| Speaker | Time | Text |
|---|---|---|
|
Grant Us Assurance
00:02:43
|
||
|
unidentified
|
I know he's dealt with trying to get the shutdown open, you know, how the country opened. | |
| And I think he's doing a wonderful job. | ||
| And he put it fully on food stamps. | ||
| And I don't think it's right for people to down him when he's trying to do something good for the country. | ||
| All right, James. | ||
| Let's talk to Ray on the line for Democrats in Pennsylvania. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Go ahead, Ray. | |
| Yeah, I got a couple things. | ||
|
unidentified
|
First of all, we'll leave this now to take you to the House live here on C-SPAN. | |
| Think ahead, like the report. | ||
| The House will be in order. | ||
| The prayer will be offered by Chaplain Kibbon. | ||
| Would you pray with me? | ||
| God of all wisdom and power, justice and mercy, in faith we offer you our hopes for the outcome of our deliberations and ask for the assurance that you have this day and our work well in hand. | ||
| In faith, we hope for your will to be done, that you, who are sovereign over all nations and rulers, will direct our efforts. | ||
| Grant us the assurance that your perfect plan will prevail, even though in these fraught moments we cannot see how it will unfold. | ||
| In faith, we hope to discern how we are to honor both you and address the needs of those whom we serve. | ||
| Grant us the assurance of the guidance you offer, even while we may not have the eyes to see the path on which you lead us. | ||
| In faith, we hope for justice that is enriched with mercy. | ||
| And grant us the assurance that your compassion will inspire our actions in ways we cannot presently perceive. | ||
| In faith, we hope that in every conflict you are reconciling. | ||
| In every division, you are healing wounds. | ||
| In every uncertainty, you are present in ways that not only can we not see, but in ways that we cannot possibly imagine. | ||
| Assure us of the things we hope for. | ||
| Give evidence of all that we cannot see, except when we hold fast to our faith in you. | ||
| In the strength, assurance, and faith of your name, we pray. | ||
| Amen. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the House the approval thereof. | |
|
Turn Energy Prices Affordable, Create Jobs
00:02:30
|
||
|
unidentified
|
Pursuant to clause one of Rule 1, the journal stands approved. | |
| The Pledge of Allegiance will now be led by the gentleman from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson. | ||
| Everyone, including our guests in the gallery, will please join in. | ||
|
unidentified
|
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. | |
| The chair will receive a message. | ||
| Speaker, messages from the Senate. | ||
| Mr. Speaker. | ||
| Mr. Secretary. | ||
| I've been directed by the Senate to inform the House that the Senate has passed without amendment H.R. 4405, an act to require the Attorney General to release all documents and records in possession of the Department of Justice relating to Jeffrey Epstein and for other purposes. | ||
| Pursuant to Section 8 of House Resolution 879, House Resolution 581 is laid on the table. | ||
| The chair will entertain up to 15 requests for one-minute speeches on each side of the aisle. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from South Carolina seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to address the House 1 minute advice to extend my remarks. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I am grateful that under the leadership of President Donald Trump, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman David Wright, and Speaker Mike Johnson, House Republicans are working to increase American energy production. | ||
| This will in turn make energy prices affordable and reliable, creating jobs. | ||
| Last night, we voted to pass the following bills, which will unleash nearly 19 million acres of land for oil and gas leasing and energy infrastructure, leading to lower prices, which will overturn restrictions and ensure access to over 48 billion tons of coal, enough to meet American coal needs for the next 116 years, lowering prices and creating jobs, | ||
| which will repeal the Biden-era restrictions on oil and gas development for more than 1 million acres in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. | ||
|
Why We Seek Recognition
00:11:38
|
||
| Promises made, promises kept of all of the above energy policies program. | ||
| In conclusion, God bless our troops as the global war on terrorism continues. | ||
| Trump is reinstituted through strength, revealing that war criminal Putin lies, insulting Trump, mocking Trump, mass murdering Ukrainian civilians, and sacrificing his own Russian and North Korean troops. | ||
|
unidentified
|
For what purpose does a gentleman from Pennsylvania seek recognition? | |
| Mr. Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to address the House for one minute and to revise and assist my remarks. | ||
| Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I rise today to honor Sharon Loving, a remarkable leader whose more than four decades at our Longwood Gardens has helped shape one of the most treasured public gardens in the world. | ||
| Sharon began at Longwood in 1982 as a part-time display gardener, and through exceptional talent and dedication, she rose to become the chief horticultural and facilities officer. | ||
| She has been the standard-bearer for Longwood's horticultural excellence, mentoring thousands of aspiring gardening professionals and elevating Longwood as a leader among public gardens worldwide. | ||
| Under her guidance, Longwood completed transformational projects from the restoration of the main conservatory and historic indoor spaces to expansion of beautiful landscapes and most recently the visionary Longwood Reimagined Initiative. | ||
| Sharon's leadership, creativity, and stewardship have left an indelible mark on our community, and we are deeply grateful to her. | ||
| Thank you, and I yield back. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentlelady yields back. | |
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Georgia seek recognition? | ||
| To address the House for one minute and to advise and extend my memoir. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Without objection, the gentleman is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I rise today in honor of the remarkable life of my longtime friend, my wife's lifelong best friend, and also my district director, Kathy Register, who passed away unexpectedly last month. | ||
| When I first took office in 2007, I promised the people that I would take care of home first. | ||
| And as Kathy did as district director, that's exactly what we did. | ||
| And she is largely responsible for the citizens of the 4th District returning me to Congress since 2007. | ||
| She has been deeply appreciated by all who she served and all who she worked with. | ||
| We're going to miss her so very much. | ||
| But her life has been a life of service, not just to the citizens of the 4th District, but to her family. | ||
| Her mother, Jenny, and her two sons, Anthony and Tito, survive her, along with her friends and colleagues in my office, both in DC and in Decatur, Georgia. | ||
| So thank you, Kathy. | ||
| Rest in peace. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman yields back. | |
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Georgia seek recognition? | ||
| California. | ||
| I ask unanimous consent to address the House for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Without objection, the gentleman is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I rise today to recognize the life and service of Mike Doyle, a dedicated public servant from Danville, California, in my district. | ||
| Mike left his Pennsylvania hometown at just 17 to join the United States Air Force and was stationed in Germany, where he provided aid to U.S. airmen and displaced citizens after World War II. | ||
| After being reassigned to a nearby Air Force base in Northern California, Mike moved to Danville in 1955 and he was elected to the town council in 1991. | ||
| He played a crucial role in Danville's growth, spending 25 years serving in the town on the town council, including five terms as mayor of the town of Danville. | ||
| Sadly, Mike passed away in October. | ||
| He will be remembered for his outstanding leadership, honesty, and for his indelible mark that he left on our community and on this country. | ||
| Please join me in honoring Mike Doyle for his invaluable contributions to the United States of America and the community he so loved and served. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman yields back. | |
| For what purpose does the gentlewoman from Oregon seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask your unanimous consent to address the House for one minute and for five minutes and your remarks. | ||
| Without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I recently held the first meeting of my Youth Advisory Council, a group of two dozen high school students from my district who will help guide my work here in Congress. | ||
| These students spoke boldly about their fears and hopes for the future, and they made one thing clear. | ||
| They are done waiting for change. | ||
| I don't blame them. | ||
| Our country's policy failures have grounded our kids in uncertainty. | ||
| Many feel like the American dream is out of reach. | ||
| And that's personal for me. | ||
| My trajectory has been an American dream. | ||
| The first in my family to graduate from college, then become a physician, a U.S. congresswoman, and giving privilege and opportunity to my children that I never knew. | ||
| I didn't do it alone. | ||
| Strong public schools, a union job, affordable higher education, affordable rent, they were all critical. | ||
| Today's young people deserve the same opportunities that I had. | ||
| That's why I created the Youth Advisory Council. | ||
| That's why I'll continue to go to them to help us shape our policies of the future. | ||
| And what I will say to them and all youth in my district, demand a seat today. | ||
| We need to support your ideas and your dreams. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Joe One yields back. | |
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Rhode Island seek recognition? | ||
| Ask University to address the House for one minute, revising extended remarks. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Without objection. | |
| Mr. Speaker, while Donald Trump gives billions of dollars to Argentina and gets rich selling cryptocurrency to criminals and foreign agents, millions of Americans are facing financial ruin from rising health insurance costs. | ||
| All across the country, Americans are getting letters like this from their insurance companies telling them how much their premiums are going up because of the failure of Republicans to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. | ||
| Susan from Foster, Rhode Island, a marketing executive, a marketing consultant, is seeing her insurance go up from $600 a month to $2,100, a 250% increase. | ||
| Sarah, a small business owner from Cranston, is seeing her premiums go up more than $5,000 a year. | ||
| Hillary from Providence, her family of four is going to be paying $10,600 more next year for the same insurance. | ||
| It is time for President Trump and House Republicans to wake up to what the American people are experiencing. | ||
| Extend these Affordable Care Act tax credits now. | ||
| Stop playing games. | ||
| Let's save the health care of the American people. | ||
| And I yield back. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Yields back. | |
| For what purpose does the gentlewoman for Maryland seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to address the House for one moment and to revise and extend my remarks. | ||
| The gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, as the only Marylander on the House Ag Committee and as an Idaho potato farmer's daughter, I know hard work and uncertainty can divine life on a farm. | ||
| Unfortunately, America's farmers are being very hit by the administration's policies, including tariff policies, workforce challenges, inflammatory pressures, and cuts to USDA and staff programs. | ||
| Sadly, farm bankruptcies are up 57% this year over last, with only more to come. | ||
| In Maryland, 13,000 soybean farming families are feeling the pain. | ||
| China, once 51% of our farmers' export market, have been turning to Argentina. | ||
| Instead of offering real relief, this administration wants to send a $40 billion payout, half-funded by American tax dollars, to Argentina while our farmers face a crisis. | ||
| That's why today I am introducing H.R. 6061, the American Farmers First Act, which would block the $20 billion of taxpayer funds from going to Argentina and redirect it to our hard-working American farmers. | ||
| Our farmers and ranchers put food on our tables. | ||
| They are the engines of our economy. | ||
| They deserve to be put first over foreign government competitors. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to join me in putting our farmers first on this bill. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Joel Allen yields back. | |
|
Syria Terrorism Threat Assessment Act
00:15:27
|
||
|
unidentified
|
Pursuant to Clause 8 of Rule 20, the Chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote on the yeas and nays are ordered or votes subjected to under Clause 6 of Rule 20. | |
| The house will resume proceedings on postponed questions at a later time. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Mississippi seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 1327 as amended. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Clerk will report the title of the bill. | |
| H.R. 1327, a bill to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a threat assessment of terrorist threats to the United States posed by individuals in Syria with an affiliation with a foreign terrorist organization or a specially designated global terrorist organization and for other purposes. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Pursuant to the rule of the gentleman from Mississippi, Mr. Guest, and the gentleman from New York, Mr. Goldman, each will control 20 minutes. | |
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on H.R. 1327. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Without objection? | |
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman's recognized. | |
| I rise in support of H.R. 1327, the Syria Terrorism Threat Assessment Act. | ||
| This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to conduct an assessment of the threats posed to the United States by individuals in Syria affiliated with a foreign terrorist organization or a specifically designated global terrorist group. | ||
| Syria suffered under the Assad regime for decades, and Assad allowed Syria to be used as a hub of terrorist activity. | ||
| While the Assad regime may no longer be in place, that does not mean that those terror networks have dispersed. | ||
| This bill ensures that DHS and lawmakers are fully informed regarding terrorist threats to the United States that are still posed in Syria. | ||
| And I urge my colleagues to support it. | ||
| With that, I reserve. | ||
|
unidentified
|
New York is recognized. | |
| Thank you. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise also in support of H.R. 1327, the Syria Terrorism Threat Assessment Act. | ||
| In December, the world watched as the Assad regime in Syria collapsed after 53 years of brutality and repression. | ||
| As President Biden stated at the time, Assad's fall ushered a, quote, historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria, end quote. | ||
| However, many also warned that the potential resurgence of terrorist groups in the regions, like the Islamic State or al-Qaeda, could pose a significant threat to Americans and U.S. interests in the region and the homeland. | ||
| The Syria Terrorism Threat Assessment Act is responsive to those warnings. | ||
| And I thank my colleague, Mr. Luttrell, for introducing this. | ||
| It ensures that the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with intelligence community partners, will evaluate and monitor terrorist threats to the United States posed by individuals in Syria affiliated with a foreign terrorist organization or a specially designated global terrorist organization. | ||
| This is essential to ensure that the growing and new government in Syria is growing with the United States support and in a way that defeats terrorism on the world stage. | ||
| And with that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman Reserves, the gentleman from Mississippi is recognized. | |
| Thank you. | ||
| I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Luttrell. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman from Texas is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | ||
| Thank you, Chairman Guest. | ||
| I rise today to advocate for the passage of H.R. 1327, the Syria Terrorism Threat Assessment Act. | ||
| When the Assad regime was toppled in Syria late last year, the threat of terrorism did not disappear. | ||
| It just actually shifted, adapted, and found new ways to survive. | ||
| For decades, the Assad regime gave terrorist groups a place to train, organize, and plan attacks. | ||
| You don't just swipe away the leadership and make the terrorism go away. | ||
| Those threats don't disappear overnight, and we'd be foolish to think otherwise. | ||
| Although Syria's government is in transition and terrorist designations against its new leadership have been lifted, we must not be naive to other terrorist threats that may still originate in the region. | ||
| This bill directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a threat assessment posed to the U.S. by individuals in Syria associated with foreign terrorist organizations. | ||
| As this body and this administration determine how best to engage with Syria in a post-era post-Assad era, this threat assessment ensures that we have the information we need to make these decisions with eyes wide open. | ||
| By doing so, we can better examine and mitigate emerging threats from the region. | ||
| Our mission is clear. | ||
| We must protect American lives and prevent future attacks on the homeland by strengthening our counterterrorism efforts. | ||
| I'd like to thank Mr. Correa for his support, and I urge my colleagues to support this sensible legislation. | ||
| With that, sir, I yield back. | ||
| Gentleman yields back. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers and I'm prepared to close after the gentleman from New York closes. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman Reserves, gentleman from New York is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield myself the balance of my time. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, we have a duty to be vigilant about potential terrorist threats to the homeland. | ||
| This bill ensures that the Department of Homeland Security will do just that. | ||
| And I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman yields back. | |
| The gentleman from Mississippi is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1327, and with that, I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman yields back. | |
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass Bill H.R. 1327 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, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Mississippi seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 1736 as amended. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The clerk will report the title of the bill. | |
