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06Condemning 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
07Resignation as Member of Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
08Adjournment
1 member spoke
Daily Digest
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced
30 public bills, H.R. 4120, 4122-4150; and 5 resolutions, H.J. Res. 102; and H. Res. 543-546 were introduced.
Pages H2968-70
Reports Filed
Reports were filed today as follows: H.R. 3383, to amend the Investment Company Act of 1940 with respect to the authority of closed-end companies to invest in private funds, with an amendment (H. Rept. 119-169); H.R. 3379, to amend the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council Act of 1978 to require the Federal financial institutions regulatory agencies to update the CAMELS Rating System, and for other purposes, with an amendment (H. Rept. 119-170); H.R. 2625, to amend title 38, United States Code, to update certain terminology regarding veteran employment (H. Rept. 119-171); and H.R. 4121, making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes (H. Rept. 119-172).
Page H2968
Speaker
Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed Representative Meuser to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
Page H2925
Recess
The House recessed at 11:23 a.m. and reconvened at 12 p.m.
Page H2935
Recess
The House recessed at 1:34 p.m. and reconvened at 4:15 p.m.
Page H2956
Suspension: Proceedings Resumed
The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the following measure. Consideration began Tuesday, June 24th. 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, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 424 yeas with none voting ``nay'', Roll No. 179.
Pages H2956-57
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026
The House passed H.R. 3944, making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, by a yea-and-nay vote of 218 yeas to 206 nays, Roll No. 182.
Pages H2937-56, H2957-59
Rejected the Kaptur motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on Appropriations by a yea-and-nay vote of 208 yeas to 216 nays, Roll No. 181.
Pages H2954, H2958
Pursuant to the Rule, an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 119-5 shall be considered as adopted in the House and in the Committee of the Whole.
Pages H2941-51
Agreed to
Carter (TX) amendment en bloc No. 1 consisting of the following amendments printed in H. Rept. 119-167: Boebert (No. 2) that redirects $2 million to provide additional resources for medical and prosthetic research to ensure our veterans receive cutting edge medical care from the VA; Boebert (No. 3) that redirects $2 million to the Office of the Inspector General to combat waste, fraud, and abuse; Boebert (No. 4) that redirects $2 million to provide additional funding for the construction of new state-extended care facilities; Boebert (No. 5) that redirects $2 million to fund grants for the construction of veteran's cemetery programs to assist state and tribal governments in providing burial benefits for veterans in rural areas lacking a VA national cemetery; Boebert (No. 6) that redirects $2 million to the Board of Veterans Appeals to help reduce its backlog so that veteran claims can be adjudicated in a timely manner; Castor (No. 7) that increases and decreases funds of the Military Construction, Defense- Wide account specifically designated for Natural Disaster Recovery Construction for military installations; Goodlander (No. 9) that increases and decreases veterans health funds for the purpose of adding report language emphasizing support for the Department's effort to conduct a feasibility study at the Manchester VA Medical Center and to require the Department to submit to Congress an action plan by November 6, 2025, to expand services for a full-service medical center in New Hampshire so that it is no longer the only state in the contiguous United States without such a center; Gottheimer (No. 10) that increases and decreases funding under the Medical Services account to support the inclusion of a resident advocate at every veterans home; Gottheimer (No. 11) that increases and decreases funding under the Medical Services Account to improve the quality and availability of kosher meals for inpatient residents at VA hospitals, including through exploring partnerships with certified providers that offer fresh or higher-quality options; Gottheimer (No. 12) that increases and decreases funding under the Medical Services account for the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program; Kiggans (VA) (No. 16) that ensures that the Department of Veterans Affairs maintains sufficient medical care for veterans who reside in US Territories and Freely Associated States; Kiggans (VA) (No. 17) that ensures that the Department of Veterans Affairs fully funds and competently executes mental health care programs, with a special emphasis on suicide prevention and associated outreach; Kiggans (VA) (No. 18) that expresses the urgency of expeditiously and efficiently improving base infrastructure and utilizing increased demolition funding on Navy and Marine Corps bases; Kiggans (VA) (No. 20) that encourages the Department of Defense to meet servicemembers' childcare needs by building more child development centers; Moylan (No. 22) that increases and decreases the General Operating Expenses account for the Veterans Benefits Administration to urge the Secretary to develop a plan to establish a permanent Veterans Benefits Administration Regional Office on Guam, replacing the regional office in the Philippines, to ensure continued services for veterans in the Pacific Islands; Ogles (No. 23) that increases and decreases funding for medical services at the Veterans Health Administration for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans; Ogles (No. 24) that increases and decreases funding for the Board of Veterans Appeals to prioritize increasing processing speed for veteran casework; Ogles (No. 26) that increases and decreases funding for grants for construction of State Extended Care Facilities to focus on creating or maintaining nursing homes for America's World War II, Korean, and Vietnam Veterans; Ogles (No. 27) that increases and decreases funding for the Veterans Housing Benefit Program Fund for the development of improved informational materials regarding the relative benefits of a VA home loan versus other types of housing loans for different homebuyer profiles; Schweikert (No. 29) that transfers $1 million in funds to utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI) to increase data sharing between the Veteran Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Department of Veteran Affairs to further promote efficiency and high-quality care; Schweikert (No. 30) that increases and decreases funding by $1 million for the Veterans Benefits Administration to provide support for utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to expedite claims;
Pages H2951-53
Correa amendment (No. 8 printed in H. Rept. 119-167) that increases and decreases funding for the Medical and Prosthetic Research account at the Department of Veterans Affairs to direct the Department to evaluate and make recommendations on changes that would need to be made to its existing healthcare infrastructure to integrate approved psychedelic therapies into veterans' care options for conditions such as PTSD and substance use disorders;
Pages H2954-55
Joyce (OH) amendment (No. 13 printed in H. Rept. 119-167) that strikes funding for NATO; and Carter (TX) amendment en bloc No. 2 consisting of the following amendments printed in H. Rept. 119-167
Arrington (No. 1) that transfers $4.1 million from the NATO Security Investment Fund to the Air Force Planning and Design Fund to increase base security at locations receiving B-21 bomber aircrafts; Houchin (No. 14) that transfers $5 million in funding to the medical services account to increase funding for medical care for veterans including memory care services; Kiggans (VA) (No. 15) that encourages the approval and development of privatized housing for unaccompanied service members; Kiggans (VA) (No. 19) that expresses to the Navy the importance of basing the F-35 at Naval Air Station Oceana, the East Coast Master Jet Base; Ogles (No. 25) that increases and decreases funding for the Veterans Health Administration's medical community care account to increase accessibility for in-home health care services for veterans; Perry (No. 28) that increases and decreases Veterans Health Administration, Medical Services, by $1 million for furnishing Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) therapy to personnel who elect to receive the treatment; and Shreve (No. 32) that increases and decreases the Army National Guard Military Construction Account to bring attention to the need for the construction of a new aircraft maintenance hanger at the Army National Guard Station in Shelbyville, IN (by a recorded vote of 219 ayes to 206 noes, Roll No. 180). H. Res. 530, the rule providing for consideration of the bills (H.R. 3944), (H.R. 275), (H.R. 875) and the resolution (H. Res. 516) was agreed to yesterday, June 24th.
Pages H2953-54, H2957
Committee Resignation
Read a letter from Representative Cohen wherein he resigned from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Page H2962
Quorum Calls: Votes
Three yea-and-nay votes and one recorded vote developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H2956-57, H2957, H2958, and H2958-59. Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 6:37 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: 98 of 201 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 on behalf of the rural communities in Delaware and the hospitals that are their lifelines because if the Republican budget is passed, that lifeline will be cut.
Across Delaware, rural hospitals are doing more than just providing care. They are holding communities together. They are delivering babies. They are treating emergencies. They are caring for aging parents. They are anchors of both health and economic stability.
Under this budget, all of that is at risk. For rural hospitals, it means more unpaid bills, more red tape, and more patient bankruptcies. For some rural hospitals, it means closure. When Medicaid is gutted, rural hospitals don't just struggle. They shutter.
Today, over 40 percent of rural hospitals operate at a loss. They rely on Medicaid to keep the lights on and the doors open. Take that funding away, and entire regions lose access to maternity care, cancer treatment, mental health services, and more.
This isn't hypothetical. Before Medicaid expansion, clinics were closing, nurses were being laid off, and people were driving for hours just to see a doctor. Now, the majority party wants to bring that devastation to Delaware, where we have diligently worked to ensure that we have no care deserts.
Even in the places where those hospitals will survive, fewer patients will have coverage.
This budget would impose endless red tape and import the worst parts of the private healthcare system, confusing paperwork and needless bureaucracy, into the Medicaid program.
In total, 16 million people could lose coverage. Millions more could lose access to care in their community. In Delaware, that will mean 40,000 of our neighbors--working families, children, seniors in assisted living, and people managing chronic conditions--getting dropped from coverage.
Mr. Speaker, I will tell you what that means in real life. It means missed chemotherapy appointments because the hospital shuts down. It means laboring mothers being driven 1\1/2\ hours to the nearest delivery room. It means children skipping care for chronic asthma because their pediatrician can't afford to stay open. It means working people in Delaware will skip doctors' appointments because they have lost their insurance, only to end up in the emergency room and facing longer wait times and crushing medical bills.
Rural hospitals are left to absorb the costs while patients are burdened with life-altering debt, and, yes, it means more preventable deaths.
All of this, Mr. Speaker, is just to partially--just partially--pay for tax breaks for billionaires.
I have heard from healthcare leaders across my State who have told me plainly that if this budget passes, they will have to reduce services and lay off staff. Their facilities serve hundreds and, in some cases, thousands of Medicaid patients. They are operating on razor-thin margins already.
This plan would push rural hospitals and clinics over the cliff. Cuts to Medicaid aren't just cuts to line items on a budget. They are cuts to care that keep my constituents alive.
Mr. Speaker, let's be honest about what this is: a budget that raises costs for working families, adds red tape for patients and providers, and gives handouts to billionaires, all while risking the collapse of rural healthcare systems.
If you believe in the dignity of rural communities and if you believe that no one should die because their local hospital couldn't keep its doors open, then join me in opposing this horrible and heartless bill.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor University of Arkansas softball sensation Bri Ellis, the Southeastern Conference and USA Softball Player of the Year in NCAA women's college softball in 2025.
Mr. Speaker, before I speak to her personal credentials, I will say the Razorback softball team had another banner season, albeit short of qualifying for the Women's College Softball World Series.
The Hogs advanced to its fourth super regional in program history. Under Coach Courtney Deifel, Razorback softball has steadily climbed in the rankings over the last several seasons. Much of that success over recent years is clearly due to attracting quality players like Bri Ellis.
Bri is a native of Houston, Texas. She is a graduate of Memorial High School in Hedwig Village, Texas, and is the 20th ranked player in the Nation. She signed with Auburn and played two seasons with the Tigers before entering the transfer portal and coming to Arkansas.
As a junior, she became a first-team All-SEC player, and it got better in her senior season. This year, Bri hit .440, with 59 hits, 9 doubles, 26 home runs, and 72 RBIs. She posted a nation-leading 1.142 slugging percentage and a .646 on-base percentage.
Her talent and skills made things difficult on opposing teams, but no one sequence during the year better described this young lady's ability than a game against Georgia in the 2025 SEC tournament in Athens.
Realizing her prowess, the Georgia strategy was to limit any damage Bri could inflict on the Bulldogs by refusing to pitch to her, effectively surrendering to her as a base runner, with nine straight pitches out of the strike zone. She was walked twice and then hit by a pitch in her first three at-bats but then came the bottom of the seventh and final inning. The score was tied at 1-1, and Arkansas had loaded the bases ahead of--you guessed it--Bri Ellis. One run wins the game. Georgia had to pitch to her.
On the 10th pitch that she saw that day, Bri did what Bri does best. She launched one deep over the left-field fence for a walk-off grand slam home run.
No moment in Razorback softball history fully captures the impact that this outstanding player has had on the sport in Fayetteville than that game.
Softball experts, recognizing her accomplishments, made her only the fifth position player to win the Player of the Year honor. Bri Ellis didn't just elevate Razorback softball. She became a Bogle Field legend at Arkansas.
I join her parents, Ron and Molly Ellis, and her sister, Emily, in congratulating Bri for an outstanding collegiate career and the legacy she leaves at the University of Arkansas.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor University of Arkansas baseball sensation Wehiwa Aloy, the 2025 Golden Spikes Award recipient given to the top amateur baseball player in the United States.
This great shortstop propelled the Razorbacks to the semifinals of the Men's College World Series in Omaha. Previous to this honor, Wehiwa was named the 2025 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year.
Aloy was one of college baseball's most electrifying all-around players in 2025. This Wailuku, Hawaii, native started all 65 games at shortstop during the season, and he turned in one of the best offensive campaigns in Razorback history.
He led the team in nearly every major category, including slugging percentage, on-base plus slugging, hits, runs scored, doubles, triples, home runs, extra-base hits, multihit games, and total bases. In many of these categories, he ranks among the top 10 in the program's single- season record book.
Defensively, Aloy dazzled with just 5 errors in 229 total chances while helping turn 31 double plays during the 2025 season.
Wehiwa reached the pinnacle of collegiate baseball without having earned major offers out of Baldwin High School on Maui. Yet, after a year at Sacramento State, he transferred to Arkansas and found his groove.
He captured the hearts and minds of Razorback fans everywhere. In fact, Baum-Walker Stadium looked more like a luau on game day, with so many fans donning leis, Hawaiian shirts, and other island merchandise in recognition of his native Hawaii.
He joins former Razorbacks Andrew Benintendi and Kevin Kopps as the only Arkansas players with national player of the year honors.
Mr. Speaker, this has been an unprecedented spring at Arkansas, with Razorback athletes claiming player of the year honors in both softball and baseball. That has never happened before.
I join his parents, Jamie and Napua; his brother and teammate, Kuhio; and his sister, Kiani, in congratulating Wehiwa Aloy for his Golden Spikes Award and his impact on Razorback baseball. We wish him well as he embarks on what should be a promising professional career.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a very special message--an admonition, a prewarning--for the most powerful man in the universe, I am told, the President of the United States of America.
Mr. Speaker, there is talk of having to go back into Iran. There is talk of the job not having been done as expected.
I make no comments about whether he should or shouldn't go, but I do comment on the Constitution. I do say to the most powerful man in the universe: Mr. President, if you go back into Iran and do not get the consent of Congress or appropriately notice Congress, Mr. President, I will bring Articles of Impeachment against you again.
Mr. President, no one person should have the authority to take 300- plus million people to war on his own volition. The Congress of the United States must be engaged in this process.
Mr. President, it is pretty simple. Either you will respect the Constitution of the United States of America, or you will expect Al Green.
Mr. Speaker, if you are packing up your car, booking a flight, or planning a trip this summer, you have probably noticed that things feel a little bit better this year, a little bit smoother, and much more affordable.
Mr. Speaker, that is not luck. That is because Congress is working to pass President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and it is already making a difference in our summer travel plans.
Mr. Speaker, hardworking American families deserve the freedom to fuel up without pinching pennies, and Trump's bill gets us one step closer to true energy dominance.
One of the biggest costs to families hitting the road this summer is the price at the pump. That is why we fought hard to include an important provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that cuts red tape on domestic energy production. It reopens Federal lands for drilling and streamlines refinery regulations.
Mr. Speaker, it is simple: When America produces more energy, we pay less at the pump. That means that we don't have to beg foreign dictators for oil.
In fact, experts are already predicting a decline in gas prices as we move through the summer months. Usually, they go up because the summer fuels are more expensive. Because of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, we have the freedom to make more summer family memories without breaking the bank.
It is not just about driving, either. If you have flown lately, you have probably experienced the delays, cancelations, and chaos plaguing America's airlines and our airports.
President Trump's big, beautiful bill tackles this head-on by investing in modern air traffic control technology, expanding staffing pipelines, and overhauling the bureaucratic logjam that has kept our skies grounded for way too long.
Mr. Speaker, thanks to President Trump, America will begin streamlining hiring for air traffic controllers, improving FAA coordination, and bringing our aviation infrastructure
This bill is exactly the kind of commonsense, America First legislation that I came to Congress to support. It is proof that when we put American small businesses, our families, and our travelers first, we can make real progress.
Whether you are headed out to one of my favorite spots, Lake of the Ozarks, in my district, if you are flying to visit family, or just filling up the tank for the weekend, know this: Your summer will be easier because we are passing the President's One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with immense pride for the brave airmen of Missouri's own 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base in my district, who executed decisive, strategic strikes against the Iranian regime under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump.
I also will take a moment to honor the other heroes who are part of this historic operation. Pilots from the Air National Guard's 131st Bomb Wing, also at Whiteman, made up 50 percent of the flyers alongside the 509. The operation, maintenance, and the support personnel also contributed significantly to the experience in planning, preparation, and execution.
Just this past weekend, the world saw, once again, what American resolve looks like when we are paired with unmatched precision and capability. B-2s launched from Whiteman and executed a long-range strike against Iran in Operation Midnight Hammer.
This is one of the best examples of integration of total force that has come from Whiteman Air Force Base in recent times. Operation Midnight Hammer is a vivid example of what our long-range strike capabilities are all about: strategic reach, rapid response, and incredible deterrence.
Let me be clear, Mr. Speaker, these were not just strikes, they were a message to the world. It is a message to every rogue regime that threatens American lives and our global stability that when President Trump draws a red line, he means it. This is what peace through strength looks like.
We are all reminded, once again, that under President Trump, America does not bend to tyrants or terrorists. We confront evil. We prove our dominance on the world stage, and we ensure that regimes like Iran's will never get their hands on a nuclear weapon.
Let me say one thing for the Ayatollah. He now has a choice. This is a time for choosing whether he wants peace or chaos, prosperity or poverty, isolation from the rest of the Arab world or integration to make the Middle East great again.
God bless the 509th and 131st Bomb Wings. God bless our airmen and women at Whiteman Air Force Base, and God bless Donald J. Trump, our President.
Mr. Speaker, I am a proud Angeleno. Los Angeles will always be home to me. However, instead of putting a resolution on the floor that helps Angelenos address the cost of living, save their Medicaid, or protect our city's immigrant communities from the Trump administration's cruelty, Republicans are putting forward a resolution that targets Los Angeles, our home, and Californians.
A few items my colleagues on the other side of the aisle forgot to mention in their partisan resolution include: the President's unprovoked escalation and mobilization of the National Guard and Marines against Americans on American soil; the President's comments to arrest Governor Gavin Newsom, an action that would stoke more tension; and the handcuffing and assault of Senator Alex Padilla, who boldly dared to demand accountability from this administration.
Those are a few of the facts that were omitted from the Republicans' resolution. The truth is, Governor Newsom, Mayor Bass, and House Democrats, including my House Democratic Caucus colleagues from California, have repeatedly supported the right to peacefully protest and quickly condemned any acts of violence that have taken place.
This resolution could have been a simple resolution condemning violence and thanking our local leaders for keeping communities safe. The resolution that we are voting on this week is a political stunt to distract from this administration's terrorization of hardworking families and immigrant communities that are a huge reason why our city, our State, and our country are great.
Families across Los Angeles are living in fear because of this administration's reckless and chaotic actions that are instilling more fear, causing more chaos, and inflicting more harm among our most vulnerable.
The families and individuals I have spoken with across my district are afraid to leave their homes because they might be illegally detained by masked and unnamed ICE agents and separated from their loved ones.
No one should have to live with that fear. I will be voting ``no'' on the Republicans' resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my friends across the aisle, especially my Californian Republican colleagues, to stand up for Los Angeles and our great State and vote ``no.''
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute our soldiers of tomorrow, the service-bound academy students of the Third Congressional District of Texas.
This district of Texas is home to some of the best and brightest young people, and it is always an honor to recommend such fine students to our Nation's service academies.
