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10Deletions of Sponsors From Public Bills and Resolutions
Daily Digest
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced
35 public bills, H.R. 9535- 9569; and 14 resolutions, H. Con. Res. 111; and H. Res. 1399-1411 were introduced.
Pages H4362-65
Report Filed
A report was filed today as follows: H. Res. 1398, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 8800) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 8595) making appropriations for national security, Department of State, and related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2027, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 8884) to amend title II of the Social Security Act to reauthorize demonstration authority for the disability insurance program; providing for consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 1383) commemorating the one- year anniversary of the enactment of the Working Families Tax Cuts; and for other purposes (H. Rept. 119-718).
Page H4362
Speaker
Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed Representative Newhouse to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
Page H4321
Recess
The House recessed at 11:50 a.m. and reconvened at 12 p.m.
Page H4333
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027, National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2027, Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act and Commemorating the one-year anniversary of the enactment of the Working Families Tax Cuts--Rule for Consideration: The House failed to agree to H. Res. 1398, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 8800) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 8595) making appropriations for national security, Department of State, and related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2027; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 8884) to amend title II of the Social Security Act to reauthorize demonstration authority for the disability insurance program; and providing for consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 1383) commemorating the one-year anniversary of the enactment of the Working Families Tax Cuts, by a recorded vote of 198 ayes to 224 noes, Roll No. 231, after the previous question was ordered by a yea-and-nay vote of 215 yeas to 210 nays, Roll No. 230. Subsequently, Representative Scalise offered a motion to reconsider the vote, on which further proceedings were postponed.
Pages H4335-44
Directing the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities in Lebanon
The House failed to agree to H. Con. Res. 108, directing the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities in Lebanon, by a yea-and-nay vote of 189 yeas to 235 nays, Roll No. 232. Consideration began yesterday, June 29th.
Pages H4344-45
Recess
The House recessed at 2:27 p.m. and reconvened at 4 p.m.
Page H4345
Recess
The House recessed at 4:09 p.m. and reconvened at 5:15 p.m.
Page H4346
Directing the Committee on Ethics to preserve and publicly release records relating to monetary settlements involving acts of sexual harassment
The House agreed to H. Res. 1399, directing the Committee on Ethics to preserve and publicly release records relating to monetary settlements involving acts of sexual harassment, by a yea-and-nay vote of 420 yeas with none voting ``nay'' and one answering ``present'', Roll No. 233.
Pages H4345-47
Work Period Designation
Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he designated the period from Tuesday, June 30, 2026, through Sunday, July 12, 2026, as a ``district work period'' under clause 13 of rule 1.
Page H4347
Quorum Calls Votes
Three yea-and-nay votes and one recorded vote developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H4343-44; H4344; H4344-45; and H4346-47. Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 8:23 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: 128 of 152 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 11:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, 10 years ago, PROMESA became law. It established a financial oversight board capable of overriding Puerto Rico's elected officials on fiscal matters.
PROMESA is a democratic tragedy. We surrendered our self-government in exchange for fiscal relief. Ten years later, we have restructured most of our debts and balanced our most recent budgets, but we still dream about restoring our democratic self-government.
The 10th anniversary of PROMESA begs the question: Where do the people of Puerto Rico stand today? As their voice in Congress, I say: We oppose the bad government practices that created the impression that PROMESA was a necessity. We oppose the vulture funds that want to profit from our misery and energy crisis. We oppose unelected oversight boards that can override our democratic will.
We support good government. We support responsible bankruptcy relief. We support restoring democracy and electing the people who govern us.
Puerto Rico was once an example of good government in Latin America, but it became an example of how politics and corruption erased the path to prosperity.
On the 250th anniversary of the United States, let us not forget the parts of this country of States, territories, and commonwealths that had and lost their government by consent of the governed. Let us not forget that we the people must continue to work toward a more perfect Union, a more perfect Union of States, territories, and commonwealths.
Now, for the benefit of my constituents, I will repeat my remarks in Spanish.
(Spanish translation of the statement made in English is as follows:)
Hace diez anos, PROMESA se convirtio en ley. Le impuso a Puerto Rico una junta de supervision no electa, con la capacidad de pasar por encima de los funcionarios electos en asuntos fiscales.
PROMESA es una tragedia democratica. Entregamos nuestro autogobierno a cambio de alivio fiscal. Diez anos despues, hemos reestructurado la mayoria de nuestras deudas. Hemos balanceado nuestros presupuestos mas recientes. Pero todavia sonamos con restaurar la democracia en nuestra isla.
El decimo aniversario de PROMESA obliga a plantearse la pregunta: qdonde se encuentra hoy el pueblo de Puerto Rico?
Como su voz en el Congreso, digo:
Nos oponemos a las malas practicas de gobierno que hicieron que PROMESA pareciera necesaria.
Nos oponemos a los fondos buitre que quieren lucrarse de nuestra miseria y de nuestra crisis energetica.
Nos oponemos a las juntas de supervision no electas que pueden pasar por encima de nuestra voluntad democratica.
Apoyamos el buen gobierno.
Apoyamos un alivio responsable ante la quiebra. Apoyamos restaurar la democracia y elegir a quienes nos gobiernan.
Puerto Rico fue una vez un ejemplo de buen gobierno en America Latina y
En el aniversario 250 de los Estados Unidos, no olvidemos aquellas partes de este pais de estados, territorios y estados libre asociados que tuvieron--y perdieron--su gobierno por consentimiento de los gobernados.
No olvidemos que ``nosotros, el pueblo'' debemos continuar la labor hacia una union mas perfecta: una union mas perfecta de estados, territorios y estados libre asociados.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and thank The American Legion Post 290 in King, North Carolina, for recently sponsoring a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Referred to as ``The Moving Wall,'' this replica is 246 feet in length and honors every servicemember who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in Vietnam.
In late April to early May, The Moving Wall was displayed at The American Legion Post 290 in King, and I was fortunate enough to attend the closing ceremony and offer a few remarks about its importance.
The American Legion Auxiliary sponsored the event, and doing so takes serious and dedicated planning by all who are involved.
This event came together through countless hours of preparation and diligence in monitoring the wall while it was in King.
Sheila Winfrey, the 290 unit president; Lynn Shouse, the vice president; Cherryl Penn; and Jessie Penn deserve tremendous credit for putting this entire event together.
The citizens of King and those from the area who came to view The Moving Wall indicated that they share the exact same sentiment.
We are all grateful for the dedication and efforts of these four wonderful individuals in helping put this event together, as well as grateful for those represented on the wall.
Everyone who was fortunate enough to attend, me included, would agree that they did a fantastic job all around.
It is my hope that many others across our Nation will attend such events where The Moving Wall is displayed and take the time to learn of its importance and the sacrifices made to preserve and protect the freedoms we are all blessed to have by those who have served and especially those who lost their lives in service.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor the life of a remarkable young western New Yorker and St. Joe's student, Dominic P. Strangio of Niagara Falls, whose courageous battle with cancer came to an end on April 22, 2026, at just 16 years old.
Dominic was a beloved son to Frank and Sara, a devoted big brother to Sofia and Frankie, and a treasured grandson, cousin, teammate, classmate, and friend. Though his time on this Earth was far too short, the impact he made on those around him will endure for generations.
Dominic was a proud Marauder, attending St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute. As someone who walked those halls myself, I know firsthand the values St. Joe's seeks to instill: faith, brotherhood, compassion, and service to others.
Dominic embodied those values in every sense. The entire St. Joe's community mourns this immeasurable loss alongside the Strangio family, united in both grief and gratitude for having known such an extraordinary young man.
On the baseball field, Dominic was someone his teammates could depend on. Off the field, he loved hanging out with his cherished friends, going on fishing trips with his papa, and spending Sunday afternoons at his nonna's kitchen table. He found joy in the simple gifts of life and treasured every moment spent with his brother and sister.
It was not only how Dominic lived his life before his diagnosis that inspired so many. It was how he faced adversity. Throughout his illness, Dominic demonstrated courage and grace far beyond his years. Guided by his faith, he remained selfless, optimistic, and resilient. He never complained. He continued to think of others even as he confronted challenges that few adults could ever imagine.
Dominic's strength became a source of inspiration to his family, friends, classmates, and our entire community.
Mr. Speaker, while Dominic's years were few, his example was immense. May we all carry forward his kindness, faith, resilience, and love for his family.
To Dominic's parents, Frank and Sara; his brother, Frankie; his sister, Sofia; and all who mourn this tremendous loss, our Nation and our community mourn with you.
St. John Baptist de La Salle, pray for us. Live, Jesus, in our hearts forever.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate a remarkable milestone in the history of western New York: the 100th anniversary of The Buffalo Criterion.
Founded by Frank Merriweather, Sr., and his wife, Carmelita, The Criterion is the oldest Black-owned newspaper in western New York and the oldest Black-owned business in Erie County.
For over a century, four generations of the Merriweather family have carried forward a simple but powerful mission: to tell the stories that too often go untold and to ensure that Buffalo's Black community has a voice that is heard loud and clear.
Frank Merriweather, Sr., a graduate of the Tuskegee Institute, who studied under Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver, understood that journalism would be a force for justice, opportunity, and change. That vision has endured for 100 years and counting.
From the extraordinary leadership of Frank Merriweather, Jr., to Evelyn Patterson Merriweather, Frank Merriweather III, Dr. Eva Doyle, and countless dedicated journalists, photographers, and community leaders, The Criterion has chronicled the triumphs, struggles, and aspirations of generations of western New Yorkers.
When our community faced tragedy following the racist terrorist attack at Tops on Jefferson on May 14, 2022, The Buffalo Criterion helped to tell Buffalo's story to the Nation and the global community.
In a moment of profound grief, it became a source of truth, moral clarity, strength, and healing. That is what The Criterion does. It leads.
For 100 years, The Criterion has spoken truth to power, preserved history, amplified local voices, and strengthened our community.
Today, we honor its extraordinary legacy and congratulate everyone who has played a role and helped to make The Buffalo Criterion an enduring institution in Buffalo and throughout western New York.
I congratulate them on a century of work, and here is to many, many more years to come.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the city of Allen's 150 years of history and community spirit and encourage all residents to join in honoring this sesquicentennial milestone.
Founded in 1876, Allen has become one of north Texas' most vibrant communities and has built a proud legacy of civic leadership, opportunity, and service.
Allen's story is one of vision, resilience, and progress. What began as a small railroad settlement in rural Collin County has become a dynamic city known for its flourishing neighborhoods, strong local economy, high-ranking schools, and exceptional quality of life. Its continued success reflects the dedication of generations of
As Allen has expanded in size and prominence, it has remained grounded in the values that have long defined its character: Texas toughness, hard work, civic pride, and a deep sense of unity. The city's sesquicentennial anniversary is not only an opportunity to honor its rich history, but to celebrate the bright future that lies ahead.
Allen's legacy continues to reflect the strength, promise, and spirit of north Texas. On behalf of Texas' Third Congressional District, I am honored to recognize the city of Allen on the occasion of its 150th anniversary and to extend best wishes as we celebrate this historic milestone.
Recognizing 75th Anniversary of North Texas Municipal Water District
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the North Texas Municipal Water District as it celebrates its 75th anniversary of service to the people of north Texas.
Founded in 1951 by civic leaders from 10 original member cities who understood that water would be the key to our region's future, the District has spent the last 75 years turning that vision into reality. What began as a partnership among a handful of communities has grown into a regional utility of 13 member cities and 34 customers serving more than 70 communities and over 2.4 million Texans across Collin County and beyond.
In Texas' Third Congressional District, I have witnessed firsthand the extraordinary growth of north Texas. Communities such as McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Allen, Wylie, Farmersville, and many others have become one of the fastest growing areas in America. Families and businesses continue to choose our region because of its opportunity, innovation, and quality of life.
However, growth does not happen on its own. It requires planning and the willingness to build for tomorrow. Every home, school, hospital, and business depends on reliable water infrastructure. Today, the North Texas Municipal Water District provides not only drinking water but also wastewater treatment and solid waste services that support communities across our vast region.
For 75 years, the District has demonstrated a commitment to the region through responsible stewardship, long-range planning, and investment in the infrastructure necessary to meet the needs of future generations. Its leadership has helped ensure that one of America's fastest growing regions has the resources to continue thriving.
On behalf of the people of Texas' Third Congressional District, I congratulate the North Texas Municipal Water District on this milestone anniversary and thank the men and women of the District past and present for 75 years of dedicated service.
Mr. Speaker, Representative Jackson is going to stand with me, but this is not his 5 minutes. He is just standing with me.
I rise today to honor the life and extraordinary legacy of Spencer Leak, Jr., a devoted father, husband, son, brother, and faithful community leader whose service left a lasting mark on the Chicagoland area. Most of all, I am honored to have called him a friend and a constituent.
Spencer dedicated his life to serving the people of the Chicagoland area. He carried forward his family's proud legacy and business, Leak & Sons Funeral Home.
He pursued his education with purpose, graduating from Southern Illinois University with a degree in mortuary and funeral sciences and becoming a licensed director in 1989. However, his calling started long before that. Spencer began working at the family business at just 12 years old, answering phones and learning his trade. He rose to become vice president in 1993, carrying on a tradition of faithful, kind, and honest service to families in their most difficult moments.
As a third-generation funeral director, Spencer expanded the vision of his grandfather, Reverend Andrew Leak, so that Black people living in the Chicagoland area could lay their loved ones to rest with the dignity, respect, and care they deserved.
Mr. Speaker, Spencer's work reached far beyond his profession. He was an advocate for civil rights and justice, a trusted friend to leaders across our community, and a generous supporter of the causes that lifted up those in need. His commitment to service and to positivity never wavered. He mentored young Black men, partnered with organizations to empower residents, and stood as a true pillar to his community.
Spencer was a champion of the small, humble acts of kindness that so often go unseen. His devotion to a more just world was never in question, and through it all, he grew the Leak family legacy of making the Chicagoland community better and more loving. His love touched many. His generosity ran deep, and his service knew no bounds.
Above all, Spencer was an amazing husband, father, a kind son, a supportive brother, and a truly wonderful human being. His passing is deeply felt by his beloved wife, Dr. Donna Leak, who is in the gallery; his children, Spencer Leak III and Emma Leak; his parents, Spencer Leak, Sr., and Henrietta Leak; his siblings, Stephen and Stacy; his extended family; and the many friends and community members that mourn his loss.
On a personal level, I experienced Spencer's kindness on many levels, but most personal was when he handled my husband's funeral services almost 3 years ago.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the extraordinary legacy of Spencer Leak, Jr., and extending my deepest condolences to his family, friends, and all who were blessed to know him.
May his memory be a blessing. Rest in peace and power, my friend.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today as we honor and prepare to celebrate 250 years of American independence.
Mr. Speaker, 250 years ago, our Founders declared to the world that our rights do not come from government nor do they come from a king. They come from our creator. They declared that government exists to protect liberty, to secure the rights of people, and to preserve a nation where free men and women could build lives, raise families, worship God, and pursue opportunity. That idea changed the course of human history.
As we approach America's 250th birthday, we ought to look back with gratitude, but we should also look forward with clarity. America's success was not an accident. We were blessed by God with extraordinary resources, but it was freedom that allowed the American people to turn those blessings into the most prosperous Nation in the history of the world.
I often think about it this way: America was dealt three aces. First, we were given the largest stretch of fertile farmland in the world, which runs right through Kansas and the district that I am blessed to represent. In the Big First District, agriculture is not just an industry, it is our way of life. Our farmers, ranchers, feedlot operators, ethanol producers, researchers, truckers, and small businesses all play a role in feeding, fueling, and clothing the world.
Second, running through that great patch of farmland is the largest navigable river system on the planet, the Mississippi River system. That river system gave American producers the ability to move goods, reach markets, trade with the world, and build an economy that went well beyond the county line, a State line, or even a coastline.
Third, and most importantly, America was founded on faith, freedom, private property rights, the rule of law, and limited government. Fertile soil alone does not create prosperity. A river alone does not create opportunity. Natural resources alone do not make a nation great. Freedom does.
It was freedom that allowed families to farm the land, own the land, improve the land, pass it down to the next generation, and build communities around it. It was freedom that allowed entrepreneurs to take risks, churches to strengthen communities, families to flourish, and citizens to govern themselves.
That is why America became the most prosperous and free Nation the world has ever known. One of the reasons we remain free is because we have never had to rely on another nation to feed us.
Food security is national security. A nation that cannot feed itself cannot long remain independent. For 250 years, American farmers and ranchers have helped secure our freedoms while our brave servicemen and -women defended them on the front lines. Farmers have kept grocery store shelves stocked, strengthened rural communities, supported our economy, and ensured that America never had to turn to our adversaries to sustain us.
In Kansas, we understand that well. The Big First is the most productive agriculture district in the country, ranking first in cattle, wheat, and sorghum production. We help feed, fuel, and clothe the world. We know when agriculture is strong, America is strong.
Our State has always had an outsized role in the American story. We are home to Abilene, where President Dwight D. Eisenhower learned the values that helped him lead the Allied Forces to victory in World War II and later to lead this Nation as our President. We are home to leaders like Senator Bob Dole, who carried the values of faith, service, sacrifice, and duty from the plains of Kansas to the battlefields of Europe and the Halls of Congress.
I like to think that the Big First District is the pilot light of America because the values that make our country great are still alive and well in my hometown and across Kansas. Folks where I am from live by faith, family, hard work, personal responsibility, and service to their neighbors. As long as those values continue to burn bright in America, our brightest days are yet to come. However, preserving those values requires us to be clear-eyed about the threats we have to freedom.
History scholars know there is an inverse relationship between the size of government and the freedom of the people. The larger and more intrusive government becomes, the smaller the space becomes for families, churches, businesses, farms, and individuals to flourish. That truth is just as important today as it was in 1776.
Yes, America was blessed with fertile land, mighty rivers, abundant resources, and a people willing to work, but it was freedom that allowed those blessings to become prosperity. It was faith that gave our Nation its moral foundation, and it was family that carried our values from one generation to the next.
As we celebrate America's 250th birthday, let us do more than look back. Let us recommit ourselves to the principles that made our Nation possible: faith, family, freedom, limited government, private property, strong communities, gratitude, and faith in God.
We must protect this inheritance, strengthen it in our time, and pass it on to our children and grandchildren so that 250 years from now, America remains prosperous, secure, free, and rooted in the truth that our rights are derived from God, not from a king.
Mr. Speaker, may God bless Kansas and may God bless the United States of America. Happy birthday, America.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life and legacy of Beatrice Lumpkin, who passed away June 14, 2026, at the age of 107 years. Bea was the living, marching, fighting embodiment of solidarity forever.
Many of us know Bea because of her unwavering commitment to worker power, civil rights, and educational justice. A Chicago Public Schools educator and leader with the Chicago Teachers Union, Bea was a fixture at marches, rallies, and picket lines across our city.
She started her activism early. At the age of 9, she marched with striking textile workers. Across her century of activism, Bea was on the front lines of the struggle for justice and equity. From marching alongside Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in Marquette Park, to being instrumental in Harold Washington's campaign for mayor 43 years ago, to supporting the recent unionization of Starbucks employees, Bea showed up for her neighbors, for Chicago, and for our movement.
In 2018, my colleague, Representative Jan Schakowsky, took to the floor to celebrate Bea's 100 years of fighting for justice and inspiring generations of activism.
Today, I rise to thank Bea for reminding us that there is joy in the struggle, in solidarity, and on the front lines of the fight for justice because joy, in fact, is an act of resistance.
On behalf of Chicago's Third Congressional District, I honor the memory and the life's work of Beatrice Lumpkin, a true champion for the working class and a giant in our movement.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Jae Jin Pak and Timotheus Gordon, Jr., two leaders who cofounded the Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition and who serve as research associates at the Institute on Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois Chicago.
Throughout their careers, they have dedicated themselves to unifying disabled, autistic, deaf, and neurodivergent people of color, fostering collective pride, strengthening advocacy skills across our communities, and building intersectional solidarity.
Through the arts, culture, and relentless advocacy, they champion disability justice, advancing the principles of accessibility and radical inclusion within communities of color.
By cultivating brave spaces that center the lived experiences of disabled people of color, they dismantle systemic barriers to inclusion and empower individuals to forge their own path to reclaim their identities and their dignity.
They are the architects of a more inclusive, equitable Chicago.
On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is my proud honor to be able to commend Jae Jin Pak and Timotheus Gordon, Jr., for their dedication to disability justice, radical inclusion, and the innate dignity of all people.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the Chicago Young Lords and their protests of 1969, the first marches for Puerto Rican self-determination in Chicago's history.
It is fitting that I honor a revolutionary organization fighting for Puerto Rican liberation and the rights of all oppressed people on the eve of our 250th anniversary of the United States of America. While America will declare its commitment to no kings, we also must demand no colonies.
That is because 57 years after the summer of 1969, 57 years after Jose Jimenez traveled to Puerto Rico to visit the shrine of its nationalist leader, Don Pedro Albizu Campos, 57 years after the Chicago Young Lords mobilized 10,000 people to march carrying Don Pedro Albizu Campos signs from Lincoln Park to Humboldt Park in support of independence in Chicago's Puerto Rican parade, Puerto Rico is still a United States colony.
We cannot celebrate 250 years of freedom while ruling a colony for 128 of them. We cannot celebrate our independence while denying the Puerto Rican people the dignity of self-determination.
That is why, here on behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, I publicly commend the Young Lords for teaching us that when we support Puerto Rico's self-determination, we are supporting, in fact, the right of sovereignty for people everywhere.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise with a heavy heart to honor the life and legacy of Chief Stephen C. Ignacio, a son of Guam who dedicated his life to serving and protecting our island.
His passing is not only a profound loss for the Guam Police Department, but for the entire island of Guam.
Throughout his distinguished career with the Guam Police Department, Chief Ignacio earned the respect of his fellow officers, government leaders, and the community he faithfully served. Rising through the ranks to become chief of police, he led with professionalism, accountability, and a steadfast commitment to protecting the people of Guam.
Under his leadership, the department continued efforts to modernize its operations, strengthen officer training, and build trust with the community. Beyond policies and programs, those who knew Chief Ignacio will remember the person behind the title, a leader who cared deeply about his officers and understood that effective policing begins with service, compassion, and integrity.
The work of a police chief is often thankless. When communities are safe, the long hours and difficult decisions often go unnoticed. Yet when tragedy strikes, it is the chief who bears the weight of responsibility. Chief Ignacio accepted that responsibility with humility and unwavering dedication.
His leadership extended beyond the walls of police headquarters. He understood that public safety is built through partnerships with families, schools, neighborhood organizations, and community leaders. He believed that trust is earned, not demanded, and he worked to strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the people they serve.
Today we remember more than a police chief. We remember a husband, a father, a family member, a colleague, a mentor, and a friend. We remember a public servant who devoted his life's work to making Guam a safer place for future generations.
To the men and women of the Guam Police Department: We grieve alongside you. Your department has lost a leader, but the example he set will continue to guide those who wear the badge.
To Chief Ignacio's family: Please know that the people of Guam share in your sorrow. We are grateful that you shared him with our island for so many years. His commitment to public service came with countless sacrifices, and we recognize that your family made those sacrifices alongside him.
