House of Representatives
Page H4211 · Official textThe House met at 10 a.m. and was called to order by the Speaker pro tempore (Mrs. Fischbach).
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Vol. 172, No. 106 · 119th Congress, 2nd session
Designation of Speaker Pro Tempore
Page H4211 · Official textThe SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following communication from the Speaker:
Text printed in the Record (180 characters)
Washington DC,
June 24, 2026.
I hereby appoint the Honorable Michelle Fischbach to act as Speaker pro tempore on this day.
Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Morning-Hour Debate
Page H4211 · Official textThe 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.
Recognizing Cheyenne Peterson
Page H4211 · Official text(Mr. Comer of Kentucky was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.)
Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding young Kentuckian from the First Congressional District, Cheyenne Peterson of Pembroke, an 11th grade student whose artwork was selected as a winner in the America 250 Student Art Contest.
Cheyenne's piece, titled 250 Years of Freedom, reflects a deep appreciation for our Nation's history and the blessings of liberty that generations of Americans have worked to preserve.
Through her talent and creativity, she has captured the spirit of patriotism and civic pride that defines the Commonwealth of Kentucky and communities across our Nation.
I am proud to represent Cheyenne and her family in Congress, and I am inspired by her commitment to honoring America's story through art.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Cheyenne Peterson on this remarkable achievement and wishing her continued success in all of her future endeavors.
Madam Speaker, I rise to implore our colleagues in the Senate to pass the SAVE Act.
We have passed this final bill here in the House several months ago, and it has been sitting in the Senate collecting dust. We in Congress have many ideological differences. The importance of a valid voter ID should not be one of those differences. After all, to enter the brand-new Obama Presidential Library, you are required to present a valid ID.
I am a Member of Congress, and, obviously, this is my workplace. Before I arrived yesterday, I had to show an ID at the TSA line at the Louisville airport, then show an ID to check in at a hotel, then show my ID to get through the barrier gate around the Capitol, and, finally, I had to show my ID to enter the Rayburn House Office Building.
Yet, there are Members of Congress who do not want to support a law to make it a requirement to show an ID to vote. Why?
I will tell you why I think it is. It is because they want to be able to cheat in elections. How? Perhaps by allowing people to vote who are not legal residents of the United States. That is a theory a lot of people have who support the SAVE Act.
Madam Speaker, that is wrong, and it is why many Americans have lost confidence in our electoral process.
My message to the U.S. Senate is to do their job and pass the SAVE Act.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of my friend, Sheriff Dale "Frog" Ford, a devoted public servant, respected law enforcement officer, and cherished member of the Monroe County community.
Sheriff Ford dedicated his life to serving and protecting the people of his hometown. For 48 years, he wore the badge with pride, integrity, and an unwavering sense of duty.
Over the course of his distinguished career, Sheriff Ford served the citizens of Tompkinsville as chief of police for 10 years and later as sheriff of Monroe County for 12 years. In every role he held, Sheriff Ford earned the trust and respect of those he served through his steady leadership, fairness, and deep commitment to the community.
I offer my sincerest condolences to his wife of 21 years, Ronda; his children, Kimberly, Chris, and Sean; his step-children, Shelby and Alex; and his eight grandchildren.
Sheriff Ford's service, courage, and leadership have set an example for future generations of law enforcement officers. With his passing, Monroe County lost a beloved and legendary figure who will never be forgotten.
Honoring the Life and Legacy of Christine Ashley Davis
Pages H4211–H4212 · Official text(Mr. Kennedy of New York was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.)
Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the remarkable life and legacy of Mother Christine Ashley Davis, affectionately known as Granny, who passed away on April 18, 2026, at the age of 99.
Born in Macon, Georgia, on September 4, 1926, to Adrian Ashley and Mamie Holliman, she built a life centered around compassion and service.
She brought those values to Buffalo in 1945, becoming a deeply respected leader in our community. Singing every Sunday in the choir at Calvary Baptist, dedicating herself to the missionary board at White Rock Baptist, and later becoming a beloved spiritual mother to multiple fellowships, she served God not only in word but in action.
Christine mentored generations of believers and brought that same devotion to her professional life, working for decades as a senior receptionist at several community centers across the region and also spending time with the Erie County Board of Elections.
Beyond her contributions to our great region, her greatest joy was her family. She and her late husband, Willie A. Davis, Sr., raised 12 wonderful children, laying the foundation for a remarkable family legacy that grew to include 38 grandchildren, 78 great-grandchildren, 12 great-great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-great-grandchildren.
Her family and friends will forever remember her radiant smile and the genuineness of her spirit. She was a woman who loved to dance and spend time with her friends, particularly playing cards with her loved ones, a pastime she enjoyed while wearing a backward baseball cap.
Mother Christine Ashley Davis showed us all how to live with immense kindness and respect for others.
On behalf of a grateful community and nation, I ask my colleagues to join me in offering sincere condolences to her family as they reflect and celebrate on her extraordinary life.
May Granny, Mother Christine Ashley Davis, rest in peace.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Willie Underwood III of Buffalo, New York, who was sworn in to serve as the 181st president of the American Medical Association on June 9, 2026.
A respected urological surgeon, public health expert, and advocate for equitable care, Dr. Underwood has spent over two decades serving patients in Buffalo and is the second urologist and third Black physician to serve as AMA president.
Dr. Underwood is a graduate of Morehouse College and earned his master's degrees from the State University of New York Upstate Medical University, and the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
Dr. Underwood completed medical training in general and urological surgery at The University of Connecticut Health Center and was one of the first five urologists to be admitted into the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program.
During his inaugural address as AMA president, Dr. Underwood reminded us that advocating for patients also means advocating for the physicians who care for them, ensuring they have the support, resources, and environment needed to meet the growing demands of this moment.
Dr. Underwood's leadership comes at a critical moment, as doctors and patients alike face rising costs, workforce shortages, and shrinking Federal support.
With Dr. Underwood at the helm, the AMA is in strong, steady hands, and I know that together we can build a healthcare system that works for both patients and providers.
Western New York is proud to call Dr. Willie Underwood III one of our own, and we are excited for the rest of the country to share in the benefits of his work.
On behalf of a grateful nation and community, I congratulate my good friend Dr. Willie Underwood.
Congratulating Aurora Guzman
Page H4212 · Official text(Ms. De La Cruz of Texas was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Ms. De La CRUZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Aurora Guzman from McAllen Memorial High School for being selected as a Texas Girls Coaches Association all-star player. A brilliant athlete and student, Aurora is known for her captivating energy on the court. Behind her success are years of hard work, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to her sport. Aurora has shown true leadership, helping to elevate the Lady Mustang basketball team while earning recognition as a premier player in the region. She not only represents McAllen Memorial, but she also represents the entire Rio Grande Valley and every young athlete who dreams of playing on the big stage. I thank Aurora for representing south Texas with pride. I congratulate her on this prestigious honor. We wish her the best of luck next month at the TGCA all-star game. Ms. De La CRUZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize McCreery Aviation on 80 years of exceptional service in south Texas. Founded in 1946 by J.F. "Mac" McCreery, the company began as a small flight school following World War II. What started as one aircraft has grown into a premier, full-service aviation provider at McAllen International Airport, serving aircraft owners and international travelers across the region. Today, under the leadership of Mac's son, Bob McCreery, the company reflects the strength of the family-owned business built on hard work and commitment. Through high-quality maintenance, pilot training, and support for international trade, McCreery Aviation continues to play a vital role in our community. Madam Speaker, I congratulate McCreery Aviation on eight decades of service. I wish them continued success for generations to come. Ms. De La CRUZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Alice ISD, the recipient of the 2026 Small School District title at the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards. This milestone highlights the exceptional leadership, vision, and dedication shaping the future of the Alice community. With this award comes $50,000 in grant money for student-centered upgrades across six campuses. These funds will bring new changes, from an outdoor science classroom and digital marquees to transforming the Schallert Elementary Library into a modern workspace. None of this would be possible without the dedicated administrators, teachers, and support staff who lift their students up. I congratulate the superintendent, Dr. Anysia Trevino, the Board of Trustees, and the entire Alice ISD community on this grand achievement.
Moment of Silence Honoring Life of Juniper Blessing
Pages H4212–H4213 · Official text(Ms. Leger Fernandez of New Mexico was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.)
Madam Speaker, New Mexico and Washington State rise today to honor the life of Juniper Blessing. Juniper was my constituent and attended the New Mexico School for the Arts High School.
There, Juniper's voice filled the air with hope, delight, passion, and, yes, sometimes angst. Madam Speaker, don't we all remember wondering who we are, wondering what our lives will look like beyond high school.
At that age, every joy shines brighter. Every fear cuts deeper. Every dream feels possible.
Juniper lived all of that and more. She was smart, funny, curious, energetic, and fiercely herself. She loved music, rainstorms, her dogs, her family, and the natural world.
She looked at the world with wonder and questions. She looked at Santa Fe's glorious thunder, lightning, and rainbows and said: I want to know more.
So she went to the University of Washington to study climate science and meteorology. She wanted to understand the mysteries of the atmosphere, the beauty and power of the world around us.
But for many, Juniper will always be remembered for her voice. She had the voice of an angel whose music filled classrooms, stages, and community gatherings. Her voice soared beyond the school walls and into the hearts of everyone who heard her.
I know that like so many parents, Craig and Monica Blessing sent Juniper off to college in Washington both proud and worried. They were proud because she was becoming exactly who she was meant to be, and they were worried because loving a child means carrying their hopes and dreams alongside your own.
Through it all, Juniper lived her life on her own terms with authenticity, courage, and joy. Her family describes her as pure love.
Friends remember reassuring hugs. They remember someone who noticed when others felt afraid, different, or alone. That kind of compassion leaves a mark that never disappears, and Juniper's voice will never be silent in our memories.
While we in Congress must address the senseless violence that took her from her grieving family and community, we must also honor the blessing that is Juniper. The tragedy of her death must not overshadow the beauty of her life.
We honor Juniper in the people's House so that her voice and her memory never fade.
I yield to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Jayapal).
I thank the gentlewoman for those beautiful words and also for sharing this moment of celebration of Juniper Blessing and her life.
I am so proud that Juniper Blessing was a constituent of mine as well as a college student at the University of Washington in Seattle.
She was deeply loved and respected for who she was. At just 19 years old, she had already made her mark, and the tragedy of her murder leaves an incredible sense of pain in our community.
Here on the House floor, we send our thoughts, our prayers, and our commitment to her family, friends, and our entire community that we will continue to honor Juniper's incredible life, spirit, and light.
Juniper's friends have described her immense warmth, kindness, and commitment to justice. An incredibly talented woman, she shared her joy with our community through the arts and her singing voice. She said that her participation at the University of Washington's production of "Considering Matthew Shepard," a musical response to the murder of a gay college student, was the most powerful thing she had ever been a part of.
She had a curiosity and love of planet and people that showed up in her choice of majors: atmospheric science specializing in meteorology and hurricane tracking with minors in both philosophy and music.
She was beloved on campus. Just a few weeks ago, the University of Washington community took part in an honor walk across campus carrying pieces of her memorial from Red Square to Mary Gates Hall where a new memorial will remain through September as a place for reflection and remembrance.
Let's honor Juniper's life and legacy to make this moment a rallying cry of love to all our transgender students at the University of Washington and across the country and a display of our strength and commitment that comes in times of tragedy to embrace even more tightly the right to freely and safely express who you are.
To the people at the University of Washington and my district and across the country, know that you are loved, and we will never stop fighting for the right for everyone to be who they are.
I now ask for a moment of silence to honor the incredible life of Juniper Blessing.
Honoring the Life of Joe Wade Ellis
Page H4213 · Official text(Mr. Miller of Ohio was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.)
Joe, if you are watching: I don't have my cell phone or keys in my pockets, but I rise today to honor the life of Joe Wade Ellis.
Born in Mississippi and raised in Alabama, Joe was a mentor, a friend, a patriot, and he was one hell of a man.
Joe recently passed away after an accident that occurred while supporting the United States delegation to the G7 meeting in France.
Joe, as I sit here in the office you helped me create, mold, and shape, I can only say how grateful I am to you.
When you and I first met, you were brought on to be my mentor in 2017 during the first Trump administration. My boss at the time wanted to let me go, probably not to anyone's surprise, but you saw something in me. You then told the White House how impressed you were with me, and then somehow I became the director of that office just 2 years later.
I have lost many people in my life but very few who cared about me the way that you did. You were my mentor and closest friend. You were with me through all the ups and downs. You were my rock like you were for so many others. You had a contagious personality. Everyone wanted to be around you, even if you may not have wanted to be around them, which could be often.
When I asked you to come out of retirement to be my chief of staff, I truly did not believe you would accept it, but when I won my race, you were there and simply responded: I am in. Let's talk tomorrow.
I knew you didn't want to take this job, but you did it for me. I knew that then, and I know it now. You said you would only stay for a year, but you stayed for the full term to make sure I won reelection, got reelected to steering, and got on Ways and Means.
That was because of you, Joe Ellis.
When my daughter was born, I had never seen you so excited for me to be a dad. You gave me invaluable advice that I will pass on to her as she grows older, and she will know where it came from.
I will miss our foreign trips together during the admin where you taught me everything I know about Advance. I will miss our time together as colleagues but even more as friends. It hurts when I call you and you are not on the other line.
You passed away doing what you loved. I know you are in a better place and that God has a plan for all of us. I just don't think you realized the impact you had on so many people during your time here on this Earth. That time was cut way too short, and I know you are watching and you are probably, you know, laughing a little bit as I am crying, but know how much I love you. Know the impact you had on me and other people, and I miss our time more than you can imagine.
Restore Back Bay Study
Pages H4213–H4214 · Official textThe SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gallagher)
The Chair recognizes the Member from Delaware (Representative McBride) for 5 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to start by thanking my colleagues who have spoken earlier in this speaking program for honoring individuals whose lives were cut tragically short, and I want to extend my condolences to all those who are mourning those who have been honored in this Chamber today.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share my disappointment at the rejection of my amendment to the Energy and Water Appropriations bill.
My amendment supported the continuation of the Back Bay study, a congressionally authorized effort to help Delaware better address the vulnerabilities facing our coastal communities.
Delaware is the lowest-lying State in the Nation. In Sussex County, farmers, small businesses, and families are already dealing with the consequences of rising sea levels, coastal flooding, and increasingly severe weather.
The Back Bay study, which began in November of 2022, has been providing valuable research needed to strengthen infrastructure and plan for the future.
But earlier this year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers terminated the study, citing an inability to "develop a scope and budget that is compliant."
In response, Senator Coons, Senator Blunt Rochester, and I called on the Army Corps to reinstate the study and provide a real explanation for walking away from this congressionally authorized effort.
Given their inaction, I filed my amendment. But the message from the majority party's leadership that has refused to even allow for a vote on my amendment is that research that supports the long-term safety of Delawareans in the face of rising sea levels is of no consequence to them.
I will keep working to restore the Back Bay study because Delawareans cannot afford for this study to simply be abandoned.
Mr. Speaker, this coming June 30, the Delaware's State legislature will convene for its final regular session day of the 153rd general assembly. With it, the State senate and statehouse will bid farewell to several retiring legislators, leaders with over a century in combined public service to our State of neighbors.
Representing constituencies across Delaware, spanning the partisan and ideological spectrum, I was proud to call these legislators colleagues during my 4 years in the general assembly. I had the chance to see their devotion to their constituents, and I will take a moment in this Chamber to celebrate their service.
In my old stomping grounds of the Delaware State Senate, my forever president pro-tempore, Senator David Sakola, is retiring after over 35 years in office. During that time, Dave has been a tireless champion of public education, environmental sustainability, and equality.
For the last 6 years as the President pro-tempore of the State senate, Dave led a caucus that raised the minimum wage, passed paid family and medical leave, advanced historic gun safety legislation, and protected vulnerable neighborhoods whose rights and freedoms have been anything but secure. I am proud to call Dave not only a former colleague but a friend and mentor.
Across the aisle, Senator Dave Lawson is retiring after 16 years representing western Kent County. A Vietnam veteran, retired Delaware State trooper, former volunteer with his local fire company, and a businessman, Dave has spent his life serving the Nation that he loves. He has paid it forward time and time again, fighting for those who put their lives on the line for all of us from veterans to first responders.
In the statehouse, my dear friend Deb Heffernan is retiring after 16 years representing the Sixth District. During her time in Dover, Deb has been an effective advocate for her neighbors delivering for teachers, families, caregivers, and people with disabilities. She has brought her expertise to defending our environment and investing in next-generation infrastructure in her district and across Delaware. During my time in the Delaware General Assembly, Deb and I teamed up often, including to lead the successful effort to pass paid family and medical leave statewide.
To my former colleagues who are also turning the page on this chapter of their service, Representatives Ron Gray, Rich Collins, Charles Postles, Jeff Hilovsky, and my friend Kevin Hensley, I thank each of them for their service on behalf of our neighbors across the First State.
From supporting small businesses to promoting financial literacy, protecting people with disabilities to fighting for farmers, they have worked across the political divide to champion causes on behalf of their constituents.
Mr. Speaker, in Delaware, public service is not defined by the title before your name nor the side of the aisle you sit on. It is defined by our capacity to deliver for our neighbors, working across difference to ensure government works for those it is meant to serve.
I thank my former colleagues and my friends in Leg Hall for their years of service to the greatest State in the history of the Union, and best wishes to a happy retirement.
Honoring Bill Grummons
Page H4214 · Official text(Mr. Baumgartner of Washington was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.)
Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor a dedicated member of the city of Spokane Fire Department, Mr. Bill Grummons.
Bill has been promoted to deputy chief of training and safety in the department. As deputy chief, Bill will oversee and support members of the department in their training to help them become better prepared for the challenges of the fire service.
Bill's collaborative leadership style and commitment to improvement within the department will benefit both personnel and the community greatly.
Bill joined the Spokane Fire Department in February 2012. During his career, he served as a firefighter at Station 4, lieutenant at Station 1, captain in staffing at Station 18, and battalion chief of the south battalion.
With the increased risk of wildfires in eastern Washington, it is a good reminder that it is brave and talented men and women, like Bill, that we need in charge.
With his years of experience and commitment to the department, I have no doubt he will do incredible things to strengthen the Spokane Fire Department and help take care of our wonderful community.
Please join me in congratulating Bill Grummons on this well-deserved promotion and wishing him nothing but continued success in his new role.
Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to share the wonderful news that Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, is launching a new bachelor of science in nursing program to strengthen care and address critical nursing shortages across the Northwest.
The school is set to launch in the fall of 2027. This 4-year BSN program reflects Whitworth's commitment to addressing the growing demand for highly trained nurses across the Pacific Northwest. This program is designed to expand access to high-quality nursing education while preparing graduates to serve in hospitals, clinics, and community health centers.
The BSN program will be housed in Hawthorne Hall, which is being transformed into a dedicated 22,500-square-foot nursing education facility. The space will feature state-of-the-art simulation and skill labs designed to prepare students for real-world healthcare environments.
I commend Whitworth University for launching its new nursing program, a significant step toward addressing the growing demand for healthcare professionals in the Northwest.
This investment will create new pathways for students, support our hospitals and clinics, and help ensure families across the region have access to high-quality care for years.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of a dear friend, a great patriot, and a wonderful citizen of eastern Washington, Mrs. Frankie DeWitt.
Frankie was an extraordinary woman whose kindness, strength, and unwavering commitment to others and to public service touched countless lives across our community.
Frankie was born in Oregon. With her father, a civil engineer, she traveled extensively throughout her childhood, living in Okinawa, Afghanistan, and Iran. It helped shape her lifelong approach to seeing people as they were and treating everyone with dignity and grace.
Frankie was a dedicated volunteer in the arts and at her church, and she spent 50 years involved in local conservative and Republican politics.
Frankie served as State committeewoman, GOP chair in Yakima, and northeast chair for the Washington Federation of Republican Women. She worked tirelessly to strengthen our party, support candidates, and encourage civic engagement across eastern Washington.
When I first ran for office in 2010 for the State senate, Frankie was a member of my campaign's brain trust. Her wise advice and sometimes critical guidance, always delivered with kindness, were essential to our success. I specifically remember Frankie telling me not to ride in cars in parades but to get out and shake hands with the public.
As I have continued my political career, Frankie's influence has remained with me. The values she lived by--service, compassion, and commitment to others--continue to serve as a reminder of why we do this work.
Frankie is now reunited with her beloved late husband, Tom. She leaves behind three wonderful children and seven granddaughters. Her memory remains a blessing, and her legacy lives on for the countless lives she touched.
As we celebrate these 250 years of our wonderful America, it reminds me that it is civically minded people like Frankie DeWitt who continue to keep this wonderful Republic.
Recognizing Cupcake Cutie Boutique
Pages H4214–H4215 · Official text(Mr. Latimer of New York was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.)
Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to celebrate the Cupcake Cutie Boutique, a Mount Vernon establishment built on family, faith, and Black excellence.
The founders are a mother-daughter duo who opened their small business over 10 years ago. The pair faced challenges familiar to many small business owners, including the pandemic, in which they never stopped serving the community.
We salute Montika Jones and her daughter, Miesha Stokely, the baker, for this wonderful business.
Due to the current administration's policies, small businesses everywhere are struggling amidst rising tariffs, energy costs, and economic fallout. As a member of the Small Business Committee, it is important to me that small businesses get the proper support and respect that they deserve.
We should support women-owned businesses and African-American-owned businesses. A mother-daughter team, like Cupcake Cutie Boutique, must continue to thrive alongside all the wonderful small businesses in our community. That is how we achieve economic growth for all.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today during Alzheimer's Awareness Month to call my colleagues to action in confronting this devastating disease.
I have met with representatives from the Alzheimer's Association to discuss their legislative priorities and how advocates can draw attention to this disease. In these meetings, we spoke about the importance of early detection and proper screenings.
The ASAP Act, bipartisan legislation, does just this by providing Medicare coverage for blood-based dementia screening tests.
Our need for action comes when the current Presidential administration denies basic science and proposes cuts to and constraints on key research institutions, such as the NIH.
One in nine Americans over the age of 65 are diagnosed with Alzheimer's. They deserve more. They cannot afford cuts to research that can lead to curing this horrible disease.
Mr. Speaker, it is that time of year when summer break starts and families across the country embark on family trips.
The rising costs of fuel, food, and basic necessities are making it difficult to take on any expenses beyond their basic needs. The average national gas prices remained at and above $4 since the start of the war with Iran. Families are already absorbing the rising costs of utility bills and increased healthcare premiums. Many families cannot handle an extra expense for a vacation.
Airlines are reducing their flight schedules; travel demand is decreasing; and international tourism into the United States is dropping rapidly.
Sadly, this administration demonstrates that it does not care about the cost of living when I hear President Trump say: "I love the inflation."
My hope is for my fellow Americans to have the opportunity to make new memories with their families without having to make concessions due to rising costs around every corner. This is a priority that we must address.
Honoring Loyd Ardrey
Page H4215 · Official text(Mr. Norman of South Carolina was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.)
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Loyd Ardrey of South Carolina. Loyd was renowned throughout Rock Hill as a central part of the community and was deeply beloved by all those who encountered him.
Loyd grew up in Rock Hill and attended Winthrop Training School before graduating from Rock Hill High School. He attended Spartanburg Junior College and then served our great Nation in the United States National Guard.
After his time of service, Loyd returned home to work in the printing industry with his father at Record Printing. He was successful in the printing business, eventually opening his own company, Regal Graphics, where he worked for many years.
It was in 2003 that Loyd first established Ebenezer Grill. Under his leadership, The Grill, as it was known, quickly became a famous establishment in both Rock Hill and the entire State.
Loyd was known as the owner of the best hot dog and barbecue place in town, and The Grill became a household name. Under his direction, the restaurant attracted customers from all over with its incredible food, low prices, and welcoming atmosphere.
Loyd himself was the magic behind it all, welcoming anyone, with the utmost generosity and kindness. Whether it was young people, businesspeople, or construction workers, he was a true friend to all.
Loyd was also a quiet philanthropist. Ever humble, he quietly supported Dorothy Day Soup Kitchen, Haven Men's Shelter, and many other important causes throughout the community. He would annually host a hot dog-eating contest on the Fourth of July, where all the proceeds went to charity.
Loyd was a man of deep faith. He faithfully attended Westminster Presbyterian Church and was committed to the Sunday school community there.
Mr. Loyd Ardrey passed away on May 15 of this year at the age of 77. Since his passing, hundreds have spoken about the deep impact he made on their lives. His legacy is truly undeniable.
I am honored to recognize Mr. Loyd Ardrey for a life that was well lived.
Celebrating Immigrant Heritage Month
Pages H4215–H4216 · Official text(Ms. Barragan of California was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.)
Mr. Speaker, it is Immigrant Heritage Month. This month, we celebrate what millions of Americans have been cheering: The remarkable success of the United States men's national soccer team at the World Cup.
Across our country, families have gathered in living rooms and restaurants to watch Team USA compete on the world's biggest stage.
As our national team inspires our country, the Trump administration has chosen a different message. Just days ago, the Department of Homeland Security posted social media messages featuring members of Team USA alongside slogans such as "Defend the Homeland" and "Built the Wall."
Think about that irony. The administration pushed anti-immigrant messaging by using the very images of a team whose success shows the very value of immigration.
Many of the players on Team USA are immigrants or are children of immigrants. Several players were born outside the United States or hold dual citizenship. Their stories span continents, cultures, and generations.
This is not a weakness of America. That is America. One of our team's star scorers, Folarin Balogun, is a perfect example. He was born in Brooklyn while his Nigerian parents were temporarily living in New York. Under the Constitution of the United States, he became an American citizen at birth. Today, he wears our Nation's jersey. He scores goals for our country.
Yet, the same administration celebrating our players is trying to end birthright citizenship, the very principle that made Balogun an American in the first place.
Now, this issue extends far beyond soccer. The Trump administration has pursued policies that make it harder for people to come here legally, harder for families to reunite, harder for refugees to find safety, and harder for talented students and workers to build their futures in our country.
Across the country, communities continue to experience ruthless immigration enforcement actions that separate families, create fear, and leave children wondering whether a parent will come home at the end of the day.
We should ask ourselves simple questions: Who are we losing? Who never gets the chance?
Maybe it is the next star striker who would score the winning goal for Team USA.
Maybe it is the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who would discover a cure for a devastating disease, like Katalin Kariko, who immigrated from Hungary to the United States for a postdoctoral fellowship. Her research made the COVID-19 vaccine possible.
Maybe it is Omar Yaghi, an immigrant born to a Palestinian refugee family living in Jordan, who immigrated to the United States at 15. Professor Yaghi, of UC Berkeley, received a Nobel Prize in chemistry last year.
Maybe it is the entrepreneur who would launch the next great American company, like Sergey Brin, a Soviet Union refugee at age 6. Sergey went on to cofound Google.
History teaches us that immigrants have helped build every chapter of America's success. That has driven innovation in medicine, science, technology, and industry.
That is why Immigrant Heritage Month matters. It is a reminder that our diversity is not something to fear. It is one of our greatest competitive advantages. We should not be turning our backs on the very people who help make America more dynamic.
The lesson of Team USA is that America succeeds because, generation after generation, people from around the world have come here, contributed here, and become part of our national story.
That story is still being written.
