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30 public bills, H.R. 12, 4091-4119; and 6 resolutions, H. Res. 537-542 were introduced.
Pages H2920-22
Reports Filed
There were no reports filed today. Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed Representative Bacon to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
Page H2891
Recess
The House recessed at 10:59 a.m. and reconvened at 12 p.m.
Page H2897
Privileged Resolution: Intent to Offer
Representative Green (TX) announced his intent to offer a privileged resolution.
Pages H2898-99
Recess
The House recessed at 1:14 p.m. and reconvened at 1:25 p.m. Impeaching Donald J.
Page H2906
Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors
Representative Green (TX) offered a privileged resolution (H. Res. 537) impeaching Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors. The House agreed to the Scott motion to table the resolution by a yea-and-nay vote of 344 yeas to 79 nays, Roll No. 175.
Pages H2906-07
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026, Special Interest Alien Reporting Act, Jeremy and Angel Seay and Sergeant Brandon Mendoza Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act, and Condemning the violent June 2025 riots in Los Angeles, California--Rule for Consideration: The House agreed to H. Res. 530, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3944) making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 275) to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to publish on a monthly basis the number of special interest aliens encountered attempting to unlawfully enter the United States; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 875) to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that aliens who have been convicted of or who have committed an offense for driving while intoxicated or impaired are inadmissible and deportable; and providing for consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 516) condemning the violent June 2025 riots in Los Angeles, California, by a recorded vote of 217 ayes to 206 noes, Roll No. 177, after the previous question was ordered by a yea-and-nay vote of 219 yeas to 208 nays, Roll No. 176.
Pages H2900-05, H2907-08
Committee Ranking
The House agreed to H. Res. 538, ranking a Certain Member on a certain standing committee of the House of Representatives.
Page H2909
Motion to Adjourn
The House rejected the Clarke (NY) motion to adjourn by a yea-and-nay vote of 191 yeas to 213 nays, Roll No. 178.
Page H2909
Suspension: Proceedings Postponed
The House debated the following measure under suspension of the rules. Further proceedings were postponed. Condemning the attacks on Minnesota lawmakers in Brooklyn Park and Champlin, Minnesota, and calling for unity and the rejection of political violence in Minnesota and across the United States: H. Res. 519, amended, condemning the attacks on Minnesota lawmakers in Brooklyn Park and Champlin, Minnesota, and calling for unity and the rejection of political violence in Minnesota and across the United States.
Pages H2909-13
Quorum Calls: Votes
Three yea-and-nay votes and one recorded vote developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H2906-07, H2907-08, H2909, and H2909. Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 4:27 p.m.
Every speech and line is the Congressional Record's own text, read from GovInfo. Speakers are matched to members by GPO's own metadata. Referandom places each turn on the Clerk's video by matching its words: 138 of 184 spoken turns were found. Turns without a time are still listed; they just can't seek.
Morning-Hour Debate
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of January 3, 2025, the Chair will now recognize Members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning-hour debate.
The Chair will alternate recognition between the parties, with time equally allocated between the parties and each Member other than the majority and minority leaders and the minority whip limited to 5 minutes, but in no event shall debate continue beyond 11:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Frederick W. Smith, who left us this past Saturday, June 21, 2025, at the age of 80.
Mr. Speaker, if I were to stand and speak at this podium all day, I would barely be able to scratch the surface of Fred Smith's extraordinary life, his influence on the country and the world, and his profound impact on the city of Memphis.
To many people, Fred Smith will likely be remembered as a titan of industry and the founder of FedEx. To my constituents, he will be remembered as a champion for the city of Memphis. Personally, I will remember Fred Smith as a man who loved his country and devoted his life to the American Dream.
Born in Marks, Mississippi, and raised in Memphis, he was very proud of his country. Fred Smith was a true patriot, serving honorably as a captain in the United States Marine Corps in Vietnam. After that service, he returned home with a bold idea: a company that could deliver packages overnight around the world.
Fred Smith turned that idea into a global enterprise, revolutionizing international supply chains, transforming how businesses operate, and changing how people connect. Fred Smith not only directed and dominated the modern logistics industry; he created it. For more than 50 years after the conception of FedEx, he continued to lead it.
Today, FedEx operates in over 220 countries, but its heart and headquarters remain in Memphis, Tennessee. Through FedEx, Fred Smith turned Memphis into a global logistics hub, driving economic growth across the region while employing tens of thousands of Tennesseans.
Today, the FedEx World Hub at Memphis International Airport is one of the busiest and largest cargo airports in the world. FedEx is the largest Fortune 500 company in the State of Tennessee.
Fred Smith's commitment to Memphis went far beyond business. In fact, upon Fred's passing on Saturday, former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said: ``Fred Smith was the most significant Memphian in history.''
Indeed, he gave Memphians a fair shot at their American Dream, and his philanthropic work helped support countless organizations.
Thanks to Fred Smith, Memphis acquired the NBA's Grizzlies in 2001 when he committed to purchasing the naming rights for the future home of the basketball team, the FedExForum.
Just 2 years ago, when The University of Memphis was ambitiously pursuing stadium upgrades for the football team, Fred Smith and his family committed $50 million to help the school achieve its financial goals.
Fred and Diane Smith and the Smith family have donated to so many worthwhile causes in the Memphis area, including the world-class Memphis Zoo.
Memphians can also thank Fred Smith for saving the FedEx St. Jude golf tournament when it lost its previous title sponsor.
Yesterday, when discussing the life of Fred Smith, I talked with my good friend, Chris Richards. She was the general counsel at FedEx and a close adviser to Fred Smith.
A little over 25 years ago, Fred came to Chris with an idea that he told her that she would not like. He wanted FedEx to be involved in a major motion picture in which the plot involved crashing a FedEx plane. Fred thought that the script for ``Cast Away'' was a great read and could be a good movie that could benefit the company.
As FedEx's lead attorney, Chris told Fred that there had never been an airline that willingly participated in a movie where they gave permission to crash their plane. Chris advised against all of it.
Yet, Fred wanted to think outside the box, and he signed off on the idea. He was really impressed with the production staff and the movie's star, Tom Hanks.
That would be important years later because, at the request of former Senator Bob Dole, Fred became involved in the creation and fundraising of the World War II Memorial to honor and remember our Nation's Greatest Generation.
Fred would become a major factor in getting that memorial constructed. It would cost a lot of money to raise and build such a monument. As a result of that movie, Fred turned to his friend Tom Hanks for his help in public service to help raise funds for the memorial.
Indeed, that movie ended up being good for FedEx and, in turn, good for the World War II Memorial and our Nation.
With his passing, we honor and celebrate a lifetime of inspiring service and leadership. We celebrate a marine, a Memphian, and a really good man.
Roberta and I mourn with Diane and the entire Smith family. Our Nation lost an innovator, a job creator, a trailblazer, and a leader. We are all better off for the remarkable life that he led.
I rise today in the name of government of the people, by the people, and for the people. I rise today because our country is nearing a moment of decision. I rise because we are at the intersection of democracy and autocracy.
I rise to announce that, at this moment in time, I have filed H. Res. 537. H. Res. 537 is a privileged resolution. H. Res. 537 has been filed because I believe that the President of the United States has committed an impeachable act.
H. Res. 537 addresses abuse of Presidential powers by disregarding the separation of powers, devolving American democracy into an authoritarian--an authoritarian, an authoritarian--government, usurping congressional power to declare war.
Mr. Speaker, I take no delight in what I am doing. I do this because I love my country. I do this because I understand that the Constitution is going to be meaningful or it will be meaningless. I do it because I understand that the President of the United States of America has a duty to consult Congress before taking this country to war. I do it because no one person should have the power to take over 300 million people to war without consulting with the Congress of the United States of America.
I do this because, if I do not, this authoritarian President that we currently have will continue to assume power. He has already instigated an assault on the citadel of democracy, the Capitol of the United States of America. He went so far as to pardon the persons who were actually involved in the assault. He has denied persons due process of the law.
I believe that, if we do not take immediate action, this authoritarian President will devolve the country into authoritarianism. I believe he is a would-be dictator who would become a dictator.
I today announce that, later today, I will bring these Articles of Impeachment to the floor, and I will call for a vote. I believe that the hour of decision is upon us, and we all have to decide: Are we going to go down and choose the path of democracy, or will we allow ourselves to choose the low road of autocracy?
I believe that this country has come too far to allow a single person to declare war without conferring with the Congress of the United States of America.
This is why I stand. This is what I will do, and I do it in the name of my country that I love dearly.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the President.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a beloved mainstay in Virginia's Sixth District, Fulks Run Grocery, celebrating 75 years of continuous and family-owned service.
Fulks Run Grocery was opened in 1949 by Navy veteran Garnett Turner and his wife, Lena, as a general store offering a little bit of everything. They are probably best known, though, for their award- winning Turner country ham, using an old-fashioned sugar-cured recipe from Garnett's grandfather.
Over the years, ownership passed from Garnett to his brother, Miles, and wife, Marcella; to Garnett's son, Ron, and wife, Peggie; and now to his grandson, Chad Ritchie, and wife, Anna.
Alongside General Manager Jared Bowser, they continue to proudly serve their corner of Rockingham County and beyond.
On June 14, they gathered in celebration with live music, door prizes, and the HamVan turning out their famous ham sandwiches. Even the store's very first employee, Virginia Ann Fawley Hulvey, joined in.
Fulks Run Grocery isn't just a store. It is a legacy rooted in family and community.
I congratulate the Turner family on reaching this incredible milestone. I wish them many more years of success, and I look forward to stopping into the store again soon.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Stuart Hall School boys' basketball team on winning their first 2025 VISAA Division 4 State championship.
The Dragons secured the championship with a 69-56 victory over Rise Academy, led by standout performances from Owen Laver with 17 points, Tiberius Fields with 16 points, and Christian Scott with 12 points.
They finished the season with a 13-game winning streak and a 19-2 record. The Dragons' dominant defense allowed the fewest points per game in all VISAA divisions.
I again congratulate the 2024-2025 Stuart Hall boys' basketball team, consisting of Wade Bland, Ethan Baiotto, Xavier Bland, Latham Fields, Tiberius Fields, Harper Kauffman, Owen Laver, Cori Powell-Nisbett, Malachi Payne, Linney Reed, and Christian Scott.
The team was led by Head Coach Jeff Lafave and Assistant Coach Rob Hagy.
I also recognize two significant individual honors: Tiberius Fields was named VISAA Division 4 Player of the Year, and Jeff Lafave was named VISAA Division 4 Coach of the Year.
It is an honor to have such a program in Virginia's Sixth Congressional District, and I wish them the best for many seasons to come.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Special Interest Alien Reporting Act.
In recent years, over 400 individuals on the terrorist watch list have been caught trying to enter our country through our southern border due to the failed policies of the previous administration, with many of these individuals coming from hostile nations, like China and Iran, which seek to do us harm. This situation demands a means for positive change.
When we don't know who is coming in, where they are headed, or what their intentions are, every single American community is put at risk.
That is why House Republicans are stepping up. This week, we are set to vote on the Special Interest Alien Reporting Act. This commonsense bill would require the Department of Homeland Security to publicly report the number of high-risk individuals encountered at the border because without transparency, there is no accountability. Without accountability, our national security is on the line.
This critical legislation is not just necessary but vital. It puts the American people first.
We will keep fighting to secure our border and protect every American citizen.
Mr. Speaker, today is June 24, and it is almost exactly a month ago that in this House, the misnamed One Big Beautiful Bill Act was passed in the dead of night after hours and hours of debate while the American people were asleep at home. With the rush of events that take place every single day, it sometimes gets hard to remember exactly where that stands and what is going on.
The bill is moving in the Senate, literally as I stand here in the well of the House. In the light of day over the last month or so, a lot of the rocks have been kicked over in H.R. 1 to sort of see what is in there. A lot of pretty ugly things have slithered out, including a provision to auction off some of our precious public lands out West, basically robbing those treasured assets from future generations.
There are deregulated gun silencers, which have been on the National Firearms Act since the 1930s. Who benefits from that? I am sure there are a lot of criminals that are rooting for them to be able to go out and buy tax-free gun silencers.
It increases the national debt by $5 trillion, with about $3.5 trillion in new debt with another $1.5 trillion in interest payments. It cuts taxes for American families with a yearly income above $500,000 to the tune of over a trillion dollars with a pittance for middle-class and working families. It raises the debt ceiling by $5 trillion so the government can sell bonds to finance debt. Again, it is a bill that basically benefits the Elon Musks and Jeff Bezos of the world.
What is really at the heart of H.R. 1 that should concern every single American is a provision that includes the largest cut in healthcare spending in American history with over a trillion dollars of cuts in the bill as it left this floor on May 22. I have here a poster next to me that talks about what the real-life impact is going to be on hospitals all across the country. It is not coming from me as a member of the minority caucus. This comes from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which has been around for 50 years and is a completely nonpartisan analyst in terms of healthcare spending and healthcare financing throughout the country.
What it did was break down State by State what the impact of this bill will be. For the State of Connecticut, where I am from, it is actually about a $9 billion cut over the next 10 years in terms of the Medicaid program, as well as eliminating the premium tax subsidies for people who get their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. That is about 15 million Americans. The hospitals, in particular, are going to take the biggest hit. As this headline says in the Connecticut press, it is about $4 billion over the next 10 years.
All of my colleagues that are here today, I encourage them to look at this analysis which shows State by State, sector by sector within healthcare spending, hospitals, physicians, and prescription drugs, in terms of the impact that this bill will have. There was a lot of hope that maybe in the Senate this bill might be fixed and addressed, particularly because it hits rural hospitals so hard. There are so many Republicans in the majority caucus in the Senate that obviously are going to feel the pain if this provision goes through.
Unfortunately, what we saw come out of the Senate Finance Committee is even worse in terms of what came through from the House. Don't take my word for it. Listen to the Catholic Hospital Association, who issued a statement just a few days ago after this provision came out. They had warned them before of the devastating impact it would have, particularly on safety net hospitals which Catholics are definitely a part of all across the country. It fell on deaf ears.
Children's hospitals rely on Medicaid to a greater proportion than other hospitals because they don't have elderly patients, obviously. They are children's hospitals, and Medicare pays for a lot of those patients. Children's hospitals have no place to cost-shift, so they have uncompensated care with this devastating Medicaid cut that is going to hit every State in terms of its Federal matching funds. This is going to land on the most vulnerable in our society and the people who are delivering the care. They are not partisans. They are not approaching Congress as Democrats or Republicans. They are there as people who are doing their job day in and day out.
I visited one of those hospitals last week, Lawrence Memorial Hospital in New London, Connecticut. Over 40 percent of their patient census is on Medicaid. It is in the heart of New London, a wonderful, historic community, but it has a high Medicaid population.
Mr. Speaker, we have to stop this insane attack on healthcare that affects every single American. We have got to block H.R. 1. We got to go back and do a better job for the American people.
Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor a man who has been more than just a reliable IT, or internet technology, guy. Bob has been a quiet, constant, behind-the-scenes hero, and for many of us here, a trusted partner and friend.
Bob Turney is retiring today, Mr. Speaker, from the Chief Administrative Office after nearly three decades of dedicated service to this institution.
Let me tell you, in this business, it is rare to find someone as steady, sharp, and, yes, selfless as Bob Turney. It is even rarer to find a tech guy who not only understands computers but understands people. Bob Turney is that guy, Mr. Speaker.
I am proud he is a fellow Texan. He started in the House way back in the summer of 1996, working in the district office for a Member of Congress. He later served in the D.C. offices of two different Members before making the leap into IT in the year 2008. That is when Bob officially became the go-to guy who could fix just about anything with a keyboard, a cable, or even a calm word of advice. He is great.
He has seen Congress through dial-ups, shutdowns, upgrades, and upheavals, Mr. Speaker. He kept us wired. He really had things wired. He kept us wired when the system crashed, and he kept calm when the screens turned blue. Believe me, that is no small feat when you are dealing with a bunch of Members of Congress and a great staff, Mr. Speaker, who, by the way, need help unlocking their iPhones.
More than his technical skills, Bob Turney brought wisdom, humor, as well as humility. He understood the importance of servant leadership, Mr. Speaker. He never sought the spotlight. He simply showed up and did his job when it mattered the most.
