We use analytics tools to understand how people use the site. They're optional: if you decline, the site works the same, no analytics cookies are set and Google gets only a cookieless, anonymous count signal. Your votes are saved either way; the details are in the privacy policy.
06Designation of Duane Townsend as Acting Inspector General of the Department of Commerce: Message From the President of the United States (H. Doc. No. 119-57)
07Designation of Heidi Semann as Acting Inspector General of the Department of Education: Message From the President of the United States (H. Doc. No. 119-58)
13Deletions of Sponsors From Public Bills and Resolutions
Daily Digest
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced
50 public bills, H.R. 3744- 3793; 1 private bill, H.R. 3794; and 4 resolutions, H. Con. Res. 35; and H. Res. 479-481, were introduced.
Pages H2504-06
Reports Filed
Reports were filed today as follows: H.R. 1948, to authorize the International Boundary and Water Commission to accept funds for activities relating to wastewater treatment and flood control works, and for other purposes (H. Rept. 119-139); H.R. 1373, to require certain meetings of the Tennessee Valley Authority to be transparent and open to the public, and for other purposes, with an amendment (H. Rept. 119-140); H.R. 1182, to require the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate regulations relating to the approval of foreign manufacturers of cylinders, and for other purposes (H. Rept. 119-141); H.R. 649, to amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to allow schools that participate in the school lunch program under such Act to serve whole milk, with an amendment (H. Rept. 119-142); and H.R. 1041, to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from transmitting certain information to the Department of Justice for use by the national instant criminal background check system, with amendments (H. Rept. 119-143).
Page H2504
Speaker
Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed Representative Stutzman to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
Page H2473
Recess
The House recessed at 11:13 a.m. and reconvened at 12 p.m.
Page H2481
Recess
The House recessed at 1:14 p.m. and reconvened at 4:15 p.m.
Page H2491
Save SBA from Sanctuary Cities Act of 2025
The House passed H.R. 2931, to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to relocate certain offices of the Small Business Administration in sanctuary jurisdictions, by a yea-and-nay vote of 211 yeas to 199 nays, Roll No. 153.
Pages H2483-89, H2492-93
Rejected the Cisneros motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on Small Business by a yea-and-nay vote of 202 yeas to 210 nays, Roll No. 152.
Page H2492
Pursuant to the Rule, the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Small Business now printed in the bill, modified by the amendment printed in part B of H. Rept. 119-130, shall be considered as adopted.
Page H2483
H. Res. 458, the rule providing for consideration of the bills (H.R. 2931), (H.R. 2966), (H.R. 2987), and (H.R. 2483) was agreed to yesterday, June 4th. Capping Excessive Awarding of SBLC Entrants Act of 2025: The House passed H.R. 2987, to amend the Small Business Act to require a limit on the number of small business lending companies, by a yea-and-nay vote of 214 yeas to 198 nays, Roll No. 155.
Pages H2489-91, H2493-94
Rejected the Velazquez motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on Small Business by a yea-and-nay vote of 201 yeas to 212 nays, Roll No. 154.
Page H2493
Pursuant to the Rule, the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Small Business now printed in the bill shall be considered as adopted. H. Res. 458, the rule providing for consideration of the bills (H.R. 2931), (H.R. 2966), (H.R. 2987), and (H.R. 2483) was agreed to yesterday, June 4th.
Page H2489
Presidential Messages
Read a message from the President transmitting a notice of his intention to designate Duane Townsend (currently Special Agent in Charge, Department of Commerce, Office of the Inspector General) as Acting Inspector General of the Department of Commerce, in place of the current Acting Inspector General, Roderick Anderson, effective no less than 30 days from delivery of this message--referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and ordered to be printed (H. Doc. 119-57).
Page H2482
Read a message from the President transmitting a notice of his intention to designate Heidi Semann (currently Senior Special Agent with the Office of the Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) as Acting Inspector General of the Department of Education, in place of the current Acting Inspector General, Rene Rocque, effective no less than 30 days from delivery of this message--referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and ordered to be printed (H. Doc. 119-58).
Pages H2482-83
Quorum Calls: Votes
Four yea-and-nay votes developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H2492, H2492-93, H2493, and H2494. Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 6:27 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: 119 of 152 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 11:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Vincent High School on winning the baseball State championship for the 2A division in Alabama.
On Monday night, the Vincent Yellow Jackets were headed into the bottom of the seventh inning, tied 1-1 with Pike Liberal Arts. That is when Landon Archer delivered an RBI single that sealed the deal and crowned the Yellow Jackets as State champions for the first time in 40 years.
The Vincent players demonstrated the kind of grit, teamwork, and commitment to excellence that define championship-winning programs. If the State of Alabama knows anything, we know what it means to win a championship.
Congratulations to Coach Timothy Junkins, MVP Landon Archer, and the entire team on a fantastic season. They have made their school and entire community proud. I couldn't be more excited to join them in honoring the team's success.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my alma mater, Hackleburg High School, on winning the 1A baseball State championship.
In the fourth inning, the Panthers were tied with Leroy High School 4-4. Ross Hudson, who was named MVP, singled, driving in the go-ahead run that proved to be the difference. Pitchers Maddox Vickery and Blaise Vickery held Leroy scoreless for the remainder of the game, securing the 1A championship. This was Hackleburg's second State 1A championship in baseball.
As a proud alumnus, I stand here excited to congratulate Coach Jon McKinney and the entire team on an incredible season and for winning the title of State champion for the first time since 2007.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Second Lieutenant Caroline Robinson on her graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
A little over 4 years ago, I had the honor of nominating Caroline to West Point when she was a student at Mountain Brook High School. While at West Point, Caroline earned the rank of First Captain of the Corps of Cadets, which is the highest ranking cadet in the Corps of Cadets' chain of command.
Second Lieutenant Robinson will now report for active duty at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
I am proud of Caroline and her desire to serve our Nation as an officer in the United States Army. I know she will serve our Nation with great distinction and honor.
Mr. Speaker, over the weekend, I had the honor of joining the Gage Park community in Chicago to celebrate the life and legacy of Rigo Padilla, a beloved son of Chicago and a trailblazer in the fight for immigrant justice.
In 2009, Rigo faced deportation, but he didn't back down. He organized, fought, and helped bring a movement to its feet.
This month marks 13 years since DACA was created. It was leaders like Rigo who helped lay the foundation for that breakthrough.
Long before DACA and before his name made national headlines, Rigo was building power among undocumented youth and demanding that this country recognize our full humanity.
This weekend, a street was named after Rigo. At a time when immigrants are once more under attack, when ICE raids, visa bans, and threats to basic rights are making families feel unsafe, his story couldn't be more urgent.
He taught us that being undocumented didn't mean being powerless. We all deserve dignity. History doesn't change on its own. People like Rigo Padilla Perez make it move. Let this honorary street and anniversary be more than a symbol. Let it be a call to action.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to denounce this administration's move to unilaterally cancel the visas of Mexican musicians and artists.
Last week, Julion Alvarez, the proclaimed King of the Box Office, was denied entry to the U.S. and blocked from performing in back-to-back, sold-out shows at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas. This is not because of routine policy but because of targeted cultural suppression.
He is not alone. Grupo Firme and Espinoza Paz, both nominated artists for a Latin Grammy, and others have faced such abrupt denials.
Canceling visas for Mexican artists is not to mute a song. It is to try and silence a force. Mexican music is powerful. It fills stadiums. It breaks streaming records. It empowers communities. It connects generations. It drives economies on both sides of the border.
Festivals like Suenos in Chicago bring vibrancy, pride, and tourism to our cities. It is a celebration of identity. Jeopardizing it means lost jobs and sends a message that our community and our joy are not welcome.
Our culture is not fragile. It is booming. It won't be erased. It is more than a visa issue. It is a campaign to criminalize culture, demoralize communities, and create a permanent underclass.
These targeted bans on certain people, history, languages, books, and now the arts and entertainment are tactics to control, invalidate, and exclude us.
In a country that prides itself on valuing freedom, it is a threat to freedom of expression, freedom of speech, and the right to exist. This administration wants our labor without our families or our culture. They want profit from us without our voices.
It is more than a war on music. It is a war on dignity. It is a war on Mexicans, on Mexican Americans, immigrants, and all diverse communities.
We will not stay quiet. We will continue to defend our culture with pride ``that we are from here and from there''; ``que somos de aquiy de alla,'' inspired by the generations before us and encouraged for the generations after us.
Mr. Speaker, recently two Chinese nationals were arrested in Michigan for having smuggled in a pathogen that would be greatly harmful to our agricultural crops, livestock, and even the human use for these crops.
A fungal pathogen, known as fusarium graminearum, was identified in scientific literature as being a potential agroterrorism weapon. This is what the two Chinese nationals, Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu, brought into the country.
They smuggled this pathogen in via their electronic devices, which also contained evidence of Chinese Communist Party membership. The different methods with which they brought the pathogen in were hidden in devices or in tissues. There were various ways of smuggling it past customs.
We can't imagine what kind of a threat this would be toward our agricultural production in this country if something like this was allowed to get loose. They tried to get into the University of Michigan through their test labs and through the work that the university does through agriculture.
What did they want to do? Maybe they wanted to infect everything that was going through Michigan and coming out in the new crops.
Some of the effects of it on certain grains would be devastating, for example, to wheat, barley, grains, and rice. Indeed, the world's most important staple crops would be infected during their flowering stage.
The grains would often appear shriveled, bleached, or pinkish, making them unusable. Also, with these mycotoxins in here, it would cause toxicity to humans and animals. It would cause them to vomit or experience even worse effects in the livestock or people that would happen to use it.
What would the possible impact be? It would mean billions of dollars in crop losses globally each year due to lost yields, contamination, and rejection in the market. As I mentioned, these mycotoxins would cause vomiting, liver damage, immune suppression, and reproductive defects in both humans and livestock.
This is pretty nasty stuff that the Chinese Communist Party is sneaking into this country by one means or the other. In this case, it is at the University of Michigan.
It is known to be funded by the Chinese Government, though the University of Michigan states it has received no funding directly from the Chinese Government for this work. It points out that we need more clarification and more clear knowledge of the status of who is funding the research, who is funding the colleges, and who is funding the universities for things like this.
This is a bigger threat than we could imagine to the American food supply with what we produce, both domestically and those it would support around the world.
One of the two nationals has been accused of multiple smuggling attempts from 2022-2024. Again, I mentioned hiding samples of whatever they might be carrying in boots or mailed in, in a textbook.
What will we do about it? Are we going to tighten up the restrictions on what is coming in through China and have closer checks of who is being allowed to import things and what is happening at our universities?
Are we going to just let this go and have our food supply devastated by the constant threat of people trying to undermine and break down our country?
We can't have these contaminated harvests. We can't have the continued threat to the confidence people in this country and our exporters have in the American food supply.
We can't overstate what this means for agriculture, what it means for the U.S. economy, and what it means for our national security with the food supply we grow and the overall health of U.S. citizens.
We need to do a much better job, whether it is going to be what is smuggled through our airports; who is allowed to bring things into this country; what their research consists of, and who is funding it. Mainly, in this case it is the Chinese Communist Party and their government.
Mr. Speaker, it is a dead serious issue. We better take it seriously, or we are going to be in big trouble.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor the life of a Buffalo police officer, Daniel Candelario, a devoted public servant, a loving husband and son, and a proud father of three.
At just 34 years old, Officer Candelario was taken from us far too soon after sudden complications from the flu.
Daniel worked for 10 years, earning his badge and serving the C- District with pride, integrity, and compassion. He embodied everything I ask of our public servants: selflessness, kindness, and unwavering commitment to his duty.
Officer Candelario was a protector, an avid Bills fan, and, above all, a family man. Daniel's wife, Dariana, described her husband as her best friend and rock. He was the beloved father to Danny, Dominic, and Diana, and the brother of Victoria.
To his parents, Modesto and Lucy: Western New York mourns with you and thanks you for raising such an honorable and wonderful man.
Today, we honor Daniel's memory, lift up his family in prayer, and grieve alongside his brothers and sisters in uniform.
May Officer Daniel Candelario rest in peace, and may his memory be a blessing to us all.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Judge Patrick H. NeMoyer, a devoted husband, father, public servant, and friend.
Judge NeMoyer lived a life of service to our community, State, and Nation. From his early days as a law clerk and
He went on to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York and was later elected to the New York State Supreme Court. In 2016, his deep legal knowledge and fairness led him to be appointed to one of New York State's highest courts, the Appellate Division, where he served dutifully until his retirement in 2023.
Judge NeMoyer achieved so much in his life, which was to be expected by a man of such extraordinary intelligence. He was a brilliant man and a member of Mensa International. While always the smartest in the room, he used his Irish charm and personality to make everyone feel like they belonged.
Judge NeMoyer's final sendoff last week included friends from all across the political and philosophical divide, lifelong Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals alike, coming together to pay tribute to a man of great honor and integrity who never allowed politics to get in the way of his friendships and relationships. A true old-school politician, he was beloved by all.
Judge NeMoyer was a personal friend and a mentor of mine, and he swore me in to the New York State Senate in January 2011.
Also, as near and dear to his heart as his friends were was his affinity for Camp Turner. From his childhood to adulthood, he had a special affinity for and commitment to Camp Turner, demonstrating his continued dedication to helping youth in our community.
Above all his titles and achievements, Judge NeMoyer's greatest joy was his family. His beloved wife, Elyse; their four accomplished daughters, Caitlin, Dr. Erin, Dr. Amanda, and Dr. Rachel; and all of their beautiful children were his heart and soul. It is through them that his love and legacy will live on.
Judge NeMoyer was the kind of man who read The Buffalo News every day, who loved a good round of golf, and who cared deeply about the world around him. He never forgot where he came from, and he never stopped giving back.
Let us remember Judge Patrick NeMoyer not only for his service but for his kindness, humility, and unwavering commitment to justice.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the director of the McAllen Public Library, Kate Horan, on receiving the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Library Association, the highest honor a library professional can receive in the great State of Texas.
This recognition is a testament to Kate's leadership, mentorship, and impact. Since moving to McAllen 20 years ago, Kate has been instrumental in transforming the library into what it is today. She took a vacant big-box store and grew it into the largest single-floor library in the United States. She instituted award-winning programs like the South Texas Book Festival, championed bilingual initiatives, and expanded library resources.
Kate has made the library more than just books. The McAllen Public Library hosts programs vital to our community, such as providing free lunches for students and job fairs to help connect south Texans with new employment opportunities.
Kate's dedication to McAllen and the surrounding area is inspiring. We are grateful for her leadership and for always putting our community first. I congratulate her on this well-deserved honor.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the betrayal by the government of Puerto Rico to our immigrant communities.
This photo shows a Dominican dish known as ``three blows''--it includes fried egg, fried salami, and fried cheese.
Needless to say, it breaks your heart. But it doesn't break your heart as much as the three blows of betrayal that the immigrant community in Puerto Rico has received at the hands of its government.
On January 19, the Governor of Puerto Rico said that immigrants on the island had nothing to worry about because ICE wasn't going to conduct raids outside the border with Mexico.
On January 26, the first raid occurred. Documented immigrants were detained, in violation of their rights.
That was the first blow.
On January 27, the Governor said she was going to cooperate with the President's immigration policies.
That was the second blow.
And yesterday, it came to light that the Department of Transportation and Public Works--which since 2013 has issued driver's licenses to individuals without questioning their immigration status--was sharing immigrant information with immigration agencies.
That was the third blow.
Let me be clear: We all want immigrants to have their paperwork in order. We all want those who break the law to face consequences.
But no one can defend a government deceiving its most vulnerable community. No one can defend a government asking for personal information to issue a driver's license and then handing it over to the federal government so they can be investigated and deported.
We are talking about human beings. We are talking about children who could lose their parents. We are talking about elderly people who could lose the children who care for them.
The Government of Puerto Rico will say that, if it doesn't cooperate, it would lose federal highway funds.
A lie. The federal government--the Constitution of the United States--assigns the power of the purse to Congress, and the executive branch cannot freeze funds that Congress has allocated for a specific purpose.
The Government of Puerto Rico can defend its self-government and its immigrant community's rights in court.
Twenty states have already done so. Twenty. They sued the federal government for conditioning federal funds on cooperation with immigration enforcement. And the Government of Puerto Rico? Coward.
In that lawsuit, the 20 states cited at least eight legal precedents in favor of jurisdictions that resisted similar pressure from the federal government. Eight precedents. And the Government of Puerto Rico? Coward.
