (Discharge Petition No. 5). Presidential Message: Read a message from the President transmitting a notification of the issuance of an Executive Order on Modifying Reciprocal Tariff Rates to Reflect Discussions with the People's Republic of China referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Ways and Means and ordered to be printed (H. Doc. 119-54).
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Quorum Calls: Votes
Two yea-and-nay votes developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H2135-36 and H2136-37. Adjournment: The House met at 12 p.m. and adjourned at 8:27 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: 151 of 209 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.
Madam Speaker, last week, House committees moved the last sections of President Trump's one big, beautiful bill out of their respective committees.
In the Energy and Commerce Committee, I was proud to support our legislation to unleash American energy, foster innovation in our telecommunications industry, and strengthen Medicaid programs by ensuring that it works best for the intended groups: children, pregnant women, seniors, and those with disabilities.
This legislation also fulfills President Trump's campaign promises of ending taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security, and permanently extends President Trump's 2017 tax cuts, which ushered in unprecedented growth.
This one big, beautiful bill also further backs President Trump's incredible progress securing our southern border by funding 700 miles of new border wall construction, nearly 1,000 miles of new river barriers, and additional frontline personnel at our southern border.
President Trump's historic victory in November came with a mandate from the American people. Now, it is our time in Congress to fulfill these promises, and I look forward to doing just that on the House floor this week by passing the one big, beautiful bill.
Madam Speaker, just 1 month into President Trump's term in office, he signed a historic executive order to designate the Sinaloa Cartel as a foreign terrorist organization.
This action allows for further collaboration among law enforcement agencies and additional resources from the Federal Government to track down and punish these criminals.
President Trump also started a narcoterrorism unit within the Department of Justice. Its sole focus is tracking down and capturing the cartel leaders who have ravaged our Nation with their poisons.
Just last week, the Trump administration formally indicted the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel on charges of narcoterrorism, drug trafficking, and money laundering.
While this might be the first action taken by the unit, it sends a clear message to the cartel leaders who have waged war on the citizens of this great country by trafficking deadly poisons that have taken the lives of millions of Americans.
This ends now, and I fully support President Trump's actions to hold these terrorists to account.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Kowen Long, Bryce Wentz, Gavin Glass, Greg Covert, and Sean Cessna with the Bedford High School battle robotics team on winning the national championship at the National Robotics League Tournament in Springfield, Ohio.
Participants in the competition design, build, and then compete with their robotic creations. Through this experience, students learn how to work on a team while also gaining practical, hands-on experience in science and technology, engineering, and math.
Two additional teams representing Bedford High School also had impressive showings, finishing in the top 15 at the event.
I commend the Bedford High School students on all three robotics teams and the teams' advisers, Cody Buterbaugh and Wes Tritt, for their achievements that show their skills in mechanical and electrical engineering. Their teamwork and successful application of critical thinking, project management, and communication skills showcase the value of hands-on technical education.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the incredible career of almost two decades of my district director, Nancy Bull, who tirelessly advocates for the people of Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District.
Nancy started her career with Representative Bill Shuster in 2008 as a constituent services representative before becoming deputy district director
Nancy has truly elevated my ability to connect with and serve my constituents. During the time she has spent with Pennsylvania-13, she has developed strong relationships with my constituents, meaning she has that wealth of understanding and knowledge that allows her to connect with so many individuals in southwestern and south central PA.
As I travel throughout Pennsylvania-13, one thing remains a constant: Everyone knows and respects Nancy Bull. They do this because she cares and listens to the constituents.
After her stellar career of serving fellow Pennsylvanians, Nancy is retiring at the end of this week to spend more time with her family and with her fiance, Eric. I thank Nancy. I thank her for her years of hard work and dedication, and I thank her for helping so many constituents in Pennsylvania-13. We will miss her, but we will never be far away.
Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize National Police Week, which was this past week. We celebrated it by supporting and honoring the brave law enforcement officers who serve our communities across the country and the great work that organizations do to support them.
That includes Federal law enforcement, like the U.S. Capitol Police, who keep the entire Capitol Hill complex safe, and law enforcement personnel in my community, including the Fauquier County Sheriff's Office, the Fairfax County Police Department and Sheriff's Office, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, the Prince William County Police Department, the Rappahannock County Sheriff's Office, the Manassas and Manassas Park Police Departments, and the Haymarket, Leesburg, Middleburg, Purcellville, and Warrenton Police Departments. In addition, there are the airport, Metro, university, and State law enforcement officers, who help protect our community.
It takes all of them to keep us safe. I thank all of those departments for all they do.
This is also a time to honor law enforcement that we have lost, officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
Earlier this year, the Commonwealth of Virginia mourned the loss of Officers Girvin and Reese. Their courage and sacrifice will never be forgotten.
Every year, an average of 57 police officers are killed by suspects. Far too many--at least 184 public safety officers--die by suicide each year.
As we honor and remember the servicemembers we have lost, we must continue our commitment to support law enforcement officers and their families.
This month, I visited the Boulder Crest Foundation's headquarters in my district. They do critical work to support the post-traumatic growth of law enforcement officers, ensuring that those who protect us have access to help. I am proud to support Boulder Crest with a budget request to help them further develop their peer-led mental wellness training program tailored to support law enforcement officers.
As we recognize National Police Week, let's honor the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers. Together, let's continue the work of building a safer, stronger, and more prosperous community with them.
Madam Speaker, I also rise to congratulate the winners of the 2025 Leesburg Business Awards. These businesses have gone above and beyond to serve and benefit our community.
The winner of the Arts and Cultural Award was BENEFIT, a nonprofit of musicians and community leaders who donate the proceeds of their events to local charities.
Pawsitivity Pet Services received the Community Ambassador Award for volunteering their time and resources to cultivate a positive image of Leesburg.
The George C. Marshall Award was given to the owners of Cowbell Kitchen for their dedication to community service and partnership with Love, KK to reduce food insecurity. The food there is great, as well.
Wonder Childhood Discovery received both the New Business Award as well as the People's Choice Award for promoting early childhood development. My kids are big fans of them, as well.
Finally, the Nonprofit Award went to the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties for their grants and partnerships that help improve the quality of life in our community. We were actually honored to visit them both this past year as well as the year before.
I congratulate the Leesburg Business Award nominees and winners. I thank them for all they do for our community.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the outstanding service of the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay Fire and Emergency Services.
This exceptional team was named the 2024 Department of Defense Small Category Fire Department of the Year. They heroically responded to a major housing fire, rescuing three people and preventing $3 million in property damage.
Their commitment to readiness is unmatched. They led 130 sub-fire events, 16 validation drills, and 32 command exchanges. In one lifesaving mission, they executed a submarine confined-space rescue with an 18-inch gap extraction and a three-story high-angle lift.
The department's work doesn't stop at the base. They are key partners in community outreach and regional emergency coordination, reinforcing safety throughout the district.
These actions reflect their courage, precision, and deep dedication to our safety and national security.
Georgia is proud to be home to a team that exemplifies what it means to serve--quietly, professionally, and always ready.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Visit Savannah and Visit Tybee Island for receiving national recognition for their exceptional tourism marketing.
Visit Savannah's AI Chat Unit offers a first-of-its-kind interactive display that allows users to chat with Savannah for real-time travel ideas. This innovation was crowned the Best Travel Interactive Application at the 2025 Internet Advertising Competition Awards. This advertising platform achieved a 14 percent increase in engagement and placed Savannah alongside previous winners, such as Amazon and Marriott.
Visit Tybee Island received a Bronze Adrian Award from Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International for its redesigned destination website.
These Adrian Awards honor exceptional travel marketing across all platforms, and I take pride in the innovation that has established the Georgia coast as a vacation destination for everyone.
Savannah and Tybee Island are role models for Georgia and other States across the Nation for their creativity and innovation in driving tourism.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Deputy Sheriff John Arthur Hazelton for being enshrined on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial wall in Washington, D.C.
Before becoming deputy sheriff, Mr. Hazelton served bravely in the United States Navy during World War II. After returning home, he began doing what he knew best, serving his local community. Deputy Sheriff Hazelton dedicated 6 honorable years to the Camden County Sheriff's Department.
Tragically, on March 5, 1964, Deputy Sheriff Hazelton passed away in a motor vehicle accident.
In 2021, while reviewing the Officer Down Memorial Page, Sergeant Andrew Reed of the Camden County Sheriff's Department discovered an oversight. Following his tragic death, Deputy Sheriff Hazelton's name failed to be added to the national memorial in Washington, D.C.
Through 3 years of extensive government documentation, Sergeant Reed's efforts have finally put Deputy Sheriff Hazelton's name alongside that of other officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
I thank Deputy Sheriff Hazelton for his heroic service to his country and community.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor three remarkable individuals recognized by Senior Citizen, Inc., of Savannah for their unwavering commitment to our community.
Dr. Otis Johnson is a trailblazing leader, educator, and former mayor of Savannah. He has dedicated his life to civil rights and uplifting communities everywhere.
Camille O'Neill, a devoted educator and pillar of the community, has nurtured countless students and built a legacy of love and service in Savannah.
Finally, John White, Sr., is a World War II veteran who served in the Marines. Mr. White is a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor and one of the Original Nine, the first African-American police officers in Savannah. His courage, leadership, and service continue to inspire others.
Their collective efforts exemplify the spirit of civic engagement and demonstrate the profound impact one can have through service. Let us draw inspiration from their achievements and strive to follow their examples.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the reconciliation measure favorably reported by the House Committee on Agriculture.
This legislation is critical. It prevents the largest tax increase in American history from hitting our families, farmers, and small businesses. It also provides essential funding for the Trump administration to continue its work to keep our Nation safe.
This bill addresses two major responsibilities: Restoring integrity to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, and making meaningful investments in American agriculture.
SNAP is a vital safety net, but it must function as Congress intended, which is as a temporary bridge for those in need, not a permanent system of dependency.
Since 2019, SNAP spending has jumped from $60 billion to $110 billion a year, while enrollment has grown from 36 million to 42 million. Yet despite low unemployment and over 7 million job openings in our Nation, fewer than one-third of able-bodied adults required to work under SNAP are earning income.
Work requirements, once a bipartisan standard, have been sidestepped by executive actions and State waivers. Nearly 40 percent of recipients subject to work rules now live under waivers. That is not how the program was designed to function.
States are mismanaging the program to the tune of nearly $13 billion annually in erroneous payments. That is up nearly 100 percent since 2019. Worse yet, most States are out of compliance with basic application timelines, forcing vulnerable families to wait months for help.
Our measures correct course. It aligns SNAP with other State- administered benefit programs, requiring States to share in a minimal portion of program costs, encouraging better stewardship, fewer errors, and more timely service. Most importantly, it reinstates work as a pathway to independence and opportunity.
Madam Speaker, success should be measured by outcomes, not outlays. An efficiently delivered benefit that encourages work is a win for both the taxpayer and the recipient.
Since the 2018 farm bill, agriculture producers have faced soaring input costs, declining prices, and mounting debt. By the end of last year, the farm debt hit its highest level in over 50 years. The Agriculture and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M says the outlook for farm profitability is the worst in its 42-year history of analysis.
Our producers, from livestock to specialty crops, struggle with volatile markets, labor shortages, and growing regulatory burdens. If Congress fails to act, we risk a full-blown crisis in our food and agriculture economy.
This bill delivers targeted, meaningful investment in farm safety nets and rural development. It supports research, trade promotion, and critical infrastructure. It reflects bipartisan priorities from every corner of this Chamber.
This bill restores the integrity of SNAP, strengthens every link in the agricultural chain, and puts rural America back at the center of our policy agenda where it belongs.
Madam Speaker, I am proud of this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the centennial celebration of Caterpillar, one of America's greatest companies.
For 100 years, Caterpillar has produced impeccable pieces of machinery that include construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel- electric locomotives.
This is a company that continues to lead the way in innovation, not only here in America but also within continents across the entire world.
Congratulations to Caterpillar and its many dedicated employees on reaching this historic and admirable milestone. Here is to another century of excellence and innovation in manufacturing.
Mr. Speaker, this is the eleventh time that I have risen to call for Federal funding for malnourished children to be restored by the Trump administration. Today, I rise with a glimmer of hope.
After months of advocacy, Edesia Nutrition in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, has received notice that an order to ship their lifesaving, ready-to-use therapeutic food, Plumpy'Nut, to children in Sudan was finally approved. The food will be moved in the next 2 weeks.
This is a huge win for Edesia, for our country, and, most importantly, for the children whose lives will be saved by this miracle cure.
Let me be clear. This fight is not over. This is just the first step. The order was paid for with fiscal year 2024 funding. Edesia still has another 185,000 boxes of this ready-to-use food sitting in their warehouse, awaiting shipment. Despite money being appropriated for FY25, no new orders are being placed.
I once again call on the Trump administration for a full restoration of funding for ready-to-use therapeutic food that will save the lives of children across the world. We have done it before. We should continue to do it. That is our commitment.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Centre Gives 2025.
Now in its 14th year, in a 36-hour online fundraising event, Centre Gives raised a record-breaking $2.84 million.
This giving event organized by the Centre Foundation raises money to benefit over 230 nonprofit organizations across Centre County, Pennsylvania.
This achievement reflects the unwavering commitment of Centre County residents for supporting services in the arts, education, healthcare, animal welfare, and social services.
Notably, Centre Volunteers in Medicine received the highest donations at $108,374, while Centre County PAWS garnered the most unique donors, totaling 681.
The success of Centre Gives 2025 underscores the power of community- driven philanthropy and serves as an inspiring model for other regions.
Mr. Speaker, I express my heartfelt congratulations to the Centre Foundation, all participating nonprofits, and the generous donors who made this possible. Together, they have strengthened the fabric of their community and set a shining example for all of us.
Mr. Speaker, this weekend, a catastrophic tornado struck the heart of St. Louis, killing five of our neighbors, injuring dozens more, and causing more than $1.6 billion in projected damage.
Over 5,000 buildings were hit, power lines are down, critical infrastructure remains unstable, and entire neighborhoods are waking up to devastation.
Even in the middle of all that loss, St. Louis showed out. St. Louis showed up and showed what it is made of. Neighbors checked on neighbors. Teachers sheltered students. First responders put themselves in harm's way to keep others safe, and I thank them all.
This is not just a Democratic or a Republican issue. This is an all- of-the-above issue. From the Governor, the mayor, municipal mayors, the county executives, State representatives and senators, city alderpersons, county leaders, and especially regular citizens who have been working so hard for their community, I acknowledge these leaders.
Right now, thousands are still without power. Schools are closed, and families are grieving. Faith without works is dead, and we need the prayers of our constituents.
It will take a lot of work. I urge FEMA and the administration to work quickly. St. Louis can and will rebuild, but we cannot be left to do it alone. We have been through a lot. Working together, we are going to get through this, too.
Mr. Speaker, for too long American workers have shouldered the burden of trade policies that reward the Chinese Communist Party billionaires, destroying American jobs.
Mr. Speaker, 3.8 million American jobs were lost to China from 2001 through early 2023, including 60,000 jobs in South Carolina.
Reliance on the Chinese Communist Party jeopardizes American national security.
Overall, China is the largest source for the manufacture of cell phones, toys, computers, and other products. President Donald Trump has long recognized this problem. Last week, one-on-one discussions between America and China produced agreements to dramatically reduce tariffs, while establishing a path forward to manage the China challenge.
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, revealing war criminal Putin's lies, violating NATO airspace and insulting Trump last Tuesday with a Russian jet over the Gulf of Finland escorting a shadow ship, threatening Estonia, our NATO ally.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Willing Warriors and the upcoming 10-year anniversary of the Warrior Retreat.
Willing Warriors is an organization in Haymarket, Virginia, that supports wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers. They provide cost- free, nonmedical respite stays in a supportive environment.
Since opening in 2015, they have hosted over 2,800 Warriors and family members, where they can escape hospital settings to relax, rejuvenate, and reconnect with their families and support networks.
Through vital partnerships with Walter Reed, Fort Belvoir, and countless community organizations, their impact stretches far beyond the retreat's 37 peaceful acres.
