Congressional Record

United States

of America

PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE

118

CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION

b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m.

Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor.

H2353

Vol. 169 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, MAY 16, 2023 No. 82

House of Representatives

The House met at 10 a.m. and was

called to order by the Speaker.

MORNING-HOUR DEBATE

The SPEAKER. Pursuant to the

order of the House of January 9, 2023,

the Chair will now recognize Members

from lists submitted by the majority

and minority leaders for morning-hour

debate.

The Chair will alternate recognition

between the parties, with time equally

allocated between the parties and each

Member other than the majority and

minority leaders and the minority

whip limited to 5 minutes, but in no

event shall debate continue beyond

11:50 a.m.

IN RECOGNITION OF THE 15TH AN-

NIVERSARY OF THE WARRIOR’S

WEEKEND FIELD OF HONOR

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The

Chair recognizes the gentleman from

Texas (Mr. C

LOUD

) for 5 minutes.

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I rise

today in recognition of the 15th anni-

versary of the Warrior’s Weekend Field

of Honor.

The mission of the Field of Honor has

always been to honor our Nation’s vet-

erans and encourage our wounded war-

riors. This all began in May 2009 when

Warrior’s Weekend president, Ron

Kocian, a Texas Army National Guard

veteran, gave retired Colonel Mike

Petrash of the U.S. Army the approval

to conduct the first Field of Honor in

Victoria, Texas, in support of Warrior’s

Weekend. It became an instant success

during which 550 sponsored flags were

posted by local area sponsors, patriots,

and families, touching the hearts of

over 300 visiting warriors from all over

the United States.

In 2011, the Field of Honor expanded

its army of volunteers, so to speak, and

encouraged faith-, civic-, veteran-, and

youth-based organizations to partner

with them as a way of raising funds for

their own community programs in a

way that is honorable and noteworthy.

As the Field of Honor matured and

the mission of honoring veterans for

their service continued to thrive, it

eventually led to the inclusion of the

third pillar of the Warrior’s Weekend

mission: to build a community of honor

and excellence.

Throughout the lifetime of the Field

of Honor, over 30,000 flags have been

sponsored, prepared, and posted in

honor of our veterans, wounded sol-

diers, sailors, marines, and airmen who

come to Victoria from all 50 States and

Puerto Rico to enjoy a weekend of res-

pite from their wound care.

Warrior’s Weekend and the Field of

Honor are truly a nationwide ministry

that has a positive impact on the thou-

sands of cities and towns across Amer-

ica. The warriors go back and live more

complete, productive lives for them-

selves, their families, and their com-

munities.

On this day, we recognize the service

and sacrifice of all those thousands of

patriotic servant leaders who have

strived for 15 years to honor veterans,

encourage warriors, and build a com-

munity of honor and excellence.

Warrior’s Weekend Field of Honor

has shown this Nation what ‘‘right’’

looks like, and it is through the great

work and leadership of volunteers dem-

onstrating a true commitment to hon-

oring the United States of America as

one Nation under God.

REMEMBERING OFFICER TRUONG

THAI

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr.

ONALDS

). The Chair recognizes the

gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. L

)

for 5 minutes.

Ms. LEE of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I

rise today to recognize a law enforce-

ment officer hero from Nevada who

made the ultimate sacrifice serving our

community: Officer Truong Thai.

Last October, while responding to a

late-night domestic disturbance, Offi-

cer Thai was shot and killed at the age

of 49, leaving behind his father, broth-

er, four sisters, his daughter, Jada, and

an entire community of law enforce-

ment officers who relied on his

mentorship and support.

A 23-year veteran of the Las Vegas

Metropolitan Police Department, Offi-

cer Thai’s colleagues describe him as

someone who could have served in the

highest levels of the department as a

sergeant or a lieutenant. Instead, he

chose time and again to serve at all

hours of the day and all hours of the

night on the front lines of our commu-

nities because what he cared about

most was keeping people safe.

Officer Thai represented the best of

our law enforcement, someone willing

to put his life on the line for his com-

munity, but also a family man who

never stopped giving back.

He coached girls’ volleyball and en-

joyed playing with his daughter, Jada.

He went on fishing trips with col-

leagues and their children. He never

hesitated to help someone in need.

We should all be grateful for the serv-

ice of Officer Thai and inspired by his

dedication and generosity as we re-

member his service.

In addition, I take a moment to

honor the sacrifices of far too many

other law enforcement officers from

Nevada, also lost in the line of duty,

including: The Las Vegas Metropolitan

Police Department, Detective Justin

Michael Terry; Officer Edward Aaron

Contreras, Jr.; Sergeant Douglas Mi-

chael King; Officer Philip Carl Closi;

Bailiff Gerald Raymond Smith from

Pahrump Justice Court; and Officer

Ray Edward East from Walker River.

This week, I thank our law enforce-

ment officers for their service and re-

member those like Officer Thai, whose

dedication to his community and fam-

ily we will never forget.

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CONGRATULATING MS

DEE HEARD ON WINNING

THE CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TEACH

ER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Ms. LEE of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I

rise in celebration of last week’s

Teacher Appreciation Week to con-

gratulate my constituent and winner of

the Clark County School District

Teacher of the Year Award, Ms. Dee

Heard.

Ms. Heard is a sixth-grade teacher at

Sedway Middle School and an innova-

tive leader who is constantly thinking

of ways to engage her students outside

the textbook.

When students struggled after the

pandemic, she designed a schoolwide

math competition, complete with pep

rallies and digital workspaces, to cre-

ate learning incentives and help stu-

dents track their progress and goals

over time.

Ms. Heard also leads outside the

classroom. She regularly collaborates

with school staff to assist with every-

thing from bus tickets to emotional

support to food for her students.

I could not be more proud to rep-

resent teachers like Ms. Heard, and to

know that our next generation of lead-

ers is in such great hands. I thank her

for all her hard work, and I congratu-

late her on her well-deserved honor.

Mr. Speaker, I thank all the incred-

ible southern Nevada teachers who de-

serve our appreciation, not just this

week, but every week.

SECURE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The

Chair recognizes the gentleman from

Kansas (Mr. M

ANN

) for 5 minutes.

Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I am proud

that my House Republican colleagues

and I passed H.R. 2, the Secure the Bor-

der Act, last week.

President Biden’s open border poli-

cies have created chaos at our southern

border and the resulting crime surge

and fentanyl crisis. I urge my Senate

colleagues to also pass this common-

sense legislation, which would finish

the border wall, add Border Patrol

agents, end catch and release, protect

children from human trafficking, and

stop the fentanyl crisis.

The border crisis is getting worse and

worse every day. People on the ter-

rorist watch list are being apprehended

regularly, and there is no telling how

many have snuck in illegally. I have

been to the southern border, and what

I saw was shocking. I saw human heart-

break, scared children, overcrowded fa-

cilities, overwhelmed Border Patrol

agents, and evidence of human and

drug trafficking being committed by

the Mexican cartels.

Mr. Speaker, I saw whole giant sec-

tions of the unfinished border wall,

with the materials to finish these sec-

tions lying in piles in the sun. We need

to fix this humanitarian crisis now,

and we have done our part in the House

to do just that.

Mr. Speaker, I hope that the U.S.

Senate and the President will step up

to the plate, as well.

NATIONAL POLICE WEEK

Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, this is Na-

tional Police Week, and I am proud to

use my voice and my vote in Congress

to honor the brave men and women

who wear the badge and put their lives

on the line to protect all of us.

Since President Biden took office,

crime rates have skyrocketed. In the

last 3 years, the number of officers shot

in the line of duty is up 52 percent; in

major American cities, homicides are

up 13 percent; rapes are up 23 percent;

and aggravated assaults are up 33 per-

cent. Meanwhile, Federal arrests are

down 35 percent. These numbers con-

firm that we need to do a better job

supporting our law enforcement offi-

cers and ensure that they have the re-

sources they need to do their job.

I support law enforcement officers.

This week, as a part of my commit-

ment to the Big First, I am honored to

support commonsense reforms to issues

affecting police, oppose any efforts to

defund them, and memorialize law en-

forcement officers killed in the line of

duty.

I am going to memorialize four of

those officers from the great State of

Kansas now, who paid the ultimate

price while protecting their fellow

Kansans: David Leroy Ingle from Iola;

Stacy Annette Murrow from Linn

County; Robert Price Craft from Mar-

ion County; and Sidnee Taylor Carter

from Sedgwick County. May they rest

in peace.

Mr. Speaker, I ask everyone to join

me in praying for law enforcement and

in thanking your local police officers

this week for their service.

HONORING DR

MARTY VANIER

Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today

to honor a great Kansan and member of

the Kansas State University family,

Dr. Marty Vanier, who is receiving the

Jay Dillingham Award for Agricultural

Leadership and Excellence this week.

The Agricultural Business Council of

Kansas City selected Dr. Vanier as a

recipient of this year’s award for good

reason. She has deep roots in Kansas

agriculture, having grown up on her

family’s ranch where they raised com-

mercial and registered Hereford cattle.

She has held several leadership posi-

tions in the fields of veterinary phar-

maceutical and food safety. She is now

the director of the National Agricul-

tural Biosecurity Center at Kansas

State.

Dr. Vanier received her under-

graduate degree from Kansas State.

She began her career in Washington,

D.C., serving with the Animal Health

Institute and the U.S. Department of

Agriculture. In 1987, she returned to

Kansas State and has since worked for

the university’s Department of Animal

Sciences, the Office of Strategic Part-

nership Development for the National

Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, and the

Kansas State Agricultural Biosecurity

Center, which she now directs.

Dr. Vanier has the unique ability of

bringing her diverse experiences to

bear as an educator. She is a student,

professor, veterinarian, advocate, sci-

entist, and philanthropist all at the

same time.

Her thoughtful, systematic approach

to leadership has made her a favorite

in the classroom and among so many

others.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Dr.

Vanier on this well-deserved award.

NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH ON

THE NATION’S DEBT CEILING

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The

Chair recognizes the gentleman from

Wisconsin (Mr. P

OCAN

) for 5 minutes.

Mr. POCAN. Mr. Speaker, Repub-

licans aren’t being honest when they

tell you they are trying to negotiate in

good faith on the Nation’s debt ceiling.

First, this shouldn’t be a negotiation;

it is paying our bills we have already

spent. We have lifted the debt ceiling

over 80 times before, including three

times during President Trump’s tenure

because you have to pay your bills.

Second, the legislation they passed,

as an alleged negotiation, shows how

drastic they would like to cut spending

but can’t because they can’t even put

specifics on paper, like the President

and the Democrats have. They would

love to cut programs drastically, but

the cuts would hurt so many Ameri-

cans they can’t actually do it. That is

why they haven’t released a budget.

I serve on the Appropriations Com-

mittee—let me explain what the Re-

publicans want to do. They passed a

bill to cut spending to fiscal year 2022

levels. That sounds innocuous enough,

but here is what it actually means.

Deep cuts.

We have discretionary and nondis-

cretionary spending. We can’t cut non-

discretionary spending like Social Se-

curity and Medicare because, well, it is

your money that we hold on to as a

public trust. By law, we can’t cut non-

discretionary spending. That only

leaves discretionary funds that can be

changed.

Discretionary funds are eligible for

cuts or increases, but the GOP major-

ity further limits that by saying they

won’t cut Pentagon spending, amount-

ing to over half of the discretionary

funds.

That leaves a much smaller portion

of the total budget to absorb all the

cuts they propose, adding up to a 22

percent cut of all remaining funds.

That is 22 percent of the funds that

help veterans, 22 percent of the funds

to protect the border, funds for Meals

on Wheels programs, funds for railroad

safety inspections, education, housing,

and healthcare, all cut.

Think about those levels of cuts and

what that effect would have on you and

your family. They talk a tough game

on the border, but they would cut 22

percent of the funding going to protect

the border. Cutting Border Patrol and

Customs officers could increase the

flow of people coming into the country

and cut back on searches for fentanyl

and other drugs at our points of entry.

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They say they want to back the blue

and support our police, but 22 percent

cuts to Federal law enforcement and

grants to local police departments are

hardly the support they need.

b 1015

They say they support our veterans—

but cut veterans’ food assistance pro-

grams and housing choice vouchers,

hurting tens of thousands of veterans

who have bravely served. Even the

PACT Act that finally made it through

Congress to help veterans exposed to

toxic chemicals wouldn’t get the fund-

ing needed to help those who served

our Nation.

It keeps going. 180,000 fewer children

would have access to childcare; 10,800

fewer OSHA inspections of plants

would expose workers to unsafe condi-

tions. Drug treatment courts would

lose funding, and 29,000 fewer people

would be able to get treatment for

opioid addiction.

There is a reason why they can’t put

out a full budget. It is because these

types of cuts aren’t workable.

It is worse. If they do fund some

areas, then other areas will see even

deeper cuts—30 percent or more cuts in

some of the areas I just mentioned. If

they don’t get these cuts, then they

won’t pay our Nation’s current bills

and will force our Nation into default.

When you sign a mortgage, you can’t

decide whether or not you are going to

send your monthly check. If you de-

fault, then you lose your house, and

your credit is shot. The same is true

for the Federal Government.

You would also be directly affected

by Republican default. Millions of peo-

ple would lose their jobs. Interest rates

for home buyers and small businesses

would go up overnight. Stocks would

tank, sinking your retirement invest-

ments.

Congress has to pay its bills like you

do, responsibly, and you do that by lift-

ing the debt ceiling now. If not, then,

Mr. President, invoke parts of the 14th

Amendment to pay our bills and not

damage the economy.

Enough messing around. Get the job

done, House Republicans. Your con-

stituents deserve it.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Mem-

bers are reminded to direct their re-

marks to the Chair.

NATIONAL POLICE WEEK

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The

Chair recognizes the gentleman from

Virginia (Mr. C

LINE

) for 5 minutes.

Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, America’s

law enforcement officers are the best

among us.

As we celebrate National Police

Week this week, I am proud to join my

colleagues and millions of Americans

in saying thank you to the brave men

and women who wear the badge.

Every day, law enforcement officers

courageously save innocent lives, stop

criminals, and help our communities.

Yet tragically, since 1776, more than

26,000 police officers and sheriff’s depu-

ties have made the ultimate sacrifice,

and in just the last 3 years alone, we

have lost 1,397 officers in the line of

duty. That is 26,000 too many.

Despite the countless sacrifices that

our police officers and sheriff’s depu-

ties across the Nation make every day,

the far left has pushed to defund the

police for far too long, and our police

and sheriff’s officers have been under

relentless attack.

With crime running rampant in com-

munities across the country, defunding

and demoralizing our law enforcement

has only made communities less safe.

Unfortunately, instead of taking action

to give law enforcement more re-

sources and support, liberal politicians

have doubled down on soft-on-crime

policies that have gotten us into this

mess.

Despite this, local law enforcement

officers in communities across Vir-

ginia’s Sixth District and across our

Nation go to work every day to protect

each and every one of us, and we can-

not convey our gratitude enough.

This week, House Republicans will be

voting on a resolution that expresses

our continued support for law enforce-

ment officers and condemns the far

left’s efforts to defund the police.

We will also be voting on H.R. 2494,

the POLICE Act, which will make as-

sault on a law enforcement officer by

an alien a deportable offense and im-

portant legislation that establishes a

program for Federal law enforcement

officers to purchase retired handguns

at fair market value.

Mr. Speaker, House Republicans will

continue to proudly back the brave

men and women who wear the brown

and the blue across America. As we

honor National Police Week, I urge all

of my colleagues to join us in support

by passing these bills.

JOHN HANDLEY HIGH SCHOOL 100TH

ANNIVERSARY

Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to

recognize the 100th anniversary of Win-

chester, Virginia’s, own John Handley

High School, an endowed public school

located in the heart of Shenandoah

Valley.

The school’s funding was launched by

an 1895 grant from Judge John

Handley—hence the school mascot, the

‘‘Judges,’’ because of Handley’s love of

the town and its people that grew

through his friends and acquaint-

ances—and construction followed be-

ginning in 1922.

Despite never having lived in Win-

chester, Judge Handley’s generosity

made it possible for generations of stu-

dents to enhance their knowledge.

More importantly, it created an envi-

ronment, a culture of support, and ap-

preciation for public education.

With state-of-the-art facilities, cut-

ting-edge academics, a dedicated ath-

letic program, and an award-winning

fine arts program, the John Handley

High School truly sets itself apart. The

school was even recently named the

most beautiful high school in the Com-

monwealth of Virginia.

Today, under the leadership of prin-

cipal Susan Braithwaite, John Handley

High School’s thriving active student

body and dedicated staff truly embody

the meaning of Handley Pride.

Congratulations to John Handley

High School and all the students,

alumni, teachers, and staff, past and

present, on this incredible milestone,

and I wish the school another 100 years

of success.

DEBT CEILING

Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, the greatest

threat to America’s economy is our

debt crisis. Even according to former

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral

Mike Mullen, the most significant

threat to America’s security is our na-

tional debt.

Our financial instability today has

spiraled out of control because of

President Biden and the Democrats’

reckless spending to fund their radical

agenda.

Now our Nation faces an

unsustainable $31.7 trillion in debt.

Earlier last week, President Biden

met with Speaker M

ARTHY

and con-

gressional leadership to discuss legisla-

tion to raise the debt ceiling, and to no

one’s surprise, Biden and Senate Demo-

crats continued to avoid their respon-

sibilities to negotiate.

House Republicans have already

worked toward a deal by passing a sen-

sible debt ceiling bill that will limit

government spending, grow the econ-

omy, save taxpayer dollars, and protect

vital benefits.

We have also done our job to stop the

chaos at our southern border by pass-

ing H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act.

The security of our border is inex-

tricably linked to the fiscal security of

our Nation.

A recent cost estimate of the Secure

the Border Act by the Congressional

Budget Office has confirmed that Fed-

eral taxpayers are spending tens of bil-

lions of dollars on benefits for illegal

immigrants like health care, nutrition,

and refundable child tax credits due to

Biden’s current border policies.

Taking into account costs at the

State and local level, American tax-

payers pay $182 billion annually for

services and benefits to illegal immi-

grants.

At the end of the day, blank govern-

ment checks got us into this debt cri-

sis, and a no-strings-attached debt ceil-

ing increase will only serve to push our

already fragile economy off the fiscal

cliff.

Mr. Speaker, it is time to act, and I

urge the President to join us at the

table.

NATIONAL POLICE WEEK

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The

Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from

Virginia (Ms. S

PANBERGER

) for 5 min-

utes.

Ms. SPANBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I

stand here today to thank the men and

women who work every day to keep our

communities safe and to honor those

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who have given their lives in service to

our communities.

As the daughter of a retired career

law enforcement officer and as a

former Federal agent, I know the re-

sponsibilities, the pressure, and the

stress that can come with putting on

the badge.

I stand here today during this Na-

tional Police Week to honor Virginia’s

Seventh District and the officers who

call it home.

Across our Commonwealth, we re-

flect on the service and the sacrifice of

our community’s law enforcement offi-

cers. As the Representative for Vir-

ginia’s Seventh District, it is my great

privilege to represent so many public

servants: the men and women who have

answered the call to serve their fellow

Americans, their neighbors, and our

communities.

This week and every day, we remem-

ber their colleagues and friends—those

who never returned home. In their ab-

sence, our communities, our Common-

wealth, and our country have felt tre-

mendous loss.

Today, on the floor of the United

States House of Representatives, I am

honored to read the names of fallen of-

ficers from Virginia’s Seventh District.

May they never be forgotten and may

their service and their sacrifice inspire

their fellow law enforcement officers to

continue to serve and protect.

From the Prince William County Po-

lice Department: Police Officer Ashley

Marie Guindon, Police Officer Chris

Yung, Police Officer Philip Michael

‘‘Mike’’ Pennington, and Police Officer

Paul Thomas ‘‘Pete’’ White, Jr.

From the Prince William County

Sheriff’s Office: Deputy Sheriff David

William Myers, Jr.

From the Stafford County Sheriff’s

Office:

Deputy Sheriff Jason Edward Mooney

and Deputy Sheriff Ford T. Humphrey.

From the Fredericksburg Police De-

partment:

Police Officer Todd Allen Bahr, Offi-

cer William Franklin Mines, Sergeant

Roy Glen Wright, and Officer Ellsworth

Alexander Moore.

From the Culpeper County Sheriff’s

Office: Captain James Anthony Sisk

and Deputy Sheriff George Robert

Lillard, Jr.

From the King George County Sher-

iff’s Office: Deputy Sheriff Craig La-

mont Brooks.

From the Caroline County Sheriff’s

Office: Deputy Sheriff Strother W.

‘‘Ted’’ Lewis, Sr.

From the Greene County Sheriff’s Of-

fice: Investigator Chadwick Alan Carr

and Sergeant Rodney Lee Davis.

From the Orange County Sheriff’s Of-

fice: Sheriff William B. ‘‘Willie’’ Young

and Sheriff Willie C. Bond.

From the Spotsylvania County Sher-

iff’s Office: Deputy Sheriff Bryan Mar-

shall Berger, Deputy Sheriff Dean

Ridings, and Detective Richard Lee

Samuels.

This week, we remember these offi-

cers, these Virginians, and these he-

roes. They are someone’s loved one, fa-

thers, mothers, sisters, brothers, chil-

dren. Their names are not only remem-

bered here in the U.S. Capitol and

throughout the Halls of Congress, but

their sacrifices are honored throughout

the Commonwealth of Virginia.

These officers were dedicated public

servants. They were valued loved ones

across our communities, and they rep-

resented the best of Virginia.

Mr. Speaker, during National Police

Week, I thank the public servants who

protect the U.S. Capitol every single

day, those who stand watch over the

very function of our democracy.

I know I stand with my colleagues

expressing gratitude and appreciation

for the U.S. Capitol Police.

On January 6, 2012, their heroism

alongside that of the Metropolitan Po-

lice Department protected Members of

Congress, Capitol employees, staff, and

our very democracy. More than 150 po-

lice officers were injured that day, and

yet they still stand strong, committed

to their duty.

As the Representative for Virginia’s

Seventh District, I am proud to rep-

resent many of the men and women of

the U.S. Capitol Police in Congress,

and I am committed to making sure

that they have the resources, support,

financial security, and retirements

they deserve and have earned through

their selfless sacrifice.

It is the least we can do in return for

their professionalism, their fervent

commitment to duty, their devotion to

our country, and their work every day

in the Halls of Congress.

NATIONAL POLICE WEEK

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The

Chair recognizes the gentleman from

Georgia (Mr. C

LYDE

) for 5 minutes.

Mr. CLYDE. Mr. Speaker, during Na-

tional Police Week, we honor our men

and women in blue for their courage,

dedication, and commitment to pre-

serving law and order in our commu-

nities. We also remember the fallen,

those who made the ultimate selfless

sacrifice in the line of duty.

On this National Police Week, Con-

gress has the unique opportunity to not

just say we back the blue but to actu-

ally take a stand against a misguided

law that severely hinders the ability of

police officers in this very city from

protecting and serving the American

people.

The D.C. City Council’s so-called po-

lice reform bill—the Comprehensive

Policing and Justice Reform Emer-

gency Amendment Act—creates very

serious undue burdens on the Metro-

politan Police Department. Amidst the

raging crime crisis terrorizing the

streets here in our Nation’s Capital,

this law, which for 2 years has been in

effect under emergency legislative

powers, puts criminals first and MPD

officers last.

MPD officers overwhelmingly oppose

the D.C. Council’s anti-police law, and

they are making it known with their

feet. Since this legislation has been in

place, the MPD has lost more than

1,100 officers and currently operates at

a 500-officer deficit. As officers are

leaving the force in droves, faster than

they can be replaced, the Metropolitan

Police Department has drastically

shrunk to a historic half-century low.

Due to my commitment to our Con-

stitution and passion for restoring law

and order in our Nation’s Capital, I in-

troduced a resolution, H.J. Res. 42, to

repeal the D.C. Council’s harmful law.

Last month this body passed my

commonsense measure by a bipartisan

vote garnering the support of 14 House

Democrats. By passing my resolution,

the House firmly rejected the council’s

anti-police law, reaffirming our sup-

port of heroic law enforcement officers

and underscored the importance of pro-

tecting Americans’ safety here in

Washington.

It is now up to the Senate to act be-

fore it is too late.

Thankfully, today Senators will vote

on H.J. Res. 42 as Senator J.D. V

ANCE

is leading the fight to repeal the D.C.

Council’s anti-police law. During this

vote Senators will face a very simple

question: On National Police Week do

they stand with the officers of the Met-

ropolitan Police Department, or do

they embolden violent criminals who

continue to torment and attack Ameri-

cans in our Nation’s Capital?

Earlier this year when Congress was

confronted with a similar question as

we considered my previous D.C.-related

resolution, H.J. Res. 26, to block the

D.C. Council’s soft-on-crime Revised

Criminal Code Act, we had 31 Demo-

crats in both the House and the Senate

join our effort to strike down this rad-

ical law that would eliminate min-

imum sentences and reduce maximum

penalties for numerous violent crimi-

nal offenses.

I now call on these same 31 Senate

Democrats to join our fight, yet again,

by passing H.J. Res. 42 because failure

to do so will only drive out more Met-

ropolitan Police Department officers

and deter officers from joining the

force, meaning Washington will have

fewer police officers on the streets to

combat the dangerous crime crisis

plaguing our Nation’s Capital.

While D.C.’s local leadership shame-

lessly refuses to admit there is a crime

crisis in Washington, the data reveals

that the crime crisis is not only real,

but that it is getting worse. Compared

to last year, violent crime is up 13 per-

cent as the city has already faced more

than 80 homicides in just the first 4

⁄

months of 2023. Property crime has in-

creased by a whopping 30 percent, and

total crime overall is up 27 percent.

b 1030

Clearly, the crime crisis in our Na-

tion’s Capital is dire, which is why

residents, small businesses, visitors,

and the brave officers of the Metropoli-

tan Police Department are counting on

Congress to act. They are depending on

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us to use our authority outlined in Ar-

ticle I, Section 8, Clause 17 of the Con-

stitution to prevent our Nation’s Cap-

ital from becoming the next New York

City, Chicago, or San Francisco. They

are calling on us to support MPD offi-

cers, help them restore law and order,

and improve public safety in Wash-

ington.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the Senate to put

people over politics. Join our effort to

repeal the D.C. Council’s antipolice law

and send this commonsense bill, H.J.

Res. 42, to the President’s desk.

I implore President Biden to abandon

his senseless veto threat so we can

take another crucial step in bolstering

the ranks of the Metropolitan Police

Department and boosting public safety

in D.C.

We shoulder the responsibility and

the authority to make our Nation’s

Capital a safer place for all Americans,

and we cannot take this duty lightly.

It is time for the Senate to take a

stand in not only protecting Americans

in Washington but in protecting MPD

officers who risk their lives to defend

law and order in D.C.

On this National Police Week, ful-

filling our constitutional duty to

strike down a law that will continue to

severely damage the Metropolitan Po-

lice Department is the least we can do

to show that we do, in fact, always

back the blue.

RECOGNIZING MENTAL HEALTH

AWARENESS MONTH

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The

Chair recognizes the gentleman from

New York (Mr. M

OLINARO

) for 5 min-

utes.

Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I rise

today to recognize May as Mental

Health Awareness Month.

One in six students is experiencing

childhood mental health disorders.

Among adults, that number jumps to

one in five.

Our Nation is facing a mental health

crisis, and it requires urgent action.

For too long, mental health has been a

topic that people have been afraid to

openly discuss.

It carries with it a stigma that has

prevented people from getting the care

they need. I know this firsthand. Hav-

ing been raised by a single mom with

undiagnosed depression, I know the

challenges that many families face.

While grateful for her love, I knew the

struggles that she lived with.

Talking about mental health simply

isn’t enough. We must work hard to

break down and break through barriers

and encourage more people to seek the

help they need.

That requires us as a nation and as

communities to invest more and to

help ensure anyone who needs mental

health treatment can access it.

I spent much of the last 12 years as a

local elected official building up the

most comprehensive community-based

mental health model in the country. It

is now, today, the model that New

York State uses, and it is critically im-

portant that we expand the reach and

the ability of individuals to access

community-based mental health treat-

ment.

In upstate New York, we have incred-

ible providers like the Mental Health

Association of the Southern Tier. Un-

fortunately, these providers are

stretched thin and face growing de-

mand. They need our help.

That is why we must increase Fed-

eral commitment to mental health pro-

gramming and incentivize mental

health education to boost the pipeline

of qualified practitioners.

As we recognize Mental Health

Awareness Month, we must increase

our commitment to addressing the

mental health crisis in our commu-

nities.

This is an issue that transcends party

and politics. By working together, we

can build communities where everyone

has the support they need to live out a

full, healthy, and fulfilling life.

HONORING NATIONAL POLICE WEEK

Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I rise

today with many of my colleagues in

honor of National Police Week. I join

Members across this country in recog-

nizing the brave men and women who

serve in Federal, State, county, and

local law enforcement.

I especially acknowledge and recog-

nize the men and women of law en-

forcement throughout upstate New

York, the county, State, and local men

and women who put their lives on the

line every day to protect our commu-

nities.

Sadly, however, they don’t get the

recognition that they deserve, and ap-

preciation, while well deserved, is sim-

ply not enough.

New York State passed cashless bail

reforms that have allowed dangerous

criminals to be released and remain in

our communities and on our streets,

reoffending, creating new victims, un-

dermining law enforcement, and dimin-

ishing public safety.

These laws make it harder and more

dangerous to be a law enforcement offi-

cial or a police officer. It is no wonder

our police officers are leaving the pro-

fession in record numbers.

Here in Congress, we are moving this

week to pass bills to show our support

and appreciation for law enforcement

and to prove again that we have their

backs. We defend those who defend us

and vigorously oppose the defund and

defame the police movement, not just

because it is the right thing to do but

because it will further protect our po-

lice officers and enhance community

safety.

Mr. Speaker, we recognize all of

those men and women who serve and

sacrifice every day, and we are grateful

to them and their families.

May they always come home to a

family that loves them and a commu-

nity that supports them.

OPPOSING A BAN ON LEAD

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The

Chair recognizes the gentleman from

Alabama (Mr. C

ARL

) for 5 minutes.

Mr. CARL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today

in opposition to the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife proposal regulating and ban-

ning lead ammo and fishing tackle

from our public lands across this coun-

try.

So many of us grew up hunting and

fishing with our parents, our grand-

parents, and our friends. Some of my

best memories are with my kids and

grandkids when I have taken them

hunting and fishing in those quiet mo-

ments that we have together when we

can talk about life lessons and about

the things that, as families, we need to

pass on.

These traditions will cease to exist if

we allow this proposal to come into ef-

fect by U.S. Fish and Wildlife.

In my opinion, enjoying the great

outdoors with our friends and families

is one of the most important and spe-

cial parts of the American Dream. Un-

fortunately, the Biden administration

is planning to impose more rules and

regulations even on our most basic

rights.

I have huge concerns over these ac-

tions. Low-cost lead for ammunition

and fishing gear made of lead is com-

monly used by all of us. Banning them

will essentially be the same as putting

a ‘‘no hunting’’ sign on millions of

acres of land and kicking people off wa-

terways across this Nation.

Access to hunting and fishing on pub-

lic land is important in this country,

and we cannot allow the Biden admin-

istration to take away these rights be-

cause they would rather listen to the

far-left environmentalist groups than

trust the science and leave law-abiding

Americans alone.

Whether they are attempting to ban

gas stoves, force expensive electric ve-

hicles on everyone, or tell us what kind

of ammunition we can hunt with or

what type of fishing lures we can use,

this administration seems determined

to chip away at our constitutional

rights.

Many years ago, I took a hunter safe-

ty course from a blind gentleman who

could no longer see to hunt and fish,

but his way of reliving all of those

memories was teaching a hunter safety

course. He taught me that you will

never control guns because you can

make a gun out of virtually anything.

The way to control guns, by an old

gunsmith who is living his dreams

through his blind eyes, is ammunition.

Don’t think for a second this lead bill

is about wildlife. This bill is about con-

trolling the lead that we use in our

guns and not controlling the guns

themselves. This man had wisdom.

This was 30 years ago. It has just taken

them a little while to get to it.

What is the next step? Will the next

step be banning all lead from being

used in hunting? How is that going to

limit our hunting? Who is that going to

limit that can afford to hunt?

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This is a slippery slope we don’t have

to go down. We have to stop it now. We

cannot give them the first bite of the

apple by saying that we cannot use

lead on government property.

I can promise you that I will do all I

can to stop this from happening and

ensure that this administration can try

to do nothing similar to this.

I encourage all American hunting

and fishing clubs, whether you are a

shooter, a hunter, a fisherman of any

type, to do something. Speak out. Talk

to your legislators. Reach out to the

President. Make some phone calls. Let

your voice be heard today.

Don’t wait until after something gets

passed because this proposal will kill

our sport as we know it, and we have to

fight back.

MALIGN CCP INFLUENCE

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The

Chair recognizes the gentleman from

New York (Mr. S

ANTOS

) for 5 minutes.

Mr. SANTOS. Mr. Speaker, the U.S.

Department of Energy and the FBI

have affirmed that the COVID pan-

demic most likely originated from a

leak of the SARS-CoV–2 from the

Wuhan Institute of Virology.

The deadly COVID virus was un-

leashed on American soil in 2020, yet it

took 3 years and a new majority in

Congress to finally start investigating

the malign influence of the barbaric

Chinese Communist Party.

COVID was not the CCP’s only fla-

grant and unsparing attempt to infil-

trate American sovereignty. Earlier

this year, spy balloons floated along

the United States and gathered intel-

ligence from sensitive U.S. military

sites.

Just last month, two CCP spies were

arrested, and 36 CCP police officers

were charged with operating an illegal

and secret police station in New York

City—the two alleged CCP spies only to

be quickly granted bail and released

from custody.

In 2020, leaked CCP member data con-

firmed that U.S. companies such as

Boeing, Qualcomm, and Pfizer had em-

ployed dozens of CCP members in their

Chinese facilities.

Rightfully so, Americans are infuri-

ated, blaming ivory towers in Wash-

ington, D.C., and Wall Street for being

slow to the punch and handing our

fragile dominion over to globalists.

We ought to do better. We ought to

protect Americans, and we ought to

preserve democracy.

This is why I am unapologetically

pushing back on the CCP and calling

on the House Judiciary Committee, the

DOJ, and the Select Subcommittee on

the Weaponization of the Federal Gov-

ernment to investigate CCP infiltra-

tion into the U.S. Government and do

all they can to free Miles Guo.

In 2017, the CCP’s most prominent

critic, Miles Guo, claimed political

asylum in the United States, alleging

persecution by the CCP. He has been

here for about 6 years. Just last month,

Guo was arrested and denied bail for

being pronounced a flight risk.

In this case, the charges against

Miles Guo are simply a part of an orga-

nized campaign of political persecution

brought against him by the CCP.

As a matter of fact, in November

2018, George Higginbotham, a senior of-

ficial at the DOJ, pleaded guilty to his

active role in this illegal campaign. He

admitted to accepting $41 million from

the CCP and meeting with the Vice

Minister of Public Security of China to

advance the removal of Guo from the

United States.

It is with great dismay but complete

confidence that I say that the

weaponization of the United States’

prosecutorial system is spinning fur-

ther out of control, and it is time we

take a stand.

It shows when we have a national

crime crisis falling by the wayside be-

cause politically motivated campaigns

designed for nothing other than ret-

ribution on political agitators keep

getting in the way of our leading law

enforcement officials who refuse to

prioritize the American people.

With each passing year, it is becom-

ing increasingly obvious that the CCP

is accomplishing its goal of insidiously

infiltrating the United States.

All the while, perpetrators, the real

threat to the American people, are let

out on the streets, and harmless polit-

ical targets remain behind bars with

justice denied.

Mr. Speaker, I speak for every Amer-

ican when I say we are done tucking

our tails and being at the losing end of

every tradeoff with the CCP.

They take our jobs, use our tech-

nology, and steal our intellectual prop-

erty. In turn, we got robbed, spied on,

and deadly viruses.

Enough is enough. Free Miles Guo.

b 1045

AM RADIO IS ESSENTIAL

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The

Chair recognizes the gentleman from

Missouri (Mr. A

LFORD

) for 5 minutes.

Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Speaker, I grew up

on AM radio: listening to the news; lis-

tening to Dr. Demento; the ‘‘CBS Radio

Mystery Theater,’’ falling asleep at

night in my bed while listening to that

on the weekends; and Rush Limbaugh,

who not too long ago sat right up there

in that gallery recognized by President

Trump. I even interned for the late

Larry King. I love AM radio.

I rise today to address an urgent con-

cern that is impacting our Nation’s

heartland and America in general: the

decision by some car and truck manu-

facturers to eliminate, do away with,

AM radio from their systems, including

the F–150, the Ford F–150 that is made

in Claycomo, near Kansas City, not too

far from my district.

You see, AM radio is an essential

platform for conservative voices like

Pete Mundo and Chris Stigall and lis-

teners who rely on the truth that they

hear from AM stations, like KCMO,

KRMS, KMMO, KOKO, KDRO, KWTO,

and KSGF.

AM radio is the lifeblood of informa-

tion for our farmers and ranchers in

particular, providing crucial updates

on weather patterns, market shifts,

and agricultural news. It is also a vital

platform for emergency information.

Under the Communications Act of 1934,

AM radio is there for a reason. It is

there to operate in the public interest,

and that is exactly what it does.

Mr. Speaker, farmers are the back-

bone of our Nation’s food security, yet

they operate in some of the most iso-

lated regions, often lacking access to

modern high-speed internet or digital

services.

Did you know, Mr. Speaker, that

there are more than 4,000 AM radio sta-

tions in the United States, with more

than a third dedicated to agricultural

programming? That is one-third of the

stations. That is a big number.

This is not a dying medium, Mr.

Speaker. It is a vibrant network that

connects diverse communities across

our Nation. We must remind our car

manufacturers to consider the wider

impact of their decisions.

Let’s make sure that conservative

voices are protected. Let’s make sure

that emergency communications are

protected, as well, for our farmers and

ranchers in particular. Let’s make sure

our rural communities, our farmers

and ranchers, the unsung heroes of our

Nation, remain connected, remain in-

formed, and remain respected.

Mr. Speaker, in the 1980s, I remember

when MTV first came on and the little

jingle, ‘‘I want my MTV.’’

Mr. Speaker, it is 2023, and I want my

AM radio.

RECESS

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu-

ant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the Chair

declares the House in recess until noon

today.

Accordingly (at 10 o’clock and 47

minutes a.m.), the House stood in re-

cess.

b 1200

AFTER RECESS

The recess having expired, the House

was called to order by the Speaker at

noon.

PRAYER

The Chaplain, the Reverend Margaret

Grun Kibben, offered the following

prayer:

Almighty God, You, O Lord, are our

strength and our shield. In You do we

find trust and find our refuge. In pro-

tecting us against threats of harm, de-

fending us in the face of danger, You

have set among us brave men and

women who have taken up the shield of

service. This National Police Week,

hear our prayers of gratitude for their

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commitment to uphold and defend the

peace in our communities, our country,

and the Capitol.

Remind us, O Lord, that the security

they so dutifully provide comes at con-

siderable personal cost to them. The

long hours and relentless pressure to

stand yet another extra watch steal

precious time away from their loved

ones. Their commitment to providing

unwavering protection for those in

their charge has too often demanded of

them the ultimate measure of their

sacrifice.

For these countless acts of dedica-

tion, their selfless service, and their

heroism, for the 556 men and women

whose names were added to the Na-

tional Law Enforcement Memorial this

year, and for all who have gone above

and beyond, paying the final price in

their efforts to safeguard the citizens

of our Nation, we pray Your blessing be

upon their families, and we pray Your

assurance that their deaths will not be

in vain.

Bless the righteous, O Lord, and

cover them with Your favor. In the

strength of Your name, we pray.

Amen.

THE JOURNAL

The SPEAKER. The Chair has exam-

ined the Journal of the last day’s pro-

ceedings and announces to the House

the approval thereof.

Pursuant to clause 1 of rule I, the

Journal stands approved.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

The SPEAKER. Will the gentleman

from Idaho (Mr. F

ULCHER

) come for-

ward and lead the House in the Pledge

of Allegiance.

Mr. FULCHER led the Pledge of Alle-

giance as follows:

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the

United States of America, and to the Repub-

lic for which it stands, one nation under God,

indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

MESSAGES FROM THE PRESIDENT

Messages in writing from the Presi-

dent of the United States were commu-

nicated to the House by Ms. Deirdre

Kelly, one of his secretaries.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER

The SPEAKER. The Chair will enter-

tain up to 15 requests for 1-minute

speeches on each side of the aisle.

HONORING NATIONAL POLICE

WEEK

(Mr. VALADAO asked and was given

permission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend his re-

marks.)