History will have no mercy: the Government of Puerto Rico betrayed Dominicans, Haitians, Venezuelans, and so many other immigrants to please Donald Trump.
As a friend told me: they gave them three blows and threw them into the stew.
Mr. Speaker, for the benefit of my constituents and the communities affected, I will offer my remarks in Spanish.
(Spanish translation of the statement made in English is as follows:)
Esta foto es de un plato dominicano conocido como el ``tres golpes''--contiene huevo frito, salami frito y queso frito.
De mas esta decir que lastima el corazon. Pero no lastima el corazon tanto como los tres golpes de traicion que la comunidad de inmigrantes de Puerto Rico ha recibido de manos de su gobierno.
El 19 de enero, la gobernadora de Puerto Rico dijo que los inmigrantes en la isla no debian preocuparse porque ICE no iba a hacer redadas fuera de la frontera con Mexico.
El 26 de enero, ocurrio la primera redada. Detuvieron inmigrantes documentados, en violacion a sus derechos.
Ese fue el primer golpe.
El 27 de enero, la gobernadora dijo que iba a cooperar con las politicas migratorias del presidente.
Ese fue el segundo golpe.
Y ayer, salio a relucir que el Departamento de Transportacion y Obras Publicas, que desde el 2013 otorga licencias de conducir a las personas, sin cuestionar su estatus migratorio, estaba compartiendo la informacion de inmigrantes con las agencias de inmigracion.
Ese fue el tercer golpe.
Voy a ser claro: Todos queremos que los inmigrantes esten con sus papeles al dia. Todos queremos que quien viole la ley enfrente consecuencias.
Pero nadie puede defender que un Gobierno engane a su comunidad mas vulnerable. Nadie puede defender que el Gobierno les pida informacion personal para darles una licencia de conducir y que luego entregue la misma al gobierno federal para que los investiguen y los deporten.
Estamos hablando de seres humanos. Estamos hablando de ninos que podrian perder a sus padres. Estamos hablando
El Gobierno de Puerto Rico dira que, si no coopera, perderia fondos federales para carreteras.
Mentira. El gobierno federal--la constitucion de los Estados Unidos-- asigna el poder de la cartera al Congreso, y la rama ejecutiva no puede congelar fondos que el Congreso asigno para un proposito especifico.
El Gobierno de Puerto Rico puede defender sus derechos de su gobierno propio y el de su comunidad inmigrante en los tribunales.
Veinte estados ya lo han hecho. Veinte. Demandaron al Gobierno federal por condicionar fondos federales a cambio de cooperacion con inmigracion. qY el Gobierno de Puerto Rico? Cobarde.
En esa demanda, los 20 estados citan al menos ocho precedentes judiciales en favor de jurisdicciones que han resistido presiones similares del Gobierno federal. Ocho precedentes. qY el Gobierno de Puerto Rico? Cobarde.
La historia no tendra misericordia: el Gobierno de Puerto Rico traiciono a los dominicanos, a los haitianos, a los venezolanos y a tantos otros inmigrantes para complacer a Donald Trump.
Como me dijo un amigo: les dieron tres golpes y los tiraron a mondongo.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair asks the gentleman to submit a transcript to the desk in English for the Record.
Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, June 6, marks the 81st anniversary of D-day, June 6, 1944.
In my district, Bedford County, Virginia, is designated as a World War II Heritage City by the National Park Service, the only such World War II Heritage City in Virginia.
Bedford County is home to the National D-day Memorial. This memorial commemorates the soldiers who courageously stormed Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944.
Bedford had the largest D-day loss per capita of any town in the United States, losing 20 men on Omaha Beach. Known to many as the Bedford Boys, they were amongst the first soldiers to land at Normandy as part of Operation Overlord. Their stories of heroism and sacrifice will be passed along from generation to generation.
One of the men who sought to memorialize their heroic actions was Staff Sergeant Bob Slaughter. A native of Roanoke, Virginia, Mr. Slaughter served in Company D, 116th Infantry Regiment. Soldiers from central, southside, and southwest Virginia served in the 116th.
Mr. Slaughter and the 116th were part of the first wave on the beaches. Mr. Speaker, when you watch the opening scenes of the film ``Saving Private Ryan,'' you will see the terror and chaos the men of the 116th saw.
Mr. Slaughter was one of more than 34,000 Americans who stormed the beach over the several days of the operation and faced heavy artillery from the Atlantic Wall and the Nazi war machine.
Mr. Slaughter, 19 years old at the time, lived through the horrors and mass casualties of D-day. His company faced heavy shelling as his landing craft reached the beach. The incoming fire from enemy weapons persisted as he stormed the beach and bravely trekked up the dangerous terrain.
Even though many from his unit were killed before leaving the beach, he was part of a small group who found a goat trail that was protected from Nazi fire. That group circled behind the enemy and took out enemy positions firing on the American soldiers below.
More than 10,000 Americans lost their lives on D-day, including many of the Bedford-based soldiers of Company A.
Mr. Slaughter received two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts for his service. Later in his life, however, he wanted to award and honor the countless lives who heroically fought on June 6, 1944. The memories of these soldiers had to be preserved, and that was his task.
Those memories drove Mr. Slaughter to undergo a journey to honor the lives of those young men who served our country on one of the most daunting days in American history.
Mr. Slaughter, along with others, including Lucille Hoback Boggess, who lost two brothers on D-day, pushed for Bedford to be the home of the National D-day Memorial. He founded the National D-day Memorial, served as its chairman for 7 years, and later wrote a memoir, ``Omaha Beach and Beyond,'' to commemorate the sacrifices of our D-day soldiers.
U.S. President Bill Clinton signed legislation designating the National D-day Memorial in Bedford as the Nation's monument to D-day, and President George W. Bush dedicated the memorial in 2001.
Every year, the National D-day Memorial hosts an anniversary event to pay tribute to and recognize the sacrifices of America's valiant soldiers. That would be tomorrow, and Bedford is not that far away.
As a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates and the Congressman from Virginia's Ninth District, I continue to visit the memorial and pay tribute to America's Greatest Generation.
For last year's 80th anniversary event, nearly two dozen World War II veterans were present. Tomorrow's event is slated to welcome several.
Tomorrow's event will also feature a special panel that discusses the legacy of Mr. Slaughter, who, unfortunately, is no longer with us. He died in 2012, and he would have turned 100 this year. Mr. Slaughter's son will participate on the panel.
The tremendous success of the memorial, the patriotism that it inspires, and the stories that continue to be shared can be attributed to Staff Sergeant Bob Slaughter, Company D, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division.
As a resident of the Roanoke Valley, I had the honor of getting to know Mr. Slaughter. Tomorrow is about honoring 19-year-old Bob Slaughter and all the men who went to fight for freedom. What mattered was their sacrifice, strength to fight, and willingness to put their lives on the line so others could be free. What mattered was Bob Slaughter's drive to memorialize the countless sacrifices of his brothers-in-arms.
To all our world war veterans, to all of the families of those who served on D-day and to Mr. Slaughter, our Nation owes them a thank you. I thank all of them for their extraordinary sacrifices on behalf of American liberty.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Diana Barrios, a homegrown, passionate leader.
Diana graduated from Oxford Academy at the young age of 16 after finishing her sophomore year. She then earned a bachelor's degree in political science and sociology from UCLA with high honors and completed a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University.
Diana's commitment to public service continues to be unwavering, and I was honored to name her as one of my 2025 Women of the Year.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Coach Denise Osorio, a youth mentor, mother, and community leader who calls the city of Anaheim home.
Denise is the head coach of the Anaheim High School boys' and girls' water polo teams.
Denise took on the challenge to rebuild Anaheim High School's aquatic program after 20 years with no swimming pool and no swimming program. Under her leadership, the girls' water polo team captured the first- ever CIF division title in women's sports in the school's history.
Beyond that, Denise is a devoted mother of three, Nicholas, Rosemarie, and Emma. I am honored to name her one of my 2025 Women of the Year.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Beverly McNeff, the co-founder of KidSingers, an after-school youth chorus program for kids in Santa Ana.
Beverly is known as ``Mrs. Cool''. Why? Because she teaches kids that it is cool to sing together in harmony.
Beverly is a former actress, broadcaster, and talent agent in Hollywood. She is married to KidSingers' founder and director, Paul McNeff, and they live in Anaheim with their son, Jeffrey.
I was honored to name her as one of my 2025 Women of the Year. I know Beverly will keep up the good work.
Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor a mother and community leader who calls California's 46th District her home.
She serves as district director to Senator Tom Umberg where she advocates for 1 million constituents, making sure that their voices are heard in Sacramento.
Ana received her bachelor's degree in legal studies from Chapman University and is a graduate of HOPE. Ana is also the mother of Victoria and Cyrus.
I was honored to honor her by naming her as one of my 2025 Women of the Year.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Alicia Garcia, a mother and community leader who embodies the American Dream.
Alicia was born in 1961 in Durango, Mexico, and made the brave decision to immigrate to the United States in search of the American Dream.
In the early 1990s, Alicia earned her certification as a certified nurse assistant.
Today, 30 years later, Alicia continues to serve her community at French Park Care Center, where her impact is felt by her patients, her colleagues, and the families she touches and supports on an everyday basis. I was honored to name her as one of my 2025 Women of the Year.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a group of remarkable young women from the plains of West Texas who are making history on the national stage, our Texas Tech Lady Raiders' softball team.
These athletes have battled all season long, with an impressive drive, determination, and an unmistakable West Texas will to win that has taken them from the first Big 12 Championship in program history and a chance this week to win the College World Series.
Coach Glasco and his Lady Raiders represent the best of West Texas values, hardworking, humble, and pure class on and off the field.
All of West Texas and all of Red Raider Nation are cheering on the Lady Raiders, our fearless champions, as they fight for the scarlet and the black.
The Lady Raiders need to go out there tonight, all gas and no brakes, and beat those Texas Longhorns and then turn around and beat them again and bring that championship trophy home to Lubbock, Texas, where it belongs.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of the ``Lion of Lenox Avenue'', Congressman Charles B. Rangel. He was a friend, a mentor, and a champion for Harlem, New York City, and our Nation.
Now, as most of us know, Charles B. Rangel was a titan, and my predecessor, who forged countless programs, trade agreements, and new initiatives during his 46 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. He became the urban voice, the voice of urban America. When America needed a compass, needed a direction for its urban cities, it was Charles B. Rangel that spoke truth to power and led the Nation forward.
He was born in Harlem in the summer of 1930, right on the heels of the Great Depression, which cloaked the country in a blanket of poverty that spared no community.
After dropping out of high school, Charles B. Rangel joined the U.S. Army's 503rd Field Artillery Battalion within the 2nd Infantry Division where he earned a Bronze Star with Valor and a Purple Heart after successfully leading his men through a mountain pass under attack by the Chinese army.
After his return to the country, Rangel received his bachelor's degree from NYU and his law degree from St. John's University. He was appointed Assistant U.S. District Attorney in the Southern District of New York by no other than the U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.
In 1970, he ascended to the House of Representatives where he and 12 other trailblazers formally founded the Congressional Black Caucus which slowly became the conscience of this House of Representatives, the conscience, of course, of Congress.
He ultimately climbed to become the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, where he worked on legislation that would uplift working- class and middle-class families. This included the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and Empowerment Zones.
His international impact was monumental. He forged trade agreements in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. He helped bring independence and economic prosperity across the globe.
Informed by his military service, he became a lifelong champion for veterans, particularly those who faced discrimination upon their return to our Nation.
Charles B. Rangel was a giant of a man. He was a legendary leader, not just for Harlem but for the rest of urban America. He held no grudge. He was a true gentleman, and one that chose to help everybody in the community.
This week, our city will stop, our Nation will stop in silence to honor the life and legacy of the Lion of Lenox Avenue, Congressman Charles B. Rangel. May he rest in peace. May he rest in power.
Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise to honor a true statesman, a patriot, and a proud son of the State of Florida, Speaker John Thrasher.
Speaker Thrasher's story is a kind that people don't see anymore. He was a U.S. Army veteran who served in Vietnam, a lawyer, a leader, and someone who never forgot where he came from. He rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most influential public servants the State of Florida has ever known.
As speaker of the Florida House, he got our State through challenging times with courage and principle. As a State senator, he fought for Florida's families, stood up for what was right, even when it wasn't easy. As president of Florida State University, he poured his heart into shaping the lives of young people, lifting up the next generation with the same integrity and drive that defined his own life.
To those who knew Speaker Thrasher, it was more than a resume. When he walked into a room, he had room presence. He was respected. He was loyal, tough as nails when he had to be, but always with a servant's heart.
I was proud to call him a friend, a mentor. I admired the way he led with grace under pressure and with an unshakeable love for Florida and our country.
This Congress and the State of Florida mourns with his wife, Jean; their children; their grandchildren; and we thank them for sharing their John with us.
He made our State stronger, and Florida will carry forward the values that he lived by.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to our Nation's 250th anniversary of two distinguished societies that are crucial to our many activities in Florida which celebrate our founding.
The national, State, and local members of both the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Sons of the American Revolution are direct blood descendants of patriots who fought and aided our American Revolution or held political or civil positions in our very first government.
Back at home in the district, the Emerald Coast Chapter of the Sons of the
I had the honor to join DAR Regent, Daquiri Champion, and SAR President, the Honorable Graham Fountain, at the Fort Walton Chamber of Commerce as they honored the chamber membership with the DAR America 250! Commendation and Medal for their campaign of remembrance of America's War of Independence.
Another upcoming event which highlights the women who served in the war is in the Okaloosa's Women Veterans Day ceremony which will be held at Women Veterans Park on Okaloosa Island.
One of the eight bronze statues in the park pays tribute to Mrs. Margaret Corbin, who fought alongside her husband, who was a Continental Army artillery officer. While assisting her husband in the Battle of Fort Washington, New York, she took over firing the cannon after he was killed by grapeshot fired by British cannon fire. She also received serious injuries of her own to her shoulder, chest, and jaw, but continued loading and firing the weapon.
On July 6, 1779, Congress awarded Margaret a lifelong pension for her Revolutionary War service.
This was also the first time America officially recognized a woman's military service.
I urge all Americans to join the DAR and SAR members in paying special tribute to this incredible woman whose courage, strength, and patriotism rivaled many of her male counterparts.
In April, a member of the SAR Emerald Coast organized a major workday at Old Stewart Cemetery in Laurel Hill, cleaning up the cemetery around the grave of Okaloosa's own Revolutionary War soldier, Private Horne, giving and paying tribute to Private Horne for his service in the founding of the United States of America.
Mr. Speaker, as I close, I extend a heartfelt thanks and admiration to those faithful patriots of our American Revolution who fought and died for our great Nation and to their descendants, the members of the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution, who keep our American spirit alive and well today.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share the story of Adriana Smith.
Adriana Smith was a 30-year-old nurse from Georgia and the mother of a vibrant 5-year-old boy. She started to experience debilitating headaches, and she sought medical care. She was discharged and her pain was dismissed, as is so often the case for Black women in this country and certainly in our healthcare system.
The next morning, Adriana woke up gasping for air and was taken to Emory Hospital, where she was declared brain dead.
There are no words to provide healing for a pain this deep--a dedicated and loving mother, a compassionate nurse, gone at the age of 30.
In the days that followed, Adriana's family and son should have been able to make a solemn, independent decision about what happened next as they celebrated her life; as they mourned this devastating loss; as they pieced their lives back together; and as they began helping their 5-year-old cope with the grief and loss of his precious mother.
Yet, the State of Georgia denied Adriana her bodily autonomy and dignity in death. In the days and weeks that followed, her family found themselves in a desperate battle with Emory Hospital.
The hospital believed that the anti-abortion bill that Georgia enacted in 2022 following the gutting of Roe v. Wade tied the hospital's hands and mandated that Adriana's body, her brain-dead body, remain hooked to machines. Mr. Speaker, this was not because there was any chance of survival, she had already transitioned, but because Adriana was 9 weeks pregnant, about a month past a missed period. Adriana's body has been turned into an incubator; an incubator with no medical rationale, no ethical reason, and no compassion.
Mr. Speaker, from the days of enslavement, Black women's bodies have been subjected to medical abuse, assault, and degradation in this country. We are more likely to die in childbirth. We are routinely denied medical care. We are dehumanized. Like in the case of Adriana Smith, our bodies and our dignity are desecrated in death.
This is cruelty. It is the latest episode in a long history of the experimentation and exploitation of Black bodies. I grieve for Adriana's family, for the torture they are experiencing layered with the daily uncertainty that they are navigating as they try to do right by their daughter and lay her to rest peacefully.