I am confident that they are ready to join the premier service academies and ultimately serve with the best in the United States military.
This year, Texas' Third District is going to send nine cadets to the United States Military Academy, six midshipmen to the United States Naval Academy, eight cadets to the U.S. Air Force Academy, one midshipman to the United States Merchant Marine Academy, one candidate to the United States Military Academy Civil Preparatory School, three candidates to the Naval Academy Preparatory School, one candidate to the United States Naval Academy Civil Preparatory School, and three candidates to the United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School.
Mr. Speaker, to these 24 appointees and 8 preparatory candidates, I say God bless them and God bless America. I salute them.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the names of the 32 academy students and their respective hometowns.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate John Michael Spaun, Jr., or J.J. Spaun, on his U.S. Open victory.
J.J. is a proud product of California's 31st Congressional District, a graduate of San Dimas High School, where he played on the golf team and was a CIF Southern Section finalist 2 years in a row. He went on to play for San Diego State University, and after graduation he went professional.
On the morning of Sunday, June 15, Father's Day, J.J. woke up early to tend to his daughter who wasn't feeling well. Just a few hours later, he was on his way to the U.S. Open.
On the 18th hole, J.J. sunk a 64-foot putt to clinch his first major championship. The 31st Congressional District wants to congratulate him on his incredible victory, and we wish him the best of luck at The Open Championship in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the retirement of Captain Daniel Regan of the Covina Police Department.
He was promoted to captain in 2022 and managed the Investigations, K9, Firearms, and Records units. As a well-distinguished and awarded police officer, Captain Regan's 35-year-long career exemplifies true service and sacrifice. He has defined what it means to protect and serve our community.
Mr. Speaker, I thank him for all he has done to keep our families and our communities safe. I congratulate him on his well-deserved retirement and we wish him all the best.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Glendora and San Dimas High School's baseball teams for reaching the CIF Southern Section Division 3 championship game.
After a hard-fought pitchers' duel, Glendora was victorious with a 2- 0 shutout victory. This was Glendora High's first baseball CIF championship in 15 years. It was a remarkable season, capped by a historic victory.
Mr. Speaker, both teams are to be commended for their hard work and dedication, and I wish them both good luck for next season. Go Tartans.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 20th anniversary of Operation Red Wings, a mission carried out by United States Navy SEALs and the Army 160th SOAR in June 2005 in the mountains of Afghanistan.
Operation Red Wings was intended to disrupt anticoalition militia activity in the Pech District of the Kunar Province. The primary target was a high-ranking Taliban leader named Ahmad Shah.
To carry out the operations, a four-man reconnaissance team was inserted into the rugged terrain under the cover of darkness. The team consisted of Lieutenant Michael Murphy, Petty Officer Matthew Axelson, Petty Officer Danny Dietz, and Petty Officer Marcus Luttrell. Their mission was to observe and confirm the presence of Ahmad Shah.
Unfortunately, the team's position was compromised by local goat herders. Faced with a difficult ethical decision, the SEALs let the herders go. Within hours, they were surrounded and ambushed by a large force of Taliban fighters.
Despite being heavily outnumbered and outgunned, the SEALs fought valiantly. Michael Murphy, despite being shot, moved into the open to get clear to make a call for backup. That call would cost him his life. Matthew Axelson and Danny Dietz perished shortly after.
A Quick Reaction Force from the 160th SOAR dispatched a Chinook helicopter to rescue the SEALs, but tragically the helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade, killing all 16 men on board. In total, 19 Americans died in Operation Red Wings. It was one of the deadliest days in special warfare history.
The mission is not just a story of loss; it is a powerful testament to courage, brotherhood, and sacrifice.
The names of the men who lost their lives during Operation Red Wings are: Petty Officer Matthew G. Axelson, Petty Officer Danny Dietz, Chief Petty Officer Jacques Fontan, Staff Sergeant Shamus O. Goare, Chief Warrant Officer Corey Goodnature, Senior Chief Petty Officer Dan Healy, Sergeant Kip Jacoby, Lieutenant Commander Erik Kristensen, Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffrey Lucas, Lieutenant Michael McGreevy, Sergeant First Class Marcus Muralles; Lieutenant Michael Murphy; Petty Officer Shane Patton, Master Sergeant James Ponder; Major Stephen Reich, Sergeant First Class Michael Russell, Chief Warrant Officer Chris Scherkenbach, Petty Officer James Suh, and Petty Officer Jeffrey Taylor.
Mr. Speaker, may blessings go out to the Gold Star families and friends on this day.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the United States' policy toward Cuba.
There are many crises in the world, like Iran. One crisis that does not get enough attention is the humanitarian one in Cuba today, with its hunger and deprivation.
To many, the word ``Cuba'' invokes politics. Oftentimes, a topic that politicians use to demagogue in U.S. elections for political advantage. However, Cuba is an island of 10 million human beings. They are people like you and me with families and with hopes for a better future.
There is no doubt that the aspirations of the people of Cuba are stymied by their own government. It denies them fundamental human rights. It does not meet their basic needs. It must do better, much better, to listen to what people are asking for and address their concerns in a real way, and our government in the United States isn't helping. In fact, we make the lives of the Cuban people worse, a lot worse.
I have visited Cuba many times as a Member of Congress. I have met with Cubans in their homes and have talked to them in their own communities. I can tell you firsthand that the U.S. embargo is harmful to the people of Cuba. It denies them food, medicine, and basic goods. It contributes to hunger and human misery. It is a driver of migration from the island.
U.S. policy toward Cuba fails to see the Cuban people as human beings. Too often, politicians here treat Cubans as commodities, as props in their political arguments. This is dehumanizing.
It has gotten worse under President Trump. Cubans were once welcomed with open arms into the United States, even given preferential treatment not available to others fleeing dire conditions. No more. Cuban immigrants are equally at risk under the Trump administration's cruelty-first policies.
A half million Cuban immigrants are currently in the United States under parole. An additional 110,000 Cubans entered the U.S. legally under the CHNV humanitarian parole program, but the Trump administration eliminated CHNV. Most Cubans are not eligible to adjust their status and are at risk of being sent back to Cuba. The Trump administration is adding to the humanitarian crisis.
I am disappointed in many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. They continue to defend the U.S. embargo and the status quo. They claim that they want to force the Cuban Government to treat its own people better, yet now when they have a chance to speak out against the Trump administration's callous indifference to the welfare of the Cuban people or even advance policies that will improve the lives of Cubans on the island, these same people are silent. I find that shameful.
In the past, whether our policy was more relaxed or tightened, our government maintained consultations with Cuban officials to manage migration, but the Trump administration has closed even that door, turning off a basic level of dialogue.
None of this makes sense. Tightening sanctions increases suffering, which drives people to our shores and to the border, but the administration won't even talk to Cubans about migration. How do they plan to return those they want to deport? Do they think they can hold Cubans in detention indefinitely?
Conditions in Cuba are far more desperate than during Trump's first term. To be frank, President Biden disappointed me. He didn't do enough to help. Food and medicine shortages and power blackouts are causing more suffering. Mr. Speaker, 1 million people, one-tenth of the population, have left the island. If the Trump administration wants to stop migration, it should not be contributing to its root cause.
The Cuban people are caught in a vise. They don't have a government that adequately responds to their needs, and they can't look to America to help them, either. A better approach to Cuba starts with seeing each other on a human level. We should promote exchange between artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers, scientists, and students. We can nurture understanding, build relationships, foster trust, and diplomacy will follow.
President Obama understood this. He knew that insanity was doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, so he loosened restrictions, relieved tensions, and advanced cooperation. We were on the road to helping create a new future for Cuba.
However, Trump takes us backward. He unjustifiably added Cuba to the state sponsor of terrorism list, purely for political reasons. They ought to be removed from that list. He banned travel and blocked remittances. He has cut off our ability to negotiate for the release of political prisoners. He continues to insist on sanctions to economically starve the country. We should instead lift the embargo. By closing off American engagement, he has opened the door for greater Russian and Chinese influence.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to consider a human-focused approach to Cuba. Our policy should not add to their suffering. We should hear their aspirations and never doubt the power of the people to create change.
Our Cuba policy is on the wrong track. It is a throwback to the Cold War. It is ineffective, and it makes us look petty and vindictive in the eyes of the world community. We need to do much better.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of a former colleague and, more importantly, a friend. Dino Dominic Falaschetti, or Dr. Dino as he was known to many of us, was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois.
In high school, Dino was a standout golfer, and then in college he became a standout cyclist. That became a lifelong passion. To his friends, he was always the smartest and best dressed guy we knew.
To say the least, Dino's academic achievements were impressive. He received a bachelor of science in accounting from Indiana University, then an MBA in finance and economics from the University of Chicago. He then went on to earn his Ph.D. in economics from Washington University in St. Louis.
Dr. Dino went on to work for a Fortune 100 company. He also served as a senior economist on the Council of Economic Advisers under George W. Bush and taught economics and finance at not just one, but three distinguished universities. He accomplished all of this before our paths first crossed in the summer of 2015.
Dr. Dino, with his impeccable resume, had just been hired by former Chairman Jeb Hensarling to serve as the newly created position of chief economist to the House Committee on Financial Services.
The chairman and myself had many discussions about the economic impacts of what was going on, and at one point Chairman Hensarling said: I need an economist to help us do this.
Dino was the man that he hired. I was in my third term and had just been named chairman of the Monetary Policy and Trade Subcommittee. It turned out to be a match made in heaven.
Although we took very different paths to get to the Financial Services Committee, we found ourselves together thinking and developing and debating the economic impact of legislation and the regulators in that space, and then going toe to toe with then-Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen.
Throughout all of it, Dino was a consummate professional, intense and focused, but always taking time to explain complicated monetary policy to anyone--and I mean anyone--who would listen, whether it be a Member of Congress or a junior staffer, but it was always done with a smile.
Dino was often known to say: ``Economics is easy, but politics is hard.'' Boy, is he right.
Following his stint in the people's House, Dr. Dino's career path would make one final stop--this time at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In 2019, Dino was nominated by President Trump to serve as the director of the Office of Financial Research. To no one's surprise, Dr. Dino was unanimously confirmed and served in that position until 2022.
Through it all, Dr. Dino never forgot where he came from. He was devoted to his wife of 30 years, Suzanne; his dogs; his adopted hometown of Belgrade, Montana; and to others, along with serving his country.
I will never forget and am deeply grateful for his work on my subcommittee, highlighting much-needed reforms to our financial system that brought about real change and some things that we are still debating yet today.
His contributions to the Financial Services Committee and the House of Representatives will never be forgotten, not to mention the students and colleagues with whom he taught and worked who will always fondly remember Dr. Dino.
Suzanne should know that she has been in our prayers and thoughts. May she experience blessings and peace as she moves forward.
On behalf of his friends here in the U.S. House, we celebrate Dr. Dino's legacy and look forward to the day when we will meet him again.
Mr. Speaker, what are you and the President afraid of? What are you hiding? You and the administration are shirking your duty to provide Members of Congress a timely and complete classified briefing about Saturday's U.S. strike on Iran, on the intelligence that justified it, on the legal justification, on the objectives, and on the consequences.
Mr. Speaker, we should not have to remind you that the Constitution gives only Congress, not the President, the exclusive power to declare war. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 requires the President, after taking military action, to provide to Congress the information it needs ``in the fulfillment of its constitutional responsibilities with respect to committing the Nation to war and to the use of United States Armed Forces abroad.''
Yesterday, all Members of this House, Republicans and Democrats, were to receive an already overdue classified briefing from administration officials. However, moments before the briefing was scheduled to begin, you and the administration abruptly, without explanation, canceled it, leaving Members of Congress and the American people in the dark.
There are now reports of a leaked classified battle damage assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency that disputes what the President and the Secretary of Defense have been telling us. The American people are left wondering: Are the President and the Secretary telling the truth?
Again, I ask you, Mr. Speaker, what are you and the President afraid of? What are you trying to hide?
We are proud of the extraordinary servicemembers who put their lives on the line and perfectly executed a complex battle plan, expertly hitting their intended targets at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
We can see from the publicly available satellite imagery that the bombs at Fordow, for example, entered the fortified mountain location exactly where intended.
The Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant is buried 300 feet below ground. We can't see inside the mountain to know with certainty whether the GBU- 57s ``obliterated'' the FFEP or not.
That is what makes the leaked report so concerning and why it is so important for the administration to give Members of Congress the full details in a classified setting.
Canceling or even delaying the briefing is completely unacceptable and a failure of your duties and responsibilities to this body.
Mr. Speaker, the stakes could not be higher.
For more than 40 years, Iran has threatened its neighbors, threatened Israel, the United States, and the world. Under the Ayatollahs, Iran has been the largest state sponsor of terror in the world. It has financed, trained, and directed Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic jihad, and the Houthis. For the last 30 years, Iran has marched forward in the pursuit of nuclear weapons, all while chanting: ``Death to Israel, death to America.''
Let me state the obvious: Iran must never be allowed to have nuclear weapons, ever.
President Trump's decision to unilaterally withdraw from the JCPOA in 2018 enabled Iran to advance forward in its nuclear program to the point that the regime was weeks, if not days, from having sufficient enriched uranium for multiple nuclear bombs.
Some have assessed that Iran could have built up to 10 nuclear bombs within a few months or even a few weeks. The worry, after the IAEA report issued 2 weeks ago declaring Iran was no longer in compliance with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, was that the regime may have decided to do exactly that.
I just returned from visiting Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates with colleagues, both Democrat and Republican. All these countries recognize that a nuclear-armed Iran poses an existential threat to their futures, and of course to Israel, as well as the United States and Europe, so I support the U.S. efforts to stop Iran's march to a nuclear weapon.
However, we cannot permanently end Iran's nuclear programs without a negotiated agreement, without inspectors on the ground, without Iran agreeing to reverse course. We must permanently block every path to a nuclear weapon that Iran might have.
The 12-day war over the skies of Iran and Israel has certainly weakened Iran's program, but we don't know without a classified briefing if it has obliterated it, if it has defeated it.
In fact, we don't know the full extent of the damage to the program. How much of the more than 600 kilograms of highly enriched uranium was Iran able to hide? How many centrifuges remain intact and operational? How easily can Iran replace the nuclear scientists eliminated by Israel? Was Fordow, as claimed, obliterated, or slightly damaged and easily repaired?
Again, Mr. Speaker, we didn't get the briefing. This is unacceptable.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will remind the gentleman that it is unacceptable for a Member to attempt to involve the neutral presiding officer as part of the debate. Such conduct undermines this House, the goal of impartial, analytic consistency in presiding that is required of a Member serving as Chair.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my friend and fellow Minnesota farmer, Lori Stevermer, who recently completed a successful term as president of the National Pork Producers Council.
Lori has dedicated her career to advocating for Minnesota's pork producers. In addition to raising pigs with her husband, Dale, on their farm near Easton, Minnesota, Lori served 9 years on the executive board of the Minnesota Pork Producers Association, including 2 years as president, and on various State and national committees.
The time and effort she invests on behalf of not only Minnesota pork producers but all American pork producers has helped shape a better business climate, expand American producers' market access, and promote the benefits of pork to a wide audience.
Lori often says: ``The world is run by the people who show up.'' And show up she does. Lori has made countless trips to Washington, as well as all across the country and internationally, to advocate for her fellow pork producers.
I thank Lori for her years of relentless dedication and leadership, and congratulate her on a successful year as president of the National Pork Producers Council.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the winners of this year's Congressional Award medalists from Virginia's 10th District. These young men and women put in 400-plus hours of volunteer work and 200-plus hours of personal development, as well as 200-plus hours of personal fitness activities.
The winners of the Congressional Award's gold medal this year are Sabrina Lu of Riverside High School, who designed handmade cards and spread cancer awareness; Jason Jayanth of Academies of Loudoun and John Champe High School, who tutored students and volunteered at animal shelters while also playing on the basketball team; and Caitlyn Murphy, a sophomore at James W. Robinson Secondary School, who swam, played violin, and created and delivered more than 800 cards for seniors in local retirement homes.
I congratulate these very accomplished young individuals on their Congressional Award gold medals, and I thank them for their service.
Mr. Speaker, I also rise today to recognize the Gainesville High School baseball team's historic State championship victory.
In just their fourth season--they have only been a high school for 4 years--the Cardinals won their first State title, capping off the season with a 23-5 record.
The championship game itself came down to the wire. With two outs and the tying run in scoring position, the Cardinals recorded the final out and sealed the win.
I congratulate Gainesville High School on its historic championship- winning season and on all the hard work and hustle along the way.
Mr. Speaker, one of the things I get asked is why the Federal Government can't be as fast and cost-efficient as the private sector.
Take a pen like this. If you are trying to buy a lot of them in the private sector, you can just go to Staples and Amazon to purchase them right there, really quickly, and for a pretty good cost.
In the public sector, there are a lot of rules and regulations in place to buy things like pens or staples. It is even harder to do this with technology tools that can help people get their Social Security payments faster, renew passports, or help people access Medicare or Medicaid.
That is why I am introducing the bipartisan FIT Procurement Act today with my colleague Congressman Burlison. The FIT Procurement Act would raise cost caps and allow the Federal Government to buy more innovative tools without going through the needless bureaucracy.
What we are trying to do is help agencies not have to jump through so many hoops to get innovative tools to help people and help them serve people. It will make it easier, as well, for small businesses to sell to the Federal Government.
Our bill makes commonsense fixes that we can all support on both sides of the aisle. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this bill that will save American taxpayers money, support small businesses, and spur economic innovation.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy as it celebrates 30 years of service to our community.
An organization initially founded by 3 individuals has now grown to over 600 volunteers. The conservancy has led the charge on habitat conservation, environmental education, and advocacy in Loudoun County, everything from stream monitoring to bird and animal counting.
The Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy reminds us that conservation isn't just about nature. It is about community, resilience, and quality of life. I know my wife and I are big fans and supporters of them.
I congratulate Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy on all its years of service to the community, and I thank all the volunteers.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the high school athletes from Wisconsin's Seventh District who competed in the State championships during the 2025 spring sports season.
During the individual State boys' golf tournament, Drake Card of Hudson and Tucker Johnson of Neillsville took home the Division One and Division Three State titles, respectively.
For girls' track and field, Maci Heise, Ciara Hartman, Elletta Uddin, Kelly Fern, and Iszy Sonnentag took home titles in their individual events, while the Cameron and Bloomer girls' relay teams won first place in their respective relays.
On the same day, the Marathon High School boys' track team took first overall, going against 50 teams.
Additionally, boys' track and field athletes Samuel Hebert, Lucas Hansen, Gage Mika, Brady Thompson, Taylor Karcz, Ashton Clark, Kyle Schreiner, and Chris Marcell won titles in their individual events, while the Marathon boys' relay team took home first place in the 4-by- 400 relay.
I congratulate each of these State champions and their coaches. Keep up the hard work, and enjoy your summer.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of our Nation's investments in biomedical research through the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute.
The research that is conducted through NIH and NCI improves health outcomes, creates jobs, and furthers our global leadership in biomedical research and innovation.
I am proud to have been a consistent supporter of funding for these institutions, having visited both institutions in Bethesda and around this country.
NIH is the largest public funding source of biomedical research worldwide, with a current budget of $47.7 billion. Similarly, NCI is the largest public funder of cancer research in the world, with a current budget of $7.22 billion.
NCI was created by a Republican President, Richard Nixon, as his war on cancer, which has been phenomenally successful.
NIH funding attracts top talent from across the country and, indeed, the globe to help make our biomedical research industry the best by far in the world, an accomplishment Americans should be incredibly proud of.
As a survivor of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, stage IV, the work that goes on at the National Cancer Institute is of personal importance to me and approximately 20 million American cancer survivors. We are alive today because of innovations in medicine funded by taxpayers and the private sector in a wonderful public-private partnership.