Their newest addition, the PenFed Grand Lodge, offers group stays, resiliency training, and PTSD counseling.
I commend the Willing Warriors for their dedication to those who have sacrificed for our Nation. Congratulations on 10 years of the Warrior Retreat.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of Roger Eugene Goforth from my hometown of Kings Mountain, North Carolina.
For over 30 years, Roger served with the Kings Mountain Police Department. He took pride in that role, using it as an opportunity to keep the community safe and to help his neighbors in any way he could.
Roger was the kind of person who showed up wherever he was needed. He drove a schoolbus for the Kings Mountain schools, worked for decades at
No matter what job he held, he brought a strong work ethic and a big heart. He was incredibly active in his community and his faith as a part of the Dixon Presbyterian Church and Victory Baptist. He was also a member of the Shriners, a Mason, and a member of the Progressive Club.
When he had free time, he could be found fishing, competing in tractor pulls, or spending time with his family.
Roger was a good man who cared deeply about the people around him, especially his family. He certainly left Kings Mountain a better place, and he will be missed by all those who knew him.
Mr. Speaker, there is a lot of energy and excitement in Wayne County, North Carolina, as we celebrate a significant economic investment. Prolec GE Waukesha, Incorporated, announced a $140 million investment which will strengthen eastern North Carolina's economy and enhance our national energy infrastructure.
The investment aims to double the production of medium power transformers and address the urgent needs of our country's electric grid. The construction of a new state-of-the-art facility will create over 330 new jobs in various fields, from engineering to production.
Young people and professionals are craving these opportunities in the East and good-paying jobs. These jobs will average nearly $72,000 a year.
Congratulations to Prolec GE Waukesha, Incorporated. I am so excited about our energy future.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1223) to require a plan to improve the cybersecurity and telecommunications of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet, 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 California (Mr. Fong) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Subramanyam) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
Mr. 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. 1223, the bill now under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from California?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, H.R. 1223, the Accelerating Networking, Cyberinfrastructure, and Hardware for Oceanic Research Act, also known as the ANCHOR Act.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill because it addresses a critical and urgent need: safeguarding the integrity of our Nation's academic research fleet and ensuring that the valuable data collected at sea remains secure from emerging threats. This is about protecting the future of American science, innovation, and national security.
Our research fleet is a cornerstone of America's scientific advancement. Since the 1960s, these vessels have supported federally sponsored missions that impact everything from human health and energy development to ocean hazards and national security. They are laboratories at sea, collecting data that fuels critical decisionmaking here on land.
However, these ships face modern challenges. Right now, they lack the secure cyberinfrastructure needed to protect sensitive data and communicate reliably across global networks. That leaves them vulnerable to cyber threats from foreign adversaries, which have been on the rise and will continue to evolve with emerging technology.
Data is the heartbeat of scientific progress. It informs policy. It drives discovery. It strengthens our ability to respond to crises. We need it to compete and win on the world stage. We must ensure that this data is protected, that our researchers have the tools they need, and that the outcomes of their work remain in secure hands.
The ANCHOR Act directs the National Science Foundation to create a comprehensive plan to upgrade the cybersecurity and communication systems on these vessels to add another layer of protection where it is desperately needed.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my cosponsor, Representative Haley Stevens, for supporting our bipartisan effort to protect our Nation's scientific edge and security.
Today, let's take a critical step to safeguard our research fleet, protect our data, and secure the future of American innovation by voting in support of the ANCHOR Act.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the ANCHOR Act. The U.S. Academic Research Fleet, the ARF, is made up of an impressive array of marine research assets and even more impressive than this fleet is the invaluable research that it conducts.
This diverse fleet is managed and operated by a diverse group that includes the NSF, the Office of Naval Research, Federal research laboratories, and U.S. universities.
These fleets have unique cyberinfrastructure and networking challenges and vulnerabilities. This bill would require assessment of equipment and personnel costs and time requirements needed to upgrade the fleet and develop a proposal for funding these upgrades.
The House already passed this bill by a voice vote last Congress, and I hope it will do so again. This technological struggle has been a real detriment and had a real impact on these fleets.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the sponsor of this bill as well as Ms. Stevens, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be here to support H.R. 1223, the ANCHOR Act, sponsored by my colleagues, Representatives Fong and Stevens.
The ANCHOR Act tackles the critical need for improved cybersecurity across the U.S. Academic Research Fleet. This fleet of 17 vessels carries out vital research in diverse marine environments, from the Great Lakes to the polar regions.
The groundbreaking research conducted aboard these vessels has largely shaped our understanding of the ocean. Scientists study ecosystems and food webs, offshore energy resources, wave dynamics, natural hazard forecasting and response, and the deep ocean floor.
These scientists and technical experts operate a wide range of specialized equipment, including deep-towing systems, underwater cameras, and state-of-the-art acoustic sensors, often sailing to some of the world's most remote locations.
Ensuring secure and reliable communication and data transmission systems, regardless of location, presents a unique challenge. Each vessel needs tailored cybersecurity infrastructure to safeguard its scientific equipment and protect data, both on board and during transmission to shore.
Unfortunately, the fleet currently lacks the necessary infrastructure. This bill would change that. The ANCHOR Act directs the National Science Foundation to develop a plan for much-needed upgrades to the Academic Research Fleet, including cybersecurity enhancements and modernization of telecommunications equipment.
This plan must consider the type of research conducted on each vessel, the location, any specialized equipment, and network bandwidth needs. It is essential to protect taxpayer-funded research conducted by the fleet from nefarious actors.
We have made significant strides securing research at our agencies and university campuses. Now we must ensure the research being done off of our coasts is fully protected.
Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleagues for their efforts on this issue, and I urge my fellow Members to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter dated January 30, 2024, titled: ``Institutional Support for U.S. Academic Research Fleet Cyber Infrastructure.''
Mr. Speaker, again, I thank Mr. Fong and Ms. Stevens for their leadership on this bill. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1223, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
The U.S. Academic Research Fleet enables us to use state-of-the-art equipment worldwide to conduct cutting-edge science that cannot be performed on land. This fleet is a key factor in making the U.S. research enterprise a global leader.
However, our leadership is currently at risk, as it is widely recognized that our adversaries are willing to compromise, undermine, or steal our research. They aim to exploit our discoveries and surpass us as leaders in global technology. We cannot afford to let that happen.
To continue making groundbreaking discoveries, we must equip our research vessels with the cybersecurity infrastructure necessary to maintain the integrity of their data and equipment.
Mr. Speaker, 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 California (Mr. Fong) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1223.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1453) to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to require reporting regarding clean energy demonstration projects, 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 Texas (Mr. Babin) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Subramanyam) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1453, the bill which is now under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Texas?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1453, the Clean Energy Demonstration Transparency Act of 2025, sponsored by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Carey).
This sensible legislation will provide Congress with the necessary tools to effectively oversee the Department of Energy's growing number of large demonstration projects. DOE established the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, or OCED, to carry out the technology demonstration projects authorized in the Energy Act of 2020 and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. These projects include bipartisan initiatives like the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program and the Long-Duration Energy Storage Demonstration Initiative.
This bill requires the Secretary of Energy to submit semiannual reports to Congress on all demonstration projects managed by OCED. These reports must include details on contracts, milestones, schedules, funding profiles, and cost-share agreements.
Historically, DOE's applied energy offices have managed these programs, ensuring a seamless transition from
At the same time, the infrastructure bill and the Inflation Reduction Act appropriated over $27 billion to OCED to fund these projects.
This combination of organizational restructuring and a large influx of funding should raise concerns for every lawmaker of this institution, considering DOE's past mismanagement of demonstration projects.
Since its inception, OCED has been slow to award funding and has struggled to identify unique capabilities not already addressed by the applied energy offices. Congress lacks adequate safeguards and the capacity to conduct rigorous oversight over OCED and its demonstration projects.
For example, when the Science, Space, and Technology Committee sought more information on DOE's decision to waive the cost-share requirement for a multimillion-dollar project, the Department was not obliged to document or justify its rationale. Requiring DOE to submit semiannual reports will provide Congress with crucial tools to protect taxpayer dollars, hold OCED accountable, and ensure that projects are based on merit rather than crony favoritism.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Carey for his continued leadership on this issue despite no longer even sitting on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee. I also thank Representative Riley for his work in advancing this bill forward.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Clean Energy Demonstration Transparency Act, as well.
The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, as mentioned, established a first-of-its-kind Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, and this new office was tasked with coordinating the Department of Energy's large-scale clean energy technology development. This office is now managing more than $25 billion in funding to help scale emerging energy technologies that will help us tackle our most pressing climate challenges and achieve net-zero emissions as quickly as possible.
Last October, one of the initiatives supported by the office awarded $1.1 million to a Virginia company, Roanoke Cement Company. They are working on a project for the use of clays to minimize the use of carbon-intensive components in cement production. This project has the potential to decrease carbon intensity of cement production by around 83 percent. Cement production is responsible for 2 percent of energy- related CO2 emissions in the United States, so an 83 percent reduction in cement carbon intensity is very valuable.
This bipartisan bill authorizes simple and streamlined reporting requirements on the activities of the office, and it is a great transparency bill.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1453, the Clean Energy Demonstration Transparency Act of 2025.
I introduced this commonsense, bipartisan legislation last Congress, which passed the House by voice vote. With more than $25 billion in Federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and annual appropriations, the Department of Energy's Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations aims to support first- of-a-kind commercial-scale demonstrations and deploy them at viable and market-ready levels.
My bill requires semiannual reports to Congress on the status of these clean energy demonstration activities. With these reports, Congress can oversee these projects and ensure that taxpayer money is spent wisely and effectively.
Amid unprecedented Federal spending and soaring national debt, it is essential that we pass this legislation to avoid more Federal Government waste.
Overall, H.R. 1453 is a good government bill that improves accountability and transparency for the benefit of the American taxpayers. I thank Representative Riley for being a great partner on this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.
Mr. Speaker, one of our key responsibilities in Congress is to manage taxpayer dollars wisely. I don't take that job lightly. I want to see DOE and all of our vital Federal research agencies succeed in developing revolutionary next-generation technologies.
At the same time, we need to monitor the progress of these projects well before their costs balloon to multibillions of dollars and strain research budgets.
H.R. 1453 allows us to do precisely that. It enhances transparency between DOE and Congress, giving both parties the necessary information and insights into the successes of Federal demonstration projects to foster further achievements.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Carey) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Riley), his cosponsor, for leading this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1453.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1701) to require the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State to monitor efforts by the People's Republic of China to build or buy strategic foreign ports, 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 Michigan (Mr. Huizenga) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Michigan?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, H.R. 1701, the Strategic Ports Reporting Act, introduced alongside Representatives Rob Wittman, Jake Auchincloss, and Johnny Olszewski, and cosponsored by a bipartisan group of colleagues.
Mr. Speaker, this bill is simple, yet it is very necessary to expose the risks, the threats, and the vulnerabilities presented by overt Chinese-controlled global ports.
Specifically, the Strategic Ports Reporting Act requires the State Department, in coordination with the Defense Department, to develop a global mapping of foreign and domestic ports of strategic importance to the United States due to their capacity of providing military, diplomatic, economic, or resource exploration superiority. In other words, these are ports that are most important to the interests of the United States, both domestically and abroad.
Additionally, this bill requires a study analyzing the activities and plans of the PRC to expand its web of control over global strategic ports, while recognizing the U.S. national security and economic implications for such ownership.
China's malign influence abroad continues to reach new corners of the global economy. Emerging from the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese President Xi Jinping's companion initiative, known as the Maritime Silk Road, ratifies a dominating stake in various countries by making critical investment in their strategic ports, some of which exist right here in the United States.
Something that should resonate with all of our constituencies, as we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic, is that vulnerabilities in supply chains have a significant, real-world effect on our supply, on pricing, and access to essential goods.
Moreover, the likelihood of the PRC leveraging its port infrastructure to exert economic leverage in the future remains a significant challenge to the United States and our allies.
While many of these investments and port projects are portrayed as commercial relationships, the PRC's global reach is cause for concern, given that many of these ports pose significant dual-use military risks. The fact remains that Chinese investments in strategic ports offer the CCP a launchpad to engage in a campaign of modern-day espionage.
Let's look at a couple of examples, Mr. Speaker. In the Western Hemisphere, the PRC opened its crown jewel, a gateway connecting South America to Asia in Chancay, Peru. This multibillion-dollar, deepwater megaport is owned by a Chinese state-owned entity, COSCO Shipping, which has ties to the People's Liberation Army.
Additionally, Chinese-tied entities manage ports at both ends of the Panama Canal. Here, the CCP coordinates private companies in pursuit of its communist agendas and wields the power to garner more political influence in a volatile region.
I commend President Trump and his administration for its leadership and persistence to work with the Panamanians and BlackRock to change this reality.
In the United States, two Chinese-owned entities, COSCO Shipping and China Merchants Group, a major participant and proponent in China BRI,
The opportunity we created, exposing our critical infrastructure to cybersecurity risks, foreign intelligence threats, and supply chain vulnerabilities, cannot be understated in my opinion.
Outside of our hemisphere, China casts a wide geostrategic footprint of malign influence at other critical chokepoints, including a multitude of Chinese-financed, developed, or managed ports across Africa. These ambitions provide access to critical minerals, naval launchpads, and consequential state power projections.
Additionally, the deep-sea port in the city of Anaklia on Georgia's Black Sea coast recently granted the tender for construction to a Chinese consortium sanctioned by the U.S. in 2020 for promoting militarization in the South China Sea. The strategic location of this port in the Middle Corridor, the trade route between China and Europe, would make this a crucial project for President Xi.
Unfortunately, I believe many of these projects are just another example of emerging economies lured in by China's debt-trap diplomacy.
To combat these efforts, the heads of relevant U.S. Government agencies must work collaboratively and creatively to ensure open access and security for strategic ports and offer alternatives to PRC investments in these ports. The Strategic Ports Reporting Act helps accomplish that goal.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1701. When President Xi started the Belt and Road Initiative and the Maritime Silk Road Initiative, Beijing embarked on a coordinated state mandate to finance, acquire, access, enhance, and build ports around the world.
Today, the PRC is actively engaged in 115 port projects in at least 68 countries with more than $65 billion invested or promised. At least 89 port projects have characteristics that could support military applications. With the largest Navy in the world, the PRC's ambitions are clear. It seeks global basing locations for an aspirational blue water Navy.
Representative Huizenga's Strategic Ports Reporting Act will allow us to better track Beijing's attempts to grow its global maritime influence through its investments in foreign ports.
The United States Government needs ready access to all available information about the nature, extent, and intent of the PRC's involvement in port projects and maritime infrastructure around the world. We need a strategy to drive diplomatic, development, and defense engagements to mitigate threats from the PRC's activities at critical ports.
While several think tanks and research groups already map and report on PRC port activities, this bill's reporting requirements can shed light on the impact of these ports on U.S. interests and national security.
It is critical that the United States Government continue to monitor the nature, the extent, and the intent of the PRC's involvement in port projects and maritime infrastructure around the world and analyze the impact on U.S. strategic interests and on our partners and allies.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to join in supporting this measure.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Olszewski).
Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member, and I thank my colleague, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Huizenga), for his leadership on this bipartisan and bicameral bill. I am proud to join his efforts and co-lead on legislation that will help safeguard our ports and boost our economy.
I have seen firsthand how critical our ports are to our national security, to our economic strength, and to the resilience of our supply chains. In my home State of Maryland, the Port of Baltimore is an anchor. It provides more than 15,000 direct jobs, supports another 140,000 connected jobs and services, and it is a critical gateway for commerce.
It is one of the largest ports in the country for automobiles and ranks in the top 10 nationally for total cargo. The Port of Baltimore, like so many ports across the country, is an economic lifeline for our communities.
Today, however, these lifelines face a growing challenge. Namely, China is aggressively expanding its influence over strategic ports around the world. China is building, buying, and controlling maritime infrastructure critical to U.S. interests.
They now control or have stakes in critical ports across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas, providing Beijing with unprecedented leverage over key maritime chokepoints and global trade routes.