As we reflect on his life, may we also remember the values he embodied: duty before self, integrity in leadership, and service to others.
Chief Ignacio answered the call to serve his community for decades. He did so with honor, courage, and a deep sense of responsibility.
His watch has ended, but his legacy will live on in every officer he mentored, every life he helped protect, and every member of our community who is safer because of his service. I extend my deepest condolences to Chief Ignacio's loved ones and the entire Guam Police Department.
To his family: No words can fully ease the pain of losing someone so deeply loved, but I hope you find comfort in knowing that the countless hours he devoted to protecting our community made a lasting difference, and the legacy he leaves behind will continue to inspire generations of law enforcement officers who follow in his footsteps.
May God grant his loved ones strength and comfort during this difficult time. May we never forget Chief Stephen Ignacio's years of faithful service, and may he rest in eternal peace.
Mr. Speaker, approaching the 61st anniversary of Medicare, a true lifeline for retirees and individuals with disabilities, I am filing the Saving MEDICARE Act to ensure a solvent, better Medicare that reaches more Americans.
Medicare represents a valued Federal guarantee that workers will age with dignity and have access to quality, affordable healthcare. That guarantee is now under threat from giant, private insurance companies that profiteer off Medicare.
This landmark proposal comprehensively addresses the many ways that Medicare Advantage insurers are overpaid. My goal is to level the playing field so that traditional Medicare is no longer at a disadvantage to these private insurers.
Twenty-three years ago, in this very room, Republicans arm-twisted their own members and others all night long into the wee hours of the morning to ensure approval of a terrible bill that has hurt Americans and cost them hundreds of billions of dollars.
Its landmark provision was one to limit Medicare from negotiating prescription drug prices, ensuring that we continue to pay the most outrageous pharmaceutical prices anywhere on Earth. At the same time, they also included this new program with the great misnomer Medicare Advantage, a private insurance alternative to Medicare.
Though the supporters claimed that they would save us so much money, it would cost less than traditional Medicare, MA private insurers have never saved us a dime. Indeed, MA actually costs taxpayers tens of billions of dollars more every year.
This year, the nonpartisan, independent Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, or MedPAC, estimates that MA costs taxpayers $2,660 more for each person who goes into their plans rather than traditional Medicare.
Insurers claim that this great bonus that they are receiving provides so many extra benefits to consumers, from pest control, to rent, to a trip to get groceries, all these various things from one advertised insurer, except a Joe Namath autographed football.
Hidden in the fine print are caveats, and consumers often find they aren't eligible for any of those advertised benefits, and skimpy coverage and high cost-sharing when they need help the most. Difficulty in accessing the doctor of their choice and getting treatment approved create long delays, often outright denials, and many MA enrollees are struggling to receive quality healthcare.
In short, the only advantage in Medicare Advantage is to the monopoly and oligopoly private insurers.
The Saving MEDICARE Act will stop this waste, fraud, and abuse. It is about delivering to Americans the care that they deserve at a reasonable price. These funds will extend Medicare solvency and improve Medicare with dental, vision, and hearing benefits--another piece of legislation I have offered. We can achieve an out-of-pocket cap, lower premiums, and more.
We can achieve this by simply saying to MA that you should not cost more than traditional Medicare.
My bill reins in upcoding, a practice insurers use to make it appear that patients are sicker than they really are. It will also stop plans from profiteering when the Veterans Administration is providing most of the healthcare, but they have recruited veterans to join their plans for whom they provide little or no care.
It addresses insurance practices of steering sicker patients into traditional Medicare and trying to get healthier consumers who cost less into their plans. It phases out the failed county quartile system and the Quality Bonus Program which have only delivered more money to private insurers.
Finally, it enhances Federal oversight and involves State partners in this also. Medicare Advantage is putting Medicare on long-term life support. The Saving MEDICARE Act is a roadmap for accountable, and reasonable spending and improving the healthcare for many Americans.
In this totally ineffective and unsubstantial Congress, chances of getting Republicans to stand up to any special interest are pretty slim, but this bill is designed to encourage colleagues in the future with specific guidelines on how to deal with Medicare and make it better for more Americans, and to urge more of our colleagues to have the courage to stand up to these insurance giants by preventing them from using Medicare as a piggy bank.
Mr. Speaker, this week America turns 250 years old.
A birthday like that invites reflection. I have found myself considering what a privilege it is to be an American, on what it actually means to be one, and on the history that all of us get to claim as our own.
I reflect, too, on my own State and on its place in history. I think about the pioneers of Utah. We often gather in Utah to recite their deeds. We praise their determination, and we tell their stories. We are tempted to believe that because their story is great, we have become great by inheritance.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to say that idea is only half true. The great stories of the past are not what make us great. The great stories of the past are what we measure ourselves by. The founders and the pioneers and the ideas that animate them do not belong only to the past. They belong in this room, forcing us to ask what we have done with what they have built, and shaping what we should do next.
In 1856, a stonecutter from England named John Rowe Moyle crossed an ocean and walked the plains to Utah. When work began on the Salt Lake Temple, he answered the call to help build it.
Every Monday John woke at 2 in the morning. He walked 22 miles to reach his post. He worked all week. On Friday night he walked 22 miles home in the dark. He did this year after year.
Then a family cow kicked him in the leg. His leg could not be saved. His family strapped him to a door and took the leg off with a common bucksaw. Most men would have stopped there.
John Rowe Moyle did not stop. He carved himself a leg out of wood. He walked on it through the pain, and he continued to walk to the temple. Standing on that wooden peg, with his own hands, he carved the words: ``Holiness to the Lord'' into the granite.
He would not live to see that temple finished. He knew that would be the case, yet he spent years of his life dedicated to the task anyway.
Mr. Speaker, John Rowe Moyle did not do this for praise. He did it because he wanted to leave something for those who came after him.
That temple still stands, and in our time its care was handed to us. The Salt Lake Temple is emerging from the largest restoration in its history. For years it stood wrapped in scaffolding. This year the scaffolding came down, and it will open again. All of you are invited next year between April and October to tour this remarkable and sacred building.
We did not simply admire what the pioneers built. Utahns restored it. Crews built the new foundation built to carry it through an earthquake that the pioneers never could have imagined. They preserved the old craftsmanship, and they made it strong enough to stand for generations we will never meet.
That is the whole lesson, Mr. Speaker, in one building. A great thing was handed to us Utahns, and we did not take it for granted. We did the hard and unseen work to make it last, and we will pass it on stronger than we found it.
Here is the difficult question. It is the test of this generation, the test of this body, and the test of this people. When something great is handed to us, are we the kind of people who only stand back and admire it, or are we the kind who will do the quiet and difficult work and pass it on better than we found it?
That is what the pioneers in Utah did. That is what the Founders did 250 years ago. They did the hard work and got up a steep road for a reward many of them would never collect.
This Republic is that same kind of inheritance. It was built for us. It is now ours to strengthen, not simply to live off of.
Mr. Speaker, let us be worthy of the people who built before us. Let us carry our own burden. Let us leave behind something that stands.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the sweeping proposed rule from the Office of Management and Budget that would fundamentally overhaul how Federal agencies award and administer grant funds.
Under this proposal, Federal grant funding would be tied to the President's ideological agenda and subject to intense scrutiny by political appointees of the President instead of nonpartisan scientific peer review.
The proposed rule would also make it easier for agencies to suspend or cancel grants if administration priorities change. This rule would prevent grantees from having the opportunity to contest political decisions from the administration without incurring expensive litigation costs.
If implemented, this rule would force already burdened local governments, nonprofits, and community health centers to operate in an ever-shifting environment, making it more difficult to provide vital services, including housing, food, and disaster assistance.
Mr. Speaker, I urge OMB to withdraw this rulemaking in full.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today 1 week after the Supreme Court decision to end temporary protected status for immigrants from Haiti and Syria.
When the TPS program was created in 1990 by Congress, its purpose was to ensure an immediate solution for immigrants fleeing emergent crises, whether that may be ongoing armed conflict, environmental disaster, or other extraordinary conditions.
Today, 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians face potential deportation to parts of the world where crises remain, and their security is threatened.
Engineers, students, doctors, and caregivers who came to this country to give, not take, are being thrown to the wayside.
While I joined a majority of my colleagues in the House to pass a bill protecting TPS for Haitians, until it becomes law, over 350,000 lives remain in limbo.
Mr. Speaker, on the 250th anniversary of the United States, this decision turns its back on a founding promise to give refuge to the persecuted. It is time we get back to honoring that promise.
Mr. Speaker, when we talk about the American Dream, most imagine settling down with a good-paying job and a constant roof over their head.
Sadly, that goal continues to grow out of reach for many with rising inflation and the lack of affordable housing.
I saw the pressures of that crisis as Westchester County executive, where I worked to create more than 2,500 affordable housing units.
In Congress, I have continued to support legislation to expand housing opportunities and improve affordability. That is why I was proud to support the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which would build more homes, make it easier to buy or rent a home, and provide better data to improve resources in underserved communities.
Although President Trump refused to sign this crucial piece of legislation into law, this will not stop Congress from delivering for the American people.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to show my constituents and people across the country that despite the disarray handed down from the President, on this particular issue, Democrats and Republicans worked together to address the affordability crisis.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today on the last day of National Dairy Month to ask my colleagues to support my newest bill, the Recognizing Engineered Alternatives as Lab-Created Butter Act, or the REAL Butter Act.
It is unbelievable that legislation like this is even necessary, but unfortunately, that is the reality we face today.
Billionaire food experiments are no longer hypothetical. Bill Gates is funding a lab-grown butter project made from carbon dioxide instead of milk from a cow right in Illinois, right in the backyard of America's Dairyland.
This creation is an attack on American farmers, the dairy industry, and the Trump administration, which recently recognized butter as a healthy food under its newly announced dietary guidelines.
The REAL Butter Act would simply require that this fake butter be clearly labeled as ``lab-created butter'' directly on the product.
America's dairy farmers put in the work every day to keep our families fed, our rural communities strong, and our agricultural heritage alive. They should not have to compete with products that hide behind vague or misleading labels.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in standing with America's dairy farmers and supporting this commonsense legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and legacy of a true pillar of our community in Wisconsin's Eighth District and one of my inspirations for getting involved in public service, Elmer W. Ragen.
Born in Oconto County in 1929, he enlisted in the United States Navy after high school and served from 1950 to 1954 in the Korean war, during which he rose to the rank of petty officer first class.
In addition to his military service, he volunteered with the Pulaski and Little Suamico Fire Departments; was a member of the Knights of Columbus, The American Legion, and the VFW; and served as an Oconto County veterans service officer, helping his fellow veterans.
If that wasn't enough, Elmer served on the Chase Town Board and the Little Suamico Town Board and as an Oconto County Board supervisor.
Mr. Speaker, Elmer Ragen's life is a testament to public service. From serving our country in uniform to serving in northeast Wisconsin as a volunteer, veteran advocate, and local elected official, his legacy will never be forgotten by me and so many others. My prayers are with his family during this difficult time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate northeast Wisconsin's very own Kaukauna High School baseball team on winning the WIAA Division 1 State baseball championship.
The Galloping Ghosts defeated Madison Memorial 11-5, earning Kaukauna's first State baseball title since 1953. This historic win was the result of an incredible team effort, with Kaukauna recording 13 hits and eight different players contributing at the plate.
This championship title did not come easily. After falling behind early, the Galloping Ghosts refused to let the moment get away from them. The team battled back, took control of the game, and delivered a performance worthy of a State champion.
Mr. Speaker, this victory is a proud moment for the entire Kaukauna community. After more than 70 years, the Galloping Ghosts are, once again, State champions.
I extend my congratulations to Head Coach Mike Jenkins, the entire coaching staff, and the team on this incredible accomplishment.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Fox Valley Lutheran High School Foxes on winning the WIAA Division 2 State softball championship.
After ending an undefeated season in a heartbreaking loss at the sectional finals last year, the Foxes came back this season determined and with something to prove. That determination led them all the way to the finals, where they delivered a decisive 9-1 victory over Pewaukee to claim the first WIAA softball State title in school history.
This achievement is a proud moment for the players, Fox Valley Lutheran High School, and the entire Fox Cities community. Through their hard work and dedication, the team has made school history and has given northeast Wisconsin another championship team to celebrate.
Mr. Speaker, I extend my sincere congratulations to Head Coach Gunner Pfrang, the entire coaching staff, and the team on this incredible accomplishment.
Mr. Speaker, we have just recognized 4 years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Women today have fewer rights and are less safe because of Republicans.
It is unacceptable that if you are a pregnant woman in this country, your only guarantee to access safe, effective care for you and your baby is where you live.
Abortion bans haven't decreased abortions. Instead, they have only put women's lives at greater risk.
If you live in a blue State, you can make your decision that you and your family determine is best for you, and you can access the care that you feel is appropriate.
If you live in a red State and have a complication, however, you have to be near death to be seen by a medical professional.
The Texas abortion ban specifically is so confusing and restrictive that doctors are refusing to treat pregnant women until they face life- threatening complications because treating them too soon could send that doctor to jail.
These are the problems that women and families are facing across the country because of what Republicans have done, and it is putting lives at risk.
Mr. Speaker, as we observe 4 years since this awful Court decision, our fight for safer health and reproductive care for women across this country must continue. We must never stop until women have their full equality to access the care that they deserve.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 250th anniversary of the birth of our great Nation.
Founded on the ideals of equality and self-determination, the American experiment has been an enduring symbol of freedom and democracy.
For 250 years, our Nation has been at the forefront of innovation and scientific discovery. It is because of our strong democratic institutions and our Nation's diversity that this country is so great.
Most importantly, we celebrate and honor the sacrifices that so many Americans have made to protect and defend the freedoms that we enjoy today, but we are at a crossroads.
Rights are being eroded, not expanded. The right to vote is under attack. Racial divisions and healing have taken backward steps, while the rise of White Christian nationalism explodes.
For the first time, our younger generations are not seeing a future where they are better off than their parents. We must reset as a politic and resume a focus on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for everyone; a focus that the rule of law and due process matters; and a focus that truth matters, service is honored, and accountability exists even at the highest levels of government.
As we contemplate what it means to be an American today, we can look back and see that progress made by our ancestors and look forward knowing that, united under our ideals of freedom and equality, we can take steps to finally achieve that more perfect Union.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a man from Omaha who is known for his dedication, integrity, tenacity, and voice. Bill Jensen, also known as the Voice of the College World Series, started his radio broadcast career at KLIN in 1967. He took a small break to serve in the United States Air Force from 1968 to 1972.
Bill then returned to Omaha radio, working at KOTD, KLNG, KYNN, WOW, KOMJ, and KFAB. He gave his vocal pipes a break when he worked as an aide to the Omaha mayor from 1978 to 1981.
On January 10, 1975, Bill was the last to arrive at KLNG on a Friday and would be stuck there with the rest of his news team until Sunday. Omaha received 16 inches of snow, compounded by 60-mile-an-hour winds, paralyzing the city for days.
The following May, Omaha was struck by an F4 tornado that, at the time, was the costliest tornado in history, with at least $150 million in damage. As trained spotters and radio station personnel called in reports, Bill
Bill was also credited with being the first journalist to report on the death of Omaha Mayor Bernie Simon in 1988.
Throughout his career, Bill also worked part-time for the Omaha Royals and the Storm Chasers at the College World Series, starting in 1983 as an usher supervisor and serving in different areas such as ticket taker, pass gate attendant, security at the Hall of Fame room at Rosenblatt, and scoreboard operator. In the mid-1980s, he took over as the announcer for the Omaha Royals, and in 2001, he competed and won the coveted spot to replace Jake Payne at the mike at the College World Series.
What many people don't know is the time that Bill would spend preparing for the World Series, watching as many regional college games as possible to learn the teams and the players' names. In his 26 years, Bill has announced more than 370 consecutive games, and together, he and Jack announced over 900 games.
Some of his most memorable moments include his very first game when he introduced President George W. Bush, who threw out the first pitch, and Nebraska's first-ever appearance at the College World Series.
Bill also fondly remembers Father's Day in 2022, when members of his family surprised him in the announcer's booth because he never got to spend a Father's Day with them. He will also remember the baked treats that his wife would make for him and his colleagues during the World Series.
Bill Jensen and his predecessor, Jack, will forever be remembered as the Voices of the College World Series.
Now, he looks forward to being a fan and spending time at and away from the games with his wife, Deanna; his daughter, Danielle; stepson, Brian; daughter-in-law, Wendy; and grandchildren Natalie, Connor, Carly, and Camryn.
Mr. Speaker, as Bill hits the button on the mike for the last time, Omaha thanks him.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a pillar of the Covina community, Councilmember John King.
After 20 years on the Covina City Council and 30 years of serving the city, Councilmember John King is moving on from public office.
John guided the community with love and care and made every resident proud to call Covina their home.
He is an example of what it means to be a true public servant. While his time on the council comes to a close, I am sure his service to the community will only grow even stronger.
We are also grateful to have benefited from his many years of leadership. He left an incredible legacy and a permanent mark on the community.
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate John on a remarkable career in service. Covina is so proud of him.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the outstanding achievements from schools in California's 31st Congressional District at this year's National Speech and Debate Tournament.
I congratulate the students representing West Covina Unified School District for their multiple top 10 finishes.
I extend a special congratulations to Edgewood Middle School on receiving the prestigious School of Excellence Award for the third year in a row.
To the 20 middle school students and 8 high school students who competed, you demonstrated exceptional talent, resilience, and intellect. All of us in the 31st Congressional District are so proud of them. They all competed under high pressure and completely rose to the occasion.
I want to give a special shout-out to California's 31st Congressional District students who earned top 10 finishes in the Nation: Cetlalli Valenzuela-Gonzalez, Darcy Lam, Lorenzo Williamson, Jacky Huynh III, Jillian Liang, and Arielle Hsiao.
Mr. Speaker, their hard work and perseverance paid off, and I am honored to uplift their accomplishments today.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize this July as Disability Pride Month and to commemorate the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
In 1990, the U.S. passed this landmark civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with physical and mental disabilities.
In the time since then, we have made great progress breaking down barriers to employment, healthcare, and housing, dismantling harmful stigmas, and fighting against ableism.
There is still work to be done to ensure every disabled American can contribute to our society and receive the accommodations they need to live a free and fulfilled life.
Disability is a vital aspect of our country's diversity, and no one should ever be discriminated against or excluded from public life because they are differently abled.
In light of this current administration's disturbing decision to move the Office of Special Education out of the education department, it is especially important to protect disabled students' rights and support their access to the programs and support they need to succeed.
Mr. Speaker, to everyone living with physical and mental disabilities in California's 31st District, I am proud to champion their right to live in a society built on equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 250th anniversary of the United States of America.
While this is a time for celebration, it is also a time for reflection. In southern California, we know what this country is capable of when we care for each other, lead with empathy, and open our communities to everyone, not just to some.
I am proud to represent a community of families, friends, teachers, servicemembers, veterans, and small business owners, a community of people who came from all over the world to call the San Gabriel Valley home, because that is exactly what makes this country special. At our core, we are a nation of immigrants, a melting pot of diverse traditions, cultures, and shared histories.
In this time of great political divide, it is more important than ever for us all to come together to build a better nation that lives up to our founding principles of liberty, freedom, and justice for all.
Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to champion our district in Congress. On the 250th anniversary of our democracy, I am grateful to uplift what we should be celebrating today.
Mr. Speaker, one of the real privileges of serving in Congress in the United States House of Representatives is to be able to recognize ordinary people who have done extraordinary deeds in their life. It is special today, June 30, 2026, because in 4 days we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of America.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and honor the life of a remarkable American: Rosemary Noel Combs of Pineville, Kentucky, who passed away on May 3 of this year at the extraordinary age of 100.
Born on the Fourth of July in 1925, Rosemary embodied the very essence of the American Dream, through her lifetime defined by faith, family, service, and the enduring strength of the American spirit.
Rosemary was raised in Pennsylvania, where she studied at the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics, mastering communications, meteorology, the Morse code, and airline operations. Her work with Capital Airlines, and later the Pennsylvania Railroad, reflected both her intelligence and her intense determination during a transformative era in history. But, truly, it was in Pineville, Kentucky, where Rosemary would leave her greatest mark.
After marrying Robert Mason ``Doc'' Combs in 1954, Rosemary immersed herself in service to her new community. She and her husband opened the beloved Flocoe Drug Store and Diner, an establishment renowned throughout Bell County for the warmth, generosity, and the sense of real fellowship Rosemary extended to every person who visited.
To generations of Pineville residents, Rosemary was more than a local businessowner. She was a counselor, volunteer, faithful servant, mentor, and friend. Whether through the Pineville Women's Club, the Rotary Club, the Bell County Chamber of Commerce, or through several decades of faithful service to St. Anthony's Catholic Church, Rosemary dedicated her life to serving others.
At her funeral, a member of the community recalled a moment when Rosemary gave him medicine he could not afford for a sick child. Such quiet acts of compassion were the very essence of her being.
Perhaps no tribute to Rosemary's life speaks louder than the fact that over 800 people gathered at her funeral, nearly half the town of Pineville. You have got to remember. She was 100 years old, and very few of her friends were still around. She had 800 friends.
Her legacy lives on through her 6 children, 16 grandchildren, and 22 great-grandchildren.
In an age that often celebrates fame and fortune, Rosemary reminds us that the true measure of one's life is found in service, kindness, faith, and love of your neighbor.
Today, we honor not only a wonderful woman, but a generation of Americans whose quiet strength built communities all across this great Nation.
Mr. Speaker, may Rosemary's memory continue to inspire the United States of America and all who were blessed to know her. She epitomizes the phrase to live is to serve. She did so admirably.
Mr. Speaker, for 1,000 days, Armenian prisoners of war and civilians have been held in unlawful detention. Detainees are reported to have suffered from torture and abuse while being denied fundamental legal rights. These conditions are unacceptable, and their continued detention is a violation of fundamental human rights.
I am proud to cosponsor the Azerbaijan Sanctions Review Act to demand the release of these prisoners and hold officials accountable for these abuses.
The San Fernando Valley is home to one of the largest communities of Armenian Americans in the country. The stories that members of the Armenian-American community have shared with me throughout this conflict are heartbreaking. I stand with the Armenian-American community, my colleagues, and the families of the detainees in calling for the release and safe return of these prisoners of war.
Mr. Speaker, just moments ago, the Supreme Court struck down Donald Trump's illegal attempt to end birthright citizenship and ruled that 4 million children born in the United States, including many across the San Fernando Valley, have a place in this country as American citizens.
For 250 years, our country was built and defined by immigrants and children of immigrants. This includes people like my sister and me, who were born and raised in Los Angeles and are now pursuing our own American Dreams and contributing to the country that we love.
The Constitution is clear. Anyone born in the United States is a citizen of the United States. Donald Trump does not get to bend the rules and rewrite the Constitution just to comply with his illegal and anti-immigrant agenda.
Mr. Speaker, I will keep fighting to protect our immigrant communities like mine in the San Fernando Valley and across the country so that they, too, can have their chance at the American Dream.
Mr. Speaker, as often the case with the current occupant of the White House, it all started with a lie.
Nearly 2 years ago, JD Vance got up off his couch and tweeted a racist smear that Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, were eating cats and dogs. Days later, Donald Trump shamelessly repeated it at a Presidential debate.
