| Speaker | Time | Text |
|---|---|---|
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Budget Threatens Rural Hospitals
00:05:13
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| With the historic ceasefire agreement, late Monday, and we call it the 12-day war. | ||
| Spoke to a few people. | ||
| I guess that just sounded like the right name. | ||
| It was a 12-day war. | ||
| And we think it's over. | ||
| I don't think they're going to be going back at each other. | ||
| I don't think so. | ||
| Not only have we dealt decisively with the critical threat of Iran's nuclear program, which was what I wanted. | ||
| I said, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. | ||
| I've said that for 15 years, long before I decided to do the political thing. | ||
| But we've also reasserted the credibility of American. | ||
| Viewers, we're going to take you away from the president. | ||
| You can still see him on C-SPAN 2. | ||
| Because of our coverage of the House, on C-SPAN 1 goes in. | ||
| When they gavel in, we take you to the House. | ||
| The House will be in order. | ||
| The Chair lays before the House a communication from the Speaker. | ||
| The Speaker's Rooms, Washington, D.C., June 25th, 2025. | ||
| I hereby appoint the Honorable Daniel Muser to act as Speaker pro tempore on this day. | ||
| Signed, Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House of Representatives. | ||
| Pursuant to the order of the House of January 3rd, 2025, the Chair will now recognize members from lists submitted by the majority 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 five minutes. | ||
| By no event shall debate continue beyond 11.50 a.m. | ||
| The Chair now recognizes the member from Delaware, Representative McBride, for five minutes. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I rise today on behalf of the rural communities in Delaware and the hospitals that are their lifelines. | ||
| Because if the Republican budget is passed, that lifeline will be cut. | ||
| Across Delaware, rural hospitals are doing more than just providing care. | ||
| They're holding communities together. | ||
| They're delivering babies. | ||
| They're treating emergencies. | ||
| They're caring for aging parents. | ||
| They're anchors of both health and economic stability. | ||
| But under this budget, all of that is at risk. | ||
| For rural hospitals, it means more unpaid bills, more red tape, more patient bankruptcies. | ||
| And for some rural hospitals, it means closure. | ||
| When Medicaid is gutted, rural hospitals don't just struggle. | ||
| They shudder. | ||
| Today, over 40% of rural hospitals operate at a loss. | ||
| They rely on Medicaid to keep the lights on and the doors open. | ||
| Take that funding away, and entire regions lose access to maternity care, cancer treatment, mental health services, and more. | ||
| This isn't hypothetical. | ||
| Before Medicaid expansion, clinics were closing. | ||
| Nurses were being laid off. | ||
| People drove hours just to see a doctor. | ||
| Now the majority party wants to bring that devastation to Delaware, where we have diligently worked to ensure we have no care deserts. | ||
| And even in the places where those hospitals survive, fewer patients will have coverage. | ||
| This budget would impose endless red tape, importing the worst parts of the private health care system, confusing paperwork and needless bureaucracy into the Medicaid program. | ||
| In total, 16 million people could lose coverage. | ||
| Millions more could lose access to care in their community. | ||
| In Delaware, that will mean 40,000 of our neighbors, working families, children, seniors in assisted living, people managing chronic conditions getting dropped from coverage. | ||
| Let me tell you what that means in real life. | ||
| It means missed chemotherapy appointments because the hospital shuts down. | ||
| It means laboring mothers being driven an hour and a half to the nearest delivery room. | ||
| It means children skipping care for chronic asthma because their pediatrician can't afford to stay open. | ||
| It means working people in Delaware will skip doctors' appointments because they've lost their insurance, only to end up in the emergency room, facing longer wait times and crushing medical bills. | ||
| Rural hospitals are left to absorb the costs while patients are burdened with life-altering debt. | ||
| And yes, it means more preventable deaths. | ||
| All of this, Mr. Speaker, just to partially, just partially pay for tax breaks for billionaires. | ||
| I've heard from health care leaders across my state who have told me plainly, if this budget passes, they will have to reduce services and lay off staff. | ||
| Their facilities serve hundreds, in some cases thousands of Medicaid patients. | ||
| They're operating on razor-thin margins already. | ||
| This plan would push rural hospitals and clinics over the cliff. | ||
| Cuts to Medicaid aren't just cuts to line items on a budget. | ||
| It's cuts to care that keep my constituents alive. | ||
| So let's be honest about what this is, a budget that raises costs for working families, adds red tape for patients and providers, and gives handouts to billionaires all while risking the collapse of rural health care systems. | ||
|
Bree Ellis: Razorback Softball Star
00:06:20
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| If you believe in the dignity of rural communities, and if you believe that no one should die because their local hospital couldn't keep its doors open, then join me in opposing this horrible and heartless bill. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| Gentlelady yields back. | ||
| Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Womack, for five minutes. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor University of Arkansas softball sensation Bree Ellis, the Southeastern Conference and USA Softball Player of the Year in NCAA Women's College Softball in 2025. | ||
| Before I speak to her personal credentials, let me just say the Razorback softball team had another banner season, albeit short of qualifying for the Women's College Softball World Series. | ||
| The Hogs advanced to its fourth super regional in program history. | ||
| And under Coach Courtney Deifel, Razorback softball has steadily climbed in the rankings over the last several seasons. | ||
| Much of that success over recent years is clearly due to attracting quality players, players like Bree Ellis, native of Houston, Texas, graduate of Memorial High School in Hedwig Village, Texas, the 20th ranked player in the nation. | ||
| She signed with Auburn, played two seasons with the Tigers before entering the transfer portal and coming to Arkansas. | ||
| As a junior, she became a first-team all-SEC player. | ||
| And it got better her senior season. | ||
| This year, Bree hit 440, 59 hits, 9 doubles, 26 home runs, 72 RBIs. | ||
| She posted a nation-leading 1.142 slugging percentage and a 646 on-base percentage. | ||
| Her talent and skills made things difficult on opposing teams, but no one sequence during the year better described this young lady's ability than a game against Georgia in the SEC tournament in Athens. | ||
| Realizing her prowess, the Georgia strategy was to limit any damage Bree could inflict on the Bulldogs by refusing to pitch to her, effectively surrendering to her as a baserunner. | ||
| Nine straight pitches out of the strike zone. | ||
| She was walked twice and then hit by a pitch in her first three advants. | ||
| But then came the bottom of the seventh, the seventh and final inning. | ||
| The score is tied at 1-1, and Arkansas has loaded the bases ahead of, you guessed it, Bree Ellis. | ||
| One run wins the game. | ||
| Georgia had to pitch to her. | ||
| On the 10th pitch she saw that day, Bree did what Bree does best. | ||
| She launched one deep over the left field fence for a walk-off Grand Slam home run. | ||
| No moment in Razorback softball history fully captures the impact this outstanding player has had on the sport in Fayetteville than that game. | ||
| Softball experts recognizing her accomplishments made her only the fifth position player to win the Player of the Year honor. | ||
| Bree Ellis didn't just elevate Razorback softball. | ||
| She became a Bogle Field legend at Arkansas. | ||
| So I join her parents, Ron and Molly Ellis and her sister Emily, in congratulating Bree for an outstanding collegiate career and the legacy she lives, leaves at the University of Arkansas. | ||
| Go Hoggs, and I yield back. | ||
| Gentleman Yields. | ||
| The gentleman recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor University of Arkansas baseball sensation Vajiva Aloy, the 2025 Golden Spikes Award recipient given to the top amateur baseball player in the United States. | ||
| This great shortstop propelled the Razorbacks to the semifinals of the Men's College World Series in Omaha. | ||
| Previous to this honor, Vajiva was named the 2025 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year. | ||
| Aloy was one of college baseball's most electrifying all-around players in 2025. | ||
| This Wailuku Hawaii native started all 65 games at shortstop during the season, and he turned in one of the best offensive campaigns in Razorback history, leading the team in nearly every major category, including slugging percentage, on-base plus slugging, hits, run scored, doubles, triples, home runs, extra base hits, multi-hit games, and total bases. | ||
| In many of these categories, he ranks among the top 10 in the program's Seagull single season record book. | ||
| Defensively, Aloy dazzled with just five errors and 229 total chances while helping turn 31 double plays during the 2025 season. | ||
| Vaheva reached the pinnacle of collegiate baseball without having earned major offers out of Baldwin High School on Maui. | ||
| But after a year at Sacramento State, he transferred to Arkansas and he found his groove. | ||
| He captured the hearts and minds of Razorback fans everywhere. | ||
| In fact, Baum Walker Stadium looked more like a luau on game day with so many fans donning leis, Hawaiian shirts, and other island merchandise in recognition of his native Hawaii. | ||
| He joins former Razorbacks Andrew Benatendi and Kevin Copps as the only Arkansas players with National Player of the Year honors. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, this has been an unprecedented spring at Arkansas with Razorback athletes claiming Player of the Year honors in both softball and baseball. | ||