In the Western Hemisphere alone, Chinese companies have established ownership or operational control in ports spanning seven countries, including major terminals here in the U.S.
Last year, the House select committee on China and the House Homeland Security Committee conducted a joint investigation into the operation of ZPMC at U.S. ports. ZPMC is a Chinese state-owned company and the world's largest manufacturer of cranes.
At the Port of Baltimore, the FBI discovered intelligence-gathering equipment on board a vessel delivering ZPMC cranes to the Port of Baltimore. This allows China not only to advance its own economic interests but also to potentially disrupt shipping access and gather intelligence on U.S. military movements.
The Strategic Ports Reporting Act is a necessary and timely response to this threat. It is not just about commercial competition. It is about transparency, preparedness, and safeguarding our national security so we can continue to project power, protect our economy, and secure our supply chains.
This is a bipartisan and commonsense step to protect the American people. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and send a clear message. The U.S. will not cede control of our critical infrastructure to our adversaries.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, the United States needs a strategy to effectively mitigate threats from the PRC's growing maritime influence through its investments in foreign ports.
The report required under this bill will shine a light on the nature, the extent, and the intent of Beijing's involvement in port projects and maritime infrastructure around the world and will inform efforts by the United States Government to analyze the impact of these ports on U.S. interests and our national security.
Mr. Speaker, I hope that all of my colleagues will join me in support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Mr. Wittman, on my side of the aisle. I especially thank those on the other side of the aisle, Mr. Olszewski and Mr. Auchincloss, and my good friend, the ranking member, Mr. Meeks, for working through this.
Mr. Speaker, peace through strength is a theme of the United States that we have had for a long time, and it is something that is imperative right now. Without stalwart diplomacy from the United States and its allies and economic partners, Communist China's global reach will only mature, sowing instability and insecurity and, frankly, as I talked about, some economic challenges abroad.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the fact that the gentleman was talking a little bit about the private sector. I welcome and appreciate their involvement and their attempts to track and to analyze what is going on.
These other attempts at offering that strategy and the mapping of the critical assets oftentimes lack up-to-date information and do not take into account the warfighter perspectives that President Trump's DOD brings nor do they really use the lens of the U.S. national priorities.
Mr. Speaker, that is why I believe that this legislation is so important. The Strategic Ports Reporting Act was deliberated and negotiated within the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and a bipartisan consensus on the text was reached. That is where we are today.
It remains imperative that the U.S. use all of its tools available to thwart malign Chinese influence and protect America's national security, our economic interests, and even our warfighters. That time is now, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Huizenga) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1701.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1263) to require a strategy for bolstering engagement and cooperation between the United States, Australia, India, and Japan and to seek to establish a Quad Inter-Parliamentary Working Group to facilitate closer cooperation on shared interests and values.
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 Michigan (Mr. Huizenga) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this matter.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Michigan?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1263, the Strengthening the Quad Act, introduced by my friend, Ranking Member Meeks, and the chairwoman of the East Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee, Congresswoman Young Kim.
This legislation is a strategic, forward-thinking step that reinforces Congress' unwavering commitment to a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific.
At a time when the Chinese Communist Party is aggressively asserting its influence, militarizing the South China Sea, threatening Taiwan, coercing regional partners, and promoting authoritarianism, it is more critical than ever for the United States to deepen cooperation with like-minded democratic nations.
The Quad, comprising the United States, India, Japan, and Australia, is not just another diplomatic forum. It is a powerful, strategic alliance built on unyielding values: respect for sovereignty, unwavering commitment to the rule of law, promotion of fair trade, and a relentless defense of democratic governance. This partnership is a force for stability and accountability in an increasingly turbulent world.
The Strengthening the Quad Act takes this partnership to the next level. It empowers this relationship by ensuring regular, high-level engagement between the United States Congress and the legislatures of the Quad nations, fostering deeper collaboration and mutual understanding.
We have seen the power of early engagement. On day one of President Trump's administration, Secretary Rubio convened the first-ever Quad foreign ministers meeting, demonstrating our dedication to confronting evolving geopolitical challenges alongside our democratic allies.
By strengthening our partnership with the Quad, we are not just reinforcing alliances in the Indo-Pacific, we are drawing a clear line in the sand, or maybe the ocean as, Mr. Speaker, democratic values and the rule of law will, not might, shape the future of global power, not authoritarian coercion.
Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the South and Central and Asia Subcommittee, I support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1263.
I am the proud sponsor of this bill, the Strengthening the Quad Act, and I am grateful to Representative Young Kim for introducing it with me alongside Representatives Bera, Huizenga, and Kamlager-Dove.
The Quad is a diplomatic dialogue the United States has established with the Governments of Japan, Australia, and India. It is a timely initiative with strong support in all four capitals and the support of three successive U.S. administrations. President Trump helped relaunch the Quad during his first term. President Biden elevated the Quad to the leaders' level and operationalized it. In addition, the second Trump administration has embraced the Quad, as well. In fact, as Mr. Huizenga has said, Secretary of State Marco Rubio's first diplomatic meeting was with the Quad foreign ministers.
The reason the Quad is so important today is very simple. Freedom and democracy in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world are currently under attack.
According to Freedom House, the world has experienced 19 consecutive years of decline in global freedom. Given this global crisis, America must lead with our values and harness regional diplomacy to bring democracies together like never before to foster cooperation and find solutions to complex challenges. In particular, in the Indo-Pacific, one of the best tools we have to do that is the Quad.
The Quad allows us to work with three leading Indo-Pacific democracies to showcase the heft of open markets and open societies. In the face of the PRC's authoritarian model, we must demonstrate to the region that democracies can and will deliver results.
On this, Republicans and Democrats agree that the Quad is integral for a free and open Indo-Pacific. However, to ensure the Quad's success and longevity, we need to identify and pursue clear objectives and deepen political and institutional support in all four of the capitals.
This is why H.R. 1263 calls on the State Department to develop a long-term strategy for the Quad. The strategy and report to Congress will allow successive administrations to set ambitious benchmarks and to partner with Congress to meet them.
My bill also establishes a Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working Group to facilitate engagement and cooperation among the legislatures of the four democracies. Inter-Parliamentary engagement will expand diplomatic ties
It will also help to sustain political support and resources for the Quad in all four nations. It is simply a very important bill to further democracy in the Indo-Pacific.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join in supporting this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim), who is the chair of the Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Huizenga for yielding, and I thank our ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Representative Meeks, also for managing this on the House floor.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1263, the Strengthening the Quad Act.
As you have heard, Mr. Speaker, the Quad comprises four nations: the United States, Japan, India, and Australia. It is the cornerstone of our strategy to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, counter the Chinese Communist Party, or CCP, and maintain stability and U.S. interests in what the Department of Defense has deemed the priority theater.
Against the backdrop of the CCP's militarization of the South China Sea, coercive economic practices, and territorial disputes, the Quad amplifies our four democracies' deterrence and economic, defense, and technological cooperation.
The Strengthening the Quad Act takes our alliance a step further by creating a comprehensive Quad strategy and establishing a Quad Inter- Parliamentary Working Group that reinforces America's commitment to our allies in the region.
I have seen the benefit of inter-parliamentary working groups coming together, having worked on one of those in the past, and I think this is going to really bring all of our interested parties together to really work on finding solutions to keep our strategic security partnerships stronger.
Now is the time to ramp up the Quad's collaboration on maritime security, cybersecurity, and efforts to counter disinformation to protect our allies and friends, especially the Pacific Island nations. They are counting on us to show up.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to co-lead this important legislation with Representative Meeks, and I urge all my colleagues to support the Strengthening the Quad Act.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.
Mr. Speaker, this is a bipartisan bill. I thank Representative Young Kim for her work on this bill along with Mr. Bera, Mr. Huizenga, and Ms. Kamlager-Dove.
This bill passed the House in the last Congress and also the one before that. With authoritarianism on the rise and our Indo-Pacific allies and partners increasingly worried about the United States' commitment to their region, passing this bill now and getting it signed into law will reassure our allies that the United States will remain engaged at the highest of levels.
This will help ensure that democracies in the region can continue to deliver and that we stay committed and find success in our collective endeavor to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Mr. Speaker, I hope all of my colleagues will join me and support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the ranking member's work on this legislation, as well as the work of Chairwoman Kim, Mr. Bera, and Ms. Kamlager-Dove. This is what can happen when we come together and have our common interests as a nation be projected out to our allies.
I have been involved in a number of other inter-parliamentary groups, IPGs, that really have allowed this body to build and foster relationships with others. It is those critical relationships, not just at the administrative level, but also at that legislative level, that can work through some of the challenges that occur at times with our allies.
Mr. Speaker, let's pass this bill, Strengthening the Quad Act, and send an unmistakable message that the United States stands firm with our allies, committed to peace through strength, prosperity through unity, and an unbreakable defense of democracy against authoritarian threats.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Huizenga) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1263.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 217) to amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent the pilot program authorized by the Communities Helping Invest through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2016, and for other purposes, as amended.
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 Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 217, as amended. This bill was introduced by the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon), my good friend and colleague.
This bill would reauthorize the CHIP IN pilot program for another 5 years while expanding it nationwide. This pilot program has enabled public-private partnerships with VA to help fund the construction of projects for healthcare facilities. It is set to expire next year.
In Omaha, Nebraska, VA and local partners used this authority to build an outpatient clinic 1 year ahead of schedule and $35 million under budget. They delivered to veterans in Nebraska a modern state-of- the-art facility. With this bill, we would move VA to pursue even more public-private partnerships across the country to build new facilities in communities where veterans need them the most.
I thank my friend, Representative Bacon, for his work to bring the CHIP IN program to communities nationwide.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 217, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 217, the CHIP IN for Veterans Act, as amended.
Now more than ever, VA needs flexibility and creative methods to address its infrastructure needs. This legislation extends through 2031 a pilot program that allows VA to accept donations of properties to meet its strategic capital investment project needs. It also expands the types of donations that VA can accept, to include minor construction and nonrecurring maintenance projects.
VA's infrastructure needs are estimated to be over $150 billion, and those needs are growing every day. The average age of VA medical centers is over 60 years old, and many have retrofitting and maintenance needs that are not addressed under VA's existing budget requests.
This pilot program presents an opportunity to find creative solutions, where possible, to address VA's infrastructure needs. Non- Federal entities may donate either real property that already includes a constructed facility or that can be used as a site of a new facility constructed by the donor, or entities may donate a facility to be constructed on property VA already owns.
Under the CHIP IN for Veterans Act, donors must independently donate the real property, improvements, goods, or services for the project in an amount acceptable to VA and at no additional cost to the government.
So far, VA has received donations resulting in two medical facilities, an ambulatory care center in Omaha, Nebraska, which began seeing patients in 2020, and an inpatient medical center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which is expected to open next year.
Under the existing CHIP IN for Veterans Act authority, VA has only been able to accept donations that result in major construction projects, which are projects for which Congress has appropriated at least $20 million.
H.R. 217, as amended, would expand the CHIP IN program to include minor construction and nonrecurring maintenance projects. This would allow VA to accept donations of smaller outpatient clinics or to make improvements or build additions to existing facilities. Hopefully, with this expanded authority, VA will be able to attract even more donations.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 217, the CHIP IN for Veterans Act of 2025, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair and ranking member for this opportunity. This is a win for veterans from coast to coast, all 50 States, Puerto Rico, you name it. This is a win for veterans.
I rise today in support of H.R. 217, Communities Helping Invest through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2025, or the CHIP IN for Veterans Act, a bipartisan bill that strengthens and expands a proven program to deliver modern healthcare facilities for our Nation's veterans more efficiently and at a lower cost to taxpayers.
H.R. 217 leverages the success of the CHIP IN for Veterans Act of 2016. We have extended it twice, and it is going to expire in 2026 if we don't get this bill done today.
H.R. 217, as amended, would reauthorize the pilot program and clarify the original intent of the program to allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to accept donations of real property from non-Federal partners for the construction, improvement, or renovation of VA medical facilities.
The bill changes current law to designate that eligible projects may include minor construction and nonrecurring maintenance, in addition to the major construction projects. These revisions are intended to expand participation in the CHIP IN program and accelerate the delivery of modernized VA infrastructure for veterans across the country.
I want to stress something that the chairman mentioned earlier in his comments. The first example of this use was completed in 2020. The VA programmed a total of $135 million to build a new ambulatory clinic in Omaha. We built that facility at the cost of $80 million at a higher specification and at better requirements, better across the board than what the VA would have done by itself, a $55 million savings. On top of that, we took $30 million in philanthropic money and offset that $85 million down to $55 million.
In all, we saved the taxpayers $80 million on this one project, and we are looking to do it again with the inpatient facility, where we think we can save a half-billion dollars for the VA and provide a better clinic for inpatient care for our veterans.
This trailblazing partnership delivered a 157,000-square-foot outpatient facility that serves hundreds of veterans each day using eight primary care clinics, a first-of-its-kind women's healthcare clinic, and one specialty care clinic, a surgical suite with five operating rooms, including pre- and post-op space, radiology, and an onsite lab. The facility offers a satellite pharmacy with retail services.
This has become a national model for how a non-Federal investment can supplement VA's investment while reducing the cost for the Federal Government. The success of this project inspired a second facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the ranking member said. The GAO has even recommended that the VA share lessons learned from the Omaha project to replicate its efficiency and innovation.
I cannot emphasize enough the critical role of public-private partnerships in expanding access to high-quality healthcare for our Nation's veterans. The Omaha facility is a testament to what is possible when the public and private sectors come together.
There are so many people in our country who have done well, and they want to invest in our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support for the CHIP IN for Veterans Act.
Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all of our Members to support H.R. 217, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 217, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1147) to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, and for other purposes, as amended.
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 Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1147 offered by my colleague, Representative David Valadao of California. The bill would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a veterans advisory committee on equal access.
The committee would advise the VA Secretary on how the Department can improve access to VA benefits, services, information, and facilities for individuals with disabilities. The committee would bring together veterans with disabilities, subject matter experts, VA employees, and representatives of veterans service organizations to make sure that the Secretary is getting the best advice from the right people.
Mr. Speaker, it goes without saying that this is long overdue. Americans with disabilities are entitled to equal access to healthcare and benefits nationwide. That includes the VA. Congress made it clear, through the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws, that this is the case.
While VA has made progress in recent years, the promise of equal access for individuals with disabilities has not been fully achieved.
We know these accessibility gaps still exist, and I thank the VSO community for their work to shine a spotlight on these issues. The goal of this legislation is to eliminate accessibility gaps and achieve universal access for veterans living with disabilities, as they are entitled to by law.
This is an important goal, and I believe the advisory committee is well justified.
I also share many of my colleagues' concerns about the growth of advisory committees in the Federal Government. There are simply too many. That is why this legislation would direct VA to eliminate or consolidate an inactive advisory committee.
I thank Representative Valadao for his commitment to resolving this issue. This bill passed the House unanimously last Congress, and there is no reason why it should not receive the same bipartisan support this Congress and be signed into law.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1147, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1147, the Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act of 2025, as amended. This bill establishes an advisory committee that brings disabled veterans' voices into the fold and provides a seat at the table with top decisionmakers at VA.
Access is an issue I have sought to champion during my time in Congress and particularly during my time with the Veterans' Affairs Committee.
Disabled veterans still face many barriers in accessing the care and services they have rightfully earned. Those barriers deserve the time and attention of a VA advisory committee so that experts can come together to improve how veterans with disabilities access their care and benefits.
Advocates like the Blinded Veterans Association, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Disabled American Veterans have been tireless voices in our communities, raising awareness of these issues. Establishing a veterans accessibility advisory committee will provide a direct line for these voices to be heard and for change to be made at VA so that all veterans can access their care and benefits with ease.
In a time of drastic change at the Department, while President Trump and Secretary Collins are at the helm, ensuring disabled veterans have a voice at the table is more important than ever.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act, which would make the Department of Veterans Affairs more accessible for our disabled veterans.
Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our country, and we have a responsibility to make sure they receive the benefits and services they have earned.
Sadly, too many disabled veterans face unnecessary obstacles in accessing care because of avoidable barriers at the VA.
