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40 public bills, H.R. 8496- 8535; and 3 resolutions, H. Con. Res. 91; and H. Res. 1216-1217, were introduced.
Pages H3122-23
Report Filed
A report was filed today as follows: H.R. 6903, to require the Secretary of State to revoke any United States passport issued to an individual, on receipt of a certification by the Secretary of Health and Human Services that the individual has a child support arrearage exceeding $2,500, with an amendment (H. Rept. 119-624, Part 1).
Page H3122
Speaker
Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed Representative Crank to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
Page H3095
Recess
The House recessed at 12:22 p.m. and reconvened at 2 p.m.
Page H3097
Recess
The House recessed at 2:07 p.m. and reconvened at 2:59 p.m.
Page H3098
Recess
The House recessed at 5:12 p.m. and reconvened at 6:30 p.m.
Page H3117
Suspensions
The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the following measures: Expanding the sharing of information with respect to suspected violations of intellectual property rights in trade: H.R. 4930, amended, to expand the sharing of information with respect to suspected violations of intellectual property rights in trade;
Pages H3098-H3100
Barcode Automation for Revenue Collection to Organize Disbursement and Enhance Efficiency Act
H.R. 6956, amended, to require electronically prepared tax returns to include scannable code when submitted on paper, and to require the use of optical character recognition technology for paper documents received by the Internal Revenue Service;
Pages H3100-1
Taxpayer Experience Improvement Act
H.R. 7971, amended, to provide for modernization and technological improvements of services provided by the Internal Revenue Service;
Pages H3101-4
IRS Whistleblower Program Improvement Act
H.R. 7959, amended, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make improvements with respect to the treatment of whistleblowers, by a 2/3 yea-and-nay vote of 346 yeas to 10 nays, Roll No. 138;
Pages H3104-6, H3117-18
Taxpayer Notification and Privacy Act
H.R. 6495, amended, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for specific taxpayer notice when information is sought from third parties;
Pages H3106-7
Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act
H.R. 5366, amended, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to codify and extend the rules for personal casualty losses arising from major disasters and the rules for the exclusion from gross income of compensation for losses or damages resulting from certain wildfires;
Pages H3107-10
Survivor Justice Tax Prevention Act
H.R. 2347, amended, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude from gross income any damages, other than punitive damages, received on account of any sexual acts or sexual contact;
H.R. 5334, amended, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow early childhood educators to take the educator expense deduction;
Pages H3111-13
Ensuring Children Receive Support Act
H.R. 6903, amended, to require the Secretary of State to revoke any United States passport issued to an individual, on receipt of a certification by the Secretary of Health and Human Services that the individual has a child support arrearage exceeding $2,500;
Pages H3113-14
New Opportunities for Business Ownership and Self-Sufficiency Act
H.R. 6431, amended, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the rules governing the State administration of self-employment assistance programs;
Pages H3114-15
Clergy Act
H.R. 227, amended, to allow a period in which members of the clergy may revoke their exemption from Social Security coverage, by a 2/3 yea-and-nay vote of 350 yeas to 5 nays, Roll No. 139; and
Pages H3115-16, H3118-19
Amending title 5, United States Code, to authorize the increase of the retirement age in the United States Capitol Police
H.R. 8364, to amend title 5, United States Code, to authorize the increase of the retirement age in the United States Capitol Police.
Pages H3116-17
Order of Business
Agreed by unanimous consent that it be in order at any time to consider H. Con. Res. 75 in the House if called up by the chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs or his designee; that the concurrent resolution be considered as read; and that the previous question be considered as ordered on the concurrent resolution without intervening motion except for one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by Representative Mast of Florida and Representative Meeks of New York, or their respective designees.
Page H3119
Meeting Hour
Agreed by unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow, April 28th.
Page H3119
Quorum Calls: Votes
Two yea-and-nay votes developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H3117-18 and H3118-19. Adjournment: The House met at 12 p.m. and adjourned at 7:30 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: 109 of 187 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, with pride and admiration, I rise to congratulate Zach and Tesa Stinson of Chambersburg on their impressive performances in the 130th Boston Marathon.
Zach dominated the handcycle division to win his fourth Boston Marathon title, and Tesa finished her first-ever Boston Marathon.
Zach, a previous champion in 2021, 2023, and 2024, covered the 26.2- mile course in just over an hour.
A United States Marine Corps veteran, Zach lost his legs after stepping on an IED while serving in Afghanistan in 2010. He began competing in marathons in 2012 and has made eight appearances in Boston.
The day before the marathon, both Zach and Tesa threw out the ceremonial first pitches at Fenway Park.
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate both Zach and Tesa for their achievements that reflect athletic ability, endurance, and personal strength.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor McCartney's of Altoona as they commemorate two milestones of success--100 years of family ownership in 2026 and 140 years of operation in 2027.
McCartney's was founded in 1887 by Thomas McCartney. In 1926, the business was purchased by John Tracey. Today, McCartney's is owned by Randy Green, who is John Tracey's great-grandson.
As workplaces adapted to changing needs over the years, the product lines at McCartney's have also expanded.
Defined by a commitment to personal service, McCartney's has cultivated a loyal customer base throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia.
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Randy Green and his entire team at McCartney's on these milestones. I express my personal gratitude for his enduring contributions to economic development as a valued family- owned business.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of a bipartisan bill that I reintroduced last week known as the DAIRY PRIDE Act. This legislation will restore honesty in how we label the foods that Americans rely on every day.
As a doctor, I have seen firsthand how proper nutrition shapes long- term health. Dairy products provide essential nutrients that support strong bones, brain function, and muscle health.
Today, consumers are increasingly faced with products labeled as milk, cheese, or yogurt that do not meet the same nutritional standards.
This is not just a labeling issue. It is a public health issue. When families are misled at the grocery store, they cannot make fully informed decisions about their nutrition.
The DAIRY PRIDE Act both supports our hardworking dairy farmers and protects the American consumer.
Mr. Speaker, as this enters the legislative process, I urge all of my colleagues to support this commonsense reform.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Medicare Advantage Improvement Act, a bipartisan, commonsense effort to strengthen a program that millions of seniors rely on.
Medicare Advantage has grown rapidly, but with that growth, serious concerns have arisen. Across our country, seniors are facing unnecessary delays, burdensome prior authorization requirements, and inappropriate denials of care.
These hurdles are harmful. They take away time from the doctor- patient relationship, and in some cases, they actually delay critical treatment.
This legislation is about ensuring that when a doctor and patient determine that a patient needs a specific care, that care is delivered without interference from unnecessary red tape.
Medicare is a promise to our seniors, and we, in Congress, have a responsibility to uphold that promise.
This legislation would protect our seniors, strengthen accountability, and ensure that Medicare Advantage works in the way that it was intended.
Mr. Speaker, places of worship and nonprofit centers have always been sanctuaries of hope, spirituality, and community in our country, but violence and hate continue to be on the rise. Places of worship are increasingly becoming targets.
Between 2021 and 2023, attacks on churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques increased by nearly 100 percent. Overall, hate crimes in the U.S. are up more than 80 percent since 2015, and 2025 was ranked as the fifth highest year for hate crimes in the FBI's 34-year history of tracking this data.
We need to do more, and that is why I am calling on my colleagues to continue to support nonprofit security grants and other hate prevention programs. We need to help nonprofit organizations, especially houses of worship and religious community centers, enhance physical security against terrorist attacks and threats to them.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to call out the rise we are seeing in hateful rhetoric. It has no place in our communities, and it certainly has no place in the Halls of Congress.
Let's fund this effort. Let's continue to support and protect our places of worship.
Mr. Speaker, we can all agree that the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service is critical to keeping our food safe and protecting us from foodborne illnesses. This administration is trying to undermine this office and our country's ability to prevent foodborne illness.
Just last week, the USDA announced that it is moving its food safety headquarters from D.C. to another part of the country. Now, 200 food safety experts will have to choose between uprooting their lives or staying in their jobs.
We have seen this before. The last time the administration moved a USDA office across the country, it was two research-focused offices, and moving them was a complete disaster for the work of those offices. They lost over a third of their full-time staff, particularly the most experienced people, and they saw steep declines in agency productivity. It completely disrupted the grants and research that they do.
This administration claims that the food safety office continues operating without interruption during this move, but we know from experience that is just not true. In every other case, the people who resigned were the people who had the most experience, the people we needed the most.
Mr. Speaker, the American people can't afford to have an inexperienced, understaffed, and unproductive food safety office, so the USDA needs to stop this move and stop jeopardizing our Nation's food safety.
Mr. Speaker, we have been hearing for weeks now about how the DHS shutdown needs to end because TSA workers need to get paid, and I agree.
TSA workers have now been working with sporadic pay for 10 weeks. They may even get furloughed again until we decide to end this shutdown by putting the Senate Bill on the floor.
I want to draw your attention to the President's budget. While the President and his administration talk about the importance of TSA workers and keeping lines short at the airport, the President's own budget suggests cutting almost 10,000 TSA agents.
This is all part of a larger plan to get rid of the TSA altogether. For those keeping score at home like me, this is chapter 5 of Project 2025.
Cutting these TSA jobs would mean a lot of things, like worse quality service, cuts to employee pay and benefits, customer dissatisfaction, and a higher risk of errors at places like our airports, where there is no room for error.
Mr. Speaker, I could keep going. The next time the President or any administration official talks about how we need to end this shutdown to support TSA workers, just look at the President's budget.
Mr. Speaker, data centers hold critical information we use every day and keep the internet running.
Whether it is AI, blockchain, or any other innovations in technology, data centers are going to be a key part of this.
Because data centers are so critical, they are becoming targets during wars. Look at the Russian-Ukrainian war. Russia is attacking Ukrainian data centers. Iran has struck commercial data centers in the UAE and has said that data centers are military targets now.
My district is home to hundreds of data centers, and families, schools, parks, and places of worship are all close to data centers in my district. People living around these data centers shouldn't have to worry about being a target anymore.
That is why I am introducing the Data Infrastructure Risk Reduction Act. This bill would direct the Department of Homeland Security to develop a strategy to protect data centers and the communities around them from being targeted during attacks.
The government needs to do everything possible to protect these communities because Americans deserve to know that if a data center is going to be built next to them, we will protect that community, and they won't be a target at that point.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to cosponsor and pass this bill.
Mr. Speaker, financial fraud is a plague. Financial fraud is one of the fastest growing crimes in this country, harming families and seniors across the Nation.
Last year alone, Americans lost more than $12.5 billion to scams. These crimes steal hard-earned savings and retirement funds. They destroy lives, and they undermine confidence in our financial system.
That is why it is critical for every American to take simple steps to protect themselves. Never share banking or personal information unless you have verified the source. Be cautious of unsolicited calls and emails. Review bank statements regularly, and use and develop strong passwords and multifactor authentication to secure your accounts. If you suspect fraud, report it immediately to law enforcement or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, I have a mission to protect both Arkansans and all Americans from financial crime. It remains a top priority.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express appreciation to First Service Bank of Arkansas for their contributions to our beloved, respected Arkansas military community through their annual Operation Red, White, and Brave.
This program has raised both awareness and funds that provide resources for home modifications and financial assistance efforts for both veterans and current Active-Duty members and their families throughout our central Arkansas area.
This program raises money through donations, events, and an annual charity golf clinic.
Mr. Speaker, every day, I love representing the amazing volunteers and generous citizens across our Second District. Local community businesses like First Service Bank that dedicate time and effort to help our veterans and the people of Arkansas are a real feature and strength of central Arkansas.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Randy Massanelli on his retirement as vice chancellor of the Government and Community Relations unit at the University of Arkansas and to thank him for his dedicated service to his community and our proud State.
As a native of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and a proud graduate of the University of Fayetteville, Mr. Massanelli served in the United States Army for 15 years, rising to the rank of major before moving to higher education.