Bob is retiring under circumstances, Mr. Speaker, he did not choose, but he is doing so with grace and grit that reflects the very best of who he is and who we all aspire to be like. His health challenges may have forced this chapter to close, but knowing Bob, the next one will be just as meaningful.
Mr. Speaker, if Bob is watching, I say thank you to my friend, my pal, and my buddy. I thank him for his blood, toil, tears, and sweat, as Churchill would say. I thank him for his service to the people's House. I thank him for being one of the good ones. Bob may be hanging up the laptop, but his legacy is logged in for good. May God bless him. Godspeed.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of women everywhere, but particularly women in Puerto Rico. Every 4.5 days, a woman is murdered in Puerto Rico. That is not a statistic. That is a national shame.
It is the sound of silence after a scream, the echo of a child left without a mother, and the consequence of a government that has delayed action for too long.
During a recent district work period, I met with Coordinadora Paz para las Mujeres and they shared that between 2019 and 2025, we have lost 435 women: mothers, daughters, sisters, and neighbors to gender- based violence.
Mr. Speaker, 87 percent of intimate partner femicides this year involved firearms. However, shelters are still underfunded, legal aid is limited, and survivors are turned away. The government has not taken decisive action.
Coordinadora Paz para las Mujeres is a nonprofit that has tackled gender-based violence in Puerto Rico for over 35 years. It is now at risk of losing the Federal funding that sustains its work. According to Executive Director Vilma Gonzalez Castro, the impact would be devastating as 80 percent of their budget comes from Federal sources. For organizations like CPM, these cuts would not just reduce services, but could mean total elimination.
This is not just a Puerto Rico issue. This is an American crisis. Today, I
We must stop confusing austerity with justice. Cutting these services does not save money. Cutting these services costs lives. Let us act with urgency, with dignity, and with the full force of Federal responsibility because all of this will ultimately save lives.
Mr. Speaker, in Puerto Rico, over 134,000 students rely on Pell grants to access higher education. That is $783 million in Federal aid. More than just a number, it is the key to success for students and their families to help pay for tuition, textbooks, and other basic expenses in order to be successful in obtaining their degrees.
These grants open doors to universities, community colleges, technical institutes, institutions that, in turn, train the very people who serve our communities: our teachers, our engineers, our healthcare workers, our middle class, the core of our society.
Yet, these lifelines are under threat.
Republicans have proposed billions in cuts from Pell grants and changes to PLUS loans to help pay for tax breaks for billionaires at the expense of education opportunities. They are willing to help the most well-off in our society at the expense of our students.
In Puerto Rico, such a decision will not just hurt individuals. It will ripple through every public hospital, every rural clinic, and every school. It will weaken the very infrastructure that sustains life on the island. Health services provided by students in higher education would be reduced dramatically across the whole Nation, as I learned from meeting with officials from the Carlos Albizu University during a recent district work period.
Let's be clear: Pell grants are not charity. They are a covenant, a promise that talent, not income, should determine your future. To break that promise is not just bad policy. It is a betrayal of American ideals.
Mr. Speaker, I urge this Congress to protect Pell grants. Our whole collective future depends on it.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Cheryl Peterson of Carrington, North Dakota, as she wraps up a 30-yearlong chapter at the local pasta plant.
Since 1984, Cheryl's morning routine has included packing her lunch and driving across town to the pasta plant where she has clocked in 5 days a week.
Cheryl is deaf, but that hasn't stopped her from being a steady and trusted employee committed to helping others out. In the words of her production manager, Cheryl is a reliable employee with a positive attitude who is willing to help with anything.
She never sought the spotlight. She just showed up, did the work, and made a difference. North Dakota is great because of people like Cheryl: humble, hardworking, and full of heart.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating Cheryl Peterson's remarkable career and wishing her a joyful and well-earned retirement.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dave Flohr for his outstanding service to North Dakota.
For more than four decades, Dave has dedicated his career to strengthening communities through safe, stable, and affordable housing.
His leadership at the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency, especially these past 5 years as executive director, has helped thousands of families in North Dakota achieve the dream of homeownership.
Dave's deep knowledge, steady guidance, and passion for serving others have left a lasting effect on our State. He built partnerships, created solutions, and made homeownership possible for so many North Dakotans.
On behalf of our State, I thank Dave for a lifetime of meaningful service. I wish him all the best in retirement, though I know his influence will be felt for years to come. Congratulations.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize President Doug Darling for his extraordinary 36-year career at Lake Region State College.
From his early days as a marketing instructor to his decade of leadership as president, Dr. Darling has poured his heart into this institution. He has been a mentor, a builder, and a steady hand, helping shape Lake Region into a place where students from all walks of life can find opportunity and purpose.
Dr. Darling's legacy is measured not just in programs launched or buildings improved, but in the thousands of lives changed under his leadership. His belief in the power of education has left a permanent mark in North Dakota.
As he steps into retirement, I join many across our State in thanking him for his service and in wishing him well in his next chapter. I thank Dr. Darling.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate two remarkable North Dakota festivals that earned national recognition in Cenex' Hometown Throwdown.
Hazen Chalkfest won second place and a $20,000 prize thanks to its stunning 3D artwork and more than 600 local participants. Just look at that.
Wahpeton's Borderline Chalkfest claimed third, with a $15,000 award for its imaginative perspective art, like the chalk s'more that had folks saying: ``That looks delicious.''
These awards aren't just about art. They reflect strong community spirit, hometown pride, and the creativity that thrives across our beautiful North Dakota. Our small towns are doing big things, earning national attention, drawing families together, and inspiring joy.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud of what Hazen and Wahpeton have accomplished. Please join me in congratulating them for showing the rest of the country just how vibrant and innovative North Dakota communities are.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Randy Hedberg of Parshall on his induction into the North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame.
Randy is a true North Dakota success story, an all-sport college athlete at Minot State, an NFL quarterback, and a legendary coach who never forgot where he came from.
His coaching career spanned 45 years, including 11 years at North Dakota State University, where he helped lead the Bison to not one, not two, not three, but--count it--seven national championships. He also mentored future NFL stars like Carson Wentz and Trey Lance.
What sets Randy apart isn't just his record but his character, humility, and deep commitment to his players and our State. He represents the best of North Dakota.
Mr. Speaker, I ask this body to join me in celebrating Randy Hedberg's remarkable legacy and thanking him for inspiring generations of athletes.
Mr. Speaker, this Puerto Rican Heritage Month, I rise to recognize Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, better known for many of us as Bad Bunny, for his worldwide contribution to the arts, music, and culture.
Born and raised in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny is a global phenomenon. His songs transcend borders, sharing the vibrant culture of Puerto Rico with millions, while stirring a deep sense of pride and connection for Latinos across the globe.
His 2022 album ``Un Verano Sin Ti'' made history as the first Spanish-language album nominated for the Grammy Award Album of the Year. His recent album ``Debi Tirar Mas Fotos'' has inspired millions as a powerful tribute to Puerto Rico and his hope for its freedom, while reminding us of our shared struggle against imperialism, colonialism, and displacement.
In addition to his music, Benito, Bad Bunny, has used his platform to demand better from world leaders, condemn the xenophobia and anti- immigrant violence of this administration on the island and in this country, and inspire us all to resist and fight back against oppressive governments.
On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District and the home of Paseo Boricua or Boricua Town, it is my honor to commend Bad Bunny for using his artistry to unite diverse communities and give voice to our shared experience. Gracias to Bad Bunny.
(Spanish translation of the statement made in English is as follows:)
En este Mes de la Herencia Puertorriquena, Yo me levanto a reconocer a Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, mejor conocido como Bad Bunny, por su contribucion a las artes, la musica y la cultura.
Nacido y criado en Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny es un fenomeno global. Sus canciones trascienden fronteras, compartiendo la vibrante cultura puertorriquena con millones de personas en todo el mundo, a la vez que despierta un profundo sentimiento de orgullo y conexion entre los latinos de todo el mundo. El sabe que la musica y la cultura tambien transciende en el corazon.
Su album de 2022, Un Verano Sin Ti, hizo historia como el primer disco en espanol nominado al Premio Grammy como Album del Ano.
Su reciente album, Debi Tirar Mas Fotos, ha inspirado a millones como un poderoso tributo a Puerto Rico y su esperanza por la libertad, a la vez que nos recuerda nuestra lucha compartida contra el imperialismo, el colonialismo y el desplazamiento.
Ademas de su musica, Benito ha usado su plataforma para exigirle mejores resultados a los lideres mundiales, condenar la xenofobia y la violencia antiinmigrante en la lsla y en este pais e inspirarnos a todos a resistir y luchar contra los gobiernos opresores.
En nombre del Tercer Distrito Congresional de Illinois, casa de Paseo Boricua, yo felicito a Bad Bunny por usar su talento para unir a comunidades diversas y dar voz a nuestras experiencias compartidas.
Gracias, Bad Bunny.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Illinois will provide a translation to the Chair.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate a creative designer, community cultivator, and artist--my constituent, Denise Ruiz.
Denise is a queer Boricua from the Humboldt Park community of Chicago and is the founder and director of The Honeycomb Network, a community empowerment space proudly calling Barrio Boriken home.
With over two decades of direct social service and educator experience, Denise has grown The Honeycomb Network to become a beloved community hub.
In partnership with therapists, educators, artists, and community care providers of diverse backgrounds, The Honeycomb Network provides a hive for community to cowork, create, and sustain one another.
Through healing workshops, a community library, cultural events, and beyond, the network has become a conduit for building community with our neighbors.
I commend Denise and the entire network of artists, healers, and creators who have shared their talents with the community, and I wish them the best as they transition to new physical space in Denise's home, Puerto Rico. Gracias and congratulations to Denise.
Mr. Speaker, in this Puerto Rican and Immigrant Heritage Month, I rise to recognize one of Chicago's own, Justina Machado, a celebrated actress and proud ``daughter,'' ``hija'' of Chicago's northwest side.
Raised in a working-class Puerto Rican family, Ms. Machado's journey from Lane Tech High School, which is also in my district, to the Broadway stage and Hollywood screens is a testament to her talent, her perseverance, and her deep cultural roots.
From her roles in HBO's ``Six Feet Under'' to Netflix' ``One Day at a Time,'' and now the Tony-nominated Broadway adaptation of ``Real Women Have Curves,'' Justina has beautifully played characters with immigrant backgrounds.
Through her talent, she has brought visibility, dignity, and complexity to the lives of Latinos and immigrant families who are too often overlooked. Her performances speak not only to where she has been but to who we are. We are resilient, we are proud, and full of possibility.
On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, I commend Justina Machado for using her voice and artistry to uplift our stories and communities with grace, humor, and truth. Gracias and congratulations to Justina.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Hickory Police Chief Reed Baer of North Carolina's 10th District, who is retiring this summer after more than 30 years of dedicated service.
Chief Baer spent his entire career serving the entire community that he grew up in. He started with the department in 1997 as a patrol officer and worked his way all the way up, from sergeant, to captain, to deputy chief, and eventually to chief in 2023.
Under his leadership, the department focused on officer wellness, training, and building stronger ties with his community. He also helped create new pathways into the profession for young people in the area.
He has been a steady presence in Hickory for a long time, and his impact will be felt well beyond his time in uniform. I thank him for his service and wish him all the best in his retirement.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a young man from North Carolina's 10th District, firefighter Jake Bridges of Hickory, who died while serving his community.
Jake was just 20 years old. He was born in Cleveland County, raised in Shelby, and graduated from Burns High School in 2023. Not long after that, he joined the Hickory Fire Department as a certified firefighter and EMT.
He hadn't been on the job long, but you wouldn't have known it. He showed up ready to work, ready to serve, and ready to make a difference.
Jake was a man of faith. He loved the Atlanta Braves, loved playing golf, and more than anything, he loved being a firefighter.
His loss is a tough one for Hickory, for the department, and for everyone who knew him. My heart goes out to his mom, his family, and his brothers and sisters in uniform.
He was proud to serve, and we will be proud to remember him.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the incredible season of the Coastal Carolina University baseball team. With grit, heart, and determination, these young men made the Chanticleer Nation, the Grand Strand, and all of South Carolina incredibly proud.
They battled their way into the College World Series final and left it all on the field. From the first pitch to the final out, they represented South Carolina with strength and skill.
I congratulate Coach Schnall and all of the players on a season to remember. Their run inspired fans across the Nation and reminded us why we love this game. We look forward to their continued success in the years to come. Chants Up.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of a dear friend of mine and a fixture in the Surfside Beach community, Mr. Robert Franklin Childs III, known to most as Bob.
Originally born in Washington, D.C., he spent 37 years working on Capitol Hill, starting in the electrical engineering department under the Architect of the Capitol.
After retiring from the Hill, Bob and his wife, Nancy, moved to Surfside Beach. There he continued his career in public service as the mayor of Surfside Beach from 2016 to 2020. He also served
When you look at the iconic Surfside Beach pier, know that it was Bob's tireless efforts, advocacy, and grit that rebuilt it after devastating hurricanes impacted our region.
Bob was an incredibly hard worker, and his passion for improving the lives of those around him always remained constant. Bob was an incredible person, too. He believed in passing the baton, in helping people, people who wanted to serve their community. Bob was a constant voice in their ear for good public service.
He was the kind of man who lived his values, not just in words, but in the way he treated others. May his memory leave a lasting legacy for all those who knew him.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of FDNY Captain Frederick Simms, Jr., a proud son of Rockland County, a devoted husband, and a true public servant.
Born in Nyack, raised in Tappan, and a graduate of Tappan Zee High School, Freddie dedicated his life to serving others. He spent 22 years with the FDNY, rising through the ranks from Ladder 58 in the Bronx to lieutenant in Harlem and ultimately returning as captain of 58 Truck.
Freddie also served for over 27 years with the Tappan Volunteer Fire Department, including time as chief, and helped train the next generation of firefighters as a New York State fire instructor and Rockland County deputy fire coordinator.
Freddie passed away at 49 after a long battle with 9/11-related cancer. He will be remembered for his leadership, heart, and willingness to always put others first.
My thoughts are with his wife, Jill; his family; his brothers and sisters in the fire service; and his parents. May his legacy of service live on.
Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor the 150th anniversary of the village of Mount Kisco, an extraordinary community in New York's Hudson Valley with a proud past and a bright future.
From its roots as Lenape homeland to its days as a colonial settlement and a bustling railroad hub, Mount Kisco's story is one of resilience, reinvention, and unity.
Officially incorporated in 1875 and later establishing itself as one of New York's few towns and villages, Mount Kisco has long been a beacon of community spirit and progress. This sesquicentennial is a moment to celebrate the people who have shaped Mount Kisco across generations, our farmers, families, businessowners, and public servants alike.
Happy 150th, Mount Kisco, and here is to the next 150 years.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor my good friend and longtime Orangetown leader, Denis Troy.
A proud Bronx native, Denis built his life in Pearl River alongside his wife, Bea, raising a wonderful family and giving back every step of the way.
Whether it was his long tenure on the town board, his work in the Rockland County legislature, or his service with organizations like Camp Venture, the Hibernians, CYO basketball, and Pearl River Little League, Denis always puts his community first.
As I said when we celebrated his retirement from the Orangetown board, his accomplishments are too many to list, but his impact is undeniable. Denis has always put our community first and stood up for our families. He has never shied away from a fight and always does right by the town.
I am proud to call him a friend, and I thank Denis for his many contributions to the town of Orangetown.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sheriff Kevin McConville, a lifelong resident of Putnam County and a true public servant.
For over 30 years, Kevin served with distinction in the MTA Police Department, rising from patrol to become the department's first internal appointee as chief. He led with vision, creating a counterterrorism task force in the aftermath of 9/11, partnering with the FBI, and launching a 50-member canine unit to protect our transit system.
Kevin was on the ground on 9/11, helping coordinate the MTA's response and later guiding long-term security efforts during critical moments in our history.
A Marist graduate, Kevin has mentored others in criminal justice.
Above all, he is a devoted husband to his wife, Janice, and a father, grandfather, and respected community leader.
Recently, Kevin announced he would not run for reelection as sheriff. On behalf of New York's 17th District and the residents of Putnam County, I thank Sheriff McConville for a lifetime of service and leadership.
Most importantly, I thank my friend, a good man. I love you, bud.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Roberta Doremus of Rockland County, who passed away on June 5.