Research funded through NCI has undoubtedly helped improve health outcomes. A study published by the American Cancer Society notes that the cancer mortality rate has declined 33 percent since 1991. Those are all Americans who are living today, like myself.
When I was diagnosed, my oncologist said: You are lucky. Ten years ago, with the same diagnosis, I would have had to say all we could do was tell you to enjoy whatever time you have left.
Now, because of these investments, I am able to live a full life expectancy, like many of the other survivors.
From developing the first chemotherapy drug to treat metastatic cancer in 1956 to promising new research on immunotherapy, NCI-funded research has developed numerous new drugs and therapies for cancer.
While these investments and research are good for health outcomes, they are also tremendously good for our economy. In fiscal year 2023, NIH funding generated approximately $92.9 billion in economic activity. That is a great return on investment, Mr. Speaker.
NIH awards over 80 percent of its annual budget in the form of research grants to 2,500 research institutions across the country, in red States and blue. These grants support the jobs of more than 300,000 researchers at institutions in all 50 States and provide immeasurable benefits to our local communities, especially local community economies.
I am proud that the area that I represent, the San Francisco Bay Area in northern California, is home to 2 of the top 10 recipients of NIH grants, the University of California San Francisco and Stanford University. UCSF is the top public university recipient of NIH grants, making the region a leader in biomedical research, which benefits the economy and individuals like myself.
The economic benefits are further compounded by private investment. In 2020, private industry as a whole invested $161.8 billion in biomedical research in the U.S. This was allowed because of the basic research done at NIH and NCI.
Despite these numerous benefits, the current administration and many of my Republican colleagues are proposing to cut the NIH's budget by 40 percent and NCI's budget by 37 percent. That would be a grave mistake for individual Americans who will die and their families and for our economy.
While some claim that private industry alone can replace Federal investment in biomedical research, this just isn't the case. It has been proven over decades. The private sector needs this public-sector investment for them to do many of the drugs and treatments that we currently have. This has been the case for decades. While some claim that this is easily done, there is no way.
Mr. Speaker, the Chinese are investing billions of dollars to catch up to us in this field. We should not lose American leadership.
Mr. Speaker, the American economy is gaining momentum, but the independent Federal Reserve is, regrettably, not adding the energy needed to abet this growth potential.
After 4 years of inflation caused by excessive government spending and an all-out assault on U.S. energy, our private-sector economy is now in significant recovery, and it truly is only the beginning.
Tariffs are realigning supply chains here at home. By supply meeting and exceeding demand, this will continue to lower inflation.
Additionally, the OBBB makes bonus depreciation, the small-business deduction, and the R&D tax credits permanent, sharpening our competitive edge and incentivizing capital investment.
The table is set for growth. However, nearly $1 trillion in annual interest payments hang over our heads.
Here is where the Fed's actions can make an enormous difference. Due to the Biden administration's highly inflationary policies, we saw inflation soar to over 9 percent, 20 percent over the 4-year period. Those policies and inflationary rates that came from them forced the higher interest rates by the Fed to as high as 5.5 percent.
The recent CPI report, however, has inflation at 2.4 percent, and PCE, personal consumption expenditures, the Fed's favorite indicator, at only 2.1
Mr. Speaker, a 1 percent reduction of interest rates to 3.5 percent would add $290 billion in GDP growth while also delivering $200 billion of savings in the service we pay on our debt. That is an improvement of $490 billion to boost our economy.
Lower rates today will advance housing, an industry with a 3-to-1 multiplier, spur capital investment, and unlock durable good purchases, including cars and household appliances. Unfortunately, fear-mongering by the media drove consumer sentiment down despite, in fact, the lower inflationary data.
Mr. Speaker, I call upon the Fed to choose growth over apprehension, as the President is urging.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today as we are voting on the fiscal 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, an essential bill that demonstrates our unwavering commitment to our veterans, military families, and national security.
This is a major piece of legislation, totaling $453 billion, that ensures we support those who have worn the uniform and continue building the strongest military in the world. This bill fully funds veterans' medical care, backing up the words we often say on this floor and throughout our districts that we support our veterans and thank them for their service.
Let me quickly walk through what is in this bill: $453 billion in total funding, $150 billion in discretionary funding, $300 billion for mandatory programs, $131 billion to fully fund veterans' medical care, $2 billion for military family housing, and over $1.2 billion for Guard and Reserve construction facilities.
This supports President Trump's initiative to end veteran homelessness through the Bridging Rental Assistance for Veteran Empowerment program, protects veterans' Second Amendment rights, and invests heavily in general military construction.
I proudly represent more than 45,000 veterans in Pennsylvania's Ninth Congressional District. When I include their families, many of whom have served or are preparing to serve, well over 100,000 Pennsylvanians just in my district alone will be directly impacted by what we do today. We also have 800,000 veterans throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Speaker, our Lebanon VA in my district was ranked among the top VAs in the Nation for many years in a row. That is something we certainly take pride in and something this bill supports.
I am also proud to represent Fort Indiantown Gap, the second largest Army helicopter training facility in the U.S. In total, the Gap trains more than 130,000 military personnel each year.
This bill not only honors our past military heroes, but it also helps inspire the next generation to serve. We are seeing that patriotism grow. Recruitment is way up, thanks in part to the new culture of strength and support for our military under President Trump's leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this critical appropriations bill. It reflects our values, strengthens our defense, and ensures we never waver in our duty to those who have sacrificed for our freedom.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor America's firefighters and first responders. These are American heroes who put their lives on the line every single day to keep our communities safe. These are heroes who give their lives to saving lives.
Firefighters run into fire for us. They are on the front lines of fighting our Nation's opioid epidemic. In their service to all of us, firefighters are exposed to toxic chemicals and cancer-causing chemicals every single day. That is why cancer is the leading cause of death for America's firefighters.
They do all this work for us, knowing the hazards of the important job that they do. That is what makes them the best of America. They are heroes with families and loved ones who deserve our support.
Today, the families of fallen American heroes who died from cancers they developed in their service to all of us aren't getting the Federal benefits they have earned because of a gap in existing law. Let me repeat that. American heroes who have died from cancer in service to our country aren't getting the benefits that they have earned because of fixable gaps in Federal law. That is not right, and Congress can do something about this.
I am here today because we must close this gap for New Hampshire heroes who are standing beside me today and who are with us today in this Chamber. They are New Hampshire heroes Lieutenant Jessica Wyman of Nashua Fire Rescue and Lieutenant Aaron Cooper of Keene Fire Department, both of whom lost their lives to lung cancer that they developed in the line of duty.
These two brave heroes gave their lives to keep our communities safe. Their families and loved ones deserve to get the benefits they have earned.
That is why today, Mr. Speaker, I call on Members of Congress from across America to support bipartisan, bicameral legislation, the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, H.R. 1269. This is commonsense, long overdue legislation that I am proud to cosponsor. It will deliver for our first responders and their families.
I say today I am forever grateful to Lieutenant Chris Wyman, a hero in his own right, who is here with us in this Chamber today. He has come to Congress to do what we all should hope every American will do, which is to advocate for this legislation that we have to get done.
In this Chamber, there are words behind me, words of New Hampshire's own Daniel Webster, who called on us to do something, to do something worthy to be remembered. These heroes, including this hero standing before us today, have done so much that is worthy to be remembered and worthy to be honored.
As eloquent as Daniel Webster was, I want to say that Lieutenant Jessica Wyman lived by a motto that is even more powerful to me. It resonates even more deeply with me. She lived by the motto: Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I understand.
I thank Lieutenant Wyman from the bottom of my heart for involving me in this cause. It is a cause that I am going to fight for because it is a cause that we should all be on board with. It is honoring American heroes who are the best of our country.
By making the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act law, the United States Congress will do something worthy to be remembered. I want to get all of my colleagues involved. With that, I say let's get this done this Congress. It is long overdue, and I thank Lieutenant Wyman for her service.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize June as Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month, a time to bring attention to a disease that impacts nearly every family in America in some way.
This month serves as a solemn reminder of the devastating toll Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia continue to take on our loved ones, our caregivers, and our communities.
More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's today. Around the world, nearly 50 million people are facing daily struggles with this disease or related dementias.
Alzheimer's is not just a health issue. It is a national crisis. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and remains the only one in the top 10 with no known cure. There is no way to prevent it and no effective means to slow its progression.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, deaths related to Alzheimer's increased by 16 percent, further underscoring the urgency for action. Behind these statistics are real people.
I recently had the privilege of meeting with two advocates from my district, Maria Frank of Wellsboro and Julieanne Steinbacher of Williamsport. They came to Washington on behalf of the Alzheimer's Association to share their personal experiences and to urge continued investment in research and support for patients and caregivers.
However, the Alzheimer's Association does more than just advocate for Alzheimer's, dementia patients, and their families. Through its strong network of nationwide chapters, the Alzheimer's Association invests directly in cutting-edge research, offering free, 24/7 care consultation for patients and their families. It hosts community education programs and caregiver support groups, ensuring families and patients receive the critical resources that they need.
Their stories are a powerful reminder that behind every diagnosis is a family doing everything they can to hold on to moments, to dignity, and to hope. This is personal for so many of us.
A diagnosis of Alzheimer's doesn't impact one individual. It affects entire families. There is hope. We have seen progress through bipartisan investment in research. Continued support for groundbreaking innovation can bring us closer to treatment and, one day, a cure.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Maria and Julieanne for their tireless advocacy and commitment to this cause. This month let's support the families impacted and never stop believing in a future where Alzheimer's is no longer a devastating diagnosis but a defeated disease.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H. Res. 516, sponsored by Representative Young Kim. This resolution has a lot of things I think we all can agree upon, including recognizing the right to assemble and protest peacefully and condemning violence against law enforcement.
In the very last clause, it specifically expresses gratitude to law enforcement including ICE for ``keeping our communities safe in the face of danger.''
I want to be clear. I commend local law enforcement, including the Orange County Sheriff's Department, which I represent, for their professionalism and courage. It is a tough job, and I am so grateful for the men and women who go out there every day and risk their lives to keep our communities safe.
To extend these thanks to ICE, while failing to acknowledge the myriad of ways in which ICE is making other communities more dangerous, is outrageous and dishonest.
I hear every single day--and I know Young Kim does, too, because we represent neighboring districts in Orange County--I hear from constituents who are deeply concerned about ICE's lawbreaking. We have seen the videos. We have heard the eyewitness accounts.
ICE agents are kidnapping people in broad daylight. They are assaulting people in broad daylight. They are doing so while masked up, refusing to identify themselves, while wearing civilian clothes like jeans and sneakers.
They come out of unmarked vans. They tackle people. They assault people. Frankly, other than the ICE vests or jackets they are wearing, which, by the way, can now be purchased for $29.99 on Amazon, they look more like gang members than Federal law enforcement agents.
If a person runs away from these masked vigilantes, they will beat and chase that person down. Mr. Speaker, if you ask to see their identification or their warrant, they will assault you and arrest you. If a person films them, they will pull a gun on that individual.
These tactics are grossly illegal and not tactics that local law enforcement engage in. Our local law enforcement follows the law. They wear body cameras. They are subject to disciplinary actions if they violate due process rights.
ICE is completely unaccountable and totally out of control. We have seen them assault citizens. We have seen them assault elected officials, including Members of Congress and my colleague from California, Senator Alex Padilla. Just 2 weeks ago, he was assaulted, tackled, handcuffed, and shoved to the ground for asking a question at a press conference.
The idea that ICE is making our communities safer is ludicrous. I quote the podcaster Joe Rogan: ``. . . if the Trump administration, if they're running and they said . . . we're gonna arrest all the people at Home Depot. We're gonna go to construction sites and we're going to just like tackle people at construction sites, I don't think anybody would have signed up for that.
``They said, we're gonna get rid of the criminals and the gang members first.''
Right? That is crazy.
It is crazy because the reality of the situation is that ICE is not going after violent criminals. They are going after peaceful, law- abiding immigrants. As the rightwing Cato Institute recently found, 93 percent of the people being apprehended by ICE have had no convictions for violent crime.
ICE is not going after MS-13 or murderers or rapists. They are going after innocent people, including a woman in Tennessee who was 5 months pregnant and engaged to a U.S. citizen.
Iris Dayana Monterroso-Lemus was transferred to a detention center in Louisiana. She was forced to sleep on the floor and eat food infested with roaches. She was denied medical care, despite complaining repeatedly about sharp pains in her pelvis. She lost her baby because of this mistreatment.
She was not a criminal. She was an expectant mom whose child died. It is clear that ICE's lawless actions are making our communities much more dangerous.
Here is a statement issued by the mayor of Santa Ana, which has been the epicenter of ICE raids in Orange County. She said: ``The Federal immigration raids . . . in Santa Ana have created a climate of fear, anxiety, and instability across our community.
``The aggressive tactics used by Federal agents have shattered trust in law enforcement and are eroding the critical relationship between our residents and the Santa Ana Police Department. When families are too afraid to report crimes or engage with local authorities, we are all less safe.''
ICE's lawless sweeps have also deeply impacted the Korean community in SoCal. The first ICE raids targeted Korean-owned garment factories and have caused significant confusion, fear, and terror in the Korean- American community.
I hear every day from Korean Americans who are terrified about ICE. I know that my colleagues, including Young Kim, do, too. They know that ICE is making our communities less safe.
I will close with this. We have all seen the videos and images of Narciso Barranco, a gardener and father of three U.S. Marines, who was tackled and punched repeatedly in the head by ICE agents wearing jeans and sneakers.
As one of his sons, Alejandro, a current marine, stated, while deployed as a marine, if he had treated a detainee the same way ICE agents treated his father, it would clearly be a war crime.
While Narciso Barranco is a resident of Tustin, he is a constituent of Young Kim. I would guess that he would vehemently disagree with the claim that ICE is making our communities safer.
How can anyone express gratitude to ICE when they are literally committing war crimes against their constituents? This resolution is shameful. It is morally wrong. Thanking ICE is the worst kind of political stunt at this point in time when our constituents and our communities are living in fear and terror.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record four items. The first is: ``ICE Immigration Jacket Becomes Bestseller on Amazon.'' You can view the link here: https://www.newsweek.com/ice- immigration-jacket-best-seller-amazon-2035114.
The second is a Cato Institute blog entry: ``65 Percent of People Taken By ICE Had No Convictions, 93 Percent No Violent Convictions.'' You can view the article at this link: https://www.cato.org/blog/65- people-taken-ice-had-no-convictions-93-no-violent- convictions.
The third and fourth items I would like to add are a statement from Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua and a statement from the Korean- American Federation of Los Angeles in response to the ICE raids on June 6.
Mr. Speaker, thanks to the leadership of President Trump, America and the world are safer today than we were a week ago. Iran, the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, is no longer on the verge of obtaining a nuclear weapon. They have agreed to a ceasefire with Israel. President Trump is fulfilling his campaign promise of promises made, promises kept to make America safe again.
America wants peace through strength, and that is what President Trump is committed to. For far too long, administrations in Washington, D.C., have created red lines that were crossed without consequence, agreed to deals with Iran that the regime disregarded, and concerned themselves more with appeasement than with protecting American interests.
President Trump took a different approach. For months, President Trump has urged Iran to make a deal. He has been clear. There is no world where Iran, whose leadership chants ``Death to Israel, death to America'' will be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon ever. This is not up for debate.
President Trump is restoring America's leadership on the world stage and fighting tirelessly to keep Americans safe, both at home and abroad. This past week, President Trump showed that he is not willing to let America be strung along or taken advantage of.
After Iran refused to accept a deal and continued to wreak havoc in the region through its proxy organizations, President Trump carried out targeted, strategic strikes to prevent the pending threat of Iran's nuclear enrichment program.
He was also clear: Attacks on U.S. Forces will not be tolerated, and there will be grave consequences for such action. This is what leadership looks like, and I applaud President Trump for putting America first.
Audrey and I are grateful that our brave servicemen and -women were not harmed in the strikes, and I continue to pray for the safety of our troops and Americans in the region. The world is safer today because of President Trump, and we pray that the Lord would continue to give him wisdom and discernment as he leads our Nation and continues to work on bringing down tensions in the Middle East.
God bless President Trump, God bless our troops, and God bless our great country.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the work our Republican majorities are putting in to deliver American families the largest tax cut in American history. This process hasn't been easy by any means, but it is worth every single debate we are having to get it over the finish line. If we fail to get this bill passed and on President Trump's desk, then middle- and working-class families will be the ones who pay the price.
Some of my Democrat colleagues continue to lie about what our bill does. Mr. Speaker, the truth is that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act eliminates taxes on tips and on overtime pay. It lowers taxes on Social Security benefits and expands the child tax credit for working-class families.
Our bill helps keep American family farms afloat by eliminating the death tax for most, saving 2 million family farms. The family farmers and ranchers in my district are hardworking men and women who are up and moving by sunrise and working well past sundown, ensuring they can feed, clothe, and fuel the world. Their pride doesn't come from large bank accounts, it comes from answering a call that requires hard labor and lots of sacrifices to feed their neighbors. It isn't glamorous, but it is essential, and they need commonsense policies like the ones in the one big, beautiful bill to ensure their businesses can stay afloat and that their families won't lose their inheritance because Uncle Sam is trying to bankrupt them.
If Congress fails to get this bill across the finish line, the average Kansas family will see a tax hike of $2,200 this January. I understand for some it may not seem like a lot of money, but for the men and women across the Big First District, $2,200 makes a big difference. It is no secret to anyone who serves in this Chamber that over the last few years the country navigated record levels of inflation brought on by excessive Federal government spending. As input and everyday costs skyrocketed across the country, working-and middle- class families were the ones who bore the brunt. They are long overdue for some relief, and the one big, beautiful bill gives them the relief that they so desperately need.
In a few short weeks, this body will have a chance to show what we stand for. For most of my Democrat colleagues, I know they don't want to give President Trump a win, but surely they can work with him on behalf of working-class families. They are either for the largest tax cuts for middle- and working-class families in American history or they are against them.
Mr. Speaker, 3 years ago, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ripping away a constitutional right that generations of women had relied on for nearly one-half century.
In that moment, the Court did not just revoke a legal precedent, they set in motion a wave of chaos, cruelty, and control. What followed was a full-scale assault on reproductive healthcare: abortion, contraception, IVF, and even access to emergency care.
In Ohio, we felt the effects immediately. Just hours after the Dobbs decision was handed down, an extreme and deeply unpopular 6-week abortion ban went into effect, essentially outlawing abortion before many people even knew they are pregnant.
That law put the lives of millions of women in danger overnight. It forced healthcare providers to choose between following their sworn oath to care for patients or facing criminal charges. It caused trauma and suffering that cannot be undone.
In fact, Mr. Speaker, a 10-year-old rape victim was denied the care she needed and was forced to flee the State
Yet, despite all of this, the people of Ohio did what we have always done in the face of injustice. We fought back.
In November 2023, Ohioans from across the political spectrum came together and voted to enshrine reproductive freedom directly into our State's constitution: the ability to bear a child, to use contraception, and to access abortion care. It was a powerful, hopeful moment, but, Mr. Speaker, our work is far from over.
That is because within days of that historic vote, Republican lawmakers in Ohio announced they would do everything in their power to prevent our laws from being removed.
That is right. Just days after the people spoke loudly and clearly, some legislators pledged to ignore the will of the voters, and now they are following through. Just last week, members of the Ohio House of Representatives introduced one of the most extreme anti-choice bills in the country.
This dangerous bill would ban nearly all abortions in Ohio, criminalize doctors, and potentially treat patients seeking care as criminals. Let me be crystal clear. Under this proposal, abortion could be prosecuted as homicide. There would be no meaningful exceptions, not for rape and not for incest.
One of the bill's lead supporters, an anti-woman activist, was asked whether he worried this would overturn the will of the voters, the constitutional amendment the people of Ohio passed a couple of years ago. He said that he wasn't concerned. He said: ``The will of the voters was evil.''
