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20 public bills, H.R. 7147- 7166; and 2 resolutions, H. Res. 1010-1011 were introduced.
Pages H947-48
Report Filed
A report was filed today as follows: H. Res. 1009, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 6945) to amend part A of title IV of the Social Security Act to clarify the authority of States to use funds for pregnancy centers, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 6359) to require institutions of higher education to disseminate information on the rights of, and accommodations and resources for, pregnant students, and for other purposes; and providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 140) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to Public Land Order No. 7917 for Withdrawal of Federal Lands; Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis Counties, MN (H. Rept. 119-459).
Page H947
Speaker
Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed Representative Williams (TX) to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
Page H927
Recess
The House recessed at 12:10 p.m. and reconvened at 2 p.m.
Page H928
Recess
The House recessed at 2:08 p.m. and reconvened at 3:30 p.m.
Page H929
Recess
The House recessed at 4:43 p.m. and reconvened at 6:30 p.m.
Page H939
Suspensions
The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the following measures: Northern Mariana Islands Small Business Access Act: H.R. 3496, amended, to amend the Small Business Act for microloan eligibility for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;
Pages H929-30
Main Street Parity Act
H.R. 5763, to amend the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to modify the criteria for loans for plant acquisition, construction, conversion or expansion, by a \2/3\ yea-and- nay vote of 383 yeas to 8 nays, Roll No. 32;
Pages H930-31, H939-40
AI for Main Street Act
H.R. 5764, amended, to amend the Small Business Act to require small business development centers to assist small business concerns with the use of artificial intelligence, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 395 yeas to 14 nays, Roll No. 33;
Pages H931-32, H940
504 Program Risk Oversight Act
H.R. 5788, to amend title V of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to require an annual portfolio risk analysis of loans guaranteed under such title;
Pages H932-34
Artificial Intelligence Wisdom for Innovative Small Enterprises Act
H.R. 5784, to amend the Small Business Act to help small business concerns critically evaluate artificial intelligence tools;
Pages H934-36
Veterans Law Judge Experience Act
H.R. 659, to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals to give priority to individuals with certain professional experience in recommending such individuals to serve as members of the Board of Veterans' Appeals; and
Pages H936-37
Veterans Scam And Fraud Evasion Act
H.R. 1663, amended, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer.
Pages H937-39
Quorum Calls: Votes
Two yea-and-nay votes developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H939-40 and H940. Adjournment: The House met at 12 p.m. and adjourned at 8:03 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: 95 of 137 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 6, 2026, the Chair will now recognize Members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning-hour debate.
The Chair will alternate recognition between the parties, with time equally allocated between the parties and each Member other than the majority and minority leaders and the minority whip limited to 5 minutes, but in no event shall debate continue beyond 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to address the ongoing protests in Iran.
For decades, the Iranian people have faced human rights abuses, extrajudicial killings, and economic turmoil.
Protests have been going on for almost a month. The military is cracking down, and at least thousands have died. The Iranian people are not backing down, and they deserve the right to protest for changes. They deserve the right to decide whether they want a freer, secular future.
That is why I have joined my colleagues on the bipartisan FREEDOM Act to expand internet freedom in Iran. I also sent a letter to the administration urging immediate action to maximize resources to protect internet freedom.
I have also written directly to Secretary Rubio in support of the Iranian people, while highlighting the worsening human rights abuses, which are also affecting people back here who have Iranian family there.
We support the Iranian people and their efforts to determine their own futures, and we will continue to support them.
Mr. Speaker, the administration has decided that, starting tomorrow, January 21, they are going to implement an indefinite ban on immigrant visa processing for more than 75 countries.
This sweeping action has created a crisis for so many Virginia families who have followed the law to see or reunite with their loved ones. Some of these stories that my office has seen of people who have been affected are really heartbreaking. These are spouses still waiting to reunite, engaged couples who have had to pause or cancel their wedding plans, children waiting for parents, and parents waiting to care for their families.
We even had a couple reach out who were in the final stages of adopting a child from Thailand, which is on the list. Because of the pause on what is going on, the adoption is now frozen indefinitely.
It seems there are no exceptions to this ban. It is just a straight- up ban, and the reason seems kind of flimsy, to be honest. It is apparently because they are a drain on our social system. I will just say that the only drain on our social system has been Congress, with cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.
In any case, I would love to see the math on how these particular countries were chosen and why this administration thinks banning visas from Fiji is going to help out social services or pay down the debt.
This blanket ban, with no exceptions, does nothing more than separate families and create hardship. Our constituents deserve better.
Mr. Speaker, we have been talking a lot in this Chamber about rising healthcare costs.
One of the things that we are doing really well as a country to lower costs is telehealth, which allows people to see their providers faster and more often, and even see specialized providers from out of State. It saves time and money, and it is great for doctors, nurses, and seniors.
Unfortunately, we are heading toward a telehealth coverage cliff because, on January 30, Medicare telehealth coverage will end, and many patients will have to see their doctors in person only.
That is why I am urging my colleagues to pass the CONNECT for Health Act and make telehealth coverage permanent. This is common sense. It lowers costs, and it means less emergency room visits. Everyone wins.
We must save telehealth coverage and pass this bill before the end of the month.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on the importance of my bill, the RED Tape Act, which will be marked up by the
The RED Tape Act amends the Clean Air Act to streamline the review process for Federal projects. The U.S. is facing a rapidly growing demand for energy production and domestic manufacturing. Meeting these escalating needs requires efficiency in deploying new infrastructure.
The RED Tape Act would eliminate duplicative reviews that serve only to delay the permitting and construction of these needed projects. This reform will provide timely and predictable outcomes for new projects, helping to ensure that America remains competitive in the global economy.
As we work to fulfill President Trump's goal of energy dominance, I look forward to seeing this bill advance through the full committee and proceed to the floor for a vote.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the issue of rising healthcare costs. As no surprise, data released from the final full year of the Biden administration reflected that healthcare spending has grown at an unsustainable pace, far outpacing inflation.
Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, healthcare costs across all markets have spiked for patients, while large insurance companies continue to profit. Under excessive ACA regulations, we entered an era of unprecedented mergers of insurers, providers, and pharmacies.
This imbalance has contributed to a dire crisis for small community- based pharmacies, particularly in rural areas like Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District, leading to closures and leaving many communities to be pharmacy deserts.
This week, Congress will begin to deliver on producing meaningful transparency for the American patient as we consider comprehensive legislation that curbs PBM abuses and includes legislation that I authored to expand telehealth access to cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation and requires unique provider numbers at every hospital outpatient department.
This package forms a key downpayment on delivering meaningful health cost reduction for all Americans.
Last week, President Trump announced the Great Healthcare Plan, which focuses on lowering costs by increasing price transparency and holding big insurance companies accountable.
These proposed reforms by President Trump, coupled with action by Republicans in Congress, will bring much-needed reform to our broken healthcare system and reduce healthcare costs for all Americans.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Gary Paul, who has concluded three decades of public service as a Richland Township supervisor in Cambria County, Pennsylvania.
Gary Paul, throughout his 30-year tenure, has worked tirelessly as a Geistown borough road foreman while maintaining his family farm, where he also raises beef cattle.
Recently, Gary was recognized for his dedication by the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors and by the Richland Township Board of Supervisors.
With pride for Gary, I join the citizens of Richland Township and of all of Cambria County in thanking him for his unwavering commitment and his unwavering public service.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Jack Fields for more than 50 years of service to the borough of McConnellsburg in Fulton County, Pennsylvania.
Jack recently retired as secretary and treasurer of the borough council, acting as borough manager and head of maintenance and permitting.
Just 2 years after graduating from McConnellsburg High School, Jack was drafted in 1953 and served our country in the Korean war.
When Jack was asked about his military service, he shared that he learned to depend on others and not to take anything for granted. Jack continued by encouraging others that ``you must go after it yourself.'' What great advice.
I express best wishes to Jack for a deserved retirement, and I thank him for his devotion to Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District and especially to beautiful Fulton County, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the student-run cafe at Clearfield County Career & Technology Center. The cafe opened last week and gives students the opportunity to serve food to their peers.
The program allows 18 students to participate in morning class and an additional 15 students to participate in the afternoon. High school students from Clearfield, Curwensville, West Branch, Philipsburg- Osceola, and Moshannon Valley are eligible to enroll in the program.
The cafe operates as a training lab, giving students the opportunity to apply skills they have learned in the classroom to real-life scenarios.
Students help prepare ingredients, set up workstations, and create menus. Those who work the afternoon shift are responsible for making and serving food.
The students develop leadership skills and professionalism, assets that
Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus, programs like this one at Clearfield County Technical School are vital for helping students be prepared for the workforce.
Mr. Speaker, over 130,000 eastern North Carolinians depend on ACA subsidies to afford basic health coverage.
Losing coverage would put families at real risk.
These subsidies are not a handout. They are a lifeline that keeps working people insured, healthy, and able to see a doctor before a small problem becomes a huge crisis.
Without Congress, premiums are skyrocketing, forcing too many residents to choose between healthcare, rent, and groceries.
The consequences ripple throughout our communities, raising uninsured rates and driving up costs for everyone.
ACA subsidies are about stability, dignity, and the simple belief that access to healthcare should not depend on luck.