Roberta was the definition of service. For over six decades, she dedicated herself to the volunteer fire service, serving 65 years with the Tallman Ladies Auxiliary, 59 years with the Rockland County Volunteer Firefighters' Association, and over 25 years as a leader with the Association of Fire Districts of Rockland County.
Roberta was a charter member and treasurer of the Rockland County Volunteer Fire Services Museum, tireless advocate for our first responders, and beloved friend to so many.
Professionally, Roberta worked for 40 years at Orange and Rockland Utilities, earning the prestigious Edison Living Our Values award. Above all, she was a devoted mother, grandmother, and sister.
Her impact on our community is immeasurable, and her loss is deeply felt. May her memory be a blessing to all who knew and loved her, especially all those serving in our fire departments across Rockland County.
Isn't it refreshing to see a President who actually keeps his campaign promises? He promises not only safety but also economic opportunity.
On the safety front, it is clear that our border is once again secured with a 99 percent reduction of people coming through the border. We finally have a secure border, thanks to the work of our President leading by example and making sure now, with the big, beautiful bill, they will actually have the funding to make sure that is a long-term solution.
In that same vein, as we face increasing threats from around the world, he is making the Golden Dome happen. We are seeing the success of the Iron Dome right now in the Middle East. We will now have this Golden Dome so that, God forbid, if something radical happens, we have the protective measures in place to make sure that all American citizens are safe.
That is the kind of leadership that people were asking for last November, commonsense security not only economically but, of course, for national security.
When we talk about the big, beautiful bill, what I am most happy about is that the folks who were left behind the last 4 years are finally being taken care of. We are in a situation where America is truly moving in the right direction. Those folks who earned tips or overtime, people who earned Social Security, and families who worked hard after being hard-hit by higher gas prices, rent prices, and food prices are being helped in this bill.
This is what the American Dream is all about, looking to Washington, D.C., and finally seeing a Washington, D.C., that cares about the everyday Americans who make America work every single day.
Finally, I will say this about our President. My entire lifetime, I have watched the chaos in the Middle East created by one nation, Iran. They wreaked havoc on the region. They undercut the idea of democracy, let alone freedoms, not only around the nations that surround them but within their own nation, depriving people of basic rights, especially women.
The President said enough is enough. This Nation has put too many nations in peril, and he has stood up and eliminated the threat of a nuclear weapon so that we no longer have this unrest in the region.
Because of his prior policies as President, we now have economic energy security so we are not as reliant on the Middle East because the truth is our true threat now lies in China.
If we can secure this area in the Middle East because of the President's bold actions, we finally have security and certainty, which so many American families are hoping for.
This is the kind of leadership that people expect out of Washington, D.C., and probably why I chose to run for office once again. It simply wasn't working in Washington, D.C. We needed a leader who would actually enforce the laws, and that is exactly what our President has done.
We are just getting started, and I am optimistic that, over the next few days if not a few weeks at the latest, we can pass this bill and offer economic certainty and security to Americans so that we can see the results as the years go by.
Everyday Americans don't care what happens in Washington. They care what happens in their family and their local communities.
We need to make America work, and when Washington works, we all thrive.
I applaud our President for keeping his campaign promises, pushing forward this agenda of peace and prosperity to make not only America great again but make the world a much safer place.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a giant of athletics, not just in Cougar Country but in all of American sports and the world of track and field.
His name is John Prescott Chaplin, born in Los Angeles, educated at WSU, an Army veteran, a professor in geography, and a coach in the truest, oldest, most honorable sense of the word.
From 1968 to 1994, Chaplin transformed WSU from a modest program into a global track and field powerhouse. Under his leadership, the Cougars captured 19 top-four NCAA trophies, won 218 All-American honors, and crowned 17 individual NCAA champions. His dual meet record was 202 wins to just 15 losses, 9 undefeated seasons, and 6 national dual meet titles.
Chaplin coached Olympic gold medalists, world record holders, and world champions, and he did it not in Los Angeles or Austin but in Pullman, Washington, on the rolling hills of the Palouse.
John Chaplin's recruits came from Spokane, Seattle, and all corners of the globe, young men chasing opportunity, education, and excellence. Henry Rono, Julius Korir, and Bernard Lagat weren't just track stars. They were ambassadors for what college sports can be: meritocratic, international, and transformational.
Chaplin was more than just a coach. He was a statesman of the sport. He served as U.S. Olympic head coach in Sydney in 2000, where his athletes won six gold medals.
John Chaplin also chaired the USA Men's Track and Field Committee, refereed NCAA and international championships, advised federations from Russia to Senegal, and lectured on coaching from Argentina to China.
John Chaplin brought honor to his profession and Washington State University.
Mr. Speaker, I must tell you this. This very program he built is, unfortunately, being hollowed out. Just last week, WSU announced the elimination of field events and a dramatic reduction in sprints and hurdles. Of the 45 Cougar Olympians, 20 of them were in field events.
The legacy of Chaplin and the athletes he coached is being boxed in by a college athletic system that no longer rewards broad-based opportunity. Yes, these cuts come in the shadow of the House v. NCAA settlement, a legal sledgehammer that forces schools like WSU to pay football and basketball players while draining the lifeblood of Olympic sports.
Chaplin's world record holders and his All-Americans in today's system are expendable. We can fix this. We must fix this, not with more lawsuits, not with blank checks for the Power Four, not with unlimited authority to the commissioner of the SEC and the commissioner of the Big Ten, but with Federal reform that restores equity, sustains opportunity, and honors the values of folks like John Chaplin.
If we lose the spirit of Cougar track, we are not just losing a program. We are losing a piece of what college sports were meant to be.
Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor a true football legend from Spokane and also the man who rediscovered his story.
Tony Canadeo, known as the Gray Ghost of Gonzaga, came from humble beginnings as a 5-foot-8, 150-pound kid on Chicago's North Side.
Tony's grit and talent carried him all the way to the Green Bay Packers, where he became one of the NFL's greats. He wasn't just a player. He was a pioneer and Hall of Famer whose No. 3 jersey was retired, a symbol of his lasting impact on one of college football's most storied franchises.
Tony's legacy goes beyond the field. A proud son of Italian immigrants, a dedicated family man, and a man of faith and character shaped by Gonzaga's Jesuit principles, he helped build the Packers' dynasty and even played a role in bringing Vince Lombardi to Green Bay.
Tony was Gonzaga's first national star. As Gonzaga makes its historic entry into the PAC-12, joining institutions that will now be showcased nationally, the storied legacy of Tony's athletes will be told to the Nation.
Tony's story had been forgotten for some time until local Spokane resident Dave Parks rediscovered it, and I want to honor Dave Parks for his heartfelt research and his call to hang the jersey of Tony Canadeo in the rafters of Gonzaga University's sports hall.
I thank Dave for bringing this story back to light and for the work he does for our community.
Mr. Speaker, I am grateful, at the direction of President Donald Trump, the U.S. Armed Forces have successfully destroyed the nuclear threat of Iran, defending American families. General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a VMI graduate, correctly praised this as ``the largest B-2 operational strike in U.S. history.''
Iran is the leading state sponsor of murderous terror in the world, and President Trump has successfully ended a nuclear-armed Iran. Promises made, promises kept.
President Trump has proven his willingness for negotiations. However, enemies of America insult this effort. Dictator Assad of Syria was warned in 2017, the Iranian regime was warned, and war criminal Putin has been warned.
In conclusion, God bless our troops as the global war on terrorism continues. Trump is reinstituting existing laws to protect American families with peace through strength, revealing war criminal Putin's lies, insulting Trump and mocking Trump, with Putin-ist leaders proposing Russian nuclear weapons for Iran this week.
Mr. Speaker, and still I rise, and I rise today because I believe my country to be at the crossroads of democracy and autocracy. The moment of decision is near. We will have to decide whether we will have a country that abides by a Constitution that is meaningful or ignores a Constitution such that it becomes meaningless.
I choose to stand on the grounds laid by the Founders and Framers of the Constitution. I stand today to announce that at the conclusion of this 1-minute message, I will bring Articles of Impeachment to the attention of the House of Representatives.
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2(a)(1) of rule IX, I rise to give notice of my intention to raise a question of the privileges of the House.
The form of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 537, impeaching, Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
In the House of Representatives, June 24, 2025, Mr. Al Green of Texas submitted the following resolution;
Resolution, impeaching Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
Resolved, that Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following Articles of Impeachment be exhibited to the Senate:
Articles of Impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives of the United States of America in the name of itself and of the people of the United States of America, against Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America, in maintenance and support of its impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors.
Article I.
Abuse of Presidential Powers by Disregarding the Separation of Powers, Devolving American Democracy into Authoritarianism by Unconstitutionally Usurping Congress' Power to Declare War.
In his conduct of the Office of President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the Office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, abused the powers of the presidency when he disregarded the doctrine of separation of powers by usurping Congress's power to declare war and ordered the United States military to bomb another country without the constitutionally-mandated congressional authorization or notice to Congress--cognizant of the fact that should another country's military bomb a facility within the United States of America, it would be a de facto declaration of war against the United States of America.
On June 12, 2025, the State of Israel initiated attacks on Iran, ostensibly to target sites and individuals of importance to Iran's nuclear program. Iran retaliated, and the conflict has escalated between Israel and Iran, though at no point did Iran pose any imminent threat to the United States.
On June 21, 2025, President Trump announced ``successful'' attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran: Fordow, Natanz, and Estahan via his social media network, Truth Social. President Trump failed to seek prior congressionally-mandated authorization for the use of military force. Congressional leaders were not appropriately briefed or notified of the attack plans despite foreign leaders being given advance notice of the planned U.S. military action.
President Trump's unilateral, unprovoked use of force without congressional authorization or notice constitutes an abuse of power when there was no imminent threat to the United States, which facilitates the devolution of American democracy into authoritarianism, with an authoritarian president who has instigated an attack on the United States Capitol, denied persons due process of the law, and called for the impeachment of federal judges who ruled against him-- making Donald J. Trump a threat to American democracy.
Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the United States Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war: ``[The Congress shall have the Power . . . ] To declare war . . . '' At the time, the Framers of the Constitution emphasized the goal of limiting the monarchical power of any single individual person to take a country to war over personal whims and preferences--no constitutional exception exists for a successful military action.
In starting his illegal and unconstitutional war with Iran without the constitutionally-mandated consent of Congress or appropriate notice to Congress, President Trump acted in direct violation of the War Powers Clause of the Constitution. President Trump has devolved and continues to devolve American democracy into authoritarianism by disregarding the separation of powers and now, usurping congressional war powers.
In all of this, Donald J. Trump has abused the powers of the presidency in a manner contrary to his trust as President, has become a threat to American democracy, subverted our constitutional government, and devolved democracy into authoritarianism, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore Donald J. Trump, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under rule IX, a resolution offered from the floor by a Member other than the majority leader or the minority leader as a question of the privileges of the House has immediate precedence only at a time designated by the Chair within 2 legislative days after the resolution is properly noticed.
Pending that designation, the form of the resolution noticed by the gentleman from Texas will appear in the Record at this point.
The Chair will not at this point determine whether the resolution constitutes a question of privilege. That determination will be made at the time designated for consideration of the resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate the Leechburg Rotary Club on an incredible milestone, 100 years of dedicated service to their community.
Since receiving their charter in 1925, the Leechburg Rotary has been a pillar of civic engagement, compassion, and leadership in Armstrong County.
From their very first project of placing Bibles in hotel rooms to helping pave Canal Street, building a new bridge over the Kiskiminetas River, and championing the creation of a high school band in the 1930s, the Leechburg Rotary has always stepped up to improve life for their neighbors.
Whether it is supporting veterans or assisting children with disabilities or flipping pancakes for a good cause, generations after generations of Rotarians have kept the spirit of service alive.
The Leechburg Rotary Club has helped build more than infrastructure. They built a sense of community, and for that we are grateful.
Mr. Speaker, I again congratulate Leechburg Rotary on a century of service.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today for the 23rd time to ask the Trump administration to honor its word and restore funding for lifesaving food aid for malnourished children. This is not a Democratic or Republican issue.
President Ronald Reagan expanded the Food for Peace program, calling it a way to share America's bounty with the world's most vulnerable.
President George W. Bush launched the largest global health initiative in history, PEPFAR, and strengthened food assistance, as well.
President Obama increased funding for ready-to-use therapeutic food for combating child hunger globally.
Why? Because all the of these Presidents, Democrats and Republicans, understood that feeding the world's hungry is not just a moral responsibility, but also an imperative for our own national security. If we don't do it, our adversaries will.
Now, since the Trump administration cut off this funding 5 months ago, factories are idle, shipments are not being made, and kids are going hungry. The Trump administration has said they will restore this funding, but it has been 5 months. They have not done it yet. They need to honor their word and restore funding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize an unparalleled figure within the city of Kannapolis, Mr. Wally Safrit, who will be retiring this summer, after more than 40 years of service.
Wally has been involved in the city of Kannapolis since before its inception. In 1982, he joined with community members to begin the push for incorporation, spearheading the legal process of creating a municipality. By 1984, he had successfully helped to guide the city into incorporation, and in 1986 he officially became the city attorney.
Since then, he has worked tirelessly to guide Kannapolis through complex legal opportunities. From the downtown revitalization to forming a minor league baseball team, Wally has been involved in just about every project in Kannapolis' history. His contributions have been irreplaceable, and his legacy is a thriving town that is home to more than 50,000 people.
I thank Wally for his many contributions to the community. I wish him a long and joyous retirement.
Mr. Speaker, last week, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, Representative Ayanna Pressley, and I joined the Greater Boston Food Bank and Mass General Brigham to highlight the persistent problem of hunger, now made exponentially worse by policy proposals from Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress.
While President Trump and Republicans in Congress dismantle programs like Medicaid, SNAP, and WIC, stakeholders in our home State are forming new partnerships to improve food security.
Take, for example, the plant-based food pantry we visited last week at the Mass General Revere Community Health Center. Patients can access nutritious produce and pantry staples provided by the food bank to bridge the gap because SNAP benefits are already too low. The pantry features a teaching kitchen, so health center patients can learn how to cook nutritious meals.
Food is medicine. While these partnerships are key to supporting the health and well-being of hungry families, they cannot make up for the draconian cuts being pushed by Republicans. It is time to drop these cuts, better invest in basic needs programs, and end hunger now.
Mr. Speaker, the Forest Service is beginning the process to repeal the 2001 Roadless Rule, a move that has been long overdue.
I commend Secretary Rollins, as she pointed out that this rule has been disastrous for the West, blocking forest thinning, logging, and road construction. As you can see from the map here, about 640 million acres are controlled by the Federal Government across our country, about half of that in the Forest Service.
These restrictions made it harder to fight wildfires, protect public safety, and manage our forests responsibly. When government puts up gates and keeps people out from doing forest practices that are positive or even being able to get in and fight fires because the roads are disappearing, it is a bad deal for all of us.
The rule was pushed through in the final days of the Clinton administration, backed by environmental activists in Washington, not the people who actually live near these forests and suffer from the smoke and the threat. It has led to overgrown, unhealthy forests, and prevented rural counties from using this land to create jobs which generate the income for their local governments, schools, and roads and reduced fire risk.
Repealing the Roadless Rule is an important step toward restoring this entry we need to our lands, improving wildfire response, and bringing back common sense to forest management.
To ensure our status as the strongest and most effective Air Force in the world, it is imperative that we invest in a highly mission-capable fleet of frontline fighter jets.
That is why I have introduced H.R. 4027, the Frontline Fighter Force First Act. The legislation mandates that we prioritize combat-coded fighters, evaluating both the immediate and future needs of vital fighters like the F-15E Strike Eagle at places such as Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and Next Generation Air Dominance.
Air power and superiority are must-have assets in modern warfare, which is why I call upon my colleagues in Congress to pass the Frontline Fighter Force First Act without delay.
Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the time you have granted me to acknowledge a stunning accomplishment by one of our high school athletes in Utah's Third District, Jane Hedengren.
Jane runs track for Timpview High School in Provo, Utah. In an invitational meet in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 5, she swept the field by more than 12 seconds, setting a national high school women's and national women's 1-mile record for those under 20 years old of 4 minutes 23.5 seconds, only 0.04 seconds over the women's collegiate mile record. Just 3 days later, she broke her own national high school 2-mile record by 17 seconds. She has also set national records for high school women in the 2K, 3K, and 5K.