| That's never happened before. | ||
| So I join his parents, Jamie and Napua, his brother and teammate Kujio, and his sister Kiani in congratulating Vaheva Aloy for his Golden Spikes Award and his impact on Razorback Baseball. | ||
|
Mr. President's Message
00:15:38
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| We wish him well as he embarks on what should be a promising professional career. | ||
| Go Hoggs and I yield back. | ||
| Gentleman Yields, the chair now recognizes the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Green, for five minutes. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, and still I rise. | ||
| And I rise today, Mr. Speaker, with a very special message, an admonition, a pre-warning for the most powerful man in the universe, I'm told, the President of the United States of America. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, there is talk of having to go back into Iran. | ||
| There is talk of the job not having been done as expected. | ||
| I make no comments about whether he should or shouldn't go, but I do comment on the Constitution. | ||
| And I do say to the most powerful man in the universe, Mr. President, if you go back into Iran and you do not get the consent of Congress or appropriately notice Congress, Mr. President, I will bring articles of impeachment against you again. | ||
| Mr. President, no one person should have the authority to take 300 million-plus people to war on his own volition. | ||
| The Congress of the United States must be engaged in this process. | ||
| Mr. President, it's pretty simple. | ||
| Either you will respect the Constitution of the United States of America or you will expect Al Green. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| Chairman Yields. | ||
| The Chair. | ||
| Alford for five minutes. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| Well, Mr. Speaker, if you're packing up your car, booking a flight, planning a trip this summer, you've probably noticed things feel a little bit better this year, a little bit smoother, and much more affordable. | ||
| That's not luck, folks. | ||
| That's because Congress is working to pass President Trump's one big beautiful bill, and it's already making a difference in our summer travel plans. | ||
| Look, hardworking Americans, families deserve the freedom to fuel up without pinching pennies. | ||
| And Trump's bill gets us one step closer to true energy dominance. | ||
| One of the biggest costs of families hitting the road this summer is the price of the pump. | ||
| That's why we fought hard to include an important provision in the Big Beautiful Bill that cuts red tape on domestic energy production. | ||
| It reopens federal lands for drilling and streamlines refinery regulations. | ||
| It's simple, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| When America produces more energy, we pay less at the pump. | ||
| And that means that we don't have to beg foreign dictators for oil. | ||
| In fact, in fact, experts are already predicting a decline in gas prices as we move through the summer months. | ||
| Usually they go up because of the summer fuels are more expensive. | ||
| Because of the one big beautiful bill, we have the freedom to make more summer family memories without breaking the bank. | ||
| And it's not just about driving either. | ||
| If you've flown lately, you've probably experienced the delays, the cancellations, and the chaos plaguing Americans' airlines and our airports. | ||
| Well, President Trump's big, beautiful bill tackles this head-on by investing in modern air traffic control technology, expanding staffing pipelines, and overhauling the bureaucratic log jam that's kept our skies grounded for way too long. | ||
| So I want to say thanks, President Trump. | ||
| America will begin streaming hiring for air traffic controllers, improving FAA coordination, and bringing our aviation infrastructure into the 21st century where it belongs. | ||
| And that means smoother trips for everyone, just in time for peak summer travel season. | ||
| This bill is exactly the kind of common sense America First legislation that I came to Congress to support. | ||
| It is proof that when we put American small businesses, our families, our travelers first, we can make real progress. | ||
| So, whether you're headed out to one of my favorite spots, Lake of the Ozarks in my district, if you're flying to visit family, or just filling up the tank for the weekend, know this: your summer will be easier because we are passing the President's one big, beautiful bill. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise today with immense pride for the brave airmen of Missouri's own 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base in our district, who executed decisive strategic strikes against the Iranian regime under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump. | ||
| I also want to take a moment to honor the other heroes who are part of this historic operation. | ||
| Pilots from the Air National Guard's 131st Bomb Wing, also at Whiteman, made up 50% of the flyers alongside the 509th. | ||
| The operation, the maintenance, the support personnel also contributed to the significant experience in planning, preparation, and execution. | ||
| Just this past weekend, the world saw once again what America resolve looks like when we are paired with unmatched precision and capability. | ||
| B-2's launched from Whiteman and executed a long-range strike against Iran in Operation Midnight Hammer. | ||
| This is one of the best examples of integration of total force that has come from Whiteman Air Force Base in recent times. | ||
| Operation Midnight Hammer is a vivid example of what our long-range strike capabilities are all about: strategic reach, rapid response, incredible deterrence. | ||
| And let me be clear, Mr. Speaker, these were not just strikes. | ||
| They were a message to the world. | ||
| A message to every rogue regime that threatens American lives and our global stability. | ||
| When President Trump draws a red line, he means it. | ||
| This is what peace through strength looks like. | ||
| We are all reminded once again that under President Trump, America does not bend to tyrants or terrorists. | ||
| We confront evil. | ||
| We prove our dominance on the world stage and we ensure that regimes like Iran's will never get their hands on a nuclear weapon. | ||
| And let me say one thing to the Ayatollah. | ||
| You now have a choice. | ||
| This is a time for choosing whether you want peace or chaos, prosperity or poverty, isolation from the rest of the Arab world, or integration to make the Middle East grace again. | ||
| God bless the 509th. | ||
| God bless the 131st Bomb Wings. | ||
| God bless our airmen and women at Whiteman Air Force Base. | ||
| And God bless Donald J. Trump, our president. | ||
| And with that, I yield back. | ||
| Gentleman yields back. | ||
| The chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from California, Ms. Rivas, for five minutes. | ||
| I am a proud Angeleno. | ||
| Los Angeles will always be home to me. | ||
| However, instead of putting a resolution on the floor that helps Angelenos address the cost of living, save their Medicaid, or protect our city's immigrant communities from the Trump administration's cruelty, Republicans are putting forward a resolution that targets Los Angeles, our home, and Californians. | ||
| A few items my colleagues on the other side of the aisle forgot to mention in their partisan resolution include the president's unprovoked escalation and mobilization of the National Guard and Marines against Americans on American soil, | ||
| the president's comments to arrest Governor Gavin Newsom, an action that would stoke more tensions, the handcuffing and assault of Senator Alex Padilla, who boldly dared to demand accountability from this administration. | ||
| Those are a few of the facts that were omitted from the Republicans' resolution. | ||
| The truth is, Governor Newsom, Mayor Bass, and House Democrats, including my House Democratic Caucus colleagues from California, have repeatedly supported the right to peacefully protest and quickly condemn any acts of violence that have taken place. | ||
| This resolution could have been a simple resolution condemning violence and thanking our local leaders for keeping communities safe. | ||
| The resolution that we are voting on this week is a political stunt to distract from this administration's terrorization of hardworking families and immigrant communities that are a huge reason why our city, our state, and our country are great. | ||
| Families across Los Angeles are living in fear because of this administration's reckless and chaotic actions that are instilling more fear, causing more chaos, and inflicting more harm among our most vulnerable. | ||
| The families and individuals I have spoken with across my district are afraid to leave their homes because they might be illegally detained by masked and unnamed ICE agents and separated from their loved ones. | ||
| No one should have to live with that fear. | ||
| I will be voting no on the Republicans' resolution, and I encourage my friends across the aisle, especially my Californian Republican colleagues, to stand up for Los Angeles and our great state and vote no. | ||
| Thank you and I yield back. | ||
| Yields back. | ||
| The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Texas, Mr. South, for five minutes. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute our soldiers of tomorrow, the service academy-bound students of the 3rd Congressional District of Texas. | ||
| This district of Texas is home to some of the best and brightest young people, and it is always an honor to recommend such fine students to our nation's service academies. | ||
| I am confident that they are ready to join the premier service academies and ultimately serve with the best in the United States military. | ||
| This year, Texas 3rd District is going to send nine cadets to the United States Military Academy, six midshipmen to the United States Naval Academy, eight cadets to the U.S. Air Force Academy, one midshipman to the United States Merchant Marine Academy, one candidate to the United States Military Academy Civil Preparatory School, three candidates to the Naval Academy Preparatory School, | ||
| one candidate to the United States Naval Academy Civil Preparatory School, and three candidates to the United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School. | ||