Congress must act to ensure accountability and to prevent millions of Americans from being left behind.
Mr. Speaker, across the country, arrests of criminal illegal aliens are successful as President Donald Trump is making good on his promise to rid communities of murderous threats to families; making sure killers, gang members, and other violent criminals are deported.
The President is ramping up pressure to cooperate with law enforcement by sending in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. This is undermined by extremist paid rioters.
The January 14 Washington Times editorial stated: ``Leftists justify their . . . behavior by reciting a version of events existing only in their imaginations.'' Vice President J.D. Vance is correct. Officials are promoting rioting in the streets rather than follow the law.
Knowing the President has their back, Federal officials aren't intimidated fighting insurrection. An insurrection is a real attack on democracy.
In conclusion, God bless our troops as the global war on terrorism continues. President Trump is reinstituting peace through strength, revealing war criminal Putin lies, insulting Trump, mocking Trump with Putin mercilessly launching rockets on civilian targets, murdering innocent Ukrainians.
Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize Mr. Thomas Pelissero for his heartfelt tribute to his hometown of Bessemer, Michigan, in his book: ``Bring One Home: A Memoir of Boyhood, Basketball, and Hometown Spirit.''
This book is not only a salute to Bessemer, but the tough, resilient communities across Michigan's Upper Peninsula and middle America.
Mr. Speaker, 60 years ago this week, the Bessemer Speedboys basketball team ended a 42-game losing streak, at the time, the longest in Upper Peninsula high school basketball history.
The people of Bessemer always showed up, cheered, and stood by their team. That loyalty and perseverance reflect the hardy spirit that defines this town and so many communities across our Upper Peninsula.
That spirit remains alive today.
Mr. Pelissero's book launch filled Bessemer City Hall to standing room only and raised more than $5,000 for the Bessemer Public Library. Since its release in November of 2025, ``Bring One Home'' has earned national recognition to include inclusion in the Library of Congress.
Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize Mr. Pelissero for capturing the character, resilience, and enduring fellowship of Bessemer and the Upper Peninsula we are all proud to call home.
Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3496) to amend the Small Business Act for microloan eligibility for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) each will control 20 minutes.
Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Texas?
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3496, the Northern Mariana Islands Small Business Access Act. This bill was introduced by Delegate King-Hinds and Representative Conaway.
The SBA microloan program provides entrepreneurs with access to small-dollar loans through qualified lenders. Sometimes, entrepreneurs do not need to access large sums of capital for their operations. That is where the SBA microloan program can help entrepreneurs get just enough capital to meet their exact needs.
Under current law, the SBA apportions microloan program funding to intermediaries in 55 States and territories. Unfortunately, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is excluded. This creates unnecessary barriers for small businesses in the Northern Mariana Islands by limiting
H.R. 3496 fixes this oversight and ensures that the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is included within the geographic scope of the SBA microloan program, increasing the number of States and territories eligible to receive microloan program funding from 55 to 56.
Expanding eligibility for the microloan program will help spur entrepreneurship, strengthen local economies, and ensure that small businesses in all States and territories have a fair opportunity to grow.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3496, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3496, the Northern Mariana Islands Small Business Access Act.
This is a straightforward but important bill that expands access to SBA's microloan program to small businesses in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
These small businesses face unique challenges, as geographic isolation leads to higher costs for goods and services. Their economy is heavily reliant on tourism, which can ebb and flow with the economy and natural disasters.
Having access to affordable credit gives small businesses the ability to weather the storms and economic uncertainty and fully prepare for the next opportunity.
The extension of the microloan program to CNMI will be critical to support business growth, create jobs, and stimulate the local economy.
I have long supported efforts to ensure the territories have full access to SBA products and services. In previous Congresses, I worked with then-Representative Sablan to establish an SBDC center in CNMI, and I also worked to ensure that CNMI had access to the microloan program as part of a more comprehensive bill.
Unfortunately, the bill to improve the microloan program was not enacted into law. I am glad to be working across the aisle again to make sure territories receive full access to SBA services.
Madam Speaker, I urge Members to support this important bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (Ms. King-Hinds), my good friend.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, H.R. 3496, as amended, the Northern Mariana Islands Small Business Access Act.
This bill would include my district, the Northern Mariana Islands, in the Small Business Administration's microloan program. The microloan program issues loans of $50,000 or less at low interest rates to help small businesses that may be unable to access capital elsewhere, grow their businesses, or create jobs.
Since the program became operational in 1992, it has issued over 69,000 loans, totaling over $900 million, and supported over 250,000 American jobs. Despite the program's impressive impact for Americans across the country, the Northern Mariana Islands is the only State or territory not explicitly included under the law. This bill would simply add the CNMI to be eligible for the program alongside every other territory.
The CNMI is currently facing an economic crisis following the collapse of our primary industry, which is tourism. Local small businesses are struggling to get approved for affordable loans, in part because of this economic uncertainty. Gaining access to this program could help local entrepreneurs make the investments they need to help put our economy on a more solid footing.
Madam Speaker, I thank my co-lead on the bill, Representative Conaway, for his steadfast support, as well as Representatives Cisneros and Goodlander for also cosponsoring this legislation. I also thank Chairman Williams and Ranking Member Velazquez for their support and help in bringing this bill to the floor.
Again, my bill simply adds my district to the microloan program that is already available to all other Americans. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bipartisan, commonsense, no-cost bill.
Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3496 to bring access to capital for small businesses in the Northern Mariana Islands. I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3496, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5763) to amend the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to modify the criteria for loans for plant acquisition, construction, conversion or expansion, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) each will control 20 minutes.
Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Texas?
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, H.R. 5763, the Main Street Parity Act.
I also thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Simon), my friend, for joining me in co-leading this bipartisan effort.
The SBA's 504 loan program is an important tool that helps small businesses obtain affordable financing for the acquisition of fixed assets, such as land, buildings, and heavy machinery.
To obtain a 504 loan, a small business owner must contribute 10 percent of the total project cost as a form of downpayment. However, if a small business is seeking financing to build something like a surgery center or a nursing home, the SBA imposes additional equity requirements because these properties are deemed limited purpose.
This initial equity injection was required because limited purpose properties were believed to be at a higher risk of default. Years of data show that this assumption is incorrect. In fact, many businesses facing these increased costs were at lower risk of default than
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 5763, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5763, the Main Street Parity Act.
One of the key functions of the SBA is to ensure that small businesses in communities across the country have access to the capital they need to grow and scale their operations.
The SBA has long served this need through its loan guarantee program, including the 504/CDC program. The 504/CDC program supports small businesses in accessing capital for the development of major fixed assets like land, buildings, equipment, and machinery. As part of the program, loans are guaranteed for so-called special use properties like amusement parks, car washes, bowling alleys, and gas stations.
When the special use designation was created in 1996, Congress required businesses developing these properties to pay a special purpose penalty. The penalty requires these businesses to provide at least 15 to 20 percent equity instead of the minimum 10 percent for standard 504/CDC loans.
While the additional equity requirement served an important safeguard for the program when first enacted, we have seen over time that the extra risk is not as great as anticipated.
In the past 30 years, technological developments and time have shown that many of these properties can be successfully repurposed for alternative uses, increasing the market pool of potential buyers.
Further, the charge-off rates for special purpose and standard loans are similar, demonstrating that these loans pose no greater risk than regular 504 loans. Because of its limited risk, the special use penalty is no longer necessary.
H.R. 5763 reduces the minimum equity requirement for special purpose properties to at least 10 percent, in line with the requirement for standard 504/CDC loans. Most importantly, it maintains discretionary authority to require higher equity if deemed necessary. This bill is supported by the National Association of Development Companies.
Madam Speaker, I applaud Chairman Williams' and Representative Simon's bipartisan work on this issue, and I ask all my colleagues to support it.
Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Velazquez for her support, particularly for freshman members from the Democratic side on the Small Business Committee and to Representative Williams for his collaboration on this bill.
Madam Speaker, I am extremely proud to lead the Main Street Parity Act with Chair Williams. As members of the Small Business Committee, one of the most bipartisan committees in the 119th Congress, we hear the same messages repeated every single day: Small businesses don't need special treatment. In fact, they are just asking for a fair shot in this economy.
The SBA's 504 loan program is designed to provide that fair shot through basic good policy and affordable, long-term financing. The financing helps small businesses buy buildings, buy property, expand operations, and employ Main Street neighbors throughout our community.
Under the current law, not all small businesses are treated the same. Owners of so-called small purpose properties are required to put up significantly more cash up front, often 5 to 10 percent more than standard property owners. These include places like bowling alleys, car washes, marinas, funeral homes, and recreation centers. These are the kinds of small businesses that serve local families, create jobs, and keep our communities vibrant.
For many entrepreneurs, the higher equity requirement is the difference between jumping in headfirst and creating new economic opportunities for their communities and families or walking away entirely.
This way of doing business just doesn't reflect our current economic or technological realities. This bill offers a new opportunity for Americans across the country to step forward.
The Main Street Parity Act is common sense. It is a clear fix that brings these loans in line with the 504 standardization programs by setting an equity requirement at 10 percent.
Madam Speaker, I encourage Members from both sides of the aisle to put small business owners and their employees first by supporting this bill.
Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I, again, thank Chairman Williams and Representative Simon for their bipartisan work on this bill. I encourage all my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 5763 allows small businesses on Main Street to have equal access to SBA 504 loans. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5763.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5764) to amend the Small Business Act to require small business development centers to assist small business concerns with the use of artificial intelligence, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Texas?
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5764, the AI for Main Street Act, introduced by Representatives Alford and Scholten.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to streamline operations, reduce costs, and boost productivity for small businesses. For many small businesses across the country, adopting these tools remains out of reach because they lack the staff, the expertise, or the capital to do so.
Madam Speaker, the AI for Main Street Act helps address this challenge by directing the SBA's Small Business Development Centers, or SBDCs, to assist small businesses in developing AI technologies into their operations.
These centers operate in partnership with universities and community colleges across the country and are trusted advisers to local entrepreneurs.
This approach builds on work already underway. In September 2024, America's SBDCs, in partnership with Google, launched America's SBDC AI U, which provides hands-on AI training, clinics, and technical assistance to small businesses.
This bill builds on that effort by requiring the SBDC network to have a core duty to assist entrepreneurs nationwide in fighting AI in their businesses.
As artificial intelligence becomes a core driver of productivity and competitiveness, Main Street cannot be left behind. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5764, the AI for Main Street Act.
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to support the AI for Main Street Act, which would allow SBDCs to assist small business owners on how to evaluate artificial intelligence. I commend Mr. Alford and Ms. Scholten for working together on this bipartisan legislation.
AI has the potential to boost productivity, enhance customer service, and save costs. While it is becoming increasingly common for small businesses to use AI to streamline their operations, many still do not know how to access it responsibly. If used incorrectly, AI could have disastrous consequences.
That is why it is incredibly important for SBA and its entrepreneurial ecosystem to help small businesses understand the potential pitfalls and learn how to avoid them.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to support this bipartisan bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of our AI for Main Street Act.
I thank Chairman Williams for his leadership. I also thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. Foremost, I recognize both Ranking Member Velazquez for her leadership and Congresswoman Hillary Scholten for working with me to bring this important bill forward.
A lot of people are talking about AI these days. Will it overtake America? Will it put businessowners and workers out of business? This bill is designed to get ahead of that and to make sure that does not happen. In fact, it will increase businesses in America.
This committee exists for one simple reason, and that is to champion Main Street and the small businesses that line our town squares, that power our farms, support our hospitals, and employ nearly half of the American workforce. Right now, Main Street stands at the doorstep of a major transformation because the AI revolution is not just coming. It is already here.
Whether it is managing inventory, scheduling workers, marketing products, improving cybersecurity, or streamlining paperwork, artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming how business gets done in America.
If small businesses do not have the tools and guidance to adapt to that, if they are fearful of it, they risk getting left behind. They will get left behind by larger competitors with bigger budgets and in- house tech teams. By the way, they are also using AI. That is exactly what this bill addresses.
The AI for Main Street Act directs Small Business Development Centers, SBDCs, to provide counseling, training, and outreach to help small businesses safely evaluate and adopt artificial intelligence tools.
These centers already serve as trusted boots-on-the-ground advisers in communities across the country, such as the University of Missouri- Columbia and Sedalia and other places where these SBDCs are providing real help, real boots on the ground.
Madam Speaker, entrepreneurs rely on them for practical guidance and real-world help that works for their businesses. This bill builds on existing efforts like America's SBDC AI U program and ensures that AI support is consistent, accessible, and nationwide. It is not just in major metro areas but in rural towns, manufacturing hubs, and agricultural communities like those I represent in Missouri's Fourth Congressional District.
Just as importantly, this bill emphasizes responsible adoption. We want small business owners to understand not only what AI can do but how to use it securely, safely, ethically, and effectively.
This is not about replacing people. It is about empowering people. It is about giving a family-owned business the same opportunity to compete and grow and innovate as a Fortune 500 company.
I am proud of this legislation and how it advanced out of committee with strong bipartisan support. I appreciate the strong backing from our colleagues on both sides of the aisle who recognize that innovation and small business growth should never be partisan issues.
At the end of the day, when Main Street succeeds, America succeeds. The AI for Main Street Act helps ensure that our entrepreneurs are not spectators in the next wave of innovation but our small business owners are leaders in this revolution.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 5764 will directly give small businesses the AI resources and tools for SBDCs across this country. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5764, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5788) to amend title V of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to require an annual portfolio risk analysis of loans guaranteed under such title, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) each will control 20 minutes.
Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Texas?
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5788, the 504 Program Risk Oversight Act introduced by Representatives Tran and Patronis.
This bipartisan piece of legislation would give Congress greater accountability and oversight of the SBA's 504 Loan Program by requiring the SBA to provide Congress and the public with annual, data-driven risk assessments of the 504 loan portfolio.
The 504 program is an incredibly important tool that helps small businesses obtain long-term, fixed-rate financing like the acquisition of fixed assets such as land, buildings, and heavy machinery.
In fiscal year 2025, the program supported $7.8 billion in loans to small businesses nationwide. Specifically, H.R. 5788 would require the SBA to provide Congress with annual reports on the health of the 504 loan portfolio.
This would include an analysis of any risk to the program broken down by multiple data points, including industry concentration, loan age, and gross dollar amount.
These reports would be made available to the public within 7 days of being provided to Congress. The transparency measures in this bill are particularly important in light of the House passage of my bill, H.R. 3174, the Made in America Manufacturing Finance Act, which raised the loan limit for American manufacturers under the SBA's 7(a) and 504 loan programs to $10 million. I hope it will quickly move through the Senate and to President Trump's desk.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 5788 marks a critical step toward identifying and mitigating risks early, strengthening the long-term viability and affordability of the 504 loan program and ensuring continued support for American entrepreneurs.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 5788, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the bill before us today, H.R. 5788, the 504 Program Risk Oversight Act.
Madam Speaker, transparency is key to ensuring the proper operation and functioning of the SBA lending programs, including the 504/CDC program. This bill will give the Committee on Small Business the necessary information to carry out our oversight authority.
Federal law requires the SBA Office of Credit Risk Management to conduct an annual portfolio risk analysis of the SBA flagship 7(a) loan program and provide Congress with a detailed report of their results. This report has been crucial in Committee on Small Business Democrats' investigation into the rising default levels in the 7(a) program and has helped us to respond accordingly.
Unfortunately, no statutory reporting requirement exists for the 504/ CDC loan program. H.R. 5788 will fix that by adding a requirement that the SBA conduct an annual risk analysis of the 504/CDC program and provide Congress with their results. Tailored to the 504/CDC program's unique features, the report will provide Congress with many of the same data points it currently provides on the 7(a) program, but the bill also requires several new data points to improve our stewardship of the program.
While loan defaults aren't currently a concern for the 504 program, this bill will provide Congress with valuable information needed to monitor the program's operation, guard against future risk, and ensure that the program's zero-subsidy requirement is maintained.
Madam Speaker, I applaud Representatives Tran and Patronis for their work on this bill, which is supported by the National Association of Development Companies. I ask my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I thank the lead of this bill, the gentleman from California (Mr. Tran), for his work on this bill.
I appreciate the opportunity to serve as co-lead on this legislation. The SBA's 504 program helps small businesses to grow, create jobs, and invest in their communities. Since this program uses taxpayer-backed loans, it is important that we properly review and manage risk.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 5788 makes a simple fix. It requires risk assessments for the 504 loan program, just like we already do with other major SBA loan programs. This helps to close the gap and improves oversight.
Transparency matters. When we clearly understand how a program is working, we can protect taxpayer dollars and make sure the program stays strong.
This bill helps us to ensure that we are responsible with taxpayer money while continuing to support small businesses.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5788.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5788, the 504 Program Risk Oversight Act, bipartisan legislation that strengthens one of SBA's most successful financing programs.
For decades, the SBA's 504 loan program has been a cornerstone of economic development in communities across America. Through public and private partnership with certified development companies, the 504 program helps small businesses to grow, create jobs, and invest in their communities.
Since its inception in 1986, the program has provided approximately $400 billion in total project financing and created over 3.3 million jobs. In California alone, that translates to $95 billion in total capital and the creation of over 715,000 good-paying jobs.
For entrepreneurs in California's 45th District and across the Nation, the 504 loan program's unique model provides them with access to long-term, fixed-rate financing to help them to expand operations, purchase property, and make lasting investments in their local economy.
In Orange County and Los Angeles County alone, the 504 program has injected more than $27 billion into local businesses and helped to create over 175,000 jobs over the last 25 years.
My bipartisan bill, the 504 Program Risk Oversight Act, builds on that success by ensuring that all partners--the SBA, Congress, and industry--have access to clear, consistent, and transparent data about the health of the program.
Currently, SBA is not required to conduct an annual risk analysis of the 504 loan program and provide Congress with any performance data. My bill addresses this problem and requires the SBA to conduct an annual risk assessment of the 504 program and provide Congress with detailed insights into overall health of the program and information needed to strengthen program performance.
Madam Speaker, transparent data is the cornerstone of a productive partnership between the SBA, Congress, and industry and the work that we do collectively to keep the 504 program healthy for future generations of entrepreneurs. Now more than ever, small businesses need what the 504 loan program provides: certainty and affordable patient capital.