Mr. VALADAO. Mr. Speaker, this

week is National Police Week, a time

to thank our brave men and women in

law enforcement and honor those who

have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Police departments in small commu-

nities, like many in the Central Valley,

struggle to have enough funding to re-

cruit, train, and provide resources for

their officers. As I meet with law en-

forcement across my district, I hear

firsthand just how much stress is being

placed on these officers, who are con-

sistently being asked to do more with

less resources.

Despite all of this, our police officers

still wake up each morning, put their

uniforms on, and go into our commu-

nities to uphold their oath to protect

and serve, knowing very well that they

may not come home that night.

It is critical that we continue to

fully fund our law enforcement and en-

sure they have the resources they need

to keep themselves and our commu-

nities safe.

I thank all of our police officers and

law enforcement both in the Central

Valley and across the country for their

selfless dedication to service and for

keeping our communities safe.

SUPPORTING MEDICALLY

TAILORED MEALS

(Mr. M

GOVERN asked and was

given permission to address the House

for 1 minute and to revise and extend

his remarks.)

Mr. M

GOVERN. Mr. Speaker, one of

the major reasons people get re-

admitted to the hospital is what is in

their cabinet at home or, more nota-

bly, what isn’t.

A poor diet, combined with condi-

tions like heart disease and diabetes,

contributes to a staggering number of

hospital readmissions every day.

Finally, the Centers for Medicare and

Medicaid Services is providing greater

flexibility for those using and paying

for medically tailored meals. For those

too sick to cook, these prepared and

delivered medically tailored meals

often make all the difference.

It has been a long road to get here. I

have introduced legislation on this,

launched the Food is Medicine Working

Group, and uplifted organizations

across America that prepare these

meals.

We still need to push for medically

tailored meals to be a covered Medi-

care benefit, but this is great news and

one of the many transformative

changes stemming from last year’s

White House Conference on Hunger,

Nutrition, and Health. It will make

opening the pantry less painful for our

neighbors and help end hunger now.

HITTING THE DEBT CEILING

(Mr. FULCHER asked and was given

permission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend his re-

marks.)

Mr. FULCHER. Mr. Speaker, in ap-

proximately 2 weeks, our country will

hit its debt ceiling.

House Republicans understand that

this would be disastrous for our al-

ready fragile economy. That is why we

took decisive action to address this cri-

sis responsibly and sensibly by passing

the Limit, Save, Grow Act. This legis-

lation would not only end the debt

limit crisis, but it would also address

the root cause of that crisis: Washing-

ton’s irresponsible spending.

Since President Biden took office,

the 10-year trajectory on Federal

spending has increased by a staggering

$10 trillion.

While House Republicans have been

hard at work crafting solutions to the

debt ceiling, this administration and

House Democrats have wasted valuable

time, putting our Nation’s financial

stability at risk.

Two weeks ago, the White House

press secretary flatly said the Presi-

dent is ‘‘not going to negotiate on the

debt ceiling.’’ That is critical time that

could have been spent on negotiations,

not political stunts.

To make matters worse, President

Biden is now leaving for an 8-day trip

to Asia as our country teeters on the

brink of default.

It is time for the other side to stop

playing politics. We are out of time.

HONORING ROBERT SHISLER

(Mr. NORCROSS asked and was given

permission to address the House for 1

minute.)

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise

today to honor the life of one of New

Jersey’s finest, Deptford Township Of-

ficer Robert ‘‘Bobby’’ Shisler, who died

last week after being shot in the line of

duty in March. He was just 27 years

old.

Born and raised in Deptford, Officer

Shisler dedicated his life to serving and

protecting his community. He served

Deptford with honor and integrity and

made south Jersey a better, safer place

for all of us.

We must never forget the ultimate

sacrifice made by the officer and all

those who wear the uniform who pro-

tect us. We will always remember Offi-

cer Shisler for the hero that he is.

I am keeping his family, his friends,

his fellow law enforcement officers,

and the entire Deptford community in

my thoughts and prayers.

May he rest in peace.

SAVE22 AND VETERANS SUICIDE

(Mr. MILLER of Ohio asked and was

given permission to address the House

for 1 minute and to revise and extend

his remarks.)

Mr. MILLER of Ohio. Mr. Speaker,

veteran suicide is a tragedy that

claims far too many of America’s he-

roes.

We lost 6,146 veterans that we know

of from suicide in 2020 alone. That is

about three times as many soldiers as

we lost in Afghanistan from hostile ac-

tion.

This is tragic, but any veterans lis-

tening should know that America is in

their corner.

On May 6, I had the opportunity to

join the patriots of Save22 for a vet-

eran suicide awareness hike in

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Massillon, Ohio. Similar events will

happen across the country. Go to one

to let our heroes know that they mat-

ter.

Veterans in crisis may call 988 and

then press 1 if they need immediate

support.

To our heroes listening: Please know

that we are here for you and that we

will never forget your service and sac-

rifice to our Nation.

May God bless our veterans.

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION

OF H.R. 2494, PROTECT OUR LAW

ENFORCEMENT WITH IMMIGRA-

TION CONTROL AND ENFORCE-

MENT ACT OF 2023; PROVIDING

FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R.

3091, FEDERAL LAW ENFORCE-

MENT OFFICER SERVICE WEAP-

ON PURCHASE ACT; AND PRO-

VIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF

H. CON. RES. 40, EXPRESSING

SUPPORT FOR LOCAL LAW EN-

FORCEMENT OFFICERS AND CON-

DEMNING EFFORTS TO DEFUND

OR DISMANTLE LOCAL LAW EN-

FORCEMENT AGENCIES

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, by

direction of the Committee on Rules, I

call up House Resolution 398 and ask

for its immediate consideration.

The Clerk read the resolution, as fol-

lows:

H. R

. 398

Resolved, That at any time after adoption

of this resolution the Speaker may, pursuant

to clause 2(b) of rule XVIII, declare the

House resolved into the Committee of the

Whole House on the state of the Union for

consideration of the bill (H.R. 2494) to make

the assault of a law enforcement officer a de-

portable offense, and for other purposes. The

first reading of the bill shall be dispensed

with. All points of order against consider-

ation of the bill are waived. General debate

shall be confined to the bill and shall not ex-

ceed one hour equally divided and controlled

by the chair and ranking minority member

of the Committee on the Judiciary or their

respective designees. After general debate

the bill shall be considered for amendment

under the five-minute rule. In lieu of the

amendment in the nature of a substitute rec-

ommended by the Committee on the Judici-

ary now printed in the bill, it shall be in

order to consider as an original bill for the

purpose of amendment under the five-minute

rule an amendment in the nature of a sub-

stitute consisting of the text of Rules Com-

mittee Print 118-4. That amendment in the

nature of a substitute shall be considered as

read. All points of order against that amend-

ment in the nature of a substitute are

waived. No amendment to that amendment

in the nature of a substitute shall be in order

except those printed in part A of the report

of the Committee on Rules accompanying

this resolution. Each such amendment may

be offered only in the order printed in the re-

port, may be offered only by a Member des-

ignated in the report, shall be considered as

read, shall be debatable for the time speci-

fied in the report equally divided and con-

trolled by the proponent and an opponent,

shall not be subject to amendment, and shall

not be subject to a demand for division of the

question in the House or in the Committee of

the Whole. All points of order against such

amendments are waived. At the conclusion

of consideration of the bill for amendment

the Committee shall rise and report the bill

to the House with such amendments as may

have been adopted. Any Member may de-

mand a separate vote in the House on any

amendment adopted in the Committee of the

Whole to the bill or to the amendment in the

nature of a substitute made in order as origi-

nal text. The previous question shall be con-

sidered as ordered on the bill and amend-

ments thereto to final passage without inter-

vening motion except one motion to recom-

mit.

. 2. At any time after adoption of this

resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to

clause 2(b) of rule XVIII, declare the House

resolved into the Committee of the Whole

House on the state of the Union for consider-

ation of the bill (H.R. 3091) to allow Federal

law enforcement officers to purchase retired

service weapons, and for other purposes. The

first reading of the bill shall be dispensed

with. All points of order against consider-

ation of the bill are waived. General debate

shall be confined to the bill and shall not ex-

ceed one hour equally divided and controlled

by the chair and ranking minority member

of the Committee on the Judiciary or their

respective designees. After general debate

the bill shall be considered for amendment

under the five-minute rule. In lieu of the

amendment in the nature of a substitute rec-

ommended by the Committee on the Judici-

ary now printed in the bill, it shall be in

order to consider as an original bill for the

purpose of amendment under the five-minute

rule an amendment in the nature of a sub-

stitute consisting of the text of Rules Com-

mittee Print 118-5. That amendment in the

nature of a substitute shall be considered as

read. All points of order against that amend-

ment in the nature of a substitute are

waived. No amendment to that amendment

in the nature of a substitute shall be in order

except those printed in part B of the report

of the Committee on Rules accompanying

this resolution. Each such amendment may

be offered only in the order printed in the re-

port, may be offered only by a Member des-

ignated in the report, shall be considered as

read, shall be debatable for the time speci-

fied in the report equally divided and con-

trolled by the proponent and an opponent,

shall not be subject to amendment, and shall

not be subject to a demand for division of the

question in the House or in the Committee of

the Whole. All points of order against such

amendments are waived. At the conclusion

of consideration of the bill for amendment

the Committee shall rise and report the bill

to the House with such amendments as may

have been adopted. Any Member may de-

mand a separate vote in the House on any

amendment adopted in the Committee of the

Whole to the bill or to the amendment in the

nature of a substitute made in order as origi-

nal text. The previous question shall be con-

sidered as ordered on the bill and amend-

ments thereto to final passage without inter-

vening motion except one motion to recom-

mit.

. 3. Upon adoption of this resolution it

shall be in order to consider in the House the

concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 40) ex-

pressing support for local law enforcement

officers and condemning efforts to defund or

dismantle local law enforcement agencies.

All points of order against consideration of

the concurrent resolution are waived. The

concurrent resolution shall be considered as

read. All points of order against provisions

in the concurrent resolution are waived. The

previous question shall be considered as or-

dered on the concurrent resolution and pre-

amble, and on any amendment thereto, to

adoption without intervening motion or de-

mand for division of the question except: (1)

one hour of debate equally divided and con-

trolled by the chair and ranking minority

member of the Committee on the Judiciary

or their respective designees; and (2) the

amendment printed in part C of the report of

the Committee on Rules accompanying this

resolution, if offered by the Member des-

ignated in the report, which shall be in order

without intervention of any point of order,

shall be considered as read, shall be sepa-

rately debatable for the time specified in the

report equally divided and controlled by the

proponent and an opponent, and shall not be

subject to a demand for division of the ques-

tion.

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr.

OST

). The gentlewoman from Min-

nesota is recognized for 1 hour.

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, for

the purpose of debate only, I yield the

customary 30 minutes to the gen-

tleman from Massachusetts (Mr.

OVERN

), pending which I yield my-

self such time as I may consume. Dur-

ing consideration of this resolution, all

time yielded is for the purpose of de-

bate only.

b 1215

GENERAL LEAVE

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I ask

unanimous consent that all Members

may have 5 legislative days in which to

revise and extend their remarks.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there

objection to the request of the gentle-

woman from Minnesota?

There was no objection.

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I

yield myself such time as I may con-

sume.

Mr. Speaker, we are here to debate

the rule providing for consideration of

H.R. 2494, the Protect Our Law enforce-

ment with Immigration Control and

Enforcement Act of 2023, or the PO-

LICE Act; H.R. 3091, the Federal Law

Enforcement Officer Service Weapon

Purchase Act; and H. Con. Res. 40, ex-

pressing support for local law enforce-

ment officers and condemning efforts

to defund or dismantle local law en-

forcement agencies.

It provides for structured rules for all

three bills and makes in order Demo-

cratic as well as Republican amend-

ments.

Given all that our police officers do

for our communities each and every

day, I am honored to stand here in de-

fense of this legislation to support

them.

According to the FBI, assaults on law

enforcement officers increased by 11.2

percent from 2020 to 2021. Many of

these violent crimes have been com-

mitted by illegal aliens. As this admin-

istration continues to let the crisis at

the border spiral out of control, these

types of assaults will continue to in-

crease.

There are things we can do to deter

criminal assaults and protect our offi-

cers. The POLICE Act would amend the

Immigration and Nationality Act to

clearly state that the assault of a law

enforcement officer is a deportable of-

fense. If those who have been given the

privilege of coming here cannot respect

our laws or those who enforce them,

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they should not enjoy the benefit of re-

maining in our country.

The second bill under consideration

today, H.R. 3091, would allow law en-

forcement officers to buy retired and

surplus military service weapons at

fair market value, so long as the officer

is in good standing with their em-

ployed agency. Under current law, Fed-

eral law enforcement agencies are re-

quired to destroy retired and unneeded

firearms. The Fraternal Order of Police

estimates that this wastes up to $8 mil-

lion a year. This bill is a commonsense

solution to save taxpayer dollars and

support law enforcement officers.

Finally, H. Con. Res. 40 expresses

Congress’ support for local law enforce-

ment officers and condemns efforts to

defund or dismantle local law enforce-

ment agencies.

Unfortunately, because there are peo-

ple out there, even some serving in

Congress, who want to defund the po-

lice and want to continue the anti-law

enforcement rhetoric, this bill is nec-

essary.

In a time when police officers are

regularly attacked for their profession,

2021 being the deadliest year in two

decades for law enforcement officers,

according to the FBI, it can never be

stated enough that the U.S. Congress

supports this country’s police officers.

The brave men and women across

this Nation who risk their lives every

day need to know that we condemn any

efforts to defund them, and we support

them. They need to know that we stand

with them and are here to do every-

thing in our power to protect them in

the way they protect and serve our

communities. That is why I encourage

my colleagues to stand with me and

support these pieces of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of

my time.

Mr. M

GOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I

thank the gentlewoman from Min-

nesota for yielding me the customary

30 minutes, and I yield myself such

time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I begin today with a

story. Once upon a time in Congress,

House Republicans put forward their

top agenda, a package of bills so cru-

cial, so urgent, that teeing them up for

consideration was one of the very first

things we did on the floor of this Con-

gress—after, of course, K

EVIN

THY

’s 15 votes for Speaker.

Tucked into this package was a little

bill about supporting the police, H.

Con. Res. 5, a simple, nonbinding reso-

lution, really, that didn’t do much. It

was purely symbolic, but it did express

support for our Nation’s police, all of

our Nation’s police.

But something mysterious happened,

Mr. Speaker, and I hope you will join

me in trying to solve that mystery

today.

Instead of bringing their bill up right

away, Republicans waited, and they

waited, and they waited. They waited

until this week, and they brought up a

bill, but something changed. See, in

the original bill, the language read

that Congress expresses support for the

Nation’s law enforcement agencies.

As you can see, Mr. Speaker, ‘‘Na-

tion’s,’’ ‘‘Nation’s.’’ It was about all of

our police. In their new bill, the one

that we are considering today, they

only express support for local enforce-

ment officers.

Here is the new bill, Mr. Speaker. We

see the word ‘‘local,’’ ‘‘local’’—nothing

about our Nation’s law enforcement of-

ficers, just ‘‘local.’’ Huh. That is weird.

What a strange change.

It is National Police Week, but they

took out all of our national police

agencies. Democrats searched and

searched and searched for a reason. We

looked high and low in the Rules Com-

mittee, but we couldn’t find an answer.

Not a single person, not one Repub-

lican, Mr. Speaker, has been able to ar-

ticulate to us who made that change,

when it was made, or, most impor-

tantly, why it was made.

No one was able to explain to us why

Republicans edited their bill from say-

ing ‘‘any efforts to defund or dismantle

law enforcement agencies’’ to any ‘‘ef-

forts to defund or dismantle local law

enforcement agencies.’’

Here is the important thing, and call

it the moral of the story, if you will.

The change was not without con-

sequence because what the GOP did

was cut out every officer at the FBI,

ATF, CBP, U.S. Marshals Service, Fed-

eral Bureau of Prisons, Federal Protec-

tive Service, and Secret Service. They

cut out every officer at the United

States Capitol Police. They cut out the

police who are standing outside these

Chamber doors right now, keeping us

safe. They cut out all the police who

rushed to this building to keep all of

my GOP friends safe on January 6, 2021.

Apparently, our Republican col-

leagues think National Police Week

shouldn’t include our national police.

I wish I could say that this was an

unsolved mystery, I really do, but the

answer is obvious, Mr. Speaker. The

new Republican position is that they

only support some police.

The new Republican position as of 2

weeks ago is that they want to defund

police. They voted to cut COPS grants,

fire 400 local police officers, defund the

FBI, and cut grant funding for State

and local law enforcement agencies.

The new Republican position, as put

forward by their frontrunner for Presi-

dent, is that we ought to pardon the

convicted criminals, white suprema-

cists, and neo-Nazis who beat cops,

crushed them in doors, and hit them

with fire extinguishers on January 6.

The new Republican position is to

give G

EORGE

ANTOS

due process before

he is kicked out but to deport legal im-

migrants who haven’t even been

charged with a crime.

Here is what I see today, Mr. Speak-

er. It seems like Republicans back the

blue until they realize that laws apply

to them, too.

That gets me to my final point be-

cause an important change is hap-

pening here today, and I want law en-

forcement officers across this country

to take note. I know many of them are

watching because it is police week, Na-

tional Police Week, and here is what I

want them to know: Democrats want

to keep communities safe.

Democrats want to address gun vio-

lence in our schools, an issue I hear

from police officers about all the time.

Democrats want to invest in pro-

grams that keep our communities safe,

programs that get to the root causes of

crime.

Democrats want to make sure police

aren’t put in situations they aren’t

trained to handle.

Democrats have passed bills that pro-

tect our communities and support our

police, bills to help cops with PTSD

and to invest in small police depart-

ments.

Republicans want to wrap their arms

around the police while they cut fund-

ing.

Make sure we don’t forget this, Mr.

Speaker: 21 Republicans voted against

awarding the Congressional Gold Medal

to the Capitol Police—21.

Republicans changed their bill to de-

liberately exclude America’s national

police agencies from National Police

Week, which dishonors and disrespects

the Capitol Police officers who protect

our Capitol Building.

Republicans are using our law en-

forcement officers like political pawns.

They are putting politics over public

safety.

It is clear, Mr. Speaker, that my Re-

publican friends have lost their way on

law enforcement today, and it is clear

who is in charge. It is not Speaker

ARTHY

. It is the most extreme of

the extreme, and once again, the Amer-

ican people lose.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of

my time.

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I

urge all of my colleagues not to make

excuses about this legislation, not to

say that it doesn’t have this, it has

this, or you changed this because they

are playing word games.

The public is watching, and law en-

forcement officers are watching.

Today, with your ‘‘yes’’ vote on this

legislation, you can show your support

for law enforcement.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the

gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.

ESCHENTHALER

Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speak-

er, I thank my good friend and fellow

Rules Committee member, Representa-

tive F

ISCHBACH

, for the time.

A quick history lesson.

June 2020, Vice President K

AMALA

ARRIS

applauded former L.A. Mayor

Eric Garcetti’s decision to slash police

funding by $150 million.

Representative O

CASIO

-C

ORTEZ

has

stated, ‘‘defunding police means

defunding police,’’ an exact quote.

Representative C

ORI

USH

has said

that she would ‘‘make sure’’ she has

private security for her protection

while simultaneously promising to

defund the police that protect you.

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Representative T

LAIB

has said: ‘‘No

more policing, incarceration, and mili-

tarization.’’

Representative O

MAR

has stated: Not

only do we need to defund, we need to

dismantle police departments.

What has been the result? What has

been the result of these attacks on law

enforcement? Well, 2021 was the dead-

liest year in two decades for our law

enforcement officers.

Mr. Speaker, 64 officers were shot

and killed in the line of duty in 2022.

Just to put that in perspective, that is

a 40 percent increase from 2020.

At least nine cities, the vast major-

ity of which are Democrat-controlled

cities, saw record homicides last year

and skyrocketing crime that continues

to plague our communities all across

the country.

Right here in D.C., for example, we

are already seeing a 13 percent rise in

violent crime in 2023 compared with

2022 when crime was already at near-

historic levels.

Democrats are now trying to deflect

responsibility for this rise in crime,

but it is their own far-left radical poli-

cies that are to blame.

It is essential that we make it clear

that Congress, at least this Republican

majority, condemns all efforts to dis-

mantle and defund our Nation’s police

officers.

Mr. Speaker, for those reasons, I urge

my colleagues to support this rule and

support the underlying piece of legisla-

tion.

b 1230

Mr. M

GOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield

myself such time as I may consume. I

am happy to yield to the gentlewoman

from Minnesota if she could respond to

a question that we couldn’t get an an-

swer to in the Rules Committee last

night as to why Republicans did not

bring up their original bill, H. Con.

Res. 5, the one that they made in order

with their opening day rules package.

I don’t know whether she can explain

it to me. I am happy to yield her some

time to do that. The silence is deaf-

ening, Mr. Speaker, because the ques-

tion that we asked in the Rules Com-

mittee last night that nobody could an-

swer is, in their original bill we hon-

ored our entire Nation’s law enforce-

ment, including the Capitol Police,

who protected us on January 6. How-

ever, the bill they bring up today

changed all that and basically nar-

rowed it down to local police but took

out any recognition of our Capitol Po-

lice or any of our Federal law enforce-

ment officers.

The gentlewoman will not answer the

question. Nobody in the Rules Com-

mittee would answer the question.

To the gentleman from Pennsylvania

who just spoke, who was talking about

defunding the police, I will tell you,

when I was the chairman of the Rules

Committee, we didn’t bring any resolu-

tions to the floor to defund the police.

Two weeks ago, my Republican

friends voted to cut money for local

law enforcement and for our Federal

law enforcement agencies. They are the

ones who voted to defund the police.

Just don’t believe me; you can Google

it. Check it out. Two weeks ago, their

bill that they brought to the floor will

cut law enforcement agencies.

Give me a break, Mr. Speaker.

Again, the idea that my Republican

friends made a conscious decision to

remove the Capitol Police from a reso-

lution honoring our Nation’s police is

beyond the pale.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous con-

sent to include in the R

ECORD

a letter

from the Department of Justice regard-

ing the cuts proposed within the Re-

publicans’ debt limit bill.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there

objection to the request of the gen-

tleman from Massachusetts?

There was no objection.

U.S. D

EPARTMENT OF

USTICE

, O

FICE OF

EGISLATIVE

FFAIRS

, O

FICE OF THE

SSISTANT

TTORNEY

ENERAL

Washington, DC.

Hon. R

OSA

AURO

Ranking Member, Committee on Appropriations,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

EAR

EPRESENTATIVE

AURO

: This re-

sponds to your letter to the Department of

Justice (Department), dated January 19, 2023,

regarding the impact on the Department’s

ability to achieve its public safety mission if

fiscal year (FY) 2024 discretionary spending

is capped at the FY 2022 enacted level. Fund-

ing the Department at FY 2022 enacted levels

would result in a significant reduction to the

Department’s budget calculated to be much

as 22% below FY 2023 enacted level and more

than $4 billion below what the Department

would require to sustain even its base func-

tions (current services) in FY 2024. A 22% re-

duction in the Department’s discretionary

funding would be a loss of more than $8 bil-

lion that is needed for the Department to ac-

complish its public safety and national secu-

rity responsibilities.

A funding reduction of 22% in a single year

would result in significant furloughs or re-

ductions in force (RIFs) across many compo-

nents. In addition, components would need

to cancel dozens of contracts (including con-

tracts for investigative and litigation tools

and technologies); freeze equipment pur-

chases (resulting in reliance on inferior and/

or obsolete equipment); eliminate oper-

ational training (which would hinder oper-

ations and employee development); and re-

duce operational travel (which could prolong

investigations and limit Department’s effi-

cacy). All this would result in a delay of

services and outcomes important to the na-

tion and the American justice system.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

would see an effective reduction of $2.8 bil-

lion were a funding reduction of 22% im-

posed, which would negate nine years of

growth in the FBI’s key programs. The effect

on the FBI’s personnel would be the loss of

roughly 11,000 positions, or 29.2% of the FBI’s

workforce. The FBI would be required to un-

dertake a furlough of 60 days on a staggered

basis. The lost work-years due to a hiring

freeze and furloughs are the equivalent of

the FBI shuttering 11 of its largest field of-

fices (New York City, Washington, Los Ange-

les, Chicago, Miami, San Francisco, Newark,

Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Houston).

The non-personnel costs alone, approxi-

mately $1.0 billion of the reduction, would be

the equivalent of eliminating all of the FBI’s

Headquarters Divisions in the Criminal

Branch, Intelligence Branch, and National

Security Branch combined.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms

and Explosives (ATF) assesses that the 22%

cut will result in a hiring freeze that would

mean 190 agents, 130 Industry Operations In-

vestigators, and 180 technical and support

staff would be lost to attrition. Further,

ATF would have to take 36 furlough days for

all of its over 5,000 employees, including

agents. Such a large reduction would: reduce

operational funding (mission-related activ-

ity, contracts, vehicle maintenance), normal

replacement cycle activity, provision of

Emergency Support Function #13 (assistance

to local, state, Tribal, territorial, and Fed-

eral organizations overwhelmed by the re-

sults of an actual or anticipated natural/

manmade disaster or an act of terrorism),

the K–9 program; eliminate all state and

local training at National Center for Explo-

sives Training and Research; start a backlog

of regulatory inspections that will take

years to clear; and increase trace times by

more than two months at the National Trac-

ing Center due to reduced staff. Finally, a

funding reduction of 22% would severely

hamper ATF’s ability to fully take advan-

tage of the tools provided by the Bipartisan

Safer Communities Act (BSCA), in addition

to substantially diminishing the effective-

ness of ATF’s overall mission. The con-

sequential negative effect on public safety

would be that fewer ATF Special Agents

would be available to assist law enforcement

in communities across the country. Without

appropriate funding, ATF would be unable to

make critical enhancements needed to im-

prove public safety in the fight against fire-

arm related violent crime.

The U.S. Marshals Service’s (USMS) fore-

most mission is to protect the federal Judi-

cial process. Due to mandatory requirements

for judicial and courthouse security, witness

protection, and prisoner detention, a reduc-

tion of 22% below the FY 2023 enacted level

would cause delays in the judicial system

and disproportionately impact the fugitive

apprehension mission and the agency’s abil-

ity to remove violent offenders from the

streets. With a 22% reduction, the USMS

would implement a hard hiring freeze, which

would result in the inability to replace an es-

timated 221 Deputy US Marshals (DUSMs)

and 135 other employees. The USMS would

also have to execute a furlough of 22 days for

all employees, and conduct a RIF for 650 em-

ployees, including an estimated 214 DUSMs.

The USMS would eliminate all performance

awards and promotion opportunities and re-

duce funding to fugitive surveillance, Special

Operations, judicial security, and body-worn

camera programs. Finally, a 22% reduction

would create an insolvency in the Federal

Prisoner Detention appropriation of $467.7

million, an amount that the Department

could not legally resolve through transfers

from other accounts due to limitations im-

posed on interappropriation transfers in each

year’s appropriations act.

On March 15, 2022, the Violence Against

Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022

(VAWA 2022) was enacted. VAWA 2022 au-

thorized multiple new programs for the Of-

fice on Violence Against Women (OVW),

three of which received their first appropria-

tions in the FY 2023 enacted budget: the

LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and

transgender) Specific Services Program; the

Abby Honold Act (which fund trauma-in-

formed, victim-centered training for law en-

forcement); and the Tribal Reimbursement

Program for Special Tribal Criminal Juris-

diction.

Funding levels of 22% below the FY 2023

enacted level means that programs newly es-

tablished by VAWA 2022 would not be funded

at all or funded only through reductions to

existing programs. OVW also calculates that

operating at the lower level would mean ap-

proximately 40 fewer awards could be made

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to grantees in key programs like the STOP

Violence Against Women Formula Grant

Program and the Sexual Assault Services

Formula Grant Program that provide key

services to states and to victims of sexual vi-

olence. For OVW generally, these cuts would

result in fewer victims served over subse-

quent years, disproportionately heavy im-

pacts on vulnerable communities, and

threats to the sustainability of crucial pro-

gramming that holds offenders accountable.

The impacts on other Department

grantmaking would be detrimental as well.

For example, if the Department’s Commu-

nity Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Of-

fice were to operate at a 22% below the FY

2023 enacted level, the COPS Hiring Program

would be required to significantly reduce the

funding it provides both as to the number of

positions it supports and in the number of

awards that it makes (reduction of approxi-

mately $50 million). It would also decrease

the number of law enforcement positions

funded by 300 to 400 positions and only be

able to support approximately 1,060 law en-

forcement positions. Finally, only about 200

awards would be made to support law en-

forcement agencies, a reduction of 60 awards

from FY 2023 enacted.

Additionally, a 22% reduction could lead to

significant cuts to the Office of Justice Pro-

grams (OJP). Operating at a level 22% below

FY 2023 enacted levels would be a reduction

of almost $650 million to OJP’s discretionary

appropriations. If OJP experienced a full 22%

reduction, its mission to improve the na-

tion’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime,

assist victims, and enhance the rule of law

by strengthening the criminal and juvenile

justice systems would be drastically reduced

as further described below.

Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (JAG)

Formula awards to local governments would

be expected to drop by an average of $30,000

from $98,000 to $68,000 and State awards could

decrease on average by $1.0 million per state

from $3.4 million to $2.4 million. JAG is the

leading source of Federal justice funding to

State and local jurisdictions. A 22% cut in

assistance would negatively impact a range

of program areas including law enforcement,

prosecution, indigent defense, courts, crime

prevention and education, corrections and

community corrections, as well as drug

treatment and enforcement.

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention Title II Formula awards would be

projected to be reduced by an average of

$294,000. This would drop the average award

from $843,000 to $549,000. Cuts from this for-

mula program would reduce critical support

to States and localities in their efforts to re-

form juvenile justice and strengthen preven-

tion, early intervention, and treatment pro-

gramming for at-risk and delinquent youth.

Training and technical assistance that has

been shown to reduce racial and ethnic dis-

parities among youth in juvenile justice

would be curtailed.

DNA Analysis and Capacity Enhancement

for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program

would see estimated reductions of $205,000

per award, dropping the average award from

$775,000 to $570,000. These reductions would

negatively impact the capacity of labs across

the Nation to process DNA samples that are

used by law enforcement to reduce violent

crime, support prosecutors in their efforts to

meet their mission, and create safer commu-

nities.

Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and

Substance Use Program (COSSUP) would see

a reduction of $40.7 million, which would be

the equivalent of cutting 25 awards (from 86

to 61). COSSUP’s purpose is to provide finan-

cial and technical assistance to States, units

of local government, and Indian tribal gov-

ernments to develop, implement, or expand

comprehensive efforts to identify, respond

to, treat, and support those impacted by il-

licit opioids, stimulants and other drugs use.

Drug Treatment Courts would see a reduc-

tion of $19.4 million, which would be the

equivalent of cutting 27 awards (from 63 to

36). These courts effectively integrate evi-

dence-based substance use disorder treat-

ment, random drug testing, equitable sanc-

tions and incentives, and recovery support

services in judicially supervised court set-

tings to reduce recidivism and substance use

and misuse, as well as prevent overdoses.

These cuts in services to those with sub-

stance use disorders would come in the midst

of our nation’s current overdose crisis.

Victims of Human Trafficking Programs

would see a reduction of $19.4 million, which

would be the equivalent of cutting 26 awards

(from 99 to 73). These programs are intended

to improve outcomes for victims of human

trafficking. These resources are a key source

of funding for jurisdictions working on co-

ordinated, multidisciplinary, approaches to

serving trafficked victims.

To reach an overall budget reduction of

22% from the FY 2023 enacted level, the U.S.

Attorneys’ Offices (USAOs) would need to

identify over $620 million in reductions in a

single year—nearly five times the cut from

sequestration in FY 2013. Reductions of this

magnitude will have a detrimental and last-

ing impact on the USAOs’ ability to carry

out its mission. In order to absorb this short-

fall, the USAOs will not only need to imple-

ment a complete hiring freeze and the max-

imum 22-day furlough of the entire direct

workforce of approximately 10,000 employ-

ees, but also implement a RIF of approxi-

mately 2,000 employees. The combined effect

of the hiring freeze and the RIF is a 28% re-

duction of the workforce in a single year. In

addition, non-personnel expenses would be

reduced by over 30%. These reductions would

severely impact the prosecutorial abilities of

USAOs nationwide as well as significantly

jeopardize the totality of operations, which

is critical to maintaining the integrity of

criminal and civil casework.

Imposing a 22% reduction would undermine

efforts at Drug Enforcement Administration

(DEA), Organized Crime Drug Enforcement

Task Forces (OCDETF), the Criminal Divi-

sion, and the Civil Division to interdict ille-

gal commerce in opioids including fentanyl.

The reduced funding level could amplify the

supply of illicit drugs and cause a prolifera-

tion in the violence associated with the drug

trade. The failure to fund the investigation

into this criminal activity would undermine

public safety throughout the country during

the opioid public health emergency. DEA

would need to implement rolling furloughs of

all employees, including agents, for 78 days.

A cut of this magnitude would mean the

DEA would absorb $620 million in reductions

to base resources that would negatively af-

fect every aspect of the DEA’s global oper-

ations and efforts to reduce drug-poisoning

deaths and drug-related violence in the

United States.

Funding the Department at the FY2022 en-

acted level would also severely undermine

the Department’s cybersecurity efforts, both

in seeking to interdict and prosecute

cybercriminals, and the Department’s ability

to protect its own information systems and

data from unauthorized intrusion. Funding

far below the current services level would ne-

gate years of investments supported by Con-

gress for cybercrime investigative personnel,

tools, and technology. Cybersecurity threats,

both domestic and international, evolve con-

tinuously that include large-scale security

breaches, supply chain attacks, and the

rampant spread of ransomware, which under-

score a transformational cyber moment.

Cybercriminal technologies will continue to

advance at an accelerated and unprecedented

pace that’s irrespective of funding reduc-

tions, and the Department’s efforts to ensure

the safety and security of the American pub-

lic from such crimes would be severely hin-

dered.

On August 10, 2022, the Honor Our Promise

to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT)

Act of 2022 was enacted. Under Section 804—

the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA)—serv-

ice members and others who were exposed to

water at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina be-

tween 1953 and 1987 may file suit for injuries

caused by the exposure. Given the sheer vol-

ume of cases, the complexity of this new liti-

gation, and the fact that the Department’s

existing appropriated funding in FY 2023 did

not contemplate this change, the Depart-

ment now faces a significant challenge to en-

sure CLJA is implemented as intended under

current funding levels. The Department has

consistently explained that the currently al-

located resources in FY 2023 will not meet

the Civil Division’s need for attorneys, sup-

port staff, and information technology re-

sources, which are essential to effectively re-

spond to the litigation demands that will re-

sult from the CLJA. If funding were reduced

by 22% compared to FY 2003, this shortfall

would increase significantly. A 22% reduc-

tion to the Civil Division would result in a

30-day furlough to all employees and the an-

ticipated RIF of 221 employees which would

eliminate 18% of the current workforce.

We are grateful to Congress for providing

needed support in the recently enacted FY

2023 omnibus to ensure Department employ-

ees are able to uphold the rule of law, keep

our country safe, and protect civil rights for

all. We have listed only a few of the wide-

spread effects of a 22% funding reduction to

the Department. We hope this information is

helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact

this office if we may be of further assistance

with this or any other matter.

Sincerely,

ARLOS

ELIPE

RIARTE

Assistant Attorney General.

Mr. M

GOVERN. My Republican

friends are actively cutting funding

from Federal law enforcement that

work to protect us every day. Their

plan would also cut funding for nearly

400 local law enforcement positions. I

mean, Republicans cannot be serious

about supporting law enforcement

when they are actively using their ma-

jority to defund them.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of

my time.

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I

have to mention again, we have legisla-

tion in front of us that will honor our

law enforcement officers. When we go

off on tangents and talk about what

words are there and what words are not

there, the simple fact is, a ‘‘yes’’ vote

on this legislation will show our sup-

port for law enforcement.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the

gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs.

OUCHIN

Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, this

National Police Week is a special one

for me as a new Member of Congress.

I promise to always protect our po-

lice officers, just as they protect our

communities back home. Regardless of

which side of the aisle you are on, on

that we should all agree.

It is important that the American

people see us supporting law enforce-

ment as we debate a vote on this

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week’s police bills and throughout the

118th Congress.

The legislation provided for in this

rule are commonsense measures in-

cluding: Allowing law enforcement offi-

cers to purchase retiring service weap-

ons, making assaulting a law enforce-

ment officer a deportable offense, and

stating clearly that we appreciate the

dedication of the men and women of

law enforcement.

There is no better message than

showing our officers, ‘‘We are behind

you.’’ I know law enforcement officers

in southern Indiana and across the

State who are listening right now and

would appreciate it.

I am in awe of the incredible work

they do to keep us safe, as they agree

to take the oath to protect and serve,

knowing that does not guarantee them

a safe return to their family at the end

of the day. I saw the true weight of this

when I visited the National Law En-

forcement Officers Memorial last

Thursday. The memorial displayed

name after name after name of those

who didn’t return home. Too many

names.

One of those names of fallen officers

was Officer Benton Bertram from

Charlestown, Indiana. To see his name

surrounded by so many selfless, brave

heroes puts it in perspective. They

didn’t run from danger; they ran to-

ward it.

With unwavering gratitude, we won’t

forget their sacrifice. This is just the

start of why it is so important we act

this week on the House floor.

As an Indiana State senator, I fought

for and secured a pay raise for our

State police officers. Many of them

thanked me. I always responded; it was

the least we could do for their service.

Mr. Speaker, I will continue to take

advantage of every opportunity to sup-

port the police and all law enforcement

officers and will actively seek out op-

portunities to work with anyone will-

ing to provide our officers with the re-

sources and the support they deserve.

Mr. Speaker, my message to the po-

lice officers in southern Indiana is:

Know you always have a fighter for you

here on the House floor, in House com-

mittee rooms, and here in Congress.

God bless our men and women in blue.

Mr. M

GOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield

myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman from

Indiana began her remarks by talking

about National Police Week, but the

resolution doesn’t honor our national

police. The Republicans made a con-

scious decision to remove the Capitol

Police, FBI, ATF, CBP, U.S. Marshals

Service, Federal Bureau of Prisons, the

Federal Protective Service, and the Se-

cret Service. I am happy to yield to the

gentlewoman from Indiana to help me

understand why the Republicans

changed the wording of their resolu-

tion. I am happy to yield her any time.

Mr. Speaker, again, the gentlewoman

from Minnesota says we are playing

word games. No, we are not. The only

people playing word games are my Re-

publican friends. They introduced a bill

that honored all of our police, and then

they changed it. They made a con-

scious decision to change it because I

think they are afraid of the extreme of

the extreme of their base that some-

how don’t want to admit that anything

bad happened here on January 6, and

they are afraid if they honor the Cap-

itol Police that somehow their extreme

base would be offended. That is just

sick, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I urge that we defeat

the previous question. If we do, I will

offer an amendment to the rule for con-

sideration of a resolution which states

that it is the House’s responsibility to

protect and preserve Social Security

and Medicare for future generations

and reject any cuts to these essential

programs.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous con-

sent to insert the text of my amend-

ment in the R

ECORD

along with any ex-

traneous material immediately prior

to the vote on the previous question.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there

objection to the request of the gen-

tleman from Massachusetts?

There was no objection.

Mr. M

GOVERN. Mr. Speaker, Social

Security and Medicare are vital to

many of our constituents’ economic

health security, and yet many of my

Republican friends across the aisle

have called for major cuts to these

critical programs. Once again, I am of-

fering my friends the opportunity to

reassure the American people, not just

with rhetoric but with their votes, that

they will not cut these vital programs.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the

gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms.

LAIB

) to discuss our proposal.

Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, our resi-

dents sent us to Congress to tackle the

issues that are affecting every Ameri-

can’s ability to thrive. They did not

send us here to waste valuable time on

messaging bills that are dead on ar-

rival in the Senate and do nothing to

improve the lives of working families.

We are weeks, possibly days, away

from Republicans hurtling our econ-

omy toward a devastating default on

our debt for the first time in our Na-

tion’s history, and Republicans are

heartlessly using the crisis as an op-

portunity to try to force cruel cuts to

the social safety nets for our commu-

nities, especially our veterans, who de-

pend on healthcare.

Republicans are putting vital public

programs like Social Security and

Medicare at risk by playing petty po-

litical games to appease their billion-

aire donors and harm the lives and

livelihoods of the American people.

Mr. Speaker, defaulting on our debt

would be devastating, if not cata-

strophic, for all those relying on Social

Security and Medicare, as you know, in

all of our districts. Social Security re-

cipients would no longer receive

checks, risking their ability to pay for

groceries, rent, and utilities.

This is exactly the type of chaos

many of my Republican colleagues

want to see happen, but Democrats are

fully committed to protecting and ex-

panding Social Security. Social Secu-

rity is the bedrock of our social safety

net and a pillar that all of our neigh-

bors rely on, again, to be able to retire

with dignity.