| To these 24 appointees and eight preparatory candidates, I say, God bless you. | ||
| God bless America. | ||
| I salute you. | ||
| I ask unanimous consent for the 32 names and respective hometowns listed below to be entered into the congressional record, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| Without objection, the gentleman yields back. | ||
| Chair now recognizes the gentleman from California, Mr. Cisneros, for five minutes. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I'd like to commend the, oops, sorry, wrong one. | ||
| Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I rise today to recognize and congratulate John Michael Spahn Jr., our JJ Spahn, on his U.S. Open victory. | ||
| JJ is a proud product of California's 31st Congressional District, a graduate of San Diamond High School, where he played on the golf team and was a CIF Southern Section finalist two years in a row. | ||
| He went on to play for San Diego State University, and after graduation, he went professional. | ||
| On the morning of Sunday, June 15th, Father's Day, JJ was woken up early to tend to his daughter, who wasn't feeling well. | ||
| Just a few hours later, he was on his way to the U.S. Open. | ||
| On the 18th hole, JJ sunk a 64-foot putt to clinch his first major championship. | ||
| The 31st Congressional District wants to congratulate him on his incredible victory, and we wish him the best of luck at the Open Championship in Northern Ireland. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I'd like to honor the retirement of Captain Daniel Regan of the Covina Police Department. | ||
| He was promoted to captain in 2022 and managed the investigations, canine, firearms, and records units. | ||
| As a well-distinguished and awarded police officer, Captain Regan's 35-year-long career exemplifies true service and sacrifice. | ||
| He has defined what it means to protect and serve our community. | ||
| Thank you for all you have done to keep our families safe and our community safe. | ||
| Congratulations on your well-deserved retirement, and we wish you all the best. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Glendora and San Dimas High School's baseball teams for reaching the CIF Southern Sectional Division III Championship game. | ||
| After a hard-fought pitcher's duel, Glendora was victorious with a 2-0 shutout victory. | ||
| This was Glendora High's first baseball CIF championship in 15 years. | ||
| It was a remarkable season capped by a historic victory. | ||
| Both teams are to be commended for their hard work and dedication, and I wish them both good luck for next season and go Tartans. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| Chairman Yields. | ||
| The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Luttrell, for five minutes. | ||
|
unidentified
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 20th anniversary of Operation Red Wings, a mission carried out by United States Navy SEALs in the Army 160th SOAR in June 2005 in the mountains of Afghanistan. | |
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Four Men, One Ambush
00:02:59
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unidentified
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Operation Red Wings was intended to disrupt anti-coalition militia activity in the Pesh District of Akunar Province. | |
| The primary target was a high-ranking Taliban leader named Ahmad Shaw. | ||
| To carry out the operations, a four-man reconnaissance team was inserted into the rugged terrain under the cover of darkness. | ||
| The team consisted of Lieutenant Michael Murphy, Petty Officer Matthew Axelson, Petty Officer Danny Dietz, and Petty Officer Marcus Luttrell. | ||
| Their mission was to observe and confirm the presence of Ahmad Shaw. | ||
| Unfortunately, the team's position was compromised by local goat herders. | ||
| Faced with a difficult ethical decision, the SEALs let the herders go, and within hours, they were surrounded and ambushed by a large force of Taliban fighters. | ||
| Despite being heavily outnumbered and outgunned, the SEALs fought valiantly. | ||
| Michael Murphy, despite being shot, moved into the open to get clear to make a call for backup. | ||
| That call would cost him his life. | ||
| Matthew Axelson and Danny Dietz perished shortly after. | ||
| A quick reactionary force from the 160th SOAR dispatched a Chinook helicopter to rescue the SEALs, but tragically the helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade, killing all 16 men on board. | ||
| In total, 19 Americans died in Operation Red Wings. | ||
| It was one of the deadliest days in special warfare history. | ||
| The mission is not just a story of loss. | ||
| It's a powerful testament to courage, brotherhood, and sacrifice. | ||
| The names of the men who lost their lives during Operation Red Wings are Matthew G. Axelson, Petty Officer, Petty Officer Danny Dietz, Chief Petty Officer Jack Fontaine, Staff Sergeant Seamus O'Gore, Chief Warrant Officer Corey Goodnature, Senior Chief Petty Officer Dan Healy, Sergeant Kip Jacobi, Lieutenant Commander Eric Christensen, Petty Officer First Class Jeffrey Lucas, Lieutenant Michael McGreevy, Sergeant First Class Marcus Morales, | ||
| Lieutenant Michael Murphy, Petty Officer Shane Patton, Master Sergeant James Ponder, Major Stephen Reich, Sergeant First Class Michael Russell, Chief Warrant Officer Scherkenbach, Petty Officer James Saw, and Petty Officer Jeffrey Taylor. | ||
| May blessings go out to the Gold Star family and friends on this day. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| Chairman yields back. | ||
| Chair now recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr. McGovern, for five minutes. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about United States policies toward Cuba. | ||
| There are many crises in the world, like Iran. | ||
|
Cuban Humanitarian Crisis
00:04:29
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| One crisis that does not get enough attention is the humanitarian one in Cuba today, with its hunger and deprivation. | ||
| To many, the word Cuba invokes politics, oftentimes a topic that politicians use to demagogue in U.S. elections for political advantage. | ||
| But Cuba is an island of 10 million human beings, people like you and me, with families, with hopes for a better future. | ||
| There is no doubt that the aspirations of the people of Cuba are stymied by their own government. | ||
| It denies them fundamental human rights. | ||
| It does not meet their basic needs. | ||
| It must do better, much better, to listen to what people are asking for and address their concerns in a real way. | ||
| But our government in the United States isn't helping. | ||
| In fact, we make the lives of the Cuban people worse, a lot worse. | ||
| I've visited Cuba many times as a member of Congress. | ||
| I've met with Cubans in their homes and I've talked to them in their own communities. | ||
| I can tell you firsthand that the U.S. embargo is harmful to the people of Cuba. | ||
| It denies them food, medicine, and basic goods. | ||
| It contributes to hunger and human misery. | ||
| It is a driver of migration from the island. | ||
| U.S. policy toward Cuba fails to see the Cuban people as human beings. | ||
| Too often, politicians here treat Cubans as commodities, as props in their political arguments. | ||
| This is dehumanizing, and it has gotten worse under President Trump. | ||
| Cubans were once welcomed with open arms into the United States, even given preferential treatment not available to others fleeing dire conditions. | ||
| No more. | ||
| Cuban immigrants are equally at risk under the Trump administration's cruelty first policies. | ||
| A half million Cuban immigrants are currently in the United States under parole. | ||
| An additional 110,000 Cubans enter the U.S. legally under the CHNV humanitarian parole program. | ||
| But the Trump administration eliminated CHNV. | ||
| Most Cubans are not eligible to adjust their status and are at risk of being sent back to Cuba. | ||
| The Trump administration is adding to the humanitarian crisis. | ||
| I'm disappointed in many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. | ||
| They continue to defend the U.S. embargo and the status quo. | ||
| They claim that they want to force the Cuban government to treat its own people better. | ||
| Yet now, when they have a chance to speak out against the Trump administration's callous indifference to the welfare of the Cuban people or even advance policies that will improve the lives of Cubans on the island, these same people are silent. | ||
| I find that shameful. | ||
| In the past, whether our policy was more relaxed or tightened, our government maintained consultations with Cuban officials to manage migration. | ||
| But the Trump administration has closed even that door, turning off a basic level of dialogue. | ||
| None of this makes sense. | ||
| Tightening sanctions increases suffering, which drives people to our shores and to the border. | ||
| But the administration won't even talk to Cubans about migration. | ||
| So how do they plan to return those they want to deport? | ||
| Do they think they can hold Cubans in detention indefinitely? | ||
| Conditions in Cuba are far more desperate than during Trump's first term. | ||
| To be frank, President Biden disappointed me. | ||
| He didn't do enough to help. | ||
| Food and medicine shortages and power blackouts are causing more suffering. | ||
| One million people, one-tenth of the population, have left the island. | ||
| If the Trump administration wants to stop migration, it should not be contributing to its root cause. | ||
| The Cuban people are caught in a vise. | ||
| They don't have a government that adequately responds to their needs, and they can't look to America to help them either. | ||
| A better approach to Cuba starts with seeing each other on a human level. | ||
| We should promote exchange between artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers, scientists, and students. | ||
| We can nurture understanding, build relationships, foster trust, and diplomacy will follow. | ||
| President Obama understood this. | ||
| He knew that insanity was doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. | ||
| So he loosened restrictions, relieved tensions, and advanced cooperation. | ||
| We were on the road to helping create a new future for Cuba. | ||
