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08Expenditure Reports Concerning Official Foreign Travel
09Deletions of Sponsors From Public Bills and Resolutions
Daily Digest
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced
23 public bills, H.R. 4, 3832- 3854; and 4 resolutions, H.J. Res. 100; and H. Res. 488, 490-491, introduced.
Pages H2568-69
Reports Filed
A report was filed today as follows: H. Res. 489, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 884) to prohibit individuals who are not citizens of the United States from voting in elections in the District of Columbia and to repeal the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2056) to require the District of Columbia to comply with federal immigration laws; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2096) to restore the right to negotiate matters pertaining to the discipline of law enforcement officers of the District of Columbia through collective bargaining, to restore the statute of limitations for bringing disciplinary cases against members or civilian employees of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, and for other purposes; and providing for consideration of the bill (S. 331) to amend the Controlled Substances Act with respect to the scheduling of fentanyl-related substances, and for other purposes (H. Rept. 119-151).
Page H2568
Speaker
Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed Representative Fine to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
Page H2537
Recess
The House recessed at 12:10 p.m. and reconvened at 2 p.m.
Page H2538
Recess
The House recessed at 2:06 p.m. and reconvened at 4 p.m.
Page H2539
Recess
The House recessed at 6:13 p.m. and reconvened at 6:30 p.m.
Page H2557
Suspensions
The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the following measures: Condemning the rise in ideologically motivated attacks on Jewish individuals in the United States, including the recent violent assault in Boulder, Colorado, and reaffirming the House of Representatives commitment to combating antisemitism and politically motivated violence: H. Res. 481, condemning the rise in ideologically motivated attacks on Jewish individuals in the United States, including the recent violent assault in Boulder, Colorado, and reaffirming the House of Representatives commitment to combating antisemitism and politically motivated violence, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 400 yeas with none voting ``nay'' and two answering ``present'', Roll No. 159;
Pages H2539-42, H2559
Denouncing the antisemitic terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado
H. Res. 488, denouncing the antisemitic terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 280 yeas to 113 nays with six answering ``present'', Roll No. 158;
Pages H2542-46, H2558
American Cargo for American Ships Act
H.R. 2035, to amend title 46, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Transportation to ensure that all cargoes procured, furnished, or financed by the Department of Transportation are transported on privately-owned commercial vessels of the United States, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 373 nays to 14 nays, Roll No. 157;
Pages H2546-47, H2557-58
Directing the Commandant of the Coast Guard to update the policy of the Coast Guard regarding the use of medication to treat drug overdose
H.R. 2351, to direct the Commandant of the Coast Guard to update the policy of the Coast Guard regarding the use of medication to treat drug overdose;
Pages H2547-48
Maritime Supply Chain Security Act
H.R. 2390, to amend title 46, United States Code, to clarify that port infrastructure development program funds may be used to replace Chinese port crane hardware or software;
Pages H2548-49
Designating the House Press Gallery, Rooms H-315, H-316, H-317, H- 318, and H-319 in the United States Capitol, as the ``Frederick Douglass Press Gallery''
H. Res. 137, amended, designating the House Press Gallery, Rooms H-315, H-316, H-317, H-318, and H-319 in the United States Capitol, as the ``Frederick Douglass Press Gallery''
Pages H2549-51
Agreed to amend the title so as to read
``Resolution designating the House Press Gallery (Rooms H-315, H-316, H-317, H-318, and H-319 in the United States Capitol) as the 'Frederick Douglass Press Gallery'.''.
Page H2551
Baby Changing on Board Act
H.R. 248, to require Amtrak to install baby changing tables in bathrooms on passenger rail cars;
Pages H2551-52
Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety and Oversight Improvements Act of 2025
H.R. 1182, to require the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate regulations relating to the approval of foreign manufacturers of cylinders;
Pages H2552-54
Tennessee Valley Authority Transparency Act of 2025
H.R. 1373, amended, to require certain meetings of the Tennessee Valley Authority to be transparent and open to the public;
Pages H2554-55
Authorizing the International Boundary and Water Commission to accept funds for activities relating to wastewater treatment and flood control works
H.R. 1948, amended, to authorize the International Boundary and Water Commission to accept funds for activities relating to wastewater treatment and flood control works; and
Pages H2555-56
Secure Our Ports Act of 2025
H.R. 252, amended, to amend title 46, United States Code, to prohibit certain contracts for port operations and management.
Pages H2556-57
Requiring each Member, officer, and employee of the House of Representatives to complete a program of training in workplace rights and responsibilities each session of each Congress
The House agreed to discharge from committee and agree to H. Res. 480, requiring each Member, officer, and employee of the House of Representatives to complete a program of training in workplace rights and responsibilities each session of each Congress.
Pages H2559-60
Quorum Calls: Votes
Three yea-and-nay votes developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H2557-58, H2558 and H2559. Adjournment: The House met at 12 p.m. and adjourned at 8:22 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 209 spoken turns were found. Turns without a time are still listed; they just can't seek.
Morning-Hour Debate
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of January 3, 2025, the Chair will now recognize Members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning-hour debate.
The Chair will alternate recognition between the parties, with time equally allocated between the parties and each Member other than the majority and minority leaders and the minority whip limited to 5 minutes, but in no event shall debate continue beyond 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, this week, the House will vote on the first DOGE rescissions package that will claw back nearly $10 billion in wasteful spending. The American public expects their government to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and to use their taxpayer dollars for programs that advance Americans.
However, for years, billions of dollars have been shelled out for ridiculous, wasteful programs like the $6 million to create net zero cities in Mexico, the $3 million for Iraqi Sesame Street, or even the $2 million for Green New Deal policies in Africa and Asia.
During a time when our Nation is trillions of dollars in debt, our government needs to be focused on serving the needs of American citizens. The American people voted to return our Nation to fiscal sanity with the election of President Trump in November. Now it is time that we fully deliver on President Trump's agenda.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to strongly support the HALT Fentanyl Act. This is critical legislation that will increase penalties for the criminals who produce, traffic, and sell this poison.
In 2023, one Pennsylvanian died every 2 hours from an overdose, with the overwhelming majority of these resulting from fentanyl poisoning. Our Nation has lost too many lives because of this deadly scourge on our communities.
It is no secret that the Mexican drug cartels recruit college chemistry majors to chemically alter fentanyl precursors to make the drug even more deadly, and the Chinese Communist Party happily supplies them with the chemicals that they need to achieve this goal.
This legislation will classify fentanyl analogs as a schedule I drug to allow our law enforcement and Border Patrol the ability to effectively seize these drugs. This will result in harsher penalties for the criminals who are responsible for this epidemic.
Our Nation cannot wait any longer as we lose thousands of Americans every day to this poison.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to supporting this legislation on the floor, and I encourage all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it as well.
Mr. Speaker, this month we celebrate National Dairy Month to highlight the dairy industry and the hardworking men and women who work tirelessly to produce the dairy products that we know and love.
My home State of Pennsylvania produces 9.8 billion pounds of milk annually from the nearly 465,000 dairy cows that reside in Pennsylvania. The 4,850 dairy farms located throughout Pennsylvania represent nearly 20 percent of our Nation's dairy farms. These farms provide 52,000 jobs across the Commonwealth and bring in more than $10 billion in annual revenue.
Pennsylvania's dairy industry is not just an important industry for the Commonwealth's economy, but it is also a way of life for the dairymen and -women who work hard to put food on our tables.
As we celebrate National Dairy Month, I want to thank the hardworking men and women throughout Pennsylvania and throughout our country who support the American dairy industry.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor World War II veteran and Franklin County resident Sam Worley as he celebrated his 104th birthday this past weekend.
In 1942, Sam was drafted into the U.S. Air Force and by 1943 was stationed in England as a member of the Eighth Air Force's First Bomb Group.
Sam was tasked with decoding incoming orders for American bombers and their fighter plane escorts, which is a critical role that allowed our planes to carry out devastating bombing runs over Europe.
After his discharge in 1945, Sam and his wife moved to Chambersburg where they raised their children, Bill and Elaine. However, Sam's service to his
Sam Worley's commitment has never slowed down. Sam is still a vibrant member of our community, bringing so much love and joy to everyone whom he meets.
On behalf of everyone throughout Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District, I want to personally wish Sam a happy 104th birthday.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life and legacy of Dr. Richard Garwin, known to all as Dick Garwin, a physicist whose intellect shaped the modern world and whose conscience helped protect it.
Dick was the principal designer of the first hydrogen bomb, a pioneer in national security and arms control, and a trusted adviser to Presidents spanning from Eisenhower to Obama. He authored over 500 scientific papers, held dozens of patents, and was a relentless advocate for using science in service of humanity.
When I announced my support for the Iran nuclear deal, I was deeply honored to have Dick Garwin standing by my side. His presence carried immense weight, not just because of his expertise in nuclear weapons, but because of his lifelong commitment to reducing their threat.
Dick's genius was matched only by his humility. He never sought fame, only progress.
Mr. Speaker, may we carry forward his legacy with the same courage and moral clarity that defined his life.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize The Neighbor Project, an exceptional partner in expanding access to homeownership in Aurora, Illinois, and in surrounding communities led by my friend, Rick Guzman.
Since 2018, The Neighbor Project has empowered Aurora families to lower debt, build credit, and achieve homeownership. Through down- payment assistance and financial education, they have helped generate millions in savings for Illinoisans.
Their work is more critical than ever as Trump's on-again, off-again tariff policies threaten to drive up construction costs and exacerbate the housing affordability crisis. To make matters worse, Trump and Republicans' big, ugly bill would strip away healthcare and food assistance during a time when families are already struggling to afford housing costs.
While Republicans continue to push policies that drive up the cost- of-living and deepen inequality, organizations like The Neighbor Project are fighting to close the gap.
I am proud to recognize their work and will continue fighting alongside them to make the dream of homeownership accessible for Illinois families.
National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call out the Trump administration for yet another reckless assault on science and education.
Recently, the Trump administration slashed over 1,000 fellowships from the National Science Foundation's graduate research fellowship program, cutting financial support from graduate student researchers in STEM fields.
This competitive program has long been a pillar of American innovation. Nobel Prize winners, tech entrepreneurs, and national security experts have all gotten their start through this program.
These cuts are only part of the administration's broader antiscience agenda. Trump is pushing a 55 percent budget reduction for the National Science Foundation at a time when the agency is already issuing new grants at the slowest rate in more than three decades. This isn't just about education for graduate students or line items on a spreadsheet. It is about our future competitiveness, our economy, and our national security.
At a time when countries like China are doubling down on scientific investment, the Trump administration chose to pull the plug on our pipeline of talent, undermining their future in science.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stand up for science, for students, and for America's future.
Madam Speaker, 250 years ago, on June 14th, the United States Army was founded.
Established by the Second Continental Congress, this marked the first American national military force a year before signing the Declaration of Independence.
The Army transitioned from a horse-mounted cavalry to a modernized force of over 940,000 Active-Duty, Reserve, and National Guard soldiers.
I was inspired by my father, First Lieutenant Hugh Wilson, who served with the Flying Tigers in the Army Air Corps, defending India and liberating China. I am grateful to have 31 years in the Army, with three sons who have served: Alan in Iraq, Julian in Egypt, and Hunter in Afghanistan.
Aptly summarized by the Army itself, ``Older than the Nation it defends,'' the U.S. Army has made a difference in history.
While protecting the homeland and keeping wars foreign, the U.S. Army has liberated more countries from oppression than any other Army in world history.
In conclusion, God bless our troops as the global war on terrorism continues.
The scenes we are seeing in Los Angeles right now are absolutely horrifying, and California's radical political leadership has done everything possible to usher in this chaos.
First of all, they aided and abetted Biden's open border, which was worse in California than anywhere.
Second, they adopted sanctuary policies that prevent ICE from being able to conduct immigration operations in the safest and most orderly fashion in a custodial setting.
Three, they massively have funded radical groups that are now going out and providing coordinates to people throughout L.A. for where ICE operations are taking place.
Four, they have actually released a lot of dangerous criminals from our jails through early release policies so there are plenty of people out there who are willing to stir up trouble.
Five, they are adding fuel to the fire--literal fires--with incendiary rhetoric that are vilifying our law enforcement officers, that are vilifying Federal officials.
Then, worst of all, the Governor is refusing to take action to keep the community safe. Right now the entire country has seen what his failed policies have done to our State.
Madam Speaker, I honor the remarkable life of Bronis Avent, an American hero. He bravely served in World War II and over the course of two other conflicts.
At 101 years old, I had the privilege of meeting him and expressing my gratitude for his incredible military service. His daughter shared that her father had missed many milestones due to his overseas military service and that day was the first time she witnessed him being publicly honored.
It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that just hours later Mr. Avent passed away peacefully, surrounded by his beloved family. My thoughts and prayers are with: his children, Ann, Calvin, and Bronis Jr.; his special cousin Dr. John Avent; and his many grandchildren; great-grandchildren; and great-great-grandchildren.
Meeting him was a true honor, and being able to pay tribute to his legacy and present him with the American flag will remain a cherished memory forever.
Condemning the Rise in Ideologically Motivated Attacks on Jewish Individuals in the United States, Including the Recent Violent Assault in Boulder, Colorado, and Reaffirming the House Of...
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 481) condemning the rise in ideologically motivated attacks on Jewish individuals in the United States, including the recent violent assault in Boulder, Colorado, and reaffirming the House of Representatives commitment to combating antisemitism and politically motivated violence.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Goldman) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 481.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from New Jersey?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong condemnation of a sickness and disease that is growing stronger, more dangerous, and more violent in our own country of the United States of America. It is called anti- Semitism.
On June 1, in Boulder, Colorado, a peaceful rally called Run for Their Lives, which was just held to raise
Think about this, Mr. Speaker: One of them was an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor.
This terrorist, who was here illegally on an expired visa, targeted Jews on purpose, on American soil--on American soil. Let everybody let that sink in.
This was a terrorist attack in broad daylight, and it wasn't even an isolated event.
On May 21, two Israeli Embassy staff, a beautiful couple, were gunned down outside of the Capital Jewish Museum right here in Washington, D.C., about 1\1/2\ blocks away from my apartment.
On April 13, an arsonist lit the home of Governor Josh Shapiro on fire while he and his family celebrated Passover inside, hoping to kill them all. The suspect admitted he acted out of hatred for the Governor's support of Israel.
Despite the barbarity of the October 7 Hamas attacks, anti-Semitism has, unfortunately, surged around the world and right here in our United States of America. According to the American Jewish Committee, 77 percent of American Jews say that they feel less safe in the United States because of October 7. More than half say that they changed their behavior in 2024 because of anti-Semitism.
Mr. Speaker, I think of a young lady who we heard from in our Committee on the Judiciary. She was a smart college student, a beautiful young woman, who spoke about how her mother begged her to take off her Star of David when she went out in public.
That is a sad day for America. These aren't just statistics. That is fear, fear to wear a yarmulke in public, fear of attending a local synagogue, fear of simply living openly as a Jew in this great country.