While in the Army, Randy served in numerous assignments as the officer in charge of ground convoy movements for the Pershing II missiles in Europe and a combat tour in the Persian Gulf
In 2014, Mr. Massanelli joined the University of Arkansas and has been bringing his keen judgment and personal experience, working tireless hours to help obtain important research grants and funding for the University of Arkansas.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Randy Massanelli, for his years of service and commitment to Arkansas. His work is a model for future generations of public servants, and his devotion to our State is truly commendable.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Penn State wrestling team for winning the NCAA Division I wrestling tournament last month. This historic achievement marks the Nittany Lions' fifth consecutive title and Penn State's 13th team title over the last 15 seasons.
The NCAA wrestling tournament, hosted in Cleveland, Ohio, saw the Lions qualify all 10 wrestlers for the 3-day event, with 7 wrestlers placing as top seeds.
The team scored 181.5 points, breaking their own record of 177 points, which they set last year.
To conclude championship weekend, four Nittany Lions earned individual national titles. In addition, Mitchell Mesenbrink was named the 2026 NCAA Championship Outstanding Wrestler.
Much of this success is a testament to the leadership of Head Coach Cael Sanderson, who has been with the team since 2010. Cael, a former collegiate wrestler and Olympic athlete, knows exactly what it takes to deliver a championship-level team. As the university's head coach for more than 10 years, Cael has delivered the team from strength to strength. Another accolade that the team can tout is winning the Big Ten championship for the fourth consecutive year.
As a former high school wrestler myself and a Penn State alum, I love seeing the success that the Nittany Lions have had each year. Penn State wrestling brings together the student body, Penn State alum, and State College residents to watch an exciting evening of matches. There is nothing quite like a packed Bryce Jordan Center on a Saturday evening.
I was a former wrestler at Bald Eagle Area High School under the leadership of Coach Dick Rhoades, and in 2015 I was honored to be recognized by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. The leadership and discipline that I learned during practice have stuck with me throughout my life.
I know that all young men at Penn State will be able to take the lessons that they learn through wrestling and apply them to other aspects of their lives.
Mr. Speaker, the athletes, the coaches, and the staff should all be proud of this amazing accomplishment, and I wish the team the best as they continue working towards their goals next season.
Mr. Speaker, last week yet another State returned to the era of gerrymandering, marking a further regression for democracy in America.
This entire redistricting war has been a total disaster for our country. What is more, it has been utterly pointless. As was predicted, neither side is really going to come out ahead. Every side has lost.
Meanwhile, the whole conflict that has spread from State to State to State has caused partisanship in this country to truly bubble over. It has destabilized representation across the country. It has further eroded trust in the fairness of our political process. It has further eroded the idea of representation and government by the people.
It is past time for Congress to take responsibility for the fairness of our own elections throughout this country. We can do that in two ways.
Number one is by passing my bill to end mid-decade redistricting. I introduced this last year, and it passed last year. We could have avoided this whole thing, but we can still pass it now to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again.
Number two is by the time of the next Census when we are supposed to do redistricting, we can pass legislation to end gerrymandering in this country once and for all. The way I am proposing we do this is by setting up a truly independent commission in every State, much like California had before it was sidelined last year.
Mr. Speaker, gerrymandering is a plague on democracy, and it is well past time that the United States moves past it and ensures fair elections and fair representation for every citizen in our country.
Mr. Speaker, a new report titled: ``California's Economic Performance Review 2025'' paints an absolutely alarming picture of our State's current economic performance.
Just to give you a few of the highlights, or really lowlights, Mr. Speaker, California right now has the highest unemployment rate in the Nation at 5.5 percent with over 1 million unemployed workers.
There were 181,700 private-sector jobs lost in 2025 and 432,900 private-sector jobs lost in the last 3 years. Meanwhile, almost all of the actual job growth has come from government. There are now 1.9 unemployed workers per job opening in California. That is the worst ratio in the country, with layoffs and separations up by 57 percent in 2025.
Net business establishments in 2025 were down almost 90 percent since before Governor Newsom took office, and almost all of the new firms that were rated were sole proprietorships with almost no employees.
California, meanwhile, has the highest cost of living of any State, with 6 of the 10 most expensive metropolitan areas in the country. Electricity rates in our State are nearly double the rest of the country for homes and almost triple for industry. We also, of course, have the highest gas prices by far in the country.
California has the highest poverty rate in the Nation at 16.4 percent. California had 1.9 million residents lost to other States over the last 7 years, and that includes 409,000 workers lost in job-to-job migration over the last 5 years.
All this time, the budget grew by 68.2 percent since 2019, with a structural deficit that is now $20 billion to $35 billion annually.
By the way, there has been nearly a 50 percent drop in the number of high earners filing tax returns over $10 million just in the last 5 years, and that number is going to go up a lot with this entire wealth tax scheme that is being proposed right now.
Mr. Speaker, California is the greatest State in the country. We have more to offer than any State in the country. With our State's abundance of natural resources, its amazing companies, people, and culture, there is absolutely no reason we should not be outperforming every other State. Instead, we are underperforming every other State by a lot, to the detriment of our own citizens.
So I am, once again, calling upon leaders in Sacramento to chart a different course, one that is proworker, pro-opportunity, and progrowth. I am also encouraging those of us here in the House to look at what California has done wrong because it provides us a good roadmap of what we should be doing in order to get the economy and the cost of living right.
Mr. Speaker, led by House Republicans with our leader and Speaker Mike Johnson and President Donald Trump, this year millions of Americans received larger tax cuts.
By signing the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, President Trump has allowed 53 million hardworking Americans to keep more of their own money, creating jobs.
Sadly, every single Democrat in the House voted to oppose the tax relief, promoting taxes to rise by 22 percent on working families. Democrats want Big Government. Republicans promote limited government.
Millions of Americans have already benefited from no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on Social Security. Promises made, promises kept.
In conclusion, God bless our troops as the global war on terrorism continues. Trump is reinstituting peace through strength, revealing war criminal Putin lies, insulting Trump and mocking Trump as war criminal Putin has subverted the Government of the Republic of Georgia with the Georgian Dream Party collaborating with the Iranian regime as Iranians meet today with war criminal Putin in Moscow to coordinate death to America.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an incredible accomplishment by one of our own from the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Pascagoula Police Chief Terry Scott, Jr.
At 60 years old, Terry made history by becoming the oldest heavyweight boxer to win a professional, sanctioned fight, earning a world record in the process. That is an extraordinary achievement and a testament to his grit, discipline, and perseverance.
Success like this doesn't come easy. It takes years of hard work, sacrifice, and an unwavering commitment to your craft. Terry Scott, Jr., has shown what it means to stay focused, push through challenges, and defy expectations.
His story is a reminder that determination has no age limit and that it is never too late to chase and achieve something remarkable.
South Mississippi is proud of Terry, and I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating him on this historic accomplishment and wishing him continued success.
Mr. Speaker, over the past 3 weeks in college basketball, a national champion was crowned, the transfer portal opened and closed, and the 2025-2026 season officially ended.
I proudly represent the University of West Georgia. I am a passionate supporter of their basketball program, led by Coach Dave Moore, a natural leader, and his talented staff: Andy Young, Mark Schult, Willie Evans, and Jalen Sasser, and administered by Athletic Director Jason Carmichael and President Dr. Michael Johnson.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a few of the West Georgia Wolves who are leaving next season, having exceeded expectations and built a program poised for future success.
Shelton Williams-Dryden was named First Team-All Atlantic Sun, averaging 20.7 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
Josh Smith was named the Atlantic Sun's Sixth Man of the Year, averaging 16.2 points per game.
Kolten Griffin averaged 7.7 points per game and set a record for the most games played in the history of the program.
Malcolm Noel averaged 8.1 points per game and will graduate after three seasons with the Wolves.
Mr. Speaker, the West Georgia Wolves are a source of great inspiration for many across my district, and I am immensely proud to represent them in Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4930) to expand the sharing of information with respect to suspected violations of intellectual property rights in trade, 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 Utah (Mr. Moore) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schneider) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Utah?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Smith) for his support of this piece of legislation that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schneider) and I have proposed today for consideration. I will share a few remarks on this, but again, I appreciate the committee and the entire staff for the work that they have done to make this possible.
I am very pleased, Mr. Speaker, that my bill, H.R. 4930, which I am calling the counterfeit notification act, has been slated for floor consideration today. I introduced this bill with the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schneider) to target the influx of counterfeit goods entering the United States and to equip our Customs and Border Patrol officers to share real-time information with businesses, e-commerce platforms, and logistics companies.
To put things into perspective, in fiscal year 2023, Customs and Border Protection seized more than $2.7 billion worth of counterfeit goods at the U.S. border. More than 46 percent of seizures originated from China and Hong Kong.
This poses serious national security threats and risks to citizens due to products of poor quality, hazardous material, or unknown production conditions, such as, of course, forced labor.
My bill addresses a key gap in CBP's ability to spot and halt the flow of counterfeit goods into the U.S. under current law. When CBP suspects a shipment may be counterfeit, they are allowed only to publicize limited information. They are unable to share labels, invoices, or packing slips that identify the products of the country of origin with key stakeholders. This leaves the business community, e- commerce platforms like Etsy and Amazon, and logistics carriers like DHL, UPS, or FedEx in the dark when counterfeit activity is happening right under their nose.
To solve the issue, the counterfeit notification act gives CBP explicit authority to share relevant information with companies, carriers, and platforms when they receive a potentially counterfeit shipment.
This will include shipping labels and tracking numbers, invoices and shipping manifests, outer packaging images, or sender and recipient addresses.
The bill also broadens the range of parties with whom CBP can share information, such as e-commerce sites from which the products in question may be sold. This means that CBP will be able to recognize and flag patterns of behavior, like repeat senders of mass shipments, drop addresses used by organized counterfeiters, or common entry points or air routes for suspected counterfeit goods.
For example, if a counterfeit shipment from China repeatedly enters the U.S. via the Port of Los Angeles using the same fake return address, CBP will be able to share these patterns with carriers like UPS, DHL, and FedEx so they can intercept future parcels before they arrive on American soil.
Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense bill that will strengthen U.S. national security, kneecap bad actors, and protect the IP of American companies.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the support of my colleagues on this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4930, introduced by the Representative from Utah (Mr. Moore), my colleague and friend. I join him in praising our staffs, who worked together. It is good to see us working on a commonsense solution.
H.R. 4930, the counterfeit notification act, gives U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents the ability to share information about counterfeit goods with retailers and manufacturers.
The bill clarifies U.S. Customs and Border Protection's authority to share information about packaging, product specifications, and packing materials when their agents encounter a shipment of suspected counterfeit goods entering the United States.
Sharing this information with retailers, manufacturers, and logistics companies will help them better identify fraudulent shipments and target organized counterfeiting operations.
The bill also allows CBP agents to work directly with the intellectual property owners and with parties involved in the supply chain to better intercept counterfeit goods and track their country of origin.
Protecting intellectual property is essential for sustaining innovation, economic growth, and global competitiveness, especially in my district, which is home to some of the largest companies developing the next generation of medical technologies.
We know that counterfeit products can be dangerous to consumers and present serious safety and public health hazards.
In fiscal year 2024, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized more than 32 million counterfeit and pirated items across more than 300 ports of entry, which, all told, were valued in excess of $5 billion.
In the past 5 years, the number of illicit goods seized by CBP has more than doubled, while the value of those seized goods has grown by more than 400 percent.
The members of the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition note that the cost of trafficking counterfeit goods is not only measured in dollars but also in the injuries caused by dangerous products, jobs lost to unfair competition, and the threats such products pose to our national security.
Whether we are talking about baby products, fashion goods, pharmaceuticals, or even electronics, this bill presents a commonsense solution to strengthen our country's ability to detect counterfeit goods and to keep the American people safe.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Moore), my friend and colleague, for working with me on H.R. 4930. I was proud to see this bill pass out of the Ways and Means Committee last year with a unanimous bipartisan vote.
Mr. Speaker, this bill gives U.S. Customs agents the tools they need to identify counterfeit goods, investigate supply chains, and better protect Americans from dangerous counterfeit products.
Again, I thank the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Moore) for his partnership on this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 4930, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.
Mr. Speaker, our intellectual property rights have secured over two centuries' worth of leadership and innovation. They form the foundation upon which opportunity for entrepreneurship is built and which makes the U.S. economy the envy of the world.