| But Trump takes us backwards. | ||
| He unjustifiably added Cuba to the state sponsor of terrorism lists purely for political reasons. | ||
| They ought to be removed from that list. | ||
| He banned travel and blocked remittances. | ||
| He has cut off our ability to negotiate for the release of political prisoners. | ||
| He continues to insist on sanctions to economically starve the country. | ||
| We should instead lift the embargo. | ||
| By closing off American engagement, he has opened the door for greater Russian and Chinese influence. | ||
|
Dr. Dino's Legacy
00:05:04
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| Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to consider a human-focused approach to Cuba. | ||
| Our policy should not add to their suffering. | ||
| We should hear their aspirations and never doubt the power of the people to create change. | ||
| Our Cuba policy is on the wrong track. | ||
| It is a throwback to the Cold War. | ||
| It's ineffective, and it makes us look petty and vindictive in the eyes of the world community. | ||
| We need to do much better. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Michigan, Mr. Hizinga, for five minutes. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I rise today to honor the life and legacy of a former colleague and, more importantly, a friend. | ||
| Dino Dominic Fallaschetti, or Dr. Dino as he was known to many of us, was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois. | ||
| In high school, Dino was a standout golfer. | ||
| And then in college, he became a standout cyclist. | ||
| That became a lifelong passion. | ||
| To his friends, he was always the smartest and best-dressed guy we knew. | ||
| To say the least, Dino's academic achievements were impressive. | ||
| He received a Bachelor's in Science and Accounting from Indiana University, then an MBA in Finance and Economics from the University of Chicago. | ||
| And then he went on to earn his PhD in economics from Washington University in St. Louis. | ||
| Dr. Dino went on to work for a Fortune 100 company. | ||
| He also served as a senior economist on the Council of Economic Advisors under George W. Bush and taught economics and finance at not just one, but three distinguished universities. | ||
| He accomplished all of this before our paths first crossed in the summer of 2015. | ||
| Dr. Dino, with his impeccable resume, had just been hired by former Chairman Jeb Henserling to serve as the newly created position of chief economist to the House Committee on Financial Services. | ||
| The chairman and myself had many discussions about the economic impacts of what was going on, and at one point, Chairman Henserling said, I need an economist to help us do this. | ||
| And Dino was the man that he hired. | ||
| I was in my third term and had just been named chairman of the Monetary Policy and Trade Subcommittee. | ||
| It turned out to be a matchmate in heaven. | ||
| Although we took very different paths to get to the Financial Services Committee, we found ourselves together thinking and developing and debating the economic impact of legislation and the regulators in that space, and then going toe-to-toe with then Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen. | ||
| Throughout all of it, Dino was a consummate professional, intense and focused, but always taking time to explain complicated monetary policy to anyone, and I mean anyone who would listen, whether it be a member of Congress or a junior staffer. | ||
| But it was always done with a smile. | ||
| Dino was often known to say, quote, economics is easy, but politics is hard. | ||
| And boy, is he right. | ||
| Following his stint in the People's House, Dr. Dino's career path would make one final stop, this time at the U.S. Department of Treasury. | ||
| In 2019, Dino was nominated by President Trump to serve as the Director of the Office of Financial Research. | ||
| To no one's surprise, Dr. Dino was unanimously confirmed and served in that position until 2022. | ||
| Through it all, Dr. Dino never forgot where he came from. | ||
| He was devoted to his wife of 30 years, Suzanne, his dogs, his adopted hometown of Belgrade, Montana, and to others along with serving his country. | ||
| I will never forget and am deeply grateful for his work on my subcommittee, highlighting much-needed reforms to our financial system that were brought about real change in and some things that we are still debating yet today. | ||
| His contributions to the Financial Services Committee and the House of Representatives will never be forgotten. | ||
| Not to mention the students and colleagues with whom he taught and worked with who will always fondly remember Dr. Dino. | ||
| So, Suzanne, please know that you have been in our prayers and thoughts, and may you experience blessings and peace as you move forward. | ||
| And on behalf of his friends here in the U.S. House, we celebrate Dr. Dino's legacy and look forward to the day when we will meet him again. | ||
| Rest in peace, my friend. | ||
| Rest in peace. | ||
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Timely Classified Briefing Needed
00:05:34
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|
unidentified
|
I yield back. | |
| Gentleman yields. | ||
| The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Illinois, Mr. Schneider, for five minutes. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, what are you and the President afraid of? | ||
| What are you hiding? | ||
| You and the administration are shirking your duty to provide members of Congress a timely and complete classified briefing on Saturday about Saturday's U.S. strike on Iran, on the intelligence that justified it, on the legal justification, on the objectives, and on the consequences. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, we should not have to remind you that the Constitution gives only Congress, not the President, the exclusive power to declare war. | ||
| And the War Powers Resolution of 1973 requires the President, after taking military action, to provide to Congress the information it needs, and I quote, in the fulfillment of its constitutional responsibilities with respect to committing the nation to war and to the use of United States armed forces abroad. | ||
| Yesterday, all members of this House, Republicans and Democrats, were to receive an already overdue classified briefing from administration officials. | ||
| But moments before the briefing was scheduled to begin, you and the administration abruptly, without explanation, cancelled it, leaving members of Congress and the American people in the dark. | ||
| There are now reports of a leaked classified battle damage assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency that disputes what the President and the Secretary of Defense have been telling us. | ||
| The American people are left wondering, are the President and the Secretary telling the truth? | ||
| So again, I ask you, Mr. Speaker, what are you and the President afraid of? | ||
| What are you trying to hide? | ||
| We are proud of the extraordinary service members who put their lives on the line and perfectly executed a complex battle plan, expertly hitting their intended targets at Fordo, Natanz, and Esfahan. | ||
| We can see from the publicly available satellite imagery that the bombs at Fordo, for example, entered the fortified mountain location exactly where intended. | ||
| But the Fordo fuel enrichment plant is buried 300 feet below ground. | ||
| We can't see inside the mountain to know with certainty whether the GBU-57s obliterated the FFP or not. | ||
| That's what makes the leaked report so concerning and why it is so important for the administration to give members of Congress the full details in a classified setting. | ||
| Canceling or even delaying the briefing is completely unacceptable and a failure of your duties and responsibilities to this body. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, the stakes could not be higher. | ||
| For more than 40 years, Iran has threatened its neighbors, threatened Israel, the United States, and the world. | ||
| Under the Ayatollahs, Iran has been the largest state sponsor of terror in the world. | ||
| It has financed, trained, and directed Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Houthis. | ||
| And for the last 30 years, Iran has marched forward in the pursuit of nuclear weapons, all while chanting, death to Israel, death to America. | ||
| So let me state the obvious. | ||
| Iran must never be allowed to have nuclear weapons, ever. | ||
| President Trump's decision to unilaterally withdraw from the JCPOA in 2018 enabled Iran to advance forward in its nuclear program, to the point that the regime was weeks, if not days, from having sufficient enriched uranium for multiple nuclear bombs. | ||
| Some have assessed that Iran could have built up to 10 nuclear bombs within a few months or even a few weeks. | ||
| And the worry after the IAE report issued two weeks ago declaring Iran was no longer in compliance with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty was that the regime may have decided to do exactly that. | ||
| I just returned from visiting Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates with colleagues both Democrat and Republican. | ||
| All these countries recognize that a nuclear-armed Iran poses an existential threat to their futures, and of course to Israel as well as the United States and Europe. | ||
| So I support the U.S. efforts to stop Iran's march to a nuclear weapon. | ||
| But we cannot permanently end Iran's nuclear programs without a negotiated agreement, without inspectors on the ground, without Iran agreeing to reverse course. | ||
| We must permanently block every path to a nuclear weapon Iran might have. | ||
| The 12-day war over the skies of Iran in Israel has certainly weakened Iran's program, but we don't know without a classified briefing if it has obliterated it, if it has defeated it. | ||
| In fact, we don't know the full extent of the damage to the program. | ||
| How much of the more than 600 kilograms of highly enriched uranium was Iran able to hide? | ||
| How many centrifuges remain intact and operational? | ||
| How easily can Iran replace the nuclear scientists eliminated by Israel? | ||
| Was Fordo, as claimed, obliterated or slightly damaged and easily repaired? | ||
| So again, Mr. Speaker, the chair will remind you that it is improper for a member to attempt to involve the neutral presiding officer as part of the debate. | ||