This bipartisan bill would create a permanent advisory committee within the VA, made up of disabled veterans, experts, and advocates who understand these challenges firsthand.
This committee will give our veterans a direct line to the Secretary of the VA, ensuring that their voices are heard and their needs are prioritized.
This is a commonsense, bipartisan step to improve oversight, enhance accessibility, and uphold our Nation's commitment to the men and women who have sacrificed so much defending our freedoms.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Bost and his staff at the Committee on Veterans' Affairs for their work on this important bill which makes the VA more accessible for our disabled veterans that it serves.
Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1147, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
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 Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 1286, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Illinois?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1286, as amended. The bill was introduced by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Bresnahan), my friend and colleague.
This bill would require VA to contract with research entities to improve the forms that VA requires veterans and their families to fill out throughout the VA claims process.
Incorrectly filling out these forms can force veterans to wait longer for a decision on their claim and cause veterans to receive wrongful denials of their claim.
Veterans and their advocates have told Congress time and time again how disorganized and difficult these forms can be. As a veteran myself, it has been a challenge for me to complete these forms for my own disability claims.
We must make VA's standard forms more understandable for veterans so they can more easily access their earned VA benefits. This bill would do just that.
Representative Bresnahan's commonsense bill would ensure that Congress continues to push VA forward to better serve veterans, and I am proud to co-lead it.
I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1286, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1286, Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act, as amended.
Time and time again we hear from veterans that they cannot make heads or tails out of some of the forms necessary to access veterans' benefits. Not only have we heard it from veterans, but we have also heard it from accredited experts who assist in preparing disability claims.
This must be corrected. We cannot have veterans leaving earned benefits on the table because they put a piece of information on a line below where it should have been because the form was hard to understand.
It is not a stretch to think of a veteran attempting to file for a claim in their later years when their eyes don't see as well or they can't remember all the minute details from service long ago.
That can be a frustrating experience, and H.R. 1286 proposes that the VA enter into an agreement with a federally-funded research and development center to assess the forms VA is currently using.
Sometimes, when you are so close to a problem, it is hard to see what the core of the issue is. This bill will allow fresh eyes to review and study the forms VA uses in order to find areas for improvement. These could be small fixes that lead to positive improvement in a veteran's life.
As we work to better the veterans' experience, we should be looking at making large programs better. We should be looking at building new state-of-the-art facilities with technology that integrates seamlessly between agencies, doctors, and departments. We should be making big changes which make big impacts, but we should also commit to small changes that can also improve the veteran experience.
That is what this bill does. It starts to move in the direction of making forms easier for our veterans to review, complete, and ultimately get their earned benefits.
I support this bill and the agreement to enter into a study to see where there is room for improvement as veterans seek better access to their earned benefits.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill and to continue to advocate for a better veteran experience, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Bresnahan), the sponsor of this bill and the Representative from Pennsylvania's Eighth District.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Bost for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I am honored today to speak on H.R. 1286, the Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act.
I am proud to lead this bipartisan bill with the support of Chairman Bost and the Veterans' Affairs Committee.
When our veterans return home from serving our country, they are often tasked with filling out dozens of pages of paperwork just to receive the benefits they rightfully earned.
These forms are often confusing, difficult to navigate, and duplicative. It is crucial that our veterans and survivors understand how to fill out each form completely and accurately because failure to do so can result in delays in processing their claim, delays in receiving a decision on their claim, or even a denial of their claim.
Veterans and survivors are often forced to rely on Veteran Service Organizations, VSOs, to assist them with completing forms because these VA standard forms, including their attached instructions, can be disorganized and confusing to navigate. These VSOs have highlighted the need to improve VA's standard forms so that they are more straightforward and user friendly.
That is why I introduced the Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act. It would require the VA to contract with a nonpartisan, federally- funded research entity to conduct a study on and provide recommendations for revising VA forms to be more understandable for veterans and their survivors.
Our military members dedicated their lives to serving our Nation. The last thing they need when they come
Pennsylvania's Eighth Congressional District is home to 40,000 veterans. I am proud to spearhead this legislation for each and every one of them and their families.
I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1286 because we owe our veterans a system that works efficiently and effectively on their behalf.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 1286, Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1286, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1815) to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take certain actions in the case of a default on a home loan guaranteed by the Secretary, and for other purposes, as amended.
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 Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 1815, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Illinois?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1815, as amended, offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Van Orden), my friend and colleague.
For the last year, House Republicans have raised concerns about the Biden administration's creation of a VA Servicing Purchase program, or the VASP program.
Mr. Speaker, this Biden program was estimated to cost over $15 billion in tax dollars. It also puts the VA home loan program at risk for today and tomorrow's veterans.
It was a bad program, and the Trump administration was right to stop it. However, I recognize that sometimes veterans and their families fall on hard times and veterans need a safety net.
Mr. Van Orden's bill, H.R. 1815, as amended, is a fiscally responsible solution to enhance the VA home loan program and give veterans the assistance they might need if they are in home loan debt.
The bill is the result of over a year of discussions between VSOs, veterans, the lenders, and Members to properly establish a partial claim program for veteran homeowners should they need it.
The bill is the only fiscally responsible solution to a problem that Mr. Van Orden and I have been sounding the alarm on for over a year.
Instead of the VA running rampant and creating a program without Congress' intent, establishing a partial claim program where elected officials have made changes to improve a government program is how the democracy should work.
This bill would also require the VA to implement a strategic plan to ensure that veterans remain competitive in their home loan process.
Finally, this bill includes the proper funding for the grant and per diem provisions we passed in the Dole Act last year to fix the Biden administration's mistake.
Under my leadership, my committee will continue to honor its commitment to all veterans, including ensuring proper funding is provided to the GPD providers working to lift veterans out of homelessness.
I thank everybody who has come together to get this bill to this place.
I give special thanks to the Mortgage Bankers Association, Rocket Mortgage, the National Association of REALTORS, and the National Association of Mortgage Brokers for supporting this legislation and helping us get it to the finish line on behalf of our veterans and their families.
I appreciate my Democrat colleagues for their bipartisan support of this legislation. With their support, I hope we can get a good bill passed to the Senate quickly and then to the President's desk very soon.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1815, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1815, the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act, as amended.
We are, unfortunately, here to solve a crisis of the Trump administration's own making. Due to the unilateral actions of President Trump and Secretary Collins, over 80,000 veterans, servicemembers, and their families are now facing foreclosures on their homes.
Let's review how we got here. Our Nation faced an unprecedented crisis with COVID-19. That required action from VA to prevent the loss of hundreds of thousands of homes when our economy ground to a halt.
President Biden, with the support of Congress, took action. First, the President used existing authorities to pause foreclosures. Then with the authorities granted by the national disaster declaration, the VA was able to implement a partial claims program, very similar to this very legislation we are considering today, saving tens of thousands of veterans from losing their homes.
Mr. Speaker, Republicans, including Chairman Bost, urged President Biden to end the U.S. national emergency for COVID-19, which occurred on April 11, 2023.
Mr. Speaker, this resulted in VA losing authorities to carry out a partial claims program, again, not unlike the legislation we are considering now.
At that moment, action was still critically needed. Our veterans would have lost their homes. The VA could no longer offer a partial claims program because, of course, the national emergency was ended, so President Biden instituted a second foreclosure moratorium to give VA more time to offer a solution.
Mr. Speaker, President Biden and Secretary Denis McDonough began to work in 2023 and launched the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase program, or VASP, on May 31, 2024. During that year, most lenders cooperated, and very few veteran foreclosures occurred.
This new program, VASP, used explicit existing authorities granted by Congress to offer veteran homeowners a last resort before losing their homes. However, last month, Secretary Collins, President Trump, and Elon Musk's DOGE abruptly ended the VASP program, giving veterans no notice that a critical lifeline for borrowers was being taken away.
This decision was pushed for and celebrated by Chairman Bost and Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Chairman Van Orden. If the Speaker listens to them, they will argue that the program meant that VA would incur too much risk or that VA was not properly prepared to handle holding the loans of these veterans.
Just so we are all clear, VA already holds the risks for loans in the home loan program. The program is called the Home Loan Guaranty Program. VA is guaranteeing that lenders are made whole if a veteran is foreclosed on. The lenders collect the interest, profit from the loan, and if a foreclosure happens, the lenders are paid first.
Mr. Speaker, I will read from the VA's own website:
``A VA home loan guaranty means that a purchaser obtains a loan through a private lender, such as a bank, credit union, or mortgage company. VA then works with the lender to guarantee the loan. If the homeowner defaults on the loan, VA will pay the debt to the lender.''
Second, the claim that VA doesn't know how to manage property or hold loans is just plain wrong. VA has an extensive property management portfolio. VA testified before our committee earlier this year on its ability to hold the loans. VA already has enhanced-use leases on nearly 40 of its campuses, meaning VA is acting as a landlord that is managing property being used by lessees.
Further, President Trump recently announced his intentions to own a massive housing property at the West L.A. campus. I look forward to working with the administration to make this happen, and this absolutely is evidence of VA's ability to manage land and properties.
Mr. Speaker, today, I and Members of Congress continue to field calls from veterans who learned from a press release that they are likely to lose their homes. These are veterans who saw the Secretary's April 25 notice that the program was ending. These are the very same veterans who tried to apply for the program and who found out that the program had already closed.
Mr. Speaker, the May 1 closing date was deceptive. In reality, these veterans would have had to have submitted their paperwork much earlier in April. This is outrageous and cruel. In the chairman's State of Illinois, over 2,000 borrowers face foreclosure. In the bill sponsor's State of Wisconsin, over 600 borrowers face foreclosure. In my State of California, over 4,000 borrowers face foreclosure. I could go on and on, but these borrowers had options to avoid foreclosure. Yet, these options are now severely limited.
Many of these veterans are now afraid of speaking out against the VA in fear of retribution. They are disabled veterans, Vietnam war-era veterans, Gulf war veterans, and Active-Duty military members. These veterans and these soldiers had our backs. Where is the Trump-Collins VA? It is unnecessarily pushing them into risk of foreclosure.
As mortgage rates on the open market remain high compared to recent years and with the closure of the VASP program, the only options available to these borrowers are either selling their home or being foreclosed upon. As VASP was the program of last resort, ending VASP has accelerated the risk to these borrowers.
Mr. Speaker, that brings us to the legislation we are considering today. This legislation attempts to offer a lifeline to those the Trump administration has unnecessarily put at risk. It is not a perfect or a complete fix, and it is likely to be too late for many of the 80,000 who are wondering today if they will still have a home in a month. Yet, it is necessary legislation that I urge the Department to implement quickly.
In the minority views filed for this legislation, I continue to urge the Secretary to reinstate some kind of assistance for veteran borrowers until this legislation is signed into law and implemented. That will take some time. Every veteran who loses their home will have no one to blame but President Trump and Secretary Collins.
Mr. Speaker, it is not too late for Secretary Collins to act, and I hope veterans, VSOs, and housing groups continue to call on him to do so. I also call on my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to join those efforts instead of celebrating the end of VASP.
Mr. Speaker, I plan to support H.R. 1815, as amended, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it. This legislation should be expanding existing options for veterans to make veteran home foreclosures extremely rare and occurring only in the most extreme cases. Instead, this is a Band-Aid that likely will arrive too late for many.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the other side of the aisle highlighting the problem that veterans are facing today. Thank goodness we are working on a solution right here with H.R. 1815, and we are going to be voting on it today.
Mr. Speaker, the VA's decision to phase out the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase program, or VASP program, was an important step by the Trump administration. This decision added billions of dollars to the VA budget without any assurance to the taxpayers that this was a good decision. Just last week, my office received information that, on top of paying $6.3 billion to purchase VA loans, VA also spent an additional $1.5 billion just to support their financing.
The average amount that a veteran had to pay back of their mortgage was actually less than $25,000. Instead of solving the problem, VA chose to purchase the entire loan, costing an average of $321,000. In no way does it make sense to solve a $25,000 problem with a $321,000 solution. Only in government would you do that.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this bill would have saved money by keeping the veterans out of foreclosure. They estimated earlier this Congress that the continuing of VASP would cost the taxpayers over half a billion dollars in the next decade. That is why, under my leadership, House Republicans have sounded the alarm on the Biden administration program and the risk it could bring to VA home loans.
Mr. Speaker, I continue to urge support of H.R. 1815. It is a sensible bill. Representative Van Orden and I will continue working on a cure to this problem.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Van Orden).
Mr. VAN ORDEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, H.R. 1815, the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act. This legislation establishes a permanent partial claims program within the VA Home Loan Program, bringing VA in line with all of the other Federal agencies that lend moneys for homes.
As the chairman of the House Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, I am responsible for the two most successful programs the history of the United States Government has ever administered, the GI home loan program and the GI VA home loan guaranty.
Mr. Speaker, it is my responsibility to make sure that every Active- Duty servicemember, every veteran, and every American who chooses to join the military in the future has the opportunity to use this program to borrow money to fulfill the American Dream, which is homeownership.
As stated previously, when an unelected series of bureaucrats invented a program that has not existed
As Chairman Bost noted, there was a $25,000 problem, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs threw a $320,000 wrench at it, and that had the potential to collapse this program over time.
I will not allow that on my watch.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman, Secretary Collins, and President Donald J. Trump for helping to ensure that every American who has served, is serving, and will serve the United States of America to protect our freedoms has the ability to fulfill the American Dream, which is homeownership.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I point out that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost), the chairman, is making a mountain out of nothing. The greater risk either way to the government, the home loan program, the VA is on the hook for these loans whether they hold them, or whether lenders hold the note.
What we are talking about here is 80,000 veterans with highly distressed loans being unnecessarily put at risk, and the Biden administration did what it could given changing circumstances from an expiring emergency authority, to having to put a second pause on any foreclosures on these veterans, to finding a solution in VASP.
I am supportive of a replacement to VASP, but it is inexplicable why the Secretary would suddenly, without notice, end the program for veterans who very much right at this very moment would have liked to have applied for VASP before it had been terminated. Yet, as we speak, there is no solution. Regardless of how quickly we move in this Chamber or in the Senate, it is going to take time to stand up this replacement program in time. Meanwhile, we will see veterans lose their homes, all for a very flimsy reason.
Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, but context is important. This legislation is now critically important because of recent actions by this administration.
This legislation also includes funding for the homelessness programs passed as part of the Elizabeth Dole Act last Congress. The Trump- Collins VA continues to drag their feet on sections of the Dole Act that increase our ability to get homeless veterans housed and off of the streets.
Mr. Speaker, I will address Chairman Bost's remarks that the reason portions of the Dole Act were not implemented, regarding the grant and per diem sections for the homeless, were due to the Biden administration's failure.
This is not true. The Biden administration clearly articulated the policy needed in the Dole Act. The chairman failed to include those in the bill before passage last Congress.
Now, the Trump veteran housing crisis first cuts off foreclosure assistance, driving veterans into homelessness, then blocks aid to homelessness providers. My colleagues want to claim today that we are fixing the Trump veteran housing crisis, but if they are serious, they need to join our calls for immediate action by Secretary Collins.
First, we need to implement the Dole Act, including the section on augmentations to the grant and per diem program for getting homeless off the streets. We need to stop the firing of veterans working at VA. We need to halt veteran foreclosures until, at the very least, the legislation we are considering today has been implemented. We need to bring back VASP to offer borrowers more avenues to keep their homes; otherwise, President Trump may see the number of homeless veterans double in a single year.
I will close by saying, again, that I support H.R. 1815, the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act, as amended, but action is truly needed before it is too late.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I do think a response is necessary to clear up what was spoken of from the other side of the aisle. One is that the Veterans Home Loan program does not assume the entire loss of the existing program during VASP, but what it did is, because it is a loan guarantee, it was 25 percent. I think that needs to be clear for the record.
This bill is the cure, I believe, for the problems that we are having right now. At least it gives off-step to secure these loans to make sure that as few as possible face foreclosure. It is a good bill. It is a good bill that will receive support from both sides of the aisle. The argument before was just that. It was an argument before.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage all my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1815, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1823) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Comptroller General of the United States to report on certain funding shortfalls in the Department of Veterans Affairs, as amended.