Forbes magazine recently said of her: ``Is this Utah teenager the best girls track athlete in history? She certainly looks the part.''
Jane's post-graduation plans include running for the BYU Cougars women's track and field and cross-country teams during the upcoming school year.
I congratulate Jane and wish her good luck and much success. I am excited to see what the future will hold for her.
Providing for Consideration of H.R. 3944, Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026; Providing for Consideration of H.R. 275, Special Interest Alien...
Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume.
During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.
Mr. Speaker, last night, the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 530, providing for consideration of four measures, including H.R. 3944, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026, under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees, provides for one motion to recommit, and makes 32 amendments in order.
Additionally, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 275, the Special Interest Alien Reporting Act of 2025, under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security or their respective designees and provides for one motion to recommit.
Further, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 875, the Jeremy and Angel Seay and Sergeant Brandon Mendoza Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act of 2025, under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on the Judiciary or their respective designees and provides for one motion to recommit.
Lastly, the rule provides for consideration of H. Res. 516, Condemning the Violent June 2025 Riots in Los Angeles, California, under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on the Judiciary or their respective designees.
Mr. Speaker, we are here today to debate the rule on four pieces of legislation, beginning with H.R. 3944, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2026.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3944 supports those who have sacrificed for our country and maintains our commitment to the well-being of both servicemembers and veterans.
It provides a total of $453 billion in overall funding, including a discretionary allocation of more than $152 billion, which is nearly $5 billion above the previous year's enacted level.
It fully funds veterans' healthcare programs, including medical care for toxic exposure. It fully funds veterans' benefits and VA programs and supports President Trump's effort to combat veteran homelessness by investing in the new bridging rental assistance for the veteran empowerment program.
It protects the Second Amendment rights of veterans by preventing the VA from sending information on veterans to the FBI without a judge's consent.
Further, it syncs with President Trump's executive order on no funds for DEI or gender-affirming care and protects the Hyde-like language at the VA.
Additionally, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3944 continues support for the Guard and Reserve, providing more than $1.2 billion for Guard and Reserve facility construction.
It includes $2 billion for military family housing, with a focus on child development centers to improve the quality of life of our military families.
It provides robust funding for military construction, which enables continued investment in the Indo-Pacific region and the infrastructure necessary to support U.S. advanced weapon systems.
Furthermore, it prohibits the VA from purchasing resources directly or indirectly from the People's Republic of China.
Mr. Speaker, this bill provides significant investments and support for our veterans, servicemembers, and their families, and it should pass in a bipartisan manner.
Moving on, Mr. Speaker, the rule also provides for the consideration of H.R. 275, the Special Interest Alien Reporting Act of 2025.
It goes without saying, Mr. Speaker, that the situation at our southern border has improved significantly under the Trump administration. However, under the previous administration, illegal aliens from over 170 different countries, including Iran, the People's Republic of China, and Russia, came across our borders.
H.R. 275 would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to publish a monthly report on the number of special interest aliens--people who pose a significant threat to our national security based on analysis of travel patterns--who have been encountered while attempting to illegally enter the United States.
This bill is common sense, and the American people have a right to know.
Additionally, Mr. Speaker, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 875, the Jeremy and Angel Seay and Sergeant Brandon Mendoza Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act of 2025.
This bill is simple and necessary. It closes a loophole in U.S. immigration law and ensures that aliens who endanger communities by driving while intoxicated are inadmissible to and deportable from the United States.
All three of the individuals included in the title lost their lives in automobile crashes caused by illegal aliens who were driving under the influence. We should honor their memory and work to keep the American people safe by passing this bill in a bipartisan manner.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, the rule provides for consideration of H. Res. 516, Condemning the Violent June 2025 Riots in Los Angeles, California.
The First Amendment to the Constitution protects the right to peacefully protest. However, it does not protect against riots and violence. This resolution recognizes the right to assemble and protest peacefully while condemning the riots and violence against law enforcement.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to consideration of these pieces of legislation. I urge passage of this rule.
Mr. Speaker, that was riveting. I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Austin Scott) for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, contained in this rule are two immigration bills, one of which Congress has already passed, another of which directs the administration to do something they already have the power to do.
There is a nonbinding resolution here to condemn rioting. We had an interesting conversation in the Rules Committee last night, and I don't remember Republicans offering a nonbinding resolution to condemn the riots that occurred outside this building on January 6, 2021.
We can't even get the Speaker of the House to hang the plaque expressing gratitude to the law enforcement officers who protected us that day that a law says he has to hang, so please forgive me if I think this one rings a bit hollow.
Then, we have an appropriations bill that continues this trend toward privatizing VA services and blocks women who are veterans from being able to get abortion services at the VA in most cases. Republicans are trying to restrict the freedoms of the people who are willing to fight and die for our freedoms. Republicans are unbelievable.
I am glad that we are here on the floor debating, Mr. Speaker. I just don't think we are debating what 90 percent of Americans want us to be talking about right now, which is the chaos and confusion that this administration has created and the real fear
The bottom line is that this administration is acting insane. The President yesterday said there was going to be a cease-fire forever between Israel and Iran. They are back to bombing each other this morning. The cease-fire he bragged about didn't even last a day.
He has inserted us into this war with zero thought to the consequences. We are bombing Iran. Iran is bombing us. The risk of miscalculation is massive, and the entire Republican Party is just going along for the ride.
Stephen Miller, a top administration official, is on TV talking about Donald Trump like he is Kim Jong-un. It is creepy.
The majority says they are not in a cult. Now is their chance to prove it.
Trump is doing literally the exact opposite of what he promised to do in his campaign. Instead of having the courage to say something, 99 percent of these guys suddenly decided they are in favor of endless wars. The mental gymnastics that takes is nuts.
Mr. Speaker, if it looks like a cult, if it acts like a cult, maybe, just maybe, it is a cult.
I thought Republicans said they were going to lower food prices. Food is just as expensive as it was 6 months ago, and now, we are dragged into another war in the Middle East. This isn't America First. This is not even normal. It is nuts.
This is an administration in way over its head that thought ending a war was as easy as ranting on Truth Social. Now, American troops and taxpayers are paying the price for their stupidity and carelessness.
Let's be crystal clear. These strikes were illegal, unauthorized, and unconstitutional. No debate, no vote, no evidence of an imminent threat--that is not how this should work. If we are going to drop bombs and put American lives in danger, Republicans in Congress should be willing to come down here and have the courage to vote ``yes'' or ``no'' so that people know where they stand.
Meanwhile, while families are bracing for gas prices to go up and dealing with food prices that never came down, these guys want Congress to ignore all of that and rubberstamp their big, ugly tax scam, a scam that hands tax breaks to billionaires while ripping food off kids' tables and healthcare out of seniors' hands.
Mr. Speaker, these guys do not know what the hell they are doing, and America is paying the price. Trump said there would be a cease-fire forever, and it lasted 1 day. He said the big, ugly bill won't touch Medicaid and won't screw over middle-class families, but the bill cuts 16 million people off their healthcare and ransacks the food budgets of working people.
Guess what. You can't trust him. You can't trust a word this administration says. We should be debating a War Powers Resolution. We should be talking about their awful, ugly bill that is working its way through the Senate. Instead, Republicans want business as usual, endless wars, and tax cuts for the rich.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump--I know it pains my colleagues to say that, ``President of the United States Donald J. Trump''--for his decisive action. I thank him for calling both sides out on the cease- fire.
I point out to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle that, as of right now, the cease-fire is holding, and most of the world wants that cease-fire to hold.
Mr. Speaker, when you talk about a cult, the cult would be the people who hate Donald Trump so bad that they want the cease-fire to fail.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, let me just remind my colleagues again about what is happening here. Trump said he would end the war in Ukraine on day one. He didn't. Last time I checked, it is still going on.
He said he wouldn't get us into another war. He just did. He said there was a cease-fire that would last forever. There wasn't.
He said his bill won't kick people off of Medicaid, and it will. Sixteen million people are about to lose their healthcare, and it is going to adversely impact rural areas even more so because of what he is doing.
Mr. Speaker, do you know what he has been doing since midnight? He has been on Truth Social. He has posted nearly 30 times since midnight on Truth Social, first of all declaring victory and that everything is beautiful and then retweeting posts calling for him to get the Nobel Peace Prize.
He is more interested in getting an award than he is in protecting people's healthcare and making sure that people in this country have enough to eat and that children don't go hungry.
I mean, these priorities, maybe they are the majority's priorities. They are not my priorities. I think they are all screwed up.
Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to bring up H.R. 2753, the Hands Off Medicaid and SNAP Act of 2025, which would block the Republicans from cutting Medicaid or SNAP benefits and kicking people off these lifesaving programs as part of their reconciliation bill.
Last month, House Republicans jammed through their multitrillion- dollar tax scam by a one-vote margin. As a reminder, this bill includes the largest ever cut to food assistance and will strip healthcare from 16 million Americans, all while adding $3.3 trillion to the debt.
Mr. Speaker, some Republicans didn't even know what was in the bill when they voted for it. Yet when they had the chance for a revote 2 weeks ago, because they screwed it up the first time, they voted to cut Medicaid and SNAP again.
As we stand here, debating unrelated immigration measures, Senate Republicans are moving forward with their version of the big, ugly bill. Because House Republicans broke so many rules when they passed their bill the second time, they are going to have to vote on it a third time when it comes back from the Senate.
Miraculously, due to their own ineptitude, Republicans have given themselves yet another opportunity to protect healthcare and SNAP for millions of Americans. Let's see if they vote this time to bring up the Hands Off Medicaid and SNAP Act.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment into the record, along with any extraneous material, immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Massachusetts?
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on the critical importance of both SNAP and Medicaid, not just to Alabama's Second District but in every congressional district across this country.
When I took this position, like all of my colleagues, I took an oath not just for this position but I took an oath to the people that I represent. That is to not forget where I come from.
I took an oath to places like Mobile, Montgomery, Phenix City, Evergreen, and Greenville. I took an oath to the neighborhood I grew up in, in Toulminville, to not forget the type of district that I come from.
For me, what that district looks like is about one in four households rely on SNAP benefits. Over 200,000 people, almost a third of the population in the State of Alabama, are enrolled in Medicaid.
The individual median income in my district is just about $31,000 a year. I come from a district that is not the wealthiest in this country. It is not even close to the wealthiest or well-off.
These aren't just statistics. These are real people I see when I go home to my district. These are children, seniors, working parents, and people with disabilities. These are neighbors. These are people who I grew up with in church. These are people I went to school with. These people depend on these programs to survive, not because they want to but because they have to.
Cutting these benefits would force impossible choices amongst some of these people between food, medicine, utilities, housing, and overall stability.
It wouldn't reduce the need because the need would still be there. The hunger would still be there. The poverty would still be there. It would shift the cost onto our hospitals, our schools, and emergency services.
Alabama SNAP does more than just provide food for people. It also supports, as it does across this country, our local grocers and grocery stores. All of the statistics show that SNAP is a net positive return on the local economy.
We have to recognize that Medicaid keeps working families healthy. Mr. Speaker, 61 percent of Medicaid recipients in the State of Alabama are working. The majority or remainder are either children or people with disabilities. These programs are not luxuries. They are lifelines that people need to get by.
Let's stop pretending that these are just numbers in a budget and these are not real people. Protecting SNAP and Medicaid is not about politics. It is not about priorities. We are not in a position where we can't afford it. We spend almost $4 million every trip Donald Trump takes to Mar-a-Lago. It is not a question of resources. It is a question of priorities.
Mr. Speaker, I want the American citizens to know that anybody under the age of 18 is exempt from the changes. Anybody over the age of 64, meaning 65 or above, is exempt from the changes. Anybody who is disabled is exempt from the changes.
If there is an able-bodied adult of working age not taking care of a dependent, we believe that it is in their best interest to be at work. That is what our policies do.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that everybody is going to be adversely impacted by the big, ugly bill. Senior citizens, children, and everybody in between will be impacted.
In the gentleman's district in Georgia, it is estimated that a total of 41,718 people will lose their insurance. It is estimated that 33,400 will lose Affordable Care Act coverage. Mr. Speaker, 8,318 will lose Medicaid coverage.
Mr. Speaker, I don't know how Republicans go back to their districts and meet with their constituents. I guess they don't meet with their constituents anymore. I know the Speaker of the House said Republicans shouldn't do townhalls.
At some point my Republican colleagues will have to face them. How do they tell their constituents they voted for a bill that will adversely impact them?
The cuts in SNAP alone will increase hunger in this country substantially. We should talk about how we end hunger and, instead, Republicans are moving legislation to increase hunger.
We should have a country where everybody has healthcare coverage. Instead, they are pushing a bill that will throw people off of health insurance. I don't know how people do that. I don't know how they go home and talk to constituents about the fact that they are here fighting on their behalf.
I thought our job, no matter whether Democrat or Republican, was to fight for things to improve the quality of life for everybody in this country. That is not what this big, ugly bill is about.
Mr. Speaker, I have to say the Senate has actually made the Medicaid provisions worse, if that was possible. Even more people will lose it. That is not me saying it. It is the CBO, the Congressional Budget Office, saying that. It is not Jim McGovern or Democrats. The Congressional Budget Office is saying it.
It talks about not only how many people will lose their healthcare coverage and how many people will lose their SNAP benefits, but it talks about how much this is going to add to the debt. It will add trillions.
The people who are deficit hawks, they all talk a good game. They are going to be tough on the budget. They are going to make cuts to make sure we can balance the budget, except they don't. They add another $3.3 trillion, basically to give tax breaks to billionaires.
Who does that? Who thinks that is a good idea? I don't think I know any billionaires. I am hard-pressed to find somebody out there who is a billionaire who says he really needs another tax cut.
We ought to reject this big, ugly bill that they pushed through the House and that is on its way back from the Senate.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am laughing because I honestly don't even know if a billionaire lives in my district.
The idea we would be up here, doing a bunch of tax cuts for billionaires, as they have continued to repeat, I guess they think if they say it enough times, then everybody will start to believe it.
Let me talk about Massachusetts-02. Massachusetts has 524,530 taxpayers. The average taxpayer in that district will see a 20 percent tax hike if this piece of legislation is not passed.
A family of four, making $95,000 in the district, would see a $2,100 tax increase if this piece of legislation doesn't pass.
Mr. Speaker, 89,000 Massachusetts-02 families would see their household's child tax credit cut in half and 89 percent of Massachusetts taxpayers would see their guaranteed deductions cut in half. There would be 64,380 small businesses in Massachusetts-02 that would be hit with a 43.4 percent tax rate if the 199A small business deduction expires.
Mr. Speaker, 22,427 of those citizens would be impacted by the return of the alternative minimum tax, and 1,780 family-owned farms in Massachusetts-02 would have their death tax exemptions slashed in half next year.
Mr. Speaker, they keep using the word ``billionaires.'' The bottom line is they are trying to raise taxes on everyday Americans that deserve better. They work hard for their money. Candidly, the government takes too much of it from them anyway. Let's give it back to them. They earned it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, my question to the gentleman is: If he doesn't represent any billionaires, why is he for tax cuts for billionaires?
Why are Republicans for tax cuts for billionaires? Maybe it is because they write out big campaign contributions. That is really a cynical thing. That is what is at the heart of all of this.
The gentleman said that taxes will go up for middle-class families in Massachusetts. We actually gave them a chance in the Rules Committee. We are for middle-class tax cuts. We are for extending them. In the Rules Committee, I offered a number of amendments to exempt billionaires from the tax cut. Every Republican, the gentleman included, voted ``no.'' They wanted to make sure that the billionaires got the tax cuts.
Then we said: What about millionaires? Let's exempt millionaires. Let's keep the tax cuts for the middle class and exempt millionaires. Everyone on the Rules Committee, including the gentleman, voted ``no.''
By the way, if people want to know what is going on here, the cuts to SNAP alone are $300 billion. The cuts to Medicaid in the Affordable Care Act are $1 trillion. The tax cuts for people with incomes in the top 5 percent are $1.6 trillion.