Her parents are by her bedside. Her 5-year-old asked: When will Mommy wake up?
Adriana should be here today, her blood clots treated, her voice trusted, and her pain believed. She should be decorating a nursery for her little son with her family and celebrating her son's last day of kindergarten, but Adriana's body lies hooked to machines in a hospital bed as part of an unjust medical experiment for more than 3 months. No family should have to endure this.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Bob Kierlin, a beloved community member and dedicated public servant who passed away earlier this year at the age of 85.
Born and raised in Winona, Bob was a fixture in the southeastern Minnesota community. He graduated from Cotter High School and served in the Peace Corps in Venezuela before going on to represent his neighbors from Winona in the Minnesota State Senate from 1999 to 2007.
As a young man in 1967, Bob and four of his high school friends founded the Fastenal Company when Bob saw a need to get hardware to the construction sites quickly. A new supply chain concept was born.
With Bob's innovation and his leadership, Fastenal quickly grew into a worldwide distributor, employing more than 23,000 employees with locations in all 50 States and 25 countries. Today, Fastenal is a Fortune 500 company and Winona's largest employer.
Bob was much more to his hometown than a CEO, though. His community involvement and generosity to local causes was seemingly limitless, setting an example for us all in how to serve our neighbors in greater need.
I have no doubt that Bob's legacy will live on through the countless lives he impacted, both personally and professionally. He was a renowned business leader, a generous benefactor, and a dedicated public servant. He was also a true friend to a great many of us across southern Minnesota.
Mr. Speaker, Representative Charlie Rangel was a dear friend and mentor of mine. He was very engaged and responsible for writing the Affordable Care Act and getting it passed.
Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Whitney M. Young Magnet High School and its administrators, teachers, staff, parents, and especially students.
Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, located in Chicago, Illinois, is a public, 4-year magnet high school known for its academic excellence and selective enrollment. It offers an accelerated program, called the Academic Center, for seventh and eighth graders. Admission is based on entrance exams, standardized tests, and elementary school grades. The school has a strong focus on developing well-rounded individuals with a variety of performing
The school is comprehensive and excels in athletics, as well. For example, during the 2023-2024 school year, they were city champs in boys' water polo, girls' basketball, girls' golf, girls' softball, and girls' swim and diving. Whitney M. Young Magnet High School was also the State champion in the Academic Decathlon during the last school year.
While the school and its students have always been outstanding in the world of academics, this year in 2025, for the first time in the history of the school or any school that I know about in the city of Chicago, 23 of its students achieved a perfect score on the ACT test.
Of course, the ACT is widely used in admission decisions and as a predictor of college success. I am certain that, if the business, civil rights, and National Urban League leader, Whitney M. Young, was alive today, he would join with us to congratulate Principal Rickey Harris and the entire Whitney M. Young Magnet High School community, especially the 23 ACT perfect scorers, on this monumental accomplishment.
Imagine 23 perfect scorers in one school and in one place. What an accomplishment. What an achievement.
I congratulate Whitney Young students, and everybody associated with this great accomplishment.
Mr. Speaker, after decades of pledging Never Again, we are watching the vile presence of anti-Semitism rear its ugly head once again.
First, the unthinkable happened 2 weeks ago here in the streets of the Nation's Capital when two staffers from the Israeli Embassy, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, were brutally murdered. Sarah was one of our own: a Kansan, a native of Overland Park, and a proud graduate of the University of Kansas who cared deeply about the shared human dignity of all people.
Then, just days ago, at a peaceful pro-Israel demonstration in Colorado, a Hamas sympathizer threw Molotov cocktails into a crowd and injured more than a dozen people while yelling: ``Free Palestine.''
Audrey and I are deeply grieved by these senseless anti-Semitic terror attacks, and we continue to lift up the victims, their families, and their loved ones in prayer.
Now is not the time to waver in our commitment to Israel or the protection of the humanity of our Jewish neighbors here and around the world. Now is the time to rededicate ourselves to the God-given right to live in peace and safety of Jewish people both in Israel and across the globe. We must condemn terrorism. We must condemn anti-Semitism, and we must call it out for what it is: pure evil.
Our support of Israel must never ever waver, and our response to anti-Semitism must always be clear and immediate.
Mr. Speaker, over the Memorial Day recess, Rasmussen found that a majority of Americans say that the country is on the right track. Under President Trump, America keeps winning again and again. Promises made, promises kept.
Mr. Speaker, 77 million Americans trusted President Trump to restore common sense to our Nation's Capital by bringing down everyday costs, reining in our Federal spending, lowering taxes, rolling back burdensome regulations, strengthening our Nation's border security, and getting our fiscal house back in order. President Trump has already begun delivering on that mandate, and Congress is helping him to advance this agenda.
Just a few days ago here in this Chamber, House Republicans voted to deliver the largest tax cut in American history. We made long-overdue investments in our Nation's border security by funding the completion of the border wall, investing in modern technologies to assist in the interception of drug and human smuggling, and increased detention capacity for Immigration and Customs Enforcement as they work to deport violent criminals and gang members who are in this country illegally.
Our bill supports American farmers, ranchers, and ag producers like those in the Big First District of Kansas who want to see the farm safety net strengthened by expanding crop insurance and updating reference prices.
We permanently expanded the death tax exemption, saving 2 million family farms and saving those families more than $10 billion.
We supported President Trump and Secretary Duffy's request to make much-needed investments in the Federal Aviation Administration to modernize our air traffic control technology and infrastructure and uphold the gold standard of American aviation.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act strengthens our social safety net while better stewarding the tax dollars of hardworking Americans.
Americans are generous people, but we cannot allow the government to abuse that generosity. Programs like Medicaid and SNAP were intended for the most vulnerable populations in our country: pregnant women, single parents with kids too young for school, low-income Americans, disabled individuals, and the elderly.
Over the years, these programs have been exploited and expanded beyond their initial intent, causing the cost of these programs to skyrocket exponentially. If taxpaying Americans can get up every day and go to work, why shouldn't we ask the same thing of those who benefit from that generosity.
Our bill requires able-bodied adults without kids too young for school to work or volunteer at least 20 hours a week. This includes volunteering at a food pantry, a local church, or giving back to their community.
It is disheartening that so many of my Democratic colleagues would prefer to lie about what our bill does and limit Americans to a permanent destination of government assistance rather than empowering them to return to the ladder of opportunity. This is not the American Dream.
I am hopeful that the Senate will move quickly to get it over the finish line and onto the President's desk. The country cannot afford to get this bill wrong, and I trust that every single Republican is committed to getting it to the President as soon as possible and helping America win yet again.
(Ms. Dexter of Oregon was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.)
Mr. Speaker, this year, I received a letter from Rachel, a mother in my district with stage IV lung cancer who is living on borrowed time. She is depending on future innovation driven by NIH research to see her son grow up.
Her words are more powerful than mine, so I will read them directly. ``I could write endless words about how many will be devastated by these funding cuts, but this is not that kind of letter. Despite my generous nature, cancer has taught me to be selfish.
``Every single day, I think about my mortality. How long do I have left? Is that shoulder pain or something else? Will I be alive to see my son graduate from high school? He turned 11 [in February], and I made him a lemon cake.
``NIH funding cuts will no doubt shorten my life. There is no truth about which I have ever been more certain.''
Mr. Speaker, our constituents are literally begging for their lives. As a physician and mother, I cannot speak enough about the harm that this bill, this cut to NIH funding, will do. I understand the importance of NIH funding because that is the driver of innovation and scientific discovery.
To my Republican colleagues, now is the time to show courage. Stop these cuts to the NIH. Do not undermine scientific innovation.
To Rachel, I will fight for you with everything I have. You deserve to see your son graduate.
On June 6, 1944, 81 years ago, thousands of America's finest stormed the beaches of Normandy to defend the freedoms and liberties that we hold dear. They faced insurmountable odds yet pushed forward with courage, conviction, and an unwavering sense of duty.
On that day, the United States lost more than 6,000 soldiers. In the weeks and months that followed, countless more gave their lives liberating Western Europe from tyranny. Their sacrifice turned the tide of World War II and reshaped the course of history.
The D-Day invasion marked a critical turning point. Allied forces banded together in one of the most ambitious military operations ever attempted. Our troops faced the terrifying unknown and prevailed. They left lasting impressions, not only on the war-torn landscapes that they crossed but on the hearts of a grateful Nation.
In 2018, I had the honor of attending the wreath-laying ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery in France. Standing on those hallowed grounds gazing upon the white crosses, many marking brothers buried beside brothers, fathers beside sons, I was reminded that freedom really is never free.
That cemetery is more than a memorial. It is a symbol of American resolve, our willingness to stand for liberty not just at home but for people across the globe.
Today, I recognize heroes from Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District who stormed the beaches on D-Day.
One such hero was Elmer DeLucia of Bradford, McKean County. He served with the 81st Chemical Mortar Battalion and landed at Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. He went on to fight in four major campaigns: Northern France, the Ardennes, the Rhineland, and Central Europe.
Mr. DeLucia passed away in 2022 at the age of 99. After the war, he spent years sharing his experiences with students and community members, ensuring that the lessons of history were never forgotten.
We also honor the 347 Pennsylvanians who gave their lives on D-Day, including 31 from Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District. Their sacrifices are woven into the fabric of our communities and our Nation.
Mr. Speaker, let us pause to remember and honor those who gave so much for the cause of freedom. Let us celebrate the heroism of all our servicemembers, past and present. For the good of the many, a courageous few gave everything.
Today, we speak their names with pride, remember their sacrifices with reverence, and celebrate their legacy with gratitude. May we always honor their heroism.
God bless our troops, and God bless our great Nation.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the proposed Republican cuts to public broadcasting.
Next week, our Republican colleagues are planning to bring a bill to the floor that would mean a devastating cut of funding to shows like ``Sesame Street'' and ``Mister Rogers' Neighborhood,'' all in their endless quest to find more money for tax cuts for their billionaire donors.
It is important for people to understand that television is changing. More and more content is being put behind paywalls, and PBS is one of the only sources of children's educational television that is still accessible to every child for free.
Studies show that kids who grow up watching PBS get better grades, read more, are better at expressing their feelings, and have better educational outcomes. Educational television, when it is high quality, works.
I have two young kids myself, Max and Lucy. I cannot tell you enough about how important it is to have access to affordable, high-quality educational content for children.
Public television has always been about the simple idea that every child deserves access to learning or inspiration, even if their families don't have a lot of money. That is why it is so important that we continue to support PBS and public broadcasting in general.
I am asking my colleagues to evoke one of my son's favorite programs, ``Mister Rogers,'' and be a good neighbor. Vote ``no'' on the cuts to public broadcasting.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today for the 16th time to beg the Trump administration to honor its word and restore funding for lifesaving food aid for starving children.
This is Plumpy'Nut, an emergency paste that is used to treat malnourished children. Until recently, the United States shipped this product all across the world, saving lives, saving the lives of children suffering from malnutrition.
This is important because it is the right thing to do, but it is also the smart thing to do for the United States. I want to read a quote from someone who I think understands that. ``It is going to be a lot harder to recruit someone to anti-Americanism, anti-American terrorism, if the United States of America was the reason why they are even alive today.'' This quote, Mr. Speaker, is from our own Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, before he started working for President Trump.
A couple of weeks ago, Secretary Rubio was in front of Congress. Under questioning from our colleagues Representative DeLauro, my colleague from Rhode Island, Gabe Amo, Senator Booker, and others, Secretary Rubio said again that he understood the importance of continuing to fund emergency food aid.
Why isn't it being done? Why are there boxes and boxes of this product sitting in warehouses in the United States, waiting for funding to be restored when the Trump administration has said that they intend to do so?
When we do not deliver on our promises as a country, it erodes trust, makes it harder for the United States to build relationships around the world, and gives an open opportunity for our adversaries, particularly China, to swoop in and save the day.
We cannot allow this to happen, not only because of the moral imperative of saving the lives of starving children around the world but out of our own self-interest. It is in our interest to build good will. We can do it if the Trump administration will just do what it says it is going to do and restore funding for emergency food aid.
Secretary Rubio said that it is going to happen. Elon Musk said that it is going to happen. It has been 4 months now, and we are still waiting.
What is the delay? Let's get this food aid moving again now. I will continue to speak on the House floor every day until we do.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of an extraordinary man, a devoted public servant, and a pillar of southwest Ohio, Special Deputy Sheriff Larry Henderson.
Larry Henderson, Jr., lived a life of truly outstanding service that was brought to an end all too suddenly on May 2, 2025. Having retired from the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office in December of 2024, Larry stepped up to volunteer to direct traffic for the University of Cincinnati's graduation ceremony when he was tragically struck by a vehicle.
This heinous act was committed intentionally by an individual whose son had been fatally shot by a Cincinnati police officer the day before.
This unbelievable tragedy sent shock waves throughout the Hamilton County community and beyond, as Larry had spent his entire life in service to his family, his friends, and the area in various official capacities.
Larry was someone who consistently stepped up to the plate to meet the needs of his community. His life ended the same way that he lived it, in selfless service to his community, a community that would not be the same great place it is today without Larry's courage and dedication.
Having previously served in the United States Marine Corps, Deputy
Even after retiring, Larry served as a special deputy, picking up traffic details like the one at the University of Cincinnati. If something needed to get done, no matter what it was, Larry was the one who stepped up to the plate.
Larry came from a strong family that created a lasting legacy of public service in southern Ohio, with multiple uncles and cousins serving as police officers in the Cincinnati area.
In his free time, Larry enjoyed fishing in the area and being at home with his family. He was a man who always had his priorities straight, and his wife and children were at the very top of the list.
Larry was a devoted husband, loving father, proud grandparent, and friend to everyone around him. Larry leaves behind his loving wife, Lori; five grown children; and extended family whose lives were enriched by the strong leader and protector that he was.
My heart and prayers go out to his loved ones who are now learning how to live without their hero.
Every man and woman who becomes a law enforcement officer puts their life on the line every day to protect their community from harm. When they put on their uniform in the morning to leave for work, they expect to walk back through their door at the end of the day to come back home to their loving families. Tragically, some never do. These men and women are true American heroes.
Deputy Larry Henderson's lifetime of service, selflessness, unwavering commitment to others, and true heroism will never be forgotten. His legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of his loved ones, and the ultimate sacrifice he made will never be forgotten.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to demand the resignation of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Since taking office, RFK Jr. has failed to recommend the measles vaccine for children, even after the deaths of two children. He said pregnant women should not receive COVID vaccines. He has pulled funding for vaccines for diseases like bird flu and HIV. He has spread lies and stigma about autism. Last week, he released a report citing research that does not exist--written by AI.
How many children have to die from measles and other preventable diseases for RFK Jr. to resign? How many pregnant women have to get sick with COVID and risk miscarriage? How many people have to get hurt before Congress holds RFK Jr. and this administration to account?
This is why Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., needs to resign as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Mr. Speaker, historically, 81 years ago tomorrow, June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied troops surprised war criminal Hitler with Operation Overlord along the beaches of Normandy, France. This began the drive to liberate Europe with victory of good over evil to end World War II.
More than 10,000 Americans and Allies were killed or wounded on D- day, all in the name of freedom, courageously led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
President Ronald Reagan clarified peace through strength at his Normandy address on the 40th anniversary of D-day, and it is now more true than ever: ``It is better to be here ready to protect the peace than to take blind shelter across the sea, rushing to respond only after freedom is lost.''
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 law criminal Putin with a phone call threatening to murder civilians in Ukraine and defending Iran's nuclear capability to develop a weapon for death to Israel, death to America.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the legacy of Catherine Willis, a woman who lived to help her community realize the dream of justice and equity, and whose legacy lives on in every neighborhood she touched.
She was a dedicated public servant, excelling in pushing East Orange forward in her roles as director of senior services and director of planning and economic development. Her work in education, housing, and civil rights reflected her belief that no one should be left behind. She stood up for those in our society who often fall through the cracks.
Ms. Willis didn't just serve the people. She empowered them. She reminded us all that the strength of a community lies in how it treats its most vulnerable.
Today, I ask this body to recognize not just her accomplishments but her enduring impact. May we remember her not only for what she did but for what she made possible.
Mr. Speaker, California's Governor and legislature are at it again. The annual gas tax hike that already is in place is going to raise the gas tax another 2 cents to a staggering 61 cents per gallon. It is already squeezing families, small businesses, farms, and everything.