During Immigrant Heritage Month, let us reject division, and let us embrace an immigration system worthy of the Nation we aspire to be, a nation wise enough to recognize that immigrants are not a threat to America's future. They are helping to build it.
Recognizing National Boys & Girls Club Week
Page H4216 · Official text(Mr. Yakym of Indiana was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.)
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Boys & Girls Club Week and celebrate the incredible impact the Boys & Girls Clubs have on young people across our country.
Before coming to Congress, I had the privilege of serving as board chair of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Indiana. Through that experience, I saw firsthand how these clubs do things like taking care of young people, how they change lives, how they create opportunities, and how they mentor our young people and the future generations.
When I came to Congress, I knew I wanted to continue to support their mission. That is why I was proud to introduce a bipartisan resolution last night honoring the National Boys & Girls Club Week with my friends, Representatives Scholten and Fitzpatrick.
Each year Boys & Girls Clubs serve more than 4 million young people nationwide, including over 180,000 Hoosiers. Through career readiness programs, these clubs help prepare the next generation for success in school, work, and life.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Americans to recognize the dedicated staff, volunteers, and supporters who work tirelessly to build great futures for millions of young people. I also urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution and celebrating National Boys & Girls Club Week.
Honoring Deputy Jon Samuelson of LaPorte County Sheriff's Department
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a hero from Indiana's Second Congressional District, Deputy Jon Samuelson of the LaPorte County Sheriff's Office.
On May 22, Deputy Samuelson did what good people do: He stopped to help a stranger stranded on the side of the road and drove him to the hospital. That act of decency nearly cost him his life, but before it did, he saved someone else's life.
What began as kindness quickly escalated into a violent confrontation. Before the suspect opened fire, Deputy Samuelson intervened. He deflected the weapon away from a nurse who was directly in the line of fire. That nurse told investigators that Jon saved his life.
That is the definition of sacrifice and service.
There is a thin blue line, and it is a dangerous line, that separates chaos from civilization. Most of us will never see that line. However, men and women like Deputy Samuelson stand on it every single day so the rest of us don't have to.
Jon comes from four generations of law enforcement in LaPorte County. He knew what the badge demanded, and he chose it anyway.
To his wife, Quinn: We stand with you as Jon recovers.
May God continue to have His healing hand on Jon.
Affordable Housing Legislation Held Hostage
Page H4216 · Official text(Ms. Pettersen of Colorado was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.)
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate what the House and Senate were able to do with passing the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.
Across Colorado, families are being squeezed by the skyrocketing cost of housing. Whether it is in the suburbs or our rural communities, there are simply not enough homes.
In Colorado alone, we are short 100,000 units, and that is driving up costs for all of us. We know that owning a home is one of the most important pathways to economic opportunity, stability, and generational wealth. It has also been a cornerstone of the American Dream. Yet, it has never been further out of reach.
Housing affordability is the number one issue that I hear from constituents. It is their greatest pain point. Young families are losing hope that they will ever be able to buy their first home. Seniors looking to downsize have nowhere to go. Teachers, nurses, and firefighters are being pushed out of the communities they serve, and the people who have lived there their entire lives are being forced to move because they can no longer afford to live in the place where they grew up.
That is why addressing the housing crisis has been a top priority for me in Congress and why I am so proud that three of my bills have been included in this package.
Like all significant issues facing this country, this is going to take an all-hands-on-deck approach. This bill does not address all of the problems that we are facing, but I am so proud that we were able to come together to boost the housing supply, remove barriers to construction, and expand access to homes families can afford.
While this was supposed to have been a moment of bipartisanship and celebration, right before coming up here, I was notified that the President has canceled the bill signing. He is holding hostage the most important piece of legislation we have brought for housing in 30 years. He is holding it hostage until he forces through his voter suppression bill that would disenfranchise millions of Americans, especially women who have changed their name after being married.
I am truly appalled. I should expect really nothing from this President, but I am absolutely shocked by his actions. President Trump has said that nobody gives an f about housing, and he has reminded us, once again, that he absolutely does not. This is about consolidating power for President Trump. Everything that he does is about him and has nothing to do with you.
It is just absolutely shameful.
Congratulating Schiefelbein Family, Meeker County's 2026 Farm Family of the Year
Pages H4216–H4217 · Official text(Mrs. Fischbach of Minnesota was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.)
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Schiefelbein family on being the Meeker County 2026 Farm Family of the Year.
Big Frank and Frosty began this family legacy in 1955. I had the honor to know them both and call many, many members of this wonderful family friends. It is truly a family farm with so many members of the family actively working on the farm. The Schiefelbein farm sells about 500 head of cattle and calve about 1,000 registered Angus cows annually. They also operate a feeder calf operation where they feed over 30,000 calves across the U.S.
Their outstanding production of cattle and cows across the U.S. is no small feat. The Schiefelbein family's dedication to their farm shows just how Minnesotans are feeding America.
Once again, Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the Schiefelbein family.
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Congratulating Dr. Darrell Carter of Granite Falls, Minnesota
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Darrell Carter of Granite Falls, Minnesota, on receiving the National Rural Health Association's 2026 Outstanding Educator Award.
For over 50 years, Dr. Carter has served as a cornerstone of rural medicine in Avera Granite Falls Health Center, but his impact goes far beyond the local community. In 1993 he cofounded the Comprehensive Advanced Life Support Program. Today, nearly all of Minnesota's designated trauma hospitals rely on the CALS Program to train medical personnel for life-threatening emergencies.
Dr. Carter's decades of clinical excellence, innovation, and educational leadership have saved countless lives and transformed emergency care across rural America.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Dr. Carter for 54 years of dedicated service to his community.
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Celebrating Enoch Horton, Finalist for NASA'S HUNCH Program
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Enoch Horton, a rising senior at Wadena-Deer Creek High School, who recently represented Minnesota on the national stage.
Enoch became his school's first finalist for the prestigious NASA HUNCH program. Out of thousands of students across 34 States, Enoch advanced to the final design reviews at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Enoch designed and presented an AI-powered satellite project aimed at improving orbital sustainability and expanding access to space research.
Enoch's achievement is a testament to his hard work and ingenuity. He has proven that big ideas and groundbreaking innovation can come from any corner of our great Nation.
Congratulations to Enoch on a remarkable achievement.
Celebrating Soo Hak Kwon's High School Graduation
Page H4217 · Official text(Mr. Cisneros of California was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.)
Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. (D-CA)
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and uplift a major milestone achieved by an outstanding member of California's 31st Congressional District.
Congratulations to Soo Hak Kwon for graduating high school at the young age of 91 years old. Soo was a Korean-American businessowner who immigrated to Los Angeles in 1972 and moved to La Puente with his family in 1980.
He always enjoyed learning but never had the time to start taking classes because he was busy raising his family and operating a local TV repair and wig shop.
That all changed when he enrolled at Bassett Adult School 5 years ago. Last week, he received his high school diploma in his cap and gown. His teachers say Soo has a kind, warm presence that makes other students feel welcome, and he lit up every classroom he walked into.
Soo is an inspiration to our community, and he should be so proud of himself. He has reminded us all that education truly is a lifelong process.
Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. (D-CA)
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the Glendora High School baseball team on pulling off an incredible comeback victory in the Division III regional championship.
Mr. Speaker, it takes grit, determination, and focus to pull off an upset win when the cards are stacked against you, and that is exactly what they demonstrated.
It is an incredible feat to win eight straight playoff games in a row. They accomplished that through teamwork and dedication to athletic excellence.
What a perfect way to cap off a great season. I congratulate them on winning a CIF championship.
Mr. Speaker, I hope they enjoy their win and know that our entire district is so proud of their accomplishment.
Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. (D-CA)
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with grave concern about disturbing actions taken by our country's leadership.
The Trump administration has announced plans to move the office of overseeing special education services out of the Department of Education.
With this development, the Department of Education has hollowed itself out by delegating the vast majority of its functions to other agencies.
The President is so determined to dismantle our education systems that he is willing to put millions of students at risk and completely abandon our children with disabilities.
As a proud champion for students with special needs, I am horrified that this decision will undermine accountability and disrupt communication for families and school officials who need help.
We should be investing in and expanding special needs programs across the country so that all children can get the support they need and the education they deserve.
Instead, this administration has made the cruel decision to shut our most vulnerable students out from the programs that they rely on. This is a reprehensible action from a corrupt administration. I will do everything in my power to oppose this shameful decision and protect our disabled students' rights.
Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. (D-CA)
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges this week, the landmark Supreme Court decision that affirmed marriage equality as law of the land over a decade ago.
We honor this anniversary every year during Pride Month by remembering the activists, couples, and lawmakers who had the courage to fight for their right to love whom they love in the face of hate, discrimination, and injustice. Their relentless advocacy and conviction paved the way for marriage equality.
I am so grateful to live in a world where every LGBTQ+ individual who calls California's 31st District their home has the right to marriage.
I will always fight to protect their right to equality and to live freely and happily as their most authentic self.
Wishing Police Chief Robert Noble of Yorktown Police Department a Happy Retirement
Pages H4217–H4218 · Official text(Mr. Lawler of New York was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.)
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and congratulate Yorktown Police Chief Robert Noble on his retirement after more than three decades of public service.
Chief Noble's career has been defined by commitment, sacrifice, and an unwavering sense of duty. For more than 30 years in law enforcement, including nearly a decade as chief, he led the Yorktown Police Department with professionalism and steady leadership.
For Chief Noble, policing was never simply a job, it was a vocation. He described the department as a second family and fostered a culture of trust, respect, and community engagement.
Throughout his tenure, he strengthened community policing initiatives, expanded school-based programs, and guided the department through the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging moments, including the loss of an officer.
Beyond his accomplishments, Chief Noble will be remembered for his integrity, his leadership, and his dedication to keeping Yorktown safe.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Bobby, his family, and the entire Yorktown Police Department. I extend my deepest gratitude for his decades of service. May his retirement be filled with some well-earned rest and time with his loved ones.
Michael Lawler (R-NY)11:00 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Carmine Caponigro, a distinguished oral surgeon, veteran, educator, and devoted family man who passed away earlier this month.
A native New Yorker, Carmine was born in Brooklyn and raised in the Bronx, where he embodied the American Dream. As the first in his family to attend college, he earned degrees from Fordham University and New York University College of Dentistry before proudly serving our Nation in the United States Army.
After his military service, he made Rockland County his home, where he built a respected oral surgery practice, served as chief of dental service at Good Samaritan Hospital, and helped educate future dental professionals. His commitment to excellence earned him the Sister Joseph Rita Good Samaritan Award for Medical Excellence.
Beyond his many professional accomplishments, Carmine will be remembered most for his kindness, humility, sharp intellect, and deep love for his family. He valued service, lifelong learning, and treating every person with dignity and respect.
His beloved wife of 72 years, Lydia, his children, and the entire Caponigro family are in our thoughts and prayers.
Mr. Speaker, may God bless Carmine's memory and may his legacy continue to inspire generations to come.
Michael Lawler (R-NY)11:00 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great New Yorker, Bill Ritter, whose decades of work in broadcast journalism have earned him the respect and admiration of viewers across our region. As he and his family face his recent diagnosis of early-stage Alzheimer's disease, I join countless New Yorkers in offering my prayers, support, and deep gratitude for all he has given to our communities.
For decades, Bill has been a trusted presence in New York homes. As the longtime anchor of WABC's Eyewitness News, he built a career defined by integrity, thoughtful storytelling, and an unwavering commitment to keeping the public informed.
Throughout my time in Congress, I have had the opportunity to join Bill on his program where every conversation reflected his fairness, professionalism, and respect for others. Even as he steps away from the anchor desk, Bill continues to lead with courage and purpose by raising awareness about Alzheimer's disease and helping families facing the same journey.
Mr. Speaker, Bill; his wife, Kathleen; his children; and his entire family are in our thoughts and prayers. We are deeply grateful for Bill's decades of service, his friendship, and his voice in our public life.
Mr. Speaker, may God bless Bill and his family, and may He grant him strength, peace, and comfort in the days ahead as he sets out to battle Alzheimer's.
Michael Lawler (R-NY)11:00 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a truly inspiring young New Yorker from Somers, 5-year-old Watson Padovani, who is showing all of us that you are never too young to make a difference in your community.
Earlier this June, Watson held his third annual lemonade stand outside of Bobo's Cafe in Somers, raising more than $2,000 for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, which supports children and families battling childhood cancer. What began as a simple act of kindness has now become a growing tradition of compassion and service.
The Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation was inspired by the legacy of young Alex Scott, who began raising money with a simple lemonade stand in her fight against childhood cancer.
Today, Watson is helping carry that mission forward, one that has raised millions for pediatric cancer research and brought hope to countless families across the country.
Mr. Speaker, to Watson and his family and the entire Somers community that came together to support this effort, I thank them for setting such a powerful example of kindness, generosity, and community spirit.
Michael Lawler (R-NY)11:00 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of the Hudson Valley's most historic landmarks, the '76 House in Tappan, New York.
Established in 1686 and expanded in 1755, it is widely known as America's oldest tavern. Mr. Speaker, '76 House stood at the center of a growing community.
On July 4, 1774, local leaders gathered to draft and sign the resolutions of Orangetown, one of the first declarations of independence in American history, helping to lay the foundation for the freedoms we celebrate today.
During the Revolutionary War, '76 House welcomed some of the most important figures in our Nation's founding, including George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Marquis de Lafayette. It also played a role in a pivotal moment of the war, including the trial of Major John Andre, a turning point that reshaped the course of the Revolution.
Today, it remains a living piece of American history, offering a direct connection to the people and events that defined our independence and reflecting the enduring spirit of freedom in the Hudson Valley. As we celebrate America's 250th birthday, I am proud to recognize the Old '76 House's legacy and its role in preserving our Nation's story for generations to come.
Honoring Mikhail Torrance
Pages H4218–H4219 · Official text(Mr. Figures of Alabama was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.)
Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to pay honor and tribute to one of the best that my hometown has ever had to offer: Mikhail Torrance.
An incredible young man, who tragically and suddenly passed away last week at the age of just 37 years old. He was a young man whose passing has unleashed a tidal wave of shock and disbelief and raw grief and emotion back home.
I am from Mobile, Alabama. It is the same hometown as Mikhail. It is a place that has produced arguably the best historical collection of athletic talent of almost any city in this country. We have had a number one pick in an NBA draft, an NFL draft, dozens of professional ballplayers, dozens of NCAA champions, NBA, Super Bowl, World Series champions, and six pro sports Hall of Famers, and that number will grow. In fact, just last night, we further added to that legacy with the first round draft pick in the NBA of Labaron Philon, Jr.
Saying someone is among the best to come from my hometown in any sport is not something that can be said lightly at all, but it is something that can honestly be said about Mikhail.
I am a few years older than Mikhail, so I was already in college at the University of Alabama when he was coming up through Mary G. Montgomery High School, but I remember when I found out that the University of Florida was recruiting him. It really surprised me because I had not heard of him much before that point. This is at a time when Florida was in the midst of winning back-to-back national championships, and so I called his high school coach, John Davis, who happened to be one of my high school coaches at LeFlore, and I asked him was this kid really that good. Without hesitation, and with the grin that a coach has when he knows he has a workhorse on his team, he said: Yeah, he is. But he also said: But he is a really good kid.
Mikhail ended up coming out as a top recruit in the State of Alabama, ended up going to the University of Alabama where he did everything that was asked of him. He did it the right way. Every single year, he got better. He waited his turn, and by the time he came out, he was an all-conference player, excelled in the predraft process, and by all accounts was headed to the NBA.
But he had a heart condition that was discovered and it cost him his shot at playing in the league. Imagine that, being 21 years old and on the pathway to fulfilling a childhood dream and having done everything the right way. This kid didn't have so much as a rumor of a blemish on his character or his reputation, and then that dream was suddenly taken away because of a medical condition. It was tough for him, but he pivoted.
He was able to ultimately play proball overseas for a few years before returning home to Alabama to his wife, Jessica, and their two girls, Maci and McKenna, ages 11 and 7. He worked at the Army Corps of Engineers and in real estate, but he still stayed close to the game that he loved so much through coaching and training kids and hosting camps and refereeing local basketball games, even doing play-by-play announcing of televised college games and also doing motivational speaking, giving his testimony, sharing his pain, his struggle, his journey to inspire younger guys to continue to persevere and be better, even better than he was.
As we know, life isn't always fair, and horrible things happen. Now, we sit here in this seemingly unreal moment, and his wife and kids suddenly find themselves in a club that no one wants to be a part of. Unfortunately, I, too, am a member of that club. Coincidentally, just like his daughters, I was 11 when my father suddenly passed, and my younger brother was 7. Having been in those shoes, I can tell you that as much as it sucks being in that club, you ironically end up in another club that a lot of people actually aspire to be in, and that is the club of having a father or a husband whose life will be remembered and talked about for years to come because he lived with such a passion and dedication and was truly loved and respected by many, many people.
One day, as kids in that club do, his girls will research their dad. They will look him up. They will see the articles about his games and his stats and the clips of his highlights and read about his accomplishments. They will see the articles about his career being cut short. They will see the articles and the news stories covering his untimely death.
However, buried in that research, it is my hope that they will find mention of his name in the Congressional Record, perhaps even see this speech, and know that their father lived a life that was worthy of tribute and honor on the House floor of the United States Capitol in the same room where Presidents speak, where heads of State speak, where we recently just hosted the King of England, because he deserved that.
To Mikhail's parents, you raised a hell of a young man. To Jessica and the girls, our hearts go out to you and know that thousands of people are here to support you all. To Mikhail, on behalf of a grateful city and from a fan, I thank him for the example that he set for the city of Mobile, for representing us well, and being amongst the best that Mobile has ever had to offer this world. You made us proud, boy. You really made us proud.
Congressional Oversight
Page H4219 · Official text(Ms. Mejia of New Jersey was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.)
Mr. Speaker, today, I rise with a complaint.
A few days ago, while my colleagues in the New Jersey delegation and I attempted to carry out our oversight responsibilities at Delaney Hall, we found ourselves blocked by ICE and its contractor, GEO Group.
While we can debate the abhorrent actions of this administration toward immigrants and Americans alike, what we should not debate is our right to carry out our duties on behalf of the American people.
The bottom line is, Members of this governing body have a duty to oversee all aspects of our government and its entities. We have a duty to ask hard questions and challenge injustice, even when it is carried out by our own government.
I have walked the halls of Delaney and Elizabeth Detention Centers. My account of medical abuse and neglect have been direct and truthful. Every American should be concerned about what Members of our delegation have relayed. They should be concerned of the persecution of one of our own Members, and they should demand that oversight continues.
Today, the rights at risk are those on the margins, but ultimately injustice can and will come for us all.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in a moment in which our Nation both celebrates its first founding while simultaneously forces within it attack the essence of its second.
As we reflect on our Nation's 250th anniversary, I pause to recognize the democratic values hardwired into the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, amendments that defined the American freedoms we fight to preserve and restore today.
Ratified on July 9, 1868, and debated in this very Chamber, the 14th Amendment is one of the most transformative amendments in American history. It fundamentally expanded who counts in American democracy and established the principle that everyone born in these United States belongs here and deserves equal protection under the law.
The word "transformative," in fact, falls short. Because of the 14th Amendment, individuals who walked these hallowed Halls were able to fight for marriage equality, bodily autonomy, equal access to public education, public housing, the right to form a union, collectively bargain, and much, much more.
To put it simply, for more than 150 years, the 14th Amendment has undergirded much of what we fight to enact and strive to defend in this Hall.
Those protections have been under attack since their inception, but in recent years, these attacks have escalated, stripping some protections from the hands of our fellow Americans.
This is why I rise at this moment, to remind my colleagues and fellow Americans about what is truly at stake. Those privileged and blessed to represent our fellow Americans have a special charge in this moment. I take that charge seriously, with a commitment to protect our freedoms today and for those who will come after us, generations to come.
Choosing Peace, Human Dignity, and Children of the World
Pages H4219–H4220 · Official text(Ms. Stansbury of New Mexico was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.)
Mr. Speaker, as we sit here in the people's House, millions of children in the Middle East are living in fear, trauma, and danger. That fear has only intensified as the President has waged an illegal war in Iran, with hundreds of schoolchildren killed, thousands of civilians lost, and bombs still dropping in Lebanon as entire communities have been reduced to rubble.
The President is seemingly no closer to ending the war he unleashed and, instead, is obsessing about golden ballrooms, grand arches, and algae-infested pools while asking this body for an unprecedented $1.5 billion for more weapons and military spending to wage this war and a State Department and foreign affairs budget that continues devastating cuts to the lifesaving programs of USAID that have directly contributed to the loss of food, medicine, and critical lifesaving aid across the world, with completely preventable deaths for thousands of children.
This is a moral moment for America. Will we stand up and say stop this war and reinvest in our humanitarian missions? Will we speak up against injustice and suffering? Will we remain silent?
Last night, the Senate finally passed our War Powers Resolution to end the war in Iran, sending a clear message that it is time to end this illegal war.
Today, I stand here on the floor to offer amendments to the foreign affairs budget to restore funding for critical aid, food, and resources for the children of the Middle East, and particularly for Gaza. They have faced unimaginable suffering over the last several years.
Just yesterday, a U.N. commission reported on the deliberate targeting and killing of Palestinian children in Gaza and the West Bank as part of a deliberate strategy to destroy future Palestinian communities. We cannot turn a blind eye to these crimes.
We must stand up as the branch of government by the people and for the people. We must be a voice for right and wrong, a moral conscience for this country and for our people.
Back home, my constituents are calling my office daily to ask for an end to this conflict and the suffering, and to choose a different path for this country, a path that invests in our people in communities and the children of this planet; a path that ends the violence and the killing in the Middle East, Gaza, and the West Bank; and a path that ends the destruction of communities, schools, hospitals, roads, and water systems that have devastated millions.
Mr. Speaker, it has been catastrophic. Whether it is funding in this bill, another military spending bill from the White House, or the NDAA, Congress cannot remain silent. Congress cannot remain complicit. Congress cannot fund this violence, especially when the greatest burden has fallen on children.
Children have watched their parents, siblings, and classmates die and are waking up every day, wondering where their next meal will come from and whether they will survive the night. No child should inherit a future defined by violence and despair, and certainly not funded by the taxpayers of the American people.
If Americans are serious about building a safer and more stable world, we must invest in the people who have been impacted most by these conflicts abroad.
That is why I am offering these amendments to restore humanitarian aid to the children of Gaza, invest in schools and healthcare for moms and children, combat malnutrition, reunite families, and provide shelter for those who have lost their homes. Children should not pay the price for violence and a war they did not start.
I urge my colleagues today to stand up in this moral moment to support these amendments and reverse course as a nation; recognize that America's strength comes not from its military might but from our moral leadership; and vote for a future where children have the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.
Mr. Speaker, I can say that I have made my choice. I choose peace, human dignity, and the children of the world, and I hope my colleagues will join me.
Recess
Page H4220 · Official textThe SPEAKER pro tempore
Pursuant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the Chair declares the House in recess until noon today.
Accordingly (at 11 o'clock and 20 minutes a.m.), the House stood in recess.
After Recess
Page H4220 · Official textThe recess having expired, the House was called to order by the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Bost) at noon.
Prayer
Page H4220 · Official textThe Chaplain, the Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben, offered the following prayer: Holy Lord, You have called us to You and chosen us as Your own. You have spoken to us through Your word and having heard Your voice, may we respond to You with our whole selves. May every aspect of our being reflect a deep desire to live into the grace You have shown us, a grace that has led us to this place to serve this Nation at this time in its history. May the work we do to govern and lead this country be established in Your divine guidance and sustained by our faith in You. May even the little things that seem inconsequential and yet are essential to the success of our efforts be prompted by our love for You. May our endurance through the monumental and the mundane be inspired and upheld by the hope that is found only in You. God, the author, redeemer, and sustainer of our lives, we entrust the living of this day to Your keeping. In Your enduring name we pray. Amen.
The Journal
Page H4220 · Official textThe SPEAKER pro tempore
The Chair has examined the Journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the House the approval thereof.
Pursuant to clause 1 of rule I, the Journal stands approved.
Pledge of Allegiance
Page H4220 · Official textThe SPEAKER pro tempore
Will the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) come forward and lead the House in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina led the Pledge of Allegiance as follows:
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I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore
Page H4220 · Official textThe SPEAKER pro tempore
The Chair will entertain up to 15 requests for 1-minute speeches on each side of the aisle.
Republicans Exposing Fraud
Page H4220 · Official text(Mr. WILSON of South Carolina asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, fraud diverts programs meant for families, seniors, children, veterans, and small businesses. It rewards criminals who know the government will often pay first and ask questions later.
House Republicans have passed legislation, including the Fraud Prevention Accountability Act, led by our Speaker Mike Johnson to help agencies verify eligibility, share information, and stop suspicious payments before the money is distributed.
House Republicans are exposing fraud by investigating programs, recovering stolen dollars, and giving whistleblowers a voice.
In conclusion, God bless our troops as the global war on terrorism continues. Trump is reinstituting peace through strength, revealing war criminal Putin lies, insulting Trump and mocking Trump, intentionally murdering Ukrainian civilians while destroying churches.
Congratulations Attorney General Alan Wilson with a 69 percent Republican primary victory yesterday for Governor of South Carolina. I appreciate the endorsement of Donald Trump, Nancy Mace, and Ralph Norman.
I extend my sympathy on the passing of Commissioner Jo Anne Whitehead, the beloved wife of Chairman Lyman Whitehead of Irmo, South Carolina.
Message from the Senate
Page H4220 · Official textA message from the Senate by Mr. Ferrari, one of its clerks, announced that the Senate has agreed to without amendment a concurrent Resolution of the House of the following title:
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H. Con. Res. 86. Concurrent Resolution directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran.
Anniversary of Overturning Roe V. Wade
Page H4220 · Official text(Mr. LATIMER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, I rise today, 4 years after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, to bring to light the devastating impact that the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision has had on our country.
Since Dobbs, government interference in what should be a decision between doctor and patient has led physicians to hesitate, delaying patients from receiving the care they require.
Centers that provide preventative and lifesaving reproductive services have been shuttered. In the wake of Dobbs, laws have caused women to experience unnecessary complications sometimes leading to their death.
I cannot fathom being forced to make a life-or-death decision because of what politicians and courts have decided rather than the advice of medical experts.
On this anniversary, I urge my colleagues to join me in demanding better for my constituents by acting to protect access to reproductive care.
Every moment we wait is a moment too long.
Omaha Man Arrested for Ufc Terror Plot
Page H4220 · Official text(Mr. FLOOD asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, the arrest of a man in Omaha accused of leading the plot to attack the White House's UFC event this month is a stark reminder about the threats that face our Nation.
According to DHS, the suspect entered the U.S. illegally and allegedly sought to make the attack " . . . as deadly as we can get."
This case underscores the importance of securing our borders, enforcing our immigration laws, and remaining vigilant against those who seek political violence rather than political debate.
I am grateful to the Omaha FBI, working together with the Nebraska State Patrol, who arrested this alleged ringleader before lives were put at risk. Their professionalism and commitment to help keep our communities safe happens every day.
Regardless of ideology or political affiliation, political violence is never acceptable. We must reject extremism, promote civil discourse, and work together to lower the temperature of political rhetoric.