| Union calendar number 324, H.R. 1736. | ||
| A bill to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct annual assessments on terrorism threats to the United States posed by terrorist organizations utilizing generative artificial intelligence applications and for other purposes. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Mississippi, Mr. Guest, and the gentleman from New York, Mr. Goldman, each will control 20 minutes. | |
| The chair recognizes a gentleman from Mississippi. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to exclude extraneous materials on H.R. 1736. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Without objection. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman's recognized. | |
| I rise in support of H.R. 1736, the Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act. | ||
| The bill before us today requires DHS to conduct annual assessments on the use of generative AI by foreign terrorist organizations and expands information sharing to address AI-related threats. | ||
| We know that terrorist groups, including ISIS and al-Qaeda, have already used generative AI in sophisticated ways, producing propaganda to spurn online recruitment and radicalization efforts. | ||
| This technology poses new and heightened risk to our homeland security. | ||
| So I urge my colleagues to support this bill. | ||
| And with that, I reserve. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman Reserves, the gentleman from New York is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1736, the Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act. | ||
| This bill directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Director of National Intelligence, to conduct assessments on terrorism threats to the United States posed by terrorist organizations' use of generative artificial intelligence applications. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, we have all seen AI permeate our lives in both positive and negative ways. | ||
| AI streamlines workflows, has made breakthroughs in the medical field, and can dramatically increase the speed with which Americans are able to do work. | ||
| But we have also seen the dark side of AI through biased and discriminatory algorithms and deep fake videos. | ||
| This bill recognizes the danger that AI can pose when employed by terrorists who seek to harm our homeland. | ||
| It requires the Department of Homeland Security to analyze incidents where foreign terrorist organizations have used or attempted to use generative AI to spread violent extremist messaging, recruit, radicalize, or plot attacks. | ||
| This is a common sense bill that will help the Department get ahead of terrorism threats. | ||
| And with that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman Reserves, a gentleman from Mississippi is recognized. | |
| I yield as much time as he may consume. | ||
| The gentleman from Texas, Mr. Fluger. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman from Texas is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| Thank you, Chairman. | ||
| I rise in support of H.R. 1736, the Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act. | ||
| The mass adoption of artificial intelligence is the latest in a series of technological revolutions that have permeated and influenced every aspect of our lives. | ||
| And today we face a new reality. | ||
| The same technologies driving innovation are now being weaponized against us by hostile actors. | ||
| Earlier this year, the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence held a hearing to consider the extent to which terrorist groups are using generative AI for recruitment and radicalization. | ||
| We know now, without a doubt, that terrorist organizations have already integrated generative AI into their operations. | ||
| We found that groups including ISIS and Al-Qaeda are actively training in the use of artificial intelligence and using it to produce highly convincing propaganda, making it much easier for terrorist groups to recruit, radicalize, and carry out attacks on the U.S. homeland. | ||
| My bill requires DHS to conduct annual assessments on threats to the U.S. by terrorist organizations using generative AI. | ||
| It also requires greater information sharing and coordination across the intelligence community to ensure that we have the clearest possible picture of AI-related terror threats. | ||
| This is an issue that requires us to be proactive and outmaneuver any group or individuals seeking to do us harm with this emerging technology. | ||
| The Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act ensures that our homeland security policies and capabilities remain ahead of adversary tactics. | ||
| Our response cannot be reactive. | ||
| We must anticipate the future of terrorist methods and be prepared before these threats materialize. | ||
| I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill and hope to see the Senate take similar action in the very near future. | ||
| Passing this bill will equip our national security agencies with the tools they need to adapt and defend against the threats of tomorrow today. | ||
| Thank you, and I yield back. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman yields back. | |
| Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers and I am prepared to close after the gentleman from New York closes. | ||
| And with that, I reserve. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman Reserves, gentleman from New York is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I want to thank my colleague and friend from Texas, Mr. Fluger, for introducing this bill. | ||
| It does make a ton of common sense and is something that we all agree that we must be ahead of. | ||
| And I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1736, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman yields back. | |
| Chairman, the gentleman from Mississippi is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1736, and with that, I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass bill H.R. 1936 as amended? | |
| Six. | ||
| 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. | ||
| Without objection, the title is amended. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Mississippi seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 2259 as amended. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Clerk will report the title of the bill. | |
| H.R. 2259, a bill to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the development of a national strategy to secure elementary and secondary schools against acts of terrorism and ensure domestic preparedness for and the response of terrorism and for other purposes. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Pursuant to the rule of the gentleman from Mississippi, Mr. Guest, and the gentleman from New York, Mr. Goldman, each will control 20 minutes. | |
| The chair recognizes a gentleman from Mississippi. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on H.R. 2259. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Without objection. | |
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentlemen's recognized. | |
| I rise in support of H.R. 2259, the National Strategy for School Security Act. | ||
| Despite rising attacks against our nation's schools, there is currently no comprehensive federal strategy to protect schools from acts of terror. | ||
| This bill closes this dangerous gap, requiring DHS to produce a school security strategy that identifies and works to mitigate vulnerabilities. | ||
| In doing so, our schools will no longer be soft targets. | ||
| I urge all my colleagues to support this bill and to protect our children. | ||
| Without our reserve. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman, Reserves. | |
| The gentleman from New York is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2259, a bill directing the Department of Homeland Security to develop a national strategy to help secure our elementary and secondary schools from acts of terrorism. | ||
| This bill moves us in the right direction. | ||
| It acknowledges a painful truth that the safety of our students and teachers cannot be taken for granted. | ||
| It recognizes that schools need federal support, coordination, and expertise to prepare for the threats they face. | ||
|
Supporting Border Agents' Mental Health
00:15:38
|
||
| And it moves us on a bipartisan basis towards a more consistent, nationwide approach to keeping our children safe. | ||
| But let me be clear. | ||
| This is only a start. | ||
| Creating a strategy is very important, but a strategy alone will not solve the problem. | ||
| We owe it to every student, every educator, and every family to keep working to take meaningful, comprehensive action that matches the scale of the threats facing our communities. | ||
| I applaud my colleague Congressman Gonzalez's efforts, and I encourage all my other colleagues to support H.R. 2259. | ||
| I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Reserves, gentlemen from Mississippi, is recognized. | |
| I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Gonzalez. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman from Texas is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Chairman Guest. | ||
| As the founder and co-chairman of the bipartisan School Safety and Security Caucus, I rise today to share a few words about my bill, the National Strategy for School Security Act. | ||
| As a father of six, I too share every parent and grandparent's worry when it comes to school safety. | ||
| It is a sad reality that our nation's schools have become soft targets to violence. | ||
| Across this chamber, too many of our home districts have witnessed tragedies in our own home districts. | ||
| In May of 2022, 19 children and two teachers were senselessly killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. | ||
| Our children, the most vulnerable among us, sit in schools without a national plan in place to protect us from acts of terror. | ||
| This bill closes a gap. | ||
| It requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a strategy and place resources for securing our schools against acts of terrorism and best practices to prevent in an act of violence from happening in the first place. | ||
| This bipartisan bill is much needed, is a much needed step towards safer classrooms across America. | ||
| And with that, I yield the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentleman yields back. | ||
| Gentlemen from Mississippi Reserves. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers and I'm prepared to close after the gentleman from New York closes. | ||
| And with that, I reserve. | ||
| The gentleman from Mississippi Reserves, the gentleman from New York is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentlemen's recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, the reality is that school shootings and acts of targeted violence continue to devastate towns and communities across this country. | ||
| They leave lasting trauma in classrooms and families and in the hearts of children who should never have to wonder whether they are safe at school. | ||
| H.R. 2259 deserves our support. | ||
| It shows that even in a deeply divided Congress, we can still find common ground when it comes to protecting our children. | ||
| But our work cannot end here with this bill. | ||
| We must continue pushing for stronger, more comprehensive solutions that address the full range of threats to our schools and communities. | ||
| And with that, Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2259. | ||
| I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman from New York yields back. | ||
| The gentleman from Mississippi is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentlemen is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, as a representative of a school that was once subject to an act of violence, I fully support this legislation. | ||
| And I want to thank Representative Gonzalez for his introduction of H.R. 2259. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to please support this legislation. | ||
| And with that, I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentleman yields back. | ||
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 2259 as amended? | ||
| All those in favor say aye. | ||
| Opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended and the bill is passed. | ||
| And without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| For what purpose? | ||
| For what purpose, gentlemen, from the Mississippi Secret? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 3965. | ||
| The clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
| Union calendar number 268, H.R. 3965. | ||
| A bill to establish in U.S. Customs and Border Protection a pilot program to adopt dogs from local animal shelters to be trained as support dogs and for other purposes. | ||
| Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Mississippi, Mr. Goetz, and the gentleman from New York, Mr. Goldman, each will control 20 minutes. | ||
| The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on H.R. 3965. | ||
|
unidentified
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Without objection. | |
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield myself as much time as I may consume. | ||
| Gentlemen recognized. | ||
| I rise in support of H.R. 3965, the Providing Emotional Assistance with Relief and Love Act, or the PERIL Act. | ||
| As the men and women of the United States Customs and Border Protection work under incredibly stressful conditions to protect our borders, providing a mechanism to boost their well-being will improve the mental health of our frontline officers and agents. | ||
| This legislation would enhance CBP's support canine program by creating a pilot program to adopt dogs from local animal shelters to serve as therapy dogs for CBP officers and agents. | ||
| I would like to thank the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Gonzalez, for his leadership on this legislation. | ||
| And with that, I reserve. | ||
| Gentleman from Mississippi Reserves, the gentleman from New York is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, in my time serving on the Committee on Homeland Security, I've seen the importance of effective mental health services for the department's workforce. | ||
| And I'd like to thank Representative Gonzalez for introducing this bill. | ||
| Individuals within the U.S. Customs and Border Protection work in high-stress environments, protecting our air, land, and sea borders. | ||
| And one way to help address the stressors that they face and support their mental health needs is by using therapy dogs. | ||
| That's why I do support this piece of legislation, which will create a pilot program to adopt dogs from local animal shelters to be trained as therapy dogs for the CBP workforce. | ||
| Not only will this bill provide additional mental health services to CBP personnel, but it will help the dogs in need of homes in our communities. | ||
| Certainly something everyone can support. | ||
| I know my colleagues and I are committed to improving the mental health services offered to the men and women who work on our front lines every day. | ||
| I support this legislation and I ask my colleagues to do the same. | ||
| I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman from New York Reserves, the gentleman from Mississippi is recognized. | ||
| I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Gonzalez. | ||
| The gentleman from Texas is recognized. | ||
|
unidentified
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the Pearl Act. | |
| With over 800 miles of the Texas-Mexico border, I represent the largest border district in the country. | ||
| From Eagle Pass to Del Rio to the Big Bend region to El Paso, many of America's hardworking Border Patrol agents call Texas 23 home. | ||
| Protecting our nation's border is no easy feat. | ||
| It's long hours, late nights, and time away from home. | ||
| The Pearl Act, named after a special canine that helped our Border Patrol agents through some tough times, gives our law enforcement one more tool to improve mental health outcomes at CBP. | ||
| In 2023, CBP launched the Support Canine program, which aims to improve mental health resources for CBP personnel. | ||
| Here in Washington, we have a saying, if you want a friend, look for it, get a dog. | ||
| And that's exactly what this bill is doing. | ||
| My bill builds upon this goal by establishing a pilot program through the Department of Homeland Security to adopt dogs from local animal shelters to enhance the support canine program. | ||
| I look forward to seeing this legislation support the men and women who defend our borders every day in the United States, and I look forward to seeing this pass. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| Gentleman yields back. | ||
| The gentleman from Mississippi. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I'm prepared to close after the gentleman from New York closes. | ||
| And with that, I reserve. | ||
| The gentleman from Mississippi Reserves, the gentleman from New York is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. | ||
| You're right. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, we should do all that we can to provide the men and women of Customs and Border Protection with effective mental health services. | ||
| And this bill is a significant step in the right direction. | ||
| And I speak from personal experience, as I got my children a dog a couple years ago after they were struggling from the after effects and trauma of being in Tel Aviv on October 7th. | ||
| And it has done wonders for their mental health, so I know personally how important therapy dogs can be. | ||
| The fact that this bill also helps dogs in need by getting them out of shelters and finding them good homes is something that we can all get behind and we should all be behind. | ||
| I support this bipartisan piece of legislation and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentleman from New York yields back. | ||
| The gentleman from Mississippi is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3965, the Pearl Act, and with that, I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman yields back. | ||
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass H.R. 3965? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| The appended 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, gentlemen from Mississippi, seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 4070. | ||
| The clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
| Union calendar number 267, H.R. 4070. | ||
| A bill to require a Homeland Security border threat assessment on Trende Aragua, an associated strategic plan, and for other purposes. | ||
| Pursuant to the rule of the gentleman from Mississippi, Mr. Guest, and the gentleman from New York, Mr. Golden, each will control 20 minutes. | ||
| The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on H.R. 4070. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield myself as much time as I may consume. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4070, the Trendearagua Border Security Threat Assessment Act. | ||
| Trendearagua, a gang formed in a Venezuelan prison, has expanded its reach throughout the United States. | ||
| Designated by the Trump administration as a foreign terrorist organization, Trendearagua members have been responsible for kidnapping and extorting businesses throughout the United States. | ||
| This legislation would require the Department of Homeland Security to conduct a border threat assessment on Trendearagua and develop a strategic plan to counter the threats identified in the assessment. | ||