Unfortunately, as the cost of things

like healthcare, caregiving, and pre-

scription drugs has skyrocketed due to

the unchecked corporate greed in our

country, our seniors have come to rely

even more on Social Security every

single day.

Mr. Speaker, now more than ever be-

fore is the time to strengthen Social

Security. If we defeat the previous

question, we will bring to the House

floor H. Res. 178, a resolution affirming

the House’s commitment to protect

and strengthen Social Security and

Medicare.

Republicans need to stop wasting our

time and playing games with the lives

of our people. I urge my colleagues to

defeat the previous question so we can

advance this important legislation.

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I

yield myself such time as I may con-

sume.

Mr. Speaker, I have a much easier

way for the other side to deal with the

debt ceiling. Instead of the procedural

antics we are going through, maybe

what they should do is encourage the

President and the Senate leaders to get

to the table and negotiate.

The House Republicans did their job.

We passed a debt ceiling bill with

spending cuts and an increase off of

this floor. We have done our job. I

think the real message here is National

Police Week. That is what we are talk-

ing about. We are talking about the

support and respect for our law en-

forcement officers.

I just want to maybe bring it back to

what we are really talking about. I, un-

fortunately, have had the unfortunate

honor to have three officers lost in the

line of duty in my area, and so I would

remember those names: Officer Brian

Klinefelter, Officer Tommy Decker,

and Officer Josh Owen. Officer Owen

was just a few weeks ago.

Present in the Capitol yesterday was

Officer Arik Matson, who was shot 3

years ago in the line of duty and sur-

vived. Let’s talk about that. Let’s talk

about the officers that we are hon-

oring.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the

gentleman from New York (Mr.

ANGWORTHY

Mr. LANGWORTHY. Mr. Speaker, I

rise in support of the rule which pro-

vides consideration of important bills

that support our Nation’s law enforce-

ment officers. This legislation comes

at a critical moment when those on the

front lines in our communities are

being attacked, maligned, and stripped

of the resources they need to keep us

safe.

Mr. Speaker, time and again my col-

leagues on the other side of the aisle

claim that the phrase ‘‘defund the po-

lice’’ is a slogan of a very small and

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rogue minority that doesn’t reflect

their party’s broader values. Demo-

crats said that even as cities across

this country burned in the summer of

2020, to the deafening chant of ‘‘defund

the police.’’

Let’s take a look at the facts. Since

2021, 25 cities across America defunded

their police departments by upwards of

$2 billion. Police department budgets

were slashed in Philadelphia, Los An-

geles, Chicago, San Francisco, Austin,

and even in my home State of New

York, New York City.

What do all these cities have in com-

mon? They have Democrat mayors,

Democrat city councils, Democrat mo-

nopolies on all of the levers of power.

New York City is seeing felony crime

skyrocket to levels not seen in 15 years

after its Democrat mayor and Demo-

crat-dominated city council embraced

the destructive ideals of the defund the

police movement. Last year, the city

saw a 22.4 percent jump in serious of-

fenses like felony assault, rape, bur-

glary, robberies, and grand larceny.

Let’s call it what it is. Defunding the

police is not a fringe idea. It is a move-

ment at the heart of the Democratic

Party, and it is in practice right now.

If my colleagues on the other side of

the aisle truly believe that it is a

fringe idea, then I look forward to

strong bipartisan support for this im-

portant pro-law enforcement legisla-

tion this week.

Let’s show our men and women in

blue, the ones on the front lines of our

community, of every community, that

they aren’t alone, and we have their

backs.

Mr. M

GOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield

myself such time as I may consume.

Let me just say to the gentleman,

again, the only people who in this

Chamber voted to defund the police are

my Republican friends. Two weeks ago,

you all voted for a bill to cut money

for local law enforcement, every one of

you.

Let’s talk about the police that you

are not honoring here today.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous con-

sent to include in the R

ECORD

a CNN

story about two FBI agents who were

shot and killed last week, and yet they

have been taken off the list of law en-

forcement officials that we are hon-

oring.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there

objection to the request of the gen-

tleman from Massachusetts?

There was no objection.

[From CNN, Feb. 8, 2021]

FBI A

GENTS

ERE

HOT AND

ILLED

AST

EEK

. H

ERE

’

HAT

’

ARE

RAGEDY

(By Phil Gast)

The killing of two FBI agents last week at

a lake-bordered community in South Florida

marked the first time since November 2008

that an FBI agent was fatally shot in the

line of duty. During that same interval, 630

police officers from state, local, tribal and

other federal agencies died from line-of-duty

gunshot wounds, according to the National

Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

Why do most shooting deaths of law en-

forcement officers in the US occur outside of

the FBI, which calls itself ‘‘one of the

world’s premier security and crime-fighting

forces’’? Some of the answers are expected:

Nearly 90% of the nation’s law enforcement

officers serve on local and state police

forces. They make more arrests. They are

much more likely to encounter potentially

violent suspects on a daily basis—whether it

be for a traffic stop, domestic violence call

or another emergency.

But there are other factors that might ex-

plain why fewer agents die by gunfire, say

law enforcement experts and former agents.

FBI agents are more likely to build cases

incrementally than respond to a 911 call.

They often work in multi-agency task forces

and generally have more time to plan search

warrants and safe execution of them. They

build a case against an individual and weigh

the danger he or she might present. All of

this reduces the likelihood they will draw a

gun or have one pulled on them. Still, the

work is dangerous and plans can end in trag-

edy, as occurred Tuesday when Special

Agents Daniel Alfin and Laura

Schwartzenberger and other agents and local

police officers tried to execute a search war-

rant at a Sunrise, Florida, apartment where

the suspect was barricaded. He, too, died, al-

though the circumstances have not been di-

vulged.

The Florida case, according to authorities,

involved alleged violent crimes against chil-

dren—society’s most vulnerable. Federal

convictions for such crimes can lead to

lengthy prison sentences and some suspects

may feel they may have a lot to lose, experts

say.

‘‘These can be people who think of them-

selves having big complicated, important

lives and they may have a fraudulent exte-

rior,’’ says Andrew McCabe, former deputy

director of the FBI and a current CNN senior

law enforcement analyst.

TAKING A STRATEGIC VERSUS TACTICAL

APPROACH

While all law enforcement work is inher-

ently dangerous, there are differences in the

scenarios FBI agents and local officers typi-

cally face.

The latter’s ‘‘jobs are more tactical. They

often don’t have a plan when they get on

their shift, and do not know what will be

their next call,’’ says James Pasco, executive

director of the National Fraternal Order of

Police. ‘‘The circumstances are often more

volatile, and he or she can’t control cir-

cumstances.’’ They often have to be in a re-

active mode.

Federal agents, on the other hand, are

often involved in complex cases, including

cyberterrorism, domestic terrorism, online

fraud and crimes against children, such as

pornography and trafficking.

They are proactive as they gather evi-

dence, following leads and tips and reaching

out to other law enforcement agencies.

Local police departments have investiga-

tors, too, but the FBI’s hallmark is deep in-

vestigations into individuals that can be

anywhere—from down the street to a remote

hideaway overseas.

‘‘You have the ability to do your home-

work in advance of an operation,’’ says

Lazaro ‘‘Larry’’ Cosme, national president of

the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Asso-

ciation. ‘‘It doesn’t mean it will be a fool-

proof operation.’’

FBI agents, when they do move in on a sus-

pect, have a precise plan and contingencies,

experts say. And they usually get to decide

the time and place of the search or arrest.

Often, they move in with an overwhelming

force.

‘‘They typically control the environment

wherever they go,’’ says Josh Campbell, CNN

security correspondent and a former FBI

agent. ‘‘It is rare for officers to fire their

weapons and receive gunfire.’’

But sometimes an operation encounters

the unknown. There never will be a ‘‘com-

plete understanding of every threat,’’

McCabe says.

AGENTS TRY TO REDUCE RISK OF ARMED

CONFRONTATION

Special agents Alfin, 36, and

Schwartzenberger, 43, are being remembered

for their efforts to fight sex crimes against

children. They worked at the FBI’s Miami

office in a unit that investigates online pred-

ators, child pornography, sexual abuse,

kidnappings and violent attacks. An hour be-

fore dawn Tuesday, they and other officers

went to an upscale apartment in Sunrise to

serve a search warrant.

Such an operation typically involves local

police blocking streets and adding legit-

imacy, says Campbell.

Going that early has its advantages for law

enforcement: They generally have the ele-

ment of surprise. The subject may be groggy.

He or she may have had little time to formu-

late resistance. The aim is to defuse the situ-

ation.

‘‘Generally speaking, that will result in a

lower number of violent confrontations,’’

says Pasco.

The FBI hasn’t said much about the search

warrant, other than it was ordered by a fed-

eral court relating to a case of violent

crimes against children. The FBI Agents As-

sociation said it was related to suspected

possession of child pornography.

It’s not known whether the FBI knew the

suspect in Sunrise had weapons. Details

about what led to the gunfire, weren’t avail-

able. The FBI has not released an account of

what occurred during the shootout.

The gunman opened fire and Alfin and

Schwartzenberger were killed; three agents

were wounded. Two were taken to a hospital

with multiple gunshot wounds and later re-

leased. The third agent was treated at the

scene.

Usually, experts and the FBI says, the

serving of warrants ends without incident.

‘‘We do a ton of these warrants in these

kinds of cases all around the country, every

day,’’ McCabe said.

But with the profusion of child pornog-

raphy, ‘‘We are getting more people who are

reacting violently or unpredictably to a

search warrant,’’ he says.

1986 FIREFIGHT LED TO MORE FIREPOWER

TRAINING

The Sunrise shooting is similar to a deadly

firefight 35 years ago outside Miami that was

a turning point in the FBI’s history. On

April 11, 1986, two violent bank robbers being

pursued by FBI agents opened fire with high-

powered firearms, killing two agents and

wounding five others before the suspects

were killed.

The names and photographs of Special

Agents Jerry Dove and Benjamin P. Grogan

are on the FBI’s online Wall of Honor. The

page lists 81 employees going back to 1925.

Some were killed in the 1930s during the

gangster age.

The last agent to be shot to death before

Alfin and Schwartzenberger was Special

Agent Samuel S. Hicks, who was killed in

2008 while trying to serve an arrest warrant

in a drug trafficking case at a home near

Pittsburgh.

Most of those listed toward the end of the

Wall of Honor died as a result of illnesses

linked to responding to the 9/11 attacks.

Law enforcement officers block off an area

near where the agent deaths occurred in

Sunrise, Florida.

In the aftermath of the 1986 shootout, the

FBI issued special agents with semiauto-

matic handguns rather than revolvers,

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changed its firearms training and studied the

psychological impacts of being shot at,

former FBI deputy director John S. Pistole

said in 2006.

All of this was aimed at protecting the

health and lives of agents.

2020 was one of the deadliest years in his-

tory for US law enforcement officers, accord-

ing to a group that tracks officer deaths in

the line of duty.

Law enforcement officers died last year of

numerous causes, among them vehicle crash-

es, heart attacks and gunshots. But more

died of Covid–19 than all other causes com-

bined, with 145 out of the 264 deaths attrib-

uted to the virus, according to the National

Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

‘

OUR CHOSEN PROFESSION IS FRAUGHT WITH

DANGER

’

The FBI is conducting an investigation

into what happened in Florida. ‘‘You owe it

to the patriots who gave their lives’’ to see

whether there are lessons to be learned or

ways for agents to better protect themselves,

says McCabe.

The loss of two dedicated agents has been

a gut punch to the bureau. Law enforcement

and others are in mourning.

‘‘Our chosen profession is fraught with

danger. Today, this grim reality has taken

two of our best from our family,’’ George

Piro, special agent in charge of the FBI’s

Miami Field Office, said at a news conference

hours after the shooting.

William Beller, the Federal Law Enforce-

ment Officers Association chapter president,

told CNN on Wednesday: ‘‘We are all broth-

ers and sisters in law enforcement.’’ Over-

come with emotion, he said, ‘‘All I know is I

was able to hug my kids today,’’ and walked

away in tears.

Services for the fallen agents took place

over the weekend at Hard Rock Stadium in

Miami Gardens.

It’s important for people to know that

while being an FBI agent is exciting, it’s an

incredibly hard and perilous job, McCabe

says.

‘‘Moments like this bring reality to them

in a very visceral way,’’ he says. ‘‘It will not

deter them. They will not turn their guns in

tomorrow.’’

Mr. M

GOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I ask

unanimous consent to include in the

ECORD

the names of the law enforce-

ment officers who died as a result of

the Capitol riots: U.S. Capitol Police

Officer Brian Sicknick, U.S. Capitol

Police Officer Howard Liebengood, D.C.

Police Officer Jeffrey Smith, D.C. Po-

lice Officer Gunther Hashida, D.C. Po-

lice Officer Kyle DeFreytag.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there

objection to the request of the gen-

tleman from Massachusetts?

There was no objection.

ANY

IED AS A

ESULT OF THE

APITOL

IOT

U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick

U.S. Capitol Police Officer Howard

Liebengood

D.C. Police Officer Jeffrey Smith

D.C. Police Officer Gunther Hashida

D.C. Police Officer Kyle DeFreytag

Mr. M

GOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I ask

unanimous consent to also include in

the R

ECORD

a CNN story about the 21

Republicans who voted ‘‘no’’ on a bill

to award Congressional Gold Medals for

the January 6 police officers.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there

objection to the request of the gen-

tleman from Massachusetts?

There was no objection.

[From CNN, June, 16, 2021]

Republicans Vote No on Bill To Award

Congressional Gold Medal for January 6 Po-

lice Officers

(By Annie Grayer and Kristin Wilson)

Despite the House and Senate coming to an

agreement that will award the Congressional

Gold Medal to the officers who defended the

Capitol, 21 House Republicans voted against

the legislation Tuesday, the latest reminder

that members of Congress still cannot agree

on the facts of the deadly January 6 riot.

The final vote in the House on Tuesday was

406–21. The number of House Republicans

voting against the bill nearly doubled since

the first time a version of the bill came to

the House floor, as the vote when the bill

first passed the House in March was 413–12.

Republican Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas was

the only GOP member to vote no in March

and change his vote to yes this time around.

Both the House and the Senate had passed

their own resolutions to bestow the medals,

but the initial pieces of legislation varied.

The revised bills will now award three med-

als—one to the entire US Capitol Police

force, and one to the Metropolitan Police De-

partment, ‘‘so that the sacrifices of fallen of-

ficers and their families, and the contribu-

tions of other law enforcement agencies who

answered the call of duty on January 6, 2021,

can be recognized and honored in a timely

manner.’’

A third will be put on display at the

Smithsonian Institution, with a plaque that

lists all the law enforcement agencies that

protected and defended the Capitol.

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of

Georgia told reporters that she voted against

the Congressional Gold Medal to US Capitol

Police Officers and MPD because she does

not believe the legislation should refer to

January 6 as an insurrection.

‘‘I wouldn’t call it an insurrection,’’

Greene told reporters.

Greene also said she had issue with the

language of the bill that referred to the Cap-

itol complex as ‘‘the temple of our American

Democracy.’’

‘‘This is not a temple. That is for sure,’’

Greene said.

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Ken-

tucky also said his vote against the legisla-

tion was because of the language of the bill,

specifically the references to the Capitol as a

temple and January 6 as an insurrection.

‘‘There are pending cases or trials right

now, indictments against people, and I think

if we called it an insurrection, it could have

a bearing on their case,’’ he said. ‘‘If they

just wanted to give the police recognition,

they could have done it without trying to

make it partisan,’’ he said.

When asked if he thought what happened

on January 6 was an insurrection, he an-

swered, ‘‘I think it was a mob but I don’t

think it was an insurrection, no.’’

Pressed again, he said, ‘‘They were pro-

testing and I don’t approve of the way they

protested, but it wasn’t an insurrection. My

goodness. Can you imagine what a real insur-

rection would look like?’’

Other members such as Rep. Andrew Clyde

and Rep. Andy Biggs ignored questions from

CNN asking to explain their vote.

Rep. Warren Davidson, an Ohio Repub-

lican, explained in a tweet that the reason he

voted against the bill but previously voted

for an earlier version of the legislation was

because the final version of the bill ref-

erenced fallen Capitol Police Officer William

‘‘Billy’’ Evans who was killed as the result of

an attack on the Capitol on April 2.

‘‘ ‘Yes’ was the easy vote, but it’s wrong to

conflate 4/2 with 1/6. My ‘‘no’’ vote is an ef-

fort to make that clear’’ Davidson tweeted.

‘‘I have already voted to award the Con-

gressional Gold Medal to DC Metro and Cap-

itol Police for their bravery on 1/6. Today’s

vote was an attempt to rewrite history and

further a Democrat narrative’’ Davidson

added.

Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who has

been an outspoken critic of former President

Donald Trump and his supporters that re-

main in the House, publicly criticized his 21

colleagues who voted against the legislation.

‘‘How you can vote no to this is beyond

me,’’ Kinzinger tweeted after the vote.

‘‘Then again, denying an insurrection is as

well. To the brave Capitol (and DC metro

PD) thank you. To the 21: they will continue

to defend your right to vote no anyway.’’

Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, a

frequent Trump critic herself, specifically

criticized Rep. Paul Gosar, who, in addition

to voting no on the legislation, had referred

to the shooting of Capitol rioter Ashli Bab-

bitt as an execution earlier Tuesday.

‘‘On January 6, as the violent mob ad-

vanced on the House chamber, I was standing

near @RepGosar and helped him open his gas

mask. The Capitol Police led us to safety. It

is disgusting and despicable to see Gosar lie

about that day and smear the men and

women who defended us,’’ tweeted Cheney,

who was ousted from GOP leadership last

month after she repeatedly rejected Trump’s

election lies.

In February, the Senate unanimously

voted to award a Congressional Gold Medal

to Officer Eugene Goodman, who singlehand-

edly led a mob of insurrectionists away from

the Senate chamber minutes before the

chamber doors were sealed with senators

still inside. But the House version of the leg-

islation opted to award the medal to the

whole of the police force rather than singling

out one individual for the medal.

The legislation does name several indi-

vidual officers, including Goodman, for their

valor, saying ‘‘Capitol Police Officers Brian

Sicknick and Howard Liebengood, Metropoli-

tan Police Department Officer Jeffrey

Smith, and those who sustained injuries, and

the courage of Capitol Police Officer Eugene

Goodman, exemplify the patriotism and the

commitment of Capitol Police officers, and

those of other law enforcement agencies, to

risk their lives in service of our country.’’

The 21 Republicans who voted against the

bill are:

1. Lauren Boebert of Colorado

2. John Rose of Tennessee

3. Andy Harris of Maryland

4. Thomas Massie of Kentucky

5. Bob Good of Virginia

6. Louie Gohmert of Texas

7. Barry Moore of Alabama

8. Ralph Norman of South Carolina

9. Matt Rosendale of Montana

10. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia

11. Chip Roy of Texas

12. Paul Gosar of Arizona

13. Andy Biggs of Arizona

14. Warren Davidson of Ohio

15. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania

16. Matt Gaetz of Florida

17. Greg Steube of Florida

18. Andrew Clyde of Georgia

19. Jody Hice of Georgia

20. Mary Miller of Illinois

21. Michael Cloud of Texas

Mr. M

GOVERN. Mr. Speaker, again,

I am happy to yield to the gentleman

from New York whatever time he

needs, but I guess he left the floor. I

would like somebody to explain to me

why Republicans decided to change the

wording of the bill that they intro-

duced at the opening day session of

Congress to exclude all of our Federal

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police officers and exclude our Capitol

Police.

I don’t quite understand why they did

that except I think they are afraid of

their base, the extreme element of

their base who basically do not want to

honor them. I find that really dis-

turbing.

Again, talking about defunding the

police, the only people in this Chamber

who voted to cut money for the police

are on the other side of the aisle.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of

my time.

b 1245

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I

yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from

South Carolina (Mr. N

ORMAN

Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, it is an

honor to speak to you today in honor

of our police force. What better time to

honor the brave men and women of law

enforcement. They don’t do it for the

money. They do it because of service.

What you are hearing from the other

side is just not true. They are the party

of defunding the police. Their own Vice

President put up bond money for riot-

ers. I can name you—and I am not

going to name them by name—you

have got one, two, three—five sitting

Congress people whose statements are

‘‘defunding police means defunding po-

lice,’’ ‘‘efforts to defund the police de-

partment,’’ ‘‘no more police.’’ They are

the party of defunding the police.

What better time to celebrate the

fact that men and women are willing to

do this? They see things we don’t see.

They go places we don’t go. To have 135

officers shot in 2023 is unacceptable.

Fifteen officers have been killed by

gunfire, and 43 officers were shot in

ambush-style attacks. The amount of

officers shot in the line of duty is up 52

percent from this time in 2020.

Words are cheap, but it is what we as

a party are doing to support the police.

The statistics are outrageous. I look

forward to considering legislation that

supports our police officers and con-

demns the leftists’ efforts to dismantle

local law enforcement agencies, which

they do.

To all those in law enforcement, Mr.

Speaker, I thank them. For those who

are willing to go through good times

and bad times to protect us, I thank

them. God bless every police officer in

this country.

Mr. M

GOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield

myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, what the gentleman

who just spoke neglected to say is he

only wants to honor some of our police

officers. They made a conscious deci-

sion to, quite frankly, remove our na-

tional police, our Capitol Police, from

the resolution that they were origi-

nally included in.

He said don’t believe us. Well, the

words are here. This is their original

bill: ‘‘H. Con. Res. 5, Expressing sup-

port for the Nation’s law enforcement

agencies and condemning any efforts to

defund or dismantle law enforcement

agencies.’’ Their new bill was changed

to just say ‘‘local law enforcement.’’

They made a conscious decision to do

that. The gentleman keeps on quoting,

and there is an old saying that the only

thing that really matters around here

is votes. Everything else is B.S. We can

play this game of quotes versus votes,

but the bottom line is the votes are

what matter and what matters the

most.

My friends on the other side of the

aisle 2 weeks ago brought a bill that

they all voted for that cut money for

law enforcement at every level. They

voted for that. That is their record. I

hope my friends will appreciate that.

As we honor our Nation’s police offi-

cers, as we should, I have to say it is

disappointing that we are only hon-

oring some, that a conscious, delib-

erate decision was made to exclude

others. I find that really, really dis-

turbing, and, quite frankly, we tried to

fix it last night in the Rules Com-

mittee. We tried to fix it in the Judici-

ary Committee, and all the Repub-

licans voted it down.

I urge people to look at the votes.

The votes are what matters.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of

my time.

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I

yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from

Texas (Mr. R

Mr. ROY. Mr. Speaker, ‘‘It wasn’t an

accident. Policing in our country is in-

herently and intentionally racist.

Daunte Wright was met with aggres-

sion and violence. I am done with those

who condone government-funded mur-

der. No more policing, incarceration,

and militarization. It can’t be re-

formed.’’ Thus said Congresswoman

LAIB

who was just down here talking

about this.

Congresswoman O

MAR

: ‘‘You can’t

really reform a department that is rot-

ten to the root.’’

That is the truth of what my col-

leagues on the other side of the aisle

think about law enforcement. The gen-

tleman from Massachusetts is down

here besmirching the 21 Members of

our body who said no to the

politicization of the Capitol Police.

You want to know why it is not in

here? It is because my colleagues on

the other side of the aisle want to turn

the Capitol Police into political pawns.

That is the truth.

We had a resolution in the last Con-

gress, H.R. 1085—I voted for it—giving a

Congressional Gold Medal to the brave

men and women of the Capitol Police

who stood here on January 6.

Then my colleagues on the other side

of the aisle didn’t want to leave it

there. They then added another resolu-

tion a mere 2 months later when they

wanted to play politics. They are play-

ing political games.

Instead of honoring our men and

women of law enforcement, Democrats

played political games on a different

tragedy, April 2, 2021, when Officer

Billy Evans was killed and Officer Ken-

neth Shaver was injured by a man ob-

sessed with the Nation of Islam who

slammed his vehicle into the north bar-

ricade of the U.S. Capitol complex.

That didn’t fit the narrative. That

didn’t fit the narrative of my Demo-

cratic colleagues, seeing they want to

be able to come down here and make

claims that they are not defunding the

police, that we are. Because we dare to

stand up and say we should have fiscal

responsibility and set a top-line cap,

my colleagues on the other side of the

aisle want to besmirch Republicans for

cutting all manners of programs.

Yet, they bring no solutions to the

American people about ending the $32

trillion in debt, destroying the dollar,

causing inflation, undermining jobs,

and destroying our country. They know

exactly what they are doing, and they

are doing it on purpose.

We are going to stand with the men

and women in blue across this country.

That is what this resolution is about.

It is about standing with them, and my

colleagues on the other side of the aisle

spent every waking moment under-

mining them, saying we should defund

them when there were riots on the

streets and our cities were burning to

the ground. My Democratic colleagues

didn’t care. They allowed it to happen.

They knew exactly what they were

doing. That is what this is about.

I would add this: My father carries a

card around with him. He is 80 years

old. That card was given to him by his

father, a chief of police of a small west

Texas town. It is called: ‘‘Jackie: ‘The

Son of a Hard Boiled Cop.’’’

You think I’m a hard-boiled copper

For writing a mere ‘‘forty-three’’;

Well perhaps I’m thinking of Jackie

And all the lad meant to me.

How’s that? Tell you all about it?

Well, stranger, the boy was my son.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The

time of the gentleman has expired.

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I

yield an additional 30 seconds to the

gentleman from Texas.

Mr. ROY. Mr. Speaker, and I con-

tinue:

God! What I’d give to hear, ‘‘Daddy,’’

Once more when the day’s work is done.

The driver was just in a hurry,

He didn’t intend any harm,

But the Sun and stars quit shining,

When I picked up my boy’s lifeless form.

Well, mister, I’ll tear up this ticket;

I don’t want to ‘‘pinch’’ anyone;

But I’d ride this motor through hell-fires

To protect another man’s son.

So the next time you feel like speeding

Or passing a boulevard stop,

Just pause and remember my Jackie—

The son of a hard-boiled cop.

My dad carries that with him to this

day, and he is 80 years old. If my col-

leagues on the other side of the aisle

want to play politics with cops, they

can do it on somebody else’s dime.

Mr. M

GOVERN. Mr. Speaker, as the

gentleman runs out, I will just say you

can yell all you want, but it doesn’t

change the fact that my friends on the

other side of the aisle, including the

gentleman, voted to cut money for

local law enforcement

Mr. Speaker, what they did is they

voted to cut a million dollars per State

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in Federal money for our local law en-

forcement. They would fire, lay off, 400

local police officers. That is what

would happen if their bill that they

voted on 2 weeks ago became law. It

could cut COPS grants. It would cut

other DOJ funding for our local police.

The gentleman who just had a melt-

down on the floor, screaming and

yelling, comes on the floor all the time

to talk about our border. I mean, my

Republican friends made a conscious

decision to remove Customs and Border

Protection from the bill honoring our

law enforcement.

I would like somebody to answer

why. They removed the Capitol Police.

They removed the FBI. They also re-

moved CBP.

Mr. Speaker, their bill, according to

the Department of Justice, if it became

a law, the reduction in support for our

police and Federal law enforcement

would result in a reduction in our oper-

ations equivalent to the following:

154,000 pounds of cocaine not seized, 859

pounds of fentanyl and 1,948 pounds of

heroin not seized, 17,148 pounds of

methamphetamine not seized, $9 mil-

lion in currency not seized, 561 crimi-

nals not arrested, 57,594 apprehensions

not made, and 361 people not rescued.

The gentleman says he is being fiscally

responsible, and that is why they voted

for these cuts? Enough.

Again, can somebody please explain

to me from the party that voted to

defund the police why the omission,

why were the words of the Republican

bill changed to omit all of these other

brave men and women who are pro-

tecting people all across this country

and the Capitol Police who protect us

every single day?

By the way, the gentleman who just

spoke was among those who voted not

to give a Congressional Gold Medal to

the Capitol Police. Thank goodness 400

Members, Democrats and Republicans,

disagreed with him.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of

my time.

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I

yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from

Florida (Mr. R

UTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I

appreciate the gentlewoman yielding

me the time.

Mr. Speaker, as we move into Na-

tional Police Week, I rise in support of

two bills that will help make our offi-

cers safer out on the street. The first is

H.R. 2494, commonly called the PO-

LICE Act, which simply states that an

illegal alien that assaults a police offi-

cer will be deported. Not might be; will

be.

Currently, the situation is they can

be arrested for assaulting, and in 2021

we had 43,000 law enforcement officers

assaulted. I am sure many of those

were by illegal aliens. Those numbers

are just going to go up. They can be ar-

rested, placed in a 287(g) jail facility

where they are held for ICE, convicted

of the crime of assault, but they still

may not be deported. They have to go

through a long legal analysis after

their conviction to ensure that they

are deported out of this country.

H.R. 2494, the POLICE Act, simply

says if you assault one of our officers,

we are kicking you out of this country.

I can’t imagine why anyone across the

aisle would vote against that.

The other bill is H.R. 3091, the Fed-

eral Law Enforcement Service Weapon

Purchase Act. Mr. Speaker, we have

several of our Federal law enforcement

agencies right now who are about to go

through rearming their agencies to the

tune of about 20,000 weapons. They are

going to destroy these weapons if offi-

cers are not allowed to purchase their

service weapon as it is being retired or

as the officer may retire.

This bill simply says that we are

going to take these officers that are re-

tiring, and if they want to purchase

their service weapon, they will be al-

lowed to. Currently, they are precluded

from doing that. All of these weapons

are going to be destroyed; about $8 mil-

lion worth. We are just going to de-

stroy them, and the taxpayers are

going to have to buy more.

As a 40-year law enforcement officer,

I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, your side-

arm is not just any old sidearm. There

is a special relationship that you de-

velop, and we need to allow these offi-

cers to purchase their firearms.

b 1300

Mr. M

GOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I ask

unanimous consent to include in the

ECORD

an article from MSNBC titled:

‘‘The list of Republicans open to

‘defunding’ the FBI keeps growing.’’

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there

objection to the request of the gen-

tleman from Massachusetts?

There was no objection.

[From MSNBC, Mar. 6, 2023]

IST OF

EPUBLICANS

PEN TO

‘D

EFUNDING

’

THE

FBI K

EEPS

ROWING

(By Steve Benen)

Even before the FBI executed a search war-

rant at Mar-a-Lago, the public would occa-

sionally hear some Republican officials talk

about cutting off funds to federal law en-

forcement. At an event last year, for exam-

ple, Republican Rep. Andy Biggs, the former

chair of the right-wing House Freedom Cau-

cus, talked up possible priorities if the GOP

took control of the House.

‘‘There are things you can do,’’ the Arizo-

nan said, reflecting on Congress’ power.

‘‘You start defunding some of these bad

agencies. The FBI. The DOJ.’’

After the search at Donald Trump’s glori-

fied country club, however, similar talk be-

came much louder. Republican Rep. Marjorie

Taylor Greene of Georgia, for example, be-

came a leading proponent of ‘‘defunding’’ the

FBI.

On Friday, Rep. Matt Gaetz capped off a

difficult week with an appearance at the

Conservative Political Action Conference,

where attendees heard the Florida Repub-

lican join the defunding brigade. USA Today

reported:

‘‘I don’t care if it takes every second of our

time and every ounce of our energy,’’ he

said. ‘‘We either get this government back

on our side or we defund and get rid of, abol-

ish the FBI, the CDC, ATF, DOJ, every last

one of them if they do not come to heel.’’

The CDC is the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention. The audience, made up of

far-right activists, loudly applauded Gaetz’s

condemnation, nearly drowning him out.

He did not elaborate on how, exactly, fed-

eral agencies should ‘‘come to heel,’’ or to

whose heel officials should come, but the

GOP congressman is apparently ready to

‘‘defund,’’ ‘‘get rid of’’ or ‘‘abolish’’ the de-

partments anyway.

In the not-too-distant past, Republicans

were hysterical about the idea that Demo-

crats might try to ‘‘defund the police.’’ It’s

against that backdrop that a growing num-

ber of GOP voices feel quite comfortable

talking about defunding the FBI.

It’s worth noting for context that Repub-

lican leaders recently appointed Gaetz to the

party’s ‘‘weaponization’’ panel, putting him

in a position to help target federal agencies

and determine whether or not they’re on the

GOP’s ‘‘side.’’

Rep. Jim Jordan didn’t go quite that far

during a Sunday appearance on Fox News,

but the Ohio Republican—who chairs both

the House Judiciary Committee and the se-

lect ‘‘weaponization’’ panel—did say GOP

lawmakers intend to use the

‘‘weaponization’’ panel to investigate as-

sorted partisan conspiracy theories related

to the FBI.

I continue to believe there’s a degree of

irony to these circumstances: As we’ve dis-

cussed, the FBI has earned a reputation as

one of the single most conservative institu-

tions in the federal government.

Indeed, it was just last week when The

Washington Post published a fascinating be-

hind-the-scenes report on the disagreements

within federal law enforcement ahead of the

search at Mar-a-Lago, including details

about how FBI officials wanted to give

Trump special treatment, and even pushed

the idea that the bureau should get the

former president’s permission before exe-

cuting a court-approved search warrant.

The Post’s article added that some FBI

field agents tried to ‘‘slow’’ the investiga-

tion, with some calling for the investigation

to simply end altogether in early June, tak-

ing Team Trump’s lies about cooperation at

face value.

Gaetz is desperate to get ‘‘this govern-

ment’’ back on conservatives’ ‘‘side.’’ Isn’t

much of the FBI already there?

Mr. M

GOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield

myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to say I am

concerned because, on the one hand,

my Republican colleagues say they

support the police. On the other hand,

their own Members are calling on Con-

gress to defund Federal law enforce-

ment.

They want to defund the FBI. They

want to defund ATF. They want to

defund DOJ.

I guess it just shows that Repub-

licans support only some of the police.

In fact, there is a Member on the other

side of the aisle who is selling ‘‘Defund

the FBI’’ T-shirts on her web page.

Mr. Speaker, I have asked over and

over and over again why the Repub-

lican bill was changed to exclude a

whole bunch of law enforcement offi-

cers on the Federal level, including the

Capitol Police. As those who are

watching this debate saw, every time I

wanted to yield to get an answer, there

was silence.

Nobody can explain why this hap-

pened. Nobody will help us solve this

mystery as to why they decided not to

honor a whole bunch of our brave men

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and women who protect us in so many

ways all across this country. It is baf-

fling to me that this is where we are.

I began by telling a story, and let me

end with telling a story.

Mr. Speaker, I was here on January 6.

I was in the Speaker’s chair on Janu-

ary 6. I was the last person off the

House floor. I saw everybody who was

here in this Chamber, including some

of my colleagues on the Republican

side, cowering behind Capitol Police of-

ficers because they were afraid for

their lives. It was a terrible, terrible

day.

Luckily, nobody here was injured,

none of us, none of the Members of

Congress or our staff. The Capitol Po-

lice protected us that day. I mean, we

owe them our lives.

Today, as we honor our national po-

lice, my Republican friends thought it

was appropriate to remove them from

the list of people being honored. I find

that disgraceful.

I can’t even imagine what the think-

ing was to make that kind of decision.

It is so insulting and so offensive to the

people who protected us that day and

protect us each and every day. I don’t

understand that.

I can’t get a response, but we know

what is going on here. We know that

they removed the Capitol Police and

that they removed some of these Fed-

eral law enforcement agencies because

they were afraid they were going to

lose votes on their side, that some of

their Members would not vote to honor

all of our law enforcement officials.

Let that sink in for a minute.

This should have been a day of unity.

This should have been a truly bipar-

tisan endeavor to get us legislation to

the floor that everybody could support,

that we could all say thank you to our

police. But, no, it is politicized.

They get up here and start quoting

people on defund the police, but they

don’t tell anybody that they voted to

defund the police 2 weeks ago. It is

public record. Every one of them did,

including the gentleman who was down

here screaming.

He gets on the floor all the time and

talks about the need that we have to

better protect our border, yet the peo-

ple who are charged with protecting

our border were removed from the list

of people we were honoring.

This is not right by any measure. It

is not right. I am so disappointed that

my Republican friends have decided to

politicize this.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to

vote ‘‘no’’ on the previous question so

we can protect Social Security and

Medicare, and I urge them to vote ‘‘no’’

on this rule.

This is beneath this institution. This

is not honoring our police. This is po-

liticizing our police. This is saying to

some of our police that we don’t value

their service. It is saying to the Capitol

Police that we don’t value their serv-

ice.

How dare anybody on the other side

suggest that? How dare you bring a bill

to the floor that does just that? This is

sickening.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance

of my time.

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I

yield myself the balance of my time.

I am honored to be here today to sup-

port this rule and this legislation to

make sure we honor our law enforce-

ment and that we are moving forward.

This is a completely different agenda

from the legislation that my Demo-

cratic colleagues were advancing at

this time in the 117th Congress last

year. By this time 2 years ago, Demo-

crats had already passed legislation

that would have removed qualified im-

munity for police officers acting in

good faith, voted to restrict policing

methods that keep officers safe, and

supported investigations into depart-

ments that insinuated that police offi-

cers are racists and white suprema-

cists.

Today, House Republicans are chang-

ing the narrative and standing up for

law and order and for those who en-

force it. If my Democratic colleagues

don’t think this matters, then they

clearly are still not listening to what

the law enforcement community needs.

Today, they have the opportunity to

show their support for law enforce-

ment.

The defund the police movement has

been disastrous in the areas that have

tried it, emboldening criminals. Cities

like Minneapolis and San Francisco

have seen dramatic increases in crime,

and residents and businesses alike are

fleeing in droves.

Crime is skyrocketing throughout

the country, and the lack of respect for

law enforcement in this country also

means fewer people are willing to enter

the profession. This needs to change,

and we in Congress can pass legislation

like the bills today that support our

police officers and show them their

sacrifices and services are appreciated.

It is time for leaders to stand up for

law enforcement and stop the anti-po-

lice rhetoric. I ask my colleagues on

the other side to join with us in sup-

porting and honoring law enforcement

by voting for this rule today and sup-

porting the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I support the under-

lying legislation, and I urge all Mem-

bers to do so.

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, as the long-

time co-chair of the Law Enforcement Caucus,

I am a staunch advocate for our law enforce-

ment community.

How the House is recognizing this Police

Week is a disappointment. Before us are par-

tisan messaging bills instead of measures that

support our men and women in blue.

This rule makes in order a pathetic resolu-

tion that ignores the service of federal law en-

forcement officers, including our Capitol Po-

lice.

These brave men and women protected us

when Donald Trump incited a mob of armed

insurrectionists to attack our Capitol.

The attack resulted in the death of five Cap-

itol Police and MPD officers, and the injury of

150 officers.

The resolution ignores the Republicans cur-

rently seeking to defund federal law enforce-

ment agencies, like the FBI, ATF, and Home-

land Security.

And the resolution is silent on increasing

funding for the Byrne JAG and the COPS Hir-

ing programs.

I offered 5 specific amendments to add

these crucial elements to this resolution. But

the Republicans did not make them in order.

What are they afraid of?

Armed officers can enhance public safety.

But an officer in good standing is not defined

in the Law Enforcement Officer Service Weap-

on Purchase Act.

We know an officer could be in good stand-

ing with their department but ineligible to carry

a handgun.

I offered two amendments to align this bill

with New Jersey’s interpretation of current law.

Again, neither were made in order.

Next Police Week let us take up actually

make a difference for officers and their fami-

lies. Not this partisan approach.

God bless our police and God bless Amer-

ica.

The material previously referred to

by Mr. M

OVERN

is as follows:

MENDMENT TO

H. R

. 398 O

FFERED BY

. M

OVERN OF

ASSACHUSETTS

At the end of the resolution, add the fol-

lowing:

. 4. Immediately upon adoption of this

resolution, the House shall proceed to the

consideration in the House of the resolution

(H. Res. 178) affirming the House of Rep-

resentatives’ commitment to protect and

strengthen Social Security and Medicare.

The resolution shall be considered as read.

The previous question shall be considered as

ordered on the resolution and preamble to

adoption without intervening motion or de-

mand for division of the question except one

hour of debate equally divided and controlled

by the chair and ranking minority member

of the Committee on Ways and Means or

their respective designees.

. 5. Clause l(c) of rule XIX shall not

apply to the consideration of H. Res. 178.

Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I

yield back the balance of my time, and

I move the previous question on the

resolution.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The

question is on ordering the previous

question.

The question was taken; and the

Speaker pro tempore announced that

the ayes appeared to have it.

Mr. M

GOVERN. Mr. Speaker, on

that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu-

ant to clause 8 of rule XX, further pro-

ceedings on this question are post-

poned.

RECESS

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu-

ant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the Chair

declares the House in recess subject to

the call of the Chair.

Accordingly (at 1 o’clock and 7 min-

utes p.m.), the House stood in recess.

b 1330

AFTER RECESS

The recess having expired, the House

was called to order by the Speaker pro

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSEH2370 May 16, 2023

tempore (Mr. B

OST

) at 1 o’clock and 30

minutes p.m.

PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL

DISAPPROVAL OF RULE SUB-

MITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT

OF COMMERCE RELATING TO

‘‘PROCEDURES COVERING SUS-

PENSION OF LIQUIDATION, DU-

TIES AND ESTIMATED DUTIES IN

ACCORD WITH PRESIDENTIAL

PROCLAMATION 10414’’—VETO

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

OF THE UNITED STATES (H. DOC.

NO. 118–41)

The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be-

fore the House the following veto mes-

sage from the President of the United

States:

To the House of Representatives:

I am returning herewith without my

approval H.J. Res. 39, a resolution that

would disapprove the Department of

Commerce’s rule titled ‘‘Procedures

Covering Suspension of Liquidation,

Duties and Estimated Duties in Accord

With Presidential Proclamation 10414.’’

For too long, because of unfair trade

practices and underinvestment in do-

mestic manufacturing, the United

States has been reliant on China for

solar energy products. From day one,

my Administration has bet on America

to create a strong solar supply chain.

We have worked to create good-paying

jobs and build manufacturing facilities

in the United States for solar energy

and other important global indus-

tries—and our plan is working.

Thanks to my Investing in America

agenda, 51 new and expanded solar

equipment manufacturing plants have

been announced since I took office.

Since the passage of Public Law 117–

169, commonly referred to as the Infla-

tion Reduction Act of 2022, last August,

private companies have announced

commitments to build enough solar

panel manufacturing capacity to power

nearly six million homes.

America is now on track to increase

domestic solar panel manufacturing

capacity eight-fold by the end of my

first term. But that production will not

come online overnight. The Depart-

ment of Commerce’s rule supports

American businesses and workers in

the solar industry and helps provide

sufficient, clean, and reliable elec-

tricity to American families, while

continuing to hold our trading partners

accountable.

The rule implements a temporary, 24-

month bridge to make sure that when

these new factories are operational, we

have a thriving solar installation in-

dustry ready to deploy American-made

solar products to homes, businesses,

and communities across the Nation.

Given the progress we are making on

American solar, I do not intend to ex-

tend the tariff suspension at the con-

clusion of the 2-year period in June

2024.

Passage of this resolution bets

against American innovation. It would

undermine these efforts and create

deep uncertainty for American busi-

nesses and workers in the solar indus-

try.

Therefore, I am vetoing this resolu-

tion.

OSEPH

R. B

IDEN

, Jr.

HITE

OUSE

, May 16, 2023.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The ob-

jections of the President will be spread

at large upon the Journal, and the veto

message and the joint resolution will

be printed as a House document.

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speak-

er, I ask unanimous consent that fur-

ther consideration of the veto message

and the joint resolution, H.J. Res. 39,

be postponed until the legislative day

of May 24, 2023.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there

objection to the request of the gen-

tleman from Tennessee?

There was no objection.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER

PRO TEMPORE

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pro-

ceedings will resume on questions pre-

viously postponed.

Votes will be taken in the following

order:

Ordering the previous question on

House Resolution 398; and

Adoption of House Resolution 398, if

ordered.

The first electronic vote will be con-

ducted as a 15-minute vote. Pursuant

to clause 9 of rule XX, remaining elec-

tronic votes will be conducted as 5-

minute votes.

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION

OF H.R. 2494, PROTECT OUR LAW

ENFORCEMENT WITH IMMIGRA-

TION CONTROL AND ENFORCE-

MENT ACT OF 2023; PROVIDING

FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R.

3091, FEDERAL LAW ENFORCE-

MENT OFFICER SERVICE WEAP-

ON PURCHASE ACT; AND PRO-

VIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF

H. CON. RES. 40, EXPRESSING

SUPPORT FOR LOCAL LAW EN-

FORCEMENT OFFICERS AND CON-

DEMNING EFFORTS TO DEFUND

OR DISMANTLE LOCAL LAW EN-

FORCEMENT AGENCIES

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu-

ant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfin-

ished business is the vote on ordering

the previous question on the resolution

(H. Res. 398) providing for consider-

ation of the bill (H.R. 2494) to make the

assault of a law enforcement officer a

deportable offense, and for other pur-

poses; providing for consideration of

(H.R. 3091) to allow Federal law en-

forcement officers to purchase retired

service weapons, and for other pur-

poses; and providing for consideration

of (H. Con. Res. 40) expressing support

for local law enforcement officers and

condemning efforts to defund or dis-

mantle local law enforcement agencies,

on which the yeas and nays were or-

dered.

The Clerk read the title of the resolu-

tion.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The

question is on ordering the previous

question.

The vote was taken by electronic de-

vice, and there were—yeas 220, nays

209, not voting 5, as follows:

[Roll No. 215]

YEAS—220

Aderholt

Alford

Allen

Amodei

Armstrong

Arrington

Babin

Bacon

Baird

Balderson

Banks

Barr

Bean (FL)

Bentz

Bergman

Bice

Biggs

Bilirakis

Bishop (NC)

Boebert

Bost

Brecheen

Buchanan

Buck

Bucshon

Burchett

Burgess

Burlison

Calvert

Cammack

Carey

Carl

Carter (GA)

Carter (TX)

Chavez-DeRemer

Ciscomani

Cline

Cloud

Clyde

Cole

Collins

Comer

Crane

Crawford

Crenshaw

Curtis

D’Esposito

Davidson

De La Cruz

DesJarlais

Diaz-Balart

Donalds

Duarte

Duncan

Dunn (FL)

Edwards

Ellzey

Emmer

Estes

Ezell

Fallon

Feenstra

Ferguson

Finstad

Fischbach

Fitzgerald

Fitzpatrick

Fleischmann

Flood

Foxx

Franklin, C.

Scott

Fry

Fulcher

Gaetz

Gallagher

Garbarino

Garcia, Mike

Gimenez

Gonzales, Tony

Good (VA)

Gooden (TX)

Gosar

Granger

Graves (LA)

Graves (MO)

Green (TN)

Greene (GA)

Griffith

Grothman

Guest

Guthrie

Hageman

Harris

Harshbarger

Hern

Higgins (LA)

Hill

Hinson

Houchin

Hudson

Huizenga

Hunt

Issa

Jackson (TX)

James

Johnson (LA)

Johnson (OH)

Johnson (SD)

Jordan

Joyce (OH)

Joyce (PA)

Kean (NJ)

Kelly (MS)

Kelly (PA)

Kiggans (VA)

Kiley

Kim (CA)

Kustoff

LaHood

LaLota

LaMalfa

Lamborn

Langworthy

Latta

LaTurner

Lawler

Lee (FL)

Lesko

Letlow

Loudermilk

Luetkemeyer

Luna

Luttrell

Mace

Malliotakis

Mann

Massie

Mast

McCaul

McClain

McClintock

McCormick

McHenry

Meuser

Miller (IL)

Miller (OH)

Miller (WV)

Miller-Meeks

Mills

Molinaro

Moolenaar

Mooney

Moore (AL)

Moore (UT)

Moran

Murphy

Nehls

Newhouse

Norman

Nunn (IA)

Obernolte

Ogles

Owens

Palmer

Pence

Perry

Pfluger

Posey

Reschenthaler

Rodgers (WA)

Rogers (AL)

Rogers (KY)

Rose

Rosendale

Rouzer

Roy

Rutherford

Salazar

Santos

Scalise

Schweikert

Scott, Austin

Self

Sessions

Simpson

Smith (MO)

Smith (NE)

Smith (NJ)

Smucker

Spartz

Stauber

Steel

Stefanik

Steil

Steube

Stewart

Strong

Tenney

Thompson (PA)

Tiffany

Timmons

Turner

Valadao

Van Drew

Van Duyne

Van Orden

Wagner

Walberg

Waltz

Weber (TX)

Webster (FL)

Wenstrup

Westerman

Williams (NY)

Williams (TX)

Wilson (SC)

Wittman

Womack

Yakym

Zinke

NAYS—209

Adams

Aguilar

Allred

Balint

Barraga

Beatty

Bera

Beyer

Bishop (GA)

Blumenauer

Blunt Rochester

Bonamici

Bowman

Boyle (PA)

Brown

Brownley

Budzinski

Bush

Caraveo

Carbajal

rdenas

Carson

Carter (LA)

Cartwright

Casar

Case

Casten

Castor (FL)

Castro (TX)

Cherfilus-

McCormick

Chu

Cicilline

Clark (MA)

Clarke (NY)

Cleaver

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2371 May 16, 2023

Clyburn

Cohen

Connolly

Correa

Costa

Courtney

Craig

Crockett

Crow

Cuellar

Davids (KS)

Davis (IL)

Davis (NC)

Dean (PA)

DeGette

DeLauro

DelBene

Deluzio

DeSaulnier

Dingell

Doggett

Escobar

Eshoo

Espaillat

Fletcher

Foster

Foushee

Frankel, Lois

Frost

Gallego

Garamendi

Garcı

a (IL)

Garcia (TX)

Garcia, Robert

Golden (ME)

Goldman (NY)

Gomez

Gonzalez,

Vicente

Gottheimer

Green, Al (TX)

Grijalva

Harder (CA)

Hayes

Higgins (NY)

Himes

Horsford

Houlahan

Hoyer

Hoyle (OR)

Huffman

Ivey

Jackson (IL)

Jackson (NC)

Jackson Lee

Jacobs

Jayapal

Jeffries

Johnson (GA)

Kamlager-Dove

Kaptur

Keating

Kelly (IL)

Khanna

Kildee

Kilmer

Kim (NJ)

Krishnamoorthi

Kuster

Landsman

Larsen (WA)

Larson (CT)

Lee (CA)

Lee (NV)

Lee (PA)

Leger Fernandez

Levin

Lieu

Lofgren

Lynch

Magaziner

Manning

Matsui

McBath

McClellan

McCollum

McGarvey

McGovern

Meeks

Menendez

Meng

Mfume

Moore (WI)

Morelle

Moskowitz

Moulton

Mrvan

Mullin

Nadler

Napolitano

Neal

Neguse

Nickel

Norcross

Ocasio-Cortez

Omar

Pallone

Panetta

Pappas

Pascrell

Payne

Pelosi

Perez

Peters

Pettersen

Phillips

Pingree

Pocan

Porter

Pressley

Quigley

Ramirez

Raskin

Ross

Ruiz

Ruppersberger

Ryan

Salinas

nchez

Sarbanes

Scanlon

Schakowsky

Schiff

Schneider

Scholten

Schrier

Scott (VA)

Scott, David

Sherman

Sherrill

Slotkin

Smith (WA)

Sorensen

Soto

Spanberger

Stansbury

Stanton

Stevens

Strickland

Swalwell

Sykes

Takano

Thanedar

Thompson (CA)

Thompson (MS)

Titus

Tlaib

Tokuda

Tonko

Torres (CA)

Torres (NY)

Trahan

Trone

Underwood

Vargas

Vasquez

Veasey

Vela

zquez

Wasserman

Schultz

Waters

Watson Coleman

Wexton

Wild

Williams (GA)

Wilson (FL)

NOT VOTING—5

Auchincloss

Evans

Lucas

Peltola

Sewell

b 1401

Mses. M

COLLUM and KAPTUR, and

Messrs. BERA, CARSON, COURTNEY,

CARTER of Louisiana, MAGAZINER,

and CLYBURN changed their vote from

‘‘yea’’ to ‘‘nay.’’

Mr. CARTER of Texas changed his

vote from ‘‘nay’’ to ‘‘yea.’’

So the previous question was ordered.

The result of the vote was announced

as above recorded.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The

question is on the resolution.

The question was taken; and the

Speaker pro tempore announced that

the ayes appeared to have it.

RECORDED VOTE

Mr. M

GOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I de-

mand a recorded vote.

A recorded vote was ordered.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. This is a

5-minute vote.

The vote was taken by electronic de-

vice, and there were—ayes 222, noes 203,

not voting 9, as follows:

[Roll No. 216]

AYES—222

Aderholt

Alford

Allen

Amodei

Armstrong

Arrington

Babin

Bacon

Baird

Balderson

Banks

Barr

Bentz

Bergman

Bice

Biggs

Bilirakis

Bishop (NC)

Boebert

Bost

Brecheen

Buchanan

Buck

Bucshon

Burchett

Burgess

Burlison

Calvert

Cammack

Carey

Carl

Carter (GA)

Carter (TX)

Chavez-DeRemer

Ciscomani

Cline

Cloud

Clyde

Cole

Collins

Comer

Craig

Crane

Crawford

Crenshaw

Curtis

D’Esposito

Davidson

De La Cruz

DesJarlais

Diaz-Balart

Donalds

Duarte

Duncan

Dunn (FL)

Edwards

Ellzey

Emmer

Estes

Ezell

Fallon

Feenstra

Ferguson

Finstad

Fischbach

Fitzgerald

Fitzpatrick

Fleischmann

Flood

Foxx

Franklin, C.

Scott

Fry

Fulcher

Gaetz

Gallagher

Garbarino

Garcia, Mike

Gimenez

Golden (ME)

Gonzales, Tony

Good (VA)

Gooden (TX)

Gosar

Granger

Graves (LA)

Graves (MO)

Green (TN)

Greene (GA)

Griffith

Grothman

Guest

Guthrie

Hageman

Harris

Harshbarger

Hern

Higgins (LA)

Hill

Hinson

Houchin

Hudson

Huizenga

Hunt

Issa

Jackson (TX)

James

Johnson (LA)

Johnson (OH)

Johnson (SD)

Jordan

Joyce (OH)

Joyce (PA)

Kean (NJ)

Kelly (MS)

Kelly (PA)

Kiggans (VA)

Kiley

Kim (CA)

Kustoff

LaHood

LaLota

LaMalfa

Lamborn

Langworthy

Latta

LaTurner

Lawler

Lee (FL)

Lesko

Letlow

Loudermilk

Luetkemeyer

Luna

Luttrell

Mace

Malliotakis

Mann

Massie

Mast

McCaul

McClain

McClintock

McCormick

McHenry

Meuser

Miller (IL)

Miller (OH)

Miller (WV)

Miller-Meeks

Mills

Molinaro

Moolenaar

Mooney

Moore (AL)

Moore (UT)

Moran

Murphy

Nehls

Newhouse

Norman

Nunn (IA)

Obernolte

Ogles

Owens

Palmer

Pappas

Pence

Perry

Pfluger

Posey

Reschenthaler

Rodgers (WA)

Rogers (AL)

Rogers (KY)

Rose

Rosendale

Rouzer

Roy

Rutherford

Salazar

Santos

Scalise

Schweikert

Scott, Austin

Self

Sessions

Simpson

Smith (MO)

Smith (NE)

Smith (NJ)

Smucker

Spanberger

Spartz

Stauber

Steel

Stefanik

Steil

Steube

Stewart

Tenney

Thompson (PA)

Tiffany

Timmons

Turner

Valadao

Van Drew

Van Duyne

Van Orden

Wagner

Walberg

Waltz

Weber (TX)

Webster (FL)

Wenstrup

Westerman

Williams (NY)

Williams (TX)

Wilson (SC)

Wittman

Womack

Yakym

Zinke

NOES—203

Adams

Aguilar

Allred

Balint

Barraga

Beatty

Bera

Beyer

Bishop (GA)

Blumenauer

Blunt Rochester

Bonamici

Bowman

Boyle (PA)

Brown

Brownley

Budzinski

Bush

Caraveo

Carbajal

rdenas

Carson

Carter (LA)

Cartwright

Casar

Case

Casten

Castor (FL)

Castro (TX)

Cherfilus-

McCormick

Chu

Cicilline

Clark (MA)

Clarke (NY)

Cleaver

Clyburn

Cohen

Connolly

Correa

Costa

Courtney

Crockett

Crow

Cuellar

Davids (KS)

Davis (IL)

Davis (NC)

Dean (PA)

DeGette

DeLauro

DelBene

Deluzio

DeSaulnier

Dingell

Doggett

Escobar

Eshoo

Espaillat

Fletcher

Foster

Foushee

Frankel, Lois

Frost

Gallego

Garamendi

Garcı

a (IL)

Garcia (TX)

Garcia, Robert

Goldman (NY)

Gomez

Gonzalez,

Vicente

Gottheimer

Green, Al (TX)

Grijalva

Harder (CA)

Hayes

Higgins (NY)

Himes

Horsford

Houlahan

Hoyer

Hoyle (OR)

Huffman

Ivey

Jackson (IL)

Jackson (NC)

Jackson Lee

Jacobs

Jayapal

Jeffries

Johnson (GA)

Kamlager-Dove

Kaptur

Keating

Kelly (IL)

Khanna

Kildee

Kilmer

Kim (NJ)

Krishnamoorthi

Kuster

Landsman

Larsen (WA)

Larson (CT)

Lee (CA)

Lee (NV)

Lee (PA)

Leger Fernandez

Levin

Lieu

Lofgren

Lynch

Manning

Matsui

McBath

McClellan

McCollum

McGarvey

McGovern

Meeks

Menendez

Meng

Mfume

Moore (WI)

Morelle

Moskowitz

Moulton

Mrvan

Mullin

Nadler

Napolitano

Neal

Neguse

Nickel

Norcross

Ocasio-Cortez

Omar

Pallone

Panetta

Pascrell

Payne

Pelosi

Perez

Peters

Pettersen

Phillips

Pingree

Pocan

Porter

Pressley

Quigley

Ramirez

Raskin

Ross

Ruiz

Ruppersberger

Ryan

Salinas

nchez

Sarbanes

Scanlon

Schakowsky

Schiff

Schneider

Scholten

Schrier

Scott (VA)

Scott, David

Sherman

Sherrill

Slotkin

Smith (WA)

Sorensen

Soto

Stansbury

Stanton

Stevens

Strickland

Swalwell

Sykes

Takano

Thanedar

Thompson (CA)

Thompson (MS)

Titus

Tlaib

Tokuda

Tonko

Torres (CA)

Trahan

Trone

Underwood

Vargas

Vasquez

Veasey

Vela

zquez

Wasserman

Schultz

Waters

Watson Coleman

Wexton

Wild

Williams (GA)

Wilson (FL)

NOT VOTING—9

Auchincloss

Bean (FL)

Evans

Lucas

Magaziner

Peltola

Sewell

Strong

Torres (NY)

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE

The SPEAKER pro tempore (during

the vote). There are 2 minutes remain-

ing.

b 1411

Ms. KAPTUR changed her vote from

‘‘aye’’ to ‘‘no.’’

So the resolution was agreed to.

The result of the vote was announced

as above recorded.

A motion to reconsider was laid on

the table.

MOMENT OF SILENCE RECOG-

NIZING THE VICTIMS WHO LOST

THEIR LIVES DURING THE

FARMINGTON, NEW MEXICO,

SHOOTING

(Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ asked and

was given permission to address the

House for 1 minute.)

Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Mr.

Speaker, yesterday, an 18-year-old car-

rying an assault-type weapon shattered

the peace in a quiet residential neigh-

borhood in Farmington, New Mexico.

Three beautiful souls lost their lives.

Many more were wounded and numer-

ous others traumatized.

I praise the heroes who drove to dan-

ger to stop the violence. I am ever

grateful for the coordination between

local, State, county, and Federal law

enforcement.

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I pray for the quick recovery of the

wounded and for the families of those

we lost.

I imagine a world where mothers and

fathers drop off their children at school

without fear, a world where families

can gather to worship or simply be at

peace in their neighborhood.

Sadly, that peace is shattered by gun

violence somewhere in America every

single day. Every day, we are reminded

that we don’t yet live in a peaceful

country, and yesterday was no excep-

tion.

Many of us standing and listening

and praying today are committed to

banning assault weapons, especially for

an 18-year-old. We are committed to

bringing peace to our communities.

Now, I invite all Members of the

United States House of Representatives

to join me in a moment of silence, a

moment of gratitude to our law en-

forcement, and a moment of prayer to

honor the lives of those we tragically

lost yesterday.

b 1415

NOTICE OF INTENTION TO OFFER

RESOLUTION RAISING A QUES-

TION OF THE PRIVILEGES OF

THE HOUSE

Mr. ROBERT GARCIA of California.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2(a)(1)

of rule IX, I rise to give notice of my

intent to raise a question of the privi-

leges of the House.

The form of the resolution is as fol-

lows:

House Resolution 114.

Resolved, That, pursuant to article I,

section 5, clause 2 of the Constitution

of the United States, Representative

EORGE

ANTOS

, be, and he hereby is,

expelled from the House of Representa-

tives.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under

rule IX, a resolution offered from the

floor by a Member other than the ma-

jority leader or the minority leader as

a question of the privileges of the

House has immediate precedence only

at a time designated by the Chair with-

in 2 legislative days after the resolu-

tion is properly noticed.

Pending that designation, the form of

the resolution noticed by the gen-

tleman from California will appear in

the R

ECORD

at this point.

The Chair will not at this point de-

termine whether the resolution con-

stitutes a question of privilege. That

determination will be made at the time

designated for consideration of the res-

olution.

REMOVAL OF NAME OF MEMBER

AS COSPONSOR OF H.R. 901

Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, I hereby

remove my name as cosponsor of H.R.

901.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gen-

tleman’s request is accepted.

COMMENDING JOHN A. FREEMAN

ON 50 YEARS OF SERVICE TO

TRI-TOWN VOLUNTEER FIRE

COMPANY NO. 47

(Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

asked and was given permission to ad-

dress the House for 1 minute and to re-

vise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recogni-

tion of John A. Freeman, a 50-year

member of the Tri-Town Volunteer

Fire Company in Ulysses, Pennsyl-

vania.

The Tri-Town Volunteer Fire Com-

pany No. 47 is an all-volunteer fire and

ambulance department serving Ulysses

Borough and the Potter County town-

ships of Allegheny, Bingham, Hector,

and Ulysses. Since 1972, John has vol-

unteered with Tri-Town where he

quickly established himself as an im-

portant and reliable member of the

company. As a truck captain and driv-

er, John has served as an integral part

of countless emergency responses

throughout north central Pennsyl-

vania.

As a longtime firefighter and EMS

volunteer, I understand the courage,

commitment, and determination it

takes to serve your community as a

first responder. First responders miss

many important moments with their

loved ones to answer the call whenever

and wherever it occurs. Their service is

even more critical in rural areas like

Potter County, where volunteer num-

bers are falling and placing a strain on

those who do answer the call.

For this reason, I commend John A.

Freeman for his 50 years of service to

the Tri-Town Volunteer Fire Company

and for the example he sets for volun-

teers in Potter County and the Com-

monwealth of Pennsylvania.

PATRICIA RUSSELL-M

CLOUD

SPEECH STILL CONTAINS REL-

EVANT THEMES

(Mrs. BEATTY asked and was given

permission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend her re-

marks.)

Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, 43 years

ago, the trailblazing Ohioan, a friend,

and founder of the Congressional Black

Caucus, Congressman Louis Stokes,

stood on this very floor and entered

into the R

ECORD

an extraordinary

speech.

It was a speech he had heard by a

young, accomplished, talented Black

American, a lawyer, Patricia Russell-

McCloud titled, ‘‘If Not You, Who? If

Not Now, When?’’

It was a speech with themes that are

still very much relevant today: of what

does it mean to be Black in America

and the struggle to carve out a place in

society.

I am pleased to say that Patricia

Russell-McCloud now lives in Ohio’s

Third Congressional District and is one

of my constituents, a mentor, and

friend.

I cannot recommend enough that my

colleagues refer to the C

ONGRESSIONAL

ECORD

of May 14, 1980, and seek out

her wise and inspirational words.

HONORING THE LIFE OF SUSAN

LOTT CLARK

(Mr. CARTER of Georgia asked and

was given permission to address the

House for 1 minute and to revise and

extend his remarks.)

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speak-

er, I rise today to honor the life of my

friend, Susan Lott Clark of Waycross,

Georgia.

Susan was born in May of 1925 in

Waycross, Georgia. She graduated from

Waycross High School, then went on to

Wesleyan College, Emory University,

and the University of Georgia.

She married Dr. William Clark, Jr.,

an ophthalmologist, and then settled

back down in her hometown in 1958.

Susan stayed active in the local Meth-

odist Church. She taught Sunday

school there and even coauthored a

book called ‘‘The History of First

United Methodist Church.’’

As well as her church activities,

Susan founded the Okefenokee Herit-

age Center and the Southern Forest

World Environmental Center.

In 2008, Susan went on to spearhead

the movement to add Lott Cemetery of

Waycross to the National Register of

Historic Places.

At 92, Susan went on to publish her

autobiography, ‘‘Let’s Talk About

Me,’’ which gives an illuminating look

back on her life.

She was the recipient of many

awards during her life, including the

Waycross Woman of the Year Award,

the Wesleyan College Alumnae Award

for Distinguished Achievements, and

Wise Owl Award for leadership in Geor-

gia Forestry.

My thoughts and prayers are with

the entire Clark family during this

most difficult time.

CELEBRATING 45TH ANNIVERSARY

OF CANTON’S DOMESTIC VIO-

LENCE PROJECT

(Mrs. SYKES asked and was given

permission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend her re-

marks.)

Mrs. SYKES. Mr. Speaker, I rise

today to congratulate Ohio’s 13th Dis-

trict champions of the week: The

founding mothers of the Canton Do-

mestic Violence Project, Helen Syrios,

Nancy Boylan, and the late Gertrude

Kennedy. These three courageous

women founded the Domestic Violence

Project in 1978 when domestic violence

was often met with silence, fear, and

ignorance, yet they persevered. It was

their pioneering acts of empathy,

strength, and resilience that would

change countless lives forever.

After 45 years, the Domestic Violence

Project has provided shelter to thou-

sands of battered women and children

in Stark County, becoming one of the

largest shelters in Ohio.

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2373 May 16, 2023

The Domestic Violence Project pro-

vides a lifeline to survivors, a place

where they can feel empowered, find

healing, and gain the tools necessary

to break free from the cycle of abuse.

The courageous service of Helen,

Nancy, and Gertrude regularly forced

them to risk their own safety to help

women of all backgrounds escape from

abusive homes, and their unrelenting

dedication deserves recognition.

The countless lives that have been

saved and the increased safety can be

traced back to the selflessness of

Nancy, Helen, and Gertrude, who

worked so tirelessly so that no one in

Ohio’s 13th District felt unsafe in their

own home.

We honor their legacy, and together

we will continue to build a future

where everyone feels safe, valued, and

empowered.

SUPPORTING AMERICAN POLICE

OFFICERS

(Mr. M

CORMICK asked and was

given permission to address the House

for 1 minute and to revise and extend

his remarks.)

Mr. M

CORMICK. Mr. Speaker, this

National Police Week, I rise today in

gratitude for those who protect our

homes and families, bring justice to

the evildoer, and comfort to their

countrymen in distress.

These dedicated men and women,

who put their lives on the line as they

put on their uniforms every day, often

do not receive the support that they

deserve.

From corporate media to Hollywood,

even to this Congress, American police

officers frequently receive abuse in-

stead of thanks, and blame where they

deserve applause.

However, hardworking, law-abiding

American families and citizens know

better. They know the importance of

fighting crime and protecting the inno-

cent, and they know the cost.

In 2022, 11 Georgia police officers died

in the line of duty. So far in 2023, we

have lost another.

Last week, I had the honor of pre-

senting a wreath at the National Law

Enforcement Officers Memorial here in

Washington, D.C. dedicated to those

courageous men and women, the heroic

peace officers of Georgia, and all across

America.

May their service and sacrifice never

be forgotten and may Americans al-

ways proudly back the blue. Semper

fidelis.

CELEBRATING INFRASTRUCTURE

PROJECTS IN VIRGINIA

(Mrs. M

CLELLAN asked and was

given permission to address the House

for 1 minute and to revise and extend

her remarks.)

Mrs. M

CLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I

rise today to celebrate infrastructure

week and highlight the incredible

projects made possible in Virginia by

the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs

Act.

The IIJA, or bipartisan infrastruc-

ture law, is a once-in-a-lifetime, once-

in-a-generation investment to rebuild

America’s crumbling infrastructure,

improve public safety and climate re-

silience, accelerate the deployment of

clean energy technologies, and recon-

nect historically marginalized and dis-

enfranchised communities.

Since the IIJA was passed, $4.7 bil-

lion in Federal funding is headed to the

Commonwealth of Virginia for 192 spe-

cific projects. That includes $3.8 billion

for transportation infrastructure, like

our public transit, roads, rails, ports,

airports, and bridges, like the historic

Mayo Bridge in my district in Rich-

mond; and approximately $290 million

for clean water initiatives in the Com-

monwealth.

Thanks to IIJA, more than 345,000

households across the Commonwealth

are now receiving affordable high-speed

internet.

This is just the beginning. As we con-

tinue to work to implement the provi-

sions from the bipartisan infrastruc-

ture law, Virginians can expect to see

billions more in Federal funding.

Thanks to the leadership of the

Biden-Harris administration, we aren’t

just celebrating infrastructure week,

but infrastructure decade.

b 1430

CANCER SCREENINGS SAVE LIVES

(Mr. PAYNE asked and was given

permission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend his re-

marks.)

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise

today to discuss the Colorectal Cancer

Payment Fairness Act. It is a bill that

I reintroduced today to include more

colorectal screenings. Everyone knows

that cancer screenings save lives.

My bill provides Medicare bene-

ficiaries with complete coverage for

cancer treatments performed during

routine screenings by the end of this

year.

Right now screenings are covered but

treatments are not, so patients can

wake up after the procedure with a sur-

prise medical bill upwards of $2,000.

Colorectal cancer is one of the dead-

liest cancers that we have, but it has

one of the highest survival rates, if de-

tected and treated early.

Too many Americans put off routine

cancer screenings because they feel

fine and worry about coverage. That

can be a life-threatening decision.

This issue is very personal to me. I

lost my father, the honorable and re-

spected Congressman Donald Payne,

Sr., to colorectal cancer in 2012. I don’t

want other families to lose their fa-

thers and loved ones because they did

not get screened regularly.

AMERICA SHOULD PAY ITS BILLS

(Mr. DAVIS of North Carolina asked

and was given permission to address

the House for 1 minute and to revise

and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DAVIS of North Carolina. Mr.

Speaker, America should always pay

its bills, and we must do everything

under the Sun to avoid a default. Fail-

ure to do so would trigger massive job

loss, a recession, and rising costs.

Mr. Speaker, our national debt is

over $31 trillion, and we must look at

ways while working together, Demo-

crats and Republicans, to get this

under control.

I encourage the President and con-

gressional leaders to put the American

people first. We must depoliticize debt

ceiling negotiations.

Mr. Speaker, eastern North Caro-

linians elected me to fight for higher-

paying jobs, policies that will boost our

economy, and to end high prices. A de-

fault goes against all of this, and it

would only make life harder for my

constituents.

IN SUPPORT OF SMALL

BUSINESSES

(Ms. OMAR asked and was given per-

mission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend her re-

marks.)

Ms. OMAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today

in support of small businesses and to

celebrate my friend Abdirahman

Kahin, the owner of Afro Deli in my

district who was named Small Business

Person of the Year by the Biden admin-

istration.

My district was also chosen as one of

the stops for SBA’s national tour in

honor of Small Business Week.

It was great to welcome Second Gen-

tleman Doug Emhoff and Small Busi-

ness Administrator Isabel Guzman to

discuss economic development for new

Americans and underserved commu-

nities at Adama Restaurant and Awash

Bakery in my district.

We also discussed the critical role

community development financial in-

stitutions play in helping small busi-

nesses. Also in that week we were able

to host BIPOC women small business

owners at a roundtable at Wildflyer

Coffee in Minneapolis.

The Fifth District is full of thriving

small businesses, many owned by im-

migrants and people of color, and we

will continue to support them to make

sure they have the resources they need

to thrive in the future.

RECOGNIZING NATIONAL POLICE

WEEK

(Ms. SALINAS asked and was given

permission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend her re-

marks.)

Ms. SALINAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to

recognize National Police Week.

Every day, from Tigard to Turner,

McMinnville to Monmouth, tens of

thousands of courageous Oregonians

answer the call to protect and serve.

Law enforcement officers routinely

step into harm’s way to defend commu-

nity members in crisis and to protect

the rule of law. For that, we owe them

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSEH2374 May 16, 2023

a debt of gratitude, but gratitude alone

is not enough.

As the daughter of a police officer, I

know what it is like to worry about

whether your loved one will return

home safely, and I grieve for the fami-

lies of those who don’t.

In their honor, I am committed to

supporting police officers in Oregon

and across our Nation with the re-

sources, funds, training, and care they

need. We also need to do more to sup-

port our officers once they exit the

force, from increasing mental health

services to expanding disability bene-

fits.

Those who dedicate their lives to

public safety deserve nothing less.

IT HAS TO STOP

(Mr. BOWMAN asked and was given

permission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend his re-

marks.)

Mr. BOWMAN. Mr. Speaker, last

Sunday, May 14, marked the 1-year an-

niversary of the horrific mass shooting

in Buffalo, New York.

America can only move forward if we

acknowledge what is killing us in

droves—white supremacist extremism.

Congress needs to lead and say clear-

ly to the country that white suprem-

acy is an existential threat.

Last year, a man, radicalized by the

great replacement theory, drove 2

hours to a Black neighborhood in Buf-

falo with an assault rifle and opened

fire. Ten lives were lost, and we are

still collectively mourning.

We are also mourning the lives of

those lost in other racist attacks, in-

cluding in Allen, Texas, at the hands of

a neo-Nazi extremist.

These once-fringe ideologies are now

being openly promoted by too many in

the Republican Party, which is seeking

to criminalize migrants, ban Black his-

tory curricula, take away food from

children and healthcare for all, and fan

the flames of a culture war.

It has to stop.

CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL

EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO

THE STABILIZATION OF IRAQ—

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

OF THE UNITED STATES (H. DOC.

NO. 118–42)

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. W

LIAMS

of New York) laid before the

House the following message from the

President of the United States; which

was read and, together with the accom-

panying papers, referred to the Com-

mittee on Foreign Affairs and ordered

to be printed:

To the Congress of the United States:

Section 202(d) of the National Emer-

gencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides

for the automatic termination of a na-

tional emergency unless, within 90

days prior to the anniversary date of

its declaration, the President publishes

in the Federal Register and transmits to

the Congress a notice stating that the

emergency is to continue in effect be-

yond the anniversary date. In accord-

ance with this provision, I have sent to

the Federal Register for publication the

enclosed notice stating that the na-

tional emergency with respect to the

stabilization of Iraq declared in Execu-

tive Order 13303 of May 22, 2003—as

modified in scope and relied upon for

additional steps taken in Executive

Order 13290 of March 20, 2003, Executive

Order 13315 of August 28, 2003, Execu-

tive Order 13350 of July 29, 2004, Execu-

tive Order 13364 of November 29, 2004,

Executive Order 13438 of July 17, 2007,

and Executive Order 13668 of May 27,

2014—is to continue in effect beyond

May 22, 2023.

Obstacles to the orderly reconstruc-

tion of Iraq, the restoration and main-

tenance of peace and security in the

country, and the development of polit-

ical, administrative, and economic in-

stitutions in Iraq continue to pose an

unusual and extraordinary threat to

the national security and foreign pol-

icy of the United States. Therefore, I

have determined that it is necessary to

continue the national emergency de-

clared in Executive Order 13303 with re-

spect to the stabilization of Iraq.

OSEPH

R. B

IDEN

, Jr.

HITE

OUSE

, May 16, 2023.

ADJOURNMENT

Mr. BOWMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move

that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accord-

ingly (at 2 o’clock and 40 minutes

p.m.), under its previous order, the

House adjourned until tomorrow,

Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at 10 a.m. for

morning-hour debate.

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS,

ETC.

Under clause 2 of rule XIV, executive

communications were taken from the

Speaker’s table and referred as follows:

EC–956. A letter from the Associate Admin-

istrator, Federal Grain Inspection Service,

Department of Agriculture, transmitting the

Department’s final rule — Exceptions to Ge-

ographic Boundaries [Doc. No.: AMS-FGIS-

19-0062] (RIN: 0581-AD90) received May 11,

2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public

Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the

Committee on Agriculture.

EC–957. A letter from the General Counsel,

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,

transmitting the Commission’s final rule —

Incentives for Advances Cybersecurity In-

vestment [Docket No.: RM22-19-000; Order

No.: 893] received May 4, 2023, pursuant to 5

U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec.

251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on En-

ergy and Commerce.

EC–958. A letter from the Director, Office

of Congressional Affairs, Office of Nuclear

Regulatory Research, Nuclear Regulatory

Commission, transmitting the Commission’s

issuance of regulatory guide — Environ-

mental Qualification of Certain Electric

Equipment Important to Safety for Nuclear

Power Plants [Regulatory Guide 1.89, Revi-

sion 2] received May 11, 2023, pursuant to 5

U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec.

251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on En-

ergy and Commerce.

EC–959. A letter from the Director, Office

of Acquisition Policy, Office of Government-

wide Policy, General Services Administra-

tion, transmitting the Administration’s final

rule — Federal Acquisition Regulation: Ex-

emption of Certain Contracts from the Peri-

odic Inflation Adjustments to the Acquisi-

tion-Related Thresholds [FAC 2023-03, FAR

Case 2022-002, Item II; Docket No.: FAR-2022-

0002, Sequence No.: 1] (RIN: 9000-AO39) re-

ceived May 2, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C.

801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110

Stat. 868); to the Committee on Oversight

and Accountability.

EC–960. A letter from the Director, Office

of Acquisition Policy, Office of Government-

wide Policy, General Services Administra-

tion, transmitting the Administration’s

summary presentation of final rules — Fed-

eral Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acqui-

sition Circular 2023-03; Introduction [Docket

No.: FAR-2023-0051, Sequence No.: 2] received

May 2, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A);

Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to

the Committee on Oversight and Account-

ability.

EC–961. A letter from the Director, Office

of Acquisition Policy, Office of Government-

wide Policy, General Services Administra-

tion, transmitting the Administration’s final

rule — Federal Acquisition Regulations;

Technical Amendments [FAC 2023-03; Item

III; Docket No.: FAR-2023-0052; Sequence No.:

2] received May 2, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C.

801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110

Stat. 868); to the Committee on Oversight

and Accountability.

EC–962. A letter from the Director, Office

of Acquisition Policy, Office of Government-

wide Policy, General Services Administra-

tion, transmitting the Administration’s final

rule — Federal Acquisition Regulation: Re-

moval of FAR Subpart 8.5, Acquisition of He-

lium [FAC 2023-03; FAR Case 2022-007; Item I;

Docket No.: FAR-2022-0004; Sequence No.: 1]

(RIN: 9000-AO44) received May 2, 2023, pursu-

ant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-

121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee

on Oversight and Accountability.

EC–963. A letter from the Director, Office

of Acquisition Policy, Office of Government-

wide Policy, General Services Administra-

tion, transmitting the Administration’s

small entity compliance guide — Federal Ac-

quisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition

Circular 2023-03; Small Entity Compliance

Guide [Docket No.: FAR-2023-0051, Sequence

No.: 2] received May 2, 2023, pursuant to 5

U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec.

251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on

Oversight and Accountability.

EC–964. A letter from the Director, Border

and Immigration Policy, OGC, Department

of Homeland Security, transmitting the De-

partment’s final rule — Circumvention of

Lawful Pathways [A.G. Order No.: 5660-2023]

(RIN: 1125-AB26) received May 11, 2023, pursu-

ant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-

121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee

on the Judiciary.

EC–965. A letter from the Management and

Program Analyst, FAA, Department of

Transportation, transmitting the Depart-

ment’s final rule — Airworthiness Direc-

tives; The Boeing Company Airplanes [Dock-

et No.: FAA-2022-1063; Project Identifier AD-

2021-01339-T; Amendment 39-22375; AD 2023-05-

06] (RIN: 2120-AA64) received May 9, 2023, pur-

suant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-

121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee

on Transportation and Infrastructure.

EC–966. A letter from the Management and

Program Analyst, FAA, Department of

Transportation, transmitting the Depart-

ment’s final rule — Airworthiness Direc-

tives; Airbus Canada Limited Partnership

Airplanes [Docket No.: FAA-2023-0658;

Project Identifier MCAI-2023-00315-T; Amend-

ment 39-22402; AD 2023-07-01] (RIN: 2120-AA64)

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2375 May 16, 2023

received May 9, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C.

801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110

Stat. 868); to the Committee on Transpor-

tation and Infrastructure.

EC–967. A letter from the Management and

Program Analyst, FAA, Department of

Transportation, transmitting the Depart-

ment’s final rule — Airworthiness Direc-

tives; Bombardier, Inc., Airplanes [Docket

No.: FAA-2023-0655; Project Identifier MCAI-

2022-01435-T; Amendment 39-22399; AD 2023-06-

13] (RIN: 2120-AA64) received May 9, 2023, pur-

suant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-

121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee

on Transportation and Infrastructure.

EC–968. A letter from the Management and

Program Analyst, FAA, Department of

Transportation, transmitting the Depart-

ment’s final rule — Amendment of Class D

and Class E Airspace, Key West, FL [Docket

No.: FAA-2022-1613; Airspace Docket No.: 22-

ASO-27] (RIN: 2120-AA66) received May 9,

2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public

Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the

Committee on Transportation and Infra-

structure.