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 Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 1823, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Illinois?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1823, as amended.
This bill was introduced by my friend and colleague, Representative Jack Bergman. This bill will create good government accounting and reporting practices in handling of VA's multibillion-dollar budget.
General Bergman introduced this bill in response to a disastrous miscalculation during the Biden administration, which led to a fake budget shortfall.
Last July, VA informed Congress about a potential $15 billion shortfall. VA said it needed the money for unprecedented increases in benefits claims and healthcare services. This notice came after the Biden administration had already submitted its VA budget request.
Mr. Speaker, it should go without saying that VA should have known its financial situation much earlier than the time they told us about the shortfall that ended up never existing.
Now, according to VA Office of Inspector General, the miscalculations stem from a lack of oversight, accuracy, and communication. It is time to change that. If there is anything that we have learned, it is that we need our eyes on the VA budget and their reviews. I am proud to support General Bergman's bill to do exactly that.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1823, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in hesitant support of H.R. 1823, the VA Budget Shortfall Accountability Act of 2025, as amended.
This bill requires the U.S. Government Accountability Office to conduct a review of the circumstances surrounding the budget shortfalls at the Veterans Benefit Administration in fiscal year 2024 and at the Veterans Health Administration in fiscal year 2025.
Upon completion, GAO will submit the report to VA, which must transmit it to the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Appropriations Committees.
GAO is then required to complete five subsequent annual reviews of VHA's and VBA's budget execution for the preceding fiscal year.
I am concerned that this legislation is duplicative of reports that have already been published by VA's Office of Inspector General, and of work GAO is currently conducting that was initiated under the Comptroller General's authority.
It is especially concerning that we are considering H.R. 1823 today, given the context of the letter Chairman Bost recently sent to the Department of Justice, urging the Attorney General to investigate three former Biden administration officials for criminal wrongdoing in handling last year's budget shortfall.
This bill should be viewed as political retaliation. It is not serious oversight. Give me a break.
The reports recently issued by OIG have already determined that VA's existing accounting and budget technological infrastructure is a primary cause of the shortcomings in VA's monitoring of budget execution that led to the VBA and VHA shortfalls in fiscal years 2024 and 2025, respectively.
This bill does nothing to address that and other underlying causes, and instead seems to be designed to reopen investigation of previous errors.
GAO's resources could be put to better use on more meaningful oversight of VA's budget formulation and execution process to include the role of the Office of Management and Budget in determining VA's annual budget requests. This legislation will not accomplish that.
While I find the intent of the bill to be retaliatory in nature in terms of the time it will waste looking back on the Biden administration budget, I do agree with my majority colleagues that the Trump administration budget formulation and execution process warrants scrutiny.
For that reason, I am pleased that the majority added a provision to the bill before markup that requires GAO to review VA's budget each year of the Trump administration. Secretary Collins has already broken the law by redirecting funds without congressional approval, and I worry that trend will continue over the next 4 years. I hope my colleagues will join me in rigorous oversight of the Trump administration's approach to VA's budget. I will not stand in the way of this bill's passage today.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and the ranking member for supporting this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my legislation, the VA Budget Shortfall Accountability Act, a bill that puts veterans first by ensuring the systems meant to serve them are working as intended.
Last July, the VA came to Congress with a dire warning: the agency was facing major funding shortfalls, nearly $3 billion for veterans' benefits and additional $12 billion for healthcare.
The message was urgent: Without immediate action, benefits could be delayed for millions of veterans. Congress acted quickly and responsibly to approve supplemental funding because when it comes to our veterans and their families, there can be no margin for error.
Their peace of mind, their financial security, and their access to care are not negotiable.
Just weeks later, we learned that there were, in fact, no shortfalls. Revised financial estimates from the VA showed billions of dollars left unspent. While the shortfall didn't actually exist, the panic, confusion, and sleepless nights for the veterans wondering whether they would receive care was very real, and it was avoidable.
Mr. Speaker, the goal of H.R. 1823 is not to assign blame. It is to strengthen trust. Our veterans should never have to worry that an accounting error might prevent them from receiving their earned care and benefits. This bill simply ensures that the Comptroller General will audit the VA's budgeting and accounting systems, identify where things went wrong, and help make sure it never happens again.
Let's be clear: The VA serves millions of veterans with dedication and compassion every day, but we can always do better and our veterans deserve nothing less. They have earned the peace of mind that comes from knowing their government is not only committed to them but equipped to serve them reliably.
The VA Budget Shortfall Accountability Act is about reinforcing that commitment. This is not a partisan issue. It is about making sure we get it right for those who have served our Nation every time.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting this bill, which will help ensure that our veterans never have to question whether their benefits and care will be there when they need them.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1823, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2201) to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve claims, made under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, regarding military sexual trauma, and for other purposes, as amended.
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 Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 2201, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Illinois?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of H.R. 2201, as amended. This bill was introduced by my friend and colleague, Representative Young Kim.
This bill would require that VA claims processors and contracted disability compensation examiners undergo annual sensitivity training to prevent retraumatizing survivors of military sexual trauma who are pursuing claims for VA benefits.
The bill would also ensure that VA employees receive better training and obtain all relevant military service records so veterans can receive more accurate decisions on their military sexual trauma claims.
Because military sexual trauma often goes unreported, a veteran's military service records rarely prove that they experienced an MST. This bill would ensure that VA claims processors review and understand the types of evidence that can prove an MST claim.
Further, veterans relive what they suffered through during service when they file a claim based on military sexual trauma. We must ensure that every interaction VA has with them is trauma-informed.
Representative Kim's bill would decrease the risk of retraumatizing veterans who have endured MST. Her bill would also streamline the MST claims process for them so that these veterans can more easily access their disability benefits.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2201, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2201, the Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma Claims Act, as amended.
I think we can all agree that no one should ever, ever be subject to sexual violence while serving in the military. It is truly a tragedy that it happens at all, but sadly, it does.
Unfortunately, it occurs to many men and women in our military ranks at a rate likely greater than that of the general public. That means that among some of the best people our country has, there are far too many who have been violated in the most personal of ways.
Far too often, sexual assault in the military is perpetrated by those in positions of power, and far too often, these assaults are swept under the rug by the chain of command with the poor excuse that this is being done to avoid disrupting unit cohesion. This means that the victims of sexual assault are left to serve with and under their assailants, watching them go unpunished for their crimes. This is a double indignity that no one should ever have to suffer.
Sexual trauma is unlike any other trauma. It has the ability to separate someone from their own body. It can make someone feel like they are a stranger in that body. It can make them feel unsafe in their own skin.
The effects of this trauma are heartbreaking and can be lasting. Asking victims of sexual violence to speak about it or provide physical evidence relating to it can be retraumatizing.
Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs requires that personnel managing claims of this type receive training on the subject every 5 years. That seems like a long time between training for such a sensitive subject and a unique type of concern, especially as the study and treatment of these issues evolves rapidly and new best practices are developed and implemented.
When it comes to the treatment of military sexual trauma compensation claims, I think it is worth revisiting training annually to ensure that we are giving these veterans proper care and treatment.
H.R. 2201 is an effort to add a little more care and compassion to the process of disability claims of this nature. We routinely advocate for veterans and their well-being in our committee, and this bill does just that.
By mandating that providers have more frequent and updated training, we can ensure better outcomes for the veteran. It is something we must keep pushing for. Every day, we must work to build a better veterans' experience, and providing training more frequently can help us accomplish that goal.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2201 and to continue to press for better care for veterans.
Mr. Speaker, for the victims of sexual assault out there who may be listening right now, they should know that they are seen and heard. I will continue to push for accountability for those who perpetrated the assaults, and I will push even harder to ensure these veterans get the compassionate care that they have earned and deserve.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my bill, H.R. 2201, the Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma Claims Act.
Mr. Speaker, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 50 men experience military sexual trauma, or MST, as a servicemember. As many of my colleagues have already stated, a claim based on MST can be difficult to prove because MST often
Furthermore, evidence indicating that MST occurred is difficult to evaluate, and VA claims processors and examiners do not have sufficient training to recognize indirect evidence of MST. They are also not required to undergo annual sensitivity training to reduce the risk of retraumatizing survivors of MST.
Further, the law requires VA to help veterans filing disability benefits claims based on MST to gather evidence for their claims. However, VA does not always obtain a veteran's complete service personnel and medical records, which can provide crucial evidence to prove an MST claim.
This bipartisan bill works to improve the MST claim process by requiring VA employees working on these cases to complete annual training to better identify evidence and to ensure that veterans are not retraumatized during the examination process.
Additionally, the VA would be required to automatically obtain all service personnel and medical records for veterans filing an MST claim to ensure their cases are processed in an accurate and timely manner.
Streamlining the MST claim process and improving VA training will ensure veterans who endured MST can more easily access their earned benefits and ensure they are treated with compassion during the claims process.
I thank Representatives Nikki Budzinski, Don Bacon, and Chrissy Houlahan for their collaboration on this commonsense, bipartisan measure that provides survivors of MST with the support and protection they deserve.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma Claims Act.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Budzinski), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization and my good friend.
Mr. Speaker, just a few weeks ago, I was speaking in committee to celebrate the bipartisanship of this important legislation and the urgent need to pass it out of the House. Today, we are one step closer to making that a reality.
First, I thank Representative Young Kim for her leadership and collaboration on this bill, and I thank our veterans for their service and bravery.
This bill is needed for so many of those veterans who have endured sexual trauma while in service. When these veterans go to file military sexual trauma claims, navigating the VA system should never add to the pain they have already endured. That is why I introduced this bipartisan legislation to ensure the VA's claims process supports rather than retraumatizes survivors of MST.
Right now, contracted disability compensation examiners are only required to complete outdated online sensitivity training before handling these deeply sensitive claims. This insufficient preparation can make the claims process retraumatizing for those who have already suffered.
MST affects veterans of all genders. While it is more common among women, many male veterans are also impacted. We must ensure that all of our survivors are treated with dignity and care.
The Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma Claims Act would modernize and strengthen the training required for VA staff and contractors who work on MST claims and help cut through the red tape that too often delays justice and support.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 2201, the Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma Claims Act of 2025, as amended.
Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2201, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1364) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide clarification regarding the inclusion of medically necessary automobile adaptations in Department of Veterans Affairs definition of ``medical services'', as amended.
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 Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 1364, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Illinois?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1364, as amended. The bill was introduced by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Barrett), my friend and a fellow veteran.
H.R. 1364, as amended, would allow eligible disabled veterans to receive adaptive automobile equipment that they may need to safely operate their vehicles. Right now, there are too many restrictions on eligible items that veterans could use under this program.
Mr. Barrett's bill would close that loophole and give disabled veterans the flexibility that they need to live independent lives. Additionally, the bill would include adaptations for driver and passenger use to get veterans where they need to be.
This Congress, the Trump administration has committed to making VA work for veterans again. This bill would cut the bureaucracy nonsense from the last administration and do just that.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the VFW, the WWP, and PVA for supporting this bill. I also thank Representative Barrett for introducing this bill and for his work on behalf of disabled veterans across the country.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1364, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1364, the Automotive Support Services to Improve Safe Transportation Act, or ASSIST Act, of 2025, as amended.
For disabled veterans, attending a medical appointment is often not a routine drive but, rather, can be a logistical and physical challenge. That is why Representatives Levin and
This law allowed veterans to upgrade their vehicles every 10 years and authorized the Department of Veterans Affairs to offer mobility improvements to vehicles for the purposes of attending medical appointments. However, now that this landmark law has been implemented, oversight has led to the identification of some gaps in the types of mobility services currently authorized by law.
This is where the ASSIST Act comes in. This legislation, led by Representative Barrett and co-led by Representatives Maggie Goodlander, Susie Lee, Jason Crow, and Eugene Vindman, expands the types of equipment and services that VA is authorized to provide.
These are benefits and services these veterans have earned, and it is our duty in Congress to ensure veterans don't have to worry about how they will access the care they have earned through their service to our Nation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their support of my bill, H.R. 1364, the ASSIST Act.
During my 22 years in the United States Army, I was fortunate to return home without the need for assistive devices. For too many who serve or have served, that isn't the case. Too many are returning home with wounds that can't be healed, leaving them permanently disabled and in need of assistive technology.
Not only does a service-connected disability negatively impact a veteran's quality of life but it can cause barriers as they attempt to transition back to civilian life.
My bipartisan bill ensures that disabled veterans, with help from the Department of Veterans Affairs, are empowered to make the vehicle modifications they need to safely and efficiently travel. Right now, the VA is restricted to funding only a limited number of adaptive equipment devices such as wheelchair tie-downs, van lifts, and raised roofs.
Unfortunately and unintentionally, this limits and in many cases prevents altogether some veterans from being able to make necessary modifications to their vehicles such as ramp and kneeling systems, mobility device lifts, and ingress and egress accessibility modifications.
The ASSIST Act fixes this gap in assistance and would make sure that disabled veterans can continue traveling safely and freely when they return home. Specifically, this will give the VA greater flexibility to offer financial assistance for a wider range of medically necessary vehicle adaptations.
This is a commonsense solution that removes bureaucratic red tape and gives veterans the resources they deserve to live life fully after they serve.
The bottom line is that our veterans put their bodies on the line for the very freedoms that we cherish and often take for granted. In return, they deserve to be taken care of when they take off the uniform. By passing this bill today, we can ensure that no veteran is denied essential mobility assistance because of an outdated government list that leaves many things left off.
Mr. Speaker, I specifically thank my colleague, Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander, for leading this effort with me. I look forward to working with Senator Tuberville to get this to the Senate and onto the President's desk for signature.
It is time to give America's heroes the resources they need to live their lives to the fullest, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Takano and the chairman for their work today on this bill and on the other bills that I hope will soon pass the House of Representatives.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of a bipartisan bill that I am very proud to be leading with my colleague and friend, Congressman Barrett. It does two important things that I came to Congress to do.
Number one, it cuts some senseless red tape and updates outdated laws so that our government can work better for hardworking people. It also in equal measure delivers on what I believe is a sacred obligation that we owe to the women and men who serve our country in uniform, especially those who sustain life-changing injuries during their service to our country.
Our bipartisan bill is called the ASSIST Act. It makes commonsense changes. It is going to really cut red tape that is limiting and, as Congressman Barrett said, preventing far too many disabled veterans in our country from accessing the medically necessary and basic equipment that they need to travel safely and freely.
The freedom to travel is just one of the many basic freedoms that our veterans fought for while they served our country in uniform. We can and must do better.
My home State of New Hampshire is home to tens of thousands of veterans who live with service-connected disabilities, including a man I am very proud to represent, Gary Gordan, from Concord, New Hampshire. He is a Vietnam veteran and a fellow Navy veteran who today relies on a power chair to live his life.
Gary Gordon has truly dedicated his life to our country in uniform as an EMT, and as a mental health worker at our State hospital for more than two decades. He reached out to our office for help with navigating the process of getting the basic adaptive equipment that he needs to live his life and to get his power chair into his car. It is a brand new power chair.
Under current law, the VA is limited to providing the basic type of equipment that Gary Gordon needs to get his power chair into his vehicle. This is a problem that this Congress can and must solve, and we can do that by passing the ASSIST Act.
It really is a commonsense, straightforward bill that is going to make it easier and possible for the VA to cover the basic equipment that our veterans need to live their lives. It is going to help us meet the moment and provide the best possible care that our veterans deserve.
As we approach Memorial Day, I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come together and to support this commonsense, bipartisan legislation that is really going to change the lives of veterans all across our country.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Members to support this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1364, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1578) to amend title 38, United States Code, to promote assistance from persons recognized by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for individuals who file certain claims under laws administered by the Secretary, as amended.
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 Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 1578, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Illinois?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1578, as amended, introduced by my colleague from California (Mr. Peters).
This bill would ensure veterans know about the availability of accredited representatives, including those who help with filing initial VA benefit claims at no cost. It would also give veterans the information and online resources they need to find an accredited representative who is right for them and to report any unaccredited bad actors who wrongfully charge a fee for their services.