| I'm proud to be an original co-sponsor of this bill, and I'm grateful to the gentleman from New York, Mr. Knott, for bringing forth this important piece of legislation. | ||
| With that, I reserve. | ||
| Gentleman Reserves, the gentleman from New York is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield myself for such time as I may consume. | ||
| Gentlemen recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, conducting an assessment is an obvious and important first step in addressing any Homeland Security threat that we face. | ||
| This bill, smartly and correctly, requires a Homeland Security border threat assessment on Trenda Aragua, followed by the creation of a strategic plan based on this assessment. | ||
| This bill, unfortunately, seems to be a little too late. | ||
| The administration is already bombing boats that they claim to be Trenda Aragua in the Caribbean. | ||
| I hope they have already done an assessment and have a plan. | ||
| Certainly, they have not shared anything with Congress to that effect. | ||
| And so it is very important for Congress to understand the threat that is leading to this administration's actions and that justifies this administration's actions. | ||
| We have simply not been given enough information about the Trump administration's assessments, justification, and strategy for blowing up numerous boats off the coast of Venezuela. | ||
| Members of Congress must have this information, and that is why I support this bill. | ||
| But to be clear, we should have had this information long before the administration started bombing boats that they could have chosen to interdict or stop in other ways. | ||
| This bill should not be necessary, but I do thank my friend from North Carolina for introducing it and recognizing that we should have a basic understanding of any organization that we are going to take military action against. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentleman from New York Reserves, the gentleman from Mississippi is recognized. | ||
| I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina, Mr. Knott. | ||
| The gentleman from North Carolina is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| It's my privilege to speak in favor of H.R. 4070, the Trendaragua Border Security Threat Assessment Act. | ||
| I'd like to first start by thanking Chairman Guest, Chairman Garberino, for their support and leadership in the Homeland Security Committee from which this bill has originated. | ||
| Before Congress, I had the privilege to work in law enforcement and I saw firsthand the horrible effects, the dangerous effects, and the lasting effects that weak borders have had on our wonderful country. | ||
| Of course, there are pressures on housing, health care, and education wherever there are millions and millions of illegal aliens allowed to come into the country and then place throughout our country. | ||
| Of equal, if not greater concern to me is the rampant growth and the effects of transnational criminal organizations that have grown throughout our country. | ||
| This is perhaps best seen in Trendaragua. | ||
| Trendaragra has grown its presence throughout the United States. | ||
| It is growing every day and includes growth in my home state of North Carolina. | ||
| My legislation would require the Department of Homeland Security to conduct a comprehensive border threat assessment to identify the criminal threats posed by TDA members, the threats that are posed to our communities, and how exactly they are so successful in growing in our communities. | ||
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Enhancing Maritime Security Efforts
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| Law enforcement and their intelligence counterparts with this information will be better able to deploy a unified and focused strategy on how to appropriately dismantle and remove these threats from our country. | ||
| It's past time that we return to a posture of strength to defend America and our citizens. | ||
| We must send the message clearly and effectively. | ||
| The United States will no longer be a safe harbor for violent foreign terrorist organizations like Trendaragua. | ||
| I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| The gentleman yields back. | ||
| The gentleman from Mississippi. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers and I'm prepared to close after the gentleman from New York closes and with that I reserve. | ||
| The gentleman from Mississippi Reserves, gentleman from New York is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield myself the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I support members of Congress receiving more information about the Trump administration's strategy against Trenda Aragua. | ||
| So I therefore support this piece of legislation and urge its immediate passage. | ||
| It is long overdue for the Trump administration to share the information it has with Congress that justifies its military action against alleged Trenda Aragua members. | ||
| And with that, I yield back the balance of the Minister. | ||
| The gentleman from New York yields back. | ||
| The gentleman from Mississippi is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4070. | ||
| This legislation is an important first step to combat an FTO, foreign terrorist organization that has embedded itself in our community. | ||
| We see stories firsthand of the violent crime that these organizations are associated with. | ||
| Robbery, kidnapping, assault, and murder. | ||
| I want to thank Mr. Knott for introducing this legislation. | ||
| I wholeheartedly support this legislation. | ||
| I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to please support this legislation. | ||
| And with that, I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman from Mississippi yields back. | ||
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass Bill H.R. 4070? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, the 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, the gentleman from Mississippi seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 4071. | ||
| The clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
| Union calendar number 276, H.R. 4071, a bill to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to enhance the operations of U.S. customs and border protection in foreign countries and for the purposes. | ||
| Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Mississippi, Mr. Guest, and the gentleman from New York, Mr. Goldman, each will control 20 minutes. | ||
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on H.R. 4071. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield myself as much time as I may consume. | ||
| Gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of H.R. 4071, the Combating International Drug Trafficking and Human Smuggling Partnership Act of 2025. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, United States Customs and Border Protection's Air and Marine Operations, they're a critical role in the Homeland Security mission. | ||
| Every day, AMO agents conduct border operations to detect and disrupt human trafficking, narcotics trafficking, and to stop other dangerous and illicit contraband before it reaches our shore. | ||
| The impact of the incredible work of the men and women of CBP's air and marine operation is undeniable. | ||
| In fiscal year 2025 alone, AMO enforcement actions resulted in the seizure of more than 500,000 pounds of illegal narcotics. | ||
| I will say that again. | ||
| Half a million pounds of potential deadly contraband was interdicted. | ||
| That contraband will never make it into our communities or into the hands of our children. | ||
| But as we see transnational criminal organizations continue to become more aggressive, they continue to try to extend their reach into the United States, and we must be prepared to meet this evolving threat. | ||
| Strengthening international cooperation with our partners, such as those in the Western Hemisphere, it is an essential first step to combating drug trafficking and human smuggling. | ||
| In addition to supporting other law enforcement missions, this legislation authorizes AMO and other designated CBP personnel to continue and to expand these successful bilateral agreements by providing training, | ||
| sharing information, and conducting joint operations that will increase interdiction and enhance regional security as it saves lives and it strengthens our defense and makes America safer. | ||
| By bolstering AMO's ability to work with our foreign partners, my bill will help stem the flow of illegal narcotics and ensure that criminals are intercepted before they reach our shores. | ||
| And we will protect our homeland from those who seek to cause us harm. | ||
| I would like to thank Representative Poe for joining me on this legislation. | ||
| In closing, I would urge all my colleagues to support this legislation, which will enhance CBP's air and marine operations capability as they work to keep our nation secure and the American people safe. | ||
| Thank you, and our reserve. | ||
| Gentleman from Mississippi Reserves, the gentleman from New York is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| Gentlemen's recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, every day, Customs and Border Protection's Air and Marine Operations uses its highly trained pilots, mariners, and surveillance operators to detect, interdict, and stop the smuggling of people and illicit drugs. | ||
| Air and Marine Operations, known as AMO, also conducts critical humanitarian missions and search and rescue operations out at sea, including after hurricanes and other natural disasters They work with partner countries, specifically in the Americas and the Caribbean, to save lives, train foreign law enforcement, and address threats through joint operations before they reach our borders. | ||
| Right now, AMO's authority to enter into these foreign partnerships relies on the yearly appropriations process, hindering their ability to do any long-term planning. | ||
| This bill formalizes their ability to conduct operations with foreign partners and do such long-term planning. | ||
| Any such agreements will still have to go through the State Department. | ||
| But this change will improve AMO's ability to operate strategically and assist foreign partners quickly when needed. | ||
| This can and will save lives. | ||
| I want to thank AMO for their life-saving efforts, and I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation offered by my colleague from Mississippi. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentlemen from New York Reserves, gentlemen from Mississippi is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I am prepared to close after the gentleman from New York without our reserve. | ||
| The gentleman from Mississippi Reserves, gentleman from New York is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I support this bill as it helps air and marine operations work quickly, effectively, and strategically with our foreign partners to keep our homeland safe and rescue those in need. | ||
| This can be the difference between life and death in some cases. | ||
| I therefore support this bipartisan piece of legislation and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman from New York yields back. | ||
| The gentleman from Mississippi is recognized. | ||
| I yield myself the remainder of my time. | ||
| Gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, in addition to the great work that we see the men and women of AMO perform this year, I'd like to give this body some of the statistics from FY24. | ||
| In fiscal year 24, we see that AMO's actions resulted in the arrest of 1,009 individuals, that there were 48,609 apprehensions of illegal aliens, | ||
| as well as the seizure or disruption of 244,781 pounds of cocaine, 2,235 pounds of fentanyl, 3,061 pounds of methamphetamine, the seizure of 1,499 weapons, and also the seizure of $12,5 million in United States currency. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, the previous legislation that we just debated and passed the House talked about violent gangs, FTOs as they're often referred. | ||
| The last legislation introduced by Mr. Knott talked about Trende Aragua, and we see that Trende Aragua has become embedded in our communities, that they are involved in violent crimes from robbery, assault, murder. | ||
| They are involved in human trafficking. | ||
| They are involved in narcotics trafficking. | ||
| And so, Mr. Speaker, I believe that this legislation going hand in hand with the previous legislation that this body just took up and just passed, that it is an important step as we continue to remain vigilant, as we continue to do what the American people elected us to do. | ||
| They elected us to keep them safe. | ||
| They elected us to make sure that the communities in which they live, that those communities are great places to live and worship and to raise a family. | ||
| So with that, Mr. Speaker, I would ask all members on both sides of the aisle to support H.R. 4071. | ||
| And with that, I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman from Mississippi yields back. | ||
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 4071? | ||
| 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 Mississippi seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 4058. | ||
| The clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
| Union calendar number 252, H.R. 4058. | ||
| A bill to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to enhance outreach for the Urban Area Security Initiative and the State Homeland Security Grant Program of the Department of Homeland Security and for other purposes. | ||
| Pursuant to the rule of the gentleman from Mississippi, Mr. Guest, the gentleman from New York, Mr. Goldman, each will control 20 minutes. | ||
| The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on H.R. 4058. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield myself as much time as I may consume. | ||
| Gentlemen is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4058, the Enhancing Stakeholder Support and Outreach for Preparedness Grants Act, with the understanding that FEMA's preparedness grants for states, localities, urban areas, tribal, and territorial governments are vital to strengthening the security of this great nation. | ||
| This legislation will require FEMA to engage with and to support relevant stakeholders prior to, during, and after the awarding of such grants. | ||
| I support this effort to increase outreach. | ||
| And Mr. Speaker, with that, I reserve. | ||
| From Mississippi Reserves, the gentleman from New York is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| Gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that we are here today to consider my bill, H.R. 4058, the Enhancing Stakeholder Support and Outreach for Preparedness Grants Act. | ||
| This bill mandates that the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, provide ongoing outreach, engagement, education, technical assistance, and support to stakeholders before, during, and after awards for the state Homeland Security Program and the Urban Area Security Initiative, two of the department's leading grant programs that address preventing, mitigating, and responding to acts of terrorism. | ||
| Throughout this Congress, the Committee on Homeland Security has heard a clear bipartisan message. | ||
| Preparedness grants work. | ||
| Time and again, first responders and Homeland Security professionals alike have warned us, without steady, reliable federal investment, our nation's readiness will suffer and our communities will be left more vulnerable to the threats that we face. | ||
| They have told us in no uncertain terms, now is not the time to pull back. | ||
| Now is the time to lean in. | ||
| And now is the time to strengthen these programs and ensure grantees have a meaningful voice in shaping the policies that guide their work on the ground. | ||
| My district, like so many others, relies on the Urban Area Security Initiative and the State Homeland Security Program to strengthen emergency preparedness and enhance counterterrorism coordination. | ||
| These priorities remain critical in New York City, where the memory of 9-11 serves as a constant reminder of the ongoing threat of terrorism. | ||
| Established in the aftermath of 9-11 to protect our communities, these grants continue to play a vital role in safeguarding our city. | ||
| That is why my bill, H.R. 4058, works to ensure stronger oversight in how these Homeland Security grants are managed. | ||
| My bill requires FEMA to conduct annual surveys and other feedback mechanisms to gain and gather input from stakeholders and incorporate this feedback into future grant opportunities. | ||
| Additionally, H.R. 4058 directs the Government Accountability Office to report on the effectiveness of FEMA's efforts within two years and mandates that FEMA submit a detailed report to Congress on stakeholder outreach and engagement. | ||
| My bill ensures that the Urban Area Security Initiative and the State Homeland Security Program grants are responsive to local needs and truly effective in protecting our communities. | ||
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FEMA Grant Process Reform
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| The coordination between local, state, and federal government is all the more important as we face increasing threats to our homeland, and this bill would help to facilitate that. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4058 and to act quickly so that these critical funds reach the communities that need them most. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| I'm sorry, reserve. | ||
| The gentleman from New York Reserves, the gentleman from Mississippi is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I have no speakers and I'm prepared to close after the gentleman from New York closes without our reserve. | ||
| Gentleman from Mississippi Reserves, gentleman from New York is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, my legislation would play a crucial role in strengthening FEMA's engagement with state and local partners, ensuring that Homeland Security grants are responsive, transparent, and actually driven by the needs of the communities they are meant to protect. | ||
| Passage of this legislation is essential to preserving our national readiness and strengthening our security against emerging threats. | ||
| H.R. 4058 restores fairness, accountability, and effectiveness to FEMA's grant process so that every community, regardless of politics, regardless of blue or red, can count on the support it needs to prevent and respond to acts of terrorism. | ||
| Lastly, I want to thank Ranking Member Thompson, Resident Commissioner Hernandez, and former Congressman and Chairman Mark Green for co-sponsoring this bill. | ||
| I also extend my gratitude to the Major Cities Chiefs Association and the International Association of Fire Chiefs for endorsing the bill. | ||
| I strongly encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 4058, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentleman from New York yields back, and the gentleman from Mississippi is recognized. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New York for his work on this piece of legislation. | ||
| And I also want to recognize the support of former colleague, former chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, Mark Green. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I would urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 4058. | ||
| And with that, I would yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentleman from Mississippi yields back. | ||