The numbers don't lie, but it kind of shows what this debate is all about. This is about a transfer of wealth from those in the middle to those at the top. It is about rewarding and enriching those who are well-off and well-connected. It is about punishing those in the middle and those fighting to be able to just get by, to put food on the table, and to make sure they go to the doctor if they or their kids get sick.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Simon).
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) for yielding time.
As the Representative of California's 12th Congressional District, representing the East Bay, I rise today in opposition to H. Res. 516. This resolution is a partisan, disproportionate response to the ICE protest in Los Angeles. Republicans are intentionally misleading the public on the scale of the
I want to be clear. There was no doubt there was violence. I am from California. I was present at some of the protests. The scale was unworthy of Federal condemnation and certainly the scale was unworthy of Presidential overreach.
It was the President who overstepped his authority and escalated and instigated chaos, sending the National Guard and our Marines against the will of my Governor, the mayor of Los Angeles, and the people of California.
The Trump administration has made it clear that they do not believe in the right of Los Angeles to exist, as it has done since its founding, as a multicultural, vibrant, and working-class city. The violence was in less than three to five blocks.
Mr. Speaker, I think the resolution is an attempt to rewrite history in real time and to prescribe extreme violence onto the people of Los Angeles, California, who were exercising their First Amendment right to free speech. This resolution is in no way sufficient. It is a way to roll back free speech.
Let's be clear. We do not have a democracy if we erode the right to free speech. We will not have a democracy if the President of the United States continues to abuse his power and push authoritarian measures.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the President.
Mr. Speaker, a picture is worth a thousand words. Peaceful protests do not include assaults of law enforcement officers or burning vehicles.
I would also like to point out to the American citizens that when they hear the Democrats talk about the top 5 percent, the top 5 percent are not billionaires. According to the Tax Foundation, the top 5 percent are people that make above $252,000.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I, and I think everybody on the Democratic side, oppose violence and criminality, and people who commit violence ought to be held to account.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield to the gentleman if he would join with me in publicly condemning the pardon of all those who committed such heinous crimes and so much violence here on the Capitol on January 6.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to gentleman if he wants to condemn the pardons. I can tell you one thing, Mr. Speaker, Governor Newsom is not going to pardon those who looted stores or committed violence or attacked law enforcement, but Donald Trump pardoned the people who attacked the men and women who were protecting all of us here, our staff, and all of the people who work here.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield to the gentleman if he wants to condemn the pardons that Trump gave to all those who committed these terrible crimes on that horrific day.
Silence.
We can't even get the Speaker of the House to hang a plaque honoring the men and women in law enforcement who defended us.
What is wrong with this place?
Violence is wrong no matter whom it is committed by. The difference here is that Governor Newsom will not pardon people who committed violent crimes.
Again, Mr. Speaker, as we are gathered here today, we have a President who all he seems to want to do is tweet. As I said before, he has posted nearly 30 times since midnight. He took credit for a cease- fire which, by this morning, was broken. He attacked Federal Reserve Chair Powell. He attacked Representative Ocasio-Cortez, and he attacked Representative Thomas Massie. Again, I think attacking Massie may replace golf as the President's favorite pastime.
Of course, while talking about Representative Massie, Trump had to pat himself on the back for winning elections in Kentucky. He also posted multiple times about the Nobel Peace Prize. That is what he cares about, getting an award. It is all about him, not saving healthcare, not ending hunger, but getting an award.
We need serious people working to solve real problems, and what we have is a reality TV show White House with a stream of consciousness press operation, and it is supported by a Republican Congress that thinks it is a debate club rather than an equal branch of government.
This Congress doesn't even debate real things. The President sent our troops to bomb another country this week, and that is not what we are here debating this week. We are debating a meaningless resolution and bills to further demonize immigrants.
Enough, Mr. Speaker. Let's try work on something, anything, that will help real people. This is not the way government is supposed to operate. It is not working. People are being hurt.
While we are having this discussion here today, this big, ugly bill is winding its way through the Senate to come back here to the House.
I predict that my Republican friends, as always, will say: Oh, I am really concerned about the cuts in Medicaid. I am really worried about people who will lose their healthcare. Yeah, I know, I wish they weren't cutting SNAP so deeply. Oh, yeah, I really care about this and care about that.
Do you know what they will do, Mr. Speaker?
They will come here, and they will cave. They get in line because they are afraid of even asking a question about what this President is doing and what this administration is advocating. We need to do so much better around here.
I have to tell you, Mr. Speaker, this is ridiculous that this is what we are doing this week when there is so much happening in the world. By the way, again, let's make sure everybody understands this: This big, ugly bill that is coming here is about a tax break for billionaires. I just showed you the figures, Mr. Speaker. There is more money going to billionaires than anybody else in the tax bill, and they are cutting programs like SNAP and Medicaid. It really is shameful.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I don't think that the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act is ridiculous. I think it is necessary. I think our veterans have earned it. I think it is a good piece of legislation. Ultimately, Mr. Speaker, I expect it will probably pass in a bipartisan manner.
I will say this: President Trump wants peace between Israel and Iran. He took decisive action, and without that decisive action, that peace would not have been possible. He wanted peace with India and Pakistan, and he wants peace with Ukraine and Russia. He wants peace.
Now, Mr. Speaker, you may disagree with the way he goes about it, but to attack him and say that he doesn't want a resolution that ends the killing, you just don't know the man if you think that about him. He wants peace.
Sometimes peace requires strength, and it requires a leader who has the mental capacity to make the decisions to carry out the actions necessary to bring about that peace. I am thankful that we have a President who has the ability to make those decisions.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, a couple of things. The gentleman has had 30 minutes, and he couldn't spend 30 seconds to condemn the Trump pardons of those who viciously attacked our law enforcement on that terrible day on January 6. We have a Speaker of the House who won't hang a plaque that he is supposed to do under law honoring the law enforcement who were here protecting all of us and who were beaten right outside that door.
It is crickets on the other side. They can't bring themselves to condemn that. They can't say that the pardons were wrong. I don't get it.
I have spent my entire life fighting for peace, and when Trump says that he wants peace, where is the peace?
He said that he was going to bring peace to Ukraine on day one. Instead,
That is not my idea of peace. That is capitulation. That is giving in to a vicious aggressor. I am sorry, if the gentleman thinks that that is peace, then we have a very different opinion of that.
Again, we all hope and pray that things de-escalate in the Middle East. Here is what we know: We don't know whether Iran still has nuclear material, and we also know that they have been lobbing bombs at each other still. We know there is tremendous unrest in the Middle East, and we don't really know what the endgame is. That is why we should have a debate, and that is why Congress has a role to play.
Again, Mr. Speaker, you may think that all that Donald Trump is doing is fabulous, and that is great, but do you know what, Mr. Speaker?
You should also, as a Member of Congress, want to defend the powers of the legislative branch and understand that we have a role in this too, and that sometimes through debate, if people decide they want to support the President's policies, well, that just strengthens his hand. If people have real questions, then maybe we have to take a different course.
I was around here when we rushed to war in Iraq. We did have a debate, but we were given faulty information by the administration at the time. We were lied to. There were no weapons of mass destruction, and look at what that cost us in terms of life, treasure, and credibility around the world.
Mr. Speaker, again, I think there are things that we should be focused on here right now that are much more pressing than the items that are before us here today.
Mr. Speaker, I certainly have thanked before, and I will thank again, all of the law enforcement and the men and women who keep us safe in this Capitol. I appreciate what they do for us.
Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close if the gentleman is prepared to close. I don't have any additional speakers. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, let me just say to the gentleman: You say that you support and respect the men and women who protect us here, the law enforcement who protect us here, yet you can't bring yourself to condemn the action that pardoned those individuals who viciously attacked law enforcement. Also, nobody on the Republican side will demand of the Republican Speaker of the House to hang the plaque that, by law, he is supposed to hang honoring the law enforcement who defended us on that day.
I think that is a lack of respect. That is a lack of respect to law enforcement. The Republicans can't even condemn the rioters who were here on January 6.
So what the hell is wrong with this place?
Mr. Speaker, I will close with this: Congress alone has the power to declare war, not Donald Trump, not his Truth Social account, and not his campaign donors. This administration cannot be trusted with that power. They have no plan, they have no strategy and no clue. Just follow him on Truth Social. Every day they stoke chaos abroad to distract from the misery that they are causing at home.
Mr. Speaker, does anyone remember the last time a Republican President misled the Nation about WMDs, using vague evidence to drag us into a war in the Middle East? He stood under a mission accomplished banner, and then we were at war for nearly a decade, and it cost trillions of dollars and thousands of lives.
I guess the 2025 version of a mission accomplished banner is a Truth Social post telling everyone that this was a spectacular military success.
Give me a break. Mr. Speaker, 2003 called. They want their foreign policy back.
Republicans want to keep everyone divided and distracted. They went to distract us from their big, ugly bill, a tax scam so cruel and corrupt that it actually makes working families poorer just to make billionaires richer.
They want to distract us from the fact that under Trump's watch, grocery bills are sky-high, farmers will suffocate under tariffs, and now families are bracing for a spike at the pump because this President started a war, and he has no clue how to end it.
Well, I won't be distracted. We see this chaos for what it is: reckless, stupid, and dangerous. We see this tax bill for what it is: greedy, immoral, and bad for working people.
Mr. Speaker, I urge this House to stop rubber-stamping chaos and to stop rubber-stamping corruption. Let's do our constitutional duty: Stop this illegal war, end this rotten tax scam, and stand up for the people we work for.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, this week, the House has the ability to advance four pieces of legislation under this rule.
H.R. 3944 is the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2026, which provides significant investments and support for our veterans, servicemembers, and their families, as well as military construction. I expect and hope that it will pass in a bipartisan manner.
H.R. 275 is the Special Interest Alien Reporting Act of 2025 which provides transparency by publishing a monthly report on the number of special interest aliens attempting to enter the U.S. and includes the encounter location and their country of origin. This is information that the public has a right to know.
H.R. 875 is the Jeremy and Angel Seay and Sergeant Brandon Mendoza Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act of 2025, which works to keep the American people safe by closing a loophole in U.S. immigration law to ensure that aliens who drive intoxicated are inadmissible to, and deportable from, the United States.
Again, Mr. Speaker, I hope and expect it will pass in a bipartisan manner.
H. Res. 516 condemns the violent June 2025 riots in Los Angeles, California, which recognizes the right to assemble and protest peacefully while condemning the riots and violence against law enforcement.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes'' on the previous question and ``yes'' on the rule.
The material previously referred to by Mr. McGovern is as follows:
An Amendment to H. Res. 530 Offered by Mr. McGovern of Massachusetts
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XX, this 15- minute vote on the motion to table will be followed by 5-minute votes on:
Ordering the previous question on House Resolution 530; and
Adoption of House Resolution 530, if ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 344, nays 79, not voting 9, as follows:
Mses. CLARKE of New York, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. NORCROSS, and Ms. PINGREE changed their vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
Messrs. SUOZZI, LaMALFA, Ms. BYNUM, Messrs. LARSON of Connecticut, JACKSON of Texas, SCOTT of Virginia, Ms. McCLELLAN, Messrs. SORENSEN, VINDMAN, and BEYER changed their vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the motion to table was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Providing for Consideration of H.R. 3944, Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026; Providing for Consideration of H.R. 275, Special Interest Alien...
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on ordering the previous question on the resolution (H. Res. 530) providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3944) making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 275) to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to publish on a monthly basis the number of special interest aliens encountered attempting to unlawfully enter the United States, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 875) to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that aliens who have been convicted of or who have committed an offense for driving while intoxicated or impaired are inadmissible and deportable; and providing for consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 516) condemning the violent June 2025 riots in Los Angeles, California, on which the yeas and nays were ordered.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on ordering the previous question.
This is a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 219, nays 208, not voting 5, as follows:
So the previous question was ordered.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the resolution.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. Speaker, my inquiry is: We were informed that we would have a briefing on the Iran-Israel war this afternoon, and it has been canceled. Why is that?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman is still not stating a proper parliamentary inquiry.
Mr. Speaker, the Constitution requires that Members of Congress be consulted in all matters and be authorized for any wars that are declared by the United States of America. We have not been briefed.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman is engaging in debate and
Mr. Speaker, in light of the fact that we don't have this briefing on the Iran-Israel war that will be taking place today, I move that the House adjourn until such time that we are briefed.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to adjourn offered by the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke).
The question was taken; and the Speaker announced that the noes appeared to have it.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 191, nays 213, not voting 27, as follows:
Messrs. RUTHERFORD, HILL of Arkansas, LAWLER, Ms. DeLAURO, Messrs. DOWNING, GREEN of Tennessee, FEENSTRA, and HERN of Oklahoma changed their vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
Messrs. HORSFORD and DAVIS of Illinois changed their vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the motion to adjourn was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Condemning the Attacks on Minnesota Lawmakers in Brooklyn Park and Champlin, Minnesota, and Calling for Unity and the Rejection of Political Violence in Minnesota and Across the United States
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 519) condemning the attacks on Minnesota lawmakers in Brooklyn Park and Champlin, Minnesota, and calling for unity and the rejection of political violence in Minnesota and across the United States, 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 Kentucky (Mr. Comer) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Garcia) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Kentucky?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, on June 14, a horrific tragedy was inflicted on America and the State of Minnesota.
Early that morning, a deranged assassin ambushed State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, both of whom were shot multiple times at their home while bravely defending their daughter.
Hours later, the same assassin broke into the residence of Melissa Hortman and murdered her and her husband, Mark, in cold blood. Melissa was the former 61st speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives.
These attacks were not random.
Recent evidence has revealed that they were part of a larger plot the assailant was planning that appeared to target public servants and their families across the State.
Such violence has no place in our country, especially political violence. Today, my colleagues and I firmly condemn these attacks and all who seek to harm our elected officials, regardless of party or ideology.
In this country, we resolve our differences through spirited debate, the ballot box, and by working through an intentionally designed constitutional system left to us as our Founding Fathers' greatest legacy.
The victims of this horrible attack were not just politicians. They were neighbors, parents, sons, and daughters. They believed in this Nation and their State enough to dedicate their lives to representing their constituents' interests and the pursuit of positive change.
I am confident that my colleagues share this sentiment and can agree that no American, whether elected official or private citizen, should live in fear of being targeted for their beliefs, their vote, or their service.
I would also like to recognize the valiant effort of law enforcement in tracking down and capturing the suspect in this case.
Despite knowing the danger the alleged murderer posed, for 40 hours, officers across numerous departments and agencies worked tirelessly to locate and stop the killer before he could strike again. Their courage and professionalism prevented further loss of life, and they deserve our deepest gratitude.
We stand with the people of Minnesota. We condemn these horrific attacks and denounce political violence in all its forms as contrary to the American Constitution and our way of life.
In moments like these, we must all come together to reaffirm our commitment to protecting the peace and civility that define the America that I know and love.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I thank first the entire Minnesota delegation, in particular Congresswoman Morrison for introducing this important resolution. This is obviously a very sad time across our country, and of course our hearts and our prayers go to the family, and everyone impacted across the State.
I know that the events of June 14 were shocking and heartbreaking. Minnesota State House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, were assassinated. Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were critically injured.
I offer my love on behalf of this Congress and those across the country who have been impacted by these crimes, who have seen these crimes, and who all reject this political violence.
I want to take this time to thank State, Federal, and local law enforcement for their tireless work to bring the perpetrator to justice.
We should be clear: Political violence against anyone is an attack on our democracy and all of us.
We know that the shooter committed this terrible crime to terrorize and intimidate. He intended to spread his hate and violence toward many more public servants. The gunman had documents listing dozens of additional lawmakers targeted for assassination or for violence, including Congressman Krishnamoorthi who, of course, is a member of our Oversight Committee.
We have seen how our Members of Congress are facing more and more threats, but we cannot and will not be silent. It is important that we continue to push back against hate, fear, division, and misinformation in a bipartisan way.
Every elected official at every level must loudly call out and denounce these attacks because acts of political violence like these are a fundamental threat to our democracy.
Today, we will come together in a bipartisan way to condemn these senseless attacks and reject political violence.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to strongly condemn the recent attacks on Minnesota lawmakers and their families and denounce all forms of political violence.
Earlier this month, a deranged gunman shocked the State of Minnesota and this entire Nation by murdering Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and attempting to kill State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.