New clean air rules are expected to take effect alongside this gas hike, which could push prices even higher.
When State Republicans tried to stop these costly regulations, Democrats blocked that effort without even a debate, showing little concern for how hard Californians are already being hit and struggling with these high costs of electricity, fuel, and everything else.
Meanwhile, controversy is swirling around California Air Resources Board Chair Liane Randolph, who recently admitted that her agency does not analyze how its rules and new taxes affect prices for everyday drivers. They don't even analyze what the effect is going to be. They just go ahead and raise the gas tax.
CARB wields too much unchecked power without accountability. CARB is proposing a new fuel standard that will further increase the cost of fuel by another 65 cents a gallon for Californians.
With two oil refineries set to shut down due to high regulations, it is going to really increase the gas prices to probably $8.43, according to a USC study.
Mr. Speaker, the administration's reckless public servant firing spree is hurting the health, safety, and financial security of people across the United States.
Since he came into office, the President has laid off at least 58,000 Federal civil service workers with plans to eliminate an additional 150,000 workers. Another 76,000 workers accepted buyouts after being threatened with relocation or termination.
These layoffs include hundreds of staff members at the Centers for Disease Control who protected children from lead poisoning and air pollution, among other services. Staff cuts at the Social Security Administration have resulted in longer wait times for seniors applying for benefits.
I have been proud to join legal briefs filed against the administration, which are resulting in the reinstatement of thousands of Federal workers. I will continue to push back against the President and oppose illegal cuts to the Federal workforce, which block Americans from accessing the critical government services they rely on.
Mr. Speaker, if we want to talk about efficiency, then let's join together to evaluate it, not do it this way.
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 458, I call up the bill (H.R. 2931) to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to relocate certain offices of the Small Business Administration in sanctuary jurisdictions, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 458, the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Small Business, printed in the bill, modified by the amendment printed in part B of House Report 119-130, is adopted and the bill, as amended, is considered read.
The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill, as amended, shall be debatable for 1 hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Small Business or their respective designees.
The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams).
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous material on the bill 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 today in support of H.R. 2931, the Save SBA from Sanctuary Cities Act of 2025, introduced by Representative Finstad.
This legislation does exactly what is necessary to ensure SBA employees are safe.
Despite inheriting one of the most secure borders in American history, President Biden relaxed border policies, and today, communities continue to deal with these consequences.
I am talking about everything from crime against small businesses forced to close their storefronts to the death of innocent Americans, and it hasn't stopped, as evidenced by the tragedy in Boulder, Colorado, earlier this week.
Thankfully, President Trump is taking action to restore the rule of law with executive orders that stop the Federal subsidization of areas that refuse to comply with immigration laws.
This legislation, in part, codifies those efforts and the work already done at the SBA. Under Administrator Loeffler's leadership, the regional offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York City, and Seattle will be moved to safer communities within those States; but there are other cities that need to be reached.
Under this bill, the SBA administrator will make determinations on what offices will be moved and will make those decisions public to ensure transparency.
It is important to note that SBA services to small businesses nationwide will not be interrupted by passing this legislation.
When a small business in any jurisdiction needs assistance, they can still go to their local small business development center or their community lender.
The previous administration's border crisis should not put the safety of small businesses who go to the SBA offices and the SBA employees who work in those offices at risk.
My colleagues on the other side of the aisle are going to argue that Republicans are working to close SBA offices. This bill simply relocates these offices. As I said before, lending and counseling services for small businesses will still be provided to constituents.
I urge all of my colleagues who support this bill to make Main Street safe again.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 2931. This bill is not about improving the SBA or expanding support for small businesses. It is about punishing cities for their politics and dragging a vital agency into another culture war.
Earlier this year, the SBA administrator abruptly announced that six regional offices located in cities like New York, Chicago, and Seattle will be relocated. These are some of the most diverse, economically important cities in the country. They are also home to thousands of small businesses that rely on these offices for support.
The decision was made without consultation, without any clear plan, and without even a basic briefing to Congress. In fact, 24 of my colleagues and I sent a letter to the administrator demanding answers. Myself and my colleagues still haven't received an adequate response; just rhetoric.
Now this bill will lock in that same reckless approach and expand on it. It strips regional, district, and local SBA offices out of so- called sanctuary cities, despite there being no legal definition and no justification for such a move.
This isn't about immigration enforcement. It is about politics. This administration wants to punish some of our larger cities because they have the nerve to vote Democratic. It is important to note all of the cities comply with the Federal laws.
Who will this bill hurt? It will not hurt politicians or city officials. It is the small business owners and their employees who will suddenly have to navigate SBA programs without the support they have relied on for years.
At the same time, the SBA is already in crisis. Huge numbers of staff have been fired or forced out. Customer service has plummeted. Small business owners are calling, and no one is there to answer. Now, in the middle of all of that, my Republican colleagues are talking about uprooting even more offices.
This bill doesn't fix anything. It adds more confusion and disruption for the people that are supposed to be helped. It wastes taxpayer dollars to carry out a political agenda, and it ignores the real economic challenges small businesses are facing.
Let's not forget, entrepreneurs across the country are already dealing with higher prices caused by tariffs. That is a direct result of this administration's trade policies. These added costs are squeezing margins and making it harder for small businesses to stay afloat. The last thing they need is less support from the very agency that is supposed to help them. They also don't need to be spending hours traveling to offices to get assistance.
If my colleagues really wanted to support the small businesses, they would be talking about access to capital. They would be looking at how to rebuild SBA policy, not gut it further. They would be focused on lowering costs, expanding outreach, and getting more entrepreneurs the tools they need to grow.
Just maybe, my colleagues could stop playing games and pass a bill exempting small businesses from the pain of this administration's on- again, off-again tariffs.
Instead, Members here are debating a bill that makes things worse. I urge my colleagues to reject this bill, stand up for small business owners in every ZIP Code and restore the SBA mission as a nonpartisan advocate for America's entrepreneurs.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for this important piece of legislation. I thank the ranking member for her passion and her concern for small businesses in America.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2931, the Save SBA from Sanctuary Cities Act of 2025, championed by my good friend Congressman Finstad.
Mr. Speaker, this is not about a culture war in America. This is about putting American small business owners first, while ensuring lawless sanctuary cities do not reap the benefits of hosting SBA offices.
It is pretty simple. This is all about protecting America's small businesses and making sure that Federal taxpayer dollars are not funneled into lawless sanctuary cities that put illegal aliens ahead of their own citizens.
Why should hardworking American entrepreneurs in law-abiding communities be second in line to support from their own government? They shouldn't be.
This bill will relocate SBA regional offices from sanctuary jurisdictions to communities that actually respect the rule of law, that actually put American citizens first, and that is not controversial. It is just common sense.
President Biden's open-border policies let in millions of illegal aliens, unvetted illegal aliens, including dangerous, violent criminals.
The woke policies of Democrat-run sanctuary cities, fueled by woke politics, have become magnets for chaos, stretching public resources to the brink, and crowding out citizens who actually follow the law.
What happens? Well, it often depletes the public resources meant for U.S. citizens.
Moving SBA offices into nonsanctuary jurisdictions is a step in the right direction.
Let me be clear, Mr. Speaker. The Federal Government should not reward sanctuary cities with permanent SBA infrastructure. That is not just wrong, quite frankly, it is insulting to every law-abiding taxpayer and every small business owner struggling to stay afloat. These offices have got to be moved.
This legislation is another example of House Republicans working to codify President Trump's executive orders.
In March, SBA Administrator Loeffler announced a series of actions to put Americans first, including moving SBA regional offices out of sanctuary cities. This bill makes it law and backs that up.
This commonsense legislation, as well as others that Members will be voting on this week, put Americans and American small businesses first. It puts Main Street first.
Mr. Speaker, people can't stop there. There are many cities that share the same lawless, woke policies as sanctuary cities. They are soft on crime, even if they don't wear the sanctuary label outright.
Kansas City is one of those, just as one example. It is not officially designated as a sanctuary city, but it might as well be a first cousin of one.
That is exactly why I have asked Administrator Loeffler to relocate the SBA regional office from Kansas City in Missouri's Fifth Congressional District down to our district, the Fourth District.
At the end of the day, American citizens and small businesses should be the ones being served by SBA offices, not illegal aliens in sanctuary cities.
Let's get serious. Let's put America first, like the mandate directed to be done in November, the America First agenda led by President Donald J. Trump.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and vote ``yes'' for H.R. 2931.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding me the time.
My colleague across the aisle, obviously, wants us to be ``sleep'' because that is the opposite of being woke. I guess my colleagues should introduce sleepy policies and be ``sleep'' at the job.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to voice my strong opposition to the efforts to undermine American small businesses by the very agency tasked with fueling them.
Let me be clear. This is what H.R. 2931 would do. It would allow the Small Business Administration to gut punch the small businesses it is supposed to serve, just to punish cities that embrace their immigrant communities.
Targeting sanctuary cities, as this bill does, is beyond the scope of the SBA's duties. It flies in the face of what the SBA is supposed to do: lift up small businesses in communities across the country, no matter what city they are located in or what party they belong to.
Rather than driving economic growth, this legislation would strip essential resources from some of our Nation's most vibrant and diverse communities. This would hurt the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of businessowners. If the New York office were to close, the effects would spill over into my own community. The SBA office in Newark services over 800,000 small businesses in New Jersey alone. Cutting offices from these areas will stall growth and jeopardize jobs. It will displace employees and disrupt critical services that local businesses rely on. It will burden nearby offices and stretch resources very thin. It will make it harder for businessowners to get the help they need when they need it. Newark's office would be overwhelmed if the New York City office closes.
This bill weaponizes Federal resources to hurt cities that have made the choice to protect immigrant communities. This is unjust.
I have worked closely with my Democratic colleagues to raise these concerns directly with the SBA administrator through multiple letters, outreach, and even in the Small Business Committee yesterday. SBA's responses, if any, have been dismissive.
I stand firmly against using the SBA as a tool to penalize cities based on their immigration policies. I hope my colleagues will stand with me.
I urge Members to vote ``no'' on the Save SBA from Sanctuary Cities Act of 2025 to protect the SBA's mission and vibrant economies for all of our cities.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2931. We have allowed sanctuary cities to openly defy Federal immigration law for far too long. There must be real consequences for it.
I thank the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Finstad) for introducing this important piece of legislation. I am also grateful to Chairman Williams of the Committee on Small Business for working with me to ensure that my community, El Paso County and Colorado Springs, isn't swept up in the radical sanctuary policies coming out of Denver, Colorado.
Specifically, I thank the gentleman for accepting our amendment to ensure that communities like mine, which are fighting back against criminal-coddling politicians, remain eligible locations for SBA offices.
We have heard a lot of folks who are opposed to this bill say things like: It is undermining small business, or: It is creating a culture war.
This is about the rule of law. This is about cities thumbing their noses at taxpayers. You aren't entitled to Federal funds in America.
Mr. Speaker, there is a way to keep these offices in these cities: Stop being sanctuary cities. Comply with the law.
When did complying with the Federal law become something that was optional in America? It is incredible.
As we hold sanctuary jurisdictions accountable, we must recognize that not every community in a sanctuary State is part of the problem. I believe the amended bill draws that line distinctly, and it recognizes districts, like Colorado-05 that I represent, that have been bravely pushing back on their own.
When the Biden administration opened our borders and over 8 million or more crossed into our country illegally, 300 migrants per day rolled into Colorado because cities like Denver welcomed them with our taxpayer dollars. Migrants with connections to dangerous gangs, like Tren de Aragua, didn't just stay in Denver, but they moved to nearby communities, and they took over apartment complexes that were owned by individuals.
El Paso County, my county, recognized the threat, but had zero support from the Colorado legislature, who at the same time passed more laws to make it worse. The Colorado legislature passed laws prohibiting law enforcement from honoring ICE detainers. The Colorado legislature restricted data sharing with Federal immigration agencies. The legislature also passed a law that banned contracts for immigration detention centers.
This is lawlessness, and this body should recognize it as such.
In 2024, my good friend, Sheriff Joe Roybal of El Paso County, and other county leaders filed a lawsuit against the State arguing that these laws are unconstitutional and that they hamper public safety.
Contrast that with cities like Denver, which have exacerbated their housing crisis, and they continue to support illegal immigrants, going so far as to bar city employees from cooperating with Federal immigration enforcement.
Mr. Speaker, talk about playing politics. That is playing politics.
They passed laws in Denver to create a legal defense fund for illegal immigrants. They passed a law to spend more than $180 million a year on related services, all while hosting the SBA regional office and laughing at the American taxpayers while doing it.
This is unacceptable. Sanctuary cities should not be rewarded with Federal offices and resources. That is why I wrote to SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler urging her to move the regional office to Colorado Springs, where we cooperate with Federal authorities and support small business, and we uphold law and order for our citizens.
While President Trump has delivered on his promise to regain operational control of the border, the fight isn't over. We need full cooperation between Federal, State, and local law enforcement.
It is unfortunate that Colorado's leadership is still going in the wrong direction. Despite Governor Polis saying in January that he was open to working with the Trump administration, he instead signed new legislation in May that expands protections for illegal immigrants, even after local officials raised serious concerns.
My community, meanwhile, is doing the work. El Paso County and the Colorado Springs Police Department are partnering with ICE and the DEA. In April, they led a nightclub raid that resulted in over 100 illegal immigrants being detained for human and drug trafficking. This is something that we are going to support with lawlessness? Not in my community. In May, they turned over 13 illegal immigrants to ICE custody.
We understand the real consequences of sanctuary policies. Colorado has become a haven for illegal immigration. In one tragic case that we all now know about this week, an illegal immigrant who overstayed his visa launched Molotov cocktails at innocent Boulder residents in what was a hateful, racial attack, despite the State knowing that that person was already illegally in our country. The State of Colorado gave him a driver's license. We can't let sanctuary jurisdictions defy Federal law and endanger public safety.
I will be clear. El Paso County, my county, is not a sanctuary jurisdiction. Despite the policies from Denver, we are committed to working with Federal immigration authorities and protecting our communities.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Williams and his staff for working with me and working with my county. El Paso County is ready and willing to host the SBA office.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 2931.
Mr. Speaker, it is quite rich to come to the House floor and talk about rule of law. At least on this side of the aisle, we don't have anyone who pardoned 1,500 felons.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Latimer).
Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, my district has over 30,000 small businesses, from restaurants and small grocery stores in New Rochelle to construction companies in Yonkers.
Every day, I hear from businessowners that they need certainty to run their businesses. They rely on an immigration system that ensures that their employees won't be targeted and unjustly detained on their way to work. They rely on trade policies that keep the cost of their products stable, and they rely on Federal partners who will be there when they need assistance.
Since taking office, President Trump and SBA Administrator Loeffler have outlined an agenda that will harm small businesses. Proposals such as cutting the SBA workforce by 43 percent; relocating SBA offices away from New York City, the center of that region; and firing an independent inspector general do not represent anything that looks like America First. It is an ideological agenda, and it is imposed upon the majority of this country that functions differently and requires tailored policies.
In addition, last week, my home county of Westchester was branded a sanctuary jurisdiction by the Department of Homeland Security, completely inaccurately. Westchester is not and has never been a sanctuary jurisdiction. In the last 7 years, we have reduced violent crime, and we have brought economic strength over a period of time that rivals any county in this Nation.
Westchester County cooperates with Federal immigration law. County law, however, requires that no administrative police can circumvent due process. We do this to ensure that all residents will cooperate with local law enforcement.
Westchester rejects the deep state police that appear masked and without badges and proper identification. This bill represents an attempt by House Republicans to enact retribution on places because this administration wants to impose its view of law enforcement: deep state authority not subject to judicial review.
The result of petty and punitive motives of this bill is that small businesses will suffer. You would think that, when you offer support for this President's tariff strategy, reckless as it is, which is damaging small businesses that rely on international goods, components, and supplies, they would instead be working to stimulate that. Yet, this bill could not be further from that goal.
If this bill is passed, SBA offices will be relocated as political payback, away from public access in major cities. In fact, that is the point: to reduce programs that help small businesses gain access to capital, professional services, and predictable tariff policies.
That is why I introduced an amendment to prohibit SBA from relocating an office if the next closest office is more than 50 miles from the communities that were relocated. We should be debating legislation that will help small businesses tackle what they identify as their biggest needs: workforce development, stability, and access to capital. That is not what we are doing.