The will of the voters was evil.
Mr. Speaker, I don't think I have heard anything less American. The will of the voters is the bedrock of our democracy, and just as these extremists want to take away the decisionmaking capabilities of women, they have not stopped there. They want to take away the decisionmaking capability of all Ohioans.
That is the ideology we are up against. It is one where the voice of the people isn't just disregarded, but it is condemned. It is one where bodily autonomy is labeled evil. It is one where political extremists will stop at nothing, not even the State constitution, to impose their beliefs on the rest of us. It is chilling and it is dangerous.
This uncertainty is not just an Ohio problem. The United States Supreme Court's recent decision in Moyle v. United States dismissed an opportunity to affirm that emergency abortion care is protected under Federal law. Instead, they punted, refusing to give clarity and refusing to give peace of mind to women and doctors across the country.
That is why I introduced a resolution to reaffirm access to emergency care and abortion care to all Americans. That is why House Democrats have introduced bills to guarantee abortion rights across the country and protect access to birth control, IVF, and other fertility care.
That is because at the heart of this fight there is something bigger than politics. It is about freedom, the freedom to control our own bodies. It is about the freedom to decide when, if, and how we grow our families and the freedom to choose our own futures on our own terms.
We are the best people to make those decisions for ourselves. Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of brilliant minds here in this legislative Chamber and in State houses and in courts all across the country, but women do not need them to be in our most intimate decisionmaking moments. As a Representative of Ohio's 13th Congressional District, I will keep standing up for our freedom, and I will keep working to ensure our laws reflect our values.
We must trust women. We must protect our rights, and we must never forget that democracy only works if we honor the will of the people.
Mr. Speaker, the corrupt Georgian Dream party continues to wrongfully arrest opposition leaders of the Republic of Georgia.
As the Georgian Dream schemes a one-party state, gives the Chinese Communist Party their Black Sea port, and blocks America from trade, the Georgian people have conducted over 200 days of consecutive protests for freedom.
Americans stand with the legitimate President Salome Zourabichvili and the Georgian people. The MEGOBARI Act for freedom, sovereignty, and rule of law received 90 percent of the vote in the House. Joining the proposed Trump Tower in Damascus, Syria, should be the Trump National Golf Course in Tbilisi, Georgia.
In conclusion, God bless our troops as the global war on terrorism continues. Trump is defending American families with peace through strength, revealing war criminal Putin's lies, insulting Trump and mocking Trump, and hosting Iranian murderers in Moscow.
Mr. Speaker, no more wars. The majority of Americans do
President Trump violated the United States Constitution by sending the United States troops to bomb Iran without congressional authorization.
Taking our country to war requires a vote in Congress. Every single one of us represents close to 800,000 people, and they deserve a vote.
The American people do not want another war. They do not want us spending endless amounts of money to invest in death and destruction. They want us to fund Medicaid, housing, and Head Start. They want access to clean water and so many critical programs that our communities desperately need.
We have seen our government manufacture consent for the invasion of Iraq that killed and displaced millions of people, our loved ones, and created total devastation and instability in the region.
We have seen our government lie about weapons of mass destruction before. We are not going to fall for it again. Instead of listening to the American people who are saying no more wars, Trump is listening to genocidal maniac war criminal Netanyahu who lied about Iraq and now is lying about Iran.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to address the House and recognize the very hard work and the invaluable contributions of Ingrid Izaguirre to my office.
Ingrid has honorably served as a climate solutions fellow on my legislative team for the past 2 years. During her time with my office, she has stepped up to the plate to manage planning and programming for the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, turning what was an inactive caucus into one of the most active caucuses on Capitol Hill.
Notably, she has facilitated dozens of cross-aisle conversations and educational opportunities for both Members and staff. She has built bipartisan support for permitting reform and for the Department of Energy programs. She has spearheaded numerous legislative proposals through the National Defense Authorization Act to keep our Nation's energy infrastructure more secure and so much more.
Our HoulaTeam will miss her quick wit, unrelenting work ethic, and friendship.
Mr. Speaker, Ingrid has proven that bipartisanship and cooperation on climate change is possible even during these divided times. She should be very proud. We will miss her and welcome her to the Houla alum network, and I have no doubt that she will be successful in her next role.
Mr. Speaker, there is a lot of noise coming from the other side claiming that House Republicans are cutting Medicaid with our commonsense work requirements.
Let me be clear: That is just not true.
You can't cut something from someone who was never or is no longer eligible to receive it.
According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, of the 7.8 million people Democrats say would lose coverage, 4.8 million are able- bodied adults with no kids who could work, but don't. Another 1.4 million are in the country illegally and 2.2 million simply don't qualify under the law already.
Medicaid should serve the truly needy, not those who refuse to help themselves. House Republicans don't cut Medicaid. That is not what we are doing in this bill. We restore its integrity because work requirements are not a punishment. They are a path to dignity and independence.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose war in Iran or any wars of choice in the Middle East.
We need to be investing in good-paying jobs at home, healthcare at home, and childcare at home, not billions of dollars in missiles targeted at the Middle East that we can't afford. That is why Representative Massie and I introduced a resolution to prevent more wars of choice.
What did we achieve? The intelligence tells us that we just pushed Iran back 3 to 4 months in building a bomb. Vice President Vance says they still have enough nuclear fuel to have 10 nuclear missiles.
We need tough diplomacy to deny Iran a bomb, not more wars at the expense of the American people. Americans of all parties do not want more war.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Sergeant First Class Juan Santiago, a decorated veteran and American patriot residing in Melbourne, Florida.
Sergeant Santiago began his career in 1958 in the United States Army at Fort Buchanan and completed basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He went on to serve our Nation with distinction around the globe with deployments in Cuba, Italy, Germany, and five tours in Vietnam.
His exceptional service earned him a place in the Florida Veterans' Hall of Fame as well as many other numerous honors, including the Honorable Order of St. Michael and two Purple Hearts.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of a grateful Nation, we thank Sergeant Santiago for his bravery.
Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to rise and recognize five outstanding young leaders from eastern North Carolina who have earned appointments to our Nation's service academies.
Abel Dees and Parker Stokes are headed to the United States Military Academy.
Leo Fletcher-Fontana will attend the United States Air Force Academy.
Nicholas Santiago and Dylan Sawyer are bound for the United States Naval Academy.
These remarkable young leaders have achieved academic excellence. They reflect the best of our communities and are answering the call that goes way beyond themselves. Behind each of them is a community of supporters and families whose love is making it possible for them.
Mr. Speaker, to our appointees: Abel, Parker, Leo, Nicholas, and Dylan, eastern North Carolina believes in them and we are proud of them.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the St. Marys Area School District for launching a new agriculture education curriculum, an investment in both their students and the future of our Nation's food system.
Agricultural education is not just for those in rural areas. It is foundational to the future of our economy, environment, and our national security. Programs like this one help students understand where their food comes from, how it is produced, and the science and technology driving modern agriculture.
Beginning next school year, St. Marys will offer ag curriculum starting in seventh grade and extending through high school. Already nearly 100 students have signed up, proof that our young people are eager to learn more about the science, innovation, and business behind agriculture.
As chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, I applaud this effort. It is exactly the kind of hands-on, forward-thinking program we need to develop the next generation of farmers, scientists, and entrepreneurs.
Agriculture puts food on our tables, clothes on our backs, and fuel in our vehicles. Programs like this ensure it continues to do so for generations to come.
Mr. Speaker, I commend the leadership, educators, and students of St. Marys for their vision, and I look forward to seeing the impact of this outstanding program.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 3944, and that I may include tabular material on the same.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Missouri?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 530 and rule XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 3944.
The Chair appoints the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Loudermilk) to preside over the Committee of the Whole.
Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for the 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, with Mr. Loudermilk in the chair.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The CHAIR. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the first time. General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed 1 hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees.
The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Alford) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz) each will control 30 minutes.
Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I am honored to present the fiscal year 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill to the House today. This bill supports our troops, their families, and our Nation's veterans.
The bill includes nearly $18 billion for military construction efforts. It is critical that our servicemembers and their families have the infrastructure and support they need. This bill delivers to construct and improve military housing, childcare centers, and other quality-of-life components that are so important to those who risk so much.
This bill continues to build on investments that strengthen our national security through the construction of modern infrastructure and improvements to critical quality-of-life facilities for our servicemembers and their families.
Additionally, we continue to provide significant funding to build upon prior years' work to enable the Department of Defense to meet the challenges in the Indo-Pacific.
The bill honors our commitment to our Nation's veterans and to our troops. To honor that commitment, the bill provides full funding for healthcare and benefits for veterans. Our veterans have earned these benefits, and we are making good on our promises to them. That includes fully funding our commitment to the PACT Act.
The bill continues robust investments in women's health, rural health, veterans' homelessness issues, and mental health. The legislation maintains all the funding for medical and prosthetic research. It increases funding for VA infrastructure and supports Arlington National Cemetery. It invests in the improvement, operations, and maintenance of burial grounds for those who have sacrificed.
I thank Ranking Member Wasserman Schultz. I am glad we are at this step in the process and hope that we continue to work together to support our troops and our veterans.
Everyone--everyone, Mr. Chair--should understand that this bill cares for our veterans. It supports our troops and their families. This bill keeps the promises that we have made to our heroes.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3944, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I, unfortunately, could not possibly disagree with the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Alford), my friend, more on the description of this bill, which is why I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 3944, the fiscal year 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies bill.
While I unfortunately cannot support the bill on the floor today, I will say in Chairman Carter's absence that I am thankful and appreciative of the work that we have been able to accomplish together over the years on this subcommittee. I know he and I both prioritize quality of life for our servicemembers and their families and caring for our veterans.
Unfortunately, this bill hurtles us toward VA privatization, a top Project 2025 priority that undercuts what veterans consistently ask us for in Congress. They want high-quality medical care at the VA; not privatized care that takes longer to receive.
By transferring record funding from VA medical services to community care, which is a 67 percent increase of $14 billion, this bill pushes veterans into private care, even though veteran polls and studies show that when given the option, veterans prefer to receive their medical care at the VA.
In 2024, veteran trust in VA healthcare rose to a record 92 percent. We should build on this success, not kick veterans to an already crowded private market. I understand that there is a need for community care, especially for veterans in rural areas and specialty care when necessary, and when appointments at the VA are scarce.
However, countless studies show that when veterans seek care at private hospitals and clinics, they wait longer to see providers, and they get worse care. They know VA medical professionals choose this work due to their mission to care for our veterans, and that is something the private sector simply cannot replicate.
We should invest more in VA provider recruitment and retention incentives, increase benefits counselors and adjudicators, not ignore veterans' wishes and speed recklessly into privatization.
On the military construction side, this bill underfunds military construction by $904 million compared to the President's budget request, and fails to fund some specific needs such as installation resilience and NATO infrastructure commitments. As Russia continues to wage an illegal war in Ukraine and threaten Europe, we should be sending a clear sign that we stand with our NATO allies, allies who have stood by us for decades. We are talking about infrastructure for our troops who are over there, as well as our allies' troops.
We all know that warming global temperatures are having a devastating impact on our military installations, including sea level rise, recurrent flooding, hurricanes, and extreme weather, as well as extreme heat and drought, yet this bill includes zero dedicated funding to mitigate this extreme weather damage to our installations and force readiness.
We have seen time and again what devastating extreme weather can do to installations. In 2018, Hurricane Michael mauled Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, my home State, and cost the Air Force $4.9 billion to rebuild. When Typhoon Mawar ran through Guam and devastated the island, this Congress provided almost $1.8 billion to begin recovering from the damage. Unfortunately, we know that future need from Typhoon Mawar will cost many billions more.
Finally, this bill includes a plethora of harmful poison pill riders. It once again prohibits the VA from implementing its interim final rule to protect a woman's right to abortion and counseling. The message sent on that is clear: Republicans want to further limit women's access to healthcare.
Never mind if an abortion is in the best medical interest for the veteran, between her and her doctor. Disturbingly, Republicans think you should only have access to abortion if you are dying.
This bill has the government making personal medical decisions for veterans, not their doctor or the veteran themselves. It is a cruel and ironic way to treat those who fight for our freedoms by taking them away.
This bill also undermines VA's ability to keep at-risk veterans safe by preventing VA from reporting a beneficiary to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. This rider prohibits VA from following Federal law to keep guns out of the hands of people who Federal law says should not have them because they are a danger to themselves or others.
My subcommittee receives notifications every time there is a suicide on VA property. Over the last year, Mr. Chairman, we received suicide notices from Asheville, Los Angeles, McAllen, Minneapolis, Las Vegas, south Texas, Puget Sound, and many, many more. Every single veteran committed suicide with a firearm. Every single one.
With all of these serious concerns, I cannot in good conscience support this bill. I urge my colleagues to oppose it, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Today is the first of 12 essential steps that the House Appropriations Committee will take to restore strong, responsible governance under the golden age of the Trump administration.
Just this past weekend, Missouri's own 509th Bomb Wing and the 131st Guard Wing of Whiteman Air Force Base in my district demonstrated the vital role that our B-2 long-range strike force plays in preserving national and international security.
Drone warfare between Ukraine and Russia has shown just how vulnerable strategic assets can be. This bill emphasizes the importance of modernizing and hardening our infrastructure for the world's most advanced air wings, such as the B-21 Raider.
Our greatest asset, though, is not our aircraft. I think the ranking member would agree, it is our people. This bill makes bold strides to improve the quality of life for our servicemembers and their families. It expands childcare options. It enhances access to tutoring for children of fallen and disabled veterans, and it supports the daily needs of the men and women who wear the uniform.
Access to a VA facility is not a reality for some of our rural veterans. I hear this each and every day out in my district, 24 counties southeast of Kansas City. This bill, though, ensures that they are not forgotten. We increased access opportunities by increasing the funds available for community care.
In a powerful act of bipartisanship, we are strengthening the Veterans Crisis Line. When a veteran calls, someone must answer. Increased staffing and resources will help ensure that support is there each and every time.
Mr. Chair, our veterans fought for us. It is time that we fight for them. This bill does that, and I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill, a vote to support our veterans. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I would certainly agree with the gentleman from Missouri if the Trump administration under Elon Musk's DOGE effort hadn't actually fired employees and interrupted the ability of employees of the Veterans Crisis Line from actually doing their job.
We have no idea how many people lost their lives as a result of that interruption in service. I would love to agree with the gentleman, but unfortunately, the facts on the ground actually reflect that they do not share the same commitment that we do to ensure the safety of our servicemembers and making sure that we look out for them.
Mr. Chair, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the distinguished ranking member of the Appropriations Committee.
Mr. Chair, I thank the ranking member for yielding. I thank all of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee staff on both sides of the aisle for their work, and in particular Farouk Ophaso and Tyler Coe.
I am opposed to this bill, which will transfer billions of taxpayer dollars to private hospitals and clinics, leading to longer wait lines, poorer communication and coordination, a diminished quality of care for our veterans, and higher costs for taxpayers.
This is a step toward privatization of the Veterans Administration because if you hollow out the Veterans Administration, if you make it impossible for people to be able to access their benefits, then they say: Well, we can't trust the VA. Then they will move in the direction of privatization, and that is where this administration wants to go.
This bill would worsen the quality of life for servicemembers and their families while putting veterans' safety at risk.
While our military faces massive recruitment challenges, the bill underfunds military construction by nearly $1 billion, hurting our recruitment and retention and undermining our military readiness. By making it harder to keep guns out of the hands of those legally barred from holding them, this bill endangers veterans' safety.
The bill leaves military installations, servicemembers, and their families vulnerable to climate change and worsening natural disasters by failing to include dedicated funding to strengthen our military installations against these threats or to help them recover from past disasters.
Defense leaders, including during President Trump's first term, have warned of the danger that climate change poses to our military, and the tens of billions of dollars in damage to military installations from recent severe weather reinforces their point. Former Secretary James Mattis warned that climate change threatened American interests and our defense assets around the world and said climate change is ``a challenge that requires a broader whole-of-government response.''
This bill attacks women veterans, who are the fastest growing group served by the Department of Veterans Affairs, with a policy rider that limits abortion access and prohibits abortion counseling. The women who volunteer to serve and defend our Nation, to protect Americans' sacred rights and freedoms, should not come home to find their medical care and family planning decisions being made by anyone other than themselves, their families, and their doctors.
These riders do nothing but put us on a path of partisan division that will make it more difficult to come to an agreement on full-year bills that can actually become law. Ending fiscal year 2025 with an unprecedented full-year continuing resolution was a missed opportunity to invest in our veterans and in our servicemembers. We should be working toward a bipartisan bill that can actually pass this year.
Finally, the bill undercuts our commitments to our military partners. The Trump administration has already done a masterful job at alienating America on the world stage, turning our back on our closest allies. This bill goes even further. It underfunds NATO, the infrastructure, by almost $200 million. It undermines the infrastructure projects of our own troops in Europe that they are relying on. Our credibility as a national security partner has been trashed by this administration, and now is not the time to retreat from our alliances even further.
The majority may suggest they are supporting veterans' needs with this bill alone, but we all know that it does not contain all the programs the most vulnerable of veterans depend on.
Programs and services from food assistance to education to health research, which this administration has illegally frozen and dismantled, and which their budget decimates funding for, support veterans around the country. Losing that support means abandoning our responsibilities and our promises to our Nation's veterans.
While I am glad that the Democrats on the Appropriations Committee were
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter) will now control the time for the majority.
Mr. Chair, I thank my good friend, Judge Carter, for yielding me time.
Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of this important piece of legislation. Prioritizing veterans and troops says everything about our values, and that is exactly what this first fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill does.
The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026, is a testament to caring for those who have selflessly worn America's uniform, their families, and the defenders who follow their path of service. We meet this mission not only in words of gratitude but in policies that support them.
This legislation provides full funding for healthcare and benefits for our Nation's veterans and implements an advance for the Cost of War Toxic Exposures Fund. This marks enhanced investment under President Trump, which is also reflected in critical mental health initiatives and work to fight homelessness.
It devotes funding to improve quality of life, including childcare and housing resources for military families who help carry the weight of their loved one's service.
It reaffirms our commitment to peace through strength by providing for military base infrastructure and key deterrence efforts in the Indo-Pacific.
It also honors our heroes, ensuring the preservation of national military cemeteries and memorials.
With this legislation, our obligations to our Armed Forces, past and present, and our security are upheld. A vote ``yes'' is a vote to put our veterans, military families, base readiness, and America first.
I thank Chairman Carter for his hard work on this measure, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting it on final passage.
Mr. Chairman, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop), my dear friend who is the distinguished ranking member of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.
Mr. Chair, I rise today to express my continued and resolute opposition to the fiscal year 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act in its current form.
I represent a district that is home to Robins Air Force Base, Fort Benning, and Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany. These installations are more than just military sites. They are the backbone of communities where servicemembers live, raise families, and eventually retire to continue serving in civilian life.
Because of this, I have a deep and personal understanding of the needs of our servicemembers, veterans, and their families. I can say unequivocally that this bill fails them.
Our veterans deserve better. Our military families deserve better. Frankly, all of us deserve a bill that reflects our shared commitment to the men and women who wear and have worn the uniform.
National defense is not just about weapons and strategy. It is about people, and this bill, as currently written, does not prioritize the needs of our people. Instead, it is laced with ideological provisions drawn from Project 2025, prioritizing political ambition over the well- being of those who have dedicated their lives to serving this country.
Let me be clear. Healthcare for veterans should not be an ideological battlefield. Yet, this bill accelerates the shift to privatized care at a time when we should be investing in the VA system itself.
Veterans overwhelmingly want to be treated in VA hospitals and clinics, facilities tailored to their unique needs and staffed by professionals who understand the physical, emotional, and psychological cost of service. Instead of fortifying these institutions, the bill undermines them.
