| Speaker | Time | Text |
|---|---|---|
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Encourage Forward Party Voters
00:02:13
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unidentified
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So we encourage voters, go out, register as a voter in the Forward Party. | |
| You can do it in Utah and Colorado and Florida and South Carolina and certain communities in Connecticut. | ||
| Connecticut's very tricky from an election law perspective. | ||
| We have 15 members of the full-time Forward Party staff at our DC headquarters. | ||
| Maintaining a headquarters is actually one of the requirements for going to the FEC for federal party recognition. | ||
| I want to ask you about a gallup poll that was done last year. | ||
| It was done just about a little over a month before the election. | ||
| It found that 58% of U.S. adults agree that a third major party is needed in the U.S. because the Republicans and Democratic parties, quote, do such a poor job of representing the American people. | ||
| But again, about a month later during the 2024 presidential election, third party independent candidates received a total of 2.8 million votes out of 155 million cast, which is just under 2 percent. | ||
| How do you change that? | ||
|
unidentified
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Yeah, again, it's the long game, Tammy. | |
| So the forward party, if you look historically, whether it's at the Bull Moose or at, you know, Ross Perot's run and his affiliation with the Reform Party, those were all attempts to... | ||
| Watch the rest of this on our free C-SPAN Now video app as we take you now to the U.S. Capitol, where the House is gaveling in. | ||
| This is live coverage on C-SPAN. | ||
| The House will resume proceedings on postponed questions at a later time. | ||
| What purpose does the gentleman from Illinois seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass S-2423, the Pro-Veterans Act of 2025. | ||
| The clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
| Senate 423, an act to protect regular order for budgeting for the Department of Veterans Affairs and for other purposes. | ||
|
VA Budget Briefings Required
00:07:14
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| Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Illinois, Mr. Bost, and the gentleman from California, Mr. Takano, each will control 20 minutes. | ||
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois. | ||
| Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise or extend their remarks on Senate Bill 423. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. | ||
| It was recognized. | ||
| Speaker, I rise today in support of S-423 introduced by my colleague and fellow Marine from across the Capitol, Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska. | ||
| S 423 would require the Secretary of VA to provide quarterly briefings to Congress on the budget execution and any projected budget shortfalls. | ||
| It also creates new guardrails on the use of critical skills and incentive bonuses to make sure they only go to the employees who they are intended for. | ||
| Finally, it would codify the Veterans Experience Office to improve delivery of benefits to veterans and their beneficiaries. | ||
| These efforts already exist at the VA. | ||
| This legislation simply makes these efforts permanent. | ||
| This bill is a straightforward, common sense effort that partners with Secretary Collins and the Trump administration to establish greater accountability and oversight of career senior executives at the department. | ||
| The need for this legislation comes in the wake of a critical skills initiative payment scheme uncovered by the committee during the last Congress. | ||
| The days of waste, fraud, and abuse are over. | ||
| After the OIG identified over $10 million in improper critical skills incentives payments awarded to VA executives, Congress recognizes the need for accountability. | ||
| Let me be clear. | ||
| I believe the VA employees deserve to be reconciled for their extraordinary work they do, recognized for the extraordinary work they do. | ||
| Critical skills incentive bonuses are useful tools for VA to attract talent staff who are dedicated to serve the veterans. | ||
| However, some of those bonuses were as high as $100,000 for D.C. office staff employees, more than double what a single veteran who is 100% disabled would receive in the entire year. | ||
| Additionally, during the investigation, my staff identified employees who received these critical skills bonuses while they were under investigation for misconduct at VA. | ||
| Speaker, it's time to make sure this never happens again. | ||
| So I'm proud of the work done by my friend Secretary Collins. | ||
| I believe the ProVet Act will support his mission to build up the VA's workforce and put veterans first. | ||
| In addition to stopping the glut of critical skills payments from going to executive, that legislation would require the VA to provide in-person budget briefings to Congress every quarter for three years, detailing the agency's financial projections and budget management strategies. | ||
| After the Veterans Benefit Administration shortfall crisis, manufactured by Biden administration, cost the government billions of dollars, increasing the frequency of these conversations will help Congress execute its constitutional oversight and appropriations responsibilities. | ||
| While leadership in the Biden White House was replaced with the veterans first Trump administration by the American people, many of the career VA employees who contributed to the crisis remain. | ||
| Some of these employees have operated far too long without scrutiny and with no consequences for planning failures and billions of dollars in total. | ||
| Without some way of trying poor performance outcomes for these employees, what message does the business-as-usual status quo send to the rank-and-file employees? | ||
| When they hear of senior executives filing, filling their pockets with improper bonuses, what does that tell the frontline VA policy police officer, the hospital housekeeper, the food staff members? | ||
| It tells them that the efforts they bring to the job really doesn't matter. | ||
| It tells them the executives will score a nice bonus despite terrible performance and that they're being held to a different standard. | ||
| That is the wrong message to send to VA employees and to the veterans that rely on VA for life-saving health care. | ||
| Now, I applaud both parties in Congress and the current administration for taking the right steps and working together to pass this bill and begin to work to restore that trust. | ||
| This is a common sense legislation that ensures the VA operates with basic accountability and protects the future of benefits for our veterans who have earned them. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support S-423, and with that, I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman reserves, the gentleman from California is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| Openness and transparency in the budgeting process are crucial to enabling members of Congress to exercise our constitutional power of the purse, conducting proper oversight and ensuring that we are good stewards of the taxpayers' money. | ||
| And that's why I have been extremely frustrated by the lack of budget information put forward by the current administration. | ||
| Just this week, the director of Office of Management and Budget, in a statement that was both insulting and condescending, said that, quote, it wasn't in our interest, end quote, to release a full budget plan to the American people. | ||
| And yet, we've not heard a peep of objection from my colleagues across the aisle. | ||
|
Why We're Here
00:03:23
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| Not even a hint that they might rise from their knees after having been browbeaten by this administration time and time again and stand up for the constitutional prerogatives of the United States Congress, a co-equal branch of government. | ||
| In the context of this bill, which was proposed to demand more budget information, it is confounding. | ||
| Nevertheless, here we are. | ||
| And to understand why we are considering this bill at this moment, we have to go back to last Congress and at the end of the Biden administration. | ||
| In mid-July 2024, VA informed the committee of expected funding shortfalls for the Veterans Benefit Administration and the Veterans Health Administration. | ||
| At the time, VBA was facing a projected shortfall of $2.9 billion for fiscal year 2024, and VHA was facing a potential shortfall of $12 billion for fiscal year 2025. | ||
| Now, out of abundance of caution and to ensure veterans' benefits weren't disrupted, Congress quickly passed H.R. 9468, the Veterans Benefits Continuity and Accountability Supplemental Appropriations Act, which provided VBA with an additional funding of roughly $2.9 billion. | ||
| The bill also included accountability measures that required additional reporting by the Secretary and an Inspector General review of the circumstances surrounding the projected shortfalls. | ||
| A few weeks later, on October 30, 2024, VA notified the committee that it had reviewed its calculations at the conclusion of 2024, fiscal year 2024, and determined that it would not have experienced a shortfall at VBA and, in fact, had carryover funding in addition to the funding provided by the supplemental. | ||
| VA also determined at the close of fiscal year 2024 that its projected budget shortfall in fiscal year 2025 for VHA would not be as significant as originally projected in July. | ||
| Its revised estimate for the fiscal year 2025 shortfall provided on Monday, November 25th, 2024, was $6.6 billion, much less than originally projected. | ||
| This was largely because of higher than expected carryover and extreme belt tightening at local VA clinics and hospitals. | ||
| However, here is where paths diverge. | ||
| In the wake of passage of H.R. 9468, both VA's Office of the Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office conducted and released their respective reports on the circumstances surrounding these real and projected shortfalls. | ||
| These reports, though, have become a bit of an inkblot test, where I and my Democratic colleagues see an accounting process that could be improved, as all processes can be. | ||
|
Collins' Missteps and VA Budget
00:08:29
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| My colleagues on the other side of the aisle see criminal behavior and a malicious intent to deceive Congress and scare veterans. | ||
| I encourage the public to read and judge for themselves these reports. | ||
| But in one of the most egregious and politically naked overreactions I have seen in some time, the chairman sent a letter to the Department of Justice urging the Attorney General to investigate three former Biden administration officials for criminal wrongdoing in handling last year's budget shortfall. | ||
| To say the least, I was shocked by this letter. | ||
| We thoroughly addressed VA's budget issues last year, and neither the Inspector General nor GAO found any evidence of criminal wrongdoing. | ||
| None, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| So why call on Trump's Attorney General to revisit it? | ||
| The answer seems very clear to me. | ||
| Political payback. | ||
| This was a spurious attempt to tarnish the reputations of officials who led one of the most successful periods in VA history, marked by high veteran satisfaction, strong performance, and the largest expansion of veterans' benefits ever by way of the PACT Act. | ||
| Rather than hold President Trump and Secretary Collins accountable for the ongoing decline at VA over the last several months, my colleagues pushed a baseless investigation, a clear distraction meant to deflect from the damage being done under their watch. | ||
| Nevertheless, more information is always better. | ||
| As I said, we should demand transparency from whatever administration is in charge. | ||
| And while I find the impetus behind this bill to be retaliatory in nature, I do agree with my majority colleagues that the Trump administration budget formulation and execution process warrants scrutiny. | ||
| Secretary Collins has already broken the law by redirecting funds without congressional approval. | ||
| I worry that the trend will continue over the next few years. | ||
| So I hope my colleagues will join me in rigorous oversight of the Trump administration's approach to VA's budget. | ||
| There are two other provisions in this bill I would like to discuss very briefly. | ||
| This legislation would codify the Veteran Experience Office, or VEO, which was first established during the Obama administration. | ||
| I appreciate that the Senate incorporated changes we suggested to their text that would strengthen the functions of VEO so that it serves as an office truly focused on improving the veteran experience with data-driven approaches. | ||
| Additionally, in the Honoring Our Pact Act, Congress authorized VA to utilize critical skills incentives to attract and retain the workforce it needed to implement the largest expansion of veterans' benefits in recent history. | ||
| While use of those incentives has been overwhelmingly successful, VA did make some initial missteps in oversight and utilization of the awards for senior executives. | ||
| These missteps were corrected during the last administration, and despite what my colleague says about investigations, the administration was quite forthcoming and transparent about those missteps. | ||
| The legislation, the language in this legislation, would tighten the circumstances under which critical skills incentives can be used to retain high-level VA employees. | ||
| And while I'm generally supportive of this additional oversight to ensure these awards are being used appropriately, I continue to be concerned with Secretary Collins' ability to recruit and retain the top-level talent we need for caring for veterans at VA. | ||
| Earlier this month, Secretary Collins celebrated, celebrated that 30,000 VA employees will be departing the agency by the end of this fiscal year under his tenure. | ||
| Can you imagine that, Mr. Speaker? | ||
| The head of an organization patting themselves on the back for making their organization so toxic that nearly 10% of their workforce quits? | ||
| This is something to be proud of? | ||
| It's unconscionable. | ||
| What's worse are the absurd assertions that veterans won't be negatively affected by such drastic reductions. | ||
| There is simply no way that the delivery of veterans' care and benefits will not be affected by Secretary Collins' continued efforts to demonize and demoralize VA workforce. | ||
| Again, I'm pleased to see that with this bill, my colleagues have finally decided to demand transparency from this administration. | ||
| I wait with bated breath for their reaction when the White House simply chooses to ignore it, as they have repeatedly done with this Congress. | ||
| My suspicion is that we'll continue to see my colleagues on the other side of the aisle hide in fear of their master, but I would love to be proven wrong. | ||
| With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The Gentleman Reserves. | ||
| Speaker, we have no speakers on this bill, and I reserve, and we're ready to close, and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The Gentleman Reserves from California is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I'm prepared to close. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman yields. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I'd like to take this time in closing to bring up a few things. | ||
| One. | ||
| Secretary Collins. | ||
| So the people listening to the rhetoric that came from the other side of the aisle, you need to understand that the VA has 477,000 employees. | ||
| And with that massive amount of employees over the last several years, many of the jobs were not getting done correctly, even though we put a lot of money and a lot of employees. | ||
| Secretarian Collins has said that he will reduce staffing based on attrition. | ||
| Attrition, mind you. | ||
| We won't lose docs. | ||
| We won't lose nurses. | ||
| We won't lose frontline workers. | ||
| But we will be good stewards of the taxpayers' dollars. | ||
| So as the rhetoric comes from the other side on this administration and the fact that when they were in the majority and it was the Biden administration, they didn't push for this legislation shows that it's more about the politics than it is about taking care of our veterans. | ||
| Now with that, I want to encourage all of our members to support this bill and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman yields. | ||
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass Senate Bill 423? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended. | ||
| The bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. | ||
| Does the gentleman from Illinois seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass Senate 201, the ACES Act of 2025. | ||
| The clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
| Senate 201, an act to provide for a study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on the prevalence and mortality of cancer among individuals who served as active duty air crew in the armed forces and for other purposes. | ||
| Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Illinois, Mr. Bost, and the gentleman from California, Mr. Takano, each will control 20 minutes. | ||
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois. | ||
|
Supporting Aviator Cancers Research
00:15:42
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| Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on Senate 201. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. | ||
| Gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I rise today in support of S-201. | ||
| The bill was introduced by Senators Kelly and Cotton and the House version was introduced by my friend and fellow representative, Mr. Fluger. | ||
| The bill would ensure there is a trusted medical research available to pave the way for toxic exposed military pilots and air crew to access the VA disability compensation benefits. | ||
| Colonel Andrew who testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee in March was one of these veterans. | ||
| You know, he served our country at an Air Force fighter pilot for 23 years, flying over 1,800 hours. | ||
| The Colonel began his career flying the F-15C Eagle and was chosen as one of the first F-22 Raptor instructors. | ||
| I'm told that one of his proudest achievements was serving as the 325th Operational Support Squadron Commander at Tendahal Air Force Base. | ||
| Support Operations Northern Watch. | ||
| The Colonel started fighting stage 4 cancer in 2019 at just 41 years old and unfortunately passed away on May 23rd at the age of 48. | ||
| My prayers are with his wife Julie and their family. | ||
| We are forever grateful for his service to this country and to his community. | ||
| Military pilots and airmen like the Colonel work to tight in tight spaces and are exposed to chemicals and toxic fumes every time they fly a mission. | ||
| However, there's not enough medical research available for VA to simply presume that their cancers are related to those exposures. | ||
| This lack of comprehensive medical research makes it hard for these military pilots and airmen to air air crewmen to access and earn these benefits. | ||
| Each one of those veterans must prove to VA that chemicals and toxins cause their cancer. | ||
| Many had to fight the VA system for years before receiving any disability compensation, and many others never received their earned benefits before they passed away. | ||
| S-201 would require the National Academies to conduct a study on whether the cancers suffered by military pilots and aircrew are related to their chemicals and toxic exposure. | ||
| VA needs robust medical research to streamline military air crews, veterans, access to disability compensation, and VA needs it fast for today and tomorrow's veterans. | ||
| This bill ensures that research gets done and that our military pilots and air crew and airmen get the answers they deserve. | ||
| I urge all my colleagues to support S-201, and with that, I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman reserves, the general from California, is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I rise today in strong support of S-201, the ACES Act of 2025, offered by Senator Mark Kelly. | ||
| I'd like to start by thanking all of those who've helped get this bill to this point. | ||
| Among others, I'm deeply appreciative of the Military Aviator Coalition for Health and their leadership in advocating for this issue. | ||
| I'd also like to thank my colleagues across the aisle, especially Representative Fluger, the lead co-sponsor, the lead sponsor of the House version of this bill, for acknowledging the urgent need to address the alarming rates of aviator cancers. | ||
| This isn't a partisan issue. | ||
| It's about doing right by those who served. | ||
| Sadly, since we passed the House version of the bill, we have lost more aviators to cancer. | ||
| The urgency here is undeniable. | ||
| We simply cannot afford to wait any longer. | ||
| It is abundantly clear that we must investigate and pinpoint what is driving the illnesses among this population and develop a long-term strategy for early detection and treatment before a cancer has reached stage three or stage four before it is too late. | ||
| Members of the Veterans Affairs Committee have often spoken of the incredible legacy of the nation's military aviators, true experts who dedicate their lives to serving and protecting our country. | ||
| But we've also heard heartbreaking stories of what happens when they come home, often looking healthy only to be blindsided by a late-stage cancer diagnosis and a bleak outlook. | ||
| In fact, just a few short days ago at a roundtable I hosted, we heard directly from veterans, caregivers, and survivors about the profound toll this takes. | ||
| We're talking about individuals in peak physical condition who are running marathons, lifting weights, and acing physical readiness tests only to be stopped in their tracks by cancer. | ||
| This is a story that tragically is far too common in the aviation community and the broader veteran population as well. | ||
| We accomplished a monumental task in the 117th Congress with the PACT Act. | ||
| But we must continue to fight for military aviators and countless others who have been exposed to a litany of toxins and hazards during their service. | ||
| The ACES Act is a step in the right direction. | ||
| It is not the fix-all. | ||
| It is not the end of the journey, but it's the start of one, just like the PACT Act was. | ||
| But I want to say that I'm heartened by the consensus we've reached with this bill on the need to research aviator cancers. | ||
| And I'm hopeful we can work in lockstep on behalf of our veterans as we continue to advocate for every one of them. | ||
| For example, this bill deals principally with fixed-wing aviators. | ||
| I am hopeful that we will similarly rally around legislation for rotary wing aircraft pilots. | ||
| I'm generally hopeful that upon completing this study, we will be significantly closer to understanding the root causes of aviator cancers. | ||
| And more importantly, we will be able to provide our nation's veterans with comprehensive care, the preventative and palliative care they earn and deserve. | ||
| I look forward to getting this and other critical exposure legislation to this body and sign into law. | ||
| I hope my colleagues will continue to rally around our efforts. | ||
| And that is why I support this legislation and encourage my colleagues to do the same. | ||
| I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentleman Reserves, the gentleman from Illinois is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| At this time, I would like to yield as much time as he may consume to my good friend from Texas and the sponsor of the House site of this legislation, Mr. Fluger. | ||
| The gentleman from Texas is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| Thank you, Chairman. | ||
| I rise today not just as a member of Congress, but as a wingman, a service member to those in uniform and in strong support of S-201, the Aviator Cancers Examination Study Act, or the ACES Act. | ||
| Far too many of our military aviators and air crew are being diagnosed with cancer at troubling rates. | ||
| A 2021 Air Force study supported by the Additional Department of Defense research found that aviators face a 29% higher likelihood of testicular cancer, 24% higher likelihood of melanoma, and a 23% higher risk of prostate cancer compared to their civilian counterparts. | ||
| These are incredibly healthy, in shape, well-tested individuals, and yet they have almost 30% higher cancer rates than the average civilian population. | ||
| And Mr. Speaker, these numbers tell a painful story. | ||
| When brave men and women volunteer to defend our nation from the cockpit, they shouldn't face a second battle against cancer without our full support. | ||
| This is why this legislation, led by myself and by my friend from California, Mr. Panetta, in the House and in the Senate by Senators Kelly and Cotton, is critically necessary. | ||
| The ACES Act directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to partner with the National Academies of Science to conduct a comprehensive study on the prevalence and causes of cancer among military aviators. | ||
| We need to know the why, and we need to provide our airmen with the air cover for their own health. | ||
| By identifying the unique risk factors associated with aviation service, we can implement targeted screening protocols that enable earlier detection when treatment is most effective. | ||
| This leads to faster access to care and benefits, significantly improved survival rates, and more time with loved ones, and the opportunity for continued service. | ||
| This bill builds upon previous research that has been done, but it goes the distance and it increases the pool to the veteran population, not just those that are active duty, but to those who have previously served as aviators. | ||
| I myself am an Air Force fighter pilot with over 20 years of service, and I fought along the best that this nation has to offer. | ||
| But I've also stood beside too many of my brothers and sisters as they faced their toughest battles, not in the air, but when they got home, in the hospital rooms, fighting a disease that they never saw coming. | ||
| That's the story of my friend, Colonel Andy Pablo Shirtliff. | ||
| In March, Andy did a wonderful job of testifying before the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, sharing how a sudden cancer diagnosis brought his promising career to an abrupt end. | ||
| He spoke with clarity and conviction about how a better understanding of cancer risk in the aviation community might have led to earlier detection, not only in his case, but in many of our friends and many of our wingmen, detection that could have saved his life and their life. | ||
| Shortly after that, on Friday, May 23rd, my friend Pablo lost his battle with cancer. | ||
| In his final days, one of his comforts, one of the few comforts that he knew, was that the ACES Act was on track to becoming law. | ||
| His courage, his voice, and advocacy for other service members should not be forgotten. | ||
| And you know, there are countless others that I've served with, including people like Colonel Michael Bambam Stapleton and so many others that many of us know. | ||
| That's what this bill represents. | ||
| It represents keeping Pablo in the cockpit. | ||
| It represents Pablo's kids and others in the next generation wanting to sign up for this because they know that we're going to give them that air cover. | ||
| This bill received bipartisan support on the House floor with a vote of 376 to 5 in May. | ||
| And the bill has the support of over 20 veteran organizations, cancer advocacy groups, and medical experts because they recognize what's at stake. | ||
| With the passage of this version of the bill, it will be sent to the President's desk, and I am hopeful that the President will sign it into law quickly so we can fulfill our promise to those who serve, a promise that when someone serves our nation, we have their backs. | ||
| We will serve them and we will protect them. | ||
| Today, as we cast our votes on this critical legislation, we stand closer than ever to honoring the memory of heroes like Andy and giving future service members a real chance at early detection, better treatment, and life-saving research. | ||
| I want to sincerely thank my colleagues who co-sponsored this bipartisan legislation, as well as Chairman Boss, the chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, the ranking member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, Chairman Luttrell, members of the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Senator Jerry Moran, and all of leadership for their unwavering support and for moving this bill. | ||
| Unlike many others in Congress, this was moved with mock. | ||
| This was moved with airspeed, and I appreciate that. | ||
| I'm also deeply grateful to the dedicated volunteers of the Mock Coalition whose passion and persistence helped carry this effort forward. | ||
| I extend my heartfelt thanks to Senator Mark Kelly, he himself a combat veteran, a pilot, and an astronaut, and Senator Cotton for championing this bill in the Senate. | ||
| I urge all of my colleagues to vote yes. | ||
| There really is no reason that we can't make this a unanimous yes vote in support of the ACES Act. | ||
| But most of all, my deepest gratitude goes to the thousands of pilots and air crew members who are defending our nation every single day. | ||
| We see you, we thank you, we've got your back, and this is the air cover that you so desperately deserve. | ||
| With that, I yield back. | ||
| More speakers, and I reserve. | ||
|
unidentified
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I'm ready to close and I reserve. | |
| The gentleman reserves, the gentleman from California is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I'm prepared to close. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing S-201. | ||
| I thank Representative Fluger for this legislation. | ||
| I'm very honored and pleased to be able to support it and ask all my colleagues to do the same. | ||
| But before I yield back, I do want to say that there are many more of our veterans that have been exposed to some toxic substances, whether it's radiation, whether it is something that's going on with our pilots. | ||
| We have learned recently of the area of 51 veterans who served in the Nevada test sites who obviously show signs collectively of exposure to radiation and bear the medical consequences of that. | ||
| We have ample evidence, for example, that our naval service members who serve on speedboats, who've been exposed to intense vibrations, may have medical consequences that merit our attention. | ||
| We know that exposure to overblasts may cause serious, serious, traumatic brain injury. | ||
| Mr. Chairman, in the spirit of this legislation, which I wholly support, I believe that we must do more and I ask you if we may not, if we might schedule a hearing for the more extensive, more extensive examination into the many other types of exposures, environmental exposures, toxic exposures that our veterans are being subjected to, our service members are being subjected to, and let us pay attention to those as well. | ||
|
Request for Hearing
00:01:37
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| I humbly request such a hearing. | ||
| And I yield back, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| The gentleman yields back. | ||
| The gentleman from Illinois is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| And understand that we at the committee have hearings and will continue to have hearings on things like this many times. | ||
| And we'll take the ranking member's comments under advisement, but we'll set the agenda and figure out what we will have hearings on and what we won't. | ||
| But I appreciate the request. | ||
| This is why we had these type of hearings, and that's why we've got this legislation here today. | ||
| Speaker, once again, I want to encourage all members to support this legislation. | ||
| I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman yields back. | ||
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass Senate 201? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended. | ||
| The bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| This is the gentleman from Illinois seek recognition. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 2170. | ||
| The clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
| H.R. 2170, a bill to name the Department of Veterans Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Clinic in Toms River, New Jersey, the Leonard G. Budd Lamel VA Clinic, and for other purposes. | ||
|
Honoring Bud LaMell
00:06:50
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| Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Illinois, Mr. Bost, and the gentleman from California, Mr. Takano, will each control 20 minutes. | ||
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois. | ||
| Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 2170. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2170, a bill to rename the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veteran Affairs in Tom Rivers, New Jersey, as the Leonard G. Budd Lamal VA Clinic. | ||
| Leonard Budd Lamal was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1920 and enlisted in the Army after the U.S. entered into World War II. | ||