Madam Speaker, I am proud to lead this bill, and I thank my colleague, Representative Jimmy Patronis, for his partnership in co- leading this important piece of legislation with me. Of course, this bill would not be possible without the leadership of Ranking Member Velazquez and Chair Williams.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Madam Speaker, I again applaud Representatives Tran and Patronis for their bipartisan work on this bill. I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 5788 provides transparency to the SBA's 504 loan program, a key program that promotes job creation and small business growth.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5788.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5784) to amend the Small Business Act to help small business concerns critically evaluate artificial intelligence tools, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) each will control 20 minutes.
Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Texas?
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5784, the Artificial Intelligence Wisdom for Innovative Small Enterprises Act, the AI-WISE Act. This bipartisan bill is led by Representatives Scholten and Downing.
Artificial intelligence is changing how businesses operate in real time. While large corporations can afford expensive consultants and trial-and-error experimentation, many small businesses do not have the luxury to do that. For a small business owner like myself, every dollar matters. The AI-WISE Act helps bridge that gap.
This bill directs the SBA to provide clear, accessible, and practical guidance that helps small business owners understand artificial intelligence in straightforward terms. It focuses on helping entrepreneurs evaluate whether an artificial intelligence tool is useful for their specific business, where it may fall short, and whether it is truly worth the cost before they spend their money to get that.
Importantly, this bill does all of this without authorizing any new spending. It builds on existing programs, avoids picking winners and losers, and keeps the Federal Government focused on providing information, not mandates.
I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense, bipartisan legislation and to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 5784.
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I am proud to support H.R. 5784, the AI-WISE Act.
Four years ago, AI burst into mainstream focus with the launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT. When I first tried this tool, I was shocked. I knew then and there that AI had the potential to revolutionize the way American firms operate and do business.
AI, like all emerging technology, comes with risks. AI outputs are prone to bias, discrimination, misinformation, and omissions. Safety and cybersecurity vulnerabilities can render AI deployers open to adversarial attacks. We don't even fully know this risk because we cannot predict AI's trajectory, so new risk could come up as it evolves and adds capabilities.
We have all seen reports of GenAI gone wrong, with episodes ranging from customer service chatbots at car dealerships offering to sell pickup trucks for $1 to general purpose chatbots advising small businesses to break the law.
In other words, a small business using a flawed AI model risks steep reputational and legal harm. Many of these incidents are attributable simply to AI's current technological immaturity and the growing pains that come with its ongoing evolution. This is why AI literacy is crucial for small businesses to keep up with their larger competitors considering and adopting AI.
The AI-WISE Act will direct SBA to create online AI literacy resources for entrepreneurs, so they have the tools to make sound choices on AI adoption and use. It will also direct the SBA to keep their resources updated on innovations in AI technology through an expert working group. Finally, the bill will allow the SBA resource partners to develop specialized and localized assistance to best educate their communities.
I thank my colleagues, Ms. Scholten and Mr. Downing, for collaborating over the last 2 years to bring this bill to the floor. Furthermore, let me convey my gratitude to Chairman Williams; his staff director, Lauren Holmes; and all the floor staff for seeing this bill through today. It is greatly appreciated.
Madam Speaker, I urge Members to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5784, the AI-WISE Act. This legislation will provide essential resources for small businesses to support their efforts to adopt AI.
Small businesses are optimistic about the potential of AI. Capabilities like machine learning and language processing are becoming critical tools for businesses seeking streamlined operations, like workforce recruitment, marketing, and strategy development.
However, businesses with substantial and stable access to capital tend to be better positioned for technology adoption and dealing with its ramifications. Small businesses, on the other hand,
For example, according to a 2025 report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 59 percent of small businesses in Montana have adopted AI into their operations. While this figure may seem significant, it pales in comparison to the near-universal adoption of AI that is seen with Fortune 500 companies. That is why I am proud to co-lead H.R. 5784, the AI-WISE Act, with my colleague, Representative Scholten.
The AI-WISE Act directs the Small Business Administration, the SBA, to establish educational resources on AI for small businesses through its online learning platform. In doing so, this legislation seeks to provide small businesses with the technical and practical knowledge needed to best navigate AI adoption.
The scope of this educational material will include resources for small businesses on how AI models work, how businesses can identify tasks that AI can effectively perform, and the best practices for coordinating with third-party providers and protecting data privacy.
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, Representative Scholten, for co- leading this legislation with me. The AI-WISE Act will ensure small businesses have the information that they need to most effectively utilize AI to bolster their entrepreneurship.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this legislation.
Madam Speaker, I commend Ms. Scholten and Mr. Downing for their dedication to our Nation's innovative small enterprises, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5784.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, we cannot leave Main Street behind in the adoption of AI. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5784.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 659) to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals to give priority to individuals with certain professional experience in recommending such individuals to serve as members of the Board of Veterans' Appeals, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each will control 20 minutes.
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 659.
This bill would require the chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals to prioritize people with at least 3 years of relevant experience working in veterans law when recommending new veteran law judges to the VA Secretary for positions at the VA.
This legislation does not alter the criteria the board currently uses to evaluate judges, and it does not restrict the board chairman from recommending other qualified candidates.
Madam Speaker, this bill would ensure that the best judges with vitally important firsthand experience are serving our veterans at the VA.
Veterans expect that those who are hearing their appeal or reviewing evidence in support of their appeal, have the skills, knowledge, and experience in veterans law to make sound decisions.
I support this commonsense legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 659. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 659, the Veterans Law Judge Experience Act of 2025.
Madam Speaker, contrary to what the American public often thinks, sometimes in this body we actually do things that make sense.
That is very much the case with H.R. 659, the Veterans Law Judge Experience Act introduced by my friend and colleague, Representative Julia Brownley.
This bill is simple and straightforward.
It states that when recommending individuals to serve on the Board of Veterans' Appeals, priority should be given to those who have 3 or more years of experience in practicing veterans law.
The Veterans' Affairs Committee hears often about the complex nature of the disability compensation system at the Department of Veterans Affairs. That complexity, unfortunately, leads to mistakes and errors that cause our veterans' disability claims to be denied prematurely. Especially now at a time when we have seen that Secretary Collins has shifted the Department's focus from getting claims right to simply getting them fast, we are seeing higher rates of processing errors, higher denial rates, and consequently higher rates of appeals to the Board of Veterans' Appeals, the BVA.
In that context, it is imperative that the BVA has the staffing levels and experience levels to get things right for our veterans. I, along with everyone else, support efforts to ensure that veterans and beneficiaries are being served at every point of contact in VA by the best talent we can muster.
One way we can do that is by ensuring we have the right folks in the right roles. This legislation seeks to help that at BVA by focusing on hiring those with sufficient experience to best serve our veterans.
We can and should look to staff the Board of Veterans' Appeals with attorneys that have demonstrated expertise in this area, attorneys who are experienced and who can see beyond quotas and metrics to apply the law to the maximum benefit of veterans at the heart of the process.
So, Madam Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 659 and urge my colleagues to do the same.
I also want to mention another bill that the House should take up which would further improve the BVA. H.R. 2303, introduced by Representative Morgan McGarvey, increases the promotion potential for attorneys at the Board of Veterans' Appeals.
I know that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle balk at anything that might result in civil servants receiving more compensation, but if we agree that we need to hire board attorneys with greater experience, and we are asking them to do more work and more complex work at that, we ought to see fit to pay them what they are worth. I hope that my colleagues see fit to advance that bill very soon, as well.
Madam Speaker, before I actually yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Brownley), I want to--in recognition of her announced retirement, though she is going to be with us for the rest of the year, but I don't know if I will ever have this chance of a moment on the floor with her again--point out that she was the leader of the very first Women Veterans Task Force that resulted in the Deborah Sampson Act, which unfortunately, is really substantively the bill that she put forward and is really the real author of, but it carries somebody else's name. It is the same with the Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act. It is an amazing piece of legislation and amazingly substantive. The Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act has laid the groundwork for our senior veterans who want to age in place at home. Congresswoman Brownley has worked on that and many other pieces of legislation as the chair and then ranking member of the Subcommittee on Health.
It is with a heavy heart that I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Brownley), my good friend and colleague, the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Health, and the author of this legislation.
Madam Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding, and I thank him for the very kind words. I appreciate it very much. I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their support of this bill, the Veterans Law Judge Experience Act, and for their work to bring it to the floor today.
Every day, far too many veterans across this country are waiting for a VA benefit decision, but not only for the benefits they are due, but for the stability, the security, and the relief that comes with these benefits.
Too often, that wait stretches from months and sometimes into years. During that time, veterans are left in limbo, unable to work, struggling to support their families, and forced to navigate a system that moves far too slowly for the urgency of their lives.
Across our district offices, our caseworkers hear directly from veterans who are desperate for answers about their claims and appeals. In many cases, a timely VA decision could change a veteran's life. Yet, even after waiting for an initial decision, they may need to appeal their case to the Board of Veterans' Appeals where they face more months and often years of additional delay.
Veterans deserve a system that works with the same urgency and seriousness with which they served our Nation. In recent years, despite hiring new veteran law judges, the board has often lacked the experienced personnel needed to move cases efficiently and accurately. This is in part due to the fact that in February 2020 the longstanding experience requirement for the veteran law judges was eliminated, opening the door to hiring judges without a background in veterans law.