EC–969. A letter from the Management and

Program Analyst, FAA, Department of

Transportation, transmitting the Depart-

ment’s final rule — Revocation of Class E

Airspace; Liberty, NC [Docket No.: FAA-

2022-1680; Airspace Docket No.: 22-ASO-30]

(RIN: 2120-AA66) received May 9, 2023, pursu-

ant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-

121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee

on Transportation and Infrastructure.

EC–970. A letter from the Management and

Program Analyst, FAA, Department of

Transportation, transmitting the Depart-

ment’s final rule — Amendment and Revoca-

tion of Air Traffic Service (ATS) Routes in

the Eastern United States [Docket No.: FAA-

2023-0061; Airspace Docket No.: 22-ASO-10]

(RIN: 2120-AA66 ) received May 9, 2023, pursu-

ant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-

121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee

on Transportation and Infrastructure.

EC–971. A letter from the Management and

Program Analyst, FAA, Department of

Transportation, transmitting the Depart-

ment’s final rule — Establishment of Class E

Airspace; Ellsworth, Augusta, and

Waterville, ME [Docket No.: FAA-2023-0099;

Airspace Docket No.: 22-ANE-12] (RIN: 2120-

AA66) received May 9, 2023, pursuant to 5

U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec.

251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on

Transportation and Infrastructure.

EC–972. A letter from the Management and

Program Analyst, FAA, Department of

Transportation, transmitting the Depart-

ment’s final rule — Amendment of Class D

and Class E Airspace; Macon, GA [Docket

No.: FAA-2022-1614; Airspace Docket No.: 22-

ASO-28] (RIN: 2120-AA66) received May 9,

2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public

Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the

Committee on Transportation and Infra-

structure.

EC–973. A letter from the Management and

Program Analyst, FAA, Department of

Transportation, transmitting the Depart-

ment’s final rule — Amendment of Class D

and Class E Airspace; Kissimmee, FL [Dock-

et No.: FAA-2023-0694; Airspace Docket No.:

23-ASO-11] (RIN: 2120-AA66) received May 9,

2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public

Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the

Committee on Transportation and Infra-

structure.

EC–974. A letter from the Management and

Program Analyst, FAA, Department of

Transportation, transmitting the Depart-

ment’s final rule — Amendment of Class D

and Class E Airspace; Rogers, Springdale,

and Bentonville, AR [Docket No.: FAA-2022-

0546; Airspace Docket No.: 22-ASW-10] (RIN:

2120-AA66) received May 9, 2023, pursuant to

5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec.

251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on

Transportation and Infrastructure.

EC–975. A letter from the Management and

Program Analyst, FAA, Department of

Transportation, transmitting the Depart-

ment’s final rule — Amendment of Class E

Airspace; Altoona, PA [Docket No.: FAA-

2023-0039; Airspace Docket No.: 23-AEA-1]

(RIN: 2120-AA66) received May 9, 2023, pursu-

ant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-

121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee

on Transportation and Infrastructure.

REPORTS OF COMMITTEES ON

PUBLIC BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS

Under clause 2 of rule XIII, reports of

committees were delivered to the Clerk

for printing and reference to the proper

calendar, as follows:

Mr. LUCAS: Committee on Science, Space,

and Technology. H.R. 1482. A bill to provide

guidance for and investment in the upgrade

and modernization of the National Oceanic

and Atmospheric Administration Weather

Radio All Hazards network, and for other

purposes (Rept. 118–60). Referred to the Com-

mittee of the Whole House on the state of

the Union.

Mr. LUCAS: Committee on Science, Space,

and Technology. H.R. 1496. A bill to upgrade

the communications service used by the Na-

tional Weather Service, and for other pur-

poses (Rept. 118–61). Referred to the Com-

mittee of the Whole House on the state of

the Union.

Mr. LUCAS: Committee on Science, Space,

and Technology. H.R. 1735. A bill to coordi-

nate Federal research and development ef-

forts focused on modernizing mathematics in

STEM education through mathematical and

statistical modeling, including data-driven

and computational thinking, problem,

project, and performance-based learning and

assessment, interdisciplinary exploration,

and career connections, and for other pur-

poses; with an amendment (Rept. 118–62). Re-

ferred to the Committee of the Whole House

on the state of the Union.

Mr. M

CAUL: Committee on Foreign Af-

fairs. H.R. 1153. A bill to provide a clarifica-

tion of non-applicability for regulation and

prohibition relating to sensitive personal

data under the International Emergency

Economic Powers Act, and for other pur-

poses (Rept. 118–63). Referred to the Com-

mittee of the Whole House on the state of

the Union.

Mr. BOST: Committee on Veterans’ Af-

fairs. H.R. 366. A bill to amend title 38,

United States Code, to treat certain individ-

uals who served in Vietnam as a member of

the armed forces of the Republic of Korea as

a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United

States for purposes of the provision of health

care by the Department of Veterans Affairs

(Rept. 118–64). Referred to the Committee of

the Whole House on the state of the Union.

PUBLIC BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS

Under clause 2 of rule XII, public

bills and resolutions of the following

titles were introduced and severally re-

ferred, as follows:

By Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky (for him-

self and Ms. S

PANBERGER

H.R. 3355. A bill to amend the Public

Health Service Act to reauthorize a loan re-

payment program for the substance use dis-

order treatment workforce, and for other

purposes; to the Committee on Energy and

Commerce, and in addition to the Committee

on Ways and Means, for a period to be subse-

quently determined by the Speaker, in each

case for consideration of such provisions as

fall within the jurisdiction of the committee

concerned.

By Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana (for him-

self and Ms. D

AVIDS

of Kansas):

H.R. 3356. A bill to amend title 49, United

States Code, with respect to employment

screening for the motor carrier industry, and

for other purposes; to the Committee on

Transportation and Infrastructure.

By Mr. STRONG (for himself, Ms.

PANBERGER

, Mrs. C

HAVEZ

-D

EMER

Mr. S

ESSIONS

, Mr. L

AWLER

, Mr. R

ERS

of Alabama, Mr. C

ARL

, Mr. N

UNN

of Iowa, Ms. S

ALAZAR

, Mr. G

UEST

, Mr.

IGGINS

of Louisiana, Mr. M

OORE

Alabama, Mr. W

ILLIAMS

of New York,

Mr. M

OOLENAAR

, Mr. M

OYLAN

, Mr.

ARAMENDI

, Mr. B

URLISON

, Mr.

ABIN

, Mr. W

ILLIAMS

of Texas, Mr.

DERHOLT

, Mr. L

ANGWORTHY

, Mr.

HOMPSON

of California, Mr.

IMENEZ

, Mr. K

EAN

of New Jersey,

and Mr. F

ITZGERALD

H.R. 3357. A bill to prohibit the purchase or

lease of agricultural land in the United

States by persons associated with certain

foreign governments, and for other purposes;

to the Committee on Agriculture, and in ad-

dition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs,

and Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a

period to be subsequently determined by the

Speaker, in each case for consideration of

such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-

tion of the committee concerned.

By Mr. ARRINGTON (for himself, Mr.

ALLON

, Mr. C

OMER

, Ms. M

ACE

, Mr.

ONALDS

, Mr. G

OSAR

, Mr. B

IGGS

, Mr.

ANKS

, Mr. J

OHNSON

of Louisiana,

Mr. A

LFORD

, and Mrs. B

ICE

H.R. 3358. A bill to prohibit any require-

ment for recipients of Federal contracts to

disclose greenhouse gas emissions and cli-

mate-related financial risk, and for other

purposes; to the Committee on Oversight and

Accountability.

By Mrs. BICE (for herself, Mrs.

IGGANS

of Virginia, and Mr.

ARBAJAL

H.R. 3359. A bill to require the Secretary of

Defense to develop a strategy to counter

fentanyl trafficking in the United States,

and for other purposes; to the Committee on

Armed Services, and in addition to the Com-

mittees on the Judiciary, and Foreign Af-

fairs, for a period to be subsequently deter-

mined by the Speaker, in each case for con-

sideration of such provisions as fall within

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

By Mr. CARBAJAL (for himself and

Mr. W

EBSTER

of Florida):

H.R. 3360. A bill to establish a Government

corporation to provide loans and loan guar-

antees for infrastructure projects, and for

other purposes; to the Committee on Trans-

portation and Infrastructure.

By Mr. CA

RDENAS:

H.R. 3361. A bill to direct the Assistant

Secretary of Commerce for Communications

and Information to submit a report on the

digital divide and to update the Indicators of

Broadband Need mapping application, and

for other purposes; to the Committee on En-

ergy and Commerce.

By Ms. CLARKE of New York:

H.R. 3362. A bill to direct the Assistant

Secretary of Commerce for Communications

and Information to publish data from the

Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment

Program, and for other purposes; to the

Committee on Energy and Commerce.

By Ms. DE LA CRUZ (for herself, Mr.

UTHERFORD

, Mr. C

OLE

, Mr.

ESCHENTHALER

, Mr. M

AST

, Mr.

ORAN

, Mr. B

UCHANAN

, Mrs. K

IGGANS

of Virginia, Mr. C

RENSHAW

, Mr. N

MAN

, Ms. S

ALAZAR

, Mr. E

ZELL

, Mr.

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSEH2376 May 16, 2023

MITH

of New Jersey, Mr. N

EWHOUSE

Mr. D

ONALDS

, Mrs. L

UNA

, Mr.

AWLER

, Mr. D’E

SPOSITO

, Mr.

ANGWORTHY

, Mr. M

OLINARO

, Mr.

EBER

of Texas, and Mr. B

ABIN

H.R. 3363. A bill to amend title 38, United

States Code, to direct the Secretary of Vet-

erans Affairs to submit a report annually to

Congress on the average time to provide a

veteran with a service dog or a guide dog,

and for other purposes; to the Committee on

Veterans’ Affairs.

By Ms. D

LAURO (for herself, Ms.

NCHEZ

, Mrs. G

ONZA

LEZ

-C

OLO

, Ms.

CHRIER

, and Mr. F

ITZPATRICK

H.R. 3364. A bill to amend the Child Nutri-

tion Act of 1966 to increase the age of eligi-

bility for children to receive benefits under

the special supplemental nutrition program

for women, infants, and children, and for

other purposes; to the Committee on Edu-

cation and the Workforce.

By Mr. DUARTE (for himself, Mr.

ALFA

, and Mr. M

ANN

H.R. 3365. A bill to direct the Secretary of

Transportation to give priority consider-

ation for certain Department of Transpor-

tation grant programs to eligible projects

that improve or build resiliency in the sup-

ply chain, and for other purposes; to the

Committee on Transportation and Infra-

structure.

By Mrs. FLETCHER:

H.R. 3366. A bill to amend the Middle Class

Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 to re-

authorize the First Responder Network Au-

thority; to the Committee on Energy and

Commerce.

By Mr. GAETZ (for himself and Mr.

OSKOWITZ

H.R. 3367. A bill to amend title 38, United

States Code, to provide for the continuing

operation of national cemeteries during peri-

ods of certain funding restrictions, and for

other purposes; to the Committee on Vet-

erans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Com-

mittees on Oversight and Accountability,

and Appropriations, for a period to be subse-

quently determined by the Speaker, in each

case for consideration of such provisions as

fall within the jurisdiction of the committee

concerned.

By Mr. GOLDEN of Maine (for himself

and Ms. P

INGREE

H.R. 3368. A bill to require the Secretary of

Veterans Affairs to publish a rule to imple-

ment the requirement that the Secretary be

permitted to waive the limitation in law on

reimbursement of veterans receiving domi-

ciliary care in State homes; to the Com-

mittee on Veterans’ Affairs.

By Mr. HARDER of California (for him-

self and Ms. K

ELLY

of Illinois):

H.R. 3369. A bill to direct the Assistant

Secretary of Commerce for Communications

and Information to conduct a study and hold

public meetings with respect to artificial in-

telligence systems, and for other purposes;

to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

By Mr. HIMES:

H.R. 3370. A bill to prohibit funds available

for the United States Armed Forces to be ob-

ligated or expended for introduction of

United States Armed Forces into hostilities,

and for other purposes; to the Committee on

Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Com-

mittees on Armed Services, and Rules, for a

period to be subsequently determined by the

Speaker, in each case for consideration of

such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-

tion of the committee concerned.

By Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota:

H.R. 3371. A bill to direct the Secretary of

the Interior to complete all actions nec-

essary for certain land to be held in re-

stricted fee status by the Oglala Sioux Tribe

and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, and for

other purposes; to the Committee on Natural

Resources.

By Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota (for

himself and Mr. C

OSTA

H.R. 3372. A bill to amend title 23, United

States Code, to establish a safety data col-

lection program for certain 6-axle vehicles,

and for other purposes; to the Committee on

Transportation and Infrastructure.

By Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia (for her-

self, Mr. W

ITTMAN

, Mr. P

ANETTA

, Mr.

COTT

of Virginia, Ms. T

OKUDA

, Mrs.

LELLAN

, Mr. F

ITZPATRICK

, and

Mr. J

OYCE

of Ohio):

H.R. 3373. A bill to direct the Secretary of

the Navy to take certain actions relating to

improved mental health care, and for other

purposes; to the Committee on Armed Serv-

ices.

By Ms. KUSTER (for herself, Mr. B

MAN

, Ms. S

EWELL

, Ms. R

OSS

, Mr. G

JALVA

, Ms. V

ELA

ZQUEZ

, Ms. T

OKUDA

Mr. L

ANDSMAN

, Mr. T

ONKO

, Ms.

ENE

, Ms. W

ASSERMAN

CHULTZ

Ms. S

NCHEZ

, Mr. S

OTO

, Mrs. W

ATSON

OLEMAN

, Mr. G

OTTHEIMER

, Ms.

ONAMICI

, Mr. T

RONE

, Ms. C

LARKE

New York, Ms. T

ITUS

, Ms. B

ROWN

, Ms.

ARAVEO

, Ms. M

OORE

of Wisconsin,

Mr. N

ADLER

, Mr. D

AULNIER

, Ms.

AYAPAL

, Mr. M

ULLIN

, and Mrs.

AYES

H.R. 3374. A bill to direct the Secretary of

Health and Human Services to carry out a

grant program for early childhood STEAM

activities; to the Committee on Education

and the Workforce.

By Ms. KUSTER (for herself, Ms.

LUNT

OCHESTER

, Mr. B

ACON

, Mr.

ONKO

, Mr. T

RONE

, Mr. P

ANETTA

Mrs. T

RAHAN

, Mr. A

LLRED

, Ms. C

RAIG

Ms. P

ETTERSEN

, Ms. B

ARRAGA

, and

Mr. N

ORCROSS

H.R. 3375. A bill to establish programs to

address addiction and overdoses caused by il-

licit fentanyl and other opioids, and for

other purposes; to the Committee on Energy

and Commerce, and in addition to the Com-

mittee on the Judiciary, for a period to be

subsequently determined by the Speaker, in

each case for consideration of such provi-

sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the

committee concerned.

By Mr. LANDSMAN (for himself, Mr.

ILLER

of Ohio, Mrs. S

YKES

, and Mr.

AREY

H.R. 3376. A bill to amend the Omnibus

Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to

authorize law enforcement agencies to use

COPS grants to recruit and retain law en-

forcement officers; to the Committee on the

Judiciary.

By Ms. LEE of Nevada:

H.R. 3377. A bill to discourage speculative

oil and gas leasing and to promote enhanced

multiple use management of public land and

National Forest System land, and for other

purposes; to the Committee on Natural Re-

sources.

By Mr. LUCAS:

H.R. 3378. A bill to amend the Defense Pro-

duction Act of 1950 to include the Secretary

of Agriculture as a member of the Com-

mittee on Foreign Investment in the United

States, and for other purposes; to the Com-

mittee on Financial Services, and in addi-

tion to the Committees on Energy and Com-

merce, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be

subsequently determined by the Speaker, in

each case for consideration of such provi-

sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the

committee concerned.

By Ms. MATSUI (for herself and Mr.

OHNSON

of Ohio):

H.R. 3379. A bill to amend title XVIII of the

Social Security Act to improve access to

skilled nursing facilities for primary im-

munodeficiency patients; to the Committee

on Ways and Means, and in addition to the

Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a

period to be subsequently determined by the

Speaker, in each case for consideration of

such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-

tion of the committee concerned.

By Mr. MOULTON (for himself, Mr.

ITZPATRICK

, Mrs. D

INGELL

, and Mr.

ORELLE

H.R. 3380. A bill to amend the Public

Health Service Act to expand and improve

health care services by health centers and

the National Health Service Corps for indi-

viduals with a developmental disability, and

for other purposes; to the Committee on En-

ergy and Commerce.

By Mr. NEHLS (for himself, Mr. P

NETTA

, Mr. H

UNT

, Mr. P

APPAS

, Mr.

ZELL

, Ms. S

NCHEZ

, Mr. T

IFFANY

Mr. D

ELUZIO

, Mr. S

TAUBER

, Ms.

ROWNLEY

, Mr. F

ERGUSON

, Mr. K

DEE

, Mrs. B

OEBERT

, Ms. C

RAIG

, Mr.

ITZPATRICK

, Mr. D

AVIS

of North

Carolina, Mr. L

ALFA

, Mr.

OOLENAAR

, Mr. B

ACON

, Mr. C

ARTER

of Texas, Mr. G

OODEN

of Texas, Mr.

TEWART

, Mr. C

ARL

, Mr. B

OST

, Mr.

ANKS

, Mr. A

LFORD

, Ms. S

ALINAS

, Mr.

REW

, and Mr. R

ESCHENTHALER

H.R. 3381. A bill to authorize the Attorney

General to establish the National Law En-

forcement Officers Remembrance, Support

and Community Outreach program, and for

other purposes; to the Committee on the Ju-

diciary.

By Mr. PAYNE (for himself, Mr.

ITZPATRICK

, Mr. C

ASTEN

, Mr.

ORELLE

, Ms. S

CANLON

, Ms. S

TRICK

LAND

, Mr. C

ARBAJAL

, Ms. W

ILLIAMS

Georgia, Mr. D

AVID

COTT

of Georgia,

Mr. V

REW

, Mr. G

RIJALVA

, Ms.

ORTER

, Mr. C

OHEN

, Mr. J

OHNSON

Georgia, Mr. P

OCAN

, Mr. T

RONE

, Mr.

VANS

, Mr. B

OYLE

of Pennsylvania,

Mr. K

ILMER

, Ms. W

ILSON

of Florida,

Mr. M

ULLIN

, Mr. K

EATING

, Mrs. W

SON

OLEMAN

, and Mr. T

AKANO

H.R. 3382. A bill to amend title XVIII of the

Social Security Act to eliminate the coin-

surance requirement for certain colorectal

cancer screening tests furnished under the

Medicare program; to the Committee on En-

ergy and Commerce, and in addition to the

Committee on Ways and Means, for a period

to be subsequently determined by the Speak-

er, in each case for consideration of such pro-

visions as fall within the jurisdiction of the

committee concerned.

By Mr. PHILLIPS (for himself, Mr.

OORE

of Utah, Ms. H

OULAHAN

, Mr.

OHNSON

of South Dakota, Ms.

OKUDA

, Mr. F

ITZPATRICK

, Mr. P

OCAN

and Mr. M

EUSER

H.R. 3383. A bill to amend the Small Busi-

ness Investment Act of 1958 to establish an

employee equity investment facility, and for

other purposes; to the Committee on Small

Business.

By Mr. PHILLIPS (for himself, Mr.

REEN

of Tennessee, Ms. T

ITUS

, Ms.

ALAZAR

, Ms. S

NCHEZ

, Ms. N

ORTON

and Mr. C

ASTRO

of Texas):

H.R. 3384. A bill to amend title 49, United

States Code, to permit the use of Federal

funds to pay for travel costs of Federal per-

sonnel and their pets, and for other purposes;

to the Committee on Transportation and In-

frastructure.

By Ms. PLASKETT:

H.R. 3385. A bill to direct the Assistant

Secretary of Commerce for Communications

and Information to submit to Congress a re-

port containing an assessment of the value,

cost, and feasibility of developing a trans-

Atlantic submarine fiber optic cable con-

necting the contiguous United States, the

United States Virgin Islands, Ghana, and Ni-

geria, and for other purposes; to the Com-

mittee on Energy and Commerce.

By Ms. PORTER (for herself, Ms. S

ALA

ZAR

, and Mr. S

WALWELL

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2377 May 16, 2023

H.R. 3386. A bill to amend the Bottles and

Breastfeeding Equipment Screening Act to

require hygienic handling of breast milk and

baby formula by security screening per-

sonnel of the Transportation Security Ad-

ministration and personnel of private secu-

rity companies providing security screening,

and for other purposes; to the Committee on

Homeland Security.

By Ms. PORTER (for herself, Mrs.

INSON

, Mr. N

ADLER

, Mrs. G

ONZA

LEZ

OLO

, Ms. B

ARRAGA

, and Mr.

ITZPATRICK

H.R. 3387. A bill to amend the Public

Health Service Act, the Employee Retire-

ment Income Security Act of 1974, and the

Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for

certain health coverage of newborns; to the

Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in

addition to the Committees on Education

and the Workforce, and Ways and Means, for

a period to be subsequently determined by

the Speaker, in each case for consideration

of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-

tion of the committee concerned.

By Mr. SCHNEIDER (for himself and

Mr. B

ILIRAKIS

H.R. 3388. A bill to amend title XVIII of the

Social Security Act to permit a private

cause of action for damages in the case of a

group health plan which fails to provide for

primary payment or appropriate reimburse-

ment; to the Committee on Ways and Means,

and in addition to the Committee on Energy

and Commerce, for a period to be subse-

quently determined by the Speaker, in each

case for consideration of such provisions as

fall within the jurisdiction of the committee

concerned.

By Mr. VALADAO (for himself, Mr.

OSTA

, Mr. A

MODEI

, Mr. I

SSA

, Mr.

EWHOUSE

, Mr. C

URTIS

, and Mr. L

BORN

H.R. 3389. A bill to require the Secretary of

Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the

Forest Service, and the Secretary of the In-

terior to conduct an evaluation with respect

to the use of the container aerial firefighting

system (CAFFS), and for other purposes; to

the Committee on Natural Resources, and in

addition to the Committee on Agriculture,

for a period to be subsequently determined

by the Speaker, in each case for consider-

ation of such provisions as fall within the ju-

risdiction of the committee concerned.

By Ms. VELA

ZQUEZ (for herself, Mr.

ORRES

of New York, Mr. G

RIJALVA

and Ms. O

CASIO

-C

ORTEZ

H.R. 3390. A bill to require a study relating

to the consolidation of certain grant pro-

grams currently available to insular areas

and the suitability of such consolidation for

Puerto Rico, and for other purposes; to the

Committee on Natural Resources.

By Ms. WEXTON (for herself, Mr. C

OLE

Mr. B

ILIRAKIS

, Mrs. D

INGELL

, Ms.

TANSBURY

, Mr. C

ONNOLLY

, Mr. K

MER

, Ms. C

, Mr. T

ONKO

, Ms. C

ASTOR

of Florida, Ms. W

ILLIAMS

of Georgia,

Ms. S

TRICKLAND

, Ms. W

ILD

, Mr.

ONALDS

, Mr. Q

UIGLEY

, Ms. T

LAIB

Ms. P

INGREE

, Mr. K

of New Jersey,

Mr. B

ACON

, Mr. P

OSEY

, Mr. M

AUL

Mr. B

OST

, Mr. R

UTHERFORD

, and Mrs.

LELLAN

H.R. 3391. A bill to extend the Gabriella

Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Pro-

gram at the National Institutes of Health,

and for other purposes; to the Committee on

Energy and Commerce.

By Ms. GREENE of Georgia:

H. Res. 405. A resolution impeaching Mat-

thew M. Graves, United States Attorney for

the District of Columbia, for endangering,

compromising, and undermining the justice

system of the United States by facilitating

the explosion of violent crime in the Na-

tion’s capital; to the Committee on the Judi-

ciary.

By Ms. GREENE of Georgia:

H. Res. 406. A resolution impeaching Chris-

topher Asher Wray, Director of the Federal

Bureau of Investigation, for facilitating the

development of a Federal police force to in-

timidate, harass, and entrap American citi-

zens that are deemed enemies of the Biden

regime; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

By Ms. BONAMICI (for herself, Mr.

OCAN

, Mr. T

AKANO

, Ms. L

of Cali-

fornia, Ms. N

ORTON

, Mr. D

AVIS

of Illi-

nois, Mr. G

RIJALVA

, Ms. W

ILLIAMS

Georgia, Ms. S

NCHEZ

, Mr. Q

UIGLEY

Ms. J

ACOBS

, Mr. T

ONKO

, Mr. T

ORRES

of New York, Mr. S

OTO

, Ms. S

CHA

KOWSKY

, Ms. D

AVIDS

of Kansas, Ms.

ASSERMAN

CHULTZ

, Ms. L

Pennsylvania, and Mr. B

LUMENAUER

H. Res. 407. A resolution supporting the

goals and ideals of National Honor Our

LGBT Elders Day; to the Committee on For-

eign Affairs, and in addition to the Com-

mittee on Energy and Commerce, for a pe-

riod to be subsequently determined by the

Speaker, in each case for consideration of

such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-

tion of the committee concerned.

By Mr. MORELLE (for himself and Mr.

AST

H. Res. 408. A resolution expressing support

for designation of May 16, 2023, as the ‘‘Na-

tional Day of Light’’; to the Committee on

Science, Space, and Technology.

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY AND

SINGLE SUBJECT STATEMENTS

Pursuant to clause 7(c)(1) of rule XII

and Section 3(c) of H. Res. 5 the fol-

lowing statements are submitted re-

garding (1) the specific powers granted

to Congress in the Constitution to

enact the accompanying bill or joint

resolution and (2) the single subject of

the bill or joint resolution.

By Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky:

H.R. 3355.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to Article 1, Section 8,

Clauses 1 and 18 of the United States Con-

stitution.

The single subject of this legislation is:

Reauthorize the Substance Use Disorder

Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment

Program.

By Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana:

H.R. 3356.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3 of the U.S.

Constitution

The single subject of this legislation is:

The bill would expand access to FMCSA’s

voluntary safety screening program.

By Mr. STRONG:

H.R. 3357.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 of the United

States Constitution

The single subject of this legislation is:

To prohibit the purchase or lease of agri-

cultural land in the United States by persons

associated with certain foreign governments,

and to address gaps in the Agriculture For-

eign Investment Disclosure Act, and for

other purposes.

By Mr. ARRINGTON:

H.R. 3858.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article 1, Section 8, Clause 18

The single subject of this legislation is:

Government oversight

By Mrs. BICE:

H.R. 3359.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article I, Section 8, Clauses 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,

15, 16, and 18.

The single subject of this legislation is:

Oversight of the Department of Defense’s

counter-narcotics mission.

By Mr. CARBAJAL:

H.R. 3360.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article 1, Section 8

The single subject of this legislation is:

Infrastructure

By Mr. CA

RDENAS:

H.R. 3361.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitu-

tion.

The single subject of this legislation is:

To direct the Assistant Secretary of Com-

merce for Communications and Information

to submit a report on the digital divide and

to update the Indicators of Broadband Need

mapping application.

By Ms. CLARKE of New York:

H.R. 3362.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article 1, Section 8

The single subject of this legislation is:

Telecom

By Ms. D

CRUZ:

H.R. 3363.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article 1, Section 8

The single subject of this legislation is:

This bill requires the Department of Vet-

erans Affairs to report on the average time it

took to provide a veteran with a service dog

By Ms. D

LAURO:

H.R. 3364.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article I, Section 8, clause 3 provides Con-

gress with the power to ‘‘regulate commerce

with foreign nations, and among the several

states, and with the Indian tribes.’’

The single subject of this legislation is:

Bipartisan legislation helping to expand

WIC by closing the nutrition gap among chil-

dren.

By Mr. DUARTE:

H.R. 3365.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3 of the U.S.

Constitution

The single subject of this legislation is:

The single subject of this legislation is

supply chain.

By Mrs. FLETCHER:

H.R. 3366.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article I, Section 8

The single subject of this legislation is:

Emergency telecommunications

By Mr. GAETZ:

H.R. 3367.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article 1, section 8, clauses 1 & 18

The single subject of this legislation is:

Ensures that national cemeteries remain

open to the public if the debt ceiling is

breached or there is a lapse in discretionary

appropriations

By Mr. GOLDEN of Maine:

H.R. 3368.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

This bill is enacted pursuant to the power

granted to Congress under Article I, Section

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSEH2378 May 16, 2023

8, Clause 18 of the United States Constitu-

tion.

The single subject of this legislation is:

To require the Secretary of Veterans Af-

fairs to publish a rule to implement the re-

quirement that the Secretary be permitted

to waive the limitation in law on reimburse-

ment of veterans receiving domiciliary care

in State homes.

By Mr. HARDER of California:

H.R. 3369.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Section 1, Article 8 of the Constitution

The single subject of this legislation is:

To require NTIA to gather stakeholder

feedback on AI accountability measures and

issue a report to Congress on how to protect

consumers.

By Mr. HIMES:

H.R. 3370.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

‘‘US. Const. art. I § 8’’ U.S. Const. art. I, § 8

The single subject of this legislation is:

To prohibit funds available for the United

States Armed Forces to be obligated or ex-

pended for introduction of United States

Armed Forces into hostilities, and for other

purposes.

By Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota:

H.R. 3371.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitu-

tion

The single subject of this legislation is:

to direct the Secretary of the Interior to

complete all actions necessary for certain

land to be held in restricted fee status by the

Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River

Sioux Tribe.

By Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota:

H.R. 3372.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 of the U.S.

Constitution.

The single subject of this legislation is:

This bill establishes a safety data collec-

tion pilot program for increasing gross vehi-

cle weight limits for participating states.

By Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia:

H.R. 3373.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article I, Section 8

The single subject of this legislation is:

This legislation only pertains to: mental

health resources at both the Department of

Defense and the Department of the Navy.

By Ms. KUSTER:

H.R. 3374.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitu-

tion, Congress has the power ‘‘to make all

Laws which shall be necessary and proper for

carrying into Execution the foregoing Pow-

ers, and all other Powers vested by this Con-

stitution in the Government of the United

States, or any Department or Officer there-

of.’’

The single subject of this legislation is:

Early Childhood Education

By Ms. KUSTER:

H.R. 3375.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 of the United

States Constitution, the Taxing and Spend-

ing Clause: ‘‘The Congress shall have Power

To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts

and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for

the common Defense and general Welfare of

the United States . . .’’

The single subject of this legislation is:

This bill expands access to substance use

disorder treatment and increases resources

to track and respond to synthetic drugs.

By Mr. LANDSMAN:

H.R. 3376.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article I section 8

The single subject of this legislation is:

The Enhancing COPS Hiring Program

Grants for Local Law Enforcement Act

would allow COPS Hiring Program grants to

be used for recruitment and retention bo-

nuses, as well as simplifying the grant appli-

cation process.

By Ms. LEE of Nevada:

H.R. 3377.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 provides Con-

gress with the power to ‘‘lay and collect

Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises’’ in order

to ‘‘provide for the . . . general Welfare of

the United States.’’

The single subject of this legislation is:

To promote enhanced multiple use man-

agement of public land and National Forest

System land by discouraging speculative oil

and gas leasing.

By Mr. LUCAS:

H.R. 3378.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3

The single subject of this legislation is:

This bill would add the Ag Secretary to

CFIUS.

By Ms. MATSUI:

H.R. 3379.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

section 8 of article I of the Constitution

The single subject of this legislation is:

health care

By Mr. MOULTON:

H.R. 3380.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article 1 section 8 of the US Constitution.

The single subject of this legislation is:

This bill would designate people with I/DD

as a Medically Underserved Population

(MUP), opening access to much needed pri-

mary care and specialist services,

incentivizing new research, and authorizing

more favorable reimbursement rates for pro-

viders who treat this population.

By Mr. NEHLS:

H.R. 3381.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article I, Section 8 of the United States

Constitution.

The single subject of this legislation is:

The bill establishes a formal DOJ program

to support the community outreach, public

education, and officer safety and wellness

programs of the National Law Enforcement

Officers Memorial Fund, including programs

to honor law enforcement, compile data on

officer fatalities and injuries, increase public

understanding and support for law enforce-

ment, enhance officer safety and wellness,

and programs to bring law enforcement clos-

er to the communities they serve.

By Mr. PAYNE:

H.R. 3382.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Pursuant to Article I, Section 8

The single subject of this legislation is:

health care.

By Mr. PHILLIPS:

H.R. 3383.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Art. I, § 8, cl. 3 of the Constitution of the

United States.

The single subject of this legislation is:

This bill amends the Small Business In-

vestment Act of 1958 to establish an em-

ployee equity investment facility within the

Small Business Administration’s Small Busi-

ness Investment Company program.

By Mr. PHILLIPS:

H.R. 3384.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Under Article I, Section 8, Clause 18, Con-

gress has the power to make all Laws which

shall be necessary and proper for carrying

into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all

other Powers vested by this Constitution in

the Government of the United States, or in

any Department or Officer thereof.

The single subject of this legislation is:

This bill amends the Fly America Act to

allow federal personnel to permanently

change station via foreign-flagged air car-

riers when the federal personnel are deploy-

ing with a pet and no U.S.-flagged carriers

are willing to transport that pet.

By Ms. PLASKETT:

H.R. 3385.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution.

The single subject of this legislation is:

To direct the Assistant Secretary of Com-

merce for Communications and Information

to submit to Congress a report containing an

assessment of the value, cost, and feasibility

of developing a trans-Atlantic submarine

fiber optic cable connecting the contiguous

United States, the United States Virgin Is-

lands, Ghana, and Nigeria, and for other pur-

poses.

By Ms. PORTER:

H.R. 3386.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitu-

tion

The single subject of this legislation is:

To amend the Bottles and Breastfeeding

Equipment Screening Act to require hygien-

ic handling of breast milk and baby formula

by security screening personnel of the Trans-

portation Security Administration and per-

sonnel of private security companies pro-

viding security screening, and for other pur-

poses.

By Ms. PORTER:

H.R. 3387.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitu-

tion

The single subject of this legislation is:

To amend the Public Health Service Act,

the Employee Retirement Income Security

Act of 1974, and the Internal Revenue Code of

1986 to provide for certain health coverage of

newborns.

By Mr. SCHNEIDER:

H.R. 3388.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article 1, Section 8

The single subject of this legislation is:

health care

By Mr. VALADAO:

H.R. 3389.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article 4 Section 3 Clause 2

The single subject of this legislation is:

For Evaluation of Emergency Wildfire

Fighting Technology Adoption

By Ms. VELA

ZQUEZ:

H.R. 3390.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2

The Congress shall have Power to dispose

of and make all needful Rules and Regula-

tions respecting the Territory or other Prop-

erty belonging to the United States; . . .

The single subject of this legislation is:

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2379 May 16, 2023

Administration of U.S. Territories

By Ms. WEXTON:

H.R. 3391.

Congress has the power to enact this legis-

lation pursuant to the following:

Article 1, Section 8

The single subject of this legislation is:

A bill to reauthorize the Gabriella Miller

Kids First Pediatric Research Program.

ADDITIONAL SPONSORS

Under clause 7 of rule XII, sponsors

were added to public bills and resolu-

tions, as follows:

H.R. 79: Mr. G

OSAR

H.R. 239: Mr. B

EYER

H.R. 243: Mr. H

UFFMAN

H.R. 344: Ms. D

RUZ

and Mr. O

GLES

H.R. 354: Mr. F

ALLON

H.R. 394: Ms. M

ACE

H.R. 408: Mr. K

EATING

H.R. 592: Mr. S

ELF

H.R. 608: Mr. B

ALDERSON

H.R. 621: Mr. A

LLEN

, Ms. P

ETTERSEN

, and

Mr. V

ASQUEZ

H.R. 630: Mr. G

ARCI

of Illinois and Mr.

ILMER

H.R. 660: Ms. P

LASKETT

and Mrs. S

YKES

H.R. 663: Ms. S

TANSBURY

H.R. 715: Mrs. S

YKES

H.R. 766: Mr. B

UCSHON

H.R. 782: Ms. D

AVIDS

of Kansas.

H.R. 795: Ms. C

RAIG

and Ms. C

ARAVEO

H.R. 800: Ms. D

AVIDS

of Kansas, Ms. P

EREZ

and Mr. M

ULLIN

H.R. 977: Mr. P

FLUGER

and Mrs. B

ICE

H.R. 987: Ms. C

ROCKETT

, Mr. D

AVIS

of North

Carolina, Mr. H

IGGINS

of New York, Mrs.

INSON

, Mr. L

ALFA

, Mr. M

LINTOCK

, Mr.

YAN

, and Mr. V

RDEN

H.R. 1096: Mr. S

TEIL

, Mr. M

ORELLE

, Mr.

HOMPSON

of California, Mr. S

ELF

, Mr. J

OHN

SON

of Louisiana, Mr. C

ONNOLLY

, Mr. B

ILI

RAKIS

, and Mr. F

LEISCHMANN

H.R. 1105: Mrs. S

PARTZ

H.R. 1147: Mr. L

ANGWORTHY

H.R. 1176: Mr. I

SSA

, Mr. S

MITH

of New Jer-

sey, Mr. S

HERMAN

, Mr. C

ICILLINE

, and Mr.

AWLER

H.R. 1250: Mr. T

HOMPSON

of Pennsylvania.

H.R. 1351: Mr. S

OTO

, Ms. S

NCHEZ

, Mr.

COTT

of Virginia, Ms. P

ELOSI

, Ms. T

LAIB

Ms. J

ACKSON

, and Ms. T

OKUDA

H.R. 1396: Ms. B

ARRAGA

H.R. 1499: Mr. F

ROST

and Mrs. D

INGELL

H.R. 1501: Mr. C

UELLAR

H.R. 1505: Mr. G

AETZ

, Mr. G

REEN

of Ten-

nessee, Mr. D

UNN

of Florida, and Mr.

ESCHENTHALER

H.R. 1563: Mr. O

GLES

H.R. 1572: Mr. M

OSKOWITZ

and Ms. L

California.

H.R. 1613: Mr. C

ARL

and Mr. D

UNN

of Flor-

ida.

H.R. 1633: Ms. D

EAN

of Pennsylvania.

H.R. 1649: Ms. C

ARAVEO

H.R. 1685: Mr. D

AULNIER

H.R. 1691: Mr. P

APPAS

H.R. 1705: Mr. S

CHIFF

and Mr. B

LUMENAUER

H.R. 1707: Mr. M

OVERN

H.R. 1742: Ms. C

ARAVEO

H.R. 1750: Mr. D

UNN

of Florida.

H.R. 1770: Ms. T

OKUDA

and Mrs. F

LETCHER

H.R. 1777: Ms. T

OKUDA

H.R. 1782: Mr. D

IAZ

-B

ALART

H.R. 1794: Mr. P

ANETTA

, Mr. K

HANNA

, Mr.

ARDER

of California, Mr. B

ERA

, and Ms.

SHOO

H.R. 1818: Mr. L

OTA

, Mr. J

OHNSON

Ohio, and Mr. B

OST

H.R. 2394: Mrs. C

HAVEZ

-D

EMER

H.R. 2656: Mr. S

TEUBE

H.R. 2663: Mr. I

VEY

, Mrs. M

ATH

, Ms.

OORE

of Wisconsin, Mr. G

ARAMENDI

, Mr.

MITH

of New Jersey, and Mr. S

MITH

of Wash-

ington.

H.R. 2732: Mr. M

AUL

and Mrs. B

ICE

H.R. 2801: Mr. T

ONKO

H.R. 2810: Mr. C

ARSON

, Ms. W

ILLIAMS

Georgia, and Ms. G

ARCIA

of Texas.

H.R. 2868: Mr. T

HOMPSON

of Pennsylvania

and Mr. D

UNN

of Florida.

H.R. 2873: Mr. Z

INKE

and Ms. D

RUZ

H.R. 2874: Mr. C

ARTER

of Louisiana, Mr.

AULNIER

, and Ms. B

ROWNLEY

H.R. 2876: Mr. R

UTHERFORD

H.R. 2892: Mrs. M

ILLER

-M

EEKS

H.R. 2911: Mr. G

OTTHEIMER

H.R. 2943: Mr. D

AVID

COTT

of Georgia.

H.R. 3002: Mr. G

OLDEN

of Maine.

H.R. 3005: Mr. V

REW

H.R. 3034: Mr. K

ELLY

of Pennsylvania.

H.R. 3038: Ms. L

of California and Mr.