If we continue on this irrational path, American businesses will suffer.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. Speaker, the mistakes we are making in this Congress, bill after bill after bill, will damage this Nation's strength at a time when we need unity and strength more than ever before.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I insert into the Record two news articles about DHS sanctuary jurisdiction lists removed from their website given the fact that their local sheriffs were opposed to the lists, as well as a Third Way article highlighting that the red State murder rate was 33 percent higher than the blue State murder rate, which can be found at: https://www.thirdway.org/report/the-21st- century-red-state-murder-crisis.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for her leadership on this issue and in the committee.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation does not actually address the safety of the SBA. Workers are small businesses. Since my colleagues on the other side of the aisle disagree with the city's policy, the majority chooses to punish all small businesses in that area.
Let's be clear: This bill strips resources not from cities but for millions of small businesses, and it makes it harder for Americans to access assistance to start and grow their businesses.
Supporting small businesses should not be a partisan issue. We in the Committee on Small Business have heard in our hearings that targeting SBA resources in major cities will be critically detrimental.
For this reason, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to the committee.
If the House rules permitted, I would have offered this motion with an important amendment to this bill. My amendment would prevent the legislation from taking effect until Congress receives reporting from the SBA on the proposed relocation of covered offices, including a justification for how these moves could possibly serve small businesses.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert into the Record the text of this amendment immediately prior to the vote on the motion to recommit.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from California?
Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in voting for this motion to recommit.
I also submitted a separate amendment for consideration that would have prevented the implementation of this bill if the cost of relocating these offices out of Main Street would be more than zero dollars. Unfortunately, the Republican majority has blocked my amendment from receiving a floor vote today.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill and to vote in favor of my motion to recommit.
Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me begin by thanking the chair and the ranking member for their interest in good, managed, efficient SBA offices. They are Federal taxpayer dollars being invested to make sure that we continue to create jobs in our great country.
That being in mind, I would ask everybody to think about return on investment to taxpayers. Orange County, California, my home, today is probably the 30th largest economy in the world. It is home to Disneyland and the Anaheim Angels, and is probably the 30th largest economy in the world.
California, which always gets beat up here in this body, just became the fourth largest economy in the world. Let me say: We are the fourth largest economy in the world.
Guess what? As California taxpayers, we pay the Federal Government $100 billion more in Federal tax dollars than we get back from the Federal Government. I would say, as an economy, we are doing pretty good. We need the workers. We need workers.
California has the biggest agricultural sector in the United States. We feed ourselves and other States in the Union and other nations, and 70 percent of our workforce is--guess what?--undocumented.
We are waiting for this body to pass immigration reform so good, hardworking individuals can be legalized.
We have the biggest manufacturing sector in the United States. It is not Pittsburgh or Michigan. California, southern Cal, is the biggest manufacturing sector in the United States. Guess who most of those workers are? Undocumented. They also pay Federal taxes.
Let's evaluate the SBA not on rhetoric but on how many jobs an SBA office creates. What is that return on investment?
I am not sure why we are doing this today. We all know that there are millions and millions of undocumented workers in this country. Absolutely, we don't want criminals, hardened criminals, in our district. I don't want them as my neighbors.
If they are hardworking, honest individuals, taxpayers, what is wrong with giving them the opportunity to be American, to pursue that American Dream, and to be legalized? That is what America is all about.
I ask my colleagues to strongly consider their ``yes'' vote and please vote ``no.'' We are talking about Federal dollars, taxpayer dollars.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
I include in the Record letters of opposition from the Democracy Defenders Action, UnidosUS, and the Small Business Majority, all organizations that raise concerns that the bill will deny small businesses access to critical support.
Mr. Speaker, the SBA is supposed to serve American small businesses, full stop--not just in certain cities, not just when it is politically convenient, but everywhere for everyone.
This bill doesn't meet that standard. It will rip support away from small businesses in the economic centers of this country because of the political party that runs their city. It creates disruption, wastes money, and puts politics ahead of supporting the American economy.
Politicians love to say that small businesses are the backbone of our economy. I ask, why target millions of them by supporting this bill? We should be supporting these businesses, not tearing them down.
The entrepreneurs I hear from aren't talking about asking for this. They are asking for better access to capital, more outreach, and a stable SBA that is there when they need it.
This bill moves us in the wrong direction. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 458, I call up the bill (H.R. 2987) to amend the Small Business Act to require a limit on the number of small business lending companies, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 458, the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Small Business, printed in the bill, is adopted and the bill, as amended, is considered read.
The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill, as amended, shall be debatable for 1 hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Small Business or their respective designees.
The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams).
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill 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 today in support of H.R. 2987, the CEASE Act, introduced by Representative Bresnahan.
This bill is simply a reversal of an irresponsible change made by the Biden administration's SBA, which raised concerns on both sides of the aisle.
Unlike a traditional community bank, small business lending companies, or SBLCs, are regulated by the SBA. Historically, the SBA recognized that they had finite resources to conduct oversight of the SBLCs, reinforcing a need for a cap on the number of SBLCs.
Despite this, in 2023, the Biden administration lifted the 40-year moratorium on licensing the SBLCs to participate in its flagship 7(a) program, a government-backed lending program.
The SBA heard concerns from Members from both Chambers and both sides of the aisle. Even the ranking member, Ms. Velazquez, said earlier this week during the Rules Committee hearing that she was one of the first to raise questions when the SBA lifted the licensing moratorium.
Biden's SBA hid behind promises of lender oversight and stronger borrower protection yet still awarded a license to an unqualified entity. This entity, which was seeking to sell its business when it was awarded a license, ultimately surrendered its license before it could even make a 7(a) loan.
This legislation puts the guardrails back and restores integrity to the 7(a) program, ensuring taxpayer dollars are safe. I am confident that the 16 SBLCs can and will be overseen effectively under Administrator Loeffler's leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, 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 strong opposition to H.R. 2987, the so- called Capping Excessive Awarding of SBLC Entrants Act, or the CEASE Act.
This bill would impose a permanent statutory cap on the number of small business lending company, or SBLC, licenses the SBA can issue, limiting them to just 16.
While I understand and share some of the concerns raised about how the SBA has handled oversight of these licenses, I cannot support legislation that is rushed, vague, and potentially harmful to the very businesses we are supposed to be helping. Let's take a step back.
For more than 40 years, the SBA maintained a moratorium on new SBLC licenses, citing a lack of resources to properly supervise new entrants. That changed in 2023 when the agency finalized a new rule lifting the moratorium and began issuing additional licenses to expand participation in the 7(a) loan program. The goal was to help fill lending gaps, particularly in underserved communities that have historically struggled to access capital. That is a goal that I support.
I also believe it should be done carefully with the right oversight in place. I raised questions about the SBA's rollout of this policy when it first proposed the rule. I flagged concerns about whether the agency had the capacity to supervise these lenders effectively, and I called for transparency and clarity every step of the way.
I am not here to defend the SBA's process blindly, but H.R. 2987 doesn't actually fix the oversight issues. It just slaps an arbitrary cap on the program without addressing the real questions of how to improve accountability, how to expand access responsibly, and how to ensure these programs are helping the businesses that need it the most.
What is worse, the bill is completely silent on how this cap would apply to the Community Advantage program, a critical SBA initiative that helps make smaller-dollar loans available to startups, veterans, rural entrepreneurs, and other underserved borrowers.
Since being transitioned into the SBLC framework, Community Advantage lenders have continued to show strong results. Last year alone, the program issued over 1,100 loans worth nearly $200 million, with an average loan size of just $175,000.
These are the kinds of loans that traditional banks often will not make because they are not profitable, but they are exactly what many small businesses need to get off the ground. By leaving out an exception for mission-based CA lenders from the cap, this bill opens the door for a future administration to freeze new licenses or even eliminate the CA SBLCs altogether. That is a concern we have heard directly from lenders, community organizations, and small business advocates around the country.
These are the very lenders we relied on to help target PPP assistance to the smallest of small businesses during the global pandemic. They met the moment for many small employers in our communities that were locked out of the first rounds of PPP assistance.
At a time when small businesses are facing rising costs, tariff uncertainty, and tightening credit, Congress should be doing everything it can to expand access to capital, not pulling back on programs that are actually working. That is why I cannot support this bill in its current form.
Mr. Speaker, my bill, the Capping Excessive Awarding of SBLC Entrants Act, or the CEASE Act, restores a vital piece of integrity to the flagship SBA 7(a) loan program.
The Small Business Administration is authorized to issue government- backed 7(a) loans through certified depository institutions, like banks and credit unions, as well as certified nonbank lenders, like fintech companies.
Unlike certified depository institutions, whose primary regulator is the
Together, the limited number of SBLCs and prudent lending standards that used to be in place at the SBA were necessary guardrails to ensure that the 7(a) program remained zero-subsidy, costing taxpayers zero dollars.
The SBA had its own concerns that it did not have the oversight capabilities to monitor and regulate an unlimited number of SBLCs. Yet the Biden-Harris administration sought to expand the number of SBLC licenses, while also lowering lending standards and loosening underwriting criteria in the 7(a) program. The previous administration did this, even though these SBLCs facilitated massive fraud of the Paycheck Protection Program.
Expanding SBLCs' licenses when the SBA itself acknowledged that it is unequipped to regulate additional for-profit, nonbank lenders is problematic. That is why my legislation is so important to ensure the SBA is not adding excessive SBLCs that it cannot properly regulate. We cannot continue giving the Federal Government ways to abuse taxpayer dollars.
I thank the Trump administration for taking swift action in returning prudent lending standards to the 7(a) program. Combined with the CEASE Act, those efforts will return the SBA to its proper oversight capabilities and ensure that federally regulated lenders, such as community banks, remain a fundamental pillar of 7(a) lending.
The bill was thoughtfully drafted to encompass the original 14 SBLCs and 2 additional SBLCs licensed in 2024 after the Biden-era rule changed. No existing SBLC licenses would be revoked as part of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the great members and staff of the Small Business Committee for working with me in bringing this bill to the House floor today.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote ``yes'' on this practical and sensible piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss H.R. 2987, the CEASE Act, which would place a statutory moratorium on the number of Small Business Lending Company licenses that can be issued by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
What does this bill do? It will cap the number of SBA 7(a) nonbank lenders who can give loans to America's small businesses, a reasonable endeavor that could have generated bipartisan support had there been any effort by the majority to engage in a thoughtful discussion with us.
Since there was no such engagement, this bill does nothing to protect the hugely successful Community Advantage program. Community Advantage Small Business Lending Companies provide loans to small businesses located in underserved and rural communities, to new businesses, and to veteran-owned small businesses.
For far too long, far too many people in our country have not been able to access capital and participate in the American Dream of starting a business, creating jobs, and growing our economy. The Small Business Administration plays a critical role in providing capital to our small businesses. The Community Advantage program has a demonstrated track record of helping entrepreneurs who face higher barriers to accessing capital grow and scale their businesses.
This is exactly what we should be doing: opening more doors for more Americans to start a business, create jobs in their community, and strengthen their local economy.
My question to my Republican colleagues is: Without providing protections for Community Advantage Small Business Lending Companies in the text of this bill, are you suggesting we eliminate this crucial program? Why would you threaten to remove a way for veteran-owned small businesses to access capital? What is your message to American entrepreneurs looking to access that first loan that could help turn their best ideas into a new small business?
Mr. Speaker, let's just take a step back here. Right now, small businesses across the country are ringing the alarm bells saying that the tariff wars are going to put them out of business in a matter of weeks or months.
Just this past week, we heard from Minnesota's Small Business Person of the Year, given the award by the Trump administration, who said she has 6 weeks until she goes out of business.
These are successful small businesses, small businesses that were thriving, growing, expanding until President Trump started this completely unnecessary, completely chaotic trade war by setting exorbitant tariffs as high as 145 percent, changing policies haphazardly, at times literally by the hour. No one can run a business with that level of uncertainty, and our small businesses are getting hit the hardest.
They can't plan for the future. They don't have the luxury of time. The threat is here right now. They certainly don't have the resources to personally lobby the President like the massive tech companies who got exemptions did. President Trump's so-called tariff policy is literally killing our small businesses.
Mr. Speaker, Congress has the power to stop it. Article I of the Constitution says Congress has the power to levy tariffs, but what is the Republican majority doing?
They are ceding all their power to this President and completely disregarding their constitutional duty and the outcries from small business owners who are warning us they will have to close their doors in a matter of weeks if this tariff war doesn't end.
Mr. Speaker, the three bills the Republicans are choosing to bring to the floor this week have nothing to do with the existential threat that these tariffs are posing to our Nation's small businesses. The lack of courage to stand up for our Nation's small businesses, and to stand by and watch their downfall, is shameful. We should be passing legislation to end this tariff war and save our small businesses.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 2987, the CEASE Act, because it has the potential to harm our Nation's most underserved small businesses.
This bill would cap the number of Small Business Lending Company, or SBLC, licenses that the SBA can issue at its current level of 16 licenses. These licenses enable lenders to make loans of up to $5 million to small businesses that we know often struggle to secure financing from traditional banks.
If Republicans wanted to find a solution to bipartisan concerns about SBA's capacity to oversee an increased number of licenses, Democrats would have been happy to work together on this. Unfortunately, this bill fails to address our serious concerns about how it could devastate opportunities for capital access for the small businesses that need SBA's help the most.
Specifically, this bill is completely silent about how this cap on licenses would impact Community Advantage SBLCs. We know that one of small businesses' greatest challenges is obtaining access to financial capital. For over a decade now, the Community Advantage program has been helping close this funding gap for underserved businesses who face this challenge disproportionately like rural, veteran, and low-income small business owners.
I will never forget visiting one of these businesses in Santa Monica, California. It was a salad-based restaurant owned by two young Hispanic men who had this dream of expanding their restaurant, but they were turned away by every traditional bank due to a lack of assets and credit history. Finally, they were able to get a $250,000 Community Advantage loan, and now they have six of these restaurants.
It was a relatively modest sum, but $250,000 was what it took to make these small business owners successful, and that is why I have long believed in the Community Advantage program. However, it was operating only as a pilot program, and that is why I sponsored a bill to make it permanent. This bipartisan bill has passed out of the House, but the Senate did not take it up.
Great relief, however, came in 2023 when the SBA established by rule the Community Advantage SBLC program
Congress needs to build on these efforts by providing statutory permanency for Community Advantage, but the bill before us today goes in the opposite direction, potentially threatening the future of Community Advantage SBLCs because it makes no mention of how these licenses would be impacted by the statutory cap.
Congress must ensure that our most underserved small businesses have the resources they need to not just survive but to grow. That is why I will reintroduce the Community Advantage Loan Program Act, which will give permanent authorization to this program.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support our Nation's veteran, rural, and low-income entrepreneurs by voting ``no'' on this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I am not opposed to oversight. I am not opposed to having a real conversation about the future of SBA programs. I am opposed to legislation that leaves key questions unanswered and puts proven programs in jeopardy.
The Community Advantage program and the CA SBLCs have been a lifeline for thousands of small businesses, particularly in rural areas and for unbanked businesses.
They fill the gap that traditional lenders and larger 7(a) lenders won't. Small and new businesses often require small-dollar loans, not million-dollar loans. They simply need enough capital to get their business off the ground or finance modest expansions. That is why the CA SBLC lenders are so critical to growing our small business ecosystem.
The CA lenders have had bipartisan support for years, so why are my colleagues so afraid to include a provision of congressional intent to protect them from the cap? I just don't get it.
The Small Business Committee has always worked in a bipartisan manner, and here we are with a proven program that has had bipartisan support, and the Republicans with this legislation will put an end to CA SBLC.
We should be working together to support and expand the CA SBLC program, not passing vague bills that threaten to cut it off.
At a time when small businesses need more capital, more support, and more stability, this bill moves us in the wrong direction.
In sum, I oppose H.R. 2987 because it will not protect the Community Advantage program, which has a solid track record of providing smaller dollar loans to thousands of women, veterans, rural, and underserved entrepreneurs.
At the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to the committee. If the House rules permitted, I would have offered the motion with an important amendment to this bill. My amendment will ensure the requirements of the bill shall not apply to Community Advantage SBLCs, and it prohibits implementation of the bill until the Administrator certifies to Congress that 7(a) loan originations will not decrease to unbanked small business borrowers operating in rural- or low-income markets.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment into the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion to recommit.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from New York?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to recommit on the bill (H.R. 2931) to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to relocate certain offices of the Small Business Administration in sanctuary jurisdictions, and for other purposes, offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Cisneros), on which the yeas and nays were ordered.
The Clerk will redesignate the motion.