| The question is: will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 4058? | ||
| 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 would request the yays and nays. | ||
| The yays and nays are requested. | ||
| All those in favor of taking the vote on the yays and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. | ||
| 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 purposes gentlemen from Wisconsin seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 6019 to repeal certain provisions related to notifications to Senate offices regarding legal process on disclosure of Senate data and for other purposes. | ||
| The clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
| H.R. 6019, a bill to repeal certain provisions relating to notification to Senate offices regarding legal process on disclosure of Senate data and for other purposes. | ||
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Capitol Police Betrayed
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| Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Wisconsin, Mr. Steele, and the gentleman from New York, Mr. Morrell, each will control 20 minutes. | ||
| The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include additional materials on this bill. | ||
| Without objection, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. | ||
| Gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6019, introduced by my colleague, Congressman Austin Scott of Georgia. | ||
| Now, before I dive into the substance of this bill, let me highlight some good news. | ||
| The government's open and funded. | ||
| SNAP benefits are being funded. | ||
| Air traffic controllers, TSA agents, hardworking people are getting paid. | ||
| Of course, Mr. Speaker, if the Democrats had their way, the federal government would still be shut down. | ||
| People wouldn't be receiving their SNAP benefits. | ||
| Law enforcement officials at the federal level wouldn't be receiving payment. | ||
| Our air traffic controllers and TSA agents also wouldn't be paid. | ||
| So the good news is, Mr. Speaker, by passage of the underlying legislation that we're going to be discussing today, the government is open and operational for the American people. | ||
| Look, Mr. Speaker, no bill is perfect. | ||
| And the bill we passed to reopen the government, it's just that it had a provision that needs repair. | ||
| That we need to go in and remove out from that bill. | ||
| In the legislation by my colleague, Mr. Rossinscott of Georgia, does just that. | ||
| The troubling provision grants senators a private cause of action against the United States. | ||
| If a senator's data, either official or personal, is retrieved without their knowledge, they could sue the government. | ||
| But it also included a provision that allows senators to receive a minimum of $500,000 per instance of data retrieval. | ||
| That policy, in my opinion, the opinion I think of all of the members of this institution, is unacceptable. | ||
| No one should be able to enrich themselves because the federal government wronged them. | ||
| No elected official should be able to. | ||
| So without question, there are far better ways to handle this. | ||
| The legislative branch should correctly address the Biden administration's weaponization of the FBI to spy on United States senators in its Operation Arctic Frost. | ||
| The abuses, Mr. Speaker, by the Biden administration are completely unacceptable. | ||
| And I'm committed to holding those involved accountable. | ||
| No one benefited by the failures of the Biden administration. | ||
| However, that does not mean that elected officials should be financially benefiting from those failures now. | ||
| These provisions are not the right path to address the concerns, true concerns, over the separation of powers. | ||
| Remember, Congress serves the American people, not the other way around. | ||
| Today, we have an opportunity to take a good bill that reopened the federal government and make it better by repealing the provisions that were slid into the Ledge Branch Appropes Act of 2026. | ||
| I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support H.R. 6019 to repeal this legislation. | ||
| And I thank my colleague, Congressman Austin Scott, for bringing it forward. | ||
| I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman from Wisconsin reserves. | ||
| The gentleman from New York, Mr. Morelli, is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| And I rise in strong support of H.R. 6019. | ||
| Last week's bill to fund the government included a provision added quietly in the dead of night that facilitates the transfer of millions of taxpayer dollars from the United States Treasury to the personal bank accounts of eight Republican senators. | ||
| And not just any senators. | ||
| They were senators who may have had knowledge of or even participated in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. | ||
| Efforts that culminated in a violent attack on this very institution. | ||
| And because many of my Republican colleagues seem determined to forget the reality of that day, allow me to remind you that during this attack, Capitol police officers were maimed while protecting the lives of the very senators now seeking to enrich themselves at the taxpayers' expense. | ||
| Officers lost eyes. | ||
| They lost fingers. | ||
| They suffered traumatic brain injuries and had their spinal discs smashed. | ||
| One was stabbed with a metal fence stake. | ||
| Another suffered a heart attack after being repeatedly tased. | ||
| Some tragically lost their lives. | ||
| Others were so severely injured that they could no longer continue to serve in law enforcement. | ||
| The plot to overturn the 2020 presidential election led multiple grand juries, both state and federal, to bring felony charges against its organizers and participants. | ||
| These charges were based on actions like promoting fake elector slates, urging state officials to find votes to change the election outcome, and urging Vice President Pence to stand just a few feet from here behind that very dais and violate the United States Constitution. | ||
| According to public reports, one of the eight Republican senators now eligible for this taxpayer-funded windfall testified before one of those grand juries. | ||
| At the conclusion of the testimony, that Republican senator reportedly embraced the prosecutor and lauded the work of the grand jurors as cathartic. | ||
| That same senator announced just yesterday that he intends to seek his payout of tens of millions of dollars from federal taxpayers. | ||
| It should be clear to everyone here, under no circumstances should the power entrusted to us as members of Congress be used to line your own pockets. | ||
| Period, full stop. | ||
| And anyone who voted for this appalling provision, including all but two House Republicans, just last week, should feel ashamed of themselves. | ||
| As these Republican senators and House members know, phone records are among the most routine tools used in criminal investigations. | ||
| They do not reveal the content of any conversations. | ||
| They simply show which numbers were called, which numbers called them, and when those calls were made. | ||
| They are essentially phone bills. | ||
| If these Republican senators genuinely believe that their civil liberties were violated or if they are interested in changing the law relating to subpoenas, then they are better positioned than literally anyone on planet Earth to hold hearings, draft legislation, and debate proposed changes in the open. | ||
| But that's not what this is all about. | ||
| This is about ensuring the law applies to every other American, just not to them. | ||
| Let me repeat that. | ||
| This law applies only to them, not even members of the House of Representatives, nor should it, not to any other American citizen, just them. | ||
| This kind of self-serving, self-dealing, one-sided, get-rich-quick scheme at the expense of taxpayers is why Americans are so disgusted with this Congress. | ||
| And it's why I expect many of those who supported this provision will be dismissed next November. | ||
| This lucrative carve-out masquerading as legislation isn't an isolated occurrence. | ||
| It's part of a broader pattern, the weaponization of the Department of Justice and the United States Treasury to reward allies and punish perceived enemies. | ||
| Let me briefly highlight just a few other examples. | ||
| Earlier this year, the Trump Department of Justice agreed to a $5 million settlement with an estate of a January 6 rioter who was killed while attempting to violently breach this chamber just outside those doors. | ||
| As the chief of police of the Capitol Police said at the time, the settlement, quote, sends a chilling message to law enforcement nationwide, especially to those with a protective mission like ours, end quote. | ||
| According to public reporting, the Department of Justice is also negotiating a settlement of up to $50 million to disgraced former General Michael Flynn over the purported wrongful prosecution, even though he confessed to the crimes for which, incredibly, he now says he was wrongly prosecuted. | ||
| You can't make this up. | ||
| Other reports indicate that President Trump is seeking $230 million from taxpayers for himself personally for prior investigations into his conduct. | ||
| And let's not forget on day one of this administration, when President Trump issued blanket pardons to over 1,000 criminals convicted of January 6 crimes, including members of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys who assaulted Capitol Police officers. | ||
| And just last week, a militia member who participated in the riot was repardoned for a completely unrelated gun charge, pardoned twice. | ||
| And what have we heard from congressional Republicans about all of this? | ||
| About legalized payoffs to Republican senators, about get-rich-quick schemes unfolding within the federal government, about rewards for friends and retribution against opponents? | ||
| Absolutely nothing. | ||
| The silence is deafening. | ||
| Last I checked, this is the United States Congress, not the Russian Duma. | ||
| We do not create a protected class of elites who can siphon off public money, reward their friends, punish their political opponents, and insulate themselves from accountability. | ||
| That's not what we are, or at least we weren't until last week when nearly every single House Republican voted for this disgraceful provision of law after rejecting Democratic amendments to strip it from the bill. | ||
|
Provisional Controversy
00:15:48
|
||
| You had every opportunity to stop this provision from ever becoming law, but you voted for it anyway. | ||
| And now you just want to turn around and say, just kidding, we didn't mean it. | ||
| What are we doing here? | ||
| Let's review the sequence of events. | ||
| Senate Republicans snuck this outrageous provision into a bill to reopen the federal government after months of Republicans insisting they would only accept a clean funding bill. | ||
| I can't tell you the number of times, with all due respect, I heard Speaker Johnson say it over and over again. | ||
| House Republicans went right along with this. | ||
| And now, straight-faced, worthy of an Academy Award, they want to pretend the Senate may repeal the very payoff they just made law. | ||
| As we head into the fourth and I pray final year of this majority, I didn't think anything could shock me more. | ||
| I was wrong. | ||
| The American people are sick and tired of this. | ||
| They're sick and tired of watching politicians come to Washington to get rich while everyday Americans suffer through an affordability crisis Republicans don't appear interested in confronting. | ||
| They're sick and tired of watching Republicans block a tax credit that would lower health insurance costs for millions of Americans after passing a partisan budget that will throw millions more off Medicaid, only to turn around and create a slush fund for themselves. | ||
| I represent Rochester, New York, the city Frederick Douglass chose to make his home and to publish the North Star. | ||
| Douglas reminded us, the life of the nation is secure only when the nation is honest, truthful, and virtuous. | ||
| Ask yourselves, is sneaking this self-enriching provision into what was supposedly a clean funding bill honest, truthful, or virtuous? | ||
| I think we all know the answer. | ||
| In fact, I'm so opposed to this corrupt provision, I actually voted against it last week. | ||
| And I look forward to hearing my colleagues on the other side of the aisle try to explain why they did not. | ||
| I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman from New York reserves. | ||
| The gentleman from Wisconsin is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I'd like to yield three minutes to the gentleman from Georgia, Mr. Scott, to speak on his bill. | ||
| The gentleman from Georgia is recognized for three minutes. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| Wow, there's been a lot said in the last few minutes. | ||
| Let's be clear. | ||
| Senate Democrat leadership knew about the language as well as House Republican leadership. | ||
| I'm sorry, Senate Republican leadership. | ||
| Both sides knew about this language. | ||
| Nobody in the House supported this language. | ||
| This language did not go through any committee in the Senate, did not go through any committee in the House, and could never be passed and signed into law if it was discussed openly where the American citizens could actually see and understand what was happening. | ||
| We were given a choice the other day, open the government or keep the government closed. | ||
| The people on my side of the aisle almost unanimously voted to open the government, and I'm glad that we ended the chaos, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I want you to know that, because if the Democrats had had that way, the chaos would be ensuing today. | ||
| But there's a provision in this bill that in my time in office I believe is probably the most self-centered, self-serving piece of language that I have ever seen in any piece of legislation. | ||
| And for the people who are saying it's $500,000, I want the American citizens to know this. | ||
| It's not $500,000. | ||
| It's $500,000 per account per occurrence. | ||
| We have one senator, one, who maintains that this provision is good and is currently saying that he is going to sue for tens of millions of dollars. | ||
| I believe my side did the right thing in voting to open up the government. | ||
| There are a select few people that did the wrong thing in putting language in the bill that would make themselves individually wealthy. | ||
| All this language does is repeals that. | ||
| All this does is repeals that one provision of the law that would enrich what is now down to one individual member saying they're going to sue for tens of millions of dollars. | ||
| There's not a whole lot to debate here. | ||
| I hope all of the House will vote unanimously to do it. | ||
| And then I hope that yesterday, like yesterday, Senator Thune will immediately put the bill on the floor and that we can immediately get this to the president's desk and we can get back to doing the business of the people now that the government is open. | ||
| And with that, I yield the remainder of my gentleman yields back. | ||
| The gentleman from Wisconsin. | ||
| I thank my colleague for his leadership and authorship of this legislation. | ||
| I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman from Wisconsin Reserves, gentlemen from New York is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I need to say, as someone who served on the House Rules Committees for four years, that we clearly could have put on the floor and made an order an amendment to strike this provision from the bill that had been passed by the Senate. | ||
| Most people who took social studies in an elementary school understand the bill has to pass the Senate and the House before it's sent to the President. | ||
| Had we had the opportunity, we would have voted on an amendment. | ||
| I would have guarantee it would have passed this House, and you would have had the full support of Democrats to strike that provision, and then we could have sent it back to the Senate. | ||
| So the fact that we weren't forced to do this last week, and there was an amendment made in the Rules Committee that the Rules Committee Republicans rejected, which would have made an order, an amendment, which would have stripped this provision from the bill. | ||
| So that should have been done, could have been done. | ||
| People made a conscious decision on the other side of the aisle not to include that amendment in making an order so we wouldn't have to be here today trying to mop up the mess that has been created. | ||
| With that, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to yield one minute to the distinguished gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Wackinshaw. | ||
| The gentleman from Virginia is recognized for one minute. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of legislation to repeal a last-minute dead-of-night provision added to the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act that greenlights eight Republican senators to raid the Treasury and reward themselves with millions of taxpayer dollars because they were investigated for their involvement in the 2021 insurrection. | ||
| These eight senators provided support to President Trump's attempt to overturn the results of a free and fair election. | ||
| It is a brazen attempt by Republicans to further whitewash a conspiracy and a violent insurrection while lining their own pockets with taxpayer dollars. | ||
| It's a trifecta of the type of corruption that shakes Americans' faith in Congress, contempt for the rule of law, a secret backroom deal, and self-enrichment. | ||
| This Republican senator slush fund is yet another example of the corruption that has taken hold here. | ||
|
unidentified
|
I yield back. | |
| The gentleman yields back. | ||
| The gentleman from New York Reserves, the gentleman from Wisconsin is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I'd like to yield three minutes to the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Roy, to speak on this bill. | ||
| The gentleman from Texas is recognized for three minutes. | ||
| I want to thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for his leadership here and managing this bill on the floor on behalf of my friend from Georgia, who rightfully raised this issue in the Rules Committee on which he and I both serve and which we immediately raised in front of the Rules Committee and for the entire body. | ||
| There is nobody, to the best of my knowledge, in this body who supports this language that was inserted in the end of the funding bill that we passed last week. | ||
| I don't know anybody. | ||
| I've yet to meet one person who supports it. | ||
| So rather than my colleagues on the other side of the aisle coming together in a bipartisan agreement that we are going to, as the House, hip-check the Senate for having put a provision in there that we disagree with, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle want to try to make this a partisan issue. | ||
| When in fact, Senate Democrats were equally involved in making sure that this provision got inserted. | ||
| And in fact, they were very specific about only wanting a provision if it was only focused on the Senate. | ||
| They didn't want it to be used, for example, to help Jay Sixers or face act individuals who were abused by the Department of Justice under President Biden. | ||
| They didn't want it to be a more expansive private right of action. | ||