They knew it was a lie. They knew those families were here legally. They knew they were working, raising children, paying taxes, and helping rebuild a community.
None of that mattered because the point was never to tell the truth. The point was to make Americans fear Haitians, to turn them into scapegoats, to convince the country that Black immigrants were the source of their problems.
JD Vance admitted that he was willing to ``create stories'' to advance his political agenda.
We all saw what happened next: Springfield was terrorized. Schools were closed. Bomb threats poured in. White supremacists descended on the city.
So families lived in fear because two of the most powerful politicians in America decided that a racist smear was politically useful. They never apologized. Instead, they spent 2 years putting that lie to work and turning it into government policy. Now, that campaign of fear is the official policy of our government.
Last week, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to terminate the Temporary Protected Status, also known as TPS, for hundreds of thousands of Haitians, not because Haiti is safe, not because the facts have changed, but because this administration wants more people for ICE to deport.
Haiti remains consumed by political collapse and humanitarian disaster. The conditions that justified TPS still exist.
These are people who care for our seniors, build our community, and pay billions in taxes. They followed the rules. They trusted the American promise. Now, they are being told that a racist political narrative matters more than the law they followed to a T.
This is not who we are, America. The House has already passed the bill extending TPS because the facts demand it and because decency requires it.
Now, the Senate must pass it before the mass deportation tears lives and communities apart, all because of a racist, reckless, bigoted, blatant, dishonest, and disgusting campaign lie.
Mr. Speaker, while families are struggling to keep up with rising prices for food, housing, gas, and utilities, this President is focused on something else entirely different--himself.
He is spending taxpayer dollars on a lavish White House ballroom. He is tearing up the reflecting pool for another vanity project. He is putting his name and image on anything he can.
While Americans are tightening their belts, Donald Trump is building monuments to himself.
One year later, Republicans are still celebrating what they call the President's signature legislative achievement.
That law ripped healthcare away from millions of Americans, cut food assistance for families and children, made it harder to afford college--all to hand out massive tax breaks to the wealthiest people in America.
It was a transfer of wealth from working people to wealthy people.
Mr. Speaker, 17 million Americans have lost healthcare. More than 4 million Americans, including 800,000 children, have already lost access to basic food assistance.
Meanwhile, the wealthiest 0.1 percent received tax cuts worth nearly a quarter million dollars just last year.
I will ask the simple question: How has Trump's big, ugly law helped the American people? As far as I can tell, it is just welfare for the wealthy and well-connected.
Meanwhile, we have gotten higher prices, higher inflation, slower job growth, and an economy that works even better for those already on top.
Republicans called it the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. I call it a big, ugly law, because there is nothing beautiful about taking healthcare and food away from families to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.
Happy anniversary to Trump's signature achievement. One year later, the verdict is in: Working families paid the price, and the wealthiest Americans cashed the check.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an extraordinary leader, a cherished friend, and someone whose impact on Rochester will be felt for generations to come: Hillary Olson.
Since arriving at the Rochester Museum & Science Center in 2018, Hillary has helped strengthen one of the cornerstones of our community. Through enormous challenges, including the pandemic, she guided the RMSC with vision, determination, and grace, helping ensure it emerged stronger than ever.
Hillary cares deeply about this community, about its history, about its future, and the people who call it home. She brings warmth, curiosity, and an unwavering belief that institutions like the Rochester Museum & Science Center can inspire young people, connect communities, and open minds.
Because of her leadership, countless families, students, and visitors have experienced the wonder of science, culture, and discovery.
While we are sad to see her leave Rochester, we are proud to see her take on this next chapter, knowing she will bring with it that same remarkable leadership wherever she goes.
Mr. Speaker, I wish her nothing but success, happiness, and continued impact in her new role and in the years ahead.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Beth Paul as she concludes her tenure of as president of Nazareth University after 6 years of remarkable leadership.
Beth arrived at Nazareth during one of the most difficult moments in modern higher education, taking the helm in the midst of a global pandemic.
Through steady leadership, vision, and determination, she helped guide the institution through extraordinary challenges while positioning it for a stronger future.
Under her leadership, Nazareth embraced a historic new chapter, transitioning from Nazareth College to Nazareth University and celebrating its centennial year--milestones that will shape the institution for generations to come.
Beth has been a passionate advocate for students, a champion of higher education, and a leader who understands that universities are not just places of learning. They are engines of opportunity, discovery, and service.
On behalf of my entire community, I thank my dear friend Dr. Beth Paul for her leadership, her service, and her unwavering commitment to helping students realize their potential.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today after visiting the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia, New York, where I met with my constituent Omar Ramos-Jimenez.
Omar has lived in Rochester for three decades. He has worked, paid taxes, raised a family, and built a life in our community. He is not a danger to anyone. He is not a flight risk. He is a husband, a father, a neighbor.
As we spoke, he kept repeating the same words: ``I just want to go home.'' He does not want to go to Mexico. He wants to go to Rochester because Rochester is his home. Donald Trump told the American people he would target violent criminals, the worst of the worst. Instead, we are seeing longtime, productive members of our community swept up in a system built on fear. It is not about public safety. It is simply about cruelty.
In this moment, we must uphold American values. Dignity must be nonnegotiable. Due process must be nonnegotiable. Basic humanity must be nonnegotiable.
I will continue fighting for Omar, for thousands like him, and for an immigration system rooted in fairness, decency, and respect for every person.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about nitrous oxide--a deadly inhalant that is being sold to consumers online and in stores across the U.S.
Put yourself in the shoes of a parent who just received the worst news of their life: your child has suddenly become unable to walk. They have blood clots around their lungs, or, tragically, they have lost their life, and it is all because they got addicted to inhaling nitrous oxide they bought legally off the shelf from their corner store or online in bulk.
While grieving the unimaginable, you are left asking: How did this happen?
That is what Julia Charleston was thinking when her 34-year-old son, Robert, a military veteran, died after becoming addicted to nitrous oxide.
Often called laughing gas, nitrous is probably something you have heard about at the dentist, but it is extremely dangerous to inhale without medical supervision. Even a single use can cause debilitating side effects, like neurological damage or even death.
This is a growing problem. Mr. Speaker, 14 million Americans say they have misused nitrous oxide, and fatalities from nitrous oxide misuse have increased by 578 percent in the past decade.
Despite these risks, nitrous oxide is being marketed as a carefree party drug, with names like ``galaxy gas'' or ``baking bad,'' in giant, brightly-colored canisters and flavors. This is clearly targeting both kids and adults for recreational use.
Meanwhile, the smaller canisters, like this one, are pervasive at music concerts, college campuses, parks, and beaches.
Social media videos of people using nitrous have glamorized and fueled this deadly trend, and DUI nitrous cases are putting everyone in harm's way.
Right now, it is incredibly easy to buy nitrous oxide at smoke shops, gas stations, and online. I was even able to purchase nitrous oxide canisters and have them shipped directly to the U.S. Capitol, no questions asked.
Congress must act to protect people from this dangerous and deadly inhalant. That is why I introduced the bipartisan Nitrous Oxide Safety Act to ban the sale of nitrous oxide to consumers and close the loophole that is being exploited.
While there are legitimate reasons for doctors, dentists, businesses, and industry to use this chemical, it has no business being sold in stores or online. That is what my bill would prevent, regardless of whether it has a warning label.
It has been reassuring to see some States start to act, but we need Federal legislation to address this truly interstate problem.
No more parents should have to experience the devastation of losing a child to nitrous oxide.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Steve Keown, a retiring agriculture teacher and FFA adviser who dedicated 42 years to Carroll County Junior-Senior High School.
Mr. Keown received his bachelor's degree from Murray State University and a master's degree from Purdue University in curriculum and instruction.
Mr. Keown mentored countless future educators through the MI-BAT program. Mr. Keown also served the Indiana Association of Agricultural Educators for numerous years.
During Mr. Keown's tenure, the Carroll County FFA chapter earned national recognition for over 20 consecutive years, produced over 200 recipients of State FFA degrees and nearly 60 American FFA degrees, over 50 proficiency champions, and more than 25 national finalists and winners.
Mr. Keown's commitment to student leadership and hands-on learning has shaped success for FFA chapters in Indiana. His passion for agriculture education and mentoring others will leave a lasting impact on our community.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Tippecanoe School Corporation's Extra Mile Award winner, Deb Liggett.
Deb Liggett is an extremely dedicated caretaker of students who drives 170 miles every day, taking students to McCutcheon High School, Southwestern Middle School, and Klondike Schools for over 40 years. She has been a dependable source of kindness and joy for Hoosier students.
Our students need role models who are examples of reliability, compassion, and good citizenship.
One kindhearted person can make a difference in the lives of so many young people. Deb Liggett has been that role model in the Tippecanoe area.
I am proud to congratulate her on receiving this well-known and well- earned award, and I am glad our students have Ms. Liggett on their way to and from school.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ivy Tech Community College, which recently won three third-place awards in the U.S. Department of Energy's Battery Workforce Challenge.
This challenge is a 3-year collegiate engineering competition where teams build an advanced battery pack for the commercial Ram ProMaster EV program.
All the students who competed progressed through technical milestones that reflect the same trials that the energy industry faces. Throughout the program, the students met demanding engineering standards without compromising safety.
I am so proud of these students at Ivy Tech who succeeded throughout the competition and provided real results from their work.
Our Nation needs innovative minds. The challenges we face are difficult and complicated, and I am glad we have young Hoosiers who are ready to tackle these issues head-on and showcase the incredible talent we have in Indiana.
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Ivy Tech on these well-deserved awards.
Mr. Speaker, my reflections on the Nation's 250th anniversary:
Happy birthday, America.
Mr. Speaker, 250 years ago, a remarkable experiment was launched upon this continent. It announced to the world that liberty was a universal birthright, that governments derived their authority from the consent of the governed, and that human dignity deserved political expression. It was a dream of uncommon brilliance.
Yet on that very same day, another story marched beside it--a nightmare of uncommon cruelty. Freedom and slavery entered history together in an unholy matrimony.
The Declaration proclaimed equality while hundreds of thousands remained in chains. The promise was magnificent. The practice was monstrous. The vision soared toward Heaven while the reality remained anchored in human bondage.
This is not merely the paradox of America's founding. It is the permanent tension within the American story.
Our Republic has always contained both contradiction and conviction, hypocrisy and hope, exclusion and expansion, injustice and aspiration.
Yet history teaches us something very profound. The greatness of America has never been that it was born perfect. Its greatness has rested upon its capacity to become better. Every generation has been asked a single question: Will you enlarge the promise, or will you shrink it?
That question confronts us today, for what a nation chooses to remember becomes its operating system. What it chooses to forget becomes its character. Memory is not nostalgia. Memory is infrastructure. It determines how a people think, how they govern, how they educate their children, and how they understand their obligations to one another.
When a nation tells the whole truth about itself, it becomes stronger. When
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is not merely a building of bronze and stone. It is one of America's greatest classrooms. It reminds us that the story of African Americans is not a chapter added to America's history. It is one of the central texts from which American history is written. African Americans in history make American history whole.
The labor of enslaved people helped build this Nation's wealth. They built this building. The courage of abolitionists challenged its conscience. The sacrifices of Black soldiers defended its flag. The determination of teachers, entrepreneurs, artists, scientists, clergy, laborers, and ordinary citizens expanded the meaning of democracy itself. To diminish those stories is not simply to diminish African Americans. It is to diminish America itself.
Throughout our history, there have been recurring efforts to narrow the Nation's memory. Certain voices have always argued that some stories are too uncomfortable, some documents too inconvenient, and some truths too disruptive.
That pattern is not new. It appeared after Reconstruction. It appeared during the long struggle against segregation. It also has appeared whenever honest history threatened comfortable myths.
When debates arise over museums, classrooms, archives, monuments, historical interpretations, and books that are being banned in schools, we should recognize them as part of a much longer American conversation about who belongs within the Nation's narrative.
The stakes extend far beyond any single institution. They concern whether future generations inherit a history expansive enough to include all who helped build this Republic. The answer should never be fewer stories. The answer should always be fuller stories to tell the whole truth, for memory is not a scarce resource. Truth is not diminished by inclusion.
Indeed, the opposite is true. Every time America has widened its understanding of itself, it has become more faithful to its founding ideals.
Consider the long procession of those who enlarged the American promise: those who challenged slavery, those who defended the Union, those who fought for women's right to vote, those who demanded women's suffrage, those who organized workers, those who secured civil rights, those who expanded voting rights, those who insisted that democracy belongs to every citizen rather than a privileged few.
Each generation inherited an imperfect Nation. Each generation left behind a better one. That is the true American tradition: not perfection but progress, not complacency but correction, not silence but an honest conversation, not fear but an abiding faith.
At 250 years, America does not celebrate because every promise has been fulfilled. America celebrates because generation after generation refused to surrender those promises. The American story has always advanced because citizens possessed enough patriotism to criticize injustice and enough hope to repair it.
Love of country has never required blindness. It has required courage. It has required the truth to confront those things that are uncomfortable, the courage to confess, the courage to correct, and the courage to continue.
Mr. Speaker, a happy 250th anniversary to our country. May God bless the United States.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to two of my constituents who tragically lost their lives in a senseless act of gun violence at a public library in Chico, in the heart of my district.
Libraries are places of learning and community, spaces where families, children, and neighbors come together. Last week, that sense of safety was shattered by unimaginable violence.
I take this time to honor Jacob Hull and Robert Johnson and offer my deepest condolences to the families, friends, and community who are devastated and forever changed by this tragedy.
Jacob, or ``Cody'' as he was known, had taken someone he cared for deeply, a close friend's 8-year-old daughter, with him for a visit to the library. He gave his life that day to protect hers by shielding her from the attacker in an act of extraordinary courage and selflessness. Because of his actions, she was able to escape, flee to safety, and reunite with her family.
Jacob Hull is a hero.
Robert spent 30 years as a resident of Orland, California, where he spent a career in the ag industry before retiring. He was beloved by his family, who fondly referred to him as Uncle Robert.
Robert found great joy in spending time at that Chico library, which his family described as his favorite place in the world. It was a place of comfort, of learning, and peace, where he could indulge in his passion for reading. Reading was the passion that remained with him throughout his life.
Robert was a quiet strength.
Both Robert and Jacob were beloved members of the greater Chico and Butte County community, whose absence will be deeply felt, and it leaves a void that cannot be replaced.
Members of the Chico community have already banded together to raise money in support of the devastated families of both victims. Two memorial funds for Cody and Robert have been started by the North Valley Community Foundation, and donations can be made on the North Valley Community Foundation's website at www.nvcf.org. I also extend my gratitude to the librarians, the bystanders, and the first responders who selflessly rushed to the scene to provide aid during this horrific crime.
I commend Chief Aldridge and his amazing officers of the Chico Police Department, who responded to this incident within 4 minutes. Their excellent training was on full display, and they quickly apprehended the suspect. Their heroism undoubtedly saved lives that day. We are grateful to them, and we salute them, the thin blue line that protects our community each and every day.
No words will ease the deep pain and suffering our community is feeling, but I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring the memories of Jacob Hull and Robert Johnson and in praying for justice and healing for their families and our community in the difficult weeks and months ahead.
Mr. Speaker, a new fiscal year starts off in California, and we have a fiscal bust that could cost us vital wildfire funding.
The cap-and-tax system doesn't raise enough money this year. Under a terrible deal struck between Gavin Newsom and a select group of politicians, money meant for wildfire prevention may be lost because it was put into last place under this deal; and the high-speed rail, a project that hasn't built a single mile of track, was put in first place, along with legislative projects for a select group of legislators: $125 million for transit passes, $25 million for a UC Climate Research Center.
One curious one: $85 million of our taxpayer funding to go to some entity chosen by the legislature to explore climate innovation and solutions for the future--where is it going? No one really knows, but what we do know is that wildfire funding could very well be slashed under this terrible deal.
Even worse, our CAL FIRE firefighters' budget could be slashed if we do not reach a deal that comes to putting wildfire prevention and wildfire suppression first in our State.
I rise to call out this terrible and atrocious deal, and I demand that my former colleagues in the State legislature put wildfire first. I demand that they put victims first after they have been through so much horror over these many years in California, wildfire after wildfire. Put them first by making sure that that funding is there.
We can do our jobs here in the U.S. Congress, as well, by passing our Fix Our Forests Act, which is now on the Senate side. We need to make sure that we get that through so that we can increase the pace and scale of removing dangerous fuels.
Mr. Speaker, as our Nation celebrates America's 250th birthday, North Dakota has the extraordinary privilege of marking this milestone in a truly historic way.
Tomorrow, on July 1, we open the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in the Badlands of western North Dakota. It is a place that forever shaped one of America's greatest Presidents.
First, I recognize the countless people whose vision, generosity, and determination made this remarkable library possible. They are too numerous to mention each individually, but I thank the TR Presidential Library Foundation Board, its staff, donors, volunteers, community leaders, Secretary Doug Burgum, Robbie Lauf, Ed O'Keefe, and so many more. Because of their efforts, future generations will come to North Dakota to experience the place that shaped Theodore Roosevelt.
Theodore Roosevelt famously said: ``I never would have been President if it had not been for my experience in North Dakota.''
He arrived in the Dakota Territory as a young man, grieving unimaginable loss. He left transformed. The rugged landscape, hardworking ranchers, and independent spirit of the people he met there, these things forged the character that would later define his Presidency.
North Dakota didn't just change Theodore Roosevelt. North Dakota helped shape the leader who would shape America.
Roosevelt embodied what he famously called the ``Bully Spirit,'' an expression of enthusiasm, optimism, courage, and confidence in America's future. He believed in living boldly, embracing challenges, and approaching life with energy and purpose.
This is a spirit that has defined our Nation for 250 years, and it is one we should carry forward into the next 250.
TR was a rancher, a soldier, and a conservationist. He was a reformer, an explorer, an author, a statesman, a Nobel Prize recipient, and one of the most energetic Presidents our Nation has ever known.
His life was filled with stories that have become American legend. After being shot while campaigning for President, Roosevelt refused to leave the stage. The bullet had been slowed by a thick, 50-page speech that was folded inside his breast pocket. He insisted on finishing his remarks before seeking medical attention.
His White House reflected the same fearless, determined, and adventurous spirit. His children filled it with dogs, snakes, birds, ponies, and every imaginable creature. They showed us that public service and joy are not mutually exclusive.
Theodore Roosevelt lived a big life because he believed America was meant to dream big, build big, and accomplish big things.
Interestingly, today's President carries some of these same qualities. At President Trump's 2025 inauguration, he said: ``In America, impossible is what we do best.''
Consider some of the big accomplishments of Roosevelt. He strengthened our Navy, completed the Panama Canal, won the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating peace between Russia and Japan, and changed the way we think about conservation by protecting our public lands, forests, parks, and wildlife.
Perhaps Roosevelt's greatest legacy wasn't simply what he accomplished. It was what he asked of every American. His words from ``Man in the Arena'' remain just as relevant today as when he first delivered that speech over a century ago.
This strikes me so profoundly on the cusp of our 250th birthday, when our country is so divided, so angry, and so critical of each other. Theodore Roosevelt gives us encouragement. ``It is not the critic who counts,'' he reminds us. ``The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.''
Those words are a challenge to each of us and to every generation to participate, to lead, to serve, and to have courage to act rather than merely criticize.
As we dedicate this remarkable library in my beautiful State of North Dakota, as we do this during America's 250th year, we are reminded that the strength of our Republic has never come from spectators. It has always come from the citizens willing to enter the arena.
May every visitor who walks through the doors of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library leave inspired by the example of this President whose character was forged in North Dakota and whose leadership strengthened America.
His enduring message still calls each of us to live courageously, serve faithfully, and leave our country stronger than we found it.
That is Theodore Roosevelt's legacy. That is the Bully Spirit. As we begin our Nation's next 250 years, may it continue to inspire us all.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Robert Stephenson, a proud member of the Greatest Generation, as he celebrated his 101st birthday on June 14th, 2026.
Born in Chicago in 1925, Robert came of age during the Great Depression, developing the values of hard work and perseverance that would guide his life.
At 17 years old, he enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II, where he helped manage personnel and aerial mapping records.
Following his military service, Robert studied accounting at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1964, he founded R.L. Stephenson, Incorporated.
He shared 75 years of marriage with his wife, Helene. He remains as active today, at 101 years old, as he ever has been.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing Robert Stephenson a very happy 101st birthday and in honoring his century plus of service to the American spirit that he embodies.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the youth mental health crisis.
Organizations like the Andrus institution in my district are doing meaningful work to address the challenges that our youth face today.
The Julia Dyckman Andrus Memorial, in Yonkers, New York, operates as a trauma-responsive system of care, bringing education, clinical services, and community-based programs together to support children and families.
Founded in 1928 by John Emory Andrus, former mayor of Yonkers and New York Congressman, in the area that I now serve, the Andrus institution helps children, families, and communities succeed through its community programs, health clinics, K-9 school, and residential treatment services on its campus.
Led by award-winning president and CEO Dr. Corine Lurry-Mabin and her outstanding team, Andrus provides comprehensive therapeutic services to children with severe emotional disabilities and autism, 90 percent of whom live below the poverty line.
Andrus is the largest school-based mental health provider in Westchester County, serving more than 2,500 children every year.
From the floor of the House of Representatives, I commend Andrus for its tireless work to provide life-changing support to help children heal, grow, and thrive.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to Milton Turner Wright, Jr., a former Texas Ranger and retired sheriff of Fort Bend County, Texas, who passed away on March 5, 2026.
Sheriff Wright was a true example of a public servant. From serving honorably in the United States Navy to dedicating his life to law enforcement, he always put others before himself. He served as sheriff of Fort Bend County, Texas, for four terms, 16 years, making him the longest serving sheriff in county history.
As sheriff, he revolutionized the office by embracing modern technologies, specialized divisions, and inmate support programs. Earlier this week, Fort Bend County rightfully renamed its detention center after Sheriff Wright, ensuring that his legacy will never be forgotten.
Mr. Speaker, please join me in praying for his wife of 68 years, Marian; family, friends, and loved ones as they mourn the loss of such an honorable man.
Mr. Speaker, WIC provides pregnant and postpartum moms and their babies with healthy food. It increases nutrition, reduces premature births, and improves access to healthcare for moms and babies.
That is why, Mr. Speaker, I find it unconscionable that Republicans in this Chamber passed a bill earlier this month that slashes funding for the program by $200 million. The bill takes away money for nutritious fruits and vegetables and would force WIC providers to turn away eligible families for the first time in 30 years.
Then, 1 week later, Republicans gave $70 billion to make a slush fund for ICE and CBP. When it comes to giving $200 million, that is less than 0.1 percent of that number, to hungry kids, Republicans said that we ran out of money.
What the hell is wrong with these people, Mr. Speaker?
I thought they wanted to make America healthy again. You can't be healthy if you are hungry, Mr. Speaker, and the Republican Agriculture appropriations bill will make hunger worse.
I will fight tooth and nail for the Senate to restore the fruit and vegetable voucher and reverse these cuts to WIC. Let's work together to actually make America healthy and end hunger now.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the State College Farmers' Market which celebrates 50 years of service this year.