The Clerk redesignated the motion.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to recommit.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 202, nays 210, not voting 20, as follows:
Messrs. KNOTT, MILLS, SIMPSON, SHREVE, MURPHY, FALLON, and GREEN of Tennessee changed their vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
Messrs. DAVIS of Illinois, CASAR, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Messrs. LANDSMAN, CLEAVER, and THOMPSON of Mississippi changed their vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the motion to recommit was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Capping Excessive Awarding of Sblc Entrants Act of 2025
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to recommit on the bill (H.R. 2987) to amend the Small Business Act to require a limit on the number of small business lending companies, and for other purposes, offered by the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez), on which the yeas and nays were ordered.
The Clerk will redesignate the motion.
The Clerk redesignated the motion.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to recommit.
This is a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 201, nays 212, not voting 19, as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. There are 2 minutes remaining.
So the motion to recommit was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the passage of the bill.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the ayes appeared to have it.
Madam Speaker, I was unable to attend the last three votes of the vote series today. Had I been present, I would have voted: NAY on Roll Call No. 153, YEA on Roll Call No. 154, and NAY on Roll Call No. 155.
Madam Speaker, I was not recorded on Roll Call Nos. 152, 153, 154 and 155 today. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 152, NAY on Roll Call No. 153, YEA on Roll Call No. 154, and NAY on Roll Call No. 155.
Madam Speaker, I was necessarily absent from votes today. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 152, NAY on Roll Call No. 153, YEA on Roll Call No. 154, and NAY on Roll Call No. 155.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today, alongside my colleagues in the Washington delegation, devastated at the tragic loss of Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker from Wenatchee, Washington.
Last weekend, these little girls, ages 9, 8, and 5, were reported missing when their father failed to bring them home following a scheduled visit.
Over the next few days, we all hoped and prayed for the best. We prayed that they would be found safe and well and returned to their mother. Then we all learned the horrific news that they had been murdered.
Like so many, and I just heard it out there, I was heartbroken. These girls had their whole lives ahead of them with so many possibilities. We all live full lives. Those futures were taken from them.
On Tuesday, hundreds and hundreds of people came to a vigil in Wenatchee to remember these girls and to grieve with their family and with the entire community.
These young girls brought so much joy to their classroom, their family, and their community. This is just an unspeakable tragedy for the city of Wenatchee. It really is a tragedy for everybody standing in this room, including my Washington delegation.
All of our hearts are with their mother, the community, their family, and loved ones. Our sincere thoughts and prayers are with them during this incredibly difficult time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Newhouse).
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Schrier) for yielding. I thank all my friends and colleagues here in the Chamber of the House today.
Mr. Speaker, as we all just heard, tragedy and sorrow fell on Wenatchee, Washington, this week with the loss of three beautiful young girls: Evelyn, Paityn, and Olivia Decker.
I can't believe that many of us here can truly understand the pain that comes to loved ones living through something like this. I thank my colleagues because we are here to send our most sincere condolences to their family; to the community; and to the people of Wenatchee, Washington, as they all mourn this tremendous loss.
Today, we join the outpouring of support. It is truly amazing what is happening and what we are seeing back
We support law enforcement who have committed to employing any resource necessary to bring those responsible to justice for this tragedy.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 100th anniversary of Bradford Area High School in Bradford, Pennsylvania, a century of shaping minds, building character, and strengthening community.
Since its founding, BAHS has educated generations of families-- grandparents, parents, and now children walking in the same halls, learning from the same dedicated teachers who often return to serve their own alma mater.
It is not just a school. It is a legacy. Recently, the community came together to celebrate this proud history. Alumni joined current students in the auditorium to perform the school's fight song, bridging the past and present in harmony.
Displays throughout the school showcased 100 years of photos, uniforms, and memories, alongside a 1926 time capsule containing a Bible, a local newspaper, and a silver peace dollar.
Mr. Speaker, Bradford Area High School is more than just a structure. It is a pillar of the community, and it will continue to shape future generations for the next 100 years.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 50th anniversary of the Santa Cruz Pride Parade, one of the oldest Pride events in the Nation and the first of any small American city.
Since 1975, Santa Cruz Pride embodies the spirit of resistance and persistence. Even though it was California, back then, it was just a small gathering of a few brave and determined people standing in solidarity.
Today, as we saw this past weekend, Santa Cruz Pride is a multiday, community-wide event that brings together thousands for a celebration of Pride.
As we celebrate, we also appreciate and commemorate that we stand on the shoulders of those who got us here. It is with that realization that we are reinvigorated in our push for equal rights.
We in Santa Cruz and throughout the 19th Congressional District of California understand that Pride is more than just flags and parades. It is also about creating policies, putting in place protections, and the persistence of a community to achieve equality.
Yes, we are proud of the past 50 years of Santa Cruz Pride, but we are also determined now more than ever to continue our march forward.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of my friend, John Thrasher, who passed away on May 30, 2025. John was a decorated veteran, a devoted family man, and a great public servant.
Few have given more to Florida. From the Clay County School Board to speaker of the Florida House to serving in the Florida Senate, and as president of Florida State University, he was a leader, and he was known for it.
After Republicans gained control of the Florida House after 122 years of nothing, we ushered in a new era of commonsense, principled leadership. That legacy lives on today through the lives he touched, the institutions he strengthened, and the honors he earned.
John Thrasher's life is a testament to spirit, principle, service, and patriotism. He will be missed.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the exceptional sheriffs of North Carolina's First Congressional District.
It was a privilege to engage with such dedicated leaders as we addressed the pressing issues facing eastern North Carolina.
Our discussions on automatic license plate recognition cameras and innovative strategies for recruitment and retention in rural communities were both insightful and inspiring.
We are confronted with significant challenges, including the threat of illegal drugs, outdated detention centers, and issues facing juveniles.
The sheriffs underscored the importance of regional collaboration, emphasizing how sharing resources, intelligence, and support across county lines can enhance community safety.
I extend my sincere gratitude to Sheriff Curtis Brame of Vance County, Sheriff Robert Fountain, Jr., of Granville County, Sheriff John Branche of Warren County, and Sheriff Cleveland Atkinson, Jr., of Edgecombe County for their participation in our inaugural district meeting.
I also acknowledge the invaluable leadership and partnership of all our sheriffs.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the Western Conference champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The season has been nothing short of meteoric, making this Thunder team the youngest in NBA history to reach the finals. They are led by their coach, Mark Daigneault, and all-star players like this year's most valuable player, Shaivonte Aician Gilgeous-Alexander, and Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams.
The Thunder's historic season, the best in franchise history, also featured 54 games being won by double digits, the most in NBA history.
The ownership team and General Manager Sam Presti have done a remarkable job of putting together a group of superstars who are focused on winning together as a team.
In the words of Kobe Bryant, the job is not finished. Let's bring the Larry O'Brien Trophy to Oklahoma City. I know I speak for the entire State of Oklahoma when I say: Thunder up.
Mr. Speaker, gun violence is a scourge that has plagued the United States for far too long. We have witnessed tragedy after tragedy, and the only thing that ever seems to happen is that gun restrictions are loosened even further.
Six years ago, in my home State of Ohio, there was a mass shooting at a bar in Dayton. Nearly 30 people were injured, and 10 were killed by a man with a gun that he was able to legally modify through loopholes in our gun laws.
Hundreds of people attended a vigil for the victims of this deadly attack and demanded we do something. In response, the Governor of Ohio signed permitless carry legislation, allowing individuals to carry concealed firearms without a permit.
Last year, 25-year-old Megan Keleman, a young woman in my district, was shot and killed in a Taco Bell drive-through. She was picking up dinner for her family.
Why did Megan Keleman have to die that day? The system failed her. The killer should have never had a gun.
Again, why did Megan Keleman have to die that day? She didn't.
Maybe if there were less cowardly people in office, Megan would be alive, living out her path to serve and help other people. Her family is working to make sure that there is change and to secure her legacy.
We have a duty as public servants to keep our communities safe, but the inaction on gun violence is killing innocent Americans. We can and must pass commonsense gun safety legislation to bolster background checks and ban dangerous assault weapons.
The people of Ohio's 13th Congressional District sent me here to do something about gun violence in our communities, and that is exactly what I intend to do.
This is Gun Violence Awareness Month. This month, and every other day, I mourn the lives of the countless people who have lost their lives to senseless gun violence and those whom they have left behind.
Mr. Speaker, over the last 4 years, every American has felt the pain of inflation, and this financial strain has hit working families particularly hard. Large price increases set back millions of parents, forcing them to dig into their savings and even go into debt sometimes just to pay their bills.
That is why, as a part of budget reconciliation, Congress passed legislative language to permanently increase the child tax credit, index it to inflation, and add a $500 increase, bringing the total tax credit to $2,500. Changes to the tax code, including expanding the child tax credit, will help save the average family more than $1,300 a year. It is time to deliver real tax relief for working families that they so desperately need.
I call on my colleagues in the Senate to protect these provisions and make sure that working families are being helped and, after 4 years of rising costs, finally deliver parents the relief that they deserve.
Mr. Speaker, if anyone stood outside the St. Louis Job Corps Center last week, they saw what happens when cruelty becomes policy. They saw students being escorted off campus, bags in hand, dreams on hold; grandparents crying because their grandkids had finally found something that gave them a shot, and now it is gone. In St. Louis, that was over 200 students who were impacted.
Job Corps is exactly the kind of program everyone should all agree on. It gives young people the tools to succeed, real skills, real credentials, real jobs. It reduces crime, increases employment, and pays off for taxpayers in the long run.
This wasn't a budget choice. This was a values choice. It tells our young people their future doesn't matter, not if they are working class, not if they are Black or Brown, not if they come from a ZIP Code that doesn't matter.
I rise today because Job Corps works. It changes lives, and there is no defense, none at all, for ripping that away from students.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a truly outstanding man, a man who served all of the people in Florida honorably, with wisdom, and admirable class.
My dear friend, John Thrasher, passed away on May 30 at the age of 81.
John Thrasher was a highly decorated soldier, Speaker of the Florida House, a Florida senator, president of Florida State University, father of the Florida State University Medical School, and one of the most gifted men I ever worked with.
Most importantly, he was an honorable man who made it his life's mission to serve others.
It was he who introduced me to the importance of advocacy in Washington and in Tallahassee.
He exemplified great leadership and great service to all around him. He was loved and respected throughout Florida, and everyone will miss his wisdom and his company.
It was an honor to know John. As people mourn his loss, please keep his wife, Jean, and their family in your prayers.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today because the Republicans' budget scheme pushed through in the middle of the night last month is putting school meals for hungry kids and food assistance for working families at risk.
A constituent of mine, Martha, from Somersworth is raising her 15- year-old grandson and battling breast cancer while living on a fixed income. Without SNAP, she wouldn't be able to keep food on the table.
Another constituent, Catherine, is a veteran from Manchester who has type 2 diabetes. She wouldn't be able to afford the diet she needs to keep herself healthy without SNAP and fears losing her benefits could put her life at risk if she is unable to manage her blood sugar.
People across my district, from Newmarket to Gilford, tell me they wouldn't be able to afford groceries without some help.
It is a betrayal of working families for Republicans to take away food so they can give tax breaks to billionaires.
My colleagues must continue speaking out against these cuts and do everything they can to stop a reckless, cruel budget from moving forward.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the victory of the Grand Junction High School Knowledge Bowl team in the 2025 Colorado State championship.
This marks the school's 26th State title and its second consecutive win of the Governor's Cup.
Competing against 60 teams from across Colorado, the team earned top honors in both the 4A classification and the overall Governor's Cup. This accomplishment confirms Grand Junction High School's standing as the leading academic team in the State of Colorado.
As a former member of this team, I can speak to the dedication, teamwork, and intellectual discipline required to succeed in this competition.
The Knowledge Bowl challenges students in a broad range of subjects, including mathematics, science, literature, and history. It demands academic skill, focus, collaboration, and resilience.
The team members and their coaches have achieved something exceptional. Their success reflects the strength of their preparation and sets a powerful example of academic excellence for communities across Colorado.
Mr. Speaker, tomorrow marks the 81st anniversary of D- day, a unique mission that took months of planning and turned the tide of World War II.
America's military, working with Canada and our European Allies, made the difference that day by beginning the liberation of France.
Now, 81 years later, another European country is fighting off an invasion by an aggressor. The Ukrainians have fought valiantly, with thousands giving their lives to protect freedom and democracy.
They have proven to be strong fighters, creative in the art of war. The assault over the weekend on Russia's bombing fleet is a modern marvel. They are capable of defeating Russian aggression and remaining a free nation only if they have sufficient support from their allies.
It is all the more concerning that today President Trump said it may be better to let Ukraine and Russia fight for a while before pulling them apart like children in a schoolyard. Ukraine and its people don't have that time. This war must end.
With D-day on our mind, Congress must commit more assistance to Ukraine and defend democracy before it is too late.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 65th anniversary of the Meals on Wheels program led by Senior Citizens, Inc. in Savannah, Georgia.
For 65 years, this program has provided thousands of nutritious meals and vital daily contact with elderly, homebound adults.
This year, to celebrate the milestone, Senior Citizens, Inc. partnered with local chefs, including James Beard Award winner Chef Bailey. Chef Bailey assisted in crafting special gourmet meals as a tribute to the people they serve.
Meals on Wheels delivers care, compassion, and peace of mind to families in Savannah and beyond. The partnership reflects the power of community engagement and shows what is possible when local organizations and volunteers work together to lift others.
I thank Senior Citizens, Inc., Meals on Wheels, and Chef Bailey for their initiative and congratulate them on the anniversary of this most important service.
Mr. Speaker, since its founding, the Valluvan Tamil Academy, or VTA, has played a vital role in teaching the Tamil language to children in Virginia. Tamil, one of the world's oldest languages, is spoken by over 80 million people globally, including 360,000 Americans.
This past weekend marked a major milestone: the VTA's 15th Annual Day Celebration.
I was honored to join students, families, and community leaders to celebrate and recognize the work that has been done to educate the next generation on Tamil history.
I congratulate the Valluvan Tamil Academy, and I thank them for all that they do for our community in Virginia. I am looking forward to working together for many years to come.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sergeant Stephan Wiggins, a Vero Beach native and Vietnam war hero who was recently awarded the Army Commendation Medal for his past service this past Memorial Day, 57 years after making the ultimate sacrifice in service to our Nation.
In 1967, Sergeant Wiggins was drafted into the United States Army and quickly rose to the rank of sergeant and tank commander.
Sergeant Wiggins was leading a combat patrol during the Tet Offensive when his unit encountered an obstacle. Acting quickly, he directed his track through a nearby gap, exposing a hidden enemy ambush and drawing heavy fire.
The 4-hour firefight claimed 10 American lives, including Wiggins', whose bravery saved many others.
I am proud to have been part of a recent ceremony honoring his legacy and his bravery to the American public.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to place in today's Congressional Record the virtuous life of a truly beloved woman and patriotic citizen of Toledo, Ohio, Mrs. Therese Naumann. What an exemplary life she embodied.
Therese was a treasured family friend, and her son, Jimmy, who preceded her in death, was a baseball buddy and classmate of my dear brother, Steve.
She enjoyed numerous friends and held tight to memories of those precious days of youth when her husband, Bill, was the team coach of the Little Flower baseball team. Jimmy hit the line drives, as my pitcher brother, Steve, sported the No. 9.
What a legacy Therese built as a dedicated wife, mother, sister, working woman for General Mills, a joyous grandmother, great- grandmother, and friend. At 94, having survived the death of her beloved husband, for whom she cared religiously, she remained beautiful, gracious, kind, intelligent, involved, and devout.
A woman whose smile lit up the room, she drew people to her with her welcoming manner. She and her marine veteran husband, William, were married for 67 years until his passing. They nurtured youth in their church, Little Flower Roman Catholic Church, in Toledo, Ohio.
Always generous, she requested in lieu of flowers that memorial donations be made to the James E. Naumann Athletic Fund at Little Flower Church or to a charity of the donor's choice.
Therese's presence will never be forgotten for the thousands of good deeds she did as a matter of daily life. Our Nation needs more lives modeled on that of Therese Naumann--kind, constructive, joyous, and persevering.
May the angels carry her to a place of comfort and joy.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record the obituary of Mrs. Naumann.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Ohio?
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a dear friend and true trailblazer, Robert S. Crampton, who passed away peacefully at the age of 95.
Robert was a man of wisdom, quiet strength, and action. He served in the U.S. Army, worked with the Austin Police Department, and spent his life building up the people and communities around him.