| Instead, they wanted it to be narrow and narrow for the Senate. | ||
| So rather than the House being in a bipartisan agreement, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle want to make it partisan. | ||
| So we're going to make it partisan. | ||
| Let's be very clear. | ||
| The reason we were in the position that we were in last week was that we'd been shut down for 43 days. | ||
| Why? | ||
| Because my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have literally nothing to run on. | ||
| The only thing my colleagues on the other side of the aisle can run on is shutting down the government, making up nonsense about health in which they're going to enrich insurance companies in the process, and have nothing to take to the American people other than trying to create division. | ||
| So here we are. | ||
| And the fact of the matter is, we're going to pass this legislation within days. | ||
| We're going to send it to the Senate and we're going to make clear to the Senate that they need to correct this issue because the American people rightly are with us. | ||
| And the House of Representatives, Republican and Democrats, are rightly checking the Senate. | ||
| But there's one last really important piece to this, which is the Arctic Frost investigation itself, which specifically targeted United States senators in an egregious abuse of power, targeting those senators for their information and their records. | ||
| That is something that is an absolute affront to separation of powers and to our constitutional order to have the Department of Justice targeting those senators. | ||
| So those senators were rightly wanting to find ways to stop Jack Smith and the abuses of the Department of Justice. | ||
| We in this chamber just simply believe that if you're going to do something like that, it should apply to all Americans and not be something specific to the United States Senate. | ||
| We're correcting this now. | ||
| We should pass it immediately. | ||
| The Senate should take it up and pass it. | ||
| And a little personal message to the Senate: take this up and pass it, or you're not getting any support from this member for any of your measures that come over to this body. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| Yields back. | ||
| The gentleman from Wisconsin Reserves, the gentleman from New York is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| Look, I have enormous respect for my colleagues and particularly those that serve on the Rules Committee, but this could have been dealt with last week. | ||
| There was no reason to pass this. | ||
| You knew. | ||
| And by the way, yes, Democrats were fighting for tax breaks and subsidy that makes health insurance more affordable for millions of Americans who go to work every day. | ||
| Yes, we couldn't do that because, Speaker, Senator Thune, the majority leader, insisted it had to be a clean CR, had to be a clean, continuing resolution. | ||
| No other provisions. | ||
| Somehow, this got in there. | ||
| This wasn't clean. | ||
| There's nothing clean about this. | ||
| And by the way, last week when we were considering this, had we made the amendment and order that we received to consider right now, would have passed, presumably overwhelmingly, if what I'm hearing from my colleagues is true, we could have sent the bill back to the Senate. | ||
| I'm sorry, I know we didn't want to impose on them and their time to take this out. | ||
| And by the way, what these Republican senators are saying was such an egregious abuse is something that every American is subject to. | ||
| Every single one of the 340 million Americans blessed to call this country our home have to go through except these senators because they think it's outrageous that it, and by the way, if you took this to its logical conclusion, a senator that might participate in the overthrow of the United States government, let's just say hypothetically, it was coordinating to do that, could not have the Department of Justice look at their phone records. | ||
| Same thing they can do to every other one of the 340 million Americans, but not these senators. | ||
| God know, they can't have that. | ||
| They can't have if there's some reason to suggest that they might have information that the Justice Department can't do it. | ||
| And by the way, that wasn't the rule back when this happened in 2022. | ||
| They're doing it retroactively. | ||
| They're changing the law, going back three years and allowing them to sue the United States taxpayers for millions and millions of dollars. | ||
| Last night, a United States senator said he intends to sue for tens of millions of dollars under this provision. | ||
| I can't imagine anything that would cause more anxiety to American taxpayers than to see this debate and understand what happened. | ||
| So respectfully, I appreciate it, but we could have dealt with this last week, should have dealt with this last week. | ||
| We shouldn't be here. | ||
| I'll support the bill, but boy, and by the way, there's no guarantee that the United States Senate is going to take this up. | ||
| So this may all be for show just to make people feel guilty about having voted for this or wanting to convince voters back home that they really weren't complicit in giving this extraordinary bonanza to a handful of elitists who feel somehow aggrieved by the fact that they had information that might have actually been really helpful about looking at the potential overthrow of the 2020 presidential election. | ||
| With that, I reserve. | ||
| The gentleman from New York Reserves, the gentleman from Wisconsin, is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I'd like to yield two minutes to the gentlewoman from Wyoming, Ms. Hegeman, to speak on this bill. | ||
| The gentlewoman from Wyoming is recognized for two minutes. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I rise today in support of H.R. 6019. | ||
| Included in the Senate amendment to H.R. 5371 was a section providing for a private right of action for those senators who were targeted by the Biden administration to access their cell phone data. | ||
| I support repealing this particular provision, not because I think that these senators and others should not be able to sue the federal government for these acts, but because they already have the ability to do so. | ||
| The senators, similar to any other citizen who was wrongfully targeted by the Biden administration, already have a private right of action to sue the federal government, including the FBI and other agencies who may have been involved for violation of their Fourth Amendment rights and other statutory provisions that govern privacy rights and or that limit federal law enforcement from pursuing political witch hunts. | ||
| And I guess I am just absolutely shocked by my colleague on the other side who believes that the federal government has the right to invade the privacy and violate the Fourth Amendment rights not only of sitting U.S. senators, but the 340 million people in this country. | ||
| He apparently believes that the federal government has the right to access their phone data at any time, which is absolutely untrue. | ||
| My message to those individuals who were involved in violating the constitutional rights of American citizens is very simple. | ||
| You are the very type of tyrants that our founders fought against, and the reason as to why they drafted the Bill of Rights. | ||
| You will be exposed, you will be held accountable, and you should never be allowed near the levers of power again. | ||
| I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 6019, and I yield back. | ||
| The gentleman yields back. | ||
| The gentleman from Wisconsin Reserves, the gentleman from New York, is recognized. | ||
| I reserve, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| The gentleman from New York Reserves, the gentleman from Wisconsin is recognized. | ||
|
Repealing The Senate Payday Provision
00:09:44
|
||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I would like to yield three minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee, Mr. Rose, to speak on this bill. | ||
| The gentleman from Tennessee is recognized for three minutes. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6019, a bill that I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of. | ||
| It would repeal the indefensible Senate payday provision that was snuck into the critical funding legislation to reopen the government last week. | ||
| With the goal of ending the suffering caused by the Schumer shutdown top of mind, I voted yes on the CR. | ||
| It was the right thing to do. | ||
| And I hope the American people are never again used as, quote, leverage. | ||
| However, what the Senate sent us contained a poison pill, a provision to give certain senators the ability to sue the federal government for a half a million or perhaps millions of dollars for alleged illegal surveillance conducted by the Biden DOJ. | ||
| I remain convinced the last administration conducted a large number of politically motivated investigations. | ||
| However, the solution isn't for aggrieved lawmakers to get a payday at taxpayer expense. | ||
| As the members of Congress, as members of Congress, the people have entrusted us to be a check on the executive branch. | ||
| They didn't send us here to collect checks when the executive oversteps. | ||
| All members of the House should take issue with Senate leadership for secretly slipping in this provision. | ||
| In fact, whoever carefully crafted this scheme failed to tell their Senate colleagues. | ||
| And I agree with Senator John Kennedy, who said, quote, whoever put this in had an obligation to tell us about it, and they didn't. | ||
| The consensus of many legal experts is that this provision amounts to a pay increase. | ||
| To me, the provision reads like a Christmas bonus, and that is blatantly unconstitutional. | ||
| It defies the 27th Amendment, which says no law can change a lawmaker's compensation until a new Congress is sworn in. | ||
| If the House legislation we are debating today does not receive a vote in the Senate, I want to make it clear I am taking action. | ||
| Today, I have introduced House Resolution 892, a House resolution that empowers Speaker Johnson to bring this issue before the courts and challenge the so-called Senate payday provision as blatantly unconstitutional. | ||
| Importantly, because my resolution is a House resolution, it does not require the consent or cooperation of the Senate, which has shamefully shown no willingness to undo this egregious policy. | ||
| The House does not have to wait for the Senate to act and watch idly while this payday stands. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support Representative Scott's legislation and to support my resolution so we can stand up for the integrity of Congress, uphold the Constitution, and restore public trust in this institution. | ||
| With that, I yield back, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| The gentleman yields back. | ||
| I reserve. | ||
| The gentleman from Wisconsin Reserves, the gentleman from New York. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| May I inquire as to time remaining? | ||
| The gentleman has six and a half minutes remaining. | ||
| Six and a half minutes. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I'll reserve. | ||
| The gentleman from New York Reserves, the gentleman from Wisconsin, is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I inquire how much time is remaining on majority? | ||
| The gentleman has seven and a half minutes. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I would now like to yield three minutes to the gentleman from California, Mr. Kiley, to speak on the bill. | ||
| The gentleman's recognized for three minutes. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, this who wants to be a millionaire provision created by U.S. senators for themselves and themselves alone is outrageous. | ||
| And I will, of course, be voting to repeal it today. | ||
| But we also need to ask how this was allowed to happen. | ||
| And I have to tell you, it doesn't help that the House wasn't even here. | ||
| For six straight weeks, House leadership decided to cancel our sessions. | ||
| every oversight hearing, every markup of legislation, everything. | ||
|
unidentified
|
And why? | |
| To this day, there's been no coherent rationale offered. | ||
| Now, throughout this time, I warned that this was not only holding back our own legislative priorities, but was also making the House irrelevant in any deal to reopen the government. | ||
| And of course, that's what ended up happening. | ||
| The Senate never passed RCR. | ||
| They negotiated their own deal. | ||
| And after 50 days away, the House was brought back for one flyby vote to ratify what the Senate had come up with as our only opportunity to reopen the government. | ||
| So the Senate was so thoroughly convinced of the House's irrelevance that they thought that they could literally insert a self-enrichment scheme into the legislation and get away with it. | ||
| And by the way, they still might get away with it because while we're passing a bill to repeal it today, that still has to pass the Senate. | ||
| So we need to pass this in the House today. | ||
| We need to insist this provision be included in a must-pass bill going forward so that it cannot actually be utilized. | ||
| And more than that, we need to start reasserting ourselves as a House, reclaiming our authority under Article 1 and giving the American people the representation they deserve. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| The gentleman yields back. | ||
| The gentleman from Wisconsin? | ||
| I reserve it and prepare to. | ||
| The gentleman from Wisconsin reserves. | ||
| The gentleman from New York is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I hope today's debate was about more than simply a press release about people trying to absolve themselves and not just another waste of taxpayer time and money misleading the American people about the intentions of Senate Republicans. | ||
| The Senate should act on this measure. | ||
| They should act on it today. | ||
| Rarely in life is there the second chance to do the right thing, but I urge my colleagues here to do the right thing, and I certainly urge members of the Senate to do the right thing as well. | ||
| And with that, I yield back, sir. | ||
| The gentleman from New York yields back. | ||
| The gentleman from Wisconsin is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, before we close, I just want to wrap up a few things that have been discussed today. | ||
| We were closed as a federal government for 43 days because Democrats in the House of Representatives voted against a clean CR and then cheered on their Democratic colleagues in the United States Senate to keep the government closed. | ||
| As people suffered, as individuals who were showing up to work weren't receiving payment from law enforcement officers, border patrol officers, snap benefits weren't being paid, and that pain was getting quite real. | ||
| And finally, after 43 days, finally, after 43 days, eight Democratic senators came to the table and said we should reopen the government. | ||
| Those eight voted for this bill. | ||
| I didn't hear my colleagues critique those eight Democrats in the United States Senate who were involved in drafting the final legislation. | ||
| In fact, my suggestion the whole time was that the Senate should have passed the clean CR the House sent to them. | ||
| If we look at the record, time after time after time, Democrats and the United States Senate refused to pass the Clean CR, which would have avoided this mess in the first place. | ||
| So if we're curious as to who caused this problem, I think the answer, Mr. Speaker, is quite clear. | ||
| Democrats in the House of Representatives voted against the Clean CR and then cheered on their Democratic colleagues and the United States Senate to keep this government closed. | ||
| As this came to the House, this provision was buried in it. | ||
| But we had an obligation to reopen the federal government to make sure that law enforcement officers were getting paid, air traffic controllers were getting paid, snap benefits were flowing once again. | ||
| So we voted for it. | ||
| And today is the opportunity to clean up this provision. | ||
| There's far better ways to address the abuses of the Biden administration. | ||
| And those abuses do need to be addressed, just not in this mechanism. | ||
| So I encourage all of my colleagues in the House of Representatives, and I hope we have a unanimous vote tonight, as we pass H.R. 6019. | ||
| And I encourage everyone to vote aye. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| Gentleman from Wisconsin yields back. | ||
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 6019? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| And the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the purpose of gentlemen from Wisconsin Secretary. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I request the yays and nays. | ||
| The yays and nays are requested. | ||
| All those in favor of taking the vote by the yays and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. | ||
| A sufficient number having risen, the yays and nays are ordered pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20. | ||
| Further proceedings on this question will be postponed. | ||
| The chair lays before the House an enrolled bill. | ||
|
Censure Of Representative Corey Mills
00:10:56
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| H.R. 4405, an act to require the Attorney General to release all documents and records in possession of the Department of Justice relating to Jeffrey Epstein and for other purposes. | ||
| What purposes? | ||
| Gentleman from South Carolina seek recognition. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2A1 of Rule 9, I rise to give notice of my intent to raise a question of the privileges of the House. | ||
| The form of the resolution is as follows, censuring Representative Corey Mills of Florida and removing him from the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Foreign Affairs. | ||
| Whereas prior to serving in the House of Representatives, Representative Corey Mills founded PASIM Solutions International LLC and PAYSIM Defense LLC and acquired Amtech Corporation, now renamed as ALS Inc. Companies which engage in security and military contracting with the United States government as well as foreign nations. | ||
| Whereas in August 2024, the Office of Congressional Conduct found from January 2023 to present, PAYSIM Defense ALS has been actively contracting with the federal government, securing close to $1 million in federal contracts for munitions and weapons distributed to prisons across the country. | ||
| Specifically since January 9th, 2024, 94 contracts have been awarded to entities owned by Representative Mills and went on to conclude, quote, there is substantial reason to believe that Representative Mills may have entered into, held, or enjoyed contracts with federal agencies while he was a member of Congress in violation of House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law. | ||
| Whereas in August 2024, the Office of Congressional Conduct noted according to its website, Paysome Solutions is currently registered and or partnered with trusted local firms to work in the following countries, United States, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, UAE, Australia, Kenya, Malaysia, and Kuwait. | ||
| Public reports indicate companies owned by Representative Mills sought or entered into contracts to sell munitions to foreign nations while serving as a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and on the Committee on Armed Services. | ||