I thank our law enforcement officers once again for making this arrest.
Lovick's Cafe
Pages H4220–H4221 · Official text(Mr. DAVIS of North Carolina asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, some restaurants serve more than good meals. They serve wonderful memories and rich traditions.
For 85 years and three generations, the Lovick family has opened Lovick's Cafe and welcomed the greater Kinston community.
From their famous dough burgers and pancakes to conversations shared across the table, this hometown treasure represents the best of eastern North Carolina.
Small businesses like Lovick's Cafe are where friendships are built, stories are told, and communities come together.
I congratulate Steve, Christina, the Lovick family, and their hardworking staff. Their dedication, service, and hospitality remind us that the best places are the ones that make us feel right at home.
Here is to 85 years of great food, great people, and great memories.
Resignation as Member of Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Page H4221 · Official textThe SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following resignation as a member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure:
Text printed in the Record (439 characters)
Washington, DC, June 24, 2026. Hon. Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House, Washington, DC.
Mr. Speaker: I write to submit my resignation from the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee--effective June 24, 2026.
It has been a privilege to serve alongside Chairman Graves and my colleagues on the Committee.
I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to its important work.
Sincerely,
Jefferson Shreve,
Member of Congress.
The SPEAKER pro tempore
Without objection, the resignation is accepted.
There was no objection.
Electing Members to Certain Standing Committees of the House of Representatives
Page H4221 · Official textMr. Speaker, by direction of the Republican Conference, I send to the desk a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
Text printed in the Record (308 characters)
Resolved, That the following named Member be, and is hereby, elected to the following standing committees of the House of Representatives:
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Mr. Gallagher.
Committee on Science, Space and Technology: Mr. Gallagher.
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Mr. Gallagher.
Mr. FLOOD (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be considered as read.
The SPEAKER pro tempore
Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Nebraska?
There was no objection. The resolution was agreed to. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Honoring Life and Legacy of Gordon Wood
Page H4221 · Official text(Mr. MAGAZINER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of a renowned American historian and my former professor, Gordon Wood. Professor Gordon Wood was one of America's great historians. He was a longtime professor at Brown University whose scholarship reminded us why the American Revolution was truly a world-changing event.
Wood was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History, the Bancroft Prize, and the National Humanities Medal, among many other honors.
He also profoundly shaped my own life. When I was an undergraduate student, he inspired me to major in history and gave me an appreciation for the American story that I hold to this day.
His writing and lectures didn't just teach us the facts of the past, they revealed why they matter.
As we mark our Nation's 250th anniversary, Professor Wood's scholarship feels more important than ever. He reminded us that the American experiment is truly exceptional, that our Founders envisioned a Republic where power ultimately belongs to the people. While the Nation they created has always been messy and imperfect, they provided the world with a whole new way of thinking about the relationship between the people and their government, setting the stage for the expansion of democracy and human rights in America and across the world.
Mr. Speaker, I ask that we all take a moment to celebrate the life of Gordon Wood who has helped us understand better what it means to be an American.
Progress Needed on Gun Violence
Page H4221 · Official text(Ms. ELFRETH asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith, and Wendy Winters.
Eight years ago, on June 28, 2018, a gunman killed these five members of our hometown newspaper, the Capital Gazette. Eight years later, I rise to ask my colleagues a simple question: What progress have we made so that parents don't fear for their children's lives at school dropoff, so worshipers can pray without fear, and so journalists aren't killed on the job?
Congress has a responsibility to rise above thoughts and prayers. We can and we must bring action and solutions. We share a collective responsibility to ensure that not just Annapolis but every community is safe from the scourge of gun violence that has plagued our Nation for too long.
Eight years later, I urge us to return to that collective responsibility.
Losing Reproductive Rights
Page H4221 · Official text(Ms. McCLELLAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, I was 1 month old when the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade recognized the constitutional right to abortion. For most of my life, I had the peace of mind that the decision of when, whether, and how to become a parent would be mine.
I nearly died giving birth to my daughter 11 years ago, when my placenta ruptured 9 weeks before my due date. I was wheeled into the emergency room, and I had the peace of mind that my doctor could do what she felt in that moment was best, without fear of prosecution.
That changed 4 years ago today when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and made me the first generation of my family to lose a constitutional right in my lifetime. Now, my daughter, with fewer rights than me, faces threats to her reproductive freedom.
Today, over one in three women of childbearing years lives in a State with abortion bans or extreme restrictions. At a time when the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate of any other industrialized nation, women are dying because they can't access the reproductive care they need when they need it, like Nevaeh Crain, who was denied care while suffering a miscarriage until she was septic and died.
As chair of the Abortion Access and Rights Task Force of the congressional Reproductive Freedom Caucus, I am fighting so that everyone has the reproductive freedom they deserve.
Trump Corruption Out of Control
Pages H4221–H4222 · Official text(Mr. AMO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, Trump's corruption is out of control. Since taking office, he has increased his net worth by at least $4 billion, accepted a $400 million plane from a foreign country, routinely bought stock in companies doing business with the government, and wasted $14 million of taxpayer money ruining the Reflecting Pool.
He has tried to bully the IRS into a sweetheart deal that grants him tax immunity for life and, if he can get away with it, establishes a slush fund to pay off cop beaters.
His kids and cronies are also getting rich. Trump intervened to secure Donald Trump, Jr., a $620 million deal with the Pentagon for his startup. Multiple Cabinet members have conveniently sold stocks right before one of Trump's erratic tariff announcements. His clan has made $2.3 billion in crypto schemes. Trump's priority is to enrich himself and his acolytes.
My Republican colleagues need to stand up, do the right thing, and stop the grift, greed, and graft from further imperiling our democracy.
The SPEAKER pro tempore
Members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the President.
Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore
Page H4222 · Official textThe SPEAKER pro tempore
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the Chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote or the yeas and nays are ordered, or votes objected to under clause 6 of rule XX.
The House will resume proceedings on postponed questions at a later time.
Financial Exploitation Prevention Act of 2025
Pages H4222–H4226 · Official textMr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2478) to amend the Investment Company Act of 1940 to postpone the date of payment or satisfaction upon redemption of certain securities in the case of the financial exploitation of specified adults, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows:
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the "Financial Exploitation Prevention Act of 2025".
SEC. 2. REDEMPTION OF CERTAIN SECURITIES POSTPONED.
(a) In General.--Section 22 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-22) is amended by adding at the end the following:
"(h) Requirements With Respect to Non-institutional Direct At-fund Accounts.--
"(1) Election.--
"(A) In general.--A registered open-end investment company and a transfer agent described under paragraph (2) may elect to comply with the requirements under paragraph (2) and subsection (i) by notifying the Commission of such election.
"(B) Effect of election.--Paragraph (2) and subsection (i) shall only apply to a registered open-end investment company and a transfer agent that have made the election under subparagraph (A).
"(2) Requirements.--In the case of a customer who is a holder of a non-institutional account held directly with a registered open-end investment company and serviced by a transfer agent (a `direct-at-fund account'), the company and transfer agent shall--
"(A) request from such customer the name and contact information of at least one individual who--
"(i) is at the time of such request an adult; and
"(ii) may be contacted with respect to such account;
"(B) document and retain the information received pursuant to subparagraph (A); and
"(C) disclose to such customer in writing (including through electronic delivery) that such company or transfer agent may contact an individual specified pursuant to subparagraph (A) with respect to the account of such customer to--
"(i) address possible financial exploitation of such customer;
"(ii) confirm the contact information or health status of the customer; or
"(iii) identify any legal guardian, executor, trustee, or holder of a power of attorney of the customer.
"(i) Redemption of Certain Securities Postponed.--
"(1) In general.--Notwithstanding subsection (e), a registered open-end investment company or a transfer agent acting on behalf of such company may postpone the date of payment or satisfaction upon redemption of any redeemable security in accordance with its terms for more than seven days after the tender of such security to such company or its agent designated for that purpose for redemption if such company or agent reasonably believes that--
"(A) the redemption is requested by a security holder who is a specified adult; and
"(B) financial exploitation has occurred, is occurring, or has been attempted with respect to such redemption.
"(2) Duration.--
"(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C), a registered open-end investment company or a transfer agent acting on behalf of such company may postpone the date of payment or satisfaction upon redemption of a redeemable security under paragraph (1) for a period of not more than 15 business days.
"(B) Extension upon determination of exploitation.--The period described in subparagraph (A) may be extended by an additional 10 business days if the registered open-end investment company or a transfer agent acting on behalf of such company--
"(i) reasonably believes that--
"(I) the redemption is requested by a security holder who is a specified adult; and
"(II) financial exploitation has occurred, is occurring, or has been attempted with respect to such redemption;
"(ii) subject to subparagraph (D), not later than 2 days after making a determination under clause (i), notifies the individuals specified by such security holder under subsection (h)(2)(A) in writing (including through electronic delivery) of the extension of the period described in subparagraph (A) under this subparagraph and the reason for such extension;
"(iii) initiates an internal review of the facts and circumstances relating to the determination under clause (i);
"(iv) holds amounts related to the delayed payment or satisfaction upon redemption of the redeemable security in a demand deposit account; and
"(v) documents and retains records related to carrying out clause (iv) and includes such records in the first required account statement of the security holder provided after the date on which the determination is made under clause (i).
"(C) Extension by government.--A State regulator, administrative agency of competent jurisdiction, or court of competent jurisdiction may extend the period described in subparagraph (A).
"(D) Notification.--
"(i) Exception.--Subparagraph (B)(ii) shall not apply if a registered open-end investment company or transfer agent acting on behalf of such company reasonably believes that an individual required to be notified under such subparagraph is, has been, or will subject the security holder who identified such individual under subsection (h)(2)(A) to financial exploitation.
"(ii) Reasonable efforts.--An open-end investment company or transfer agent acting on behalf of such company shall be considered in compliance with subparagraph (B)(ii) if such company or transfer agent makes a reasonable effort to contact the individuals specified by a security holder under subsection (h)(2)(A).
"(E) Internal procedures.--An open-end investment company or transfer agent acting on behalf of such company shall establish procedures to carry out the requirements under this subsection, including procedures--
"(i) related to the identification and reporting of matters related to the financial exploitation of specified adults;
"(ii) to determine whether to release or reinvest delayed redemption proceeds, taking into account the facts and circumstances of each case, should the internal review under subparagraph (B)(iii) support the reasonable belief described in subparagraph (B)(i);
"(iii) identifying each employee of the company or transfer agent with authority to establish, extend, or terminate a period described in paragraph (1) or subparagraph (A);
"(iv) in the case of a transfer agent, that are reasonably designed to ensure that the employees of such transfer agent comply with this subsection; and
"(v) in the case of an open-end investment company, establishing periodic reporting requirements under which a transfer agent acting on behalf of such company shall notify such company of--
"(I) each extension under subparagraph (B) authorized by such transfer agent;
"(II) each finding by the transfer agent under subparagraph (B)(i);
"(III) each notification under subparagraph (B)(ii) carried out by such transfer agent; and
"(IV) the results of each internal review initiated by the transfer agent under subparagraph (B)(iii).
"(F) Information included in certain statements.--An open-end investment company shall include in each prospectus or statement of additional information a notification that the company or transfer agent acting on behalf of such company may postpone redemption of certain securities under this subsection.
"(G) Record retention.--An open-end investment company or transfer agent acting on behalf of such company shall--
"(i) document and retain records of--
"(I) each postponement of redemption under subparagraph (A), (B), or (C);
"(II) each finding under subparagraph (B)(i);
"(III) the name and position of each employee described in subparagraph (E)(iii);
"(IV) each notification carried out under subparagraph (B)(ii); and
"(V) the results of each internal review initiated under subparagraph (B)(iii); and
"(ii) make such records available to the Commission at the request of the Commission.
"(3) Specified adult defined.--In this subsection, the term `specified adult' means--
"(A) an individual age 65 or older; or
"(B) an individual age 18 or older who a registered open-end investment company or a transfer agent acting on behalf of such company reasonably believes has a mental or physical impairment that renders the individual unable to protect the individual's own interests.".
(b) Regulatory and Legislative Recommendations.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Securities and Exchange Commission, in consultation with the entities specified in paragraph (2),
shall submit to Congress a report that includes recommendations regarding the regulatory and legislative changes necessary to address the financial exploitation of security holders who are specified adults (as defined in subsection (i)(3) of section 22 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-22), as added by this section).
(2) Consultation.--The entities specified in this paragraph are as follows:
(A) The Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
(B) The Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.
(C) The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
(D) The North American Securities Administrators Association.
(E) The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
(F) The Comptroller of the Currency.
(G) The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore
Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore
Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Arkansas?
There was no objection.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the Congressional Budget Office estimate for this bill. H.R. 2478, FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION PREVENTION ACT OF 2025, AS REPORTED BY THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL SERVICES ON NOVEMBER 4, 2025 ------------------------------------------------------------------------By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars-------------------------------------2026 2026-2031 2026-2036 ------------------------------------------------------------------------Direct Spending (Outlays)........... * * * Revenues............................ * * * Increase or Decrease (-) in the * * *
Deficit............................ Spending Subject to Appropriation * * not
(Outlays).......................... estimated ------------------------------------------------------------------------* = between -$500,000 and $500,000.
Text printed in the Record (6,678 characters)
Increases net direct spending in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2037? No.
Increases on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2037? No.
Statutory pay-as-you-go procedures apply? Yes.
Mandate Effects:
Contains intergovernmental mandate? No.
Contains private-sector mandate? Yes, under threshold.
The bill would:
Allow certain investment companies and their agents to postpone payments for the redemption of securities for up to 15 business days when they suspect the request of such action is the result of the exploitation of one or more people age 65 or older or who have impairments that keep them from protecting their own interests.
Require the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to report to the Congress within one year on regulatory and legislative policies that could mitigate the financial exploitation of such people.
Direct five federal agencies to consult with the SEC in preparing that report.
Impose mandates on financial institutions if federal financial regulators increase fees to implement the bill.
Estimated budgetary effects would mainly stem from:
Staffing costs for the SEC to study and report on policies that could mitigate financial exploitation of vulnerable adults.
Administrative costs for financial regulators to consult with the SEC.
H.R. 2478 would allow certain investment companies and their agents to postpone payments for the redemption of securities for up to 15 business days when they suspect the request of such action is the result of the exploitation of one or more people who are age 65 or older or who have impairments that keep them from protecting their own interests.
H.R. 2478 also would require the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to report to the Congress within one year on regulatory and legislative policies that could mitigate the financial exploitation of such people. The bill would direct the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and Federal Reserve to consult with the SEC on the report.
The costs of the legislation fall within budget function 370 (commerce and housing credit).
CBO assumes that the bill will be enacted in fiscal year 2026. The costs for the federal agencies other than the SEC would be minimal. Using information from the agencies, CBO expects that each one would need less than one full-time-equivalent employee to assist the SEC with its report.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2478 would decrease revenues and increase direct spending, on net, by less than $500,000 over the 2026-2036 period; the net effect on the deficit would be insignificant.
The operating costs for the FDIC and OCC are classified in the budget as direct spending. Because the OCC is authorized to collect fees from regulated institutions to cover administrative expenses, CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2478 would increase net direct spending by an insignificant amount over the 2026-2036 period.
Under current law, the CFPB is permanently authorized to spend amounts transferred from the combined earnings of the Federal Reserve in an amount necessary to carry out its responsibilities, subject to a statutory cap that was most recently lowered by the 2025 reconciliation act. That spending is classified as direct spending in the budget. Because CBO expects that, under current law, the CFPB will spend all transferred funds up to its statutory cap in the years that the combined earnings of the Federal Reserve are sufficient to fund the CFPB, we do not attribute any increase in direct spending for the CFPB to this bill. Any spending by the CFPB to implement the bill would necessitate a decrease in spending for other activities of the agency.
Costs incurred by the Federal Reserve reduce remittances to the Treasury, which are recorded in the budget as revenues. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2478 would decrease revenues by an insignificant amount over the 2026-2036 period.
In June 2018, the SEC announced that it would not pursue enforcement actions against investment companies or their agents that delay the disbursement of redeemed securities based on the belief that the request was the result of the financial exploitation of a person who is age 65 or older or is an impaired adult.
On that basis and using information from the commission about the cost of similar reports, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 2478 would cost the SEC $2 million over the 2026-2031 period. CBO expects that the SEC would need five employees, at an average cost of $340,000 per employee, for one year to complete the study and report to the Congress. Because the SEC is authorized to collect fees each year to offset its annual appropriation, CBO expects that the net effect on the commission's discretionary spending over the 2026-2031 period would be negligible, assuming appropriation actions consistent with that authority.
CBO estimates that implementing the bill would increase costs by an insignificant amount for the CFTC, whose administrative costs are subject to appropriation.
The Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 establishes budget-reporting and enforcement procedures for legislation affecting direct spending or revenues. CBO estimates that enacting the bill would increase direct spending and decrease revenues by less than $500,000 over the 2026-2036 period; the effect on the deficit would not be significant.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2478 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2037.
If federal financial regulators increase fees to offset the costs associated with implementing the bill, H.R. 2478 would increase the cost of an existing mandate on private entities required to pay those assessments. CBO estimates that the incremental cost of the mandate would be small and would fall well below the annual threshold for private-sector mandates established in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) ($214 million in 2026, adjusted annually for inflation).
H.R. 2478 contains no intergovernmental mandates as defined in UMRA.
Estimate Prepared By: Federal Costs: Sean Christensen, Revenues: Nathaniel Frentz, Mandates: Rachel Austin.
Estimate Reviewed By: Justin Humphrey, Chief, Finance, Housing, and Education Cost Estimates Unit; Kathleen FitzGerald, Chief, Public and Private Mandates Unit; H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
Estimate Approved By: Mark P. Hoeller, for Phillip L. Swagel, Director, Congressional Budget Office.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in full support of our distinguished chair of our Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Mrs. Wagner from Missouri, and her bill that she presents today, the Financial Exploitation Prevention Act of 2025.
Every day, bad actors use fraud, scams, and deception to target the most vulnerable in our society who may be less able to recognize or respond immediately and timely to some form of financial abuse.
Literally, over the last few years, I have been inundated every time I am in my district and community, like my hometown of Little Rock. I hear directly from citizens, the elderly, customers, bankers, small business owners, and all consumers who are grappling with check fraud, wire fraud, and increasingly sophisticated digital scams.
My own family has been victim of check fraud more than one time. I am grateful to the bank that helped identify that with their system.
Mr. Speaker, our financial institutions, our broker-dealers, and our investment companies are all saddled with being in the first line of defense against these schemes that are coming in every shape and form, electronically, by paper, and over the telephone, that are targeting the customers and clients of our financial services companies.
These banks, broker-dealers, and investment companies are uniquely positioned to identify suspicious transactions and unusual account activity. That is the whole mission. We have given those authorities, and they have invested billions in surveillance technology to try to do that.
When warning signs emerge, firms should have the ability to take reasonable steps to put their customers first and to protect those customers from potential harm.
Chair Wagner's bill, H.R. 2478, which has strong bipartisan support and cosponsorship, strengthens those exact protections by providing financial institutions and other financial professionals and investment companies with the legal certainty needed to temporarily delay transactions when financial exploitation or abuse is suspected.
This legislation is part of the Financial Services Committee's broader effort to combat financial fraud and scams plaguing our citizens, our neighbors, particularly seniors, and other vulnerable Americans.
By creating a safe harbor for delaying suspicious transactions and reporting concerns to the appropriate authorities, this bill helps prevent devastating financial losses before they occur.
Protecting Americans from financial exploitation requires strong coordination among families, financial institutions, brokers, financial advisers, and, of course, law enforcement. This bill would help strengthen those partnerships and provide additional tools to safeguard the most vulnerable among us from an avalanche of fraud and abuse.
Importantly, too, this bill is tailored to address suspected exploitation while preserving the rights of customers and maintaining appropriate oversight.
No American should lose their hard-earned money because an investment firm or financial institution lacks the authority or certainty to intervene where there are clear signs of exploitation that were present.
H.R. 2478 is a commonsense, bipartisan measure that helps protect our most vulnerable citizens from the growing number of financial predators.
I thank Chair Wagner and Mr. Gottheimer of New Jersey for their leadership on this important issue. I urge all my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Maxine Waters (D-CA)12:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2478, the Financial Exploitation Prevention Act of 2025, sponsored by Representative Wagner.
This bill will help protect vulnerable Americans by allowing for mutual fund companies to delay the redemption or sale of mutual funds when the company believes there is an attempt to defraud a senior or an adult who cannot protect themselves.
Financial fraud targeting older adults is a widespread and growing problem. Millions of seniors are victimized each year, and reported losses are just soaring. In 2025 alone, America's seniors lost nearly $8 billion to fraud, an 80 percent increase over the prior year.
Seniors are especially vulnerable to scams and financial abuse because they may not be familiar with the ever-increasing technological sophistication with which current scammers operate. Scammers exploit these factors through tactics like AI-powered deep fakes that emulate the voice of a grandchild pretending to be in a difficult or dangerous situation, romance schemes that prey on lonely seniors, tech support hoaxes, lottery scams, and other tricks. The introduction of artificial intelligence is making these scams all the more prevalent and harmful.
We should do all we can to stop these scammers and fraudsters. Unfortunately, that is not what Congress and the President are doing. The Trump administration, with Republican support in Congress, has been shrinking, and in some cases dismantling, the financial cops who detect fraud and hold bad actors accountable. Trump's administration has walked away from court cases where fraudsters had admitted to harming Americans and agreed to pay compensation. As a result, victims didn't receive compensation, but the criminals' pockets were lined.
While this bill could empower financial industry participants to help protect seniors when they suspect fraud, it is absurd that, at the same time, Republicans are cheering on Trump's attempts to shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and defang and defund the SEC. All the while, Trump's family reaps in millions, if not billions, of personal profits from their corrupt business dealings and private-sector shakedowns.
Some of these actions have a direct impact on Americans. The Trump meme coin scam, for example, has resulted in billions of dollars of losses for Americans. We cannot talk about fraud without acknowledging this massive elephant in the room.
The American people are asking for this House to hold the Trump administration and family accountable. Until then, we are left taking small steps, such as passing H.R. 2478.
Mr. Hill, the chairman of the committee and my friend, talked about this having bipartisan support. I don't know if bipartisan support means anything these days.
I am stunned that we worked hard for over 1 year on doing something substantive about housing. We had bicameral and bipartisan support and, all of a sudden, the President of the United States canceled the signing of the bipartisan bill today.
What is up? What is going on?
Does it mean anything that Republicans worked very hard?
Mr. Hill spent a lot of time on the bill, and I spent a lot of time on this bill. All of a sudden, the President says: Oh, I don't feel like signing it today. As a matter of fact, I want something else. I want the SAVE America Act that will undermine voting and strip those who have been protected by the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act from being able to vote in a way that our democracy demands and the Constitution protects.
I am very pleased that Mrs. Wagner has this bill. I know she has worked on it. I certainly support it, but we need more.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
J. French Hill (R-AR)12:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner), who is the chair of the Capital Markets Subcommittee. She has worked on this and has been a leader in every way she can in the House to protect our friends and our neighbors from financial fraud.
Ann Wagner (R-MO)12:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the Financial Services Committee, my friend, Mr. Hill, for his tremendous support, his leadership, and for yielding his time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my bipartisan bill, H.R. 2478, the Financial Exploitation Prevention Act.
Far too often, back home in Missouri and across this Nation, our senior citizens are directly targeted for financial fraud. Like Chairman Hill, I, too, hear from scores and scores of constituents in my district who have fallen prey to these horrible, horrible scams and fraudsters.
The consequences of this crime extend to millions of Americans, with one out of every five senior investors falling victim to financial fraud and exploitation.
Sadly, the problem is only getting more severe.
According to the FTC, fraud perpetrated against those over the age of 60 increased by nearly 400 percent between 2020 and 2024, Mr. Speaker.
The total cost to American seniors reached almost $2.5 billion. Even worse, a significant portion of this increase is attributed to individual financial losses of over $100,000.
Think about that for a moment, Mr. Speaker. Seniors and retirees across our country work their entire lives to save for their future, and they depend on their savings to pay the bills, keep the lights on, and put food on the table. A loss of over $100,000 is absolutely devastating, and these financial crimes are being committed every single day.
We have the tools to fix this. There are gaps in Federal law that can be addressed to prevent this exploitation from occurring, and that is exactly what my bill does.
My bill, the Financial Exploitation Prevention Act, allows financial institutions, including investment companies like mutual funds, to temporarily delay a transaction if they have a reasonable belief that the transaction is the result of financial exploitation.
By allowing for this pause, the bill creates a crucial window of up to 15 days with the possibility of a 10-day extension that will provide the time necessary to investigate the situation and notify the appropriate authorities.
This gives potentially vulnerable investors, including our seniors, as well as those with certain disabilities, a crucial, extra layer of defense that will help preserve the hard-earned savings they have built over decades.
This bill would also establish a safe harbor for financial institutions that make a good-faith effort to prevent exploitation. By removing the fear of litigation, this change will empower the financial system to stop fraudsters in their tracks through timely and decisive action.
Finally, my bill requires the Securities and Exchange Commission to report to Congress on additional legislative solutions to further combat the financial exploitation of seniors and vulnerable adults.
This issue, fraud against our seniors, has gone on long enough, and we must take action.
Many of us have had the personal experience of caring for a parent or loved one as they grow older. They took care of us when we needed it most, and it is our responsibility, our duty, to return the favor.
This legislation, with strong bipartisan support, will create a new tool to protect parents, grandparents, and everyday American families across the United States.
I thank Congressman Gottheimer for joining me in introducing this bill. By working together, we can ensure that not only government but also the American financial system is doing everything possible to protect against fraud and exploitation.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge support of this legislation.
Maxine Waters (D-CA)12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, with the advent of new technologies like artificial intelligence, senior fraud is more prevalent today than it ever has been, and it is only going to get worse. We need to do everything in our power to make sure that seniors have the appropriate protections to comfortably enjoy retirement.
Chair Wagner's H.R. 2478 is part of that effort, allowing mutual fund providers to delay redemptions of a senior's shares if they suspect they may be falling victim to a scam.
Mr. Speaker, we are in a terrible time in this country. We are in a terrible time because we have so many difficulties with the economy and the groceries are higher. Gasoline is out of control. The price is absolutely unusual and unnecessary, except the President of the United States said he doesn't care.
As a matter of fact, the President of the United States said he loves inflation, for example, and we know what his tariffs have done to our economy. Yet, he is in another country saying that he doesn't care about the financial situation that we are confronted with.
This is a good bill. This is a bill to try and protect our seniors. Our seniors need protection. Many of them are on fixed incomes. Many of them don't have a lot of money, and if they are ripped off, they may end up homeless and on the street. The President doesn't care about that. Yes, this is a bipartisan bill. Bipartisan, for those who are listening, means that both sides of the aisle, Democrats and Republicans, agree, but we don't know whether the President will agree. For all I know, he may veto the bill. We don't know what to expect from him.
We are in a terrible situation with the President of the United States of America. We know he canceled the bill's signing that is supported by both sides of the aisle, in both the House and the Senate, knowing that we have 800,000 people who are on the streets in this country every night and he is not willing to generously step up to the plate and say: I support a bill that is going to get housing built for the average family. We are going to support a bill to keep people off the street, homelessness. We are going to support a bill that ensures that people have an opportunity to pursue their talent and to do what they can to make their lives more comfortable.