There have been 9,300 documented anti-Semitic incidents last year alone. The FBI reported 1,989 hate crimes, almost 2,000 hate crimes, targeting Jewish Americans in 2023 alone. It is the highest number ever recorded. Nearly 7 out of every 10 religiously motivated hate crimes are crimes against Jews.
This needs to be clear to all who are listening now and in the future: Jewish Americans make up just 2.4 percent of the United States' population but account for 68 percent of religious hate crimes. That isn't just a spike. That is a national crisis.
After the Holocaust, the words collectively promised ``Never again,'' but never again is happening right now. It is happening in our streets. It is happening on our campuses. It is happening in our communities.
We need to protect America from anti-Semitism with the same ferocity as we should protect the right of Americans' free speech because if Jewish Americans can't walk freely in Boulder, work safely in D.C., or celebrate Passover in their own homes without fear, then we, indeed, have failed as a nation.
This resolution says what must be said: These are acts of terror, pure and simple, and this hate must be condemned regardless of how many times it takes--over and over again, it must be condemned--that the lives of Jewish Americans matter; and that their safety is nonnegotiable.
Mr. Speaker, I urge every single Member of this body to support it loudly, proudly, and unambiguously because it is simply the right thing to do and because anti-Semitism has no home in the United States of America.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew) for introducing this resolution that gets right to the heart of a scary rise of violence against Jewish Americans.
Mr. Speaker, the rise in anti-Semitism since the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas has been jarring, unsettling, and incredibly scary for the Jewish community.
In the last 2 months, there have been three incidents of outright violence: the arson at Governor Shapiro's home on Passover; the murder in front of the Capital Jewish Museum of two Israeli Embassy workers, young Jews just about to get engaged and begin their lives together, murdered solely because they were Jewish; and, last weekend, a horrific attack with Molotov cocktails on a peacefully marching group bringing attention to the fact that 56 hostages remain in horrific conditions in captivity of a terrorist group in Gaza.
Mr. Van Drew's resolution accurately recounts these facts, accurately cites and refers to the anti-Semitism that has risen in America, and boldly condemns it, as we all should, because hate of any kind has no place in this country.
The numbers are startling. In the Anti-Defamation League's audit of 2024, there were a record 9,354 recorded anti-Semitic incidents, 1,700 of which targeted Jewish institutions. This is the highest number ever recorded in the 46 years of this audit.
Mr. Speaker, as the co-chair of the congressional Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism here in the House of Representatives, I applaud Mr. Van Drew and join with him in condemning these attacks and bringing light to what is a new phase of anti-Semitism in this country, one that is incredibly scary that includes violence and murder.
All that being said, I note that my Republican colleagues introduced an appropriations bill today that proposes $305 million for the nonprofit security grants, which is the program that provides security funding to all nonprofit organizations in the United States that apply and are granted them. That includes Jewish houses of worship, Jewish organizations, and Jewish community institutions.
I joined 132 of my colleagues to demand that we increase last year's funding of over $400 million because, with this new violence, the need for security for every single Jewish institution has skyrocketed.
Mr. Speaker, I am deeply disappointed that the Republican majority has introduced a bill that would fund only $305 million, which is the same amount as fiscal year 2023--before October 7, before this sudden and dramatic rise in anti-Semitism, and before the recent violence against Jewish people.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my friend from New Jersey and my Republican colleagues to please reconsider. If my colleagues believe this resolution, as I know they do, then let's literally put our money where our mouth is because Jewish institutions need our help to be secure, and $305 million is not going to cut it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Goldman) for his comments.
Mr. Speaker, I will say that, of course, money matters. In difficult budget times--and we are having a challenging and difficult budget--let me say that it is important that we do have that money there.
Perhaps, as we move forward with not spending money on sanctuary cities and sanctuary States; as we move forward and are not spending money on transportation for illegals, for housing illegals, for educating illegals, or for giving illegals debit cards; and as we move forward and stop wasting some of the money that has been wasted at so many levels and so many places in this great country, that those who deserve to get more money, whether it be folks who are dependent upon it for their healthcare or those who deserve to get more money because they need protection, are able to do so.
That is the problem when you misplace your funding. When funding is not done correctly, as it has not been done over a number of years, then the money doesn't always go where it should.
It has been a focus of this administration. Those hundreds of millions, a third of $1 billion, are there, and if something more is needed, I am sure we will respond to that, as well.
Mr. Speaker, that being said, I am proud to have with me a good friend, a good man, the coach of our Republican baseball team--and if this wasn't such a solemn resolution, I would speak about that a little bit, but I won't. I won't say that we are going to win again, but we are.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams).
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 481, which condemns the disturbing rise in anti-Semitic attacks across the United States.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists murdered and took hostage innocent Israelis in an unprovoked attack. Since then, anti-Semitic incidents have reached unprecedented levels across this great country.
The attack in Boulder, Colorado, is the most recent incident following the murder of two Israeli Embassy staff members in Washington, D.C., and the attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and his family, as we previously heard.
This growing trend of politically and religiously motivated violence directed at Jewish individuals and institutions across the United States is totally unacceptable. Every American has the right to assemble peacefully and practice their faith without fear of violence. Acts of anti-Semitism, whether expressed through threats, vandalism, or violence, are fundamentally incompatible with the values of this Nation.
Today, remember those who we have lost and stood with the Jewish community. There is no place for hate or violence in the United States of America. Congress must fully condemn these attacks and stand against anti-Semitism in all forms.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote in support of this important resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I will just add in response to my friend that this is a majority proposal for the appropriations bill. If the majority does not like other spending measures, it can propose to cut them, but Jews and Jewish institutions should not suffer because of other priorities of the Republican majority and their appropriations bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Neguse).
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Goldman) for yielding. I also thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew) for introducing this resolution, and I am proud to co-lead this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, a week ago, my congressional district suffered an unimaginable tragedy when a terrorist by the name of Mohamed Soliman drove over an hour to carry out a horrific act of terror in Boulder, Colorado.
This attacker targeted Jewish members of the Boulder community, literally trying to burn them alive with Molotov cocktails and incendiary devices.
Our community, Mr. Speaker, is reeling from this terrorist attack. This kind of hateful violence and anti-Semitism is spreading across the country. It is metastasizing, and it has deeply shaken the people of my State and the people of my community. The group, the organization that was targeted by this horrific attack, Run for Their Lives, is composed of our neighbors and friends.
Last Sunday, they gathered on the idyllic Pearl Street Mall to take part in a peaceful walk and vigil as they have done every week for the past 2 years, to call for the release of the hostages that were kidnapped and are being held by Hamas in Gaza.
We pray hard, Mr. Speaker, for the 15 victims of this heinous attack, my constituents. Several of these victims are people I know personally. They are friends. I support this bipartisan resolution denouncing anti- Semitism. I continue to stand with those victims, with my constituents, with their families, with our Jewish brothers and sisters as we recommit ourselves to addressing the scourge of anti-Semitism.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday I had the privilege of spending some time with several of the victims of this terrible attack. It is hard for me to describe in words, Mr. Speaker, the emotions I felt in seeing their resilience, their strength, their humanity under such incredibly trying circumstances.
It is hard to describe in words, Mr. Speaker, the emotions I felt yesterday walking back in my district in Boulder, Colorado, with thousands of Coloradans, who came from all across Colorado, both of our United States Senators, many community leaders, rabbis, people of all faiths, walking with our Jewish brothers and sisters to condemn this vicious attack and to recommit ourselves in defeating anti-Semitism. That is why I support this resolution.
On a final personal note, I will say that I have had the privilege of serving in this body for 6\1/2\ years. My colleague and I, Mr. Van Drew, entered Congress together. He remembers it well. I thank Mr. Van Drew for approaching me in good faith. Our teams working together put forward a resolution that addresses the enormity of this challenge, this threat that our Jewish constituents and Americans are facing. I am proud to co-lead the resolution with the gentleman, and I think his interaction with our office is a reflection of how things ought to work in this Chamber.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey and the gentleman from New York for their leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Colorado for his kindness and kind words, and yes, it was a pleasure to work with him. He has always consistently, even when we disagree profoundly at times, been a gentleman and always represents the values and attitude that I believe a Member of Congress should have.
To my friend, the gentleman from New York, I will attribute that to him, as well. We sometimes differ even more profoundly on some of these issues.
Let me say one thing in passing. The commitment of Republicans is unquestionable when it comes to Israel and Jewish Americans. I know to a degree, because of a fiscal note, the gentleman questions that. I am not going to go through the history of many events and many pieces of legislation that went through this House that didn't have all the support they needed, quite frankly, from the other side of the aisle.
I am not going to go through that some folks from the other side of the aisle have said things that have been pretty blatantly anti-Israel and anti-Jewish.
The problem here--if we have a problem, and we do have problems within the body--when it comes to the Jewish state and Israel, has not been the Republican Party. The Republican Party and the Members of Congress here and the majority at this time have been very supportive, whether it has been in armaments, whether it has been in words, whether it has been in deeds, have been supportive of the Jewish State of Israel and of Jewish Americans.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I will be brief. I do want to reemphasize how important it is that Mr. Van Drew has worked collaboratively with our side of the aisle on a bipartisan resolution that is not a ``gotcha'' resolution but accurately addresses the serious problems that we are facing and condemns them without making an effort to score political points.
This is how bipartisan efforts to combat anti-Semitism should work. Mr. Van Drew has demonstrated that he certainly is willing to do that and we are certainly grateful that he worked closely across the aisle to make sure that this is not a partisan issue.
Mr. Speaker, as an American Jew, as a Member of Congress, if anti- Semitism is used as a partisan weapon, if Israel is used as a partisan weapon, it is bad for Jews and it is bad for Israel.
I urge my other Republican colleagues to follow in Mr. Van Drew's footsteps here because if they do care about Jews and they do care about Israel, then neither should be used as a partisan weapon in a political game.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Van Drew for leading that effort, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I thank both gentlemen from the other side of the aisle that we were able to do this together. Wherever we can, whenever we can, I look forward to that participation.
I guess the only words I have to say now are just: Let's do it. Let's everybody vote together. I am hoping this is one of those rare pieces of legislation that has every Member on each side of the House of Representatives voting in
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be an original cosponsor of H. Res. 481, authored by my good friend Mr. Van Drew.
This resolution condemns the shocking and horrifying spike in antisemitic attacks on U.S. soil, including the recent murderous attacks in Boulder, Colorado, at the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., and the attack on Gov. Shapiro in Pennsylvania.
It rightfully points out that these attacks are ideologically motivated--that is politically motivated.
What a sad thing to have to say--in our country, a growing number of people are embracing a political ideology that leads them to murder Jews. All of the recent murder attacks have been carried out by some who identified closely with antisemitic hatred of Israel, organized around the rhetoric of Palestinian terrorism.
And in each case the attackers chose not to attack Israel at all-- they decided to murder Americans who happen to be Jewish. In their twisted minds, any Jewish person substitutes for Israel as a target for their sick hate.
Mr. Speaker, I believe the fight against this ideology, which has repeatedly in recent weeks proven to be an incitement to terroristic murder, needs to be a top priority in the U.S. Government.
In the past two months I met with Harmeet Dhillon, the new Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, who will be walking point on this issue within the Department of Justice. I also met with Yehuda Kaploun, President Trump's nominee to the Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism--he will lead this fight internationally, within the State Department.
These are both extraordinarily capable and energetic people--and determined. I have no doubt they will do excellent work--they understand, they can name, and will fight the poisonous ideology that is motivating murder in America today.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 481.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H. Res. 488) denouncing the antisemitic
On page H2542, June 9, 2025, in the first column, the following appeared: (H.R. 488) denouncing the antisemitic
The online version has been corrected to read: (H. Res. 488) denouncing the antisemitic
terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado.The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Goldman) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 488.
On page H2542, June 9, 2025, in the third column, the following appeared: include extraneous material on H.R. 488.
The online version has been corrected to read: include extraneous material on H. Res. 488.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from New Jersey?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, it has been nearly 2 years since the October 7 attack on Israel, the deadliest terrorist attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Yet, still today, we are in a moment in time where our Jewish neighbors are being increasingly threatened. Anti-Semitic protests are more and more often turning physically violent and deadly, and they are inspiring additional violent acts.
Jewish students around the country are fearful as they watch spineless college administrators fail time and again to stand up to anti-Semitic harassment taking place on all of our beautiful college campuses. Right here in Washington, D.C., just 2 weeks ago, we saw a coldblooded murder take the lives of a beautiful, young couple as they exited the Jewish museum.
The young Israeli Embassy staffers were set to be engaged just 1 week later and their lives were snuffed out. Their families will never get to experience that beautiful ceremony and other cherished milestones of their life with them. They are gone because of a terrorist's hateful action. There are no words that can ever be articulated that truly represent what has happened to that family.
Just 1 week ago, thousands of miles away in the community of Boulder, Colorado, an unhinged anti-Semite carried out yet another terrorist attack. Peaceful marches called for hostages held by Hamas to be set free. They were attacked by a terrorist who shouted ``free Palestine'' as he lobbed homemade Molotov cocktails at them. Worst still, the act of terrorism was entirely preventable.
Mohamed Soliman is not an American but an Egyptian national who traveled to the United States purporting to be a tourist.
Let's think about what I am going to say here.
Years before Mohamed Soliman ever tried to come to the United States, he had posted on his social media his support for the Muslim Brotherhood, a radical Islamist organization that has been deemed a terrorist group by governments across the world, including in Europe and in the Arab world.
Despite this, the last administration issued Mohamed Sabry Soliman a tourist visa, which admitted him into the United States of America. Once inside, Soliman took advantage of our immigration system, applying for asylum within 1 month of arriving in the country as a supposed tourist.
This action was in violation of the spirit of his tourist visa, which required that he not intend to stay in this country permanently. Indeed, the case of Mohamed Soliman reminds us
While we all should have learned this lesson after 9/11, it is clear that the last administration did not. Fortunately, this administration, the Trump administration, has taken a strong stance, once again prioritizing the integrity of our immigration system, and thus the security of all Americans, including Jewish communities.
This administration has shut down the open border, aggressively enforced the immigration laws, blocked the entry of aliens who are detrimental to the United States of America's interests, and taken a tough, tough stance against cowardly universities.
I am calling it as it is. They are cowardly universities that should represent what is right and good in America, and many of them are not. They fail to protect the Jewish students, vigorously vet aliens who wish to come to our country, and much more.
Legal immigrants who love America hate what was going on. We are so grateful that sanity is being restored to our America. At the same time, we do pray for the victims of these senseless acts.
Today, I call on my colleagues to support this resolution to honor the victims of the Boulder terrorist attack. We must all stand with our Jewish friends, colleagues, and neighbors. They are not alone. They are not alone, and we will not tolerate this scourge of anti-Semitic hatred in the United States of America.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, as Mr. Goldman mentioned, I represent Boulder, Colorado, in the Congress. I live in Boulder County. My wife and I are incredibly blessed and lucky to be raising our family in this community.