| Whereas entities owned by Representative Mills seeking or entering into contracts to sell munitions to the United States government as well as foreign nations, he did so while he serves as a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Committee on Armed Service represents a clear and troubling conflict of interest. | ||
| Whereas in August 2024 and the Office of Congressional Conduct further adopted and transmitted to the Committee on Ethics of the House of Representatives a report indicating that there are substantial reason to believe that Representative Corey Mills may have omitted or misrepresented required information in his financial disclosure statements, | ||
| accepted excessive contributions to his campaign committee in the form of personal loans and contributions that may not have derived from Representative Corey Mills' personal funds, and may have accepted through his campaign committee in-kind contributions or other contributions not lawfully made. | ||
| Whereas individuals who served in the military with Representative Corey Mills have called into question the veracity of the account of events which formed the basis of a recommendation that Representative Corey Mills receive the award of a bronze star bestowed in 2021 or afterwards for his service under enemy fire in Iraq in 2003. | ||
| Whereas in August 2024 Representative Corey Mills provided the Daytona Beach News with documents purporting to prove that he earned a bronze star with heroism, including a Department of the Army Form 638 recommending Representative Corey Mills for a bronze star, which includes a signature from then Army Brigade Commander Arnold N. Gordon Bray. | ||
| Whereas retired Brigadier General Arnold N. Gordon Bray has stated he did not personally write, read, or sign the Department of the Army Form 638 recommending Representative Corey Mills for a bronze star. | ||
| Whereas five people who served with Representative Corey Mills, including two men who were reported as having been personally saved by Representative Corey Mills at great risk to his own life as a basis for the recommendation for his bronze star and the Department of the Army Form 638 disputed what Representative Corey Mills, that Representative Corey Mills was involved in their rescue or provided life-saving care. | ||
| Whereas one private first class cited as having been involved in one of the listed achievements on Representative Corey Mills Army Form 638 recommending him for a bronze star denied that Representative Corey Mills provided him any aid and also denied that his injuries were life-threatening. | ||
| Whereas one sergeant cited as having been involved in one of the listed achievements on Representative Corey Mills Army Form 638, recommending him for a bronze star, called the account a fabrication and claimed that he was quote not involved in any claims that Corey Mills makes about me. | ||
| Whereas Representative Corey Mills employment application to DINE Corps International stated he served in the United States ARMY 75TH Ranger Regiment and attended United States ARMY Sniper School, claims which are not corroborated in his military records. | ||
| Whereas on February 19, 2025, Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department officers were called to resolve a private matter at Representative Corey Mills' residence, where officers were called to the 1300 block of Maryland Avenue Southwest around 1:15 p.m. for the report of an assault. | ||
| Whereas police reports obtained by NBC4 Washington confirmed that the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department was investigating Representative Corey Mills for an alleged assault of a 27-year-old woman that took place on February 19th, 2025, at the residence of Representative Corey Mills. | ||
| Whereas the first police report provided to NBC 4 Washington by a source and confirmed by a second source familiar with the investigation said that the 27-year-old woman accused her significant other for over a year of having grabbed her, shoved her, and pushed her out the door. | ||
| And also said that the woman involved showed the officer bruises on her arm, which appeared fresh. | ||
| Whereas NBC 4 Washington also reported that the Metropolitan Police Department identified Representative Corey Mills as the significant other of the alleged victim of assault. | ||
| Which alleged victim was a 27-year-old woman who was not the wife of Representative Corey Mills, and that the alleged victim let officers here Subject 1, now identified by MPD as Mills, instruct her to lie about the origin of her bruises. | ||
| Eventually, Subject 1 made contact with the police and admitted that the situation escalated from verbal to physical, but it was severe enough to create bruising. | ||
| Whereas on February 21st, 2025, the Washington Post also confirmed two D.C. police officials said that the alleged victim of assault initially told a 911 operator and police that she'd been assaulted and that officers said she also had what seemed to be visible injuries. | ||
| And that while a supervisor initially classified the offense internally as a family disturbance, police commanders later learned of the incident, reviewed the reports and body camera footage from the responding officers, and reclassified the case as a domestic violence assault. | ||
| Whereas on February 21st, 2025, NBC4 Washington also reported that the Metropolitan Police Department determined that probable cause to arrest Representative Corey Mills for misdemeanor assault existed and sent an arrest warrant for Representative Corey Mills to the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. | ||
| Whereas for July 14, 2025, a different former Romantic partner of Representative Corey Mills, who was apparently in a relationship with Representative Mills from November 21st to February 2025, reported to authorities in Florida that Representative Mills threatened to release nude images and other intimate videos of her and threatened to harm her, | ||
| future Romantic partners, in retaliation for her decision to end a relationship with Representative Mills after seeing the public reports described above concerning the alleged February 2025 physical assault. | ||
| Whereas on October 14, 2025, the circuit court of the Third Judicial Circuit in Columbia County, Florida, issued a final judgment of injunction for protection against dating violence against Representative Corey Mills. | ||
| Based on a finding that his former romantic partner was a victim of dating violence, or had reasonable cause to believe, she was in imminent danger of becoming a victim of an act of dating violence. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you. | |
| And whereas such conduct by Representative Corey Mills affects the dignity and the integrity of the proceedings of the House and brings discredit upon the House, now therefore be it resolved that Representative Corey Mills be censured. | ||
| Representative Corey Mills forthwith present himself in the well of the House of Representatives for the pronouncement of censure. | ||
|
Bail Reform Debate
00:15:57
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| Representative Corey Mills be censured with a public reading of this resolution by the Speaker. | ||
| And Representative Corey Mills be and is hereby removed from the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House. | ||
| Under Rule 9, a resolution offered from the floor by a member other than the majority leader or the minority leader as a question of privilege of the House has immediate proceeding only at a time designated by the chair within two legislative days after the resolution is properly noticed. | ||
| Pending that designation, the form of the resolution noticed by the gentlewoman from South Carolina will appear in the record at this point. | ||
| The chair will not at this point determine whether the resolution constitutes a question of privilege. | ||
| That determination will be made at the time designated for consideration of the resolution. | ||
| For what purpose, gentlemen from Kentucky seek recognition? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 879, I call up the bill H.R. 5214, the District of Columbia Cash Bail Reform Act of 2025. | ||
| The clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Union Calendar 269, H.R. 5214, a bill to require mandatory pretrial and post-conviction detention for crimes of violence and dangerous crimes and require mandatory cash bail for certain offenses that pose a threat to public safety or order in the District of Columbia and for other purposes. | |
| Pursuant to the House Resolution 879, the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform printed in the bill is adopted and the bill as amended is considered red. | ||
| The bill as amended shall be debatable for one hour, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform or their respective designees. | ||
| The gentleman from Kentucky, Mr. Comer, and the gentleman from California, Mr. Garcia, each will control 30 minutes. | ||
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky. | ||
| Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| Cashless bail allows dangerous, violent criminals on our streets. | ||
| For far too long, dangerous criminals have been allowed to roam the streets of Washington, D.C., posing a threat to the general public. | ||
| Progressive activist judges are currently allowed to release criminals to D.C. streets with only a promise that they will not reoffend and will return to court for their trial date. | ||
| The D.C. Cash Bail Reform Act would take away a judge's ability to release these violent criminals. | ||
| It would require judges to hold anyone charged with a violent crime before trial, and it would impose cash bail or bail bonds on anyone charged with a range of public safety or law and order offenses. | ||
| This is a smart and long overdue reform that rectifies the ill-conceived policies currently enacted in the district. | ||
| I urge all of my colleagues to support this common sense public safety bill, and I thank Representative Stefanik for her leadership on this issue and the National Fraternal Order of Police for their support. | ||
| I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentlemen from Kentucky Reserve. | ||
| The gentleman from California is recognized. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| I yield myself such time as may consume, please. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Well, thank you. | ||
| Now, Mr. Speaker, I strongly oppose the legislation which is in front of us, which is another completely unacceptable attack on the district and our Democratic principles. | ||
| Now, we know that D.C. has more residents than two states. | ||
| D.C. pays more federal taxes than 26 states. | ||
| And D.C.'s government is accountable to the people who live here. | ||
| Local leaders should be empowered to solve problems without Congress constantly interfering. | ||
| Now, I've said many times, if Donald Trump wants to run DC, he should resign from Congress. | ||
| He should resign and run for mayor. | ||
| And if Republicans want to get tough on crime, they should stop protecting the criminals in the Epstein files and demand transparency from Donald Trump. | ||
| But let's talk about the bill in front of us today. | ||
| The Cash Bail Reform Act, we know, is unfair and bad policy. | ||
| Under this bill, if you are charged with certain crimes, you will automatically be locked up before your trial. | ||
| For other crimes, this bill would require cash bail or bond. | ||
| This will make DC's local law much more strict than even federal law. | ||
| Pre-trial release should be based on a judge's determination of flight risk and danger to the community. | ||
| We should let trained judges and prosecutors do their jobs and consider each fact of each case. | ||
| You shouldn't automatically be locked up based on a criminal charge before you're even proven to be guilty. | ||
| We know in our system that you are innocent until proven guilty. | ||
| And we know that should be true whether you are rich or poor. | ||
| This bill will lock up more people that are low-income and more people that are also innocent. | ||
| It will reinforce an unfair system where the rich get perks while the poor suffer. | ||
| Democrats are fighting for a system where wealthy elites aren't above the law, but where the justice system is fair for all. | ||
| And we're fighting for democracy. | ||
| We should let the council, the mayor, and the district's justice system work together as they balance the public safety needs of the people. | ||
| When D.C. residents don't like local policies, they could demand different policies from their elected leaders and certainly vote them out of office. | ||
| This bill is not about safety, but about Congress once again interfering in local safety decisions by D.C. residents that are perfectly capable of making these decisions on their own. | ||
| We should be clear, this bill is also opposed by the mayor, the city council, many in the community, and is an overreach by the Republican majority to try to control the district. | ||
| The bill isn't necessary. | ||
| It undermines home rule, and it can make D.C. less safe. | ||
| And I urge my colleagues to oppose it, and I reserve my time, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| The gentleman from California Reserves, gentlemen from Kentucky is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I need to add this. | ||
| I ask you to consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend the remarks and include extraneous material in the measure under consideration. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| I reserve. | ||
| The gentleman from Kentucky Reserves, the gentleman from New York is recognized. | ||
| I'm sorry, gentlemen from California. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I want to yield two minutes to the gentleman from Maryland, Congressman Ivey. | ||
| Gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Two minutes. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and I rise in opposition to this legislation. | ||
| As a former prosecutor here in Washington, D.C., I had a chance to use these statutes frequently with respect to the bail determination that is made in all of these criminal cases at some point or another. | ||
| And my colleague talked about this being common sense legislation, but the D.C. bill is patterned on the Federal Bail Reform Act. | ||
| And I note that there's no effort to amend that here or change it in the way that's been proposed in this bill. | ||
| In addition to that, roughly 40 states in the Union are patterned after the Federal Bail Reform Act, just like the D.C. bill is, but there's no effort to change those. | ||
| And many of those 40 states are represented by members on the other side who support this bill. | ||
| But the main point I want to raise right now is that it appears to me that this bill, as drafted, would create a scenario that's unconstitutional. | ||
| As I read it, it strikes a five-day provision. | ||
| In other words, when somebody's initially arrested, they can be held for five days until you can have the full-scale hearing. | ||
| The way this is drafted is it eliminates the five days and it says, notwithstanding any other provision, the judicial officer shall order that the person who is charged with this crime be detained for the period before trial. | ||
| I think that says that no matter what, whoever is arrested for any of these charges is a mandatory requirement that they be held for the entire pretrial period. | ||
| That would certainly be unconstitutional. | ||
| Under Salerno, the Supreme Court case, which ruled on the constitutionality of this language over 40 years ago, the Supreme Court said that there's a variety of safeguards that have been put in place, right to counsel, detention hearing, chance to offer opposing evidence and the like, that provides the safeguards that permit this statute to be found to be constitutional. | ||
| But the way this bill is drafted, none of those safeguards could come into play because the initial provision, as it's written, makes all of those superfluous and says that no matter what, if these charges arise, the person has to be detained for the entire pretrial period. | ||
| So I yield another minute, please. | ||
| I would say at this point, though, that because it's unconstitutional, I would urge my Republican colleagues to oppose this bill. | ||
| I'd urge all of my colleagues to oppose this bill. | ||
| And I would note that Salerno was written by Chief Justice Rehnquist, no liberal advocate, and Justice Scalia supported it as well. | ||
| This is a provision that has key safeguards that are excluded by the way this is drafted. | ||
| It has to be revised. | ||
| I oppose it even if you do the revision piece because I think it violates the rights of the District of Columbia to make their own determinations. | ||
| But at a minimum, please send constitutional law forward. | ||
| And with that, I yield back. | ||
| Gentleman Reserves, recognize the gentleman from Kentucky. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Reserve. | |
| Reserve. | ||
| Gentleman from California. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I'd like to yield 70 minutes to the gentlelady from the District of Columbia, Congresswoman Norton. | ||
|
unidentified
|
So ordered. | |
| I thank the gentleman for yielding to me, and I strongly oppose this bill, which amends the District of Columbia pretrial release and detention law. | ||
| Last year, violent crime in D.C. was down 35%, reaching an over 30-year low. | ||
| This year, violent crime in D.C. is down 38% compared with the same period last year. | ||
| I suspect most of my Republican colleagues do not know that D.C.'s long-standing pretrial release and detention law is substantially the same as the long-standing federal pretrial release and detention law, | ||
| or that the same well-respected federal agency provides pretrial services for both local and federal trial courts in D.C. | ||
| This bill requires, in the case of certain crimes, pretrial detention based solely on a charge and financial conditions for pretrial release. | ||
| However, mandatory pretrial detention based solely on a charge is unconstitutional and financial conditions for pretrial release criminalize poverty. | ||
| Neither D.C. nor federal law requires pretrial detention or financial conditions for pretrial release, but both laws permit each. | ||
| Under both D.C. and federal law, pretrial release and detention are based on a judge's assessment of a defendant's risk of not appearing in court and danger to the community. | ||
| In contrast, 18 states, the majority of which are red states, have a constitutional right to bail, meaning except in capital cases, a defendant cannot be detained pretrial based solely on flight of risk or dangerousness. | ||
| Pretrial detention is a severe restriction on the ability of an individual who is presumed innocent. | ||
| This bill requires detention for the period before trial based solely on a charge with no adversary hearing. | ||
| That is unconstitutional. | ||
| The due process clause of the Constitution requires an adversary hearing to detain a defendant for the period before trial. | ||
| In 1987, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the federal pretrial release and detention law. | ||
| In its ruling, the court stressed the law's procedural protections for defendants. | ||
| Chief Judge Rehnquist said in our Constitution, in our society, liberty is the norm and detention prior to trial or without trial is the carefully limited exception. | ||
| We hold that the provisions for pretrial detention in the Bail Reform Act of 1984 fall within that carefully limited exception. | ||