While we respect the commitment of those entering this workforce, the reality is that lengthy training periods slow decisions, increase errors, and leave veterans waiting even longer for answers.
The Veterans Law Judge Experience Act takes a practical, commonsense, and targeted step to address this challenge to encourage the Board of Veterans' Appeals to prioritize hiring judges with at least 3 years of veterans' law experience. That means more cases decided, fewer delays, and stronger retention of professionals who already understand this complex and deeply consequential area of the law.
Hiring experienced veteran law judges will help speed the appeals process, improve the accuracy of decisions, and reduce unnecessary appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veteran Claims.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are approximately 200,000 pending appeals before the board today--200,000 pending appeals before the board today.
Further, a GAO audit spanning 2019 to 2022, showed the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veteran Claims either partially or fully remanded more than 80 percent of veteran cases back to the board, resting the clock and compounding delays.
Madam Speaker, our obligation to veterans does not end when they no longer serve in uniform. It continues in how we care for them, how we honor their service, and how seriously we take the responsibility to deliver the benefits they have earned. That is what guides my work on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee and why I am proud to see this bipartisan bill move forward.
By strengthening the expertise of the Board of Veterans' Appeals, we can reduce the backlog, restore trust in the system, and ensure veterans receive the timely and fair decisions they deserve.
Madam Speaker, I respectfully urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill which passed the House Veterans' Affairs Committee with overwhelming bipartisan support.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 659, the Veterans Law Judge Experience Act of 2025. It is clear to me from the words on the floor from the ranking member of the House subcommittee, Julia Brownley, that this bill is wise, it is warranted, and it is well-thought-out.
The arguments for it are about helping our veterans receive their claims and get their claims approved in a timely manner. Again, I repeat my sentiment that we appreciate her service to this body. She has left an indelible mark on veterans' policy, on veterans' affairs, and I look forward to serving the balance of this year with my colleague and congratulate her on a brilliant career in the House of Representatives.
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the gentlewoman from California for her time in service here. I wish her the best. Hopefully, we will continue working together, as we still have a lot of things to get done. This bill is a very good bill.
Mr. Speaker, I, once again, encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 659.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1663) to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1663, as amended, offered by Representative Calvert from California.
This bill would protect veterans from scams and fraud that may target the benefits they earned through service. Too many veterans, along with their families, caregivers, and survivors, are being hit with savvy fraud schemes designed to steal personal information, drain bank accounts, and even redirect VA benefits to bad actors. When these scams happen, veterans often don't know where to turn inside the Federal system.
The VSAFE Act would take direct action to fix this issue. This bill would add dedicated veterans scam and fraud evasion officer positions at the Department of Veterans Affairs. This would rightfully build up VA's fraud prevention and response efforts across VA, so this problem is treated like a real threat, not just an afterthought.
Representative Calvert's bill would also require VA to improve communications during urgent fraud incidents, so veterans and their families are not left in the dark while scammers continue to strike. By building up VA's existing antifraud tools, adding new ones where necessary, we can combat fraud head-on.
Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, veterans should never lose their hard-earned benefits because the system failed to protect them from criminals. The VSAFE Act should strengthen the accountability, improve prevention, and give veterans the support and protection they deserve.
This bill takes an important step toward safeguarding veterans and strengthening trust in the VA system, and I am proud to support it.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1663, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in hesitant support of H.R. 1663, the Veterans Scam And Fraud Evasion, or VSAFE, Act, as amended.
I fully support the intention of this bill and strongly encourage the Department to fully resource the VSAFE program established under President Biden. However, the actions taken by the Trump administration over the last year will significantly hinder the great work that has been accomplished by the VSAFE Task Force, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which is, unfortunately, more pressing than ever.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, veterans reported some of the highest numbers of fraud complaints and greatest total losses in 2024, amounting to nearly $600 million. Veterans also continually face higher losses than their civilian counterparts, with median losses reported around $700, which is over $200 higher than the general population.
Both the FTC and CFPB have done important work in identifying the most pressing scams and fraudulent activities that target veterans and their families. These include scams like credit card fraud, investment schemes, and imposter scams, which seek to impersonate government officials, technology support, or even love interests to collect money or gain access to veterans' personal systems.
They have also identified the threat of multilevel marketing schemes and other ``business opportunities,'' like Amway, Mary Kay, and Herbalife, who regularly target veterans, servicemembers, and their families under the guise of patriotism, flexible hours, and financial independence.
I applaud my colleague, Representative Delia Ramirez, for offering an amendment to require specific trainings on these tactics to provide veterans and their families with clear, actionable guidance to protect their hard-earned benefits. It is unfortunate that this commonsense amendment was voted down by the Republican members of our committee.
Lastly, I find it ironic that these same Republican colleagues want to advance this legislation while our President actively dismantles the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, one of the only agencies set up to protect military and veteran consumers. This is ironic.
Since its inception in 2008, the CFPB has returned more than $21 billion--that is billion with a b--back to consumers, which includes hundreds of millions of dollars to servicemembers and veterans impacted by violations of the Military Lending Act. Unfortunately, President Trump has determined that those who served our Nation no longer deserve protections against bad actors who seek to profit off their benefits.
As fraudsters' ability to create more complex scams and become more convincing in their deceit thanks to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, the time to create informed and resourced tools is now.
H.R. 1663 marks a step in the right direction, but I urge my congressional colleagues to do more to help protect our Nation's veterans against these scams.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Someday, I would like to carry on this floor from our committee a bill that is actually sponsored by a Republican that my colleague can actually find totally good. We come out here every time, and he finds all the excuses of why this is bad, this is bad, and this is bad. This is a really good bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from
Mr. Speaker, through their service and sacrifice, our veterans willingly put themselves in harm's way to ensure the security of our country. It is our turn to ensure that they are protected from scams and fraud. That is why I introduced H.R. 1663, the Veterans Scam And Fraud Evasion Act, or VSAFE Act.
The sophistication and frequency of scams and fraud targeting our veterans are constantly increasing. According to a report from the Federal Trade Commission, U.S. veterans and military retirees reported $350 million in total fraud losses in 2023.
While a number of departments and staff work in an uncoordinated manner to combat fraud within the VA and other agencies, the VSAFE Act will establish a comprehensive effort that will assist our veterans by establishing a veterans scam and fraud evasion officer in the Department of Veterans Affairs who is responsible for all fraud prevention efforts.
By providing veterans with more consistent guidance on how to identify, report, and avoid fraud and scam attempts, we can reduce the occurrences that are occurring.
I thank Chairman Mike Bost and all the cosponsors of this bill for their support. I encourage all of my colleagues to protect our veterans by supporting the VSAFE Act.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.
In response to the chairman, let me just say that I did say that this bill was a step in the right direction, a step that could be a big leap if we all got behind bigger initiatives and called upon this administration to stop diminishing and diluting the power of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
The results of protecting military servicemembers and veterans by that particular agency are undisputed, and it became particularly impactful when it was in full force. The philosophy of this administration has been to diminish the authority and reach of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as well as the Federal Trade Commission, and our veterans are suffering.
In spite of this very small step we are taking with this bill, it is insufficient to take on the enormous challenge of fighting fraudsters in this country who will take advantage of those who have laid their lives on the line for all of us.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I intend to vote ``yes.'' I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. I encourage all Members to support this piece of legislation. I think it is a wonderful piece of legislation. It is way overdue.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1663, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5763) to amend the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to modify the criteria for loans for plant acquisition, construction, conversion or expansion, and for other purposes, on which the yeas and nays were ordered.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 383, nays 8, not voting 40, as follows:
Messrs. HARRIGAN and KNOTT changed their vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia and Mr. NORCROSS changed their vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Madam Speaker, I attended an official meeting that did not end on time and was not able to reach the House Chamber before the first vote of the series closed. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA Roll Call No. 32.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5764) to amend the Small Business Act to require small business development centers to assist small business concerns with the use of artificial intelligence, and for other purposes, as amended, on which the yeas and nays were ordered.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
This is a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 395, nays 14, not voting 22, as follows:
So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably absent and unable to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 32 and YEA on Roll Call No. 33.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Mr. Glenn Ritchey, a distinguished Floridian whose lifelong dedication to civic leadership, business excellence, and community service has left an indelible mark on Daytona Beach, the State of Florida, and the Nation.
Mr. Ritchey is the former mayor of Daytona Beach, serving from 2006 to 2012. He contributed his time to a wide range of civic, educational, and charitable organizations. His service demonstrates a steadfast commitment to progress and public good.
His accomplishments have been recognized with dozens of prestigious awards, including the United Way's Herbert M. Davidson Award for Outstanding Community Service and the NAACP Humanitarian of the Year Award. In 2019, he was honored for the 18th consecutive year as a GM Dealer of the Year, one of only three dealers in the Nation to hold that distinction.
Glenn Ritchey is also a proud family man, with four children, nine grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to honor Glenn Ritchey for a life dedicated to service, leadership, and community. He embodies the very best of American citizenship, and I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing his remarkable contributions.
Mr. Speaker, I rise a proud South Carolina State University alumnus to congratulate its football team on their new title, the 2025 HBCU national champions. The Bulldogs erased a 21-point half-time deficit, scoring three touchdowns in the third quarter to win the Cricket Celebration Bowl in a four-overtime thriller over Prairie View A&M University. I offer my not-so-sincere apologies to my good friend and colleague, Emanuel Cleaver.