Since the mid-1970s, the farmers' market has been a State College staple, bringing together local businesses, families, and Penn State students.
Started by a dozen local farmers, the market has stayed true to its original mission: to provide people with fresh, local foods while supporting Pennsylvania farmers.
For five decades, the market evolved to offer a variety of products, influenced by Centre County's growing population and Penn State's large student body.
Vendors have continued bringing old-time favorites like maple syrup and pies, while introducing new goods like cider doughnuts. A handful of vendors have been selling local favorites since the market's earliest years, showing up every weekend to sell their goods.
Mr. Speaker, the State College Farmers' Market exemplifies the importance of Pennsylvania farms, the value of small businesses, and the influence of community.
As we celebrate this milestone, let us look ahead to the next 50 years and keep this community tradition thriving.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank my health fellow, Dr. Melanie Yates, for her service to my office and the Second Congressional District of Illinois.
I am so lucky Melanie joined us. She is brilliant, deeply caring, and has a funny wit about her. Melanie, a practicing ER physician, was always my trusted source for any medical question, whether it was a complex policy matter or a personal concern, bringing a unique sense of calm to our entire office.
As a proud Minnesotan, Melanie loves the cold weather. She has even joked that she could live in Alaska, so it is pretty funny that she found herself in D.C. and is now heading to Cincinnati. It is not exactly the frozen north, but I know that wherever she is and despite the weather, she will excel.
I am so incredibly proud of her, and she will always be a part of the Kelly Alumni family.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor three brave wildland firefighters who gave their lives protecting the people of Colorado.
Last Friday, Emily Barker, Nick Hutcherson, and Sydney Watson were responding to the Knowles fire in western Colorado as members of the Rifle Helitack crew. They answered the call to protect others, and in doing so gave their lives.
Emily was from Clinton Township, Michigan. Nick was from Glendale, Arizona. Sydney was from Warrior, Alabama. They came from across our country to serve in Colorado on some of the most challenging terrain in the American West.
This is what wildland firefighters do. They go where the need is greatest: into the smoke, into the canyons, and into danger so our communities can remain safe.
Today we thank Emily, Nick, and Sydney not only for how they died, but for how they lived: with courage, selflessness, and a commitment to serving others.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to keep their families, crewmates, and every firefighter still on the line in our thoughts and prayers.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the inspiring resilience and perseverance of my constituent Liliana Haggerty. At just 14 years old, Liliana was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of blood cancer that spread through her lymphatic system.
Earlier this month, I had the privilege of meeting Liliana and her wonderful family in my office. Her courage in the face of a frightening disease was profound. As a patient, she founded a nonprofit dedicated to providing pediatric hospital patients with pajamas, blankets, and socks.
Thanks to the exceptional care she received at Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas City and an aggressive 12-week chemo plan, Liliana's cancer is now in remission.
Today, Liliana dedicates her time to advocating for other patients and families navigating through serious illnesses.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating Liliana's accomplishments and wishing her continued success in the years ahead.
Mr. Speaker, before there was the Declaration of Independence, there was Halifax, North Carolina.
More than 250 years ago, 83 delegates gathered in Halifax with the courage to take a bold stand. Through the Halifax Resolves, the first Colony officially called for independence from Great Britain. That is why North Carolina proudly carries the title ``First in Freedom.''
The journey of American independence traveled through eastern North Carolina, where brave individuals believed freedom was worth the risk. Their courage helped change the course of history.
As America prepares to celebrate 250 years, let's remember that every generation has a responsibility to protect the freedoms they fought to secure.
May God bless our wonderful country, the United States of America.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the Severn School sailing team.
This spring, these students made history by becoming the first team ever to win both the Baker and the Mallory National Championships in the same season, but these victories did not come easily.
In the Mallory competition, the Admirals made a critical comeback from third to first place, despite dicey wind conditions, to win their second title.
Four graduating seniors, Alex Baker, Charlotte MacDonald, Annie Sitzmann, and Annabelle Ulak, even missed their commencement ceremony to compete in the national championships.
These students' commitment to excellence, both in the classroom and on the water, is truly inspiring, and their accomplishments speak to the incredible coaches and mentors they have had along the way.
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Coach Sitzmann, Coach Alexander, Coach Davids, and the entire Severn sailing team on an incredible season and this historic accomplishment.
Providing for Consideration of H.R. 8800, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027; Providing for Consideration of H.R. 8595, National Security, Department of State, and Related...
Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, last night the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 1398, providing for consideration of four measures:
H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027, under a structured rule.
The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Armed Services or their respective designees, provides for one motion to recommit, and makes 312 amendments in order.
H.R. 8595, the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2027, under a structured rule.
The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees, provides for one motion to recommit, and makes 29 amendments in order.
H.R. 8884, Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act, under a closed rule.
The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Ways and Means or their respective designees and provides for one motion to recommit.
H. Res. 1383, Commemorating the One-Year Anniversary of the Enactment of the Working Families Tax Cuts.
The rule provides 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Ways and Means or their respective designees.
Additionally, the rule provides that H. Res. 1377 is laid on the table and, once the NDAA is passed, the Clerk shall add the text of S. 1383, the SAVE America Act, to the bill and transmit it, once again, to the United States Senate.
Mr. Speaker, we are here today to debate a rule on four measures.
First, H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027.
Under the leadership of Chairman Mike Rogers and Ranking Member Adam Smith, one of the top priorities of the bipartisan fiscal year 2027 NDAA is to rebuild our arsenal of freedom.
As President Reagan reminded the Nation more than four decades ago: ``It is not just immoral but unforgivable to ask the sons and daughters of America to protect this country with aging equipment and bargain- basement weapons.'' That conviction remains as true now as it was then.
This year's NDAA continues our commitment to ensuring the United States maintains the most capable, lethal, and ready fighting force in the world. This is made possible through a top-line that supports an investment consistent with rebuilding the American arsenal and revitalizing our defense industrial base.
Since the 1990s, we have seen a lack of competition in the defense sector that has reduced resiliency in supply chains, stifled innovation, and, ultimately, has increased costs for the taxpayers while decreasing readiness. This bill aims to change that.
The fiscal year 2027 NDAA strengthens America's security by expanding domestic production capacity, mobilizing private-sector investment, accelerating innovative defense entrants, cutting unnecessary regulatory barriers, and creating thousands of high-skill American jobs.
To reduce costs, this bill expands the multiyear procurement authority for critical platforms such as the F-35, F-15EX, Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, and many other weapon systems.
This enables the defense industrial base to expand and accelerate domestic production, leading to decreased costs, increased capacity, and increased jobs.
A country that cannot make its own ammunition and weapons cannot deter a war, Mr. Speaker.
In addition, the fiscal year 2027 NDAA makes another major stride in strengthening servicemembers' quality of life and revitalizing our recruitment efforts. It authorizes a 5 to 7 percent pay raise; improves military housing, education, and childcare options for military families; and invests in support systems that keep our force resilient.
The bill also tackles the Nation's pilot shortage head-on by issuing targeted aviation bonuses, expanding the training pipeline capacity, and accelerating pathways to produce and retain the next generation of military aviators.
Implementing the Peace Through Strength agenda, the fiscal year 2027 NDAA rebuilds depleted stockpiles and accelerates game-changing technologies, like quantum computing, hypersonics, and autonomous systems, while sustaining legacy platforms until future replacements become operational.
Platforms such as the F-22, F-18, A-10, and MQ-9 have been instrumental in the operations against Venezuela and the Iranian regime. Sustaining these platforms will eliminate the capability gaps created by prematurely divesting legacy platforms without a replacement platform being operational.
Peace Through Strength starts with a factory floor at Scranton, a shipyard in Newport News, a welder in Pascagoula, and our skilled workforce at Robins Air Force Base.
A stronger, more resilient defense industrial base is what turns American manufacturing capacity into credible military power. This credible military power is what convinces our adversaries that today is not the day to test the United States of America.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues and the House Armed Services Committee staff for all of the work that went into creating this strong, bipartisan legislation that should pass with overwhelming support.
Second, Mr. Speaker, the rule also provides for consideration of H.R. 8595, the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2027.
H.R. 8595 advances the America First policy agenda and restores accountability to how taxpayer dollars are spent abroad.
This year's legislation provides $47.32 billion, 6 percent below the fiscal year 2026 enacted level, while still supporting a foreign policy agenda that supports our allies and counters our adversaries.
This bill restores fiscal sanity by reducing duplication, streamlining operations, and prioritizing core diplomatic functions.
Additionally it codifies President Trump's executive orders to eliminate wasteful programs in spending, strengthen oversight of foreign assistance, and ensure no funds flow to organizations that refuse to cooperate with the United States.
Further, this legislation funds efforts to counter malign influence from the People's Republic of China, denying the CCP access to U.S. factory sources and prohibiting countries from using U.S. aid to repay debts owed to Communist China. It deserves bipartisan support, and I look forward to its passage.
Third, Mr. Speaker, the rule also provides for the consideration of H.R. 8884, the Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act.
This is a simple bill with an important goal: to make sure Americans with disabilities are not punished for wanting to go to work.
For too long our disability policies have been built around outdated assumptions, assumptions that treat work as a risk rather than an opportunity.
H.R. 8884 gives the Social Security Administration the tools it needs to test new approaches, gather real data, and design policies that support work instead of discouraging it.
This bill extends the Social Security Administration demonstration authority through 2030. Participation is voluntary and will not result in a decreased overall income for any member that elects to participate in the program.
This demonstration authority will be a gateway for the Social Security Administration to run scoped test programs which could help disabled Americans work, earn, and maintain stability without risking harm to beneficiaries.
This is commonsense legislation that everyone should support. I look forward to passing it in the House and sending it over to the Senate.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, the rule provides for consideration of H. Res. 1383, Commemorating the One-Year Anniversary of the Enactment of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.
Nearly 1 year ago today, House and Senate Republicans delivered on President Trump's promise to cut taxes, deliver affordability, and strengthen our economy for everyday hardworking Americans.
The Working Families Tax Cuts Act is the largest tax reform passed by Congress in decades, making permanent the tax cuts passed under the first Trump administration and ensuring a tax cut for over 140 million Americans.
We saw over $324 billion in tax refunds for both individuals and families in 2025 and approximately 96 percent of the filers receiving a refund earn less than $200,000 in annual income.
Further, crucial provisions in this legislation provided numerous deductions for overtime pay, service industry workers who rely on tips, as well as deductions for car loan interest and expansion of the enhanced child tax credit.
American families and workers overwhelmingly benefited from the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, and President Trump and congressional Republicans delivered for the American people by making these tax cuts permanent.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to consideration of these measures and urge passage of this rule. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding me the customary time, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, let me begin by asking: Do Republicans even have the votes to pass this rule? Because, if not, what on Earth are we doing here? Wasting more time?
Even your own Members are fed up, Mr. Speaker--every week wondering if someone is going to throw a fit; if Donald Trump is going to post something crazy and blow everything up; if Mike Johnson is going to bring something to the floor when he doesn't have the votes. The chaos and the dysfunction around here is unhinged.
We wasted hours and hours at the Rules Committee last week debating
Let me remind my colleagues: This is the United States of America. It is still the United States of America. We are not China, or Russia, or some two-bit dictatorship.
This is insane what is going on here. Families cannot afford rent. Folks are priced out of buying a house. Donald Trump is asked about the bipartisan housing bill yesterday, and he says: `` . . . it's so unimportant . . . `' he says: `` . . . it's so unimportant . . . `' then he says: ``I made a lot of money with housing.''
The American people are not asking whether Donald Trump made a lot of money in housing. They are asking why they cannot afford it. They are asking why his economy sucks, why their prices are going up, and nobody in this Republican administration seems to give a damn.
So, now, we are back with another rule. Maybe it passes. Maybe it doesn't. Who knows anymore. This rule includes a National Defense Authorization bill with a trillion--that is with a t--dollar price tag.
I should tell my colleagues that we already spend more on our military than the next six countries combined. It is an astronomical amount. Over another trillion dollars on our military budget? Boy, that is so wild and extravagant, even Dr. Strangelove would be impressed.
Now, Mr. Speaker, let me get this straight: Republicans want to give Donald Trump over a trillion dollars for the Pentagon? Donald Trump who started an illegal war? Donald Trump who got 13 American servicemembers killed because he started a war to distract from the Epstein files? That is who they want to give a trillion dollars to? I mean, get real.
The State and Foreign Operations bill is a mess, too. It guts all the programs that actually prevent crises before they explode. When the next war, famine, pandemic, or global breakdown knocks on our door, just remember it was Republicans who set the stage, just like they did when they cut funding for screwworm protection.
There is the Social Security disability bill that hands more authority to an administration already targeting programs that working people rely on.
Then, we get to this Republican self-esteem exercise, yet another nonbinding resolution, praising Republicans for the big, ugly bill.
Mr. Speaker, I have a secret for you. I checked with my staff. Not a single person has called my office saying: Congressman, I think Republicans should spend time congratulating themselves on a bill they passed last year that took away my healthcare and is directly responsible for raising my bills. I haven't got a single call about that.
What exactly is it that my Republican friends are congratulating themselves for anyway? You passed the big, ugly bill a year ago. Since then, gas prices have gone up. Grocery prices have gone up. There is a new war in the Middle East. Healthcare is more expensive, and fewer people have it. Child hunger has gone up. The tariffs are crushing farmers and driving up costs.
That is what you guys are doing a victory lap over? Really? I mean, really? Never have we seen so much inequality between the rich and the poor in this country. Regular people are getting screwed while the top 0.001 percent saw their incomes go up by--get this--$20 million last year.
You guys could not be more out of touch if you tried, Mr. Speaker.
There might be hours of floor debate on these crummy bills this week, but right now we are here to talk about the Republicans' agenda, their plan for the week. The truth is that their bills are just more of the same old status quo nonsense that people back home are sick and tired of.
The Republican agenda is a nightmare for this country. The American people are in an economic crisis right now. They are getting screwed by the policies of this administration. Their wallets and their pocketbooks are getting cleaned out by this President and this majority's billionaire-forced agenda.
Then, they turn on C-SPAN today--and God help them if they do--and what do they see Republicans bringing to the floor? Not a bill to help deal with rising inflation and economic uncertainty--no, no, no. Their focus this week is a resolution to congratulate themselves on a bill that they already passed last year. In case they haven't noticed, for most people, things have gotten worse since then, not better.
People are looking to this place and wondering whether anybody at all on the Republican side has any idea what their life is actually like. They believe that this Republican majority is just out of touch, out of sync with where regular people are. If people look at these awful, lousy bills, the answer is obviously no.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, no doubt the Democrat socialists of America believe everything that the gentleman from Massachusetts just said, but the majority of Americans are smart enough to know that those things are simply not true.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to strike the section adding the SAVE America Act to the NDAA during engrossment.
Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. I think the SAVE Act is an awful bill. It is not about election security. It is about relitigating Donald Trump's loss in 2020--and he did lose. He lost big. It will make it harder for American citizens to vote if this SAVE Act ever becomes law.
Here is another thing that is clear to everyone, or should be. This little maneuver by the Speaker is a nothing burger. It is a shell game. It is the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain pretending to do magic. Here is the truth: The SAVE Act will not become law. Even if this rule manages to pass, the Senate will not pass an NDAA with the SAVE Act included. They have already said that, and Leader Thune, 5 days ago, already filed cloture on the Senate's own version of the NDAA without the SAVE Act.
At the end of the day, it is very simple. Republicans are using procedural tricks to try to make it harder for people to vote because they can't win elections the old-fashioned way. They can't win them fair and square. It is offensive. In the case of this MIRV scheme, it is downright stupid.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment into the Record, along with any extraneous material, immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Massachusetts?
Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member McGovern for allowing me to speak.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to attaching the SAVE America Act to the NDAA.
This week, Mr. Speaker, marks the 250th anniversary of our Nation's independence. Yet, instead of working to strengthen our democracy, Trump and Republicans are hell-bent on undermining it.
While we should be celebrating how far we have come since the days of Jim Crow voter suppression, Republicans are working to drag us back. Old battles have indeed become new again.
Mr. Speaker, the so-called SAVE America Act is nothing more than a scheme devised by my colleagues across the aisle to save themselves from accountability at the ballot box. It is a voter suppression bill designed to block millions of eligible voters from casting their ballots.
Let me be perfectly clear. We all agree that it is important for citizens to verify who they are during the voting process, but this bill is not about voter ID.
It is so extreme that even a valid driver's license would not be enough to register to vote.
This bill is about one thing and one thing only: making it harder for Americans to vote and easier for Republicans to win.
Here are the facts: Rampant voter fraud is a myth. It does not exist. It is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in Federal elections. In fact, under current law, noncitizens would face up to 5 years--5 years in prison for attempting to vote in Federal elections, and they would even risk being deported.
That is why the fact of the matter is that noncitizens voting is roughly 0.0001 percent according to the Brennan Center.
This legislation is an egregious attempt to solve a problem that is not based in reality. The solution to this nonexistent problem is not to prevent eligible voters from voting and accessing the ballot box.
Mr. Speaker, roughly half of all Americans do not have a valid passport. In my home State of Alabama, that number is even higher. More than 72 percent of Alabamians do not have a passport. To get one, most Americans would have to pay an application fee of $130.
Mr. Speaker, this is nothing more than a modern-day poll tax.
There are also 69 million women who have changed their last names after getting married. Those women would not be able to vote using their birth certificate.
Under this voter suppression bill, up to 21 million eligible Americans would be blocked from exercising their right to vote.
The SAVE Act also requires States to purge their voter rolls on a consistent basis without requiring commonsense measures, like requiring officials to notify voters before removing them from the voter roll. That means that eligible voters would risk learning that they had been removed from the polls on election day.
Mr. Speaker, keeping voter rolls accurate is important, but it must be done by using quality data and best practices to ensure that citizens are not inadvertently removed from the voter roll.
In my home State of Alabama, an effort was made to remove noncitizens from the voter rolls using data from the State's department of labor. The data was highly incorrect, and what we found is that 93.8 percent of the voters removed were U.S. citizens--U.S. citizens being removed because my State thought that they were using something accurate in removing voters from the voter roll.
Let me say that again: 93.8 percent of the voters removed were U.S. citizens.
Mr. Speaker, this is very personal to me. I am a proud daughter of Selma, Alabama, and the Representative of Alabama's voting rights and civil rights district. It was in my hometown 61 years ago where hundreds of foot soldiers like John Lewis shed blood on a bridge for the equal right of all Americans to vote. They marched. They bled. They prayed, and some even died for the right to vote. The so-called SAVE Act makes a mockery of their legacy.
As America celebrates its 250th birthday, we in Congress should be working to make voting more accessible, not less. Our democracy functions best when every citizen is given an opportunity to participate in our elections.
I urge all my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the previous question, ``no'' on the rule, and to oppose any efforts by President Trump and Republicans to suppress the voting rights of Americans.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, one of the key provisions of this rule is the National Defense Authorization Act. This is a bipartisan piece of legislation that has passed every year for the last several decades and passed out of committee with a strong bipartisan vote.
I encourage the American citizens to understand this with regard to our national security and our national defense and how important this piece of legislation is. Up until 2022, in order to launch a satellite, the United States was buying rockets from Russia.
Mr. Speaker, 2022 is the last time we purchased rockets from Russia to launch satellites, and 2024 is the last time we actually used a Russian rocket to launch a satellite.
We have to invest in our defense industrial base so that we are not dependent on the enemies of the United States of America to provide for the security of the American citizens. The National Defense Authorization Act, in a very bipartisan manner, does exactly that.
Mr. Speaker, this rule needs to pass. We need to ensure that we are not dependent on our adversaries for our national security, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I remind the gentleman and others that we already spend more than six of our nearest competitors in terms of military spending combined. We are talking about $1.5 trillion--trillion with a t--going to the defense budget this year.
I have to tell you that I really think we ought to have a debate in this Congress about the definition of national security, and I think it ought to include things like healthcare. My Republican friends cut $1 trillion from healthcare. People are losing their healthcare left and right, but if you don't have healthcare, you don't feel very secure.
The definition of national security also ought to include the quality of education we provide our young people.
It ought to include things like ending hunger in this country. We are the richest country in the history of the world, and we have 48 million Americans who don't know where their next meal is going to come from.
It ought to include housing and whether people can afford housing. We have an affordability crisis right now that we tried to address in a bipartisan way, but Donald Trump had a meltdown.
It ought to include supporting our veterans and cleaning up our environment.
It ought to include things like investing in our workforce.
All of those things are sources of our national strength that are getting shortchanged here, so forgive us if we are not getting excited about this massive increase in military spending at a time when the average American is getting screwed.
Enough. Enough.
When you go back to your districts and you talk to people in coffee shops, they are not worried about whether we are spending $900 billion or $1.5 trillion on our military spending, most of which goes to defense contractors. What they are worried about is whether they can afford their groceries, whether they can afford their rent, and whether they can afford the gas for their car.
Those are things that are real. Whether they can send their kids to college, all of those things matter.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Magaziner).
Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, 8 million Americans have lost their health insurance over the last year. Again, 8 million Americans lost their health insurance.
Millions more have seen their health insurance premiums go up by hundreds and thousands of dollars. Hospitals and community health centers have shut down all across the country. Why? It is because our Republican colleagues passed the big, ugly bill last year that cut funding from healthcare in order to fund tax cuts for billionaires and big corporations.
That is not all. They also cut money from SNAP.
Mr. Speaker, 1 million children--children--lost their SNAP benefits over the last year. Children are going hungry. People who are sick and hurt are not able to go to the doctor because they can't afford it anymore.
I see our Republican colleagues. They don't understand why their bill isn't more popular. They don't understand why the American people aren't grateful to them for cutting their healthcare and cutting their food aid in order to pay for tax cuts for rich people who don't need it.
They tried changing the name of their bill. They don't call it the big, beautiful bill anymore. They said that maybe if they change the name, then people will like the fact that they can't afford to go to the doctor anymore because of our tax cuts for the rich.
Well, that didn't work, so now they are proposing to use floor time this week to vote on a resolution congratulating themselves for passing this monstrous bill that has cut healthcare and cut food aid for the American people in order to pay for tax cuts for people who don't need it.
Don't worry. The bill did more than that, by the way. One thing that it did fund is more ICE agents invading American cities, such as Minneapolis and Chicago, and killing American citizens in broad daylight.
They wonder why the American people aren't grateful for that. Well, maybe a resolution congratulating ourselves for doing this will do the trick.
Why aren't the American people grateful for the fact that whatever small tax relief was included for the middle class is outweighed dramatically by the increased costs from the tariffs, the war, and health insurance premiums skyrocketing?
Mr. Speaker, how about this: How about we, as a Congress, instead of using this floor time on meaningless resolutions, actually do the work of the American people? How about we fund healthcare? How about we fund food aid? How about we fund education instead of yet more tax cuts for Elon Musk and the billionaires partying at Mar-a-Lago while working people suffer?
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
A couple of things, Mr. Speaker: One is that Federal tax revenues are actually up this fiscal year over last fiscal year, and that is because the economy is doing pretty good under President Donald Trump. Again, tax revenues are up 5 percent over the last year.