If he can't support that and he is canceling it today, I don't know what we can expect about a good bill like this that is protecting seniors. I just ask all of the Members of the House of Representatives, vote "aye" on this bill. Vote "aye" on the bill.
Mr. Speaker, for those who have influence with the President of the United States, call him and tell him: Mr. President, don't veto this. Mr. President, come on back and sign this housing bill so we can deal with this housing crisis. Mr. President, get us out of this war in Iran. Mr. President, do something to deal with this economy where people are getting hurt and harmed every day.
Mr. Speaker, we could go on talking about it. It is embarrassing. The American people should not have to hear this kind of conversation, but those of us who were sent here by the people we represent have to speak truth to power. That is what we do when we come up with legislation with both sides of the aisle supporting it, in both the House and Senate supporting it. We have to get in the President's face and say: Sign these bills. He has to talk about these problems. He has to deal with this economy, and that is a bit of what we are doing today. I have added to it a little bit, but that is my responsibility.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
J. French Hill (R-AR)12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member and Mr. Gottheimer for working with the majority on this bill. I will add that this is a very complex subject across the board trying to protect our seniors and our consumers across the country, particularly in financial services.
I think this bill is a step in the right direction, but we have many other things that the committee has been working on on a bipartisan basis. The Postal Service, the Secret Service, the Federal communications oversight, Federal Trade Commission, all these Federal agencies have influence on whether we are going to beat the criminals at their game. As they get artificial intelligence and new technologies to try to get in the pocketbooks, in the investment statements, into the credit cards of American consumers and households, know that people like Ann Wagner, Josh Gottheimer, Maxine Waters, and French Hill are saying no.
We want to give the tools to our financial institutions and enforcement to do something about it, but it also takes an education of our families. You can't turn your password over to people. You can't trust people when they call you on the phone and tell you to bring $5,000 down to the courthouse or put money in a bitcoin ATM. We also have that obligation every day on this House floor to educate our families to trust but verify when somebody approaches them about their very, very valuable financial information.
A Member of Congress from North Carolina called me and said: Is there any way you would be willing to talk to this lawyer, this family in North Carolina? Husband and wife retired, the spouse, the wife, said: I have been called. I need to send $250,000 for this investment opportunity. The husband said: I don't know that we should do that. She said: Well, I have done my homework. She called the bank, Mr. Speaker, and said: Would you wire $250,000 to this investment opportunity. And the banker said: Ms. Jones, I mean, are you sure? You have never done this before. You don't have that kind of money.
Mr. Speaker, I use that as a small example. It didn't turn out well, but it is about educating. Again, the work that Chairwoman Wagner and Representative Gottheimer are doing is what we need to be doing. We are going to continue to bring bills to this House floor that protect our households from the fraudsters that are now going parabolic in their talent to steal our money through artificial intelligence, cell phones, text messages, emails, romance schemes, whatever that is, but she pointed it out, and I am with her. We are going to do this together.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a "yes" vote on this bill. I thank the gentlewoman for bringing it to the floor today, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore12:30 p.m.
The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2478, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore12:30 p.m.
In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
J. French Hill (R-AR)12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore12:30 p.m.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
Recess
Page H4226 · Official textThe SPEAKER pro tempore
Pursuant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the Chair declares the House in recess subject to the call of the Chair.
Accordingly (at 12 o'clock and 39 minutes p.m.), the House stood in recess.
After Recess
Page H4226 · Official textThe recess having expired, the House was called to order by the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. McDowell) at 4 o'clock and 31 minutes p.m.
Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore
Page H4226 · Official textThe SPEAKER pro tempore
Proceedings will resume on motions to suspend the rules previously postponed.
Votes will be taken in the following order:
H.R. 7401; and
H.R. 915.
The first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15-minute vote. Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XX, the remaining electronic vote will be conducted as a 5-minute vote.
Small Business Lending Fraud Prevention Act
Pages H4226–H4227 · Official textThe SPEAKER pro tempore
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the question on suspending the rules and passing the bill (H.R. 7401) to require employees of the Small Business Administration to certify that the employee does not have any prohibited conflicts of interest with respect to loans in which the employee is involved, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore
The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore
In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered. The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 415, nays 0, answered "present" 1, not voting 15, as follows: =========================== NOTE =========================== On June 24, 2026, page H4226, in the second column, the following appeared: The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 415, nays 0, answered "present" 1, not voting 15, as follows: [Roll No. 255] YEAS--415 The online version has been corrected to read: The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 415, nays 0, answered "present" 1, not voting 15, as follows: [Roll No. 225] YEAS--415 ========================= END NOTE =========================
Text printed in the Record (3,733 characters)
Adams Aderholt Aguilar Alford Allen Amo Amodei (NV) Ansari Arrington Auchincloss Babin Bacon Baird Balderson Balint Barr Barragan Barrett Baumgartner Bean (FL) Beatty Begich Bell Bentz Bera Bergman Beyer Bice Biggs (AZ) Biggs (SC) Bilirakis Bishop Boebert Bonamici Bost Boyle (PA) Brecheen Bresnahan Brown Brownley Buchanan Budzinski Burchett Burlison Bynum Calvert Cammack Carbajal Carey Carson Carter (GA) Carter (LA) Carter (TX) Case Casten Castor (FL) Castro (TX) Chu Ciscomani Cisneros Clark (MA) Clarke (NY) Cleaver Cline Cloud Clyburn Clyde Cohen Cole Collins Comer Conaway Correa Costa Courtney Craig Crane Crank Crawford Crenshaw Crockett Crow Cuellar Davids (KS) Davidson Davis (IL) Davis (NC) De La Cruz Dean (PA) DeGette DelBene Deluzio DeSaulnier DesJarlais Dexter Diaz-Balart Dingell Doggett Donalds Downing Edwards Elfreth Ellzey Emmer Escobar Espaillat Estes Evans (CO) Evans (PA) Ezell Fallon Fedorchak Feenstra Fields Figures Fine Finstad Fischbach Fitzgerald Fitzpatrick Fleischmann Fletcher Flood Fong Foster Foushee Foxx Frankel, Lois Franklin, Scott Friedman Frost Fry Fulcher Fuller Garamendi Garbarino Garcia (CA) Garcia (IL) Garcia (TX) Gill (TX) Gillen Gimenez Golden (ME) Goldman (TX) Gomez Gonzalez, V. Gooden Goodlander Gosar Gottheimer Graves Green, Al (TX) Griffith Grijalva Grothman Guest Guthrie Hageman Hamadeh (AZ) Harder (CA) Haridopolos Harrigan Harris (MD) Harris (NC) Harshbarger Hayes Hern (OK) Higgins (LA) Hill (AR) Himes Hinson Horsford Houlahan Hoyer Hoyle (OR) Hudson Huffman Huizenga Hunt Hurd (CO) Issa Ivey Jack Jackson (IL) Jackson (TX) Jacobs James Jayapal Jeffries Johnson (GA) Johnson (LA) Johnson (SD) Johnson (TX) Jordan Joyce (OH) Joyce (PA) Kamlager-Dove Kaptur Keating Kelly (IL) Kelly (MS) Kelly (PA) Kennedy (NY) Kennedy (UT) Khanna Kiggans (VA) Kiley (CA) Kim Knott Krishnamoorthi LaHood LaLota Landsman Langworthy Larsen (WA) Larson (CT) Latimer Latta Lawler Lee (FL) Lee (NV) Lee (PA) Leger Fernandez Letlow Levin Liccardo Lieu Lofgren Loudermilk Lucas Luttrell Mackenzie Magaziner Malliotakis Maloy Mann Mannion Massie Mast Matsui McBath McBride McCaul McClain McClain Delaney McClellan McClintock McCollum McCormick McDonald Rivet McDowell McGarvey McGovern McGuire McIver Meeks Mejia Menefee Menendez Meng Messmer Meuser Mfume Miller (IL) Miller (OH) Miller (WV) Miller-Meeks Mills Min Moolenaar Moore (AL) Moore (NC) Moore (UT) Moore (WI) Moore (WV) Moran Morelle Morrison Moskowitz Mrvan Mullin Murphy Nadler Neal Neguse Nehls Newhouse Norcross Norman Nunn (IA) Obernolte Ocasio-Cortez Ogles Olszewski Omar Onder Owens Pallone Palmer Panetta Pappas Patronis Pelosi Perez Perry Peters Pettersen Pfluger Pingree Pocan Pou Pressley Quigley Ramirez Randall Raskin Reschenthaler Riley (NY) Rivas Rogers (AL) Rogers (KY) Rose Ross Rouzer Roy Ruiz Rulli Rutherford Ryan Salinas Sanchez Scalise Scanlon Schakowsky Schmidt Schneider Scholten Schrier Schweikert Scott (VA) Scott, Austin Self Sessions Sewell Sherman Shreve Simon Simpson Smith (MO) Smith (NE) Smith (NJ) Smith (WA) Smucker Sorensen Soto Spartz Stansbury Stanton Stauber Stefanik Steil Steube Stevens Strickland Strong Stutzman Subramanyam Suozzi Sykes Takano Taylor Tenney Thanedar Thompson (CA) Thompson (MS) Thompson (PA) Tiffany Timmons Titus Tlaib Tokuda Tonko Torres (CA) Torres (NY) Trahan Tran Turner (OH) Underwood Valadao Van Drew Van Duyne Van Epps Van Orden Vargas Vasquez Veasey Vindman Walberg Walkinshaw Wasserman Schultz Waters Watson Coleman Weber (TX) Webster (FL) Westerman Whitesides Wied Williams (GA) Williams (TX) Wilson (FL) Wilson (SC) Wittman Womack Yakym Zinke
Luna
Casar DeLauro Dunn (FL) Gallagher Goldman (NY) Gray Houchin Kean Kustoff Lynch Mace Moulton Salazar Velazquez Wagner
Mrs. LUNA changed her vote from "yea" to "present." So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed. The result of the vote was announced as above recorded. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Small Business Technological Advancement Act
Page H4227 · Official textThe SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Taylor)
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 915) to authorize small business loans to finance access to modern business software, and for other purposes, as amended, on which the yeas and nays were ordered.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore
The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
This will be a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 414, nays 4, answered "present" 1, not voting 12, as follows:
Text printed in the Record (3,734 characters)
Adams Aderholt Aguilar Alford Allen Amo Amodei (NV) Ansari Arrington Auchincloss Babin Bacon Baird Balderson Balint Barr Barragan Barrett Baumgartner Bean (FL) Beatty Begich Bell Bentz Bera Bergman Beyer Bice Biggs (AZ) Biggs (SC) Bilirakis Bishop Boebert Bonamici Bost Boyle (PA) Brown Brownley Buchanan Budzinski Burlison Bynum Calvert Cammack Carbajal Carey Carson Carter (GA) Carter (LA) Carter (TX) Casar Case Casten Castor (FL) Castro (TX) Chu Ciscomani Cisneros Clark (MA) Clarke (NY) Cleaver Cline Cloud Clyburn Clyde Cohen Cole Collins Comer Conaway Correa Costa Courtney Craig Crane Crank Crawford Crenshaw Crockett Crow Cuellar Davids (KS) Davidson Davis (IL) Davis (NC) De La Cruz Dean (PA) DeGette DeLauro DelBene Deluzio DeSaulnier DesJarlais Dexter Diaz-Balart Dingell Doggett Downing Edwards Elfreth Ellzey Emmer Escobar Espaillat Estes Evans (CO) Evans (PA) Ezell Fallon Fedorchak Feenstra Fields Figures Fine Finstad Fischbach Fitzgerald Fitzpatrick Fleischmann Fletcher Flood Fong Foster Foushee Foxx Frankel, Lois Franklin, Scott Friedman Frost Fry Fulcher Fuller Gallagher Garamendi Garbarino Garcia (CA) Garcia (IL) Garcia (TX) Gill (TX) Gillen Gimenez Golden (ME) Goldman (TX) Gomez Gonzalez, V. Gooden Goodlander Gosar Gottheimer Graves Green, Al (TX) Griffith Grijalva Grothman Guest Guthrie Hageman Hamadeh (AZ) Harder (CA) Haridopolos Harrigan Harris (MD) Harris (NC) Harshbarger Hayes Hern (OK) Higgins (LA) Hill (AR) Himes Hinson Horsford Houchin Houlahan Hoyer Hoyle (OR) Hudson Huffman Huizenga Hunt Hurd (CO) Issa Ivey Jack Jackson (IL) Jackson (TX) Jacobs James Jayapal Jeffries Johnson (GA) Johnson (LA) Johnson (SD) Johnson (TX) Jordan Joyce (OH) Joyce (PA) Kamlager-Dove Kaptur Keating Kelly (IL) Kelly (MS) Kelly (PA) Kennedy (NY) Kennedy (UT) Khanna Kiggans (VA) Kiley (CA) Kim Knott Krishnamoorthi Kustoff LaHood LaLota Landsman Langworthy Larsen (WA) Larson (CT) Latimer Latta Lawler Lee (FL) Lee (NV) Lee (PA) Leger Fernandez Letlow Levin Liccardo Lieu Lofgren Loudermilk Lucas Luttrell Lynch Mackenzie Magaziner Malliotakis Maloy Mann Mannion Mast Matsui McBath McBride McCaul McClain McClain Delaney McClellan McClintock McCollum McCormick McDonald Rivet McDowell McGarvey McGovern McGuire McIver Meeks Mejia Menefee Menendez Meng Messmer Meuser Mfume Miller (IL) Miller (OH) Miller (WV) Miller-Meeks Mills Min Moolenaar Moore (AL) Moore (NC) Moore (UT) Moore (WI) Moore (WV) Moran Morelle Morrison Moskowitz Mrvan Mullin Murphy Nadler Neal Neguse Nehls Newhouse Norcross Norman Nunn (IA) Obernolte Ocasio-Cortez Ogles Olszewski Omar Onder Owens Pallone Palmer Panetta Pappas Patronis Pelosi Perez Perry Peters Pettersen Pfluger Pingree Pocan Pou Pressley Quigley Ramirez Randall Raskin Reschenthaler Riley (NY) Rivas Rogers (AL) Rogers (KY) Rose Ross Rouzer Ruiz Rulli Rutherford Ryan Salinas Sanchez Scalise Scanlon Schakowsky Schmidt Schneider Scholten Schrier Schweikert Scott (VA) Scott, Austin Self Sessions Sewell Sherman Shreve Simon Simpson Smith (MO) Smith (NE) Smith (NJ) Smith (WA) Smucker Sorensen Soto Spartz Stansbury Stanton Stauber Stefanik Steil Steube Stevens Strickland Strong Stutzman Subramanyam Suozzi Sykes Takano Taylor Tenney Thanedar Thompson (CA) Thompson (MS) Thompson (PA) Tiffany Timmons Titus Tlaib Tokuda Tonko Torres (CA) Torres (NY) Trahan Tran Turner (OH) Underwood Valadao Van Drew Van Duyne Van Epps Van Orden Vargas Vasquez Veasey Vindman Walberg Walkinshaw Wasserman Schultz Waters Watson Coleman Weber (TX) Webster (FL) Westerman Whitesides Williams (GA) Williams (TX) Wilson (FL) Wilson (SC) Wittman Womack Yakym Zinke
Brecheen Burchett Massie Roy
Luna
Bresnahan Donalds Dunn (FL) Goldman (NY) Gray Kean Mace Moulton Salazar Velazquez Wagner Wied
So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed. The result of the vote was announced as above recorded. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Hour of Meeting on Tomorrow
Page H4227 · Official textMr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
The SPEAKER pro tempore
Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from South Carolina?
There was no objection.
Removal of Name of Member as Cosponsor of H.r. 9246
Page H4227 · Official textMr. Speaker, I hereby remove my name as cosponsor of H.R. 9246.
The SPEAKER pro tempore
The gentlewoman's request is granted.
Recognizing Darrell Owens
Page H4227 · Official text(Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Darrell Owens, who will serve as U.S. representative to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
Ambassador Owens, a proud Erie, Pennsylvania, native, began working on Capitol Hill in the early 2000s and joined my office during my first term. As my military legislative assistant, Ambassador Owens put his head down and got to work on day one, advancing our legislative priorities and making sure that we met the needs of our constituents and servicemembers.
Ambassador Owens knows what servicemembers need because he stood with them. Along with his time in Washington, D.C., he served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army Reserve. He knows what it means to meet people right where they are.
Prior to his nomination, he served as a Senior Adviser in the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Ambassador Owens has remained grounded in his commitment to service and his love for country.
Mr. Speaker, Ambassador Owens is exactly the type of person we want representing the United States overseas. May God bless him, and I wish him the very best.
Recognizing Rey B. Gonzalez
Pages H4227–H4228 · Official text(Mr. GARCIA of Illinois asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Rey B. Gonzalez on his retirement after more than 30 years of service to the people of Chicago.
As president and CEO of El Valor, Mr. Gonzalez dedicated his life's work to increasing opportunities for children, families, seniors, and persons with disabilities.
Under Mr. Gonzalez's leadership, El Valor evolved into a nationally respected institution that has provided countless people with educational and employment opportunities within the community.
Throughout his career, Rey has always demonstrated compassion, dignity, and a true commitment to helping others succeed. His contributions will not only be remembered but also appreciated for many years to come in our city.
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Mr. Rey Gonzalez on a distinguished career and thank him for all of his hard work and dedication to our communities. I wish him a happy retirement.
Ensuring Fair Elections
Page H4228 · Official text(Mr. STUTZMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the SAVE America Act introduced by Representative Roy and Senator Lee.
In a few weeks, the United States will celebrate its 250th anniversary. One thing that has sustained American democracy since its founding is elections. Our Founders created a government by the people and for the people, and it is imperative that our elections continue to represent the views of American citizens only.
The SAVE America Act will do exactly that: ensure that our country's elections are decided only by American citizens and not foreign nationals.
Indiana first enacted voter ID laws in 2005, and it is time the rest of the country did the same. Over 80 percent of Americans support voter ID and showing proof of citizenship to vote.
Mr. Speaker, the Senate cannot keep stalling on this commonsense election reform. Senate colleagues must restore the talking filibuster and pass the SAVE America Act as soon as possible. Our country's future depends on it.
Fighting for Every Woman
Page H4228 · Official text(Ms. DEXTER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, the decision to have a child is one of the most personal decisions a human can make.
As a physician, I have sat with patients during some of the hardest moments of their lives. I know these deeply personal medical decisions should be guided by science, evidence, and the trusted relationship between a physician and their patient, not by politicians or judges, and not by radical politicians and judges obsessed with policing women's bodies.
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe, more than 20 States have banned or restricted access to abortion, leaving millions of women with no legal right to make decisions about their own bodies. That is a moral failure.
Abortion is not a privilege; it is essential healthcare. Every individual in this country should have bodily autonomy--no exceptions and no excuses.
In Oregon, the right to abortion is protected, and I won't stop fighting for every woman, every young girl, and every person in this country to have full control of their own body.
Honoring 150 Years of Burdett, Kansas
Page H4228 · Official text(Mr. MANN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the community of Burdett, Kansas, as it celebrates its sesquicentennial.
Located in Pawnee County, Burdett is a central Kansas town with a proud history and strong sense of community. For 150 years, the people of Burdett have helped carry forward the values that help make Kansas such a special place: faith, family, hard work, personal responsibility, and caring for their neighbors.
Burdett also holds a unique place in American history as the birthplace of Clyde Tombaugh, one of the most significant scientific figures ever to come from our State. Born on a farm outside of Burdett in 1906, he was a self-taught astronomer who built telescopes using farm equipment and went on to discover Pluto on February 18, 1930.
That is an incredible legacy, and it is a point of great pride for Burdett, Pawnee County, and the entire State of Kansas.
Mr. Speaker, as Burdett celebrates 150 years, I congratulate the community on this milestone. I thank the anniversary committee for its work and join Kansans in honoring the town's history, people, and lasting contribution to American science.
Find Our Families
Page H4228 · Official text(Ms. TLAIB asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, under the Trump administration, families are searching desperately for their loved ones who have gone missing in ICE and Border Patrol custody.
Families don't know if they are safe or even if they are still in the country. Lawyers can't find their clients, and children can't find their parents.
This is by design. The administration is making it impossible to find our family members and robbing people of their right to due process, forcing them to lose contact with their loved ones and legal counsel.
I am going to fix that by introducing the Find Our Families Act, which requires the Department of Homeland Security to maintain an accurate and more detailed online detainee locator system for all individuals detained by ICE and Border Patrol. It requires families and lawyers to be notified when the individual is being transferred, including for urgent medical care. It creates penalties for facilities that do not comply.
Mr. Speaker, no one should vanish in government custody, and I urge my colleagues to support the Find Our Families Act today.
Protecting Sanctity of Life
Page H4228 · Official text(Mr. KENNEDY of Utah asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, 4 years ago this week, the Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs that the Constitution contains no right to an abortion.
The Court returned this question to the people and their elected representatives. That was the right decision.
I came to Congress after years as a physician. Firsthand, I have seen the heartbeat of an infant on an ultrasound. I have placed newborns in the arms of their mothers. Protecting life was my job, and I take that same duty with me onto this floor.
Because of the Dobbs decision, the States and all of us are made free to uphold our duty and protect the sanctity of life.
There are children in my home State of Utah and across this country, as well as my family, who are growing up today because of those who fought for them. They are the future of this country, and we are better for having them in it.
Mr. Speaker, we owe every mother and child a country that welcomes and continues to protect life.
Honoring Lives Lost to Denials of Abortion Care
Pages H4228–H4229 · Official text(Ms. PRESSLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)
Mr. Chair, I rise with a heavy heart to remember the women who have died because they were denied essential abortion care after the devastating Dobbs decision unleashed abortion care bans across our country.
I rise today in remembrance of Amber Nicole Thurman, Candi Miller, Ciji Graham, Josseli Barnica, Yeni Alvarez-Estrada Glick, Nevaeh Crain, Tierra Walker, Taysha Wilkinson-Sobieski, Porsha Ngumezi, and Adriana Smith.
Devastatingly, I fear there are others, too, who have lost their lives, though we do not publicly know their names.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to observe a moment of silence for those who have died because they were denied essential abortion care.
California Budget
Page H4229 · Official text(Mr. GALLAGHER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, California is doing it again. They just passed a budget which is raising taxes on healthcare plans and on business software. At a time when Californians and people throughout this Nation are struggling with the high cost of living, California is making it even harder.
I rise to condemn this action that is hurting everyday Californians. What a stark contrast to what we are doing here as House Republicans in Congress.
We are now coming up on the 1-year anniversary of cutting taxes for working people in this country. Now, people are getting the benefits of no tax on tips and no tax on overtime. The average refund is $3,600, vital money that is needed in this time.
That is the kind of leadership we need, not the kind of leadership that is being shown out of Gavin Newsom in California. We will continue that work here in the House. I am proud to be part of that work, and we have much more to do in the weeks to come.
Recognizing Darryn Peterson
Page H4229 · Official text(Mrs. SYKES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize Darryn Peterson as Ohio's 13th Congressional District's Champion of the Week.
This Tuesday, Darryn made his family and our entire district proud when he was selected by the Utah Jazz as the second overall pick in the NBA Draft. This is an extraordinary accomplishment that reflects years of discipline, dedication, and excellence on and off the court.
Born in Canton, Darryn began his high school career at the Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy in Cuyahoga Falls. He eventually rose to become the number one ranked player in the entire country.
He went on to play at the University of Kansas where he averaged more than 20 points per game in his lone season.
As we know, Akron is the birthplace of champions because we have the distinction of being the birthplace of both Steph Curry and LeBron James, who was the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. Darryn has also helped make our district the birthplace of champions.
Darryn now begins his own journey at the highest level. While the path ahead is challenging, he carries the pride of our entire community. We are incredibly proud of Darryn, and we look forward to watching what he accomplishes in the NBA.
$1.8 Billion Slush Fund
Page H4229 · Official text(Ms. KAPTUR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, the billionaire bonanza bill that I didn't vote for has resulted in the slashing of health insurance for millions of our fellow citizens. Moreover, that bill gave huge new tax breaks to billionaires. Giant corporations are getting huge tax refunds sent out just now. Our middle class is being kneecapped by rising prices on everything. What is going on here?
I must ask President Trump why he unilaterally decided to give $1.8 billion in reparations to the bullies who attacked the Capitol on January 6. His party did nothing to stop him. I got caught up in that mess. That is a whole other story.
Meanwhile, his Iran war is costing us about a billion dollars a day. It was supposed to be for 4 days. We are now into day 117, and the flimsy Iran deal seems to have fallen apart. Who proposed $324 billion to Iran? Where are we supposed to get that money? From the American people's health insurance?
I think there is something really wrong here. Congress should end these giveaways to billionaires and give tax refunds to the hardworking people of our country.
To our colleagues across the aisle, come on, help us out a little bit. It would make a difference to the American people.
Recognizing the Life and Legacy of Mayor Rick Stopfer
Page H4229 · Official text(Mr. VEASEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the distinguished service of my good friend, Rick Stopfer, whose more than three decades of dedication to the city of Irving has left a lasting and meaningful impact on the community he proudly serves.
He was elected to the city council in 1998. Rick has demonstrated a steady commitment to public service. He has held so many key leadership roles. In addition to mayor, he served as mayor pro tem for the council. He was reelected to his third term in May of 2023. He has really helped the city of Irving grow. Anyone who has been to the city and has seen Las Colinas and seen all the Fortune 1500 companies that have decided to make Irving their home over the last decade, it is absolutely amazing.
In addition to everything that he has done for Irving, he has also served on the Dallas Area Rapid Transit board and other regional bodies that reflect a broader vision for the entire Metroplex.
Rick is also a person who is deeply rooted in the Irving community. He is involved in so many different civic organizations, and he is just really a great guy. Alongside with his wife of more than 40 years, Melanie, he has really built an amazing legacy in the city of Irving.
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Rick on everything he has done for the city.
Bipartisan Housing Bill
Page H4229 · Official text(Ms. MEJIA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, lawmakers in this chamber came together to pass a bipartisan housing affordability bill aimed at helping American families struggling with rising rents, rising mortgages, and the cost of living.
In most cases, we would celebrate the bipartisanship, a rare event most Americans are desperate for--most Americans except President Donald Trump. Our President would much rather derail the opportunity to make housing more affordable in order to hold his own party hostage for his despotic political agenda.
This is not only unconscionable, but we have to resist. Families are worried about whether or not they can afford a home, and we are living with the highest rates of inflation this Nation has seen in years. Instead of focusing on making life more affordable, this President is choosing to gut voting rights for the American people again.
I see you, Mr. President, petulant and shortsighted, and, yet again, so do the American people.
The SPEAKER pro tempore
Members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the President and to direct their comments toward the Chair.
Fourth Anniversary of Dobbs Decision
Pages H4229–H4234 · Official text(Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr. Moore of Utah was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.)
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore
Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Utah?
There was no objection.
Mr. Speaker, today marks the fourth anniversary of the Dobbs decision, reaffirming that the U.S. Constitution does not grant the right to an abortion and rightfully returning the regulatory authority to State legislators.
I am excited to welcome my colleagues to speak on this topic with me. I understand some of my colleagues have commitments. I want to be respectful of the time, so I will have them start us off before I provide my own comments, of course.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).
Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague for his distinguished leadership. He has been tenacious.
Mr. Speaker, we have people who will be speaking and some who couldn't be here who have never given up in trying to protect and preserve the lives of women and children from the violence of abortion.
Four years ago today, the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson decision, brilliantly authored by Justice Sam Alito, who is from my hometown of Hamilton in New Jersey, reversed the infamous holdings of Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. That decision stated the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion, and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected Representatives.
After a half century of death--and it continues, but, hopefully, it will be mitigated and maybe ended in time, but a half century of death, more than 65 million unborn children have been violently killed by either dismemberment, decapitation, or chemical poisoning of some kind through this terrible, terrible policy of abortion on demand.
Thankfully, as a response to this, many States--21 and counting--have responded by passing pro-life laws to protect unborn children and women from the violence of abortion. For example, Georgia, Iowa, Florida, and South Carolina passed laws to protect the unborn child when a heartbeat can be detected at about 6 weeks. Thirteen States, including Texas, protect the lives of unborn children throughout the entirety of pregnancy.
I remind my colleagues that the abortion President, Joe Biden, also acted after Dobbs was enacted. In response to the decision, his Food and Drug Administration allowed women to receive mifepristone, the baby poison, through the mail and without any in-person consultation with a healthcare provider.
This dangerous drug is used now to cause at least 6 out of 10 abortions in the United States. How does it operate? It starves the baby to death.
I work on global hunger issues and food insecurity all the time. I find it outrageous that there is a chemical administered that literally causes the baby to die from malnutrition. It also then expels the baby, and what results is a dead, badly dehydrated and, sadly, hurt, killed baby.
One recent study found that mifepristone is extremely dangerous to women, as well. One in 11 women--10.93 percent to be exact. It was the biggest study ever done on mifepristone--experienced a serious adverse event, sepsis, infection, and hemorrhaging within 45 days of taking the drug. The number of serious adverse events is at least 22 times higher than what the FDA has previously suggested, which was based on egregiously flawed data.
The FDA must now move quickly to investigate the impact of this baby poison not just on the baby but on the mother, as well.
Meanwhile, pro-life lawmakers, including those of us who are pro-life in this Chamber, will continue to write, advocate for, and pass laws to nurture and protect human life.
I suggest to my colleagues that the injustice of abortion violence need not be forever.
Blake D. Moore (R-UT)5:40 p.m.
I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for his comments.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt).
Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL)5:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, it is great to be here to rise for this occasion, to recognize the fourth anniversary of Dobbs v. Jackson, where the Supreme Court returned the power to protect the unborn to elected officials and not to an appointed court. The Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was a landmark moment in the effort to protect the most vulnerable and to give those babies the guarantee of right to life and liberty.
Today is really a day of celebration, but this is also a day of remembrance of the countless lives that we also, on the other hand, have to remember. While we celebrate on one hand, we also commemorate all of the lives that were lost during that flawed decision back in 1974 and all those who still need our protection even today.
I am deeply proud of my home State of Alabama. Our policies there are pro-life, but in many States, the lives of the unborn remain vulnerable. As the chairman of the House Values Action Team, I remain committed to fighting and advocating in Congress to expand our efforts and ensure a safe future for our Nation's children, born and unborn.
I have said this before and I will continue to say that I am pro-life, I am pro-family, and I am pro-child.
Since the Dobbs decision in 2022, I have introduced the Protect Funding for Women's Healthcare Act to continue standing for life by ensuring that Federal tax dollars are not used to fund organizations such as Planned Parenthood.
I will continue to work with my colleagues to defend the sanctity of life, to protect the unborn, and ensure a safer future for our Nation's children. Let me be clear. Our work is not finished, and this week's recognition for the Dobbs anniversary is a good time to reaffirm our unyielding commitment to standing up for the importance of every single human life.
Blake D. Moore (R-UT)5:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Alabama for his comments, he is a leader on this issue and always a good voice.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Mann).
Tracey Mann (R-KS)5:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from Utah for hosting this Special Order hour. I thank him for his leadership as the vice chair of our Conference. This is important.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the fourth anniversary of the Dobbs Supreme Court decision. Dobbs was a historic and long-overdue victory for life. It corrected the great mistake of Roe v. Wade and returned the question of abortion policy to the American people and their elected representatives. For nearly 50 years, Roe distorted our Constitution and denied States the ability to enact laws that reflect the will of the people and protect the most vulnerable among us.
Thankfully, Dobbs restored that authority. In the years since, legislators across the country have acted to defend unborn children, support mothers, and affirm the dignity of human life.
Now, 4 years later, the work is far from finished. Far too many unborn children are still lost to abortion each year, and dangerous abortion drugs are being pushed across State lines, often without a doctor's visit, undermining the laws of pro-life States and putting women and unborn children at risk.
America was founded on the self-evident truth that every person is created equal and endowed by our creator with inherent dignity and the right to life. That right is the foundation of every other right that we enjoy. If we fail to protect life at its earliest and most vulnerable stage, we weaken the very principles that this great Nation was built upon.
As a father and person of faith, I believe that every child is fearfully and wonderfully made by God, every life has value, every child has purpose, and no child is a mistake.
Congress must continue advancing life-affirming policies, supporting mothers and families, defending longstanding protections like the Hyde amendment, strengthening adoption and foster care, and standing with the pregnancy centers and community organizations that serve women in need every day.
Dobbs was the new beginning in our pro-life movement. We must continue working, praying, and building a culture where every life is welcomed, valued, and protected.
Blake D. Moore (R-UT)5:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Kansas for his comments.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Miller).
Mary E. Miller (R-IL)5:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Vice Chair Moore for hosting this important Special Order commemorating one of the greatest triumphs in our pursuit to protect the lives of the unborn.
June 24, 2022, will forever be one of the greatest days in American history. After 50 years of peacefully praying outside clinics and marching in Washington, Roe v. Wade is no more. While the Dobbs decision was a monumental victory, the fight for life has only just begun.
Many States have stepped up to the plate, with over half of them enacting laws protecting the unborn. However, blue States have doubled down on the murderous assault of the unborn.
Sadly, my home State of Illinois, is one of those States and has become the destination State of the Midwest for abortions. In 2023 we recorded the most abortions ever in our State's history, and Illinois' Governor proudly signed legislation allowing abortions through 9 months of pregnancy.
Since the Biden administration rescinded safety regulations for chemical abortions, women are being harmed, and our water supply is being severely contaminated.
Democrats oppose safety regulations. They oppose information on the development of the baby. They are not pro-choice. They are pro-abortion. They don't want the mother to know that there are two humans involved, different blood types, different sex, different heart rates, and ultimately, within months, two distinct human beings.
Republicans are the party of life, and we must protect both mom and baby. That is why I have introduced legislation like H.R. 796, the Second Chance for Moms Act, which would require the FDA to place a warning label on chemical abortion drugs so that women can reverse the chemical abortion before it is too late.
I have also introduced H.R. 797, the Ultrasounds Save Lives Act, which would mandate an ultrasound be performed before an abortion can take place. The ultrasound is a window to the womb. Up to 80 percent of women who get an ultrasound before attempting an abortion change their minds and choose life.
The Dobbs decision ended the greatest human rights violation of our time, but the work has just begun.
Republicans stand ready to support women facing crisis pregnancies, not just with words but with actions.
I again thank Vice Chair Moore for commemorating this important anniversary.
Blake D. Moore (R-UT)5:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Illinois. I appreciate her message of women and babies and the support that she has put forth in actual legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Harshbarger).
Diana Harshbarger (R-TN)5:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Utah for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the fourth anniversary of one of the most consequential decisions in the history of our Supreme Court, and that is Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.
Mr. Speaker, 4 years ago, the Supreme Court corrected a 50-year wrong and returned the question of life back to where it has always belonged, and that is to the American people and to their elected representatives. This was a historic victory for life and the rule of law.
But today is not just a day to celebrate a court decision. It is a day to recommit ourselves to the work that remains, and there is still a lot of work to do.
As a mother, a grandmother, and a lifelong advocate for life, I have always believed that the pro-life movement is fundamentally a movement of deep affection and love: love for mothers facing impossible choices, love for families navigating the unexpected, and love for the most vulnerable among us--the unborn, who have no voice.
That love is showing up in communities across the country. In 2024 alone, pregnancy centers provided over 1 million women with services valued at more than $452 million. That is free ultrasounds, free natal care, diapers, car seats, and so much more. And for every Planned Parenthood, there are 15 pregnancy resource centers ready to serve women with real support and real choices.
That is the true face of the pro-life movement.
Here in Congress we have continued to act. Earlier this year, the House passed the Supporting Pregnancy and Parenting Women and Families Act and Pregnant Students' Rights Act because we know that protecting life means supporting mothers before, during, and after pregnancy.
President Trump's HHS stood up for moms.gov, and that was inspired by my Pregnancy.Gov Act to connect expecting mothers with the resources they truly need.
These are the kinds of life-affirming policies we should be building on.
But I want to be direct about where we still fall short. Since Dobbs, abortions in this country have actually increased by nearly 400,000 a year.
Why is that?
It is because the Biden-Harris administration spent 4 years dismantling every commonsense safeguard around chemical abortion drugs. They allowed mifepristone to be ordered online, shipped through the mail, and dispensed without a doctor ever seeing the patient.
As a pharmacist for almost 40 years, that is not patient care. That is recklessness.
Democrats have made their agenda very clear. Nearly every House Democrat has signed on to legislation that would impose abortion on demand until birth wiping out every pro-life protection at the State and Federal level, and we cannot let that stand.
Dobbs gave us the tools. Now it is our job to use them. I will not stop fighting for life in every form at every stage.
Blake D. Moore (R-UT)5:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Tennessee for her voice on this.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Mrs. Fischbach), my good friend.
Michelle Fischbach (R-MN)5:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the vice chair for putting together this important Special Order to commemorate the historic Dobbs v. Jackson decision.
I also thank the other Members, the pro-life Members who took the time tonight to come here and talk about this incredibly critical issue of making sure that we are taking care of mothers and children.
On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court ruled: "The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives."
That decision was a tremendous step to protect the valuable right to life. It overturned the unconstitutional Roe v. Wade, which created a false right to abortion for almost 50 years.
This decision was a victory for the unborn, a victory for families, and a victory for our entire Nation. Most importantly, Dobbs has been a victory for life itself.
In the 4 years since that landmark day, countless children are alive today who might not otherwise be. Families have been made whole, and the beating hearts of ultrasounds are now running, laughing, and bringing joy to households across America.
For me, the pro-life movement is personal. As a mother and a grandmother, I have been blessed to see the miracles of life at every stage. Those personal milestones drive my work in the pro-life movement because I believe every woman in this country should be allowed to experience those same miracles with confidence and support.
To be truly pro-life means so much more than just being opposed to abortion. It means being prowoman and profamily. When a woman faces an unexpected pregnancy, our response as a community must be to surround her with hope. We must be able to look at every mother and say: You are not alone.
We continue to build on this culture of life through meaningful action. Months ago, this House took a step forward by passing the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act to protect the pregnancy resource centers that serve on the front lines.
I have also reintroduced the MOMS Act to provide comprehensive critical support to new mothers during and after pregnancy, ensuring that they have medical, financial, and the emotional tools to raise happy, healthy babies.
As we reflect on the momentous Dobbs decision, I hope that we can take inspiration from the dedication of the pro-life community and support mothers with love, hope, and the right to choose life.
Blake D. Moore (R-UT)5:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Minnesota for her remarks.
I yield to the gentlewoman from South Carolina (Mrs. Biggs), one of our couple of remaining speakers, who I like to refer to these two new awesome Members as "the dynamic duo" from North and South Carolina.
Sheri Biggs (R-SC)5:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for leading on this important topic. As a child of God, as a mother, and as a healthcare provider, this topic is very personal to me.
Mr. Speaker, 4 years ago, the Supreme Court made the right decision in Dobbs and returned the issue of abortion to the American people and their elected representatives.
For nearly 50 years, Roe v. Wade prevented States from protecting unborn children and advancing policies that reflected the values of their citizens.
Dobbs changed that.
Since then, millions of Americans have had a voice in this debate once again, and countless lives have been protected.
But our work is not finished.
Today, abortion pills account for the majority of abortions in America, and women are increasingly being prescribed these drugs without an in-person medical examination and with little accountability.
That is why I am introducing legislation to strengthen safeguards surrounding the dispensing of abortion drugs and to ensure that women receive the care and protections they deserve.
As we mark this anniversary, I remain committed to defending the unborn, to supporting mothers, and building a culture that values every human life.
Blake D. Moore (R-UT)6:00 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to Mr. Harris from North Carolina, the second half of the dynamic duo from the Carolinas.
Mark Harris (R-NC)6:00 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Vice Chairman Moore so much for being willing to host this very Special Order.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today on this very special anniversary, the fourth anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.
As has already been stated, 4 years ago, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and returned the issue of abortion to the American people and their elected representatives. For nearly 50 years, Roe kept States and citizens from fully using their laws to protect unborn children.
Today, we celebrate Dobbs as a victory for the God-given right to life and for the pro-life laws that have protected hundreds of thousands of unborn children since that decision.
Next week, our Nation will celebrate 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. At our very founding, America declared that every person is endowed by our creator with a right to life. That right belongs to the unborn as surely as it belongs to any one of us.
Every child, born and unborn, is made in the image of God. That gives every child a dignity that no court can create, and no government can deny. Long before a child is seen by the world, that child is seen and known by God and is worthy of protection.
As a father of 3 and a grandfather of 11, I have seen the blessings of children being brought into this world. Through my own family, I know they are among the greatest gifts the Lord gives. Each one deserves the opportunity to be born.
The work of protecting life is far from over, especially as chemical abortion by mail continues to expand across this country. Today, women can order chemical abortion drugs online and receive them at home without ever seeing a doctor in person.
Under the Biden administration, the FDA recklessly removed the in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone, opening the door for abortion drugs to be sent by mail without direct medical oversight.
These drugs end the life of an unborn child. When they are distributed this way, mothers can be left to face the risks alone. Without an in-person visit, a woman may not receive proper screening for complications. No woman should be sent abortion drugs through the mail and left to face the pain and the aftermath by herself.
My bill that I have introduced, the Teleabortion Prevention Act of 2025, would make it a Federal offense for doctors to send chemical abortion drugs through the mail without providing in-person care before, during, and after the abortion.
As we continue toward the day when every unborn child is protected in law, this bill is a necessary step. It puts essential safeguards back in place and holds providers accountable.
Mr. Speaker, 4 years after Dobbs, the fight for life is not finished. Congress must continue to defend the sanctity of every human life.
On this anniversary, we remember the children who were never given the chance to live; we fight for the children still at risk; and we stand with the mothers who deserve to know that life is still possible.
Again, I thank Vice Chairman Moore for leading this Special Order.
Blake D. Moore (R-UT)6:00 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, that was a great message from the gentleman from North Carolina, and I appreciate his voice on this matter.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson), the current Speaker of the House, who is taking time out of his very busy schedule to share some remarks on this most important topic and anniversary of the Dobbs decision.
Mike Johnson (R-LA)6:00 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Blake Moore, a great champion and great vice chairman of the House Republican Conference, for yielding. I am so delighted with what he has done with the office. I thank him for hosting this Special Order hour. It is very appropriate and a historic moment that we are in.
Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to join all of my colleagues in celebrating the fourth anniversary of the lifesaving Dobbs decision.
As we know, and I know it has been discussed tonight, that decision reversed five decades of inhuman social engineering, the murder of tens of millions of unborn children. Ultimately, it returned the question of regulating abortion to the people's elected representatives, where it should have remained the whole time.
I was born 1 year before Roe v. Wade, almost exactly to the day. I was born in January 1972. Roe was decided in January 1973, as we know. In my 54 years of life, I will say the Dobbs decision represents the most consequential and lifesaving decision of my lifetime.
I used to go into the courts, for almost 20 years, as a constitutional law litigator to defend the sanctity of human life, but Dobbs was the big one.
Mr. Speaker, think about how many innocent, unborn children have been lost to the hands of Big Abortion. Estimates suggest it is somewhere above 65 million lives. I have always believed that is a low estimate because we know many States do not accurately report abortion numbers. It is probably much higher than that. That is just the number since Roe was decided in 1973.
It is just an unconscionable thing. It is an unspeakable evil. Thankfully, by the grace of God, the Supreme Court finally righted that egregious wrong.
The conditions that led to that decision did not materialize overnight. It took a long, long time. From the moment Roe was decided in 1973, pro-life advocates went to work to pray, organize, build faithful and effective coalitions, and educate the public on the scourge of abortion. They did not do that with hate. They were motivated by love. That is what this has always been about.
We know that mere words of support are not enough. As advocates for life, we must continue to advocate for and support the heroic mission of things like the pregnancy resource centers around the country. They do vital work that is so important. Those centers don't just provide lifesaving and practical care. They empower women to choose life.
We know the statistics. When a woman sees her unborn child on an ultrasound, she has about an 86-percent chance of going through with the pregnancy, to understand that is a child there. No matter how small, it is a person.
Of course, this anniversary and this year are particularly important. Next Friday, we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence, our 250th anniversary as a nation.
The Declaration is our Nation's birth certificate. That is how we describe it all the time, because it is. In that certificate, we boldly proclaim the self-evident truths that all people are created equally by God, and all people are endowed by Him, God, our creator, with their inalienable rights. Of course, that begins, as articulated in the Declaration, with the right to life, logically.
We still have work to do to continue building a culture of life. We still have work to ensure that we are living up to the ideals espoused in the Declaration. Tonight, we should let these anniversaries serve as calls to action, to continue building a culture of life and to advance policies that protect the sanctity and the dignity of every human life.
I again thank my good friend, a great champion for the rights of the unborn, Vice Chairman Blake Moore, for organizing this Special Order.
Blake D. Moore (R-UT)6:00 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana, the Speaker, more aptly known by the more prominent title of former vice chair.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate his voice. It is such an important, unique voice, from a law background to legislative on this very important topic.
I am very much looking forward to hearing from our last speaker this evening, the gentlewoman from Florida, who has a very unique experience, being able to talk about this, having just had a child herself. I couldn't think of a better way to end.
I thank all of my colleagues for being willing to come down and carve out extra time from our busy schedules to come talk about this very important issue. I am looking forward to hearing her remarks.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cammack).
Kat Cammack (R-FL)6:00 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the great State of Utah, the very esteemed and important vice chair, the most important title for hosting this Special Order, marking an incredible and important anniversary.
Mr. Speaker, 4 years ago, the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs returned one of the most important questions in our society to the American people and their elected representatives.
Since then, there has been a lot of rhetoric, a lot of fear, and a lot of misinformation. In fact, we have heard some of it tonight.
I know this all too well because I have lived it personally. See, 2 years after Dobbs, I experienced one of the most dangerous pregnancy complications a woman can face, an ectopic pregnancy. My baby had no heartbeat. Without treatment, I could have lost my life.
Doctors warned that if the pregnancy ruptured, the window to save me could be measured in minutes--not hours, not days, minutes.
I was accused of a number of things, things like special treatment and calling in favors. The truth is, it is a lie. I had no special treatment. There were no favors to call in.
Instead, I fought and advocated. I sat in the ER and read the doctors the law right from my phone. They had hesitated due to confusion.
What shocked me most was the confusion surrounding my care. It was not because Florida's law had been presented a particular way. It expressly protected women like me. It expressly said in statute that ectopic pregnancies are medical emergencies. The confusion, in fact, came from misinformation from pro-abortion activists who had geofenced hospitals with digital ads convincing healthcare providers that they would face consequences for providing lifesaving care and convincing them that treating miscarriages and ectopics is an abortion.
It is not. It never has been, not in Florida, not in any State, not by the medical establishment, and, heck, not even by Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood has even stated this.
This is an uncomfortable fact that the pro-abortion lobby is fighting like hell to change.
While my husband and I were going through this hell, I kept asking: What happens to the woman who doesn't know the law? What happens to her if she is scared, alone, or too sick to fight for herself?
What if she doesn't have a doctor? What if she doesn't have a car to get to help?
Four years after Dobbs, it is clear that we need a whole heck of a lot less political theater and a whole heck of a lot more honest conversations. We need to support women who face miscarriages, stillbirths, and ectopic pregnancies, and we dang sure need better maternal healthcare.
We need facts instead of fear. The pro-abortion lobby would love for Americans to believe that a "wanted pregnancy" is a precious baby worthy of protection and love while simultaneously labeling an "unwanted pregnancy" merely a clump of cells that does not deserve love or protection.
Both cannot be true at the same time. That is not a political opinion. That is the most basic principle in all of human reasoning. Aristotle called this the principle of noncontradiction. A thing cannot both be and not be the same thing simultaneously.
It is the pro-abortion lobby's position that they are hoping Americans abandon logic in order to accept a narrative that is false.
Calling it out is the least that we can do. Pushing back and having this national conversation about how we protect women is long overdue, and we need to remember that behind every statistic is a family, a baby who was loved, and a mother whose life matters.
Recently, I introduced the Bereaved Parents Rights Act. This bill would allow the parents to collect their children's remains so they can properly grieve their lost children. We must remember that these are children. They are worthy of life, protection, and love, and we must fight for them every single day along with their parents. That is the work that is ahead of us. It is a conversation that is not just worth having, it is an issue worth fighting for.
Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate 4 years of saving lives and many more to come.
Blake D. Moore (R-UT)6:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman and my colleague from Florida. I appreciate her words.
I wanted to just end with a few remarks myself, Mr. Speaker, as we wrap up this evening's Special Order on this very important topic.
Today is an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come to protect the right to life and supporting children, women, and families.
Today marks the fourth anniversary of the Dobbs decision reaffirming that the U.S. Constitution does not grant the right to an abortion and rightfully returns regulatory authority to State legislators. It is very plain, and it is very simple. That is what took place 4 years ago.
This decision provided the ability for more comprehensive care, representation, and opportunity for life, and it ensured that States like Utah can make decisions that align with our pro-life and pro-family values.
As a husband and father of four young boys, this is personal. Children are our future, and we must work harder to ensure every child and their mothers have the opportunity and resources to thrive and succeed.
At the end of my first year in office, my youngest son, Franklin, was born. Frankie had an H-type fistula that conjoined his trachea and his esophagus. It is a very rare disease, and he is fortunate to have amazing healthcare. Utah's Primary Children's Hospital is one of the foremost advanced places that actually does this surgery quite a bit.
I will never forget that holding him in the hospital just reminded me of our responsibility in Congress to value and protect the miracle of life and come alongside women who are also in difficult circumstances.
Since then, I have worked hard to pass pro-family legislation making life for working parents easier so no one has to choose between keeping their child and maintaining a livelihood.
I championed legislation to increase and make permanent the child tax credit, to make adoption much more affordable, and to create investment accounts for children providing them a financial launchpad to ease the burden of tuition, internship housing, transportation, and so much more.
By means of investment accounts for kids, they are going to start saving for their retirement at the age of zero as opposed to typically at the age of 30 when we finally get around to doing that.
No one has given credit to our bill last year that literally established investment accounts for children, for babies, for babies born in the next 4 years to get a seeded $1,000 to start an investment account to give them opportunities to help them along the path of life.
Of course, people aren't drawing that correlation. They are not making that connection. We are not hearing from my colleagues on the left that we are doing things that are actually pro-family and actually pro-life. This particular issue just becomes a very toxic and horrible debate back and forth. However, when we actually look at what we have done, we are trying to focus on that next generation.
Sincerely, giving investment accounts to children, Trump accounts, starting them off on the path towards accruing something that they would have otherwise maybe never even invested in, they are going to start that when they are zero. All they have to do is sign up for it.
We are focused on life, and we are focused on improving families. There is no question about it. Our policies are directly related towards it.
As a member of both the House Values Action Team and Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, I have stood up to attempts to increase access to abortion, advocated for language restricting Federal funding for abortion, and signed legal briefs opposing mail-order abortion pills and requirements for employers to give time off for abortions.
Our focus in Congress should be focused on ensuring that every child has opportunities, no matter the circumstances of their conception or birth, and that pregnant women and mothers have the resources they need to be supported throughout pregnancy and postpartum.
I am proud of the progress we have made since that decision 4 years ago. We have passed legislation to support critical, comprehensive services for women in need, make it easier for working-class families to earn money and raise children, and support the rights and dignity of our most vulnerable.
Yes, we have much more work to do. The right to life is paramount, and I am eager to continue our work on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues who have all shared messages tonight, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The United States Represents Hopeful New Beginnings
Pages H4234–H4238 · Official text(Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mrs. Ramirez of Illinois was recognized for 60 minutes.)
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore
Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. Speaker, I am proudly on this House floor going to talk about what brings me to this place.
Yes, I am the Congresswoman of Illinois' Third Congressional District. I am also the proud daughter of Guatemalan immigrants. I am a citizen by birthright. I am the wife of an incredible man who until recently was a DACA recipient, a Dreamer, and Congresista from a welcoming city, State, and district.
We know the story of our Nation wouldn't be complete without the joy, without the sweat, and without the struggles and resilience of those who, whether a couple of generations ago or 1 year ago, came to this country in search of safety, security, and opportunity.
Whether arriving through the southern border like my mother did 43 years ago or welcomed by the Mother of Exiles, the Statue of Liberty, like the ancestors of so many Members of Congress that I serve with, including the man in the Oval Office, our country has represented hopeful new beginnings for so many. Yet, too many have forgotten these histories.
As this country approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding, I rise during Immigrant Heritage Month asking us to reflect on this country's history, on this country's story, our progress and our failures, and our enduring but not yet fulfilled commitment to the principles of liberty and justice for all.
When a government fails to secure these rights and liberties for all people, regardless of legal status, origin, nationality, religion, or economic condition, it is, in fact, the responsibility of Members of Congress to challenge and transform systems that deny our communities dignity and justice.
I am clear that we have not yet fully realized our country's founding ideals.
The policies passed by this body and the powers seized by Trump's administration have created barriers and hardships for asylum seekers, for refugees, and all immigrant communities, including conditions that undermine internationally recognized human rights and constitutional protections.
When the administration is unwilling to uphold our commitments to human rights and obligations under the Constitution, Members of Congress in this body must act. We must meet the moment, and we must legislate. Because we know that immigrant communities make significant social, cultural, economic, and civic contributions to our country, strengthening and enriching our collective future.
The 250th anniversary of America serves not only as a commemoration but also as a choice point. We can choose to honor the contributions of immigrants by bringing 11 million people out of the shadows. We can choose to recognize our shared commitment to never again turn our backs on those seeking refuge and safety. We can choose to create pathways to citizenship for DACA recipients, who have been in this country since the age of 2 who know no other country other than this one as their own, and those that are TPS holders and in mixed-status families.
We can choose to renew our commitment to building a more inclusive, equitable, and united future for all who call the United States home, or we can allow Trump and this administration to continue terrorizing our communities, denying relief, violating protections, and certainly separating the families that my colleague just a moment ago bragged about being the party of families.
Here is the thing: I know where I stand, and I know where Trump, Noem, and now Markwayne, Homan, Miller, and Republicans in Congress stand. Trump and his cronies want to define who gets to be American and who is not American enough for them. He wants to define who is worthy of stability, of safety, of security, of opportunity, and who gets to be included in our Nation's founding ideals.