Community care is an important tool, but it must remain just that, a supplement, not a substitute. Veterans should be referred to community care only when the VA cannot meet their needs, not as part of a systematic effort to privatize the entire system.
Occam's razor reminds us that the simplest explanation is often the correct one. Here, the simplest explanation for this unprecedented increase in outsourced care is a broader goal to dismantle the VA system itself, aligning with Project 2025's dangerous objective to privatize veterans' healthcare. The consequences of this cannot be overstated.
Equally troubling is the underfunding of military construction, particularly housing and childcare. These are not luxuries. They are necessities. A stable home and quality childcare are foundational to military readiness. When we fail to provide for the families of our servicemembers, we degrade morale, retention, and focus.
We cannot expect excellence from our Armed Forces if we do not support the very people who make excellence possible.
This bill does not build trust. It erodes it. Trust in our government, our institutions, and our promises is what holds the fabric of this Nation together.
This legislation should be a reflection of our values. It should speak to our priorities. It should say to every servicemember, veteran, and military family: We see you. We value you. We will not let you down.
Instead, it cuts where we should invest. It deregulates where we need oversight. Perhaps most egregiously, it sows division where we desperately need unity.
This is not a partisan issue. It is an American issue. We must rise above ideology to meet this moment with courage and clarity.
I urge every one of my colleagues, especially those who may view this bill as just another line item, to pause and consider the real impact these decisions have on the people we are sworn to serve. Let their needs, not political blueprints, be our North Star today. We must do better.
Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me time.
Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the fiscal year 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. It is fitting that the appropriations bill to come to the House floor this year is one that fulfills our highest priorities, honoring our commitments to those who have served and are currently serving in the United States military.
This bill delivers on our promises by fully funding veterans' healthcare programs and fully funding veterans' benefits and VA programs.
This bill addresses critical infrastructure needs for our men and women in uniform. To address deficiencies in military barracks identified by GAO and others, the bill includes a $75 million increase. There is also a $75 million increase for child development centers on military bases to improve the quality of life of many military families.
In closing, I thank my colleague Judge Carter for crafting a bill that keeps our promises to the veterans and our troops.
Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important bill.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to first express my gratitude. I am excited to be on the Appropriations Committee and to serve with wonderful colleagues on both sides of the aisle.
Mr. Chairman, I have been so alarmed by the attacks on hardworking Americans by the Trump administration. We are seeing, through
It has been equally alarming to see that our veterans have not been exempt from what we are all concerned about. In fact, if we look at the mass firings that occurred, as directed by Elon Musk and his DOGE effort, one-third of our Federal workforce is made up of veterans. They have been at risk with those firings.
We know also that there are additional firings that are coming. There are 80,000 VA employees slated to be fired. The cuts to healthcare in the reconciliation bill will impact veterans' families, which is why I was hoping we could mitigate much of that through this bill. Unfortunately, we have not, which is why I cannot support the bill.
In fact, Project 2025, which we discussed at length last year, one of the tenets of it calls for privatizing the VA. This bill lays the foundation for that. We know that our veterans demand, expect, and deserve the best, highest quality healthcare, and that is why we must do more through this bill and not privatize.
There are other components of the bill that are equally alarming. I hope we can continue to work better on both sides of the aisle to improve care for our veterans. This bill doesn't get us there.
Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Mrvan), a member of the Appropriations Committee. He just joined us, and I am happy to have him.
Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for yielding me time.
Mr. Chairman, as an elected official, one of the greatest honors of my career has been standing shoulder to shoulder with veterans of northwest Indiana. I have worked tirelessly to ensure they receive the world-class care and benefits they have bravely earned in service to our Nation.
Indiana's First Congressional District is home to nearly 40,000 veterans. Every single day, I fight to ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs fulfills its sacred promise to those who wore the uniform. That means making sure the VA has the staffing, resources, and funding necessary to deliver the high-quality care that our heroes deserve.
It is with deep regret and strong conviction that I oppose this proposal because it fails our veterans. It fails to meet the obligations we owe those who answered the call of duty.
In particular, I have heard the voices of veterans and their families in northwest Indiana, voices filled with concern and fear. They are worried that the cuts to VA staffing will strip away access to critical care and essential services. We cannot and must not allow that to happen.
Our Nation made a promise. We must honor it with action and not empty words.
I have also heard from veterans who have continued their mission of service by joining the Federal workforce only now to face uncertainty about their futures. These patriots, who once defended our freedoms, now work to uphold the very institutions they once served in uniform. Nearly 30 percent of the Federal workforce is made up of veterans. Cutting staff just doesn't jeopardize care. It threatens the jobs and livelihoods of those who have already sacrificed so much for this country.
I stand ready for the debate ahead. Let's be clear: These cuts are coming at exactly the wrong time. Instead of reducing services, we should be expanding them in the wake of the Honoring our PACT Act.
Veterans exposed to toxic substances deserve swift justice. Right now, the average time for processing a claim is 165 days. Over 2.3 million claims have been submitted, and more than 6,000 of those veterans are right in my district, Indiana's First Congressional District. That number represents hope and progress.
I have to ensure and uphold a duty to the brave men and women who have served.
Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano), the distinguished ranking member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and a champion of our Nation's veterans.
Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for yielding me time.
Mr. Chair, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 3944, the fiscal year 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Unfortunately, I must ask my colleagues to oppose this fundamentally flawed legislation as well. This is not a position I take lightly, and I lament that we have gotten to this point.
As ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I have a sacred duty to care for our Nation's veterans, regardless of their race, religion, creed, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or politics. To fulfill this solemn promise, I am committed to doing all we can to ensure that we have a well-functioning Department of Veterans Affairs.
We must also ensure the VA has adequate funding to do the job we ask it to do. As such, any time veterans legislation is on the floor, I ask two main questions. One is: Does this bill improve access and delivery of care and benefits for veterans, their dependents, and their survivors? Two is: Does it provide appropriate resources to VA to get the job done?
Unfortunately, despite its price tag, this bill fails on both accounts.
Mr. Chair, at best, I could say this bill is premature. VA has not yet seen fit to provide Congress with full and complete justification for its budget request. We have no clear idea how VA intends to spend the money we would be appropriating through the Department.
At worst, I would say the Republican majority has rushed forward with a bill that is completely divorced from our current reality, one in which VA Secretary Collins is planning to callously fire 80,000 VA employees without regard to the impact on delivery of healthcare and other services.
My Republican colleagues have thoughtlessly rubberstamped a budget proposal that accelerates privatization of veterans' healthcare; threatens progress on ending veteran homelessness; erodes access to disability benefits; guts VA IT modernization, unless someone happens to be one of the President's tech friends; and needlessly drags VA into MAGA Republicans' culture war.
This bill contains numerous dangerous policy riders that hinder VA's ability to serve all veterans. Especially harmful are provisions that deny women veterans the full range of necessary medical care, including necessary reproductive healthcare which includes abortion care and counseling.
On top of that, this bill abandons the premise that all veterans deserve the same level of care they have earned, by cruelly and heartlessly subjecting LGBTQ+ veterans to the bigotry that characterizes this administration. The unpatriotic attack against transgender servicemembers continues in this bill as an unsparing attack against transgender veterans.
Mr. Chair, if that wasn't bad enough, this bill continues the harmful Kennedy amendment rider. This shortsighted, dangerous provision prevents VA from protecting beneficiaries and those around them from potential harm, beneficiaries with debilitating mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, dementia, and bipolar disorder.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote against this appropriations bill.
Mr. Chair, today I rise in grateful support of H.R. 3944, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2026.
As a proud Representative of over 76,000 veterans, as well as Camp Lejeune and Military Corps Air Stations Cherry Point and New River, it is my honor to advocate for Federal funding on their behalf.
I proudly support FY 2026 appropriations to increase the VA's budget by 10
North Carolina is proud to be called home by hundreds of thousands of Active-Duty members of our military and those retired from our Armed Services. I am grateful the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act was included in this package, as well as supporting language for the F- 35 sustainment center and utilities upgrade for future F-35 squadrons. I wholeheartedly support this legislation.
We live in a dangerous world now. We had an administration before that wanted to make things about social justice in our military. Military is about defending the rights and freedoms of this country. I am proud that this administration and this Congress are going to support the military in keeping us safe and free.
Mr. Chair, the theme for congressional Republicans in Congress is putting corporations over people. That is exactly what they are doing in this bill.
Instead of focusing on supporting our veterans, they have added one of the most reckless giveaways to the gun lobby that we have ever seen, gutting the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, the very system that keeps guns out of the hands of abusers, felons, and people who might be a danger to themselves and others.
Republicans want to ensure that even if the VA determines that a veteran has a mental health condition to the point where they can't cash their own check, the check has to be given to a family member because they are going through a crisis, congressional Republicans want that person to be able to go to a gun store and buy a weapon.
Most veteran suicides involve firearms. This will deeply worsen the veteran suicide crisis. This does not protect veterans' rights. This protects the gun lobby's profits over the lives of our veterans.
If my colleagues vote for this, they are voting for veterans to die. Mr. Chair, don't let them tell you this bill is about liberty and freedom.
Mr. Chair, there is no liberty in a coffin, and there is no freedom in a funeral. Veterans will die if this passes, and anyone who votes for it should be ashamed of themselves.
Mr. Chair, I want to add some further information because the Veterans Crisis Line was referenced by the gentleman from Missouri.
I want to make it very clear that the Secretary of the VA actually did a YouTube video specifically denying firing anyone from the Veterans Crisis Line when, in reality, he fired 24 people who worked on the Veterans Crisis Line.
If there was any improvement to the Veterans Crisis Line in this bill, it is thanks to my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee, the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Dean), who was successful in passing an amendment that added $5 million to funding for the Veterans Crisis Line, and the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Underwood), who actually added an amendment that prohibits any further cuts from the Veterans Crisis Line.
We are certainly appreciative of the bipartisan support for that. However, I want to make it clear that we need to remain united in fighting cuts to the Veterans Crisis Line and ensure that veterans have everything they need and a safety net firmly in place.
With all the issues raised during this debate, Mr. Chair, from the blatant push toward privatization of VA medical care to the underfunding of infrastructure and climate resiliency projects and the harmful poison pill riders, I just cannot in good conscience support this bill.
It breaks my heart because we do have such a good working relationship across the aisle with Chairman Carter and myself. I look forward to working together to improve this bill. I know it is possible as we move forward, and I am hopeful. I urge my colleagues at this point to vote against it.
Mr. Chair, I acknowledge and ask my colleagues to support the fiscal year 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
This legislation provides critical funding for military bases, provides housing for our troops and their families, and makes other investments aimed at improving the quality of life of our servicemembers. It ensures that our national defense needs are met both at home and abroad.
We also uphold our pledge to our veterans. This bill fully funds healthcare and benefits for those who have valiantly served. Again, I ask my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. All time for general debate has expired.
Pursuant to the rule, the bill shall be considered for amendment under the 5-minute rule.
An amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee print 119-5 shall be considered as adopted and the bill, as amended, shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose of further amendment under the 5-minute rule and shall be considered as read.
The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows:
Family Housing Operation and Maintenance, Navy and Marine Corps
The CHAIR. No further amendment to the bill, as amended, shall be in order except those printed in House Report 119-167, amendments en bloc, and pro forma amendments described in section 4 of House Resolution 530.
Each further amendment printed in House Report 119-167 shall be considered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment except as provided by section 4 of House Resolution 530, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question.
It shall be in order at any time for the chair of the Committee on Appropriations or his designee to offer amendments en bloc consisting of further amendments printed in House Report 119-167 not earlier disposed of.
Amendments en bloc offered pursuant to section 3 of House Resolution 530 shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for 20 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees, shall not be subject to amendment except as provided by section 4 of House Resolution 530, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question.
During consideration of the bill for amendment, the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees may offer up to 10 pro forma amendments each at any point for the purpose of debate.
Mr. Chair, pursuant to House Resolution 530, I offer amendments en bloc.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendments en bloc.
Amendments en bloc No. 1 consisting of amendment Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, and 30 printed in House Report 119-167, offered by Mr. Carter of Texas:
The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 530, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz) each will control 10 minutes.
Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this amendment. This amendment contains noncontroversial amendments that raise awareness on programs that we all care about. That includes the need to address a variety of medical care issues at the VA, the need to build more childcare development centers, construct more State extended-care facilities, expediting claims processing, and many others.
Mr. Chair, I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the en bloc package which includes three amendments I offered to the FY 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.
My first amendment requires a resident advocate in every veterans home across the country. This advocate will be a direct line of contact for our veterans and their families, ensuring that they have someone who can immediately help with any concerns and respond without delay.
In my home State of New Jersey, 190 veterans tragically lost their lives because of the COVID outbreak at the veterans homes in Paramus, New Jersey, and Menlo Park. This tragedy was preventable and unacceptable. My amendment will help ensure catastrophes like that never happen again.
My second amendment will help VA hospitals provide kosher meal options for Jewish veterans. Right now, many Jewish inpatient veterans are only served frozen, prepackaged kosher meals that severely lack quality nutrition.
We must ensure that no veteran has to choose between their religion and their health.
Finally, my third amendment will encourage continued funding for the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program, which has delivered millions in grants for mental health services to help prevent veteran suicide. Without additional funding, this critical program will expire later this year. We cannot and must not let that happen.
After sacrificing so much, our great veterans should never struggle to get the care, recognition, and respect they have rightfully earned. That is why I strongly urge my colleagues to support the en bloc package.
Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of my amendment urging the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a comprehensive plan to relocate the VA regional office from Manila to Guam.
Guam is home to one of the highest per capita populations of veterans in the United States, but our role doesn't stop there. We serve as a critical hub for veterans across the western Pacific, from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to the Freely Associated States. Yet, despite this regional responsibility, Guam still lacks a full-service VA regional office.
Today, veterans throughout our region are forced to rely on remote services or travel thousands of miles to Honolulu, more than 3,800 miles away, just to meet with a benefits counselor or resolve a claim. That is not just inconvenient. It is unjust, and it is unacceptable.
My amendment seeks to change that. It would direct the VA to develop a plan within 1 year for transitioning its regional office from Manila to Guam. This isn't about turning off the lights in the Philippines overnight. It is about creating a deliberate, responsible roadmap that ensures veterans in the western Pacific and the Philippines continue to receive care while aligning the VA's footprint with our evolving strategic reality.
The men and women who sacrificed for our country did not do so with an expiration date on their service. Our commitment to them must be equally enduring. We have a duty to ensure they are not forgotten or left behind.
Mr. Chair, I thank Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz for her leadership.
Mr. Chair, I rise today on behalf of the 88,000 brave American heroes, veterans, who call the State of New Hampshire home.
We owe a sacred obligation to the women and men who served our country in uniform. We have got to make sure that they receive the high-quality healthcare they have earned.
There are 48 States here in the continental United States, and my home State of New Hampshire is the only one without a full-service VA hospital. My amendment before the House today would change that. It will ensure the Trump administration follows through on its promise to expand services to support a full-service VA medical center in New Hampshire.
It is past time that we right this wrong and fill this gap.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues here in Congress to support my amendment which will do just that.
Mr. Chair, I rise today with deep respect and unwavering gratitude for the brave men and women who have worn the uniform of the United States of America. My support for the members of our military does not end when their service is complete, and I will always take steps to ensure that our Nation's veterans and their families receive the benefits that they were promised and are owed.
My amendments included in this package today ensure our Nation keeps its sacred promise to those who have served our great country.
From providing additional funding for the construction of new State extended care facilities to increasing funds for medical and prosthetic research, and from reducing the backlog at the Board of Veterans' Appeals to providing burial services and benefits for veterans in rural areas lacking a VA national cemetery, my amendments will directly improve the quality of life for veterans throughout Colorado and America.
This bill makes good on President Trump's promises that he made to our veterans. It mirrors his executive orders on no funds for DEI and on radical transgender surgeries while also supporting the President's efforts to combat veteran homelessness through investment in the new Bridging Rental Assistance For Veteran Empowerment program.
This bill protects the Second Amendment rights of veterans by preventing the VA from sending information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation about veterans without a judge's consent.
It also prohibits the VA from processing medical care claims for illegal aliens.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bipartisan en bloc and for this critical piece of legislation. Our veterans are the living embodiment of duty, honor, and sacrifice. They have stood on the front lines for our freedom, and this bill is a great opportunity to now stand for them.
Mr. Chairman, pursuant to House Resolution 530, I offer amendments en bloc as the designee of Chairman Cole.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendments en bloc.
Amendments en bloc No. 2 consisting of amendment Nos. 1, 14, 15, 19, 25, 28, and 32 printed in House Report 119-167, offered by Mr. Carter of Texas:
The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 530, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz) each will control 10 minutes.
Mr. Chairman, I rise in favor of the amendment. It includes various priorities related to veterans' health care and benefits and calls for improvements to our military bases.
Mr. Chairman, I urge its adoption, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Chairman, I thank my good friend from the great State of Texas, ``the judge,'' as we call him back in the freest and greatest State in the Union, for his leadership.
I have an amendment, Mr. Chair, and it is one I think all of my colleagues would want to support.
In the last week, the world witnessed the might of America's unparalleled air superiority and what a critical role our strategic bombers and the men and women who pilot and maintain them play in keeping our enemies, like Iran, in check.
For nearly 40 years, the B-1 has been the tip of the spear of America's air superiority. The B-1 has served us well, but at a time when our adversaries like China are making their own historic investments in their own military, it is time we roll out America's next generation warfighter.
That is why I rise in strong support of this amendment that would direct a little over $4 million to enhance gate security at military installations set to receive the B-21 Raider, including Dyess Air Force Base in the key city of Abilene, Texas.
The B-21 Raider represents the most capable and lethal bomber this world and this planet has ever known and seen. It is the future of our long-range strike capability, designed to evade modern air defenses and deliver both nuclear and conventional payloads across the globe.
Dyess, the base in Abilene, Texas, will soon become a key platform for deploying this cutting-edge aircraft. We have a responsibility to ensure that this investment in national defense is protected accordingly.
Let's be clear: This is not a theoretical threat. In 2023 alone, U.S. officials reported over 100 incidents of Chinese nationals attempting to unlawfully access Department of Defense facilities.
Mr. Chair, in May of this year, two foreign nationals, here illegally under President Biden's open-border crisis, attempted to breach the Marine Corps base in Quantico in a box truck. These are not isolated incidents, Mr. Chair. They are part of a disturbing trend that put our installations, our technology, and, most importantly, our servicemembers at risk.
This amendment is straightforward. It funds the necessary upgrades to the gate infrastructure at bases like Dyess to comply with the Department of Defense force protection standards. Reinforcing access control preventing unauthorized entry is common sense. As I said, it is straightforward, and it will help both our servicemembers, our air arsenal, and our overall national security posture.
Mr. Chair, I thank the judge for his leadership, and I urge adoption of this amendment.
Mr. Chair, this en bloc contains eight amendments that will make this bill worse than it already is.
It includes a funding cut to the Veterans Benefits Administration, further exacerbating the backlogs in processing disability compensation claims, leading to long waits for veterans.
The Republican MILCON-VA bill already cuts the NATO Security Investment Program by $188 million. This amendment would further cut it by another $4.1 million. It is shocking that my Republican colleagues would condone this, especially while they are offering amendments encouraging the speedier processes of claims and lamenting the delays in countless Republican speeches.
NATO infrastructure investment receives robust funding from our NATO
The amendment also seeks to continue the Republican push to privatize VA medical care. The bill already includes a 67 percent increase to medical community care which is an increase without justification or rationale. We received no backup information from the administration whatsoever as to why they proposed this or why it is necessary because it isn't. It is a simple additional attempt to march the VA toward prioritization and away from what we know veterans want.
The amendment promotes untested and dangerous medical treatment for our veterans. It makes a bad bill even worse.