Last week, I introduced a bipartisan resolution denouncing this heinous anti-Semitic terror attack in my community. H. Res. 476, a resolution that makes clear that we stand with the Jewish people, the Jewish community, and which explicitly calls for us to do more to address the scourge of anti-Semitism.
Mr. Speaker, that resolution is broadly supported by the members of Colorado's congressional delegation. Colorado has eight Federal lawmakers here in Washington. Six of the eight joined that resolution. I thank Republican Representatives Jeff Crank and Jeff Hurd for doing the right thing and joining that resolution so that we could speak in one voice in denouncing this attack.
There were two Members of Colorado's entire congressional delegation who refused to join this resolution. One of them, Mr. Gabe Evans of Colorado, instead decided to introduce the resolution that the House is going to consider today. This resolution is not bipartisan. It is not carried by the Member who represents this community. This a first, by the way, Mr. Speaker, in the precedence of this House, that the majority would not give the Representative who represents the victims the opportunity to speak on behalf of their community, but Mr. Evans decided to proceed anyway.
Mr. Speaker, of course, because Mr. Evans does not represent this community, the resolution that he has introduced is riddled with inaccuracies. That is not a surprise. It is why it is important for Members who represent communities that are besieged by tragedies like this one to have the opportunity to introduce a resolution and have that resolution considered on the floor.
Let me give you some examples, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Evans' resolution claims that there were 14 victims of this attack. He is wrong. There are 15 victims. Maybe he got that from Google or found it in a newspaper article, but had he been involved in the conversations with law enforcement, as I have, he would know that there were 15 victims of this terrible attack.
It is poor decorum to ask this body to vote on a resolution that lists the wrong number of victims. They are my constituents. They are real people who were burned half to death by a terrorist 7 days ago. The least you can do is list the right number.
Mr. Evans' resolution also says that ``reportedly one victim was a Holocaust survivor.'' She is not reportedly a survivor. She is a Holocaust survivor. There is no doubt to that. There is no allegation to that. I know because she is my constituent. The word ``reportedly'' should be struck from this resolution.
My colleague's resolution, Mr. Speaker--Mr. Evans' resolution, to be clear, because we are considering multiple resolutions today, so I am talking about the resolution from Mr. Gabe Evans of Colorado--does not mention once, not once, the Boulder Police Department, the officers who I represent who put their lives on the line to save members of the community 7 days ago.
The resolution that Mr. Evans has offered doesn't mention the FBI once, not once, whose swift response was so integral. The only law enforcement agency that Mr. Evans mentions is ICE, the one agency that was not in Boulder that day.
We should have the decency to recognize the Boulder Police Department and the officers who I represent who put their lives on the line 7 days ago. It is the least we can do. We have a resolution that does that in a bipartisan way. Had the House majority, the Republicans, done what Republicans and Democrats in this Chamber have done since time immemorial, since I have served in this body, which is allow a Member to put his resolution to the floor for a vote, mistakes like this wouldn't happen.
Now, I know that an earlier version of this resolution that Mr. Evans introduced, which he tweeted about, talked about the fact that this was because Colorado was a sanctuary State. He has removed that language from this resolution, so I am heartened that he now concedes that is an inaccurate claim, that that language is not in this resolution.
However, in times like these, I would have hoped that my colleagues would be willing to come together to properly honor the victims and to condemn anti-Semitism, as I have said, as our resolution does.
It is not hard to do the right thing, Mr. Speaker. The question that Mr. Evans should answer is: Why? Why not join his two other Republican colleagues in Colorado and join the bipartisan resolution that thanks the Boulder Police Department, that thanks the FBI?
The purpose of these resolutions is to unite the Congress, not divide it. The purpose is to unite us in condemning violent attacks like these, to make clear that we stand with the Jewish community today and always and that we will be there for them in the weeks and months ahead.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage you, read the resolution that Mr. Evans introduced. You will not find a single reference--not one--to the victims' families, the people I met with over the weekend, the people I marched with. There is nothing in Mr. Evans' resolution about standing with the Jewish people. Nothing. The word ``Jewish'' is mentioned once in this resolution. The terrorist's name is mentioned 13 times. There is no mention of this being a hate crime. There is nothing in the resolution about the anti-Semitism that is metastasizing across the country that Mr. Van Drew and I agree is a scourge.
So much of what Mr. Van Drew said is in the bipartisan resolution that I introduced. None of it is in the one that Mr. Evans introduced. There is not one mention, Mr. Speaker, in his resolution of Run for Their Lives, the organization that was targeted by this terrorist, the organization that has been pushing for the release of the hostages. They couldn't include one reference to the organization that was targeted? One?
I have served in this body, as I mentioned previously, Mr. Speaker, for 6\1/2\ years, and I have seen a lot of partisan debate unfold on this floor, but I think it is disgraceful to not give my community an opportunity to see our resolution considered on this floor.
I don't know how the Republican majority can force a vote on a resolution like this that gets so many of the basic facts wrong. I had hoped that my Republican colleagues would choose a different course, but they have yet to do so. There is still time.
The Speaker, the majority leader could put our bipartisan resolution on the floor for a vote. They could fix the defects in the resolution that Mr. Evans has introduced. I would implore them to do so.
Mr. Speaker, just a few words first. I want to speak a little bit about Mr. Evans because he may not say it himself. He has served in our military, served proudly in our Army, and he has served in Colorado as a police officer. He has done more, not only served in one or the other, but served both, and did so with honor, decency, and respect. I think the benefit of having him here, he brings a lot to the table about this issue because I know that he has served and worked in Mr. Neguse's actual district, in his territory, as well. I hope maybe he will speak about that, although I know he didn't necessarily plan to do so. He is my friend and a good man. I know he cares deeply about this issue.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Evans).
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this resolution to denounce the anti-Semitic terrorist attacks that occurred in Boulder, Colorado, on June 1, 2025.
First and foremost, let me say my heart goes out to the Jewish community, who were peacefully advocating for the release of hostages held by Hamas. This anti-Semitic terror attack was disgusting, and this type of hate has no home in Colorado. As we have heard, this man yelled anti-Semitic language while harming innocent people who had peacefully gathered.
We stand in strong opposition and denounce this attack, but this attack was not an isolated instance. It is part of a surge in anti- Semitism that is going unaddressed. Whether it is the Pennsylvania's Governor's mansion; a couple in Washington, D.C.; or peaceful protests in Boulder, Colorado, these attacks should not happen, and it is a tragedy that they continue to happen.
I can speak directly to that as a cop and a soldier for 22 combined years. I spent the better part of a year in a combat zone deployed in support of the global war on terror. I have responded and helped with tragedies in Boulder, Colorado, both as a National Guardsman fighting wildfires, putting together the crews, and deploying the aircraft. I also served as a police officer on the honor guard who has stood with our colleagues in Boulder when they lost an officer in 2021 in an active shooter event.
I am focused on making sure that we have a conversation around how do we prevent this from happening again. Unfortunately, in sanctuary States like Colorado, local law enforcement is prohibited from sharing information with their Federal counterparts, Mr. Speaker. This terror attack in Boulder is an example of why these sanctuary policies are dangerous to the safety and well-being of Americans.
As a former police officer, I know that law enforcement must be able to work with authorities to keep Coloradans and Americans safe. In this particular case, the attacker was an illegal immigrant who was granted a driver's license by the State of Colorado. He had multiple contacts with law enforcement prior to the attack, most notably when he tried to buy a gun and failed a background check. This is on top of publicly espousing support for an organization that is known to have jihadist problems and jihadist leanings.
Colorado's refusal to allow law enforcement to share basic information with Federal immigration authorities highlights the danger of these policies, and it is a contributing factor to the rise in crime rates which are impacting the life and safety of all Coloradans. Colorado now ranks second in the Nation as the most dangerous State. Without Colorado's sanctuary laws, this attack might have been prevented.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stand in defense of American values and join me in passing this resolution, which is focused on keeping Americans and Coloradans safe, and having the discussion around the solution to have the policies to accomplish that.
Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman from Colorado would indulge a quick question before he leaves.
Yesterday, there was a rally with thousands of people in Boulder, Colorado, commemorating the victims and celebrating Jewish culture and people. The two Senators from Colorado were there. Mr. Neguse was there. I would just ask if the gentleman who is introducing this resolution to commemorate, ostensibly, the victims of Boulder was in his neighboring district to be with the victims and the community.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Evans) to respond to the question.
Mr. Speaker, I, unfortunately, had other engagements that had been scheduled.
The resolution was introduced to, again, focus a component of the dialogue. Of course, our thoughts and our condolences go out, but we need more than thoughts and condolences. We need to have the conversation about how to prevent this from happening again. We need to have the public safety dialogue. That is what the resolution does.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for answering.
According to reporting this morning, the other previous obligation that the gentleman from Colorado had was to appear at a political campaign conference of the Speaker here in Washington, D.C., with three other Members who flipped districts.
Mr. Speaker, I am sure it was essential for the gentleman from Colorado to be the fourth Republican Member to have flipped a district last time to speak with donors in Washington, D.C., so that he could not return to Boulder, Colorado, to commemorate the victims who were the subject of this resolution that he so misguidedly introduced because this resolution is the exact opposite of Mr. Van Drew's resolution.
This resolution uses anti-Semitism, uses Jews, for a political objective. This was an anti-Semitic attack. The victims were Jewish. One victim was a Holocaust survivor. There is no question that the motivation of the perpetrator was anti-Semitism. It has nothing to do with how he got into this country.
If you want to have an immigration enforcement conversation, let's have an immigration enforcement conversation because this has nothing to do with that.
For the gentleman from Colorado to break precedent in the House of Representatives to prevent the Member representing the victims of this horrific attack from leading a resolution representing the families, I hope it is simply because he has been here for only 6 months and does not understand the traditions of this institution.
It would be a shame if this is where this institution has gone, if the partisanship has gotten so deep, so raw, and so uncontrollable that we can't follow the custom of having the victims' Representative introduce a resolution condemning such a horrific attack like this.
On top of that, to use this for some bogus immigration argument where he falsely characterizes Colorado as a sanctuary State and falsely represents that there were law enforcement contacts with the perpetrator when the only information we have is that there were some 911 hang-ups that traced back to an address where the perpetrator was living, to argue that somehow this is a reflection of our immigration system uses Jews as a partisan pawn.
It is the exact opposite of what we Jews in this country need. I get that we are in a political body. I get that they like to put these resolutions--Mr. Evans wasn't here last term, but there were about 10 anti-Semitism resolutions that effectively said the same thing, solely to score political points.
We Jews are sick and tired of being used as pawns. Anti-Semitism is rising to such a degree that people are now being murdered because they are Jewish. We are not just talking about protests on campus anymore. Every single Jewish institution has to significantly increase security. We all have to worry when we go into a synagogue whether we will be the next victim.
Here we are, dealing with this resolution, trying to convert anti- Semitism
What are we thanking ICE agents for in a resolution commemorating and condemning anti-Semitism and remembering and honoring the victims when there were no ICE agents there? ICE has nothing to do with it. It is because ICE is spending so much time pulling nonviolent, noncriminal immigrants out of court, where they are going through a lawful process to come in here, so that they can be removed in expedited removal; so that they can have their asylum claims, a lawful pathway, voided; and so they can be kicked out of the country with minimal due process just so Republicans and President Trump can meet their quota of mass deportations.
Mr. Speaker, we were promised they were going to go after convicted criminals. These people are not convicted criminals.
This resolution says that there is cooperation between State, local, and Federal law enforcement. Really? As far as I know, the President of the United States ordered the National Guard to go into California over the objection of the Governor of California, something that has not happened since 1965. In 1965, it happened because the Governor of the State was not following Federal law.
Is that the kind of cooperation that we are looking for here?
This resolution should be pulled immediately.
Mr. Van Drew and Mr. Neguse have offered resolutions that properly honor the victims, condemn anti-Semitism, and give the American people the sense of Congress that we, as a unified body, will not tolerate anti-Semitic violence. Instead, we are voting on an immigration gotcha resolution that uses anti-Semitism as a political pawn.
Mr. Speaker, I urge you and my colleagues on the other side to come to your senses. Stop using anti-Semitism as a partisan weapon. Pull this resolution. Allow Mr. Neguse's resolution to be introduced and voted on, as is the tradition of this body, in parallel along with Mr. Van Drew's, which accurately reflects the threat not just in Boulder, Colorado, but in Washington, D.C., in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and all around the country.
We still can do the right thing. It is still possible, and I am certain the American people would greatly appreciate seeing some bipartisanship out of this body on a topic that is so important to so many.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, let me just address a couple of things before we move on. Let me say that, first of all, as we all know, it was referenced over there something about Mr. Evans and what bills get to the floor. As a freshman Member of Congress, I can guarantee you that he is not determining what bills get to the floor in the United States House of Representatives.
Secondly, sometimes the simple truth is something, most especially in Washington, D.C., that we here in Congress just avoid or don't see with clarity. Here is the simple truth, and this is what Mr. Evans was trying to get at: His resolution, yes, it is different than mine. Mine focused purely on anti-Semitism here in the world, but he brings up a valid point, not only for Jews but for many innocent victims, whether it was Laken Riley or whether it was the women who were raped, the women and men who were killed, those who were beaten, or those who were hurt who were in law enforcement.
Illegal immigration is not a good thing. Yes, there are a few illegal immigrants who came to this country who are illegal but just trying to make their way but doing it the wrong way, but there are also real bad folks who got in.
The simple truth is--let's get back to what happened--the man, the individual human being, who did this atrocious act, who made these Molotov cocktails, and who fashioned a flamethrower was an illegal immigrant with a bad history.
There would be people who are good human beings in this country who would be alive if we didn't have an open-door border policy. That is the simple truth. It is not complicated.
That is not using Jews. It happened to be Jews that got hurt this time. It is not using women when it was women who got raped. It is not using children when children were beaten and raped by these illegals. It is not using them. It is stating the facts of how awful and terrible what it is that we have been doing in this country by allowing known murderers to exist and to stay in the country and not detaining them, giving them due process, and then, at the very least, deporting them.
That is Mr. Evans' point here. That is what he is trying to say. That is what he is trying to bring forth. It is a simple but important truth that somehow we are trying to avoid.
Finally, again, I will address it because my friend, and he is my friend, my friend from New York addressed what is going on in California. Here is the other rule in the United States of America. In the United States of America, you can rally, demonstrate, and express your viewpoint. You have freedom of speech. It doesn't mean you beat people. It doesn't mean you put cars on fire. It doesn't mean you destroy buildings. It doesn't mean that you are allowed to hurt other people.
We are a nation of the rule of law. There is a simple truth.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from the great State of Colorado (Mr. Crank).
I am in an unusual position here. This attack occurred in my home State of Colorado, as well, and I am actually a cosponsor of the resolution from my friend Mr. Neguse, and I am a cosponsor of the resolution of my friend Mr. Evans.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Neguse would tell you that I called him the night of this attack, and I offered my condolences to him and to his constituents and asked him if there was anything that I could do personally to help.
I offered to write a resolution, a bipartisan one. We didn't get that done, but I offered.