I, on this House floor, reject his white supremacist, xenophobic, bigoted agenda. It is important for us as Members of Congress to continue to fight for the opportunity that this Nation represents for so many of us like the opportunity to buy the first pair of shoes for your children, the opportunity to receive an education, to get a family-sustaining job, to establish a small business, and, for me, to become the very first Latina in the entire Midwest to serve in Congress.
I am the daughter of Maria Elvira Ramirez Guerra, a "powerful"; "poderosa" woman "that fought for me"; "que lucho por mi," and carried that legacy that I get to carry now every single day in these Halls of Congress.
For us on Immigrant Heritage Month and in this Special Order hour, it is important as Members of Congress, those of us who are unapologetically children of immigrants, to remind everyone that our experiences, that the experience of refugees, that the experience of immigrants are also part of this Nation.
We belong, and we will not let anyone tell us that we are not the inheritors of the promise of America, just like so many of my colleagues' ancestors were for them.
Today, I say no bans, no walls, no raids, no kidnappings, no masked agents terrorizing our communities, no military attacking our neighbors, and no authoritarians in the Oval Office. "Period"; "Punto."
Mr. Speaker, I will yield to some of my colleagues who will recognize and uplift the stories of the immigrant communities they represent and hold President Trump and Republicans accountable for the continued attacks on our immigrant communities.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Tokuda).
Jill N. Tokuda (D-HI)6:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, I stood on a farm in Haleiwa for the blessing of the Pacific Gateway Center's new land. I looked out at the fields and at the farmers and families gathered there ready to work, grow food, and to build something of their own. It was immigrants focused on strengthening their community, our economy, and creating a better life for their children.
As I stood there, I could not stop thinking: This is it. This is America. This is what a true celebration of 250 years of America looks like. It is a more honest portrait of our country than any gilded ballroom or caged fight on the White House lawn could ever offer: hands in the soil, families laying down roots, people arriving with hope, working hard, and building a life for their children and their grandchildren.
That is my family's story, too. I am a Yonsei, a fourth-generation of Okinawan descent. Like so many other Japanese, Filipino, Chinese families in Hawaii, agriculture and the plantations were the gateway that allowed us to come, to work, to lay down our roots, and to build a real future for our children.
I would not be standing here today as a Member of Congress if my family had not been given that chance, had that pathway not existed for so many immigrants like us.
For so many, somewhere in our family's story, someone got here. Someone arrived with the same hope, the same courage, and the same belief that tomorrow could be a better day than today, that their children could go further than they did, that this country could be a place where hard work, sacrifice, and community still meant something.
That is where this administration has twisted the story. They want us to believe immigrants are the enemy, but when you attack immigrant children and women and workers and families, you are attacking the very people who helped create our American identity.
When you detain families, separate children, strip people of their rights, and tell whole communities they do not belong, you are not protecting America. You are betraying her promise. They can try to paint over the truth. They can try to dress it up, cover the cracks with gold, or write immigrants out of the story, but the truth is carved into America's foundation: America's heritage is, in fact, immigration.
It is arrival. It is hard work. It is sacrifice. It is the belief that tomorrow can be better than today. That is what America first should mean, not pitting immigrant against nonimmigrant.
By the way, unless you are indigenous to this land, you are, in fact, an immigrant. Not turning families into targets, but creating opportunities and pathways for the people who came here, laid down their roots, helped build this country, and still carry it forward every single day. That is what gives me hope.
Because there are still people in this country who have not lost sight of that dream. I saw them in Haleiwa. I saw people and families choosing work, choosing community, choosing to build, and choosing courage. I saw people making sure that pathway is still there for the next family, the next generation, and the next person looking for a chance.
That is the America I believe in. An America where immigrant families are not treated as threats, but recognized as part of who we are. An America that understands the American Dream has never been about where you came from. It is about what you are willing to build when you get here.
As we celebrate National Immigrant Heritage Month and prepare to mark 250 years of this country, let us tell the truth: Immigrants are not outside America's story. They are the story. They are not a threat to America's heritage. They are America's heritage.
If we are serious about honoring 250 years of America, then we have a responsibility to fight for the people still reaching for that same promise--to lay down roots, to build a better life, to raise a family in safety and dignity, and to contribute, and with hope to belong to this country.
Mr. Speaker, I saw hope that day in Haleiwa. I saw the American Dream. That is what I am holding on to.
It is up to each and every one of us to carry on the dream of our forefathers. As long as there are people who carry that dream forward, and as long as we have the courage to protect it, that dream will continue.
Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL)6:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I want to echo something that Ms. Tokuda said that I often remind my colleagues at Homeland Security as they continue to vilify immigrants: Unless you are indigenous, or you were forced to come here, you, too, are an immigrant. Whether your family came in the 1800s or the early 1900s, we must not forget that this country is built by immigrants. Yet, so many people have such a short memory of history.
Immigrants are, in fact, the story of this country. To talk a little bit more about that, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Washington State (Ms. Jayapal).
Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)6:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Ramirez for her leadership and for consistently fighting for immigrants across this country.
Today, as we recognize Immigrant Heritage Month, immigrants and people of all statuses face horrific, unprecedented attacks from the Trump administration. Even as this administration does everything possible to attack immigrants and those who stand with them, what we see is incredible strength, resilience, organizing, and leadership.
What is the message of all of that? The message is that immigration and immigrants have and always will make us better as a country.
I am very proud to be the first Indian American--in fact, the first South Asian-American woman elected to the House and one of just two dozen naturalized citizens to serve in Congress.
I came to this country alone when I was 16 years old. My parents had very meager savings, but they used all of it to send me to this country because they believed so much that this was the place that I would have the best education and the most opportunities.
Well, it took me 17 years to get my citizenship. I was on an alphabet soup of visas for that time. Now, I am so proud to be the first naturalized citizen to serve as the ranking member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee.
In that role, I have held accountability hearings and roundtables here in Washington, D.C., and across the country to hear people's stories and to shine a light on how the administration is harming our communities and how we can fight back.
What I have heard overwhelmingly, no matter where I am, is people from all walks of life saying no to these anti-immigrant actions from this administration. People are determined to ensure that our country remains a welcoming place for people around the globe.
We see neighbors organizing food delivery and carpools for families who are afraid to leave their homes. We see gatherings at schools for dropoff and pickup to keep kids safe. We see organizing in communities to be prepared to document ICE and CBP abuses and hold this administration accountable.
I have heard from a young man who is Active-Duty military serving his country despite this country deporting his father, and a young woman trying to juggle pursuing her education while caring for her young sibling after ICE detained her mother.
I know organizational leaders across the country who are citizens and should have nothing to fear but have been forced to move their families into safe houses. They are determined to continue demanding justice nevertheless. I was moved to hear from one person in the Twin Cities that they need to have their neighbors' backs because their communities are not whole without them.
These sentiments, again, reflect the love and generosity of the American people and their understanding that immigrants are vital to all of our communities.
In my hometown of Seattle, immigrants contribute to every sector of our economy, just like they do across the country. Seattle is a hub of creation, developing and advancing cutting-edge technology and research. Nearly 160,000 immigrants in Seattle work in STEM. Over 40 percent of people in Seattle with STEM degrees are immigrants.
Immigrants also make tremendous contributions in construction and housing. We are an agricultural State, and we have immigrants working across our farms everywhere--and in manufacturing and business.
As Republicans raise costs and destroy our safety net, it is immigrants who are keeping Social Security afloat. A report from the Social Security trustees shows that immigration improves the Social Security trust fund's solvency, specifically showing that when immigration increases, the trust fund's deficit decreases.
Just looking at 2022, undocumented immigrants paid $25.7 billion in Social Security taxes that take care of our seniors who are receiving Social Security today. They contribute even as they have no expectation of ever benefiting.
Donald Trump and Stephen Miller always claimed that they were going after the worst of the worst. That is clearly not what has happened. Rather, they have been about ending all immigration to this country of any kind.
Since Trump came into office, 400,000 people have been detained across the interior of our country. That includes parents of U.S. citizen children, which has harmed over 11,000 kids.
USCIS data shows sharp declines in approvals for all kinds of immigration benefits, including work visas and family reunification. In 2025, overall approvals dropped 27 percent. We don't have full data on student visas yet, but what we do have shows a 31-percent decrease.
Mr. Speaker, this is all inflicting lasting harm on our economy and our country. Immigrants are an essential part of our history, our present, and our future. I will never stop fighting for a comprehensive, humane immigration system that recognizes the tremendous contributions, the values, and the threads that immigrants weave throughout this country to make us as a country whole.
This has never just been about immigration. It is about who we are as a country and what we are willing to stand up for.
Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL)6:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, who are we as a nation? I thank Congresswoman Jayapal for powerfully reminding us that we cannot talk about having ideals and being a country that stands up for children and opportunity, and continue to dismiss those who contribute every single day in making that reality.
To continue this conversation around the contributions and the impact that immigrants make every single day in this Nation, I yield to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Grijalva).
Adelita S. Grijalva (D-AZ)6:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congressional Progressive Caucus vice chair, Congresswoman Ramirez, for hosting this Special Order hour.
I rise today during Immigrant Heritage Month to honor our hardworking immigrant communities and call out the cruel and dangerous actions of the Trump administration.
While communities across America are honoring generations of immigrants who built our Nation, Trump and his administration are choosing fear, cruelty, and division.
This administration is carrying out a mass deportation agenda that is tearing through our communities, our barrios, and our families to target people who have lived in this country for decades, who own businesses, and who are students, leaders, teachers, and nurses in our community.
This administration wants to erase the contributions of immigrants while benefiting from their hard work, innovation, and sacrifices.
Let me remind them: Immigrants are not outsiders. They are the reason America looks the way it does.
I want to highlight Karla Toledo. She was brought to this country at 1 year old. She was violently pulled from her home and put in detention, inhumanely detained for 4 days. She was released on the lowest bond possible, and her charges were dropped.
The day before yesterday, ICE and DHS embarrassed by the spotlight and the black eye, are bringing new charges against her for deportation. We are sick as a community of being scapegoated. We are sick as a people of being scapegoated.
I am the granddaughter of a bracero, a guest worker, a hardworking Mexican immigrant who came to this country seeking opportunity.
I am the daughter of a Member of Congress, who spent his life fighting for immigrants and working families.
The Trump administration can attack immigrants, but they cannot erase their stories. They cannot erase our stories. They cannot erase our contributions, and they cannot erase the truth. Immigrants built this country.
(English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:)
Adelita S. Grijalva (D-AZ)6:40 p.m.
"Immigrants are part of our history, past, present, and future."
"Los inmigrantes son parte de nuestra historia, nuestro presente y nuestro futuro."
No amount of fear or cruelty will change that.
Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL)6:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib), one of my colleagues who has been at the forefront, really pushing back on all the terror that we are seeing around the country, whether it is in detention, whether it is in the abductions that are happening on the ground, or if it is at check-ins and making sure that people feel safe to go to court.
Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)6:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my good colleague from Chicago, Congresswoman Ramirez, for her incredible advocacy and her sharing and vulnerability in expressing her lived experience or sharing her lived experience in this Chamber.
I am proud to be the daughter of Palestinian immigrants. My father came to this country at 19 years old. He was the guy in the 1970s that would pull up his arms and say: Which watch do you want? He never felt any kind of human dignity ever in his life until he joined the Ford Motor Company and became a member of the United Auto Workers.
My mother, who was 3 months pregnant with me on the airplane here to the United States from Palestine, came here with an eighth grade education.
Both of them could have never imagined in their lifetime that their eldest daughter would be the first in the family to graduate from high school, as well as achieve a college degree, and then later become one of the first Muslim women elected to the United States Congress.
These are the stories that I wish people would share more about our immigrant neighbors. I want to uplift those stories--the resilience, the contributions of so many of our immigrant neighbors across our country, especially in my district.
I grew up in southwest Detroit where there are 20 different ethnic groups. It taught me diversity. It made me a better person to be able to be around that type of strength, all of the different stories that were so similar to my parents' stories.
What I also love about my current 12th Congressional District is you can go in a community, and it is a huge, beautiful African diaspora, a Caribbean community, an Arab community. All throughout my district, there is so much love, and so many of our communities with immigrants are centered on family.
However, this Immigrant Heritage Month carries a heavier weight as this administration continues to target our immigrant neighbors day after day.
It has been incredibly painful, not just for myself and immigrants in our country, but for the American people, to watch our immigrant neighbors being abducted by masked DHS agents, our children being torn from their parents and some even zip-tied, and our disabled seniors being left to languish in detention camps. The images have been horrifying.
I wish to highlight one story of Maykol Duarte. He was from southwest Detroit. He was in high school. He was a high school student with only a few credits away from graduation. He was racially profiled by local police and handed over to ICE. He was on his way to a field trip, Mr. Speaker, with his friends, and now he was torn away from his loving community and deported to Colombia.
These are real-life stories, heartbreaking consequences of policies of this administration centered on cruelty.
We must acknowledge and recognize that not all immigrant communities, though, are impacted equally. I wish to take time to express my deepest fear that we are looking away from the impact on Black immigrants, which is the fastest growing immigrant group in the United States. Today, more than one in five Black Americans are immigrants or children of immigrants. Many of them face a huge impact or harm within our immigration system. They are more likely to be detained, more likely to be deported, and more likely to be denied asylum and relief.
These figures are not accidental. They are systemic and stem from a racist administration that continues to target African and Caribbean communities with no end in sight. This administration continues to separate our families and strip protections from those who need it most.
I ask my colleagues to not accept this broken, inhumane immigration system that treats people differently based on their race and on their origin. We must fight for fairness, dignity, and justice for all.
This Immigrant Heritage Month and every month, we all must stand with our immigrant neighbors and share the stories. I know Congresswoman Ramirez shared her story, and I shared my story.
This is the American Dream. There is no such thing as the Canadian dream, the German dream. There is only the American Dream, and all of us need to remember that we are a nation of immigrants.
Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL)6:40 p.m.
We are a nation of immigrants, and, unfortunately, many of our colleagues have forgotten that.
I do wonder if their grandparents when they came to this country, whether they were 5, whether they were 12, whether they were 17, if they were alive today, what would they say about their grandchildren that forgot the struggle and the challenges and what they needed when their grandparents came to this country.
I wish to take a moment to honor people who exemplify the power of immigrant heritage as so many of my colleagues have done today in our Special Order hour, because I know that we have a President who has done everything in his power to vilify the immigrant community, to call them criminals, to call them all sorts of other names, to negate their humanity, and forget about the names, the faces of women, of children, of hardworking people that, in fact, contribute to this community, to this country every single day.
Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL)6:40 p.m.
Today, I rise to honor Dr. Gladys Fatima Marquez. Gladys is a high school bilingual English language learners teacher with over 20 years of classroom experience. She is also on the National Education Association's executive committee. She is a member and a past chair of the NEA Hispanic Caucus.
Gladys is the proud granddaughter of an immigrant from Zacatecas, Mexico. Her grandfather was a railroad worker on the Rock Island for 10 years before he was able to bring his family from Zacatecas in the 1960s.
Gladys' mother came here at the age of 13 and struggled to feel as though she belonged, especially at school. She, like thousands of other immigrant students, left school to join the workforce, taking a minimum wage factory job.
Her mother's experience inflamed her life's passion. Gladys worked to ensure every student believes in themselves, in their heritage, in who they are, and that they know that they can, in fact, achieve their dreams.
In addition to changing the world one child at a time, Gladys is a fierce advocate and defender of our immigrant neighbors. She has organized teach-ins at immigration detention centers, humanitarian missions to shelters at the border, and she has helped organize massive marches in protest of the national policy leading to separation of immigrant families and the incarceration of immigrant children. She lobbied and led efforts to support DACA recipients, and she has helped facilitate countless know-your-rights clinics.
On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, I commend Dr. Gladys Fatima Marquez for her commitment to ensure that every member of our community, from our students and our immigrant neighbors, know that they belong.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Gladys.
Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL)6:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I also rise to honor Shaiska Malca, a constituent of the Illinois Third Congressional District and an educator, children's book author, and entrepreneur.
Shaiska is a proud Panamanian immigrant and vice president of the DuPage Hispanic Alliance.
Inspired by her own multicultural family and her mother, who had her own impressive career in education, Shaiska founded Pura Vida Talk to nurture bilingualism in our communities.
Pura Vida Talk empowers children to embrace multiculturalism and build bridges across our communities.
Her work to share her culture and language encourages children across Illinois' Third Congressional District and beyond to become global citizens who appreciate and celebrate diversity; all while they are being equipped with the invaluable skill of bilingualism, a skill that I think is a superpower and more people should seek.
On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, I commend Shaiska Malca for reminding us of the strength we can find in connecting to our roots, our language, and our heritage.
I thank and congratulate Shaiska for her work.
Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL)6:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, as we get closer to the end of the Special Order hour, I want to go back to the children because in the previous Special Order hour, my colleagues to the right talked a lot about children. They talked about protecting children, protecting humanity, protecting family, and protecting the fiber of what it is to be an American.
While I sigh because I sense the hypocrisy that came from that Special Order hour, I do know that growing up, I, in fact, was taught that we take care of the children and families in our community not just by words but through action. I learned that we must honor our shared humanity to ensure that children and families, in fact, get to thrive.
But right now, we are living in times where too many children and families are living the indignity and the trauma of inhumane processing centers, inhumane detention facilities, and family separation.
Mr. Speaker, since the start of the Trump administration, at least 50 people have died in ICE detention. More than 6,200 children--children--have been arrested by ICE at traffic stops, home raids, routine check-in appointments, bus stops, hospitals, and airports. More than 100,000 children, including U.S. citizens, have been separated from their families through the Trump administration.
Mr. Speaker, these aren't just numbers. Every one of them is a beloved child that is being denied the ability to live a fulfilling life, a life where they get to really imagine who they can be.
I saw this terror and trauma firsthand when I visited Steven, my 14-year-old constituent with autism, and his father, Victor, who spent more than 60 days in Dilley's processing facility after being taken at an immigration check-in.
I saw it as he hugged me and he begged me to tell him that ICE would not detain him again and threaten him that he would never see his mother again as they did in that detention facility.
Mr. Speaker, I know the pain that families separated by a cruel, inhumane immigration system endure. Do you know why? It is because I watched as so many people around the world watched Kevin, my 18-year-old U.S. citizen constituent with stage IV terminal colon cancer cry, "Mama, Mama," as he was finally reunited with his mother and father. His parents had been detained for 1 whole month in Arizona at a detention facility after they had asked for a humanitarian visa to come see their child one last time. You see, Kevin, after we finally were able to get his parents released, died hours after finally seeing his parents for one last time.
I think of Ofelia, my 15-year-old constituent, whose life was cut short by a rare and aggressive form of cancer, but she continued to fight one more battle. She fought to have her father's order of deportation canceled, ensuring he would no longer live in fear. You see, she testified in court for her father, but less than 3 days later, Ofelia lost her battle to cancer.
Mr. Speaker, I get emotional because there is a hypocritical party who talks about children and families and standing up for them, but for some reason, Ofelia, Kevin, and Steven are not the kind of children they are willing to stand up for. They are United States citizen children, by the way.
Because I refuse to accept that we must endure these atrocities, we must reject the cruelty that is robbing our children and families of their future. Instead, we should be doing everything we can to ensure that children like Ofelia, like Steven, and like Kevin have everything they need to thrive.
Instead, we have children, until their dying moment, fighting for the livelihood of their parents. It is why I have said in the Committee on Homeland Security--and I am going to say it on this House floor--that we must abolish ICE. We must end immigrant detention, and we have to dismantle the Department of Homeland Security that under the premise of protecting us from domestic terrorism has abused our civil rights every single day and has killed U.S. citizens and more than 50 people this past year.
It is why I encourage my colleagues to join me as a cosponsor of H.R. 7190, the Melt ICE Act, as a meaningful step forward. The reality is that I can't have colleagues here saying that all people are created equal, but somehow immigrants don't fit that definition.
I cannot stand here and hear a party talk about being pro-family but deny the livelihood for so many families.
Mr. Speaker, we have been talking about this fourth anniversary of the Dobbs decision, but I want to talk to you about what is happening to pregnant women in detention right now. For the party that says that they want to protect unborn life at all costs, why is it that immigrant women in detention don't fit that definition?
We must confront a painful but necessary truth: DHS' violence and immigration enforcement have denied immigrants the right to personhood. Immigration detention denies people access to reproductive healthcare and represents forms of government control over immigrant bodies.
Do you know how I know this? I know this because of a report that at least a dozen pregnant girls, some who are as young as 13 years of age, and at least half of whom got pregnant because they were raped, are being held right now in a facility in San Benito, Texas, funded by American taxpayer dollars; and a report that at least 400 pregnant women were deported between January 2025 and February 2026.
It is critical that we acknowledge that immigrant and reproductive justice is interconnected. Both immigrant and reproductive justice is rooted in a shared struggle against the structural systems of racism, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia, trans phobia, and economic oppression that police bodies and restrict bodily autonomy.
We must affirm the dignity and humanity of all people, including our immigrant neighbors, and condemn any policies that treat people as unworthy or inadequate of healthcare and fundamental rights or bodily autonomy.
Mr. Speaker, as I think about where we are in this precise moment, I want to invite my colleagues to remember what we said are the founding ideals of this country, because we cannot talk about standing up for injustice and continue to fund the injustice we are seeing around the country when it comes to our immigrant communities.
It is why I thank my colleagues who joined today's Special Order honoring Immigrant Heritage Month, and I want to close with this message: The question isn't whether change is possible. It is whether we have the courage to demand it. I cannot understand how some people here can think it is acceptable to terrorize children and then say that they are the ones fighting for children in the same sentence.
Shame on every person in this country who wants to lock up children in cages, who wants to lock up children and separate them from their loved ones and their communities. Shame on those who are willing to deny children air, sun, play, laughter, joy, and every single thing a little one needs to be able to thrive.
Mr. Speaker, President Mandela said: "There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children."
This House has to reckon with the reality that when it comes to immigrant children, you should be ashamed of yourself in the way that you are operating. Incarcerating children is an evil, morally bankrupt practice that calls into question any commitment our Nation claims to have about their preciousness.
We must unleash our collective outrage. We must demand that no other children experience what Steven, what Liam, and the more than 3,800 children detained by ICE have endured.
So let's demand an end to mandatory detention, to private detention facilities that are profiting off of the pain of our children, to family detention, to warehouse detention, and to the profiting off our pain by corporate billionaires and campaign donors to the President.
And may we remember that every child is our child, and a fight for affordable housing, universal healthcare, climate resilience, humane immigration reform, thriving wages, labor rights is our fight, as well.
I reject a world where, during Immigrant Heritage Month, Palestinians in need of medical care cannot get visas to access care in the United States; where children grieve detained fathers on Father's Day; where deported sons are tortured in prisons in El Salvador; where children are held in U.S. for-profit detention centers; or where a mother in Durango, Mexico, cries in the lap of her dying 18-year-old son after being separated by a cruel and inhumane immigration system.
I refuse to accept that we must endure these atrocities. The suffering is too great. The pain is too great to bear.
So instead, Mr. Speaker, let us move forward with a loving wisdom that we are, in fact, precious and beloved; that we are bound together; that we belong to one another; and that every single child, regardless of legal status, is our child.
And may we honor our history by recognizing the human rights and constitutional protections afforded to all in this Nation and all those who seek refuge and protection.
I am ready to build that world together today, and to do so let's melt ICE, let's dismantle DHS because, frankly, Mr. Speaker, anything less is unacceptable.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Republican Update
Pages H4238–H4242 · Official text(Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr. Roy of Texas was recognized for 30 minutes.)
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the time here on the House floor. As always, I wish it was a little more filled with my colleagues involved in robust debate on the issues of our day and the issues that present our work here in the House to solve problems for the American people.
I want to say something quick that I think is really important as we are having a lot of debates this week, and a lot of people are raising questions about bills that we are bringing up and what we are moving and what we are not moving, the President making a decision today. I want to address where we are as a country because I think it is really important for us to establish what we have accomplished under this President over the last 18 months and under the leadership of this House and this Senate.
I am going to get into some disagreements in a minute, and I am going to get into some things that I think we ought to do. But let's be very clear about the State of this country and how much we have improved the State of our Nation over the last 18 months.
Mr. Speaker, 18 months ago, our borders were wide open. Eighteen months ago, the people of Texas that I represent were in danger. Eighteen months ago, we had criminals pouring into our communities in Texas and fentanyl pouring in and destroying homes and families.
The President came in and didn't need changes to the law to do the work of actually securing the border and did so. He did so with the great men and women of ICE and Border Patrol and the leadership of Tom Homan, the now two Secretaries of Homeland Security, and other patriots who were working to secure the border, and they brought it to a complete standstill.
That is one thing, one thing that had a measurable impact on the people that I represent, the communities that I represent, and on this entire Nation. We are no longer living in fear that more criminals are coming across so that the Jocelyn Nungarays of the world get murdered and taken from us as did Laken Riley in my friend's home State of Georgia.
That is something we should celebrate and recognize and talk about and remind the American people that you can't take it for granted. You can't take good, strong leadership for granted. You can't take the fact that we now have enlistments and people that are looking to join the United States military at all-time highs. You are seeing people who want to be a part of the military because the President has removed the absurdity of the woke agenda and the DEI and all this stuff, taking their eyes off the ball of becoming the best fighting force in the world. Now people, young men and women, want to join the military again.
I know. I know my colleagues know because they talk to the men and women who want to go to the academies. They are proud to be in the United States military again. That is this President. That is this leadership. That is this Congress that is delivering that.
It is this President that took on the cartels and declared them as the terrorist organizations that they are. It is this President that took on Maduro and went after the change that needed to occur in Venezuela so we no longer had that pressure point that was facilitating our enemies in China and in Russia, that was reestablishing our footprint in the Western Hemisphere and making clear that this is an American hemisphere.
This President did that.
This President is reestablishing the faith in a government that believes in making their Capital City safe and secure again, pretty again--things you can be proud of as we celebrate our Nation's 250th birthday.
We are reestablishing our position around the globe, making clear that America is going to have a position. We are not going to engage in endless wars, but we are, in fact, going to make sure that our enemies know who we are, what we are doing, and that they are going to listen and that they are going to come to the table.
These are all things that require actual leadership.
This country is immeasurably better because of the last 18 months of this President, this Republican Congress, the Republican Senate, despite some of our disagreements. Yes, we have the sausage getting made where we have disagreements like we saw today. I am going to highlight a few of those things and talk about some directions that I think we ought to go.
But I want to be very clear. It is the Republicans in this body, in particular, and the Senate that had to end-run Democrats who did not want to fund ICE and Border Patrol. They preferred for political purposes to endanger the people of the country. They refused to appropriate money for the law enforcement agencies tasked with ensuring our country is secure and required us to use the reconciliation process to backdoor funding to ensure that ICE and Border Patrol would get funded.
That is what we are having to do. That is what leadership looks like.
It is not the best way to do it. We should have just appropriated it in January or February, but our Democrat colleagues refused to do it, preferring instead to endanger the American people.
Republicans stopped that. Republicans united to stop that. Republicans in both Chambers united to stop that, and I am proud of that. And I am proud of the things that I talked about and our position in the world and the secure border and the strong military. I am proud that our economy is moving in the right direction and getting stronger every day after the doldrums of the previous administration. These are all things that we should be proud of and why this election season is going to be so important.