This bill would also require the VA to review its accreditation process and give Congress recommendations for improvement. Veterans and their families deserve all the information they need to decide who will provide the best assistance with their claim. This bill ensures just that.
I thank Representative Peters for his work on this bill, and I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1578, as amended.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1578, the Veterans Claims Education Act of 2025, as amended.
Obtaining veterans benefits can be confusing. The process can be cumbersome. Because of the complexity and scope of the VA and its programs, some veterans take to an internet search to figure out how to get their claims approved.
It seems certain actors have figured out that in the confusion of the process, they can make a profit or, with claims specifically, hundreds of millions of dollars in profits.
Oftentimes, when veterans log on and search how to get their claims submitted, they are greeted by a clickbait ad for claim sharks. These are the people who charge exorbitant fees, while assisting veterans in the preparation of their claims.
Current law mandates that VA has a duty to assist in the initial claims preparation process. This duty exists to ensure that there are no financial barriers to veterans in having their claims prepared and adjudicated and that veterans experience a nonadversarial process.
Moreover, there are thousands of veterans service organizations around the country who are willing and able to assist veterans for free. Those service officers have been vetted by VA, both for their character and competence.
In the spirit of ensuring that veterans are made aware that they are entitled to this preparation assistance, the Veterans Claims Education Act mandates that VA websites prominently give veterans notice that they are entitled to free assistance from an accredited representative and how to find that assistance.
Not only does it alert the veteran that they are entitled to assistance in their claims preparation at no cost but it also provides guidance on reporting bad actors like unaccredited claim sharks.
The VA's accreditation process serves to protect our Nation's veterans from financial exploitation so that veterans are less likely to be at risk of incurring outrageous debts, as well as losing out on months of their benefits.
Mr. Speaker, few people would think there is value in letting someone take 5 months of our paychecks just for reviewing our resume, right? Then why would we ever, ever be even remotely comfortable with someone taking 5 months of earned benefits away from our veterans?
I strongly support this bipartisan bill as it would promote those actors who are doing claims preparation and processing the right way, not the ones who pay to be the first result on an internet search.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Peters for introducing this legislation. This bill allows us to direct veterans to representatives who have the skills, knowledge, and accreditation to help them, not to take advantage of them during the initial claims process.
Mr. Speaker, today, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1578 and not just to stop there. I also urge them to continue to push back against claim sharks and to support legislation that reinstates the penalties that were in place to hold accountable bad actors who took advantage of veterans for years.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Peters), the author of H.R. 1578.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 1578, the Veterans Claims Education Act.
I wrote this bill after a veteran in my district alerted my office about a challenge he faced accessing his hard-earned VA benefits. This veteran contracted with a for-profit company that promised to increase the veteran's disability benefits in exchange for a cut of the veteran's disability payment from the VA.
It is unconscionable that for-profit entities, known as claim sharks, prey on the trust and good will of our veterans to line their own pockets.
My bill takes a big step to correct this and will protect veterans in San Diego and throughout the country from similar scams in the future. The Veterans Claims Education Act provides educational resources to steer veterans toward veterans service organizations, qualified lawyers, and accredited entities who can provide not-for-profit assistance to veterans.
My bill also provides vets filing a disability claim with an online search tool to help veterans find accredited entities that can assist with claims. It creates an online portal to report claim sharks targeting veterans, which charge a fee for their services.
Republicans and Democrats may have sincere policy disagreements about how to provide world-class care to our Nation's veterans and their families, but I know we all agree that no one should be able to profit from the service and sacrifice of our veterans.
I thank the chairman and the ranking member and the entire House Veterans' Affairs Committee for advancing this legislation out of the House. I thank the numerous veterans organizations for their advocacy, including the American Legion, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the VFW, and other great organizations.
I look forward to working with these groups to make this law the law of the land, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill and our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 1578, the Veterans Claims Education Act of 2025, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1578, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
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. 1263) to require a strategy for bolstering engagement and cooperation between the United States, Australia, India, and Japan and to seek to establish a Quad Inter-Parliamentary Working Group to facilitate closer cooperation on shared interests and values, 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 Michigan (Mr. Huizenga) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 334, nays 51, not voting 47, as follows:
Messrs. DOWNING, CLYDE, BEGICH, and KNOTT changed their vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
Mr. TAKANO and Ms. PRESSLEY changed their 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.
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. 1286) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into an agreement with a federally funded research and development center for an assessment of forms that the Secretary sends to claimants for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary, and for other purposes, as amended, 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 Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
This is a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 386, nays 1, not voting 45, as follows:
So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Mr. Speaker, I missed votes because of an important family matter. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 132 of the 119th Congress and YEA on Roll Call No. 133 of the 119th Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I was necessarily absent and missed two votes on the House Floor. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 132, H.R. 1263, and YEA on Roll Call No. 133, H.R. 1286.
Mr. Speaker, on Friday, May 16, deadly tornadoes ripped across the heart of our country, leaving a path of destruction through Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, and Virginia. Dozens of lives were lost. Families were shattered, and entire neighborhoods were reduced to debris.
In Missouri, we are grieving. We know families in Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, and Virginia are, as well, facing unimaginable loss and the hard days ahead. Families who just days ago were living their everyday lives are now grieving loved ones, searching for the missing, and trying to put the pieces back together.
In times like these, we must set aside our divisions. We remember our shared humanity, and we stand with our neighbors, no matter the distance between us.
Mr. Speaker, for those we have lost, those still fighting to recover, and the families forever changed by this tragedy, I ask my colleagues to join me in a moment of silence.
Mr. Speaker, California's budget could be a bellwether for the rest of the country if we pay attention.
Governor Newsom is planning to spend $11.4 billion in the 2025-26 budget to give free healthcare to illegal immigrants, which virtually matches the State's $12 billion deficit that it is running. He could balance the books by ending that program. Instead, they will be cutting services for seniors, foster youth, and people with disabilities just to keep this giveaway going to illegal immigrants. That is exactly why we need Medicaid reform.
States shouldn't be allowed to game the system by expanding benefits to those who are here illegally while sticking taxpayers with the bill or cutting others. Hardworking Americans are paying more and getting less, while illegal immigrants cruise in and get more coverage. That is really, really backward.
At the Federal level, we must draw a line. Medicaid should be for citizens and legal residents only. If we don't act, California's disaster could become a pattern and a national disaster for the rest of us.
Mr. Speaker, this is Rose. She is 7 years old and in the first grade, and she makes friends everywhere she goes.
Rose was diagnosed with an ultra-rare genetic syndrome when she was just 3\1/2\. She now uses a feeding tube and a wheelchair. Medicaid allows Rose to receive physical therapy. Thanks to this therapy, she is starting to take steps.
Mr. Speaker, my Republican colleagues are working overtime to take Rose's healthcare away. It might be easy for people to strike through one number and write in another, take a little bit from here and there, but each of those numbers represents a person, a child like Rose, who will lose critical care so billionaires can have more money in their pockets.
We cannot let them steal from our kids and our families. We will not.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the groundbreaking of Seneca Commerce Park in Campbell County, Virginia, which I attended on Wednesday, April 15.
This is the largest project the Economic Development Authority of Campbell County has taken on in over a decade. The $11 million project will yield a 100,000-square-foot industrial spec building to be completed by spring 2027.
The greatest force for change is a job. A project like Seneca Commerce Park ensures just that.
Mr. Speaker, I thank everyone who contributed to this business- forward project in the Lynchburg metro area.
People wishing to grow or expand their industry on the Eastern seaboard, this is a great opportunity to do so in Virginia's Fifth Congressional District.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of a true trailblazer, a man that many see as the godfather of Asian- American journalism, K.W. Lee.
Mr. Lee immigrated to the United States from Korea in the 1950s. He began his career in journalism by exposing poverty and corruption. In the 1970s, Mr. Lee's tireless pursuit of the truth saved the life of Chol Soo Lee, a wrongly convicted Korean-American immigrant on death row.
Later on, Mr. Lee founded Koreatown Weekly, the first national English language Korean-American newspaper.
As tensions were rising in Los Angeles in the 1990s, he launched The Korea Times English Edition to give Korean Americans a place where their stories could be told on their own terms in the media.
K.W. Lee's life is defined by his tireless pursuit of the truth and paving the way for Asian Americans to have a place in journalism and have their voices be heard. After 96 years of fearless journalism, he will be deeply missed.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and to thank a dedicated public servant and also a dear friend, Emmitt Nolan, for his 10 years of honorable service to the people of Georgia's First Congressional District.
Emmitt has been a vital part of our team in the Golden Isles. He has served as a trusted representative of our office, building strong relationships and faithfully carrying out the concerns of our constituents.
Throughout his time in public service, from serving on the Brunswick City Commission, to attending countless civic and cultural events, Emmitt has proven himself to be deeply committed to our community. He is often found not in the spotlight but quietly supporting the causes and people that matter most.
I have known Emmitt since he managed my opponent's campaign for Congress. I had to get that in. Even then, his character, kindness, and grasp of the issues stood out. It is no surprise that he has become a mentor and a role model to others following in his footsteps.
As he transitions to the private sector, I have no doubt Emmitt will continue making a difference.
Mr. Speaker, please join me in thanking Emmitt Nolan for his decade of service to the First Congressional District of Georgia and wishing him every success in the next chapter of his life.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the extraordinary career of Cindy Ramos-Davidson, who retired after nearly 27 years of remarkable leadership as the chief executive officer of the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Under her leadership, the El Paso Hispanic Chamber became a powerful voice for small businesses, especially those owned by minorities, veterans, and women.
Cindy's vision was transformative. During her time the Chamber was repeatedly recognized as a leader in the national Hispanic business community, winning numerous awards from both the Texas Association of Mexican American Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Cindy's commitment to entrepreneurship and business development has created opportunities for countless individuals and businesses. As she steps away from her role, her advocacy for the entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to the El Paso region will continue to leave an impactful legacy on the small business community.
Mr. Speaker, America's worst budget ever is what we are voting on this week. It is essentially a tax scam that will benefit the wealthiest of Americans.
Mr. Speaker, 196,000 people in my district will have their healthcare taken away, including 73,000 children and 27,000 seniors. Continuing a cap on the State and local tax and SALT deduction, instead of full restoration means New Yorkers will keep paying more in Federal taxes. It is all for tax breaks and giveaways to those who don't need it.
Mr. Speaker, 74,000 people in my district will lose their SNAP benefits, which will make it difficult or impossible to put food on the table. These are the deepest cuts to food assistance ever. The result is more hungry children.
Last week, our country's bond rating was dropped one grade down from AAA. We need to change the direction of our country's economic future. This bill doesn't do that, no matter what my colleagues hear on the floor this week. In fact, it will add $5 trillion to the national debt.
Mr. Speaker, spin it any way you want. Everyday Americans will suffer from this budget.
Mr. Speaker, despite the deliberate and targeted domestic terrorist bomb attack at the American Reproductive Centers IVF facility in Palm Springs, Dr. Abdullah, his staff, and all eggs and embryos are safe, thank God.
Palm Springs is strong. The people are beautiful, resilient, inclusive, accepting, and cherish their community. All law enforcement and first responders acted with courage, professionalism, and excellence.
I and all the people in the surrounding communities and in Palm Springs thank Police Chief Andy Mills, Fire Chief Paul Alvarado, FBI Assistant Director Akil Davis, and all law enforcement officers, first responders, and healthcare professionals who responded swiftly and effectively.
Thanks to their rapid response, all those injured in the bombing have been released from the hospital, and Palm Springs is safe.
To the people of Palm Springs, my heart is with them, and I stand by them.
Mr. Speaker, I rise with a heavy heart after the deadly rail accident that occurred last night in my district in Fremont, Ohio.
The incident took place near the Miles Newton Bridge above the Sandusky River around 7 p.m. This is a popular fishing spot during white bass season, and anglers come from around the country.
Tragically, a family from Fort Wayne, Indiana, was walking along the rail bridge when the train began signaling its approach. We now know that three lives have been lost, with a fourth hospitalized in critical condition.
While names have not been released, we know that a 58-year-old mother; her daughter, who was 38 years old; and a 5-year-old child were among the casualties. A 14-month-old child was saved from the water by a 16-year-old bystander who dove into the water to save the infant's life.
I will continue to urge the National Transportation Safety Board to fully investigate this tragic accident.
I thank Fremont Mayor Danny Sanchez and rail union leaders for their full engagement. We all hope to provide more information in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, our thoughts and prayers remain with the families of those lost and injured, the brave first responders, the medical personnel, locomotive engineers, and, obviously, Mayor Sanchez and the entire city council of Fremont.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose our administration's attacks on our Nation's nonprofit sector.
Since January, our President has launched an all-out assault on our Nation's nonprofits, threatening to pull funding and proposing executive orders that target our groups serving the good people of the United States.
With Republicans pushing a reconciliation bill that would kick millions off from their medical care, the administration has also created an unprecedented attack with power to revoke nonprofit status.
The reconciliation bill would allow the executive branch to revoke status from nonprofits that they believe are terrorist-supporting organizations without requiring evidence, meaning no due process.
This vague provision is Trump's way of targeting organizations that he opposes or that just don't align with his agenda. Those are organizations that are doing right in our communities, and we have to say no.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of investing in every child's future.
Six years ago, I joined Senator Booker to introduce baby bonds legislation to disrupt the cycle of intergenerational poverty, close the racial wealth gap, and ensure every 18-year-old has the financial opportunity to go to college, buy a home, or start a business.
Now, Republicans are stealing a good idea and twisting it. The so- called MAGA accounts in their reconciliation bill are intentionally designed to help the rich get richer while poor children are left further and further behind.
Their proposal would weaponize the tax code to exacerbate wealth inequality, ignore the expertise of economists, and penalize States and non-profits that try to help low-income families.
In America, a child born into poverty is likely to stay there through their adult lives. That is a policy choice, and a violent one.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank the first responders and local leaders who have been working tirelessly to address the fallout from last week's major flooding in Allegany and Garrett Counties.
Stormwater rushed through Westernport and Lonaconing in western Maryland last Tuesday, washing out gas lines, damaging roads and bridges, and flooding businesses, homes, and even the local firehouse and library.
When students and faculty were trapped in Westernport and George's Creek Elementary Schools, swift water rescue teams answered the call, bringing more than 200 students to safety while waters rose.
This flood only underscores how important it is to fully fund FEMA and to make sure that FEMA continues to help those who are most struck by disaster. Severe weather events are hurting communities across this country at rates we have never seen before.
While we are still assessing the damage, we know that Federal assistance will be necessary for a full recovery. Although the road ahead will be challenging, western Maryland will remain stronger because of the storm.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to keep my constituents in their prayers and also all those impacted by storms during the past week.
Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect and sincere admiration that I rise to honor Ms. Sara Schaller from Hammond, Indiana, who was a recent recipient of the Carnegie Medal.
Northwest Indiana is home to over 40 miles of incredible shoreline on Lake Michigan, which is a tremendous attraction for tourism and our economy, but also can at times pose great dangers with its currents and riptides.
In 2023, Ms. Schaller observed a 14-year-old girl who had been caught in a dangerous current, and without hesitation, she courageously swam over 300 feet to rescue her. Where many hesitated, Sara stepped up and took lifesaving action.
The Carnegie Medal is awarded to civilians who enter extreme danger, risk death or serious injury while saving or attempting to save the lives of others, and it was recently my honor to present Sara with this prestigious award.
Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and all my colleagues join me in honoring Ms. Sara Schaller for her quick and courageous action and congratulate her on her deserved recognition.
Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve to know what is happening in this body this week as the GOP is intentionally making moves in the dark of night.
Last night at 10 p.m., the Budget Committee passed the reconciliation bill by one vote while four Republicans sat it out, and tomorrow night they will move this shame-filled bill at 1 a.m. in the Rules Committee.
What don't they want the American people to know?
Is it that their bill will take away healthcare from 13.7 million people? Is it that it will take food out of the mouths of children? Is it that it will gut environmental programs? Is it that it gives giveaways to tech companies and their buddies, or that it increases taxes on working Americans who are struggling to put food on the table?