AYNE

H.R. 3059: Mr. M

OSKOWITZ

and Ms. P

EREZ

H.R. 3092: Ms. L

OFGREN

H.R. 3202: Mr. L

AWLER

and Mr. S

HERMAN

H.R. 3206: Ms. D

RUZ

H.R. 3212: Mr. B

URLISON

, Mr. L

ALFA

, and

Mr. P

ERRY

H.R. 3249: Mr. K

RISHNAMOORTHI

H.R. 3251: Mrs. W

ATSON

OLEMAN

H.R. 3256: Mr. P

ALMER

H.R. 3264: Mr. P

OCAN

and Mr. G

OTTHEIMER

H.R. 3303: Mr. A

GUILAR

, Mr. A

LLRED

, Ms.

ARRAGA

, Mrs. B

EATTY

, Mr. B

ISHOP

of Geor-

gia, Mr. B

LUMENAUER

, Ms. B

LUNT

OCHESTER

Ms. B

UDZINSKI

, Ms. B

USH

, Ms. C

ARAVEO

, Mr.

ARBAJAL

, Mr. C

ARSON

, Mr. C

ARTER

of Lou-

isiana, Mrs. C

HERFILUS

-M

ORMICK

, Ms.

LARKE

of New York, Mr. C

OHEN

, Mr.

LEAVER

, Ms. C

RAIG

, Ms. C

ROCKETT

, Mr.

AVIS

of Illinois, Ms. D

EAN

of Pennsylvania,

Ms. E

SCOBAR

, Mr. E

SPAILLAT

, Mr. E

VANS

Mrs. F

OUSHEE

, Mr. G

ARAMENDI

, Ms. G

ARCIA

Texas, Mr. G

ARCI

of Illinois, Mr. G

REEN

Texas, Mr. H

ORSFORD

, Mr. H

UFFMAN

, Mr.

VEY

, Mr. J

ACKSON

of Illinois, Ms. J

ACKSON

, Ms. J

ACOBS

, Ms. J

AYAPAL

, Mr. J

OHNSON

of Georgia, Ms. K

AMLAGER

-D

OVE

, Mr.

RISHNAMOORTHI

, Ms. K

USTER

, Ms. L

California, Mr. L

IEU

, Ms. L

OFGREN

, Mrs.

ATH

, Mrs. M

LELLAN

, Ms. M

OLLUM

Mr. M

OVERN

, Mr. M

EEKS

, Ms. M

ENG

, Mr.

FUME

, Mr. M

ORELLE

, Ms. M

OORE

of Wis-

consin, Mr. M

OULTON

, Mr. M

RVAN

, Mr.

ULLIN

, Mrs. N

APOLITANO

, Mr. N

EGUSE

, Ms.

CASIO

-C

ORTEZ

, Mr. P

APPAS

, Mr. P

AYNE

, Mr.

HILLIPS

, Ms. P

ORTER

, Ms. P

RESSLEY

, Mr.

UPPERSBERGER

, Ms. S

ALINAS

, Ms. S

CANLON

Mr. S

CHIFF

, Mr. S

CHNEIDER

, Ms. S

CHOLTEN

Mr. D

AVID

COTT

of Georgia, Ms. S

EWELL

Mr. S

MITH

of Washington, Mr. S

OTO

, Ms.

PANBERGER

, Ms. S

TANSBURY

, Ms. S

TRICK

LAND

, Mrs. S

YKES

, Mr. T

AKANO

, Ms. T

LAIB

Ms. T

OKUDA

, Mr. T

ONKO

, Mrs. T

ORRES

of Cali-

fornia, Mrs. T

RAHAN

, Mr. T

RONE

, Mr.

ARGAS

, Mr. V

EASEY

, Ms. V

ELA

ZQUEZ

, Ms.

ASSERMAN

CHULTZ

, Mrs. W

ATSON

OLEMAN

Ms. W

EXTON

, Ms. W

ILLIAMS

of Georgia, Mr.

ASCRELL

, Ms. D

ENE

, and Mr. L

YNCH

H. Con. Res. 37: Ms. J

ACKSON

and Mr.

HOMPSON

of California.

H. Res. 82: Mr. B

ILIRAKIS

H. Res. 100: Mr. C

AREY

H. Res. 272: Mr. C

ICILLINE

, Mr. L

AWLER

, and

Mr. S

CHNEIDER

H. Res. 288: Mr. P

APPAS

and Mr. C

OSTA

H. Res. 289: Mr. K

of New Jersey and Mrs.

ATH

H. Res. 317: Ms. T

OKUDA

H. Res. 390: Ms. K

AMLAGER

-D

OVE

and Mrs.

ATSON

OLEMAN

H. Res. 403: Mr. R

ASKIN

and Mr. J

OHNSON

Georgia.

DELETION OF SPONSORS FROM

PUBLIC BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS

Under clause 7 of rule XII, sponsors

were deleted from public bills and reso-

lutions, as follows:

H.R. 901: Mr. D

OGGETT

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Congressional Record

United States

of America

PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE

118

CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION

∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.

S1655

Vol. 169 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, MAY 16, 2023 No. 82

Senate

The Senate met at 10 a.m., and was

called to order by the President pro

tempore (Mrs. M

URRAY

PRAYER

The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of-

fered the following prayer:

Let us pray. Almighty God, You

know all about us. You are our Lord.

Our goodness is nothing apart from

You. Give us Your Holy Spirit to purge

us of every wrong thing so that our

lives will glorify You.

Today, guide the steps of our law-

makers. Deliver them from those who

shoot from the shadows as You rule the

nations with Your justice. Lord, exam-

ine every heart, both the evil and the

good. Empower our Senators to run

when they can, to walk when ought,

and to wait when they must. Open

their minds to discern Your will and

inspire them with the willingness to

follow where You lead.

We pray in Your matchless Name.

Amen.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

The President pro tempore led the

Pledge of Allegiance, as follows:

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the

United States of America, and to the Repub-

lic for which it stands, one nation under God,

indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under

the previous order, the leadership time

is reserved.

RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY

LEADER

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The

majority leader is recognized.

MEASURE PLACED ON THE

CALENDAR—H.R. 2

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President,

before I get into my remarks, just a lit-

tle housekeeping. I understand there is

a bill at the desk due for a second read-

ing.

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The

clerk will read the bill by title for the

second time.

The senior assistant legislative clerk

read as follows:

A bill (H.R. 2) to secure the borders of the

United States, and for other purposes.

Mr. SCHUMER. In order to place the

bill on the calendar under the provi-

sions of rule XIV, I would object to fur-

ther proceedings.

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objec-

tion having been heard, the bill will be

placed on the calendar.

UNANIMOUS CONSENT

AGREEMENT—H.J. RES. 42

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I

ask unanimous consent that the Com-

mittee on Homeland Security and Gov-

ernmental Affairs be discharged from

further consideration of H.J. Res. 42

and the Senate proceed to its consider-

ation, as provided for under the pre-

vious order.

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. With-

out objection, it is so ordered.

CONCLUSION OF MORNING

BUSINESS

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Morn-

ing business is closed.

LEGISLATIVE SESSION

DISAPPROVING THE ACTION OF

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

COUNCIL IN APPROVING THE

COMPREHENSIVE POLICING AND

JUSTICE REFORM AMENDMENT

ACT OF 2022

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under

the previous order, the Senate will pro-

ceed to the consideration of H.J. Res.

42.

The clerk will report the bill by title.

The senior assistant legislative clerk

read as follows:

A joint resolution (H.J. Res. 42) dis-

approving the action of the District of Co-

lumbia Council in approving the Comprehen-

sive Policing and Justice Reform Amend-

ment Act of 2022.

Thereupon, the committee was dis-

charged, and the Senate proceeded to

consider the joint resolution.

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The

majority leader.

DEBT CEILING

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President,

yesterday afternoon, Treasury Sec-

retary Yellen released a letter updat-

ing congressional leadership about

their latest forecast regarding default.

The Treasury’s projection remains un-

changed: The Federal Government is in

danger of failing to pay its bills as soon

as June 1.

Since last week’s White House meet-

ing, Democratic staff have in good

faith held conversations with our Re-

publican counterparts about the Na-

tion’s fiscal future.

The talks are separate but simulta-

neous to our responsibility to avoid de-

fault. Democrats will not use the

threat of default to get what we want.

Nobody should use default as a hos-

tage. Nobody should say: ‘‘Unless you

do this, then we default’’ because the

consequences of default will be dev-

astating for ordinary Americans.

We talked through the weekend; we

talked yesterday; and both sides—the

staffs, that is—are talking today as

well. And later this afternoon, I will

join President Biden, House Leader

EFFRIES

, Speaker M

ARTHY

, and

Leader M

ONNELL

at the White House.

Democrats welcome a debate about

this year’s budget. For decades, both

parties have regularly worked out their

differences about spending and reve-

nues throughout the appropriations

process. That is what is happening

right now while we separately but si-

multaneously work to avoid default.

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And, again, let me just repeat this

because it is so important as we get

closer to June 1. Nobody—nobody—

should use default as a hostage. No-

body should say: ‘‘Unless you do this,

then we default’’ because the con-

sequences will be devastating for

America.

Default would almost certainly cre-

ate another recession, kill more than 8

million jobs, send costs soaring on ev-

erything from mortgages, car pay-

ments, student loans, small business

loans, and so much more. If you want

to own a home one day, default would

take that dream and run it through the

shredder. If you want to protect your

401(k), default would rob you of your

livelihood. If you want to grow your

small business or borrow student loans

or if you benefit from Social Security

or Medicare, a default would be a

nightmare scenario.

We all know these things are fast ap-

proaching the closer we get to June 1.

Congress cannot—under any cir-

cumstances—fail its obligation to pro-

tect the full faith and credit of the

United States. It is one of our highest

obligations.

NOMINATIONS

Madam President, now on nomina-

tions and Senate business, last night

we filed cloture on three more out-

standing judicial nominees: two dis-

trict court judges and a circuit court

judge. Even as Senate Democrats pro-

ceed on our agenda to help working and

middle-class families avoid default, we

will not relent on filling the vacancies

on our Federal judiciary with qualified,

mainstream, and diverse judges.

Yesterday, we took a big step for-

ward toward strengthening the bench

with the historic confirmation of Brad-

ley Garcia, the first Latino ever to

serve on the DC Circuit, the second

most important court in the land. And

the three judges we filed cloture on

last night continue that effort. They

are highly qualified and diverse can-

didates, both demographically and pro-

fessionally. They will strengthen our

Federal judiciary and help the bench

better reflect the diversity and dyna-

mism of our country.

Senate Democrats are going to keep

working this week to advance these

nominees, and I hope both sides can

work together to move the process

along quickly and in a bipartisan way.

Today, the Senate is also busy off the

floor. As we speak, the Senate Banking

Committee is holding a very important

hearing, hearing testimony from the

former CEO and chairman of Silicon

Valley Bank and Signature Bank, to

examine the failures that led to their

collapses. I want to thank Chairman

ROWN

and all the Members of the com-

mittee for holding this important hear-

ing because we need to get to the bot-

tom of what went wrong with SVB and

Signature Bank.

The American people must have con-

fidence that Congress can work across

the aisle to hold bad actors in banking

accountable, and that is why it is es-

sential we hear directly from the CEOs

of these failed institutions.

I hope today’s hearing brings us one

step closer to bipartisan action on

commonsense banking oversight legis-

lation that Americans rightfully de-

mand.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.

ARNOCK

). The clerk will call the roll.

The senior assistant legislative clerk

proceeded to call the roll.

Mr. M

CONNELL. Mr. President, I

ask unanimous consent that the order

for the quorum call be rescinded.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER

The Republican leader is recognized.

DEBT CEILING

Mr. M

CONNELL. Later today, I will

attend a second discussion between

President Biden and Speaker M

THY

on the Nation’s debt limit.

The Speaker presented his case to

the President back in February. House

Republicans passed legislation to raise

the debt ceiling in April, but as of mid-

May, the President of the United

States has found just two—two—more

occasions to sit down and discuss an

agreement to preserve the Nation’s full

faith and credit.

The Biden administration took 3

months to reach a conclusion that just

about everyone else recognized from

the beginning. I said it myself back in

February: that the only way forward is

spending negotiations between the

President and the Speaker. That is how

the American people arranged the cur-

rent situation, and, by the way, that is

how 7 of the last 10—7 of the last 10—

debt limit increases have been se-

cured—bipartisan negotiations.

That is how a Republican President

and Democratic Speaker avoided crisis

4 years ago. I remember telling Presi-

dent Trump he needed to do something

he was not anxious to do, which was to

talk to Speaker P

ELOSI

, because the

American people had given us divided

government. That is how a Democratic

President and a Republican Speaker

will avoid this crisis as well.

Speaker M

ARTHY

is right. The Sen-

ate Democrat majority hasn’t passed a

bill to raise the debt ceiling. The House

Republican majority has.

So that is where the solution to this

looming crisis will be found.

Last fall, the American people sent a

divided government to Washington.

They chose to require that President

Biden work with House Republicans on

the most consequential issues. Now,

the President has to make a choice of

his own: Pretend the last election

didn’t happen or sit down with the

Speaker and deal responsibly with our

Nation’s debt.

Time is of the essence—of the es-

sence. So, for the second time, I will be

glad to sit in at the White House to

support Speaker M

ARTHY

and to urge

President Biden to start operating in

reality.

BORDER SECURITY

Now, Mr. President, on an entirely

different matter, it has been 5 days

since the Biden administration ended

title 42 emergency border enforcement

authorities—5 days. By all accounts,

the situation at our southern border is

absolutely catastrophic—absolutely

catastrophic—for the brave men and

women of Customs and Border Protec-

tion and for countless communities

across Texas, New Mexico, and Ari-

zona.

As title 42 expired on Thursday, offi-

cials in Del Rio, TX—listen to this—re-

ported a 1-day increase in border appre-

hensions of 75 percent—1 day. In El

Paso, one area of downtown is rapidly

being overrun by tents and garbage—

tents and garbage. One Border Patrol

officer reports that every CBP enforce-

ment sector along the southern border

is now near 150 percent capacity—150

percent capacity. Sadly, what the

country is witnessing right now is a

slow-moving car crash.

Republicans have spent years urging

President Biden and his party to get

serious about securing our southern

border. And the American people have

known for quite some time that Demo-

crats’ approach helped create this hu-

manitarian and security crisis. On

President Biden’s watch, just last fis-

cal year, Customs and Border Protec-

tion recorded an all-time high for mi-

grant apprehensions: 2.7 million in 1

year. By the Agency’s own estimates,

another 1.2 million ‘‘got-aways’’ have

successfully snuck across the southern

border since the President took office.

The Biden administration made no

effort to hide how little it cares about

cleaning up the mess. Remember, for

months on end, the White House Press

Secretary assiduously avoided calling

the situation at the southern border

what it obviously was—a crisis.

Vice President H

ARRIS

, the adminis-

tration’s official ‘‘border czar,’’ has

been to the border just once in 2

⁄

years.

When Congress asked the head of the

Department of Homeland Security to

account for the chaos unfolding on his

watch, Secretary Mayorkas character-

ized functionally open borders as ‘‘exe-

cuting on the plan.’’

Apparently, Republicans are the only

ones interested in getting the southern

border crisis under control.

Later this week, the Senate will vote

on a resolution from Senator M

SHALL

to remove a major pillar of the

Biden administration’s open-borders

approach. Our colleague’s measure

takes aim at a rule the administration

implemented late last year to severely

limit what immigration officials are

allowed to consider when determining

whether a potential immigrant is like-

ly to become a ‘‘public charge’’ and

rely on taxpayer-funded services.

In other words, facing record flows of

illegal migration, President Biden’s re-

sponse was to greet people at the bor-

der with food stamps and housing

vouchers—welcome to America. Sadly,

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that is exactly what some of the would-

be immigrants arriving at the border

have come to expect from Washington

Democrats.

One Venezuelan man who made it to

El Paso said he was told: ‘‘They will

feed you, clothe you, help you with

your studies, and get a job.’’ That is

what this migrant from Venezuela was

told.

It is alarming that Washington

Democrats must be forced to be good

stewards of taxpayer dollars. The Biden

administration should not need to be

dragged, kicking and screaming, to do

right by the hard-working citizens of

this country.

So I am grateful to the junior Sen-

ator from Kansas for calling the Sen-

ate’s attention once again to the Biden

administration’s shameless failure at

the southern border, and I will urge

each of my colleagues to join me in

supporting the resolution later this

week.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The

clerk will call the roll.

The senior assistant legislative clerk

proceeded to call the roll.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask

unanimous consent that the order for

the quorum call be rescinded.

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.

ELLY

). Without objection, it is so or-

dered.

DEBT CEILING

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, talks on

the debt ceiling continue, and the Re-

publican and Democratic leaders of the

House and Senate are meeting with

President Biden again today. I hope

that is a positive sign because, if the

President’s Treasury Secretary is cor-

rect, we could be 2 weeks away from

the United States beginning to default

on its debts, something that would

have very serious consequences for our

economy and for our Nation’s financial

standing.

If we are going to get a debt limit in-

crease, the President is going to have

to negotiate with Speaker M

ARTHY

and House Republicans—really nego-

tiate, Mr. President—which means that

President Biden is going to have to ac-

cept some real spending reforms be-

cause, otherwise, a debt limit increase

is not going to make it through the

House of Representatives. Those are

the just the facts.

Democrats, of course, have been

kicking and screaming at the idea of

spending reforms. You can witness

their frantic campaign to portray the

responsible reforms in the House Re-

publicans’ bill as extreme. Apparently,

suggesting that we should return to

2022 discretionary spending levels for

2024 is an extreme position, despite the

fact that we were clearly doing just

fine at those levels mere months ago.

The Senate Democratic leader came

down to the floor last Thursday and

suggested the Republicans were at-

tempting to pair a debt ceiling increase

with ‘‘unrelated partisan priorities’’—

‘‘unrelated partisan priorities.’’ Well,

let that just sink in for a minute be-

cause, according to the Senate Demo-

cratic leader, spending reform is a par-

tisan priority that has nothing to do

with increasing our Nation’s credit

card limit. If a discussion over increas-

ing our Nation’s credit card limit isn’t

a good time to have a discussion about

spending, I don’t know what is. And if

spending reform is just a Republican

priority, then there is something seri-

ously wrong with the Democratic

Party because, with a national debt

like ours, spending reform should be a

priority for everyone.

Our national debt currently stands at

more than $31 trillion—$31 trillion. Our

debt has already exceeded the size of

our economy. Within a few short years,

we are going to be spending more just

meeting the interest on our Nation’s

debt than we will on national defense.

How do Democrats not realize that a

national debt of that size has serious

consequences? By 2044, we will be

spending more on interest than on

Medicare. By 2050, we will be spending

more on interest than Social Security.

That is barely going to leave enough

money for the government to meet its

most basic obligations, much less in-

vest in all the new or expanded govern-

ment programs Democrats would like

to implement.

Yet Democrats are apparently con-

tent to simply ignore this reality. It is

like they think that we are going to

find a pot of gold at the end of the rain-

bow to rescue us once we have spent

the Federal Government into the

ground. But there is no magic pot of

gold.

And before Democrats suggest it, let

me just say that taxing the rich will

not provide enough money to dig us

out of the hole that we are in. We have

to find a way to rein in Federal spend-

ing; otherwise, the size of our national

debt is going to crush our economy and

seriously limit the Federal Govern-

ment’s ability to meet even its most

basic responsibilities, like funding So-

cial Security and national defense.

Democrats would like Americans to

believe that the ‘‘clean’’ debt limit bill

they are calling for is the standard

when it comes to raising our Nation’s

credit card limit; but, in fact, that is

very far from being the case, as the

Democratic leader should know from

his own experience in using the debt

limit as leverage in negotiations.

As Democrats should be well aware, 7

of the last 10 debt limit increases have

included some mix of policy or budg-

etary changes rather than just a clean

increase, and, historically, spending re-

form has frequently gone hand in hand

with debt ceiling legislation. Indeed,

one expert recently noted in testimony

before the Senate Budget Committee

that ‘‘of the eight largest deficit-reduc-

tion laws since 1985, all eight were at-

tached to debt limit bills.’’

Let me repeat that. And this is from

an expert who recently provided testi-

mony before the Senate Budget Com-

mittee. This was his quote.

Of the eight largest deficit-reduction laws

since 1985, all eight were attached to debt

limit bills.

Now, Mr. President, I am getting a

little tired of hearing Democrats dance

around the facts or suggest that if Re-

publicans just agree to the ‘‘clean’’

debt ceiling increase that Democrats

want, Democrats would be ready to

talk about spending once we move on

to the budget.

Does anybody really seriously believe

that if Democrats won’t consider

spending reforms now that, somehow,

they will develop a serious enthusiasm

for reining in spending once we get to

the budget? Somehow it doesn’t seem

likely.

Democrats and the President have

spent a lot of energy over the past cou-

ple of weeks tearing down Republican

proposals. If they had spent half that

time coming up with spending reforms

of their own, we might already have a

debt ceiling agreement.

And I hope that the meeting at the

White House later today is a sign that

the President is actually getting seri-

ous about negotiating because, if he

isn’t, he will have only himself to

blame if our Nation defaults on its ob-

ligations. Democrats have already

spent us into an inflation crisis. Let’s

hope that they don’t push us into a de-

fault crisis as well.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The

clerk will call the roll.

The legislative clerk proceeded to

call the roll.

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask

unanimous consent that the order for

the quorum call be rescinded.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

BRETT BLANTON INVESTIGATION

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I

hope everybody in this body knows

that congressional oversight is a very

important responsibility of all of us,

and it is even a constitutional demand.

We must ensure that our government

truly does work for, of, and by the peo-

ple. When fraud, waste, and abuse is

discovered, Congress has the responsi-

bility to the American people to make

it public because transparency brings

accountability.

Today, we have an example of wrong-

doing to discuss. It involves the former

Architect of the Capitol’s blatant mis-

use of government property. According

to the Architect of the Capitol inspec-

tor general, during Brett Blanton’s

time as Architect, he engaged in un-

necessary, very expensive, and imper-

missible conduct. For example, the re-

port found unauthorized vehicle use;

misrepresentation as a law enforce-

ment officer; ethics violations; and,

lastly, appropriations violations. Spe-

cifically, the inspector general found

that Blanton should have driven ap-

proximately 10,438 miles using govern-

ment vehicles. Instead, the inspector

general said that Blanton racked up

29,291 miles. That is almost 20,000 extra

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miles of unauthorized benefit on the

taxpayers’ dime.

The inspector general’s October 6,

2022, report expressly noted that

Blanton’s actions ‘‘have violated every

pillar the [Office of the Inspector Gen-

eral] operates under including theft,

fraud, waste and abuse against not

only the [Architect of the Capitol] but

also the taxpayer.’’

In total, the inspector general identi-

fied $13,926 of inappropriate costs asso-

ciated with Blanton’s use of govern-

ment vehicles. On February 22 of this

year, I sent a letter to Mr. Blanton

asking him when he would repay the

money he impermissibly cost the tax-

payers. As of today—now several

months later—he has failed to respond

to my inquiry and my staff’s attempts

to contact him. He has also made no ef-

fort to repay the money that he owes

the American people. His actions show

no respect for the taxpayer.

But that isn’t the last word on this

sad story. On the same day that I sent

a letter to Mr. Blanton, I also sent a

letter to Acting Architect of the Cap-

itol Chere Rexroat. I asked her whether

she intended to seek repayment from

Mr. Blanton. She and her team have

worked to recover these payments, and

as of April 21, the money Mr. Blanton

owed the taxpayers was repaid in full:

$12,517 has been withheld from Mr.

Blanton’s final annual leave payment

and has been returned to the Treasury.

The remaining $1,409 was contributed

by an insurance company.

When dealing with trillions of dollars

in government spending, a dozen or so

thousand can seem like a very insig-

nificant amount. However, this amount

would be important to a family strug-

gling to make ends meet in a time of

record inflation and price hikes. And

the amount is important to me because

it is about time that we see civil serv-

ants holding someone accountable for

wrongdoing.

So, obviously, before giving up the

floor today, I want to emphasize that

congressional oversight doesn’t deal

out victories every day. When wrong-

doing is exposed and corrected, it

should be noted.

So let’s give all due credit to the Act-

ing Architect of the Capitol and also to

her team for the recoupment of this

taxpayer money. It may be a small

amount of money, but it is the right

action to take. And we ought to com-

pliment it. And I compliment the Act-

ing Architect today.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The

clerk will call the roll. The legislative

clerk proceeded to call the roll.

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask

unanimous consent that the order for

the quorum call be rescinded.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

NATIONAL POLICE WEEK

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, it is

graduation season in America—a time

when many of us in this Senate head

back home, gather with students and

families to celebrate amazing accom-

plishments.

This past Saturday I had the honor of

joining students at Loyola University

of Chicago Stritch School of Medicine

for their commencement ceremony. It

was an inspiring and hopeful celebra-

tion.

These graduates—doctors—I met this

last weekend are heroes in the making.

As future practitioners and medical re-

searchers, they will dedicate their lives

to healing our communities and fami-

lies. And we couldn’t be prouder of

their accomplishments.

Let me also note two things. First,

Loyola University Stritch School of

Medicine was the first school of medi-

cine in the United States to allow stu-

dents with DACA status to apply for

admission. They didn’t set any quotas.

But they said to these young people

who have received recognition by our

government that they can stay legally

in the United States. Though they were

not born here, they have received rec-

ognition by our government and been

held back from many of their ambi-

tions.

So when Loyola University of Chi-

cago opened their doors for applica-

tions from those DACA students, young

people—remarkable young people—

from all over the United States ap-

plied. So far, 32 graduated before last

Saturday and another 6 this past Sat-

urday. Think of that: 38 DACA students

who finally got a chance to go to med-

ical school proved themselves worthy,

did great, and now headed for their

residencies and beyond.

They will become an important part

of America’s future. And I am so proud

of Loyola University of Chicago for its

leadership in doing that. I encourage

all other schools to offer the same op-

portunities for these extraordinary

DACA students to have a chance to

continue to be part of America.

The second person I want to mention

is a hero that is of a special nature.

She was tragically missing from

Loyola’s campus this past weekend.

Her name is Areanah Preston.

On Sunday, Chicago Police Officer

Preston was set to receive her Master

of Jurisprudence from Loyola’s School

of Law. But just days before her grad-

uation ceremony, she was shot and

killed outside of her home, right as she

was returning home from a late shift

on patrol.

Officer Preston was one of the best of

Chicago. At only 24 years of age, she

had served with the Chicago Police De-

partment for 3 years. And during her

time on the force, she worked to build

trust between law enforcement and the

communities that she served.

Officer Preston was inspired to be-

come a police officer after taking a trip

to Europe as part of her undergraduate

criminology studies. Her class visited

former concentration camps in Ger-

many and Poland, the sites of some of

the worst atrocities in human history.

The stories of the Holocaust com-

pelled Areanah Preston to the change

she wanted to see in the world. She

wanted to be part of it. In her words:

When I got back [home], I wanted to be an

officer. I felt like I could be a person to fight

for justice.

And during her time on the force,

that is exactly what she did.

On Saturday—the day before Moth-

er’s Day—Officer Preston’s mother

Dionne and her other family members

walked on stage at Loyola University’s

ceremony to accept her diploma.

I want to extend my deepest condo-

lences to each and every one of them.

Officer Preston and her family should

be together today, celebrating her

amazing accomplishments and her cou-

rageous service to our city. Instead,

they are mourning her loss. She is yet

another victim of America’s epidemic

of gun violence.

Officer Preston’s loss is especially

poignant this week as we mark the be-

ginning of Police Week. It is a time

when law enforcement officers across

the country travel here to Washington

to meet with lawmakers and honor

their peers who lost their lives in the

line of duty.

The murder of Officer Preston in Chi-

cago—as well as hundreds of other po-

lice officers who have died by gunfire

in recent years—is a sobering reminder

that no American is immune to the

scourge of gun violence in this country.

It was just 1 year ago this weekend

when a White supremacist marched

into a grocery store in Buffalo, NY,

with an AR–15 assault-style rifle and

opened fire, killing 10 Black Ameri-

cans.

The first victim in that shooting was

a man named Aaron Salter. At the

time of the shooting, Mr. Salter—a

former police officer—was working as a

security guard at the grocery store.

When the gunman showed up, Mr.

Salter did not hesitate to leap into ac-

tion. He opened fire on the gunman.

There was only so much he could do.

You see, Mr. Salter was armed with a

handgun. The assailant had an AR–15-

style rifle and was wearing a tactical

vest.

In this case, Mr. Salter was a good

guy with a gun, but the bad guy had a

bigger gun. Mr. Salter was forced into

a position that no police officer, no se-

curity guard, should ever find them-

selves in—being outgunned by a violent

criminal. But this happens with alarm-

ing frequency. And it is because law-

makers have failed to do enough to

stop guns from falling into the wrong

hands.

If we truly want to honor the sac-

rifices of heroes like Mr. Salter and of-

ficer Preston, we need to do more than

offer our prayers and condolences. We

need to take action.

At this point, I want to salute you,

Mr. President, because you and your

wife and family have worked so hard to

make this issue an important part of

our agenda in America.

In the years since the mass shooting

in Buffalo, we have seen more than 650

mass shootings across America. A mass

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shooting takes place when four people

are either killed or wounded in one in-

cident. During that period, more than

40,000 of our fellow citizens have died

from gunfire, which is now the No. 1

killer of our Nation’s children. The No.

1 killer of children under the age of 18

in America is gun violence. That is a

fact.

Time and again, we hear lawmakers

argue in Washington and other places

that guns really aren’t the problem,

often claiming the real problem is

mental illness. Well, here is the truth.

Every nation on Earth struggles with

mental illness, but America is the only

advanced nation that sees more mass

shootings than there are days in a

year. I want to deal with mental illness

honestly, but to say that is the prob-

lem alone is to ignore the obvious.

Last year, the Senate Judiciary Com-

mittee, which I chair, held a hearing on

the crisis of gun violence in America.

One of the witnesses we heard was

former Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Wil-

liams.

During that hearing, Chief Williams

told the committee that our Nation’s

gun laws are failing members of law en-

forcement like her. Here is what she

said:

We are outgunned. We’re outmanned. We’re

out-staffed.

We do need responsible gun legislation . . .

there should be a ban on assault weapons and

high-capacity magazines in order for us to

properly serve and protect our

communit[ies].

Chief Williams was right. Smart gun

safety laws work. We even have recent

proof of it.

Last year, this Senate finally passed

the bipartisan Safer Communities

Act—the most important gun safety

law in nearly 30 years. Thanks to that

law, the Justice Department is able to

perform enhanced background checks

on buyers under the age of 21.

According to the Department of Jus-

tice, these enhanced background

checks have already prevented more

than 160 firearms from falling into po-

tentially dangerous hands.

But that is not enough. We need to do

more. Without more robust legisla-

tion—like reining in assault weapons—

we are not going to make the progress

we need in protecting the lives of our

families and communities.

Friday afternoon, I had a visit in my

Chicago office from four people. One

was a mom and three were pediatri-

cians from the Highland Park area

north of Chicago. We remember High-

land Park because of the last Fourth of

July parade where a shooter got on the

roof of a building and, in a matter of 60

seconds, fired off 83 rounds into an in-

nocent crowd. And 7 people died, over

50 were injured. One 8-year-old boy was

paralyzed for life.

They came to talk to me about the

AR–15 assault weapon crisis that we

face in America. What they said to me

I cannot repeat on the floor of the Sen-

ate because they went into graphic,

painful detail of what an AR–15 weapon

does to the human body and particu-

larly what it does to children. Those

small bodies, those compact little bod-

ies, hit by an AR–15 round, are forever

damaged, and some of them are in an

impossible situation when it comes to

medical care.

They talked about the fact that—and

we hear this so often—at the scene of

these mass shootings, particularly in

schools, they collect DNA evidence

from the parents to identify what is

left of the body of the children after

the assault weapons had been fired into

the bodies.

That is just a horrible thing, un-

imaginable thing, when it comes to

imagining your own children or grand-

children and what might happen to

them.

This mother came as part of this

group, which is known as March

Fourth, broke down in tears and told

me that every single day now since

Highland Park a year ago, she worries

about sending her kids to school: Will

this be the day that they don’t come

home?

No family, no parent, no grandparent

should ever face that fear as we do in

America—uniquely in America—be-

cause of the bewildering explanation of

our Second Amendment.

Unfortunately, instead, moving for-

ward on sensible gun safety laws, some

people in the other party would move

backward. Right now, the House MAGA

majority is trying to erase a regulation

that restricts braces that turn pistols

into short-barreled rifles.

That is the same kind of weapon car-

ried by mass shooters in Dayton, OH;

Boulder, CO; and recently in Nashville,

TN.

These weapons are a danger to law

enforcement and ordinary citizens. And

now this Republican effort in the

House wants to make it easier to ac-

cess these deadly weapons, not harder.

Does that make any sense at all?

Moreover, at this very moment,

MAGA Republicans are threatening to

default on America’s debt unless we

pass Speaker M

ARTHY

’s bill to wipe

out 30,000 law enforcement jobs.

Talk about defending the police. The

McCarthy approach in making deep

budget cuts not only affects the num-

ber of law enforcement who are on the

beat trying to protect us every single

day but also makes a 25-percent cut in

medical research in this country, some-

thing that is essential for every fam-

ily’s future.

That is right. House Republicans are

threatening to trigger an economic cri-

sis unless Democrats support their pro-

posals to defund the police and basi-

cally eviscerate medical research in

this country. That is coming from the

same Republicans who spent years

falsely claiming it was the Democrats

who wanted to defund the police. Now

we have clear evidence otherwise. Here

they are supporting budget cuts that

would leave law enforcement behind

and make communities less safe. This

is no way to honor the service and sac-

rifice of police officers across the coun-

try who have journeyed to Washington.

If you are going to talk a big game

about supporting law enforcement dur-

ing your political campaign, you have

to back up your action when you are

elected. Threatening a disastrous debt

default unless we make massive budget

cuts is no way to protect America.

Let’s make sure officers have all the

funding and resources they need to

keep America safe, and that includes

sensible gun safety laws that help keep

weapons of war off American streets.

I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-

ator from Alabama.

MEMORIAL DAY

Mr. TUBERVILLE. Mr. President,

President Ronald Reagan once said:

Freedom is never more than one genera-

tion away from extinction. We didn’t pass it

to our children in the bloodstream. It must

be fought for, protected, and handed on for

them to do the same.

In every generation since the coun-

try’s founding, brave men and women

have stepped forward to defend our

great country. Each one of them joined

knowing that they might be called

upon to sacrifice everything, even their

lives. In our history, more than 1 mil-

lion Americans have paid that last full

measure of devotion. It is only right

that we return the honor.

The tradition of Memorial Day goes

back to the 1860s. It was originally

called Decoration Day. Families of the

fallen would decorate the graves of

their loved ones. In 1888, Congress rec-

ognized this tradition and made it a

holiday in the District of Columbia.

Congress made it a national holiday in

1968.

For Gold Star families, every day is

Memorial Day. Alabama is home to

more than 6,000 Gold Star family mem-

bers. These include children who were

forced to grow up without knowing

their parents, spouses who had ‘‘hap-

pily ever after’’ cut short, moms and

dads who hugged their children good-

bye for the very last time, families

with an empty seat at their dinner

table.

As we honor their loved ones, we also

ought to honor Gold Star families.

Today, I would like to do just that. I

would like to recognize three of Ala-

bama’s fallen heroes and their families,

First, I would like to recognize SGT

Ricky Jones of Plantersville, AL. The

former star running back of Dallas

County High School—also known as

MoJoe—is remembered for being a

‘‘giving person’’ who was always there

for his family and for his community.

Sergeant Jones was known to consist-

ently attend football games to support

younger players who aspired to be just

like him.

His family always knew they could

count on him. After his mother frac-

tured her hip, Sergeant Jones took

leave to come home and help with her

recovery. His sister Jasmine recalls

him standing at the door of her bed-

room to tell her goodbye when the time

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came for him to return to Afghanistan.

She didn’t know this would be the last

time she would see him. He was killed

on Father’s Day of 2009, leaving behind

a wife and four children.

Because of the impact he left on his

community, Dallas County established

June 27 as ‘‘Ricky DeWayne ‘MoJoe’

Jones Day.’’ Dallas County High

School also retired his No. 3 jersey as a

tribute to someone who was a hero to

so many on and off the field.

Second, I would also like to recognize

SGT Jason Stegall of Trussville, AL.

From the age of 10, he knew he wanted

to make a difference by joining our

military. Even with injuries and sev-

eral near-death experiences, this desire

to serve never wavered. Sergeant

Stegall’s courage saved countless

American lives. On one occasion, he

helped stop two suicide bombers from

carrying out an attack on a U.S. mili-

tary base in Iraq. Another time, he led

his men away from an ambush, despite

being shot just beneath his heart.

Sergeant Stegall earned numerous

awards for his heroism, including a

Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts.

His wife Ashley said his plan was to

stay in the service for a long time be-

cause he loved every minute of being in

the military. But this plan was cut

short. At age 31, Sergeant Stegall

passed away from a mission-related ill-

ness while serving on Active Duty.

Ashley was left to cope with the loss of

her teenage sweetheart and having to

raise three sons alone, including a 10-

month-old named Landon. Ashley

keeps Sergeant Stegall’s memory alive

by reminding her sons about his sac-

rifice and his belief in our great coun-

try of America.

Sergeant Stegall is honored at the

Trussville Veterans Memorial in Ala-

bama.

Finally, I want to honor the memory

of SGT Ervin Hullett of Lowndes Coun-

ty, AL. On Christmas Day in 1952, Ser-

geant Hullett’s brother Arthur received

the news that his 22-year-old brother

had been killed in Korea.

Both brothers had lived and suffered

under segregation and discrimination

because of their race. Yet both loved

this country and were proud to wear

the uniform. Both brothers rose to the

rank of sergeant. Sergeant Arthur

Hullett to this day says that he has no

regrets about his military service. He

also says he is confident that his broth-

er would say the very same thing.

Alabama is deeply grateful for their

strong belief that America is worth

fighting for and even worth dying for.

We will not forget their unwavering de-

votion to serving the American dream

for all of our future generations.

SGT Ervin Hullett’s name is etched

forever into the wall of the Korean war

monument here in Washington, DC.

The Bible says: Greater love has no

man that he would lay down his life for

a friend.

We may never have met Sergeant

Jones or Sergeant Stegall or Sergeant

Hullett or any of the other fallen he-

roes, but their sacrifice is an example

to all.

As we look toward Memorial Day, I

hope we will remember this is not just

another long weekend; it is a time to

reflect on the sacrifices made by all of

our courageous heroes who didn’t want

freedom to die on their watch. May we

live to ensure their efforts aren’t in

vain.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The

clerk will call the roll.

The legislative clerk proceeded to

call the roll.

Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. President, I

ask unanimous consent that the order

for the quorum call be rescinded.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

NATIONAL POLICE WEEK

Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. President, on

National Police Week, we celebrate our

law enforcement officers, but it is also

important to pause and honor those

who gave their lives in the line of duty

and to pause and remember the fami-

lies they left behind.

Last year, I stood in this Chamber as

we unanimously adopted the National

Police Week resolution and honored

the 576 law enforcement officers killed

in the line of duty in 2021. Today, I

take this moment to honor the 246

brave men and women who were killed

in the line of duty in 2022. In order to

rightfully honor these men and women

who lost their lives, we must continue

to demand policies that will make our

communities safer and, by extension,

our officers in the line of duty safer.

This topic is incredibly personal to

me. My father was a chief of police in

our hometown of El Dorado, KS, for 30

years. Here is a picture I share of my

father in 1965, a proud new police offi-

cer with our family dog and police offi-

cer dog, Rinny.

On more than one occasion, my dad

put his life on the line to protect our

community, and on many other days,

he would tell stories of the bravery and

courage of his officers when responding

to an emergency. These were all my

friends, but they were heroes in my

eyes, as well, and always will be re-

membered as such.

But, today, I am sad to report that

our men and women in law enforce-

ment feel demoralized. They are con-

stantly put in a no-win situation, and

their own city governments are setting

them up to fail. In short, like my dad

told me recently on a fishing trip, law

enforcement officers know this White

House and many mayors and city coun-

cils do not have their backs. They feel

abandoned, and they feel like they get

no respect, even to the point of being

wrongfully shamed.

These brave men and women need our

support now more than ever. Demo-

crat-run cities have demonized law en-

forcement, making it harder for our

men and women in uniform to do their

jobs. And, sadly, their dangerous rhet-

oric and policies are emboldening

criminals at the expense of our offi-

cers.

You don’t have to look any further

than our own Nation’s Capital. In No-

vember of last year, here in Wash-

ington, the DC Council voted to dra-

matically reform the city’s criminal

code to favor the rights of the offender

during a crime wave across the Dis-

trict. The legislation eliminated man-

datory minimum sentences for most

crimes and lowered the maximum pen-

alties for crimes such as carjacking

and robbery.

The reforms to the city’s criminal

code came as the city’s crime crisis hit

a fever pitch.