Mr. Chair, I encourage my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Chair, this en bloc doesn't do a single thing to improve this bill. In fact, it makes it worse. It cuts the Veterans Benefits Administration. It discriminates against veterans and doubles down on privatization of VA medical care.
Mr. Chair, I urge a ``no'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. The question is on the amendments en bloc offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter).
The question was taken; and the Chair announced that the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), who is the distinguished ranking member of the Energy and Water Development Subcommittee and the dean of women of the House of Representatives.
Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman (Ms. Wasserman Schultz) from the great State of Florida very much for yielding. She certainly has educated us about Florida, among other things, and she is a proud, proud ranking member on this bill.
This bill punishes our veterans by pushing out professionals from the Department of Veterans Affairs. It promotes premature retirements, and it paves the way for private equity takeovers, leaving care delayed, denied, and diminished.
For this reason, at the appropriate time I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee. If the House rules permitted, I would have offered the motion with an important amendment to this bill.
My amendment would mandate metrics requiring a report on veteran employee separations, deferred resignations, early retirements, and contractor-driven cuts exposing employment erosion and salary shortfalls of those who have served our Nation. Veterans deserve data not desertion.
I will vote ``no'' on the military construction bill also because the underlying bill underfunds our military construction accounts by nearly $1 billion. This hurts our military readiness at a time when our enemies like China choose to invest in themselves. I also can't support a bill that paves the road to VA privatization. Perish that thought.
While I have the time, it is long overdue for the Department of Veterans Affairs to approve the request from northwest Ohio to expedite the dual affiliation of the University of Toledo Medical Center and the VA Ann Arbor Health Care System. Our VA community clinic in Toledo stands ready to support this effort, and over 83,000 veterans in the northwest quadrant of Ohio deserve the convenience of access to the State of Ohio's medical center and academic center at Toledo.
In Toledo, to level funding in this account will not allow us to grow and fully support the needs of all of our veterans.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for the motion to recommit, and I include in the Record the text of my amendment.
Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of Congresswoman Kiggans' amendment No. 79, which ensures sufficient VA medical care for veterans in the U.S. territories, Commonwealths, and Freely Associated States.
This amendment is critical for places like Puerto Rico where over 79,000 veterans reside on the island and have served our Nation with honor and distinction. Yet far too often, they face unequal access to the care they have earned, whether it is limited specialty services, understaffed facilities, or long wait times for off-island referrals.
The same is true in Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands, as well as the Freely Associated States in the Pacific. Veterans in these communities, no matter where they live, should have access to quality medical care owed to them.
This amendment sends a clear message: Our commitment to veterans does not stop at the mainland. It reinforces the principle that all who served deserve timely, high-quality care, regardless of where they live.
I thank the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Kiggans) for her leadership, and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
Ms. WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Puerto Rico for his fierce advocacy of the veterans from Puerto Rico, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Chair, my amendment provides $55 million to build a new aviation maintenance hangar and operations building and renovate the existing hangar space at our Shelbyville, Indiana, Army Aviation Support Facility.
Mr. Chair, 900 Indiana guardsmen assigned to the 38th Combat Aviation Brigade have supported 16 deployments since 2001, including to Iraq, Kuwait, and Bosnia. Our Shelbyville facility remains a crown jewel of Indiana and Midwest Army aviation.
This proud combat aviation unit has one of the oldest Army aviation flight facilities in the National Guard. Built in 1972, it currently supports 11 aircraft and more than 50 full-time personnel.
Upgrading the facility will save over 500 man-hours and prevent more than $200,000 in annual damage to blades and equipment. A new facility supports rapid homeland response and will sustain recruitment and retention of Indiana's finest soldiers. This amendment serves to equip our next generation of guardsmen to protect our homeland both at home and abroad.
I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 8 printed in House Report 119-167.
Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of amendment No. 8 directing the Department of Veterans Affairs to make recommendations on changes that are needed to its existing healthcare infrastructure so veterans can receive psychedelic-assisted therapies upon FDA approval.
In December of 2024, the VA announced $1.5 million in funding for clinical research on MDMA-assisted therapy for veterans with PTSD and alcohol disorder, as well.
This is the first time the VA has funded research on psychedelic compounds since the 1960s.
My fellow Psychedelics Advancing Therapies Caucus co-chair, General Jack Bergman, and I are encouraged by the promising results so far that we have seen in treating veterans with PTSD and other disorders.
However, these therapies are different from traditional therapies in many ways. Psychedelic therapies involve hours-long sessions with multiple therapists, additional safety issues, and special training considerations for providers.
We introduced this amendment because we need to be ready and be proactive to make sure that when the VA is ready to administer these therapies they actually can.
While MDMA-assisted therapy did not receive FDA approval last summer, approval of certain psychedelic therapies will likely come very soon. We owe it to our veterans to make sure that they can access these therapies upon approval.
Every day we lose nearly 20 veterans to suicide. One suicide is way too many. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment to make sure that our veterans have the best care they need as soon as possible.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Chairman, I thank my dear friend and fellow PATH Caucus co-chair, Congressman Correa, for his work on this amendment.
Washington, D.C., has built its success on good partnerships, especially across the aisle, on issues that benefit all of our Americans, not just a few.
I rise in strong support of this amendment, which directs the Veterans Administration to begin preparing for the rollout of breakthrough treatments for veterans battling PTSD, depression, and substance abuse disorders.
President Trump's first administration took a bold and necessary step by granting breakthrough therapy status to MDMA and psilocybin acknowledging their potential to transform mental health care.
Last December, the VA followed suit funding its first psychedelic- assisted therapy study in over 60 years. That was a critical milestone, but research alone is not enough.
Without a plan to turn findings into frontline care, we risk failing the very people this research is meant to help: our veterans.
We know the stakes. Too many servicemembers come home bearing invisible wounds. While traditional treatments work for some, far too many are left cycling through ineffective medications, suffering in silence, or worse, giving up entirely.
Emerging VA studies involving MDMA and psilocybin show remarkable potential not just for improvement but for truly lasting healing. They offer hope, but hope alone doesn't heal.
Washington has a bad habit of funding studies without ever building the systems needed to implement the results. We cannot afford to repeat that cycle here.
This amendment sends a clear message to the VA: Don't just study. Prepare. Prepare to implement new therapies and newfound ways to improve the lives of veterans now, not 5 or 10 years from now.
That means identifying the clinical infrastructure needed to deliver these treatments, training and certifying providers, and launching pilot programs to bring these therapies from the lab into real world care settings. Again, we can't wait 5 or 10 years while veterans continue to suffer.
Every day we delay is a day someone loses hope or their life.
If there is a treatment that works, we have a responsibility to be ready to deliver it. This isn't about politics. It is about promises kept. We owe our veterans more than research. We owe them results. We owe them implementation. This amendment moves us one step closer to delivering.
I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa).
The amendment was agreed to.
The Acting CHAIR. The Chair understands that amendment No. 13 will not be offered.
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 21 printed in House Report 119-167.
Mr. Chair, I am here to speak on my amendment No. 21. This is something that we have dealt with here in Congress before. Specifically it relates to veterans' access to cannabis.
The story that I will tell in advance of this is simply this: I woke up in Walter Reed Army Medical Center not too far from here a number of years ago, and when I woke up, I was missing two legs and a finger. I had been out of consciousness for a week plus.
What I woke up to was being on a laundry list of medications. I had an epidural. I had oral morphines and oxies. I had antidepressants, anti-inflammatories, and heavy sleep sedatives. I had a Dilaudid drip and a number of other things that I can't even remember at this point all at once. I had never been on any of these things before in my life.
Immediately, as soon as I woke up, I started to wean myself off of these drugs because I was saying to myself: I might be very uncomfortable, but I don't want to be dependent on sleep sedatives. I might be in a lot of pain, but let's start by getting off of this painkiller and this painkiller and this painkiller. I am not depressed, so take this antidepressant away.
These narcotics were beyond painful to come off of. I was down to the lowest amount after about 6 months of the last narcotic, which was an oral morphine. Going from the lowest amount twice a day 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. to nothing, I spent the next several months
The state that these narcotics, in many cases, leave our veterans in are, at the most extreme end of it, states of suicide and, at the other end of it, just extreme states of dissatisfaction and lacking purpose in life. In some cases it does leave them in a better condition.
The point I am making with this true story is that veterans need to have options outside of these narcotics.
In many States, there are legal cannabis medical programs. They need to have the ability when they are being seen by their primary care physician inside of the VA to have discussions about whether cannabis is or is not right for them. They have access to it in their State. They need to be able to talk to their medical provider about what they fill out on the paperwork, what the right dosage amount is, how that is going to interact with any other medications that they might be on, and how it might affect their blood pressure or other things going on with them personally.
If we are not giving that option to have that conversation at the most serious level without worrying about some kind of reprisal for the doctor or otherwise, then we are doing our veterans a disservice in, certainly, at minimum, all of these States where there are legal cannabis programs.
I am not a doctor. I would not purport to know when this is a good treatment for somebody, when it is not, or the amounts that they should take. Yet, I know that as long as it is available in these various States, their doctors need to have the opportunity to discuss that treatment with them. The fact of the matter is, while I have heard of many of my brothers- and sisters-in-arms being in a state of suicide because of the narcotics they have been on, I have yet to hear about any of them attributing a state of suicide to the cannabis that they have had as a part of their life.
Mr. Chairman, I ask for support on amendment No. 21.
Mr. Chairman, what else can I say after hearing the true story of a true American hero and why it should be important for all people--Floridians, every veteran--to be able to access cannabis if, in fact, it is necessary and prescribed by a doctor and if it helps them treat whatever they have come home with?
My father was wounded and left for dead in World War II, and he came home. I know what it takes for these people and the hurt that they have gone through on behalf of our country. They deserve every option available to bring them back to what they were before they left on our behalf.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Joyce).
The amendment was agreed to.
The Acting CHAIR. The Chair understands that amendment No. 31 will not be offered.
Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.
The motion was agreed to.
Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Alford) having assumed the chair, Mr. Fine, Acting Chair of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that that Committee, having had under consideration 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, had come to no resolution thereon.
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
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 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, on which the yeas and nays were ordered.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Comer) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 424, nays 0, not voting 8, as follows:
Ms. McCOLLUM changed her vote from ``nay'' to yea.''
So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 530 and rule XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for the further consideration of the bill, H.R. 3944.
Will the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Taylor) kindly take the chair.
Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for the further 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, with Mr. Taylor (Acting Chair) in the chair.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The Acting CHAIR. When the Committee of the Whole rose earlier today, amendment No. 21, printed in House Report 119-167, offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Joyce), had been disposed of.
The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished business is the demand for a recorded vote on amendments en bloc printed in House Report 119-167 offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter) on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the ayes prevailed by voice vote.
The Clerk will redesignate the amendments en bloc.
The Clerk redesignated the amendments en bloc.
The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote has been demanded.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The Acting CHAIR. This will be a 2-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 219, noes 206, not voting 13, as follows:
So the en bloc amendments were agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Mr. Chair, had I been present, I would have voted AYE on Roll Call No. 180.
The Acting CHAIR. There being no further amendment, under the rule, the Committee rises.
Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Nunn of Iowa) having assumed the chair, Mr. Taylor, Acting Chair of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that that Committee, having had under consideration 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, and, pursuant to House Resolution 530, he reported the bill, as amended by that resolution, back to the House with sundry further amendments adopted in the Committee of the Whole.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the rule, the previous question is ordered.
Is a separate vote demanded on any amendment reported from the Committee of the Whole? If not, the Chair will put them en gros.
The question is on the amendments.
The amendments were agreed to.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was read the third time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XX, the Chair will reduce to 5 minutes the minimum time for any electronic vote on the question of passage.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 208, nays 216, not voting 8, as follows:
So the motion to recommit was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the passage of the bill.
Pursuant to clause 10 of rule XX, the yeas and nays are ordered.
This is a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 218, nays 206, not voting 8, as follows:
Mr. DAVIS of North Carolina changed his vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
So the bill was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted: YEA on Roll Call No. 179, NO on Roll Call No. 180, YEA on Roll Call No. 181, and NAY on Roll Call No. 182.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the national security investments in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, investments that reaffirm President Trump's commitment to peace through strength.
This bill delivers $25 billion for the Golden Dome missile defense system, our answer to hypersonic and NextGen threats from adversaries like China and Iran.
It expands our naval fleet, restocks our munitions, modernizes our nuclear deterrent, and accelerates the delivery of Next Generation aircraft and autonomous systems.
Just as important, it puts our troops first, with $8.5 billion to improve barracks, housing, healthcare, childcare, and career support for military families.
At a time when global threats are growing, this bill ensures America leads from a position of strength, not weakness. It is a generational investment in the safety of our country, the security of our allies, and the brave men and women who defend our freedom.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 1664, the Deploying American Blockchains Act of 2025, which passed under voice vote. This bill gives the Department of Commerce broad authority to pursue U.S. leadership of blockchain technology.
This is an unusual circumstance because I actually support the legislation and supported the legislation during the last administration because we had a Secretary of Commerce then who was one of the finest public servants that I have had the pleasure of working with.
Now, however, we have a Secretary of Commerce who is pushing to use crypto to the benefit of himself and his own family, specifically his son, who is trying to make deals overseas.
Our Secretary has strong ties to the stablecoin Tether. He spent 40 years as CEO and chairman of Cantor Fitzgerald, one of Tether's key investors. He is using his and his family's weight to pitch Tether to foreign governments across the Middle East, turning public policy into personal profit.
The United States Government must be a free and impartial referee. We should not be a bull or a bear on crypto. We should ensure market integrity, force amplification of the U.S. dollar as the world's reserve currency, but that becomes impossible when the Secretary of Commerce is so conflicted as he is on this matter.
That is on top of the fact that the President himself has been selling off the Presidency with the $TRUMP meme coin. We cannot allow this administration to continue to grift off of blockchain.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the President.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and to remember Yellowstone County Commissioner John Ostlund.
Last week, Yellowstone County lost a pillar of the community. Since 2003, he faithfully served the people of Yellowstone County, embodying the grit, spirit, and generosity that defines Montana.
John worked tirelessly to improve his community, advocating for improved rural ambulance coverage, supporting local businesses, playing a key role in MetraPark renovations, and always championing fiscal responsibility.
There are countless stories of John's selflessness. If he was ever late for a meeting, chances are he was helping someone change a flat or helping the sheriff with a case. That is just the type of guy John was.
John's dedication extended well beyond public service. He was a loving
Montana is going to miss Commissioner Ostlund dearly. The hearts of the Treasure State are with the entire Ostlund family during this difficult time.
Mr. Speaker, 3 years ago this week, the Supreme Court stripped from millions of women the right to make their own healthcare decisions. Since overturning Roe v. Wade, women across this country have struggled, suffered, and even died. Doctors are forced to hesitate even in emergencies, fearing prosecution, and State legislatures have been emboldened to threaten medical practitioners in other States.
As Westchester County executive, I signed legislation to protect women from harassment and intimidation when seeking an abortion because this decision is deeply personal and belongs to a woman and her doctor, not to politicians, not to protesters, not even to the Supreme Court.
That is why I am a sponsor of the Women's Health Protection Act. Congress must codify the right to reproductive freedom as the law of the land. If we do not, women across the country will continue to suffer unnecessarily in the wake of the misguided decision in Dobbs.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the United States military on their successful bombing of the three nuclear facilities in Iran over the weekend.
Imagine flying 37 hours in a B-2 bomber to defang a nuclear Iran. These successful strikes proved to the world yet again that the United States military is the best and most capable in the world.
I thank the men and women of U.S. Northern Command and Cheyenne Mountain in my district in Colorado Springs for detecting missile launches and helping pass on that intelligence.
I believe that under no circumstance should Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism, have nuclear weapons. The President's decision took courage, courage that other Presidents in the past just didn't have.
I am an unwavering supporter of the Nation of Israel and in bringing any Iranian nuclear weapons programs to a swift and decisive end.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize my district's 2025 Congressional Art Competition winner, Kaitlyn Anthes as my Constituent of the Week.
Kaitlyn's charcoal drawing, titled To Light and Guard, will hang in the U.S. Capitol representing Virginia's Seventh District for the next year.
Her artwork was so impressive that when we received her piece, my district director initially thought we had purchased professional artwork to hang in the office.
In addition to being a talented artist, Kaitlyn recently graduated from Courtland High School in Spotsylvania.
In Congress, I am working to strengthen public education so students like Kaitlyn have access to programs that allow them to pursue their passions.
I congratulate Kaitlyn on this well-earned accomplishment and wish her luck as she heads off to college in the fall.
Mr. Speaker, the one big, beautiful bill is the most transformative legislation in a generation.
It delivers tax-free Trump accounts for newborns, tax cuts for working families, and no tax on tips and overtime. For millions of parents, the most powerful piece of this is that it delivers nationwide school choice.
States like Utah have led the way. We have shown that when parents are in charge and students are first, kids thrive. This bill brings real education freedom to every ZIP Code in America.
I grew up in the segregated South. My parents, both educators, saw education as a legacy. I want that same legacy and opportunity for my 17 grandkids and millions of schoolkids across the country.
This bill empowers parents with scholarships for tutoring, private and parochial schools, and special needs, keeping the Federal Government out of the way.
Mr. Speaker, school choice funds students, not systems. Let's pass the one big, beautiful bill and deliver on the promise of educational freedom for every child and every family.
Mr. Speaker, it is time for Americans to lower the temperature. Political extremism and dangerous divisions among Americans are causes for serious reflection.
As inexplicable hate is spewed out, my gratitude goes out to law enforcement in all forms working around the clock to keep our Great Lakes communities and Nation safe. Yet, rising gun violence, drugs, and outlandish behaviors, such as cars driving on the turnpike at 90 miles an hour, remain as fallout from the pandemic. They must be addressed.
The heroic police deputies in Minnesota who addressed a deranged, extreme perpetrator did their job. We applaud them for their brains and valor.
Restoring some calm to America is not a Democratic or Republican challenge. It is an American challenge.
I welcome the suggestion of Sophie and Colin Hortman, children of slain Minnesota State House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. In their children's words: ``If you would like to honor the memory of Mark and Melissa, please consider the following: Plant a tree. Visit a local park and make use of their amenities, especially a bike trail. Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do. Tell your loved ones a cheesy dad joke and laugh about it. Bake something--bread for Mark or a cake for Melissa--and share it with someone,'' like your local firefighters. ``Try a new hobby and enjoy learning something. Stand up for what you believe in, especially if that thing is justice and peace.''
Mr. Speaker, I hope all listening today take this message to heart.
Mr. Speaker, for months, I have been warning California's political leadership that our State is in violation of Federal civil rights laws, with a policy that even Governor Newsom has admitted is fundamentally unfair. That policy is one that allows for biological males to compete in women's sports.
Today, that warning proved well-founded as the Department of Education concluded its investigation, finding that California is in blatant violation of Title IX. As a result, our State could lose its Federal education funding.
The good news is that we don't have to. The State can prevent any loss of funding simply by complying with the Department's very reasonable conditions: reverse this unfair policy; provide titles, honors, and awards to female athletes who are unjustly deprived; and issue those athletes an apology.
This will simply restore fairness, common sense, and sanity in California. I am calling on California's political leaders to comply with these conditions immediately.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Loma Ridge air disaster.
On June 25, 1965, 60 years ago, a military jet took off from El Toro Marine base in Orange County. It was heading to Vietnam. After takeoff, the jet plunged into a mountain, killing all 84 persons onboard. This remains Orange County's worst air disaster.
Today, I honor the 72 marines and 12 airmen who lost their lives that day. I thank them and their families for making the ultimate sacrifice for our great Nation.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the career of Doug Kennedy, who is retiring after 45 years of serving southeast Nebraska as a radio broadcaster.
Doug's service as a reporter and news director for KWBE in Beatrice has spanned a remarkable seven different station ownerships. During that time, his accuracy and professionalism earned the trust of his listeners and the respect of his colleagues.