I want to mention one other thing. People under the age of 18 were exempt from the changes we made in the SNAP benefits. Under 18, they were exempt. Yet, they still stand up and say we kicked children off of SNAP. Read the law. If you are under 18, you are exempt from the changes we made.
I will speak, Mr. Speaker, about one thing that is in this piece of legislation, in this rule, that is wrong that I have tried to correct for many years. If we get the chance to vote on it, I hope we will get it corrected.
I will tell you, several years ago, I went to Bethesda, and a young man I represented had stepped on a pressure plate and lost both legs in Afghanistan. I stayed in touch with the young man. A couple of years later, I was taking him hunting. I remember exactly where I was on 475 in central Georgia. He told me: I work at O'Reilly Auto Parts, but I have to be careful--at the time, it was $1,100 a month--to make sure that I don't make more than $1,100 a month or my family loses the Social Security benefits.
We talked a little while about this. I told him: When I get back to DC, I am going to meet with the lawyers because that just doesn't sound right.
When I came to D.C., I scheduled a meeting with the attorneys up here who deal with Social Security. I met with them, and I had the discussion with them. They told me that that is actually the law, that that is correct.
Here we have this young man who is combat wounded, totally and permanently disabled, who wants to go back to work. I am a firm believer that the number one thing we can do for our veterans, especially when it comes to veteran suicide and their mental health, is to get them back to work as soon as possible.
So, I wrote a piece of legislation that has had multiple cosponsors from both parties, from all spectrums of the political divide, conservative, liberal, Democrat, Republican, moderate. We haven't been able to get it through because of some of the budget rules that plague this place on good ideas.
Now, we have H.R. 8884. If it is passed, I am confident that the concept of the Purple Heart Freedom to Work Act will be put in place as a pilot project. What it would allow people to do is, for people who are combat wounded, totally and permanently disabled, it will allow them to go back to work and keep their Social Security benefits.
It shouldn't take as long as it has taken to do this and to get this passed. If this rule passes, I am confident that H.R. 8884 will pass. If we can get it through the Senate--and that is a big ``if'' with getting anything through the Senate--then, hopefully, our combat- wounded, totally and permanently disabled veterans can go back to work and not be afraid of going back to work because they would lose their Social Security benefits.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I have to admit I was taken a little bit aback by the gentleman's statement earlier when he said the economy is doing ``pretty good.'' I think those are his exact words.
I am kind of stunned by that because inflation is up. The price of groceries is up. The price of gas is up. The price of housing is up. The price of everything is up. People, by every poll that has been conducted, whether it is on the left, on the right, or in the center, say the same thing: People are not satisfied with this economy. They do not think it is pretty good, no matter what their party affiliation is. They do not think it is good.
Now, maybe if you are Republican in the House of Representatives and you hang around with the Mar-a-Lago class, maybe they think it is pretty good. I mean, Elon Musk is now the first trillionaire. I guess he thinks it is pretty good.
If you are the average worker, whether it is in Massachusetts or Georgia or California or South Dakota, you don't share that view because it isn't. Things are actually pretty bad. Things are pretty bad.
The gentleman said that poor kids are not losing their SNAP benefits. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record an article titled: ``Over 700,000 Poor Kids Across 12 States Have Lost Food Aid Under Trump-GOP Budget Law.''
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Massachusetts?
Mr. Speaker, this article appeared in May 2026. That number is now estimated not at 700,000 but at 800,000 in this country.
Think about it. The economy is doing pretty good, and in this country that we live in right now, the United States of America, we have close to 50 million Americans who don't know where their next meal is going to come from, who are hungry. I don't think they think the economy is pretty good. In fact, the majority of these people are working families. They are working harder than ever, but because everything is going up, they can't afford groceries.
Go to any grocery store in this country, and you will see people actually putting groceries back on the shelves because their paychecks don't stretch as far as they used to because prices are going up.
By the way, it is not just the big, ugly bill. It is the President's stupid tariff policy, which is raising prices all across this country, and the war in Iran that--I don't even know if he knows what the hell he is doing. It just goes on and on and on. Again, we are spending countless dollars on this war, again, which is resulting in energy prices going through the roof.
No, people do not think the economy is pretty good. They do not. I suspect that that is what is behind this effort by Republicans to try to rig the midterm elections, because they know that the American people are not happy with where things are.
It is not just Democrats, not just independents, but a whole bunch of Republicans. A whole bunch of Republicans are also dissatisfied.
I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to go to coffee shops, to go to diners, to go to grocery stores, and to go to VFW halls in their districts and listen to what people are saying. They are not happy. They are very concerned about the state of the economy. They are not confident that things are going to get better.
They do not think that the person running this country right now has any clue about what the reality is for working families. He lives in a different sphere altogether. He is worried about reflecting pools, building monuments in his honor, and redoing the East Wing that he said would cost nothing but is going to cost us billions when it is all said and done--cost the taxpayers billions. That is what he is consumed about.
They want a Congress and a government that cares about them.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I don't have any additional speakers, am prepared to close.
I have listened a lot today, and I want to get back to the heart of this matter, which is the National Defense Authorization Act. That is what this rule is about. It is about H.R. 8884 and allowing--in the case of the legislation that I had--Purple Heart recipients, people who are wounded in combat totally and permanently having the ability to go back to work and not worrying about losing their Social Security benefits, at least for a period of time. It is about the appropriations act for our State Department and things that we do around the world.
There is a lot in this rule, Mr. Speaker, and this rule needs to pass. Yes, the SAVE America Act will be attached to the legislation when it goes across because, yes, we do think you all are letting noncitizens vote in elections. We know you are doing it at the local level, and we think that places like California ought to get their ballots counted before the end of the night, not before the end of the week.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time until the gentleman is prepared to close.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am not yet prepared to close, but I do want to remind the gentleman that it was the Republicans that put into this rule a bill to congratulate yourselves on the big, ugly bill, and it was the gentleman who said that people think this economy is doing pretty good, and I take issue with that.
There are people who are losing their healthcare. Republicans like to pretend that their big, ugly bill, which cut Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act by more than $1 trillion, didn't actually hurt anyone. I mean, there are lots of real stories of people being hurt.
Kathy and Jeffrey Many, who live in Brandon, Vermont, are owners of a garage door installation repair business. They said that their premium was jumping up from $625 a month to nearly $2,670 per month, and the cheapest alternative they could find was still nearly $2,000. Kathy and Jeffrey ended up dropping their coverage. The economy is not working good for them.
Eric and Lisa Frankenfeld, a chiropractor and his wife, who live in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, said their premium was set to skyrocket to $1,928 per month, up from $340 per month, so they decided to go without coverage this year. Lisa said: We are healthcare providers who cannot afford benefits. Oh, the irony.
Katelin Provost, a 37-year-old single mom and social worker from Henderson, Nevada, saw her premium jump from $85 to $750 a month. She said she would likely drop her own coverage in order to keep insurance for her 4-year-old daughter.
I mean, these are real-life stories. I can go on and on and on and read them here. The economy is not pretty good for them. The economy is lousy for them, and there is nothing that is in this rule that we will consider that will help any of them.
In fact, there is nothing that this Republican Congress has done to help any of them. Instead, you have made their lives worse. The economy is not doing pretty good. The idea that you are going to congratulate yourselves on the passage of the big, ugly bill, well, I just have a difference of opinion.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to address a couple of issues. One is he said healthcare providers can't afford their benefits. Well, that is because you turned the whole system over to a select few extremely large health insurance companies that are accountable to nobody, and they are not paying their claims. They are not.
My father was a surgeon. A lot of my friends are in the healthcare business. Let me tell you something: When you gave UnitedHealthcare and the other multibillion dollar corporations control over all aspects of our lives, you did a lot of damage, and you did that in your so-called Affordable Care Act.
If the Affordable Care Act had worked, we wouldn't be having this discussion. You want to talk about the problems in the healthcare system, you need to look in the mirror because you all wrote the bill, and now those big insurance companies aren't accountable to anybody. They own the PBMs. They own the pharmacies. They own the doctors' offices. They own the hospitals. They are huge, huge oligopolies that cater to nobody other than their shareholders.
Look at the share price of the large health insurance companies. Look who you made rich with the Affordable Care Act. It was the shareholders and the executives of all of those major health insurance companies.
When I talk about the economy, yes, I realize that the American citizens are
My point with the economy is this: Real GDP grew. Real GDP grew at a 2.2 percent annual rate for the full year of 2025. That beat the baseline expectations.
Yes, American citizens are having challenges. One of the reasons they are having challenges is the cost of energy.
Do you know what? I will admit, after Donald Trump tried to end the Iranian jihadist control over what was happening around the world--and he has done a pretty good job with it--and let me tell you this: Donald Trump, the President of the United States, knows exactly what he is doing with Iran. He knows exactly what he is doing with Iran, and if you would get the briefings, you would understand why.
In fact, I would point out that a U.S. Senator who doesn't like the President had a few things to say, and as soon as he went and got the briefing, he turned around and reversed his position. Instead of blaming everything on Donald Trump, you should get the facts.
However, the cost of energy is embedded in every single thing that we do and that we buy. When the Democratic Party does things like canceling the Keystone pipeline, like stopping the development of nuclear power plants, like stopping oil and gas developments inside the United States of America, it hurts the American citizens. It hurts the American citizens, and it leads to inflation.
I am sorry that we are having to deal with the inflation that the Democrats started with the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act and the pain that has come from that, and I am sorry the American citizens are dealing with the pain of the Affordable Care Act. I wish we could repeal that horrible bill, but we didn't get it done. We didn't get it done.
Healthcare providers who can't afford their benefits, they can't afford their benefits because the insurance companies that you turned the system over to aren't paying the claims.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, it is rich to be lectured about healthcare from my Republican friends. Let me tell you what Democrats did with the Affordable Care Act. By passing it, it stopped health insurance companies from charging sick people more premiums than healthy people. It kept health insurance companies from denying coverage to pregnant women and people with preexisting conditions. It demanded insurance companies cover more preventive services. It allows young adults to stay on their parents' insurance until they are age 26. I could go on and on and on.
What did my Republican friends do? They cut $1 trillion from healthcare. By the way, I should remind the gentleman that Republicans control the House, Republicans control the Senate, Republicans control the White House, and healthcare prices are going through the roof under your watch.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the Affordable Care Act created a system where the major insurance carriers are not answerable to anybody. You did this to the American citizens. It is your responsibility. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.
Mr. Speaker, I could go on and on about healthcare all day. I just urge those who are in the gallery and those who are watching, I mean, look at your own healthcare bills, look at your own healthcare coverage now after nearly 2 years of Republican control of the government. The bottom line is: People are losing their healthcare benefits. In this country, that is unconscionable.
Mr. Speaker, I have served here a long time, and I have seen majorities struggle before. I have seen close votes. I have seen disagreements. This is something else entirely. This is a majority that cannot function unless Donald Trump is lucid and in a good mood, and even then it is a coin flip.
I mean, Americans need cheaper housing. They need a raise. They need healthcare that doesn't break the bank. They need a government that lowers prices and brings down inflation and protects them. Instead, what they are getting is a Republican administration that raises prices, increases inflation, and protects the Epstein pedophiles.
Republicans promised they would lower prices on day one. It is now year two. They have been in complete and total control for almost 18 months. They run Washington.
If you go home and ask people in small towns, in big cities, in suburbs, in rural communities, and in States across this country how things are going with Trump and Republicans in charge, they will tell you the truth, which is that things are getting worse because Trump's economy sucks.
He swore he would end inflation--end it. Those are his words, not mine. He said he would end wars. He is starting them. He promised gas would be cheap. The national average is nearly $4 a gallon.
The only people who are doing great right now are the billionaires, and now a trillionaire, and the greedy corporations that helped Republicans get elected because that is whom they work for.
I think people are sick and tired of it. They are sick of watching Congress lurch from crisis to crisis. They are sick of Republicans spending more time managing their own egos than lowering anybody's bills.
Let me just end with this. As we celebrate our country's 250th birthday this weekend, we have so, so much to be proud of as Americans. We have so much to celebrate and be thankful for. Each new generation that has fought to expand the circle of our democracy and make real the promise of our founding has brought us closer to the dream of a more perfect Union. That is what makes America great.
I am looking forward to spending this Fourth of July with families and friends back up in Massachusetts, the birthplace of America, where our citizens came together to overthrow the most powerful army in the world and establish a government of, by, and for the people.
However, the truth is that right now too many people feel as if this country is run by, of, and for the powerful, the wealthy, and the well- connected.
Do you know what, Mr. Speaker?
They are right. People see the corruption, the greed, the self- dealing, and the self-enrichment of this President's family and his crooked administration, and they are fed up with it. I believe that patriotism means calling your country to a higher standard. Patriotism means telling the truth, Mr. Speaker, and the truth is that Americans are hurting, costs are too high, and our democracy and freedoms are under assault by an out-of-control, lawless administration run by a President who thinks he is a king.
Republicans are either too busy pledging allegiance to Trump to notice or too distracted fighting with each other to care.
We can do better than this, we should do better than this, and we must do better than this. Reject this rule. Stop acting like a cult. Let's bring back bills that actually help people, and, for God's sake, let's start acting like America.
Again, Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this rule, a ``no'' vote on the underlying bills, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded, they already know it, but they are reminded, again, to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the President.
As well, Members are reminded not to reference guests in the gallery and are reminded to direct their remarks to the Chair, not to each other in the second person.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I know that you were talking about the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, who has done something that will probably never be done again in the history of the country.
He has been elected in 2016 and 2024.
I want to say this as we talk about healthcare and health insurance and the other things.
This side of the aisle recognizes there are problems, and this side of the aisle recognizes that the only way to fix those problems is to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Now, the other side of the aisle thinks that they did a perfect job.
Now, let me tell you something, Mr. Speaker. Before the Affordable Care Act went into place, UnitedHealth Group was trending at $28 a share. Today it is $415 a share, and that is after about a $140-a-share drop.
The only thing the Affordable Care Act did was make a bunch of health insurance executives rich. They are not paying their claims today.
One thing we could do, and I wish we would do, is to give the State insurance commissioners the authority to step in and make them pay their claims.
I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, my local hospital has about $15 million outstanding with the UnitedHealth Group. It is a small hospital, $15 million; a big company, a small hospital. I don't know if my hospital will ever get paid.
That is not what this one is about, Mr. Speaker. This week the House can advance four pieces of legislation under this rule. It is about H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2027. It authorizes a historic $1.15 trillion to rebuild the American defense industrial base and arsenal.
This act implements the Peace Through Strength agenda and restores lethality to our armed forces by investing in modernization and multiyear procurement for weapons systems production to deter our adversaries.
It also makes a significant investment in the quality of life of our servicemembers and retention opportunities.
The fiscal year 2027 NDAA reforms key programs and saves taxpayer dollars resulting in a ready, capable, and lethal fighting force.
This legislation will deter China and counter Russia, North Korea, Iran, and foreign terrorist organizations while leveraging our alliances across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Finally, this act strengthens our nuclear deterrence, prioritizes the Golden Dome, and grows our Nation's strategic space capabilities.
This is bipartisan, must-pass legislation that every one of my colleagues should support.
Additionally, H.R. 8595, the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2027 delivers on an America First foreign policy agenda.
This protects our allies, confronts our adversaries, cuts waste, and puts American national interests first. It strengthens embassy security, fights fentanyl, defunds radical programs, and ensures every dollar advances American security and prosperity.
Further, H.R. 8884, the Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled American Act, allows the Social Security Administration to test new approaches on a voluntary basis and without impacting the participants' overall income to ensure Americans with disabilities are not punished for returning to the workforce.
Finally, H. Res. 1383, Commemorating the One-Year Anniversary of the Enactment of the Working Families Tax Cuts, highlights the largest tax reform passed by Congress in decades, making permanent the tax cuts passed under the first Trump administration, and ensuring a tax cut for over 140 million Americans.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes'' on the previous question and ``yes'' on the rule.
The material previously referred to by Mr. McGovern is as follows:
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XX, this 15- minute vote on ordering the previous question will be followed by 5- minute votes on adoption of the resolution, if ordered; and adoption of H. Con. Res. 108.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 215, nays 210, not voting 6, as follows:
Ms. MEJIA, Messrs. COHEN, SCHNEIDER, and Ms. SCHOLTEN changed their vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
Mrs. LUNA changed her vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the previous question was ordered.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the resolution.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the ayes appeared to have it.
Directing the President Pursuant to Section 5(C) of the War Powers Resolution to Remove United States Armed Forces From Hostilities in Lebanon
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on adoption of the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 108) directing the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities in Lebanon, on which the yeas and nays were ordered.
The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the adoption of the concurrent resolution.
This is a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 189, nays 235, not voting 7, as follows:
Mr. BILIRAKIS and Ms. STEFANIK changed their vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
Mr. SMITH of Washington changed his vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the concurrent resolution was not agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Mr. Speaker, I was unavailable to vote because of a health emergency. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 230, NO on Roll Call No. 231, and YEA on Roll Call No. 232.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, in a representative democracy, as we have here, a Republic, if you will, transparency is essential to the operation of government, particularly transparency in the official behavior of the Members of this body, as well as the officers and employees of this body.
In 1995, due to the Congressional Accountability Act--which, by the way, was a good bill. We always say that Congress should be subject to the same laws as the rest of the country. Well, that is what the 1995 Congressional Accountability Act was about, saying that you can't discriminate or harass your employees just because you are a Member of Congress or an office of the House of Representatives.
In that sense, it was good, but it also set up a fund from which payments could be made to settle claims. Presumably, this is in the best interests of the victims of those claims.
This program went on for many years with a lot of opaqueness, and there wasn't much clarity in terms of what kind of claims were being paid out. Were they being paid out to settle claims against staff? Were they being paid out to settle claims against Members?
Occasionally, there would be reports from the offices that were responsible for administrating the law, but there just wasn't enough information in there. That is part of what my privileged resolution here today is about: getting more transparency into what happened in the first 20 years of this program.
In 2018, Congress sought to revise the transparency of this program and also to impose more accountability. I have a concern that the 2018 bill may not have been carefully drafted and may have left some loopholes that are now open.
Even though we get an annual report now that reports which offices in the House have paid out settlements and whether those settlements impose a requirement on the Member in that office to pay back that taxpayer money, what I have discovered is that there have been no reports that have reported that any Member of Congress has settled a claim against a staffer for which the Member of Congress is responsible for paying back that claim.
When I dig into the results, and also the language of the 2018 amendment to the Congressional Accountability Act, I see that ``covered payments'' refer to chapter A of title 2, but when you look at the Code: 2 U.S.C. 1415, harassment is qualified to two other sections of code, referring to race, gender, age, and discrimination against veterans, for instance. It is unclear to me if it covers physical or sexual harassment or other forms of sexual misconduct that may be settled through ethics investigations and then through the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights.
I believe it is necessary to have this report that my resolution requests. I believe it is important to the House of Representatives to have transparency so that people know there wasn't a mistake in the 2018 law--or maybe there was an intentional omission in the 2018 law where several claims could escape the new requirement in 2018 that Congressmen pay back certain settlements and that these certain settlements be reported.
It shouldn't require a long debate and a lot of explanation for a resolution that is only two pages. I would urge my colleagues to vote for this in the interest of transparency and openness. We need to know what has been going on here in the House of Representatives in order to convince and assure the people that we are conducting the people's business with the utmost integrity and treating the officers and employees of this institution with the respect that they deserve.
Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the previous question is ordered on the resolution.
There was no objection.
The question is on adoption of the resolution.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the ayes appeared to have it.
Directing the Committee on Ethics to Preserve and Publicly Release Records Relating to Monetary Settlements Involving Acts of Sexual Harassment
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on adoption of the resolution (H. Res. 1399) directing the Committee on Ethics to preserve and publicly release records relating to monetary settlements involving acts of sexual harassment, on which the yeas and nays were ordered.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on adoption of the resolution.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 420, nays 0, answered ``present'' 1, not voting 10, as follows:
Messrs. MURPHY and NORCROSS changed their vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the resolution was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor the three fallen firefighters who tragically died this past weekend while fighting fires in Utah.
Emily Barker, Nick Hutcherson, and Sydney Watson died during an interagency response to the Knowles and Gore fires, which are among several fires burning in our State right now. I am praying for their families and those close to the impacted areas. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten.
I am grateful to the many first responders working tirelessly to protect us. Brave men and women from across the State are on the front lines fighting for our communities, and we can never adequately thank them for their service.
In Utah and across the country, we are seeing devastating wildfires tear through forests and homes. Nearly 2,000 personnel are actively fighting these fires spanning over 250,000 acres.
Too many deadly wildfires are due to unpreparedness and mismanagement of forests. I was an original cosponsor of the Fix Our Forests Act and was proud that it was one of the first bills that we passed in the House this Congress.
The Fix Our Forests Act will increase coordination so wildfire agencies can better prepare for fire season and prevent these catastrophic wildfires. It is time that the Senate finish the job and send this bill to the President's desk. As this weekend has shown, Utah cannot wait any longer.
I am also working on new legislation to better prevent, detect, and mitigate wildfires. We need better coordination and more support for those putting their lives on the line to protect us, and this legislation is a step in the right direction.
What is happening across my State is devastating. I pray that the fires will soon be contained for the safety of our first responders.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of Orange County Commissioner Jamezetta Bedford, a devoted public servant whose leadership and compassion left an enduring mark on the community she loved.
For more than two decades, Commissioner Bedford served Orange County with integrity and purpose. She believed people deserve better, and she worked tirelessly to strengthen public education, expand opportunity, and ensure every family had a voice in local government.
She was a steadfast advocate for people with autism and developmental disabilities, helping families navigate complex systems and secure the support that they needed.
I will remember Jamezetta as a trusted colleague and dear friend who led with kindness and never lost sight of the people she served.
I offer my heartfelt condolences to her family, her loved ones, and the entire Orange County community. She will be deeply missed, but her example of selfless service will not be forgotten.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the United States of America's 250th anniversary.
There is nothing that exemplifies freedom more than the stars and stripes of the American flag. Have you noticed that businesses, restaurants, and even homes in your neighborhood may have a flagpole with no United States flag flying on it? This Fourth of July, let's change that.
If there is a restaurant, business, or home in your area with a bare flagpole, encourage them to return Old Glory to its rightful place.
If you don't have a United States flag proudly displayed, this Fourth of July is the perfect time for a family project to install one.
Let's fly the American flag as we celebrate 250 years of freedom this Fourth of July. May God bless the United States of America.
Mr. Speaker, last week marked 4 years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade
In Texas, Republican politicians rushed to impose some of the most extreme abortion bans in the entire country. They promised that these laws would protect life. They told us that there would be no consequences.
However, now the consequences are here, and it is women who are paying for them with their lives.
Since Dobbs and Texas' total abortion ban, infant deaths in Texas jumped from 1,985 to 2,240 in a single year. That is a 255-death increase.
It should pain each of us that here in this country, a woman can walk into a hospital with a medical emergency, and doctors will have to stop and ask whether politicians will put them in prison if they save her life.
If those pushing these abortion bans truly cared about life, they would be fighting for affordable childcare, paid family leave, and better maternal healthcare.
On this anniversary, I hope that we all stay committed to fighting so that every single woman in this country can get their freedom and their right to an abortion back in this country.
Mr. Speaker, very few people get to celebrate their 100th birthday. Even fewer can look back on those years knowing they helped defend the freedoms that continue to make this country an incredible place to call home.