The Bulldogs finished the season 10-3 and claimed their second Celebration Bowl title and third appearance in the classic over the past 5 years.
It was also a great honor for the city and county of Orangeburg. The State of South Carolina showed its appreciation by flying the school's flag over the Capitol dome yesterday as the Nation honored HBCU graduate, Martin Luther King, Jr.
Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues join me in congratulating the South Carolina State University Bulldogs for their exceptional season. This championship will be remembered not only for the trophies earned and individual achievements but for the sportsmanship of the Prairie View A&M Panthers.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge the House to immediately consider and pass the FDA Modernization Act 3.0, which reduces unnecessary animal testing.
Many of our families would feel incomplete without the pets and animals that bring unconditional love to our lives. However, there are millions of animals in our country that are forced into inhumane testing for pharmaceutical development.
When I think about healthcare policy in Congress, I recognize the need to protect the lives of those who cannot defend themselves. In 2022, I helped pass the FDA Modernization Act 2.0, allowing drug developers to use modern, animal-free testing methods for the first time.
This act was intended to cut the requirements from the FDA that put so many animals in harm's way. Unfortunately, under the Biden administration, the FDA did not fully implement this law, limiting its effectiveness and leaving animals at risk.
That is why I introduced a bill called the FDA Modernization Act 3.0 to compel the FDA's career bureaucrats to finally implement the will of the Congress and the American people.
This bill not only helps to reduce and replace the use of animals in nonclinical research, but it works to improve these methods and reduce the time of drug development.
Mr. Speaker, by passing this bill, Congress can save animal lives and accelerate the delivery of safer, more affordable, and effective medications.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and salute the exceptional life of M. Christina Selin, known as Chris to all of her friends, a resident of New Rochelle, and a tremendous community leader.
Chris is, by profession, a lawyer with a practice in business and commercial law. She is an active member of the New Rochelle Bar Association as part of that commitment to the law, but Chris' work goes well beyond that.
She served for over a decade as a councilwoman on the New Rochelle City Council, representing the city's South End, service as president of the New Rochelle Public Library Foundation, active in her neighborhood Sutton Manor Residents Association, and an ever-present participant at major community events, like the summer concerts and all of the other programs that always happened with Chris present and participating.
In testimony to her community impact, she was named grand marshal for the 2025 New Rochelle Thanksgiving Day Parade, the largest such parade in the county, and she has received numerous awards and recognitions.
This week, Chris celebrates her 80th birthday at a soiree at Alvin & Friends, the popular downtown New Rochelle establishment, where she will be surrounded by friends and well-wishers.
Mr. Speaker, from the floor of the House of Representatives, we salute this neighbor and friend who is making a tremendous contribution every day to her profession and to her home community.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an extraordinary milestone for one of our community's most cherished institutions, Helen Hayes Hospital, celebrating over 125 years of service as of last year.
Founded in 1900 as one of our Nation's earliest hospitals dedicated to caring for children with physical disabilities, Helen Hayes Hospital has grown from a small cottage in Tarrytown to a nationally recognized leader in rehabilitation right in the heart of West Haverstraw.
For generations, families across the Hudson Valley and far beyond have turned to Helen Hayes during some of their most challenging moments, including my grandmother who was recovering from a heart attack. Time after time, the doctors, nurses, therapists, and staff have delivered world-class care rooted in compassion, expertise, and a deep commitment to every patient's recovery.
From treating children affected by tuberculosis and polio to helping today's patients rebuild their lives after strokes, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, and complex surgeries, Helen
Mr. Speaker, I thank every member of their team, past and present, for the life-changing work they have done for our community for the last 125 years.
Mr. Speaker, I will offer my impression of a congressional Member owl who will not stand up to the unconstitutional acts of this administration.
Who? Who me? Everything is okay. I see the beatings on TV. I see ICE showing up at people's doors. I see what is happening, but I am not getting in the way. I am going to keep my head down.
Mr. Speaker, last night the country watched something nobody predicted: Indiana, national football champions. Our Hoosiers beat Miami 27-21, and finished a perfect season and brought the title home to Indiana.
I say that as a proud IU alum, former chairman of our IU Alumni Association, over 800,000 living alumni strong. My wife, Mary, and I have been cheering on our Hoosiers since our college days.
We will be talking about this play for a long time: Fourth and five, Fernando Mendoza puts his head down, bounces off defenders, spins, stretches, and powers in for the touchdown.
Coach Curt Cignetti took over just two seasons ago. There were no shortcuts and no gimmicks. It was just work and belief.
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate IU's president Pam Whitten, our AD Scott Dolson, every player and coach, and our Hoosier fans who never gave up.
Coach Cignetti said of the season: ``It would be a helluva movie,'' and he is right.
Mr. Speaker, it is beyond time to defund ICE. It is beyond time to stop the violence. It is beyond time to stop the unfettered use of force against our communities and to stop the lawless violation of human and civil rights. It is beyond time, Mr. Speaker, to stop the rot from the top, which has turned this agency into a rogue and lawless force that is terrorizing our communities.
This week, the House will consider funding for DHS and give even more funding to ICE.
Let me be clear, Mr. Speaker: I am not only a no, I am a hell no.
From unleashing violence in Minneapolis to dog whistles from the White House, I have received countless calls from New Mexicans calling for an end to this violence because we cannot and we will not allow ICE to tear our country apart. We refuse to allow this administration to terrorize this country, and that is why I will be damned if we give one more dollar to that rogue organization, Mr. Speaker. That is why I will vote ``no,'' and that is why we must defund ICE.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the 2025 New Jersey 10th Black History Month Essay Contest winners.
I love this contest because it showcases the amazing talent found in the halls of our New Jersey-10 schools. Uplifting our prolific young writers is vital to empowering the next generation of New Jersey leaders.
Last year, Emma Andre from Cranford High School, Mia Jones from University High School, Bruno Mendes from Science Park High School, Chris Tacuri from Science Park High School, and Demetrius Williams from East Orange STEM Academy High School were each recognized for their tributes to Black history trailblazers. This year, the contest continues in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Black History Month.
Mr. Speaker, 100 years later, where do we go from here? I am challenging New Jersey-10 students to ponder this question and examine the current state of Black history, envisioning its future for generations to come. Submissions are due by February 23.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, alongside hundreds of Ohioans, our community of Toledo celebrated the sacrificial life and works of Reverend Martin Luther King.
Macedonia Baptist Church in Toledo, and its rousing choir, welcomed guest speaker and NAACP's national executive board member, Reverend Dr. Wendell Anthony, who spoke eloquently of the living legacy of Reverend Dr. King.
One quote of Dr. King remains alive--and there are so many that do-- but is particularly poignant and courageous. He said:
``I'm not one to lose hope. I keep on hoping. I still have faith in the future. But I have had to analyze many things over the last few years. And I would say over the last few months, I've gone through a lot of soul-searching and agonizing moments. And I have come to see that we have many more difficulties ahead. Some of the old optimism was a little superficial, and now it must be tempered with solid realism. And I think the realistic fact is that we still have a long, long way to go.''
Mr. Speaker, until his life was taken from him, he worked for hope, optimism, and to build a better world every day. I share that with every citizen of our country.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and congratulate Abigail Ross Hopper, who is retiring from her role as president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association.
For nearly a decade, Abby has led efforts to develop, to enact, and defend policies to support solar energy and energy storage.
During this time, the solar industry has been massively successful. Costs have come down dramatically. Some 250 gigawatts of installed solar capacity nationwide now exist. That is enough to power 45 million homes, making solar an important and rapidly growing part of our electricity mix.
As of 2024, the industry employed 280,000 Americans across thousands of companies including a recent boom in domestic manufacturing jobs. One of the greatest developments over the past few years has been the huge growth in American-made solar panels and components.
Thanks to policies championed by Abby and SEIA, the United States has become the third largest solar module manufacturer in the world. While I am saddened by Abby's departure, I am confident that because of her leadership, the solar industry is well-positioned to continue playing a leading role in delivering the affordable, reliable, and pollution-free electricity that Americans are indeed counting on.
Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to anchor this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour, as we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose national holiday was yesterday and who would have been 97 years old on January 15.
Mr. Speaker, 1 year ago today was Martin Luther King Day. It was also Inauguration Day. As I sat in the rotunda watching the President take the oath of office, I couldn't help but ponder the final question that Dr. King pondered in the last year of his life: Where do we go from here? Chaos or community.
Dr. King asked this question after the victory of the Civil Rights Act and after the victory of the Voting Rights Act. He pondered what the Black community should do with this extraordinary power, the power of the vote, when for the first time in American history, a government by, of, and for the people finally included Black Americans.
He focused on addressing poverty. He focused on addressing discrimination. He focused on addressing war. I thought about another speech that he gave shortly before he died called: ``Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution.''
Before Inauguration Day, one of the architects of Project 2025, which has been the blueprint for the second Trump administration, said this is the second American Revolution, which will be peaceful if the left allows it. I thought about what Dr. King would say today. His words remain relevant.
Within hours of the President taking his oath of office, chaos was unleashed. Through an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion, we saw over the past year efforts to roll back the hard-won victories of the civil rights movement.