Doug's list of accolades features more than 100 awards from the United Press International and Associated Press, and his enduring dedication has meant so much to his community.
Described by Mayor Bob Morgan as a positive and stabilizing influence for the city, Doug has also served several years on the City of Beatrice Community Redevelopment Authority.
Doug's steadfast work ethic is a model of Nebraska devotion to a job well done, and I certainly wish him a happy retirement.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today for the 24th time to demand that the Trump administration restore funding for lifesaving food aid for malnourished children.
This is Plumpy'Nut. It is used to treat malnutrition. Until this Trump administration began, we were shipping Plumpy'Nut around the world, saving millions of lives a year. Starvation is still the leading cause of death for children globally.
Before he became Secretary of State, Trump's own Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, understood the value of food aid. He once said: ``We don't have to give foreign aid. We do so because it furthers our national interest.''
He is right. This is not just charity. This is about strengthening our alliances, bringing stability to fragile regions, and saving lives.
Secretary Rubio needs to do the right thing: Restore this aid immediately.
This is sitting in warehouses in Rhode Island, here in the United States. It should be getting to kids who need it, and I will continue to speak out until it does.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Louisiana State University baseball team for taking home their eighth national title.
Under the leadership of Coach Jay Johnson, LSU captured their second title in 3 years. The Tigers triumphed through their championship season with 53 wins and an undefeated College World Series.
Coach Johnson and his team exemplified excellence on and off the field, making Louisiana proud of not only their athleticism but also their outstanding character and service to the Baton Rouge community.
As LSU's Representative in Congress, I joined my constituents in following the team's journey to yet another championship. ESPN this week referred to LSU as the ``Greatest Ever College Baseball Program,'' and I couldn't agree more.
This victory wasn't just about raising the trophy at the end. It was a testament to the resilient, winning spirit of our State.
I thank the players, coaches, and staff for inspiring a new generation of Tigers to dream big and for representing Louisiana with honor on the national stage.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize John and Amy Higgins and their work to host the Fourth Annual Lake of the Isles Pencil Sharpening.
In 2022, after high winds damaged a 180-year-old oak tree near the historic Bull Higgins house, John and Amy commissioned local sculptor Curtis Ingvoldstad to shape it into a piece of art that folks of all ages can identify with: the No. 2 pencil.
Since then, John and Amy have welcomed the Minnesota community to join them on the first Saturday in June for an annual ceremonious pencil sharpening, complete with music, coordinated dance, and ice cream.
Through this annual event, John and Amy present the community with a story of renewal--a symbolic sharpened pencil to write new love letters or thank-you notes with--and invite folks to reflect on all of the things they have done in the past year and welcome in the next.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise in proud recognition of the Hopi Code Talkers and to honor their extraordinary contributions during World War II.
At a time when the free world stood in the brink of destruction, ten courageous Hopi men answered the call and helped turn the tide of world history. Using their native language, these legendary warriors relayed critical intelligence during combat, creating an unbreakable line of communication that helped give America the upper hand.
They served valiantly with the U.S. Army's 81st Wildcat Division and the 5th Air Force, shielding vital operations and saving countless lives.
This week, members of the Hopi Tribe are hosting their annual event, honoring their important legacies. On behalf of all Americans, we are grateful for the heroic efforts of the Hopi Code Talkers.
Mr. Speaker, meet Tariff Bear. He is cute, soft, and cuddly. He is only triple the cost of a normal bear like him. He is here to show us how this administration's tariffs are raising costs on families' favorite toys, clothes, and shoes because toys like him are becoming unaffordable to families.
I recently got a letter from a concerned young Scout who is worried that the administration's tariffs will drive up the cost of Legos, one of his favorite toys. As a dad, this hits home for me. My girls are Lego and Disney Princess fans. I have watched the movie about ten times.
From Transformers to Lincoln Logs to Barbies, this administration is raising prices in our toys aisles with these tariffs. We keep hearing that this President is ushering in a golden age. I
To the young constituent who wrote to me, I will fight to lower costs for all Virginians and all Americans and to keep Tariff Bear where he belongs, which is in hibernation.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Helvi Luckadoo of Forest City, North Carolina, who recently passed away at the age of 94.
Helvi was born in Tartu, Estonia, where she enjoyed childhood until World War II turned her world upside down. At just 13 years old, she and her family fled the Soviet invasion, crossing the Baltic Sea to safety and eventually arriving in America through Ellis Island.
She built a new life in North Carolina, raising four sons, serving her neighbors at Rutherford Regional Health System, and later managing the bookstore as Isothermal Community College. She believed deeply in freedom, family, and faith.
Her story is one of perseverance and quiet heroism. Western North Carolina is a better place because of Helvi Luckadoo. She called it home, and she leaves behind a proud legacy and a family who loved her dearly. May her memory be a blessing.
Mr. Speaker, it is the time of year with a lot of fretting over heat waves. We are calling it a heat dome now. What does that really mean?
It usually means that the next step by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle typically is to say: Oh, my gosh, it is more climate change. We have to put out another tax for climate change.
California is getting ready to do that on gasoline starting on July 1. It is estimated anywhere from 47 cents to 65 cents per gallon. What are we talking about? It is CO2, which is carbon dioxide.
Look at these charts. This is 1970 and 2025. Yellow is nitrogen. Blue is oxygen. Here is argon, and here is carbon dioxide. Look at that little sliver right there. Look at that one. It is the same.
It is an infinitesimal amount of the percentage of gases in our atmosphere. Yet we are spending trillions and changing our lifestyle in this country. We are chasing the number of CO2 from 0.04 percent down to 0.035 or whatever the number of the week is.
We are harming ourselves while the rest of the world keeps moving forward. Oil and gas by other developing countries is going to skyrocket while we live in caves.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Illinois?
Mr. Speaker, last week, I joined Representative Chuy Garcia, Representative Jonathan Jackson, and Representative Danny Davis at the ICE Processing Center in Broadview to investigate ICE's inhumane and unlawful detention of immigrant families and our constituents.
The visit to the processing center comes after credible reports that the center is being used to unlawfully detain immigrants, contrary to city and State ordinances, including constituents of the Members who sought entry.
The reports suggest that constituents are being housed in the processing center for prolonged periods of time without access to their medication, to legal counsel, or even basic necessities.
Let me be very clear. Just because something isn't named a detention facility doesn't mean this administration isn't going to use it as one. If people are detained there, it is a detention facility, period.
As a member of the Homeland Security Committee, I came to the ICE Processing Center in Broadview to fulfill my congressional oversight authority granted under appropriation laws.
Under the law, Members of Congress have the authority to enter any facility operated by the Department of Homeland Security used to detain people. Whether the facility is formally identified as a detention facility is irrelevant.
The operational capacity of agents and staff at the facility is also irrelevant when it comes to allowing access to Members of Congress. It is the role of Congress to provide oversight.
Let me say that loud and clear for any of my colleagues that are here and that perhaps have forgotten that. It is the role of Congress to provide oversight. I suggest Kristi Noem and DHS staff read section 527(a) of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2024, which is Public Law 118-47.
Am I shocked? Let me be honest. I am not shocked. We were illegally denied entry. While we weren't surprised, it was pretty disrespectful for Members of Congress to not be able to do their job.
I want my colleagues to visualize this. There are four Members of Congress, all of them showing their ID. In addition to wearing their congressional pins, they are identifying themselves.
We ring the doorbell, and we are waiting for about 45 minutes. We wait to gain entry into the facility where no one comes to the door at any given time. No one responds through the intercom. The cameras demonstrate someone is watching us.
We are waiting there to do the job that we were called to do by law which is to conduct unannounced oversight. When we finally get acknowledged--which, by the way, it meant I saw unmarked cars going in and out of the side gate--as we walked through, we were talking to someone who was unwilling to identify themselves through a little hole through the gate.
He refused to identify himself. When we told him we were there, do you know what he said, Mr. Speaker?
``Given guidance by my superiors, I am told that you should send an e-mail to DHS.gov.''
He told four Members of Congress, including a Member of Congress who is the Member of Congress in that jurisdiction of where that holding center is: ``Just send an email.''
Mr. Speaker, I want to make sure that people understand. We have sent emails, and we have sent letters. I want to make sure that the American people understand what is happening to us.
We have sent emails, and we have sent letters. We have challenged the illegal, unconstitutional actions of this
It is our job as Members of Congress to provide accountability and oversight of activities of the executive branch. Activities that, by the way, this Chamber right here funds through appropriations. Activities that we authorize, or do not, through lawmaking, which is our constitutional role.
My favorite part of our interaction that day--1\1/2\ hours of our time outside waiting to be seen--was the sign that staff from the holding center placed on the door which reflects ICE's formal response to our visit.
Mr. Speaker, let me tell you what the sign said:
``ICE field offices are not detention facilities and fall outside of the section 527 requirements.
``When planning to visit an ICE facility, ICE asks for requests to be submitted at least 72 hours in advance. Visit requests should be submitted during business hours to the Office of Congressional Relations, (OCR) at [email protected]. Visit requests are not considered actionable until receipt of the request is acknowledged by OCR to the requestor.
``ICE does not house aliens at these locations, rather these are working offices where ERO personnel process aliens to make custody determinations based on the specific circumstances of each case. Aliens determined to require detention are transferred to an ICE detention facility pending removal or the outcome of their removal proceedings. Due to our high operations tempo, we are not facilitating any visits to ICE field offices or suboffices at this time.''
Mr. Speaker, is that unbelievable? Maybe it is.
Actually, it is believable because given Noem's disregard for Congress and the rule of law, this is what they do.
Mr. Speaker, do you know who makes the laws that govern the DHS facilities? Do you know who makes the laws, Mr. Speaker? It is Congress.
Mr. Speaker, do you know who doesn't get to just change the rules when they decide? It is DHS.
Mr. Speaker, do you know what is not a valid consideration for denying illegally required oversight? Your operations tempo.
You see, Mr. Speaker, as a result of our visit and the visits of Members that they have conducted in New Jersey, California, New York, and Illinois last week, ICE issued new guidance that unlawfully restricts Members of Congress to access ICE facilities.
Mr. Speaker, you heard me right. They decided that they were going to issue new guidance to go above Congress and further put a policy in place that is against the law.
Two days ago, Ranking Member Bennie Thompson, Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, Subcommittee Ranking Member Lou Correa, and subcommittee Ranking Member Pramila Jayapal, affirmed that Kristi Noem, DHS, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are illegally obstructing congressional oversight by denying Members of Congress access to multiple facilities used to detain immigrants in recent weeks.
Tonight, over the next 45 minutes or so, I will be here with my colleagues talking to the American people about what is happening, and what we are hearing directly from them. My colleagues and I will discuss how we will continue to assert congressional authority, even if Kristi Noem, even if Stephen Miller, and even if RFK and everyone else in that Cabinet attempts to obstruct us from doing our congressional work of congressional authority and legislative action.
I will yield to my colleagues who will share how they have attempted to provide oversight despite this hostile administration's lack of respect for Congress as a coequal branch of government and how we are actively defending our communities against this authoritarian agenda.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Carter).
Mr. Speaker, I thank the congresswoman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to affirm a simple truth: Congress is a coequal branch of government, not a ceremonial afterthought, not merely a suggestion box, and not someone that is along for the ride. We are constitutionally equal with our powers delineated in Article I of the United States Constitution.
Yet, under the Trump administration, we have witnessed a disturbing pattern: a blatant disregard for the constitutional role of Congress and its vital duty of oversight. Subpoenas are ignored. Testimony is blocked. Oversight is treated not as a safeguard and not as a constitutional role or duty of democracy but as an inconvenience of power, an inconvenience of having the audacity to do our jobs and to make sure, yes, sir, that you are doing yours, because that is a part of our responsibility.
It is what we take our oath of office for. It is what the Constitution and the Framers of the United States Constitution envisioned when they set out some 237 years ago to write the United States Constitution, that no one body would become so powerful that it could do as it pleases without any checks or balances.
Let me be clear, Mr. Speaker. This is not about partisan politics. It is about the preservation of our Republic.
When an administration past, present, or future believes it can operate without oversight or accountability, then democracy begins to erode.
Congress has both the authority and the obligation to shine light into the darkest corners of our government. Oversight is not obstruction, it is our constitutional duty.
We owe it to the American people to ask hard questions, to demand honest answers, and to ensure that no one--I mean no one--not even the President, is above the law. That is not defiance, that is democracy.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congressman for his comments. That is democracy. Today we are talking about how we preserve democracy under the circumstances that we are living in.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman) to say a little bit more about that today.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Ramirez for convening this very important discussion.
I will talk about something that is a little bit of an extension of this, but I do want to remind people that I visited Delaney Hall Detention Facility in the State of New Jersey with LaMonica McIver and Rob Menendez. It was difficult getting anyone to address us and give us the kind of inspection and respect that our offices deserved.
The suggestion that Members now should have to make an appointment before inspecting one of these facilities defeats the notion of oversight. Oversight is to catch the operation going as it is. Oversight is to see if the conditions are humane, the food is delivered, and that people are treated well, et cetera.
It is insane that this administration could think that they could put this condition upon us.
I will talk about what I consider is a further extension that this administration is out of control. What we have seen in recent weeks in L.A. and over the past few months across the country is another illustration of an outrageous abuse of power by our President and his Cabinet.
President Trump, Deputy Chief of Staff Miller, and Secretary of Homeland Security Noem have gone too far, letting their hatred of immigrants overwhelm them to the point of abusing innocent Americans.
Their actions pose a threat to all of us. They have disregarded the rights of citizens and noncitizens alike.
In just the last few months, DHS has accused a U.S. citizen of entering the country illegally and held that person for days, despite the person showing his birth certificate and Social Security card.
A U.S. Army Purple Heart veteran who has lived in the U.S. for nearly 50 years was told to leave due to a 15-year-old minor drug conviction.
In Newark in January, ICE detained a veteran without a warrant, disregarding his veteran ID card.
A 10-year-old U.S. citizen with brain cancer was deported because his parents were undocumented.
Trump's actions tell us that no one is safe from his storm troopers. How ICE agents are going about fulfilling Trump's arbitrary arrest quotas is also alarming.
Masked, plainclothes officers have been entering communities and abducting people to process them for deportation. This is extremely dangerous for several reasons. The first is the risk of confusion for those being detained and arrested, as well as for bystanders.
Think about what you might do if you witnessed three to four men in street clothes grabbing someone off the street and throwing them in the back of a black SUV. It doesn't take much imagination to see the danger involved if a Good Samaritan were to intervene.
Additionally, the lack of clearly identifiable uniforms has made it easier for copycats and impersonators to purchase fake gear on Amazon, allowing them to go around neighborhoods harassing residents. We have already seen this happening.
In response, I introduced a piece of legislation, the ICE Visibility Act, to eliminate this confusion and increase safety in our communities by requiring ICE officers to wear visible and distinct uniforms at all times.
This administration is creating chaos and confusion on our streets and infringing on the freedoms and the liberties of Americans.
This bill that I am introducing obviously won't solve the problem of a runaway ICE that puts arrest quotas over the rights of our communities, but it might just prevent a disaster that is waiting to happen.
This illustration of governance abuse, about rogue ICE agents, about disrespect at detention facilities, and about the poor quality of those facilities means that our work is vitally important to the well-being and the safety and security of those who are in our country and those who are being detained here for whatever reason.
I thank the gentlewoman for this opportunity to speak to this issue.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congresswoman for her leadership, for her integrity, and for her principled leadership in times such as this. We are so grateful for her.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) to talk a little bit more about the work that we have to do, and frankly, to remind us that this Chamber, this House of Representatives that we call the people's House is a coequal branch of government.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for organizing this critical Special Order hour to shed light on the horrors inflicted on immigrant communities by the Trump administration.
I am proud to represent the Inland Empire of southern California just east of Los Angeles. My district is home to a thriving immigrant community. It has been enriched by immigrants just like so many other communities across the country.
In recent weeks, this community has been plagued by fear. Images of masked agents dragging people out of cars, using excessive force, and disappearing individuals in unmarked cars are sowing fear. We cannot allow this to continue. Make no mistake, this is all on President Trump.
The President has instructed ICE to meet arbitrary deportation quotas. Their aggressive and baseless target number of 3,000 daily arrests does not require them to focus on violent offenders and criminals.
Instead, mothers and fathers who have been in this country for years with no criminal record and who have raised their children in the United States are being targeted.
This administration's claim that it aims to deport violent criminals is a falsehood.
What we are witnessing is the erosion of due process.
I have been especially troubled by the image of a landscaper, a man whose sons have served in the Marines, being punched repeatedly in the head by ICE agents this past Sunday.
Is this something my Republican colleagues are proud of? That we repay veterans of the United States Marine Corps by assaulting, detaining, and deporting their father who was simply trying to provide for his family?
Last week, I joined several of my colleagues to tour the Adelanto ICE detention center. Thanks to the work of my colleague, Representative Judy Chu, our delegation was able to enter the facility to conduct an oversight visit and speak with some of those being detained.
What I saw was people held in deplorable conditions, many of them being denied access to clean clothes for 10 days. Immigrant detention is a multimillion-dollar industry with some private prison groups now aiming to cash in on the funding included in the Republican spending bill.
The GEO Group that owns Adelanto boasted about a $31 million windfall if they keep full capacity.
Republicans want to boost the funding of ICE to hire more masked agents and pay out more contracts like that at Adelanto.
According to my Republican colleagues, our budget is too tight to provide healthcare or groceries for those in need, it is too tight to keep hospitals in rural areas open, but it is flush with enough cash to pay for more masked agents and more inhumane detention facilities for those who are beaten and dragged off the street.
This is not who we are. This is not the character of our country. I don't think my Republican colleagues understand the gravity of their silence. It seems they have been silenced from speaking out against this brutality due to their fear of this President.
They are even too afraid to hold townhalls to face their own constituents directly. It is sad that many Members of Congress have rolled over and enabled this cruelty that is now happening in our country.
There are Members on this side of the aisle who have not been silent, who have actively opposed this President and will continue to speak out. Democrats will continue to be a check against this President. We will continue to fight for the due process rights of every American. We will continue to show up in our communities so that the American people can see that there are some Members of Congress who will actually listen to and fight for them.
Mr. Speaker, I commend Congresswoman Ramirez for conducting this Special Order hour, and I thank her for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my Congressional Progressive Caucus colleagues to express my utter horror at the way in which the Trump administration is catapulting us towards an authoritarian state.
We in Congress are one of the three branches of government, yet the President has been acting like a king since day one.
Since assuming office, Donald Trump has dismantled Federal agencies and unlawfully halted billions of dollars in congressionally appropriated Federal funding. He has undermined the delicate system of checks and balances by flagrantly ignoring court orders. He has arrested a judge and a mayor. He has threatened to arrest a sitting Governor. He has taken to the floor and handcuffed and detained a United States Senator. He has accused and caused to be indicted a United States Congresswoman for having the temerity to do her job by being at an ICE facility to conduct oversight.
He has also violated the right to due process by dispatching armed, masked, unidentifiable people, wearing plain clothes and tactical gear, onto the streets of select American cities. They pull up on people, jump out with assault weapons, force them into unmarked cars, and disappear them. Their families learn days later that their loved one has been shipped off to a foreign gulag without presenting evidence to a judge that they should be removed.
Trump has done this to legal permanent residents and talked openly about doing it to American citizens.
While unleashing terror on our streets, Trump's brazenly corrupt decision to accept a $400 million Boeing 747 jet from Qatar for his personal use is a direct violation of the Emoluments Clause of our Constitution, and it has caused a firestorm of controversy.