| The Act authorizes a detention prior to trial of arrestees charged with serious felonies who are found after an adversary hearing to pose a threat to the safety of individuals or of the community which no condition of release can dispel. | ||
| The numerous procedural safeguards detailed above must attend this adversary hearing. | ||
|
Small Financial Conditions, Longer Sentences
00:00:47
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| Studies show that whether a jurisdiction requires financial conditions for pretrial release has no effect on the crime rates of that jurisdiction. | ||
| Instead, even small financial conditions for pretrial release often force poor defendants to remain in jail, which can cost them their jobs and housing and leads to more convictions and longer sentences. | ||
|
Residents' Right to Self-Governance
00:06:18
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| The over 700,000 D.C. residents, the majority of whom are black and brown, are capable and worthy of governing themselves. | ||
| If residents do not like how members of D.C.'s local legislature vote, residents can vote them out of office or pass a ballot measure. | ||
| That is called democracy. | ||
| If D.C. residents do not like how members of Congress vote on local D.C. matters, residents cannot vote them out of office. | ||
| That is the antithesis of democracy. | ||
| I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record letters opposing this bill from D.C. Mayor, the entire D.C. Council, and the D.C. Attorney General, all of whom were elected by D.C. residents. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to vote no on this undemocratic and paternalistic bill. | ||
| It is long passed for Congress to pass the D.C. statehood bill. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| Gentleman from Kentucky. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers and prepared to close. | ||
| Gentleman, reserves. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentlemen from California. | |
| Gentleman from California. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I have to yield two minutes to the gentleman from Virginia, Congressman Walkinshaw. | ||
| Recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 5214, which erodes the self-governance of the District of Columbia. | ||
| Two months ago, Mr. Speaker, I was a local government official not far from here in Fairfax County. | ||
| And in the six years I spent in that role, I learned that the people best positioned to make decisions about the local policies in their local communities are local leaders after listening to that local community. | ||
| And my colleagues across the aisle who are advocating for these bills, with due respect, know very little about the District of Columbia, know very little outside of perhaps their walk from their apartment and Navy yard to this Capitol complex. | ||
| They don't know the history, the neighborhoods, the communities, the challenges that folks in the district are facing. | ||
| And while my colleagues espouse the virtues of self-governance, they simultaneously advocate for bills like this that strip self-governance from 700,000 Americans. | ||
| In 1973, Congress passed the Home Rule Act to grant to the inhabitants of the district powers of local self-government. | ||
| And this bill is just one of many in this House that erode those powers to help President Trump consolidate power over our nation's capital. | ||
| Meanwhile, the American people are confronting crisis after crisis that demand action from this Congress. | ||
| Our national economy is struggling under President Trump's leadership. | ||
| Tariffs are driving up prices. | ||
| Looming health care cuts are about to result in skyrocketing premiums for Americans across the nation. | ||
| In the midst of this, how does the majority choose to spend its time? | ||
| By meddling in D.C.'s local affairs and further disenfranchising 700,000 taxpaying Americans. | ||
| I strongly oppose this bill and encourage my colleagues to vote no. | ||
| I yield back. | ||
| Gentleman from Kentucky. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| Just to respond to our new colleague here who hasn't worked in Congress very long, this bill passed constitutional muster with the House Legislative Council, CRS, and various outside state holders. | ||
| None of our Democrat colleagues brought up these concerns during the markup, but let me say this, for those of us who have worked here in Washington, D.C. for a decade, we're very aware of the crime and the repeat offenders and the juvenile crime rates in Washington, D.C. | ||
| So we are taking action to try to make our capital city a safer place. | ||
| That's why I strongly support this bill. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I reserve. | ||
| Gentleman Reserves. | ||
| Gentleman from California. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I'd like to yield six minutes to the gentlelady from New Mexico, Congresswoman Stansbury. | ||
| Recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| Free DC. | ||
| To my colleagues across the aisle, I appreciate the debate, but I have to say I thought we were going to try to fix health care to address costs, try to fix the economy, get the country back on track. | ||
| Isn't that what the promise of the end of the shutdown was when we came back into session? | ||
| Yet here we are, one week after the end of the shutdown, after eight truly harrowing several days dealing with the Epstein petition. | ||
| And what are you guys putting on the floor to eat up precious floor time as we're headed into the holidays? | ||
| bills to micromanage DC affairs, bills to open public lands and tribal sacred sites to oil and gas drilling, and a ridiculous political resolution that I heard your own members last night on the floor talking about, and they called it, quote, stupid and kind of crazy. | ||
| Their words, not mine. | ||
| But I don't disagree, so don't get me wrong. | ||
| So after 54 days of the House of Representatives being shut down, all you guys really seem to have time to do is to run bills like this. | ||
| And what I find particularly offensive is that on a week that we should be working to address the health care crisis in a bipartisan manner, you're trying to pass bills today that would undo local police reforms that our nation's capital put into place after George Floyd's murder to ensure that the people of this city are safe and that the justice system is fair for them. | ||
|
Addressing Broken Health Care Systems
00:02:37
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| So if it's not clear, I'm a hard no on these bills, not just because I believe they represent congressional overreach and abuse of power, but because they will harm the people of our nation's capital. | ||
| And also, and I think this is where the conversation needs to be had, if we actually want to address public safety and actually help the communities across this country who elected us to do this work, we need to be addressing real solutions. | ||
| Addressing the addiction crisis, investing in behavioral health and addiction recovery programs, investing in diversion and community-based programs that help people who are hurting and living on the edge get back on their feet, investing in our children and pipelines for young people to have lives that they can only dream of, fixing a broken system that makes it difficult for people who are living on the edge to survive, to raise wages, | ||
| to lower the cost of housing, of food, of energy, and health care, and yes, fixing the broken health care system that you all said you were going to come back and address. | ||
| Because these are the systems that are broken and that are hurting our people, and especially in New Mexico. | ||
| It's not just the cost of health care that's going up, but our hospitals and our clinics and our providers who are struggling to make sure that they can stay afloat, especially after the big ugly bill gutted and promised to take $1.5 trillion out of the public health care system. | ||
| It's why I've been working to champion bipartisan health care and health solutions like bills to invest in urban, rural, and tribal health care, invest in congressional funds for building clinics, sponsoring legislation to address the fentanyl crisis, to recruit and train more nurses and health care professionals, to recruit more counselors to fix the Medicaid and Medicare system, to expand telehealth and broadband, | ||
| and yes, to finally put this country on a track to universal health care. | ||
| Because I believe that health care is a human right. | ||
|
Stop Attacking D.C.
00:11:59
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| I believe that access to food, water, and shelter, and safety is a human right. | ||
| I believe that justice and freedom and access to the criminal justice system is a human right. | ||
| And I believe that basic dignity is a human right, which is why I implore my colleagues, stop with these divisive political tactics every day and these bills attacking our communities and focus on the issues that matter that the American people are asking us to. | ||
| Because that's why we were elected. | ||
| And real lives are on the line. | ||
| So let's get back to work on real issues. | ||
| Stop attacking Washington, D.C. Stop attacking our public lands, and stop attacking the basic dignity and human decency of our communities. | ||
| And with that, I yield back. | ||
| Members are reminded to direct their comments to the chair, not to individuals. | ||
| Gentleman from Kentucky is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I'd like to remind the gentlelady that we believe on this side of the aisle that lowering the crime rate is a big issue. | ||
| It's a priority for the American people. | ||
| And the lady from New Mexico mentioned the government shutdown. | ||
| I would like to remind the lady from New Mexico that she voted to shut the government down, and then she had an opportunity 43 days later to reopen the government, and she voted against reopening the government. | ||
| So that is something that I think she must have mistakenly omitted from her remarks. | ||
| So again, we support every measure that can be done to reduce crime, to get criminals that have committed crimes, to keep them in jail. | ||
| They deserve due process, but we can't continue this trend in these cities, especially the capital city, of letting violent criminals out back on the streets. | ||
| I reserve. | ||
| Gentleman Reserves. | ||
| Gentleman from California is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I have no further speakers. | ||
| I'm prepared to close. | ||
| Gentleman Reserves. | ||
| I'm prepared to close. | ||
| Gentlemen from California is recognized. | ||
| Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I once again want to urge our colleagues to oppose this bill. | ||
| D.C. has a right and its residents have a right to govern themselves and elect mayors and council members that choose to pass laws to support the district. | ||
| Congress should not be undermining local laws. | ||
| Now, Republicans want to make it easier to lock up poor defendants pre-trial, undermining the fundamental American principle of innocent until proven guilty, all while stripping 700,000 residents of self-rule. | ||
| Congress should not dictate local judicial policy. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, we should oppose these bills, and I yield back. | ||
| Gentleman yields back. | ||
| Gentleman from Kentucky is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| H.R. 5214 will ensure that violent offenders remain off the streets of D.C. while awaiting their trial and those charged with public safety or order offenses will face further deterrence from committing such crimes through the reinstatement of required cash bail and bail bonds. | ||
| Overall, D.C. residents, workers, and visitors to our nation's capital should feel safe. | ||
| And it remains the constitutional duty of Congress to reform Washington, D.C.'s laws when necessary to do so. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support this common sense legislation to bring law and order to D.C. by ensuring that dangerous criminals will not reoffend before their trial date. | ||
| I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentleman yields back. | ||
| The time for debate has now expired pursuant to House Resolution 879. | ||
| The previous question is ordered on the bill as amended. | ||
| The question is on engrossment and third reading of the bill Those in favor say aye, those opposed no, the ayes have it. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Third reading, hr 5214, a bill to require mandatory pretrial and post-conviction detention for crimes of violence and dangerous crimes and require mandatory cash bail for certain offenses that oppose a threat to public safety or order in the district of Columbia and for other purposes. | |
| The question is on passage of the bill. | ||
| Those in favor say aye, those opposed no. | ||
| Uh, the ayes have it. | ||
| The bill is uh. | ||
| I'd like to request the yeas and nays, please. | ||
| I'm sorry, gentleman from California is requesting a roll call vote. | ||
| Ye's and nays are requested. | ||
| Those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. | ||
| A sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. | ||
| Pursuant to Clause 8 of Rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Kentucky seek recognition? | ||
| Mr speaker, pursuant to House resolution 879, I call up the bill hr 5107, Common Sense, Law Enforcement And Accountability Now in Dc. | ||
| Act of 2025. | ||
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The clerk will report the title of the bill, union calendar number 271. | |
| Hr 5107 to repeal a bill to repeal the Comprehensive Policing And Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022 enacted by the District OF Columbia Council, pursuant to House resolution 879. | ||
| The amendment in the nature of a substitute recogn recommended by the Committee ON Oversight AND Government Reform, printed in the bill, is adopted and the bill as amended is considered red. | ||
| The bill as amended shall be debatable for one hour, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee ON Oversight AND Government Reform. | ||
| Are their respective designees, the gentleman from Kentucky, mr Comer, and the gentleman from California, mr Garcia, will control 30 minutes. | ||
| Each chair now recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky. | ||
| Mr speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration without objection. | ||
| Mr speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume gentlemen's recognized. | ||
| Thank you, mr speaker. | ||
| I support the Clean Dc act which repeals the majority of Dc's so-called Comprehensive Policing And Justice Reform Act of 2022. | ||
| By repealing this anti-police law, we will make our nation's capital safer. | ||
| We will also restore the integrity of, and faith in, the law enforcement of the District Of Columbia. | ||
| For instance, this law stripped law enforcement officers of many tools needed to execute their duties safely and without fear of retribution, as well as limited their options in situations of life or death. | ||
| It also created New opportunities for anti-police activists to harass law enforcement officers and added many undue burdens and requirements to officers in the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. | ||
| In 2023, both the House and Senate sought to nullify this law by passing a joint resolution of disapproval. | ||
| Unfortunately, this resolution was vetoed by then-President Biden. | ||
| The Clean D.C. Act would largely repeal D.C.'s anti-police law and ensure law enforcement officers have the tools to keep visitors and residents safe. | ||
| D.C. law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day for our community must have the capabilities to do their jobs as they are trained to do. | ||
| By addressing the retention and recruitment crisis gripping D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department, Congress can do its part in helping boost the number of crime fighters this city desperately needs to keep violent criminals off the streets. | ||
| I want to thank Representative Andrew Clyde from Georgia for leading this effort, this Congress, and I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation. | ||
| I reserve the balance of our time. | ||
| Gentleman Reserves, the gentleman from California is recognized. | ||
| Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I stand tonight to strongly oppose this bill, which repeals common sense criminal justice reforms that were passed by D.C.'s elected representatives in the wake of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matters movement. | ||
| Now, we know that cities and communities all over the country passed similar reforms to increase trust, accountability, and safety. | ||
| In D.C., these measures increase accountability for bad apples with independent civilian oversight, clean disciplinary process, and mandatory reporting for overuse of forced incidents. | ||
| It also prohibited the hiring of officers with prior misconduct, and it prohibited chokeholds. | ||
| They improved training for officers. | ||
| The mayor and the council and the community all worked together to pass a series of reforms and laws, work they were proud of. | ||
| They empowered the chief of police to lead the police department and do it the right way. | ||
| The bill repeals all of that. | ||
| It would damage the trust between D.C. police and the communities they protect and serve. | ||
| We know communities are safer when residents feel safe calling on 911, when they feel safe working with the police. | ||
| We know policies like de-escalation, expanding body-worn cameras, and improving safety should not move backwards. | ||
| This bill is opposed by D.C. residents. | ||
| It's opposed by the mayor of D.C. | ||
| It's opposed by the D.C. City Council, and it's opposed by D.C.'s member of Congress. | ||
| This is part of my Republican colleagues' continued obsession with acting as a super city council for the District of Columbia. | ||
| Now, D.C. again has more residents than two states. | ||
| D.C. taxpayers pay federal taxes. | ||
| D.C. as a whole contributes more federal taxes than 26 other states. | ||
| D.C.'s government should be allowed to govern themselves, to hold local leaders accountable, to elect their own leadership, and to solve problems without Congress consistently interfering. | ||
| We should and should continue always to support D.C. and their ability to govern themselves. | ||
| Congress should focus on national issues and let the residents of D.C. and their local representatives govern the district. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill, and I reserve my time. | ||
| Gentleman Reserves. | ||
| Gentleman from Kentucky is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I yield five minutes to the sponsor of this bill, the gentleman from Georgia, Mr. Clyde. | ||
| Gentlemen recognized. | ||
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I thank the gentleman for yielding. | |
| Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, H.R. 5107, the Common Sense Law Enforcement and Accountability Now in D.C. Act, or affectionately known as the Clean DC Act, for short, because that's what it is intended to do, and that is to clean up the city of Washington, D.C. | ||
| My legislation, co-led with Senator Ted Cruz, repeals the anti-police provisions of the D.C. Council's so-called Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2022. | ||
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Violent Crime in D.C.