Listen to this. Our Nation’s Capital

had 203 homicides in 2022—our Nation’s

capital, 203 homicides. Carjackings

have tripled since 2019. This year, so

far, violent crime is up by double dig-

its. Last year, a physician was mur-

dered after he tried to prevent a

carjacker from stealing his car. A city

council candidate had his car stolen at

gunpoint. More recently, a Senate

staffer was brutally attacked and

stabbed in the head in broad daylight.

I remain fearful for my staff as they

walk from their homes to the Capitol.

Just recently, I gathered with a group

of Senators to discuss policy, but the

topic of discussion soon became the

safety of our employees and what we

could do to help ensure their safety.

With the culture of lawlessness on

the streets being embraced by the DC

City Council, at a time of low morale

and increased crime, it is no wonder

why the city has lost over 1,200 officers

over the last 2 years, a number that is

growing each day.

We need to stop here and talk about

the culture of lawlessness started by

this White House. It started during his

campaign with a summer of applauding

violent riots and vandalism.

After being sworn in, the administra-

tion purposefully and shamelessly

opened our borders, and, even now, this

administration turns their heads to

violent criminals and terrorists cross-

ing our borders. And with the Demo-

crats embracing cashless bail in Joe

Biden’s America, we are now not only a

country without borders but also a

lawless society, where criminals roam

the streets and fentanyl poisons our

children.

This Nation must change its course

before it is too late. To preserve this

union, we need law and order. Our Re-

public will not survive without it.

RES

I rise today in support of Senator

ANCE

’s motion to nullify the DC

Council’s Comprehensive Policing and

Justice Reform Amendment Act of

2022. By passing this resolution, we can

now join our House colleagues in firm-

ly rejecting the council’s antipolice,

pro-criminal laws and reaffirm our sup-

port for our heroic law enforcement of-

ficers.

I urge all of my Senate colleagues

and the White House to choose people

over politics by joining our efforts to

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improve public safety in Washington,

DC.

With its passage, we can send a clear

message to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue:

We in the Senate will not stand by

while our law enforcement officers are

vilified and cut off at the knees when

trying to do their job.

And with its passage, it will make

Washington, DC, a safer place for the

millions of visitors who pilgrimage to

this great Capital to petition their

elected Members of Congress, to regale

in our history, and to celebrate our

freedom.

This is a bill that makes DC safer,

but it also sends a message to the en-

tire country—a message that we want

safe streets, we want safe communities,

we want safe schools, and we want to

do it in a bipartisan way.

Let’s signal to every county, every

city, and every State that Washington,

DC, will no longer be soft on crime and

cater to criminals.

I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-

ator from North Carolina.

Mr. BUDD. Mr. President, I rise

today to support Senator V

ANCE

’s reso-

lution of disapproval for the District of

Columbia’s anti-police law.

When lives are on the line, when sec-

onds count, members of law enforce-

ment are there putting their lives on

the line to protect and serve their com-

munities.

Backing the blue is especially impor-

tant now, as rogue prosecutors and ac-

tivist judges undercut those who are

out there fighting crime. We see big

cities implement policies that make

the already difficult job of crime-fight-

ing that much harder. Consequently,

crime in our country has risen. Our

streets are less safe. Our citizens’ safe-

ty is under constant threat.

A prime example of this overreach is

right here in Washington, DC. Last

year, the DC City Council passed a so-

called comprehensive policing and jus-

tice reform package. The package con-

tains provision after provision that

hamstrings the police in this city. It

limits the tactics they can use to con-

trol unruly crowds and riots, and it

buries them in paperwork before they

can even execute a constitutional

search. It strips cops of the power to

review body cam evidence, and it al-

lows for their names to be released to

the media before an investigation can

even begin.

And what has happened since this act

went into effect? Well, in the first full

year that this law was in effect, DC’s

homicide rate reached nearly a 20-year

high. In just the first 4 months of 2023,

there have been over 250 carjackings

and an increase in robberies through-

out the city.

DC’s chief of police recently reported

that the average homicide suspect is

arrested 11 times before committing

murder. Now, it is striking that DC is

making it harder to arrest these crimi-

nals before they commit such heinous

acts. And, at the same time, the Dis-

trict’s police union has reported that

the department ‘‘has lost over 1,200 po-

lice officers while only replacing 700.’’

The force is poised to be at its lowest

number of officers since the 1970s.

Congress has the authority and the

responsibility to ensure public safety

in the District; and, furthermore, the

symbol of our Nation’s Capital under

siege from crime is one our country

cannot and should not tolerate. As

politicians in this city push anti-police

laws, it is incumbent upon our coun-

try’s national leaders to stand up to

these legislative attacks on law en-

forcement.

Now is the time for elected officials

to express their full and complete sup-

port for the police. We need to fund

them; we need to back them; and we

need to push back against false nar-

ratives.

Strong nations support law enforce-

ment because these are the men and

women who stand on that thin blue

line between safety and chaos. For the

sake of law and order in our Nation’s

Capital, I stand in support of Senator

ANCE

’s resolution.

I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.

ICKENLOOPER

). The Senator from

Texas.

DEBT CEILING

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, last

week, President Biden met with top

congressional leaders to talk about the

debt ceiling. This meeting came 4

months after the United States hit the

debt limit and just a few weeks before

a potential default.

Considering the high stakes in this

looming debt crisis, it is remarkable

that it took this long for the President

to sit down with the four leaders and to

talk about how to solve this problem

together. A debt default, of course,

would set off an unprecedented eco-

nomic crisis and inflict real pain on

families all across the country.

We all know our economy is just try-

ing to get back on its feet after COVID.

Our banking system has endured three

high-profile collapses, and inflation

continues to wreak havoc on family

budgets. If the United States defaults

on its debt, those challenges will only

intensify. And that is an understate-

ment. Social Security and Medicare

benefits could be delayed. Members of

the military and Border Patrol would

be left without a paycheck. We would

see our economy reeling—skyrocketing

mortgage rates, sinking stock prices,

and instability across our economy.

Given the already fragile state of the

economy, default is the very last thing

we need. Fortunately, that is a point of

agreement between the parties. I

haven’t heard anybody say it would be

a good idea for us to default.

But the $31.7 trillion question is,

What does the path forward look like?

As the American people know, the

Republican position is not shrouded in

mystery. My Republican colleagues

and I have said over and over that a

clean debt ceiling increase is not an op-

tion. It simply doesn’t have the votes

to pass the House or the Senate, mak-

ing it a nonstarter. So we should move

on.

In order to have a chance of passing

both Chambers of Congress, a debt ceil-

ing increase must come with some

spending reforms. You would think

President Biden, after all of his years

serving in the Senate, now as President

of the United States, would understand

that $31.7 trillion in debt is

unsustainable. That is just common

sense. But the President has dragged

his feet for the last 4 months, saying he

would not negotiate—until now. It

looks like he, grudgingly, is acknowl-

edging that he has to negotiate, which

he knew or should have known all

along.

Thanks to the leadership of Speaker

ARTHY

, the House of Representa-

tives passed a bill last month to avert

the debt crisis. I think President Biden

actually thought that the Speaker of

the House would be unsuccessful in

passing any increase in the debt ceil-

ing, so he was happy to sit back, hop-

ing that they would fail and then they

would come running to him and agree

to his demands. But by passing the

House bill, they put the ball in Presi-

dent Biden’s court and put the onus on

him to drop his ‘‘no negotiations, no

reforms’’ position, which was abso-

lutely ridiculous in the first place.

For months, the President has said

he won’t negotiate. He ruled out nego-

tiations over any spending reforms,

even though he signed into law tril-

lions of dollars in new debt which has

caused us to come to this juncture in

the first place. He said he expects Con-

gress to raise the debt ceiling with no

conditions attached and let the run-

away spending spree continue.

I have said it before, and I will say it

again: If you maxed out your credit

card, your credit union or your bank is

going to say: Well, if you want an in-

crease in your spending limit, you are

going to have to talk to us about how

you are going to pay this money back.

Those are the sorts of conversations

that would occur in our daily lives, and

those are the sorts of conversations

that the President should have started

to have 4 months ago.

Before the President’s meeting with

congressional leaders last week, his ad-

visers parroted saying his ‘‘no negotia-

tions, no reforms’’ message. The White

House insisted time and time again

that the President wouldn’t drop his

demand for a clean debt ceiling in-

crease.

Now we have seen a massive shift in

the President’s rhetoric. I am actually

grateful that he’s made that shift in

his rhetoric because his earlier position

was completely irresponsible and

unsustainable. But, now, over the

weekend, the President was asked

about the status of conversations with

Republicans about the debt ceiling. He

said:

It is never good to characterize a negotia-

tion in the middle of a negotiation.

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So there he goes using the ‘‘N’’ word,

‘‘negotiation,’’ when he said he

wouldn’t negotiate.

And while he offered no insight into

the discussions themselves, the fact

that he described them as negotiations

actually marks a major turning point.

After insisting for months that he

wouldn’t negotiate, the President has

finally caved in, as we knew he ulti-

mately would. He has finally accepted

the inevitable reality that a bipartisan

compromise is the only way to avoid a

debt crisis. But that has been obvious

from day one.

We have a Democrat majority in the

Senate, a Republican majority in the

House, and a Democrat in the White

House. We know that in order to pass a

bill, all three branches—two branches

of Congress and the executive branch—

would have to agree on something. So

by definition, it has to be bipartisan.

That is the baseline for success in di-

vided government.

It really is baffling why it took so

long for the President to come to terms

with this reality, particularly given his

long experience as a Member of this

body, the U.S. Senate. But I am glad he

got off the sidelines, finally, and now is

at the negotiating table with Speaker

ARTHY

Reportedly, White House and con-

gressional aides worked over the week-

end trying to identify the framework

for a deal; and the President, as I said,

will meet with congressional leaders

again today.

The White House is projecting a

great deal of optimism, and I hope that

is warranted. I mean, I hope that

means they will come with a serious

offer. But we still have a long way to

go because once a deal is reached, there

is still going to be a lot of work that

needs to be done.

First, the agreement needs to be

translated into legislative language.

Once the bill is completed, Members

need time to review it, then the bill

has to pass both Chambers of Congress.

This is a process that can occur over

several days or much longer. But re-

member, Secretary Yellen said the

United States can default as early as

June 1, which is 16 days away.

With this as a backdrop, President

Biden is planning to hop on a plane to

Japan tomorrow. We are 2 weeks away

from a potential economic disaster—

largely of the President’s own making

for taking his ridiculous ‘‘no negotia-

tion’’ stance for the last 4 months—but

we are 2 weeks away from potential

economic disaster, bipartisan discus-

sions have begun, and the President is

still planning to go overseas.

The President spent months refusing

to negotiate. He said he wouldn’t even

entertain the idea of negotiations to

avoid a debt crisis. Now the President

is at the negotiating table. This isn’t a

time to get up, walk away, and jump

on Air Force One and go overseas. You

can’t fly half way around the globe just

as negotiations are gaining momen-

tum, because as he accurately said, the

United States cannot default on its

debts over the next 2 weeks. So it is

crunch time. It is time to roll up their

sleeves, get to work, and to work this

out.

Speaker M

ARTHY

and the House of

Representatives have been ready to ne-

gotiate since the beginning, but the

President wasted months that could

have been spent on hashing out a bipar-

tisan compromise to avoid a debt cri-

sis. And he knew it from the very be-

ginning that, ultimately, he would

have to negotiate. So now is the time

for the President to take this crisis se-

riously and to own his responsibility to

negotiate a successful outcome.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of quorum.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The

clerk will the roll.

The senior assistant legislative clerk

proceeded to call the roll.

Mr. MERKELY. Mr. President, I ask

unanimous consent that the order for

the quorum call be rescinded.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

TRIBUTE TO MIKE MCKIERNAN

Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, I rise

today to honor a departing member of

my team. This is the first time in 7

years that I am delivering a farewell

speech regarding one of my team mem-

bers that wasn’t written by my speech-

writer, Mike McKiernan, because Mike

is the departing team member we are

honoring today.

In June of 2016, he left a glamorous

job at the Motion Picture Association

of America to join my office. He was

excited to return to Congress ahead of

what many anticipated would be the

incoming Hillary Clinton administra-

tion. Well, as we all know, history

doesn’t always work out along the path

that one anticipates. It worked out a

little differently.

Six months later, President Trump

was sworn into office, and Mike found

himself in the middle of many inten-

sive issues, writing speech after speech

regarding the new administration’s

policies—often opposing those poli-

cies—and the administration’s nomi-

nees—often nominees who didn’t seem

to have the qualifications necessary for

the roles they were nominated to.

Then not far into 2017, we arrived at

a watershed moment of Trump’s first

year in office: Trump’s determination

to complete the theft of a Supreme

Court seat through his nomination of

Neil Gorsuch. It was Mike McKiernan

who compiled a whole set of big three-

ring binders with details of Supreme

Court history, the influence of power-

ful special interests on the Court, and,

of course, every detail, large and small,

about Judge Gorsuch’s record, enabling

me to hold the floor for over 15 hours,

attempting to focus America’s atten-

tion on the grave injustice that for the

first time in American history, a Su-

preme Court seat had been stolen from

one administration and passed on to

the next with no hearing or consider-

ation of the nominee from the previous

President.

It was a long night—a long night for

Mike McKiernan, a long night for me—

but an important effort to highlight

something very important about the

politicization and polarization of one

of our three key institutions, the Su-

preme Court of the United States.

If you asked members of my staff for

a couple of words or a phrase to de-

scribe Mike, you might hear the words

‘‘steady presence.’’ Throughout the

years, he has brought a cool, calm, and

collected aura, even during moments of

considerable stress.

Being a speechwriter might seem like

a quiet, intellectual job, but here in

the Senate, chaos finds us all—many

moments of frantically making last-

minute edits, last-minute edits on a

script for a speech or a conversation

over Zoom, conversations recorded as a

video greeting to an organization oper-

ating back in Oregon, or crafting com-

ments with only an hour or two of no-

tice to make, to block, or to request a

unanimous consent request on an

amendment or on a bill.

There was, for every speechwriter

and for Mike, the near daily challenge

of finding just the right story or just

the right analogy or just the right

poem to illuminate a commentary over

a policy, as, indeed, Mike delivered just

the perfect poem on butterflies last

year for my closing remarks at the

Monarch Summit.

It was Mike who crafted my 2017 quiz

show series that I conducted here on

the floor of the Senate featuring week-

ly climate facts, trying to find a new

way to engage Americans about the

challenges facing us with the evolving

impact on our forests and our fishing

and our farms and so many aspects of

our environment. Our quiz show did not

become the smash hit on YouTube that

we had hoped for, but at least the Sen-

ate pages perhaps learned a thing or

two from the quiz shows, and we had

fun doing them. Our climate work also

led to other fun moments, like hosting

Bill Nye the Science Guy in my office

and doing a joint video on climate

science.

Mike always had the extremity chal-

lenge of deciphering my handwriting—

handwriting I can’t decipher after I

have been away from it for even a few

moments. I have no idea what I wrote,

but I am sure it was excellent—figure

it out.

Mike, I think we are sending you

away with a certificate in advanced

handwriting decoding.

Along with the fun and good humor

that Mike brought to the team, he also

brought deep care and purpose to some

of the most challenging moments we

have handled as an office. He found

great meaning in bringing, in his

words, ‘‘to life as accurately and

impactfully as possible’’ the stories of

those who are oppressed and suffering.

When the previous administration

tried to take DACA status away from

Dreamers, Mike helped me share the

stories of young Americans who have

known no other home.

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When President Trump sent Federal

agents to attack Portlanders on the

streets in the summer of 2020, Mike

helped me to share the experience of

those whose civil liberties had been

shattered and to hold the administra-

tion accountable.

When President Trump implemented

his horrific tactic of tearing children

out of the arms of their parents at the

border, Mike was instrumental in shar-

ing the stories of those families with

the world—stories of little children

with hopes and dreams who simply

wanted to play, to learn, to be loved,

and be able to go to school; parents

who would do anything to protect their

children from violence and oppression

and build for those little ones a safer

future.

Mike, we will miss your

wordsmithing. We will miss your ador-

able photos and hilarious stories of

your two young children, Clara and

Braden, and we really require you to

keep sharing them as you go forward.

Most of all, we will miss your kind,

compassionate, mission-driven spirit

that embodies what it means to be on

our team. You are leaving big shoes to

fill, but we are thrilled that you will be

staying in the extended Team Merkley

family, going to join our former deputy

chief of staff J.P. Piorkowski in the Di-

rector’s Office at the Peace Corps.

One thing our world needs more of is

peace and the cross-cultural under-

standing that comes from Americans

going out around the globe to help

communities thrive.

I know that in your next chapter and

whatever else you do throughout your

career, you will never stop working to

build a better world, and what better

mission could there be for one’s life

than building a better world?

I wish you all the best. And thank

you so much for being a member of the

team.

RECESS

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under

the previous order, the Senate stands

in recess until 2:15 p.m.

Thereupon, the Senate, at 12:27 p.m.,

recessed until 2:15 p.m. and reassem-

bled when called to order by the Pre-

siding Officer (Mr. L

UJA

DISAPPROVING THE ACTION OF

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

COUNCIL IN APPROVING THE

COMPREHENSIVE POLICING AND

JUSTICE REFORM AMENDMENT

ACT OF 2022—Continued

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I sug-

gest the absence of a quorum.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The

clerk will call the roll.

The senior assistant legislative clerk

proceeded to call the roll.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I

ask unanimous consent that the order

for the quorum call be rescinded.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

ORDER OF PROCEDURE

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I

ask unanimous consent that following

disposition of the joint resolution, the

Senate proceed to executive session to

consider Executive Calendar No. 175,

Jeremy C. Daniel, of Illinois, to be

United States District Judge for the

Northern District of Illinois; further,

that the Senate recess from 4 p.m. to

5:30 p.m. for the all-Senators briefing.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. I suggest the ab-

sence of a quorum.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The

clerk will call the roll.

The senior assistant legislative clerk

proceeded to call the roll.

Mr. VANCE. Mr. President, I ask

unanimous consent that the order for

the quorum call be rescinded.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

RES

Mr. VANCE. Mr. President, I speak

today on behalf of millions of Ameri-

cans who come to Washington, DC, and

want this to be a safe city where they

can enjoy it, where they can view the

beautiful monuments, and where they

can actually live in this city com-

fortably and in safety.

I speak for the staff members who

have seen this city deteriorate over the

last decade, and I speak for the many

people who have no connection to this

city but want it to be a beautiful and

safe place to live and work because this

is where the people’s business is ulti-

mately done.

A very simple problem that we have

is the DC violent crime rate and the

nonviolent crime rate have gone up

way too quickly, in part because the

DC Council has passed a number of

statutes and a number of laws that

make it harder for police officers to do

their job.

I will not go through the laundry list

of the act that we are dealing with here

today and the number of ways in which

it makes police less safe in doing their

job and makes it more difficult for

them to do their jobs in the first place,

but a few things in particular jump

out. First of all, the law that we are

trying to undo bans or severely re-

stricts ordinary law enforcement prac-

tices, including the use of riot gear to

disperse violent crowds; it makes it

harder for police to actually give chase

to violent offenders; and it also forces

police to go through these ridiculous

exhaustion requirements before they

can use lethal force to protect them-

selves and people around them.

This is why a number of DC police of-

ficers and organizations don’t agree

with this act. It is why they think that

it makes them less safe, and it is why

we have to go in a different direction in

this community.

I will close by saying that whether

you are a Democrat or a Republican—

whatever your politics are—we should

be proud of this incredibly beautiful

city. The people sent us here to do a

job; they sent us here to do that job

proudly; and it is hard to do it if we are

surrounded by crime and we are sur-

rounded by lawlessness.

I want this to be the kind of place

where Ohioans can come and visit,

where they can walk the streets with

their children without fear of their per-

sonal safety; and, unfortunately, DC is

going in the wrong direction.

I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-

ator from Massachusetts.

Ms. WARREN. Mr. President, I ask

unanimous consent that the scheduled

vote commence immediately.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

VOTE ON H

RES

Under the previous order, the joint

resolution is considered read a third

time.

The joint resolution was ordered to a

third reading and was read the third

time.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The joint

resolution having been read the third

time, the question is, Shall the joint

resolution pass?

Mr. VANCE. I ask for the yeas and

nays.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a

sufficient second?

There appears to be a sufficient sec-

ond.

The clerk will call the roll.

The senior assistant legislative clerk

called the roll.

Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is

necessarily absent: The Senator from

Wyoming (Mr. B

ARRASSO

The result was announced—yeas 56,

nays 43, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 126 Leg.]

YEAS—56

Blackburn

Boozman

Braun

Britt

Budd

Capito

Cassidy

Collins

Cornyn

Cortez Masto

Cotton

Cramer

Crapo

Cruz

Daines

Ernst

Fischer

Graham

Grassley

Hagerty

Hassan

Hawley

Hoeven

Hyde-Smith

Johnson

Kennedy

King

Lankford

Lee

Lummis

Manchin

Marshall

McConnell

Moran

Mullin

Murkowski

Paul

Ricketts

Risch

Romney

Rosen

Rounds

Rubio

Schmitt

Scott (FL)

Scott (SC)

Shaheen

Sinema

Sullivan

Tester

Thune

Tillis

Tuberville

Vance

Wicker

Young

NAYS—43

Baldwin

Bennet

Blumenthal

Booker

Brown

Cantwell

Cardin

Carper

Casey

Coons

Duckworth

Durbin

Feinstein

Fetterman

Gillibrand

Heinrich

Hickenlooper

Hirono

Kaine

Kelly

Klobuchar

Luja

Markey

Menendez

Merkley

Murphy

Murray

Ossoff

Padilla

Peters

Reed

Sanders

Schatz

Schumer

Smith

Stabenow

Van Hollen

Warner

Warnock

Warren

Welch

Whitehouse

Wyden

NOT VOTING—1

Barrasso

The joint resolution (H.J. Res. 42)

was passed.

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATES1664 May 16, 2023

EXECUTIVE SESSION

EXECUTIVE CALENDAR

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.

ELCH

). Under the previous order, the

Senate will proceed to executive ses-

sion and resume consideration of the

following nomination, which the clerk

will report.

The senior assistant legislative clerk

read the nomination of Jeremy C. Dan-

iel, of Illinois, to be United States Dis-

trict Judge for the Northern District of

Illinois.

Thereupon, the Senate proceeded to

consider the nomination.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-

ator from Kansas.

NATIONAL POLICE WEEK

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, this

week our Nation observes National Po-

lice Week. That observation began in

1962, when President Kennedy claimed

the first Police Week as a time dedi-

cated to pay tribute to our law enforce-

ment officers who died in the line of

duty.

President Kennedy’s proclamation

stated that, during this week, ‘‘all of

our people may join in commemorating

police officers, past and present, who

by their faithful and loyal devotion to

their responsibilities have rendered a

dedicated service to their communities

and, in so doing, have established for

themselves an enviable and enduring

reputation for preserving the rights

and security of all citizens.’’

This afternoon I rise with my col-

leagues to honor the dedication and

sacrifice of our law enforcement offi-

cers.

Over the course of this week, we pay

tribute to 443 officers who gave their

lives in the line of duty in 2022.

Saturday night, just a few days ago,

hundreds of police officers, family

members, and others, gathered for the

annual candlelight vigil honoring our

fallen officers. Among those memorial-

ized this week are four brave Kansas

officers.

Deputy Sheriff Sidnee Carter, with

the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office,

was tragically killed in an automobile

crash while responding to a night dis-

turbance call.

We also lost Sheriff Robert Craft

from Marion County, Officer David

Ingle from the Iola Police Department,

and Sergeant Stacy Murrow from the

Linn County Sheriff’s Department—all

Kansans.

In fact, all Americans are grateful to

those officers for their service and

honor them in making the ultimate

sacrifice for the benefit of others, for

the benefit of the people they knew in

their community, but also for the ben-

efit of people they never met.

While the purpose of Police Week is

to honor the men and women who made

the ultimate sacrifice in the line of

duty, we also should remember how

those police officers’ lives as husbands

and wives and mothers and fathers—as

members of their communities—they

were people who happened to wear a

uniform, who happened to take up a ca-

reer to serve others, to protect and de-

fend.

From educating kids in school about

the dangers of substance abuse or pro-

viding driver safety education, coordi-

nating neighborhood watch associa-

tions, and speaking at business lunch-

eons, schools and community townhall

meetings, law enforcement strive to

make our community a safe place to

live and raise a family and to work to

foster a more safe and secure environ-

ment; in a sense, to provide justice.

During this National Police Week

and throughout the year, we should re-

member that law enforcement needs

our support. We should provide them

the resources they need to do their

jobs. We must also give them the tools

they need to build and strengthen the

bonds of trust with those they serve

and our best efforts to address the un-

derlying challenges that face our com-

munities and individuals in their lives.

I serve as the lead Republican on the

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee

with appropriations jurisdiction over

the Department of Justice. I am com-

mitted to making certain our law en-

forcement officers have the resources

and support they need to do their job

effectively and safely.

We honor the service and sacrifice of

our Nation’s fallen law enforcement of-

ficers, remember those who departed,

and acknowledge and express our grati-

tude for the sacrifices all law enforce-

ment officers make every day they

wear the badge.

During this week—and, really, every

other week of the year—we should, and

we do, honor those we have lost and re-

member the families they left behind.

We ask God to comfort them in their

time of grief and be a source of

strength for them in their lives. May

God bless our police and our local law

enforcement officers. May God bless

them as they do their duties, and may

God hold in His arms those we have

lost this past year.

RECESS

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I ask

unanimous consent that the Senate

now stand in recess until 5:30 p.m.

There being no objection, the Senate,

at 3:32 p.m., recessed until 5:30 p.m. and

reassembled when called to order by

the Presiding Officer (Mr. M

ARKEY

EXECUTIVE CALENDAR—Continued

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-

ator from Connecticut.

UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUESTS

—

EXECUTIVE

CALENDAR

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I

rise today to address the Senator from

Alabama’s decision to hold hundreds of

nominations—literally hundreds of

nominations—that have been sub-

mitted to this body, and I want to join

my colleagues who have taken the ini-

tiative and stand alongside with them

and our men and women in uniform

who protect our right to speak in these

Halls every day and our other funda-

mental liberties in this country.

We ask our men and women in uni-

form to do more now than ever before,

particularly as we are engaged in coun-

tering Vladimir Putin’s murderous as-

sault in Ukraine. I have visited them in

Germany, where they are training

Ukrainians. I have spoken to them at

the border in Poland, where they are

providing essential military weapons

to the Ukrainians. I have seen them at

work all around the globe, as have my

colleagues.

Even though we are at peace for-

mally right now, it is only because

they are a deterrent to our adversaries

and enemies around the globe. The

threats are rapidly evolving and rising,

and the U.S. military is the only force

that can stem the tide of autocracy,

which is the reason why I am so, so

outraged that the Senator from Ala-

bama is choosing to cripple our mili-

tary by placing on hold a series of crit-

ical nominations.

Earlier this year, Secretary Austin

issued a memo, a policy memo, guaran-

teeing that servicemembers would have

easier access to reproductive

healthcare. They can now take non-

chargeable leave and receive per diem

while traveling to receive care, finally

establishing a parity with every other

medical procedure, every other

healthcare procedure available to DOD

personnel.

The Secretary’s decision rectified a

DOD policy that marginalized the

women who serve in our Nation and

provide that essential guarantee of

peace and freedom. It damaged readi-

ness. It truly does put people first that

we have corrected that egregious error.

Instead of celebrating that service-

members now have access to

healthcare and policy programs that

they have consistently sought, Senator

UBERVILLE

called the policy—and I

am quoting—‘‘a waste of time and re-

sources.’’ He believes that protecting

the well-being and privacy of those who

serve—and again, I am using his

words—is ‘‘immoral’’ and ‘‘illegal.’’ I

disagree. I couldn’t disagree more.

Servicemembers shouldn’t have to

wonder whether they are going to re-

ceive healthcare.

Providing access to reproductive care

certainly isn’t a distraction; it in-

creases readiness and preparedness and

the strength of our force. He is doing

the very thing he accuses the new pol-

icy of doing, which is to damage readi-

ness and jeopardize our Nation’s secu-

rity. He is doing it by holding up the

President’s nominees.

Let me just talk about those individ-

uals whose nominations he has

blocked.

Rear Admiral George Wikoff is the

President’s nominee to be the next

commander of the Navy’s 5th Fleet. He

is an accomplished Navy aviator, a

former TOPGUN instructor, and has

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extensive experience in the theater he

has been nominated to command. His

service is essential to the 15,000 per-

sonnel responsible for defending Amer-

ican interests in the Persian Gulf and

Arabian Seas. It isn’t a luxury or con-

venience; it is essential that he be

there.

Rear Admiral Fred Kacher was nomi-

nated to lead the Navy’s 7th Fleet,

which is tasked with deterring Chinese

aggression across the Pacific Ocean.

Nearly 30,000 sailors and marines are

assigned to the 7th Fleet and con-

stitute our first line of defense in the

Pacific.

While Iran and China search for

every opportunity to threaten Amer-

ican interests in the Middle East and

Pacific, Senator T

UBERVILLE

’s response

is to deprive the 5th and 7th Fleets of

their incoming commanders.

He is holding our next military rep-

resentative to NATO, Rear Admiral

Shoshana Chatfield, a remarkable offi-

cer with more than 30 years’ experi-

ence. She is the recipient of the De-

fense Superior Service Medal, the

Bronze Star Medal, the Legion of

Merit, and the Meritorious Service

Medal.

During the largest land war in Eu-

rope since World War II, the Senator

from Alabama is blocking Admiral

Chatfield’s promotion. Again, not a

luxury, not a convenience, not super-

fluous; it is essential to our national

defense.

And he is blocking MG David Hodne’s

nomination to the role of deputy com-

mander for the Army’s Futures Com-

mand. That Futures Command position

oversees the design of force capabilities

into the future and ensures our soldiers

maintain lethal advantages on the bat-

tlefield.

His hold is preventing the Army’s

next Vice Chief and Chief of Staff from

assuming command.

Later this year, Gen. Charles Brown’s

nomination to become the next Chair-

man of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will be

blocked if the Senator from Alabama

does not lift his hold.

Let’s be clear about what is at stake

here. Blocking these nominations, sim-

ply because of his putting personal be-

liefs above national security, is a

threat to our national defense.

He is doing Putin and Xi’s jobs for

them. He claims that this action is

about the President trying to legislate

from the White House. He claims that

the Department of Defense had an

abortion policy for decades.

Respectfully—and I mean very re-

spectfully—to a colleague in this body,

I would remind him for decades that

women in the military had to hide

their abortion from their commanders

and that referrals for care operated on

a whisper network.

If it were up to the Senator from Ala-

bama, he would override the medical

recommendations of military doctors

and commanders across the force.

I hope that he will stand with the

military and their families and forgo

future action blocking this essential

set of nominations.

The Senator from Alabama is enti-

tled to his opinion. The military that

he is so keen to stop from advancing

its nominees defends the Constitution

that gives him that right to his opin-

ions and his right to speak from his

heart and his conscience. But families

who sacrifice so much already are wait-

ing for this body to act. They are wait-

ing so they can enroll their children

into new schools, find new churches,

start new jobs. Harming the military

and their families serves only the in-

terests of our adversary.

I urge my colleague from Alabama to

lift his hold and let the military con-

tinue to defend our freedom from those

who seek to destroy it.

And, in the meantime, I ask unani-

mous consent that the Senate proceed

to the consideration of the following

nominations en bloc: Calendar Nos. 46

through 52, Calendar Nos. 82 through

107, Calendar Nos. 110 through 113, Cal-

endar Nos. 130 through 139; that the

nominations be confirmed en bloc; that

the motions to reconsider be consid-

ered made and laid upon table with no

intervening action or debate; that no

further motions be in order to any of

the nominations; that the President be

immediately notified of the Senate’s

action.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there

objection?

The Senator from Utah.

Mr. LEE. Mr. President, reserving

the right to object, I am here to ex-

press my support for Senator

UBERVILLE

, who is, of course, opposing

the Department of Defense’s ongoing

attempt to use taxpayer funding to

fund abortion.

Now, until recently, this was an un-

derstood policy. The policy to which

my friend and colleague refers is, of

course, embodied in a statute. It is not

just a policy. It is a policy rooted in

law. Under 10 USC, section 1093, the

Pentagon is prohibited from using De-

partment of Defense funds or facilities

to perform abortions.

You see, because, in a word, divided

as a country on issues related to abor-

tion; people have sharply divided views

on this. In fact, there is a pretty wide

spectrum of views. But one thing that

does tend to unite Americans over-

whelmingly is the idea that, regardless

of how you feel about abortion, you

don’t want your U.S. taxpayer dollars

going to fund abortions. People don’t

want that. There is overwhelming bi-

partisan consensus among the Amer-

ican people on that.

Only here in Washington is this re-

garded as controversial because Ameri-

cans just consider that common

sense—common sense that has been,

for decades, codified in Federal law.

The last time I read the Constitu-

tion, Congress makes the laws, not the

Department of Defense. And when

there are laws that the Department of

Defense doesn’t like, the Department

of Defense isn’t free to just reimagine

the laws as the Secretary of Defense

wishes those laws were written.

And yet the Department of Defense’s

policy memo from just a few months

ago does just that. It attempts to

sneak around the laws that we have al-

ready passed.

This policy memo violates at least

the spirit, quite arguably the letter of

the law. They are trying to get around

that, and they have made no secret of

that fact.

So Senator T

UBERVILLE

is right to

oppose this egregious policy. We should

commend his courage and his dedica-

tion to upholding the Constitution and

standing for those who cannot stand

for themselves.

And so I would say, let this be a mes-

sage to Secretary Austin. Look, Sec-

retary Austin, if you want to make the

laws, run for Congress, run for the

House, run for the Senate. But you can-

not legislate from the E-Ring of the

Pentagon. It is not your job. That is

our job, not yours.

Until then, Secretary Austin, stand

down—stand down, soldier—and let the

lawmakers actually make the laws.

But you certainly don’t get to rewrite

them just because you feel like it.

Now, as to the suggestion made by

my friend and colleague moments ago

that Senator T

UBERVILLE

would over-

ride the recommendations made by

board-certified medical doctors to

women as to the best outcome for their

health, it is not at all fair. It is incom-

pletely inaccurate. In fact, it is utterly

untethered from what Senator

UBERVILLE

is doing and what he has

ever said on this. On no planet is Sen-

ator T

UBERVILLE

trying to tell women

in the military or dependents of mili-

tary families that they may not have

an abortion. All he is standing behind

is what Federal law already says,

which is that you can’t use Federal

funds or Federal facilities within the

Department of Defense to fund abor-

tions. And that is exactly what is hap-

pening here.

Now, as to the specific personnel

mentioned just moments ago, when we

look at, say, Admiral Chatfield or Ad-

miral Wikoff or General Hodne’s or

anyone else on the list, if there is any

one of those people whose service,

whose promotion is so mission critical

to American national security, let’s

bring those forward. There are mecha-

nisms, procedures, in the Senate, after

all, that would allow not only each of

them but everyone on this list to be

confirmed.

Yes, it takes a little bit more time.

But what the Department of Defense

and those advocating for its position

here are doing is coming to us as U.S.

Senators and asking us to waive our

procedural rights, to waive our proce-

dural objections so that they can have

their policy.

Senator T

UBERVILLE

has raised a le-

gitimate, bona fide opposition to that

policy because it is in violation of the

spirit, if not the letter, of 10 U.S.C.

1093.

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It takes a lot of gumption—that is

audacity—for the Department of De-

fense to ask for our help to facilitate

the confirmation of these nominees

when they have taken away from us

the prerogative that is uniquely ours.

It is no coincidence that the very

first clause, in the first section, of the

first article of the Constitution says

that ‘‘[a]ll legislative Powers herein

granted shall be vested in a Congress of

the United States, which shall consist

of a Senate and a House of Representa-

tives.’’

Article 1, section 7 makes even more

abundantly clear that we are the sole

lawmaking organ of the Federal Gov-

ernment; that in order to pass a Fed-

eral law, you have to get the same leg-

islative proposal passed in the House

and then in the Senate and then sub-

mit it to the President for signature,

veto, or acquiescence.

Secretary Austin has bypassed all of

that. He would make himself the legis-

lative and the executive branches at

once. It is not his role. It is not his job.

And he has the audacity to come here

and question our patriotism, question

our commitment to American military

readiness, simply because we will not

expedite his own request to get these

people moved through faster.

If he wants to circumvent these proc-

esses ordained by the Constitution,

Senator T

UBERVILLE

is in no position

where he has to agree to help them ex-

pedite it, nor should he.

On that basis, I object.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec-

tion is heard.

The Senator from Illinois.

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. President, I

come to the floor to talk about how we

are currently failing our most senior

military leaders, a failing caused en-

tirely by my colleague the senior Sen-

ator from Alabama.

Members of our All-Volunteer Force

answer the call to service by choice. No

one is making them serve. They choose

to serve. For their sacrifices, we owe

them many things—fair pay,

healthcare, veterans’ benefits—to

make sure they land on their feet after

their service is done. And we must also

make sure they can do the hard, some-

times dangerous, work they volun-

teered for without partisan politics

getting in their way.

And yet my colleague has placed an

indefinite hold on the nominations of

all general officers, preventing a still

growing number of our most senior

leaders from taking on the challenges

of their next positions and leaving crit-

ical gaps in our military leadership.

My colleague from Alabama is harm-

ing our military readiness and our

servicemembers not out of concern

about the promotion process or the

ethical or professional qualifications of

any of the nominees, he is doing it to

score cheap political points, to

fundraise with his base, and to try to

force a policy that he personally dis-

agrees with to change, not by legis-

lating it like the voters of Alabama

sent him here to do but holding our

most senior military leaders hostage.

If my colleague had legitimate con-

cerns about the fairness of the pro-

motion process or felt these nominees

were not qualified ethical leaders, this

might be a different story.

In fact, as my colleague pointed out,

I once held some, but certainly not all,

nominations. But I only did it for 14

days because I was attempting to stop

the administration in the White House

at the time from inserting politics into

a nonpartisan promotion process.

I had legitimate, well-founded con-

cerns that an Army colonel—a single

colonel’s promotion would be withheld

from consideration as political retalia-

tion against him.

I held the list of promotions for just

14 days until I received assurances that

he had received fair consideration, just

like the rest of his peers, and then I re-

leased my hold.

Put it another way. I wanted to make

sure that the military promotion proc-

ess—the one we use to make sure our

military is led by the best, most quali-

fied people—was not being politicized.

My colleague is doing the exact oppo-

site. He is trying to change DOD policy

not by legislating but by holding up

well-deserved promotions to the det-

riment of leaders who have willingly

served decades in uniform, all the serv-

icemembers who are supposed to serve

under them, and our national security

because he wants to insert politics into

this historically nonpartisan process.

If he doesn’t like the DOD policy,

then he can engage in the NDAA legis-

lative process to change it. It is coming

up. The Senator will have a chance to

do that.

The nominations that my colleague

is holding represent experienced profes-

sionals who, if confirmed, will tackle

some of the biggest challenges that our

military faces.

In some cases, the positions are com-

pletely vacant, and that job just isn’t

being done at all. I will only talk about

a few of these nominations today, but

the already long list grows each

month.

In a moment, I will ask the Senate to

confirm MG Heidi J. Hoyle, U.S. Army,

to be a lieutenant general and the Dep-

uty Chief of Staff, G–4, of the U.S.

Army. The Army G–4 develops, imple-

ments, and oversees Army strategy,

policy, plans, and programming for lo-

gistics and sustainment, some of the

most challenging, if not the most chal-

lenging, issues for the Army to address.

Take it from a broken-down old sol-

dier, logistics might not be sexy, but

without them the Army doesn’t run.

And the logistics and sustainment

needs of tomorrow’s fight will be very

different from those of the last wars we

have fought.

We need to be working through these

problems now, figuring out new strate-

gies and plans, developing new systems

that will serve our soldiers better.

That is exactly what the Army G–4

does. It is not optional; it is necessary.

And we need Major General Hoyle’s

leadership, or it is our troops, out in

front, who will suffer.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous con-

sent that the Senate proceed to the

consideration of the following nomina-

tion: Calendar No. 48, Major General

Heidi J. Hoyle, to be Lieutenant Gen-

eral; that the Senate vote on the nomi-

nation without intervening action or

debate; that if confirmed, the motion

to reconsider be considered made and

laid upon the table with no intervening

action or debate; that any statements

related to the nomination be printed in

the R

ECORD

; and that the President be

immediately notified of the Senate’s

action.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Before

the Chair entertains that motion, the

Chair would like to remind all Sen-

ators that rule XIX reads as follows:

No Senator in debate shall, directly or in-

directly, by any form of words impute to an-

other Senator or to other Senators any con-

duct or motive unworthy or unbecoming of a

Senator.

Senators are reminded to address

each other in the third person and

through the Chair.

Is there an objection to the request?

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-

ator from Alabama.

Mr. TUBERVILLE. Mr. President, re-

serving the right to object. Again, for

the fourth or fifth time, I am fighting

against taxpayer-funded abortions—

funding from taxpayers that was never,

ever approved by this Congress.