I will tell you where I was this weekend. I am not going to malign other Members of this Chamber and ask where they were, but I will tell you where I was. I flew back on Friday night so that I could spend 1 day, because I had to be back here on Sunday, but 1 day, and I went to a pro-life walk, and then, I went to three separate synagogues to be with the Jewish community in my city.
Mr. Speaker, what I don't quite understand is the concern over this resolution. Here is what, when you get to the ``now, therefore, be it resolved,'' this is what it says, and here is the reality.
Mr. Speaker, we can cosponsor Mr. Neguse's resolution. We can cosponsor and vote for Mr. Van Drew's resolution. We can cosponsor and vote for Mr. Evans' resolution.
Mr. Evans' resolution, the one we are talking about, says: ``Now, therefore, be it resolved that the House of Representatives.''
Tell me if I say anything, Mr. Speaker, that is radical. It says: ``Be it resolved that the House of Representatives condemns Mohammed Sabry Soliman and his antisemitic terrorist attack on peaceful demonstrators supporting the release of the hostages held by Hamas.''
I am for that. That is why I cosponsored Mr. Evans' resolution.
Number three, it says: Be it resolved that the House of Representatives ``affirms that free and open communication between State and local law enforcement and their Federal counterparts remains the bedrock of public safety and is necessary in preventing terrorist attacks.''
It seems reasonable to me.
Number four says: ``Expresses gratitude to law enforcement officers, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, for protecting the homeland.''
These are all things I can support and vote for. I guess I would ask why anybody would not vote and support the ``be it resolved'' in that resolution.
I rise today in support of my friend and colleague, Representative Gabe Evans, and his resolution denouncing this anti-Semitic terrorist attack.
We shouldn't even be here today debating this resolution. Because of the radical, illegal, and harmful policies being rubberstamped by the Governor of Colorado and the State legislature, here we are.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. Speaker, this terrorist was in our country having overstayed his visa. Instead of turning over this illegal alien to ICE and law enforcement, Colorado lawmakers gave him a sanctuary pass. In fact, they even went a step further and gave this terrorist a driver's license.
I am proud to be from El Paso County, a county in Colorado that stands for commonsense immigration policies and a community that works with our law enforcement to give them every tool to protect our community.
We must work with our Federal, State, and local law enforcement professionals and give them every resource to protect our communities and our country. I am proud to cosponsor and to support this resolution for Mr. Evans.
Mr. Speaker, very simply, can we amend Mr. Gabe Evans' resolution with the inaccurate information so that it reflects the accurate information about the number of victims? Can we just change the number from 14 to 15 and add the Boulder Police Department and the FBI? Then, the law enforcement agencies in my district, in particular, the Boulder Police Department, can be recognized by this House.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. A pending motion to suspend the rules may not be amended.
Mr. Speaker, I would say that had the Biden administration adequately screened this individual, this murderer, if they had screened him the way they should have, if our borders had been operating correctly, if they looked at his social media, they would have known that he consistently posted anti-Semitic videos. He consistently posted violence. He would have been denied, and all this wouldn't have happened.
How simple is that? Is this too complex for us in Washington? Maybe it is just too much simple truth.
Mr. Speaker, there are three Republican Members in the Chamber: Mr. Van Drew, Mr. Crank, and Mr. Evans.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House proceed to a vote on H. Res. 476, the bipartisan resolution condemning the anti-Semitic attack in Boulder.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under guidelines consistently issued by successive Speakers, as recorded in section 956 of the House Rules and Manual, the Chair is constrained not to entertain the request unless it has been cleared by the bipartisan floor and committee leaderships.
Mr. Speaker, I again simply ask Republican leadership to do the right thing and to bring H. Res. 476, the resolution I have introduced to condemn this attack in my community and in my district, to the floor for a vote. I think what the Republicans have decided to do is shameful. I couldn't be more disappointed.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman from New York has expired.
Mr. Speaker, I simply ask our Members on both sides of the aisle--I believe there will be Members on the other side of the aisle--to vote for both of these resolutions.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend, Dan Evans, for introducing this resolution condemning the antisemitic terror attack in Boulder, Colorado in which the attacker threw a Molotov cocktail while shouting an anti-Israel slogan.
This terror attack underlines the importance of ramping up the vetting of everyone who applies to enter the United States, and of vigorously, quickly, and responsibly removing from the U.S. people who violate the terms of their visas.
I've chaired seventeen congressional hearings on antisemitism--my first one was in 1997--so I have seen the sickening rise of left-wing antisemitism in the United States and Europe.
At a Congressional hearing I chaired in 2002, Dr. Shimon Samuels of the Wiesenthal Center in Paris testified and said, ``The Holocaust for 30 years after the war acted as a protective Teflon against blatant anti-Semitic expression (especially in Europe). That Teflon has eroded, and what was considered distasteful and politically incorrect is becoming simply an opinion. But,'' he warned ominously, ``cocktail chatter at fine English dinners can end as Molotov cocktails against synagogues.''
He was sadly right--we saw in the following years how antisemitism spread through the political elites of progressive Europe, and was followed by dramatic and terrifying increases in antisemitism throughout European societies--and then the increase in murderous attacks.
Now we see something like what Dr. Samuels talked about is happening in our country--the antisemitism that has crept into progressive America opened the door to more aggressive forms of antisemitism at American universities. And the antisemitic riots at universities, excused or condoned by America's educational elite, has empowered a murderous breed antisemitic extremists that perpetrated the recent wave of attacks.
Our response has to challenge this antisemitism at every stage--as elected officials, we have a responsibility to denounce antisemitism whenever it rears its ugly head, whenever it tries to marginalize or humiliate or exclude a Jewish person due to his or her faith. We have to fight it at the university level, at the administration is gearing, up to do, by preventing public universities from being turned into sanctuaries for antisemitic riots and threats. And we have to fight it at the law enforcement and immigration level, by providing community security and rigorously vetting people coming in to our country.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 488.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2035) to amend title 46, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Transportation to ensure that all cargoes procured, furnished, or financed by the Department of Transportation are transported on privately-owned commercial vessels of the United States, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Carbajal) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi.
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 on H.R. 2035.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Mississippi?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2035, the American Cargo for American Ships Act.
This measure focuses on strengthening the United States maritime industry by mandating that cargo procured, furnished, or financed by the Department of Transportation must be transported on United States- owned, -flagged, and -crewed commercial vehicles.
This bill ensures that the United States carriers will play a more significant role in the transportation of goods funded by the Federal Government, which will fuel economic growth and bolster United States maritime jobs.
H.R. 2035 also helps ensure that our Nation has a ready fleet of vessels and mariners that we can mobilize in national times of emergency.
I am proud to co-lead this legislation, and I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Carbajal) for introducing this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of my bill, the American Cargo for American Ships Act, and to express my thanks for the bipartisan leadership of Chair Sam Graves, Ranking Member Larsen, and also Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chair Ezell, who cosponsored this important legislation.
My bill strengthens the American merchant marine by guaranteeing that 100 percent of U.S. cargo generated by the Department of Transportation will be transported on U.S.-flagged ships. It is that simple.
This bill is the maritime industry's version of Buy American. If the government is shipping cargo, it should be on American vessels.
Starting with the end of World War II, the U.S. merchant marine has shrunk to an unacceptable level. My bill is an actionable step that we can take right now to improve the maritime industry, grow the U.S. mariner pool, and increase the number of U.S.-flagged ships.
From a national security perspective, cargo preference remains an effective shipping strategy in maintaining our Nation's presence and economic viability in the international market.
As the Department of Transportation is responsible for overseeing the majority of American maritime shipping, both domestically and globally, there is no reason why the Department cannot and should not set an example that is meaningful.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support passage of H.R. 2035, the American Cargo for American Ships Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
American shipping has been severely undermined over the past several decades, largely due to the dominance of foreign-flagged vessels that operate at lower cost by sidestepping United States labor, safety, and environmental standards.
H.R. 2035 is critical to restoring our Nation's maritime industry and ushering in a new era of American maritime dominance.
Mr. Speaker, I am honored to co-lead this legislation, and I would like to express my gratitude, again, to Representative Carbajal for introducing the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2035.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2351) to direct the Commandant of the Coast Guard to update the policy of the Coast Guard regarding the use of medication to treat drug overdose, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Carbajal) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record for H.R. 2351.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Mississippi?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2351 directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard to update the services policy regarding use of medication to treat drug overdoses.
This bill also strengthens the Coast Guard's ability to go after drug traffickers and respond to opioid overdoses. H.R. 2351 amends the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act, removing ambiguities in the current law which prohibits the prosecution of cases involving unmanned or autonomous vessels. This bill will therefore ensure that drug traffickers responsible can be charged, tried, and convicted.
Mr. Speaker, I thank T&I Committee member, Representative McDowell, for his leadership on this bipartisan legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of H.R. 2351, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2351, a bill requiring the Coast Guard to have a substantive policy on treating drug overdoses onboard vessels and also ensuring that the Coast Guard has the legal authority to prosecute certain drug smuggling cases.
I would also like to express my thanks for the bipartisan leadership of Chair Sam Graves, Ranking Member Larsen, and Subcommittee Chair Ezell.
This bill will strengthen the Coast Guard's ability to meet a core mission, saving lives. As we all know, the Coast Guard is involved in high-risk drug interdiction missions, as well as recreational boating oversight where drugs may also be present.
This bill requires the Coast Guard to update its policy on carrying and utilizing medications to treat drug overdoses such as naloxone.
Further, the bill ensures access to these medications at every installation and operational unit. As we all understand, handling drugs like cocaine and fentanyl is an exceptionally risky endeavor, and ensuring the Coast Guard has the necessary medication to prevent someone from losing a life is critical.
In addition, this bill also provides the Coast Guard with the ability to prosecute drug smuggling cases when the vessel operator is not physically onboard.
As technology continues to evolve and transnational criminal organizations get savvier and more sophisticated with their operations, this levels the playing field and helps the United States hold these unmanned vessel operators accountable.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support my colleagues who have worked on this important bipartisan legislation, and I look forward to seeing it passed into law.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 2351, which will strengthen the ability of the United States Coast Guard to respond effectively to opioid overdose situations.
The Coast Guard is on the front lines of the fight against fentanyl, working to stop traffickers at sea and saving lives in the process. This bill will ensure that they have the tools needed to do just that, because when an overdose happens, there is no time to wait.
This bill will give the Coast Guard broader authority to prosecute cases where illicit drugs are discovered on unmanned vessels or smuggled onboard without the knowledge of the crew.
This bill also ensures that Coast Guard facilities have naloxone and other similar medications on hand to treat overdoses, bringing the Coast Guard in line with other branches of the military.
By giving our coastguardsmen and -women access to naloxone, we are giving them the ability to save lives at sea and protect themselves should they come into contact with these deadly drugs. Put simply, we have their backs, and they have ours.
This commonsense bill will make it easier and safer for our servicemembers to protect our maritime borders with confidence when intercepting these poisons before they reach our communities.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.
Mr. Speaker, this bill will ensure drug traffickers face justice as they employ new technology and methods to flood our country with dangerous drugs. It will also give the Coast Guard the parity to police other armed services with regard to rapid treatment of drug overdoses, keeping guardsmen safe from accidental exposure.
H.R. 2351 implements changes that will help secure our maritime border and increase safety on our seas.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2351.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2390) to amend title 46, United States Code, to clarify that port infrastructure development program funds may be used to replace Chinese port crane hardware or software, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Carbajal) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record for H.R. 2390.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Mississippi?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2390, the Maritime Supply Chain Security Act. This bill strengthens the ability of ports to confront threats by Chinese software and hardware.
H.R. 2390 clarifies that funds from maritime port infrastructure development programs can be used for projects focused on upgrading or replacing port cranes that were either installed or supplied by the People's Republic of China or any of its related government entities.
I want to thank Representative Rouzer, leader on the T&I Committee, for his work on this legislation that ensures Federal funds can be used to counter threats posed by our Nation's adversaries.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I my consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2390, the Maritime Supply Chain Security Act, legislation that clarifies that funding provided by the port infrastructure development program can be used to replace or upgrade Chinese-made cranes at ports.
In 2024, over 80 percent of ship-to-shore cranes at ports in the United States were manufactured in China. There is currently no U.S. domestic production of ship-to-shore cranes, leaving some of the most valuable equipment at our ports vulnerable to cyberattacks and dependent upon Chinese manufacturing.
This is just one example of the type of manufacturing that needs to be brought back to the United States, not through the tariffs that pass along costs to the consumer but rather by working with companies and incentivizing change.
This bill serves as a prime example of the importance of the port infrastructure development program, a bipartisan program that invests in our ports and supply chain.
Since 90 percent of everything we wear, eat, and consume is carried by water, ports are the bedrock of our supply chain. The bipartisan infrastructure law provided $2.25 billion in advanced appropriations for PIDP.
I welcome the increase to the program in the fiscal year 2026 budget request and hope the appropriators follow suit.
H.R. 2390 continues the work of President Biden to replace Chinese cranes and bolster the cybersecurity of U.S. ports. For that reason, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2390, the Maritime Supply Chain Security Act, takes a critical step toward strengthening our port infrastructure and national security by expanding the eligible use of the port infrastructure development program to include the replacement of Chinese port hardware and software, most notably Chinese cranes and the software used to operate them.
As we all know, our country's ports serve an absolutely critical role in our national supply chain, moving millions of tons of goods each year, facilitating trade, which supports American businesses and consumers across the country. Any disruption to these supply chains results in increased costs for American families and shortages of essential goods, just as we witnessed during and after the outbreak of COVID.
For economic and national security reasons, we must ensure our maritime infrastructure is not only state of the art and efficient but also secure from foreign threats.
Unfortunately, too many of our Nation's largest ports rely on ship- to-shore cranes manufactured by Chinese state-owned companies with Chinese-owned software. Reports indicate the software used in these cranes can be exploited for espionage, potentially transmitting sensitive data such as the location and movement of cargo back to Communist China. This information could easily be used to disrupt trade, track shipments of military equipment, or gain intelligence on U.S. supply chains, among many other concerns.
The port infrastructure development program, a competitive grant program administered by the Maritime Administration, can help address these concerns. Therefore, my bill, the Maritime Supply Chain Security Act, provides a clear directive allowing funds from this competitive grant program to be used to replace these Chinese-manufactured cranes and their associated software.
Taking this step is not just about upgrading infrastructure, it is about protecting our economy, safeguarding national security, and ensuring American ports remain under American control.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this very important piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close and I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2390. It is an important next step in securing American ports and reducing the potential threat from foreign equipment and software. We must continue to take action to protect our transportation system from both physical and cyber threats.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2390.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 137) designating the House Press Gallery, Rooms H- 315, H-316, H-317, H-318, and H-319 in the United States Capitol, as the ``Frederick Douglass Press Gallery'', as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves) and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Larsen) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on H. Res. 137.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Missouri?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 137 designates the House Press Gallery as the Frederick Douglass Press Gallery.
Frederick Douglass came to Washington, D.C., in 1870 to become editor of the New National Era paper, which chronicled the progress of African Americans in the United States. He became the first African-American member of the press gallery from 1871 to 1875.