Yet, MAGA Republicans in control of Congress turn a blind eye to it. My Republican colleagues are afraid to hold Donald Trump accountable. The majority is afraid to investigate the serious national security, public integrity, and foreign policy implications of the President accepting an emolument from a foreign government and flying around in a Qatari jumbo jet, taking it
Congress has the authority to introduce Articles of Impeachment against the President, but I don't expect that it is going to happen because my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are too afraid to do so. It is the ultimate exercise of congressional oversight, and it requires a simple majority vote in the House of Representatives and a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate in order to impeach and convict.
I am prepared to take any necessary action to stop Trump's reckless assault on the Federal Government and our democracy. While I believe many of Donald Trump's actions merit impeachment, I believe that the critical first step needs to be taken by this body as soon as possible.
As I said before, I don't expect it to happen because MAGA Republicans have completely abdicated their constitutional responsibility to exercise any shred of oversight on this out-of- control executive.
In fact, this Congress has acted as a rubberstamp as Trump consolidates power in and unto himself. Time and time again, Republicans continue to capitulate on their core principles in complete sycophancy of Trump's disastrous, antidemocratic agenda.
Despite being in the minority, House Democrats are working tirelessly to push back against Trump's hostile government takeover by litigating his illegal actions, introducing legislation to curb his powers, and mobilizing the public against his destructive agenda.
I have joined thousands of Georgians and millions of Americans against the Trump administration's attacks on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other public services, including SNAP benefits for children, infants, and seniors.
Though it is unlikely that a Republican-led House will do anything to hold this executive accountable, we are going to continue to do everything we can to demonstrate to the American people that we are not going to take this lying down. We are going to be with them. We are going to be out on the streets in peaceful protest. We are going to make sure that we preserve and protect this democracy that our forefathers and foremothers have fought so hard to guarantee to us.
I will not stop doing the job that my constituents sent me to Washington to do because a megalomaniac is trying to override the Constitution, and I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congressman for his words.
Mr. Speaker, I don't know about Congressman Johnson, but perhaps in Georgia or in other parts of the country this may be happening. I have not met a constituent who has told me, ``Congresswoman Ramirez, I wake up in the morning asking how my life could be better,'' and then answer that immediately by saying, ``Do you know how my life would be better? If the President of the United States of America had a $450 million new plane that had been donated from a foreign country.''
I have never heard a constituent tell me when I have asked them what the most important thing is for them right now: ``Do you know what the most important thing is for me? It is for Kristi Noem to get $50 million more in the budget. By the way, cut my Medicaid, groceries, and SNAP benefits because what I really want is for this person who was never elected to get an upgrade on a plane. Make sure that you dedicate $50 million of taxpayer dollars so that she can have a brand-new plane so that she can cosplay wherever the hell she is going.''
I have never heard that. I hear the gentleman. I am curious. What Members of Congress have heard from their constituents--perhaps in Louisiana or other parts of the country--that what they care most about is that we cut their healthcare and cut SNAP benefits and that we make it harder for them to age in place or retire with dignity because their number one priority is to take their taxpayer dollars to ensure that the President becomes even richer and that she gets more costumes to wear around the country?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his work and courageous leadership.
Something the gentleman said was that our constituents didn't send us here to make sure that the rich get richer. Our constituents didn't send us here so that the President can become even richer by selling off coins or offering people to be able to come to the White House, which taxpayers pay for, and have dinner with him if they invest more on his coins.
Our constituents said: ``The rent is too darn high. I can't buy a house. I have to choose between going to the doctor and buying groceries. I don't know if I could afford the car payment and tuition for my son or daughter in college. This darn job I have, it is so difficult to make sure that I can cover the costs, so I have to work a second job. What are you going to do about it?''
That is why I am so grateful that we are here having a conversation about what the job of Members of Congress is: to make the lives of their constituents better.
It is not to make Donald Trump's life better, not to make Kristi Noem's life better or richer, but to make their lives better.
One of the other things that we should be doing as Members of Congress is affirming that we are a coequal branch of government, the thing that I ask eighth graders about in their Constitution tests all around the country.
Part of that work is oversight, but it is ridiculous and infuriating to me that my Republican colleagues, who continue to obstruct oversight every chance that the majority can, don't seem to agree. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle seem to think that who got them elected, who they serve, that the only people who matter are not the 730,000 constituents that they have but Donald Trump, Stephen Miller, and Elon Musk, as long as he and Donald Trump are getting along and paying for elections.
Congress' power is critical in this moment. Congressman Johnson said it so beautifully. We have to do everything in our power to ensure that our constituents know who we are here for. Otherwise, we can't be the people's House.
Congress' powers are established to be a check on an out-of-control, lawless executive branch like the Trump administration. For instance, when the executive branch decides to use a notorious offshore prison with a history of gross human rights violations as a staging location for mass deportations without due process and in violation of international law, I thought that would be an ideal time for Congress to conduct oversight.
It is why I requested that the Committee on Homeland Security, that some of us here serve on, would conduct an official oversight visit to CECOT.
I was of the opinion that a congressional delegation needed to urgently go to CECOT in El Salvador and check on the health and well- being of all the political prisoners who we have sent to that heinous place.
My Republican colleagues disagreed, and Chairman Mark Green said that my official request to conduct oversight in my capacity as a member of the Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability was ``to virtue signal to [my] radical base.''
At least he responded to that one. When I asked him to conduct oversight of Guantanamo, after the first flights to Guantanamo separated undocumented immigrants from the protections of our Constitution and their due process, and even amidst the reports that the U.S. was spending more than $40 million of taxpayer money holding migrants in Guantanamo, in that case, I was just ignored. I didn't expect much more.
Republicans in Congress have repeatedly given up their power. I don't know why. They got elected by the people to represent the people, but they are just rolling out the red carpet for Trump's authoritarian regime. Republicans in Congress have allowed Trump to literally walk all over them. They are enabling a massive expansion in Presidential power and completely surrendering the power and authority of Congress.
If they don't want to actually assert their authority as a coequal branch,
Republicans have become the enablers of Trump's authoritarian power grab, and you don't have to look farther than the Speaker of the House. He was quoted yesterday saying: ``Many respected constitutional experts argue that the War Powers Act is itself unconstitutional.
``I'm persuaded by that argument. They think it's a violation of the Article II Powers of the Commander in Chief. I think that's right.''
That is the leader of Congress saying that Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, which gives Congress the constitutional authority to declare war, is a violation of Article II Powers of the President.
That tells you all you need to know. Mike Johnson is more loyal to the President than he is to the separation of powers. He is more loyal to the administration's authoritarian agenda than he is to the Constitution. He is certainly more loyal to this President than his constituents who depend on Medicaid and Social Security for their daily life needs.
We will remind them that Congress has a job to do and that we will not concede the power of the people.
I ask my colleagues, again: Why did you come here?
They made a lot of campaign promises. Perhaps while you are campaigning you actually listen to some people. Perhaps what they heard from people was, we are tired of a government that doesn't deliver to the people. Make my life better, not worse.
Yet, somehow, we are waiting for a Senate bill, this big, ugly bill, as if it couldn't get any uglier, that would actually slash more resources from the very same people that sent us here instead of making their life better.
Mr. Speaker, we have to ask ourselves in this moment what role are we playing and who are we here for? Did we take an oath to protect the Constitution of the United States of America or not?
Is our loyalty to the values of this country and the people that sent us here? I hope it is not to super-PACs, but rather the people, our constituents.
Or is it doing whatever Donald Trump tells you to do?
This is a critical moment in U.S. history. I will highlight, as I wrap up my Special Order hour, a few people that despite the darkness, despite the stoking of fear that you see happening throughout the country, continue to demonstrate who we are and who we should be as a Nation.
I will start by recognizing someone who I believe to be a leader in the community. He is someone who I know stands up by defending our neighbors. He is someone who recognizes that fear does not create unity and love. Fear creates division. As we reflect on what it means to stand up to authoritarianism by defending our neighbors, our neighborhoods, and our culture, I recognize a longtime community leader and a public servant, Billy Ocasio.
Billy was born and raised in Humboldt Park in Illinois' Third Congressional District. Billy's leadership over several decades has made a significant impact in Chicago, Illinois, and its local Puerto Rican and immigrant community.
A proud product of Chicago Public Schools, Billy graduated from Von Humboldt Elementary School and Roberto Clemente Community Academy.
Rooted in the community that raised him, Billy served as the 26th Ward alderman for 16 years, from 1993 to 2009, where he championed major infrastructure and community development projects, including the creation of Division Street's signature Puerto Rican flags, the McCormick Tribune YMCA, and Humboldt Parks' first-ever public library branch.
Billy's service expanded as he became senior adviser to then-Governor Pat Quinn, as he was appointed to work on social justice issues impacting communities across the State of Illinois.
Both Billy and his wife, Veronica Ocasio, have lent their talents and time to creating and growing the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, also based in Humboldt Park. In Billy's role as president and CEO, as well as in Veronica's role as director of education and programming, the Ocasios have nurtured the museum to become a locally, nationally, and internationally celebrated institution.
Through exhibits, events, oral history sharing, and more, the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture does important work to preserve and uplift the rich culture of Puerto Rican traditions and to stand up to gentrification through cultural resistance.
On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, I commend Billy Ocasio for his lifetime of service and commitment to fighting for our communities. At a time when wannabe kings threaten welcoming cities like Chicago, I am inspired by the stories of local residents demonstrating that diversity, that equity, that inclusion which are exactly what make our communities and our country strong.
In a time such as this, we need to summon the courage of those who came before us to unapologetically and defiantly defend immigrants from the administration's authoritarian attacks. History presents us with plenty of inspiration. In some cases, it is someone who made it possible for the grandparents of so many of my colleagues to be able to serve in this very same Chamber.
Today, I honor the legacy of Sister Frances Xavier Cabrini, better known as Mother Cabrini, the patron saint of immigrants, whose life and legacy remind us of the enduring strength and dignity immigrants in America have.
Born in 1850 in Lombardy, Italy, Frances Cabrini arrived in the United States in 1889 to New York, at the invitation of Pope Leo XIII, who encouraged her to bring her mission to the growing number of Italian immigrants in the Americas.
At the time, Italian Americans were targets of xenophobia, discrimination, and even violence, just like other immigrants living in the United States at the time and today.
Italians were wrongfully seen as unable to assimilate, dangerous, and a threat to the American way of life, language which is also, unfortunately, still familiar today.
Yet in the face of this hateful, dehumanizing rhetoric, Mother Cabrini responded not with fear or hatred--what our President wants-- but with bold, unwavering love and compassion.
As the founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, she built a movement grounded in hope, service, faith, and fierce love for those under attack by those in positions of power.
Under her leadership, the Sisters established more than 60 schools, hospitals, and orphanages, many of them serving newly arriving immigrants, the sick, and the poor.
In 1909, Mother Cabrini became a naturalized citizen of the United States. She believed in the promise of this Nation--not as an abstract ideal, but as a place where those seeking refuge and opportunity could find dignity, community, and purpose. At a time when her own community, the Italian community, was under attack, she chose to claim her place in this country, not as an outsider, but as a full participant in shaping its future.
Her naturalization is particularly worth reflecting on today, when President Trump seeks to roll back the hard-won rights of immigrants, especially the right to birthright citizenship, which is guaranteed under the 14th Amendment of our Constitution.
President Trump has repeatedly questioned this right, threatening to unravel one of the most fundamental principles of American democracy: that all who are born here belong here.
In 1946, Mother Cabrini was canonized as a saint by Pope Pius XII, becoming the first American to be beatified by the Catholic Church. She is now recognized as the patron saint of immigrants, a title that honors her tireless advocacy for all those who migrate and her unwavering belief in the sacred dignity of every single human life.
In Chicago, many know her from the former Cabrini-Green public housing development, which stood as a symbol both of the challenges of poverty and
As we close out Immigrant Heritage Month, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini challenges us to stand up to those in power who would seek to divide us and pit us against our own neighbors.
Despite those who seek to use their faith to justify their cruelty, we remember that the Bible itself teaches us that: ``When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as you love yourself.''
For my colleagues who say they read the Bible every day, that is Leviticus 19:33-34.
In a time of rising nationalism, expansion of imperialism, and fear, may the example of Sister Cabrini guide us back to fierce, compassionate, inclusive love.
May her memory inspire us to build a nation where everyone feels a deep sense of belonging, where every person's humanity is honored, and where we truly love our neighbors as ourselves.
May she inspire us to build an empire, as she says, of hope, solidarity, and compassion.
As I close, I am reminded of the words of Mother Cabrini. I thank all of my colleagues who have joined today's Special Order on Holding Power Accountable: Congressional Oversight against Trump's Authoritarianism.
Members of Congress are actively defending our communities against this agenda, and we will continue to show up.
To the constituents who are worried about their Medicaid, to the constituents who are worried about their neighbors, to the constituents who are asking themselves: How can the President say one thing and do the other? How can he talk about peace and go start a war? How can he say that he is a Christian and hate his neighbors? I want you to know that not all Members of Congress here are the same.
Some of us have the courage, the ability, and the willingness to defend our communities, regardless of their legal status, regardless of who they love, regardless of their financial status.
We believe in due process. We believe in the rule of law and the Constitution, and I think that some of my colleagues on the other side took an oath saying that they believe in it, too. We believe in our democracy and checks and balances and accountability. We believe that undermining our laws and processes make all of us less safe.
We continue to demand that this administration allow us to exercise our right to oversight in all of its forms. I ask my colleagues, as I wrap up, the question that I asked before: Why did you come here? Why are you here? Why do you leave your family every Monday or Tuesday to get on a flight and be here for 4 to 5 days? What will your legacy be? What will your grandchildren say about what you did in this place?
I know what Mother Cabrini did in a time where Italians were treated as less than human. She stood up for them. She made it possible so that your grandparents and your great-grandparents could be able to give your parents and your families the life that they deserve so that you can serve here in Congress with me.
What will your legacy be? If you are wondering why constituents don't believe in government, it is because we say one thing, and then harm them. I believe that this is a moment where we can choose to love, to choose compassion, to choose unity over hate, over darkness, or over using Truth Social to demean and degrade other people because we don't agree with them.
I say to you that as long as Members of Congress, like Congressmen Johnson, Takano, Watson Coleman, Carter, and I are here, we continue to demand that this administration honor due process, that we continue to do congressional oversight--especially in ICE facilities and detention centers, and that we ensure that people being held there are treated humanly, with dignity and respect. We are not alone.
The American people will continue to protest for their rights. The American people will continue to show up. The American people will continue to demand more of us, not less of us. They will continue to demand that we protect and expand democracy, not suppress voters.
We say and continue to say that it is our responsibility for such a time as this to be reminded why we decided to come to the people's House, and who we represent and who we serve because I do not represent or serve at the pleasure of Donald Trump. I serve and represent 730,000 people in the Chicago area, and I will fight for them every single day and the democracy that we all took an oath to protect and serve.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the President.
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 materials on the topic of this Special Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from South Carolina?
Mr. Speaker, I rise in celebration that yesterday was the third anniversary of the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, which overturned the disastrous 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, a major victory for the pro-life movement. This decision rightfully reaffirmed that ending the life of an unborn child is not a constitutional right. While this was a step in the right direction, there is still much to be done to protect the lives of our Nation's most innocent.
Modern science objectively proves that new, distinct human life begins at the moment of conception. It is truly incredible that, with today's technology, we know that a baby's heartbeat starts at just about 22 days after conception, their unique fingerprints are formed at 12 weeks of gestation, and by 15 weeks, the baby is sensitive to pain. That is why I have cosponsored the Life at Conception Act, which legally recognizes the life and value of an unborn child regardless of their size or level of development.
Additionally, at the start of this Congress, I reintroduced legislation to recognize January 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, as the Day of Tears to memorialize the unborn victims of abortion.
Since the Dobbs decision, the fight to protect the unborn is far from over, given the issue of abortion was handed down to the States. Therefore, abortions are still occurring across the country, and the rapid rise in access to the chemical abortion drug, mifepristone, is deeply alarming.
It is estimated that mifepristone accounted for 63 percent of the abortions in 2023, resulting in approximately 642,700 unborn babies losing their lives that year.
Women and girls have been misled into believing that taking mifepristone to induce an abortion is as safe as using Tylenol. However, new data indicates that nearly 1 in 10 women taking the chemical abortion pill experience serious complications, such as sepsis, infection, hemorrhage, or another serious adverse event within 45 days of taking the drug.
Mr. Speaker, this real-world complication rate is 22 times higher than the FDA currently acknowledges on the mifepristone label.
Additionally, the Biden-Harris administration removed the requirement for a woman to receive these drugs in person from a healthcare provider. This in-person requirement allowed providers to determine gestational age, rule out life-threatening ectopic pregnancies, and identify signs of abuse before dispensing mifepristone.
This change not only poses serious, irresponsible medical risks but also bypasses pro-life State laws, like what we
Let me give you an example. This is a package, a brown envelope. This was ordered online with a simple filling out of a form, answering a few questions, and putting in your name and address. It showed up about a week later.
If you look at the return address, it is fake. It says: James Smith, 2301 L Street Northwest, Washington, D.C. That is the West End Library here in Washington. It was postmarked from Capital District 208 here in Washington, D.C.
In this package, in this brown envelope, are three packages. One, two, and three are the only marks on them. They are mifepristone and the drugs that induce an abortion. They are so easily accessed online, sent free of charge--but to whom?
I believe that any abortion is a tragedy. I also recognize that while mifepristone is still legal--and I hope that one day it is not legal and is banned because it is responsible for so many murders of unborn children. While it is still legal, for the well-being of women and girls, we must investigate the safety and efficacy of mifepristone and reinstate in-person dispensing requirements for the abortion drug.
Every life is a gift from God. As leaders, our greatest responsibility is to protect the life and liberty of every person, especially our most innocent. After all, our first and most fundamental right is the right of life.
Think about it. Think about the first document that birthed our Nation, the Declaration of Independence. ``We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.''
What was the first right mentioned? The right to life. We as a government have a responsibility to protect that life, especially the life of an innocent unborn child.
Abortion is not the solution. We must have compassion for both the unborn and pregnant women who are struggling. That is why I am pleased to know that, in Georgia alone, there are over 670 organizations that offer support and care for pregnant women.
As we celebrate the victorious anniversary of the Dobbs decision, I remain resolute in defending the sanctity of life and protecting the precious unborn.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Norman) for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, as we recognize the anniversary of the Dobbs decision, I want to point out, from the outset, that there is no species, no animal, that kills its own.
My family has been in the horse business for a good while. We raise pleasure horses. There is no mare that we have that kills its born, the new horse. We are in the cattle business. There is no cow that I have ever seen that has killed what it births. Yet, we as humans, for some reason, take that as a right that we can have.
The Dobbs decision was one of the most important decisions of our lifetime. For nearly 50 years, Roe v. Wade took power away from the people and handed it to unelected judges, but Dobbs finally made it right.
The Court didn't outlaw abortion, as my friends on the left tried to claim. What it did was restore the fundamental truth that States and the citizens who live in them have a right to decide how we protect life.
In South Carolina, we have chosen to stand for the unborn, and I stand before you today in unwavering support of our State's rights to do just that.
In 2018, Governor McMaster took a bold step. He blocked abortion clinics, like Planned Parenthood, from receiving Medicaid funding because these dollars should go toward real healthcare helping women, children, and families, not to organizations that end innocent lives.
Despite what my good friends from the left claim, killing a child is not a birth control measure.
When Planned Parenthood sued to undo the decision, it wasn't just about funding. It was about undermining the rights of our States, our government, and our people.
That is why I led a bicameral amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to take up Medina v. Planned Parenthood. This case is about far more than Medicaid. It is about whether the States, like South Carolina, can align their healthcare policies with their values and whether the courts will respect these values.
Dobbs and Medina both point to the same truth. Washington, D.C., clearly doesn't get to decide everything. The Constitution makes it clear those decisions rest squarely with the American people.
I will continue to fight for States' rights and for the rights of South Carolinians to govern ourselves without Federal interference.
Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.
The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 6 o'clock and 37 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, June 26, 2025, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.