| Initially serving with an infantry division, Lamall quickly volunteered for the newly formed 2nd Ranger Battalion. | ||
| There he became his, that became his first platoon, and he became the first platoon sergeant. | ||
| During the earliest hours of D-Day, 1st Sergeant Lamall's platoon landed at Point de Hawke, Normandy. | ||
| Their mission was disable the heavy defense artillery guns set to rain fire on the brave soldiers on Utah Beach. | ||
| Despite all the fire and obstruction, 1st Sergeant Lamal and his platoon became the first unit to accomplish their D-Day mission. | ||
| Lamal continued to distinguish himself during the war, receiving a promotion to second lieutenant and being awarded Distinguished Service Cross, Purple Heart, and Silver Star. | ||
| After his service ended in 1945, Lamall married his wife, Charlotte, and together they became proud parents of three daughters and continued serving in their community. | ||
| And I'm happy to say that Charlotte is still able to see this bill be offered in honor of her husband. | ||
| Leonard G. Budd Lamal service as a great example of the greatest generation. | ||
| It's a fitting tribute to name the VA Clinic after him to tell the story of his service. | ||
| I want to thank the sponsor of this bill, Representative Smith, as well as the entire New Jersey delegation for honoring their fellow New Jersey with this tribute. | ||
| I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 2170. | ||
| I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentleman Reserves, the gentleman from California is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| Gentlemen is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I rise in support of H.R. 2170 to name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Toms River, New Jersey after Leonard G. Budd LaMell. | ||
| Mr. LaMell was born in Brooklyn, New York, but soon relocated with his family to Point Pleasant, where he went on to attend Wesleyan College on a full scholarship and quickly volunteered as an Army Ranger after World War II broke out. | ||
| Mr. LaMell and his platoon received a pivotal assignment on D-Day that would change the course of the war forever. | ||
| He and his fellow Rangers would scale 100-foot cliffs on ropes and find and destroy German artillery that posed a huge danger to the Allied troops landing on the beach below. | ||
| Undaunted by the impossibility of this task, Mr. LaMell and his platoon undertook their task. | ||
| Despite being shot in the side and nearly drowning the moment he stepped off his landing craft, Mr. LaMell continued onward and successfully scaled the wall. | ||
| However, upon reaching the top, he and his fellow Rangers realized the weapons were decoys designed to be a deterrent to the troops below. | ||
| Even this was not reason enough for Mr. LaMell to give up, and he and his team quickly found the real weapons unguarded nearby and destroyed them. | ||
| For his heroism and for saving countless lives, Mr. LaMell received the Distinguished Service Cross, and following the fighting at D-Day, Mr. LaMell continued to serve his country in other battles, earning a Silver Star. | ||
| After receiving another injury, after receiving another injury, he was honorably discharged in December of 1945. | ||
| After the war, Mr. LaMall returned to New Jersey, where he settled in Toms River. | ||
| He graduated from Rutgers University Law School, married and had three daughters, and opened a successful law practice. | ||
| He died in 2011 at age 91, and his grateful hometown honored him with the creation of Lommell Lane. | ||
| I can think of no better way to honor Mr. LaMell and demonstrate our nation's continued gratitude for his service than to name this VA clinic in his honor. | ||
| I urge all members to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| Illinois is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| At this time, I'd like to yield as much time as he may consume to the sponsor of this legislation and my good friend from New Jersey, Mr. Smith. | ||
| The gentleman from New Jersey is recognized. | ||
| I thank my good friend for yielding. | ||
| I thank the distinguished chairman. | ||
| Thank him for the job he is doing as chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. | ||
| I once served in that position. | ||
| I know how important it is to defend our veterans so vigorously. | ||
| So thank you, Mr. Chairman, for that leadership. | ||
| I want to thank the ranking member as well for his support and of this important piece of legislation. | ||
| And let me just begin. | ||
| You know, today the House of Representatives has the opportunity to further recognize and honor one of the bravest and most highly decorated combat soldiers of World War II, Leonard G. Bud LaMell, by naming the new Veterans Outpatient Clinic in Toms River, New Jersey, in his honor. | ||
| While Bud LaMell passed away in 2011 at the age of 91, his dear wife Charlotte is turning 104 in September, and she and her family deeply loved Bud and continue to deeply cherish his memory. | ||
| I spoke to Bud's youngest daughter again, Renee, again this morning, and they are very pleased that Congress is poised to honor him today. | ||
| I also want to extend my special thanks to former Toms River Mayor and retired Admiral Mo Hill for originally coming up with this idea to name the clinic for Bud LaMell, as well as his incredible advocacy on behalf of Bud and his family. | ||
|
Bud LaMell's Thermite Assault
00:05:02
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| On June 6, 1944, D-Day, First Sergeant Bud LaMell of D Company, 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion, and his Army Rangers were tasked with the nearly impossible mission of scaling the 100-foot cliffs at Point Duhak and to destroy the Germans' 155-millimeter artillery guns, | ||
| which have a range of between 10 and 15 miles, that threaten the entire invasion, which they believe were positioned at the top of the cliffs. | ||
| Bud LaMell and his Rangers, upon successfully climbing the cliffs, despite heavy casualties, Bud, I note parenthetically, was actually wounded leaving the landing craft, but tenaciously continued and said in one interview, I lost half my guys. | ||
| But they were dismayed to find, when they got to the top of the cliffs, that the Allied military intel was misled by decoys and that the entire invasion was now at risk. | ||
| First Sergeant LaMell and another ranger, Sergeant Jack Kuhn, found the five guns camouflaged at a nearby orchard. | ||
| He discovered they were all aimed at Utah Beach, although they could easily reach Normandy. | ||
| With Kuhn, remember they have a 10 to 15 mile range. | ||
| They could have taken out ships, landing craft, and of course the infantry soldiers and others making the beachheads. | ||
| With Kuhn providing cover, Bud LaMell used thermite grenades to single-handedly destroy three of the Nazi big artillery guns, then got more thermite grenades and went back and destroyed the other two. | ||
| Five massive artillery guns were utterly destroyed, ultimately helping to ensure the success of the Allied invasion and saving countless lives. | ||
| Historian Stephen Ambrose has described Bud LaMell as the single individual besides Allied Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower as the most responsible for the success of D-Day. | ||
| In his book, The Greatest Generation, Tom Brokhov devoted an entire chapter to Bud LaMell, who he first met 40 years after the invasion of D-Day, and he noted that during their interview, even after several decades, he could almost, this is his words, almost see the tough young First Sergeant Lammel directing his men as they landed under the withering fire of German forces. | ||
| For his amazing leadership and extraordinarily brave acts, Bud LaMell received the Distinguished Service Cross, as we all know, the second highest military decoration. | ||
| The citation said in part, First Sergeant Lomelle led a patrol of men through the heaviest kind of automatic weapons fire to destroy an enemy machine gun nest. | ||
| Later on, on the same day, while leading another patrol, he penetrated through the enemy lines to the rear and discovered the five enemy 155 millimeter guns. | ||
| He gallantly led his patrol against the enemy and successfully destroyed the guns. | ||
| First Sergeant Lomell's bold and outstanding leadership in the face of superior numbers is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army. | ||
| Lomell also received a rare battlefield promotion to second lieutenant and it was said that there was quote not a man who did not feel proud to serve with him. | ||
| Six months later, Bud LaMell served in the Battle of Hertgen Forest where he and Company D helped capture and defend the notorious Hill 400 which he claimed, which had claimed, I should say, thousands of his fellow service members' lives. | ||
| He subsequently received the Silver Star for his valor in combat, and that citation says in pertinent part, conspicuously leading from the front, Lomelle directed the successful defense of the hilltop in the face of nearly overwhelming German counterattack midday. | ||
| Refusing shelter and at risk of life, with blood oozing from his ears, nose and mouth, firing his machine gun cradled in his bandaged left arm with his right hand, he continued to lead his men against another ruthless German assault throughout the entire afternoon. | ||
| Close quote. | ||
| What an amazing, amazing hero. | ||
| He was wounded at Hurtgen and again several weeks later at the Battle of the Bulge. | ||
| In addition to the distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star, Bud LaMell received other awards including the Bronze Star, Purple Heart with two Elkley Clusters, and France's highest medal, the Legion of Honor. | ||
| And that's just some of the most remembered ones. | ||
| There were others as well. | ||
| As was pointed out by my colleagues, he became an unbelievably effective lawyer, had his own law firm, was very active in the community in Ocean County, and he was even the head of veteran services in Ocean County, one of the first person to take on that position. | ||
|
Supporting 2625 Veterans Employment
00:15:09
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| As President Reagan famously said in his speech at Point de Hawk, the men who invaded Normandy, including and most especially Bud LaMell, this applies to, had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all of humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead or on the next. | ||
| They were men who took to the cliffs. | ||
| They were the champions who helped free a continent. | ||
| They were the heroes that helped end a war. | ||
| In enduring gratitude to them, I ask my colleagues to vote for this legislation and yield back to my distinguished colleague, the balance of my time. | ||
| We have no more speakers. | ||
| We're ready to close. | ||
| I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman reserves, the gentleman from California, is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I have no speakers. | ||
| No further speakers, and I'm prepared to close. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I support H.R. 2170 to honor this very deserving veteran, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman yields back. | ||
| The gentleman from Illinois. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman yields back. | ||
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 2170? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended. | ||
| The bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Illinois seek recognition? | ||
| I move to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 2625, the Veterans Employment Readiness Yield Act of 2025. | ||
| Clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
| Union Calendar number 137, H.R. 2625, a bill to amend Title 38, United States Code, to update certain terminology regarding veteran employment. | ||
| Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Illinois, Mr. Bost, and the gentleman from California, Mr. Takano, each will control 20 minutes. | ||
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois. | ||
| Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 2625. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. | ||
| Gentlemen's recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I rise today in support of H.R. 2625, offered by my colleague and Representative Don Davis of North Carolina. | ||
| H.R. 2625 would strike the term employment handicap from Veterans Readiness and Employment or VRE statute and replace it with the term employment barrier. | ||
| This bill is simply a fix that would remove the negative implications of the term handicap and replace it with the broader term to ensure service-connected veterans can access support they might need. | ||
| Now, I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 2625, and with that, I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentleman Reserves, the gentleman from California is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consider. | ||
| Gentlemen's recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2625, the Veterans Employment Readiness Yield Act of 2025, introduced by my good friend Representative Don Davis. | ||
| The Veteran Readiness and Employment or VRE program offers vital services to help veterans and service members with service-connected disabilities and those to have an employment handicap prepare for, find, and maintain suitable employment or live more independently. | ||
| This bill would replace the terms employment handicap and serious employment handicap with employment barrier and serious employment barrier. | ||
| Historically, the term handicap has been associated with disadvantage or burden, which does not accurately reflect our veteran population. | ||
| By making this change, we acknowledge the challenges that veterans with service-connected disabilities often face in the job market. | ||
| Eliminating the stigma associated with these disabilities will encourage more veterans to participate in the VRE program, ultimately assisting them in preparing for and securing meaningful employment. | ||
| The Department of Veterans Affairs requested this change, which has bipartisan support and incurs no cost. | ||
| I want to thank Mr. Davis for his work on veterans issues during his time in Congress. | ||
| I'm proud of his work to open doors at VA for more veterans so they may access the benefits they have earned through their service. | ||
| And I reserve. | ||
| Reserves, the gentleman from Illinois is recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
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Reserve. | |
| Gentlemen in reserves, gentlemen from California. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I'd like to yield three minutes to my good friend, the sponsor of H.R. 2625. | ||
| He currently serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Agriculture Committee. | ||
| The gentleman from North Carolina, Representative Don Davis. | ||
| Gentlemen is recognized for three minutes. | ||
| Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| To Chairman Bost, to Ranking Member Takano. | ||
| I rise in support of H.R. 2625, Veterans Employment Readiness Yield Act of 2025. | ||
| On behalf of the more than 56,000 veterans in North Korean's 1st Congressional District, which I'm proud to represent, and so many across our country, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this common sense legislation. | ||
| Let me also pause to thank my colleague, Congressman Juan Suscumani, who co-led the bill, the House Veterans Affairs Committee, for marking it up and moving it forward, and Disabled American Veterans and Paralyzed Veterans of America for endorsing this legislation. | ||
| H.R. 2625 amends terminology in the Veteran Readiness and Employment Program to replace the term employment handicap with employment barrier and the term serious employment handicap with serious employment barrier, while most importantly leaving the definitions unchanged. | ||
| The Veteran Readiness and Employment Program helps former service members find jobs and ensure their mental and financial well-being are intact. | ||
| Updating the terminology will improve efficiency and encourage disabled veterans to use the Veteran Readiness and Employment Program. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, no veteran should have a discomfort advocating for themselves and seeking help for their service-connected disabilities. | ||
| We'll continue to stay in this fight until every disabled veteran has what they need to get the assistance they've earned. | ||
| On behalf of a grateful nation, we can honor those who have given life and limb to serve by passing the very act. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to do exactly that. | ||
| And again, thank you, Mr. Chair and Ranking Member. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| Gentleman from California Reserves. | ||
| The chair will receive a message. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, messages from the President of the United States. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Secretary. | |
| I am directed by the President of the United States to deliver to the House of Representatives messages in writing. | ||
| Gentleman from Illinois is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, we have no more speakers and I'm ready to close and I reserve. | ||
| Gentleman Reserves, the gentleman from California. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I just want to say we passed this bill in the House last Congress only for the Senate to run out of time. | ||
| I'm hopeful that this year the Senate acts quickly to send this bill directly to the President's desk. | ||
| I have no further speakers and I'm prepared to close. | ||
| It's recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I support H.R. 2625, the Veterans Employment Readiness Yield Act of 2025. | ||
| I urge all my colleagues to support it as well. | ||
| I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman yields back. | ||
| The gentleman from Illinois is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I urge all of our colleagues to support H.R. 2625, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman yields back. | ||
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 2625? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended. | ||
| The bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Kentucky seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I move that the House suspend the rules and pass H.R. 672 as amended. | ||
| The clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
| H.R. 672, a bill to establish new zip codes for certain communities and for other purposes. | ||
| Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Kentucky, Mr. Culmer, and the gentlewoman from California, Ms. Simon, will each control 20 minutes. | ||
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| Gentlemen's recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| H.R. 672 designates single unique zip codes for communities across the nation. | ||
| There are currently over 41,000 zip codes in the United States. | ||
| In some cases, zip codes are misaligned with local boundaries. | ||
| H.R. 672 addresses the concerns of various localities and establishes new zip codes for communities across the nation. | ||
| I want to thank the bill sponsor, Mr. Diaz Billart from Florida, for putting this bill together. | ||
| I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentleman Reserves, the gentlelady from California is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| H.R. 672 would require the United States Postal Service to designate unique zip codes for a number of communities across the country. | ||
| And this bill aims to address certain issues related to economic development and public safety regulations and mail delivery. | ||
| For example, East Vale is a small town in Southern California that's home to 69,000 residents. | ||
| It currently shares two zip codes with neighboring jurisdictions. | ||
| Without a unique zip code, Eastvale residents have reported mail delivery issues for delivery of legal notices, code enforcement, public outreach, and election mail. | ||
| Eastvale residents have also reported higher insurance rates because of the errors related to another jurisdiction reporting residents and disrupting their ability to obtain affordable wildfire insurance. | ||
| And I appreciate the diligence of Congressman Diaz Ballart, the chair of the committee staff, and the other members in ensuring that each town being marked up in today's amendment version of this bill satisfies all of the committee's requirements and considerations. | ||
| And I'll reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentlelady reserves. | ||
| The gentleman from Kentucky is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield five minutes to the sponsor of the bill, the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Diaz-Bullart. | ||
| The gentleman from Florida is recognized for five minutes. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| Let me first start by thanking the chairman and the ranking member for their fine work. | ||
| The ranking member already mentioned some of the issues that we're trying to solve with this bill, and there's so many other communities that this bill will help, including Miami Lakes, which I have the privilege to represent. | ||
| Now, Mr. Speaker, this is going to be the third time, if it passes, and I hope it will, that we pass this bill out of the House. | ||
| This bill has a Senate companion, and Mr. Speaker, it's a bipartisan Senate companion. | ||
| I want to mention the sponsors, Senator Rick Scott, Senator Joni Ernst, and also Senator Alex Badilla. | ||
| It deals with a lot of issues that you've already heard about, but it's important to note that those are not small issues for those communities. | ||
| They're problematic issues. | ||
| And we've heard from mayors and local elected officials and constituents for many, many years, I think all of us, that this bill is dealing with, but I'm referring particular to Miami Lakes in Miami-Day County. | ||
| And unfortunately, the Postal Service has done nothing about it. | ||
| Miami Lakes alone has gone through the USPS's boundary review process three times to no avail, which is again unfortunate. | ||
| So while the Postal Service operates, by the way, on a fee-for-service basis and receives no direct appropriations, my team, my staff, I just want to make sure everybody understands that we've talked to the Office of the Congressional Budget Office to make sure that there is no score with this. | ||
| And the news is, because again, as I just mentioned, this bill, again, does not score. | ||
| I am confident, I sincerely hope that for the people of Miami Lakes and the folks around the country that the third time will be the charm, that this will become law. | ||
| I'm confident that it will. | ||
| I would be remiss if I mentioned I started by thanking the chairman of the committee and his staff. | ||
| We never can thank the staff along with the chairman and the ranking member and the staff. | ||
| But I also want to thank from my team, Vanessa Scott, who's on my staffer who has worked day in and day out. | ||
|
Wyoming's Unique Zip Code Push
00:15:57
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| We would be remiss if we didn't thank the Speaker, the Majority Leader and the WIP and all of the leadership for all of their doing to get this bill to the floor once again. | ||
| And to all of the members whose districts will benefit, thank you for your hard work. | ||
| And with that, I yield back. | ||
| Gentleman from Kentucky Reserves. | ||
| Gentlelady from California is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| I have no speakers. | ||
| I'll reserve. | ||
| Gentlelady Reserves, gentlemen from Kentucky. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield two minutes to the gentlewoman from Wyoming, Ms. Hagerman. | ||
| Gentlelady from Wyoming is recognized for two minutes. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I rise in support of H.R. 672 to designate single unique zip codes for communities across the United States. | ||
| H.R. 672, which includes the community of Mills, Wyoming, would resolve long-standing issues that have continually impacted a host of services, ranging from the delivery of mail to confusion for the local fire department and utility providers, while also complicating economic development. | ||
| With Mills' zip code designation intertwined with Casper, Wyoming, the city has struggled with timely mail delivery, loss of property tax revenue, and franchise fees, and incorrect census counts. | ||
| Each of these issues poses significant challenges for Mills as it continues to grow, develop, and attract new residents across Wyoming and beyond. | ||
| Passage of this bill will go a long way to correct this oversight, not only for Mills, but for communities nationwide. | ||
| The City of Mills has been a tireless advocate for this legislation, and I am immensely proud to be a co-sponsor. | ||
| I want to thank Representative Diaz-Belarge and Chairman Comer for their steadfast leadership on this critically important issue and support this legislation to resolve these issues for my constituents and meals. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 672, and I yield back. | ||
| Gentleman Reserves, gentlelady from California is recognized. | ||
| I reserve and I'm prepared to close. | ||
| Gentlelady Reserves, the gentleman from Kentucky is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I urge passage and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman yields back. | ||
| The gentlelady from California is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I urge all members to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentlelady yields back. | ||
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 672 as amended? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended. | ||
| The bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Kentucky seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I move that the House suspend the rules and pass H.R. 3095 as amended. | ||
| The clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
| H.R. 3095, a bill to direct the United States Postal Service to designate single, unique zip codes for certain communities and for other purposes. | ||
| Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Kentucky, Mr. Comer, and the gentlelady from California, Ms. Simon, will each control 20 minutes. | ||
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| The Postal Service structures the delivery of mail around zip codes, five-digit numbers that organize how to deliver the mail. | ||
| There are currently over 41,000 zip codes in the United States. | ||
| While zip codes are usually aligned with local boundaries, this is sometimes not the case. | ||
| H.R. 3095 creates new zip codes for local communities listed in the bill and will help address concerns raised by these localities. | ||
| I want to thank the bill's sponsor and my colleague on the House Oversight Committee, Ms. Bobert from Colorado, for leading this legislation. | ||
| She has been a tireless advocate for these communities represented in the bill, and I appreciate her hard work and dedication. | ||
| And with that, I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentleman Reserves, the gentlelady from California is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| H.R. 3095 would require the United States Postal Service to designate unique zip codes for a number of communities across this country. | ||
| This bill aims to address specific community concerns about disrupted mail delivery and undeliverable mail. | ||
| And while I commend Representative Bobert for her tireless work on this issue, I am unable to support this legislation at this time. | ||
| After numerous conversations between the chair and former ranking member late Mr. Connolly, the committee agreed on bipartisan basis that zip code designation bills would only be considered if they met the following criteria. | ||
| One, the designated locality must submit a letter from the local leadership stating the reasons for the zip code change. | ||
| And two, the community must also attest that they had petitioned the Postal Service for the unique zip code designation and was not successful. | ||
| And lastly, number three, that the legislation must be co-sponsored by all of the impacted members. | ||
| Unfortunately, the bill had not satisfied the committee's requirements for consideration. | ||
| In fact, only a quarter of the 68 designated communities meet the committee's requirements. | ||
| And we have heard from at least one affected member who is unfortunately opposed. | ||
| Therefore, until the majority follows the procedures set forth by the zip code designation bills, the ranking member will oppose the bill today in its current form. | ||
| I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentlelady reserves. | ||
| The gentleman from Kentucky is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield 10 minutes to the sponsor of the bill, the gentlewoman from Colorado, Ms. Boeber. | ||
| Gentlelady from Colorado is recognized for 10 minutes. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Mr. Comer has been an amazing advocate in helping get this bill over the line once again, and I'm proud to stand here today and explain why this piece of legislation is so important. | ||
| I rise with a deep sense of purpose and conviction to advocate for the passage of H.R. 3095, a common-sense bipartisan bill that directs the United States Postal Service to designate single unique zip codes for specific communities across our great nation, including 15 in my home state of Colorado, or Colorado, as my chairman would say. | ||
| This legislation is not just about postal efficiency. | ||
| It is about fairness, public safety, community identity, and ensuring that every town and city in America has the tools it needs to thrive. | ||
| When the zip code system was first introduced in 1963, it was a revolutionary step toward modernizing mail delivery, streamlining operations for a rapidly growing nation. | ||
| At the time, the United States Postal Service envisioned zip codes as a simple tool to improve sorting and delivery. | ||
| But over the decades, zip codes have evolved into far more than postal convenience. | ||
| They have become integral to how we navigate modern life. | ||
| Economic developers rely on zip codes to attract businesses and plan growth. | ||
| Insurance companies use them to calculate premiums. | ||
| Emergency responders depend on them to locate homes and businesses in moments of crisis. | ||
| Even in our online shopping and navigation systems are built around the assumption that every community has a clear, unique zip code. | ||
| Yet, for too many towns and cities across America, this basic building block of modern infrastructure remains out of reach. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, in my home state of Colorado, I have heard from my constituents who face daily frustrations because they share zip codes with neighboring towns. | ||
| These are not abstract problems. | ||
| They affect real people in tangible ways. | ||
| Severance, Colorado is a town of 11,500 people in Weld County, yet they have six zip codes that they correlate with. | ||
| Imagine a family there waiting anxiously for an ambulance only to learn that the first responders were dispatched to the wrong town because of a shared zip code. | ||
| Picture a small business owner in Castle Pines, Colorado, working tirelessly to grow their company, losing critical deliveries and customers due to misdirected mail or wasting time applying for permits with the wrong municipality. | ||
| Consider the frustration of residents in towns like Silvercliff, Colorado, who are overcharged for insurance because their zip code inaccurately places them in a higher risk area. | ||
| And think of the local governments already stretched thin that lose millions of dollars in vital sales tax revenue because transactions are mistakenly attributed to neighboring jurisdictions. | ||
| These challenges are not unique to Colorado. | ||
| Across the nation, over 65 communities, from rural communities to growing suburbs, are struggling with these same issues. | ||
| Governors, mayors, town boards, and everyday citizens have raised their voices pleading for a solution. | ||
| They are not asking for handouts or special favors. | ||
| They are asking for the basic recognition of their community's existence, that they matter and that they deserve the same tools for success as their neighbors. | ||
| H.R. 3095 answers that call with a direct practical solution. | ||
| This bill directs the United States Postal Service to assign unique zip codes to these communities, empowering them to better serve their residents, strengthen their local identities, and streamline their operations. | ||
| A unique zip code is more than a number. | ||
| It is a lifeline. | ||
| It supports infrastructure planning by providing accurate data for economic development. | ||
| It reduces mail inconsistencies, ensuring that packages and letters arrive where they are intended. | ||
| Seniors and veterans have suffered vital and life-saving medication delays just because they were lost in the mail, which is entirely unacceptable and preventable. | ||
| It enhances public safety by helping emergency responders locate those in need without delay. | ||
| And it ensures that local governments receive the tax revenue they are rightfully owed, allowing them to invest in schools, roads, and community services. | ||
| The current process for obtaining a new zip code is, frankly, broken. | ||
| Communities must navigate a labyrinth of bureaucratic hurdles. | ||