In 2007, he was honored with a plaque and painting in the House Press Gallery. This resolution today will officially name the House Press Gallery after him. I thank the gentleman from Florida, Representative Donalds, for his leadership on this bipartisan resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of the legislation and reserve balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 137, as amended, which designates rooms H-315, H-316, H-317, H-318, H-319 in the U.S. Capitol as the Frederick Douglass Press Gallery.
We honor Frederick Douglass for his extraordinary contributions to this country. Born an enslaved person, he grew to be a prominent abolitionist, public intellectual, journalist, world-renowned orator, businessman, and statesman.
Frederick Douglass was a courageous advocate for equal rights who used his journalistic and oratorical skills to advance civil liberties for all his life.
It is fitting that we name the House Press Gallery after the first Black reporter allowed into the Capitol press galleries.
Mr. Speaker, I support passage of the resolution, as amended, and urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 137 to rename the House Press Gallery the Frederick Douglass Press Gallery, in honor of a man whose life and work embodied the very best of American ideals and shattered through glass ceilings.
Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in 1818 and courageously escaped bondage in 1838. He built a life dedicated to truth, liberty, and justice.
He became a journalist in Rochester, New York, and launched The North Star using his own money, giving voice to the voiceless in the years before the Civil War.
He fought fiercely against slavery, championed equal rights and women's suffrage, and became one of the most forceful orators in American history. During the Civil War, Douglass recruited Black soldiers, met with President Lincoln to advocate for equal pay and treatment, and worked to assist those escaping slavery.
After his Rochester home was destroyed in a suspected arson attack, he moved to Anacostia here in Washington, D.C., and became the editor, and later owner, of the New National Era, which chronicled Black progress throughout the Nation.
Douglass was the first Black reporter admitted to the Capitol press galleries. From 1871 to 1875, he reported on the House and Senate action, keeping the African-American community informed during Reconstruction after the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. He spent countless hours writing and studying right here in the House Press Gallery. Even after his tenure in the gallery, he often would return to the Capitol.
Congress has honored Douglass with a portrait and plaque in the gallery and a statute in Emancipation Hall. This
I thank Speaker Johnson, Chairman Graves, Representatives Andre Carson, Burgess Owens, Stephen Horsford, Wesley Hunt, and John James for their leadership on this resolution.
I also thank my former staffer, Luke Diel, for all of his hard work and dedication in this effort. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 137.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I will take a moment to recognize someone who has made a particular impact on myself and this body, and that is Transportation and Infrastructure Republican Staff Director Jack Ruddy, who is leaving the Hill after 15 years.
Jack started out in my office as an intern. He liked it so much he decided to come back as an intern four more times. No matter what we did or how hard we tried, we just could not get rid of him. I am incredibly thankful that he stuck it out because this entire body has benefited from his public service and his expertise.
Jack has come a long way from his days as an intern. He went on to serve as my legislative director in my congressional office. For the last 6\1/2\ years, he has been with me at the T&I Committee, first as deputy staff director and, most notably, as staff director, which he led my entire team since 2022.
It is uncommon in this Chamber that a staff member makes such a lasting impact, but Jack is a very uncommon staffer. He is a trusted adviser, not only to me but to many members on the Transportation Committee on both sides of the aisle.
Over the years, he has played an integral role in shepherding through Congress numerous major legislative priorities to improve America's transportation network and build our infrastructure. This includes: the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 and other important aviation safety legislation; multiple water resources development acts; Coast Guard authorizations; public buildings and Federal office space reforms; and pipeline safety reauthorizations, just to name a few of the things that are out there.
It takes hard work, skill, extensive knowledge, and a deep understanding of the legislative process to get these things across the finish line, and Jack has all of those qualities.
It also takes sacrifice, and Jack, his wife, Paige, and their two boys, Joel and Barrett, know that all too well. I thank Jack and his entire family for the sacrifices that they have contributed in more ways than I can describe. Their sacrifices over the last 6\1/2\ years have contributed to the success of the T&I Committee and the House of Representatives.
Mr. Speaker, I close by saying that anybody who has ever worked with Jack knows that these things are very true: He is fair, he is pragmatic, and he knows how to get the job done. The most important thing that we know is that Jack is a true friend, and I can say that from personal experience. We are all going to miss him, and I wish him the best of luck as he begins his new chapter in life.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I will also take this time to recognize Republican Staff Director of T&I, Jack Ruddy, who is leaving at the end of the week, after more than 6\1/2\ years of work on the committee and, of course, an additional 9 years directly with the chair.
During Jack's 3 years as staff director, 2\1/2\ of which I have been the ranking member of the committee, the T&I Committee has passed impactful, bipartisan bills that have moved the ball on a number of issues. From our work on the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 to the WRDA Act in 2024, which included the first reauthorization of the Economic Development Administration in more than 15 years, Jack has proven to be a trusted partner and effective negotiator.
Just to show you how much work he does do, one of the issues we had to settle on the FAA Reauthorization Act occurred when I was in my district on Whidbey Island, while Sam was on Midway Island in the middle of the Pacific--I don't even know which day it was on Midway at the time--but Jack helped facilitate the phone call that helped the chair and me resolve a sticky wicket issue that we had to get done to get the bill done. I appreciated Jack's help in making that happen.
Even when we disagreed, Jack was never disagreeable, and he worked to find common ground. We are actually sad to see Jack go. I know Jack will do well and we wish him great luck in his future endeavors.
Mr. Speaker, I support the resolution and encourage my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, naming the House Press Gallery after Frederick Douglass is going to honor his commitment to the free press, his legacy, and his work reporting on the official business of Congress.
I urge support of House Resolution 137, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 137, which was approved unanimously by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in April.
It has been a pleasure to work with my Transportation and Infrastructure colleague, the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Owens), to help advance this bill through our markup and to the floor today. We are both original cosponsors of this resolution from the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Donalds.
H. Res. 137 will rename the House Press Gallery for an amazing American, Frederick Douglass.
Many know Douglass as an abolitionist and orator. Formerly enslaved, he emancipated himself.
Yet many don't know Douglass as a journalist. He first worked with William Lloyd Garrison's abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator.
Then, he founded and published his own newspaper, The North Star. The title recognized the way so many former slaves found liberation--by following the North Star to freedom. After the Civil War, Douglass published other newspapers, like The New National Era, a Black weekly newspaper. Douglass and his sons covered Congress for this publication.
Frederick Douglass was the very first Black man to report on Congress and be allowed into the Capitol press gallery, where he was a member from 1871 to 1875. He covered the critical debates in Congress during reconstruction, including developments on the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution.
There is a plaque and a painting of Douglass in the Press Gallery. But it's past time for a permanent recognition of his groundbreaking and legendary work by renaming the House Press Gallery the Frederick Douglass Press Gallery.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting passage of this resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 137, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
The title of the resolution was amended so as to read: ``Resolution designating the House Press Gallery (Rooms H-315, H-316, H-317, H-318, and H-319 of the United States Capitol) as the `Frederick Douglass Press Gallery'.''.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 248) to require Amtrak to install baby changing tables in bathrooms on passenger rail cars.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Larsen) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 248.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Mississippi?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 248, the Baby Changing on Board Act is effective, bipartisan legislation intended to help parents better care for their children when traveling.
The bill requires Amtrak to install baby changing tables in all ADA- accessible restrooms on trains owned by Amtrak. These facilities are common on other transportation modes, including airlines. They are likewise necessary on intercity passenger rails.
The bipartisan bill is a long, overdue improvement to Amtrak service.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support the Baby Changing on Board Act. This bill requires Amtrak to install baby changing stations in accessible bathrooms on new passenger rail cars and include clear signage indicating the availability of changing stations. This will ensure that parents with young children on Amtrak trains can use accessible, safe, and comfortable changing facilities.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this legislation to create a safer, cleaner, and more accessible experience for parents and caregivers traveling with young children. I urge my colleagues to support the Baby Changing on Board Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bipartisan bill, the Baby Changing on Board Act. This is a simple, commonsense bill, and it is long overdue.
Every parent deserves the basic dignity of a clean, safe space to change their baby's diaper, no matter how they travel. Right now, many long-distance trains can go for hours without a single stop.
Families riding Amtrak shouldn't have to change their babies on the floor of a train car or in unsafe, unsanitary conditions. It is simply unacceptable, and it is avoidable.
Mr. Speaker, my bill ensures that every new Amtrak train includes a baby-changing table in at least one restroom per car, including ADA- compliant restrooms, because, let's be real, babies don't wait for layovers when they need to be changed.
Mr. Speaker, I will paint the picture: You are holding your baby in one arm, a diaper bag in the other, and probably some other stuff, too. You make your way to the restroom with your kids and your bags, only to realize there is no changing table. What are you supposed to do?
This is not a hypothetical. Millions of Americans ride Amtrak every year, so those trains should work for everyone, including families with young kids. Yet, on many of those trains, parents, usually moms, are forced to make an impossible choice: change their child on a dirty floor or seat, or just sit there and hope for the best.
Mr. Speaker, I have heard from families and parents in my northern Illinois community who rely on Amtrak, and they are tired of getting stuck in this impossible position on trains that don't have safe facilities for the littlest riders.
Since this is a safety issue for these children, it is a public health issue. Frankly, it is about dignity. These parents aren't asking for luxury. They are asking for a clean, flat surface and some basic respect.
Mr. Speaker, we all know diaper changes are not optional, which is why safe baby-changing stations shouldn't be optional, either.
The Baby Changing on Board Act is about building a country where every family has what they need to thrive. That starts with recognizing that caregiving matters, parenting matters, and infrastructure should actually support it.
This bill will not solve every challenge that parents face, but it is a meaningful step toward a more family-friendly future.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their support of this bill. In particular, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew) for working to introduce it with me. I urge everyone in this Chamber to vote ``yes.''
Let's make changing a diaper on a train a little less gross and a lot more humane.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support the Baby Changing on Board Act, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same. I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 248 is long overdue. It provides help for American families traveling with young children. It simply makes sense for Amtrak to comply with ADA requirements, especially as a recipient of Federal funding.
I was glad to see the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure favorably report this measure, and I look forward to the House doing so, as well.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 248.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1182) to require the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate regulations relating to the approval of foreign manufacturers of cylinders, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Larsen) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi.
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 on H.R. 1182.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Mississippi?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, in recent years, foreign-produced gas cylinders from countries like China have entered the United States market despite failing to meet Department of Transportation safety standards and specifications.
In addition to threatening public safety, these dangerous imported cylinders take market share from the gas cylinder manufacturers in the United States.
H.R. 1182 is bipartisan legislation that will improve safety while also providing a level playing field for American cylinder manufacturers. Importantly, this legislation will apply the same safety standards to foreign-produced cylinders as those manufactured in the United States.
Finally, the bill will increase the capacity of PHMSA to conduct foreign inspections without cost to the United States taxpayers by allowing for more adequate cost recovery from applicants.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1182, the Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety and Oversight Improvements Act.
The bill requires the Secretary of Transportation to advance a rulemaking to make the standards for foreign manufacturers of compressed gas cylinders sold in the U.S. the same as standards for the domestic makers of these same cylinders.
Compressed gas cylinders are used every day in life for medical, auto, defense, oil and gas, residential, firefighting, and other purposes.
In January, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued a safety advisory notice regarding unsafe cylinders being sold online to consumers, shippers, and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning folks. These were not manufactured to American or even United Nations standards and lacked certification markings.
Using these unsafe compressed gas cylinders could cause significant damage to property, physical injury, or even death. PHMSA determined that the unmarked empty cylinders being sold in the United States on major commercial websites are primarily manufactured by non-U.S. companies. This bill requires a consistent standard for both domestic and foreign manufacturers of compressed gas cylinders.
Mr. Speaker, I support this bipartisan bill and urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety and Oversight Improvements Act.
Mr. Speaker, for far too long, manufacturers in Ohio and across the Nation have had to compete on an unfair playing field. This bill restores fairness for American producers by cracking down on the import of counterfeit and dangerous gas cylinders into the United States.
My bill also holds foreign manufacturers to the same safety and inspection standards that domestic manufacturers are already required to meet.
Simply put, there is no reason that the United States Government should make it easier to manufacture these critical products abroad than it is to produce them here at home.
To be sold in interstate commerce, the Department of Transportation requires compressed gas cylinders to be manufactured to specific standards and properly stamped. Currently, the Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, or PHMSA, inspects facilities in the United States at least once per year to ensure compliance with safety requirements. However, for cylinders manufactured in foreign countries and then sold and imported into the United States, PHMSA only inspects those facilities once every 5 years.
Over time, certain foreign producers have deliberately evaded safety and regulatory standards to gain a competitive advantage over domestic producers, potentially jeopardizing public safety in the process.
This bill ensures that PHMSA has the necessary tools to conduct more frequent inspections at foreign manufacturing facilities and to hold bad actors accountable.
I thank my friend, the chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, for his support in moving this bill forward. I also thank my colleague from Illinois (Mr. Krishnamoorthi), my co- lead on this legislation, for his partnership and commitment to advancing this important legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I will close by saying that I support the Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety and Oversight Improvements Act. I encourage my colleagues to do the same, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1182 will better protect the public from the dangers of poorly manufactured and mislabeled compressed gas cylinders.
This legislation will also better ensure fair competition for American manufacturers and workers.
Further, H.R. 1182 improves transparency by requiring all applications to be subject to public review and input. It ensures that the United States regulators have access to any and all pertinent information regarding applicants.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Ohio (Mr. Balderson) for leading this important bipartisan effort.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1182.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1373) to require certain meetings of the Tennessee Valley Authority to be transparent and open to the public, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Larsen) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi.
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 on H.R. 1373, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Mississippi?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressmen Burchett and Cohen for their continued work in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to make the
Specifically, this bill puts into law practices that make more meetings open to the public and ensures that minutes from those meetings are publicly available after the fact.
The bill also contains limited exceptions for meetings involving sensitive information in order to protect TVA's competitiveness and ability to carry out its mission for its customers.
Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1373, as amended, bipartisan legislation to promote additional transparency of board meetings of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
I thank Representatives Cohen and Burchett of Tennessee for their leadership on this bill and their tireless work to improve the TVA.
TVA is the Nation's largest government-owned wholesale power producer, supplying power to 10 million people across the States of Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, and Kentucky.
This legislation requires TVA's board meetings to be open to the public when possible, which will increase transparency for the communities impacted by TVA's decisions.
Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 1373, as amended, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Ezell for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bipartisan Tennessee Valley Authority Transparency Act.
TVA is a congressionally chartered American public power company that provides electricity to over 10 million people in Tennessee and six surrounding States.
Despite TVA's significant role in our daily lives, it holds most of its meetings behind closed doors. I believe Americans are sick and tired of these dadgum backroom dealings, Mr. Speaker.
The TVA Transparency Act requires all board meetings to be held in public and for TVA to provide at least 7 days' notice so that people know when and where the meetings occur.