Earlier this month, my constituent, Frank Horne, turned 100 years old. Today, we celebrate not only his 100th birthday but a century marked by sacrifice, bravery, service, and devotion to his country and community.
Born in South Carolina in 1926, Frank later made Charlotte, North Carolina, his lifelong home. He joined the United States Navy in May of 1945, as World War II was drawing to a close, and began training to serve in naval aviation, answering the call with deep patriotism and love for his country.
After his service, Frank attended UNC-Chapel Hill and built a long career in manufacturing while continuing to serve his church, family, and community, becoming a husband, father, grandfather, and a friend to many.
As America approaches its 250th birthday, Mr. Speaker, Frank's story is a powerful reminder of his character, service, and patriotism that has carried this Nation from one generation to the next.
We are proud to celebrate Frank's 100th birthday. I thank him for his incredible service to our Nation. May God bless him, his family, and the United States of America.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an extraordinary young woman from Yuma, Arizona, Kofa High School senior Sabrina Anaya.
Sabrina distinguished herself both in the classroom and on the field, earning the title of Kofa High School valedictorian while being named Yuma's Female Athlete of the Year.
A remarkable three-sport athlete, Sabrina excelled in cross-country, soccer, and track and field. She was named the Yuma Sun Girls Cross- Country Runner of the Year, earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in soccer, and dominated distance events in track, winning the 800- meter, 1600-meter, and 3200-meter races.
However, what makes Sabrina's accomplishments so impressive is not just her athletic talent or academic excellence. It is her dedication, discipline, and determination to succeed in every area. She has shown what is possible through hard work, perseverance, and a commitment to excellence.
Sabrina represents the very best of Yuma and Arizona. I congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition and wish her continued success at Arizona State University and in her studies in electrical engineering.
To Sabrina, I say: ``Congratulations''; ``felicidades.''
Mr. Speaker, I rise on the 1-year anniversary of the tragic murder of my intern, Eric Tarpinian-Jachym.
His family endured a devastating loss that no family should ever have to go through. Last summer, Eric was horrifically murdered in the Nation's Capital when he was shot while walking on the street. He was only 21 years old.
My staff and I feel the loss of Eric every day. We remember the time we spent with him at the Congressional Baseball Game last year when he remarked that he loved working on Capitol Hill. We remember when he sat in our front office and was always happy to greet visitors with a smile. We remember how he helped with the daily press briefings every single morning. Also, we mostly remember his dedication to serving others, which is why he came to Washington to intern in a congressional office.
We will never forget Eric for the rest of our lives, and we will never forget the evil that took him from the world.
The hearts of his family; his friends; my staff; my wife, Susan; and I are still impacted by the loss of a bright young man whose life was tragically cut short by senseless violence.
However, Eric did not die in vain. Eric's murder was a catalyst for criminal reform in Washington, D.C. Due to his death, President Trump brought in the National Guard to protect other innocent people like him, the millions of Americans who come to D.C. because of their love of country and public service. We can say that because of Eric, many people's lives were saved from the violence he fell victim to.
Through this tragedy, we find comfort in knowing that Eric is now in the hands of Jesus Christ, our loving Savior. I pray God will continue to provide peace and strength for Eric's family and everyone who knew him on this sad anniversary.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the House to observe a moment of silence to remember Eric Tarpinian-Jachym.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a sense of overwhelming gratitude and admiration for my longtime district director, Ms. Anita Taylor, as she celebrates her retirement.
For more than two decades, from my days as a member of the New York City Council to my tenure in the House of Representatives, Anita has stood by my side, devoted to the cause of selflessly serving the people of the Ninth District of New York, the beloved community that we call home.
As my district director, she has never failed to rise on behalf of those who need her aid or just her listening ear and wise counsel. Truly, Anita is a woman so dear to my heart, so essential to my team, and so beloved by the good people of Brooklyn.
While I am overjoyed to see her embrace her next chapter and all the beauty, peace, and rejuvenation it has to offer, I cannot help but feel a sense of melancholy on having to enter into this new chapter in my own career without her by my side. Thankfully, I know she is only a phone call away.
From the bottom of my heart and on behalf of Team Clarke and the people of New York's Ninth Congressional District, I thank Anita. I wish her only the best because the best is all she has ever delivered, and the best is what she deserves.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my middle son, Barrett Carter, a proud southeast Georgia native and accomplished PGA head golf professional.
Barrett graduated from the University of Georgia before settling in the New Orleans area in 2009 where he has built an impressive career as a PGA class A professional. He has served at some of the region's premier facilities, including TPC Louisiana and Metairie Country Club, head golf professional at Oak Knoll Country Club in Hammond, and recently he was appointed as head golf professional at Bayou Oaks at City Parks in New Orleans.
Most notably, Barrett is passionate about growing the game through instruction and creating welcoming programs for golfers of all ages and abilities.
Barrett and his wife, Halley, live in Metairie with three precious daughters, Bennett, Catherine, and Clara. They are proud to call south Louisiana home.
Although Barrett has made Louisiana his home, the First Congressional District of Georgia is proud to claim him as one of our own.
Congratulations, Son. Your mother and I are very proud of you and love you very much.
Mr. Speaker, we gather today with grateful hearts to honor a remarkable woman whose life was not measured merely by the years she lived but by the lives she lifted.
Mrs. Khadijah Muhammad Farrakhan reminds us that history is often shaped not only by those who stand behind the microphone, but also those who stand faithfully beside it. She was a devoted mother who nurtured character before success, a gracious teacher whose lessons were written as much by example as by instruction, and a faithful servant whose deepest desire was to honor Almighty God through a life of discipline, dignity, and love.
She walked beside her husband of 72 years, the Honorable Louis Farrakhan, not simply as a spouse, but as a trusted companion, counselor, and partner in purpose. She leaves us a testimony that greatness is not found in prominence alone but in perseverance, not in position but in purpose, not in acclaim but in unwavering faithfulness.
We honor her memory by living the virtues she embodied: faith that never faltered, love that never failed, service that never ceased, and hope that never surrendered.
Well-done, good and faithful servant.
May God grant her eternal peace, comfort her and her beloved family, and continue to let the light of her life shine through generations yet to come.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Michael A. Carricarte, an American of Cuban descent, decorated Army combat veteran, a proud Christopher Columbus Explorer, and one of south Florida's most generous philanthropists.
Arriving in Miami from Cuba in 1948, Mr. Carricarte lived the American Dream. He proudly served as a colonel in the United States Army and Green Beret before building one of the leading healthcare and insurance organizations serving Latin America and the Caribbean.
Mr. Carricarte devoted his life to his family and helping others, supporting hospitals, schools, churches, orphanages, and organizations. He mentored young people, assisted students in need, and opened doors for countless others, never seeking recognition.
Mr. Carricarte believed that every blessing carried with it a responsibility to serve. He lived that principle every day through humility, leadership, and faith.
I extend my deepest condolences to his children, grandchildren, and family. South Florida has lost a true giant, but his legacy of service, generosity, and love for others will endure for generations.
May God bless the memory of Mike Carricarte, and may he rest in peace.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor an Albuquerque legend, Mr. Ernie C'deBaca, and to congratulate him on his retirement.
For 9 years, Ernie has served as president and CEO of the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, one of the largest in the country. However, his service began long before then, serving as chairman of the board since 2006.
From his work with the International Trade Committee, which helped put Albuquerque's economy on the global map, to helping The Bean coffee shop open inside the chamber's own building, Ernie is the type of leader who gets things done. Most importantly, he does so with kindness, energy, and integrity.
Ernie's employees, colleagues, and mentees all say the same thing: He is the definition of a servant leader, and the ripple effect of his work has touched countless lives and small businesses for the better.
I hope Ernie's next chapter brings plenty of time spent in the loving company of his wife, Geri; and his sons and grandchildren. If he is lucky, maybe he will have a little bit more time to watch the final match of the World Cup.
I thank Ernie for his tireless service to New Mexico, and I congratulate him on a well-earned retirement.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the late former Kendallville mayor and friend, SuzAnne Handshoe.
Mayor Handshoe serves as an example for all of us to follow for her dedication to her community and her country. Her military career is beyond admirable, as she served 24 years as a U.S. marine and was inducted into the Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame.
After retiring from the military, her service to her community did not stop. In 2004, Mayor Handshoe became Kendallville's first woman mayor and worked every day to improve the town of Kendallville for its residents.
She had an unstoppable determination to push Kendallville forward, and she tackled every issue with energy and enthusiasm.
Sadly, she passed away this week after losing a battle with cancer at the age of 66. She will truly be missed by all of us, but her legacy of service, kindness, and dedication to others will not be forgotten.
My thoughts and prayers go out to her family, Randy, and her community. We will miss her dearly.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a son of north Texas who is an innovator, a leader, and one of the most remarkable citizens that the city knows. His name is Warren Parada.
I didn't meet Warren in a boardroom. He was someone who reached out to my office, like many people do on casework, because he had an uncle who was a Vietnam vet who was having issues with his casework. His claim is still under review today, as too many veterans' are, but here is what really set Warren apart.
He really turned his family frustrations into a solution, and his question was not: How do I do this? It was: What if I could make this easier for someone?
That is what Warren has tried to do with his BVARadar tool that helps scan claims, identifies missing information, and compares them against Board of Veterans' Appeals rulings, something that could help veterans who are really out there struggling.
For 3 years now, Warren has been battling cancer, and he wrote this code in between rounds of chemotherapy and surgery, really leaning on his faith.
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Warren for everything that he is doing to help veterans like his uncle as he is fighting terminal cancer, which his doctor informed him that he had. I thank Warren for his service to the community. Dallas thanks him for that, too.
Mr. Speaker, I suppose what I should lead off with is asking for half a minute or so of silence as we consider what I think is the most damaging Supreme Court decision of my time. Instead of going that way, I will address those few people in my district who have come up to me and have been surprisingly anti-Israel.
One thing I point out is the similarity between Israel and the United States that is not talked about enough is that we have people from all around the globe trying to get in both countries. I point out one way Israel is similar is that they are taking people from the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Malawi, Ecuador, Kenya, and China into their country to work because it is such a wonderful place.
Just like Israel is a wonderful place, so is the United States. Both of us have to put up with leftwing crazy people attacking us for being racist.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Israel for taking people from all around the world who know they would be better off there than in their home countries.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the generations of Rhode Islanders who have come together for the longest continuously running Fourth of July celebration, in Bristol, Rhode Island.
Since 1785, when the Reverend Henry Wight, a Revolutionary War veteran and minister of the First Congregational Church, hosted Bristol's first patriotic exercises, Rhode Islanders have gathered to celebrate our values of liberty, community, freedom, and prosperity.
For 241 years, Rhode Islanders from all walks of life and visitors from all over the world have come together to walk along the famous red, white, and blue center lines snaking down the middle of the parade route.
By the time the town welcomes as many as 200,000 visitors to its community, the town committee, the police department, the fire department, and the Fourth of July committee have worked around the clock for months to pull off a safe and spectacular event.
As the crowds and the music swell this weekend, I thank all who have made this event possible. Happy Fourth of July.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to submit extraneous material into the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from California?
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the conclusion of Pride Month.
Pride is, and always has been, a protest. From the Stonewall Uprising to the neighborhood parades, Pride is about both standing up for equality and celebrating our authentic selves.
When we celebrate Pride, we make a demand. We demand the right to live and love openly. We demand to be treated equally and fairly under the law. We demand dignity. First and foremost, we demand equality.
This Congress, under Republican control, the House of Representatives has taken more than 20 votes to attack the rights of LGBTQI+ Americans and particularly the rights of transgender Americans. Even after all those votes, not one major anti-LGBTQI+ piece of legislation has become law.
Members of the Congressional Equality Caucus have fought hard to fight back against all these attacks. Thanks to our work, we were able to remove every new anti-LGBTQI+ rider from the government funding bills for fiscal year 2026. House Republicans tried to add dozens of these new riders, and we were able to defeat every one. We plan to do it again for fiscal year 2027, but the Trump administration's relentlessness has still had countless terrible impacts on our community.
Under Donald Trump, transgender Americans' access to healthcare is under direct attack. The arms of the Federal Government tasked with enforcing America's rights, like the EEOC, are being sabotaged and forced to target the rights of the very Americans they are meant to protect.
Transgender servicemembers are being carelessly kicked out of the military without regard for their merits and accomplishments or the military's operational security. Critical funding and research to combat the HIV and AIDS epidemics are being recklessly cut, and so much more.
Mr. Speaker, to the LGBTQI+ people watching right now, know that we are still fighting for you. As chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, I assure the American people that my colleagues and I are fighting back against these attacks at every turn in Congress.
We are conducting oversight of Trump administration officials and demanding accountability from those who violate LGBTQI+ Americans' rights.
As we close out Pride Month, I stand with our allies across the country in reminding LGBTQI+ people that we are fighting for you. We will not give up until every person is fully free to be themselves without fear of discrimination, harassment, or violence.
I wish all of you a happy Pride.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Randall), my colleague and co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Pride Month ending today for most of the country, but still ongoing in our great State of Washington, where we just can't get enough.
I am also rising today to honor the resolution that I introduced alongside Representative Green, a longtime champion for LGBTQ equality.
LGBTQ people have been dutifully serving in our military for decades. We are your neighbors. We are your elected officials, teachers, mentors, and friends. Despite Republicans' unrelenting attempts to erase queer and trans people from our history books, from our public spaces, and from our military, LGBTQ Americans are standing strong in our truth.
That is the beauty of Pride Month and why I am so proud to introduce this resolution today to honor the many contributions of LGBTQ Americans to our country, contributions which are outlined in this resolution, so that no matter what attacks come on our government websites and in agencies across the executive branch, we will still have the story of so many brave LGBTQ leaders.
Who knows when the majority party will be organized enough to move the NDAA through the House, but we know when it does come, it will come with several anti-LGBTQ amendments that have absolutely no business being attached to the overall package.
Our Republican colleagues talk a lot about protecting our freedoms yet spend so much time trying to strip freedoms away from LGBTQ Americans, like the freedom to access healthcare by stripping TRICARE coverage for medically necessary, lifesaving care for trans people, and even taking away mental health coverage from trans kids and the freedom to
There are thousands of trans people who are willing to die to protect our country, but Trump, Vance, Hegseth, and House Republicans want to ban them from serving, or even the freedom for kids to participate in sports without being subjected to invasive and traumatizing exams to determine their gender before they can put on a jersey.
I would like to see some of my colleagues experience what a transvaginal ultrasound feels like. For a kid who is a survivor of sexual assault or trauma, or even one who is not, it is incredibly painful and traumatizing.
These actions are all part of a larger pattern we are seeing at the State level, across the country, by this administration, by House and Senate GOP leadership, and even by our activist Supreme Court, to attack and villainize LGBTQ Americans.
I want to be clear. The NDAA amendments do absolutely nothing to strengthen our military readiness or improve the lives of everyday Americans. Like everyone else, LGBTQ people want to afford childcare and housing, and have access to healthcare, and be able to contribute to an economy that works for all of us.
I look forward to a day where Members of Congress drop this bizarre and personal vendetta against queer and trans people and get back to working on real issues: to lower costs, ensure we all have healthcare and housing and childcare, and make America the country we know it can be.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.
Mr. Speaker, as we close out Pride Month, I am proud to join my Equality Caucus colleagues this evening in standing up for the LGBTQ+ community and recognizing their invaluable contributions to our Nation.
My south Florida district is home to one of the most diverse and vibrant LGBTQ+ communities in the entire country. It is a privilege to fight for them every single day here in Washington and push back against the heinous smear campaign driven by extremist, rightwing, culture warriors.
Unfortunately, Florida is a national staging ground to roll back the rights and dignity of the LGBTQ+ community. From the repulsive ``Don't Say Gay'' law, to some of the more vicious trans attacks, Florida is ground zero for hate.
It hasn't stopped. Earlier this year, funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, or ADAP, which assists low-income Floridians living with HIV and AIDS to afford their medication and insurance premiums, was slashed.
Over 12,000 Floridians braced themselves to be kicked off of this lifesaving program.
I proudly led all of my Florida Democratic colleagues in demanding the Governor and the Department of Health and Human Services reverse these changes, and many organizations and leaders rallied to restore this vital funding as well.
Thankfully, it brought some relief. The Federal Government established a temporary special enrollment period for Florida ADAP patients to switch health plans.
Last month, Florida lawmakers averted these disastrous ADAP cuts in its fiscal year 2027 budget.
Let me be clear. This was an entirely preventable crisis created by Governor DeSantis to harm Florida's LGBTQ+ community. It is an utter disgrace, and I will always call it out.
I am proud to be a founding member and vice chair of the Equality Caucus and an original cosponsor of the Equality Act, to expand the Civil Rights Act, to ban discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
These attacks are relentless. As a senior House appropriator, I will always lead the charge against hateful, anti-LGBTQ+ policies and riders that peddle hate and do nothing to make life more affordable for Americans.
As ranking member of the Appropriations Committee Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, I was able to end the ban on Pride flags from flying at VA facilities.
Several weeks ago, Republicans advanced a partisan Labor-H funding bill out of the House Appropriations Committee that decimates domestic HIV and AIDS research and prevention programs across the Federal Government.
It even eliminates funding for the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative championed by President Trump himself in his first term.
This callous indifference shown by my Republican colleagues is astonishing, and that is why we must relentlessly fight the never- ending hate because it has no place in this country.
Mr. Speaker, thanks to brave freedom fighters, LGBTQ+ rights have come a long way. It was only 11 years ago that the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional right to marriage equality for same-sex couples. Yet, now, almost a decade later, insidious and hateful forces try to chip away at this and other landmark gains made by gay, lesbian, and transgender individuals, but we won't let them take us back.
Instead, we will recommit ourselves to building a future and a country that is welcoming, inclusive, and treats everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, with the respect that they rightfully deserve.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on the last day of Pride Month as more than an LGBTQI ally. I am an accomplice. I am an enabler, because I want to enable people to be cradled by the e pluribus unum, to be embraced by our American values of freedom, liberty, and equality. I want to advocate for people to bring their authentic selves to our roundtable of a more perfect Union. I want people to stand in the glow of our enlightenment after 250 years of this Nation being a democracy.
Despite the sadistic efforts that have been made in this Congress to diminish and limit LGBTQI people, every single appropriation bill riddled with insults and humiliation, none of them have come to fruition. None of them have become law.
Why is that? That is because this is America, y'all. It is because we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. It is a standard that we have lived by throughout this constitutional democracy. Let me tell you, after everything we have been through, the flag still stands.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Takano for yielding and for bringing us together for this Special Order hour.
Mr. Speaker, this Pride Month we are at a pivotal moment, a moment that demands our attention, outrage, and, yes, action.
Across the country, we are witnessing a barrage of dangerous policies, executive actions, hateful legislation, and vile rhetoric, all designed to strip away rights, sow fear, and erase hard-fought progress.
This administration and its supporters have continued a calculated and relentless strategy to erase, stigmatize, and endanger LGBTQ+ people, especially trans youth.
Today, the Supreme Court issued an incredibly disappointing ruling, upholding discriminatory anti-transgender sports bans in West Virginia and Idaho.
This decision is dehumanizing and has nothing to do with fairness or safety in sports. Trans kids deserve to have access to the same opportunities as their peers. Trans kids deserve to feel like they belong. When recognition of existence is pulled back, people cannot love freely, and histories are erased, our country is worse off.
Kids trying to live safely and authentically are not a threat. Transgender servicemembers deserve to serve openly. Families seeking care and support are not political pawns. The providers committed to do no harm are not extremists.
I stand with the LGBTQ+ community in my district and across our great Nation. I will fight any actions that limit their right to live safely, freely, and fully as oneself.
Pride is more than a celebration. It is a declaration, a declaration of resilience and a reminder of the power of
This Pride Month and every day onward, we must recommit to standing against these attacks and ensuring that freedom, justice, and equal opportunity are guaranteed to all--to all people under the law.
Today, we rise to celebrate Pride Month in LGBTQ+ communities all across New Mexico and the country. To every member of the LGBTQ+ community, you are seen, you are loved, and you make this world brighter. We celebrate you not just in June, but all year round because pride is every day.
Now, we know it is difficult times: from the relentless attacks on the LGBTQ+ and especially trans communities; from the Trump administration's attacks on our military, veterans, and history itself; to the GOP's relentless and callous attacks on this floor; to the Supreme Court's undermining of the basic civil rights of the LGBTQ+ community.
Our communities are living in fear, uncertain of what comes next. Many have seen this story before: Parents who are scared for their children, elders who lived through the AIDS epidemic, and so many who grew up in places and spaces where their lives were criminalized, where they lived in danger, and where they could not live as their full and authentic selves.
In fact, we almost lost an entire generation because of antiLGBTQ+ policies in the 1980s, and I want to be clear that we are not going back. I am here to stand with the community and fight for them every single day, whether that is at the local, the national, or the State level. I want them to know that in the Equality Caucus, we have got their back, and we want them to be able to continue to live their lives out loud as their authentic selves.
I am going to continue to push for legislation to protect them, regardless of where they live. I am going to continue to fight to pass the Equality Act. I know that this is a matter of life or death for so many out there, but I also know that we cannot do it alone. What I need is for all of them to continue to show up, to speak out, and to live their lives unapologetically--continue to celebrate, continue to live openly, love openly, build community, and imagine that future, because creating queer spaces and queer joy is an act of resistance. You just being here on this planet and being your bad self is also an act of resistance.
Please, continue to show up. Know that your life, your existence matters. Your light matters, and your fight matters.
I am here to celebrate them and to wish them happy pride.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solidarity with the LGBTQ community as we close out a truly special month of celebration and joy.
This past weekend, I had an amazing time walking in the St. Louis Pride Parade. It was hot outside, but the energy and the feeling of community was palpable.
To me, that is what this administration fails to see: A community--a community rooted in love, understanding, and acceptance. Instead of supporting our fellow LGBTQ Americans, this administration has chosen to turn them into targets--targets of hate, targets of bigotry, targets of cruel and deliberate policies to erase them and their history.
I have a promise for my LGBTQ friends and family: I will always stand with you. I will always stand for you.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Bell. Happy pride.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank a group of people who have been on the front lines of the fight for LGBTQI+ equality: the litigators who are challenging this administration's antiLGBTQI+ policies and, more broadly, fighting to protect our rights, the rights of all Americans.
Over the past 1.5 years, these litigators have filed dozens of lawsuits to both protect LGBTQI+ rights and block the Trump administration's antiequality efforts.
When President Trump reinstituted the trans military ban, litigators jumped into action and fought for our Nation's transgender servicemembers.
When the Department of Health and Human Services wiped critical public health data from Federal websites for simply mentioning LGBTQI+ people, a lawsuit forced the Department to restore these web pages.
As the administration has targeted trans people's access to medically necessary care, litigators have filed lawsuit after lawsuit responding to each attack.
Litigators are standing up for our community--from local district courts to the Supreme Court. Pride is a protest, and there are few forms of protest that are more powerful or with more direct impact than challenging discriminatory policies in court. Many of these organizations leading these efforts are operating with less resources than the last Trump administration, yet dealing with an even higher volume of attacks.