This raises certain questions about what we do in our remaining 5 or 6 months before this election and the remaining 6 or 7 months in this Congress.
Today, the President was supposed to come up here and have a bill signing ceremony back here in the old House Chamber, and ultimately he chose not to come. The President's rationale was that he believed that rather than coming here and signing a housing bill that he wanted to make sure that this body, the House, and the Senate knows that he expects us to pass the SAVE America Act in order to secure our Nation's elections.
You cannot have a Republic that the people believe in if they don't believe in and trust their elections. That is what this is about. I don't know whether we will get it across the finish line by the end of this Congress or not. I was proud to author the bill 2 years ago here in the House, my friend Mike Lee in the Senate. I am proud that we have now passed it three times out of the House, and I am proud that we are continuing to have this conversation because we need to have the conversation. We need to have the fight. We need to have the discussion. The Senate needs to be forced to debate it.
Democrats who refuse to pass it need to make clear to the American people who is look blocking it, and it is not Republicans. It is not Republicans. It is Democrats who refuse roundly in both Chambers to say that very simply put, only American citizens should vote in American elections.
That is the truth.
Now, look, I voted against the housing bill yesterday, and I am going to explain why. I don't think we should be in the business of expanding government programs.
I don't think we should be in the business of expanding Section 8 housing. I don't think we should be in the business of telling local governments what they must do. I don't think we should celebrate the streamlining of permits, which are mostly on government-owned properties and so forth.
There were things in the bill that I do think moved things in a positive direction. I am glad that my good friend, French Hill, worked hard to try to do that in this difficult body.
I think the Senate made the bill worse. I couldn't vote for it. I couldn't support it. I have said why. I have a duty to my constituents to explain why. I was one of 32 Republicans who voted against it.
I don't think the bill was good enough. I don't think it should have included $200 million for an affordable housing pilot program from Congresswoman Tlaib. I don't think it should have included some of the grant programs, the PRICE program, the community enhancement for HUD, which I think goes through NGOs, which I don't trust won't be layered in fraud. That is not what I think this body should do in a limited government.
Today, we were supposed to bring up another bill under a rule, along with two appropriations bills, a veterans bill. I served on the Veterans' Affairs Committee for two terms before I joined the Rules Committee. I am proud to support and work to defend veterans.
We have gotten in the habit here of passing bills to say we did something. I think this is another one of those. It is all well intended.
I have groups of veterans coming to me that are for it and against it. They don't like the way some of the pay-fors impact them, some of the fees, some of the things that get transferred from one veteran to another. This is going to have a significant amount of spending. That is on top of the PACT Act, which we passed a few years ago.
I bring all that up simply to say that we have a habit here, when it gets into election season, of just moving bills because you want to check a box. I don't think we should do that. I don't think we should be doing that for housing. I don't think we should be doing that for veterans.
I think what has made this Congress successful is sticking to our job of fiscal responsibility. Holding our spending in check, stop increasing the debt, stop increasing the deficits, helping get interest rates down by driving down the deficits as a percentage of our gross domestic product, while the President drives up the economy, strengthening our military, strengthening our borders, doing the core constitutional functions of our Republic, that is what our job is.
My colleagues on this side of the aisle sometimes get frustrated. You cannot dare criticize because, somehow, you are undermining the party during election season.
I have been very clear that there is no comparison here between a party that wants to side with the woke agenda that is destroying our country, that wants open borders, that doesn't want to stand with our military, and that wants to undermine our President at every turn. There is no comparison of what this President and what this Republican Party have been doing for the people of this country.
We need to do better. We need to finish strong over the next 6 months of this Congress. Here are a couple of things that I think we need to do.
Number one, this Congress needs to pass codification of the President's successful border security provisions. We did so in the previous Congress, under H.R. 2. It would solve the problem of the abuses of parole, the abuses of asylum, and the catch and release policies that were abused under Biden. We can pass that in this House. We can send it to the Senate.
Yes, the Senate may sit on it, like they are doing with the SAVE Act. That is up to the Senate. I don't like this phrase: It is not a legislative exercise or a law-making exercise.
Yes, it is. We are supposed to do our job in the House. We should send over the codification of what the President is doing, to address what I saw today, a bunch of immigrants and migrants in Mexico who are saying to the camera: We are going to wait till Trump is gone, and then we are coming.
That is going to happen. If there is a Democrat in the White House and if there is a weak Secretary of Homeland Security, like there was under Mayorkas, then they will let people come into our country, and then more Americans will die. There will be more Laken Rileys and more Jocelyn Nungarays.
Number one, let's fix that. Let's codify border security. Let's call the question. Let's have the vote. Let's do it here. Let's send it to the Senate.
Let's end the magnets. Let's codify the end of free healthcare and education under Plyler v.
Doe and other taxpayer-subsidized public benefits for illegal aliens.
Let's defund the sanctuary jurisdictions.
Let's hike remittance fees. We added 1 percent remittance fees on illegal aliens last year, in the big, beautiful bill. Let's increase it to 5 percent, 10 percent, 20 percent. Why should people who come here, who are here illegally, not be paying a remittance fee, at least for the time, while we are not getting them out of our country? Let's make revenue on the fact that they are earning dollars here and not when they are sending them overseas or sending them home. Let's collect that for our purposes, because we have to spend a lot of money on this. Let's increase those remittance fees.
Let's act as a body to end automatic birthright citizenship, even as we are looking at what the Court does. The Court isn't the only one to make these decisions. We can. There should not be birthright citizenship for just being born on our dirt. There should be birthright citizenship for being born to an American citizen, mother or father. It is the right way to do things.
Let's reduce and reform legal immigration. Let's pass the PAUSE Act. We have 53 million foreign-born people in the United States. That is 16 percent of the population. That is the highest percentage we have ever had. We need to pause. We need to take a breather. We need to remove certain people from this country, as the administration is doing. We need to continue to do that.
We need to press pause on the legal immigration still bringing people into our country until we have established who we are as a country and have ensured we have the sovereignty and the cultural solidification of who we are as a nation.
Let's halt the Islamic invasion. Let's pass legislation to ensure that people who are coming here are vetted for their adherence to sharia law, which is deeply contradictory to the 14th Amendment of the Constitution and the rule of law here in the United States.
Let's pause H-1Bs. Let's review, reform, maybe even repeal H-1Bs, and overhaul the entire system. They have been abused. They have been fraudulent, certainly in Texas--I am sure also in Atlanta and other places around the country. Let's formally end diversity visas and chain migration.
What is all this to the average person? I am just telling you that these are the things that are causing us to have imported 5 million people from majority Muslim countries since 9/11. That does not sound like the thing a country should do that wants to preserve and protect itself after it was attacked, in the middle of what is now a multi-decades-long war, cold and hot, of the Islamists against the West.
The imams and the Muslim Brotherhood will publicly state that they are waging jihad against the West. America is the prize, and Texas is the prize in America.
Let's do something about it. This body can do something about it. Stop hiding behind the First Amendment. Stop hiding behind the touchy-feely cultural stuff that we talk about in our schools, saying, oh, that sounds hateful.
It is not hateful to say that we ought to preserve and protect this country, and we should not allow people who are coming here to undermine the rule of law, undermine the Constitution, and try to Islamify a Judeo-Christian nation into something that it is not.
Let's do those things. Let's fight the rise of sharia law. Let's pass legislation that clearly bans it. Let's ban the entry of and remove foreign nationals who adhere to sharia law and undermine the rights of women. That is occurring right here in this Nation, even as we speak.
Let's codify the elimination of foreign aid and expose the NGO funding, which is typically hostile to our interests. We are not doing enough of that. The administration is doing a great job. We have done some of it here. We need to go further.
Let's exit and reform NATO. Let's exit and reform the United Nations. Let's codify our exit from the World Health Organization that the President unilaterally executed from the executive.
Let's end funding for the National Endowment for Democracy, which is often abused against us and our allies. Let's stop foreign aid for recalcitrant countries that refuse to take back illegal aliens.
These are all things we should be doing as the people's House. There can be some debates and nuances about different pieces of these things. I am not saying every one of these is something that you just decree from on high. We are a republican form of government, of representatives.
Let's have the debate. Let's do it. Let's talk about it because this country did, in fact, pause immigration in the mid-20th century, and it was good for our Nation for a bit. It was good for us to take stock. It was good for us to ensure that we have people assimilating and becoming a part of our country rather than trying to break down our country.
We must dismantle and destroy the Marxist and Islamic organizations and networks undermining our safety and the rule of law, codify that antifa is a domestic terrorist organization, codify that the Southern Poverty Law Center is a domestic terrorist organization, and investigate and cut off the funding that George Soros is putting forward, often, we believe, illegally, an extension of DAs that are putting criminals on our streets.
Why are we allowing this to occur?
It is insane.
Let's fight for energy freedom. Let's kill the remainder of the subsidies that are destroying our grid and undermining actual energy freedom. Let's kill corporate cronyism, the grift and the regulations. Let's end the renewable fuel standard crippling American refinery production, but let's go ahead and allow year-round E15. I am good with that, E20, E25, I don't care. Let the market figure it out, but get rid of the renewable fuel standard.
Don't come in here and beg for an E15 year-round mandate because you want to have a bailout for farmers, and then don't tell me: Texan, you might want to have the refining capacity that we need.
Don't tell me that we shouldn't end the renewable fuel standard. Let's work together and do that. I am happy to. I want our farmers in Iowa, Minnesota, and places that want to have E15, E20, whatever, year-round. Great. Let's get rid of that regulation, but let's get rid of this other regulation too, Mr. Speaker.
Let's rapidly develop nuclear power.
Let's pass strong permitting reform.
As we sit here now 2 weeks in the supposed darkness on the FISA 702 expiration, number one: I would like to take a bet from anybody about whether they think our government is still conducting warrantless surveillance even though FISA has expired. I assure you they are, Mr. Speaker.
Number two: Shouldn't we continue to do something about it?
Let's protect Americans from warrantless surveillance in their country and government and the corporate use of technology to target and spy on Americans. Let's ensure warrant protections when we are talking about FISA.
Ban government control of American citizen spending by banning any central bank digital currency. If you don't know what that is, Mr. Speaker, if you don't know what a CBDC, a central bank digital currency, is, it is the government being able to monitor and control your currency, your spending, and your dollars electronically and being able to say: Oh, no, you can't buy that gas now. Oh, no, wait, we don't like guns. No bullets, you can't buy bullets.
China does it all the time, and you don't think we are 5 seconds from it happening right here in the United States of America, Mr. Speaker?
Of course, we are.
Let's ban government and corporate surveillance in our cars by killing the kill switch where we have mandated technology going into cars making them more expensive so they can monitor you and monitor your face while you are driving, Mr. Speaker.
In what kind of world in America do we have surveillance in our automobiles mandated by the government?
Ban the funding of block cameras and other government surveillance. Let's stop it.
Mr. Speaker, I am a security, law and order guy. I was in the United States Attorneys Office.
Do you know what makes my job easier as a prosecutor?
It is having all the information in the world and all the surveillance data in the world to know exactly what everybody is doing and be able to go put them in jail.
Nevertheless, Mr. Speaker, do you know what I like?
It is freedom. I don't want the government monitoring everything we are doing.
Let's not forget why we are sitting at $40 trillion in debt to reduce deficits and debt. We did a great thing in the big, beautiful bill by enforcing reforms to Medicaid and making sure that illegal aliens couldn't get welfare benefits in Medicaid. We had significant reductions in waste, fraud, and abuse. We did some good work, and we held discretionary spending flat for 3 years.
I didn't mention that earlier as one of our great accomplishments. Under this President and under this Congress, for 3 years we held discretionary spending flat. I don't know when we have ever done that. That is an extraordinary piece of work that we have done, but we are not denting the debt yet. We are not denting the interest that is piling up around the ears of our kids and our grandkids.
Let's continue to reduce or hold discretionary spending flat. Let's eliminate programs plagued by fraud and let's have reforms to eliminate fraud. Let's ensure any reconciliation package is actually deficit reducing.
I sat in meetings today in the Speaker's Office talking about reconciliation. My perspective is dollar for dollar, year for year, spending pay-fors match the spending--no gimmicks, no games, no 10-year out-year savings for up-year 1-year spending. That is not hard. It is just something we ought to do.
Let's further reform welfare mandatory spending benefits. Let's pass a balanced budget amendment. Let's do the work we need to do to get spending down and keep it going in the right direction.
However, don't send up to me, White House, a supplemental spending bill because of Iran for $87 billion with an E15 mandate in it. I am not going to vote for that.
Are we going to pay for it?
How are we going to pay for it?
We used to pay for our wars. Yes, we racked up debt after World War II, but we also did a lot of war bonds, we did a lot of rationing, and we had a lot of tax increases to deal with the war. I am not for tax increases.
What I am saying is: Let's work through what we need to do to pay for $87 billion.
By the way, that doesn't even begin to do what we need to do to modernize our defense and replenish our stockpiles. We should do all of that, but we should pay for it. Guns and butter is a novel concept. We have been doing a good job. Let's not break from it. Once we start breaking from it, it gets real easy. We should hold the line.
Let's ban congressional stock trading. Oh, my gosh, oh, the wailing and the gnashing of teeth.
Mr. Speaker, there are only 435 of us. If you don't like it, then leave. I am going to be leaving at the end of the year after four terms. I think this is supposed to be a body where you come up, you serve, and you go home. I am not, by the way, trying to diminish anybody who has been here for five, for six, or for eight terms. I support term limits, but whatever.
My view is, though: Why are you here day trading and engaging in the active trading of stocks when you are voting on the very thing you are supposed to be doing for the American people and not yourself?
I am open to ideas on how. I am not open to it being an option. A majority of this body wants to do it. We just haven't done it. It is overwhelmingly popular with the American people, and I think it would give great confidence that we are in this for the right reasons.
Let's make America healthy again. Let's provide real American healthcare freedom. Employer-provided health subsidies should go to health savings accounts. They shouldn't have to go to Aetna or shouldn't have to go to Blue Cross.
Let those employer-provided funds go directly to you, Mr. Speaker, and allow you to go use those for direct primary care or to health sharing ministries. Let's shake the system up.
Let's break the back of the insurance companies and the great big hospitals that are running this town. Seven times more is spent on healthcare lobbying in this town than on defense. It is by far the biggest industry in this town.
Mr. Speaker, do you want to know why we can't solve healthcare?
That is why. It is the money.
Let's stop subsidizing sugar drinks. We had a vote on this over here, and we couldn't pass it.
Mr. Speaker, how can you not pass something saying: Stop subsidizing sugar drinks?
I don't even know what the argument is against it. Drink water. It was good enough for a millennia for human beings.
Why are we using taxpayer dollars to say you should drink a Coke?
Protect Americans from poison in our food, air and in the water. Let's protect children. Let's defund abortion and Planned Parenthood like we did in the big, beautiful bill and transgender surgeries.
Let's stop mifepristone and the pill that is going around killing literally hundreds of thousands of unborn babies. Let's defund and limit that mifepristone.
Let's then protect children from online abuses in AI, but let's do it the right way.
Let's not empower government to police speech.
Let's not allow the Federal Government to set massive standards preempting States. Let's ensure we protect our rights while we protect our children. We have done it for every other scourge on our kids. Let's do it on this disaster that is technology in the pockets of our children. We can do that. It is not partisan. Let's just do it.
Let's protect American land and housing from foreign ownership, and let's pass a constitutional amendment for term limits. If we can't pass a constitutional amendment for term limits, then why don't we just say we are not going to provide pay for Members after a certain period of time?
Or why don't we limit people from leadership positions or committee chairmanships after a certain period of time?
We don't need to amend the Constitution to do that. I introduced a bill to do that.
I am not saying these are all 100 percent the right thing to do. I am not saying my bill on banning congressional stock trading is the only way or the right way. What I am saying is: Let's do it.
We sit around a lot, and we talk about these things. That is the nature of a legislative body, but we have been talking about some of these things for way too long.
We have been talking about passing a balanced budget amendment for a long time. Let's do it.
We have talked about term limits for a long time. Let's do it by means of an amendment or by statute.
We have talked about reducing spending. We are starting to do it a little, but we haven't touched mandatory spending.
We have talked about what we need to do to secure our country and secure our border. Let's codify it. Let's do it. Let's not just depend on the President so that we are in this yo-yo every 4 years or every 8 years.
Let's make sure we have got abundant energy for the American people. Let's not pick winners and losers. Let's stop subsidizing X over Y.
Let's have clean nuclear, and let's have clean natural gas.
Let's have a strong military that has the tools that it needs. I am 100 percent on board for that, but you have to pay for it. Stop pretending that you don't have to pay for things. Stop running around, as Republicans, saying: Supply side, supply side, can't touch taxes, but, man, I can sure spend a lot.
Great. I am for supply side and I want to cut taxes, but stop spending.
You can't have your cake and eat it, too. We, Republicans, can lead this country. We can inspire them to show up and support us to guarantee we have the strongest Congress, alongside this President, to defend this country and to ensure that we carry forward in the right way, but we have to do it.
I don't care if it is one or two or five or ten of those things, but can we do any of those things?
Can we start with something like codifying border security? Can we ban congressional stock trading? Can we tackle the issue of healthcare and a Reconciliation 3.0 product? Can we fund defense, but pay for it?
These are all basic things the American people expect us to do. Let's do it, and then let's carry forward this country for our kids and grandkids.
Mr. Speaker, I don't know if I will get a chance to get back down on the House floor next week before we celebrate our 250th birthday, but that brings up two things for me to recount in my last 2 minutes.
One is to the great people of Kerrville, Texas, and to the Hill Country that suffered under the devastating floods last year. You have been an example to all.
Yes, there have been questions about what happened and looking at what could be done differently and so forth, but the amount of money that was raised under private dollars--almost $150 million--record numbers that were given out and then distributed in a sober and appropriate way, a community that rallied around their faith, stood up and defended--they didn't come here.
I didn't have constituents coming here, begging: Chip, come introduce a bill. We have got to have some big Federal Government bill to save our bacon.
We did what we thought was right. FEMA was there. They helped, and then we tried to do it the right way. I am so proud of that community. I am praying for them. I am praying for those who lost their lives and their families as they hit this 1-year mark. I ask the rest of this Nation and the rest of my colleagues to do the same.
Finally, I remind us as we are celebrating the 250th birthday of this country and all the sacrifice of all of our forefathers who bled, died, and fought for it that we have an obligation to do the same for our kids and grandkids, or we will lose it. That is the one thing that our Founding Fathers understood better than anybody.
I remind people that we are not just celebrating our 250th birthday, but we are celebrating the 200th anniversary of the death of both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams on that July 4, 1826, when Adams died saying Jefferson lives not knowing that Jefferson had passed away just a few hours before.
If you don't believe in the divine intervention in this country's founding, then think about that, that those two men died 50 years to the day from July 4, 1776.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Adjournment
Page H4242 · Official textMr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.
The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 7 o'clock and 33 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, June 25, 2026, at 10 a.m.
Executive Communications, Etc.
Pages H4242–H4243 · Official textUnder clause 2 of rule XIV, executive communications were taken from the Speaker's table and referred as follows:
Text printed in the Record (11,949 characters)
EC-3894. A letter from the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Department of Agriculture, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Partnerships With Faith-Based and Neighborhood Organizations; Correction (RIN: 0503-AA73) received May 14, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Agriculture.
EC-3895. A letter from the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Department of Agriculture, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Partnerships With Faith-Based and Neighborhood Organizations; Correction (RIN: 0503-AA73) received May 14, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Agriculture.
EC-3896. A letter from the Director, Regulations Development Staff, Office of Policy and Program Development, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Department of Agriculture, transmitting the Department's final rule --Visual Post-Mortem Inspection in Swine Slaughter Establishments [Docket No.: FSIS 2024-0023] (RIN: 0583-AD99) received May 29, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Agriculture.
EC-3897. A letter from the Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Office of the Secretary, Department of War, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Cooperation With the Office of Special Counsel of the Merit Systems Protection Board [Docket ID: DOD-2025-OS-0441] (RIN: 0790-AL88) received May 21, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Armed Services.
EC-3898. A letter from the Alternate OSW Federal Register Liaison Officer, USW(A&S)(A)/DPCAP, Department of War, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (DFARS Case 2024-D021) [Docket: DARS-2026-0067] (RIN: 0750-AM18) received May 21, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Armed Services.
EC-3899. A letter from the Assistant to the Board, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, transmitting the System's final rules -- Truth in Lending (Regulation Z) [Docket No.: R-1880] (RIN: 7100-AH10) received June 2, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services.
EC-3900. A letter from the Assistant to the Board, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, transmitting the System's announcement of 2026 asset-size thresholds --Community Reinvestment Act Regulations Asset-Size Thresholds received June 2, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services.
EC-3901. A letter from the Assistant to the Board, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, transmitting the Department's final rules -- Appraisals for Higher-Priced Mortgage Loans Exemption Threshold [Docket No.: R-1878] (RIN: 7100-AH12) received June 2, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services.
EC-3902. A letter from the Assistant to the Board, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, transmitting the Board's final rules -- Consumer Leasing (Regulation M) [Docket No.: R-1879] (RIN: 7100-AH11) received June 2, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services.
EC-3903. A letter from the Counsel, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Department of the Treasury, transmitting the Department's interim final rule -- National Bank Non-Interest Charges and Fees [Docket ID: OCC-2026-0430] (RIN: 1557-AF54) received April 29, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services.
EC-3904. A letter from the Council, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Department of the Treasury, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Preemption Determination: State Interest-on-Escrow Laws
[Docket ID: OCC-2025-0735] (RIN: 1557-AF45) received June 3, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services.
EC-3905. A letter from the Council, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Department of the Treasury, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Real Estate Lending Escrow Accounts [Docket ID: OCC-2025-0736] (RIN: 1557-AF46) received June 8, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services.
EC-3906. A letter from the Regulations Coordinator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Food and Drug Administration, transmitting the Department's Major interim final rule -- Medicaid Program; Community Engagement Requirement for Certain Individuals [CMS-2454-IFC] (RIN: 0938-AV98) receive June 2, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
EC-3907. A letter from the Acting Chief, Regulatory Management Branch, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Extending the Reporting Deadline Under the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule for 2025; Correction [EPA-HQ-OAR-2025-0186; FRL 12720.1-03-OAR] (RIN: 2060-AX03) received June 4, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
EC-3908. A letter from the Deputy General Counsel, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule -- Standards for Business Practices of Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines [Docket No.: RM96-1-044; Order No.: 587-AB] received June 2, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
EC-3909. A letter from the Assistant General Counsel for Legislation, Regulation, and Energy Efficiency, Office of the Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, Department of Energy, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Renewable Energy Production Incentives [EERE-2025-OT-0037] (RIN: 1904-AF76) received June 1, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
EC-3910. A letter from the Senior Counsel, Office of the Secretary, Department of Commerce, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Amending the Department of Commerce's Regulations Implementing the HAVANA Act [Docket No.: 260429-0119] (RIN: 0605-AA89) received May 21, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
EC-3911. A letter from the Deputy Associate Director, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Department of the Interior, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Oil and Gas and Sulfur Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf--Documents Incorporated by Reference [Docket ID: BSEE-2022-0005 EEEE 500000-256E1700D2--ET1SF0000.EAQ000] (RIN: 1014-AA51) received June 11, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Natural Resources.
EC-3912. A letter from the Division Chief, Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior, transmitting the Department's direct final rule --Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Statewide Bonds; Extension of Phase-In Deadline [A2407-014-004-065516, #O2509-014-004-125222] (RIN: 1004-AF52) received May 22, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Natural Resources.
EC-3913. A letter from the Division Chief, Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior, transmitting the Department's final rule --Revisions to the Regulations Regarding Intermittent Energy [Docket No.: BLM-2025-0142; PO #4820000251; Order #02412-014-004-047181.0] (RIN: 1004-AF45) received May 22, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Natural Resources.
EC-3914. A letter from the Associate Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's FAST-41 (Fixing America's Surface Transportation) Permitting Best Practices Report for Fiscal Year 2025, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 4370m-7(a)(3); Public Law 114-94, div. D, title XLI, Sec. 41008 (as amended by Public Law 117-58 div. G, title VIII, Sec. 70801(f)); (135 Stat. 1293); to the Committee on Natural Resources.
EC-3915. A letter from the Paralegal, Office of Chief Counsel, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Hazardous Materials: Streamlining Requirements for the Approval of Certain Energetic Materials [Docket No.: PHMSA-2020-0103 (HM-257A)] (RIN: 2137-AF50) received June 10, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
EC-3916. A letter from the Paralegal, Office of Chief Counsel, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Pipeline Safety: Editorial Correction to 49 CFR 195.9 [Docket No.: PHMSA-2026-1547; Amdt. No.: 195-127] (RIN: 2137-AG51) received June 10, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
EC-3917. A letter from the Paralegal, Office of Chief Counsel, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Pipeline Safety: Clarification of Accident Reporting Requirements for Hazardous Liquid and Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Facilities [Docket No.: PHMSA-2026-1544; Amdt. No.: 195-124] (RIN: 2137-AG48) received June 10, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
EC-3918. A letter from the Paralegal, Office of Chief Counsel, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Pipeline Safety: Editorial Correction to Requirements for Low-Stress Hazardous Liquid Pipelines in Rural Areas [Docket No.: PHMSA-2026-1545; Amdt. No.: 195-125] (RIN: 2137-AG49) received June 10, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
EC-3919. A letter from the Paralegal, Office of Chief Counsel, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Pipeline Safety: Removing Obsolete Provision from Safety-Related Condition Reporting Requirements for Hazardous Liquid and Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Facilities [Docket No.: PHMSA-2026-1546; Amdt. No.: 195-126] (RIN: 2137-AG50) received June 10, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
EC-3920. A letter from the Paralegal, Office of Chief Counsel, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Pipeline Safety: Editorial Correction to MAOP Reconfirmation Requirements [Docket No.: PHMSA-2026-1541; Amdt. No.: 192-170] (RIN: 2137-AE72) received June 10, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat.
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868); to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
EC-3921. A letter from the Paralegal, Office of Chief Counsel, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Pipeline Safety: Editorial Corrections to Telephone and Facsimile Numbers [Docket No.: PHMSA-2026-1548; Amdt. Nos.: 190-28; 192-172; 193-27; 195-128] (RIN: 2137-AG52) received June 10, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
EC-3922. A letter from the Chief Counsel, Economic Development Administration, Department of Commerce, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Streamlining the Regulations Establishing General Terms and Conditions for the Economic Development Administration's Investment Assistance [Docket No.: 260311-0078] (RIN: 0610-AA73) received May 11, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); jointly to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Financial Services.
EC-3923. A letter from the Chief Counsel, Economic Development Administration, Department of Commerce, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Streamlining the Requirements for Approved Projects for Public Works and Economic Development Investments [Docket No.: 260311-0080] (RIN: 0610-AA75) received May 11, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); jointly to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Financial Services.
EC-3924. A letter from the Chief Counsel, Economic Development Administration, Department of Commerce, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Removing Certain Redundant Language From Regulations Governing Planning Investments and Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies [Docket No.: 260311-0079] (RIN: 0610-AA74) received May 11, 2026, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); jointly to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Financial Services.