This bill provides greater accountability to the American people while retaining reasonable FOIA--for those who don't understand what ``FOIA'' is, that is the Freedom of Information Act--and Sunset Act protections.
I have always advocated for more transparency at TVA, first in the State legislature, then as a mayor, and now as a Congressman.
I thank my good friend, Representative Cohen, who I don't see in here today, for his continued support. Steve and I were in the Tennessee General Assembly together. We raised the speed limit in Tennessee. We brought Isaac Hayes to the floor of the Tennessee State Senate. The gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) is the first person who ever fed me lobster, oddly enough. He has been a great friend, and he also called my momma when my daddy died. I am very close to Steve. Even though our political allegiances are about as far apart as they can get, he is still my good friend.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass this bipartisan bill and restore public trust in TVA.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1373, the TVA Transparency Act is a commonsense bill that makes Tennessee Valley Authority more transparent while ensuring it can serve its customers effectively.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1373, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 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, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Larsen) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi.
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 on H.R. 1948, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Mississippi?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1948 would allow the United States section of the International Boundary and Water Commission, or IBWC, to receive additional funding from other Federal and non-Federal partners to support water and wastewater infrastructure.
The IBWC is already authorized to receive funds from the Environmental Protection Agency, but this bill will allow the IBWC to partner with other agencies and entities, such as the Department of Homeland Security, to address the maintenance backlog for critical water infrastructure.
This legislation will allow the IBWC to access more funding sources so it can maintain these assets and, in turn, help provide cleaner water for our warfighters to train in and strengthen our security posture along our southern border.
Enacting the bill would help advance the Trump administration's priorities as outlined in the President's fiscal year 2026 budget request.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1948, as amended, bipartisan legislation to assist the U.S. section of the International Boundary and Water Commission, or IBWC, in carrying out its critical water- related missions.
This bill allows IBWC to accept contributed funds from other Federal and State agencies, giving the Commission the authority other Federal infrastructure agencies already have.
This authority will allow the IBWC to partner with other Federal agencies and non-Federal interests to carry out critical water-related projects, including projects for wastewater treatment, water conservation, and flood control. I support H.R. 1948, as amended, and urge my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, my bill, H.R. 1948, allows the International Boundary and Water Commission, or IBWC, to accept up to $5 million per year from other Federal agencies or outside entities like cities, States, and nonprofit organizations for wastewater treatment and flood control projects like those that would fight the cross-border sewage crisis in and around San Diego and Coronado.
The IBWC has jurisdiction over the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant in San Diego, where longstanding operational and maintenance failures have allowed raw sewage to flow from the Tijuana River onto San Diego's beaches. This has created a public health crisis that strains local resources, poses significant environmental risks, and forces servicemembers to train in polluted sewage water.
Under current law, Federal agencies, State governments, and local entities cannot transfer funds to projects under IBWC's jurisdiction. This leaves IBWC solely reliant on annual appropriations or emergency funding to build and maintain its facilities.
My office, along with the rest of the San Diego delegation and our California senators, have worked hard to secure $360 million in emergency funding to help address chronic issues at the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant. This bill would provide another tool to ensure that San Diego and Coronado do not need to move from emergency to emergency to secure adequate funding for this plant.
I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who have helped move the ball forward on this issue, including the San Diego delegation, our California senators, and my colleagues who are former Navy SEALs, who understand the harm of training in these polluted waters.
I also thank the cities of San Diego, Coronado, Imperial Beach, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, San Diego Coastkeeper, WILDCOAST, and other San Diegans who have made stopping this catastrophe a top priority.
Mr. Speaker, the IBWC plays a crucial role in addressing water needs across the U.S.-Mexico border. I support H.R. 1948, as amended, to ensure the IBWC has the authority necessary to carry out its critical work and urge my colleagues to support this bill, as well.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1948 is a strong, bipartisan bill that advances the Trump administration's priorities that helps the IBWC effectively manage critical water infrastructure along the southern border.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1948, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 252) to amend title 46, United States Code, to prohibit certain contracts for port operations and management, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Carbajal) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi.
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 on H.R. 252, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Mississippi?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 252 takes important steps to strengthen the security of our supply chains by limiting the ability of the Chinese, Russian, North Korean, or Iranian state-owned entities to own, lease, or operate port terminals in this country.
This legislation will ensure that our ports remain safe from both cyber and physical threats, which increases our national security posture.
I commend my colleague from California (Mr. Calvert) for leading on this issue and working to strengthen our Nation's posture against our adversaries.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, if the port congestion and vessel backlogs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it is the importance of a resilient supply chain.
H.R. 252, the Secure Our Ports Act, works to minimize interference in U.S. ports from foreign adversaries. In order to ensure the free flow of cargo into and out of our country, we must ensure full control over and investment in our ports.
I am proud to have voted in support of the bipartisan infrastructure law, which provided $2.5 billion of investment in port infrastructure.
We all now understand the importance of a strong resilient supply chain, and this bill is a step in the right direction.
I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure robust funding for the maritime industry. For this reason, I will vote ``yes'' on H.R. 252.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to approve my bipartisan legislation, H.R. 252, the Secure Our Ports Act.
This bill is designed to strengthen our national security by prohibiting foreign adversaries from owning and operating critical infrastructure in the United States.
China's influence and access to critical infrastructure around the world continues to grow. Some reports indicate China owns or operates ports and terminals at nearly 100 locations in over 50 countries.
Last year, the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party issued a report highlighting its national security concerns over the influence of critical port infrastructure by Chinese-owned enterprise.
More recently, the Defense Department included a number of Chinese shipping firms to a list of companies it identifies as military in nature.
America's ports are essential gateways for trade and commerce which provide the foundation of our economy as well as our national security. Allowing foreign adversaries like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran to own and operate port infrastructure would threaten that very foundation and creates a serious liability. Congress must take action and protect this vital infrastructure by passing the Secure Our Ports Act.
In closing, I thank my California colleague, John Garamendi, for cosponsoring this bill and making the bipartisan effort as well as Carlos Gimenez of Florida.
I also thank the chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, my friend Sam Graves, for steering this bill through the Committee.
America's ports are vital to our economic and national security, and I urge all my colleagues to approve this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, this bill creates a vital safeguard for some of our Nation's most critical infrastructure. H.R. 252 prevents certain foreign entities from entering into contracts for the ownership, leasing, or operation of port facilities that are subject to security plans. This, in turn, reduces vulnerabilities at our ports and bolsters national security.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 252, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2035) to amend title 46, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Transportation to ensure that all cargoes procured, furnished, or financed by the Department of Transportation are transported on privately-owned commercial vessels of the United States, and for other purposes, on which the yeas and nays were ordered.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 373, nays 14, not voting 44, as follows:
Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ changed her vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Denouncing the Antisemitic Terrorist Attack in Boulder, Colorado
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 488) denouncing the antisemitic terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado on which the yeas and nays were ordered.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution.
This is a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 280, nays 113, answered ``present'' 6, not voting 33, as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. There are 2 minutes remaining.
Ms. ANSARI changed her vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
Ms. PETTERSEN changed her vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Condemning the Rise in Ideologically Motivated Attacks on Jewish Individuals in the United States, Including the Recent Violent Assault in Boulder, Colorado, and Reaffirming the House Of...
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 481) condemning the rise in ideologically motivated attacks on Jewish individuals in the United States, including the recent violent assault in Boulder, Colorado, and reaffirming the House of Representatives commitment to combating antisemitism and politically motivated violence, on which the yeas and nays were ordered.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution.
This is a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 400, nays 0, answered ``present'' 2, not voting 30, as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. There are 2 minutes remaining.
So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of H. Res. 480, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Taylor.) Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Wisconsin?
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding achievements of the PennWest Clarion Small Business Development Center, which was recently honored at the 2025 Pennsylvania SBDC Growth Conference.
Not only was PennWest Clarion SBDC named the 2025 Outstanding Center of the Year, but three members of the exceptional team were recognized for their leadership and their dedication.
Cindy Nellis was named the 2025 Director of the Year, honoring her visionary leadership and steadfast commitment to the network's mission. Cindy's guidance has empowered both her team and the entrepreneurs that they serve.
Jeanne Best received the 2025 Administrative Service Award for her excellence behind the scenes, ensuring operations run smoothly.
Aleshia Marshall earned the highest honor in the SBDC system: The 2025 State Star Award, recognizing her outstanding performance, deep community engagement, and unwavering support for small businesses across the Nation.
PennWest Clarion SBDC continues to be a significant force for growth, innovation, and local prosperity.
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the entire team on their well-deserved recognition and continued service to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today because the President's trash bill is out here cutting funding for a program that supports low-income kids and families, supports our seniors, and supports those without housing. I rise today because those cuts will leave people in my district hungry. I rise today because that is unacceptable.
I am talking about SNAP. SNAP provides children and families in my district and across this country with the help they need to put food on the table. It reduces food insecurity, and it boosts our local economies. Our communities can't afford cuts to these benefits.
It is a vital lifeline for my constituents. Over 733,000 Oregonians used SNAP benefits last year, and that is over one in six residents in the State.
It is unconscionable to give $2 trillion in tax breaks to the ultra- wealthy by defunding this food assistance American families depend on.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a standout college senior from my district who just achieved his dream of being signed to play in the NFL.
Last week, it was announced that Peshtigo native and St. Norbert College senior Mitch Van Vooren signed with the Seattle Seahawks as a tight end.
Mitch graduated from Peshtigo High School. After graduation, he attended Marquette University on a Division I track and field scholarship. Despite his success in this field, he never gave up on his goal of playing in the NFL.
Last year, he joined the St. Norbert College Green Knights football team, where he had a standout season, scoring 13 touchdowns and gaining over 1,000 receiving yards. His performance earned him First Team All- Conference honors.
Mitch's journey is a powerful reminder that we should never give up on our dreams. Through dedication, determination, and hard work he made his vision a reality.
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Mitch on being signed to the NFL. I wish him the best of luck and continued success with the Seattle Seahawks, of course, except when he plays the Green Bay Packers. He has made all at St. Norbert, St. Norbert alumni, and everyone in Wisconsin's Eighth Congressional District incredibly proud.
Mr. Speaker, I rise because I am deeply concerned about hurricane season and the state of FEMA and our national disaster preparedness.
A little bit of context: One of the reasons I got involved in politics was as a student at Tulane University in New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina hit the city at the time.
I couldn't believe the waste, fraud, and incompetence that occurred at places like FEMA.
Here we are, years later, with an acting FEMA director who doesn't even know we have a hurricane season. Well, we do have a hurricane season, and it is estimated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, that there will be at least 10 hurricanes this year.
After firing hundreds of weather experts and saying they wanted to traumatize the rest, NOAA is now scrambling to refill those empty positions. They also cancelled critical storm damage reports this year.
It just seems like we are not prepared right now for hurricane season and other major natural disasters.
Let's be clear. There is no room for error when it comes to this, and this poor leadership will cost us lives. The American people deserve better.
Mr. Speaker, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have a choice to make.
They thought it was cute to defund the police. That didn't work out for
Then they thought it was cute to ignore our border. They allowed millions to storm America. Many were sex traffickers, drug runners, child predators, murderers, and thugs. Now thugs are rioting and burning Los Angeles, all because ICE is arresting and deporting killers, rapists, and drug dealers.
They are attacking local police, Federal agents, and the rule of law.
I think they would have learned, but they have doubled down. They are supporting mayhem, burning American flags, and foreign nationals are waving flags from other countries.
They can't support the police while supporting those who attack them.
Mr. Speaker, I stand here today in support of labor leader David Huerta. The head of the SEIU California union was arrested in Los Angeles while exercising his First Amendment rights to speech and assembly, rights that are guaranteed to all of us in the Constitution. That is what separates us from autocratic regimes around the world.
The Trump administration is now going after judges, Members of Congress, political opponents, students, law firms, reporters, Governors, and now the leader of a powerful labor union.
This is about abusing power to silence dissent. This is about generating fear to turn us against each other so that we don't pay attention to this lawbreaking administration.
David Huerta said this after being arrested: ``What happened to me is not about me. This is about something much bigger. This is about how we as a community stand together and resist the injustice that is happening. Hardworking people and members of our family and community are being treated like criminals. We all collectively have to object to this madness because this is not justice.''
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Georgia Pharmacy Association and recognize its 150th anniversary this year.
Founded in 1875 in Macon by a group of Georgia pharmacists, the Georgia Pharmacy Association has acted as a platform to promote pharmacy both as a profession and a vital component of healthcare. The organization's reach has expanded into our four pharmacy schools in Georgia, fostering involvement from the next generation of healthcare professionals.
The Georgia Pharmacy Association has achieved several legislative wins, both at the State and Federal levels, including a recent State reimbursement bill supporting independent pharmacies in their battle against PBMs.
I congratulate the Georgia Pharmacy Association on their achievements for pharmacy throughout the past 150 years, and I wish them all the best at the upcoming State convention in Amelia Island this weekend.
Mr. Speaker, before I hopped on the Northeast Regional train to D.C. this morning, I joined Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins to bring attention to the Trump administration's proposed 25 percent cut in funding the Amtrak Northeast Corridor service. This is a bad business decision that speaks more to politics than any objective analysis of what will grow the economy and jobs.
In the congested corridor between Boston and D.C., where major businesses are headquartered and where we generate major revenue for this Nation, we don't need more cars on the road and more planes circling our airports.
We can attract more Amtrak riders with modernization and upgrades, but this administration shows every day that if you don't support them and their policies, you don't count. They will remove Federal services from key cities, take away longtime tax deductions, impose their values and policies, and now curtail transportation options.
Those of us who represent northeast and mid-Atlantic States get the message loud and clear: We don't count.
Amtrak represents growth and expansion for America. When we treat it as such, we will see more of these benefits in other corridors.
Mr. Speaker, we are seeing it again in another large city. This time, it is in Los Angeles, where what the media sometimes terms ``a mostly peaceful protest'' is burning part of the town down.
Indeed, it is lawless chaos. Streets are blocked. Law enforcement is under attack. Foreign flags are being waved while American flags burn. Businesses and vehicles are going up in flames. It is less like a demonstration and more like a foreign invasion.
California officials, though, have stood by and done virtually nothing. The Los Angeles police chief says that his department is actually overwhelmed. Other officials in California are outraged that the National Guard was deployed to clean up the mess that they have refused to address. Governor Gavin Newsom told people to resist ICE and then acted surprised when things got worse.
My colleagues can see this little gem right here written on the side of the car. We had to clean it up a bit for public viewing.
These riots should be stopped immediately. Those doing it should be arrested. Those who are aiding and abetting it, including elected officials, need to be dealt with very sternly in this process.
I fully support our National Guard, Department of Homeland Security, and law enforcement on the ground for doing the job that Governor Newsom and Los Angeles city officials simply won't do.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my profound opposition to the unjust slashes to SNAP benefits included in the House majority's reconciliation legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I have seen the tangible benefits of SNAP benefits in northwest Indiana and how it is essential for many seniors, children, and working families.