This legislation addresses the current weakness in our IP protections by ensuring those at CBP on the front lines of defending our national interests are better aligned with the businesses and workers that define our economic might.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of our 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 Utah (Mr. Moore) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4930, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6956) to require electronically prepared tax returns to include scannable code when submitted on paper, and to require the use of optical character recognition technology for paper documents received by the Internal Revenue Service, 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 Missouri (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schneider) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous material on this bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Missouri?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6956, the Barcode Automation for Revenue Collection to Organize Disbursement and Enhance Efficiency Act, also known as the BARCODE Efficiency Act, which is a bipartisan piece of legislation introduced by Representatives Rudy Yakym and Brad Schneider.
Many government agencies have had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century. The IRS is no exception. However, in the case of the BARCODE Efficiency Act, all we are really asking the IRS to do is to adopt technology that has been around for decades.
By requiring the IRS to deploy scanning technology for certain returns and correspondence, this bill will streamline the tax filing process for millions of Americans and go a long way to improving accuracy over the previous method of manually entering data from paper tax returns.
This most recent tax filing season, where Americans saw a historic 11 percent increase in refunds, with the average refund of over $3,200, has just concluded. Had this legislation been in law already, Americans would have gotten back what they were owed even faster.
As a key leader on the Ways and Means Committee's oversight efforts, Representative Yakym has been a strong advocate for improving customer service at the IRS and battling to save taxpayers time and money.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6956, the BARCODE Efficiency Act, which I am proud to introduce with my friend and colleague, Representative Yakym from Indiana.
This bill would help expedite the digital transition at IRS, requiring the IRS to implement scanning technology to speed up paper return processing. In tax year 2023, the IRS reports that around 7 percent of tax returns were filed on paper. Now, 7 percent may sound like a small number, Mr. Speaker, until you realize it represents approximately 10 million paper returns to be opened and processed. That is more than the entire population of New York City, our most populous city. In fact, that is more than the population of all but 10 U.S. States.
This bill will help expedite the process of these 10 million returns by directing the IRS to adopt barcode scanning and optical character recognition, or OCR, technology.
For those wondering why this bill is necessary, you only need to learn about the current intake process for paper returns in the IRS. Millions of Americans still use paper returns, including both returns prepared electronically but printed and filed on paper and any handwritten returns and paper correspondence.
Currently, when a paper return arrives at the IRS, an employee manually transcribes the data into IRS systems line by line by line by line. This process is not only time-consuming, it is costly and often inaccurate. Data entry errors from manual transcription are common and cost the American taxpayers money.
Return processing delays translates directly into refund delays, needlessly
Data transcription errors can lead to prolonged disputes, and the issues compound from there. A data entry error can cause math error notices requiring taxpayers to respond to the IRS if they disagree with the adjustments made. Errors also cause taxpayers to wait even longer for resolution, requiring more documentation from the taxpayer, more calls, and more correspondence to the IRS as delays continue to build. These extra steps all add to the backlog at the IRS costing all taxpayers more money and eroding trust in the overall tax system.
The good news is that we have a solution. The BARCODE Efficiency Act will require the IRS to implement scanning technology and dramatically reduce the number of paper tax returns that require manual data entry, thereby accelerating processing and improving taxpayer service.
IRS' problems with digitization and processing paper returns have long been an area of focus for the National Taxpayer Advocate, which listed the IRS' challenges in processing and digitization as the first and second most serious problems at the IRS in last year's annual report to Congress.
I, again, extend my appreciation to my friend, Representative Yakym, for his partnership working to address this problem with commonsense solutions. I thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Neal for their support of this bipartisan legislation.
I also extend my thanks to the Taxpayer Advocate Service for their recommendation that led to the creation of this bill and for their critical, ongoing work to reduce taxpayer burden and improve the IRS' performance.
I am proud that this bill has the support of both the National Taxpayers Union and the American Coalition for Taxpayer Rights, the national trade association made up of retail tax preparation and tax software companies.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill to help the IRS operate more efficiently and better serve the American taxpayer, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Yakym), who is the co-lead of this legislation and who is a critical member of the Ways and Means Committee fighting for oversight and keeping his eye on the IRS.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6956, the BARCODE Efficiency Act. I am proud to co-lead this act with my friend from Illinois (Mr. Schneider).
This is a simple but powerful bill that will make tax return processing faster, more accurate, and more efficient. E-filing taxes is becoming even more common. In 2009, two-thirds of taxpayers e-filed their returns. By 2015, it was up to 85 percent. Last year, 94 percent of taxpayers e-filed their returns. That remaining 6 percent still accounts for 10 million tax returns.
There are good reasons to file a paper return. I actually found myself in such a position last year. After I electronically filed my taxes, as most taxpayers do, the IRS continued to kick back my return, trying to convince me that I owed the IRS less money than I actually did.
We reran the numbers time and time again, but we still came up with the same results. We had a few choices at this point. We could either file the return, as the IRS suggested, and risk later on owing a lot of money in penalties and interest and things like that, or we could call them up and get into an argument with somebody at the IRS, or we could just simply print it off and file the return. That is exactly what we chose to do.
The problem is once we file that return, and my return this last year was 202 pages, there is someone at the IRS who actually manually enters in every single digit on all 202 pages. Just imagine the problems that could create, Mr. Speaker. If someone transposes a number, then all of a sudden, you have an inaccurate return and the IRS can later come after you for an audit. Or, Mr. Speaker, you may have substantial delays in receiving your refund because of the amount of time it takes to manually key in all that data. It is just simply a waste of time and a waste of resources.
There are better ways of handling that, and, frankly, I think it is time for the IRS to come into the 21st century. That is why my colleague, Mr. Schneider, and I have introduced the bipartisan BARCODE Efficiency Act. This would require that the IRS increase its usage of scanning technology, particularly for paper or handwritten returns. No more manual entry would be needed or required. This will certainly complement efforts already underway by the Trump administration to phase out the use of paper and to adopt scanning technology. Scanning technology has been recommended by the taxpayer advocate as well as the GAO, and it has been used by State tax agencies for years.
Paper returns will still be necessary at times, but we can do better, Mr. Speaker, because there is proven commercially available technology that can end the hand entry of tax returns. It will increase the speed, the efficiency, and the accuracy of processing. It will get refunds out the door quicker so Hoosiers, whom I serve, can get their money back faster.
Again, quite simply, it is time for the IRS to come into the 21st century.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague across the aisle Mr. Schneider for his great work in getting this bill introduced. I would also like to thank Chairman Smith and Chairman Schweikert for their partnership as well as Senators Young and Warnock.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan commonsense bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
I am proud that we are here today to advance this seemingly modest, bipartisan bill that will have an outsized impact to improve service at the IRS.
I have long championed investing in modernization at the IRS to improve taxpayer service and make government more efficient. The archaic, manual transcription process that IRS currently uses to process paper returns results in significant delays that can last months or even years and cause severe hardship.
It is long past time that the IRS implement scanning technology to improve the speed and accuracy of processing these returns. Implementing a modernization process is a commonsense change with bipartisan support that will reduce refund delays, all the while lowering administrative costs.
No matter how Americans file their taxes--digitally or by paper--they should be able to rely on timely resolution and quality service from our IRS.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Many Americans have had to endure frustration and anxiety at the hands of the IRS bureaucracy when it comes to filing or waiting on their tax returns to be processed. Anything we can do to make this process more efficient and user-friendly for the American taxpayer is well worth our time.
If we are reforming our tax code to provide more relief to working families, we should be modernizing our tax agency to get that relief to them as soon as possible.
I encourage 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 Missouri (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 6956, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7971) to provide for modernization and technological improvements of services provided by the Internal Revenue Service, 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 Missouri (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous material on this bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Missouri?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7971, the Taxpayer Experience Improvement Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee chair, Representative Schweikert, and Representative Don Beyer.
In 2023, the Government Accountability Office found that roughly one- third of IRS information technology applications and over 20 percent of agency IT software were anywhere from 25 to 64 years old. That means some of the systems in place at the IRS today were in operation before the Apollo 11 crew landed on the Moon.
This bill responds to that reality by imposing much-needed transparency on the IRS and requiring the agency to be more accessible for taxpayers, including folks who are seeking information about the status of their tax refunds or data on how the agency is performing when it comes to responding to taxpayers.
Our Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Schweikert has been a leading voice in Congress on deploying new technology to bring government into the modern era, and I appreciate his leadership on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, firstly, I thank my friend and colleague from Arizona (Mr. Schweikert) for his leadership on the Taxpayer Experience Improvement Act, and I am proud to support him on this.
The IRS has made great strides since the pandemic to improve customer service for taxpayers, contributing to a successful filing season last year. The agency was able to process more than 165 million income tax returns and deliver refunds to 104 million taxpayers, the overwhelming majority on time and with no issues.
This is in large part thanks to the funds provided to the IRS through the Inflation Reduction Act, which reversed decades of underinvestment in the agency.
However, even during what was a relatively smooth filing season, millions of taxpayers experienced delays receiving their refunds or difficulties communicating with the IRS due to issues on the agency's side.
It is hard to overstate how disruptive delayed refunds and unresolved notices can be for taxpayers. Families structure their annual budgets around the timely arrival of the refund checks, and a lengthy delay can throw their budget into chaos, particularly if the taxpayers aren't able to find out when they can expect to receive a check.
Similarly, a notice from the IRS to the taxpayer can cause enormous confusion or anxiety, especially when an individual is unable to get in touch with the agency quickly enough to answer their questions and address unresolved issues.
While this bill wouldn't reverse the recent ill-advised staffing and funding cuts pushed by this administration that are undermining the progress we made with the IRA, it will go a long way toward alleviating the harm to taxpayers.
The provisions in this bill aim to reduce the long-term demands on the agency by increasing the level of information available to taxpayers online and facilitating plans to digitize tax returns and correspondence.
It would also require the IRS to provide personalized electronic updates to taxpayers regarding the status of their returns and refunds, which should reduce the agency's incoming call volume.
Additionally, it would push the agency to implement customer callback technology and add a real-time service dashboard to its website to display call volumes, wait times, and promote the availability of its callback services. All these add up to an improved taxpayer experience and a more efficient IRS.
I greatly appreciate Mr. Schweikert's efforts with this bill to improve the IRS, and I hope that we can build on our success here and give the agency the resources it needs to provide the stellar customer service the American people deserve.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this measure. I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Schweikert), the sponsor of this legislation, who as our Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee chairman is a tireless advocate for embracing new technology to improve services at the IRS.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the chairman whether it is tireless or annoying. It is one or the other.
Look, I have an absolute fixation, and I have got to thank my Democratic colleague and a number of the team here for tolerating my fixation on the fact that one of the ways you work within the IRS budget to make things more efficient is the adoption of technology.
Imagine a world--because it is the one we live in--where some of the number one calls we get to my district office are IRS questions: Where is my refund? Do I owe money? I can't get someone to pick up the phone. How do I get information?
This piece of legislation is a great start. It will provide wonderful visibility. The concept that on this thing we all walk around with, this supercomputer we have in our pocket, I can go on and actually see the dashboard. I can see: Hey, I owe money. I have money coming back. Here is where it is in process. Here are my different years. The ability to actually have a system that calls you back.
In many ways, these are technologies the private sector has had for a decade. In many ways, these are actually technologies that we have been talking about in the Ways and Means Committee for almost a decade, but now we finally have a fairly simple piece of legislation here that means that taxpayers in the next couple of years will be able to log on an absolutely private login system, so we protect their identity, protect their privacy, but they will be able to see the information. By
Mr. Speaker, I also thank the Ways and Means staff. I would like to go further, but this is a terrific start.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
The American people deserve a first-rate customer experience when they interact with the IRS. This legislation will help the agency reach that goal.
The IRS has been under tremendous pressure to do more with less in recent years, and based on the success of last year's filing season, it has proven it can rise to the challenge.
This bill will focus the agency's efforts on providing timely information to taxpayers, speed the digitization of forms and correspondence, and implement other resource- and time-saving measures. These provisions will take some of the load off of the IRS, its limited resources, and overworked staff, all while improving the experience for the taxpayers.