He helped construct satellite stations during the space race. He taught generations of students in Guam and here in the United States, as well.
Quite literally, he blazed trails across southwest Missouri. Through the nonprofit that he cofounded, Volunteers for Outdoor Missouri, Robert led volunteers in building and maintaining hiking trails that thousands now enjoy, including the nature trail at Lake Springfield.
He believed in community, hard work, and the power of education to change lives.
Robert lived his life by a simple but powerful truth: It is a choice to have a good day.
He made that choice every day, serving others with humility, humor, and heart.
To his wife, Ann, and the Crampton family, I thank them for sharing Robert with us. His legacy lives on in every step that we take down the paths that he forged.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the Trump administration's abrupt, unjustified attempt to close Job Corps centers nationwide.
I have been to the Job Corps graduation on Maui. I have looked into the eyes of students whose lives were changed. I have walked the grounds of the Waimanalo campus where young people, many of whom had nowhere else to turn, found a path to a good job and a better life.
These are not statistics. These are real people, and they deserve better than to be abandoned by a system that was supposed to lift them up.
A mother in Hilo wrote to me and shared that no amount of mental help was able to save her son, only Job Corps.
She told me: Please save my son. Please help save Job Corps.
Today, I rise not just for policy, but for people. Every young person in Hawaii and across this country just needs a chance. We must not turn our backs on them now.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Baldwin Park Police Officer Samuel Riveros, who lost his life in the line of duty while attempting to rescue a fellow officer.
Known for his infectious smile, love of the Dodgers, and snowboarding, Officer Riveros served in the Baldwin Park Police Department for over 8 years and was a member of the SWAT team.
Officer Riveros' absence leaves a wake of grief that will only be tempered by time, never to subside.
However, amidst our sorrow, may we find solace in his courage, character, and the oath he kept until the end. Officer Riveros' legacy as a hero will live on in the hearts and minds of the Baldwin Park community and the 31st Congressional District.
This devastating event also claimed the life of Darius Wong, a resident of Hacienda Heights and a beloved son, brother, husband, and father.
Both of these men should still be here, and it breaks my heart that their lives were cut so short from this disgusting act of cruelty.
Let us keep them and their families in our thoughts. May they rest in peace.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today because we are witnessing a tragic breakup between a Nazi-saluting billionaire and the President of the United States.
Elon Musk has decided to call it quits after President Trump and congressional Republicans moved to eliminate a tax credit that would have benefited Musk under the so-called big, beautiful bill.
To be completely honest, I agree with both sides on this. I agree that Trump should start to question Elon's Federal contracts, and I agree with Musk that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is an abomination.
I am curious to see who my Republican colleagues will choose in this breakup because, unfortunately for them, they have pledged undying allegiance, either directly or indirectly, to both of these men.
My colleagues on the other side of the aisle turned a blind eye as Musk was handed the keys to the government, enabling him to disable or, rather, dismantle--probably both--programs everyday Americans depend on. The majority stood by Trump through everything he has done, and now we will see if that support falters.
The American people deserve much better than the drama playing out between these two men, and it is time my Republican colleagues recognize this.
At long last, let's work together to focus on the real issues facing our beloved Nation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair reminds Members to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the President.
Mr. Speaker, first of all, due to when I was pushed back to start this, my speech will go a little less than 10 minutes, if anybody is planning around it.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk a little bit about the big bill that we just passed and some provisions that should be monitored as we work our way not only through the big reconciliation bill but through the appropriations bills, as well.
First of all, I think it is important that the public and the press corps pay attention to what becomes of the low-income housing tax credits in this bill.
Currently, the low-income tax credits were brought to my attention when I attended part of a seminar in which the speaker was bragging about how much money developers could make off of these low-income housing tax credits. The credits give a developer 10 percent of their value of their project over a 9-year period.
There is a time value of money. Even taking into account the time value of money, it means the government pays for 70 percent of the cost of a project. If we felt there was a shortage of anything else in this society, we would never say the answer is to give a business 70 percent of the cost of their
In a related comment on the low-income tax credit, once you say the government is going to pay for 70 percent of these housing projects, it results in overspending on the part of the developer. These projects in California have sometimes cost $800,000 or almost $900,000 per unit.
That is not the norm, but think of it. The government pays somebody 70 percent of the cost of a building. Is it surprising that these people don't put marble countertops in? Is it even surprising that it costs $800,000 or $900,000 per unit?
How in the world under any circumstances in a budget in which the government is borrowing 26 percent of the amount of Federal spending could we, under any circumstances, allow this program to continue?
Nevertheless, it not only continues, but the House of Representatives for some reason decided to increase the amount of money in these credits.
I also think it encourages a little bit of questionable behavior there because, of course, there is always going to be more demand for these credits because so much money can be made off them. Because there is so much demand, I think sometimes, on a State level, when they dole out these credits, the credits go to a politically favored class. It obviously encourages developers to curry favor with politicians who may directly or indirectly determine who gets these projects.
I hope our sleeping press corps pays attention as to what becomes of this program as it works its way through the process. Right now, we are spending about $12.5 billion a year on low-income housing tax credits.
I want to point out that low income is in the title, but well over half the people who live in these buildings are not meeting sub- to low-income qualifications. Even if one is technically low-income, they could have unlimited assets, as well.
In any event, I really think, in all of my years in public life, the most questionable program I have ever come across is the low-income housing tax credit.
The press corps likes to run down politicians. Here is something they ought to be run down for, so I hope they pay a little more attention.
The next thing I would like to point out is what the Republicans do with the SALT deduction. There are a variety of changes in the tax code that we could make that would affect people's behavior. Because tax rates are so high, any change in the tax code affects people's behavior.
Some people feel we ought to make reductions to encourage more research and development. Other people feel that we ought to--I feel we ought to increase the personal exemption to give a special benefit to people who have more children. Some people feel we should have an across-the-board cut and not influence one behavior or another.
There is a small group of people in this building who apparently feel the number one problem we have is that State and local taxes are not high enough, and they want to bring back a deduction for State and local taxes. Right now, we have a low deduction in there, so they are aiming things at not the poor or middle class. They are really aiming things at the well-off people and encouraging governments, like California and especially New York, to raise their taxes.
Recently, on the radio, I was listening to a guy who, I believe, is running for Governor there. He wants to raise the income tax in New York to 11 percent. It is not surprising, then, that I am sure people, like this person, who want to dramatically increase the income taxes in New York would want those taxes to be tax deductible.
Why a Republican would want to do that, I am not sure. I think it is something we ought to talk a little bit more about.
The next area that is going to be working its way that is affected indirectly by the great big, beautiful bill but will be more directly impacted by the appropriations bills that follow is what happens with the Department of Defense.
Right now, we have close to 900,000 employees who are not uniformed in the Department of Defense. I think one of the great things DOGE did is expose how hard or not hard some of those employees are working. We will see what happens with the overall defense budget and whether Congress is willing to take the step forward and say that maybe we don't need 900,000 employees in the Department of Defense who are not uniformed.
The other thing in the Department of Defense we can look at is what Pete Hegseth, who I think is going to be a great Secretary of Defense, has pointed out. He feels, in today's world, aircraft carriers are maybe not entirely obsolete but are not as valuable as they were 30 years ago. That should be obvious from what happened over the weekend when Ukraine used drones to wipe out some aircraft thousands of miles away in the Soviet Union, showing that the nature of warfare is changing rapidly. Our defense budget should change rapidly with it.
Mr. Hegseth has said we are going to use less combat troops. We certainly need a lot less noncombat troops. He has implied that he feels aircraft carriers are becoming a little bit obsolete. Right now, we have 11 aircraft carriers. We have three more under construction to replace the current aircraft carriers.
I think we have to protect our electric grid. I think we have to protect ourselves against hypersonic missiles. I think Israel is doing a good job at that.
We have to prepare for the next war, not prepare to refight World War II.
I think it is important for our press corps to publicize people who talk about the new type of munitions and the new type of armaments we are going to need in a new war. Given that we are so entirely broke and that 26 percent of our budget is borrowed, we have to make sure now more than ever that our defense dollars are spent wisely and not on things that, to a certain extent, are a little bit outdated.
I hope the press covers whether we still need 11 aircraft carriers and asks Pete Hegseth if he still believes that they are overrated because, in today's world, with hypersonic missiles and drones, as the Russians found out, big stationary things, even temporary stationary things, are sitting ducks.
Looking at the clock here, I think I should probably not deal with my other issues, so I will stop speaking. I believe we have somebody else ready to go.
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 in the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from California?
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and the deadly and devastating consequences of their illegal actions, which will reverberate long after they are gone. The theme of today's Special Order hour is that the Musk is gone, but the stench remains.
Elon Musk supposedly has left the Federal Government. I just want to remind people that when President Trump issued his executive order creating the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and appointed Elon Musk in the role related to DOGE, DOGE was created as a temporary organization.
Elon Musk was appointed as a special government employee, and this was to avoid having any kind of Senate confirmation or congressional creation of the agency or any confirmation of Elon Musk.
Mr. Speaker, I will remind you that the entire time that Elon Musk was in office or as a Federal employee, he was, in fact, exercising powers that were far greater than any special government employee would be allowed to have. He was exercising powers that would be at the highest levels of government, higher than an agency or department head,
He violated the law every single day he was a special government employee. DOGE employees continue to remain today. Even though Elon Musk is gone, there are something like a hundred or more DOGE special governmental employees and other employees scattered around the Federal Government that are in a position to continue the wreckage that Elon Musk created.
I know that Elon Musk and Donald Trump have created a lot of news with their catfighting earlier today, but I will just remind folks, again, that the damage Elon Musk did is going to take a long time to repair. What he did, essentially, was try to upend the Constitution.
Elon Musk, as a special government employee, purported to be able to undo acts of Congress, to illegally impound funds that Congress had appropriated, to undo laws we have created, and to undo agencies we have created. There is a long list of stuff that he did, that DOGE did, including illegally deleting or ending the Department of Education, ditto with USAID, the U.S. Institute for Peace, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Importantly, most of these were institutions created through acts of Congress, funded with appropriations authorized by Congress. Even my children know that the Constitution is clear on this point: Congress and only Congress has the power to enact laws. Congress and only Congress has the power to appropriate funds.
It is very clear in our Article I authorities. The President does not have the authority to try to undo our laws or to impound funds that we have appropriated. Certainly a special government employee like Elon Musk does not have that authority.
This is about a core tenet of the Constitution of the United States that every single one of us in Congress swears to support and defend when we take office. Yet, too many on the other side of the aisle during this entire time pretended like this wasn't happening, pretended like Elon Musk was not violating the law every single day.
Now he is apparently gone from the Federal Government, but the vast amount of wreckage that he did during his time with DOGE is something that we are going to have to analyze and understand because there has been a complete lack of oversight from Congress, including from the Oversight Committee that I sit on, over these past few months.
There had been reports that Elon Musk and DOGE were given complete God-level access to the Federal Government's top systems: including private and sensitive data for all Americans, classified information, budget information, and payment systems, et cetera.
From a conflict of interest standpoint, Elon Musk has vacuumed up many billions of dollars in Federal contracts for his companies and enriched himself. Tesla, SpaceX, Starlink have all profited under Musk's time as a Federal employee. At the same time, he went out of his way to kill several enforcement actions that were underway by different Federal agencies against his businesses, allowing his companies and himself to evade oversight. He was able to help place key personnel in agencies that now are looking to benefit his companies financially.
Mr. Speaker, going back to the data privacy point, Elon Musk and DOGE have allegedly used Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, within Federal agencies. This model has likely been trained on nonpublic data by incompetent DOGE workers. DOGE has also sought access to sensitive government data for millions and millions of Americans, while likely violating the Privacy Act of 1974 repeatedly.
This is not just a matter of our information being out there, potentially being used by Musk's AI systems in violation of all laws; it is also a major national security concern. Bad actors will now have a much easier time siphoning off U.S. data due to the cybersecurity vulnerabilities that Elon Musk has created.
Earlier this morning, the Oversight Committee held a hearing on how artificial intelligence has been integrated into the Federal Government by Elon Musk and DOGE. Entrusting DOGE with our personal data is not only a terrifying thought but one that will have terrible consequences for Americans throughout the country. Trying to automate the Federal Government through AI without a true plan or any data privacy safeguards, while firing haphazardly many of the technology support workers who understood those systems, is going to have a massive negative impact on Americans.
Mr. Speaker, I see that I have here with me a fellow Member, and I will concede in just a few moments.
I will continue by saying that many of my constituents right now are complaining about some of the effects we are already seeing from the haphazard and illegal cuts to personnel made by Elon Musk and DOGE, including many who are complaining now that they are having difficulty accessing their Social Security benefits because of the mass cuts in SSA.
These are real people that are not getting their benefits. They can't get anyone on the phone when they try to call Social Security. The reality is that Elon Musk, again, illegally fired a bunch of workers, even though he had no such authority to do so.
I will emphasize that this body, Congress, has refused to engage in any oversight to date over Elon Musk, and the only reason that we may be able to do so right now is because Elon Musk, apparently, is in a tit for tat with Donald Trump.
I suspect some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will finally wake up to some of the wrongdoing, some of the illegal actions that Elon Musk has been engaged in since January 20.
I will also point out that this has never been about waste, fraud, and abuse. It has certainly never been about efficiency. You don't eliminate entire agencies and departments as Elon Musk has done, you don't get rid of 50 percent of the personnel at Social Security, or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration if you are simply trying to improve efficiency and get rid of waste, fraud, and abuse.
This was always about finding enough cuts to try to partially pay for the massive $7 trillion tax cuts for billionaires that House Republicans, Donald Trump, and Senate Republicans want to pass right now. That is what this is about.
There is a slash-and-burn attitude to firing many thousands of Federal employees. They have attempted to fire hundreds of thousands of Federal employees, including those at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Department of Labor, and other critical agencies.
We have seen this firing be so haphazard that they have had to hire some of them back, including the decision to fire all the National Nuclear Security Administration personnel responsible for overseeing our U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile and then having to rehire them once they had realized who they had actually fired. He fired key scientists and pandemic experts, as well, and he repeatedly miscalculated and misrepresented the savings that DOGE cuts had made to our budget.
They have also made the Federal Government much more bureaucratic and less efficient. I have a lot of burgeoning life sciences industry in my district, lots of companies doing medical devices and innovative drugs. They have all reported to me that they are deeply concerned about the massive cuts at the Food and Drug Administration because those cuts mean that they can't get anyone on the phone. They can't find people to try to prove their drugs and devices, and this has created additional red tape and hurdles that made it very difficult.
There is a lot of uncertainty right now. These are companies that, again, are creating thousands and thousands of jobs, providing billions of dollars in collective impact to the southern California area. We are seeing this story writ large across the board right now.
Mr. Speaker, I will talk some more about the enormity of DOGE's illegal cuts, as well as how they have fared in the legal system.
Since DOGE was stood up by President Trump and Elon Musk, it has cut: About $6.5 billion for the U.S. Agency for International Development; $502 million from the Department of Education; $232 million from the Social Security Administration; $192 million from the General Services Administration; $173 million from the Department
We didn't have any transparency into what these cuts were justified on, what they were meant to do. These were in addition to the attempts to shutter USAID, the Department of Education, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the U.S. Institute for Peace, and many other critical agencies, departments, and programs.
Mr. Speaker, I will note that the courts have continued to find that these cuts were, by and large, illegal, that Elon Musk did not have any authority to undo acts of Congress, and that Congress and only Congress can shut down agencies that we have created. Congress and only Congress can defund agencies from funds that we have previously appropriated.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Stansbury), the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee's Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Min for convening this Special Order hour. As we are getting set up, I know that we have a poster that we want to get up here, so let me just start out.
Mr. Speaker, breakups are hard. They are really, really hard, and you know they are especially hard when they play out in the public eye. I think anyone who is online right now and watching the very public breakup of Donald Trump and Elon Musk would understand that.
I mean, if you have watched over the last several days, it has really been an epic breakup for the ages. In fact, I think it is fit for the ``Real Housewives'' if you have been watching what is unfolding, even just in the last several hours.
In fact, just a couple of hours ago, Elon Musk affirmed a statement about actually impeaching the President. I mean, who would have thought that we would end up here because, literally, less than a week ago, they were having a bromance in the Oval Office? It is really just incredible to think about what has happened over the last 72 hours when you think about it.