| Submitting petitions to the USPS that are rarely approved. | ||
| If their petition is denied, well, they are forced to wait up to 10 years before they can even reapply. | ||
| 10 years, Madam Speaker. | ||
| That is 10 years of lost opportunities, 10 years of misdirected mail, 10 years of unnecessary risk to public safety. | ||
| This is not the kind of government our constituents expect or deserve. | ||
| They expect us to solve problems, not extend them. | ||
| H.R. 3095 cuts through this red tape with a clear directive to the Postal Service, assigning unique zip codes to these deserving communities. | ||
| This bill is not about creating a new bureaucracy or imposing heavy-handed mandates. | ||
| It is about empowering local governments and residents to take control of their future. | ||
| It is about ensuring that every community, no matter how small, has a seat at the table and a voice in our nation's progress. | ||
| I am proud to say that this bill has bipartisan support. | ||
| This bill has passed out of the House in the previous Congress, and it will pass again. | ||
| Republicans and Democrats alike recognize the importance of this issue. | ||
| Mayors, town councils, and community leaders from across the political spectrum have rallied behind H.R. 3095, united by a shared commitment to fairness and efficiency, government efficiency, not something that we hear a lot of. | ||
| This is not a partisan issue. | ||
| It is an American issue, one that goes beyond political divides and speaks to our shared values of community, opportunity, and again, progress. | ||
| As we consider this bill, let us reflect on what it means to represent our constituents. | ||
| They sent us here to listen to their concerns, to hear from them, to fight for their needs, and to deliver results. | ||
| The communities affected by H.R. 3095 have asked for our help, and it is our duty to respond. | ||
| By passing this bill today, we can send a powerful message that no town is too small to be heard, that no community is too small to be overlooked to matter, and that we are committed to building a stronger, more equitable nation for all. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3095. | ||
| Let us give these communities and the millions of Americans the representation, the recognition, the resources, the respect that they rightfully deserve. | ||
| Let us ensure that every town has the tools it needs to thrive, from accurate mail delivery to reliable emergency services to robust economic growth. | ||
| This is a moment to act with purpose. | ||
| Let's be the bridge that heals this divide to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our constituents. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, by receiving a unique zip code, these communities will hold on to more than their tax revenue, improve their response times of first responders, and minimize issues with the postal deliveries to incorrect addresses. | ||
| I have been honored to lead on this issue. | ||
| It has been a passion of mine for the past five years, and I hope that we can finally get this signed into law. | ||
| And maybe we were waiting all along for President Donald J. Trump's signature on this bill. | ||
|
Supporting Greene's Zip Code
00:09:38
|
||
| Mr. Chairman, I thank you for your support in this, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 3095. | ||
| I yield. | ||
| The gentleman from Kentucky Reserves, the gentlewoman from California, is recognized. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Madam Speaker, I will now yield time to the gentlewoman from Ohio, Representative Sykes, for as much time as she may consume. | ||
| Thank you, Madam Speaker, and to my colleague from California. | ||
| Today I rise in support of H.R. 395, a bill that would assign a new zip code to the City of Greene, a municipality within Ohio's 13th congressional district. | ||
| Establishing unique zip codes may not be what most folks think about when they are considering federal legislation. | ||
| However, for the citizens and businesses and economy of the city of Greene, Ohio, it is in fact a matter of importance and priority. | ||
| During the Green State of the City of Dress earlier this year, Mayor Rocco Juergen proclaimed that he would actively engage towards working to get the City of Greene a zip code, a unique zip code. | ||
| I promised the Mayor at the State of the City that I would work with him hand in hand after several unsuccessful attempts to do so. | ||
| We are now closer to that reality upon the passage of H.R. 3095. | ||
| The City of Greene currently operates under five different zip codes, none of which bear the city's name. | ||
| This situation has led to confusion, lost tax dollars, and a diminished sense of unity among residents and businesses. | ||
| Aligning the zip code designation within the city's name will enhance community cohesion and promote a stronger civic identity. | ||
| When zip codes were first assigned for this area, Green was a township, mostly farmland, and a few businesses and fewer than 10,000 residents. | ||
| In 1992, Greene was incorporated as a city. | ||
| Now, 30-plus years later, its population has nearly tripled. | ||
| It is the home of more than 1,200 businesses and is the fastest-growing city in Summit County. | ||
| Community members, elected leaders, and local businesses have all expressed their overwhelming support for a single zip code reflecting the city's name. | ||
| The current multitude of zip codes create obstacles for these 1,200 businesses, including confusion for customers and suppliers about their location and challenges in daily transactions like assigning sales tax due to a zip code with a name designated to a separate county, not even city, separate county. | ||
| In fact, Greene identified $614,000 in unpaid taxes alone in 2023 attributed to this problem. | ||
| This is an issue that community leaders, residents, businesses, and more have expressed their overwhelming support for a zip code for the city of Greene. | ||
| They have attempted to work with the USPS with no avail, and so now we are here with legislation. | ||
| I understand the procedural challenges that have plagued this bill, but I do ask that the members of this body not punish my constituents for those committee issues. | ||
| And so I ask my colleagues in Congress to join me in support of this bill to ensure that the city of Greene receives the designation it deserves with the single unique zip code that bears its name. | ||
| Thank you, Madam Speaker. | ||
|
unidentified
|
I yield back. | |
| The gentlewoman from California Reserves, the gentleman from Kentucky is recognized. | ||
| Madam Speaker, I yield two minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina, Mr. Harris. | ||
| The gentleman from North Carolina is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Madam Speaker, and thank you, Chairman. | ||
| Earlier this year, Mayor Jim Bell of Weddington, North Carolina reached out to me to let me know that the city had a problem. | ||
| Having different zip codes across a single city has caused confusion about where residents file property taxes or even show up to vote. | ||
| Concerned about how this problem might continue to compound, my office was able to work together with Representative Boebert to ensure that Weddington is included in today's legislation requesting a single unique zip code. | ||
| You see, representing my constituents has been an honor of a lifetime, and I've learned that there's no issue too great or too small that I can't champion for North Carolinians. | ||
| Whether it's casting my vote for a once-in-a-lot generation tax reform bill like the One Big Beautiful bill or today's zip code update, it's my mission to be a voice that responds to the needs of my constituents. | ||
| I stand here today, Madam Speaker, to urge support for this package to ensure that communities across this country can have the clarity that they absolutely deserve. | ||
| Madam Speaker, I yield back. | ||
| The gentleman from Kentucky Reserves, the gentleman from California is recognized. | ||
| I continue to reserve. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| The gentleman from California Reserves, the gentleman from Kentucky is recognized. | ||
| Yes, Madam Speaker, I yield three minutes to the gentlewoman from California, Ms. Kim. | ||
| The gentlewoman from California is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Chairman, for yielding. | ||
| I rise in strong support of H.R. 3095, which directs the U.S. Postal Service to designate a unique zip code for certain communities, including North Tustin in my district. | ||
| North Tustin has been a pillar of our Orange County community and a census-designated place. | ||
| However, its status as an unincorporated area has caused confusion for postal service and for tax purposes. | ||
| For example, North Tustin residents are subject to the City of Santa Ana's sales tax despite not being represented or eligible for services or a vote in the local elections. | ||
| Providing North Tustin with a unique zip code will create certainty for residents who have called North Tustin home for decades and provide clarity for tax purposes to surrounding areas and USPS. | ||
| I want to thank Representative Boebert and the House Oversight Committee for working with me on this common sense bipartisan measure and I'm hopeful that we can get through this through the finish line and help our communities. | ||
| So I ask our colleagues to support this bill and I yield back. | ||
| The gentleman from Kentucky Reserves, the gentlewoman from California is recognized. | ||
| Madam Speaker, I have no more further speakers and I'll reserve. | ||
| Excuse me. | ||
| The gentlewoman is prepared to close. | ||
| The gentleman from Kentucky is recognized. | ||
| I have no further speakers that are prepared to close. | ||
| The gentlewoman from California is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Madam Speaker. | ||
| The ranking member opposes this bill and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman from Kentucky is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Madam Speaker. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the Boebert bill. | ||
| I urge passage, and with that, I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman yields. | ||
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass H.R. 3095? | ||
| Those as amended. | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentlewoman from California seek recognition? | ||
| Thank you, Madam Speaker. | ||
| I would like to request the yays and nays. | ||
| The yays and nays are requested. | ||
| All those in favor of taking this vote by yays and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. | ||
| A sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. | ||
| Pursuant to Clause 8 of Rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Can we switch committees for a minute? | |
| So, not quite yet, once everyone gets set. | ||
|
unidentified
|
I didn't see her making a move, so I thought she was okay. | |
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Minnesota seek recognition? | ||
| Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 183 as amended. | ||
| The clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
| Union Calendar number 170, H.R. 183, a bill to amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to provide for a lifetime national recreational pass for law enforcement officers. | ||
| Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Minnesota, Mr. Stauber, and the gentlewoman from Oregon, Ms. Hoyle, each have will control 20 minutes. | ||
|
Honoring Public Servants
00:11:29
|
||
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Minnesota. | ||
| Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include material on H.R. 183, the bill now under consideration. | ||
| Without objection, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 183, the Law Enforcement Officer and Firefighter Recreation Pass Act, led by my friend and colleague on the Natural Resources Committee, Representative McClintock. | ||
| This legislation helps recognize the selfless service of federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement officers and firefighters with a well-deserved benefit, free annual access to national parks, forests, and other public lands managed by the federal government. | ||
| This meaningful legislation ensures that the men and women who risk their lives to protect our communities can enjoy free access to our nation's most treasured public lands. | ||
| The law enforcement officers and firefighters also play a critical role in protecting our public lands by responding to wildland fires, conducting search and rescue operations, responding to criminal activity, and preventing vandalism and resource destruction. | ||
| For example, just over a year ago on the busy 4th of July weekend, Yellowstone National Park law enforcement officers neutralized a potential shooter headed towards a busy dining area in one of the most popular areas of the park. | ||
| Their selfless actions and heroism saved countless lives, ensuring that this day of celebration did not turn into a day of tragedy. | ||
| Whether it's a local sheriff in Minnesota, a wildlife firefighter in California, or a tribal police officer in Missouri, our law enforcement officers and firefighters dedicate themselves to the safety and well-being of others, often under incredibly difficult and dangerous circumstances. | ||
| This legislation gives something back to those who give so much. | ||
| This bill also promotes the use of public lands for recreation, health, and family time, particularly among those who may face long hours, stressful shifts, and dangerous conditions. | ||
| Outdoor recreation is good for both mental and physical well-being, and this bill ensures our first responders can take full advantage of America's natural beauty. | ||
| I commend Representative McClintock for his leadership on this bill and his continued work to expand outdoor access for the American people. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support this common sense, pro-recreation, pro-first responder legislation. | ||
| Let's honour those who serve by giving them the opportunity to enjoy the lands they help protect. | ||
| I support this bill and reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman reserves, the gentlewoman from Oregon, is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Madam Speaker. | ||
| H.R. 183 would amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to provide free America the Beautiful passes to law enforcement and firefighters. | ||
| Expanding outdoor recreation and ensuring Americans can access and enjoy our public lands is a shared bipartisan priority on the Natural Resources Committee. | ||
| Currently, the National Park Service offers free national park and federal recreation land passes to certain groups, including U.S. military members and veterans. | ||
| This legislation builds on this framework by waiving entrance, standard amenity, and day use fees at over 2,000 federal recreation sites for law enforcement officers and firefighters. | ||
| These hardworking Americans put their lives on the line to protect and serve our communities every day. | ||
| And America the Beautiful Pass is a small but hopefully meaningful token of appreciation for their public service. | ||
| Furthermore, let me say I am glad to see my Republican colleagues acknowledging the importance of our public servants, and I hope they will join us in the spirit of this legislation to do more to support and protect all of our federal first responders. | ||
| These public servants dedicate their lives to serving the American people. | ||
| The administration has created chaos and confusion that adds to the difficulty of their jobs through federal hiring freezes, which has left them short staffed. | ||
| So, in addition to showing our appreciation for these critical public servants and first responders, I hope my colleagues will work with us to make sure that our federal workers have the tools they need to do their jobs and to keep us safe, and also to keep our public lands open and operating and in the hands of we, the people, for too many of our public lands and parks. | ||
| Because federal employees have been fired, let go, pushed towards retirement, private entities are managing these parks, and so the America the Beautiful Pass is not able to allow free access to these public servants and people who have given their lives, put their lives on the line to protect and serve our country. | ||
| So, I would love to work with everyone on that as well. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman from Oregon Reserves, the gentleman from Minnesota, is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Madam Speaker. | ||
| I just want to make a comment, Madam Speaker, that the Republican Party will always defend the police and not defend. | ||
| I yield six minutes to the gentleman from California, the lead sponsor of this bill, Mr. McClintock. | ||
| The gentleman from California is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Madam Speaker. | ||
| As has been noted, H.R. 183 simply extends a lifetime national parks pass to the frontline public safety officers who every day risk their lives to protect our families and our communities. | ||
| And it's the same courtesy we already extend to U.S. military members and their families, to our veterans, and to our Gold Star families. | ||
| The CBO estimates it's cost at about $500,000 a year. | ||
| These men and women, just like those who serve our military, put their lives on the line to protect our families, and it seems fitting that we should extend this small courtesy to them. | ||
| It's simply a way to say thank you to them, a simple but tangible token of our gratitude and esteem. | ||
| I first introduced this legislation during the George Floyd riots when BLM rioters were chanting pigs in a blanket, fry them like bacon, and leftist politicians were calling for defunding local police departments. | ||
| We recently expanded it to include firefighters and wildland firefighters to whom we owe so much for protecting our homes and our towns and communities as well. | ||
| The bill was proposed to me by Janine D'Agostini, the wife of then El Dorado County Sheriff John D'Agostini, as a small token of appreciation for law enforcement officers who were taking so much abuse when they were trying so hard to protect our families from those who would prey upon them. | ||
| Well, it seems in those years the wheel has come full circle. | ||
| And once again, law enforcement personnel are the target of doxing, violent demonstrations, and leftist officials who so often seem to take the side of the lawless against the law-abiding. | ||
| Our hearts go out to the many officers of ICE and CBP and their families who've recently been subjected to violence and intimidation, often fanned by the extremist rhetoric of elected officials who ought to know better. | ||
| In fact, just two weeks ago, while ICE was serving a court-ordered warrant in Carpenteria, a sitting member of this House doxed an ICE agent to a violent mob. | ||
| That mob then took off after the agent and physically attacked him with rocks, injuring him seriously enough to require treatment in a hospital emergency room. | ||
| This has to stop. | ||
| And we want these brave men and women and their families to know that the vast, vast majority of the American people and the majority of this Congress, and of course this President, stand behind them, appreciate them, and honor their work. | ||
| We depend upon them not only for our safety, but for the very rule of law itself. | ||
| After all, without law enforcement, there is no law. | ||
| And without law, there is no civilization. | ||
| As people in sanctuary cities like Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York are learning all too well once again. | ||
| This bill was first introduced in 2021. | ||
| It received a hearing in 2023, but was never marked up. | ||
| It is long overdue, and I appreciate the House finally considering today. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| Does the gentleman reserve? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I have no further request for time, and I'm prepared to close. | ||
| I continue to reserve. | ||
| Okay, the gentleman for missile reserves, the gentlelady from Oregon, is recognized. | ||
| Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| And I do agree with my colleagues that we should defend the police and firefighters. | ||
| I come from a family of police and firefighters who put their lives on the line every day when they went to work. | ||
| And so I will happily work with my Republican colleagues to defend police and fire and make sure not to defund them by protecting their public pensions, their collective bargaining rights, cancer presumption, training grants and grants to our local police departments that are now being frozen and are putting us in limbo. | ||
| And again, and this is a very real issue that I know I can work with my Republican colleagues on, making sure that our public lands are not being operated by private entities who refuse to recognize the benefits provided for in this law. | ||
| This is happening across the country and in my district I know specifically where they refuse to grant the free entry for veterans and military personnel and they say they don't have to because they are a private entity. | ||
| So I would love to make sure that whoever's operating our public parks are keeping them public and that these people who earned our trust and earned this benefit and every benefit that we can give them, that they actually are able to get that. | ||
| And Mr. Speaker, with that, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentlelady yields. | ||
| The gentleman from Minnesota is recognized. | ||
| I will close, Mr. Speaker, but I will say that two weeks ago in the one big, beautiful bill, in that bill there were 18,000 law enforcement officers that were to be hired. | ||
|
Arkansas Valley Conduit Act
00:09:12
|
||
| Not one of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle voted for it. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, ahead of our nation's 250th anniversary next year, this bill ensures meaningful access to our national parks and public lands and recognizes the immense service and sacrifice of our nation's law enforcement officers and firefighters. | ||
| Before I close, I'd like to ask unanimous consent to include in the record an exchange of letters between the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Agriculture. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman yields. | ||
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 183 as amended? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Aye. | |
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules were suspended. | ||
| The bill was passed. | ||
| Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| Without objection, the title is amended. | ||
| For purposes, the gentleman from Arizona seek recognition. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 131 as amended. | |
| The clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
| Union Calendar No. 152, H.R. 131, a bill to make certain modifications to the repayment of the Arkansas Valley Conduit in the state of Colorado. | ||
| Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arizona, Mr. Gosar, and the gentleman from Oregon, Mrs. Hoyle, each will control 20 minutes. | ||
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material in the bill not under consideration. | |
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 131, the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act, sponsored by Representative Boebert of Colorado. | |
| The Arkansas Valley Conduit, or AVC, is a 130-mile pipeline that serves 39 communities and 50,000 people east of Pueblo, Colorado. | ||
| Once completed, it will deliver water to an area of the state that faces severe water quality issues. | ||
| The AVC was authorized by Congress as part of the frying pan Arkansas project in 1962. | ||
| Over 60 years later, construction on this project has barely started, largely due to cost increases and have outpaced the community's ability to pay. | ||
| In 2009, Congress amended the original legislation to help address the project's increasing price tag. | ||
| Unfortunately, rising construction costs over the past few years have continued to delay this critical water project. | ||
| The legislation before us today would further modify the repayment contract to ensure that these communities have reliable access to domestic water supplies. | ||
| These communities have been waiting for over six decades for a reliable water source. | ||
| H.R. 131 will ensure this project can finally be completed. | ||
| I support this bill and reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman from Arizona Reserves, the gentlelady from Oregon, is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| H.R. 131 seeks to address a long-standing water infrastructure challenge in southeastern Colorado. | ||
| The Arkansas Valley Conduit is a 130-mile pipeline first authorized in 1962 to deliver water from the Pueblo Reservoir to communities facing ongoing water supply and quality issues. | ||
| Despite decades of work, the project remains unfinished, primarily due to financial constraints. | ||
| This bill would revise certain repayment terms to provide additional flexibility for local stakeholders to help finance the project and begin delivering clean, reliable water to rural communities. | ||
| My Democratic colleagues and I are committed to addressing the barrier that rural communities face in securing clean water. | ||
| That's why we passed historic water infrastructure investments under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act from the Inflation Reduction Act. | ||
| Since 2022, the IIJA has provided $500 million for the Arkansas Valley Conduit. | ||
| These investments are critical for ensuring communities across the West that they have reliable access to clean drinking water, especially as climate change is continuing to make drought. | ||
| Thank you very much to my colleague, Representative Boebert, for bringing this forward. | ||
| I urge support for H.R. 131 and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentlelady Reserves, the General of Arizona is recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Speaker, I yield five minutes to the gentlewoman from Colorado, the lead sponsor of this bill, Ms. Boebert. | |
| The gentlelady is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your support on this bill. | ||
| I rise to speak in favor of my bill, H.R. 131, finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act, to help complete construction of a critical infrastructure project that will provide tens of thousands of Southeast Colorado residents with access to clean water. | ||
| Southeast Coloradans have waited decades for the completion of the Arkansas Valley Conduit, and while we have made a lot of progress in the recent years and the first two segments of the project are under construction, we still have a long way to go. | ||
| This bipartisan and bicameral legislation will help the Bureau of Reclamation and local governments finally complete this major water project. | ||
| Rural communities in southeastern Colorado need and deserve access to clean, reliable, and affordable water that they can utilize on a daily basis. | ||
| Once completed, the Arkansas Valley Conduit will provide 7,500 acre feet of water per year to as many as 50,000 Coloradans across 40 different communities in Pueblo, Otero, Bent, Kiowa, Prowers, and Baca counties. | ||
| The Arkansas Valley Conduit was originally approved for construction as a part of the frying pan Arkansas project that was signed into law by President John F. Kennedy in 1962. | ||
| Congress amended this law in 2009 to tackle water quality concerns and make clear that 35% of total project costs would be repaid with interest from miscellaneous revenues. | ||
| The original 1962 law also made clear that the costs of annual operation and maintenance for this important project would be paid for by the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District. | ||
| Radium, uranium, and other naturally occurring elements are found in the surface and groundwater in southeastern Colorado, and the water quality is problematic year-round because of its salinity, selenium, sulfate, hardness, and magnesi levels. | ||
| The Bureau of Reclamation has found these contamination levels are so severe that local communities could see the costs of their drinking water triple without this legislation. | ||
| The Finish the AVC Act will ease the burden of inflation costs that have caused the original $640 million estimate of construction in 2019 to rise to more than $1.3 billion. | ||
| There have been a number of modifications to the proposed Arkansas Valley Conduit over the years that have reduced the cost by as much as $200 million. | ||
| I want to thank the Bureau of Reclamation and Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District for working with us in drafting this critical legislation. | ||
| I am grateful to have their support as we work to get this bill signed into law. | ||
| Access to clean water is not a luxury. | ||
| It is a necessity. | ||
| And Southeast Colorado families and businesses deserve a reliable and sustainable water supply. | ||
| It's time we fully and finally fulfill the promises the federal government made to the communities I represent in Colorado and finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I thank you for your time. | ||
| Mr. Chairman, thank you so much for your support on this bill and I urge adoption. | ||
|
Small Entity Update Act
00:15:34
|
||
| I yield. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve and I have no more further speakers. | |
| Okay, so the gentleman reserves, gentlelady from Oregon is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentlelady Yields, the gentleman from Arizona is recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Speaker, this bill provides increased financial flexibility for the construction of the long-overdue water infrastructure improvements in rural Colorado. | |
| I'd like to thank Ms. Bobert for her diligent work and attention to these issues. | ||
| Arizona is no second citizen to this, so we want to see this happen and help everybody. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentlemen Yields, the question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 131 as amended? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Those opposed, no. | |
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended. | ||
| The bills passed without objection. | ||
| The motion to reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Arizona seek recognition? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 1043. | |
| The clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
| Union calendar number 148, H.R. 1043, a bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain federal land in Arizona to La Paz County, Arizona, and for other purposes. | ||
| Pursuant to the rule of the gentleman from Arizona, Mr. Gosar, and the gentleman from Oregon, Ms. Hoyle, each will control 20 minutes. | ||
| The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Arizona. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their and to include extraneous material on H.R. 1043, the bill now under consideration. | |
| Without objection. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | |
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
|
I rise in support of my legislation 1043, the La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act. | |
| My bill requires the Secretary of Interior to convey 3,400 acres of BLM land in La Paz County, Arizona for rural economic and solar development. | ||
| If you've ever visited southwest Arizona, Mr. Speaker, you'll know it's pretty darn sunny. | ||
| Conveying the land to the county for solar maximizes the potential for renewable energy generation and unlocks employment opportunities for county residents. | ||
| It's simple, energy and jobs. | ||
| This conveyance is vital to the financial future of La Paz County. | ||
| Once established in 1983, La Paz is home to nearly 17,000 residents with a medium household income of $49,000 per year. | ||
| Its primary focus economy is farming economy, with nearly 78% of cash receipts deriving from the sale of crops like sugarcane and alfalfa hay. | ||
| As Arizona expands its technology and semiconductor industries, it is critical to meet the needs of our energy grid. | ||
| And I believe we must take an all-the-above aspect of energy approach to ensure the grid's reliability. | ||
| In fact, on July 9th, Arizona's largest utility providers, APS and SRP, reported a state record of energy demand as we were hit by a heat wave. | ||
| Luckily, Arizona did not have a blackout, but we must meet the growing needs for electricity. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, this has been a legacy priority of mine since 2015. | ||
| In 2019, the House passed the first allotment of the land for the county. | ||
| And now my bill conveys the remaining acres to provide the maximum benefit of the renewable energy production and a vibrant local economy. | ||
| Importantly, this bill respects the land's cultural and tribal significance. | ||
| It requires consultation with the Colorado River Indian tribes if any tribal artifacts are uncovered during that conveyance process. | ||
| But it also enhances the partnership between the county and the tribes for years to come. | ||
| At a time when Congress is exploring all opportunities for cost savings, the La Paz Solar Energy and Job Development acts as a win-win. | ||
| The county receives opportunities for jobs and economic development, and the federal government receives a financial benefit for otherwise undeveloped lands. | ||