|
NIH's Impact on Biomedical Research
00:12:19
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| Such conduct undermines this House, the goal of impartial analytic consistency in presiding that is required of a member serving as chair. | ||
| The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Minnesota, Mr. Finstead, for five minutes. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | |
| I rise today to recognize my friend and fellow Minnesota farmer, Lori Stievener, who recently completed a successful term as president of the National Pork Producers Council. | ||
| Lori has dedicated her career to advocating for Minnesota's pork producers. | ||
| In addition to raising pigs with her husband Dale on their farm near Easton, Minnesota, Lori served nine years on the executive board of the Minnesota Pork Producers Association, including two years as president, and on various state and national committees. | ||
| The time and effort she invests on behalf of not only Minnesota pork producers, but all American pork producers has helped shape a better business climate, expand American producers' market access, and promote the benefits of pork to a wide audience. | ||
| Lori often says, the world is run by the people who show up, and show up she does. | ||
| Lori has made countless trips to Washington, as well as all across the country and internationally, to advocate for her fellow pork producers. | ||
| Lori, thank you for your years of relentless dedication and leadership, and congratulations on a successful year as president of the National Pork Producers Council. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| The gentleman yields. | ||
| The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Subramaniam, for five minutes. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the winners of this year's Congressional Award Medalists from Virginia's 10th District. | ||
| These young men and women put 400-plus hours of volunteer work and 200-plus hours to personal development, as well as 200-plus hours to personal fitness activities. | ||
| The winners of the Congressional Gold Medal this year are Sabrina Liu of Riverside High School, who designed handmade cars and spread cancer awareness, Jason Jayant of Academies of Loudoun and John Champ High School, who tutored students and volunteered at animal shelters while also playing on the basketball team, and Caitlin Murphy, a sophomore at James Robinson Secondary School, who swam, played violin, and created and delivered more than 800 cards for seniors in local retirement homes. | ||
| So congratulations to these very accomplished young individuals on your congressional gold medals and thank you for your service. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I also rise today to recognize the Gainesville High School baseball team's historic state championship victory. | ||
| In just their fourth season, so they've only been in high school for four years, the Cardinals won their first state title, capping off the season with a 23-5 record. | ||
| And the championship game itself came down to the wire with two outs in the tying run in the scoring position. | ||
| The Cardinals recorded the final out and sealed the win. | ||
| So congratulations to Gainesville High School on your historic championship winning season and to all the hard work and hustle along the way. | ||
| Congratulations. | ||
| Also, Mr. Speaker, one of the things I get asked is, why can't the federal government be as fast and cost efficient as the private sector? | ||
| And take a pen like this. | ||
| If you're trying to buy a lot of them and you're in the private sector, you can just go to Staples and Amazon and just purchase it right there really quickly for a pretty good cost. | ||
| But in the public sector, there's a lot of rules and regulations in place to buy things like pens or staples. | ||
| And it's even harder to do this with technology tools, tools that can help people get their Social Security payments faster or renew passports or help people access Medicare and Medicaid. | ||
| And so that's why I'm introducing the bipartisan Fit Procurement Act today with my colleague Congressman Burleson. | ||
| The Fit Procurement Act would raise cost caps and allow the federal government to buy more innovative tools without going through the needless bureaucracy. | ||
| And so what we're trying to do basically is help agencies not have to jump through so many hoops to get innovative tools to help people and help them serve people. | ||
| It'll make it easier as well for small businesses to sell to the federal government. | ||
| And our bill makes common sense fixes that we can all support on both sides of the aisle. | ||
| So I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this bill that will save American taxpayers money, support small businesses, and spur economic innovation. | ||
| And finally, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy as it celebrates 30 years of service to our community. | ||
| An organization initially founded by three individuals has grown to now over 600 volunteers. | ||
| And the Conservancy has led the charge on habitat conservation, environmental education, and advocacy in Loudoun County. | ||
| Everything from stream monitoring to bird and animal counting. | ||
| And the Loudoun County Wildlife Conservancy reminds us that conservation isn't just about nature, it's about community, resilience, and quality of life. | ||
| And I know my wife and I are big fans of them and big supporters. | ||
| So congratulations to Loudoun County Wildlife Conservancy on all your years to service to the community and thank you to all the volunteers. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I yield back. | ||
| The gentleman yields back. | ||
| The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin, Mr. Tiffany, for five minutes. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the high school athletes from Wisconsin's 7th District who competed in the state championships during the 2025 spring sports season. | ||
| During the individual state boys golf tournament, Drake Card of Hudson and Tucker Johnson of Nielsville took home the Division I and Division III state titles respectively. | ||
| For girls track and field, Macy Heisey, Sierra Hartman, Aletta Udine, Kelly Fern, and Izzy Sonentag took home the title in their individual events, while the Cameron and Bloomer girls relay teams won first place in their respective relays. | ||
| On the same day, the Marathon High School Boys Track Team took first overall, going against 50 teams. | ||
| Additionally, boys track and field athletes Samuel Aber, Lucas Hansen, Gage Mika, Brady Thompson, Taylor Karch, Ashton Clark, Kyle Schriner, and Chris Marcel won the title in their individual events, while the Marathon Boys Relay Team took home first place in the 4x400 relay. | ||
| Congratulations to each of these state champions and their coaches. | ||
| Keep up the hard work and enjoy your summer. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield back. | ||
| Chairman yields back. | ||
| The chair now recognizes the gentleman from California, Mr. DeSaunier, for five minutes. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Nice pronunciation. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise today and support our nation's investments in biomedical research through the National Institutes for Health and the American National Cancer Institute. | ||
| The research that is conducted through NIH and NCI improves health outcomes, creates jobs, and furthers our global leadership in biomedical research and innovation. | ||
| I'm proud to have been a consistent supporter of funding for these institutions and having visited both the institutions in Bethesda and around this country. | ||
| NIH is the largest public funding source of biomedical research worldwide, with a current budget of $47.7 billion. | ||
| Similarly, NCI is the largest public funder of cancer research in the world, with a current budget of $7.22 billion. | ||
| NCI was created by a Republican president, Richard Nixon, as his War on Cancer, which has been phenomenally successful. | ||
| NIH funding attracts top talent from across the country and indeed the globe to help make our biomedical research industry the best by far in the world, an accomplishment Americans should be incredibly proud of. | ||
| As a survivor of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, stage 4, the work that goes on at the National Cancer Institute is of personal importance to myself and approximately 20 million American cancer survivors. | ||
| We are alive today because of innovations in medicine funded by taxpayers and the private sector in a wonderful public-private partnership. | ||
| Research funded through NCI has undoubtedly helped improve health outcomes. | ||
| A study published by the American Cancer Society notes that the cancer mortality rate has declined 33% since 1991. | ||
| 33%. | ||
| Those are all Americans who are living today like myself. | ||
| When I was diagnosed, my oncologist said, you're lucky. | ||
| Ten years ago, the same diagnosis, I would have had to say, all we could do is tell you to enjoy whatever time you have left. | ||
| Now, because of these investments, I'm able to live a full life expectancy, like many of the other survivors. | ||
| From developing the first chemotherapy drug to beat metastic cancer in 1956 to promising new research and immunotherapy, NCI-funded research has developed numerous new drugs, therapies for cancer. | ||
| While these investments in research are good for health outcomes, they are also good for our economy, tremendously good for our economy. | ||
| In fiscal year 2023, NIH funding generated approximately $92.9 billion in economic activity. | ||
| That's a great return on investment, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| NIH awards over 80% of its annual budget in the form of research grants to 2,500 research institutions across the country in red states and blue. | ||
| These grants support the jobs of more than 300,000 researchers at institutions in all 50 states and provide immeasurable benefits to our local communities, especially the local community economies. | ||
| I'm proud that in the area I represent in the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, home of two of the top 10 recipients of NIH grants, the University of California in San Francisco and Stanford University. | ||