Behind every complaint filed and every win, our teams of litigators and support staff are working countless hours to defend our rights. I must say, when I say, ``our rights,'' I mean our rights as Americans, because LGBTQI+ rights are American rights.
As I stand before this body, I extend my gratitude and the gratitude of the entire Congressional Equality Caucus to the teams of litigators who are fighting so hard to defend our community in courts across this Nation. To all of those litigators and their support staffs, I say to them on this final day of Pride Month, happy pride. I thank them for their great work.
I now yield to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Grijalva), my friend and colleague.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Congressman Takano, for hosting this Pride Month Special Order hour.
For generations, LGBTQ+ people have been at the forefront of a fight for a more just inclusive future. This month, we honor the resilience, courage, and determination of a community that has never stopped organizing, speaking out, and demanding equality.
As a proud ally and a mom, I know that the fight for LGBTQ+ rights is connected to so many of the challenges we face today: from reproductive freedom, to healthcare access, to housing, education, and the right to live openly and authentically.
Pride reminds us that progress doesn't come from the top down. It isn't handed to us by billionaires or corporations. It is one when ordinary people come together, build coalitions together, and refuse to accept injustice. That work is not over.
Just this morning, on the last day of pride, the Supreme Court ruled to allow States to ban trans kids from playing in school sports. Really? I think they are worried about the wrong 0.1 percent in this country.
To the queer youth and trans kids and their families across the Nation, I know these are scary times, but you are not alone.
As Republicans continue to scapegoat queer people, especially transgender youth and their families, we must meet this moment with courage. We have got to organize, speak truth to power, and keep building a movement rooted in justice and equity.
Let us never forget that pride is a protest, but it is also our power, and together we will keep fighting for a future where everyone can live with dignity and freedom.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Adelita Grijalva for her remarks and wish a happy Pride to her and all the people of the great State of Arizona.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to send a message directly to the transgender community in America, and here is what I have to say: You are not alone.
I know it is easy to feel like there is no one left in Washington who is willing to stand up for you, but that is not
I know it is hard right now, but you are not alone. Even with all the antitrans attacks coming from this Chamber, my colleagues in the Equality Caucus and I have been successful in blocking the worst of the worst from becoming law.
We successfully blocked every antitransgender rider in the fiscal year 2026 government funding bills from becoming law. Not a single bill exclusively focused on attacking our rights has made it to the President's desk in this Congress.
We are still fighting for a brighter tomorrow, and I hope you are, too.
Mr. Speaker, let me just say that it has been my profound honor to celebrate the LGBTQI+ community and honor the conclusion of Pride Month with my colleagues here tonight.
Pride began as a protest, as a demand--a demand for equal dignity, equal treatment, and equal justice for LGBTQI+ people. As we continue our fight for the rights of LGBTQI+ people here and in the Halls of Congress, that spirit is what drives us.
To every American watching tonight, I want you to know that we will never give up. We will never stop fighting for equality.
To you all, to every American across this country, from Maine to Hawaii to the territories, I say happy Pride.
Mr. Speaker, in 1852, Frederick Douglass, an abolitionist, orator, and formerly enslaved man, delivered one of America's most famous speeches: ``What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?''
He addressed a nation celebrating freedom while denying it to millions. With moral clarity and urgency, he exposed the stark contradiction between America's founding ideals and the lived reality of Black people, calling out a democracy that had excluded those who it claimed to liberate.
As our Nation celebrates its 250-year anniversary, that tension still resonates. Black Americans continue to confront systemic inequities that have been legislated and codified. Douglass' words endure as both a mirror and a mandate, revealing uncomfortable truths while urging us to fight for an America as good as its promise.
Before I begin, I recognize and thank Mass Humanities for sustaining this vital tradition through public readings of Douglass' speech across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, ensuring that its message continues to educate, challenge, and inspire new generations.
Now, I invite you to listen and to consider these words not as distant history but as a call to action today.
Mr. Speaker, this is going to be another presentation of basically budget, debt, my frustration with this place, and my frustration with telling the truth.
Look, we are a remarkable country, no matter what you hear often from our brothers and sisters, particularly from the left, a quarter millennium of a remarkable experiment. We have brought more freedom to the world, more prosperity to the world, more ingenuity to the world, more health to the world.
I think sometimes our dourness, if that is a word, our frustration-- and Heaven knows I am a sinner on this. I am terrified of our unwillingness to
Last week, when I did this, I had my little boy, who had just turned 4 years old that day, running behind us. It was so much fun. Yet, the comments we received from the folks who are unique enough to watch something like this commented on the little boy, not necessarily the math.
I was trying to make the point at one moment saying: Here is my 4- year-old we have adopted. It is the greatest gift God has ever given someone, and he is healthy. We were terrified he would never be healthy. He was born with rather severe drugs. This government has made a decision we will need 104 percent of that little boy's lifetime earnings just to pay the Federal Government pensions, to cover Social Security, Medicare, military retirement, our retirement, 104 percent of the generation of young people today, we are so upside-down mathematically.
I also tried--and I am going to do it again because apparently I didn't do it very well. We passed a housing bill. I voted ``no'' because there were too many gimmicks and it made government too big. Fine, personal opinion. I actually have a background in housing economics.
However, not once did someone come behind these microphones and say that one of the primary problems in affordability of you being able to purchase a home, Mr. Speaker, is the fact that if we had a normal debt load, then you would be paying 5.5 percent on today's 30-year loan. Instead you are paying 6.5 percent.
Why?
It is because the United States is going to borrow probably $2.3 trillion this year. We are crowding you out, Mr. Speaker. We are raising the price of money.
I have given presentation after presentation saying that if we keep this up for much longer, then the bond market is going to run this country. We will exist in a fear of the weekly and monthly debt auctions.
We actually brought some data just trying to show the difference between 2011, and right now the interest rate movement. This is interest rates. We are paying 1 point higher because of the scale of U.S. sovereign debt borrowing that when you buy that 30-year mortgage, Mr. Speaker, on an average priced home--and I think we used an average priced home in Arizona, not here in D.C.--you are going to pay about $2,500 more, and over the life of that loan, $76,000 more.
That is just the cost of money because we, as a government, borrowed so much. We are responsible for that higher expense in the interest rates.
Except for the problem here is the hallways here are full of armies of people coming into our office demanding more money.
What happens when, Mr. Speaker, you and I go home?
We tell the truth.
Now, we make people angry because I am starting to worry: Voters, do you want us to lie to you?
Is that actually what you are asking for?
Do you want us to tell you things that set off a good dopamine hit, that make you feel this, but don't tell you the truth about the demographics, debt, and deficit?
That is because at that point, it is not a conversation of what else we can give you. It is going to be a conversation of how we are going to fix it.
The data is actually pretty darn clear. Our borrowing raises your car loan, Mr. Speaker, and raises the cost of you financing your small business. Heaven knows, it is going to cost on an average home in Tempe, Phoenix--not Scottsdale--about $76,000 more in interest. That is a knockoff effect.
Let us actually start. I am going to produce a whole bunch of boards here. My rule used to be that I am going to give you the problem, Mr. Speaker, and then I am going to give you a series of solutions. I am tired of coming here with solutions and then realizing there is not a chance in hell--I can't even get cosponsors because it would mean telling the truth.
When I have come here and shown the MedPAC reports, there is $1 trillion, $2 trillion of misalignment because some of it is legal on the edge. We introduced a bill. The preliminary score was $1.84 trillion of savings over 10 years just to fix some of the things in Medicare Advantage that wouldn't cut a single service, and I got told this morning in conference: David, you don't understand. It has the word Medicare. We are not allowed to talk about that in an election year, but we will fix it next year.
I have been here 16 years, and it is always next year.
Let us take a look at this chart. I often start with this one because so few people understand.
Mr. Speaker, do you see the blue area?
That is all you, as a Member of Congress, get to vote on, unless it is a reconciliation budget, except we now use reconciliation budgets to pass things, not save money. Here is your math problem: As of today, just this little net interest sliver for this fiscal year will be 20 percent of all tax receipts. So when you pay $1, 20 cents of that is just covering interest.
Mr. Speaker, I am going to show you some charts here that in 9 years how big that math actually gets. But understand, your government is functionally an insurance company with an army. I love that line. Think about it. It will make sense.
Nondefense and defense, that is all we vote on, and we are about to make this much bigger. People go to war with us when we are trying to cut down nondefense.
Mr. Speaker, a moment of truth. Let's have some fun here. DOGE identified $0.25 trillion in potential savings modeling. What has made it through the legislative process is about $7 billion, basically what we will borrow today.
I know folks aren't really good at math with lots of zeros. Our government borrows about $1 million every 13 seconds or so. In 13, 13.5 seconds, we borrow $1 million, and then $1 million. So often we will have debates here and say that this will save $3 million. I try to explain that it barely covered 30-some seconds of borrowing.
We are now borrowing about 90--if you do just this fiscal year so far, so just this fiscal year, about $73,000 a second.
If you do the last 12 months--understand there is a blip in there because we had the extraordinary measures where we didn't have a debt ceiling and we had to refund it. But if you do the last 12 months, we are borrowing about $98,000 per second.
I know everyone is going to talk about that, right?
All right, let's get to the math. Let's do some speed dating on math.
Do you see this chart, Mr. Speaker?
This is basically to make a point. We are in the OECD, basically the organization of developed economies.
Do you notice the red one down here, Mr. Speaker?
If you add up everything, Mr. Speaker, we are borrowing 7.9 percent of our entire economy. We are the worst in the entire industrialized world.
Mr. Speaker, if you actually start to take a look, you start seeing countries like Greece--and those are much healthier than we are. Do you realize today Greece can sell a 10-year bond substantially cheaper than the United States?
Of course, we are going to work on that and talk about it next year.
Let us actually walk through some of what is going on.
Remember, Mr. Speaker--I am going to try to make this point a couple of times through the presentation in some of the last slides--the primary driver of the debt is not a tax cut over here. It is our demographics. Next year the data looks like we are going to have fewer under 18 than we had 20 years ago and double the number 65 and up.
Are we allowed to actually say that?
It is not personal. It is not actually Democrat or Republican, it is just math.
Mr. Speaker, I am blessed to hold the chairmanship for the Joint Economic Committee, so I have a handful of guys who all have Ph.D.'s, and we geek out on this. We are trying to find ways, and they are terrified with me.
I have done presentation after presentation here of my chairmanship from
Well, we would have to take on the lobbyists. We would actually have to tell the truth. We would actually have to redesign the programs. We would actually have to have an honest conversation of some of the fraud we found in things like Medicaid and Medicare. Even then, understand, we have worked on this over and over.
It is still 7 to 12 percent of the spending we can figure out is missed payments, fraud. The majority of it isn't some international syndicate coming and stealing money from us. It is things we, as Members of Congress, have allowed to happen because when we find it, we don't go back and fix the law because that would be hard because we will have to take on advertising. They will say mean things about us.
``Raising spending, not falling revenues, have driven long-term deficits.''
Here is a point: Revenues. Go back to 2015 all the way through what we have modeled. You will notice it is consistent. It is basically that the long-term projection sits about 18.8 percent of the entire economy we are collecting. Back down here was slightly below, 17.8, 17.9. It is not tax cuts. It is demographics.
Here is the problem: Our spending, when we get 30 years from now, almost 28 percent of the entire economy, but I need to make a point. When you actually look at some of these charts, you are going to actually see--and I am bouncing around--if we do current policy--let me explain for those who are not budget geeks.
Here is the law. In our laws, we have: Oh, taxes are going to go back up in 4 years. Oh, that program is going to get cut in 4 years. We used to have this thing called paygo, pay as you go, except in the law, there was a scam. It says if it goes beyond 5 years, we have to find offsets to pay for it, but if you write the law that it ends in 5 years, even though they never end in 5 years because we always extend it, then you don't have to score it. You don't have to score it as more long-term debt. We lie in our budget documents.
Here is the current law. So last summer, 1 year ago, we had a whole fight about this. Do you use current law or current policy, even though this current law had all these things ending? So we couldn't win that so we used current policy, which actually gave it--extending of the current spending.
Now, when you start to take a look, you start realizing that revenue has basically stayed the same, but now you are borrowing about or spending about 32 percent of the entire economy. Then, you take another look at it: Budget deficits under current policy will exceed 14 percent of the entire GDP.
That is in 30 years. How many of you plan to be around in 30 years? If you plan to be around in 30 years, think about this: Treasury tomorrow wants to sell a 30-year bond. There is still a remarkably liquid market buying our bonds. When will the folks buying that 30-year bond start to realize: I have a problem.
Thirty years from now, if we stayed with the current both law and our policy baseline, you have about 14 percent of the country's GDP just in borrowing, not spending. It is not in building things. It is just paying interest.
Let's get back on track here. This is one of the things I have railed about over and over because I get frustrated with it. CBO keeps having to readjust its baseline. Why does it have to readjust its baseline? It readjusts because things happen: COVID happens; a war happens; 2008 happens; and Congress happens. Understand, if you and I take a look at what were our projections, we functionally have added just about--I think this all adds up to $1.39 trillion in additional spending in the baseline.
It is geeky, but what it means is, when CBO puts out a report, it is of what they have, but they are constantly having to update it because things happen in the economy; interest rates go up; and we spend money and don't pay for it.
Let's actually walk through another famous chart. Ever since the pandemic legislation--during the pandemic, we were spending about $63,000 per American citizen. Guess what. Today, that is way down. We are spending about $55,000 per American citizen, but over the next 9 years, it goes up to $66,000. If you add up all the spending, add up all the residents of the United States, citizens, $66,000 is our spend. Right now, it was $55,000. Anyone see a math problem? If you don't see the math problem--I am going to bite my tongue.
Budget deficits under current law will reach $3.1 trillion by 2036, so that is 9 budget years from now, because we are working on right now--hopefully, we are finishing and passing the 2027 stuff. This is under current law. I need you to understand how devastatingly ugly this number is, and when I show you under current policy, it is even worse.
This is 9 budget years from now. CBO last February said, hey, we are going to be borrowing $3.1 trillion that year, 2.1 of it will be just interest. So, the structural deficit will be only a trillion dollars, but on top of that, we owe $2.1 trillion in interest. Okay.
What does that actually mean to us if we just--this is under current law. That means, in 9 budget years, 31 percent of every tax dollar that is paid, meaning income tax, payroll tax, and tariffs, everything coming in, in 9 budget years, 31 percent of all those tax collections will be just interest. It will be just interest, and this is on current law, assuming no wars, no pandemics, no market crashes, and no additional spending from Congress.
If you come back over here, my math says 20 percent. The chart says 19 percent. Depending what revenues are, it could be 21. That is this year. Let's just use 20 percent. This year, when you write $100, $20 of that just went to pay interest. Anyone see a problem?
Let's see. ``Budget deficits under current policy will reach $4.4 trillion.'' See what I am doing here. This one said the deficit--and I am sorry; this is a little awkward--in 9 budget years is $3.1 trillion under current law, but if we keep doing what we have been doing, which is we just extend current policy.
I am sorry this is geeky, but it is math. This is going to destroy the Republic. We have made it a quarter millennium, I would like this to be another American century. I would like it to be the place my 10- year-old and my now 4-year-old prosper. Hell, I would like to have a nice, quiet retirement, but in 9 budget years, it is no longer $3.1 trillion of borrowing. It is $4.4 trillion if we follow current spending policy, current baseline spending, not current baseline law. Anyone see a problem?
Mr. Speaker, are we even allowed to talk about this? Because I know the armies of folks, often both at home and in our hallways here, demanding more money, telling us they are going to say mean things about us on social media unless we hand them more checks or we do things to regulate their competition. This is what this place has become. I am terrified we have hit the point where, on Twitter and X, someone saying something mean about me is now a policy override over a calculator.
Here is one of the drivers of this, one of the things that is really uncomfortable to talk about: We have a shortage of young people in the country. It is a math problem. Look, we are only a couple ticks over zero population growth right now. There are a couple datasets out there--depending on what continues with immigration policy and a couple of other things--sometime in the next 5 years, we may actually, as a country, go slightly negative. You go, oh, good.
Remember, Medicare and Social Security are pay-as-you-go programs. I did the presentation a couple weeks ago on the Social Security actuary report. I am sure every Member of Congress pulled it out, read it, highlighted it, and noticed you had about 6 years and 3 months before the trust funds are empty.
If we followed the law--I think the Social Security actuary report is wrong on their math, but they said in 6 years, 3 months, you get a 22 percent cut. I think it is 24 percent. If you extend that out, that is doubling senior poverty in the following year. Yay, we are going to double the number of homelessness living on the street of baby boomers. Is that moral?
Are we allowed to talk about it? Allowed to fix it? Are we allowed to do the really hard things? Guess what, Mr. Speaker. At that same time, the Medicare trust fund is also empty.
From last year to 2032, Medicare doubles in spending. It goes from 1 trillion to 2 trillion. The Medicare Part A trust fund, if you are a hospital, you take a 12-percent cut. That is the law.
How many of you on Medicare are going to be able to see your doctor in that hospital?
Start to take a look at this. In 2025, people 0 to 18, we had 76 million people but 63 million over 65. In 9 years, we will have 70 million, so we will actually have fewer people under 18, and we will have 76 million, 65 and up. I am one of them. I am 64--yes, I am 64 with a 4-year-old. Yes, I am really optimistic about the future. I am just cranky about the math.
All right. Let's continue on this. Workers per Social Security beneficiary. We have got a problem. In 2011 we had 2.9. In 2025, last year, we had 2.7. It continues to do this. It is a little hard to do as a pay-as-you-go program.
That is why every month when Social Security checks go out the door, the Social Security administrator reaches over to their special Treasury bills and say, Treasury, we are short because the payroll taxes don't cover all the checks going out the door. Give us some of our money back. That goes on and on for about another 6 years and 3 months, and then they don't have any more to cash in.
Seniors per 100 working-age adults. 2011, we had 21.9 seniors per 100 people in the labor force. Last year, it is now 32. I am just trying to pound this point in. We prefer it to be: Oh, it is horrible Democrat policy. And they say: Oh, it is a tax policy. I have already shown you the percentage of the economy that we take in in taxes has stayed remarkably stable. The economy grows so you may have a lower tax rate but, because the economy is bigger, you are still taking in the same percentages of the GDP.
U.S. population age 65 and up. 2011, we had 41 million. 2026--this is a projection for this year--we have 63 million.
Estimated share of outlays by group. I know there are a lot of bars on this chart. The punch line here is actually very simple. In about 25, maybe 26 months, over half of the Federal Government spending will go to those 65 and up.
Now, why is this important? Now, remember, think of baby boomers as large demographic quartiles. When I was a kid in the 1970s, for every dollar for seniors, there was $7 spent for those functioning under 18. That is almost reverse now. It is not really about a change in policy. It is actually a change in demographic populations.
This is really important. National defense in 9 years will take 12 percent of our spending. Seniors over 65 will take 52 percent in 9 budget years. It is just math. We know it. Hell, we knew people were going to turn 65--we knew we had a baby boom 65 years ago--actually 70- some years ago.
Why are we so terrified to go in front of our voters and tell the truth about math? Why are we afraid to tell them that often the crap that they see on this thing is fake? It is meant for you to click, get a nice dopamine hit, but it is not budget policy.
I had a woman the other day at an event--beautiful event, wonderful people--I think it was up in Prescott, talking about this. She was absolutely positive, if we just cut this one benefit off, we could balance the budget.
We spent a couple moments. We walked on the internet using our phones, and she saw it was like $9 billion was the total value of the benefit over a year. It did cover about a day and a quarter of borrowing--not spending, borrowing. She was devastated. It was as if I said something horrible to her.
Is that why politicians are terrified? Is that why we are terrified to actually tell the truth to our brothers and sisters? Remember, you have a country that is borrowing about $6 billion to $7 billion every day.
I started to talk about DOGE before. My economists, we helped them. I am a believer we have to have a revolution in how we provide government services: the adoption of technology, the elimination of excess positions, those things. All that has passed so far is about $7 billion in actual spending cuts that have made it through Congress, Senate, and to the President's desk for his signature.
Functionally, it barely covers one day of borrowing. How many of our folks back home get a text message every other week saying: Are you ready for your DOGE check? Just send us a couple thousand dollars, and we will send you a DOGE check. Those text messages are fraud.
The point of this is: It is just demographics. I am one of them. I am at the tail end, but I am a baby boomer. It basically means, in 9 budget years, 21.4 percent of our population will be 65 and up. We will have moved into our earned benefit years: Medicare, Social Security, military or public service retirement, whatever it is. Then you take other calculations that I am not going to geek out too much on: labor force participation, the number of our population that is actually in the labor force, and then we have a math problem.
What is the moral obligation of those of us who are elected to actually know what--sorry, I can't curse on the floor--know what the hell we are talking about, know the math, stop trying to sell shiny objects and things that basically are enraging but don't take down the republic?
I will argue this debt, unless we find a way to start stabilizing it, we are not going to make it another 250 years.
Is this miracle of a self-governing republic worth saving? Then it is worth telling our voters and the public the truth about our demographics, the cost of financing it, and how much trouble we are actually in.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I will go back and look at all of the angry comments I am going to get because, once again, telling the truth means you get the crap kicked out of you around here. I am perfectly happy to do it.
Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to spotlight the urgent need for deepened cooperation between the United States and Ukraine in defense innovation. This follows yesterday's important announcement of $18.4 million of investment through our Department of Defense in our Northwest Ohio region.
After over 10 years of Russia's brutal, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine has given the world a master class in the future of warfare. Ukraine has pioneered drone tactics and technology. It has developed cost-effective air defense systems, all under the most difficult of circumstances.
Imagine Russia, a nation of 11 time zones. Ukraine has but one. Russia has 3.5 times as many people as Ukraine, but Ukraine fights on nobly.
Ukraine's ecosystem of innovation is a model that the free world can't afford to ignore.
No matter where I travel as a member of our Defense Subcommittee and meet with U.S. troops who are close or in theater, do you know what they say to me? Congresswoman, please help us advance drone technology.
I have heard many things from troops, but that has been one of their most constant clarion calls to Members of Congress, and we intend to deliver to them.
That is why today, I introduced the bipartisan Strategic Unmanned Systems Partnership Act--I underline bipartisan--along with Representatives Fitzpatrick, Quigley, McCaul, Costa, and Bacon. These are Members with experience, both military and civilian.
This companion legislation to its Senate counterpart introduced by Senators Rosen and Rounds would establish a landmark strategic defense innovation working group with Ukraine and NATO. This working group would accelerate joint production of innovative systems to defend our nations at a time when liberty needs it most and it is being challenged in many, many ways globally.
Remember, Iran just killed American troops with the same weapons it tested with Russia. Iran and Russia have a relationship, and then they used the technologies against Ukraine. But it was Ukraine that came to our defense with its innovation in the Middle East. It was Ukraine. That is the mark of a true ally and friend under very difficult circumstances.
Mr. Speaker, when I visit U.S. troops defending liberty, I ask them: What else can we do? They say: Just get us better drones faster.
Thus, today, I rise in celebration of the announcement of $18.4 million in F-Drone manufacturing to be anchored in Ohio; both Central Ohio, which has already received Anduril's investment, and now in Northwestern Ohio, $18.4 million to begin to manufacture F-Drones on our soil.