| My neighbors in La Paz County need a hand up, and I hope that I can count on my colleagues to help lend that helping hand. | ||
| I once again ask my friends to support this legislation, H.R. 1043, and our nation's dominant domestic energy dominance. | ||
| Thank you, and I reserve. | ||
| The chairman yields, the gentlelady from Oregon is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I rise in support of H.R. 1043, the La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act, introduced by my colleague from Arizona, Representative Gosar. | ||
| This bill would allow the Department of the Interior to convey approximately 3,400 acres of BLM land in La Paz County in Arizona for renewable energy generation and energy storage. | ||
| La Paz County has significant solar energy potential and is working to develop the largest solar installation in the United States. | ||
| This project represents a step towards our clean energy future and underscores the support for renewable energy development and infrastructure, particularly at the state and local level. | ||
| H.R. 1043, led by Congressman Gosar and Arizona Senators Gallego and Kelly, reflect the kind of bipartisan cooperation we need more of in Congress. | ||
| After Republicans' reckless budget bill rolled back critical renewable energy programs, I hope this bill signals at least a partial recognition that in America we must keep building, not dismantling, our clean energy capacity where possible. | ||
| The legislation will help power thousands of homes with affordable, reliable energy, support the creation of good paying jobs, and boost the local economy, all while reinforcing our commitment to energy independence. | ||
| Importantly, this bill ensures that the Colorado River Indian Tribes and the Tribal Historic Preservation Office are actively consulted to protect any culturally significant artifacts. | ||
| This is the right way to approach land transfers, collaborative, respectful, and forward-thinking. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this bipartisan, future-focused bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The general reserves, the gentleman from Arizona, is recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I'm prepared to close. | |
| I reserve my continued. | ||
| The gentleman reserves. | ||
| The gentlelady is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentlelady yields. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Speaker, American energy is America first. | |
| My bill means more American jobs, more American energy, and more American prosperity. | ||
| On January 20, 2025, his very first day in office, President Trump declared a national energy emergency to expedite permitting and emergency regulations to unlock domestic energy production. | ||
| Now it's time for Congress to do its part. | ||
| This modest land conveyance will empower the people to meet the national demand for energy generation with countless jobs and the capacity to power thousands of American homes. | ||
| I thank the chairman of the committee, Mr. Westerman and committee staff, my colleagues on the Natural Resource Committees, for helping me bring this legislation to the floor today. | ||
| And a special thank you to my Arizona delegation co-sponsors, my good friends Representative Biggs and Schweiker. | ||
| I once again ask all my colleagues to support my legislation, H.R. 1043, the La Paz County Solar Energy and Jobs Creation Act. | ||
| And with that, I yield back. | ||
| The gentleman yields. | ||
| The question is: will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 1043? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Aye. | |
| Those opposed, say no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended. | ||
| The bill is passed without objection. | ||
| The motion to reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Arkansas seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 3382 as amended. | ||
| The clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
| Union calendar number 95, H.R. 3382, a bill to require the Securities and Exchange Commission to carry out a study and rulemaking on the definition of the term small entity under the securities laws for purposes of Chapter 6 of Title V United States Code and for other purposes. | ||
| Pursuant to the rule of the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Hill, and the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Gottheimer, each will control 20 minutes. | ||
| The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas. | ||
| I thank the Speaker. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the record. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| Gentlemen is recognized. | ||
| I rise in strong support of this bill, H.R. 3382, the Small Entity Update Act. | ||
| Small businesses are the backbone of this country. | ||
| Everyone on both sides of this aisle knows that. | ||
| They drive innovation and job creation in our districts, but they're often limited from reaching their full capacity or capability because of over-regulation. | ||
| Our subcommittee chair and Wagner's bill addresses this challenge by directing the SEC to carry out a study and a rulemaking to modernize the definition of a small entity and ensure that small firms are given tailored, proportional oversight. | ||
| Years ago, I had the privilege of serving as a non-executive chairman for a small cap public company board of directors. | ||
| I know firsthand the critical need for attention at what we're dealing with here today. | ||
| Mrs. Wagner's bipartisan bill will empower our small businesses to focus on growth, hiring, and innovation rather than unnecessary red tape. | ||
| I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| This is the gentleman reserve. | ||
| Gentleman Reserve. | ||
| Okay, the gentleman from New Jersey is recognized. | ||
| I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| Gentlemen is recognized. | ||
| This bill directs the SEC to carry out a study in rulemaking, if appropriate, on its definitions of small entities under the Regulatory Flexibility Act. | ||
| This study and rulemaking would ensure that the Commission more carefully accounts for impacts on small businesses when engaging in rulemakings. | ||
| The Regulatory Flexibility Act provides small entities with a greater opportunity to participate in the development of certain regulations and will result in more small businesses being included in the definition of small entities under the Act. | ||
| In effect, giving them a louder voice when it comes to the development of SEC regulations that directly apply to them. | ||
| Democrats work to secure important language, ensuring investor protection remains a key focus of the bill, balanced with the needs of facilitating capital formation and, of course, protecting our small businesses, which are so critical and are lifeblood to our country and the jobs in our country. | ||
| I want to thank Ms. Wagner for agreeing to these changes when this bill is marked up in committee and urge my colleagues to vote yes on this bill. | ||
| I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman reserves, the gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I'd like to include, ask unanimous consent to include in the record the CBO estimate on this bill. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| I thank the Speaker. | ||
| I'd now like to call on the gentlewoman from Missouri, who is the chairwoman of our capital markets subcommittee and the author of this bill for such time as she may consume. | ||
| The gentlelady is recognized. | ||
| I thank the chairman very, very much for his support. | ||
| And Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3351, the Improving Access to Small Business Information Act. | ||
| I'd like to thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle, Representatives Kim and Gottheimer, for their work on this common sense bipartisan piece of legislation that will give American small businesses and entrepreneurs a stronger voice at the SEC. | ||
| H.R. 3351 offers a straightforward solution to empower the SEC's advocate for small business capital formation, the advocate, making it a more effective champion for American entrepreneurs. | ||
| I also, Mr. Speaker, would like to talk a little bit about my bill, H.R. 3382, at this time, the Small Entity Update Act, and thank my colleagues across the aisle, Congressmen Kastenheim, Scott, and Torres, for their support of this impactful bipartisan legislation, which ensures that the SEC fairly weighs the regulatory burdens faced by small business and its rulemaking. | ||
| This bipartisan bill would direct the SEC to assess the costs of compliance for small and growing businesses, ensuring that regulations placed on these businesses are not overly burdensome. | ||
| Specifically, the bill would direct the Commission to conduct a study followed by a rulemaking consistent with the results of such study every five years, including defining the term small entity under the Regulatory Flexibility Act. | ||
| Simply put, small businesses can't afford the extensive legal and regulatory expertise that large multinational firms employ to comply with every regulation while still managing their operating costs. | ||
| Recognizing that company sizes and market dynamics constantly evolve, my bill requires the SEC to update its small entity definition every five years. | ||
| For our economy to flourish, Congress and regulators must ensure that all policies consider their impact on America's millions of small businesses. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, by creating a more focused regulatory approach for small entities, the Small Entity Update Act will make it easier for entrepreneurs across the country to achieve the American dream. | ||
| I urge all my colleagues to vote for this bill, H.R. 3382, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
|
Supporting H.R. 3351
00:15:32
|
||
| Speaker, we reserve. | ||
| The gentleman reserves. | ||
| The gentleman from New Jersey is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers and I'm prepared to close if Mr. Hill has no further speakers. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, we are prepared to close. | ||
| I yield to my friend. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. | ||
| First again, I'd like to thank Ms. Wagner for her leadership. | ||
| I also want to thank Mr. Hill, the chairman, for his leadership and friendship. | ||
| I'm very grateful. | ||
| Small businesses make up the backbone of our nation's economy. | ||
| Congress and the SEC should be doing everything within their power to support small businesses and to ensure that the laws and rules they draft adequately take their capital needs into consideration. | ||
| This bill gives small businesses a bigger say in how SEC rules and regulations impact them and will allow them to continue to thrive. | ||
| I again urge my colleagues to support this bill and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman yields. | ||
| The gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| Gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise in full support of Mrs. Wagner's work. | ||
| This is exactly the kind of common sense bipartisan legislation that our constituents expect us to pass to lower the cost and encourage companies to be public is a good thing for our nation. | ||
| It will grow the economy faster. | ||
| Companies can go public at a sooner time in their growth period. | ||
| And for all those reasons, as I've explained, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman yields. | ||
| The question is: will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 3882 as amended? | ||
| 3382. | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Aye. | |
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative. | ||
| The rules are suspended. | ||
| The bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| Back to this, Mr. Forpurpes, the gentleman from Arkansas seek recognition. | ||
| I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 3351 as amended. | ||
| The clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
| H.R. 3351, a bill to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to specify the actions of the advocate for small business capital formation are not a collection of information under the Paperwork Reduction Act. | ||
| Pursuant to the rule of the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Hill, and the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Guttheimer, each will control 20 minutes. | ||
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield my such time as I may consume. | ||
| Gentlemen's recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3351, the Improving Access to Small Business Information Act. | ||
| The SEC's Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation is a vital tool for small businesses and entrepreneurs. | ||
| The advocate hears firsthand from business owners about the real-world issues that they are facing when raising capital. | ||
| But outdated regulations make it more difficult than it needs to be. | ||
| Our current laws can trigger the full weight of the Paperwork Reduction Act when the advocate's intention is to simply collect feedback from these small businesses. | ||
| That's simply bureaucratic overreach, run amok. | ||
| Mrs. Kim's bill provides a simple, practical fix. | ||
| It clarifies that the advocate's outreach activities are not subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act's requirements. | ||
| Removing these unnecessary burdens will strengthen the advocate's ability to shape policy based on real-world business experience. | ||
| I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I yield back. | ||
| I reserve. | ||
| Joel of Reserves. | ||
| The gentleman for New Jersey is recognized. | ||
| I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| Joel is recognized. | ||
| The Paperwork Reduction Act, Mr. Speaker, mandates that all federal agencies receive approval before putting forth a paper form or survey that will impose an information collection burden on the general public. | ||
| Although well-intentioned, the Paperwork Reduction Act often prevents federal agencies like the SEC from obtaining data from the public, the very data that assists the agencies in carrying out their missions. | ||
| This bill streamlines the ability of the SEC Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation to carry out its mission by exempting it from the requirements of the Act in the same way the SEC's Office of the Investor Advocate is exempted. | ||
| In effect, it enables a small business advocate to properly do its job by providing it with the information and data it needs to draft regulations that actually help small businesses raise capital without imposing costly demands. | ||
| I want to thank Ms. Kim for her bipartisan leadership here and her friendship and all she does, and I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this important bill. | ||
| I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| Joe for Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include in the record the CBO estimate for this bill. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| I thank the Speaker. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield to the author of this important legislation, our distinguished member from California, Mrs. Kim, for such time as she may consider. | ||
| The gentlelady is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Chairman Hill, for yielding. | ||
| I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 3351, the Improving Access to Small Business Information Act. | ||
| Orange County, which I am proud to represent, is home to over 100,000 small businesses. | ||
| It takes grit, perseverance, and commitment for entrepreneurs to make an idea into a reality. | ||
| To help with some of those challenges facing small businesses, the Securities and Exchange Commission created an Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation. | ||
| Each year, the Office of the Advocate hosts events across the country, including California. | ||
| These events aim to support small businesses and better understand the issues that they face in raising funds. | ||
| Unfortunately, burdensome regulations often prevent the advocate from asking the right type of questions. | ||
| Former director of the Office of the Advocate, Ms. Marta Miller, said that, open quote, the office went through a year-long process just to collect registration information for our annual forum and ask a few basic questions to understand the audience attending, end quote. | ||
| The unfortunate truth is that regulations handicap us from understanding the needs of small businesses. | ||
| My bill is very simple. | ||
| The legislation would specify that activities like conducting field surveys carried out by the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation are not a collection of information under the Paper Reduction Act. | ||
| Currently, OMB's approval process is prolonged and bureaucratic, which delays feedback collection from small businesses and their investors. | ||
| Preventing these delays will enable the advocate to gather more effective and timely data. | ||
| The better information that the advocate can gather, the better the SEC can respond and the better off our small businesses will be. | ||
| So, thank you, Representative Gudheimer, for working with me on this common sense legislation. | ||
| And I urge my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to support H.R. 3351. | ||
| With that, I yield the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentleman yields back, and I reserve. | ||
| The gentleman reserves, the gentleman from New Jersey is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I'm prepared to close if Mr. Hill has no further speakers. | ||
| I yield to my friend. | ||
| We're prepared to close. | ||
| The gentleman from New Jersey is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the time. | ||
| Gentleman is recognized. | ||
| I again urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, which will reduce the paperwork burden on SEC staff and therefore their ability to advocate for the needs of small businesses within the agency's rulemaking and regulatory process. | ||
| Thank you again, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman yields, the gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| I thank the Speaker. | ||
| I yield the balance of my time. | ||
| For the reasons I've explained, I support Mrs. Kim's common sense bill. | ||
| I think it makes it better for everyone involved if we have easier access to the information we need to streamline policy and make it easier for our small businesses to raise the capital that they need to be successful. | ||
| With that, I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| I mean, I yield back the balance. | ||
| The gentleman yields. | ||
| The question is: will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 3351 as amended? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended. | ||
| The bill is passed without objection. | ||
| The motion to reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| For what purpose as the gentleman from Arkansas seek recognition? | ||
| Request to record the yays and nays. | ||
| I'm sorry. | ||
| The yeas and nays are requested. | ||
| All those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. | ||
| A sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20. | ||
| Further proceedings on this bill will be postponed. | ||
| For what purpose as the gentleman from Arkansas seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 3343 as amended. | ||
| The clerk will report the bill. | ||
| Union calendar number 89, H.R. 3343. | ||
| A bill to amend the federal securities laws to specify the periods for which financial statements are required to be provided by an emerging growth company and for other purposes. | ||
| Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Hill, and the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Gotheimer, each will control 20 minutes. | ||
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3343, the Green Lighting Growth Act. | ||
| Currently, Title I of the Jobs Act allows emerging growth companies, EGCs, to provide two years of audited financial statements rather than three years in an initial public offering registration statement. | ||
| However, there are exceptions that cause confusion. | ||
| Mr. Haradopoulos' bill provides clarity to Title I by directing that current and former EGCs do not need to provide financial statements for a period earlier than the two years of audited financial statements required during the EGC's initial public offering. | ||
| This will increase efficiency and eliminate situations where emerging growth companies were unexpectedly required to provide more extensive disclosures than necessary. | ||
| I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I reserve my time. | ||
| The gentleman reserves, the gentleman from New Jersey is recognized. | ||
| I yield myself such time as it may consume. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, as a special accommodation for their smaller size and to reduce their regulatory burden, emergency growth companies known as EGCs are typically only required to provide two years of audited financials when they first go public. | ||
| Other public companies, on the other hand, are required to provide three years of audited financials when they go public. | ||
| In some situations, an EGC must provide three years of financials, such as an EGC acquiring another company or conducting a follow-on offering after its IPO. | ||
| This bill would eliminate this regulatory hurdle by ensuring EGCs only need to provide two years, not three, of audited financials across the board, whether for an IPO, an acquisition, or follow-on offering. | ||
| This bipartisan legislation will further reduce the burden on EGCs trying to raise capital, cutting red tape and burdensome regulations to help unleash economic growth. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this bill, on this bipartisan bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The General Reserves, the gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I now yield to the gentleman from Florida, the author of this important bill, our committee majority whip, Mr. Haradopoulos, for as much time as he will consume. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your leadership on this and the opportunity to present today. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support to ask my colleagues to support 3343, the Greenlighting Growth Act, a bill in which I introduced with Sub-Chair Ms. Wagner. | ||
| This bill will make the bill easier for the business easier for small companies right here in America. | ||
| That's something we all agree on. | ||
| But too often, regulations make it harder than it should be, especially for entrepreneurs and emerging businesses trying to make the next step. | ||
| In 2012, Congress worked to fix that problem, passing the Jobs Act to create a more affordable path for smaller companies to cope public, raise capital, and fuel the next wave of American innovation. | ||
| But there's a problem. | ||
| After going public, these same companies can get hit with extra paperwork if they try to grow through acquisitions. | ||
| This bill undermines this current law, currently undermines the incentives that the Job Act set up. | ||
| So we look to change it with 3343. | ||
| The bill fixes the problem and it keeps the rules simple and consistent so that small companies can focus on growing and not growing government paperwork. | ||
| That means more companies will go public, raise capital, grow, and create jobs. | ||
| That was the goal of the Jobs Act, and that's what this bill will accomplish. | ||
| Small businesses should be punished for success, and they should be encouraged to grow, build, hire, and do that right here in the good old USA. | ||
| This is a simple, targeted fix with a big impact. | ||
| It cuts red tape, keeps America's capital markets open and accessible for the next generation of job creators. | ||
| Let's greenlight growth. | ||
| Let's pass this bill and keep America's strong economy. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3343, and with that, I yield back to our Chairman. | ||
| I'll reserve. | ||
| The Gentleman Reserves, the gentleman from New Jersey, is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I prepare to close. | ||
| If Mr. Hill has no further speakers. | ||
| I'm prepared to close, and I yield to my friend. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized from New Jersey. | ||
| Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| I appreciate that. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the time. | ||
| The show is recognized. | ||
| When emerging growth companies were created during the Bipartisan Jobs Act nearly a decade ago, the goal was to make it easier for new companies to access capital with less red tape, while still ensuring their investors have critical disclosures. | ||
| This bill ensures that EGCs are treated consistently by balancing the need for financial transparency while also ensuring burdensome regulations are not so high that it stifles innovation and hinders growth. | ||
| I want to thank Mr. Haradopoulos for his bipartisan leadership on this legislation. | ||
| And again, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The General Reserves, the Gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, thank you. | ||
| I yield myself the balance of my time. | ||
| For the reasons that Mr. Haradopoulos so eloquently argued, I ask all my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
|
Senior Security Act Passed
00:15:43
|
||
| The gentleman yields. | ||
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 3343 as amended? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Aye. | |
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended. | ||
| The bill is passed without objection. | ||
| The motion to reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| For what purposes, the gentleman from Arkansas seek recognition. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 1469 as amended. | ||
| The clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
| Union calendar number 94, H.R. 1469. | ||
| A bill to create an interdivisional task force at the Securities and Exchange Commission for senior investors. | ||
| Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Hill, and the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Gottheimer, each will control 20 minutes. | ||
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| I rise in strong support of H.R. 1469, the Senior Security Act. | ||
| According to the FBI, over 100,000 seniors fell victim to fraud and exploitation just last year. | ||
| Their total losses were over $3 billion. | ||
| Just last year, a senior citizen from my home state fell victim to an investment scam and lost over $5 million of his life savings. | ||
| Mr. Gottheimer's good bill addresses this issue head-on by establishing a dedicated senior investor task force within the Securities and Exchange Commission. | ||
| They will monitor trends, threats, and recommend policy changes aimed at protecting our seniors from financial exploitation. | ||
| This bill has enjoyed broad bipartisan support in prior Congresses. | ||
| It helps ensure that our older investors are not left vulnerable in an increasingly complex marketplace. | ||
| I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I reserve. | ||
| The General Reserves, the gentleman from New Jersey, is recognized. | ||
| I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, in this Congress, as in previous Congresses, I introduced the Senior Security Act to protect vulnerable seniors from fraudsters who seek to take financial advantage of them. | ||
| And we're bringing it again this Congress and working very closely with Ms. Wagner, and I'm grateful for her leadership as well as the chairman's leadership and as well as the ranking member who's been very supportive. | ||
| Millions of seniors across the country, including my own mother of blessed memory, have been the victims of financial scams, and far too many have been cheated out of their retirement savings. | ||
| It's appalling, it's offensive, and it's unacceptable. | ||
| Senior scams have more than doubled since 2020. | ||
| These senior scams cost older Americans more than $36 billion a year, with the average victim losing $34,000 from these crimes annually, not to mention the pain you can't put a dollar amount on. | ||
| What's worse is that the majority of cases of elder exploitation are not reported. | ||
| We're here today to do something about it by passing my Senior Security Act to help protect American seniors from these shameless criminals. | ||
| This bipartisan legislation will create a senior investor task force for the Securities and Exchange Commission that will be a cop on the beat, ensuring that we do everything possible to stop hucksters from scamming our seniors. | ||
| Every two years, the task force will also submit a report to Congress outlining trends and innovations, including robocalls and voice spoofing, and all the developments in AI that are impacting seniors to help us stay ahead of changes in financial scams. | ||
| We must protect our seniors from having their hard-earned retirement savings stolen right out from under them, as the chairman just mentioned in his own state. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support this common sense bipartisan legislation. | ||
| The General Reserves. | ||
| That reserve. | ||
| The gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I've asked unanimous consent to insert in the record the CBO estimate for this bill. | ||
| Objection. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I now yield as much time as she will consume. | ||
| Our chairwoman of the capital markets subcommittee, Ms. Wagner of Missouri. | ||
| The gentlelady is recognized. | ||
| I thank the chairman for yielding. | ||
| And Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1469, the Senior Security Act. | ||
| I thank my colleague, Representative Gottheimer, for his work on this vital piece of bipartisan legislation that will strengthen protections for senior investors. | ||
| I am proud to be the co-lead of this bill. | ||
| Fraud and exploitation jeopardize the integrity of our capital markets. | ||
| When this illicit activity specifically targets senior investors, it poses an even graver threat, impacting those who often rely most on their investments. | ||
| According to the FBI in 2023, senior investors fell victim to scams and fraud totaling over $3.4 billion in losses, an increase of approximately 11% from the year prior. | ||
| The Senior Security Act is designed to reinforce and enhance our safeguards protecting senior investors from financial fraud and abuse. | ||
| H.R. 1469 creates the Senior Investor Task Force within the Securities and Exchange Commission, which is tasked with reporting on industry trends and challenges impacting investors over the age of 65. | ||
| The task force will also make recommendations for changes to existing legislation and regulations to address the unique issues faced by our senior investors. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1469 has received strong bipartisan support in the past, passing by suspension in the last three Congresses. | ||
| It remains a common sense solution to ensure that senior investors receive adequate protection against fraud and exploitation. | ||
| Again, I want to thank Mr. Gottheimer for his work on this bill and his partnership on other efforts to protect senior investors, including my Financial Exploitation Prevention Act. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1469, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman reserves, the gentleman from New Jersey, is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. | ||
| I'm prepared to close if Mr. Hill has no further speakers. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, we have no more speakers, and I yield to my friend for his closing. | ||
| The gentleman from New Jersey is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the time. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Senior scams, as we've discussed and as Ms. Wagner just pointed out, have exploded over the last decades. | ||
| With new technologies like AI, these scams are becoming and will continue to be ever more prevalent in the years ahead. | ||
| I urge all my colleagues to support this bill, which will allow the SEC to better understand and respond to this going crisis. | ||
| I want to thank Ms. Wagner for her partnership on this bipartisan legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman Yields, the gentleman from Arkansas, is recognized. | ||
| I thank the Speaker. | ||
| I want to thank my friend from New Jersey for this excellent bill. | ||
| I know that Congress has consensus on it. | ||
| I hope in this Congress it becomes law. | ||
| I spent a good part of my career both in commercial banking and investment management and investment brokerage. | ||
| And all through that time, the protection of our seniors was top of mind by leaders in all those enterprises. | ||
| And yet, we still have this terrible problem across our country. | ||
| I think having this point person at the SEC will make it more responsive, more effective, do better training, take better planning actions to protect our seniors. | ||
| I thank my friend from New Jersey and Mrs. Wagner. | ||
| I urge a yes vote, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman yields. | ||
| The question is: will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 1469 as amended? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Aye. | |
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative. | ||