| UCSF is the top public university recipient of NIH grants, making the region a leader in biomedical research and the benefits to the economy and to individuals like myself. | ||
| The economic benefits are further compounded by private investment. | ||
| In 2020, private industry as a whole invested $161.8 billion in biomedical research in the U.S. | ||
| This was allowed because of the basic research done at NIH and NCI. | ||
| Despite these numerous benefits, the current administration and many of my Republican colleagues are proposing to cut the NIH's budget by 40% and NCI's budget by 33%, 37%. | ||
| That would be a grave mistake for individual Americans who will die, their families, and for our economy. | ||
| While some claim that private industry alone can replace federal investment in biomedical research, this just isn't the case. | ||
| It's been proven over decades. | ||
| And the private sector needs this public sector investment for them to do the drugs, many of the drugs, and the treatments that we currently have. | ||
| This has been the case for decades. | ||
| While some claim that this is easily done, there's no way. | ||
|
Fed's Role in Economic Growth
00:03:24
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| Mr. Chairman, I yield back with the reminder that the Chinese are investing billions of dollars to catch up to us in this field. | ||
| We should not lose American leadership. | ||
| Thanks so much. | ||
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Muser, for five minutes. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, the American economy is gaining momentum, but the Independent Reserve is regrettably not adding the energy needed to abet this growth potential. | ||
| After four years of inflation caused by excessive government spending and all out of salt on U.S. energy, our private sector economy is now in significant recovery, and it truly is only the beginning. | ||
| Tariffs are realigning supply chains here at home, and by supply meeting and exceeding demand, this will continue to lower inflation. | ||
| Additionally, the OBBB makes bonus depreciation, the small business deduction, the RD tax credits permanent, sharpening our competitive edge and incentivizing capital investment. | ||
| The table is set for growth. | ||
| However, nearly $1 trillion in annual interest payments hang over our heads. | ||
| Here is where the Fed's actions can make an enormous difference. | ||
| Due to Biden administration's highly inflationary policies, we saw inflation soar to over 9%, 20% over the four-year period. | ||
| Those policies and inflationary rates that came from them forced the higher interest rates by the Fed to as high as 5.5%. | ||
| The recent CPI report, however, has inflation at 2.4%. | ||
| And PCE, the Fed's favorite indicator, personal consumption expenditures at only 2.1%. | ||
| Yet the Fed has not moved much and has left interest rates as high as where they currently are at 4.5%. | ||
| So, Mr. Speaker, a 1% reduction of interest rates to 3.5% would add $290 billion in GDP growth while also delivering $200 billion of savings in the service we pay on our debt. | ||
| That's an improvement of $490 billion to boost our economy. | ||
| Lower rates today will advance housing, an industry with a three-to-one multiplier, spur capital investment, and unlock durable good purchases, including cars and household appliances. | ||
| Unfortunately, fear-mongering by the media drove consumer sentiment down despite the, in fact, lower inflationary data. | ||
| So, Mr. Speaker, I call upon the Fed to choose growth over apprehension as the President is urging. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise today as we are voting on fiscal 26, FY26, the MIL-CON VA Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, an essential bill that demonstrates our unwavering commitment to our veterans, military families, and national security. | ||
|
Honoring Heroes and Veterans
00:09:25
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| This is a major piece of legislation totaling $453 billion that ensures we support those who've worn the uniform and continue building the strongest military in the world. | ||
| This bill fully funds veterans' medical care, backing up the words we often say on this floor and throughout our districts that we support our veterans and we thank them for their service. | ||
| Let me quickly walk through what's in this bill. | ||
| $453 billion in total funding, $150 billion in discretionary funding, $300 billion for mandatory programs, $131 billion to fully fund veterans' medical care, $2 billion for military family housing, and over $1.2 billion for Guard and Reserve construction facilities. | ||
| This supports President Trump's initiative to end veteran homelessness through the Bridging Rental Assistance for Veteran Empowerment Program, protects veterans' Second Amendment rights, and invests heavily in general military construction. | ||
| I represent proudly more than 45,000 veterans in Pennsylvania's 9th Congressional District. | ||
| When you include their families, many of whom have served or are preparing to serve, well over 100,000 Pennsylvanians just in my district alone will be directly impacted by what we do today. | ||
| We also have 800,000 veterans throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. | ||
| As well, our Lebanon VA in my district was ranked among the top VAs in the nation for many years in a row. | ||
| That is something we certainly take pride in and something this bill supports. | ||
| I'm also proud to represent Fort Indiantown Gap, the second largest Army helicopter training facility in the U.S. In total, the GAAP trains more than 130,000 military personnel each year. | ||
| This bill not only honors our past military heroes, it also helps inspire the next generation to serve as we are seeing that patriotism grow and recruitment is way up. | ||
| Thanks in part to the new culture of strength and support for our military under President Trump's leadership. | ||
| So I urge my colleagues to vote yes in this critical appropriations bill. | ||
| It reflects our values, strengthens our defense, and ensures we never waver in our duty to those who sacrificed for our freedom. | ||
| Thank you, and I yield back. | ||
| Gentlemen Yields. | ||
| The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New Hampshire, Ms. Goodlander, for five minutes. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I rise today to honor America's firefighters and first responders. | ||
| American heroes who put their lives on the line every single day to keep our communities safe. | ||
| Heroes who give their lives to saving lives. | ||
| Firefighters run into fire for us. | ||
| They're on the front lines of fighting our nation's opioid epidemic. | ||
| And in their service to all of us, firefighters are exposed to toxic chemicals, cancer-causing chemicals, every single day. | ||
| That's why cancer is the leading cause of death for America's firefighters. | ||
| They do all this, this work for us, knowing the hazards of the important job that they do, and that's what makes them the best of America. | ||
| Heroes who deserve our support, heroes with families and loved ones who deserve our support. | ||
| But today, the families of fallen American heroes who died from cancers they developed in their service to all of us aren't getting the federal benefits they have earned because of a gap in existing law. | ||
| Let me repeat that. | ||
| American heroes who have died from cancer in their service to our country aren't getting the benefits that they have earned because of gaps in federal law, fixable gaps in federal law. | ||
| That's not right, and Congress can do something about this. | ||
| I'm here today because we must close this gap for New Hampshire heroes who are standing beside me today, who are with us today in this chamber. | ||
| New Hampshire hero Lieutenant Jessica Wyman of Nashua Fire Rescue, Lieutenant Aaron Cooper of Keynes Fire Department, both of whom lost their lives to lung cancer that they developed in the line of duty. | ||
| These two brave heroes gave their lives to keep our communities safe. | ||
| Their families and loved ones deserve to get the benefits that they have earned. | ||
| And that is why today, Mr. Speaker, I am calling on members of Congress from across America to support bipartisan, bicameral legislation, the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, H.R. 1269. | ||
| This is common sense, long overdue legislation that I'm proud to co-sponsor because it will deliver for our first responders and their families. | ||
| I want to say today that I am forever grateful to Lieutenant Chris Wyman, a hero in his own right who's here with us in this chamber today. | ||
| He has come to Congress to do what we all should hope every American will do to advocate for legislation, for this legislation that we have got to get done. | ||
| In this chamber, there are words behind me, words of New Hampshire's own Daniel Webster, who called on us to do something, to do something worthy to be remembered. | ||
| These heroes, this hero standing before us today, has done so much that is worthy to be remembered and worthy to be honored. | ||
| But Lieutenant Jessica Wyman, as eloquent as Daniel Webster is, I want to say that Lieutenant Jessica Wyman lived by a motto that's even more powerful to me, that resonates even more deeply to me. | ||
| She lived by the motto, Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand. | ||
| Lieutenant Wyman, thank you from the bottom of my heart for involving me in this cause. | ||
| It's a cause that I'm going to fight for because it's a cause that we should all be on board with. | ||
| It is honoring American heroes who are the best of our country. | ||
| By making the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act law, the United States Congress would be doing something worthy to be remembered, and I want to get all of you involved. | ||
| So with that, I want to say let's get this done. | ||
| This Congress, it's long overdue. | ||
| Thank you, Lieutenant Wyman. | ||
| And with that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back. | ||
| The gentlelady yields back. | ||
| the chair now recognizes the gentleman from the great commonwealth of pennsylvania chairman thompson for five minutes thank you mr speaker I rise today to recognize June as Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month, a time to bring attention to a disease that impacts nearly every family in America in some way. | ||