We see at the Supreme Court right now a case that could gut what remains of the Voting Rights Act after the court gutted section 5 and section 4 effectively in the Shelby County v. Holder case.
We have seen Black and Brown communities, including American citizens, living in terror as ICE agents show up on streets, door to door, in our courthouses, and on the way to school, grabbing people and violating their due process rights.
We have seen trade wars that make the cost of everything go up. We have seen a Federal workforce--which was the doorway to the middle class for many Black Americans--we have seen a Federal workforce, in the words of Russell Vought, ``traumatized.'' We have seen the largest cuts to food assistance and healthcare coverage in American history. That is just the tip of the iceberg. Chaos has been unleashed.
Dr. King in his time, while he fought chaos, he stayed focused on community. He stayed focused on building what he called the beloved community. I think the beloved community is best described as a community in which we care for one another. It is where we feed the hungry, where we care for the sick, and where we house the homeless.
He focused on making sure that the promises upon which this country was founded ring true for every American.
Before he died, he wondered if the dream that he talked about on the March on Washington had become a nightmare and was too far out of reach. Yet, on the night before he died, he told us that he had seen the Promised Land, that he wouldn't get there with us, but he still believed in the power of community and the power of the beloved community.
Today, the Congressional Black Caucus is carrying forward his work. We are his legacy. We ensure that what he fought for--what John Lewis fought for, and what millions of Americans have fought for--since the first day in 1619, when Africans were brought to these shores involuntarily--endures. From day one, through acts of rebellion, resistance, and self-liberation, fought for an America that included them, and we the people.
We carry out that legacy, and we will fight the chaos every single day to ensure that his work continues. Whether it is expanding the right to vote, whether it is fighting unjust wars, whether it is working to eradicate poverty, whether it is standing up for the constitutional rights of every American, as the conscience of the Congress, we will continue that legacy.
Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield to our chairwoman, the Congresswoman from New York (Ms. Clarke).
Mr. Speaker, I am Representative Yvette D. Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, proudly representing New York's Ninth Congressional District in central and south Brooklyn.
I thank Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan for anchoring this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour.
Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight with my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus to commemorate the life and legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. King held an unyielding belief that women and men everywhere, regardless of color or creed, are equal. He used the power of words and the example of nonviolent resistance to bring us closer to racial and economic justice.
Dr. King was a man of courage, principles, and faith. We are forever in his debt. Today, his example inspires us all toward our highest ideals as Americans. As we gather to honor the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., an American hero and patriot, we are keenly aware of the pivotal moment in history in which we stand and of the forces actively working to undermine his life's work.
At a time when the most vulnerable communities in our Nation are under relentless attack, the Congressional Black Caucus continues to uphold Dr. King's legacy, rooted in justice, fairness, and equity for all.
Today, ironically, also marks the 1-year anniversary of the Trump administration. As we reflect on the damage that this administration has inflicted on communities across this Nation, we call on our colleagues across the aisle to honor the teachings and philosophy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and to work with us to reject the hateful agenda that has taken hold.
Dr. King devoted his life to reminding us that silence in the face of injustice is not an option. As he so powerfully said: ``Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.''
The Congressional Black Caucus refuses to remain silent in the face of the pain this administration inflicts on the American people, from the assaults on voting rights with the looming Louisiana v. Callais decision before the Supreme Court, to deepening economic inequality, to the threats against our Nation's healthcare.
Today, we are recommitting ourselves to the fight of keeping Dr. King's dream and his mission alive.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the Commonwealth of Virginia for yielding and to the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congresswoman Clarke, and all of our colleagues for the work that we do every single day to live out the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the legacy of my dear fraternity brother and trailblazing leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, I speak with urgency about the American Dream; specifically, that dream being under attack.
More than 60 years ago, Dr. King warned this Nation that America had given Black Americans ``a bad check, a check which has come back marked `insufficient funds,' '' a promise made but not kept, opportunity delayed and justice deferred.
Mr. Speaker, that warning still rings true today. Dr. King reminded us that public policy is a moral act. What we choose to fund and what we choose to cut reveals who we value and who we leave behind. Right now, working families in my home State of Nevada and all across this country are feeling the consequences of those choices: Prices are rising. Wages are stretched thin. Too many people are working full-time but still falling behind.
While families are struggling to make ends meet, this administration is attempting to rewrite history. Just recently, the current occupant of the White House claimed that civil rights-era protections left White Americans ``very badly treated.''
These false and dangerous claims tarnish Dr. King's legacy and the history in which he lived, which is at risk of repeating itself today.
Dr. King called for a revolution of values, and I rise today with my colleagues to reinforce that cause. Today, that revolution means choosing people over profits, workers over Wall Street, and families over special interests.
The American Dream is not dead, but it is under attack. If we lead with courage, invest with purpose, and govern with our values, we can revive it for Nevada and for our entire Nation. That is how we honor Dr. King's legacy: by building an America of equal opportunity, shared prosperity, and dignity for all.
I encourage all of my colleagues, regardless of party lines, to do their part in honoring Dr. King through their actions. That is how we carry on his legacy, and that is how we revive the dream.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for organizing this Special Order hour and for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in reflecting on the life, legacy, and enduring moral leadership of the great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose vision of justice and equality continues to shape our Nation's conscience.
Dr. King's work reminds us that progress in this country has never been inevitable and that the rights and freedoms that we cherish have always required vigilance, courage, and sustained commitment. Today, that lesson is as urgent as ever. Across our country, communities are feeling the weight of an administration that governs through extremism, division, punishment, and exclusion.
We see it in attacks on our voting rights, in efforts to criminalize protests, in targeting immigrants and asylum seekers, in the rollback of civil rights protections, and in policies that deepen economic inequality while shielding the powerful from accountability.
Dr. King did not believe justice was self-executed. He understood that progress is never handed down. It is demanded. He warned us, as you heard from our chairwoman, that our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
Silence, Mr. Speaker, is exactly what this moment does not allow.
Progress is never achieved without persistence, and justice is never advanced without those willing to confront complacency and demand accountability.
The Congressional Black Caucus will not be silent while families are pushed deeper into poverty, while communities of color are targeted by discriminatory policies, and while the promise of our democracy is narrowed to serve the few instead of the many.
We refuse to accept the vision of America where cruelty is policy and inequality is the goal. Instead, we stand in the tradition of Dr. King, committed to dignity, equity, and justice for all. We will continue to speak out, to act, and to fight until the promise of this Nation is fully realized.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Virginia for hosting this event, and I also thank the Congressional Black Caucus for the focus on this issue tonight.
I was a child in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, in the late 1960s. I lived across the street from the Booker T. Washington High School, so you know what side of town I lived on.
Rocky Mount was a city that was still segregated. In fact, it was literally divided by the railroad tracks that ran through the middle of the town. The Whites lived on one side; the Blacks lived on the other.
My parents were both graduates of that high school, and I had gone to work at that point. My mother worked in the school system. In the late 1960s, the schools were still segregated. I was able to see how that changed as my mother was working and then had the chance to work at other schools as the schools integrated.
I knew that the connection was the civil rights movement that was led by Dr. Martin Luther King, and Dr. Martin Luther King had preached at that gymnasium at the Booker T. Washington High School a few years earlier. I was probably too young to remember him even showing up, but we recognized the power of that movement and his leadership.
His leadership was a courage rooted in faith and total commitment to public service. He knew he was going to be killed, as you know from the ``I've Been to the Mountaintop'' speech he delivered the night before he was assassinated, but he still went on.
In 1956, after he had just graduated--or he was still working on his dissertation, actually working on graduating with his Ph.D.--he was called to Montgomery to preach at a church there and lead the church. When he got there, he was drafted to become the leader of the SCLC, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He was put in that position because they had conflicting groups. They couldn't decide who the leader should be, but they knew it was a critical time, and they knew that this young man, whose father had been a preacher, had talent. They put him in the middle of that position.
This is a young man--I think he was around 26--who moves to a new town, doesn't know anybody there, with his wife and child. He becomes the pastor of a church. He is still writing his dissertation at night, and then he becomes the leader of the Montgomery bus boycott. Talk about gifted leadership.
Not too far into that--they were a few days in, actually--the White segregationists realized that this bus boycott was serious. They knew that it was real. They started with the threats. They tried to threaten people and threaten to take their jobs away, but they weren't able to get away with that. They weren't able to undermine the bus boycott with threats, so they actually started calling Dr. King's house. They threatened his wife, and they threatened him.
Eventually, the threats became real. In 1956, somebody put a bomb at his house and blew up the front part of it. His wife was there. His young baby was there. Thank God, neither of them was hurt. When Dr. King heard about it, he prayed and then ran to his house as quickly as he could.
When he got there, a crowd had gathered, hundreds of people, African Americans who lived in that community and knew about Dr. King and attended his church. They were angry. If they had guns, they brought those. If they had weapons, they brought those. If they didn't have that, they grabbed a shovel or whatever they could get their hands on and went to the house because they were ready to seek revenge, but Dr. King said: That is not our way.
The Christian leadership that he provided was deeply rooted in faith, deeply rooted in nonviolence, and was ultimately tested that night. He met the test that night and continued forward.