| The rules are suspended. | ||
| The bill is passed without objection. | ||
| The motion to reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| For purposes, the gentleman from Arkansas seek recognition. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise to move to suspend the rules and pass the Bill H.R. 3339 as amended. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Okay. | |
| Go ahead. | ||
| The clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
| Union calendar number 97, H.R. 3339. | ||
| A bill to require certification examinations for accredited investors and for other purposes. | ||
| Pursuant to the rule of 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 five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| The gentleman's recognized. | ||
| I rise in strong support of H.R. 3339, the Equal Opportunity for All Investors Act. | ||
| The accredited investor definition is severely outdated. | ||
| And while its intention is to protect investors, its overly broad definition excludes millions of Americans who are experienced and knowledgeable enough to invest in private markets. | ||
| Wealth alone should not be the sole determinant as to who can invest in these markets. | ||
| My friend from Nebraska, Mr. Flood's bill, provides a merit-based alternative by the establishment of an exam that allows individuals to qualify as accredited investors by demonstrating their understanding of investments in private markets. | ||
| This is a smart, common sense modernization of these outdated rules that provides a meaningful step towards making private markets more accessible. | ||
| I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting this bill and our reserve. | ||
| Board of Reserves, a gentlelady from California is recognized. | ||
| Okay, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| The gentlelady is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, in both this Congress and last, I've been particularly outspoken about the risk of retail investors investing in private securities. | ||
| Amongst other things, private securities lack sufficient transparency, have longer lock-up periods, and are much more volatile and less liquid than their public counterparts. | ||
| It is critical that anyone who invests in these risky assets has sufficient knowledge of those risks. | ||
| Currently, companies or the brokers they hire can only solicit these and I quote investment opportunities, quote unquote, to individuals who have been deemed to be accredited investors. | ||
| This definition is currently based on a person's income and net worth, meaning only those making a certain amount of money or possessing a big enough bank account have access to them. | ||
| But anyone can tell you that just because you have a lot of money doesn't make you knowledgeable about the markets. | ||
| Knowledge is the key here, and the definition needs to be revised to center around this core concept of knowledge and expertise. | ||
| The committee has heard from investors who want to invest their own money in some of these risky and illiquid investments. | ||
| I don't want to be barbed from investing just because they don't meet the wealth or income test. | ||
| The Equal Opportunity for All Investors Act addresses this problem by allowing an individual to qualify as an accredited investor if they pass an exam that ensures they are properly versed in the risk of investing in the private markets. | ||
| With this change, ordinary investors who want to invest in private securities can now do so, assuming they pass the test, which would establish that they are keenly aware of the specific pitfalls related to high-risk and illiquid securities, as well as the conflicts of interest presented when financial professionals try to sell them these products. | ||
| Last year, Committee Democrats worked with former Chairman Mac Henry and my colleague, Mr. Flood, to ensure that this test contains specific robust elements, elements that the Republican witnesses at previous financial services hearings talked about when discussing how they teach and mentor their budding investors. | ||
| I'm so glad that the Financial Services Committee agreed to make the test available free of charge to anyone who's willing and able to go through the rigor. | ||
| And finally, I want to thank my colleague from across the aisle, Mr. Flood, for working with the Committee Democrats on a bill that ensures that the SEC is appropriately overseeing this exam process. | ||
| So I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The General Lawyer Reserves, the Jolo Franklin is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask unanimous consent to include in the record the CBO estimate for this bill. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| I thank the Speaker. | ||
| I now, with pleasure, yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Nebraska, your home state, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Flood, the author of this important bill, for as much time as he may consume. | ||
| The gentleman from Nebraska is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker from Nebraska. | ||
| I'd like to thank Chairman Hill and Ranking Member Waters for their support. | ||
| I'd also like to thank my co-lead on this bill, Congressman Cleo Fields, for all of his work. | ||
| The Equal Opportunity for All Investors Act would expand the accredited investor definition to include individuals that are certified through an exam written by the SEC and administered by FINRA. | ||
| Accredited investors are individuals that are allowed to participate in investment opportunities that are not generally available to the broader public, like private offerings. | ||
| Most current pathways to becoming an accredited investor are based on your balance sheet, your wealth, your income. | ||
| This bill changes, opens up a brand new pathway for allowing investors' knowledge to be the determining factor in whether they are able to become an accredited investor. | ||
| In my view, wealth alone is not a particularly strong judge of whether someone should be, quote unquote, an accredited investor or not. | ||
|
Enhancing Multi-Class Share Disclosures
00:15:49
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| A better one is whether someone has the knowledge to accurately weigh the benefits and risks of private offerings. | ||
| In 2020, the SEC started allowing professional investors with credentials like a Series 65 or a Series 7 to become accredited investors. | ||
| This was a very helpful step forward, but licensing requirements for brokers and investment advisors go beyond what is needed to properly weigh the risks of private offerings for an individual's personal finances. | ||
| Following the principle that merit, not just wealth, should guide who can become an accredited investor, an exam specifically written to determine the sophistication of investors is a natural next step. | ||
| The exam created by this bill is meant to strike the right balance between rigorously testing for sophistication and not being set to touch such a difficult standard that even an intelligent investor could not pass it. | ||
| This bill is a common sense, bipartisan product that will expand opportunity in our capital markets. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support the bill, thank the chairman, and yield back. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, the gentleman of reserves, the gentlelady from California, is recognized. | ||
| I now yield two minutes to the gentlewoman from Delaware, Ms. McBride. | ||
| The representative is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I'm proud to rise as a co-lead of the Equal Opportunity for All Investors Act with my Republican colleague, Representative Flood from the great state of Nebraska. | ||
| Our bill will unlock capital for entrepreneurs and small business owners who've been left out for far too long. | ||
| Current law allows only millionaires to invest in the markets that fuel small businesses, shutting out countless Americans, especially women, veterans, and people of color, based on wealth, not knowledge. | ||
| Our bill addresses this by creating an exam to assess your ability to understand financial risk when investing in private markets, enabling a more diverse group of people to invest responsibly regardless of their net worth. | ||
| This legislation creates a new path for capital to reach more hands. | ||
| In my state, the Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce has told me that this legislation would help close the capital gap for diverse business owners. | ||
| Small business leaders say that it's not a lack of ideas, but a lack of capital that holds them back. | ||
| This bill opens up new sources of funding from a pool of investors more reflective of the community so that these founders can turn their vision into jobs and economic growth. | ||
| I urge all my colleagues to vote in favor of this common sense bipartisan legislation today. | ||
| I thank Representative Flood, Chair Hill, and Ranking Member Waters for their leadership. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| Does the gentlelady reserve? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Now go, where do we go? | |
| Can you say aye, reserve? | ||
| Is this where I'm going to close? | ||
| Aye, reserve. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Aye, reserve. | |
| Does the gentlelady reserve? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Um... | |
| Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers and I'm prepared to close if the manager has no further speakers. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers and so I'm prepared to close and I yield to the gentlewoman from California. | ||
| The gentlelady is recognized. | ||
| I yield myself the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentlelady is recognized. | ||
| Compared to investing in publicly traded securities, private securities contain lots of risk. | ||
| They're less liquid, harder to value, and are more volatile than their public counterparts. | ||
| It is therefore essential that anyone investing in these products fully understand the risk involved. | ||
| Just as prospective divers must pass a written test, drivers, that is, must pass a written test displaying they understand the rules and dangers of the road before given access to a car. | ||
| This bill puts that common sense principle into practice by creating an SEC-administered test investors can take if they want to invest in private securities. | ||
| In doing so, we adequately balance investor protection while providing folks with sufficient freedom to do what they please with their hard-earned dollars. | ||
| So I urge my colleagues to support this bill and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentlelady yields. | ||
| The gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I'd like to yield time to the Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I'd like to yield myself the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| For all the reasons that we've identified that the changes need to be made in the credit investor rule after 40 years, I think the changes proposed by the gentleman from Nebraska are solid. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman yields. | ||
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 3339 as amended? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Those opposed, no. | |
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative. | ||
| The rules are suspended. | ||
| The bill is passed without objection. | ||
| The motion to reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Arkansas seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise to move to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 3357 as amended. | ||
| The clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
| Union calendar number 90, H.R. 3357, a bill to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require issuers with a multi-class stock structure to make certain disclosures in any proxy or consent solicitation material and for other purposes. | ||
| Pursuant to the rule of the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Hill, and the gentleman 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 five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise and yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| I rise in strong support of H.R. 3357, the Enhancing Multi-Class Share Disclosures Act. | ||
| Multi-class structures have existed in American capital markets for many decades, helping founders retain control of their companies without holding a majority of the economic interest. | ||
| These structures are important for certain business models, like family businesses, but they also raise questions about transparency and shareholder rights. | ||
| Since this information is not required to be disclosed, shareholders might not always understand how control is concentrated within a public company. | ||
| Mr. Meek's bill right-sizes this issue by requiring companies to provide clear information about voting power, especially where insiders or significant shareholders hold outsized influence. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill and I reserve. | ||
| Gentlemen reserves. | ||
| The gentlelady from California is recognized. | ||
| I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| The gentlelady is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Meek's bill closes documented gaps around multi-class governance structures. | ||
| Multi-class governance structures are those where corporate insiders or beneficial owners retain an outsized amount of voting power relative to their shares. | ||
| These structures, while they may add value, pose significant risk, making transparency ever more important for investors. | ||
| Specifically, these structures pose significant risk for investors, including limited investors' ability to influence management, direct strategy, and hold misaligned boards accountable. | ||
| Under current rules, the difference between a corporate insider's voting power and their ownership interests, regardless of how large that gap may be, is often disclosed in ways that are difficult for an ordinary investor to comprehend. | ||
| Accordingly, the SCT SEC Investor Advisory Committee recommended that the Commission amend its rules to ensure that this gap is better identified and quantified for investors via disclosed ratio. | ||
| This common sense bill adopts this recommendation to ensure investors have the clearest information available to make the best decision for themselves. | ||
| This bill is supported by Council of Institutional Investors whose members manage trillions of working families' assets. | ||
| So I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this bill. | ||
| And I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The Gentle Lady Reserves, the gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include in the record the CBO estimate for this bill. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I reserve. | ||
| The General Reserves, the Gentlelady from California, is recognized. | ||
| Now I yield three minutes to the gentleman from New York, Mr. Meeks, who is also the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and is the sponsor of this legislation. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 3357, the Enhancing Multi-Class Share Disclosures Act. | ||
| And I want to thank Chairman Hill and Ranking Member Waters for their leadership and efforts to bring my bill to the floor today. | ||
| Thank you very much. | ||
| Public traded companies are critical to this country's economic dionism and wealth creation. | ||
| Their shareholders, including everyday American families, believe in the potential of these companies and demonstrate this faith by investing in their equities. | ||
| This flood of new capital allows companies to do research and development, hire Americans, and innovate for the greater good. | ||
| My legislation strengthens our capital markets by requiring more transparency around multi-class shareholder companies. | ||
| For annual shareholder meetings, companies will have to disclose the true distribution of voting power when insiders, like directors or executives, hold more voting rights than their ownership share would suggest. | ||
| An imbalanced power structure could limit other investors' ability to direct strategy or hold boards accountable. | ||
| Basically, this bill gives Main Street investors the complete and full picture, the necessary information to make smart and informed decisions. | ||
| So let me be clear. | ||
| I very much understand the benefit of multi-class share structures and think they have a place in corporate governance. | ||
| Major companies from outside the United States have chosen to list in New York City precisely because we have more flexible multi-class structures. | ||
| But our advantage over other financial hubs like Hong Kong and Shanghai is just one set, is not just one set of regulations. | ||
| It is the transparency and openness of our capital markets and transparency strengthens markets. | ||
| So by doubling down on our strengths, this bill will further submit our competitive lead and aid investors along the way. | ||
| So I call on my colleagues to support my legislation. | ||
| And I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from New York yields back. | |
| The gentlelady from California, does the gentlelady wish to reserve? | ||
| Gentlelady reserves. | ||
| The gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I'm prepared to close if the gentlewoman from California doesn't have any other speakers. | ||
| She'd be prepared. | ||
| And I'm prepared to close. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentlelady from California is recognized. | |
| Mr. Meek's bill clarifies for investors the truth around multi-class shares, specifically the difference between a corporate insider's ownership interest versus their true voting power. | ||
| These two things are generally disclosed in ways that are hard for everyday investors to understand. | ||
| And this bill solves that problem by ensuring this gap is quantified for investors via a clearly disclosed ratio, as was recommended by the SEC Investor Advisory Committee. | ||
| So I urge my colleagues to support this bill and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentlelady from California yields. | |
| The gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise, as I say, in support of this bill. | ||
| I agree with the ranking member of the full committee. | ||
| It deserves a strong bipartisan support, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from Arkansas yields. | |
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass H.R. 3357 as amended? | ||
| Those in favor will say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended. | ||
| The bill is passed, and without objection, Mr. Speaker, reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| Mr. Speaker. | ||
|
unidentified
|
For what purpose of the gentleman from Arkansas seeking recognition? | |
| I'd request the yays and the nays. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from Arkansas, having requested the nays and yeas, all those in favor of taking this note by the yays and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. | |
| A sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered, and pursuant to clause 8 of Rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Arkansas seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 2384 as amended. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The clerk will report the title of the bill. | |
| Union calendar number 67, H.R. 2384, a bill to establish an independent financial technology working group to combat terrorism and illicit financing and for other purposes. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Hill, and the gentlelady from California, Ms. Waters, each will control 20 minutes. | |
| The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill. | ||
| Mr. Speaker. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Without objection, so ordered. | |
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentlemen is recognized. | |
| I rise in strong support of H.R. 2384, the Financial Technology Protection Act. | ||
| Last week, the House passed critical digital asset legislation setting the stage for the United States to reclaim our global leadership position in financial technology and digital assets. | ||
|
Financial Technology Working Group
00:03:15
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| This week, we build on that momentum to further strengthen our role in global finance. | ||
| As our technological world evolves, so must the tools that we use to combat the potential new threats associated with it. | ||
| The Financial Technology Protection Act creates a forum to ensure that our law enforcement can keep pace with illicit actors seeking to exploit these technological developments for their own gain. | ||
| Mr. Nunn and Mr. Him's bill establishes an independent financial technology working group to combat terrorism, money laundering, and other illicit finance through the use of financial technologies, including digital assets. | ||
| The group will conduct independent research on the illicit use of new financial technologies and develop legislative and regulatory proposals to improve anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing efforts here in the United States. | ||
| This common sense bill also requires private sector stakeholders to be members of the working group, bridging a gap between law enforcement and the private sector and allowing individuals with boots on the ground experience to inform law enforcement's efforts and strategies. | ||
| Because of that, I urge all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting this good bill and our reserve. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from Arkansas Reserves, the gentlelady from California, is recognized. | |
| I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| I rise in support of H.R. 2384, the Financial Technology Protection Act, sponsored by Representative Nunn and Representatives Himes. | ||
| This bill seeks to establish an independent financial technology working group to combat terrorism and illicit financing and for other purposes. | ||
| This group is made up of both federal agencies, companies dealing with financial technology, and companies that engage in researching the impact of financial technologies in global markets. | ||
| It will be tasked with evaluating emerging financial technologies, including digital assets, to assess their potential use in combating terrorism and illicit activities. | ||
| It will conduct research on how bad actors may exploit these technologies and recommend legal and regulatory improvements to Congress and relevant agencies. | ||
| Additionally, the working group will develop a strategy to address sanctions, evasion, and other illicit finance concerns. | ||
| The bill mandates that the group issue an annual report for four years providing updates on its findings and recommendations. | ||
|
Hamas And Crypto Terrorism
00:04:38
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| Why is this needed? | ||
| We know that Russia has used crypto exchanges and alternative payment platforms to try to bypass the sanctions imposed after its brutal and unlawful invasion of Ukraine. | ||
| Hamas and other terrorist groups have turned to cryptocurrencies to funnel resources toward violent operations against innocent civilians, as was exposed in the investigation following the violent October 7th attacks on Israel. | ||
| North Korean hackers operating as arms of the regime have stolen billions of dollars in cryptocurrency through cyber attacks, laundering those funds to bankroll their illegal weapons programs and bypass international sanctions. | ||
| These are not hypothetical risks. | ||
| These are real ongoing threats to our national and global security. | ||
| Thus, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The Gentlelady Reserves, the gentleman from Arkansas, is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I'd ask unanimous consent that the CBO estimate for this bill be placed in the record. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Without objection, so ordered. | |
| Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from Iowa, the author of this bill, all the time that he can possibly consume. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from Iowa is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Chairman Hill, for your leadership on this, as well as Ranking Member Waters. | ||
| I rise today in strong support of 2384, the Financial Technology Protection Act of 2025, a bill that I am honored to both lead and author, but it is created out of a vast network of partnership on both sides of the aisle. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, as you know, this Congress cemented the United States as the crypto capital of the world. | ||
| And the leadership of members of this chamber on both sides took meaningful steps to lay a foundation for a robust digital asset framework, one that fosters innovation, creates clarity, and protects consumers. | ||
| Now, we can start making sure that this foundation is built in a safe and secure way for every American. | ||
| We build directly on the momentum and the strength of our national security posture at this very critical time. | ||
| We all know that blockchain technology and digital assets are here to stay, and it's good that they're here in America. | ||
| The question is not whether this technology will shape the future, it's whether the U.S. or other competitors, particularly those in China and the Communist Party, will write the rules of the road for the future. | ||
| As a counterintelligence officer, I have seen firsthand how terrorists and hostile regimes weaponize technology for illicit finances and for cybercrime. | ||
| That includes the use of anonymous digital platforms to launder money, to fund terrorism, to bypass the very sanctions this chamber has helped lead. | ||
| However, the transparency and traceability of blockchain enhances our law enforcement's ability to intercept these threats, recover stolen funds, and deliver justice for everyday Americans. | ||
| In fact, just weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Justice used blockchain analytics to intercept over a quarter of a million dollars intended to go to deadly Hamas terrorists who would have used it to threaten U.S. forces in the region. | ||
| Last year, the United States, working with our international partners, utilized blockchain technology to help dismantle a Russian money laundering scheme that seized more than $22 million in illicit funds, many of those taken from Americans right here at home. | ||
| This is a threat to America's very national security. | ||
| From dollar-backed digital assets, we have the ability to help not only defend our men and women serving on the front line, from illicit actors who would use weapons bought with this illicit technology to threaten them, to the very mothers, fathers, and grandparents who are being taken advantage of by foreign actors to steal their money to fund this type of threat. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan bill establishes a working group, a task force of sorts of key federal agencies that include our intelligence experts, private organizations, private sector leaders who are experienced in this, all focused on combating terrorism and illicit finance on digital platforms. | ||
|
Protecting Digital Assets
00:15:12
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| This team is helping to develop the legislative technology and fusion of critical information to help establish the best techniques, tactics, and procedure to be able to stop this at its very inception. | ||
| By preventing anti-money laundering and addressing national security risks, we're able to help stop the illicit finance activities that do real harm to the United States. | ||
| By passing this bill, we strengthen national security, protect digital assets, and ensure the next generation of financial and technological innovation is created right here in the U.S. | ||
| I want to thank Chairman Hill for his leadership and long vision in making this happen. | ||
| And particularly, my gratitude to my Democratic colleague, Representative Jim Himes, who's also the ranking member on the intelligence communities, or the HIPSI, who knows firsthand the threats that these propose, as well as Senator Ted Budd, who is championing this effort in the Senate. | ||
| Together, we have worked on this vital legislation. | ||
| We're empowering our government as well as our private sector leads to be the vanguard in protecting our nation. | ||
| And with that, I yield back the remainder of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from Iowa yields back to the gentleman. | |
| We receive the gentleman from Arkansas Reserves. | ||
| The gentlelady from California is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers and I'm prepared to close. | ||
|
unidentified
|
If Mr. Hill has no other speakers, does the gentleman from Arkansas have any additional speakers beyond himself? | |
| Mr. Speaker, we're prepared to close, so I'll be happy to yield to my friend, the ranking member from California. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentlelady from California is recognized. | |
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself of the balance of the time. | ||
| Cyber criminal syndicates supported by North Korea and rogue states like Russia are already exploiting financial technologies to evade sanctions, fund war and terrorism, and destabilize democracies. | ||
| Ignoring these threats is not an option. | ||
| This working group is an initial robust approach to gaining an understanding of how to address these terrorism threats and prepare to meet and predict them. | ||
| I thank Representatives Nunn and Himes for introducing this bill, and I again urge my colleagues to support it. | ||
| I'll yield back the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentlelady from California yields back. | |
| The gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to myself. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise again in strong support of this bill. | ||
| Mr. Nunn is doing good work here, and I appreciate his leadership as a former counterintelligence officer, someone who's brought that expertise to his work here in this House. | ||
| I appreciate my friend from Connecticut, our distinguished ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, lending his expertise to this bill. | ||
| Because for years we've talked about how do we fuse private sector information, like in our financial services sector, with law enforcement to come up with better strategies to counter illicit finance, whether it's in trade-based money laundering, the use of cash, hawala, now digital assets, or just plain old the banking system. | ||
| So I thank my friend from Iowa to urge a strong bipartisan support on both sides of the aisle and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from Arkansas yields back. | |
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 2384 as amended? | ||
| Those in favor will say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended. | ||
| The bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. | ||
| What purpose does the gentleman from Arkansas seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise and I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 3395 as amended. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The clerk will report the title of the bill. | |
| Union calendar number 98, H.R. 3395, a bill to require the Comptroller General of the United States to carry out a study of the costs associated with small and medium-sized companies to undertake initial public offerings. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from, or rather, pursuant to the rule of the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Hill, and the gentlelady 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 five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Without objection? | |
| So ordered. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman is recognized. | |
| I rise in support of H.R. 3395, the Middle Market IPO Underwriting Cost Act. | ||
| Currently, companies have two options for raising capital: an initial public offering, an IPO, or a private offering. | ||
| Less companies are choosing to take the IPO path because of the upfront cost of going public, as well as the high operating cost public companies experience due to SEC reporting rules. | ||
| Before a company files for an IPO, they often spend tens of millions of dollars to gather and compile information to submit to the SEC. | ||
| These mandatory information requirements exclude or dissuade many companies from even considering an initial public offering. | ||
| The study required by Mr. Him's bill will help Congress, the market, better understand the costs associated with small and medium-sized companies going public through the IPO process. | ||
| I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I reserve. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from Arkansas Reserves, the gentlelady from California is recognized. | |
| I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| This bill requires the SEC to study the costs encountered by small and medium-sized companies when undertaking their initial public offering of their securities to the public, otherwise known as IPO, as well as certain other offerings that are exempt from SEC registration. | ||
| When going public, companies tend to hire underwriters like investment banks and other professionals like attorneys and accountants to help prepare the IPO. | ||