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If it's one thing that act doesn't do, it's create more justice. | |
| It creates injustice. | ||
| The Clean DC Act is essential to restoring public safety in our nation's capital. | ||
| For far too long, Washington, D.C., a city meant to embody freedom and prosperity, has been overwhelmed by violent crime. | ||
| As millions of people visit D.C. every year, it is imperative that our nation's capital is safe for all residents and visitors. | ||
| Yet in recent years, this simply has not been the case. | ||
| In 2024, D.C.'s homicide rate exceeded 27 homicides per 100,000 residents, higher than that of any state, and nearly three times that of Islamabad, Pakistan, and 18 times that of communist-run Havana Cuba. | ||
| That same year, the city recorded nearly 30,000 crimes, including thousands of violent offenses, robberies, and car thefts. | ||
| So far in 2025, D.C. has already seen over 2,200 violent crimes and more than 120 homicides, including the tragic killing of a 20-year-old Capitol Hill intern. | ||
| That was an incredible tragedy. | ||
| Of course, any homicide is an incredible tragedy, but that one really was. | ||
| Despite these alarming trends, the radical D.C. City Council has chosen to undermine the very department responsible for protecting the city. | ||
| Its anti-police law strips the Metropolitan Police Department officers of due process protections. | ||
| It weakens collective bargaining. | ||
| It restricts the use of non-lethal tools during civil unrest and has fueled a devastating staffing collapse. | ||
| Since the law took effect under emergency authority in 2020, the Metropolitan Police Department has lost over 2,000 officers, leaving the department critically understaffed and unable to adequately respond to this crisis. | ||
| You know, one of my neighbors here where I reside in D.C. had a terrible incident, a violent incident that happened to her with her child. | ||
| And when the incident was over, she had lost her pocketbook, she'd lost her phone. | ||
| And when they called the MPD to come take a police report, the response was, you'll have to come down to the station because unless you're actually hurt yourself, okay, we don't have the officers to go out and actually go to you. | ||
| You've got to come to us. | ||
| That's just not right. | ||
| That's an example of a Completely understaffed police department. | ||
| Thankfully, in August, President Trump initiated a federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department and deployed the National Guard to confront this massive crime crisis. | ||
| Since then, violent crime has dropped by 30%. | ||
| And even D.C.'s Democrat mayor, Muriel Bowser, has acknowledged fewer homicides and a sharp decline in carjackings since President Trump's intervention. | ||
| Repealing the anti-police policies enacted by the pro-criminal D.C. Council will further strengthen President Trump's efforts and restore common sense to law enforcement in Washington, D.C. Last Congress in the 118th, I led a joint resolution of disapproval alongside then-Senator JD Vance, now Vice President JD Vance, to repeal this same misguided D.C. council law. | ||
| The resolution passed both the House and the Senate with bipartisan majorities. | ||
| Yet President Joe Biden foolishly vetoed our common sense measure, underscoring just how little, just how little the previous administration cared about the American people's safety and law enforcement officers' well-being. | ||
| Thankfully, we now have new leadership in the White House, strong, forceful America First leadership, and I look forward to sending this common sense legislation to President Trump's desk to restore law and order in our nation's capital and support our brave men and women in blue. | ||
| Public safety should not be a partisan issue. | ||
| It's just plain common sense. | ||
| I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 5107 so we can codify the progress we've made under the Trump administration and transform D.C. from a crime-ridden capital into a safe, free, and thriving city. | ||
| And with that, I yield back. | ||
| Gentleman from Kentucky is recognized. | ||
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Reserve. | |
| Gentleman Reserves, gentlemen from California is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I'd like to yield seven minutes to the gentlelady from the District of Columbia, Congresswoman Norton. | ||
| The gentlewoman is recognized. | ||
| I thank the gentleman for yielding. | ||
| I strongly oppose this bill, which repeals the police accountability and transparency law that District of Columbia enacted in 2023. | ||
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Police Chief's Authority Shift
00:03:11
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| Last year, violent crime in D.C. was down 35%, reaching an over 30-year low. | ||
| This year, violent crime in D.C. is down 88% compared to the same year, the same period last year. | ||
| D.C.'s Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act, among other things, gave the police chief more authority to discipline officers for serious misconduct and crimes, | ||
| strengthened civilian oversight of the police department, and improved public access to body-warm camera by video, and impose limitations on the purchase of military weapons and the use of force. | ||
| D.C. police chiefs have requested more authority to discipline officers for at least 25 years before enactment of this law. | ||
| This bill will take away this authority from the police chief. | ||
| The difficulty DC has had recruiting and retaining police officers is not unique. | ||
| It is a nationwide issue that predates the police accountability and transparency laws enacted across the country after the murder of George Floyd. | ||
| In 2019, before the murder of George Floyd, the International Association of Police Chiefs of Police conducted a survey that found the challenge of recruiting law enforcement is widespread and affects agencies of all types, | ||
| sizes, and locations across the United States. | ||
| The difficulty of recruiting law enforcement officers and employees is not due to one particular cause. | ||
| Rather, multiple social, political, and economic forces are all simultaneously at play. | ||
| In 1973, Congress passed the D.C. Home Rule Act, which established a locally elected chief executive officer and legislature. | ||
| The purpose of the Home Rule Act, to grant to inhabitants of the District of Columbia powers of local government and relieve Congress of the burden of legislating upon essential local district matters. | ||
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Chair Declares Rights for D.C.
00:06:10
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| Yet the House today is denying D.C. residents local self-government and spending its time on local D.C. matters. | ||
| I remind my Republican colleagues what Republican President Richard Nixon said when he signed the Home Rule Act. | ||
| One of the major goals of the administration is to place responsibility for local functions under local control and to provide local governments with the authority and resources they need to serve their communities effectively. | ||
| The measure I signed today represents a significant step in achieving this goal in the city of Washington. | ||
| I will give the people of the District of Columbia the right to, it will give the people of the District of Columbia the elect, the right to elect their own city officials and to govern themselves in local affairs. | ||
| As the nation approaches the 200th anniversary of its founding, it is particularly appropriate to assure those persons who live in the capital city rights and privileges which have long enjoyed by most countrymen. | ||
| The over 700,000 DC residents, the majority of whom are black and brown, are capable and worthy of governing themselves. | ||
| I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record the letters opposing this bill from D.C. mayor, from the D.C. mayor, the D.C. Council, and the D.C. Attorney General, all of whom were elected by D.C. residents. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| D.C. residents have all the obligations of American citizenship, including paying federal taxes, serving on juries, and registering with the selective service. | ||
| Yet, Congress denies them full local self-government and voting representation in Congress. | ||
| The only solution to this undemocratic treatment is to grant D.C. statehood. | ||
| I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter from leading constitutional scholars explaining why the D.C. statehood bill is constitutional. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to vote no on H.R. 5107, an undemocratic and paternalistic bill. | ||
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Free D.C. from Kentucky is recognized. | |
| Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers and I'm prepared to close. | ||
| Gentleman Reserves, gentlemen from California. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. | ||
| I'm also prepared to close. | ||
| Your gentleman from California is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I again strongly oppose this bill. | ||
| As a reminder, it would eliminate common sense criminal justice reforms that have been widely implemented by state and local governments across the country. | ||
| Local officials here in D.C. passed these laws. | ||
| The voters made these decisions. | ||
| And D.C. should have a right to govern itself. | ||
| This bill undermines trust between police and the community they serve and makes us all less safe. | ||
| It's undemocratic. | ||
| It could very well make D.C. not just less safe, but also lose trust between its elected government and the people. | ||
| When the people come together and pass laws, Congress should not overturn those. | ||
| Again, I urge opposition, and we yield back. | ||
| Gentleman yields. | ||
| Gentlemen from Kentucky is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| Congress has the constitutional duty to ensure the District of Columbia is safe and secure. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support this critical police reform bill that has the strong support of the National Fraternal Order of Police. | ||
| I yield back the balance of our time. | ||
| Gentleman yields. | ||
| All time for debate has expired. | ||
| Pursuant to House Resolution 879, the previous question is ordered on the bill as amended. | ||
| The question is on engrossment and third reading of the bill. | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| The ayes have it. | ||
| Third reading. | ||
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H.R. 5107, a bill to repeal the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022 enacted by the District of Columbia Council. | |
| The question is on passage of the bill. | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| The ayes have it. | ||
| The bill is passed, and without objection, the motion is considered. | ||
| Can I have the yeas and nays, please, sir? | ||
| Gentlemen, requested the yeas and nays. | ||
| Those in favor, or those favoring a vote by the yays and nays will rise. | ||
| A sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. | ||
| Pursuant to clause 8 of Rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. | ||
| Clause 12A of Rule 1, the chair declares the House in recess, subject to the call of the chair. | ||
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The House today considering policing and criminal justice reform in Washington, D.C. Lawmakers are also working on bills related to Homeland Security, as well as legislation aiming to repeal a provision that would allow senators to sue the government over past searches of their phone records without their knowledge. | |
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Bridging the Divide
00:01:12
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When members return, you can follow our live coverage of the House here on C-SPAN. | |
| Friday on C-SPAN's Ceasefire. | ||
| At a time when finding common ground matters most in Washington, Florida Democratic Congressman Jared Moskowitz and Tennessee Republican Congressman Tim Burchett come together for a bipartisan dialogue on the Epstein files, health care, and top issues facing the country. | ||
| They join host Dasha Burns. | ||
| Bridging the Divide in American Politics. | ||
| Friday at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, only on C-SPAN. | ||
| Democracy. | ||
| It isn't just an idea. | ||
| It's a process. | ||
| A process shaped by leaders elected to the highest offices and entrusted to a select few with guarding its basic principles. | ||
| It's where debates unfold, decisions are made, and the nation's course is charted. | ||
| Democracy in real time. | ||
| This is your government at work. | ||
| This is C-SPAN. | ||
| Giving you your democracy unfiltered. | ||