Part of that movement ended up resulting in the civil rights legislation that became the crown jewel of the American democracy, because America wasn't really a democracy in 1776 or when the Constitution was written in the 1787-1789 era. It certainly wasn't a democracy after the Civil War because right after that, when Reconstruction ended, the Ku Klux Klan rose up. They reasserted their right to white supremacy.
African Americans who had been freed from slavery were pushed back into an ugly version, an ugly, violent version that we called segregation. The Jim Crow laws were put in place. Many of them had achieved positions, including being elected to this body, and all of that was stripped away.
For the next 100 years or so, African Americans lived under the threat of violence. If you looked at a White woman the wrong way, you could end up dead. If she just thought you looked at her the wrong way, you could end up dead. That is what happened to Emmett Till.
Not only that, you had African Americans who came back from service after World War II, including my father-in-law, and what they found was an America that was still deeply violent, deeply racial.
In fact, one of the veterans who came back who had served in the military and fought in World War II had his eyes gouged out when he came back, an act of violence that shocked the country, but didn't shock it enough. We had other lynchings, and the like, that went through that era and continued until the 1960s. That is when Dr. King and the civil rights movement had their rendezvous with destiny.
I am here tonight to thank him for the work that he did. The Voting Rights Act, which is one of the key pieces of legislation that came out of that era, is now under attack. It is under threat. It is pending in front of the Supreme Court across the street. We won't know how it is going to turn out until the opinion is released, but I tell you what: We are not in the same place we were even then. When the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965, yes, there was division. There were people who opposed it. There were segregationists--they called themselves Dixiecrats then--who opposed it, as well.
When it was reauthorized in 2006, the vote in the House was 390-33, and it passed the Senate unanimously. President Reagan had signed a previous reauthorization. President Bush signed this one, and that was just 20 years ago. What has happened to the country since then?
I will say this: We all know that the vote is the most powerful tool in a democracy. We all know that there are challenges to votes, voting ability, and voting rights across the country. We have disagreements, I suppose, with our Republican colleagues about some of that, but we need to make sure we remain vigilant and keep working hard to protect those rights.
I had a chance over the weekend to do a couple of things. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, I had a chance to visit churches and groups that were celebrating Dr. King, remembering Dr. King. I went to First Baptist Church of Highland Park, Faith Temple No. 2, and the AKAs had a day of service that I was happy to attend and have a chance to speak to them, worship with them, and work with them.
They are all concerned about where the country is going and the challenges to American democracy and the civil rights movement that gave us the rights that we have today.
I think it is critical for us to remember a couple of things. One is the work continues, no doubt. I have strong disagreements, to say the least, with the current administration, and I commit myself to fighting against the excesses and the wrongs that are going on there.
On Friday, I went with a group of Democrats to Minnesota to deal with the protests there, to see them firsthand. They reminded me in some ways of the civil rights protests from back in that era, the protests in Selma that led to the Voting Rights Act passage, the protests in Birmingham. The violence is shocking. People are dying. The shooting of Renee Good is just one example of those that has reached the media attention, but there are more of these going on all across the country. I saw clips of people and heard their testimony, people who were dragged out of cars, people who were citizens but were still arrested anyway and taken to the ICE detention center and not released for hours, people who were denied the right to call for an attorney, people who were denied the basic constitutional rights that my colleague from Virginia was talking about.
We have got to make sure we turn that around. We have got to make sure that we protect the rights that the civil rights movement was about defending and even beyond that the Fourth Amendment, the Fifth Amendment, all of those things were put in place 250 years ago, which is the anniversary we are about to celebrate later this year, and rightly so.
We are not a perfect country. We are not a perfect nation, but we have been called to a perfect mission. We need to fulfill that mission.
I think it is important to wrap up with this. Dr. King's dream, kids learn about it in school now, and they see the replays, but in some ways the dream has become a memory for many. I think it is important for us to recall that the dream is not a memory, it is a mandate. It is a mission. It is a movement that we need to continue to make sure we get that work done that Dr. King died for and so many others died for, as well.
I thank my colleague again for putting on this event tonight, giving us a chance to remember Dr. King and think about the civil rights movement and where we are going as a nation. I want to continue to fight alongside her and all my colleagues with the Congressional Black Caucus and my colleagues here in the House of Representatives on both sides of the aisle as we work to get this done.
Mr. Speaker, you see behind me a quote from Dr. King that he gave in an interview in 1967 where he talks about how in many ways the dream that he articulated in the march on Washington had become a nightmare. Most people are surprised by that.
Why did it become a nightmare?
It became a nightmare because after the victories of the Civil Rights Act, after the victory of the Voting Rights Act, when he really began to address the systemic issues facing this country of poverty, of hatred, of war, he began to see how deeply ingrained in American culture racism really was.
He began to see that the systemic racism couldn't just be overcome with laws. I think for many African Americans today that is the heartbreak that we face. When Dr. King spoke at the march on Washington, he said that in many ways the marchers had come to collect on a promissory note in our Declaration of Independence written 250 years ago, which promised that all men were endowed by their creator with the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Thomas Jefferson didn't mean all men. He didn't include the men, women, and children that he owned, including his children and the mother of those children.
When James Madison, the architect of the Constitution wrote the Virginia Plan that led to the Constitution in the beginning, ``We the people . . . in order to form a more perfect Union'' and laid out a vision of government by, of, and for the people, it didn't include all the people.
My ancestors, our ancestors here in the Congressional Black Caucus, weren't even deemed people. They were deemed three-fifths of a person for purposes of apportionment. They were treated as property and in some cases animals.
We have a country that was literally built on the backs of a whole race of people with an ideal that was revolutionary: it said the power of government derives from the people.
My ancestors believed in that ideal just as much as yours, Mr. Speaker, but it took us a long time to participate in that government, in that promise. That is what the civil rights movement was about.
It was also about recognizing the basic decency and dignity of every human being, regardless of where they are born, regardless of how they worship, regardless of the color of their skin.
We still have a long way to go, because what diversity, equity, and inclusion recognizes is that when the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act and all of the laws that were passed because of the work of Dr. King, they weren't a magic wand that erased over 300 years of the impact of slavery and Jim Crow. That requires intention, intentional unwinding to recognize that you have people like my mother's family, who her parents, her brothers, and her sisters didn't go to school beyond the eighth grade because the State of Mississippi didn't find it important to educate Black children, and while the Catholic church did, they only educated Black children until the eighth grade. Their opportunities were limited.
You had neighborhoods like Jackson Ward that I represent that was once the Harlem of the South, decisions were made to cut that neighborhood in half by a highway and segregate part of that neighborhood away from everything that they needed. Those were intentional decisions that were made rooted in this community doesn't matter.
So, part of the nightmare has been the very things used to try to erase the legacy of Jim Crow and slavery have now been weaponized against that progress. When you see the President of the United States deride the very things used to try to eradicate the legacy of Jim Crow and slavery to divide again, to wedge, to sow division, it is as old as time.
The history of this country has been every time we make progress towards the ideal, there is backlash, and it involves three things: violence, propaganda, and voter suppression.
My great-grandfather lived through the first backlash. He was a man born on a plantation. His parents were enslaved. He exercised his right to vote after he was given a literacy test. He got all the questions right, and he heard the registrar say--and this is the only time you will hear me use this word is in a direct quote--``I need more questions because this nigger got them all right.'' He was on a list, do not register this man to vote.
My parents saw the second backlash to the civil rights movement. We are in the third backlash now.
What the backlash involves is propaganda that breaks up coalitions, whether it was a coalition of previously enslaved Black men and poor nonlandowning Whites who came together during Reconstruction to rebuild this Nation, the backlash to that involved racial terror lynching, or the lie of white supremacy and a rash of voter suppression laws that completely ignored the 14th and 15th Amendments.
The backlash in the civil rights movement of Dr. King was a Southern strategy that intentionally carved a wedge between Black and White communities--it was intentional in order to suppress the vote--and the murder of our leaders who fought to change those laws and to change the system.
We are in that backlash right now. We have a choice, and Dr. King spelled it out. We decide where we go from here.
We decide: Is it more chaos, division, hatred, propaganda, violence, voter suppression, and tyranny where we pit one group against another to stay in power?
That is one choice.
Dr. King gave his life for community where we come together, where we work together, and where we uplift each other. We care for one another, we love one another, and we live up to the ideal upon which this country was founded.
He died for that because it meant some people found that idea dangerous.
We, the Congressional Black Caucus, stand here today recommitted to making his dream a reality. We won't give in to the nightmare. We will not give in to the chaos. Not only will we fight the chaos, we will fight for community. We can't do it alone.
Just like the civil rights movement during Reconstruction and just like the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, it required people coming together from all walks of life putting aside hatred and division and loving their neighbor and their enemy. We can do that. We need a little love today. We need a little light in the darkness. We need community in the midst of the chaos.
We have to do it because while we are fighting the same fights that our parents, our grandparents, and our great-grandparents fought, we cannot leave those fights to our children, our grandchildren, or our great-grandchildren if we expect this country to survive.
That is because what Dr. King also recognized was that now human beings hold the power to destroy each other and to destroy this planet. If we don't get ahold of our hatred, then a lot of lives will be destroyed.
That is not what Dr. King wanted. That is not what people elect us to do. They elect us to help people and solve problems. They elect us to focus on community. Let's not give into the chaos.
Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.
The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 8 o'clock and 3 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.