Throughout my career, I have worked to support all individuals when they need emergency assistance, often through no fault of their own. I also appreciate the longstanding relationship with the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana and other organizations that are responsible for distributing these essential food benefits.
These cuts are being pushed under the false pretense of targeting waste, fraud, and abuse. If that were truly the case, they would be part of the farm bill. Instead, this legislation rips food from the tables of those in need to pay for tax breaks for the most wealthy.
I have seen the need firsthand: miles-long lines on 61st Avenue as families wait for the food bank to open. My community is hurting, and this cruel policy is a betrayal of our most vulnerable.
I urge my Senate colleagues to reject this harmful legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I spent the weekend back in Wisconsin,
I was at breakfast on the farm in Manitowoc County. I will tell you that June has been National Dairy Month since 1937. When I think of June, I think of cream cheese. I think of cottage cheese. I think of yogurt. I think of raw milk. I think of pasteurized milk. I think of Colby cheese, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, and provolone cheese.
I think of the fact that, whenever you tour your factories in Wisconsin, they say they don't have workers like they used to have workers because they used to have workers who were raised on a dairy farm, and there is nobody who knows the value of hard work more than somebody on a dairy farm.
I will tell you that, more recently, other groups have weighed in since 1937 and said June is their month. It is not their month. June is the dairy industry's month, and I hope everybody spends next weekend going home to buy themselves a brick of cheese.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Nancy Rosen Stern on what would have been her 60th birthday.
Nancy was a proud Long Islander who lived on the south shore her entire life. She graduated from Lawrence High School and raised her family in Hewlett, just a few miles from where she grew up.
Above all, what Nancy revered most was her family. It began with her devoted parents, Joan and Marty, who passed down their moral compass to Nancy and her sisters, Ilene and Lynn.
Along with her beloved husband, Steven, she raised three children, Michael, Corey, and Samantha, who have all embraced her zest for life and her passion for giving back to her community.
Nancy was looking forward to the birth of her first grandchild, Sloane Naomi, and helped her daughter-in-law Gwen prepare for Sloane's arrival. Sadly, she never had the opportunity to meet Sloane, but her legacy lives on in her beautiful smile and cheerful personality.
Throughout her life, Nancy strove to give back to those in need. She was incredibly active in the Marion & Aaron Gural JCC of the Five Towns, helping children with special needs. The UJA meant very much to her.
A devoted daughter, best friend to her sisters, proud mother, supportive aunt, grandmother, reliable friend, and soulmate to her husband, Nancy Rosen Stern will always be remembered.
I am honored to share her story with all of my colleagues here today. May her memory be a blessing.
Mr. Speaker, I stand today for the 18th time to demand that the Trump administration restore funding for lifesaving food aid.
Edesia Nutrition in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, is one of only two U.S. manufacturers of Plumpy'Nut, a ready-to-use therapeutic food that saves lives every day.
This operation includes a supply chain that encompasses American farmers, American distribution companies, and American logistics companies.
The Edesia location in Rhode Island in a normal year sources 85 million pounds of raw materials: peanuts, soy, dairy, sugar, and more, all from the United States. That is enough to fill 128 Olympic-sized swimming pools a year.
When the Trump administration cuts USAID funding, they are not only hurting children around the world who rely on this nutrition. They are also hurting American farming and manufacturing.
The Trump administration needs to deliver on its word to restore this aid. Until they do, I will continue to speak on this floor.
Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor that I rise today to co-anchor this CBC Special Order hour, along with my distinguished colleague from Virginia, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan.
For the next 60 minutes, members of the CBC will have an opportunity to speak directly to the American people during this Men's Health Month, an issue of great importance to the Congressional Black Caucus, Congress, the constituents we represent, and all Americans.
Mr. Speaker, every year, we recognize the month of June as Men's Health Month. It is a time to encourage men to set an example for their families by engaging in preventive healthcare. It is about breaking harmful habits, making informed decisions, and prioritizing health in a way that protects not just individuals but the whole community.
This effort plays a vital role in addressing a stark and troubling reality: Men have higher mortality rates in most of the leading causes of death and have a lifespan nearly 6 years shorter than women.
These numbers should concern all of us because they affect all of us. When men ignore their health or delay getting care, it doesn't happen in isolation. It impacts their children, their spouses, their coworkers, and the broader economy.
By highlighting the importance of routine check-ups, screenings, and early detection, Men's Health Month aims to shift that reality. It is not just about improving men's personal outcomes; it is about strengthening the support systems around them: the women who care for them, the employers who depend on them, and the families who love them. However, we have a long way to go.
Did you know that only 49 percent of men in the U.S. aged 21 and older had a routine doctor's appointment or cancer screening in the past year? These are dismal numbers. That is according to the Prevent Cancer's 2025 Early Detection Survey. That is less than half. It is not just a missed opportunity; it is a public crisis in the making.
We can't normalize avoidance or downplay the importance of check-ups. Preventive care isn't optional. It is essential. Preventive care is much cheaper, much more efficient than curative care: pay me now or pay me later.
I am proud to serve as the co-chair of the Men's Health Caucus, stepping into this role following the passing of my dear friend and colleague, the Honorable Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. Donald was a tireless advocate for health equity, and I am honored to continue his legacy.
The Men's Health Caucus is a bipartisan group. We are united by a shared goal, ensuring that men, no matter where they live, what they look like, what their race or religion may be, all have access to healthcare, to health information, to quality care that they need to live longer, healthier lives.
As chair, I am committed to continuing this important work and encouraging men to take a proactive approach to their health not just during June but every month of the year.
The caucus focuses on key areas like mental health care, prostate cancer screening, traumatic brain injury, and urological health. These are not fringe issues; they are central to the well-being of men across America, and yet they often go unaddressed until it is too late.
We are working hard to change that. We are educating Congress and the public, bringing in medical professionals and public health experts, and pushing for legislative solutions that will have real and lasting impacts.
We know that men and boys historically have not been as proactive in seeking medical care. Too often there is a stigma, a belief that asking for help or going to the doctor is a sign of weakness. We have been taught to suck it up, big boys don't cry. Come on, man. You can do it. Until it is too late. We often only go to a doctor when we are deathly ill or we break a bone.
Our counterparts, young ladies and women, unlike boys and men, because
Mr. Speaker, this is a wake-up call for America. This is a wake-up call for all of us to do better, to take care of ourselves, be a part of the solution and not the problem. This stigma often leaves us in a very bad situation. It is not a weakness. In fact, it couldn't be further from the truth.
Real strength is taking control of your health. Real strength is getting checked. Real strength is talking about mental health before it becomes a crisis.
When we are sick with diabetes, high blood pressure, or any other ailment, we see a doctor. We modify our diets. We exercise. We take a pill. We talk to someone, but with mental health, we somehow think we will just stick our head in the sand and it will go away; but it won't. You are not alone, trust me.
For those who are listening, for those in the Chamber, you are not alone. There is help for you. There are resources available to make things better, but you have to take that step. You have to get past the stigma. Mental imbalance, anxiety, and depression are as common as the common cold, but unlike the cold, they won't go away on their own. It requires attention. You can live a very long, comfortable, healthy, happy life, but it requires action on your part.
That is why our caucus is engaging in talent, on both sides of the aisle. Recognizing that this is not a Republican or a Democratic issue. This is an American issue. This is a human issue. This is an issue that together we can demonstrate to the American people that, yes, Republicans and Democrats alike can work together to address something that is crippling our Nation. Our young people, our older people, and our people in between, are suffering.
Social media has made it very difficult for our young people. COVID made it very difficult for our young people. The pressures of life make it very difficult for people. Our poor economy makes it difficult for people, and a lack of effective healthcare makes it difficult for people.
Let's do better. Let's do better together. We are working across the aisle because we realize that together we can do something. The political spectrum and collaborating with health experts to advance smarter policies around education, prevention, and access will make a difference. Healthcare is more than a personal issue; it is a community issue. I know how deeply it affects the strengths and prosperity of our neighborhoods, especially when it comes to historically underserved populations.
It is no secret that systemic racism negatively impacts health outcomes for Black Americans. That is not speculation. It is well- documented. Black men face higher risks of chronic conditions, receive fewer preventive services, and experience worse outcomes overall. This must stop.
It is simply unacceptable. We cannot build a healthy world if we leave entire communities behind. I hope Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is listening. Healthcare is real.
Let's make America healthy again by keeping programs like Medicaid. Let's make America healthy again by making sure that children are eating nutritious meals. Let's make America healthy again by making sure people in rural communities have access to hospitals and healthcare. Let's make America healthy again by providing the resources that they need to be healthy.
It is not just something to say. The data is empirical. When we invest in healthy outcomes, we get healthy outcomes. The reverse is also true. When we take away resources, we see what happens: people get sick, people die, people show up in emergency rooms because they don't have healthcare.
Pay me now or pay me later. Preventive care versus curative care. Preventive care is a whole lot cheaper, less strain on the system. Healthier people are more productive citizens. When a person doesn't take their medicine because they can't afford it, when a person is denied access to healthcare, they ultimately show up in an emergency room, and it clogs and strains the system. It is a heck of a lot easier to prevent it than it is to cure it.
I am also proud to be the Democratic co-lead on the bipartisan PSA Screening for HIM Act. This bill would require private insurance companies to plan to cover preventive prostate cancer screening for men at high risk, including African Americans and those with a family history of the disease.
To speak plainly, Black men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as White men. This disparity isn't inevitable. It is a direct result of gaps in access, awareness, and preventive care. We have the tools to close that gap. We just need the political will to use them.
Men's Health Month gives us the opportunity to spotlight these issues, but more importantly it is a call to action, not just a time to talk about it. It is a call to action for everyone to do something. When we drive our cars, and that flashing light comes on to suggest you have a problem with your engine, you have to change your oil, your brakes are not working properly, you quickly pull that expensive machine over. You do this because you don't want to ruin it, you don't want to blow a gasket, you don't want to damage your precious BMW, Mercedes, or SUV.
Mr. Speaker, I say to my brothers and sisters, my family, my friends: Your body often sends a similar signal. It is that headache that won't go away. It is the difficulty in breathing. It is the limp in the leg and the numbness in the hand. That is your engine light telling you: Pull over, get it checked. Pull over, get it checked. You are in threat. You are in danger of blowing a gasket, except this gasket is not a tube in your car. It is not a radiator. It is a vessel in your head that causes a stroke. It is a vessel in your heart that causes a heart attack.
Pay attention to that light that goes off, not just in your car, but in your body. Pay attention to your friends when you see symptoms. When you see something, say something. Friends don't let friends walk around sick. We all have a responsibility.
It is a reminder that when we prioritize health, families grow stronger, workforces become more resilient, communities thrive. This month, I encourage every man to schedule that appointment, get that screening, talk to your doctor, talk to your family, talk to your friends. Health is not something to be ashamed of or pushed aside. It is something to be proud of.
I encourage all of us lawmakers, advocates, healthcare providers, and community leaders to push for policies that reflect that priority because when we invest in men's health, we invest in everyone's future. Let's keep moving forward. Let's continue this discussion as we all become healthier, smarter, and more productive citizens, which will ultimately make our Nation a stronger place.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. McClellan), my dear friend and the outstanding co-anchor for this CBC Special Order hour.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for his leadership on Men's Health Month.
Mr. Speaker, I am a nerd. I am a proud nerd. Whenever there is an awareness month, one of the first things I like to do is figure out, is there a theme. It drives my staff crazy. There is a theme, as you have heard, for 2025 for Men's Health Month, and it is very enlightening: Closing the empathy gaps in men's health.
Now, this theme aims to highlight the importance of addressing the unique challenges that face men for their health and encourage them to seek early detection and treatment because the leading causes of death for men in the United States are preventable: heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injuries.
While awareness and funding efforts have successfully addressed numerous health challenges over the years, men's health issues have received significantly less attention and funding despite statistics that show a clear concern. Men die 6 years earlier than women due to preventable health issues.
Prostate cancer and testicular cancer receive far less attention. Even during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, people assume that is only something that
Suicide rates among men are significantly higher than women, yet the mental health infrastructure fails to acknowledge the interventions that resonate with men. As you heard, the culture for many, many years has told men: You don't need mental health attention. Suck it up.
That is probably true for a lot of health issues, and he would not like to hear me do this, but I am going to use my husband as an example. My husband needed to have spinal fusion surgery. I sat with him in the emergency room as the doctor started ticking through different questions, trying to determine what kind of injury or what happened to lead his spine and the disks in his spine to deteriorate.
The doctor said: Did you ever experience any tingling? He said: Yes, I did. I have experienced tingling in my hand and in my fingers. The doctor asked: How long has that happened? To my shock, my husband said: 3 years.
For 3 years, he felt tingling in his fingers, and yet didn't think maybe I should get that checked out.
He tried to have a tooth extracted without any local anesthesia or novocaine until the pain got so much the doctor said: We need to knock you out. You know when you first come out of anesthesia, you are a little high, and once he came out, I asked him: Well, why did you do that? He said: Because I am a man.
Being a man does not mean you don't take care of yourself. Being a man does not mean you don't seek help when you need it. Being a man does not mean you don't get preventative screenings for early detection of cancer or heart disease, or risk factors leading to heart disease. Being a man means you love yourself enough to take care of yourself.
Now, as policymakers, we have the opportunity to put policies in place that help all people to access healthcare and stay healthy. One of those policies has been Medicaid, and ensuring that more people have health insurance, not just as a safety net when they get sick, but so that they can get the preventative care, the screenings, the regular checkups that will identify early risk factors or worse.
Mr. Speaker, when the Affordable Care Act was passed, we were able to lower the number of uninsured through both Medicaid expansion and the healthcare exchanges.
A majority of the Medicaid expansion population is men, over 50 percent. They are more likely, incidentally, to be White men, about 59 percent. That is compared to the 34 percent of the traditional Medicaid population that are women.
Who are the folks in the Medicaid expansion population? While I have seen our Speaker say in interviews that these are single 29-year-olds sitting at home on their parents' couch playing video games, actually, most of them are working but earn, for an individual, $21,597 a year.
Some of them may work for employers who intentionally schedule their hours at 29 hours rather than the 30 needed to trigger employer-covered insurance. Some of them are self-employed. Some of them are in jobs, like one of my constituents who I spoke to during a press conference after we passed the big, ugly bill, who worked as a contractor, got injured, and could not work anymore but also was trying to get workers' comp and was caught in that process.
I was a State legislator when we expanded Medicaid in Virginia. Part of why we did it was because we recognized that just because you don't have health insurance doesn't mean you don't get sick. Not having health insurance does mean, though, you are less likely to get your preventative screenings, less likely to go to your primary care doctor or even have a primary care doctor, and less likely to get your annual checkups.
What we have seen since expanding Medicaid, as I talk to healthcare providers in Virginia, is that by connecting the expansion population to a medical home, they are getting those screenings. They are getting preventative care. As a result, fewer are showing up in the emergency room sick.
Unlike the traditional Medicaid population, which has very complex medical conditions, the expansion population typically, when you connect them to a medical home, are healthier. That is why I am so concerned about the big, ugly bill that we passed 2 weeks ago. According to the Congressional Budget Office, it will strip 16 million Americans of health insurance and make the issue of disparities in men's health worse.