An all-hands-on-deck local, State, and Federal approach won the day for Northwestern Ohio. Our sustained engagement now has attracted one of the leading manufacturers of unmanned systems: Ukrainian defense drones, the U.S. arm of Ukraine's F-Drones, to stand up assembly in Northwestern Ohio.
It will complement an equally significant investment by Anduril in Central Ohio. Already, our State of Ohio is well recognized as the home of aviation, of space exploration, and defense industrial base manufacturing. We are the home of the best fighter wing in the United States of America, F-16s, and they are a guard unit. We are so proud of them.
This UDD drone firm will operate on the cutting edge of drone technology and defense innovation. Its systems have been battle-tested on the frontlines of liberty, defending the free people of Ukraine from Dictator Vladimir Putin's merciless and unprovoked invasion.
UDD is now one of the leaders in the Pentagon's Drone Dominance Program, ensuring that American troops can defend themselves with the best technology available.
I have been honored to work with the innovative UDD team to spotlight the benefits of investing in Northwestern Ohio.
Working closely alongside the Regional Growth Partnership and JobsOhio, and with Governor Mike DeWine, together we achieved a strategic partnership with the potential to grow into a substantial and sustained presence across our Great Lakes region.
We have it all: land, air, sea. Our region has a talented workforce, proven manufacturing infrastructure, research and testing, phenomenal assets with our space agencies, as well as a community that honors and celebrates the shared benefits of working with our freedom-loving allies abroad.
We are confident in our potential to be a global leader in U.S. drone manufacturing, and Northwestern Ohio's manufacturing genius has formed the backbone of the arsenal of democracy. We understand steel. We understand forging. We understand propulsion. We understand tooling. We make things. We form things. We helped defeat fascism in World War II, Soviet communism in the last century, and remain committed to liberty and to sustaining our NATO alliance against all enemies. Building our Nation's defense also builds our middle class, and we keep them free.
Our region stands ready to stay vigilant at creating a future to ensure jobs and industry leadership for Northwest Ohio's manufacturing workforce and making sure that China and other countries like Iran do not have the most sophisticated technology that is known to the world.
The urgent national security imperative of dominating the drone space and the economic benefits for our communities are why I am honored to lead on these issues here on Capitol Hill. These include introducing today, my bipartisan Strategic Unmanned Systems Partnership Act to ensure America continues working with our Ukrainian allies on these vital issues.
Together, we will submit Northwestern Ohio as a critical drone manufacturing capital of America, and with Anduril's investment in Central Ohio, together we will meet our U.S. military's new needs at home and abroad.
Mr. Speaker, in helping to close today, as we return home for Fourth of July commemorations, I rise especially to commemorate and celebrate our Nation's 250th anniversary.
We are still strong. We are still free. We have lots of work to do, but it was this week in 1776 that our Founders, our Framers, our forefathers and foremothers, in Philadelphia, came together to make the courageous declaration that we chose liberty over tyranny.
How that must have felt at that time.
A year before, Delegate Patrick Henry of Virginia, just a little south of where I am standing, proclaimed: ``Give me liberty or give me death.'' A year later, he became Virginia's popularly elected first Governor.
Imagine the courage and the vision.
Our Founders were farmers, printers, and merchants--hardworking, ordinary people who did the extraordinary and envisioned the extraordinary. They gave rise to the idea that freedom is a right, not a privilege granted by a king.
For 250 years, that Declaration of Independence and choice of liberty has carried our Nation through wars and expansive economic recessions, through innovation and growth, and through division and unity.
It was stronger than the weakest among us.
It is important that we don't just look back with pride. We must look to the future with purpose to what the next 50 years, 100 years, and even 250 years of the American experiment might require of us.
First of all, it should require duty--duty to country--duty to country before self, because liberty is not free. It requires citizens who rise to duty for our Republic.
In this era, each citizen must make a vital decision to ensure our Nation and people can flourish not just today but for the decades to come. That requires some wisdom, and we could do a little better at that.
Let Americans be proud of our progress when celebrating the next milestone anniversary.
Mr. Speaker, may God bless America and give us all the courage to fight for a good and prosperous and free people, a productive future for all the generations of Americans to come, and gratitude, gratitude, gratitude for where this 250 years has moved America.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the bipartisan nature of remarks tonight in remembrance of the importance of this week and Independence Day and our great Nation's history and this particular one, celebrating the 250th.
I am going to first, though, focus a little bit on my home State of Texas. It was 1 year ago this week that we were in the throes of negotiating what was called at the time the big, beautiful bill, an important piece of legislation that I am very honored to have been a part of working through. It was difficult in working through all the complexities of the tax policy, dealing with the complexities of the reforms to Medicaid, to welfare programs, saving $1.7 trillion, pulling back some of the subsidies and unreliable power that was so critically important.
But all of that was going on--and my son, Charlie, who is here with me now, we were here. We were in the throes of the debates. We were at the White House on the 2nd, debating it. We were here on the 3rd, late night. We vote on this thing.
And then I was supposed to be in Kerrville, Texas, which is where I go every summer for the Fourth of July. There was a big concert down on the river, and I was supposed to be there, where my family has gone for, now, at least a decade.
I talked to the President about being here for the bill signing because of all the work we had gone through, and I ultimately told the President that I would stay here for the bill signing.
So I stick around, visited with some friends on the night of the 3rd, and I am watching the weather forecast. I wake up on the morning of the Fourth of July. My son and I were getting ready to go see some friends, and I see the news reports.
All of a sudden, it starts to sink in what had happened in Kerrville. We have had a number of moments here on the floor of the House, one in particular almost a year ago, in which we remembered those lives who were lost and what occurred there in Kerrville.
But now, 1 year since this coming Saturday on the Fourth of July, I do
That area of the Guadalupe River is surrounded by high cliffs in certain areas. It is a very beautiful part of the State. It cuts through the limestone, and so we had been in drought conditions. You have hard ground, limestone. A massive amount of water pours into that area. It is an area that was inhabited by thousands of people, celebrating, obviously--it was Fourth of July--but summer camps. That is what a lot of people came to focus on.
Remember that we lost 27 little girls from Camp Mystic, and, fortunately, we didn't lose any from any of the other camps, but we lost over 100 other people. A lot of people forget that part. They were people who were camping with their families, whole families that were swept down the river.
There has been a lot of Monday-morning quarterbacking since then, people saying what could have been done and what should have been done, the force of the floodwaters, all that occurred, all that happened, ripping up 100-year-old Cyprus trees, but I just want to focus in on what I believe is the true story of what occurred after.
That is the faith of the community of Kerrville who came together to figure out how to rebuild through the great charity of people across not just the county or the State, but the entire country and the world. We raised over $150 million in private contributions, of which over half, pushing $80 million to $100 million, had been pushed out the door--the rest of it should be out the door by the end of this year--to help small businesses, to help people keep afloat, mental health, keeping people in houses and apartments, giving people the ability to stay on their feet, and all done through the power of the strong faith of the people of Texas.
In the town of Kerrville, there is a giant cross that sits up on the hill, and there is an entire garden there dedicated to the gospel of Christ. The extent to which Christian faith was driving the people of Texas and central Texas and the Hill Country to help their brothers and sisters and help families cannot be overstated.
I have to tell you that, as a Member of Congress, I don't tend to do a lot of the requests for funding. I don't come up here and try to file bills when there are disasters in my home State of Texas. My view is that we are the eighth biggest economy in the world. We have 31 million people, and the Federal Government is not an ATM for every ill that befalls the people.
I am proud of the people of Texas stepping up. Yes, FEMA was there. Yes, the Federal Government was a part of the effort in dealing and managing with the aftermath, getting assets there, the Coast Guard heroism.
But there were a lot of volunteers, too--colleagues, friends of mine, Morgan Luttrell, others who were literally in the water looking in search and rescue. The number of people who volunteered, I came in on the night of the Fourth of July, and I went to the facility where they were gathering in all of the experts and all the people who were there and all the volunteers, and the sheriff and all the local law enforcement.
This one young man was just sitting in the parking lot, and he had just driven down from Lubbock 5-odd hours and just came down on a whim as a volunteer with a bunch of drones so he could help.
I kept running into people from all over who had just driven there, the Cajun Navy who came over. All of the people who stepped up to help, I want to express my gratitude and thanks to so many different people, local volunteers, the people who helped out, but all the way up to the President of the United States himself; Susie Wiles herself; former Secretary Noem; Governor Abbott; the head of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, Chief Nim Kidd; the Kerr County sheriff, Sheriff Leitha; and countless local leaders.
More than 850 people were rescued from the floodwaters during those critical days, notably the Coast Guard, which President Trump had acknowledged at some point here. The $150 million of charitable contributions, all of the things that occurred, it is such a great place, central Texas.
There is a reason people from all over the country--my colleague Buddy Carter had one of his family members, even though he is a Congressman from Georgia, who was impacted by the floods. There were friends of mine and colleagues from other parts on the other side of the aisle who were reaching out to me because they had people who were affected by the floods.
At the end of the day, it is that cross sitting above Kerrville. It is the cross that reminds us that, even in our darkest moments as humanity, hope remains. The suffering is not the final word.
The love of Christ was on display there. The love of Christ is constantly on display there in the Hill Country and reflected in the actions and the compassion shown by Texans and Americans around the world.
I want to remember those people. I want to remember the lives lost. I want to remember the heroes. I want to remember the people who were there at the moment.
With all due respect to a lot of politicians, particularly in Austin, Texas, particularly some of the statewide, elected officeholders in the State of Texas--and they know who they are--they sit around pontificating and pointing fingers at people about what they should or should not have done from the comfort of your office and your perch in Austin, Texas, when good people lost their lives trying to help little girls who lost their lives.
Dick Eastland, who was swept away in the flood, and his family and the people who are maligning their family for what the camp should or should not have done--the fact of the matter is, they were there at 4 o'clock in the morning. They were there trying to figure out how to manage one of the most devastating floods that we have ever seen. Politicians who want to Monday-morning quarterback and want to try to point fingers are not helping.
The people who had faith in the Lord Almighty, the people who stepped up to help each other in the time of tragedy that we had last year, they are the ones who I want to lift up and thank because it is not about finger-pointing. It is about standing alongside our brothers and sisters when bad things happen because bad things have always happened, and bad things will happen again. It is how we respond to them. It is what we do in the wake of them. It is our faith in the Lord Almighty and our faith in Jesus Christ that is what perseveres, not political self-interest and self-motivation.
I also note here, as I think about what happened there and the greatness of Kerrville, the greatness of the Hill Country, and the greatness of the State of Texas and the whole world in response to that, from my perspective, I think about all the things that that day represents, July Fourth.
Now, so many of us are going to remember July Fourth there in Kerrville for that event, but I am going to be back in Kerrville this Fourth of July. I am not staying here in D.C. for the great celebration here. I have been to a bunch of them in this town. I am going to go back to Kerrville because I want to be with the people who I represent, and I am proud to represent them as the Congressman for the 21st Congressional District.
The Fourth of July, what I prefer to call Independence Day, is for me such a special reflection of who we are as a people, as a sovereign nation.
I was blessed during the window of COVID to road trip with three of my staffers to Philadelphia on July 2, 2020. People will recall that, at the time, much of our Nation was shut down. You couldn't go anywhere. You couldn't do anything.
At the time, there was a lot of turmoil, rioting in the streets, burning down businesses, statues being thrown in the water, and statues being defaced. I wasn't going to have any of it. I wanted to exalt the greatness of our country.
So, I grabbed my staff, and I said: You guys want to go on a road trip, the great American statue road trip? We drove to Philadelphia, and we went straight to Independence Hall. I recorded a video outside of Independence Hall, talking about how it wasn't the bricks, the building, the Liberty Bell sitting out there in front of Independence Hall--none of that. You could graffiti it, paint it. You could destroy it. You could throw it in a river or a harbor. It was what was done in that building.
I went over to the National Park Service, and I said: Hi. I assume the building is not open because of COVID. And they said no, God bless them. As a Member of Congress, they let me go in with my three staffers.
There we were there on July 2. Any student of history will know why that matters. It is, in fact, on July 2, not July Fourth, that we voted, that our Founders voted. That was the vote that mattered.
The words of the Declaration of Independence are awesome. I say that as a University of Virginia graduate and proud believer in all of those principles articulated by Thomas Jefferson and the other people who had a hand in that drafting. It was the vote--it was the willingness to vote and say we are leaving and breaking away from the Crown. Those last words in the Declaration of Independence, pledging their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor--we talk about those words, but they lived them. They sat there in Independence Hall, looked each other in the eye, and voted to do it.
Again, at that time, in that summer, when statues were being torn down and stuff being thrown into the water, my point when I went up there and recorded video was: You can undo all of that, but you don't undo the courage of those who came before us to fight to give us this great Republic and great Nation in which our freedoms can be enjoyed by us and by our progeny.
I recorded a video at Independence Hall. We stayed there and visited. We got to be there in Independence Hall on July 2. I don't know if I will ever do that again, but certainly not in a building that was pretty much empty except for me and three staffers.
Then, we left and went down to Fort McHenry, where we were regaling the words of ``The Star-Spangled Banner'' and Francis Scott Key coming back down through Baltimore. You think about what that meant. I could sit here and give an entire speech on the words of ``The Star-Spangled Banner.''
People want to diminish ``The Star-Spangled Banner,'' saying that it is more difficult to sing or doesn't soar as ``America the Beautiful'' or something. I disagree wholeheartedly. The words echo when you are at a stadium and listen to the words and see what it means: that that flag was, in fact, still there. It is so important that we remember that and remember why that is our national anthem.
Then, we drove back down to D.C. and went to various monuments here in Washington. We went down to the Jefferson Memorial and Lincoln Memorial. We went to the Roosevelt Memorial. We continued to do that to honor the greatness of this country, even as some were trying to tear it down.
I say all of that to say that our sovereignty as a nation matters. It is not something that you can just sort of trivially dismiss.
I am going to make a quick political commentary here and then come back to our celebration of the 250th. I have about 15 minutes left. I want to talk about the Supreme Court ruling today, because it matters a great deal.
Today, the United States Supreme Court issued an opinion that I believe was profoundly misguided and undermines our national security and our sovereignty as a nation in a profoundly damaging way.
I have friends and people who have debated this issue for years, good friends on both sides of the aisle. This is the issue of so-called birthright citizenship. Are you an American citizen for simply and solely being born on American soil? I remember thinking a long time ago that there was something kind of magical about that concept, that if you are here and in America, and you are born here, you are an American.
It became clearer and clearer to me as that privilege--it is not a right; I want to come back to that in terms of what the 14th Amendment says--but what that privilege means to be an American. It was being abused. It was being abused by people for profit and being abused by people for some sort of monetary benefit or a benefit of some social welfare or benefit of going to a hospital or going to school, all things which I understand, as a parent, seeking, but we have turned on its head everything that is good and great about our Nation.
This opinion today by the United States Supreme Court, saying that the 14th Amendment, which was very clearly ratified to deal with the issue of slavery in a post-slavery world--to whom do these former slaves now owe allegiance? To factor that into determining how you define our character, as we are adopting the 14th Amendment, it was very clear that ``subject of the jurisdiction thereof'' was meant to deal with that.
For five Supreme Court Justices today to manufacture in whole cloth that the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, somehow conferred upon someone citizenship because a parent came to the United States and birthed the child on American soil, despite not being a citizen and despite not having any allegiance to the United States, is not just appalling, but it begs: Who we are as a nation?
The Chief Justice, no doubt, and Justice Barrett, and the other three Justices who joined that opinion no doubt believe they were doing some sort of great service by trying to establish that this means some great thing for the United States.
I would argue that what they are doing is destroying the United States because you no longer have a sovereign nation. If you are telling the world that all you have to do is flout our laws and break our laws, come to our country and have a child, and that child gets to have citizenship, which has things conferred upon it--voting and other privileges and access to welfare benefits--then all of those who bled and died for this great Nation, to just hand that over in violation of the entire text, spirit, and letter of the Constitution and the 14th Amendment, is detrimental to our republican form of government.
Roberts, emphasizing: Children born of parents unlawfully or temporarily present in the United States satisfy both elements of the Citizenship Clause under the Constitution, he concluded, they are citizens at birth.
That is false.
The Supreme Court majority ruled that illegal aliens invading our country, having U.S.-born children, and is somehow legally sound even though the Justices in Wong Kim Ark rejected that notion.
This is something that has been debated for a long time, but when we think about this, an estimated 124,000 to 300,000 anchor babies--which are children born to illegal aliens--are born each year. In 2023, up to 250,000 children were born to illegal aliens, which accounted for 7 percent of total births.
I cannot imagine that if you told those men that were sitting in the foxholes in Bastogne, and they were storming the beaches in Normandy to scale the cliffs, had bullets firing at them, that they would say: Yeah, sure, let's turn over the country and our sovereignty as a nation to anyone who comes onto our soil and just tries to claim it.
It is being abused by our adversaries to undermine our national security.
The fact is, the United States Congress cannot just sit idly by and allow the Supreme Court to do this. People will say: Well, Chip, separation of powers. The Supreme Court is going to get the final word on what the law is.
Well, I would tell you that the Supreme Court has clearly made significant errors in judgment in the past. No one needs to look too far to figure out what that is: Plessy. There have been other opinions, Roe v. Wade, which the Court has now rightly gone in a different direction.
I would argue, though, that the Congress needs to react swiftly and make very clear that we define what ``subject to the jurisdiction thereof'' means, that Congress should act swiftly to say we are not going to fund this false notion of who citizens are; and, thirdly, that we are going to just pause immigration.
If the Supreme Court of the United States, in its infinite wisdom, says they get to decide as the final arbiter who is or is not a citizen, then why should Congress allow people to come into the United States to abuse it, to have children, to take advantage of a citizenship that is not actually allowed under the Constitution because the Supreme Court got it wrong?
If the Supreme Court were to order or interpret the law that the President of the United States or the Speaker of
Well, Chip, that is absurd. Okay. Well, if the Supreme Court issues a ruling that is patently and factually unconstitutional, must the other branches follow it?
I say no. I say no.
Well, Chip, that is a controversial opinion.
I don't think so.
The Constitution of the United States does not stand for the proposition that the Court ruled today. It simply does not. I think even a basic reading of the Constitution would make that clear.
Justice Thomas and Justice Alito, both excoriating the majority opinion, made sure that it is very clear how wrong their opinion was. However, to make that determination begs the question of what this body, Article I, must do. Not can do, must do.
This is the people's House. I can tell you that the people who I represent have no interest in continuing to pay taxes to fund people who are coming to the United States to take advantage of our country for profit or for any other motive. They have no interest in doing that. So why should we continue to fund a government that would do that?
Look, I can tell you right now that for the decisions I have remaining in my time in Congress in this term, for the remainder of our funding decisions and appropriations, for whatever we are going to do in reconciliation, we better fix this. This Congress better fix this because I have no interest in continuing to fund the operations of a government that has been undermined by the United States Supreme Court.
We should pause all immigration immediately. And, by the way, they say: Chip, you can't get that through the Senate. We have 60 votes.
Well, let's keep having that fight, too, because the SAVE America Act is not the actual full nature of the fight. The issue here is whether there is in any way, shape, or form a 60-vote threshold that we have to follow. There is not.
The Senate, as a body, is, yes, to be a cooling saucer. Yes, as a conservative, I like there to be barriers to quick action for legislation, but under no circumstances does the Constitution or anything else contemplate 60 votes, besides rules arbitrarily set by Members of the Senate.
Here we are at a time when this body, Congress--the House and the Senate together--need to act to protect our Nation's sovereignty: By allowing only American citizens to vote in American elections; to require voter identification in elections of our Federal officials; to, yes, make very clear that ``subject to the jurisdiction thereof'' means what it means; and, no, we are not going to import people into the United States as long as we are being told absolutely you must grant citizenship for any child born here.
We have a choice, and we need to make it. We can pass the laws necessary to address what the Court did. We can also codify what the President has been doing to secure our border to stop the abuse of the American people that was happening under Biden and Mayorkas by codifying--as we did under H.R. 2 in the last Congress--that work, stop the abuse of asylum, stop the abuse of parole, stop the abuse of catch- and-release policies and all the policies that were being abused to undermine our country which, by the way, is also tied to the birthright citizenship issue.
You cannot have laws that are being openly exploited by certain Americans in conjunction with NGOs and outside groups and people who want to exploit us, including our enemies, to put people in the United States, have the Court just declare that they can be citizens because they decided so, have taxpayer dollars providing benefits to people who have no allegiance to this country, who come here and fly other flags, who come here and say we should change our country; that cannot be how a sovereign nation exists.
We are here this week in this town, and we are going to have a great celebration, and we should. This country has been able, more than any other country on the face of the Earth in history, to provide a better way of life, prosperity, freedom, and the ability to carry out one's faith. This country has led the world, but here we are, and this country hangs in the balance.
For 250 years, we have been that beacon of hope. God bless all of the people who want to come to our country. I am glad they do, and I want to be able to invite and have people come to our country. However, when our country has been badly exploited for decades, when there are people here right now who want to destroy the United States, who want it to become an Islamic state, who want to milk our welfare benefits, commit fraud against the country, and who don't want to raise the American flag with the flag of another country, I do not understand for the life of me why we do not continue to do what we are doing by this President and remove people and why this Congress will not act right now, immediately, to respond to the Supreme Court.
There is no criticism of leadership. I understand why we are leaving. It is July Fourth. I want to go to Kerrville. I get it, but right now I would rather be here. I would rather be here every day from now until we actually solve the problem.
If we do not defend this country, if we do not make sure that we can have laws that we can depend upon and a Constitution that we can rally around and believe in it, then what do we have left?
The other thing that is getting lost in the shuffle of this celebration--I do want to close with this. I have talked about it before. It is not just the 250th birthday of the United States, but the 200th anniversary this Saturday of the passing of both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams on the same day.
I bring that up for a reason in closing. We have a duty to protect that which I believe was divinely inspired by the Lord Almighty. We put In God We Trust up there for a reason. We have Moses overlooking the Chamber for a reason.
You cannot tell me, Mr. Speaker, that Jefferson and Adams, both so central to both the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and its adoption by the Continental Congress on July 2 by a vote, July 4 by drafting, in 1776 to then pass both 50 years to the day on July 4, 2026, with Adams passing saying: Jefferson lives, only to find out, in truth, Jefferson had passed.
These were two men who squabbled, two men who fought, and two men who had different views in terms of federalism but who came together in mutual respect for what they had accomplished and 50 years later pass on the same day, you cannot tell me, Mr. Speaker, that this Nation was not divinely inspired and divinely created.
As we sit here in our 250th birthday and that 200th anniversary of the passing of those two great men, my ask of all Americans and the leadership of this great Nation is that we put it all on the line to save that which was, in fact, divinely given to us.
God gave this to us and to the world. The people of the world who want to come here will not have a nation to come to if it is no longer a nation. We have a duty to protect it. It is, in fact, compassionate to protect this Nation for everyone in the world.
That is our calling for our next 250 years. That is why we are here. It is why I wish we were all here right now, in full-throated debate, just as they were in the Continental Congress, at its each other's throats until they finally got unanimity to adopt the Declaration and to take that vote and to pledge their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