I think it is important to understand. I mean, Donald Trump is in office as the most powerful human on planet Earth as the President of the United States. Rather than thinking about balancing the budget, addressing economic free-fall, trying to figure out what to do with our foreign adversaries, how to help the American people, engaging in the debate on how to save healthcare for millions of Americans, or making sure our children are fed in the United States and across the world, he has instead been so embroiled in the breakup of his bromance with Elon Musk that they have been going hard at each other all day long.
I wanted to take this opportunity, while we have it, honestly, to share the tea with all of you because I think, I mean, we all kind of knew this was coming, right? I mean, we have kind of seen the signs for the last few days, especially the last few weeks, but I don't think that many of us thought it would come in such a dramatic form. I want to kind of break down and put in the Congressional Record what has actually transpired over the last 72 hours.
I think many of us were shocked when we saw just a couple of days ago when, on Tuesday at 1:30, Elon Musk tweeted the following. He said: ``I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.''
I mean, really, we were quite shocked. I mean, let's be clear: All 215 Democrats have been saying this for weeks, but obviously, things really boiled over for Mr. Musk on Tuesday.
Then, just a few minutes later, he followed up with another shot at Donald Trump, where he says: ``It will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt.''
He went on in the following hours to literally accuse Republicans of making Americans debt slaves. I mean, this is actually what has been unfolding on the internet for the last several days, but this bromance is so messy. This breakup is messy as all hell, let me tell you.
Okay, you all know that Thomas Massie, who is a true fiscal conservative and is pretty much the only Republican in this Chamber who stands by his convictions and is not willing to sell out his soul for politics and power, voted against this bill because he read the CBO report and was not going to go and toe the line for the Republican Party.
He knew that Speaker Johnson was not telling the truth about deficit spending. He knew that Donald Trump in his sales pitch was not selling the truth. He knew it was going to cost $2.5 trillion, at least. We don't even know what the final cost is going to be.
This love triangle got even messier because both Thomas Massie and Senator Rand Paul got in on the mess here, so we have Thomas Massie here retweeted Elon Musk, and he said: ``He's right.'' We saw, just around that same timeframe, Senator Rand Paul also got involved.
Then, oh my gosh, well, Elon Musk--in a fit of passion, I am sure--I mean, he dialed it up even further. He said later in the day here--it looks like it was about 3:32 p.m. on X. It looks like Elon Musk was retweeting what other people were saying about his attacks on the President and this big abomination of a bill, and Elon Musk says: ``In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people.''
I mean, we cannot make this up. This is like the real tea that is going on, on the internet.
Elon Musk dumped almost $300 million on Donald Trump's election, and he even weighed in and was like, yo, bro, you wouldn't even be President and wouldn't have the majority if I hadn't dropped all my dollars on you.
Then, Elon Musk--actually, this was yesterday afternoon because this went on all night, right? We were all watching it unfold in real time, and even just a couple of hours ago, here on this floor, we were all glued to our phones. We were, like, oh, man, this lovers' quarrel is getting messy.
Elon Musk, around 2:50 p.m. yesterday afternoon--we were in the DOGE Subcommittee when it happened. He tweeted this. Elon Musk tweets: ``Call your Senator, Call your Congressman, Bankrupting America is NOT ok! KILL the BILL.''
You know, I appreciate it. I am a '90s kid. He also tweeted a picture of ``Kill Bill,'' a Quentin Tarantino reference. We all know where Elon is coming from.
I want to be clear: I am not a fan. I think we all know that.
We have tried to subpoena you several times to come testify in front of the Oversight Committee. You have been giving yourself billions of dollars in contracts. You have been stealing American data. You have been breaking the law with impunity.
A couple of people asked me earlier how I felt about what is going on in this lovers' quarrel. I am, like, you know what? You get mixed up with messy people, you get a messy outcome. It is very clear that that is exactly what is going on.
I think we have all been hearing the rumors here in Washington, the breakup rumors. In fact, I think many of us, even on this floor on both the Democratic and the Republican sides, have heard the rumors that Donald Trump was getting frustrated with Elon, that he wanted to be on the helicopter all the time, and that he was following him around, going to Mar-a-Lago, showing up to these Cabinet meetings, and throwing all his money around and all that stuff.
In fact, in response to all the drama, Donald Trump fired back on Truth Social: ``Elon was `wearing thin,' I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!''
I mean, this is getting out of hand. This is really, really getting out of hand.
Then, Donald Trump--really, this is just the tip of the iceberg because what else does the leader of the free world have to do all day? I mean, he could try to end wars in the Middle East. He
Donald Trump--let's see, this is June 5 at 2:37--on Truth Social says: ``The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn't do it!''
There is not a lot that Mr. Trump and I agree on, but I am totally with you, Mr. President. If you want to go after Elon Musk's contracts, we are here for the fight, bro. Give me a ring, like, for real. We can get this across the finish line because, I mean, obviously, I know you guys were feeling the feelings for the first 130 days, and there is always a honeymoon period, especially after you go through a big thing together like an election. I know he helped you win your election, but obviously, now the honeymoon has worn off.
Mr. Speaker, if you really want to root out waste, fraud, and abuse-- even Donald Trump is saying it. Donald Trump apparently, even this week, asked his own staff if the entire DOGE effort was bullshit.
I am not trying--I know we are on the floor of the House of Representatives. To all of the people monitoring, that is a direct quote of the President of the United States. Let me just be clear on that.
Obviously, these guys know a lot about each other. They spent a lot of time with each other over the last few months. They actually know what is going on.
The battle continued today. In response to Donald Trump's comments about Elon wearing thin, the Autism Capital account--I don't know quite what that is--says: ``Trump fires back at Elon. The online battle begins.''
Elon Musk says: ``Such an obvious lie. So sad.''
We are all sad, right? It is always sad when a relationship ends.
Mr. Speaker, I think this is when things really got heated. This is why things are really hard when there is a breakup and there is a love triangle with the GOP. That is these guys over here. There is nobody here anymore. Just in case anyone is wondering, there are no Republicans, except the acting pro tempore here.
The thing that is so crazy is we all get wrapped up in our friends and their relationships. The Republicans were like: Okay, Mr. Trump, Elon is obviously your bestie, and he spent all this money. So we will go along with it--even though apparently the Cabinet and Republicans were really unhappy about it.
They are, like, okay, fine.
Then we are going scorched Earth here now. It was actually really interesting to me earlier on the House floor. How are Republicans dealing with it? Honestly, I haven't seen them cheerful in quite a few months. Clearly, something is about to happen.
Elon Musk--where are we at here on the timeframe here? This was actually shortly before I came to the floor this afternoon.
Elon Musk tweets: ``Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.''
Then he cheerfully says: ``Have a nice day, DJT!''
We all know what happens in breakups. Obviously, they got the tea on each other. This is a no-holds-barred breakup fight happening right now.
Finally, this was the mike drop of all mike drops. Just as I was walking onto the floor this afternoon, Elon Musk tweets: ``Yes.''
This was in response to some other person, who I don't know, who treated: ``President vs Elon. Who wins?''
``Trump should be impeached. . . . `'
We have all been through really hard breakups. I don't know if anyone remembers. Mr. Speaker, 140 days ago or so, it was a lovefest. They were here in the Capitol. It was so good.
Elon Musk's words were: Yo, President, I am going to save the government from debt slavery and the deficit.
These bros were on the helicopter every day. They were going to down Mar-a-Lago.
Elon Musk is now calling for the fricking impeachment of Donald Trump. That is some serious, serious business.
What does this all mean in reality? It is happening in real time. I haven't even checked my phone since I started this conversation. There might be more drama going down just since we started this very conversation on the floor.
The reality of the situation is they both got what they paid for. Mr. Musk spent almost $300 million in dark money to pay for his friend, Mr. Trump, to become the President and to win this Republican majority who is trying to send our country into the largest deficit spend in American history.
As for Mr. Trump, this is what happens when he sells his soul. We see what happens.
I have a lot of love in my heart for people who are going through hard times. I know that both of them are having a hard time. For the sake of democracy, for the sake of the American people, and, frankly, for the global security and safety of people all over the planet, I just have to say Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk need to cut this drama out. We need to take care of our people.
I am with Musk on this one. Mr. President, I don't mean to take sides. I am going to say it. Kill the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congresswoman for her comments. It has indeed been a messy day. I think that prices are getting too high at this moment in time. Elon Musk is, I believe, really inflating the price of popcorn right now. This is something that is going to affect my household.
Mr. Speaker, I want to continue back to Elon Musk. Whatever side is taken in this debate, we cannot forget that Elon Musk, again, repeatedly violated the law. He made illegal spending cuts. He tried to eliminate agencies created by Congress. This was not jaywalking. We are talking about serious crimes against the Constitution of the United States.
His actions were characterized not only by their illegality but also by their immorality and incompetence, the three I's.
We saw the immorality as he continued to cut programs that were meant to help our poorest and most vulnerable.
Social Security is a lifeline program for all the seniors around the country, including the ones in the district I represent. He called it a Ponzi scheme.
He cut so much of the workforce. Again, I have many constituents now complaining they can't get access to their benefits. They can't get anyone on the phone when there is a mistake. It seems deliberate in its scope. They have been incompetent.
I have mentioned many of the things they have done as far as firing the nuclear inspectors and miscalculating DOGE's savings.
They granted a DOGE staffer access to edit sensitive Treasury systems, prompting an internal forensic investigation.
They gutted the CFPB, only to unsuspend staffers and uncancel contracts after it became apparent that CFPB could no longer perform its legally mandated functions.
They inadvertently canceled funding for Ebola prevention. They uncanceled lease terminations after agency and congressional pushback. This could go on and on.
The point is that this, again, was never about efficiency. It was never about finding waste, fraud, and abuse. That was always the big lie. What Elon Musk was trying to do was reshape government illegally against the express will of Congress.
Unfortunately, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle failed to stand up to this abuse of law and this direct attack on our Constitution and our authorities.
The courts, thankfully, have stepped up. Right now, the Trump administration and DOGE are embroiled in over 252 lawsuits. They have lost almost all of these at various stages at the district court and appellate level, including several in the Supreme Court. They are continuing to appeal.
Even as this has happened, many of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle, rather than stand up for Congress' authority under the Constitution, have tried to go after judges. They have threatened judges. They have tried to take away some of their authority.
We saw that most recently in the big, beautiful bill, which I think Republicans are now realizing was actually a Frankenstein-level monstrosity of extreme provisions that many of them did not realize were in there.
One such provision was the one in that bill that would effectively neuter the judiciary's power to hold any administration official in contempt. This provision is a little wonky. In essence, it prohibits Federal courts from enforcing contempt citations which a judge can issue for noncompliance of a court order.
Now, what this would do is effectively shield the Trump administration from wrongdoing and that no judge could enforce any penalties against the Trump administration for failing to respond to court orders, for failing to obey the Constitution or the law.
What is concerning about this that is we have found an increasing number of Republicans who are publicly admitting now that they didn't realize that this provision was in the big, beautiful bill that they passed. Of course, we all remember a couple weeks back this bill was pushed through in the dark of night, after 1 a.m. It was clear that it was rushed through so quickly that most of our colleagues did not have time to read it, did not understand what was in it, and did not have time to have their staffs review what was in it.
This was an unconscionable process that is leading to outrageous results.
We are also seeing other examples of provisions that my Republican colleagues were not aware was in the bill. Just earlier this week, Marjorie Taylor Greene, whom I serve with on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, noted that she did not realize that there was a 10-year moratorium on artificial intelligence regulations created as part of this big, beautiful bill and said explicitly that she would oppose it.
She had a chance to oppose it when the bill was on the floor but didn't read it. I would suggest to my Republican colleagues that maybe reading the bills that we are passing is a good idea before they decide to vote on them, particularly when they are rushing it through on a partisan line vote.
I come from a legal background. I started my career turning down Wall Street to go work at the SEC to crack down on corporate fraud, and to uphold the rule of law. I have continued fighting for the rule of law my whole career, including as a law professor at UC-Irvine.
What we are seeing right now is deeply offensive to the rule of law. What we saw this last election cycle is Elon Musk spending $290 million on behalf of Donald Trump and other Republican candidates. Mr. Speaker, $290 million is a lot of money. That has paid off very well, a very good return on investment for Elon Musk because his wealth has gone up $100 billion with a b since he took office.
Despite all the disasters we have seen, and despite the massively declining sales of Tesla, his net wealth has gone way the hell up. That is because he uniquely, even as other spending gets cut--willy-nilly because a 21-year-old coder named Big Balls decides to delete a line of code--Elon Musk is getting massive new government contracts including an $8.5-billion contract for Tesla from the GSA for electric vehicles; a $2.4 billion contract for SpaceLink--which was originally meant for Verizon but which was canceled and mysteriously then transferred over to SpaceX which happens to be conveniently owned by Elon Musk--and on and on and on.
Now this looks like a quid pro quo. This looks like something that should not be allowed to exist, particularly when you have a man, Mr. Speaker, who is repeatedly, flagrantly, and knowingly violating the law every single day and upending the Constitution. The damage to this country that we are going to see over the next several decades, that we are seeing already happen right now, is going to be devastating.
Just earlier last week, I had a townhall at UC-Irvine which I represent. As many people around the country are beginning to realize, a lot of what is happening right now is threatening our economic present but also our economic future.
There are massive cuts being made to science and research funding for universities which have long been the basis for our innovation economy. Whether in California, Boston, Atlanta, or around the country, we know that high-end research creates jobs. It leads to innovation that leads to new companies. It is what has made America great over time. Yet, right now, those cuts are massive. Right now we have seen NSA, NIH, and other agencies in the Trump administration illegally refuse to spend and allocate research funding that Congress has appropriated.
That, in turn, has led already to firing of many grad students of programs' innovations.
Also, concerningly, we are starting to see the compounding effects of the attacks on legal immigrants here, people here on student visas.
Mr. Speaker, you may recall that just a few weeks back, the Trump administration announced that they would be rounding up a whole posse of students who had minor run-ins with the law. In the University of California system alone, there were something like 165 students here on valid student visas who have been arrested with no due process and put into deportation proceedings. In one case it is because they ran a stop sign. In another case it was because they were in a domestic dispute. Their partner called the police. When the police arrived, they actually found that the immigrant, the person here on a student visa, was not the abuser but actually probably had been abused. They decided not to proceed with this. However, because there is a police report, even one that falsely accused this immigrant, that immigrant was put into deportation proceedings.
The Trump administration did reverse that policy after public outcry. We are seeing that the best and brightest foreign students who have traditionally come to this country, to places like Harvard, MIT, UC-San Francisco and Stanford, are not coming here. They are going to other countries right now.
That cumulative effect is draining our future right now. We are talking about entire industries predicated on technology, on research, and on life sciences that we expect to see massive declines in in 10, 15, or 20 years.
We are robbing our future right now, and for what?
I don't know, to give Elon Musk a little bit more?
The damage is going to be incalculable across the board. However, I think the biggest damage that we are going to see is to our public trust in our institutions.
Right now we are seeing corruption on a scale we have never seen before in the history of this country. A $400 million Qatari gift of a palace in the sky to Donald Trump was just the thing that made the news. Meanwhile, he is having dinners with massive donors who are giving billions and billions of dollars to his meme coin. We are seeing bribes happen across the board. We are seeing emoluments over and over and over to the President and his family. Mr. Speaker, yes, we are seeing Elon Musk getting a ransom from the Federal Government as far as new contracts that have personally benefited him to no end.
We have to start enforcing the rule of law in this country. As someone who has always believed in the rule of law and who has stood closely side by side with our law enforcement officers, with our prosecutors, and with those who are trying to uphold the rule of law in this country and the Constitution, I would urge my colleagues on the other side of the room to start thinking about that oath that we took when we took this office to support and defend the Constitution.
Those are not just words. They are the foundation of what it means to serve in Congress, of what it means to serve in the Federal Government, and of what it means to be a patriotic American.
Mr. Speaker, if you are not enforcing the Constitution of the United States and if you are not enforcing the rule of law and standing up for the authorities of Congress, which is a coequal branch of government and not a lackey of the President, then what do we stand for?
What are we doing here?
I know that many of my colleagues on the other side are scared of Donald
We have to stand up and have an accounting of all the damage that Elon Musk did during his time at DOGE. Again, he is a special government employee who never disclosed his conflicts of interest and who illegally exerted his authority that an SGE should never have and that the President of the United States does not have.
We need a real accounting of what happened, the damage that has been done, as well as all of the laws and Constitutional provisions that he and every other member of DOGE has done. This is the time to do it. I would urge my colleagues to actually start stepping up for the Constitution.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the President and to direct their remarks to the Chair and not a perceived viewing audience.