I greatly appreciate the bipartisan support for this bill and the leadership of tireless and annoying Congressman Schweikert. I hope that the success of this initiative will lead to more bipartisanship on tax administration going forward, and I look forward to working with my colleagues across the aisle to further improve the IRS.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, it is disappointing, though sadly not surprising, that we have to legislate to modernize an agency like the IRS so that its operations are more user-friendly to the American taxpayer, but that is the reality that we are facing.
The Taxpayer Experience Improvement Act pushes the IRS to be an agency more worthy of the taxpayers it serves and more responsive to their needs, whether it is tracking a tax refund, receiving a call back from the agency, or making a payment.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage 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 Missouri (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 7971, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7959) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make improvements with respect to the treatment of whistleblowers, 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 Missouri (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Missouri?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7959, the IRS Whistleblower Program Improvement Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by the Ways and Means Tax Subcommittee chairman, Mr. Mike Kelly, and the subcommittee's ranking member, Mr. Mike Thompson.
The IRS relies in part upon whistleblowers who have the courage to report bad actors who are committing tax fraud, tax evasion, and other similar crimes they witness occurring in the private sector.
The IRS Whistleblower Program is one of the many government efforts that is crucial to combat the epidemic of fraud and stop bad actors from stealing hard-earned dollars from American taxpayers. Since 2007, this program has led to the collection of over $7 billion in unpaid taxes.
At a time when it appears we need a comprehensive approach to combating fraud across various government programs, Ways and Means Tax Subcommittee Chairman Kelly is building on his longstanding commitment to reform and improve the IRS Whistleblower Program to better protect whistleblowers and appropriately reward them for their contributions to combating fraud.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bipartisan legislation and thank my colleague Mike Kelly for working with me on this effort. Our bill is a good one.
Mr. Speaker, let's be honest about where we are right now. We ask Americans to comply with one of the most complex tax systems in the world. We expect them to report accurately, pay what they owe, and follow the rules to the letter. The vast majority of Americans do exactly that, but we also know that there are individuals and entities who exploit that complexity to cheat the system. They hide income, manipulate structures, and take advantage of gaps that ordinary taxpayers would never even know exist. Too often, they get away with it.
At the same time, the enforcement side of the equation is under real strain. Between staffing losses and reduced enforcement capacity, the reality is that the system is not catching everything that it should.
Whether we say it out loud or not, we are increasingly relying on whistleblowers to help fill that gap. These are the people on the inside. They are the people who see the fraud firsthand and are willing to step forward and take a risk to do the right thing. If that is the system we are operating under, then it has to be a system that actually works, and right now, it doesn't.
Whistleblowers face uncertainty. They face long delays and, in some cases, face real personal and professional risks just for coming forward. That is not how you encourage people to expose wrongdoing. That is how you discourage it.
This bill makes targeted improvements to fix those problems. First, it protects whistleblower privacy. If someone is exposing tax fraud, they should not have to fear retaliation or public exposure just to be heard.
Second, it strengthens fairness in the process. It ensures that whistleblowers receive meaningful, independent review of their claims, not just a rubberstamp of prior decisions.
Third, it addresses delays head-on. When the government takes too long to act, whistleblowers should not be the ones paying the price. Providing interest on delayed awards is not a bonus. It is basic fairness.
This is about making sure the rules we already have are actually enforced because when tax cheats get away with it, everyone else pays more or gets less. When whistleblowers are ignored, discouraged, or exposed, fewer people will come forward the next time. That is how you undermine confidence in the entire system.
If we want a tax system that is fair, enforcement has to be credible. If enforcement depends, in part, on whistleblowers, then we need to treat them like they matter. This bill does exactly that.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Kelly for his good work and urge a ``yes'' vote.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly), the sponsor of this legislation and our Ways and Means Tax Subcommittee chairman, who has fought for some time to make these reforms to improve efforts to combat fraud.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of the IRS Whistleblower Program Improvement Act.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and counterpart on tax policy, Mr. Thompson. We worked very closely on this. We have a genuine concern that we get this right, so the American people understand that we are not overlooking what is taking place.
Mr. Speaker, I also thank our committee chairman for his recognition of the important role whistleblowers play at the IRS and his support for getting the bill before the House today.
Our tax system depends on voluntary compliance, and that only works when Americans trust that the system is fair and enforced evenly. When bad actors cheat and get away with it, that trust erodes for everyone else who plays by the rules.
The IRS Whistleblower Program Improvement Act builds on a proven program that delivers results for our taxpayers. Since 2007, the program has recovered more than $7.37 billion in unpaid taxes, narrowing the tax gap and holding bad actors accountable.
This is real money returned to the Treasury that would otherwise have been lost. In many cases, these are complex, high-dollar schemes that would not have been identified without insider information, proving that whistleblowers play an essential role in upholding the integrity of our tax code.
When individuals come forward to expose wrongdoing by tax cheats and fraudsters, they help to ensure our volunteer tax system remains fair for all Americans.
The IRS cannot fully close the tax gap through traditional audits alone. The IRS Whistleblower Program leverages insider knowledge to identify noncompliance that would otherwise have gone undetected.
Whistleblowers help the IRS to target enforcement resources toward high-value cases, improving efficiency and accountability across the system. This program directs those resources toward the highest-value, highest-probability cases, maximizing the impact and improving efficiency. It allows the IRS to focus on those who are actively evading taxes, rather than casting a wide net over the vast majority of Americans who are trying to comply with the law.
Strengthening this program is a commonsense way to increase the return on an investment and recovering more unpaid taxes without expanding broad-based enforcement. Just as important, the program serves as a powerful deterrent, discouraging sophisticated tax evasion before it happens by increasing the likelihood that it would be exposed.
Mr. Speaker, this bill reinforces the program's foundation with targeted, practical updates by ensuring that the U.S. Tax Court can consider all relevant evidence by providing a more favorable standard of review in whistleblower appeals, establishing a presumption of anonymity for whistleblowers to help protect individuals from retaliation, encouraging timely administration from the IRS by requiring the payment of interest on delayed awards, strengthening transparency and oversight by improving reporting to Congress and allowing administrative review of award determinations, and aligning the tax treatment of attorneys' fees for whistleblowers with other whistleblower programs.
These reforms keep the program focused, predictable, and effective, addressing longstanding delays and improving program credibility.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Ways and Means Committee staff on both sides of the aisle for working so hard on this because they did a great job, not just for Mr. Thompson and myself but for all of the taxpayers. The American taxpayers deserve this oversight, and I am glad we are working on it. Mr. Thompson did a great job.
This bill passed out of the Ways and Means Committee last month with unanimous support, reflecting broad agreement on the need to strengthen this program. Ensuring a fair shake for all taxpayers is what it comes down to.
I thank the National Whistleblower Center, Empower Oversight, Taxpayers
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Smith, Mr. Kelly, and Ranking Member Neal for the good work that was done. I concur with Mr. Kelly that staff on both sides have done, as always, a fantastic job.
Mr. Speaker, this bill comes down to fairness and enforcement. When people cheat the tax system and get away with it, honest taxpayers are the ones who pay the price. If we expect whistleblowers to help close the gap, we need to protect them, treat them fairly, and ensure that the system works.
This is a practical, bipartisan step to strengthening enforcement and restoring confidence in the system.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, whistleblowers play a critical role in government oversight, whether it be uncovering bad actors within government or, in the case of the IRS Whistleblower Program, alerting the IRS to those in the private sector who are defrauding American taxpayers.
This Congress, the Ways and Means Committee and this administration have made combating fraud a key priority, and I welcome this opportunity to strengthen and impose a key tool in that effort.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage 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 Missouri (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 7959, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6495) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for specific taxpayer notice when information is sought from third parties, 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 Missouri (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Missouri?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6495, the Taxpayer Notification and Privacy Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by Representatives Greg Steube and Jimmy Panetta.
When the IRS seeks information about a taxpayer, the agency should not be able to go behind their back without their knowledge. Yet, right now, the IRS can do just that.
Currently, the IRS is not required to notify a taxpayer who is under review or investigation about what information the agency is seeking; who it may have contacted; or, for that matter, give the taxpayer the opportunity to provide the information themselves. This puts the individual taxpayer in a situation where their privacy, their livelihood, or their reputation could all be unduly harmed.
That is unacceptable. Thanks to Representative Steube--a tireless advocate for the American taxpayer--who has been focused on holding a powerful agency like the IRS accountable, taxpayers will be better protected.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and Representative Greg Steube for their work together with me on the Taxpayer Notification and Privacy Act.
It is commonsense, bipartisan legislation, passed unanimously out of the Ways and Means Committee, that would ensure that the IRS respects the privacy and the dignity of every taxpayer when collecting needed information.
As you heard from the chairman, under current law, the IRS must notify taxpayers before reaching out to third parties, like banks, employers, or even neighbors, to gather information. Yet, these notices are often vague. They fail to specify exactly what they want. At times, they don't even give taxpayers any opportunity to defend themselves or for the taxpayers to provide the information themselves.
The National Taxpayer Advocate Service has warned that the current approach falls short. It leaves honest Americans blindsided, and it can put people's reputations at risk in close-knit communities, where a whisper about IRS investigations can chill businesses and damage livelihoods.
The Taxpayer Notification and Privacy Act changes that. It would implement a National Taxpayer Advocate's recommendation to mandate tailored notices in which the IRS clearly--clearly states what information it needs and from exactly whom.
It then grants the taxpayer a full 45 days to supply that information. This empowers families. This empowers businesses to resolve issues privately with the IRS, protecting their reputation and relationships with local banks and other vendors.
This bill also includes certain exceptions for circumstances where the information is determined to be necessary or when the information is
This strikes the balance we want in legislation creation between allowing taxpayers to resolve issues privately and ensuring that these notices cannot be used to avoid taxes.
Ultimately, taxpayers who have followed the law should not have to fear the IRS soliciting sensitive data behind their backs.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6495, the Taxpayer Notification and Privacy Act.
At its core, this commonsense legislation is a simple due process idea: Before the IRS goes to your bank, your employer, your vendor, or another third party for information about you, when you can reasonably provide that information yourself, you should be told what they are looking for and given a fair chance to respond.
Under current law, taxpayers can receive a general third-party contact notice, but too often those notices aren't specific enough to let a person meaningfully respond. When the IRS reaches out to third parties, it can create real-world consequences: reputational harm, confusion, or stress for families and small businesses, especially when the taxpayer could have simply produced the records directly.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation is about building a healthier relationship between taxpayers and their government. Our citizens deserve a Federal Government that respects privacy and due process while still ensuring the IRS can do its job.
This bill does not stop the IRS from obtaining information it truly needs. It simply ensures taxpayers receive meaningful notice and a fair opportunity to provide the information themselves when appropriate.
For law-abiding Americans, compliance is already complicated enough. The least we can do is ensure that when the IRS intends to go outside the taxpayer to gather information the taxpayer can provide, the taxpayer gets clarity--what exactly is being sought--and a fair chance to respond.
This is a bipartisan effort, and I am honored to work with Congressman Panetta on this legislation because protecting taxpayers and improving procedural fairness should not be partisan. I also thank Senator Barrasso of Wyoming for being the leader on this issue in the Senate, and I hope this bill can receive quick consideration in the Senate and sent to the President's desk.
I thank Chairman Smith for his leadership in creating a more efficient, more transparent tax administration that works better for all taxpayers.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Taxpayer Notification and Privacy Act.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Just briefly, again, I thank Representative Steube and Chairman Smith for their leadership on this legislation, and I urge the House to pass this commonsense legislation.
The Taxpayer Notification and Privacy Act will ensure that taxpayers are treated with transparency, with dignity, and with fairness that we all deserve.
By giving Americans a clear chance to provide information to the IRS first, we can protect their privacy, their reputations, and their relationships. This will reduce unnecessary third-party probes, saving resources and protecting taxpayers. This strengthens trust between our constituents and the government while ensuring that taxes are properly collected.
Mr. Speaker, that is why I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Among the supporters of this bill is the National Taxpayer Advocate, the independent organization tasked with helping taxpayers solve problems with the IRS. Their recommendations align with the changes this legislation would enact to strengthen taxpayer rights.