I am absolutely devastated by this terrifying act of violence. While I didn't know Melissa Hortman personally, her reputation was that of a very dedicated public servant who cared deeply about our shared State and its peaceful people. I heard equally wonderful things about Mark Hortman, especially his deep devotion to his family.
My heart aches for the Hortmans' two children, now left without parents, and all their loved ones. At the same time, I continue to hold Senator Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in my prayers as they begin the long and difficult
I am also thankful to all of our brave law enforcement officers in Minnesota, along with our Federal partners who were able to locate and capture the killer, ending his brief reign of terror on our State. Without their quick response, there may have been many more victims. Thanks to their dedication and professionalism, justice will now be delivered.
Make no mistake. This was not just an attack on the Hortman and Hoffman families. This was an attack on the State of Minnesota and our shared ideals as Americans.
Political violence such as this threatens the very fabric of our constitutional republic and can never be ignored or met without condemnation. I am personally alarmed by the growing number of threats and attacks on public officials across the political spectrum in recent years. While we may have our differences, it is incumbent upon us all to make sure that disagreement never descends into violence.
Now, more than ever, we must remember that we are all Americans, and what unites us is far more powerful than anything that might divide us.
I am deeply grateful to Melissa Hortman, John Hoffman, and both of their families for everything they have contributed to our great State of Minnesota. I think one of the most powerful ways we can honor them is by standing united as Americans against this senseless attack and against all forms of political violence.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to do so by supporting H. Res. 519.
Mr. Speaker, I rise with a heavy heart but a deep resolve as we confront the assassination and attempted murders of multiple State legislators in Minnesota.
What we witnessed last weekend was an unspeakable act. This is a scary time for our country, and it comes at a time of increasing political violence. There have been assassination attempts, kidnapping plots, arson, and insurrection.
As elected Representatives for the people of the United States of America, we have to take responsibility for our roles in this moment. As elected leaders, we play a prominent role in setting the tone in creating the atmosphere and shaping the narrative in determining what becomes normalized.
This cannot be normalized.
Our words, our posts, our responses, they all carry weight and have serious consequences. This is our wake-up call. The escalation and normalization of violent rhetoric and political violence have gone way too far.
We, as elected Representatives, have to take the lead and be the first to speak out and to start to model a better path forward.
We can argue about who is to blame and which side is worse, but let's make this the moment where we unequivocally condemn and commit to ending violent rhetoric, full stop. We have to make this horrific act of targeted political violence a watershed moment for our country.
We have to take a hard look at where we are, and we have to remember who is watching us. Our children, the next generation of leaders, are looking to us to learn how to behave and how to treat each other.
That includes creating a world where people aren't scared by the hatred and division they see in their lives every day, creating a world where our children have kind, compassionate leaders to look up to and aspire to be.
Do we really want our children to live in a world where our elected leaders bully and lead with hatred and cruelty? Remember, political violence isn't just an attack on legislators. It is an attack on the American people. It is an attack on our democracy.
Political violence threatens your right to be represented, your right to have your voices heard. It threatens who will be willing to run for office. As someone who was a doctor for almost two decades before I got into politics, I am passionate about recruiting people from different backgrounds to run because we need more diversity in who represents us.
Our democracy depends on good people running for office, and I am deeply concerned that this will have a chilling effect if we don't stop it in its tracks.
As we prepare to vote on this resolution, I come to my colleagues with a solemn plea. Devastated by the loss of my friend and colleague but more determined than ever with a deep love for the unrealized promise of our country, I implore my colleagues to not only vote in support of this resolution but to commit together to live by these words every day. Stand up, speak out, and safeguard our democracy.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Kentucky for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, a little over a week ago, America witnessed a horrific act of political violence that goes against everything the United States stands for.
On June 14, a deranged murderer disguised himself as a police officer to gain entry into the home of Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman. He shot the senator and his wife, Yvette, a combined total of 17 times as Yvette shielded her daughter, Hope, who then called 911.
Thankfully, Yvette Hoffman has been released from the hospital while John remains in serious but stable condition. He remains in our prayers.
The killer, still disguised as a law enforcement officer, then stopped at the homes of two other Minnesota lawmakers, one whom was fortunately not home, and the other who was perhaps saved by a timely law enforcement intervention.
He later arrived at the home of Minnesota State House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and assassinated her and her husband, Mark Hortman.
Law enforcement then led a 2-day manhunt before capturing the killer and finding a list of more than 45 lawmakers and potential targets.
As someone who has experienced political violence firsthand, this brings back a lot of emotions. The man who shot me on the ball field that day also had a list of lawmakers. I am grateful for the actions of the brave law enforcement officers who ran toward the danger and saved lives on the ball field that day and saved no doubt many lives in Minnesota on that day just a few days ago.
This was a methodically planned attack on the people's right to be governed by their duly-elected Representatives and should be universally condemned, Mr. Speaker.
America's differences must be resolved through debate and democracy, not through violence.
The resolution we are voting on today denounces these disturbing and anti-American attacks and mourns the tragic loss of Melissa and Mark Hortman.
H. Res. 519, introduced by the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. Morrison), unequivocally condemns the horrific attacks on Minnesota lawmakers and their families in Brooklyn Park and Champlin, Minnesota, and calls for the rejection of political violence in Minnesota and throughout the United States.
Political violence will never have a place in America. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle must unite to reject political violence in all forms across the country.
Melissa Hortman was a dedicated public servant, and we join Minnesota and the Nation in honoring her life and the life of her husband, Mark. We also pray for the speedy recovery of John and Yvette Hoffman and for peace and unity in the face of tragedy and division.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart and growing concern for the safety of our democracy.
On June 14, in Minnesota, Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were gunned down in their home. That same night, State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot and wounded in a separate attack. These were not random acts of violence. The shooter left notes with the names of other public officials, including my own name.
The Minnesota murders were a warning. If we are to respond meaningfully, we must confront three hard truths.
First, political violence is no longer an abstract threat. It is real. It is here. It is escalating. Public servants across this country face rising threats simply for doing their jobs.
Second, these attacks are about more than individuals. They are destabilizing our institutions. The only offense that these Minnesota public officials and Leader Scalise were committing was serving their communities. When acts of violence are aimed at silencing civic participation, our entire democracy is at risk.
Third, we must meet this moment with unity and resolve. We must reject the violent rhetoric and conspiracies that fuel this hatred. We must defend civil dialogue. We must stand together as Republicans and Democrats to condemn political violence and, for that matter, violence of all kinds.
Just as an aside, I hope that the American people have a chance to watch this particular debate because I think that it really illustrates the unity and resolve that I think all of us must exhibit at all times.
Representative Hortman and Senator Hoffman deserve more than our thoughts. They deserve our commitment to ensuring that this never happens again.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Comer for yielding me the time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 519.
The events of June 14 were truly horrifying. Those events shocked Minnesota, and they shocked the country.
We mourn the loss of Minnesota Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. We pray for the swift recovery of my friend, Senator John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette. I was honored to serve with both of them in the Minnesota Legislature.
We are still processing this senseless act, and I stand with my colleagues today as we say that there is no place for politically motivated violence in this country.
These victims committed themselves to public service and believed that they were working to make their State a better place. There is no scenario in which that dedication to public service should have cost them their lives.
We stand with John and Yvette and their family as they continue to recover from the horrible attack.
I know that the friends and family of Mark and Melissa are proud of the legacy they left, and they have left a strong legacy for all of us. I hope their friends and family know that the Minnesota community is here for them.
Finally, I thank the men and women of law enforcement who worked tirelessly to apprehend this deranged killer and bring the episode to a close.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in full support of this resolution, and I thank Congresswoman Morrison on behalf of the entire Minnesota delegation for bringing us together.
We must stand united to condemn the assassination of Minnesota Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and the attempted murder of Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.
Political violence targeted these two great servants who exemplified the best of Minnesota values: hard work, respect, inclusion, and, yes, caring for our neighbors.
Minnesotans are devastated by these heinous acts, and our communities are feeling shock, grief, and distraught.
We know that this whole Nation has joined in mourning with us, but this wasn't just an attack on our dedicated public servants and their families. It was an attack on our democratic system of government. Democracy embraces the civil exchange of ideas and the open debate of policy. It is a commitment to disagree with one another while respecting the rule of law. That is how democracy thrives.
Violent rhetoric, threats, and physical attacks driven by political ideology must not be tolerated by any of us if our democracy is to survive.
This resolution is an opportunity for us to speak with one voice to condemn the attacks on Minnesota's elected officials. All Americans, especially our leaders, must unequivocally denounce acts of political violence.
Mr. Speaker, I urge every Member of this House to stand with Minnesotans, to stand with our Nation, and to stand with our democracy by voting for the adoption of this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Comer for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 519.
In the early morning hours of June 14, many of us woke up to the horrifying news of a targeted political attack that took the lives of former Minnesota Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and which left State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, hospitalized with multiple gunshot wounds.
In the hours and the days following, the largest manhunt in our State's history ensued, with over 200 officers from local, State, and Federal jurisdictions working together around the clock to bring the shooter to justice.
I thank the officers who conducted this successful manhunt and ensured the safety and security of Minnesota lawmakers in the ensuing hours.
I also express my personal gratitude to members of the New Ulm Police Department, the Brown County Sheriff's Office, and Sheriff Jason Seidl. They worked to ensure the safety of my family and me in the hours following the attack.
I had the honor of serving with Speaker Emerita Hortman for 4 years during my time in the Minnesota Legislature. I will forever cherish the conversations and friendship that I had with her then and throughout the 20 years since.
When I look at my time serving alongside her, Melissa embodied the spirit of the hardworking people of Minnesota. She came from a blue- collar upbringing and had a work ethic that drove her to always seek out solutions rather than seeking out a spotlight for a political win.
Melissa was a principled public servant who led by example. When tough decisions had to be made, she put her politics aside and got the job done for Minnesotans.
As a lawmaker, Melissa brought her roll-up-the-sleeves, problem- solving approach to almost every issue. Along with it, she touched all of us with the witty humor that many of us will remember her for, including myself.
Melissa was a very special person, and I can say without hesitation that our State was better served due to her leadership. The halls of the Minnesota State Capitol will be a lot less bright without her.
Words cannot express the emotions that all of us across Minnesota have experienced in the wake of this tragic event: devastation, fear, grief, and outrage.
Whether we agree or disagree on policy issues, politically targeted violence like this must never be tolerated.
My wife, Jackie, and I teach our kids that it is possible to respectfully disagree with others. We have to do the same as a society. We have to lead by example and put civility back into today's political discourse.
Political disagreement is healthy. It is what our system of government was founded upon. We have our fair share of that political disagreement in Minnesota, and we even have it here in the House Chamber.
I was proud to join every Member of the Minnesota delegation on both sides of the aisle to call out this act of hatred, and we will continue to do so together.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. Speaker, over the past week, I have been reminding myself that hope, faith, and resilience are the enemy of evil. I remind my fellow Minnesotans--not just the Republicans and not just the Democrats but my fellow Minnesotans--that hope, faith, and resilience are the enemy of evil. While one person's evil acts shook us to our core, it is up to each and every one of us to be the good.
I hope that all of us take time to lean on each other and find opportunities to
My thoughts and prayers go out to the Hortman and Hoffman families during this time of tragedy.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor two incredible Minnesotans and friends who were taken from us too soon: Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman.
We lost Melissa and Mark two weekends ago in an unthinkable, politically motivated attack that also threatened the lives of State Senator John Hoffman; his wife, Yvette; and their daughter, Hope.
Like many Minnesotans, I have struggled to come to terms with this tragedy and to make sense of it, but I found comfort in community and in sharing stories of my friends, Melissa and Mark.
Today, I will remember the Hortmans for the people that they were and the legacy that they will leave behind. Anyone who knew Melissa and Mark knew that, together, they were a force for good. Melissa was a dedicated public servant, and both she and her husband devoted their lives to improving the lives of Minnesotans.
Personally, Melissa and I shared a love of golden retrievers. We often exchanged stories and photos of our beloveds. She adored her golden retriever, Gilbert, and he adored her.
Professionally, I had the privilege of working with Melissa over the years and watching her excel as speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives. I had always admired her work and her ability to work across the aisle and make tough decisions when she needed to. She was a true leader, and she led by example.
Recently, Melissa had to take a tough vote that she personally didn't agree with, but it was the best deal that she could get. In my last conversation with her, I told her that I was proud of her. I was proud of her leadership. Standing here today, I am so glad that I did.
It is still difficult to comprehend the violent attacks on the Hortmans and Hoffmans, but what I do know is that we got here, in part, because of our divisive rhetoric that we have allowed to seep into our politics and into our communities.
It will take our entire community coming together. We must hold ourselves and each other accountable. It is the only way forward, and it is how we honor the legacy of Melissa and Mark.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart in support of H. Res. 519.
What happened in my State of Minnesota was a painful reminder of the growing threats that public servants face simply for doing their jobs.
Speaker Melissa Hortman was a friend, mentor, and fierce advocate who dedicated her life to public service. The assassination of Melissa and her husband, Mark, and the harm done to Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, is a tragedy that should shake all of us, regardless of party.
This resolution calls on us, on both sides of the aisle, to take that violence seriously.
Recently, we have seen acts of political violence minimized, joked about, and used as a talking point. This has to stop. This job is never supposed to come with a target on our backs.
Political violence has no place in our democracy. If we truly believe in the work that we are doing here, then we have to protect the people who serve.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 519 introduced by Congresswoman Kelly Morrison and the Minnesota delegation.
I join my colleagues in condemning the attack that took the lives of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and wounded Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.
Let me say this loud and clear as so many have said today. There is no place in our democracy for political violence. It violates our shared humanity. The violence we saw in Minnesota is a consequence of those in power irresponsibly stoking division and fermenting hate against political opponents.
I also rise today to amplify the resolution's call that we all reaffirm our commitment to a democracy where violent rhetoric and acts like this are not tolerated.
Their call is echoed in my resolution to honor the life of Wadee Alfayoumi, a 6-year-old boy from Illinois whose life was taken in the act of anti-Palestinian violence. It is the duty of elected officials and the media to tell the truth without dehumanizing rhetoric when informing the public of factual information.
We know that dehumanizing rhetoric can fuel sentiments of hate that result in violence, and each tragedy adds to a litany of evidence that our safety and our security are interconnected. Dehumanizing rhetoric makes us all less safe. Whether it be Truth Social polls, on Twitter or anywhere else, we all have a responsibility to denounce political violence in all its forms.
It is our duty to denounce, and we will continue to reject, all forms of hate-fueled violence from Plainfield, Illinois to Gaza to Israel to D.C. to Boulder to Minneapolis and everywhere in between. It is our responsibility, and I thank the sponsors for bringing this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, we can all agree that political violence should be condemned whenever it happens. Public servants must be able to do their jobs and represent their constituents without fear. It is good to hear this bipartisan support today. Of course, our prayers and our thoughts are with everyone impacted.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of the resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I join my House colleagues in offering my deepest condolences to the people of Minnesota.
I particularly extend my sympathies to my House colleagues representing the Minnesota delegation. We mourn the loss of Melissa and Mark Hortman, remembering their lives and the lasting impact they had on the State they loved so deeply.
We send warm wishes of recovery to John and Yvette Hoffman, who have displayed true courage through this nightmare.
My prayers are with the families and friends of the victims who have had their lives upended and forever altered by these heinous acts.
We will not bend to intimidation or fear, and we refuse to tolerate the actions of those who would seek to usurp the will of the people and their representatives, advancing their own twisted agendas through violence and bloodshed.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage each of our colleagues to support this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Comer) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 519, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a very good friend of
He is a lifelong resident of Bristol, Tennessee, and a lifelong entrepreneur. If I had to guess, I think his proudest accomplishment is his family. Mr. Bowman is married to his loving wife, and he is an outstanding father and grandfather to nine grandchildren. I know they keep him very busy.
He began his career after purchasing a small gas station, going on to own nine different domestic and foreign car dealerships across east Tennessee. At the age of 90, he still continues to go into the office three to four times a week, Mr. Speaker. I think Congress could learn a lot from his work ethic and dedication to his community.
Roscoe is also a NASCAR fanatic and never missed a race at Bristol Motor Speedway from 1961 until 2019. He even earned the coveted position of dropping the starting flag at a race. Over the years, he has become a collector of classic cars, restoring many of them himself.