| This month serves as a solemn reminder of the devastating toll Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia continue to take on our loved ones, our caregivers, and our communities. | ||
| More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's today. | ||
| Around the world, nearly 50 million people are facing daily struggle of this disease or related dementias. | ||
| Alzheimer's is not just a health issue, it's a national crisis. | ||
| It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and remains the only one in the top 10 with no known cure. | ||
| No way to prevent it and no effective means to slow its progression. | ||
| During the COVID-19 pandemic, Alzheimer's-related deaths increased by 16 percent, further underscoring the urgency for action. | ||
| Behind these statistics are real people. | ||
| I recently had the privilege of meeting with two advocates from my district, Maria Frank of Wellsboro and Julianne Steinbacher of Williamsport. | ||
| They came to Washington on behalf of the Alzheimer's Association to share their personal experiences and to urge continued investment in research and support for patients and caregivers. | ||
| However, the Alzheimer's Association does more than just advocate for Alzheimer's and dementia patients and their families. | ||
| Through a strong network of nationwide chapters, the association invests directly in cutting-edge research, offering free 24-7 care consultation for patients and their families, and hosts community education programs and caregiver support groups, ensuring families and patients receive the critical resources that they need. | ||
| Their stories are a powerful reminder behind every diagnosis is a family doing everything they can to hold on to the moment, to dignity, and to hope. | ||
| This is personal for so many of us. | ||
| A diagnosis of Alzheimer's doesn't impact one individual. | ||
| It affects the entire families. | ||
| But there is hope. | ||
| We've seen progress through bipartisan investment and research. | ||
| Continued support for groundbreaking innovation can bring us closer to treatment and one day a cure. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank Maria and Julianne for their tireless advocacy and commitment to this cause. | ||
| This month, let's support the families impacted and stop believing and never stop believing in a future where Alzheimer's is no longer a devastating diagnosis, but a defeated disease. | ||
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Abortion Prosecution Concerns
00:15:36
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| Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentleman yields back. | ||
| The chair now recognizes the gentleman from California, Mr. Min, for five minutes. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, thank you for pronouncing my last name correctly. | ||
| I ask for unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks and to include extraneous material in the record. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized without objection. | ||
| I rise today in opposition to House Resolution 516, sponsored by Representative Young Kim. | ||
| This resolution has a lot of things I think we all can agree upon, including recognizing the right to assemble and protest peaceably and condemning violence against law enforcement. | ||
| But in the very last clause, it specifically expresses gratitude to law enforcement, including ICE, for quote, keeping our communities safe in the face of danger. | ||
| And I want to be clear, I commend local law enforcement, including the Orange County Sheriff's Department, which I represent, for their professionalism and courage. | ||
| It's a tough job, and I'm so grateful to the men and women who go out there every day and risk their lives to keep our communities safe. | ||
| But to extend these thanks to ICE, while failing to acknowledge the myriad of ways in which ICE is making our communities more dangerous, is outrageous and dishonest. | ||
| I hear every single day, and I know Young Kim does too because we represent neighboring districts in Orange County, I hear from constituents who are deeply concerned about ICE lawbreaking. | ||
| We've seen the videos. | ||
| We've heard the eyewitness accounts. | ||
| ICE agents are kidnapping people in broad daylight. | ||
| They are assaulting people in broad daylight. | ||
| They're doing so while masked up, refusing to identify themselves, while wearing civilian clothes like jeans and sneakers. | ||
| They come out of unmarked vans, they tackle people, they assault people, and frankly, other than the ICE vests or jackets they're wearing, which by the way you can now buy for $29.99 on Amazon, they look more like gang members than federal law enforcement agents. | ||
| And if you run away from these mass vigilantes, they will chase you down and beat you down. | ||
| If you ask to see their identification or their warrant, they will assault you and arrest you. | ||
| If you film them, they will pull a gun on you. | ||
| These tactics are grossly illegal and not tactics that local law enforcement agencies engage in. | ||
| Our local law enforcement follows the law. | ||
| They wear body cameras. | ||
| They're subject to disciplinary actions if they violate due process rights. | ||
| But ICE, they're completely unaccountable and totally out of control. | ||
| We've seen them assault citizens. | ||
| We've seen them assault elected officials, including members of Congress, including my colleague from California, Senator Alex Badilla, who just two weeks ago was assaulted, tackled, handcuffed, and shoved to the ground for asking a question at a press conference. | ||
| And the idea that ICE is making our communities safer is ludicrous. | ||
| I want to quote the podcaster Joe Rogan. | ||
| If the Trump administration, if they're running and they say we're going to arrest all the people at Home Depot, we're going to go to construction sites and we're going to just like tackle people construction sites, I don't think anyone would have signed up for that. | ||
| They said we're going to get rid of the criminals and the gang members first, right? | ||
| And now we're seeing like Home Depots get raided. | ||
| It's crazy. | ||
| And it is crazy because the reality of the situation is that ICE is not going after violent criminals. | ||
| They're going after peaceful, law-abiding immigrants. | ||
| As the right-wing Cato Institute recently found, 93%, 93% of the people being apprehended by ICE have had no convictions for violent crime. | ||
| ICE is not going after MS-13 or murderers or rapists. | ||
| They're going after innocent people, including a woman in Tennessee who was five months pregnant and engaged to a U.S. citizen. | ||
| Iris Deanna Monteso-Lanis was transferred to a detention center in Louisiana, forced to sleep on the floor and eat food infested with roaches. | ||
| She was denied medical care despite complaining repeatedly about sharp pains in her pelvis. | ||
| And she lost her baby because of this mistreatment. | ||
| She was not a criminal. | ||
| She was an expectant mom whose child died. | ||
| And it's clear that ICE's lawless actions are making our communities much more dangerous. | ||
| Here's a statement issued by the mayor of Santa Ana, which has been the epicenter of ICE raids in Orange County. | ||
| Quote, the federal immigration raids in Santa Ana have created a climate of fear, anxiety, and instability across our community. | ||
| The aggressive tactics used by federal agents have shattered trust in law enforcement and are eroding the critical relationship between our residents and the Santa Ana Police Department. | ||
| When families are too afraid to report crimes or engage with local authorities, we are all less safe, end quote. | ||
| ICE's lawless sweeps have also deeply impacted the Korean community in SoCal. | ||
| The first ICE raids targeted Korean-owned garment factories and have caused significant confusion, fear, and terror in the Korean-American community. | ||
| I hear every day from Korean Americans who are terrified about ICE, and I know that my colleagues, including Young Kim, do too. | ||
| They know that ICE is making our communities less safe. | ||
| And I want to close with this. | ||
| We've all seen the videos and the images of Narciso Barranco, a gardener and father of three U.S. Marines, who was tackled and punched repeatedly in the head by ICE agents wearing jeans and sneakers. | ||
| As one of his sons, Alejandro, a former current Marine, stated that if he had treated a detainee while deployed as a Marine the same way ICE agents treated his father, it would be clearly a war crime. | ||
| Well, Narciso Barranco is a resident of Tustin. | ||
| He is a constituent of Young Kim. | ||
| And I would guess that he would vehemently disagree with the claim that ICE is making our communities safer. | ||
| How can anyone express gratitude to ICE when they are literally committing war crimes against their constituents? | ||
| This resolution is shameful. | ||
| It is morally wrong. | ||
| Thanking ICE is the worst kind of political stunt at this point in time when our constituents, when our communities are living in fear and terror. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| And with that, I also ask unanimous consent to introduce four items into the record. | ||
| First is ICE Immigration Jacket Becomes Bestseller on Amazon. | ||
| The second is a Cato blog, a Cato Institute blog entry. | ||
| 65% of people taken by ICE had no convictions. | ||
| 93% no violent convictions. | ||
| The third is a statement from Santa Ana Mayor Valeria Mezqua. | ||
| And the fourth is a statement from the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles in response to the ICE raids on June 6th. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| And I yield back. | ||
| Gentleman yields. | ||
| Chair now recognizes the gentleman from Kansas. | ||
| Mr. Mann, for five minutes. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, thanks to the leadership of President Trump, America and the world are safer today than we were a week ago. | ||
| Iran, the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, is no longer on the verge of obtaining a nuclear weapon, and now they have agreed to a ceasefire with Israel. | ||
| President Trump is fulfilling his campaign promise to make America safe again. | ||