Reports of Committees on Public Bills and Resolutions
Pages H4243–H4244 · Official textUnder clause 2 of rule XIII, reports of committees were delivered to the Clerk for printing and reference to the proper calendar, as follows:
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Mr. HILL of Arkansas: Committee on Financial Services. H.R. 2152. A bill to require a strategy to defend against the economic and national security risks posed by the use of artificial intelligence in the commission of financial crimes, including fraud and the dissemination of misinformation, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 119-708). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.
Mr. HILL of Arkansas: Committee on Financial Services. H.R. 2978. A bill to permit State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies that receive eligible Federal grant funds to use such funds for investigating elder financial fraud, pig butchering, and general financial fraud, and to clarify that
Federal law enforcement agencies may assist State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies in the use of tracing tools for blockchain and related technology, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 119-709 Pt. 1). Ordered to be printed.
Mr. HILL of Arkansas: Committee on Financial Services. H.R. 5396. A bill to amend the Federal Reserve Act to remove the mandate on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Open Market Committee to focus on maximum employment, with an amendment (Rept. 119-710). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.
Mr. HILL of Arkansas: Committee on Financial Services. H.R. 8278. A bill to require certain supervisory agencies to assess their technological capabilities, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 119-711). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.
Mr. HILL of Arkansas: Committee on Financial Services. H.R. 8286. A bill to amend the Federal securities laws with respect to
=========================== NOTE =========================== On June 24, 2026, page H4244, in the first column, the following appeared: Mr. HILL of Arkansas: Committee on Financial Services. H.R. 8286. A bill to amend the Federal securities laws with respect Lo The online version has been corrected to read: Mr. HILL of Arkansas: Committee on Financial Services. H.R. 8286. A bill to amend the Federal securities laws with respect to ========================= END NOTE ========================= the materiality of disclosure requirements, to establish the Public Company Advisory Committee, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 119-712). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.Mr. HILL of Arkansas: Committee on Financial Services. H.R. 4801. A bill to establish AI Innovation Labs that permit certain persons to experiment with artificial intelligence without expectation of enforcement actions, with an amendment (Rept. 119-713). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.
Public Bills and Resolutions
Pages H4244–H4246 · Official textUnder clause 2 of rule XII, public bills and resolutions of the following titles were introduced and severally referred, as follows:
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By Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia (for himself, Mr.
Bishop, Mr. Carter of Georgia, Mr. Jack, Mr. Johnson
of Georgia, Ms. Williams of Georgia, Mr. McCormick,
Mr. Collins, Mr. Allen, Mr. Fuller, Mr. Loudermilk,
and Mrs. McBath):
H.R. 9416. A bill to redesignate the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park as the "Ocmulgee Mounds National Park", and for other purposes; to the Committee on Natural Resources.
By Mr. BACON (for himself, Mr. Whitesides, Mr. Evans of
Colorado, and Mr. Ivey):
H.R. 9417. A bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to each of the crew of the Artemis II, in recognition of advancing human exploration of space to new heights; to the Committee on Financial Services.
By Ms. BARRAGAN (for herself and Mr. Joyce of
Pennsylvania):
H.R. 9418. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide a review process for adverse national coverage determinations with respect to drug coverage under the Medicare program; to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
By Mr. BAUMGARTNER:
H.R. 9419. A bill to facilitate the responsible development of data centers and related infrastructure, to protect existing ratepayers from the shifting of incremental infrastructure costs attributable to large-load facilities, to encourage investment in water reuse, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
By Mr. BERA (for himself, Ms. Schrier, Mrs. Fletcher,
Mr. Pocan, and Ms. Morrison):
H.R. 9420. A bill to provide for the establishment of an education program to expand abortion care training and access; to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
By Mrs. BIGGS of South Carolina (for herself, Mr. Fry,
and Mr. Norman):
H.R. 9421. A bill to prohibit a REMS-certified provider from prescribing mifepristone without an in-person visit and a medical license in the State in which the patient resides, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
By Mr. BILIRAKIS (for himself, Mr. Arrington, Mrs.
Cammack, Mr. Carter of Georgia, Mrs. Miller-Meeks,
Mr. Palmer, Mr. Bean of Florida, and Mr. Allen):
H.R. 9422. A bill to implement recommendations of the Comptroller General of the United States for improving the Medicaid Recovery Audit Contractor program and identifying additional opportunities to recover Medicaid overpayments, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
By Ms. BROWN (for herself and Mr. Nunn of Iowa):
H.R. 9423. A bill to require the Secretary of Agriculture to submit to Congress a report on residue testing for all imported organic feedstuffs shipped in bulk, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Agriculture.
By Mr. CAREY (for himself and Mrs. Sykes):
H.R. 9424. A bill to amend title 23, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Transportation to require States to set aside certain funds to carry out highway safety improvement projects to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities at high-risk pedestrian crossings; to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
By Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas (for herself and Mr. Feenstra):
H.R. 9425. A bill to amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to ensure Tribal consultation and representation under the food distribution program on Indian reservations, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Agriculture.
By Mr. FIGURES (for himself and Mrs. McIver):
H.R. 9426. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish a deduction for qualified youth program expenditures; to the Committee on Ways and Means.
By Mrs. FOUSHEE (for herself and Mr. Casar):
H.R. 9427. A bill to direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on the impacts of artificial intelligence on the workforce in the United States, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Education and Workforce.
By Ms. GILLEN (for herself, Mr. Garbarino, Mr. Suozzi,
and Mr. LaLota):
H.R. 9428. A bill to allow for one-time distributions from certain transportation fringe benefit accounts; to the Committee on Ways and Means.
By Ms. GOODLANDER (for herself and Mr. Fitzpatrick):
H.R. 9429. A bill to amend chapter 131 of title 5 to prohibit Members of Congress and their spouses and dependents from owning or trading stocks, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
By Mr. HARRIGAN (for himself, Mr. Issa, Mr. Fallon, and
Mr. Barrett):
H.R. 9430. A bill to condition certain grants on the discontinuation of use of any unmanned aircraft system manufactured by certain foreign countries, to strengthen domestic unmanned aircraft system manufacturing, enhance law enforcement security, and reduce reliance on unmanned aircraft systems produced by certain foreign countries by directing the use of certain tariff revenues, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
By Mrs. HAYES:
H.R. 9431. A bill to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to prohibit health care providers and facilities from imposing certain facility fees for telehealth; to the Committee on Education and Workforce.
By Ms. JAYAPAL (for herself, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Adams,
Mr. Amo, Ms. Ansari, Ms. Balint, Ms. Barragan, Mr.
Bell, Mr. Beyer, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Carbajal, Mr.
Carson, Mr. Casar, Mr. Casten, Mr. Castro of Texas,
Ms. Chu, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Cohen, Mr.
Correa, Ms. Crockett, Mr. Crow, Mr. Davis of
Illinois, Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania, Ms. DeGette, Ms.
DelBene, Mr. Deluzio, Mr. DeSaulnier, Ms. Dexter, Mr.
Doggett, Ms. Escobar, Mr. Espaillat, Mrs. Foushee,
Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida, Mr. Frost, Mr. Garcia of
Illinois, Mr. Garcia of California, Ms. Garcia of
Texas, Mr. Goldman of New York, Mr. Gomez, Mrs.
Grijalva, Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Huffman, Mr. Ivey, Mr.
Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Jacobs, Mr. Johnson of
Georgia, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Ms. Kelly of Illinois,
Mr. Khanna, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Lee of
Pennsylvania, Ms. Leger Fernandez, Mr. Lieu, Ms.
Lofgren, Ms. Matsui, Ms. McClellan, Mr. McGovern, Mr.
Meeks, Ms. Mejia, Mr. Menefee, Ms. Meng, Ms. Moore of
Wisconsin, Mr. Moulton, Mr. Mullin, Mr. Nadler, Ms.
Norton, Ms. Omar, Mr. Panetta, Ms. Pingree, Mr.
Pocan, Ms. Pressley, Mr. Quigley, Mrs. Ramirez, Mr.
Raskin, Ms. Ross, Ms. Salinas, Ms. Sanchez, Ms.
Scanlon, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Sewell, Mr. Sherman, Ms.
Simon, Mr. Smith of Washington, Ms. Stansbury, Mr.
Takano, Mr. Thanedar, Ms. Titus, Ms. Tlaib, Ms.
Tokuda, Mr. Tonko, Mrs. Torres of California, Mr.
Torres of New York, Mrs. Trahan, Mr. Vargas, Mr.
Veasey, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Walkinshaw, Ms. Wasserman
Schultz, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Ms. Williams of
Georgia, and Ms. Wilson of Florida):
H.R. 9432. A bill to amend the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 and an Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14 (Public Law 119-21) to provide certain benefits to noncitizens, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on
Agriculture, Education and Workforce, Energy and Commerce, the Judiciary, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
By Mr. KENNEDY of New York:
H.R. 9433. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a pilot program to provide mental and behavioral health support to friends and families of veterans, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
By Mrs. KIM:
H.R. 9434. A bill to amend the Federal securities laws to require rulemakings to consider the cumulative effects of the rule with certain other final and proposed rules; to the Committee on Financial Services.
By Mr. LARSEN of Washington (for himself and Mr.
Stauber):
H.R. 9435. A bill to amend title 5, United States Code, to require consultation by agencies during rulemaking in the case of unique burdens on pene-exclaves; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
By Mr. LAWLER (for himself and Mr. Golden of Maine):
H.R. 9436. A bill to amend the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 to extend the time period for which certain regulations concerning the North Atlantic right whale are effective; to the Committee on Natural Resources.
By Ms. LEE of Pennsylvania (for herself, Mr. Neguse,
Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Norton, Mrs.
Ramirez, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Mr. Deluzio, Mr.
Thanedar, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Simon, Mr.
Peters, Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Watson
Coleman, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. Carson, Mr.
Casar, Mr. Frost, Ms. Craig, Ms. McClellan, Ms.
Pressley, Mr. Veasey, Ms. Omar, and Mr. Green of
Texas):
H.R. 9437. A bill protecting the right to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
By Mr. LICCARDO (for himself and Mr. Panetta):
H.R. 9438. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a credit for businesses that contribute to educational and workforce training consortia programs; to the Committee on Ways and Means.
By Ms. LOFGREN:
H.R. 9439. A bill to amend the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to direct the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to establish a pilot program and develop voluntary disclosure standards relating to the use of artificial intelligence systems by private sector entities, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
By Mr. MORELLE (for himself, Mr. Quigley, Ms.
Schakowsky, Ms. Norton, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Ms.
Strickland, Mrs. Foushee, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Ms.
Titus, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Thanedar, Mr. DeSaulnier, Ms.
Craig, and Mr. Cisneros):
H.R. 9440. A bill to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide for grants for State firearms dealer licensing programs, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
By Ms. MORRISON (for herself, Mr. Bera, Ms. Schrier,
Mrs. Fletcher, Ms. Brownley, Ms. Norton, and Ms.
Stansbury):
H.R. 9441. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for coverage of expenses to improve the reproductive health care workforce; to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
By Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ (for herself, Mr. McGovern, Ms.
Tlaib, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mrs. Grijalva, Ms.
Sewell, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Mr. Goldman of New
York, Mr. Cohen, and Mr. Carson):
H.R. 9442. A bill to impose a moratorium on the construction of new data centers until legislation is enacted that safeguards the public from the dangers of artificial intelligence; to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
By Mr. OGLES (for himself, Mr. Smith of New Jersey,
Mrs. Biggs of South Carolina, Mr. Stutzman, and Mr.
Cloud):
H.R. 9443.
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A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to remove criminal penalties for obstructing access to abortion services, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
By Mr. PANETTA (for himself, Mr. Bresnahan, Mr. Neguse,
Mr. Harder of California, Mr. Bacon, and Mr.
Bergman):
H.R. 9444. A bill to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide rest and recuperation leave for employees engaged in wildland firefighting, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
By Ms. SCHRIER (for herself, Mr. Bera, Mr. Ruiz, Ms.
Morrison, Ms. Dexter, and Mr. Conaway):
H.R. 9445. A bill to ensure the right to provide reproductive health care services, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
By Mr. TAKANO:
H.R. 9446. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to report biennially on staffing of medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
By Ms. VAN DUYNE (for herself, Mr. Jackson of Texas,
Mr. Steube, and Mr. Gill of Texas):
H.R. 9447. A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for denaturalization of certain persons who provide support for terrorism; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
By Mr. WALKINSHAW (for himself, Ms. Wilson of Florida,
Ms. Norton, Mrs. Beatty, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Jackson
of Illinois, Ms. Brownley, Mr. Goldman of New York,
Mr. Lynch, Ms. Velazquez, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Larson of
Connecticut, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Mr. Cisneros, Mr.
Garcia of Illinois, Ms. Ansari, Ms. Salinas, Mr.
Vindman, Ms. Craig, Ms. Simon, Ms. Jacobs, Ms.
Crockett, Ms. McClellan, Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania,
Ms. Randall, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Ms. McCollum, and
Ms. DeGette):
H.R. 9448. A bill to ensure the accessibility of reproductive healthcare for Federal employees, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
By Mr. WHITESIDES (for himself, Mr. Casten, and Mr.
Levin):
H.R. 9449. A bill to provide for debt reduction for developing countries for purposes of developing resilience, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
By Mr. WILSON of South Carolina (for himself and Mr.
Panetta):
H.R. 9450. A bill to counter Russian trafficking in persons; to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
By Mr. WILSON of South Carolina (for himself and Mr.
Panetta):
H.R. 9451. A bill to amend the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act to authorize the use of amounts in the Ukraine Support Fund for purchases by the Government of Ukraine of defense articles and services to respond to and recover from the consequences of the aggression of the Russian Federation; to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
By Mr. WOMACK (for himself, Mr. Peters, Mr. Case, Mr.
Huizenga, Mr. Cole, Mr. Rogers of Kentucky, Mr. Davis
of North Carolina, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Calvert, Mr.
Sessions, Mr. Shreve, and Mr. Fleischmann):
H.R. 9452. A bill to implement reforms to the budget and appropriations process in the House of Representatives, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Budget, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
By Mr. FLOOD:
H. Res. 1381. A resolution electing a Member to certain standing committees of the House of Representatives; considered and agreed to.
By Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mrs.
Fischbach, Mr. Aderholt, Mr. Ogles, Mr. McGuire, Mr.
Clyde, Mr. Higgins of Louisiana, Mr. Mann, Mr. Moore
of Alabama, Mr. Rose, Mr. Simpson, Mr. Stutzman, and
Mr. Webster of Florida):
H. Res. 1382. A resolution celebrating the historic anniversary of the June 24, 2022, decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
By Ms. VAN DUYNE:
H. Res. 1383. A resolution commemorating the one-year anniversary of the enactment of the Working Families Tax Cuts; to the Committee on Ways and Means.
By Mr. CASAR (for himself, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr.
Espaillat, Ms. Meng, and Mr. Johnson of Georgia):
H. Res. 1384. A resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress must urgently take all appropriate measures to guarantee civil rights and fair political representation to all Americans; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
By Mrs. GRIJALVA:
H. Res. 1385. A resolution celebrating the accomplishments of title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, also known as the Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in
Education Act, and recognizing the need to continue pursuing the goal of educational opportunities for all women and girls; to the Committee on Education and Workforce.
By Mrs. LUNA (for herself and Mr. Moskowitz):
H. Res. 1386. A resolution providing for the consideration of the bill (H.R. 2003) to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to lower the interest rate on Federal student loans to 2 percent; to the Committee on Rules.
By Mr. McDOWELL (for himself, Mr. Moore of North
Carolina, Mr. Harrigan, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Hudson, Mr.
Davis of North Carolina, Mrs. Foushee, Mr. Knott, Mr.
Rouzer, Mr. Edwards, and Ms. Foxx):
H. Res. 1387. A resolution congratulating the Carolina Hurricanes for winning the 2026 Stanley Cup Final; to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
By Mr. PANETTA:
H. Res. 1388. A resolution recognizing the importance of pollinators to ecosystem health and agriculture in the United States and expressing support for "National Pollinator Week"; to the Committee on Agriculture.
By Ms. PETTERSEN:
H. Res. 1389. A resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the monitoring and regulation of water systems not be weaponized for the purposes of surveilling, tracking, or detecting use of, stigmatizing, and further restricting access to medication abortion care; to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
By Mr. VALADAO (for himself, Mr. Costa, Mr. Lawler, Mr.
Case, Mr. Gray, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Lynch,
Mrs. Trahan, and Mr. Keating):
H. Res. 1390. A resolution expressing support for the designation of June as Portuguese National Heritage Month; to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Constitutional Authority Statement
Page H4246 · Official textPursuant to clause 7 of rule XII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the following statements are submitted regarding the specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the accompanying bill or joint resolution.
Additional Sponsors
Page H4247 · Official textUnder clause 7 of rule XII, sponsors were added to public bills and resolutions, as follows:
Text printed in the Record (6,465 characters)
H.R. 251: Mr. Baumgartner.
H.R. 349: Ms. Adams.
H.R. 407: Mr. Walkinshaw.
H.R. 492: Ms. Johnson of Texas and Mr. DeSaulnier.
H.R. 516: Mr. Kiley of California and Mr. Evans of Colorado.
H.R. 539: Mr. Edwards.
H.R. 759: Ms. Elfreth, Mr. Gimenez, and Mr. Smith of Washington.
H.R. 995: Mr. Mannion.
H.R. 1189: Ms. Tenney.
H.R. 1266: Mr. Goldman of Texas.
H.R. 1285: Mr. Bresnahan.
H.R. 1340: Mr. Miller of Ohio.
H.R. 1502: Mr. Knott, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, and Mr. Obernolte.
H.R. 1523: Ms. Goodlander and Mr. Walkinshaw.
H.R. 1551: Mr. Van Epps and Mr. Langworthy.
H.R. 1572: Ms. Goodlander.
H.R. 1708: Mrs. Miller of West Virginia and Mr. Smith of Nebraska.
H.R. 1849: Mr. Gallagher.
H.R. 1855: Mr. Green of Texas.
H.R. 1957: Ms. Stansbury.
H.R. 1987: Ms. Johnson of Texas.
H.R. 2004: Mr. Alford and Mr. Vasquez.
H.R. 2094: Mrs. Grijalva, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Miller of Ohio, Mr. Carey, Mr. Whitesides, Ms. McClellan, Mr. Smith of Washington, and Mr. Espaillat.
H.R. 2142: Mr. Walkinshaw.
H.R. 2203: Ms. Fedorchak.
H.R. 2283: Mr. Bilirakis.
H.R. 2398: Mr. Ellzey.
H.R. 2461: Ms. Craig.
H.R. 2512: Mr. Walkinshaw.
H.R. 2533: Mr. Lawler.
H.R. 2540: Ms. Moore of Wisconsin and Ms. Salazar.
H.R. 2592: Ms. McBride.
H.R. 2618: Mrs. Foushee and Ms. Omar.
H.R. 2671: Mr. Carson.
H.R. 2678: Mrs. Watson Coleman.
H.R. 2784: Mr. Kiley of California.
H.R. 2837: Ms. Johnson of Texas.
H.R. 2878: Ms. Balint.
H.R. 2902: Ms. Pingree.
H.R. 2969: Mr. Harrigan.
H.R. 3028: Mr. Murphy.
H.R. 3037: Ms. Stevens.
H.R. 3105: Mr. Kiley of California.
H.R. 3164: Mr. Fry.
H.R. 3166: Ms. Budzinski.
H.R. 3183: Ms. Stansbury.
H.R. 3261: Mr. Tonko, Ms. Pingree, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Torres of New York, and Ms. Pressley.
H.R. 3469: Mr. Moore of Utah.
H.R. 3512: Mr. McDowell, Mr. Downing, and Mr. Mann.
H.R. 3624: Mr. Garcia of Illinois.
H.R. 3694: Ms. Lofgren.
H.R. 3717: Mr. Bera.
H.R. 3808: Mr. Riley of New York.
H.R. 3930: Mr. Pallone.
H.R. 3978: Mr. Onder.
H.R. 4114: Ms. Stansbury.
H.R. 4122: Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia.
H.R. 4159: Mr. Amo.
H.R. 4382: Ms. Pettersen, Mr. Latta, Mr. LaHood, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Timmons, and Mr. Deluzio.
H.R. 4392: Mrs. Sykes.
H.R. 4487: Mr. Green of Texas.
H.R. 4525: Mr. Bell.
H.R. 4606: Ms. Strickland.
H.R. 4615: Mr. Bresnahan.
H.R. 4644: Mr. Latimer.
H.R. 4687: Ms. DelBene.
H.R. 4821: Ms. Johnson of Texas.
H.R. 4876: Mr. Castro of Texas and Mr. Ivey.
H.R. 4901: Ms. Houlahan and Mr. Boyle of Pennsylvania.
H.R. 5052: Mr. Kean.
H.R. 5091: Mr. Tran and Mr. Carbajal.
H.R. 5206: Mr. Mannion.
H.R. 5356: Mrs. Grijalva.
H.R. 5357: Mr. Kean.
H.R. 5364: Mr. Jack and Mr. Haridopolos.
H.R. 5427: Ms. Dexter.
H.R. 5505: Mr. Huizenga.
H.R. 5509: Ms. Sanchez.
H.R. 5528: Ms. Williams of Georgia and Ms. Craig.
H.R. 5543: Mr. Tran, Mr. McCaul, and Mr. Ryan.
H.R. 5588: Mr. Langworthy.
H.R. 5642: Mr. Langworthy.
H.R. 5657: Mr. Carson.
H.R. 5867: Ms. Omar.
H.R. 6036: Mr. Neguse.
H.R. 6164: Mr. Cisneros.
H.R. 6181: Mr. Meeks, Mr. Mannion, Mr. Menefee, Ms. Stansbury, and Ms. Omar.
H.R. 6188: Mr. Langworthy.
H.R. 6303: Ms. Matsui.
H.R. 6364: Mr. Walkinshaw.
H.R. 6371: Mr. Cohen.
H.R. 6423: Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania.
H.R. 6467: Mr. Rutherford.
H.R. 6561: Ms. Sewell.
H.R. 6566: Mr. Pfluger.
H.R. 6780: Ms. Ross.
H.R. 6849: Mr. Peters, Mr. Obernolte, and Mr. Cisneros.
H.R. 6960: Mr. Khanna.
H.R. 7016: Mrs. Watson Coleman.
H.R. 7023: Ms. Craig.
H.R. 7029: Mr. Bell.
H.R. 7187: Mr. Moore of North Carolina.
H.R. 7247: Ms. Omar.
H.R. 7409: Mr. Flood.
H.R. 7454: Mr. Case.
H.R. 7480: Ms. Friedman.
H.R. 7541: Ms. Waters.
H.R. 7599: Ms. Craig.
H.R. 7645: Mrs. Trahan.
H.R. 7732: Mr. Figures.
H.R. 7767: Mr. Carson.
H.R. 7847: Mr. Kustoff.
H.R. 7907: Mr. Auchincloss.
H.R. 7944: Mr. Murphy.
H.R. 7957: Mr. Cisneros.
H.R. 7978: Ms. Lofgren.
H.R. 8007: Mr. McDowell.
H.R. 8056: Mr. Mills.
H.R. 8081: Mr. Riley of New York.
H.R. 8101: Mr. Murphy.
H.R. 8160: Ms. McBride.
H.R. 8200: Mr. Moolenaar, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, and Ms. DeLauro.
H.R. 8273: Mr. Neguse.
H.R. 8274: Mr. Neguse.
H.R. 8304: Mrs. Hayes.
H.R. 8313: Mr. Webster of Florida, Mrs. Miller of West Virginia, and Mr. Moore of North Carolina.
H.R. 8324: Mr. Crane.
H.R. 8395: Mr. Sessions.
H.R. 8433: Mr. Raskin.
H.R. 8582: Ms. Johnson of Texas.
H.R. 8592: Mr. Carson.
H.R. 8611: Mr. Gill of Texas.
H.R. 8630: Mr. Nehls.
H.R. 8686: Mr. Hamadeh of Arizona.
H.R. 8734: Mr. Johnson of Georgia.
H.R. 8744: Ms. Omar and Mr. Garamendi.
H.R. 8761: Ms. Van Duyne.
H.R. 8780: Mr. Mann.
H.R. 8817: Ms. Elfreth.
H.R. 8892: Mr. Miller of Ohio.
H.R. 8919: Mrs. Hayes.
H.R. 8990: Mr. Lucas.
H.R. 9000: Mr. Fitzpatrick.
H.R. 9048: Mrs. Hayes.
H.R. 9131: Mr. Yakym.
H.R. 9134: Mr. Larson of Connecticut.
H.R. 9160: Ms. Van Duyne and Mr. Cline.
H.R. 9183: Mr. McGovern and Ms. Salinas.
H.R. 9203: Mr. Gottheimer.
H.R. 9211: Mr. Gimenez, Mr. Latimer, Mr. Fine, and Mr. Peters.
H.R. 9216: Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Tonko, and Ms. Schakowsky.
H.R. 9227: Mr. Krishnamoorthi.
H.R. 9237: Mrs. Fischbach, Mr. Newhouse, and Mr. Bacon.
H.R. 9250: Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Langworthy, Mr. Vindman, Mr. Bresnahan, Mr. McGarvey, Mrs. Wagner, Ms. Davids of Kansas, Mr. Rose, Mr. Boyle of Pennsylvania, Mr. Barr, Ms. Lee of Nevada, Mr. Balderson, Ms. Goodlander, Mr. Alford, and Ms. Castor of Florida.
H.R. 9274: Ms. Norton.
H.R. 9282: Mr. Huffman.
H.R. 9286: Mr. Case.
H.R. 9289: Ms. Mejia and Ms. Davids of Kansas.
H.R. 9290: Ms. Johnson of Texas.
H.R. 9298: Mr. Smith of Nebraska, Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia, and Mr. Harrigan.
H.R. 9304: Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania.
H.R. 9305: Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania.
H.R. 9324: Mr. Harrigan.
H.R. 9349: Mr. Green of Texas.
H.R. 9367: Ms. Lee of Florida.
H.R. 9368: Ms. Lee of Florida.
H.R. 9377: Mrs. Fletcher.
H.R. 9387: Mr. Steil.
H.R. 9400: Mr. McGovern.
H.R. 9401: Mr. Carson.
H.J. Res. 144: Ms. McDonald Rivet, Ms. Stansbury, and Mr. Castro of Texas.
H. Con. Res. 4: Mr. Shreve.
H. Con. Res. 27: Mr. Vargas.
H. Con. Res. 108: Mr. Carson.
H. Res. 547: Mr. Green of Texas.
H. Res. 1025: Mr. Green of Texas.
H. Res. 1062: Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania.
H. Res. 1188: Mr. Vargas.
H. Res. 1285: Ms. Brownley.
H. Res. 1322: Mr. Cisneros.
H. Res. 1328: Mr. McCaul and Ms. McBride.
H. Res. 1334: Mr. Flood, Mr. Walberg, and Mr. Moolenaar.
H. Res. 1347: Mr. Huizenga.
H. Res. 1374: Mr. Van Orden.
Deletions of Sponsors from Public Bills and Resolutions
Page H4247 · Official textUnder clause 7 of rule XII, sponsors were deleted from public bills and resolutions, as follows:
Text printed in the Record (21 characters)
H.R. 9246: Ms. Mejia.