It is not only about protecting a right to privacy but also the principle of fairness that all Americans should be afforded under the law.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage 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 Missouri (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 6495, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5366) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to codify and extend the rules for personal casualty losses arising from major disasters and the rules for the exclusion from gross income of compensation for losses or damages resulting from certain wildfires, 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 Missouri (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous material on this bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Missouri?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of H.R. 5366, the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by Representatives Greg Steube, Mike Thompson, and Jimmy Panetta and named after our late colleague, Mr. Doug LaMalfa, who dedicated his life to public service and was a very strong advocate for helping so many of his constituents whose lives had been turned upside down by wildfires.
The chief sponsor of this legislation, Representative Steube, hails from the State of Florida, which is no stranger to the worst of natural disasters, including hurricanes that have devastated communities there and everywhere.
The bipartisan work that has been done in advancing this legislation speaks to the fact that no community in America is safe from a potential natural disaster. Every Member of this body has had to or will have to at some point respond to some level of devastation brought to the doorsteps of the folks who they represent because of a natural disaster.
This bill appropriately extends an existing provision within the law that allows taxpayers to deduct personal casualty losses stemming from a natural disaster while also excluding wildfire disaster relief payments from taxable income. These are the commonsense measures that ensure Americans recovering from a disaster have fewer tax burdens and more resources to navigate their recovery.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act. I thank Mr. Smith for his work on this bill, and I thank Mr. Steube for his partnership.
I represent communities in northern California that have been on the front lines of catastrophic wildfires for years. I sat with families who have watched their homes burn to the ground. I spoke with small business owners who lost not just their storefronts but their entire livelihoods. I met with farmers and growers who saw generations of work wiped out in a matter of hours.
After all of that, after the fire trucks leave, after the smoke clears, after the cameras are gone, those families are left to navigate through the aftermath.
They are dealing with insurance claims. They are trying to find temporary housing. They are figuring out how to rebuild their lives.
Then they run into the tax code.
In northern California, my constituents had to fight tooth and nail just to get basic, commonsense tax relief. Think about that.
Congressman LaMalfa and I had to fight to pass this relief, and we worked to mobilize victims to speak out and demand that that tax relief be forthcoming.
People who lost everything should not have to come to Washington, D.C., to fight for relief. We should not be asking disaster victims to lobby Congress in the middle of recovery. We should not be telling families that the help they receive to build their homes might come with a tax bill attached. We should not be forcing communities into uncertainty every single time disaster strikes.
This legislation ensures that when Americans receive disaster relief they are not penalized by paying tax on that relief.
This is not just about the past. It is about what is happening right now.
In Los Angeles, across southern California, in Hawaii, and in Colorado, families reeling from devastating fires are being forced to navigate the same uncertainty those in my district faced. They should not have to come back to Congress and ask for relief that we already know is necessary.
Disaster relief should not depend on your ability to navigate Congress. It should be automatic. It should be fair, and it should be there when you need it.
This bill is a step toward that goal. It reflects what we have learned from northern California. It reflects the realities facing communities in Los Angeles, Hawaii, and Colorado. This legislation is a great first step, and we should now work to make this relief permanent going forward.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Steube), the sponsor of this legislation, who has been a very strong advocate for recovering from natural disasters, including the citizens of his home State of Florida.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5366, the Doug LaMalfa Federal Tax Relief Certainty Act.
When hurricanes, wildfires, floods, tornadoes, and other disasters strike, American families are left to rebuild their homes, their businesses, their communities, and their lives. When these moments arise, the last thing they need is the Federal Government making their recovery harder by taxing relief payments or denying fair treatment for disaster losses, nor should the government be creating uncertainty in the tax code.
This legislation provides certainty to disaster victims by extending and codifying commonsense tax relief for Americans impacted by federally declared disasters. It allows individuals to deduct qualified disaster-related casualty losses without having to itemize, removes burdensome limitations that can prevent families from receiving relief, and ensures certain wildfire relief payments are not treated as taxable income.
For families in Florida, this issue is not theoretical. We know all too well
No one understood this better than our former colleague Doug LaMalfa of California. For 13 years, Doug served in Congress as a tireless advocate for disaster victims and spent years fighting to ensure families impacted by wildfires specifically receive fair treatment under the tax code.
Last Congress, I was honored to fight along with Doug as I led a bipartisan coalition alongside our colleagues on the floor with us right now, Jimmy Panetta, Mike Thompson, and Jill Tokuda, as well as former Representative Bill Johnson of Ohio.
Our historic efforts culminated with the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2023 being signed into law on December 12, 2024, delivering billions in disaster tax relief to millions of Americans across 48 States.
The bill we are voting on today builds upon that legislation. Today is an opportunity to secure disaster relief certainty for the wildfire victims that Doug LaMalfa spent years fighting for. It is also an opportunity to secure relief for disaster survivors who have experienced a tragic event since July 4, 2025, and who may experience one in 2026.
With hurricane season on the horizon, it is critical that Floridians have certainty in the tax code.
I thank Chairman Smith for his leadership in advancing this legislation through the Ways and Means Committee with unanimous bipartisan support. I also thank Senator Rick Scott for leading this bill in the Senate and being a tireless leader on this issue.
I also thank my aforementioned colleagues on the other side of the aisle, Jimmy Panetta, Mike Thompson, and Jill Tokuda, for their commitment to securing disaster relief for their constituents and Americans regardless of political affiliation or geography.
Finally, I thank Doug LaMalfa for being an ally, a friend, and a fighter. Doug is deeply missed in this institution, and naming this bill in his honor is a simple but meaningful tribute.
Mr. Speaker, when Americans are recovering from disaster, they deserve clarity, certainty, and relief, not more red tape from Washington. I urge my colleagues to support the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta), a valued member of the Ways and Means Committee and someone who has seen firsthand what devastating wildfires can do to your district.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Thompson and Mr. Steube for allowing me to speak on this topic. I support the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act.
I am a proud cosponsor, co-lead of this bill with Representatives Greg Steube and Mike Thompson, a bill that would build on the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act which we passed last Congress, thanks to the leadership of Representative Steube, a bill that would ensure that those impacted by disasters nationwide have continued access to tax relief.
This is one of those bills, as you are going to hear from Representative Steube, from Mr. Thompson, and from Ms. Tokuda, that is not a partisan topic when it comes to providing proper tax relief for our constituents who have been affected by natural disasters, disasters that don't just affect red States or blue States. They affect all American States. That is why this bill is so important.
It would extend the provisions of the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act through 2026 to, one, ensure that those affected by fires and natural disasters can claim the personal casualty loss deduction to help in the recovery. Two, would exempt fire settlements from taxation to avoid devastating tax bills on wildfire victims.
Unfortunately, after most natural disasters, there are limitations in the tax code that make it very difficult for survivors to claim the casualty loss deduction for uninsured losses.
Specifically, losses must be attributable to a federally declared disaster and exceed 10 percent of adjusted gross income. That prevents many from qualifying for tax relief. In fact, the tax code ends up penalizing fire victims by treating settlements from fires as income for tax purposes. That can trigger a bill, as we have heard, as large as 37 percent of the settlement.
Now, the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act that was signed into law last Congress addresses those issues by ensuring that those who received settlements for certain wildfires, including payments from the Fire Victim Trust, do not have to pay taxes on those payments.
It also designates certain federally declared disasters as qualified disasters for the purposes of determining personal casualty losses. That ensures that families who incurred uninsured losses due to a natural disaster, be it damage to their home or property, can declare that loss and lower their tax bill.
If we do not pass this bill, the thousands of people who survived the 2025 Los Angeles fires, who received settlements, risk a devastating tax bill and face limitations recouping uninsured losses.
That is why Congress is acting in a bipartisan way to prevent the tax code from penalizing constituents who are trying to rebuild after such disasters.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense bill to extend the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act, to help families all across America, from Hawaii to California to Florida and those in between, who are struck by natural disasters and get the necessary tax relief to recover, rebuild, and move forward with their lives.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Steube for his leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act, which includes my bill, the Doug LaMalfa Protect Innocent Victims of Taxation after Fire Extension Act, which was his bill that he originally fought for.
I thank the Ways and Means Committee chairman, Chairman Smith, the members of the committee, and the committee staff who made this bill a priority.
In California, we are all too familiar with the devastation caused by wildfires. After these disasters strike in our community, survivors shouldn't have to worry about burdensome Federal taxes as they work to recover and rebuild.
Today, we have an opportunity to address that while honoring my friend the late Doug LaMalfa, who was a tireless champion of rural California and an advocate for those rebuilding after wildfires.
This section of the bill allows for wildfire victims to receive disaster aid incurred from a wildfire to have that payment exempted from gross income filings. This would exclude wildfire recovery payments from Federal income taxation through 2032.
Without this extension, victims of catastrophic wildfires would again have their relief payments subject to Federal income tax obligations. For families and individuals who have lost everything, this can make all the difference.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this critical legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Tokuda). She has seen devastating wildfire that impacted her district and her constituents, and she has done great work to bring relief to them.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair and my colleagues who have co-led and provided leadership on this important bill: Representative Steube, Representative Thompson, and Representative Panetta.
I rise today, like so many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, to honor our friend Doug LaMalfa. He understood that the disaster after the disaster happens when families cannot recover and return to their hometowns because the funding and resources they receive just don't stretch far enough or, worse, are taxed and taken away from people who need absolutely every single dollar to be able to rebuild.
On Saturday, I stood above Lahaina, and for a moment--the briefest of moments--in the darkness, the town almost looked normal. Immediately, you realize that something is missing: no warm glow from homes and businesses, no kids riding bikes, and no neighbors gathering in garages.
The people of Lahaina were not counting on that day. They did not seek or ask to lose their homes, their businesses, their livelihoods, their history, or their loved ones.
They should be able to count on this: that every dollar and every resource meant to help them rebuild, recover, and return home stays with them in their pockets, not in government coffers.
As I stand here today wearing Doug's pin above my heart, I know he is up there smiling right now. Doug believed recovery should not come with a tax bill, and the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act makes sure of that.
As we all know too well, the burden of those touched by fire, flood, hurricane, tornado, or disaster is already too much to bear. It is already far too heavy. We should not be making it heavier.
Mr. Speaker, for my constituents, and disaster and wildfire survivors everywhere, let's stand with them in this moment and every moment to come. Let's show them some aloha. Let's make sure that we all vote ``yes'' on this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.
Mr. Speaker, this bill is about basic fairness. When Americans lose their homes to wildfires or other disasters, the last thing they should face is a tax bill on the help they received to rebuild that home.
My constituents in northern California had to fight for that relief. Families in Los Angeles should not have to do the same, nor should they in Colorado, Hawaii, or anyplace else.
Let's pass this bill today and then do the work to make these protections permanent so no disaster victim has to come back to Congress for relief ever again.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation is rightfully named after our former colleague and friend, Doug LaMalfa, who worked hard to protect his fire victims. We should pass this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.
Mr. Speaker, in 2024, Congress acted to provide critical tax relief for Americans hit hard by natural disasters. The goal was clear: Provide relief to those who need it most.
With this legislation before us today, we have the opportunity to continue ensuring victims of natural disasters, including wildfires, continue to receive the relief that they deserve and the resources they desperately need to recover and rebuild.
I thank Representative Steube for this bill and for his hard work to appropriately pay tribute to our late colleague, Mr. LaMalfa, on an issue that was such a passion for him.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage 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 Missouri (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5366, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2347) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude from gross income any damages, other than punitive damages, received on account of any sexual acts or sexual contact, 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 Missouri (Mr. Smith) and the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous material on this bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Missouri?
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2347, the Survivor Justice Tax Prevention Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by Representatives Lloyd Smucker and Gwen Moore.
Survivors of sexual assault face a long road to recovery without having to battle with the IRS over keeping the compensatory damages or settlements that they receive.
Unfortunately, right now, the burden of proof that a sexual assault survivor would have to provide to the IRS, including medical records to prove that they deserve to have their settlement funds excluded from gross income for tax purposes, ignores the fact that such victims often do not have the same observable physical injuries that other victims of assault might have.