Mr. Speaker, let me be clear: When you convene in the dark of night or whether you do it or not, we will be there fighting for our communities. We will be fighting for our elders. We will be fighting for our veterans. We will be fighting for our kids, and fighting for the future and the dignity of this country and our communities.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous materials on the subject of this special order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Ohio?
Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to co-anchor this CBC Special Order hour along with my distinguished colleague, Representative Kamlager-Dove.
For the next 60 minutes, members of the CBC have an opportunity to speak directly to the American people on erasing Black history, an issue of great importance to the Congressional Black Caucus, Congress, the constituents we represent, as well as all Americans.
It is with great honor that I rise today to lead this CBC Special Order hour. For the next hour, members of the CBC will speak directly to the American people on the topic of Black history and ongoing efforts to erase that history.
Mr. Speaker, this is a time of fear, worry, and anxiety for millions of Americans. President Trump said that he was going to usher in a golden age. However, after 119 long, long days of this Presidency, it hasn't felt like a golden age. It has felt like a dark age, especially for Black Americans.
President Trump and his administration have attacked diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the government, in schools, and in the private sector.
President Trump has rolled back anti-discrimination laws, and Trump has tried to freeze Federal funds that benefit Black communities, including in my district in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.
It is not just about his actions. It is also about his words, his rhetoric, and what he values.
President Trump and his allies have blamed diversity, which is just code for Black people, for the January plane crash at Ronald Reagan Airport; for the South Carolina wildfires; for the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge collapse in Baltimore; and even the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment; and on and on and on.
If something goes wrong somewhere, anywhere, in their mind, diversity, equity, and inclusion is to blame. In President Trump's vision, every Black American on the job, every woman, and every immigrant is a DEI hire, a DEI hire who is blocking more qualified White men from the jobs and the positions of power that are rightfully theirs.
Moreover, President Trump has the audacity to talk about his agenda being about restoring meritocracy. They use that word over and over and over again in their executive orders.
Meritocracy: The meritocracy of his Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, who is an unqualified TV host and who texted war plans to people by accident; the meritocracy of his Health and Human Services Secretary, Mr. Robert Kennedy, Jr., who is a conspiracy theorist and whose primary experience in healthcare and science is using Google; the meritocracy of Elon Musk's unvetted, unqualified, and unaccountable minions at DOGE.
The spoken and unspoken message behind all of this is that Black Americans and other minorities don't deserve a seat at the table and that we don't have merit.
The impact is real. Last month, in my district, a man checked out 100 books on Black, Jewish, and LGBTQ topics from the Beachwood Public Library. He didn't check out those books to read them. He checked them out to burn them, and he didn't do it in secret. No, he didn't hide behind shame. He posted this on social media because he wanted people to see.
See, this kind of hate doesn't happen in a vacuum. It is part of a disturbing wave we are seeing across the country, a wave fueled-- sometimes with a wink and a nod, sometimes with a bullhorn--by leaders who should know better than to fan the flames of division for political gain, a wave normalized by the Secretary of Defense banning books about diversity and deleting Pentagon websites highlighting the service of women, LGBTQ people, and minority servicemembers, including Major League Baseball legend Jackie Robinson.
Mr. Speaker, what happened in my district isn't just censorship. It is an act of hate, plain and simple.
I join leaders from across northeast Ohio in condemning this act. These attempts to erase the voices of marginalized communities are an attack on the values of inclusion, empathy, and understanding.
Mr. Speaker, you can only truly have a community with understanding, and to understand your neighbor, you have to understand history.
That is our topic tonight: history. I am deeply concerned about the ongoing effort to erase Black history from our museums, schools, and American life.
Last month, President Trump issued an executive order on ``restoring truth and sanity to American history.'' Of course, there are all kinds of debates when it comes to history. That is how we advance knowledge.
Is that what Trump cares about when he talks about truth? Of course not.
His executive order directed Vice President Vance and the Secretary of the Interior, two individuals who are not historians, to remove objects, exhibits, and funding from the Smithsonian museums and national parks that don't fit Trump's agenda or Trump's incorrect version of history. That bears repeating: Trump's incorrect version of history.
Think about all the Smithsonian museums, all the national parks, and all the historical exhibits around the country. Where do you think they directed most of their attention? That is right. Their main focus has been on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, right down the street on The National Mall.
Are you surprised? You shouldn't be. Trump's executive order mentioned that museum by name out of hundreds across America and laid the foundation for denying future Federal funds.
One thing we have seen from this administration is that they mean what they say. This is such a radical shift, and it has happened in just a short time. Trump's takeover of the Republican Party seems like it has been forever, but it hasn't always been like this.
When the National Museum of African American History and Culture opened in 2016, it was a bipartisan celebration. Joining President Obama that day were President Bush and Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. These aren't woke individuals by any means, but they understood the importance of that museum being on The National Mall. In a perverse way, Trump does, too. That is why he is attacking it.
Black America is not taking this sitting down. In the last month, Black churches from across the country have organized trips to the museum and fundraisers to support it.
Black America raised their voices when Pete Hegseth tried to erase the history of Jackie Robinson because our history matters.
Black excellence should be celebrated. The role we have played in shaping our country should be recognized, and the pain and legacy of slavery and discrimination should be understood. If we don't reckon with our past, we will never understand the present, and we will never build a better future.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I know it is not just the President who wants to erase Black history, and I know the backlash didn't start just this year.
In 2023, the State of Florida, our Nation's third most populous State, released education guidelines that included that slavery provided benefits because slaves were able to learn skills. They now require that as part of their curriculum, that slavery was beneficial, some type of workforce training program.
Florida also launched a comprehensive effort to ban advanced placement courses on Black history, while local school districts were newly empowered to ban books on Black history.
This is a nationwide problem. In fact, there are now more States where teaching Black history has been restricted than there are States where it is required. That is right, only 12 States out of 50 require Black history to be taught, while there are now 18 States that have passed legislation restricting Black history education.
Here is why this matters. We know there is inequality in this country. No one would deny that. We know who overwhelmingly has the wealth, power, and influence and who doesn't. In America, for every $100 in wealth owned by White households, Black households own $15. You can find statistics like that, no matter how you slice it, on housing, health, savings, you name it.
Last week, we were debating nutrition benefits and food stamps in this body. In my district, one in three Black households relies on food stamps. For the White households, it is 1 in 10.
This is the heart of the issue. Do you recognize, like I do, like my CBC colleagues do, that this discrepancy did not happen by accident? It didn't happen by accident. It happened by design. Do you deny that and think that all the racial inequality in this country is really the fault of Black people?
That is really the argument. The only way you can make that case is to erase history, whitewash history, and rewrite history.
That is why history matters. That is why our museums matter. That is why our books, literature, and experiences matter. That is why we are going to keep fighting back.
Mr. Speaker, I am honored to lead this Special Order hour tonight. I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Kamlager-Dove), my friend from the 37th District.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Brown) and the Congressional Black Caucus for organizing this Special Order hour.
Tonight, I, along with my colleagues, rise to talk about something that should terrify every freedom-loving American: the coordinated, relentless Republican campaign to erase Black history, erase American history, whitewash the truth, and silence our stories.
Donald Trump called for patriotic education instead of honest education.
Since then, over 1,500 books have been banned in public schools and libraries across this country. More than 40 percent of them feature Black authors or Black characters.
What kinds of books, you ask? I have some for you, books like ``Their Eyes Were Watching God'' by Zora Neale Hurston, like ``Go Tell It on the Mountain'' by James Baldwin, and, oh, my God, even a children's book, ``I Am Rosa Parks.''
Why are Republicans trying to erase a book written for babies to help them learn their history? Why are they so scared of little babies and books that we have all read in school, books that we have all checked out in libraries, books we have all discussed in book clubs, books we have all shared with the little ones in our lives? Why this ban?
When our history is erased, it is easier to erase our progress. Trump and his MAGA allies want our children to grow up ignorant of the truth and of who they are. They are trying to scrub Federal websites. They are scrubbing Federal websites of any mention of Black contributions to science, literature, politics, or innovation.
Let me say the list is long because we have been in this thing for hundreds of years, bringing innovation and progress to this country.
All I have to say to that is, wow, Mr. Speaker, just wow.
Yes, they want to alter the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, a museum that millions have visited from around the globe, including students and families, to learn about our Nation's true story and all because they don't agree with how their ancestors and themselves have been portrayed.
Don't be mad at me because you don't like you. Let me say that again. This President is trying to erase institutions, literally. Mr. Speaker, that is just a weak move. That is a punk, weak move.
The President has said he wants to get rid of every policy, every agency, every grant, and every effort related to DEI, diversity, equity, and inclusion. It sounds to me like somebody who is scared of the truth. That means rolling back protections against discrimination, removing mentorship and workforce programs aimed at closing opportunity gaps, and wiping clean any official recognition that America ever wronged Black people in the first place.
Guess what? We ain't going to be that afraid. We are still here. We ain't going nowhere. This isn't just about politics.
While Trump and House Republicans are busy erasing our past, they are also working overtime in the dead of night to erase and destroy our future.
Mr. Speaker, we know this White House is serving the billionaires in this country. But the House, this body, is supposed to directly serve the people. Instead, the majority party has decided to serve Donald Trump, and that is the problem.
How are Speaker Johnson and House Republicans serving the President? I am glad you asked that, Mr. Speaker. Even though you didn't, you know you want to.
This is when I am going to pivot to the so-called big, beautiful bill, or how about the billionaires' backstabbing bill, a nearly 400- page monstrosity. Here it is again in small font, in fine print, and designed with one goal in mind, to enrich billionaires and punish working families, especially Black families.
Let's start with the numbers. There are $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid, a rollback of SNAP and nutrition assistance, which hit the Black and Brown communities the hardest. In 2023, over 25 percent of Black households relied on SNAP benefits, and a whole bunch of other groups relied on SNAP benefits, too.
There is no meaningful investment in housing. While over 40 percent of Black renters are cost-burdened, this bill offers nothing, nada, zip, to ease the affordable housing crisis.
There is a plan to unravel Social Security as we know it, directly harming the nearly 5 million Black Americans who rely on those benefits in retirement.
To top it off, there is a permanent tax break for billionaires like Elon Musk and the President. That's right, while they strip away healthcare and housing, they are cutting taxes for billionaires with private jets and yachts and $400 million planes.
To be clear, less than 15 percent of constituents in every single congressional district, yo, red and blue, less than 15 percent of constituents in every single district support cuts to Medicaid.
Mr. Speaker, I am sure you read this: Moody's just downgraded the U.S. credit outlook. What does that mean? Higher interest rates, more expensive loans, deeper household debt, more expensive money. This hurts families already stretched thin and it disproportionately hurts Black families who already face a median wealth that is just one-tenth that of White families according to a 2022 study.
When this President and MAGA Republicans say they want to help the American family, we have to ask, which American families?
The regular families I represent in south Los Angeles, Culver City, Ladera Heights, and all across the 37th Congressional District in California are not being helped by this bill. They are being targeted.
Just to reiterate, I have 700,000 constituents in my district. Like every other Representative, I have 470,000 constituents that will be kicked off Medicaid if this bill is passed. My constituents are being told they don't deserve to learn their history, they don't deserve access to healthcare, they don't deserve decent housing, and they definitely don't deserve a tax system that is going to treat them fairly.
Mr. Speaker, the American Dream should not be reserved for those with a trust fund or a Mar-a-Lago membership. The American story should include all of us, our ancestors, our struggles, our achievements.
We cannot build a just future on a foundation of lies and fear and erasure.
The real question is why are Republicans so afraid of us? People certainly try to get our hair, our men, our body types, our culture, our food. They want us as friends and validators. Quite frankly, it is exhausting having to navigate all of the insecurities of those trying to erase us.
Democrats here in this Black Caucus are not going to forget but are going to fight against policies that punish the poor and reward the powerful. Democrats are going to fight for a country where Black history is American history and Black futures are American futures.
As the saying goes in our country: If you don't tell your story, someone else will. You best believe they will get it wrong. We are telling our story tonight, and we are telling the real truth.
Mr. Speaker, I thank our outstanding leaders tonight for this Special Order hour.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of our museums, our cultural institutions. We know that African-American history is, in fact, American history, and it must be recognized as such.
The Musk-Trump administration's executive orders targeting museums are disgraceful. It is a disgraceful attempt to erase Black Americans' contributions from our Nation's history.
I am especially disgusted by the administration's attack on the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
For so many years, under the leadership of the late John Lewis, who played a key role in the efforts to secure funding and legislation for this museum. Our community fought for the creation of this museum. Our community fought many times for it when Republicans fought against it. Finally, it was signed into law in a bipartisan way. It was signed by George W. Bush in 2003.
Mr. Speaker, it was a bipartisan effort--this museum that tells the story of the struggles of African Americans and the contributions of African Americans, which, by the way, is American history, history that everyone should know--the good, the bad, and the ugly. It is history, just that. It happened.
When it was finally signed, many stood together hand-in-hand--Black and White, Republican and Democrat--recognizing the significance and the importance of this monumental legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I ask: Why was it okay then for Republicans, Black and White, Democrats, and Independents to stand together hailing the importance of this international museum of history that recognizes the contributions of African Americans and the pain and suffering of the African-American community?
Why was it okay for us to be lockstep then and not now? Why is this Republican administration so threatened by this museum that it would seek to defund, defame, and deface?
This museum today is a testament of the legacy of generations who sacrificed everything for justice, progress, and equality. We will not stand by as our history is dismissed, diminished, or defunded.
The National Museum of African-American History and Culture is not divisive; it is essential. It tells the truth of a people who built this Nation, endured its greatest injustices, and still rise to shape its future with brilliance, faith, and resilience in the face of great obstacles, even in 2025. Yet, we rise.
When the administration chooses to target museums that honor Black history, it is engaging in a deliberate attempt to silence the truth and to erase the past.
I demand, we demand, and we all should demand full support for every museum and institution that honors dignity, struggles, and the contributions of African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and all Americans because our history is important.
African-American history is, in fact, American history. You cannot separate the two. Our history is a history that everyone should know.
The Congressional Black Caucus earned the name, the ``Conscience of the Congress.'' We are here tonight to say:
Hands off of the National Museum of African-American History and Culture.
Hands off of our hard-fought gains.
Hands off of the efforts to remind people that a history that is forgotten is a history that is repeated.
History and culture will stand, and all other similar institutions across our Nation should likewise be protected. Let's end this foolish, foolish Musk-Trump notion that our Constitution doesn't matter, that our rule of law doesn't matter, and that our ability to work together somehow is a bad thing. We know it isn't.
I implore my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to wake up and not let anyone divide us any further than we have already been divided. We are one country. We have a responsibility to the people to do the right thing.
We will continue to use all of the tools in our toolbox. You have heard me speak of the three Cs--the Congress, the courts, and the community--and we will use every one of them, and we will continue to fight until victory is won.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Carter), a place with rich culture.
Mr. Speaker, it is my distinguished privilege to yield to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. McClellan), my good friend who represents the Fourth District.
Virginia is the birthplace of American democracy. It is also the birthplace of American slavery.
From the beginning of this country, we have been on the right side of history and the wrong side of history. I am proud to stand here as a history maker in my own right, elected in 2023 as the first African- American woman to represent the Commonwealth of Virginia.
How did I get here? My interest in government was sparked by a love of history. My love of history was sparked by my parents.
My father, who was born in 1925 in Nashville, Tennessee, spent his summers in Alabama at a school that his grandfather, my great- grandfather, founded because Tennessee did not think Black children were worthy of a high-quality public education.
I am the daughter of Lois McClellan, born in the Gulf Coast of Mississippi in 1932, who had to leave her town to become the first member of her family to go beyond the eighth grade because the State of Mississippi did not deem Black children worthy of a quality public education. The Catholic church did, but only to the eighth grade.
Listening to my parents' stories as a child, they saw the best of government through the New Deal. They saw the worst of government through Jim Crow. Yet, it wasn't just what I learned in a textbook because their stories--my grandparents' stories and my great- grandparents' stories--weren't in the Virginia textbooks. I learned them at my parents' feet. I learned them because my great-grandfather happened to write a book about his experiences.