| Underwriters serving as intermediaries between companies and prospective investors typically receive a set percentage of the IPO price as compensation for their work. | ||
| Large companies have in recent years been able to negotiate lower percentages for this process, which reduces their overall fee. | ||
| At the same time, smaller companies have continued to pay the same historic percentage for this service. | ||
| Simply put, this bill sheds light on how much small and medium-sized companies are paying for their underwriting fees, which will allow these companies to negotiate lower prices. | ||
| I urge all of my colleagues to support my friend from Connecticut's common sense measure. | ||
| Thank you, and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentlelady reserves, the gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | |
| Mr. Speaker, I mean, I'd like to request unanimous consent to include in the record the CBO estimate for this bill. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Objection? | |
| So ordered. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I reserve. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman reserves. | |
| The gentlelady from California is recognized. | ||
| I now yield three minutes to the gentleman from Connecticut, Mr. Himes, who is also the ranking member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and is also the sponsor of this bill. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from Connecticut is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and a big thank you to Ranking Member Waters, the gentlelady from California, and to my good friend French Hill of Arkansas for their support of this bill. | ||
| Just to elaborate for a minute on what I think is the need for this bill, this grew out of the work we did many, many years ago on the JOBS Act, in which we observed that the regulatory expenses faced by a company seeking to go public were roughly $2 to $4 million in size. | ||
| It is also true that a small IPO, a medium-sized IPO, anything up to about $200 million, is subject almost always to a 7% growth spread. | ||
| That's 7% of the proceeds, or in the case of a $200 million offering, $14 million. | ||
| $150 million offering, $10 million, well more than twice the regulatory costs that we identified in working on the JOBS Act. | ||
| What's very strange about that 7% fee is that depending, regardless of what period of time you examine, IPOs from about $30 million up to about $200 million are always subject to a 7% fee. | ||
| Now, all of us who observe markets know that that is odd behavior in what should be a competitive market. | ||
| This is money, of course, that goes to the investment banks that underwrite these IPOs. | ||
| I know because I spent many years working in those investment banks. | ||
| So the bill here simply says, having done the work that we did on the JOBS Act, what can we do to examine the underlying market forces or non-market forces creating this 7% growth spread and costs of many, many millions of dollars for companies when they are small and capital is at a premium? | ||
| This study, I think, would illustrate some things that would allow us to do even better than we did in the Jobs Act and make it that much more possible, maybe even probable, for companies to seek capital in our public markets. | ||
| With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back and thank once again the Chairman, the ranking member of the committee. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from Connecticut yields back, and the gentlelady from California reserves. | |
| The gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers. | ||
| I'm prepared to close if the gentlewoman from California is not. | ||
| I would yield to her for that purpose. | ||
| Thank you very much. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gym from Arkansas yields. | |
| The gentlelady from California is recognized. | ||
| I have no further speakers and I'm prepared to close if Mr. Hill has no further speakers. | ||
| I yield myself the balance of the time. | ||
| I support Mr. Haim's bill, which will shed light on how much smaller and medium-sized companies are paying for their underwriting fees to go public. | ||
| I hope it will finally put pressure on the SEC to address this important issue for smaller companies. | ||
| I again urge my colleagues to support this bill and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentlelady from California yields back. | |
| The gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I urge a yes vote from both sides of the aisle and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from Arkansas yields. | |
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 3395 as amended? | ||
| Those in favor will say aye. | ||
| Aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended. | ||
| The bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| Purpose does the gentleman from Arkansas seek recognition. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 1764 as amended. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The clerk will report the title of the bill. | |
| Union calendar number 15, H.R. 1764, a bill to record securities issued by the International Development Association, the same exemptions from the securities laws that applies to the securities of other multilateral development banks in which the United States is a member. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Hill, and the gentlelady from California, Ms. Waters, will each control recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas. | |
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in this bill. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Without objection, so ordered. | |
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman is recognized. | |
| I rise in strong support of Ranking Member Waters' Bill H.R. 1764, the Aligning SEC regulations for the World Bank's International Development Association Act. | ||
| This legislation classifies securities issued by the IDA as exempted securities, subject to appropriate reporting requirements as determined by the Securities and Exchange Commission. | ||
| This change would place the IDA on equal regulatory footing with the other World Bank divisions, such as the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the African Development Bank. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, prior to 2018, the IDA did not issue debt in the securities market. | ||
| Its funding came primarily from donor contributions and repayments on past loans. | ||
| But as the IDA evolves to meet the needs of the world's poorest nations, it has entered the capital markets to expand its resources and thus its impact. | ||
| It's only logical and fair that its securities receive the same exemptive status consistent with previous treatment of multilateral development bank securities. | ||
| Supporting IDI's access to efficient financing would reflect the United States' leadership in global development and our commitment to the world's most vulnerable populations. | ||
| This is Waters' bill is bipartisan, it's practical, and it's overdue. | ||
| I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill and our reserve. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman from Arkansas Reserves, the gentlelady from California is recognized. | |
| I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 1764, the aligning SEC regulations for the World Bank's International Development Act. | ||
| The International Development Association, IDA, is an example of both the value of our multilateral institutions and America's leadership in these organizations. | ||
| The IDA is the World Bank's lending arm, and it is one of the most effective tools we have to combat poverty and instability worldwide. | ||
| The IDA offers grants and low-cost or no-cost lending to help the poorest nations to invest in their futures, improve the lives of their citizens, and create more prosperous communities for the long term. | ||
| The United States, as the largest donor to the IDA, helps to direct where and how these funds are used. | ||
|
Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act
00:15:23
|
||
| My bill would exempt IDA securities from Securities and Exchange Commission regulations just as other World Bank arms have been exempt for decades. | ||
| This ensures that IDA can continue raising capital efficiently, allowing it to direct resources that are needed the most. | ||
| This is needed because in April 2018, Ida began issuing securities on the bond market, which are also distributed in the United States. | ||
| But these securities are not exempt from SEC's registration and regulatory framework. | ||
| Congress passed legislation in 1945 and 1954 exempting other arms of the World Bank, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Finance Corporation from SEC's regulation. | ||
| Importantly, this gave the SEC the ability to recall these exemptions if the SEC finds that they are harmful to U.S. investors. | ||
| Moreover, many other multilateral development banks of which the U.S. is a member are exempt from the SEC regulation. | ||
| SEC exemptions for these securities are warranted as they are backed by the commitments or equities of the largest economies of the world, including the United States. | ||
| These securities tend to be triple A-rated, which is the highest investment grade, making them safe investments for all investors. | ||
| Harmonizing the exemption regime available for MDBS MBDs with that of IDA would enhance IDA's ability to raise capital in the United States without weakening investor protection. | ||
| In turn, it will be able to use these proceeds to provide increased funding for the world's poorest countries. | ||
| Importantly, too, the bill retains the SEC's ability to revoke these exemptions should it find them harmful to U.S. investors. | ||
| One additional but important note, this bill comes to the floor as we await the six-month review mandated by Donald Trump's February 4th executive order directing the Secretary of State to determine in which international organizations the U.S. should continue or from which it should withdraw. | ||
| Inexplicably, that includes World Bank among other international financial institutions. | ||
| The United States has long been a leader in the IFI, like the World Bank. | ||
| Our leadership in these institutions provides us with a strong voice to improve global economic stability, decrease poverty, and boost prosperity. | ||
| Through our membership, advocate for high standards, push for transparency, and drive economic reforms that benefit not only developing nations, but our own national security too. | ||
| It is wrong, then even unconscionable, that Donald Trump would put America's leadership in question. | ||
| It's the kind of thing that only one beholden to Russia and China would do. | ||
| Thus, I urge my Republican colleagues to speak out against the President's suggestion that we retreat from the world stage and loudly oppose any outcome of this review that will harm America's economic leadership across the globe. | ||
| I urge my colleague to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentlewoman from California Reserves, the gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | |
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to add the CBO estimate on this bill in the record. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Without objection. | |
| Mr. Speaker, I reserve and I'm prepared to close if the gentlewoman from California has no other speakers. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman in reserves, the gentlewoman from California. | |
| I have no further speakers, and I'm prepared to close. | ||
| Mr. Hill has no further speakers. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from California is recognized. | |
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the time. | ||
| This bill simply exempts Ida securities from SEC regulations aligning with other World Bank arms which have been exempt for decades. | ||
| By making IDA securities equal to similar funds, the World Bank will have additional funds that can be applied to its mission to help the poorest of nations. | ||
| The United States has long been a leader in the international financial institutions, and this is one way that we can protect our leadership and stretch the value of our contributions to the World Bank. | ||
| So I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentlewoman yields back. | |
| The gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I urge a yes vote on this very practical bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The question is: will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 1764? | |
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended. | ||
| The bill is passed. | ||
| And with that objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Arkansas seat recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise and move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 1716 as amended. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The clerk will report the title of the bill. | |
| H.R. 1716, a bill to deter Chinese aggression towards Taiwan by requiring the Secretary of the Treasury to publish a report on financial institutions and accounts connected to senior officials of the People's Republic of China to restrict financial services for a certain immediate family of such officials and for the purposes. | ||
|
unidentified
|
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 five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Without objection. | |
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | |
| Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1716, the Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act of 2025. | ||
| This excellent bill introduced by our conference chair, Ms. McClain, demonstrates that the United States is a vital partner in supporting Taiwan. | ||
| And we must remain committed to supporting Taiwan as China continues to increase its military presence across the Taiwan Strait. | ||
| The U.S. and Taiwan have maintained a firm stance against any forceful efforts to change Taiwan's status for nearly five decades. | ||
| That posture is as important now as ever. | ||
| A component of the Taiwan Relations Act mandates that the President inform Congress when China makes any attempt to threaten Taiwan's national security. | ||
| Once that notification is made to Congress, Conference Chair McLean's bill would require the Secretary of Treasury to disclose the estimated illicit funds of China's top officials in Beijing. | ||
| This bill is modeled after the Holding Iranian Leaders Accountable Act, a bipartisan bill that I was pleased to sponsor, which became law last year. | ||
| Congresswoman McClain's bill does exactly what the title says. | ||
| It seeks to deter China from making a terrible mistake and promises financial penalties for senior Chinese officials should they make the wrong decision and choose to attack Taiwan. | ||
| I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this excellent bill and I reserve. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from Arkansas Reserves, a gentlewoman from California, is recognized. | |
| I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| I rise in support of H.R. 1716, the Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act of 2025, sponsored by Representative McClain and co-sponsored by Representative Sherman. | ||
| Recognizing that China is a threat to Taiwan and to democracy globally, the United States must strongly and overtly support Taiwan, in part by pushing back on China's over-provocation toward Taiwan. | ||
| As recently as last month, China flew over 70 warplanes over the Taiwan Strait, encroaching into Taiwanese territory and raising new concerns about Chinese government aggression. | ||
| The commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command shared in his April congressional testimony that the Chinese military pressure on Taiwan has reached a, quote, rapid boil, quote, unquote. | ||
| Month after month, the Chinese Communist Party government further presses at the edges of Taiwan's security and America's support for Taiwan. | ||
| This Congress must speak loudly about our concern about such international actions by the Chinese government, actions that could intentionally or unintentionally lead to an escalation of China's conflict with Taiwan. | ||
| H.R. 1716, the Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act of 2025, is one sensible avenue to do so, requiring the Treasury Secretary to publish her report on and restrict senior officials of the People's Republic of China and their families from financial institutions and accounts in the United States. | ||
| The report mandated by the bill is intending to raise public awareness of hidden and corruptly gained funds that are directly or indirectly controlled by such officials. | ||
| For those listed in the report and their immediate family members, the bill would also restrict U.S.-based financial services intending to limit the financial options for these officials and to extend the deterrent or punitive impacts to their family. | ||
| Both actions would only occur under the bill if the President uses a never-applied and hopefully unnecessary clause in the Taiwan Relations Act, | ||
| which would require congressional notification due to a China-led threat to, quote, the security or the social or economic system of the people on Taiwan and any danger to the interests of the United States arising therefrom, end quote. | ||
| So I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentlewoman from California Reserves, the gentleman from Arkansas, is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I'd like to ask unanimous consent to put the CBO estimate on this bill in the record. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Without objection. | |
| I thank the Speaker. | ||
| I now yield to the lady from Michigan, our conference chair, Mrs. McClain, the author of this bill, such time as she may consider. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentlewoman is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I rise today in strong support of my bill, the Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act. | ||
| The United States cannot afford to be complacent in the face of growing Chinese aggression. | ||
| As a proud representative from the state of Michigan, a state that knows the value of manufacturing, trade, and international stability, I know firsthand how vital peace in the Indo-Pacific to American jobs and our economy is. | ||
| Taiwan is not only a democratic partner, it's also a key player in the global supply chain, especially for semiconductors that power everything from our cars to our national defense system. | ||
| This bill sends a clear and bipartisan message. | ||
| If the CCP rages war against Taiwan, there will be consequences. | ||
| We're talking real, targeted consequences for corrupt CCP elites. | ||
| Their financial dealings and offshore accounts will be exposed and published for the Chinese people to see. | ||
| We are not provoking conflict. | ||
| We're actually working to prevent it. | ||
| Deterrence is strongest when it is credible. | ||
| And right now, credibility means passing this bill. | ||
| The Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act is not just about Taiwan. | ||
| It's about standing up for American values, protecting American interests, and preserving peace through strength. | ||
| I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this important legislation that I was proud to introduce. | ||
| Let's show the world that the United States stands firm against communist aggression and alongside our allies. | ||
| And with that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, we have reserve. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from Arkansas Reserves, the gentlewoman from California is recognized. | |
| Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers that I'm prepared to close. | ||
| If Mr. Hill has no further speakers, Mr. Speaker, we don't have any additional speakers on this side of the aisle, so I would yield to my friend from California for her closing. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentlewoman from California is recognized. | |
| I yield myself the balance of the time. | ||
| I support H.R. 1716, co-sponsored by my colleagues, Representative McLean and Representative Sherman. | ||
| This bill supports Taiwan in combating Chinese provocations against Taiwan. | ||
| This bipartisan bill proposes to restrict top officials in China from having significant transactions or engagement at American financial institutions and aims to expose hidden funds of Chinese officials if the Taiwan Relations Act congressional notification is ever triggered by a United States president, | ||
| especially now as China increases its forays into Taiwanese territory. | ||
|
OFAC Licensure Act Support
00:13:00
|
||
| The United States Congress should support stricter measures against China's government, sending the message that we will not tolerate the next step beyond its incursions. | ||
| I support H.R. 1716 to protect global security and democracy, and I support doing more to accomplish this goal. | ||
| I again urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentlewoman yields. | |
| The gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I urge a yes vote on this important bill to deter China, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman yields. | |
| The question is: will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 1716? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed say no. | ||
| 1716 as amended. | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed say no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended. | ||
| The bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Arkansas seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise and I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 1450. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The clerk will report the title of the bill. | |
| Union calendar number 34, H.R. 1450. | ||
| A bill to require the Office of Foreign Assets Control to develop a program under which private sector firms may receive a license to conduct nominal financial transactions in furtherance of the firm's investigations and for the purposes. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Pursuant to the rule of 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 five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in this bill without objection. | ||
| I yield my such time as I may consume. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | |
| I rise in strong support of H.R. 1450, the OFAC Licensure for Investigators Act. | ||
| When it comes to combating illicit finance, effective public-private partnerships are critical. | ||
| Tracking and disrupting sophisticated financial crime networks require cooperation between our government and private sector experts. | ||
| These partnerships play an integral role in our ability to safeguard the U.S. financial system and our national security. | ||
| Mrs. Beatty's common sense bill authorizes private sector firms operating under an OFAC license to conduct nominal transactions with sanctioned entities, allowing them to more effectively trace funds and uncover illicit networks during financial crime investigations. | ||
| The gentlewoman and I agree that while the private sector can provide a helping hand in tracking down bad actors, it's ultimately the government's responsibility to provide clear legal guidance and guardrails to support that effort. | ||
| I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill and our reserve. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from Arkansas Reserves, the gentlewoman from California is recognized. | |
| Thank you. | ||
| I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| I rise in support of H.R. 1450, the OFAC Licensure for Investigators Act, sponsored by Representative Beatty. | ||
| This bill will require the Secretary of the Treasury to develop a pilot program at the Office of Foreign Assets Control, OFAC, by which private sector firms like Blockchain and Analytics firms or the financial intelligence units within corresponding banks could receive a license to send or receive normal financial transactions and to and through sanctioned entities. | ||
| These small amounts could yield big details that would further our understanding of what is happening by whom in sanctions, invasion, and money laundering investigations. | ||
| We need what this bill proposes because as the global anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism regime has become increasingly effective in detecting and deterring the abuse of the financial system, bad actors have often moved their transactions into illicit markets and spaces to use technologies and methods that are harder to track. | ||
| Investigative efforts by firms and in-house functions dedicated to tracking down these attempts to avoid detection help banks and governments, among others, to identify bad actors, accounts, and technologies used by criminals and terrorists. | ||
| They are limited, however, in how far they can see into these dirty operations. | ||
| One of those limitations in the visibility into the financial transactions of bad actors is due to sanctions, which appropriately and forcefully prevents parties from engaging with targets of sanctions. | ||
| Investigators, whether in private firms or large bank intelligence units, must stop a transaction from finding evidence that suggests a wallet, account, or address may be associated with a sanctioned person. | ||
| With the specific licenses envisioned by this bill, OFAC would closely manage narrow and explicit exceptions to its sanctions programs to allow investigators to engage with sanctioned persons in order to gain more visibility into the opaque networks and practices. | ||
| Again, OFAC would be limited to allowing only nominal amounts for such traceable transfers. | ||
| The bill also ensures that there is robust oversight of this process, requiring the recipients of these specific licenses to report to OFACs monthly on their findings. | ||
| This is similar in concept to the keep open letters that government officials provide to financial institutions to keep open suspicious accounts so the government can watch the transactions and follow the money because H.R. 1450 would help investigators better follow the money to make their sanctions and money laundering investigations more fruitful for the United States government, | ||
| banks, and others that employ such services. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support this bill and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
California Reserves and gentlemen from Arkansas is recognized. | |
| Mr. Speaker, I'd ask unanimous consent to insert the Congressional Budget Office estimate for this bill in the record. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Without objection. | |
| Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to ask my friend from Iowa, Mr. Nunn, I yield him one minute to talk about the aspects of this bill from his perspective of being a former counterintelligence officer. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from Iowa is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chair. | ||
| Thank you, Chairman Hill. | ||
| I rise in strong support of the bipartisan OFAC Licensure for Investigators Act, which I am proud to co-lead with my friend on the other side of the aisle, the representative from Ohio, Ms. Beatty. | ||
| Terrorist networks like Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Russian Mafia, North Korean cyber criminals are no longer relying solely on traditional cash couriers or shell companies. | ||
| They now exploit financial platforms, adopting increasingly sophisticated approaches to fund acts of terrorism. | ||
| These organizations adapt quickly, using every loophole in the global financial system to be able to mask their origin and the destination for their funds that threaten U.S. forces abroad. | ||
| Fortunately, the United States is home to the world's most advanced financial technology firms and data analytics companies. | ||
| Just this spring, the FBI, working hand in hand with blockchain's forensics teams on the private sector side, seized $1.5 billion in stolen digital assets from North Korea's affiliated Lazarus Group. | ||
| That's why I'm so proud to be able to work together on legislation which establishes a pilot program within the Department of Treasury to enable private sector firms to collaborate with Treasury to enhance our investigative leads. | ||
| These teams working together, fusing the best information, help provide a vital tool in combating the evolving threats posed by terrorism. | ||
| With that, thank you, Representative Beatty. | ||
| Thank you to the House Financial Services Committee, and I yield back the remainder of my time in support of this bill. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from Arkansas Reserves, the gentlewoman from California, is recognized. | |
| I now yield three minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio, Mrs. Beatty, who is also the ranking member of the Subcommittee on National Security, International Finance, and Financial Institutions. | ||
| The gentleman is the sponsor of this bill. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from Ohio is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| Thank you, Congresswoman Waters. | ||
| I rise in support of my bipartisan bill, H.R. 1450, the OFAC Licensure for Investigators Act, which I am very proud to co-league with my colleague, the gentleman from Iowa, Mr. Nunn. | ||
| This bill, Mr. Speaker, requires the Secretary of Treasury to develop a special licensing pilot program within the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, and it will be administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. | ||
| This pilot project would grant private sector firms a temporary specific license to conduct nominal financial transactions with sanctioned entities to assist with law enforcement investigations. | ||
| These private firms would be, for example, as you've heard, blockchain analytic firms or the financial intelligence units within correspondent banks. | ||
| The common sense legislation seeks to enhance the tools at our disposal to investigate sanctioned individuals and entities and to hold bad actors accountable. | ||
| And that's very important. | ||
| You see, this concept is similar to, as you've heard by our chairwoman, an open letter, which gives governments when the government asked, that is when a government asked a bank to keep a suspicious or illicit account open. | ||
| As it stands now, private financial firms are currently limited to their capacity to engage with sanctioned entities due to a robust sanction regime. | ||
| But that also means that it's impossible to access data about bad actors' networks and methods, intelligence that would be great of great assistance to law enforcement agents, to government, to consumers of their products, and the financial industry overall, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| So by giving OFAC the authority to tailor the parameters of the specific licensure pilot program, this legislation enhances our investigatory toolbox while guaranteeing essential protections. | ||
| For example, the specific license would be well defined and narrowly applied, ensuring that private firms only conduct nominal transactions, for example, $5, $10, or so they can collect better data and intelligence. | ||
| Lastly, the program would have strict oversight requiring that licensure recipients provide detailed monthly reports to OFAC on their activities and findings under the license. | ||
| This innovative bill harnesses the vast resources of private sector and allows the federal government to work collaboratively with financial firms to further our national security goals. | ||
| So, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join our chairman, to join our ranking member and my colleague, Mr. Nunn, in supporting this bill. | ||
| Thank you, and I yield back. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentlewoman from California Reserves, the gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | |
| I have no further speakers, and I'm prepared to close if Mr. Hill has no further speakers. | ||
| The majority has no further speakers. | ||
| We'll yield to the gentlewoman. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentlewoman from California is recognized. | |
| I yield myself the balance of the time. | ||
| This bill, H.R. 1450, the OFAC Licensure for Investigators Act from Representative Beatty, would develop a program at the Department of the Treasury that would allow financial crime investigators, | ||
|
15-Minute Vote on Homeland Security
00:03:22
|
||
| including those at the Office of Foreign Assets Control, that is OFAC, to better trace and understand the efforts by bad actors to evade sanctions and launder funds by allowing nominal amounts to be directed through certain accounts with stringent U.S. government oversight. | ||
| Banks, government agencies, and others seeking knowledge about how these bad actors behave and are connected will benefit. | ||
| This bill will help to keep our financial system and national security secure. | ||
| I again urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentlelady yields back. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, our yes vote, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman yields back. | ||
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 1450? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended. | ||
| The bills passed without objection. | ||
| The motion reconsiders laid on the table. | ||