| Promises made, promises kept. | ||
| Americans want peace through strength, and that is what President Trump is committed to. | ||
| For far too long, administrations in Washington, D.C. have created red lines that were crossed without consequence, agreed to deals with Iran that the regime disregarded, and concerned themselves more with the appeasement than with protecting American interests. | ||
| President Trump took a different approach. | ||
| For months, President Trump has urged Iran to make a deal. | ||
| He has been clear. | ||
| There's no world where Iran, whose leadership chants death to Israel, death to America, will be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. | ||
| Ever. | ||
| This is not up for debate. | ||
| President Trump is restoring America's leadership on the world stage and fighting tirelessly to keep Americans safe both home and abroad. | ||
| This past week, President Trump showed that he is not willing to let America be strung along or taken advantage of. | ||
| After Iran refused to accept a deal and continued to wreak havoc in the region through his proxy organizations, President Trump carried out targeted, strategic strikes to prevent the pending threat of Iran's nuclear enrichment program. | ||
| He was also clear: attacks on U.S. forces will not be tolerated and there will be grave consequences for such action. | ||
| This is what leadership looks like, and I applaud President Trump for putting America first. | ||
| Idris and I are grateful that our brave servicemen and women were not harmed in the strikes, and I continue to pray for the safety of our troops and Americans in the region. | ||
| The world is safer today because of President Trump, and we pray that the Lord will continue to give him wisdom and discernment as he leads our nation and continues to work on bringing down tensions in the Middle East. | ||
| God bless President Trump. | ||
| God bless our troops, and God bless our great country. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I'm proud of the work our Republican majorities are putting in to deliver America's families the largest tax cut in American history. | ||
| This process hasn't been easy by any means, but it is worth every single debate we are having to get it over the finish line. | ||
| If we fail to get this bill passed and sent to President Trump's desk, middle and working-class families will be the ones who pay the price. | ||
| Some of my Democrat colleagues continue to lie about what our bill does. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, the truth is that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act eliminates taxes and tips on overtime pay. | ||
| It lowers taxes on Social Security benefits and expands the child tax credit for working-class families. | ||
| Our bill helps keep Americans' family farms afloat by eliminating the death tax for most, saving 2 million family farms. | ||
| The family farmers and ranchers in my district are hardworking men and women who are up and moving by sunrise and working well past sundown, ensuring they can feed, clothe, and fuel the world. | ||
| Their pride doesn't come from large bank accounts. | ||
| It comes from answering a call that requires hard labor and lots of sacrifices to feed their neighbors. | ||
| It isn't glamorous, but it's essential, and they need common sense policies like the ones in the One Big Beautiful bill to ensure their businesses can stay afloat and that their families won't lose their inheritance because Uncle Sam is trying to bankrupt them. | ||
| If Congress fails to get this bill across the finish line, the average Kansas family will see a tax hike of $2,200 this January. | ||
| I understand for some that may not seem like a lot of money, but for the men and women across the big First District, $2,200 makes a big difference. | ||
| It's no secret to anyone that serves in this chamber that over the last few years, the country navigated record levels of inflation brought on by excessive federal government spending. | ||
| As input and everyday costs skyrocketed across the country, working and middle-class families were the ones who bore the brunt. | ||
| They are long overdue for some relief, and the one big beautiful bill gives them the relief that they so desperately need. | ||
| In a few short weeks, this body will have a chance to show what we stand for. | ||
| For most of my Democrat colleagues, I know you don't want to give President Trump a win, but surely you can work with him on behalf of working-class families. | ||
| You are either for the largest tax cuts for middle and working-class families in American history, or you're against them. | ||
| Whose side will be on? | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I yield back. | ||
| The gentleman yields. | ||
| The chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from Ohio, Ms. Sykes, for five minutes. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| Three years ago, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ripping away a constitutional right that generations of women had relied upon for nearly half a century. | ||
| In that moment, the court did not just revoke legal precedent, they set in motion a wave of chaos, cruelty, and control. | ||
| What followed was a full-scale assault on reproductive health care, abortion, contraception, IVF, and even access to emergency care. | ||
| And in Ohio, we felt the effects immediately. | ||
| Just hours after the Dobbs decision was handed down, an extreme and deeply unpopular six-week abortion ban went into effect, essentially outlawing abortion for many people before they even knew they were pregnant. | ||
| The law put the lives of millions of women in danger overnight. | ||
| It forced health care providers to choose between following their sworn oath to care for patients or facing criminal charges. | ||
| It caused trauma and suffering that cannot be undone. | ||
| In fact, Mr. Speaker, a 10-year-old rape victim was denied the care she needed and was forced to flee the state to get the care that saved her life and her future. | ||
| And yet, despite all of this, the people of Ohio did what we have always done in the face of injustice. | ||
| We fought back. | ||
| In November 2023, Ohioans from across the political spectrum came together to vote to enshrine reproductive freedom directly into our state's constitution. | ||
| The ability to bear a child, to use contraception, and to access abortion care. | ||
| It was a powerful, hopeful moment. | ||
| But, Mr. Speaker, our work is far from over. | ||
| Because within days of that historic vote, Republican lawmakers in Ohio announced they would do everything in our power to prevent our laws from being removed. | ||
| That's right. | ||
| Just days after the people spoke, loudly and clearly, some legislators pledged to ignore the will of the voters. | ||
| And now they're following through. | ||
| Just last week, members of the Ohio State House introduced one of the most extreme anti-choice bills in the country. | ||
| This dangerous bill would ban nearly all abortions in Ohio, criminalize doctors, and potentially treat patients seeking care as criminals. | ||
| Let me be crystal clear: under this proposal, abortion could be prosecuted as homicide. | ||
| There would be no meaningful exceptions, not for rape and not for incest. | ||
| One of the bill's lead supporters, an anti-woman activist, was asked whether he worried this would overturn the will of the voters, the constitutional amendment the people of Ohio passed a couple years ago. | ||
| He said he wasn't concerned. | ||
| He said, and I quote, the will of the voters was evil. | ||
| The will of the voters was evil. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I don't think I've heard anything less American. | ||
| The will of the voters is the bedrock of our democracy. | ||
| And just as these extremists want to take away the decision-making capabilities of women, they have not stopped there. | ||
| They want to take away the decision-making capability of all Ohioans. | ||
| That's the ideology we're up against. | ||
| One where the voice of the people isn't just disregarded, it's condemned. | ||
| One where bodily autonomy is labeled evil. | ||
| One where political extremists will stop at nothing, not even the state constitution, to impose their beliefs on the rest of us. | ||
| It is chilling and it is dangerous. | ||
| And this uncertainty is not just an Ohio problem. | ||
| The United States Supreme Court recent decision in Moyal v. United States dismissed an opportunity to affirm that emergency abortion care is protected under federal law. | ||
| Instead, they punted, refusing to give clarity and refusing to give peace of mind to women and doctors across the country. | ||
| That's why I introduced a resolution to reaffirm access to emergency care and abortion care to all Americans. | ||
| That's why House Democrats have introduced bills to guarantee abortion rights across the country and protect access to birth control, IVF, and other fertility care. | ||
| Because at the heart of this fight is something bigger than politics. | ||
| It's about freedom. | ||
| The freedom to control our own bodies. | ||
| The freedom to decide when, if, and how we grow our families, the freedom to choose our own futures on our own terms. | ||
| We are the best people to make those decisions for ourselves. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of brilliant minds here in this legislative chamber and in state houses and in courts all across the country, but women do not need them to be in our most intimate decision-making maroons in moments. | ||
| As a representative of Ohio's 13th congressional district, I will keep standing up for our freedom. | ||
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Lawmakers in Recess
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| I will keep working to ensure our laws reflect our values. | ||
| And we must trust women. | ||
| We must protect our rights and we must never forget that democracy only works. | ||
| It only works if we honor the will of the people. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| The gentlelady yields back. | ||
| Pursuant to clause 12A of Rule 1, the chair declares the House in recess until noon today. | ||
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Today in the House, lawmakers are considering the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs spending package. | |