I will pick on one piece of that bill that hasn't gotten a lot of attention. The bill now requires States to impose copays for the expansion population only of up to $35. Sitting in the Energy and Commerce Committee, I heard the rationale for this was that everybody needs to have skin in the game, and if I pay a copay with my private insurance, then why can't the expansion population pay a copay?
Here is the difference. I have done the math, and someone in the expansion population, an individual, is making $21,597 at most a year. That is about $1,799 a month. In Richmond, the average rent on an apartment is $1,569. The average utility bills are $197. The average grocery bills are $350.
When you are faced with a $35 copay and you make $1,799 a month, over two-thirds of which, if not more, is going to rent, utilities, and grocery bills--I haven't even gotten to transportation costs to get to and from work, and that is just if you are an individual. If you are faced with a $35 copay to get your annual checkup or to get these screenings, you are going to think really carefully about if you have that $35.
What we have seen, and this is why States haven't imposed copays to date, is that you are less likely to get those preventative screenings. You are less likely to get annual checkups. Therefore, these preventative illnesses are caught oftentimes when it is too late.
There are certain illnesses that are deadly but silent killers, and I will close with this. My brother-in-law is one such example, Greg Beckwith. He was a basketball player. He was particularly healthy, but he came from a family that had a history of heart disease and diabetes. He did everything right. He lost weight. He watched his diet. Yet, about a year ago, he woke up one morning feeling nauseous.
Nausea is not usually associated with heart disease. He thought he had food poisoning, so they waited until it got so bad they were like: ``You know what? Something is wrong.'' They went to the emergency room, and he, in fact, had a heart attack.
Part of what we need to do with Men's Health Awareness Month is not just identify the unique factors impacting men's health and the policies that we can put in place to help people get and stay healthy but also ensure that we are educating people on the warning signs of diseases that you might be at risk for.
We know of the agencies that do a lot of that work in the Health and Human Services Department, the CDC is a big one. Yet, the CDC is one of the agencies that have been gutted through DOGE. The workforce was decimated. Health and Human Services has lost over a quarter of its workforce.
Many of those cuts and the funding cuts that have already happened through DOGE--not through Congress, through DOGE--are cutting the very workforce that we need to help identify the risk factors unique to men and the ways to prevent it.
We can't make America healthy again if we are ripping health insurance away from 16 million people and undermining and then gutting our public health workforce.
These are just a couple of the things that have happened. I haven't even touched on the Medicare cuts that are triggered as a result of the pay-as-you-go law.
I said I was closing, but, like a good Baptist preacher, I may have one or two more closings since we have an hour.
We also have to stop legislating and policymaking in silos. This is one of my biggest frustrations as a legislator. I spent 18 years as a State legislator and now here in Congress, and too often, we focus on healthcare policy, environmental policy, and public safety policy, but we ignore that people don't live in silos and that our environment, clean air and clean water, impact public health.
As it is also National Ocean Month, the health of our oceans impacts public
We need to start thinking holistically about public health. We need to start thinking holistically about healthcare policy not just being something that the Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Health looks at but that every policy interconnects so that we are looking at, studying, and funding research on how, holistically, we improve health in America.
Mr. Speaker, I have heard time and time again that we don't have a healthcare system. We have a sick care system. We need to get back to the basics of making sure that we are identifying and preventing risk factors that lead to deaths that are preventable for men and for women.
Mr. Speaker, during this month of men's health, it almost sounds silly to say month of men's health. Men's health cannot be confined to 30 days in June.
Men's health is every day. Paying attention to the warning signs is every day. We must recognize the importance of taking care of ourselves, having regular checkups, eating right, and dieting.
We must realize the importance of exercising and taking care of our mental health, particularly in the stressful jobs that we are fortunate to have in this very body. We deal with the complexities of legislation that often cause us sometimes to raise our voice, sometimes get emotional, sometimes take it home with us in the sense of wanting to do more but being hamstrung sometimes by the very politics that built this body.
It is our mental health, and our physical health all tied together that is so important. There are so many of these factors that cause cancer and that cause dreaded diseases because we don't care for ourselves.
During the month of June, let us highlight men's health, but let us talk about men's health 365 days a year. Let us bring resources to bear to make sure that we are preventive, that we are careful, that we are taking care of ourselves, and that we are looking out for each other.
Our mental, our physical, and our emotional health are critically important to our success as leaders. It is important to our teachers, our taxi drivers, our nurses, our men and women in uniform, our police officers, our firefighters, and the people that are working everyday jobs who keep America moving.
What makes America tick? Americans make America tick. Healthy Americans make America tick. People working together make America tick. We must work together, side by side, with our Republican counterparts. We must put aside the foolishness of ideological divides and advance causes that make us all stronger as Americans.
We know that many of these diseases can be cured if caught in time. According to the American Cancer Society, men have a 1 in 726 average lifetime risk of breast cancer. We often think about mammograms and breast cancer being something just for women. Guess what? It is not. Men get and die from breast cancer. It is possible. Mr. Speaker, 1 in 726 men have an average lifetime risk of getting breast cancer.
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, of the 172,258 men in the United States who were diagnosed with prostate cancer, only 28,343 men died of it in 2014.
This supports the thought that screening programs may be detecting what otherwise might be a silent disease. If caught in time, it doesn't have to be a death sentence.
Black and African-American men are much more likely to develop prostate cancer. One in six Black men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime compared to eight overall. In fact, Black men are 1.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with and 2.1 times more likely to die from prostate cancer than White men. Black or White, too many are dying when they don't have to.
According to the American Lung Association, each year more men are diagnosed and develop lung cancer than in past years. African-American men have a higher risk of dying from the disease compared to other racial or ethnic groups.
According to the American Cancer Association, colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in men younger than 50 years of age. Let that sink in. This is a disease that, if caught in time, doesn't have to be a death sentence.
According to the American Cancer Society, there are 9,720 new cases of testicular cancer diagnosed as of 2025 and about 600 deaths from testicular cancer.
It is important for men to know their family history of cancer. About 1 in 10 cancers are caused by inherited genetic mutations.
To say it differently, if grandpa had it, his descendants might, too. Check family trees. Talk to parents. Talk to loved ones. Take a moment and ask those questions. How did great-grandpa die? What was his ailment? What was the history in the family? It may very well save a life.
According to the National Cancer Institute, many men don't know that they have this inherited risk. Why? Big boys don't cry. We suck it up. That little pain will go away. It is nothing. I will shake it off. I will feel better tomorrow. It is the check engine light that we ignore except it won't get better. In most cases, it gets worse.
That tingling in the hand may every now and then go away, but it comes back. It is that light trying to tell us that something is wrong. Remember, we pull over the BMW. We pull over the fancy Yukon. We pull over the prized 1971 Corvette because we don't want to damage that classic.
What about the classic we are for our children? What about the classic we are for our grandchildren? What about the classic we are for our family? What about the classic we are for our community, for our church members, for our fraternity brothers, and for people we have been a tutor and a mentor to? What about just for ourselves?
According to the CDC, a stroke is a leading cause of death among men. About four out of five strokes are preventable.
According to the CDC, men under the age of 44 are hospitalized for certain types of strokes at a higher rate than women in the same age group because women pay attention to their bodies. Women go to the doctor for regular checkups. By and large, women see physicians regularly, and we simply don't.
According to the National Kidney Foundation, studies show that, although men and women may have chronic kidney disease, men are more likely to reach kidney failure sooner than women. Again, they tend to find out sooner.
Mr. Speaker, do you see the trend? Do you see where we are going?
The earlier we find out, the greater the prevention and the greater the cure. We don't have to die. We don't have to stand over the coffin of young people, wondering how this happened. We don't have to go through communities and watch young men drag half of their bodies because they have had prolonged high blood pressure, which has led to diabetes and strokes and heart failure.
Then at 25, a man has a stroke, and half of his body is paralyzed because of his salt intake, poor diet, or lack of exercise. Yes, they are ignoring that light and that signal that says go to the doctor. Something is out of balance.
Mental health is the very same way.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, nearly 1 in 10 men experience depression or anxiety, but less than one- half will receive treatment, and more than four times as many men than women will die by suicide every year.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, men show fewer signs and fewer warnings such as talking about suicide, making them more likely to complete the task of suicide.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, men suffering from mental health illnesses are less likely to receive mental health treatment or diagnoses because we stick our heads in the sand. We stay in bed all day. We have an extra drink. We don't go to work. We don't play golf like we used to. We don't stay with our friends like we used to. Those are the trends.
Staying on the sofa all day is not the answer. Although you think for the moment it makes you feel better, Mr. Speaker. You have to get up, you have to get out, and you have to talk to somebody. You have got to exercise. You have to seek help. You have got to dial 9-8-8, a federally funded program that is manned 365 days a year and 24 hours a day. You can pick up the phone and talk to someone anonymously. You don't have to give your name, where you live, or who you are. No one will trace your number and show up at your door, unless you want them to. They will provide base-level communications and talk to you about how you can get further help. They will talk you off the cliff at 3 a.m., when you think you are all alone and you are so sad that you are contemplating hurting yourself or someone else. There are resources here for you, and you don't have to suffer it alone.
Mental health is real. Depression is real. We know that according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America one of the leading causes of disability in Americans is schizophrenia. Approximately 3.5 million people in America have the diagnosis, and 90 percent of those are diagnosed by the age of 30.
Many are missed. Many are the young people whom we see standing on the street corner talking to themselves, shadowboxing in the dark, appearing to have a conversation with someone, appearing angry at one moment and jovial the next. They are sleeping under the overpasses with everything they own in a grocery cart. It is not enough to say: ``Get a job, you bum.''
We don't know what they are going through. These are someone's children, many of whom have suffered some catastrophic breakdown that causes them to hear voices and to do things that they wouldn't ordinarily do.
Who are we to say: ``Get a job, you bum?''
Many of them are people who served in our armed services and who have served honorably protecting our flanks in foreign lands.
Who are we to say: ``Get a job, you bum?''
Who are we to judge them, to roll our window up quickly and speed off as if we didn't see them?
Mr. Speaker, I understand there are scammers out there. I understand there may be people beating the system. That is true. However, the next time you see that kid or old man standing out there talking to himself, Mr. Speaker, shadowboxing with no shirt on, clearly, they have been sleeping on the street, consider calling 9-1-1. Consider calling the mental health hotline. Consider calling not the police because you think it is unsavory to see this, Mr. Speaker, but consider calling a mental health hotline to get them help.
That is because most of these cases can be cured and made better if only there were someone in their lives who: A, knew where they were, because sometimes they just don't; and B, had the resources.
Secretary Kennedy has the resources to help them get better. He has the resources to get them the level of mental health care that they need to be better and to be productive and to silence those voices in their head.
There are those people who think they are just bums and they are just going to take that money and go buy crack or a bottle of wine, perhaps.
Let me tell you why, Mr. Speaker. Consider this for a moment: Maybe, just maybe, the only way they have to feel normal and to silence those voices is to take a hit on that crack pipe and have 30 seconds of calm. I am not just suggesting it. It is a horrible way to do it. However, if you have nothing else, you have no resources, no doctor, no family, and no one to care for you, you have discovered that, ``Oh, man, when I get that quick hit on the pipe, then I feel like everyone else.''
Mr. Speaker, you have to understand what they are going through. It is not to justify it, but it makes a little more sense why they take that swig of vodka, that guzzle of wine, not because they are some helpless and hopeless alcoholic but because they are seeking sobriety of a different sort, Mr. Speaker, sobriety through getting high.
Let me say that again, Mr. Speaker, sobriety through getting high. It is an opportunity to calm those voices in your head, an opportunity to silence those demons, an opportunity to just, for once, feel normal and to feel like that grocery cart that you are sitting in is the Lazy Boy that many of us enjoy in our homes.
Mental health is real. The pain of Americans is real. Mental health care needs resources.
As far as cardiovascular health, according to the CDC, 50.8 percent of men aged 18 and older have high blood pressure and are taking high blood pressure medication. Men develop heart disease 10 times earlier, on average, than women according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. According to the American Medical Association more than one in three adult men have some form of undiagnosed cardiovascular disease.
According to the CDC, about three in four men in the United States have overweight or obesity tendencies. According to the CDC, 41.6 percent of men aged 20 and older suffer with obesity in the U.S. from fast food, saturated fats, high sugar content, sedentary lifestyles, and diabetes. According to the CDC, men are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes at a lower weight than women.
Managing your weight and managing your diet, Mr. Speaker, makes a difference. According to the CDC, about one in nine African-American men and one in seven Hispanic men have been diagnosed with diabetes. Many more have diabetes but simply don't know it.
Fertility: According to studies, male obesity has been shown to impact fertility. According to studies, more than 1 in 10 men looking for fertility evaluations have been diagnosed with high blood pressure.
What we talked about today are things that we can control. There are many things in life that we cannot. There are many problems that we contemplate, that we debate, and that we search for answers. We have different approaches, and we all believe that we have the right answer. None of us may be right, but we have the opportunity to debate it, and, hopefully, through debate and exchange we come up with a better plan.
That is the importance of bipartisanship. That is the importance of this Men's Health Caucus. It is a bipartisan effort to exchange ideas, to talk about norms, to talk about nuances, and to talk about how we can get better. It is through these discussions that we get better. It is through checking the engine lights. Yes, it is through making sure that Congress, in one of our most important constitutionally given tools, uses the power of the purse, as found in Article I of the United States Constitution in order to provide resources to States, to local communities, and to the National Institutes of Health to study dreaded diseases, to have preventive care, to have mental health professionals in our schools dealing with our young people, to have senior living facilities funded with professionals who are there for them. It is making sure that 9-8-8 stays completely funded so people at 3 a.m., 2 a.m. or at any time of the day can pick up the phone and save their life or that of someone else's.
Yes, Men's Health Month is American health month. Yes, Men's Health Month is real. While we talk about it in June, I encourage you to talk about it, and, more importantly, do something about it every day of the year. Once you have got yourself healthy, turn to your friend, turn to your brother, turn to your dad, and teach your young sons that it is okay to not be okay sometimes.
It is okay to feel sad, but not a sustained sad. It is okay to be sick and to say: I need to see a doctor. Little boys who grow up understanding that, grow up to be healthier men, and to be more productive citizens who are able to care for their families, care for our communities, and be the leaders that they are destined to be.
If you are ill, if you are sick, you won't be able to fulfill your full potential. Preventative care is much more
Make sure people are healthy. Make sure communities have what they need. Make sure we are fully funding the National Institutes of Health so we can identify these dreaded diseases and save lives.
Mr. Speaker, I thank you for this time. I thank my co-anchor, the Honorable Congresswoman from Virginia, Jennifer McClellan, and the Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour.
My friends, I hope we have touched upon something. I hope we walk away from this realizing that we collectively have the power to do this. Put down our arms on some of this trash. We have got plenty of stuff we can be mad about, plenty of stuff we can fight about. Healthcare should not be one.
Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.
The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 8 o'clock and 22 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.