| Presented to clause 8 of Rule 20, proceedings will resume all motions to suspend the rules previously postponed. | ||
| Votes will be taken in the following order: H.R. 3095, H.R. 3351. | ||
| The first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15-minute vote. | ||
| Remaining electronic votes will be conducted as a five-minute vote. | ||
| Pursuant to clause 8 of Rule 20, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from Kentucky, Mr. Comer, to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 3095 as amended. | ||
| The clerk will report the title. | ||
| On which the yeast and nays are ordered, the clerk will report the title. | ||
| H.R. 3095, a bill to direct the United States Postal Service to designate single, unique zip codes for certain communities and for other purposes. | ||
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended? | ||
| Members will record their votes by electronic device. | ||
| Members, this is a 15-minute vote. | ||
|
unidentified
|
And members here in the House voting on two bills under suspension of the rules. | |
| Each would need a two-thirds majority to pass. | ||
| This current vote to direct the U.S. Postal Service to create unique zip codes for 68 designated communities throughout the United States. | ||
| And just one more suspension vote expected after this dealing with the SEC. | ||
| While members make their way to the floor for the vote, we'll show the news conference from earlier today with Homeland Security Secretary Christy Noam about the shooting of an off-duty border agent. | ||
|
Secretary Noam's Concern
00:15:53
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||
| Good morning, everyone. | ||
| I'm Christine Olme. | ||
| I'm the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and we just recently, in the last couple of days, have had one of our own that has been attacked and has been harmed dangerously by violent criminals that have been run loose here in New York City, but also in this country, as a result of Sanctuary City policies and the policies of the Biden administration. | ||
| I just want you all to know that we have our hearts and our prayers going out with our officer and with his family and his friends, and we'll be lifting him up in prayer for his quick recovery and his healing from this terrible tragedy that has befallen him. | ||
| Listen, our officer was off duty on Saturday evening when him and his friend were attacked. | ||
| They were attacked by two individuals that were set on robbing them, and thankfully he had his service weapon with him and was able to defend himself and his friend and injured one of those individuals that was trying to do them harm. | ||
| His quick action speaks to his tenacity and his excellence in training and skill. | ||
| And because of that, one of the perpetuators was wounded in this interaction and was incarcerated when he came in to get medical treatment. | ||
| One of the suspected attackers, the one that was injured, his name is Miguel Francisco Mora Nunes, a Dominican national that was entering into this country illegally back in 2023. | ||
| He was then released back into this country by the Biden administration. | ||
| Miguel Francisco Mora Nunes is and has a rap sheet that is a mile long. | ||
| He was arrested. | ||
| He was charged with grand larceny and also assault. | ||
| The state of Massachusetts has an active warrant out for him for armed robbery with a firearm. | ||
| He also has many other charges against him, such as kidnapping and witness intimidation. | ||
| There's absolutely zero reason that someone who is scum of the earth like this should be running loose on the streets of New York City. | ||
| He was arrested four different times in New York City and because of the mayor's policies and sanctuary city policies was released back to do harm to people and to individuals living in this city. | ||
| Make no mistake, this officer is in the hospital today fighting for his life because of the policies of the mayor of this city and the city council and the people that were in charge of keeping the public safe. | ||
| They refused to do so and now we have the situation on our hand where someone who has dedicated their lives to protecting the public is now fighting for his own. | ||
| I'm calling on every single mayor and sanctuary city and sanctuary governor to change their policies and to change their tactics right now. | ||
| Their job is to take an oath to protect the public, to protect families that are out there every single day trying to provide for each other and to try to live the American dream and they want to do so safely in their own communities. | ||
| How many more lives will it take? | ||
| How many more people have to be hurt and victimized before we have public safety be a number one priority in some of our largest cities? | ||
| When I look at what Mayor Adams has done to New York City, it breaks my heart to see the families that have suffered because of his policies. | ||
| We can look across this country at other mayors. | ||
| We look at Mayor Wu in Boston and what has happened there under her watch. | ||
| What's happened in LA with the riots and the violence and the protests that have gone on because of Mayor Bass and what she has perpetuated. | ||
| When you look at Mayor Johnson in Chicago and how devastating it is to live in that city and some of those poorest communities, how they suffer every single day with the violence that's in front of them just because these individuals are protecting criminals. | ||
| They're protecting criminals who go out and murder, rape, rob. | ||
| They perpetuate violence on our children. | ||
| They traffic them and drugs and damage this country every single day under the protection of Sanctuary City and governors who put in place these policies that allow them to perpetuate these crimes with no consequences. | ||
| What I would say is today, my hope is that this would wake up these individuals and they would recognize that they can't keep letting these dangerous criminals go free. | ||
| They can't continue to let these individuals be brought in for crimes they're committing against the public and then releasing them right back onto the streets with no consequences whatsoever. | ||
| Fortunately for us today, our officer survived. | ||
| He survived. | ||
| He's going through a very difficult time, and I would ask that you respect him and his family and his friend who was with him and what they have gone through. | ||
| But I would also say that we can't guarantee that the next victim of these dangerous criminals will be treated the same or will be able to get through this dangerous situation. | ||
| We were able to bring the second individual in and have detained him as well, and he will face consequences and hopefully strong prosecution for his crimes and his involvement on Saturday night. | ||
| But my hope is that we can continue to when ICE is out in our communities and they're lodging detainers against individuals that are in this country illegally perpetuating crimes, that we would have a city like New York City start to honor them and allow us to bring these criminals to justice, allow them to get them out of our communities so that they can't continue to hurt people like we saw on Saturday night. | ||
| We still have a lot of work to do. | ||
| We've seen violence against our officers go up over 830 percent just in recent days because of the rhetoric out of politicians and the rhetoric out of individuals who are letting this victimization go on and on against the public. | ||
| So I would call on everybody today to recognize what can happen, how in one moment someone's life can change, their whole family can change. | ||
| And it is happening every day across this country. | ||
| And this officer and his family, while today they are suffering, they still continue to serve the public and recognize that they want to go back out and make sure that they're doing all that they can to uphold the rule of law in this country. | ||
| We're doing everything in our power to make sure that our officers out on the streets have the equipment and the training and the resources and the backup that they need to do their jobs. | ||
| But they should never have to deal with an individual who was arrested four different times for violating the law and then released. | ||
| And that individual was released on the streets of the city because of Mayor Bass's policies and because of his city council's policies and because of politicians who talk big and then people get hurt. | ||
| People get hurt and in many cases they end up losing their lives. | ||
| Let's hope that that's never true and that today is the day that those policies change and people get the courage to make sure they're making the decisions that actually do protect people going forward. | ||
| We're going to bring the perpetuators of violence to justice. | ||
| President Trump has promised that for the American people and he's going to follow through on it. | ||
| I'll do all that I can and I'm so grateful to have partners like Rodney Scott with me from Border Patrol and Protection and also with Tom Holman as the Borders Are. | ||
| We'll continue to work to make sure that we're dealing with the violence that we see on our streets but we also recognize that here in these sanctuary cities it's much more dangerous because of the politicians who aren't taking responsibility for what they're doing. | ||
| They're setting the American people up to become victims of crime and it has to stop today. | ||
| I'd ask you all to keep our law enforcement officers in your prayers, their families, as they face the environment that they do every day while they do their job. | ||
| This officer wasn't even on the job. | ||
| He was out enjoying a beautiful evening with a friend of his and was a victim of crime and it ended up with him mortally and seriously wounded and he is going to, because of the great care of the doctors that are taking care of him today, pull through. | ||
| But our prayers are going to be with him and his family as they work their way through this situation. | ||
| With that, I will turn it over to Rodney Scott, who is the Commissioner of our Customs and Border Protection. | ||
| Thank you, Ma'am. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you for being here. | |
| Thank you, Madam Secretary, for all the support that you've given us and the support you're showing our officers today and the comments that you just made. | ||
| My name is Rodney Scott. | ||
| I'm currently the Commissioner of United States Customs and Border Protection. | ||
| But as I talk, I want you to remember that I was also the chief of the United States Border Patrol until 2021. | ||
| I want to really start by thanking the medical personnel here in New York City at the hospital, the EMS workers, and even the guys behind me in blue that have shown tremendous support to our officer and to his family as well. | ||
| We should not be here today. | ||
| The reason these two assailants are inside the United States today is because of failed border policies by the Biden administration. | ||
| I personally warned the Biden administration against their open border policies in 2021. | ||
| I was ignored, and exactly what I predicted, many of us predicted, happened, in total chaos along the border. | ||
| These two individuals, the two assailants, were released into the United States after being apprehended because of failed policies. | ||
| President Trump stepped up and fixed those failed policies on January 20th of this year. | ||
| With the support from Secretary Noam, we now have one of the most secure, we have the most secure border that I've ever seen in my entire lifetime. | ||
| Much of that resolution was by fixing failed policies based on facts and evidence. | ||
| Sanctuary city policies across this nation and some of these and even states in some cases are failed policies. | ||
| The facts and evidence are there in front of you. | ||
| It's time for local leadership and state leadership to step up to the plate like President Trump did, acknowledge crime as crime, acknowledge the fact that there's no global information system where we can vet these people coming into the United States. | ||
| We do not know who they are, and we have to have border security where we simply know and control who and what enters our country, just like we do our homes. | ||
| This should not be political. | ||
| I'm calling on all state and local leaders to step up to the plate, get rid of these sanctuary city laws, and simply enforce the laws on the books. | ||
| Work with your federal agencies so that we can actually root out these criminals from our neighborhoods. | ||
| Last but not least, I should have said this up front: thoughts and prayers for our officer and his family, and I would ask that you keep them in your thoughts and prayers as well. | ||
| Thank you for your time, but please remember this: this was 100% preventable. | ||
| It was caused by bad policy, and it could be fixed with good policy. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| I visited the officer last night. | ||
| Of course, he was heavily sedated, so I didn't have words with him. | ||
| I did talk to his family. | ||
| They're devastated. | ||
| It's just a shock to the soul when you walk in and see that young man laying there. | ||
| Secretary said at Rodney said that sanctuary cities are sanctuaries for criminals. | ||
| Hard stop. | ||
| I've been doing this since 1984. | ||
| I've never seen a situation where I see it today. | ||
| New York City, how many times do you want to see NYPD attacked by illegal alien criminals in this city? | ||
| Now, a federal officer, how many citizens in this city have been attacked by illegal aliens in this city? | ||
| You see the polls, everybody agrees we should be arresting public safety threat illegal aliens, but you got a city council here that locked us out of Rutgers Island. | ||
| Are you kidding me? | ||
| So an illegal alien in Rutgers Island we can't talk to, we don't have access to. | ||
| That makes the city unsafe. | ||
| Every sanctuary city is unsafe. | ||
| I'll say it again: sanctuary cities are sanctuaries for criminals. | ||
| And I'm going to work very hard with Secretary of Noam to keep President Trump's promise and his commitment several weeks ago that sanctuary cities are now our priority. | ||
| We're going to flood the zone. | ||
| You don't want to let us into jail to arrest a bad guy in the safety and security of a jail. | ||
| You want to release him into the street, which makes it unsafe for the community, makes it unsafe for the officer, makes it unsafe for the alien. | ||
| Because anything can happen on a street arrest. | ||
| So, what we're going to do, we're going to have more agents in New York City to look for that bad guy. | ||
| So, sanctuary cities get exactly what they don't want: more agents in the community and more agents in the worksite. | ||
| If we can't arrest a bad guy in the safety and security of the county jail, then arrest him in the community and we'll arrest him in a jail. | ||
| And when we arrest him in the community, if he's with others that are in the country illegally, they're coming too. | ||
| Sanctuary cities are sanctuaries for criminals. | ||
| President Trump is not going to tolerate it. | ||
| And I'll work every day with Secretary Noam to make sure we get as many bad guys, illegal aliens, out of this country that we can. | ||
| And I want to say one more thing: I'm sick and tired of reading in the media every day how ICE is not doing what the Trump administration has promised, that we're not arresting criminals, that most of the people we arrest are not criminals. | ||
| I look at the numbers every day. | ||
| The numbers I looked at the other day: 130,000 arrests and 90,000 criminals. | ||
| Do the math, that's 70%. | ||
| And who are the others? | ||
| Others are those who have final orders who had to process a great taxpayer expense. | ||
| A federal judge ordered them removed, so ICE's job is to remove them. | ||
| Who are the rest of the people? | ||
| National security threats. | ||
| Under Secretary Noam's leadership, they've arrested several hundred Iranian nationals. | ||
| National security threats. | ||
| They may not have a criminal conviction, but they need to be detained. | ||
| They need to be arrested and taken off the streets of this country. | ||
| Then I read another story about how most people in ICE detention aren't criminals. | ||
| Now, the story is how bad were criminals that have to be. | ||
| I saw a story the other day: only 1% of the illegal aliens removed were murderers. | ||
| Are you kidding me? | ||
| Being in the country illegally is not illegal anymore? | ||
| You got committed murder to be deported? | ||
| If you look at ICE detention, I'll say it again: look at the detention. | ||
| Who's in detention? | ||
| I looked at the numbers this morning. | ||
| A majority are criminals who have criminal history. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Who are the rest? | |
| Final order cases who were judged ordered removed. | ||
| The others are expedited removal by federal statute demands they be detained. | ||
| So with the media out there, let's try telling the truth about the men and women of ICE and the men and women of the Board Patrol. | ||
| I wore that uniform. | ||
| I was an ICE agent. | ||
| These are the finest men and women in this country that put their lives on the line every day for this country. | ||
| I buried Board Patrol agents. | ||
| I buried ICE agents. | ||
| Luckily, thank God, we're not burying one today. | ||
| Enough. | ||
| I love the men and women of ICE. | ||
| I love the men and women of the Board Patrol. | ||
| They're finally doing the job they took an oath to do, and they got a great leadership of Secretary Noam who's going to enforce the law without apology. | ||
| I appreciate your leadership, man. | ||
| Appreciate it. | ||
|
unidentified
|
So good morning. | |
| Diane Sabatino, Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations. | ||
| First, I certainly want to express my heartfelt thanks to Secretary Noam, Commissioner Scott, and Borders R. Holman for the incredible support they've demonstrated for the New York Field Office, Office of Field Operations the last couple of days. | ||
| You know, it is a tragic scenario to get a phone call about an officer, any CBP Customs and Border Protection employee that's injured in the line of duty. | ||
| It was even more tragic, this individual off duty. | ||
| You know, they picked the wrong guy in this particular case, two assailants, you know, just a crime of opportunity. | ||
|
Family's Heartfelt Recovery
00:02:21
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|
unidentified
|
Unfortunately, and I apologize, I'm a bit overwhelmed. | |
| I saw the officer this morning and having met him before and seeing how challenged our officers are in taking care of each other during this hard time. | ||
| But just to get back to what I was saying, they picked the wrong individual to try to rob. | ||
| And thank God when we invest in our CBP officers, we invest in training, we invest in vigilance 24-7, our officers and our agents stand watch 24-7 on the front line of the United States of America. | ||
| And we'll take action and we'll demonstrate that vigilance and dedication at any opportunity. | ||
| That's great. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you. | |
| Go ahead, Frank. | ||
| Morning, everyone. | ||
| My name is Frank Crusoe. | ||
| I'm the Director of Field Operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the New York Field Office. | ||
| We sit on a historical site. | ||
| This building, One World Trade Center, sits on the very footprint of our old custom house. | ||
| We were here from 1973 until 9-11. | ||
| The memorial fountains that sit outside this window remind us of the attacks on 9-11. | ||
| We have employees who were here for the first attack in 1993. | ||
| They were here for the attack on 9-11, and they're back again. | ||
| Our officer who was attacked on Saturday night embodies all the courage and resiliency of all our employees in CBP who are here in the New York field office. | ||
| And our hearts are with him and his family as he recovers. | ||
| And we ask that you all pray with us for his quick recovery. | ||
| These acts, as the Secretary, Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner, Mr. Homan mentioned, should not have happened. | ||
| And we need your help to make sure that they don't happen again. | ||
| We thank you all for being here. | ||
| I want to thank the Secretary, Bordersar Homan, Commissioner Scott, Assistant Commissioner Sabatino, and our partners at HSI and ERO for supporting us during these difficult times. | ||
|
Go After Criminals
00:06:02
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|
unidentified
|
Thank you, everyone. | |
| It's a great job. | ||
| Again, we want to continue to lift up this family and our officer in our prayers. | ||
| We're thinking of him and had the opportunity to visit with them this morning. | ||
| They're doing well, but they do appreciate the outreach that they've had from the city, from all of the different agencies, the nonprofits that have reached out and have been willing to help them and walk alongside of them. | ||
| But they also recognize when I asked them if there was anything that they needed, they said, go after these criminals. | ||
| One of the things he would have appreciated the most is if you doubled down on these bad guys that perpetuate crimes like these, these and even use these mopeds to commit their crimes and are well known for using them throughout the city to go out and to rob poor innocent people who are out enjoying an evening on the town with their family members. | ||
| So we will continue to take that encouragement to go after criminals in this country and especially those who have perpetuated acts like this that shouldn't be here and should never have been here. | ||
| I want to remind you that this individual had been arrested four different times before this act happened on Saturday night. | ||
| Arrested and released again and again and again. | ||
| And what did we think was going to happen from policies like that? | ||
| When you take a dangerous individual and you allow them to never face any consequences for the acts that they're perpetuating against the public, and then you end up in a situation that could have been prevented. | ||
| So we're lifting that family up in prayer. | ||
| We're going to walk alongside them, but also we're going to double down and make sure that these criminal, illegal aliens are not only off our streets, but they're out of our country. | ||
| And that once again, America can be a country where the rule of law matters, where the laws apply to everyone equally, and never once is an illegal alien put above an American citizen or their safety and their opportunity to have the American dream. | ||
| So with that, we'll open it up to any questions that you may have. | ||
| Yes, sir. | ||
|
unidentified
|
If you could talk about what you plan to do here in New York, talking about ramping up some of that work that NQ, how do you make this push to get more ICE agents? | |
| You know, saw on social media the push to get back some folks who may have retired, folks who know how to do that work. | ||
| What's it going to take to get them? | ||
| Yeah, we've already had some retired agents that have indicated they'd like to come back and help. | ||
| They love the opportunity to come back and work for an agency that's allowed to do its job. | ||
| Under this administration, President Trump is allowing our ICE and our CBP officers, our law enforcement officers, to do their jobs again. | ||
| And that's reinvigorating them and their desire to want to be a part of a team where someone's got their backs. | ||
| What we'll do in a city like this is we'll double down. | ||
| We'll put more agents here. | ||
| We'll put more personnel here. | ||
| We'll give them more equipment, more training for situations where they may have to go into a dangerous neighborhood where local law enforcement won't be there to have their backs. | ||
| And we'll continue to talk to the public about the truth of what we're doing. | ||
| The media has lied over and over and over again about what President Trump has given us as direction to do in this country when it comes to criminal illegal aliens. | ||
| We have prioritized them. | ||
| They are our targets. | ||
| We're going to go after those individuals that are perpetuating crimes in our country and remove them and get them out and have them face consequences for what they're doing. | ||
| So what you will see when you have a mayor like this, a city council like this, that's allowing their people to be victimized is that we will follow through on our promises. | ||
| We'll put more people here, more agents, more resources. | ||
| And we'll have more federal agencies deployed in task force models so that they can go out and do their operations and do them safely. | ||
| Yes, sir. | ||
|
unidentified
|
I'm targeting violent people. | |
| Mr. Holland just said we're going to flood the community and if there are people in the country illegally not accused of crimes, we'll pick them up too. | ||
| We've seen outside immigration court here in New York City people still with pending green card claims, pending asylum claims are grabbed right outside of court. | ||
| So my question is this, I understand you say you're targeting mostly violent people. | ||
| Are you not undercutting your own argument when you arrest those other people? | ||
| Absolutely not. | ||
| What we're doing is we're targeting those individuals that are perpetuators of crimes in this country, those who have final removal orders, those who have undergone due process and are needing to be removed from this country. | ||
| We will do that. | ||
| The biggest problem we have here in this city is that they don't honor our detainers, is that they're releasing people out of the court system, out of jails, and we have detainers against them and local law enforcement isn't cooperating with us to honor those so that we can get these individuals off the streets. | ||
| So we're going to continue to do that work every day. | ||
| But it would be much safer for law enforcement, much safer for the public, if we could do it in partnership with local law enforcement. | ||
| And we do that across the country. | ||
| In so many states, we have agreements with city police, with sheriffs, with local law enforcement who partner with us to make sure our officers can be safe while they do this work and we can clean up communities that are victims of crime. | ||
| Unfortunately, here in New York City, it's a different situation because here people play politics and then you have innocent people get hurt. | ||
| And that shouldn't happen anymore. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Just to be clear, so many of those arrested are not accused of criminals if law enforcement, not accused of crimes, local law enforcement cooperate. | |
| That's what you're saying. | ||
| It depends on if you're talking about those who have charges against them, those who have pending charges, those who have final removal orders. | ||
| Those all continue to be our focus as well. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Go ahead. | |
| Yes. | ||
| Yesterday we learned the suspect, Nigel Francisco Mona Nunez, was once deported and then re-entered the country illegally through the Arizona border sector. | ||
| Can you explain how and why that was able to happen? | ||
| Well, if you look at what happened during the Biden administration, which is when he entered this country, was that basically anyone who crossed the border was granted an asylum and given a notice to appear in court, and he never did. | ||
|
Two-Thirds Majority Needed
00:02:40
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| Never showed up, of course, which happened with millions of individuals who came into our country. | ||
| And that's the task that we now have under the Trump administration: cleaning up the ramifications of that invasion of our country. | ||
| Remember, people came to this country through an open border in those policies that were terrorists, suspected terrorists, people who are violent criminals from across the world, individuals who were in a hundred and twenty-one. | ||
| Two-thirds being in the firmament, the rules are suspended. | ||
| The bill is passed. | ||
| And without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| Pursuant to Clause 8 of Rule 20, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Hill, to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 30-51 as amended, on which the yeas and nays are ordered. | ||
| The clerk will report the title. | ||
| H.R. 3351, a bill to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, to specify that actions of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation are not a collection of information under the Paperwork Reduction Act. | ||
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended? | ||
| Members will record their votes by electronic device. | ||
| Members, this is a five-minute vote. | ||
|
unidentified
|
And members now voting on a bill to exempt outreach and information collection actions taken by the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. | |
| Needs a two-thirds majority for passage. | ||
| While we're in this vote, we'll show Republican Representative Ron Estes of Kansas, who serves as the chair of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security. | ||
| He spoke at a forum on international tax policy, hosted by the American Enterprise Institute. | ||
| Well, good afternoon, I guess. | ||
| It's afternoon, right? | ||
| It's my mic on. | ||
|
Tax Rate Reform Debate
00:06:26
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| All right, good. | ||
| I've got some notes here that the staff prepared for me, so maybe I'll use some of them, maybe I won't as we go through this. | ||
| So that's always the fear, right, when you're up here. | ||
| It's always their fear a little bit when I'm up here. | ||
| It's great to see you be able to talk about things that are going on in the world, and particularly things that are going on as we relate to tax policy and good economic policy, which drives good economic growth. | ||
| A lot of you probably heard several of these conversations from me a lot over the last several months as we've gone through this whole process to talk through what we should do from a tax code policy within the United States and what we wanted to do moving forward there. | ||
| It's great as we're at this point now where we're wanting to focus on how do we make sure that we have good policy that makes good economic growth for companies to do business in America and benefit American workers in the American economy and ultimately raises money for tax revenue to have to fund the government and activities that we do here as well. | ||
| And that's kind of been my focus since I've been on Ways and Means now six years and looking at that I came on shortly after the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017 was passed into law. | ||
| That was my first term in Congress and so the guiding principles even back then were looking at how do we make U.S. more competitive in the activities that we do. | ||
| And I'll go back and talk a little bit about 2017 and then translate to some degree how our efforts with TCGA in 2017 tied in with the efforts in the One Big Beautiful bill this year and then how that's also connected to the OECD discussions on Pillar 1 and Pillar 2. | ||
| I'd like to go back and do a little bit of review of history when we talk about TCGA. | ||
| Because we think back to 2017, the state of the economy at that point in time was everybody was talking about this new normal, that we should just expect low 1 to 1.5 percent economic growth. | ||
| And that should be the standard that we should expect in the United States. | ||
| The United States had the fourth highest corporate tax rate in the world and highest of any developed country. | ||
| And so it was always putting our industry at a competitive disadvantage as we sort through activities. | ||
| We had had stagnant wage growth for two or three decades in terms of the average taxpayers was the mid to high 30s was what the income level was for the individuals across the country. | ||
| We also had inversions was the topic of the day. | ||
| Whether you were a Republican president or a Democrat president, it was a problem that you were trying to address where because of our high tax rate, it was profitable for foreign-based businesses to come by a valuable U.S. entity and convert it into headquarters being overseas and actually partially pay for that through the lower tax savings just by getting out of the U.S. tax burden. | ||
| And then the other component that doesn't get talked about a lot is the amount of money that was trapped overseas. | ||
| I mean, literally it was in the $4 to $4.5 trillion where subsidiaries of U.S.-based businesses had operations in foreign countries. | ||
| And because of the existing tax rate, they paid taxes in that country, the territory where they were operating in, but the U.S. tax code said, well, we want to double dip and tax you to bring that money back. | ||
| So that money was being left overseas, was actually being invested in helping grow the economies over there, which wasn't what you want from a U.S.-based business or entity. | ||
| And so those are some of the big issues that we wanted to address with TCGA. | ||
| It kind of drove a lot of our thought process as we went into that and what we starting with just driving the corporate tax rate down, down to 21%. | ||
| And even at that, we weren't going to be the lowest tax rate. | ||
| We didn't want that. | ||
| We're still, by the time you combine the 21% corporate rate with state and local taxes, we're just above the midpoint of OECD countries around the world. | ||
| But we think that's appropriate. | ||