Mr. Speaker, this clarification in law is desperately needed. I thank Representatives Smucker and Moore for the true compassion they have shown in fighting to right this wrong for victims of sexual assault.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to start out by thanking Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Neal for bringing this important bill to the floor for consideration during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
As a survivor of sexual assault, I thank Mr. Smucker for teaming up with me to develop this important legislation that supports victims of sexual abuse who so often have no voice.
Mr. Speaker, at its core, this bill is about fairness, dignity, and justice for survivors.
I really don't have to go into detail about the problem that our Nation and, indeed, even this institution have with sexual abuse and assault.
Currently, settlement payments for sexual assault survivors are made on account of personal physical injuries or physical sickness, and they are excluded from gross Federal income and, therefore, not subject to taxation.
We all know that sexual abuse doesn't just cause physical harm. There is indelible mental harm that is caused by sexual assault. Yet, these survivors face challenges proving that sexual assault resulted in physical injuries because they don't have evidence of so-called ``observable bodily harm'' and have been denied the tax exemption.
Our bill, the Survivor Justice Tax Prevention Act, which I am, again, so proud to lead with Representative Lloyd Smucker, addresses this situation by allowing a tax exemption for all harms caused by sexual abuse.
Because the harm is real and lasting, even when it is not visible, we are working to ensure the survivors do not have to be retraumatized by proving so-called observable bodily harm or having to produce deeply personal records or to be abused on a settlement on which they have to pay taxes.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Smucker), who is the sponsor of this legislation and who has done great bipartisan work in advancing a much-needed solution to support survivors of sexual assault.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Smith for the time and also for bringing this bill up to the Ways and Means Committee.
I thank Ms. Moore for working with me cosponsoring and introducing this bill, and I thank the members of the Ways and Means Committee who supported this on a unanimous basis because they realize the injustice that is occurring today in the way the IRS is applying the current tax code.
I think the chairman and Ms. Moore both have described it really well. The core problem here, first of all, we believe our current law already says that any victim of physical abuse and any victim of sexual abuse who receives a settlement does not owe tax on that settlement, which makes complete sense. If you think of the trauma that these individuals have gone through, Mr. Speaker, if you think of the work they are doing to rebuild their lives, the last thing we should be doing is taking a portion of that settlement that they so desperately need to rebuild their lives for tax purposes. The law already says that settlement is not taxed.
However, the way the IRS has applied this, they require a proof of observable physical harm like bruises, cuts, or some other apparent evidence of damages to qualify that settlement as tax-free.
As you can imagine, Mr. Speaker, sexual violence doesn't always leave visible scars.
As a result, survivors who have already endured unimaginable trauma can face a second injustice under the current law or the way that the IRS is applying the law, and that is by being taxed on their compensation simply because their suffering doesn't meet some arbitrary standard.
Our bill fixes that problem. It fixes that injustice, and it helps these victims. It does it in a targeted way. It clarifies that payments related to sexual assault automatically are treated as tax exempt. This ensures that survivors are treated fairly and they are treated consistently under the law.
H.R. 2347 is about dignity. It is about clarity, and it is about making sure that survivors receive justice, not a tax bill, from the IRS.
I thank, again, the chairman, the leader, for bringing this bill up for a vote on the floor.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Once again, I thank Representative Gwen Moore for her partnership on this important issue.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield myself the balance of my time to close.
Mr. Speaker, I will start by acknowledging the very passionate words of my cosponsor, Mr. Smucker. I am so pleased that he took this on with such generosity and passion.
Mr. Speaker, we hear all the time about the high-profile civil cases involving sexual abuse. I am thinking about the accounts of trusted gymnast physicians abusing star athletes and the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and many of his associates. We even hear about sexual assault that occurs within our own body, and we have to address that problem.
Let's just take a moment to acknowledge that all sexual abuse does not make the headlines. Every time a survivor comes forward, it takes extraordinary courage in the face of personal risk, scrutiny, and cost.
The Survivor Justice Tax Prevention Act takes a belt-and-suspenders approach to ensure that settlement payments, whether arising from a court judgment, private arbitration or mediation, that are made on account of sexual abuse are not subject to taxation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in the House to support this effort to make the tax code better serve all survivors who receive settlements after prevailing against their abusers by not saddling them with a tax bill or having to fight the IRS.
We need to get this fix passed into law. I am so pleased to be standing here in this Chamber and asking for a vote by suspension of the rules. We need to pass this into law to ensure fair treatment of the tax law, dignity in the face of undue administrative burdens, and justice for survivors who prevail against their abusers.
Mr. Speaker, it is disturbing to think that the IRS is allowed to tax survivors of sexual assault on the compensatory damages or the settlements that they have received. Such victims should not have to relitigate their case before the agency, adding insult to the injuries that they have already suffered.
I encourage my colleagues to support this great piece of 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 Missouri (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2347, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5334) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow early childhood educators to take the educator expense deduction, 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 Missouri (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Missouri?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5334, the Supporting Early- childhood Educators' Deductions, or the SEED, Act, which is bipartisan legislation introduced by Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick and Jimmy Panetta.
Early-childhood educators are the foundation of a lifetime of education for the next generation of leaders in this country. They put in the long hours and often dip into their own wallets to provide educational materials for their classrooms. Unfortunately, unlike their K-12 colleagues, they are not afforded the same tax deduction to help cover those expenses. This is a longstanding oversight that needs correcting.
This legislation provides early-childhood educators with the same deduction so they are on equal footing with their school colleagues. I commend Representatives Fitzpatrick and Panetta, who are standing up for America's teachers and have been championing the cause for years.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and, of course, I thank my colleague and classmate, Representative Brian Fitzpatrick for their support. I rise in support of my Supporting Early-childhood Educators' Deductions Act. We will just call it the SEED Act.
This is legislation that would extend eligibility for the educator expense deduction to early-childhood educators, pre-K educators, who are currently excluded from that benefit.
It is bipartisan legislation that I worked on closely with Brian Fitzpatrick, which was reported unanimously out of the Ways and Means Committee. I proudly say, it is the only Democratic bill that has been allowed out of the Ways and Means Committee this Congress, so I thank Mr. Chairman for that.
It is a bill that finally recognizes the vital role early-childhood educators play in shaping the foundation of a child's development. These educators work with children during their most formative years, laying the groundwork for cognitive, social, and emotional growth. Yet, despite this enormous responsibility, these teachers remain excluded from basic tax benefits that acknowledge teachers' financial burdens.
The SEED Act would correct this by finally extending the existing above-the-line educator expense deduction to early-childhood educators working with children 5 years old or younger.
The $300 deduction, which will rise to $350 next year, may seem modest, but for educators who routinely dip into their own pockets to provide classroom supplies, it is a meaningful, impactful support. It is also Federal recognition of teachers and their professionalism, dedication, and commitment to the development of our children.
Across the country, we are facing a severe shortage of early- childhood educators, a crisis that is driven by low wages and limited support, yet despite those challenges, early-childhood educators continue to extend themselves to ensure children have safe, enriching environments in which they can grow. They do this even when their paychecks fall short and even when they are forced to choose between personal expenses and classroom needs.
By including early-childhood educators in the educator expense deduction, the SEED Act acknowledges both the economic hardship and the extraordinary dedication these educators bring to their work every single day.
As a result, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I reserve the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick), the co- lead of this legislation, who recognizes and is championing the needs of all of our teachers with this important legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his support for this legislation and bringing it to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5334, the Supporting Early-childhood Educators' Deductions Act, also known as the SEED Act.
Mr. Speaker, in Pennsylvania, more than 68,000 early-childhood educators support our youngest learners every single day. The first 5 years of a child's life lay down the foundation for how they learn, how they grow, and how they succeed. These educators are central to that process.
They do far more than teach. They create safe, engaging environments where children can thrive. Despite earning very modest wages, these educators often reach into their own pocket to stock their classrooms and ensure their students have the resources they need to succeed.
That level of dedication speaks to their commitment, Mr. Speaker, not just to their students but to the communities they serve and our future workforce.
Under current law, early-childhood educators cannot deduct these out- of-pocket expenses. That is a gap the SEED Act will fix. The SEED Act offers a simple, bipartisan solution by extending the existing educator expense deduction to early-childhood educators. It is a commonsense measure that supports educators and invests in our youngest learners during their most critical years.
I thank my friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta), for his partnership and his care and concern for our educators and our young people across America. I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation to better equip and uplift our early-childhood educators and those they serve across this Nation.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield myself the balance of my time.
I urge the House to pass this commonsense legislation. By expanding eligibility for the educator expense deduction to early-childhood educators, the bill will finally recognize the incredible dedication and work of these pre-K educators. This is one step toward supporting those who extend themselves day in and day out to help grow and educate all of our children.
Again, I thank Representative Fitzpatrick for his support, and I thank the chairman for pushing this bill forward. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill with a vote of ``yes.''
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to supporting teachers who go the extra mile to provide for their students, including paying out of pocket for supplies and other educational materials, we need to ensure we are acknowledging and rewarding the contributions of all of our educators.
That includes the early-childhood teachers, who are charged with instilling in our youth a love of learning and curiosity from the youngest age.
I encourage 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 Missouri (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5334, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6903) to require the Secretary of State to revoke any United States passport issued to an individual, on receipt of a certification by the Secretary of Health and Human Services that the individual has a child support arrearage exceeding $2,500, 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 Missouri (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Missouri?
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6903, the Ensuring Children Receive Support Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by Representatives Beth Van Duyne and Jimmy Panetta.
This legislation has a simple premise: Parents must meet their obligations to care for their kids, period. It is pretty simple.
To ensure that is happening, State-level child support agencies rely in part on the Passport Denial Program, which is run out of the State Department and, as its name suggests, is used to deny the ability of delinquent parents to obtain a passport to leave the country when they owe back child support.
The State Department has authority under current law to deny, limit, or revoke a passport of an individual, but as we have discovered, quite often the bureaucracy does not act with the level of urgency that is needed. This bill makes it clear that the State Department must revoke an individual's passport, both at the time of initial application for a passport and at the time of renewal.
Research indicates that child support is a significant portion of income for low-income families, making up 41 percent of total income when received and can help reduce poverty and reliance on welfare. Among all families served, 24 percent have income below the Federal poverty level.
Representatives Van Duyne and Panetta are doing tremendous work here to ensure that States have the enforcement tools that they need and children receive the support that they need and are owed without delay.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Ensuring Children Receive Support Act, which I am proud to co-lead with Representative Van Duyne. I thank her for her leadership and thank the chairman for pushing this bill forward with overwhelming support out of the Ways and Means Committee onto the House floor for this vote.
This bill would expand the existing bipartisan legislation and the universal commonsense values of taking care of our children.
It addresses the somber issue when it comes to the services and protections that we can provide for children.
We all know that parenthood is a privilege, but it is also a serious responsibility. Unfortunately, nationwide, there is more than $115 billion owed in child support arrears. As of fiscal year 2024, there were more than 8.7 million parents who hadn't made a payment in over 5 years.
In 1996, Congress, in a bipartisan fashion, gave the State Department the authority to withhold passports and passport renewals from someone with unpaid child support. That is called the passport denial program. That program collects about $30 million a year in outstanding child support debt, but this is out of about $30 billion that we collect each year in total child support payments.
That means that the vast majority of child support goes uncollected, single parents struggle, and, unfortunately, that means that, at times, children can go hungry.
I believe we should be doing everything we can to close this gap and ensure child support is making it to the children who need it the most. The Ensuring Children Receive Support Act is part of that effort.
It is legislation that builds on the existing law that I talked about by rescinding passports when someone is more than $2,500 in arrears for child support. When you don't pay, you must stay.
Under this bill, people would get a notice that their case is being referred to the State Department. However, if necessary, there would be emergency passports if they urgently need to travel while in arrears. Moreover, they would also be eligible to have their passports reinstated once they pay their child support.