Friends, family, employees, and customers of Roscoe's will always tell you that he is one of the best men in all of east Tennessee, and I agree with that.
He is most well-known for giving you his word and coming through every time, Mr. Speaker. This is yet just another example how Members of Congress could learn a little of something from Roscoe.
Mr. Speaker, from up here in Washington, D.C., I thank Mr. Bowman for his friendship, and I wish him the happiest 90th birthday. I thank him for his time and commitment to the people of east Tennessee.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to appear here.
In Memphis, one of our great leaders in the State of Tennessee, in the United States of America, and the world, in fact, was Frederick W. Smith, Jr.
Fred Smith died suddenly this past weekend. He was 80 years old.
Fred Smith started a business called FedEx, the largest air cargo system in the world. He started it with an idea that he came up with at Yale University and made it a paper. The paper didn't get a very good grade, but the people of the world judged it as A-plus, and everything about Fred Smith was A-plus.
He was just a regular, decent human being and a good guy. He was always available. He never made you think he was a big titan of business or a leader of industry in the world. He was just somebody who was interested in what you had to talk to him about, and he would offer his advice.
In Memphis, he did have his hand in just about everything. Our basketball arena, FedExForum, has made the city the home of an NBA team. That is because of Fred Smith. Our college football team plays in Liberty Stadium. He has pledged $50 million to improve that stadium and bring it up to higher standards. We have a golf tournament that is the FedEx St. Jude Golf Classic.
He had his hand in every good thing in Memphis from education, zoos, and the civil rights museum. It is a big loss to Memphis. It is a big loss to Tennesseans. It is a big loss to Americans.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. DesJarlais and Mr. Burchett for joining me up here. I ask everyone to stand for a moment of silence in the memory of Frederick W. Smith, Jr., a life well lived.
Mr. Speaker, 3 years ago today, the Supreme Court made the courageous and correct decision to strike down Roe v. Wade, but, Mr. Speaker, when over a million abortions are still happening every year in our country, we cannot grow apathetic to the ongoing suffering of unborn children.
Our Constitution never was a pro-abortion document. It was always intended to guarantee equal protection for all people no matter how young or how small. The good from the Dobbs decision is eclipsed by the rise in abortions nationwide following the decision, mostly due to chemical abortions through telehealth.
Congress must act with urgency. My Teleabortion Prevention Act takes a step in the right direction by ending the practice of mail-order abortion that kills children and leaves mothers alone and helpless.
We must take the principles woven into the fabric of our country and ensure they are reflected in our laws.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the late former Minnesota House of Representatives Speaker Melissa Hortman.
From the start of her career fighting housing discrimination as a volunteer lawyer to leading the Minnesota House as speaker, Melissa truly exemplified what it means to live a life of public service.
It was my honor to serve alongside her in the Minnesota legislature, where she showed me how to lead with passion and integrity.
I was heartbroken to learn that my dear friend and her husband, Mark, were assassinated in an act of senseless political violence.
There is absolutely no place in our communities for this kind of cruelty. We must settle our differences with civility and grace. We owe this promise to Melissa, Mark, and the Hoffmans, who also suffered at the hands of this violence, and our future generations.
Mr. Speaker, may Melissa's memory of unwavering dedication to all of Minnesota be remembered for years to come.
Mr. Speaker, today, I have a simple message for my colleagues in the U.S. Senate: Do not mess with our public lands.
I helped to defeat a provision originally included in the House reconciliation bill that would have provided for public land sales. We got it removed, but now a similar provision has somehow reemerged in the Senate.
I will be very clear: The inclusion of any such provision in the final version of the bill will imperil the entire reconciliation package. Our beautiful public lands are not just national treasures. They are deeply interwoven with our communities. They are essential to the character of our region. They provide jobs and economic activity. They provide recreation and joy, and they are open to all.
Mr. Speaker, I will fight in every way I can to assure that they remain open to all and that the will of our local communities is not subordinated to decisions made in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Augusta radio host Austin Rhodes on the recent announcement that he will be inducted into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame.
For over 30 years, Austin has been a consistent and dependable voice as the host of the ``Austin Rhodes Show'' on WGAC, making it one of Georgia's longest running weekday drive-time talk shows.
Nearly 3 years ago, I stood before this body to recognize Austin's 30th year anniversary in broadcasting, and it is my honor to stand here once again to mark yet another achievement in his long career.
During my time in Congress, I have had the pleasure of joining Austin's
I congratulate Austin on this well-deserved honor. I have no doubt that he will continue to be our afternoon voice on the airways for many years to come.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to send a message to Senator Lee and his allies: We are not going to let you use our treasured public lands as revenue raisers to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.
We made it clear here in the House that selling off our public lands faced bipartisan opposition. With the House version of the bill, I was pleased and proud to lead the effort to strike that provision to sell off public lands in my congressional district in southern Nevada without our consent.
Now, Senator Lee is trying to introduce a similar provision in the Senate version of the bill. Nevadans see this for what it is, and there is public outrage from outdoor enthusiasts and conservationists.
I am pleased that the Senate Parliamentarian, with the Byrd rule, has correctly ruled that this reckless provision has no business in a reconciliation bill. These are our public lands. Look at this map, and you can see what is at stake. It is not in the bill right now, but the fight is far from over, and so we will continue to do that. This is the reason why, for future generations.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight 10 provisions in the House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, 10 commonsense reforms that too often get overlooked.
One, the bill modernizes our air traffic control system;
Two, it reforms student loans to reduce student loan debt and debt burdens;
Three, it helps farmers by increasing reference prices and strengthening crop insurance;
Four, it ensures EV drivers pay their fair share for the roads because everyone who uses roads should help pay for them;
Five, it reopens Federal lands for energy and mineral development, restoring American energy leadership;
Six, it unlocks spectrum for auction so we can roll out faster 5G;
Seven, it restocks our military, delivering peace through strength;
Eight, it invests $10 billion in border security or more;
Nine, it eliminates the $200 Federal tax on suppressors; and,
Ten, last but not least, it ends Federal subsidies for wind and solar.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from New Jersey?
Mr. Speaker, 3 years ago today, the infamous holding of Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey were reversed by the Dobbs decision, brilliantly written by Justice Samuel Alito, who hails from my State and from my home county, joined by the majority of the Supreme Court.
They said this: ``The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion . . .''
They went on to say: ``. . . the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.''
A new national debate on abortion began 3 years ago. While there will be setbacks along the way, every human rights struggle has them. I believe that growing numbers of Americans are finally recognizing the cheap sophistry, the megadeception, and the culture of denial that devalues and disrespects unborn baby girls and unborn baby boys and trivializes the harm suffered by women.
The comprehensive 2025 nationwide Marist Poll found that Americans are against taxpayer-funded abortion, both at home and overseas in our foreign aid; strongly support pregnancy care centers, I mean very strongly support them; and want significant restrictions on abortion.
A large number of elected representatives have passed pro-life laws to protect unborn children, including the State of Texas; and when a heartbeat can be detected at around 6 weeks in States like Florida, Georgia, Iowa, and South Carolina; or when the child suffers excruciating physical pain, as we know they do, from the abortion procedure, particularly as the child is being dismembered. That is a procedure used to kill these children at about 12 to 15 weeks. To date, 24 States have enacted pro-life laws to protect unborn children and women from the violence of abortion.
Meanwhile, I am happy to say there are more than 2,700 pregnancy care centers throughout the United States, each and every one of them an oasis of love, compassion, empathy, respect, and care for both mothers and their precious children.
Abortion extremists in several States, on the other hand, including in my own State of New Jersey, have enacted anti-child laws that legally authorize killing unborn babies right up until the moment of birth and also forcing taxpayers to subsidize the violent deed.
Twice the Democratic-led House of Representatives passed extremist legislation that would have explicitly sanctioned abortion throughout all 9 months of pregnancy, again, right up to the moment of birth, and would have nullified even modest restrictions enacted over the past half century, including informed consent, waiting periods, and parental notification statutes.
Let me just point out to my colleagues, the so-called abortion pill, mifepristone, is baby poison. It kills the unborn infant by starving the innocent child to death.
I have done a lot of work on the Foreign Affairs Committee over the years on food security. I have written two bills that passed the House, called the Global Food Security Act. I am all about, as we all are, mitigating hunger in our hometowns and across the world. What does mifepristone do? It starves the baby to death. The little child can't get the nutrients he or she needs to survive.
This statement by Dr. Francis makes it clear:
We also know now, however, that mifepristone is extremely dangerous to women as well, and this is especially important because this dangerous drug is used to procure abortion 60 percent of the time, 6 out of 10 abortions in the United States.
On April 28, 2015, the Ethics and Public Policy Center released a report titled: ``The Abortion Pill Harms Women: Insurance Data Reveals One in Ten Patients Experiences a Serious Adverse Event.'' The key findings were that women who take this drug experience sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, and other serious adverse events within about 45 days of taking it. It was the largest study ever, known study of the abortion pill, 28 times as many abortions as were included in all FDA- cited clinical trials combined. This is the megastudy, and it found what was not found earlier because in many cases those trials were sham trials.
Let me also point out that it needs to be revisited. We call on the FDA to look at what has been done to women because of this terrible, terrible abortion drug.
Let me just conclude before yielding to my very distinguished colleagues: I believe that future generations of Americans will some day look back on us and wonder how and why a society that bragged about its commitment to
I also would point out, in an information age, they will wonder, as I do now, how was it that so many were deceived into believing that somehow abortion is safe. It is never safe for the baby, and it is certainly not safe for the mother, as well.
The injustice of abortion violence need not be forever, and we stand united in trying to protect those innocent human beings.
I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson), our very distinguished Speaker of the House.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for his many years in this arena defending the sanctity of every human life. I rise this afternoon to mark this historic lifesaving anniversary.
Three years ago today, the Supreme Court corrected an egregious and tragic error and affirmed an undeniable truth that was originally affirmed in our Nation's birth certificate, the Declaration of Independence. That truth is that every single person is made in the image of God, and they are thus bestowed with inestimable dignity and value.
Our value is not related in any way to the color of our skin or what ZIP Code we live in, what our talents are, what are hobbies or our aptitudes are. It is all irrelevant because our value, our intrinsic value, is given to us by our Creator. That is what the Framers of this grand experiment in self-governance believed.
The Dobbs decision, which moved the question of regulating abortion to the people's elected representatives, reversed 50 years of inhumane social engineering and has saved hundreds of thousands of innocent lives in the process.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America estimates that post-Dobbs, pro-life policies have now saved more than 200,000 lives annually. That means at least 200,000 more babies every year are being given the blessing of life, the opportunity to be born. How profound that is.
On this very joyous, lifesaving anniversary, we remember the more than 63 million who were never given that opportunity to live, and we vow to continue building a culture of life and advancing policies which protect the sanctity of every single human life.
I again salute my friend Chris Smith, the chairman of our Pro-Life Caucus, for all his work for so many decades in this arena. I thank him for holding this Special Order hour this afternoon.
Mr. Speaker, I thank our very distinguished Speaker for his remarks. No one is more articulate, more passionate, or more informed on the issues of life across the board than our Speaker, and what a leader he is. I can't thank Speaker Johnson enough for his leadership. It is for times such as this he is here and doing a tremendous job.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Miller).
Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Smith so much for his decades of service to the pro-life movement.
June 24, 2022, will forever be one of the greatest days in American history. After 50 years of peacefully praying outside clinics and marching in Washington and our State capitals, Roe v. Wade was no more. While the Dobbs decision was a monumental victory, the fight for life has only just begun.
Many States have stepped up to the plate, with over half of them enacting laws to protect unborn life. However, blue States have doubled down on their murderous assault of the unborn. Sadly, my home State of Illinois has become one of the destination States in the Midwest for abortion. In 2023, we recorded the most abortions ever in our State's history, and our radical Governor proudly signed legislation allowing abortions through all 9 months of pregnancy.
Since the previous administration rescinded safety regulations for chemical abortions, women are being harmed, and our water supply is being severely contaminated.
Republicans are the party of life, and we must protect both mom and baby. That is why I have introduced legislation like H.R. 796, the Second Chance for Moms Act, which would require the FDA to place a warning label on chemical abortion drugs so that women can reverse a chemical abortion before it is too late.
I have also introduced H.R. 797, the Ultrasounds Save Lives Act, which would mandate an ultrasound be performed before an abortion can take place. Up to 90 percent of women seeking an abortion who see an ultrasound of their baby change their minds and choose life.
The Dobbs decision ended the greatest human rights violation of our time, but our work has just begun. Republicans stand ready to support women facing crisis pregnancies not just with words but with actions.
I again thank Congressman Smith for commemorating this important anniversary.
Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend (Mrs. Miller of Illinois) for her leadership and legislation. We have to get that passed. She has been a tremendous spokeswoman for years and to this day, so I thank her very much.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Fulcher), my good friend and colleague who serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Madam Speaker, I thank the good chairman of the Pro-Life Caucus and my friend, Chris Smith, for holding this Special Order.
In the Declaration of Independence, our Founding Fathers made clear that our creator endows every individual with certain unalienable rights, the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This is a self-evident truth that, for nearly 50 years, our Nation tragically denied to millions of unborn children.
However, thankfully, today marks the third anniversary of the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision. This ruling marked the historic overturn of Roe v. Wade and a renewal of power to elected State leaders. It opened the floodgates not just for restored State power but also for the voiceless, who now have a chance at life.
Since arriving in D.C., I have supported numerous legislative initiatives that protect the sanctity of life. Just this last year, I was proud to co-lead an amicus brief that supported Idaho in defending its pro-life law, the Defense of Life Act, against the Biden administration's efforts to preempt it with their wrongful reinterpretation of Federal law.
Madam Speaker, protecting the unborn isn't just a legal issue. It is a moral one. I am honored to stand alongside my colleagues today to commemorate the anniversary of this momentous victory for life. I will continue to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
Madam Speaker, I thank Russ Fulcher for his leadership as well. He is on point.
Madam Speaker, I recognize the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs), a distinguished member of the Judiciary Committee, a very good friend, and a very powerful voice on so many issues, including defending the unborn.
Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Smith for yielding time to me today and also for a lifetime of work that he has put in to save the lives of so many unborn children.
Madam Speaker, today marks the third anniversary of one of the most consequential decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court in our Nation's history, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. That bill corrected a grave constitutional error and returned the power to protect life back to the States, where it has always belonged.
The decision reached in Roe v. Wade was never grounded in sound law. It was judicial activism masquerading as jurisprudence. That activism resulted in the death of more than 60 million innocent lives. That decision was a lie. It was fabricated out of thin air by activist judges who thought they knew better than the Constitution and the people.
Dobbs gave that power back to the people, back to the States. Since that ruling, we have seen States across the Nation step up and declare what the
They want taxpayer-funded abortion up to and including the moment of birth. Sadly, my own State has enshrined that in its own constitution.
The Dobbs decision represents a triumph of constitutional originalism and the sanctity of life, an incredible decision that has the potential to change the very trajectory of this Nation. It was the fruit of tireless prayer, relentless advocacy, and the courage of millions who refused to accept the culture of death.
One of those great leaders sits next to me now, Representative Christopher Smith.
Life should not be a partisan issue, and I know that we have a chance to actually rehabilitate this Nation. This is a key issue, and the Dobbs decision provides us the opportunity to be the final fulcrum of change here.
I thank God for the Supreme Court. I thank God for people like Chris Smith and the tireless millions of advocates over the years. I thank God for this country. May He bless this country.
Madam Speaker, I thank Andy Biggs for his leadership for so many years and for his articulate protection in defense of innocent human life, which, again, was on full display today. I really appreciate his leadership.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Shreve), a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and we serve together on the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).
Madam Speaker, it is an honor to follow some of our Chamber's most distinguished colleagues, including Speaker Mike Johnson, on the anniversary of this historic day.
Three years ago today, on June 24, 2022, our Supreme Court issued its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson. Their decision overturned Roe v. Wade and restored the right of each State, including my home State of Indiana, to protect the lives of the unborn.
Today, we reaffirm the sanctity of human life, both mother and child.
I join my House colleagues in introducing legislation to designate June as Life Month. I have prioritized this issue in my time in Congress, and I will continue to advocate for every unborn child and offer compassionate care for expectant mothers.
Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his strong statement. It is really an honor to serve with him on the Foreign Affairs Committee. We have many battles there as some try to push international funding for abortion.
We have a couple more speakers who will be joining us. One will be the presiding chair, who is making her way down to the podium. I thank her for her leadership, as well.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Smith for his leadership and for spearheading this Special Order today on this very important subject.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a pro-life mom of three. Today marks 3 years since the Supreme Court made history with the Dobbs decision. This was a really important moment that returned the power to protect life back to the people through their elected representatives in each State. That is where these decisions belong.
As we mark this anniversary, I am filled with hope that we can continue building a culture where life is honored, women are supported, and families are strengthened.
It is my heartfelt belief that abortion should never be anyone's first or only option. Every woman deserves to know that there is help, hope, and a path forward, a beautiful path forward that supports life.
The Dobbs decision was more than a legal victory. It was a renewed call to answer the greatest human rights question of our time. Every life, born and unborn, has value and dignity.
I was very touched 2 weeks ago when one of my constituents, Jay Reinke from Lutherans for Life--he lives in Rugby, North Dakota-- visited my office right here in D.C. He left me with a very simple, fun, but poignant reminder about the pro-life movement, and it really sums it up very well and simply. This is Horton from ``Horton Hears a Who!'' Horton's main philosophy was this: ``A person is a person, no matter how small.''
For America to be a perfect Union, our lives must reflect that. Let's keep standing together to build a country where no woman feels alone, no child is unwanted, and every life is seen as a gift.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for reminding us of that very profound truth from ``Horton Hears a Who!'' ``A person is a person, no matter how small.'' I love that.
I remind my colleagues that when we talk about pregnancy care centers--I briefly mentioned them earlier--they are just areas where women find help during their unintended pregnancies and afterward.
I was speaking at a pregnancy care center fundraiser some years ago, and there were two women who got up and thanked the director of the center, who was out near an abortion clinic just gently and very nonjudgmentally saying: Please reconsider. We can help you.
The two women who spoke decided right there, when they were right outside the abortion clinic and were going to abort their babies--they reconsidered, and they had their children. They thanked, with tears, that director. She was there that day between both of them and an irrefutable, unchangeable decision that would have ended the lives of their children.
Later on in the program, two young girls got up. They were teenagers, 12, 13, or 14 years old. They both stood next to the podium, side by side, and talked about sports. They talked about the value of life. It was a very good speech. At the end, they turned to the director and said: Thank you. Had you not been outside of that clinic that day 12, 13, or 14 years ago, we would have been dead.
That is the reality. We are trying to save precious lives.
Birth is an event. It is not the beginning of life. It is an event that happens to each and every one of us. Children, once born, are incredibly vulnerable. They need to be held, fed, and loved.
The idea that somehow before birth there is a nonperson there is absolutely illogical and absurd. We need to love them both. Love the women the way these wonderful pregnancy care center leaders do, and also love their babies and care for both. That is what we need to be doing as a Congress. We need to step up and do more.
Andy Biggs mentioned the over 60 million babies who have died from abortions over the years. That number is staggering. It is numbing to think so many children have lost their lives.
My wife, Marie, and I met in the pro-life movement more than 50 years ago. We were both student activists in New Jersey, at The College of New Jersey. We also worked with so many through outreach, both in the churches as well as in the secular space, with post-abortive women, to love them, too, and tell them that there is a way forward. The loss of that child is heartbreaking in the extreme, but there is a path forward. There is reconciliation. There is a way to find peace even after the fact.
My wife and I know many women who have had abortions. One woman, Alveda King, the niece of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, has said, parenthetically, in one of her speeches: ``How can the dream survive?'' The dream she is talking about is that of her uncle, Martin Luther King. If we murder the children, how can the dream survive?
She has had two abortions, and she knows the reconciliation that God can provide. Now, she speaks out to other women to say that there is a way forward.
I encourage post-abortive women to know that there are many out there, many loving people, mostly women, who will reach out and help you in that very difficult time.
I can't thank enough my colleagues who have participated.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. McGuire), my colleague who is a member of the Armed Services Committee and a distinguished Member of this body.
Madam Speaker, life is a miracle, and it must be protected. I am honored to be here today to commemorate the 3-year anniversary of
The Dobbs ruling rightfully overturned Roe v. Wade and brought the right to decide abortion back to the States. Abortion is not a constitutional right, nor is it healthcare.
This decision was a momentous victory for life. However, our fight is not over until all women and unborn children are protected from the violence of abortion.
Over 66 million abortions have occurred in the United States since 1973. These abortions have not only destroyed the miracle of life but are dangerous to the health and well-being of women.
Recently, the Ethics and Public Policy Center released a report that 1 in 10 women who take the chemical abortion pill mifepristone experience a serious adverse event, including sepsis, hemorrhaging, or infection.
As elected Representatives, we need to unite to support pregnant women and their unborn babies. I will continue to fight to protect and support expectant mothers and be a voice for the voiceless and most vulnerable, the unborn.
Every life is a miracle, and, again, it must be protected.
Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague and welcome him to the House. He is doing a great job. I thank him.
I would again point out that we do have one final speaker on his way, Dr. Bob Onder, who is the new co-chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus. He will be here momentarily.
I will say, as we are awaiting his arrival, life is the first human right. If we don't have that, every other right--religion, speech, every assembly--falls. Republicans are trying to on our side and we need friends on the Democrat side to join us and to say that the most fundamental of all human rights is the right to life.
Ultrasound has exploded any myth that somehow the child is not human and not alive. My wife and I have four children. We had ultrasounds with them. We have nine grandchildren. Each of those grandchildren had a very, very significant ultrasound.
The modern ultrasound today, the details that it depicts of that baby moving, sucking his or her thumb, we see that and we know we are parents. We are not going to become a parent. We are not expectant. We know we are a parent because we have seen our child. The bonding begins even more earnestly after viewing that child on the ultrasound.
We have got to do far more. We called on the President, and the President is pro-life. I am happy to say that. He has done much by way of executive orders and also by reversing previous executive orders that were anti-life. I could go through all of them.
I think we are on the road now to protecting the innocent and the most vulnerable. I have so many good friends on the Democrat side of the aisle. I ask them to reconsider. There needs to be a reevaluation. The surface appeal arguments that have prevailed for 50 years about abortion and the slogans that have prevailed with so many need to be pierced and exposed for what they are.
One of them, as I said in my opening, is about how safe abortion is to the mom. Now we have this abortion pill. The new data shows beyond any reasonable doubt almost 11 percent of the women who take the abortion pill, mifepristone, are suffering very serious consequences within 45 days. That study needs to enlighten the FDA and others within our government to say the past trials were sham trials.
Let's not forget RU-486, the abortion pill, which was brought over by Bill Clinton. It was done in a way I find appalling. He sent FDA Commissioner Kessler to Roussel-Uclaf, the company marketing it, and told him to please bring the abortion pill to the United States. The trials, like I said, were not honest.
Then President Obama--and he was doubled down on by Biden--said don't report adverse events when somebody takes this pill. He said don't report them and that we don't have to.
How do we know if any drug is effective or is healthy and does not pose a risk if we don't report adverse events? Name a drug that says there is an adverse way of saying--that there is an adverse event and saying this drug caused this and sometimes it results in a new black box warning. We have seen that with a number of drugs over the years where they found out, oh, my God, there has been a subsequent, unanticipated consequence, a deleterious effect to the user. Let's get that out. That is not the case with mifepristone.
The Biden administration said nothing. They said to say nothing. That has to change because this new study that was just released 2 months ago shatters any thought that somehow this was a safe drug for women. It is not. It is very, very dangerous.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Onder), a new member of the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus and our co- chair. The gentleman also serves on the Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on Education and Workforce, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Smith for his leadership. I am so excited to join him today as the newest co-chairman of the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus.
Madam Speaker, today we celebrate the biggest victory for life in American history, the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson. This court case held that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion and returned the authority to regulate abortion to the American people and to their elected Representatives.
Roe v. Wade wrongly held that the 14th Amendment's reference to liberty protects the right to abortion. Planned Parenthood v. Casey subsequently upheld that argument, but Dobbs v. Jackson rightly rejected this specious argument.
The Constitution makes no explicit reference to a right to an abortion. Why is this so? Some would claim that that is because it wasn't a relevant issue back in the 18th century when the Constitution was written, but this is not true.
Abortion has been discussed historically since ancient times. It has been documented as far back as 1075 BC in ancient Assyria. The Hippocratic oath condemned abortion in the fifth century BC.
The Founding Fathers were well aware of the reality of abortion when they drafted this Constitution. They did it guided by the principles of natural law which, according to Thomas Aquinas, is understood by the light of reason.
The precepts of natural law are written in our hearts. We are naturally horrified by evil acts, murder being chief among them. Since human law is based upon natural law, we can rightly deduce that intentional killing of the innocent has no place in a civilized society.
As our Founding Fathers were drafting the Constitution, they never intended for the Constitution to be interpreted in such a manner as to directly contradict the natural law upon which our Republic was founded.
Nevertheless, Row v. Wade did exactly that. Thank goodness, we now have a Supreme Court that understands the Founders' intent to the natural moral law.
One of the most important tasks we now have in a post-Roe world is the continuing fight for life at the Federal level. Dobbs v. Jackson did not simply kick back the issue of abortion to the States. The wording in the Court's opinion was very clear. The authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected Representatives.
Members of Congress and Senators are elected Representatives. Congress has the authority and the responsibility to legislate on this issue in certain areas.
There are many policies within our purview. For instance, Federal taxpayer dollars still flow to Planned Parenthood uninterrupted. According to the Charlotte Lozier Institute, between 2019 and 2024, Planned Parenthood was issued $66 million of direct funding through Title X.
From 2019 to 2021, Planned Parenthood received $1.5 billion--yes, that is billion with a b--from Medicaid/CHIP and $3.3 million from Medicare.
There is no reason we cannot turn off Planned Parenthood's government cash flow. The big, beautiful bill in its current form protects taxpayers from
Another example is the use of Federal dollars on the grotesque experiments used on baby body parts funded by the taxpayer. The National Institutes of Health spent $53 million on human fetal tissue research in 2023 and expects to spend $55 million in 2025.
This is a human rights abuse, and it has not even produced valuable research. After nearly 100 years, no therapies have been discovered or developed that require aborted fetal tissue. Meanwhile, ethical alternatives for research and treatment are available and effective.
Nonfetal cells were used to develop insulin for diabetes and Herceptin for breast cancer. Umbilical cord blood has treated thousands of people with blood disorders, and adult stem cells have saved over 1 million people worldwide.
There is no reason to continue funding aborted fetal tissue research. That is why I introduced the Protecting Life and Integrity in Research Act of 2025, which blocks all Federal funding for research involving human fetal tissue from an induced abortion. Language to accomplish this policy priority was included in the fiscal year 2025 Labor, Health, and Human Services appropriations bill. I look forward to seeing it approved and included in the 2026 bill.
Yet another issue is the rise of dangerous chemical abortions. Chemical abortions comprise over half of all abortions performed in the United States. New research shows that this regimen is very dangerous to American women.
More than 1 in 10 women who use chemical abortion pills experience serious adverse events. The rate of serious adverse events is about 22 times higher than the rate stated by the FDA. It is a blatant lie that taking mifepristone is safer than Tylenol, as Planned Parenthood likes to say.
Congress must act to protect women by reinstating the FDA's original requirement that mifepristone, the abortion pill, be dispensed in person under medical supervision and not by tele-abortions.
Prescribing these pills to pregnant women without an in-person evaluation for an ectopic pregnancy or other conditions should be considered medical malpractice, which indeed it is. I look forward to working with my colleagues to address these issues.
Today, we celebrate a milestone standing for life. A new study from the Journal of the American Medical Association found that since Dobbs v. Jackson, 22,180 more babies have been born in States that enacted pro-life protection laws. Praise God. What a beautiful gift.
As we celebrate the third anniversary of Dobbs v. Jackson, let us take comfort in knowing we advanced the cause of human dignity in the United States. Let us continue to fight for life and never give up hope. The cause of human life is a righteous one because all life is precious in the eyes of God.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Representative from Missouri (Mr. Onder) for his tremendous work, including in the legislature before he came here. He was the author of several important initiatives. We are very grateful for that. We thank him and really appreciate him. It is an honor to have him as a co-chair of our Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their important statements today. I will just say that we will be tenacious in defense of life. We will never quit. We pray and hope for reconciliation in America when it comes to this and all other issues that so seriously divide us.
Mr. Speaker, three years ago today (June 24th), the infamous holdings in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey were reversed by the Dobbs decision brilliantly written by Justice Samuel Alito--joined by the majority of the U.S. Supreme Court--which said: ``The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion'' and then went on ``to return to the people and their elected representatives . . . the authority to regulate or prohibit abortion.''
A new national debate on abortion began three years ago--and while there will be setbacks along the way--I believe that growing numbers of Americans are finally recognizing the cheap sophistry, mega deception and pro-abortion culture of denial that devalues and disrespects unborn baby girls and boys and trivializes the harm suffered by women.
The comprehensive 2025 nationwide Marist abortion poll found that Americans are against taxpayer funding of abortion at home and in foreign aid, strongly support pregnancy care centers and want significant restrictions on abortion.
A large number of elected representatives have passed pro-life laws to protect unborn children including Texas, and when a heartbeat can be detected at around 6 weeks--Florida Georgia, Iowa, South Carolina--or when the child suffers excruciating physical pain from the abortion procedure at 12-15 weeks.
To date, 24 states have enacted pro-life laws to protect unborn children and women from the violence of abortion.
Meanwhile, there are more than 2,700 pregnancy resource centers throughout the United States--each and every one of them an oasis of love, compassion, empathy, respect, and care for both mothers and their precious children.
Abortion extremists in several states, on the other hand, including my own state of New Jersey, have enacted anti-child laws that legally authorize killing unborn babies right up to the moment of birth while forcing taxpayers to subsidize the violent deed.
Twice the Democrat-led House of Representatives passed extremist legislation that would have explicitly sanctioned abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy--right up until birth--and would have nullified even modest restrictions enacted over the past half century, including informed consent, waiting periods and parental notification statutes.
The so-called abortion pill--mifepristone--is baby poison that kills the unborn infant by starving the innocent child to death.
We now know however, that mifepristone is extremely dangerous to women as well and this is especially important because this dangerous drug is used to procure at least six out of ten abortions in the United States.
On April 28, 2025, the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) released a report entitled, ``The Abortion Pill Harms Women: Insurance Data Reveals One in Ten Patients Experiences a Serious Adverse Event.'' This report, led by researcher Jamie Bryan Hall, is the first in an ongoing series.
Key Finding: The report found that more than one out of ten (10.93 percent) women who take the chemical abortion drug mifepristone experience sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious adverse event within 45 days.
Study Methods: EPPC analyzed data from an all-payer insurance claims database that includes 865,727 prescribed mifepristone abortions between 2017-2023.
Large Dataset. EPPC states that this is the ``largest-known study of the abortion pill'' and includes ``28 times as many [abortions] as were included in all FDA-cited clinical trials combined.''
Recent Data: While the EPPC study uses data that is no older than 2017, EPPC notes that ``the FDA approval of mifepristone relies on data from more than a decade ago.''
Representative Sample: EPPC explains that this ``real-world, post- market study'' is ``representational of the women who obtain mifepristone abortion in the U.S.'' Unlike other clinical trials that have been conducted, this study does not recruit ``a prescreened group of generally healthy women.''
Policy Implications: The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) decision under the Obama and Biden Administrations to progressively weaken the safety protocols around mifepristone is based on old, flawed data.
On the Mifeprex label, the FDA claims that less than 0.5 percent of women taking mifepristone experience serious adverse reactions. This claim is based on ten older clinical trials studying a combined total of 30,966 participants. The recent report suggests that the number of serious adverse events is at least 22 times higher.
FDA has conveniently failed to collect comprehensive safety data while making unsupported claims that mifepristone is safe.
Future generations will someday look back on us and wonder how and why a society that bragged about its commitment to human rights could have legally sanctioned and aggressively promoted abortion by child starvation, beheadings, dismemberment, chemical poisoning, and forced expulsion from the womb.
And in an information age how so many were deceived into believing that abortion was safe.
The injustice of abortion violence need not be forever.