| I think we'll still be competitive just because of the innovation with U.S. businesses and the activities that we'll do focusing going forward. | ||
| And so in addition to the corporate rate, we also wanted to make sure that we looked at how do we incentivize investment in research? | ||
| Remember, let's change our vote on this vote. | ||
| The yeas are 387, the nays are 12, two-thirds being in the firm of the rules are suspended. | ||
| The bill is passed. | ||
| In that objection, the motion we consider is laid on the table. | ||
| Over here. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Michigan seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Craig Goldman, be removed as a co-sponsor from H.R. 4244. | ||
| Without objection, so ordered. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you. The House will be in order. | |
|
Mourning Fallen Heroes
00:03:07
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| Members, take your conversation off the floor. | ||
| The House will be in order. | ||
| California seek recognition for what purpose? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to address the House out of order. | |
| Without objection today, I rise with my colleagues in the California delegation to mourn the loss of three heroic sheriff's deputies who were tragically killed last week while serving in the arson explosives detail of the Special Enforcement Bureau, the largest loss of life in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department since 1857. | ||
| Together, they gave 74 years of distinguished service to Los Angeles County. | ||
| Detective William Osborne joined the department in 1992. | ||
| He worked as a detective for over a decade before taking on a new role as an emergency vehicle operations center instructor in 2016. | ||
| He became an arson and explosive investigator in 2019 and finally gave back as a mentor to new investigators. | ||
| He is survived by his six children and his wife. | ||
| Detective Victor Lemas joined the department in 2003, became a canine handler in 2017 and an arson investigator last year. | ||
| He received commendations for his ability to mentor and train fellow deputies as well as notable arrests involving career criminals. | ||
| He is survived by his wife and three daughters. | ||
| He also has three sisters who work in the department. | ||
| Detective Joshua Kelly Eklund joined the department in 2006 and became an arson and explosive investigator in 2022. | ||
| He was known as an outstanding field training officer who is professional and articulate. | ||
| He is survived by his wife and seven children and was a proud resident of the Santa Clarita Valley in my home district. | ||
| Their loss is a sobering reminder of the risks these heroes take every single day. | ||
| Their families, colleagues, and loved ones are grieving the unimaginable. | ||
| Today we stand with them in solidarity, in sorrow, and in gratitude. | ||
| Let us now join together in a moment of silence to honor their service, their sacrifice, and their memory. | ||
|
Request for One Minute
00:10:35
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|
unidentified
|
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | |
| yield back. | ||
| Go for it. | ||
| The chair will now entertain requests for one-minute speeches. | ||
| The House will be in order. | ||
| Let's take the conversations off the floor. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Pennsylvania seek recognition? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Speaker, I request unanimous consent to address the House for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. | |
| Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize CenterSafe, which celebrates 50 years of providing confidential and professional services for victims and survivors of domestic dating and sexual violence. | ||
| CenterSafe began as a grassroots effort in 1975 as a Center County Women's Resource Center. | ||
| Since then, it has grown from one-room operation in a state college to three locations: the administrative offices and Sylvia Stein Shelter and State College, the Counseling and Legal Advocacy Satellite Office in Belfont, and the Child Access Center in Belfont. | ||
| While CenterSafe began as an agency by Women for Women, it works to support all survivors and victims. | ||
| It offers a 24-hour crisis hotline, emergency shelter, crisis counseling, legal advocacy, and representation in transitional housing. | ||
| CenterSafe also works to address violence before it begins, but educating children and youth about healthy relationships. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, domestic violence has no place in American society. | ||
| Victims often feel that they have nowhere to turn. | ||
| But for the last 50 years, CenterSafe has been a safe place for those who need support in times of crisis. | ||
| And for that, we are grateful. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you. | |
| For what purpose does the gentlelady from Oregon seek recognition? | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to address the House for one minute and to revise and extend our remarks. | |
| Without objection, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker. | |
| I only have one minute today, but I wish I had six or seven. | ||
| Wildfire season is upon us. | ||
| Over the weekend, we saw the cram fire in central Oregon grow to more than 95,000 acres, making it the largest wildfire of the year so far in the United States. | ||
| I'm grateful for the firefighters and local authorities who bravely responded and who are continuing to fight the flames. | ||
| And thanks to them, the fire is now over 70% contained. | ||
| But Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, while Oregon firefighters are out saving lives and homes, President Trump is freezing the funding they rely on, and that is unacceptable. | ||
| Whether it's for pushing out evacuation alerts or maintaining shelters, this funding is key to keeping our neighbors safe and prepared. | ||
| That's why I can't stop and won't stop fighting to ensure our communities have the resources they need. | ||
| And to my constituents, please continue to follow the direction of local authorities, have an evacuation plan, and prepare a go bag. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield back. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| What purpose does the gentleman from Georgia seek recognition? | ||
| Ask unanimous consent to address the House for one minute to revise and extend my remarks. | ||
| Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise to rally support for addressing the growing abuses of vision benefit managers or VBMs. | ||
| The industry is dominated by two vertically integrated giants whose actions are undermining health care access and threatening the existence of independent eye care practices in all of our districts. | ||
| It is concerning that some VBM patient and doctor mandates appear to be aimed solely at benefiting the optical products, labs, patient data gathering, and mass retail operations built around them. | ||
| The growing VBM acquisition and control over independent eye care practices have created worrying conflict of interest issues. | ||
| As I speak, VBMs are attempting to link physician reimbursement not to quality care standards but slowly to their own product sales. | ||
| We must protect against VPM schemes that invade the safeguarded sanctity of a doctor's exam room. | ||
| Confronting VBM abuses is the central focus of my bipartisan bill, the Doc Access Act, as well as multiple active investigations in Congress and by the GAO, FTC, and others. | ||
| I ask you to join me, the patient and consumer advocates like Patients Rising, the National Consumer League, and the American Optometrics Association to ensure VBM accountability is a priority in Congress. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I yield back. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from New York seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to address the House for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. | ||
| Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| This week, the House will vote on a bill to reduce clean water standards, setting our country back in our fight for clean water. | ||
| I've worked for three decades to improve the water quality in the Long Island Sound, and having seen the progress that we've made, I know that we cannot stop our commitment now. | ||
| Just last week, I attended a roundtable with the Long Island Sound Citizens Advisory Committee to discuss how we in Congress can work with them to preserve Long Island Sound. | ||
| This roundtable built on an event in Rye in June, where a new 10-year conservation and management plan was signed. | ||
| I've signed on to two bills: the Estuaries Act that will preserve Long Island Sound and 27 other estuaries of national significance, and the Long Island Restoration and Stewardship Act that reauthorizes grants made possible by the Clean Water Act through fiscal year 2029. | ||
| We must keep clean water standards high in order to protect and preserve our bodies of water. | ||
| We may not get another chance. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I yield my remaining time. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Texas seek recognition? | ||
| Leader, I seek unanimous consent to address the House for one minute revising my remarks. | ||
| Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| Today, I rise today to honor the illustrious career of Colonel Rhett A. Blackmun, Commander and District Engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District, a true servant leader. | ||
| Colonel Blackmun assumed command of the Galveston District on July 15, 2022, and quickly became a vital partner to Texas' 14th District. | ||
| Under his leadership, Mr. Speaker, the team oversaw more than $7.4 billion with the B dollars in infrastructure projects ranging from flood control to coastal protection that directly strengthened our communities. | ||
| His military service spans decades with combat and command roles across Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Indo-Pacific, as well as academic service as an instructor at West Point. | ||
| His leadership has always been defined by integrity, courage, and excellence, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| Our nation is stronger and safer because of dedicated men like Colonel Blackman. | ||
| As he retires from active duty, we honor his legacy of military service, unmatched professionalism, and his deep love of country. | ||
| Colonel Blackman, thank you for your selfless sacrifice and faithful service. | ||
| Brenda Gill and I wish you and Lindsay and your family every blessing in retirement. | ||
| God bless you and God bless United States of America. | ||
| And I yield back, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentlelady from Ohio seek recognition? | ||
| I asked unanimous consent to address the House for one minute to revise and extend my remarks. | ||
| Without objection, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I rise today to honor a true pillar of our Northwest Ohio community, Mr. Joe Safarowitz, an educator, mentor, and lifelong advocate for young people. | ||
| For more than five decades, he has shaped lives, not just by teaching in the classroom, but by investing in the boundless potential of every child he encountered. | ||
| From the halls of St. Agnes Elementary to the classrooms of Toledo Public Schools, Mr. Safarowicz inspired generations with his belief that every student, no matter their circumstance, deserved opportunity. | ||
| And even in retirement, he has never stopped lifting others up, using art as a tool to reach at-risk youth, guiding young minds toward hope and purpose. | ||
| His impact is evident in the voices of his former students, leaders, public servants, and community members who credit his encouragement as a turning point in their lives. | ||
| At the end of March, those students gathered to celebrate Joe's 80th birthday. | ||
| We too celebrate his life of service, kindness, and unwavering dedication to the future of our region. | ||
| May his legacy remind us all: a great teacher never stops teaching and a great heart never stops giving. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from California seek recognition? | ||
| Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| So we're heading into the peak of the fire season in the West. | ||
| The last thing California and other Western states need is even more red tape stopping firefighters from doing their jobs. | ||
|
Airdrops Save Lives
00:06:39
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| Our state and most of the West burns every year. | ||
| We've seen entire towns wiped out time and again, people killed, homes, power lines, forests, wildlife gone. | ||
| And now, right when we should be preparing to fight fires faster and smarter, environmental extremists are trying to ban the aerial fire retardant that the aircraft drops onto the fires by dragging them into a Clean Water Act debate. | ||
| This is insane. | ||
| These airdrops save lives using this retardant. | ||
| It's a well-known product, a known product, long time in use. | ||
| All of a sudden, they want to now sue over it. | ||
| This product helps slow the fires down, giving the firefighters a chance to set up and stop them from spreading even more to tens of thousands more acres. | ||
| We're not talking a theory here. | ||
| We're talking about something that's been used in practice, real tools that have been used safely for decades. | ||
| The smoke alone from one major wildfire does more harm than a targeted retardant drop ever could. | ||
| The Permit Act coming to the floor this week cuts through this bureaucracy, allowing firefighters to have this material they need to effectively fight fire. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentlelady from Massachusetts seek recognition? | ||
| Unanimous consent to address the House for one minute. | ||
| Without objection, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise to condemn the cruelty of the Hyde Amendment and reintroduce the EACH Act to end it once and for all. | ||
| It is 2025. | ||
| In 1976, when I was a mere two years old, a congressman from Chicago was living at the thought that a woman could be in control of her own body, especially a black or brown woman. | ||
| So he came to this floor and put forward an amendment with the simple, cruel aim to ban as many people as he could from getting abortion care. | ||
| And with that robotic precision, this institution has rubber stamped this amendment in budget after budget. | ||
| The Hyde Amendment denies abortion care to patients who receive their care through Medicaid ship and other government programs. | ||
| Once in my lifetime, we defeated this amendment in the House, a testament to activist organizers and my mentor, Congresswoman Barbara Lee. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, in my lifetime, we will defeat it once and for all because everyone deserves access to fundamental health care, and that's exactly what abortion care is. | ||
| No man, no king, no coward should come between us and our bodies. | ||
| I yield. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Virginia seek recognition? | ||
| Rise to address the House for one minute, Senator Revised remarks. | ||
| Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| Across the country, Americans' utility bills are going up, and this administration's actions are just making things worse while giving out favors to the fossil fuel industry. | ||
| Last week, employees of the Department of Interior received a memo, and basically what the memo said was that Secretary Bergham has to personally approve every single wind and solar project. | ||
| This will add red tape to renewable energy developments while stifling new technology and innovation. | ||
| And it's just ridiculous. | ||
| We want to be a leader in clean energy, but instead, we're having the Secretary personally having to approve of every single project. | ||
| They're cutting off the future of American renewable energy and leaving a void for our adversaries to fill. | ||
| And our federal government should be investing in new innovations that help lower utility costs and allow Americans to live better and healthier lives. | ||
| But instead, this administration is doing favors for the fossil fuel industry and picking energy favorites. | ||
| So I think this is bad for every single American, and I think we need to stand up against it. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you. | |
| The gentlelady from Maryland seek recognition. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to address the House for one moment and to revise and extend my remarks. | ||
| Without objection, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my deep concern for the future of education in our country. | ||
| The White House's last-minute decision to freeze $7 billion in congressionally approved Department of Education funds threatens essential programs the families of my district rely on. | ||
| In Maryland alone, more than 150,000 children participate in after-school programs and nearly 120,000 rely on summer programs. | ||
| And for every one student enrolled, three more are on the wait list. | ||
| These programs give parents assurances that even outside of school hours, children are learning, receiving healthy meals, and building meaningful relationships. | ||
| But don't just take my word. | ||
| Let the kids in my district speak. | ||
| This next to me was said by those from Girls Inc. in Washington County, an amazing program that my family has long supported. | ||
| Parents should not be left scrambling to choose between looking after their kids and working to put food on the table. | ||
| In rural districts like mine, publicly funded programs and programs like Girls Inc. are invaluable. | ||
| I stand firmly with Maryland Attorney General in fighting for those funds the families are counting on. | ||
| And I thank my Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle for speaking up, and I urge my colleagues in the House to do the same. | ||
| Thank you, and I yield my time. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Wisconsin seek recognition? | ||
| I'd like to ask unanimous consent to speak for one minute to revise and extend my remarks. | ||
| Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. | ||
| Thanks. | ||
| When Congress is in session, there are always interesting articles in the paper that I think demand a little bit more attention. | ||
| Over the weekend, or late last week, there was an article that said that in the United Kingdom, in a few years, we're going to begin having 16-year-olds vote. | ||
| Since frequently problems in America happen in Great Britain first, I think it's something we should pay a great deal of attention to. | ||
| About six years ago in this body, an amendment was offered allowing 16-year-olds to vote in federal elections. | ||
| Well over half the Democrats voted in favor of 16-year-olds. | ||
| Why would one want to do that? | ||
| 16-year-olds have nowhere near the wisdom and experience to make decisions as to who to vote for elections. | ||
| The only way you'd want to do it is if you want to manipulate these young minds in the schools across the country. | ||
| I, like I think many other people, would have voted entirely differently when I was 16 than when I was 26. | ||
|
Notice in Federal Register
00:04:26
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| We have to be on the alert and our Comitos Press Corps should be asking the Democrats now where they stand on the 16-year-old voting age. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| The Chair lays before the House a message. | ||
| To the Congress of the United States, Section 202D of the National Emergency Act 50 U.S.C. 1622D provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration. | ||
| The President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. | ||
| In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the National Emergency with respect to significant transnational criminal organizations declared in Executive Order 13581 of July 24, | ||
| 2011, under which additional steps were taken and Executive Order 13863 of March 15, 2019 is to continue in effect beyond July 24, 2025. | ||
| The activities of significant transnational criminal organizations have reached such scope and gravity that they threaten the stability of international political and economic systems. | ||
| Such organizations are becoming increasingly sophisticated and dangerous to the United States. | ||
| They are increasingly entrenched in the operations of foreign governments and the international financial system, thereby weakening democratic institutions, degrading the rule of law, and undermining economic markets. | ||
| These organizations facilitate and aggravate violent civil conflicts and increasingly facilitate the activities of other dangerous persons. | ||
| Significant transnational criminal organizations continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. | ||
| Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency with respect to significant transnational criminal organizations declared in Executive Order 13581. | ||
| Signed sincerely, Donald J. Trump, the White House, July 21st, 2025. | ||
| Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered printed. | ||
| The Chair lays before the House a message. | ||
| To the Congress of the United States, Section 202D of the National Emergency Act, 50 U.S.C. 1622D, provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency alas within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration. | ||
| The President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. | ||
| In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for Publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to the situation in Mali declared in Executive Order 13882 of July 26, 2019 is to continue in effect beyond July 26, 2025. | ||
| The situation in Mali, including repeated violations of ceasefire arrangements made pursuant to the 2015 Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali, a coup d'état resulting in the termination of that agreement, the expansion of terrorist activities into southern and central Mali, the intensification of drug trafficking and trafficking in persons, human rights abuses and hostage taking, a further coup d'etat, | ||
| the presence of foreign mercenaries threatening peace, security and stability, and the intensification of attacks against civilians, the Malayan Defense and Security Forces, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, MINUSMA, and international security presence continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. | ||
|
Exemption For Certain Stationary Sources
00:12:22
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| Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 1382 with respect to the situation in Mali. | ||
| Signed sincerely, Donald J. Trump, the White House, July 21, 2025. | ||
| Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered printed. | ||
| The Chair lays before the House a message. | ||
| To the Congress of the United States. | ||
| Consistent with applicable law, including Section 112I-4 of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7412I, I hereby report that I have issued a proclamation providing exemption for certain stationary sources from compliance with the final rule published by the Environmental Protection Agency titled National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants. | ||
| Taconite Iron Ore Processing 89FR 16408 Taconite Rule, which imposes new emissions control requirements on taconite iron ore processing facilities as reflected in the proclamation of July 17, | ||
| 2025 regulatory relief for certain stationary sources to promote American iron ore processing security proclamation, taconite iron ore processing is fundamental to the United States steel production and manufacturing sectors. | ||
| The facilities involved in the process supply essential raw materials used to make steel, which is used in national defense systems, critical infrastructure, and a broad range of industrial applications. | ||
| Preserving and enhancing domestic taconite processing capabilities is vital to reducing reliance on foreign sources and ensuring resilience of American industrial supply chains. | ||
| In the proclamation, I determined that the technology to implement the taconite rule is not available. | ||
| Such technology does not exist in the commercially viable form sufficient to allow implementation of and compliance with the taconite rule by the compliance state set forth in the taconite rule. | ||
| I further determined that in the proclamation that it is in the national security interest of the United States to issue an exemption from the taconite rule to certain stationary sources subject to the taconite rule as identified in Annex I of the proclamation. | ||
| This exemption applies to all compliance deadlines established under the Tekanite rule, with each such deadline extended by two years from the date originally required for such deadline. | ||
| I am enclosing a copy of the proclamation I have issued and Annex I thereto. | ||
| Signed sincerely, Donald J. Trump, the White House, July 21, 2021. | ||
| Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and ordered printed. | ||
| The Chair lays before the House a message. | ||
| To the Congress of the United States, consistent with applicable law, including Section 112 I.4, the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7412 I.4, I hereby report that I have issued a proclamation providing exemption for certain stationary sources from compliance with the final rule published by the Environmental Protection Agency titled National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants. | ||
| The National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants Coal and Oil Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units Review of the Residual Risk and Technology Review 89FR 38508 Rule, which amended the pre-existing mercury and air toxin standards rule to make it more stringent. | ||
| As reflected in the proclamation of July 17, 2025, regulatory relief for certain stationary sources to further promote American energy proclamation, coal-fired electricity generation is essential to ensuring that our nation's grid is reliable and that electricity is affordable to the American people and to promoting our nation's energy security. | ||
| The federal government plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the nation's power supply remains secure and reliable. | ||
| Forcing energy producers to comply with unattainable emissions controls jeopardizes this mission. | ||
| In the proclamation, I determined that the technology to implement the rule is not available. | ||
| Such technology does not exist in a commercially viable form sufficient to allow implementation of and compliance with the rule by its compliance date of July 8, 2027. | ||
| I further determined that the proclamation is in the national security and interest of the United States to issue an exemption from the rule to certain stationary sources subject to the rule as identified in Annex I of the proclamation. | ||
| The effect of this exemption is to extend the compliance date of the rule for those stationary sources from July 8, 2027 to July 8, 2029. | ||
| I am enclosing a copy of the proclamation I have issued and Annex I thereto. | ||
| Signed sincerely, Donald J. Trump, the White House, July 21st, 2025. | ||
| Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and ordered printed. | ||
| The Chair lays before the House a message. | ||
| To the Congress of the United States, consistent with applicable law, including Section 112I-4, the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7412I-4, I hereby report that I have issued a proclamation providing exemption for certain stationary sources from compliance with the final rule published by the Environmental Protection Agency titled National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, | ||
| Ethylene Oxide Emissions Standards for Sterilization Facilities, Residual Risk and Technology Review, 89FR 24090 ETO Rule, which imposes new emissions control requirements on commercial sterilization facilities. | ||
| As reflected in the proclamation of July 17, 2025, regulatory relief for certain stationary sources to promote American security with respect to sterile medical equipment, proclamation, the use of ethylene oxide is critical for the sterilization of medical equipment, which protects patients against infection and the transmission of disease. | ||
| The continued utilization of ethylene oxide by commercial sterilization facilities is essential to ensuring that our nation provides its sick and injured with the best outcomes possible, an objective that is at the forefront of the federal government's responsibility to the American people. | ||
| In the proclamation, I determined that the technology to implement the ETO rule is not available. | ||
| Such technology does not exist in a commercially viable form sufficient to allow implementation of and compliance with the ETO rule by the compliance state set forth in the ETO rule. | ||
| I further determine that the proclamation that is in the national security interest of the United States to issue an exemption from the ETO rule to certain stationary sources subject to the ETO rule as identified in Annex 1 of the proclamation. | ||
| This exemption applies to all compliance deadlines established under the ETO rule, with each such deadline extended by two years from the date originally required for such deadline. | ||
| I'm enclosing a copy of the proclamation I have issued and Annex I thereof. | ||
| Signed, sincerely, Donald J. Trump, the White House, July 21, 2025. | ||
| Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and ordered printed. | ||
| The Chair lays before the House a message. | ||
| To the Congress of the United States, consistent with applicable law, including Section 112I-4, the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7412-I-4, I hereby report that I have issued a proclamation providing exemption for certain stationary sources from compliance with the final rule published by the Environmental Protection Agency titled, | ||
| New Source Performance Standards for the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry and National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry and Group 1 and 2 Polymers and Resins Industry 89FR 42932, the HON rule, which imposes new emissions control requirements on certain chemical manufacturing facilities. | ||
| As reflected in the proclamation of July 17, 2024, regulatory relief for certain stationary sources to promote American chemical manufacturing security, proclamation, the United States relies on a strong chemical manufacturing sector to support industries like energy, national defense, agriculture, and health care. | ||
| These facilities produce essential inputs for critical infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, medical sterilization, semiconductors, and national defense systems. | ||
| Maintaining a robust domestic chemical industry is vital to safeguarding the supply chains that underpin our economy and to reducing the nation's dependence on foreign control over materials critical to national resilience. | ||
| As adversaries expand influence over key inputs, continued domestic production is essential not only to economic resilience, but also to military readiness, public health, and national preparedness. | ||
| In the proclamation, I determined that the technology to implement the HON rule is not available. | ||
| Such technology does not exist in a commercially viable form sufficient to allow implementation of and compliance with the HON rule by the compliance dates set forth in the HON rule. | ||
| I further determined that the proclamation that is in the national security interests of the United States to issue an exemption from the HON rule to certain stationary sources subject to the HON rule as identified in Annex I of the proclamation. | ||
| This exemption applies to all compliance deadlines established under the HON rule, with each such deadline extended by two years from the date originally required for such deadline. | ||
| I am enclosing a copy of the proclamation I have issued and Annex I thereto. | ||
| Signed sincerely, Donald J. Trump, the White House, July 21st, 2025. | ||
| Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and ordered printed. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Wisconsin seek recognition? | ||
| It looks like it's time to adjourn. | ||
| The question is on the motion to adjourn. | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| The ayes have it. | ||
| The motion is adopted. | ||
| Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until 10 a.m. tomorrow morning for the 10 a.m. tomorrow for morning hour debate. | ||
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And the House gaveling out for the day. | |
| Lawmakers considered several veterans-related measures, including one to increase financial oversight of the Department of Veterans Affairs after last year's budget shortfall. | ||
| They also took up a bill requiring the VA to study cancer rates among military pilots. | ||
| Later this week, the House will vote to reauthorize funding for the Coast Guard for the next four years and create a new Coast Guard Secretary position, like other branches of the military. | ||
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Also on the agenda, legislation to increase penalties on individuals who re-enter the country after being deported. | |
| Watch live coverage of the U.S. House when members return here on C-SPAN. | ||
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