With this bill, we are ensuring that the Federal Government plays its part to meet the urgency that so many single parents feel and finds practical solutions to ensure that child support gets paid. That is why I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Van Duyne), the sponsor of this legislation and someone who is standing up for children across this country to ensure that they get the support that they need.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding, and I thank my colleague Congressman Panetta from California for also helping to introduce this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 6903, the Ensuring Children Receive Support Act.
Nearly 2 weeks ago, families experienced one of the largest tax refund seasons on record, with an estimated $91 billion already issued as part of an expected $370 billion refund season. On average, families can look forward to nearly $4,000 back in their pockets compared to last year, and families with two children earning $73,000 will have no Federal income tax liability.
Supporting working families is more important than ever, especially now that the working families tax cuts have been signed into law. By claiming the standard deduction and the child tax credit, families keep more of their hard-earned money to be able to provide for their families by putting food on the table, covering rent, or keeping
However, ensuring children are taken care of should not be negotiable, particularly in joint custody households where both parents share responsibility. When child support obligations go unmet, that responsibility breaks down, leaving children without the consistent support they deserve.
In 2024 alone, there were over 8 million unpaid child support cases-- at the direct expense of our children. That is why stronger enforcement tools are necessary to hold delinquent parents accountable.
Mr. Speaker, just weeks after the Ways and Means Committee marked up my legislation, we have seen reports that the administration is moving to proactively revoke passports for individuals who owe significant child support. That reinforces exactly what this bill is about: making sure the tools we already have are used both effectively and consistently.
The passport denial program administered by the State Department currently allows for the denial or revocation of a passport when an individual owes more than $2,500 in past-due child support and seeks consular services.
My bill strengthens this program by requiring the State Department to revoke an individual's passport and notify them of the intent to take such action. If an individual is abroad when their passport is revoked, the State Department may make an emergency exception to allow that individual to return to the United States.
Since its implementation, this program has successfully collected over $600 million in past-due child support, including $30 million in 2024 alone. This legislation builds on that success by strengthening enforcement and ensuring accountability for those who deliberately evade their obligations as parents.
When parents meet their responsibilities, children have greater stability. Families are stronger, and taxpayers are not left picking up the tab.
Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense, bipartisan step forward and a clear win for children and families. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the House to pass this commonsense, bipartisan legislation. The majority of child support, as we have heard, goes uncollected. Today, we have a chance to do something about it.
The Ensuring Children Receive Support Act would expand existing bipartisan policy to ensure the law is enforced and children receive the support that they need.
Representative Van Duyne understands that. I thank her for her leadership on this bill because a vote for this legislation is a vote to support children, and ultimately, it supports families.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation strengthens the federal child support enforcement program, which is meant to ensure parents pay the support that they owe to their children.
This program is one of the most effective Federal programs we have. In 2024, States reported nearly $30 million in collections through the passport denial program, and over 5,000 payments were made to custodial families.
The bill closes a loophole in current law that can let parents with large unpaid child support debts receive a passport renewal without consequence. This bill makes sure that the State Department uses its authority to revoke passports, both at the time of the application and renewal. We should use every opportunity to make sure children get the support that they need to thrive.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage 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 Missouri (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 6903, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6431) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the rules governing the State administration of self-employment assistance programs, 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 Ohio (Mr. Carey) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Ohio?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of my bill, which is H.R. 6431, the New Opportunities for Business Ownership and Self- Sufficiency Act, also known as the NO BOSS Act.
This bill is a product of bipartisan work across the aisle, and I thank my dear friend and colleague from Cincinnati, Representative Greg Landsman, for co-leading this legislation with me.
The NO BOSS Act makes small tweaks to the Self-Employment Assistance, or SEA, Program to support unemployed workers who decide to create their own next jobs.
The SEA Program is voluntary for all States. It allows qualified unemployment insurance claimants to collect an allowance to support their efforts to establish a business in lieu of regular unemployment compensation.
Small businesses are the backbone of our Nation's economy. For many Americans, owning their own business is the embodiment of the American Dream. The NO BOSS Act supports these pursuits by increasing the percentage of individuals who can participate in the SEA Program from 5 percent to 10 percent. It also eliminates the requirement that a participant must be likely to exhaust their unemployment compensation benefits in order to qualify.
Entrepreneurship should not be a last resort for those who are unable to find any other form of employment. Rather, self-employment should be encouraged and, indeed, practiced. These two changes expand the eligibility and the opportunity to participate in the SEA Program for more unemployment insurance claimants.
Finally, the NO BOSS Act strengthens the SEA Program by requiring States to certify participation in the self-employment assistance activities weekly and adding new participation activities.
Currently, self-employment activities include entrepreneurial training, business consulting, and technical assistance. This bill adds submitting a business plan or market feasibility study for approval by the State to that list.
In January, the NO BOSS Act passed out of the Ways and Means Committee unanimously by a vote of 41-0. It is important to get this bill signed into law because the SEA Program is underutilized. The bill is a great example of how government can support, enable, and foster more entrepreneurship in a meaningful way.
Entrepreneurship empowers Americans from all backgrounds at all stages of their professional careers. New businesses create jobs for members of their communities and strengthen our economy. The NO BOSS Act is pro-small business and pro-self-starter.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Leader Scalise, Chairman Jason Smith, and Ranking Member Neal for their support in advancing this legislation. I encourage all of the Members to vote ``yes'' on this bipartisan, commonsense legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the NO BOSS Act, legislation from my good friend and colleague, Representative Mike Carey. I also acknowledge his co-lead on the bill, Representative Greg Landsman. This bill is a demonstration of what neighbors and neighboring congressional Members can do together in a bipartisan fashion.
The NO BOSS Act would give workers the choice to use their unemployment insurance weeks, as necessary, to build their businesses, rather than being locked into job searches that don't fit their skills, their needs, or their potential.
Mr. Speaker, most businesses are small businesses. Nationwide, more than 80 percent, or nearly 30 million small businesses, are a solo venture, meaning they have no employees. The second most common type of business still has fewer than 20 total employees.
According to a Census in 2022, those solo-venture businesses contributed more than $1.7 trillion, or almost 7 percent, to the U.S. economy. The one thing that all businesses have in common is that they are all started with a good idea and a founder with the time and commitment to develop that business.
Under the Self-Employment Assistance program, Americans using unemployment insurance can use their unemployment insurance weeks to start a business. The cost is negligible to the government since it is offered in lieu of normal benefits. Unfortunately, there are only five States that offer such a program, and participants are unnecessarily restricted.
That is why the NO BOSS Act would expand this program by doubling the number of people who can use it and let workers opt in earlier, instead of requiring them to wait until they have nearly exhausted their benefits.
To be clear, Mr. Speaker, this is not a blank check. Participants must follow an approved training or business plan. There must be a feasibility study, and they must certify weekly so that States can verify their progress.
The NO BOSS Act would simply make commonsense updates to a commonsensical program. It is a bipartisan effort, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Does the gentleman from Ohio ask unanimous consent to reclaim his time?
Mr. CAREY: Yes.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman is recognized.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the House to pass this commonsense legislation. As stated before, the NO BOSS Act would remove red tape and make simple, bipartisan updates to an existing program that works.
By giving Americans the option to develop their skills and to go to work for themselves, we can improve our unemployment system and opportunities for all American workers.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Carey) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 6431, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 227) to allow a period in which members of the clergy may revoke their exemption from Social Security coverage, 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 Ohio (Mr. Carey) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson) each will control 20 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Ohio?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Clergy Act.
First, I thank my colleague Mr. Fong for his partnership on this issue. This is how the legislative process should work: Democrats and Republicans coming together to solve real problems for our constituents.
For nearly 90 years, Social Security has done exactly what it has promised: protected workers, retirees, and people with disabilities; and kept families out of poverty.
Since it works, our responsibility is pretty simple: to make it easier and not harder for Americans to access and benefit from the Social Security program.
Under current law, members of the clergy can opt out of paying Social Security if they choose not to receive benefits. The Clergy Act provides a 2-year window for clergy members to opt back in, to contribute, and to secure the earned benefits that they may have previously foregone.
Clergy serve as pillars of their communities, offering guidance and support in moments that matter the most. This bill ensures that they will have the opportunity to participate fully in a system that has strengthened generations of American families.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill H.R. 227, the Clergy Act. This bipartisan legislation, cosponsored by my fellow California Congressman Mike Thompson, would create a one-time re- enrollment window for pastors and other clergy members who have previously opted out of Social Security, many in their youth, to voluntarily opt back in.
For decades, members of the clergy have made the permanent decision of opting out of Social Security. While this choice was made with good intentions, many faith leaders experience significant financial hardship as they approach retirement.
Our local pastors and ministers are the backbone of our communities, providing critical spiritual guidance in the Central Valley, throughout California, and across the Nation. This legislation empowers them to take greater control over their own financial futures.
As lawmakers, we have a fundamental responsibility to strengthen Social Security in its current form while providing a pillar of protection for our seniors, including our faith leaders.
The Clergy Act is a commonsense solution to a nonpartisan problem, which is why I am proud it passed the Ways and Means Committee unanimously on a 40-0 vote.
I commend Congressman Mike Thompson for his leadership and partnership, and I thank Chairman Smith, Congressman Mike Thompson, again, the House Ways and Means Committee members and staff, and all those who supported this critical legislation.
I urge support for this bill and hope to ensure those who have given so much are not left behind in retirement.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am prepared to close, and I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, if we are serious about strengthening Social Security, we can't stop at incremental fixes. We must also protect the program from efforts that would weaken this great program.
We have heard calls for so-called reforms or tough choices. Let's be clear about what that means: cutting benefits, raising retirement age, or moving toward privatization--steps that undermine the guaranteed security Americans rely on.
Democrats reject that approach. We believe Social Security is a promise, not a bargaining chip.
Today, we have an opportunity to do something constructive. The Clergy Act is a practical, bipartisan step that expands access to Social Security and strengthens retirement security for those who serve our communities every day.
We can choose to build on what works, or we can risk it. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Let's build on what works.
I want to thank Congressman Fong, who has been a great partner in this effort. This is important legislation. It will help the people that we represent and the people that our colleagues represent across this country.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage 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 Ohio (Mr. Carey) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 227, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8364) to amend title 5, United States Code, to authorize the increase of the retirement age in the United States Capitol Police.
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 gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Morelle) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Oklahoma.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Oklahoma?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise today in support of Bryan Steil's legislation, H.R. 8364, which extends the retirement waiver age for officers within the United States Capitol Police.
I would like to thank Ranking Member Morelle for his collaboration on this very important piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, threats against lawmakers are at all-time highs. This weekend's events once again remind us of that reality.
Although we have seen a welcome and much-needed increase in recruitment numbers, we continue to have staffing challenges within the United States Capitol Police.
Together, these challenges have created difficult circumstances for those who work tirelessly to keep visitors, staff, and lawmakers safe.
Under current law, officers are forced to retire at age 57, unless they receive a waiver from the Capitol Police Board. With a waiver, officers can continue to work until the age of 60.
H.R. 8364 will extend that waiver timeline to 65.
Right now, nearly 60 sworn officers are working on a waiver, which is the equivalent of more than two recruitment classes. Without this legislative change, they will all be forced to retire in the next few years.
Under our legislation, the Capitol Police Board will have the authority to grant waivers to sworn officers until they reach the age of 65.
Notably, this is not the first time Congress has done something like this. In 2004 and 2010, Congress temporarily raised the mandatory Federal law enforcement retirement age from 60 to 65 to address staffing shortfalls at the FBI.
Additionally, it is also important to note that our legislation gives the Capitol Police Board the discretion to decide who is still fit for the job.
The men and women of the U.S. Capitol Police do a tremendous job protecting this institution. We shouldn't be forcing officers to retire when we have staffing shortages that can be easily remedied by this one change.
Again, I thank the ranking member and his staff for working closely with us on this important matter, and I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, let me begin by offering my appreciation and thanks to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma, my friend Mrs. Bice, for her leadership. I extend my appreciation as well to the chair of the Committee on House Administration, Bryan Steil, for his authorship and his partnership in advancing this bill.
I rise in strong support of H.R. 8364, a bill that, as Mrs. Bice indicated, would increase the age at which Capitol Police officers may serve from 60 to 65 when granted a retirement age waiver by the Capitol Police Board.