This history helped me to understand how this country was actually founded. By going to historic sites, the names and dates came alive, but my family's history wasn't told. When I would go to Monticello, I was fascinated by the idea written by Thomas Jefferson that `` . . . all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.''
Yet, I learned nothing about the hundreds of Black people, including the mother of his children, who lived at Monticello and served him but weren't free. I didn't learn those stories while visiting Monticello. I learned them later as an adult.
My study of history has shown that, in Virginia, this beautiful idea of a government derived from the people, rather than divine right through kings, was created in Virginia, the first representative democracy in the Western Hemisphere, less than an hour away from where I live, in Jamestown. Yet, those settlers came on a business venture to take land that was already settled by Algonquian-speaking people for over centuries, and that land was exploited to make money for the crown of England.
Yet, they created a government in July 1619. A month later, the first recorded Africans were brought to our shores at Point Comfort, who were stolen from their home in Angola, stolen again from a slave ship by pirates, and traded to those settlers for goods and victuals. Their names weren't even recorded. They were listed as 20-some-odd Africans. That is how this country was founded. It is uncomfortable, but it is true.
I will spare you the full 400-year history, but there is a pattern to it. History may not repeat itself, but it rhymes. The history of our country has been: How do we reconcile the ideal upon which we were founded by the reality upon which we were founded? How do we reconcile that every time we make progress toward that ideal--and we have made progress. I wouldn't be standing here today in a body that was not built for people like me but may have been built by people like me. We have made progress, but every time we make progress, there is a backlash. That backlash has included three things: propaganda, violence, and voter suppression.
My great-grandfather experienced the first backlash. Born on a plantation in Alabama, he got the right to vote after he took a literacy test and after he had to answer two sets of questions because he was on a list of people not to register because he was a teacher teaching other Black people in his community how to get a better life.
He experienced the terror of lynchings, being afraid that if you looked at someone the wrong way, you could be hung. If you disrespected someone, you could be shot by a mob that was never brought to justice. That was the backlash that came in response to Reconstruction, which was never fully taught in my history books. We went from the end of the Civil War to the civil rights movement.
The second wave of progress and in response to that progress was the backlash of our leaders being assassinated. I heard these stories from my parents and my grandparents, but they are not here anymore. My father passed away over a decade ago. My mother passed away last year. As more and more people who lived under the terror of Jim Crow are moving on from this mortal plane, it is important we keep that history alive.
Not all of them shared that history because it was painful and it was uncomfortable. They didn't like talking about it and many of them did, but their stories are fading. That is why our museums and history and books that can continue this legacy on are important because I can't quite explain to my now 10 and 15-year-old children in quite the same eloquence that my parents did. I can't explain what they went through the same way. When they were here for spring break earlier this year, we went to the African American History Museum. Watching that history come alive through my children again, I felt my parents with me. I felt my grandparents with me. I felt my great-grandparents with me.
As I stood in the exhibit on the Middle Passage thinking about what somebody in my family lived through so that I could be here in this moment and fight this latest backlash to erase our history, somebody survived being chained in the bottom of a slave ship with hundreds of other people from Africa to Virginia, but I don't know who they are. I don't know who their children are. I don't know who their grandchildren are. In my father's family, we can only trace back to his grandparents because before that, no one deemed it important to write down the names of the people they enslaved.
That is why not only is this personal for members of the Congressional Black Caucus but is also important to our country to heal because the American people are family and like every family, we have suffered trauma. Like every family, if you ignore the trauma, if you bury the trauma, it doesn't heal. The only way it heals is when you acknowledge what happened and you learn from it. That is why every time there is a backlash and it involves propaganda to erase what happened and the truth, it doesn't erase it, it buries it and the trauma flares up.
Why do you think the Russians in 2016 decided to choose race as the scab to pick at? That is because in this country we have never truly healed. Until we talk about all of our history, we will never heal as a country and we will never live up to the ideals upon which we were founded.
The Congressional Black Caucus will fight every day to make sure that our stories are told, that all American stories are told, whether they are uncomfortable or not. They happened and they made us who we are as a people. It made us who we are as a Nation, and we cannot run from it.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues from Ohio and California for hosting this event today.
My colleague from Virginia who just spoke, which I hadn't actually planned on talking much about that, but after my family moved from North Carolina, we moved to Virginia and one of the things I recall was Virginia history.
We had our history book. Interestingly enough, it started with Jamestown and Williamsburg obviously, then it kind of skipped ahead to the Civil War and the focus of the Civil War. There is no mention of slavery in between the two, by the way, or barely any.
The focus of the Civil War was what they called the great Confederate generals: Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and the others. It talked about how great they were as generals, and the fact that if they only had an equal amount of supplies as the Union generals, they would have been able to win the war. They called it the war between the States.
In some instances, the war of northern aggression, which is a little hard to imagine these days, but that was the schoolbook I learned from in my public school in Prince William County.
The interesting thing about that, we have seen what the effort was with respect to the attempt to change history, we became the United States after the Civil War, after the African-American community was liberated from slavery and there was a chance to have the opportunity to vote, to participate fully in the community, in the Nation. That was overturned essentially by a deal that was cut between the North and the South after President Lincoln was assassinated and it led to the segregation of African Americans across the country.
What went side by side with that was the obliteration of the actual history of what had led up to that point and the twisting of history to argue that, essentially, African Americans couldn't be trusted to be voting people in the democracy; that, in some instances, they even claimed that African Americans belonged in chains, belonged in slavery. As you heard earlier, the suggestion--I think that was from the Florida State government, not 150 years ago but recently--that African Americans actually benefited from being enslaved.
Now, we all know how silly that is or, I guess, our colleagues, maybe not necessarily in Florida, but it is a ridiculous statement. It is the kind of erasure and twisting of history that I think is critical to make sure that we fight against.
My mother was a librarian. My mother-in-law ended up being a librarian, so we had a heavy concentration of focus on books in my family during that stretch and the importance of history. I thought I would give a couple of examples of some of the issues that had popped up with respect to what the Trump administration has done.
This is the executive order by President Trump that was issued in March. It was titled: ``Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.'' The reality is it wasn't about restoring truth and sanity to American history, it was really about hiding and deleting and whitewashing American history.
One of the things they did in their first steps was to go to the Naval Academy. I guess an executive order was issued and the Department of Defense focused on this, in part. The Naval Academy, in response to that executive order and those directions from the White House and the Pentagon, pulled the book called ``I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings'' from the bookshelves at the Naval Academy. That was by Maya Angelou, who was one of the most respected writers in American history.
If I recall correctly, she was one of the poet laureates and spoke at one of the inaugurations, as well.
What I thought was interesting about that was that even though they pulled Maya Angelou's book from the shelves--the book, by the way, was an autobiography. It talked about her rise, her growth as she was raised in the South, and the terrible things that she went through, including sexual assault and racial discrimination issues, and how she rose above it. In fact, a later book that she wrote based on one of her poems is called ``And Still I Rise,'' and it is the type of inspiring literature that I think not only should we not be hiding from Americans, but we should be encouraging all Americans to see.
The Naval Academy pulled that book, but they left two copies of another book, ``Mein Kampf'' by Adolf Hitler, still on the shelves. In addition to that, there was another book that they left called ``The Bell Curve.'' You might not recall ``The Bell Curve,'' but I distinctly remember when it was published. ``The Bell Curve'' argued that Black men and women are genetically less intelligent than White people. That is still on the shelves at the Naval Academy, but the book that critiqued ``The Bell Curve'' was pulled. This is what we are getting from the Trump administration.
Of the books that they called for them to review, I think it was approximately 900 books. They reviewed those books, based on the request from the Trump administration, based on the executive order. Ultimately, it resulted in nearly 400 books being selected for removal from the Naval Academy's library.
What I thought was interesting about that was the person the library is named after, Admiral Nimitz, actually held a totally different conception about what should happen with respect to the sharing of information in books. In fact, he founded the library for this 179- year-old institution in Annapolis, Maryland.
I represent Maryland. I am proud of the Naval Academy in Annapolis, but this is a low moment in the history of the academy, I must say.
In response to this decision, one of its alums, Admiral James Stavridis,
By the way, he is an author, an academy alumnus, and a former Commander of all U.S. forces in Europe.
``As I understand it, they were just among the hundreds of thousands of books in the Nimitz Library which a student might opt to check out. What are we afraid of keeping from them in the library?''
I couldn't agree more with this question.
``Book banning can be a canary in a coal mine and could predict a stifling of free speech and thought,'' he continued. ``Books that challenge us make us stronger. We need officers who are educated, not indoctrinated.''
General Mark Milley is not a fan of the Trump administration. Certainly, the feeling seems to be mutual. You may recall, back in June 2021, this issue came up where they were challenging him with respect to something that was called critical race theory. We won't go into all of that, but keep in mind that K-12 schools never taught critical race theory. In any event, they brought it up with General Milley. He said: ``I have read Mao Zedong. I have read Karl Marx. I have read Lenin. That doesn't make me a Communist.''
He then offered an argument for expanding political studies in the service of defending the Constitution after the January 6 attack on the Capitol. He said: ``I want to understand White rage, and I am White and I want to understand it. What is it that caused thousands of people to assault this building and try to overturn the Constitution of the United States of America?''
Just a little aside on that point, there is a plaque that has been requested to be posted here in the Capitol that represents the brave men and women of the Capitol Police who fought to protect the people who were trapped here by the attacking mob. The Republican leadership refuses to post that plaque, but you can't change history.
As another example, they wanted to eliminate information about Jackie Robinson, the celebrated baseball player, a Hall of Fame star, who was a great baseball player for sure but also celebrated because he integrated Major League Baseball. Prior to his arrival, African Americans were basically not allowed to play in the major leagues. They wanted to strip out this information about Jackie Robinson.
This is an article that talks about Robinson's military service during World War II, when he served in the 761st Tank Battalion, the Black Panthers. It noted that he was court-martialed, but eventually acquitted, after refusing to move to the back of an Army bus in 1944. He received an honorable discharge later that year.
This touches me a bit because my father-in-law served in World War II and was a decorated soldier, as well. In fact, after World War II, he reenlisted for ground combat in Korea. They made him wait a few days to make sure that he really knew what he was doing, and of course, he did. He is buried at Arlington now. He had a Silver Star and two Bronze Stars, outstanding service, and rose to the level of captain.
When he came back from Italy, where he had been serving, to the United States, he was in an all-Black battalion. There were German prisoners who actually had a chance to ride in the front of the train, while he and his other Black colleagues still had to ride in the back because segregation continued. Even though the war against Hitler was supposed to be a war to end racism and fight Nazi discrimination, when he got back here, it was still the same old story.
They also tried to strip out information about Medgar Evers, a World War II veteran and Mississippi civil rights activist who was assassinated in 1963. He had been a leader with the local NAACP and was assassinated because he was fighting for the right to vote for African Americans. They erased that information from the Arlington National Cemetery website.
The Army removed, but subsequently reinstated, a website dedicated to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the most decorated unit in military history. That unit was made up of Japanese-American soldiers who fought despite the internment of their families. Those were the concentration camps that held Japanese Americans, largely in California but also in other parts of the country.
Despite that, Japanese-American soldiers volunteered to fight in World War II. One of those soldiers, Daniel Inouye, later became a long-serving United States Senator from Hawaii. I remember Senator Inouye primarily from his leadership in the Watergate hearings. He was an outstanding public servant, a great American, and a great soldier, but they tried to eliminate his history from the history books here.
We have this most recent incident, too. President Trump fired the Librarian of Congress. This one kind of came out of the blue, it seemed to me. She had served in that position for nearly 10 years, including during his first administration. She had been celebrated as a great Librarian, and she had done a great job in the position.
Normally, you get long terms for your service, and there was no indication that she had done anything wrong until Trump two came back, Trump 47, and they decided to fire her. They gave her a two-sentence letter that said, after all of your years in service, you are still terminated.
It kicked up such a controversy, the White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said there were quite concerning things that she had done at the Library of Congress in the pursuit of DEI and putting inappropriate books in the Library for children.
Keep in mind a couple of things. One is that the Library of Congress is not a lending library for the public, so there was no risk that any kids would be taking these books or any books from the Library of Congress.
Secondly, the Library of Congress has over 178 million items. It is the repository for the United States Congress. The department that deals with copyright for books is under that, and the Congressional Research Service is under her authority, as well.
Mr. Speaker, that is why they have so many books, including books that you or I might not want to read or we might not agree with. The point is all of the books need to be there because we need that repository.
By the way, it is the Library of Congress. Those of us here in Congress know this is a resource for us. There is absolutely no reason that the President of the United States should be meddling with our repository. It is really inappropriate and wrong. That is why it hadn't happened prior to that.
Congressman Gerry Connolly made this observation about the firing of Ms. Hayden, the librarian. With this decision, Donald Trump continues his attempts to censor our history, bend our culture to his will, and interfere with the free flow of information among the American people. It is a national disgrace.
I couldn't agree more. The reality is that, despite the executive order, this administration is actually making it more difficult for children and adults to learn about American history. They are slashing museum budgets by gutting the Institute of Museum and Library Services. They are defunding public broadcasting and public television.
The President does not decide what is worthy of being in a museum, and he shouldn't decide what is worthy of being in a library. He should not be deciding what our children learn in school, and he should not be afraid of American history.
Knowing our history makes us stronger because knowledge is power. That power, the power of the truth, belongs to all Americans. It is the basis of our democracy. It is the key to our future.
It is critical, as the United States moves forward, that we preserve our history, learn our history, and understand our history so that we don't repeat the negative aspects of our history.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues and the Congressional Black Caucus for their work on this matter.
Mr. Speaker, as we talk about the importance of Black history tonight, I also want to highlight northeast Ohio's rich connection to Black history.
In northeast Ohio, our Black history legacy stacks up against anyone's. In fact, one of the first places to celebrate Black History Month for a whole month was Kent State University. After decades as just a week-long event, Kent State made it a full month in 1970, 6 years before the White House did.
Northeast Ohio is also home to the great Jesse Owens who smashed the myth of white supremacy on a global stage, right under Hitler's nose at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Northeast Ohio has shaped the life and stories of Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison and the poet, Langston Hughes.
Cleveland is where Larry Doby integrated the American League. Carl Stokes made history as the first Black mayor of a major city, and Garrett Morgan invented the traffic light.
Black leadership from Cleveland also changed the calendar. In 1890, Ohio Representative John Patterson Green, the first Black-elected official in Cleveland, authored legislation to establish Labor Day as a State holiday 4 years before it became a Federal holiday.
Frederick Douglass spoke in Cleveland multiple times, beginning in the 1840s, connecting us to the abolition movement nationwide.
In 1851, Sojourner Truth delivered her famous speech, ``Ain't I a Woman?'' down the road in Akron; a landmark event in Black feminism.
A century later, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke frequently in Cleveland and lent his support for our local civil rights efforts.
Northeast Ohio's Black history legacy includes three Representatives who came before me: Representatives Louis Stokes, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, and Marcia L. Fudge represented northeast Ohio for over 50 years. They chaired committees and subcommittees and served on some of the House's most powerful committees.
Congressman Stokes and Congresswoman Fudge both chaired the Congressional Black Caucus.
In 2021, Congresswoman Fudge was confirmed as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the first Black woman to lead the agency since the 1970s.
Mr. Speaker, it is important that we continue to celebrate Black leadership, Black achievement, and Black excellence because we have been so frequently ignored, erased, and minimized.
Finally, Black history is American history and local history in Ohio and across the country. In 1967, Dr. King spoke at Glenville High School in Cleveland. Speaking that day, he talked about how our history isn't separate from the country's; it is part of it. He said: ``Abused and scorned as we may be, our destiny is tied up with the destiny of America.''
Speaking in Cleveland, Dr. King concluded with a simple message which should be our charge today: `` . . . we must keep moving, we must keep going.'' The goal of the Congressional Black Caucus is to keep us moving forward.
Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues and I have highlighted over this past hour how this administration is intentionally attacking Black history, which is an attack on American history, we will not allow this attack to continue.
Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.
The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 8 o'clock and 27 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.