The men and women of the United States Capitol Police have one of the most critical and demanding jobs in the legislative branch. This was once again underscored over the weekend when Capitol Police officers acted to protect Members of this House, including the Speaker and other members of leadership from the latest attempt at political violence-- this time at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.
We are all grateful that everyone who attended the dinner was able to leave safely.
Capitol Police officers secure the Capitol campus, investigate threats, provide protective details, screen visitors, respond to emergencies, investigate crimes, monitor demonstrations, secure major events, and more.
They do this all in an era of dramatically increased threats and strain on the department, and I commend Chief Sullivan and former Chief Manger for their diligent work rebuilding the force from the low point it reached after January 6. I am pleased that the department has since grown to more than 2,300 sworn officers. This is meaningful progress, but there is still much more work to do.
The large cohort of officers who joined the department after the September 11 attacks is now reaching retirement age. That is kind of hard to imagine, but that is the case.
The department cannot afford to lose those experienced, fully capable officers solely because they reach an arbitrary age threshold.
This bill does not change the statutory retirement age of 57, but it does give the Capitol Police Board discretion to allow an officer to continue serving until the age of 65 when doing so is in the public interest.
I want to make sure this is clear to people: Nothing in this bill lessens the board's responsibility to ensure officers granted exemptions remain fit for duty--fully fit and capable of meeting the physical and operational demands of the job.
This is a prudent, targeted step to preserve experience, maintain staffing, and help ensure the department has the workforce it needs.
For those reasons, I support the bill and urge my colleagues to do the same. I thank my colleague and friend Mrs. Bice, as well as Chairman Steil, for their leadership.
Mr. Speaker, this is an important, prudent, thoughtful measure, and it will add to the safety and protection of the people in the Capitol complex, whether it is Members, staff, or visitors. That is something I know both sides of the aisle deeply appreciate and support.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 8364.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill 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. 7959) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make improvements with respect to the treatment of whistleblowers, 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 Missouri (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 346, nays 10, not voting 73, as follows:
Messrs. MASSIE and ROY changed their vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
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.
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. 227) to allow a period in which members of the clergy may revoke their exemption from Social Security coverage, 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 Ohio (Mr. Carey) 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 350, nays 5, not voting 74, 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.
Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote during the vote series today. Had I been able to vote, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 138, Passage of H.R. 7959, IRS Whistleblower Program Improvement Act, and YEA on Roll Call No. 139, Passage of H.R. 227, Clergy Act.
Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote today, due to a commitment in my Congressional district. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 138 and YEA on Roll Call No. 139.
Mr. Speaker, I was unable to make it back to D.C. for votes today. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 138 and YEA on Roll Call No. 139.
Mr. Speaker, I was not recorded on Roll Call Nos. 138 and 139. Had I been present, I would have voted ``YEA'' on Roll Call No. 138 and ``YEA'' on Roll Call No. 139.
Mr. Speaker, I was not present during the following House votes today due to a flight delay. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 138 and YEA on Roll Call No. 139.
Making in Order at Any Time Consideration of H. Con. Res. 75, Directing the President, Pursuant to Section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to Remove the United States Armed Forces from...
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that it be in order at any time to consider H. Con. Res. 75 in the House if called up by the chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, or his designee; that the concurrent resolution be considered as read; that the previous question be considered as ordered on the concurrent resolution to adoption without intervening motion, except for 1 hour of debate equally divided among and controlled by Representative Mast of Florida and Representative Meeks of New York, or their respective designees.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Texas?
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the first sponsor of H.R. 3317, Honoring Civil Servants Killed in the Line of Duty Act, a bill originally introduced by Representative Connolly of Virginia, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Virginia?
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Centre County 4-H robotics team, which recently qualified for the Robotics World Championship.
The team known as Centre Punch placed second out of 41 teams at a regional event in New York City earlier this month. In addition to placing second, the team was given the Creativity Award. Their robot weighed 135 pounds and featured a climbing mechanism, allowing it to pull itself off of the ground.
The team will travel to Houston, Texas, at the end of the week to compete in the 2026 FIRST World Championship.
This marks the first time in over 5 years that the team will compete in the championship, joining 600 teams from 60 different countries. Teams compete in pit-based challenges and undergo reviews by judges to demonstrate their engineering and their teamwork.
Mr. Speaker, this achievement reflects the group's hard work and determination. I thank them for representing Centre County so well and wish them luck.
Mr. Speaker, all morning, my team has been sorting through more than 60 privacy release forms I received from people imprisoned at Dilley.
I spent most of my oversight visit Saturday hearing from people who, by any measure of fairness or common sense, should not be locked up. They were green card holders, asylum seekers, people with some level of legal protection, people without criminal records, and children who have been there for months in a direct violation of Federal law.
I went room to room, helping people in detention fill out privacy releases so their Members of Congress could advocate for them because the system, as it stands, is not delivering justice reliably without intervention. That should outrage all of us.
Families should not have to rely on a chance encounter with a Member of Congress to access basic due process. I am angry because this cruelty is intentional.
We must demand justice: an immigration system that follows the rule of law, a system that doesn't imprison children, a system that keeps families together, a system that guarantees access to due justice abiding by the law.
Mr. Speaker, northeast Florida has watched smoke rise on the horizon as brush fires burn in Nassau and Clay Counties amid severe drought.
In moments like these, communities rely on those who are willing to stand between danger and everything we hold dear.
Today, I rise to honor one of those individuals, James ``Kevin'' Crews of Hilliard, Florida.
Kevin served faithfully with the Hilliard Volunteer Fire Department, answering the call time and time again to protect his neighbors. As brush fires spread across our region, he once again stepped forward without hesitation to serve on the front lines.
Mr. Speaker, last Thursday, while responding to a fire along Old Dixie Highway, Kevin suffered a medical emergency in the line of duty and later passed away.
Mr. Speaker, he was only 59 years old. Kevin's sacrifice reminds us what it truly means to serve. His loss is felt deeply in Hilliard and beyond. He lives a life of service, Mr. Speaker, and today I ask my colleagues to recognize him as a dedicated public servant and a hero.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight one of the most important rights American citizens have, and that is voting.
Tomorrow is the deadline in Oregon to register to vote in our upcoming primaries, and Oregonians should make sure they register so that they can make their voices heard. They can find out where and how to update their information on Oregon's secretary of state website, but now the President is trying to make registering less accessible and voting by mail harder.
Mr. Speaker, I just won't stand for it. We voted by mail for almost 30 years in Oregon, and it was a bipartisan initiative when it was enacted. We know that it is safe, secure, and effective. I won't let this President or my colleagues silence our voices. Your voice is your vote, and your vote is your voice, and everyone should use it at the ballot box.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of Deputy Randy Joe Hoppert, Jr., of Tulare County Sheriff's Department.
On April 9, Deputy Hoppert was tragically killed in the line of duty while serving the people of Tulare County. A proud Central Valley native, he committed his life to helping others.
After graduating from El Diamante High School, he answered the call to protect our Nation in the U.S. Navy before returning to home to work in the sheriff's department.
During his 6 years on the force, he served in the patrol division as a detective, with the CATTCH Unit, and on the SWAT team as a medic.
Those who knew him speak of a man who led with integrity, cared about his community, and worked every day to make a difference.
Deputy Hoppert is survived by his wife, Ashley; his children, Austin, Everett, and unborn son Levi; and his parents, Stacy and Randy, Sr.
Deputy Hoppert's service and sacrifice will not be forgotten. He will be deeply missed.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor the life and legacy of Ms. Ruby Duncan who sadly passed away yesterday surrounded by her loving family in Las Vegas.
In 1972, she founded Operation Life, the first federally funded community development corporation led by low-income women.
But even before that, in 1981, she helped organize a powerful march on the Las Vegas Strip, bringing more than 6,000 people together to protest cuts to welfare support for women and children.
When the march ended, the movement did not. She and other Black mothers continued their fight by staging eat-ins at casino restaurants, demanding dignity and justice.
She led the charge to make sure no child in Nevada went hungry, helping bring WIC to our State, expand food assistance, and deliver thousands of meals to students every day.
Her impact reached all the way to the White House where President Jimmy Carter invited her to help shape national programs.
Her work was always rooted in community and rooted in Las Vegas. She showed us what it means to turn struggle into action and action into lasting change.
Today, we honor her life, her legacy, and the generation she lifted up. May God bless her soul.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Lucia Ranieri for her victory at New Jersey's State wrestling championship.
Lucia made program history with her win, becoming the first Roselle Park high schooler to win a State title since 1953.
Lucia has had an amazing path to success. As just a sophomore, she is a two-time regional champion, district champion, and a two-time county champion.
Last winter, as a freshman, she placed third at the State championship, setting the stage for this year's historic win.
On behalf of New Jersey's 10th Congressional District, I am wishing Lucia the best as she continues to represent Roselle Park High School with strength and pride.
Mr. Speaker, last week Americans and Armenians came together to remember Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.
We must continue to honor the more than 1.5 million Armenian lives that were senselessly taken and recommit ourselves to remembering the Armenian genocide as a historical truth with clarity and moral responsibility.
We, as a country, must do more to ensure that atrocities like the Armenian genocide never happen again. That is why I have cosponsored H.R. 6840, the ARMENIA Security Partnership Act, to both strengthen the U.S.-Armenian alliance and hold Azerbaijan accountable for their continued human rights abuses.
I am proud to stand with the Armenian-American community today and every day as they bravely demand justice, accountability, and fight against those who seek to erase their history.
I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting these critical pieces of legislation that guarantee the safety and acceptance of the Armenian people 111 years after the atrocities started.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the noble service of U.S. Army General Randy George, an American soldier whose life reflects decades of unwavering patriotic commitment to our Nation.
General George, at an early age, was selected to attend and then graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point. General George led at every level academically and then
His career was not measured in titles but in sacrifice and judgment forged over time. He held the trust of soldiers. He led in peacetime and in war.
At a moment when the challenges facing our U.S. military demand depth, steadiness, and proven leadership, experience matters. It matters in consequential judgment calls and decisions in battle that affect lives, and it matters in moments of uncertainty. It matters in ensuring the trust, strength, and readiness of our force.
Mr. Speaker, the American people thank General Randy George for his utter commitment to our Nation.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor this week's St. Louis All-Stars, the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who have served or are currently serving our Nation around the world.
While I still have very serious concerns about President Trump's decision to launch this unauthorized war, one thing remains clear: Our servicemembers have made extraordinary sacrifices in the name of duty to the United States.
We must do everything in our power to honor their service, protect their rights, and ensure they receive the care they have earned when they return home. That includes restoring and strengthening Veterans' Affairs services, which have been cut by the Trump administration.
To all the servicemembers deployed around the world, especially those from the St. Louis region, I thank them for their courage and their commitment. We are praying for their safe return.
Mr. Speaker, these incredible young minds from Martin County High School earned top honors at the Congressional App Challenge for North Carolina's First District with their app, Positive Pathways, designed to support mental health through interactive tools that help manage anxiety, depression, and OCD.
Aaron Snyder, Ava Edmonds, and Layla Salem turned an idea into a working app using technology to make a real difference in helping people.
Their success was made possible with the guidance of Libby Grimes, their media coordinator and mentor. I was so glad to welcome them to our Nation's Capital.
Their creativity and dedication highlight the bright future of STEM in eastern North Carolina.
Positive Pathways is an inspiring example of how young innovators can work together to use technology for the greater good.
Mr. Speaker, today, once again, our Republican colleagues are coming to the House floor to write another blank check to ICE on the backs of the American people.
One year ago, Republicans in this Chamber claimed they were going to lower the debt and give tax breaks to real Americans. Instead, they gave tax breaks to billionaires on the backs of the hardworking people across this country.
They gave billions in funding to terrorize our communities. They gave billions in funding to ICE, billions in funding to the war machine that is currently raging overseas.
Yet, here they are again in front of this Chamber this week asking for $70 billion with zero reforms to help the American people. That is why I am here to say: Hell, no, we are not writing another blank check to ICE, not a penny more.
Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.
The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 7 o'clock and 30 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at 9 a.m.