By the way, poll after poll shows that

Americans agree with exactly what I

am doing. The American people do not

support taxpayer-funded abortions. Pe-

riod.

Democrats have had a few retired

Secretaries, in the last few weeks,

agree with them; but other retired

military leaders and thousands of serv-

icemembers and veterans just happen

to agree with me, just like the major-

ity of Americans. In fact, earlier today,

a letter representing more than 3,000

servicemembers and veterans was sent

in full support of my hold. Those serv-

icemembers and veterans said:

This policy is not just illegal, it shame-

fully politicizes the military, circumvents

the authority of Congress, and exceeds the

authority of the Department of Defense.

They sent that letter to Leader S

CHU

MER

and Leader M

ONNELL

. I would

encourage them to please read it.

Also, earlier today, retired Lt. Gen.

William Boykin and retired Lt. Gen.

James Carafano penned an op-ed con-

demning the Pentagon’s policies. They

said:

The Pentagon’s new abortion policy has

everything to do with activist politics and

nothing to do with Congress’s obligation to

raise and maintain armed forces to provide

for the common defense.

So I object, and I will continue to ob-

ject.

I will end with one comment from

the retired military leaders’ op-ed:

America is a global power with global in-

terests and responsibilities. We can’t afford a

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military distracted by politics. The quickest

way to make this right is for Secretary Aus-

tin to immediately rescind his radical abor-

tion policy.

Because of this, I object.

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.

ARNOCK

). Objection is heard.

The Senator from Illinois.

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. President, I

am disappointed the Senate is not able

to confirm MG Heidi Hoyle today. As I

said earlier, the work Major General

Hoyle would do, if confirmed, is vital

to the success of our Army.

And now I want to consider another

patriot whose promotion is being held

by my colleague from Alabama: Brig.

Gen. Rebecca Sonkiss, U.S. Air Force.

Brigadier General Sonkiss is the cur-

rent commander of the 618th Air Oper-

ations Center, the Tanker Airlift Con-

trol Center at Scott Air Force Base in

my home State of Illinois.

The 618th Air Operations Center is

responsible for operational planning, as

well as scheduling, directing, and as-

sessing a fleet of about 1,100 aircraft

that conduct combat delivery and stra-

tegic airlift, air refueling, global air

mobility support, and aeromedical op-

erations around the world.

General Sonkiss, a command pilot

who has had a distinguished career of

service to her country, is leading the

618th Air Operations Center as it does

some of the most complex, most impor-

tant, least celebrated work in the Air

Force. And yet her promotion is being

held up, not because of concerns about

the fairness of the process or her own

qualifications. No, her promotion has

not been granted because one Senator

would rather use her and other service-

members like her to try to manipulate

the DOD into doing what he wants in-

stead of engaging in the legislative

process.

I ask that it be in order to make the

same request with respect to Calendar

No. 110, 23 nominations.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there

objection to the request?

The Senator from Utah.

Mr. LEE. Mr. President, here again,

the Senate has procedures for dealing

with any nomination, including these

military promotions. These could be

brought up individually; they could be

voted on; and those whose promotions

have the greatest urgency could be

dealt with. We could stay in session

until all these are done. Neither Sen-

ator T

UBERVILLE

nor any other Sen-

ator, to my knowledge, would interfere

with that, nor could we.

What Senator T

UBERVILLE

refuses to

do, with very good reason, is to pretend

like nothing has happened; pretend like

nothing has changed; to pretend that

he didn’t have repeated conversations

with high-ranking officials within the

Department of Defense in recent

months expressing his concerns about

rumors that this very policy was being

considered; to pretend that he didn’t

tell them then there would be serious

consequences if they decided to proceed

in violation of 10 U.S.C., section 1093.

No, this is not fair to put this on him.

When the Pentagon comes crawling

back after they did what they did to

him—after they did what they did to

the law, to all Americans—that is

manifestly unfair. To all of a sudden

put it on him to make sure it is his job

to make sure that everyone gets con-

firmed—and, oh, by the way, you also

have to help—you are being told—you

have to help the Pentagon, even

though the Pentagon has just cut you

off at the knees.

Look, it is very clear. When the law

says you may not use Federal tax-

payers for abortions, that is a thing.

When you have Department of Defense

specific legislation that says you may

not use Department of Defense funds,

you may not use Department of De-

fense facilities to perform abortions,

that is a thing.

To argue otherwise and to try to

point out that this policy memo some-

how complies with that is too cute by

half.

No. 1, it is still, quite arguably, in

violation of the letter of the law. You

are still doing this to bring about an

abortion. You are using Federal tax-

payer dollars from the Department of

Defense so that someone has an abor-

tion. You are paying for someone’s

travel to that State—per diem to that

State—3 weeks of paid leave time to

that State, and it is specific to abor-

tion. That is what that is.

If, in any other circumstance, some-

one were asked: Are you using Federal

dollars for abortions? The answer

would be, unequivocally, ‘‘yes.’’

I know those raising these consent

requests are trying to get Senator

UBERVILLE

to capitulate, trying to get

him to reverse course, trying to get

him to help the Department of Defense

when the Department of Defense hid

from him what they were going to do,

then undercut Federal law in the proc-

ess, that is not fair. That is what this

is about. That is what you are trying

to do.

I am happy to stand with Senator

UBERVILLE

in defending his rights. On

that basis, I object.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec-

tion is heard. The Senator from Illi-

nois.

Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. President, by

refusing to confirm nominations to po-

sitions of vital importance within the

DOD, the senior Senator from Alabama

and some of his colleagues continue to

risk our military readiness and our na-

tional security. And they continue to

deny patriots, who have voluntarily

served our country for decades, the

promotions they have earned as a

means of trying to influence policy

through extortion, instead of through

legislation or oversight.

I call on all my colleagues to join me

in opposing the actions of the senior

Senator from Alabama for the sake of

our military readiness and for those

who serve.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-

ator from Utah.

Mr. LEE. Mr. President, to the ex-

tent any one of these nominations—or

all of them taken together—to the ex-

tent military readiness is invoked, im-

plicated, is threatened, challenged, by

all means, let’s figure out a

workaround. By all means, let’s have

the Department of Defense realize that

as this policy debate happens, it should

be the very last entity putting Amer-

ican national security at risk.

So if that is what this is resulting in,

then the Department of Defense, with

all due respect, needs to stand down on

this until such time as this can be de-

bated and discussed.

The fact is that every single year—

every single year—the Department of

Defense has the luxury that very few

other branches have in that we devote

an enormous amount of time to debat-

ing a policy bill—every year, year after

year, going back for the last half cen-

tury—the National Defense Authoriza-

tion Act. This is the kind of thing that,

if it is going to be addressed, if they

want a change of law, then that change

of law ought to be pursued on the floor

of the Senate.

The National Defense Authorization

Act would present an opportunity for

the Department of Defense to pursue

that change. It can do it that way. It

can do it in a stand-alone bill if it

wants to. What it may not do is change

the law on its own.

So, look, to the extent that this im-

plicates military readiness—which let’s

just take those words on their own

face—that seems to me that should

apply with at least as much force, if

not a ‘‘for sure’’ to the Department of

Defense rather than to Senator

UBERVILLE

. It is the Department of

Defense that is asking for his help. It is

the Department of Defense that is

using Federal funds to facilitate the

performance of abortions.

If anyone is threatening national se-

curity, it is not Senator T

UBERVILLE

And if these are threatening America’s

national security, particularly those

you have identified, bring those to the

floor. We have procedures to do that. It

takes time.

I understand, perhaps, that is not

what this Democratic majority of the

Senate wants to do. That is the Demo-

cratic majority’s prerogative. But that

being the prerogative, they can’t all of

a sudden put that on Senator

UBERVILLE

Finally, as to the suggestion that

Senator T

UBERVILLE

is extorting any-

one—extortion, of course, is a crime.

That is a really inappropriate reference

to use here, but let’s go with it for a

second for purposes of this discussion.

Who is extorting whom? Who is it that

receives all this money and then goes

about saying: We are going to change

the law. Now, it is up to you to help us

make sure that every one of these peo-

ple gets a promotion.

If you are going to use that term, you

have to realize it cuts both ways. I

don’t think it has any place on the

floor. But if you are going to use it, it

swings both ways. And it may well hit

you.

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATES1668 May 16, 2023

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-

ator from Connecticut.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I

am going to yield to my colleague from

Hawaii in just one moment.

I would like to clarify—because I am

a member of the Armed Services Com-

mittee, as Senator T

UBERVILLE

is. We

work together on a lot of issues. I will

support his right, as part of the NDAA

process, to raise this issue as an

amendment to the National Defense

Authorization Act.

As my colleague from Illinois has

rightly suggested, and I think we can

all agree, that is a clear forum to raise

any issue. We disagree—deeply dis-

agree—on this one.

And there are many votes on the

NDAA through the markup session

that we will conduct over not just sev-

eral hours but several days. And every

year, we report out from the Armed

Services Committee—in the 12 years I

have been on it—consistently, a bipar-

tisan measure. There may be a couple

of no votes, but it is deeply bipartisan.

We can work together on our national

defense.

Blocking these nominations is con-

trary to that spirit, in my view, be-

cause it, basically, prevents us from

moving forward with vital leadership

in the U.S. military if there is bipar-

tisan support to advance. So I am hop-

ing that, again, my colleague from Ala-

bama, whom we work with on many

issues, will simply take that forum as

a way to move forward.

I yield to the Senator from Hawaii.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-

ator from Hawaii.

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, earlier

today, every Member of this body re-

ceived a briefing on the ongoing threat

Iran presents to our national security

and that of our allies around the world.

It was a stark reminder of the serious

challenges and threats the United

States and our allies face around the

world. It also underscores the impor-

tance of ensuring our military is ready

and able to respond to any threats that

may arise.

Right now, though, one Senator is

willfully undermining our readiness. I

happen to chair the Readiness Sub-

committee on the Armed Services

Committee. Our servicemembers can

only do their jobs if they are in place

to do so, and, right now, the Senator

from Alabama’s hold on 196 general and

flag officer promotions is preventing

these brave men and women from en-

tering new roles in which they are ur-

gently needed.

Since March, the Senator from Ala-

bama has refused to allow movement

on any of these promotions, depriving

our military of critical leaders in key

posts around the globe. Among the

nearly 200 promotions currently on

hold is the next commander of Naval

Sea Systems Command, who is respon-

sible for overseeing the Shipyard Infra-

structure Optimization Program, a

critical infrastructure investment in

our public shipyards in Hawaii and

across the country.

The blanket hold also includes the

Director of the Defense Logistics Agen-

cy, or DLA. DLA oversees the defense

supply chain for all services and will be

essential to the safe defueling and clo-

sure of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage

Facility on Oahu, a leak which im-

pacted over 90,000 people living on

Oahu.

The Senator from Alabama is also

holding nominees to command the

Fifth and Seventh Fleets, which are re-

sponsible for deterring threats from

Iran and China, respectively. For any

Member of this body to willfully de-

grade the readiness of these units is, in

my view, unthinkably irresponsible.

To be clear, these are not controver-

sial nominees. These are decorated, pa-

triotic men and women who have de-

voted their adult lives to serving our

Nation and who wish only to continue

doing so.

My colleague from Alabama is plac-

ing a blanket hold on close to 200 pro-

motions in the DOD because he dis-

agrees with DOD’s commonsense, hu-

mane policy to allow travel for service-

members seeking reproductive serv-

ices.

Thousands of servicemembers are

posted in States that do not allow

them to receive reproductive services

necessitating this travel. This is a pol-

icy my colleague objects to, resulting

in his hold on these promotions.

The travel policy does not include

paying for abortions. How many times

must this point have to be made? Why

do my colleagues on the other side of

the aisle continue to read into the pol-

icy that which is not there?

Nowhere does the policy allow the

DOD to pay for abortion. There is no

language in this policy that talks

about facilitating the provision of

abortion. Show me this language. You

can’t because it is not there. This is a

travel policy for reproductive services.

So my colleague from Alabama is

more concerned with pushing his ideo-

logical agenda than with the realities

our troops face, even if that means de-

priving servicemembers of critical

healthcare.

In addition to undermining our na-

tional security, this reckless hold is

creating chaos for these servicemem-

bers, many of whom will have to relo-

cate their families and put their chil-

dren in new schools.

These promotions are carefully timed

to ensure critical positions don’t go un-

filled, and also that the servicemem-

bers and their families can transition

into new homes and schools with as lit-

tle disruption as possible.

Beyond being reckless and fundamen-

tally ill-informed, the Senator from

Alabama’s—I consider it a stunt; it is a

slap in the face of our servicemembers.

They should be able to do their jobs

without political interference, without

someone putting their ideological

agenda ahead of the need for us to

make these decisions.

For the sake of our servicemembers

and our country, we need to end this

dangerous blockade. That is why, in a

moment, I will be asking the Senate to

confirm Calendar No. 85. If confirmed,

this nominee would command the

Navy’s Seventh Fleet, which at any

given moment has almost 75 ships and

submarines and over 27,000 sailors and

marines, operating and in contact with

both the Chinese and Russian Navies.

Encompassing many allies, partners,

and competitors, the Pacific and its

forward-deployed fleet should not be

left without its appropriate com-

mander.

I ask unanimous consent that the

Senate proceed to the consideration of

Calendar No. 85; that the Senate vote

on the nomination without intervening

action or debate; that, if confirmed,

the motion to reconsider be considered

made and laid upon the table with no

intervening action or debate; that any

statements related to the nomination

be printed in the Record; and that the

President be immediately notified of

the Senate’s action.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there

objection?

The Senator from Alabama.

Mr. TUBERVILLE. Mr. President, I

rise to object. I continue hearing about

this word ‘‘readiness’’ from my col-

leagues.

We have had a law in place for nearly

40 years. The law provides taxpayer-

funded abortion in case of rape, incest,

or threat to the life of the mother. No-

body, in 40 years—nobody—on either

side of the aisle has complained about

this. This was a bipartisan consensus 40

years ago.

The law was not affected by the

Dobbs decision. The Dobbs decision did

not apply to Federal military installa-

tions.

On July 8, 2022, just 2 weeks after the

Supreme Court ruling, the Biden ad-

ministration said they needed to ex-

pand abortion to counteract the Dobbs

decision. By memo, they said the VA

would pay for abortion travel and time

off. By memo, they said HHS would pay

for late-term abortions. By memo, they

covered all Federal workers, and they

acted to expand abortion at the Pen-

tagon.

The Pentagon is now giving service-

members and their dependents reim-

bursements for travel and additional

paid time off for elective abortions.

We are not talking about cases of

rape, incest, or threat to the health of

the mother. Despite what some of my

colleagues have said, we are talking

about elective abortions. Despite what

some of my colleagues have said, that

is what this is all about.

Ordinary servicemembers get 30 days

off a year—30 days off. Under this pol-

icy, servicemembers who get abortions

would get 30 days off plus an additional

3 weeks. Servicemembers who get abor-

tions get paid more time off than serv-

icemembers who do not get abortions.

The Pentagon is spending money

without the consent of Congress. This

money was never authorized. It was

never appropriated. Nobody voted for

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this. Even my friend from Connecticut

didn’t vote for this policy. The Demo-

crats’ strongest abortion supporters

never voted for this. Nobody voted for

this, and now Senators are down here

defending this.

They are outsourcing the work of the

U.S. Senate. Follow the law or change

the law in this building.

That is the reason I object.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec-

tion is heard.

The Senator from Colorado.

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I ask

unanimous consent that the Senate

proceed to the consideration of the fol-

lowing nominations en bloc: Calendar

Nos. 46 through 52, No. 82 through No.

107, No. 110 through No. 113, No. 133

through No. 139; that the nominations

be confirmed en bloc; that the motions

to reconsider be considered made and

laid upon the table with no intervening

action or debate; that no further mo-

tions be in order to any of the nomina-

tions; and that the President be imme-

diately notified of the Senate’s action.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there

objection?

The Senator from Utah.

Mr. LEE. Mr. President, reserving

the right to object, again, when faced

with a problem, the Department of De-

fense has decided to anoint itself a law-

maker, even though it is not in charge

of making laws. It doesn’t have that

power. That power is reserved to us—to

us exclusively—under article I, section

1 and article I, section 7.

So if Secretary Austin wants to

make laws, he should run for the Sen-

ate or he can run for the House. But he

can’t do this from his perch as Sec-

retary of Defense. That doesn’t work in

our system of government.

So here again, we are being asked to

consider national security implications

of these advancements and of any delay

that might be caused as a result of the

Department’s unwise decision to try to

remake abortion law, to try to rewrite

laws restricting the use of Federal

funds in facilities within the Depart-

ment of Defense for abortions.

I have another idea. I have an idea

about how we might resolve this. I

can’t speak for Senator T

UBERVILLE

but I can speak for what I could advo-

cate for Senator T

UBERVILLE

. I can

speak for what I suspect Senator

UBERVILLE

would seriously consider.

We can deal with all this right now.

We could probably get all of these folks

confirmed tonight if they will just do

one thing. This would be a nice com-

promise position. I suspect he would

withdraw his objections and we could

get everybody confirmed if the Depart-

ment of Defense were to suspend this

policy. Suspend it and say: Do you

know what? You are right. We should

have addressed this legislatively. We

will bring it up in connection with the

Defense Authorization Act.

You know, they may well be able to

get the votes in the Senate to do that.

I am not here to prejudge that posi-

tion, but that would be the appropriate

way of doing it. And that, by the way,

would allow my friends on the other

side of the aisle to accomplish what

they want, and really to accomplish

what Senator T

UBERVILLE

wants, which

is to get these folks confirmed.

But what he is not willing to do is ig-

nore the fact that they are rewriting

the law to their own image, to their

own liking, to their own political pref-

erences. That is not something they

can do, and that is certainly not some-

thing they can ask us to play a part in

doing.

Senator T

UBERVILLE

is standing on

principle. He is standing for the law.

He is standing for the principle that we

understand. The American people,

while sharply divided on many issues

related to abortion, are united—over-

whelmingly united—on the fact that

we do not use taxpayer funding for

abortions. That is what they are doing

here.

So you want to get these folks con-

firmed? We can get them confirmed to-

night, but the Department of Defense

needs to suspend this until such time

as it can get the law changed through

Congress.

If that is on the table, I would love to

discuss it. I would love to advocate to

Senator T

UBERVILLE

on behalf of that,

if you are willing to consider it. But

that is not on the table at the moment,

and on that basis, I object.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ob-

jection is heard.

The Senator from Colorado.

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I think

this is now the fifth time that I have

been out here with the Senator from

Alabama. We started this off some time

ago, and we obviously have a profound

and fundamental disagreement here.

You know, I am deeply worried about

this because I don’t think this is actu-

ally about the Senators who are here.

It is about people serving in our Armed

Forces. It is about people living in the

United States of America, and it is

about some really fundamental things

that have changed in the United

States.

The Senators on the other side of the

aisle, tonight, have been talking about

a 40-year consensus about the funding

of abortions by the Federal Govern-

ment, which is not actually even at

issue in this discussion because that is

not part of the rules that have been

changed.

I think that even the Senator from

Utah’s language here suggests that he

knows that about the rules that have

been proposed by the Department of

Defense.

But the reason we are on this floor

again is that the Senator from Ala-

bama has said he will never com-

promise, and there is nothing that can

convince him to change his mind, that

he will be out here as long as it takes.

And let’s ask the question: What is

he defending? What is he defending?

His position is that we shouldn’t pay a

travel allowance for members of the

armed services who are going from a

State that banned abortion to a State

where they can get reproductive

healthcare. He is against that, so he is

holding up every single flag officer in

the United States of America as a re-

sult of that—a tactic that has never

been used in the history of the U.S.

Senate in 230 years or more than that.

That is what he is using because he is

so offended that people can have their

travel covered for this procedure.

He has never come here to object to

the fact that people can get their trav-

el covered for all kinds of medical pro-

cedures, even though none of those pro-

cedures are written into the underlying

statute by the U.S. Congress because

that is not our job. We delegate that to

the Department of Defense.

So he is going to be out here, and he

is going to fight this until there is no

travel allowance for people who need to

travel. They have to cover it on their

own dime, just like they have to cover

that reproductive surgery or abortion

on their own dime, despite what the

Senator from Alabama said. He is

going to be out here until it all freezes

over, until he ensures that—you just

heard him say it—anybody who leaves

has to take paid leave.

Let’s be precise about it. Women who

leave to travel to another State where

an abortion is legal, under his scenario,

will have to pay for that travel them-

selves even though we pay for that

travel for all kinds of other things. He

will be out here fighting this, making

sure that not a single flag officer can

ever be promoted in the Department of

Defense, no matter who it is, no matter

how important it is, until he is assured

that women in the Defense Department

are stripped of the ability to have a lit-

tle bit of extra time to talk to their

commanding officer when they are con-

fronting one of the most difficult deci-

sions anybody can make.

Those are the three rules that are at

issue here—travel that is paid for, a lit-

tle bit of extra time, and some paid

leave.

Why are we having this debate? We

are having this debate because for the

first time in the history of the United

States since Reconstruction, we have

lost a fundamental freedom, we have

lost a fundamental right, and that is

the result of the Dobbs decision.

People come out here, and they are

talking about a 40-year consensus on

this or that. We had a 50-year con-

sensus in this country about a woman’s

access to abortion. We had a 50-year

consensus among the courts and among

the American people about what a

woman’s right to choose looked like.

And we had a 40-year campaign, year

after year after year, to create a U.S.

Supreme Court—a majority of whom

subscribe to, in my opinion, the mytho-

logical legal doctrine of originalism—

to strip the American people of that

right, to strip the American people of

that freedom, because if it wasn’t a

freedom in 1868, it is not a freedom

today. That has dramatically upset the

expectations of the American people,

including those who serve in uniform.

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Tragically, in my opinion—and this

is one of those things where people can

have fundamental moral disagreements

and fundamental religious disagree-

ments and fundamental positions that

are totally different from one another,

which I completely respect. I resolved

these things in my own mind with the

idea that this is a decision a woman

should be left to make with her doctor.

That is what I believe. But in the wake

of this decision that was fought for for

so long by so many politicians in

America—50 years or more than 50

years—we have now lost that funda-

mental freedom. We have now lost that

fundamental right. It is no longer a

choice between a woman and her doc-

tor.

In the wake of the Dobbs decision,

there are 18 States that have now

banned abortion—18 States. There are

nine States—I just got a thumbs-up on

the other side from the staff—there are

nine States that have banned abortion

without any exception for rape or in-

cest.

The Senator from Alabama’s State is

a State that has banned abortion. It is

a State where there is no exception for

rape or incest. It is a State where, if

you are a doctor and you have per-

formed an abortion, you could go to

jail for 99 years.

My State is totally different from

that. My State is the first State in

America, I think, that codified a wom-

an’s right to choose before Roe was

even decided, in our State. In the after-

math of the Dobbs decision, we are the

first State to say that we believe this

should be a choice between a woman

and her doctor.

We are going to fight that out in the

country. A majority of people support

the position that Colorado has taken.

Fifty-five percent of the people in Ala-

bama support the ability of women to

be able to make this choice under some

circumstances. Yet the Senator from

Alabama has decided that his remedy

can force his view of morality and of

principle. His perspective is that he is

going to do something that no Senator

has done for 230 years, which is to hold

up every flag officer’s promotion in the

Department of Defense.

Last week, seven former Secretaries

of Defense, Republicans and Demo-

crats, said that this block is ‘‘harming

military readiness and risks damaging

U.S. national security.’’ I am not say-

ing that. I am not saying that. Seven

former Secretaries of Defense have said

that.

Mr. President, I would ask unani-

mous consent that the letter be printed

in the R

ECORD

so everybody can see

that it is both Republicans and Demo-

crats who are saying that about the un-

precedented hold being put here by the

Senator from Alabama.

There being no objection, the mate-

rial was ordered to be printed in the

ECORD

, as follows:

ETTER

ROM

EVEN

ORMER

NITED

TATES

ECRETARIES OF

EFENSE

4, 2023.

Hon. C

HUCK

CHUMER

Senate Majority Leader,

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.

Hon. M

ITCH

Connell,

Senate Minority Leader,

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.

EAR

EADER

CHUMER AND

EADER

ONNELL

: As former Secretaries of De-

fense, we strongly urge the Senate to act ex-

peditiously on the nearly 200 nominees for

general and flag officer who are being

blocked from Senate confirmation.

The blanket hold on the promotion or reas-

signment of these senior uniformed leaders

is harming military readiness and risks dam-

aging U.S. national security. Because the

Senate is required to confirm every general

and flag officer for promotion or for reas-

signment, this practice has traditionally

been a pro-forma exercise, except where

there have been specific concerns about indi-

vidual nominees, which were then handled

separately.

The current hold that has been in place

now for several weeks is preventing key lead-

ers from assuming important, senior com-

mand and staff positions around the world.

Some are unable to take important com-

mand positions, such as leading the 5th Fleet

in Bahrain and the 7th Fleet in the Pacific,

which are critical to checking Iranian and

Chinese aggression, respectively. Others in-

clude the next military representative to

NATO, a post essential to coordinating allied

efforts in support of Ukraine, as well as the

future Director ofintelligence at U.S. Cyber

Command. Leaving these and many other

senior positions in doubt at a time of enor-

mous geopolitical uncertainty sends the

wrong message to our adversaries and could

weaken our deterrence.

Moreover, if this blanket hold is not lifted,

nearly 80 three- and four-star commanders

who are ending their terms in the coming

months will not be able to be replaced.

Worse, this will impact certain members of

the Joint Chiefs of Staff, including the

Chairman of the JCS.

There are also real-world impacts on the

families of these senior officers. Most cannot

move and resettle their families; their chil-

dren cannot enroll at their next schools on

time; and spouses cannot start new jobs at

the next duty station. We can think of few

things as irresponsible and uncaring as

harming the families of those who serve our

nation in uniform.

We appreciate that Senators can have sin-

cere and legitimate concerns about a Pen-

tagon policy, including as it may relate to

broader domestic or social issues. These law-

makers also deserve timely and thorough re-

sponses to their questions. However, we be-

lieve placing a hold on all uniformed nomi-

nees risks turning military officers into po-

litical pawns, holding them responsible for a

policy decision made by their civilian lead-

ers.

Rather, senators should leverage the nu-

merous means available to them to chal-

lenge and change DOD policy, such as intro-

ducing legislation, conducting oversight

hearings, or amending the annual National

Defense Authorization Act.

We, therefore, strongly urge the Senate to

ensure the continued readiness of the U.S.

armed forces by lifting the blanket hold and

promptly voting to confirm these uniformed

nominees.

Sincerely,

Hon. W

ILLIAM

J. P

ERRY

Former U.S. Secretary

of Defense.

Hon. W

ILLIAM

S. C

OHEN

Former U.S. Secretary

of Defense.

Hon. R

OBERT

M. G

ATES

Former U.S. Secretary

of Defense.

Hon. L

EON

E. P

ANETTA

Former U.S. Secretary

of Defense.

Hon. C

HUCK

AGEL

Former U.S. Secretary

of Defense.

Hon. J

AMES

N. M

ATTIS

Former U.S. Secretary

of Defense.

Hon. M

ARK

T. E

SPER

Former U.S. Secretary

of Defense.

Mr. BENNET. I also want to say fi-

nally, and I will stop, that the rules

the Department of Defense has had to

put in place in the wake of the Dobbs

decision stripping women of this funda-

mental freedom, stripping women of

this fundamental right—these rules

don’t do what my colleagues are saying

they are going to do.

Once again, it is a travel allowance.

It says you can take paid leave. It says

you can have a little bit more time to

notify your commanding officer. That

is all it is saying. My colleague from

Alabama has unleashed the equivalent

of this procedural nuclear weapon be-

cause that offends his principles, that

offends his sense of what is right.

I am not here to debate with him his

sense of what is right, but I do believe

that it is right that people who are

serving in the Armed Forces of the

United States of America, people who

have enlisted to defend this country,

who do not have the right to pick and

choose which State they are going to

be in and serve in, whether it is—of all

people in this country, of all people in

this country—I have heard people say—

in fact, I even heard the Senator from

Utah say this; I have read him saying

this—that one of the great things

about living in America is that you can

move from State to State. That is one

of the great things of our federalist

system, is you can take advantage of

the laws that are consistent with your

values and get away from the ones that

are not. That is not true for our men

and women in the military.

This is one of the practical con-

sequences that the Dobbs majority

never grappled with because they ap-

plied their view of originalism to the

fundamental—to the issues we are fac-

ing today as a country.

The very first call I got after that de-

cision was made—almost the first

call—was from a woman who had

served as an officer in the Air Force

who told me a personal story that she

had been through. She said to me: Mi-

chael, they have no idea what the ef-

fect of readiness is going to be on our

Armed Forces. They have no idea.

I don’t think they would have ever

believed that it would have been Mem-

bers of the U.S. Senate who would have

affected the readiness in the wake of

Dobbs the way that it is being done to-

night.

So I would ask respectfully for the

Senator from Alabama to withdraw his

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hold, to allow the Senate to move for-

ward, as it has done for the last 230

years, to approve these candidates who

have themselves signed up to serve and

themselves done the work to get pro-

moted. Let’s have the argument that

we need to have as a nation—that we

need to have as a nation—about this

fundamental freedom and about this

fundamental right without holding our

Department of Defense hostage.

I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-

ator from Utah.

Mr. LEE. Mr. President, I appreciate

the thoughtful insight provided by my

friend and colleague, the distinguished

Senator from Colorado. In particular, I

appreciate his acknowledgment that

issues related to abortion really in-

volve deep and profound areas of funda-

mental disagreement among and be-

tween Americans.

I also appreciate his acknowledgment

that this really is about Dobbs; it real-

ly is about abortion. This didn’t arise

in a vacuum.

I also appreciate his reference to fed-

eralism. He knows me well, and he

knows that I am a fan of federalism,

this concept that there are 50 States

that have united for common purposes

related to our national defense;

weights and measures; trademarks,

copyrights, and patents; regulating

trade or commerce between the States

and with foreign nations and with In-

dian Tribes; and a handful of other pur-

poses, but then we leave the rest of the

governing to the States.

We come together in the same man-

ner articulated by the Iroquois Indian

Chief Canassatego from the Onondaga

Tribe, who at a conference in Albany

explained to early Americans the se-

cret to the Iroquois Confederacy’s lon-

gevity, to its peace, to its security. The

Tribes came together. When they were

united, they couldn’t be broken, but

each one maintained its independence.

A quiver of arrows bound together is

almost impossible to break. One arrow

by itself can be broken easily. It is that

same vision—largely unheard of in the

rest of the world—that helped create a

uniquely American experiment in self-

government. This has been the recipe

to our success, to our longevity as a

constitutional Republic, to our ability

to exist as now 50 separate States with

different opinions.

There are great consequences to mo-

ments when we take debatable mat-

ters—matters of profound and funda-

mental disagreement, as described by

my colleague—and we place them be-

yond debate. This is precisely what

happened some 50 years ago when the

Supreme Court of the United States ar-

rogated to itself at once the power of

lawmaker and the power of constitu-

tional draftsman. You see, what they

did was they took away the power from

the 50 respective States to decide these

issues of profound and fundamental dis-

agreement regarding the sanctity of

life: when it begins, when unborn

human life deserves protection of the

law and when it does not.

Oh, yes, last year, the Supreme Court

of the United States finally undid that

usurpation of constitutional authority.

They were acting as lawmakers. It was

not their role. They were taking some-

thing Federal, relegated to the States.

It wasn’t theirs. Even if it were a Fed-

eral issue, it wouldn’t be theirs to

make law in this area because there is

absolutely nothing in the Constitution

of the United States that makes abor-

tion something to be decided at the

Federal level by nine lawyers wearing

robes, sitting at the Supreme Court of

the United States. Not one jot, not one

tittle, not one syllable pertains to

that. So the Supreme Court of the

United States was right in making that

decision.

I understand that my friend and dis-

tinguished colleague, the Senator from

Colorado, disagrees with me on that

front, as is his right. Importantly, how-

ever, this debate is not about that.

This debate doesn’t even deal with

abortion. It doesn’t deal with abortion

directly. It doesn’t deal with whether

or under what circumstances the law

should allow a woman to pursue an

abortion. I have strong feelings about

that that differ sharply from those of

my friend and colleague from Colorado,

but that is not what we are talking

about here.

What we are talking about here is

that the American people recognize

that this is an issue that sharply di-

vides Americans—an issue that my col-

league describes as a matter of pro-

found and fundamental disagreement.

What does unite them is the idea that

Federal taxpayer dollars shall not be

used for abortions.

This is codified elsewhere, in the

Hyde amendment, in the Mexico City

policy. It is codified in matters par-

ticular to the Department of Defense in

10 U.S.C., section 1093. That is what we

are dealing with here.

We can’t make the mistake of accus-

ing Senator T

UBERVILLE

of trying to

impose his morality or his conception

of under what circumstances a woman

ought to be able to obtain an abortion.

I believe Senator T

UBERVILLE

’s views

on that are similar to mine, but those

are not at issue here. What is at issue

here is whether taxpayer dollars from

U.S. taxpayers ought to be spent in

this area.

My colleague also suggested that this

is somehow not different from what we

do in other areas. There are all kinds of

medical procedures for which members

of the military can travel from one

State to another in order to obtain

those procedures. Understood. But

those aren’t the procedures at issue

here.

This is specific to abortion. We are

specifically creating measures for abor-

tion—not for appendicitis, not to have

bunions removed, not for other proce-

dures. It is for abortion.

What you are doing here is to say we

will pay your travel. We will give you

a per diem. We will give you 3 weeks of

paid leave time. You don’t have to use

your accumulated leave time in order

to do that.

That is unique to abortion. That

means they are paying for abortion.

So, no, I am not willing to concede,

and I have not conceded, that the law

has no application here. I believe it

violates the spirit—if not also the let-

ter—of the law. It certainly violates

the spirit but, inarguably, the letter.

When there is a Federal law that says

you may not use this for abortion, if

you use it for things that are entirely

around abortion—we will pay for your

travel out of State to get the abortion;

we will give you additional leave time

with an attached value to it; we will

give you per diem while you seek that

abortion—that is about abortion.

Imagine a young college student—a

young college student who has some-

thing that every college student prob-

ably wishes they had, a rich uncle.

Imagine there is a college student. We

will call him Bill. Bill has got a rich

uncle. We will call him Thurston—

Thurston Howell III. Thurston Howell

III has got an enormous amount of

money—more money than he knows

what to do with. He is what you might

call a gazillionaire. He says to his

nephew Bill: Bill, I don’t have any kids.

You are the only one who is going to be

able to carry on the family name. You

are attending my alma mater, and I

want you to live in style. I want you to

enjoy life. I am going to pay for your

tuition. I am going to pay for your

room and board. In fact, not just your

housing, I am going to buy you a house

located close to the campus where you

can live in style. I will get you a car,

pay your healthcare expenses, and ev-

erything. I am going to do all of this

for the rest of the time you are in col-

lege.

Bill, you see, is in his first semester,

about to wrap up the first semester. So

he is excited about all he is about to

gain.

But his uncle, Thurston Howell III,

imposes one restriction on those funds.

He says: Now, I know that you have

pledged with and are now a member of

the Sigma Beta Fraternity. And the

Sigma Betas at this university are

known for one thing. They are infa-

mous. Everybody knows they throw

really big, exciting keg parties, drunk-

en frat parties. They love those things.

So Mr. Howell says to his nephew,

Bill: Look, as a Sigma Beta, you are

going to do what you are going to do.

That is your decision. I am not going

to tell you that you can’t drink while

receiving money. But I am going to say

this: You may not use my money for

your drunken frat parties. And, by the

way, I want you to submit quarterly

receipts to me so I can review what you

are doing.

Well, the first quarter of the next se-

mester goes by, and Thurston Howell

III is reviewing Bill’s receipts. He is

aware that some huge keg parties have

been thrown. He has heard that the lat-

est of them happened to be carried out

in the house that he bought for his

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nephew Bill and that there was a lot of

alcohol served there, just as there is at

every Sigma Beta party. Then he sees

in the receipts—receipt after receipt—

one for invitations, one for streamers,

one for various forms of video enter-

tainment that they had set up there, a

big expense for a lot of red cups, and

even an expense line for ping-pong

balls, you know, for beer pong.

He goes to Bill, and he says: What

have you done? I have asked you not to

use this for your drunken frat parties.

I don’t want to be paying for your alco-

hol-filled ragers.

Bill says back to him: Well, no, every

other member of the fraternity paid for

the alcohol. I just paid for the invita-

tions and the streamers and the red

cups and the ping-pong balls and the

video entertainment system and the

DJ.

I don’t think Thurston Howell III

would be all that convinced that Bill

hadn’t violated the terms of the sup-

port agreement.

Now, sure, Bill could argue with him

all along. He could say: No, you are

wrong, Uncle Thurston.

It doesn’t make Uncle Thurston any

more inclined to go out of his way to

continue to provide that funding. If

anything, what we are dealing with

here is far clearer than the restriction

placed on Bill in my hypothetical.

Congress has said unequivocally: We

are not going to use Department of De-

fense funds, we are not going to use De-

partment of Defense facilities for abor-

tions.

That is what the Department of De-

fense has done. It is a policy change,

and a policy change that my friend

from Colorado has acknowledged is a

policy change. He believes it is justi-

fied somehow by the Supreme Court’s

decision in Dobbs. He is welcome to

that opinion, but it is not accurate.

There is no clause in there that says

that there is an exception if the Su-

preme Court changes its jurisprudence

with regard to Roe v. Wade, Casey v.

Planned Parenthood, and their prog-

eny. Not a jot, not a tittle, not a scin-

tilla supports that.

So, now, unhappy that some of these

nominees aren’t moving, Secretary

Austin sends his emissaries, sends his

friends in the Senate to go and attack

Senator T

UBERVILLE

. Why? Because

Senator T

UBERVILLE

is standing up for

what the law says.

He is not trying to impose his moral-

ity on women in the military—far from

it. He is just trying to impose the law,

to make sure the law is followed, and

that when the law is not followed, he is

not going to help the Department of

Defense move things any faster. That

is well within his right to do, and I ap-

plaud him for it. We need more of that

very kind of courage in the U.S. Sen-

ate.

As the Supreme Court has learned—

as we have all learned from that expe-

rience—we don’t end these profound

and fundamental disagreements by

taking debatable matters beyond de-

bate. That is what the Supreme Court

tried in Roe v. Wade, and it failed, es-

pecially because it was untethered

from the Constitution and fundamen-

tally at odds with it.

This effort here to rewrite the law

from the E-Ring of the Pentagon will

fare no better.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-

ator from Colorado.

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, the

hour is late, and I am conscious that

we are supposed to get off the floor. I

know the staff needs to go home. So I

won’t belabor this.

I will say that I will put to one side,

and I am sure that my colleague, my

friend from Utah, would agree, that we

are not talking here about a drunken

frat party and the fortunes or misfor-

tunes of an ungrateful student and

their rich uncle. We are talking about

people that, in real life, are having to

make decisions that are the most fun-

damental decisions that any individual

can make.

They have had 50 years’ worth of ex-

pectations about what those decisions

are going to look like, and those expec-

tations have been completely upset by

the Supreme Court, first, when this

originalist majority ruled that if it

wasn’t a freedom in 1868, it is not a

freedom today. It is something that,

when I was in law school, I never imag-

ined that I would ever have read out of

a Supreme Court opinion, certainly not

on something of this magnitude.

But then in the wake of it, 18 States

banned abortion. In the wake of it,

nine States banned abortion without

exceptions for rape or incest. In the

wake of it, in Alabama, they are saying

that if doctors use chemicals for abor-

tion, they can be prosecuted with a

statute that was written to attack

fentanyl or methamphetamines. And in

the wake of it, Members of the U.S.

Senate come to this floor and use a

procedure that has never been used be-

fore in the history of America to hold

up every single flag promotion just to

make sure they can make it harder for

somebody who is facing the most dif-

ficult decision that they can ever

make; to make it harder for them to

decide when they are going to talk to

their superior officer; to make it hard-

er for them to travel somewhere where,

yes, they have to pay for that abortion

out of their pocket; to ensure that you

have to use paid leave to do it; that

that is such an injustice that we are

going to come out here and hold up

every flag officer’s promotion.

Some people, after this ruling—I

never heard the Senator from Utah say

this, and I am not ascribing this to

him. But there were people after that

ruling who said: Don’t worry about

this. You don’t have to worry about

this. This is just States’ rights. It is

the laboratory of the States. It is going

back to the States.

And 18 States have banned abortion,

and many of those States are States

where people in the armed services

serve. They have no choice over where

they serve.

I am not the originalist on this floor

tonight, but I can read the plain lan-

guage of those regulations, and I could

see from that plain language that there

is nothing in there that pays for abor-

tion.

There was no objection out here on

this floor when somebody at the De-

fense Department put in procedures, as

the Senator from Utah says, for appen-

dicitis or for bunions or for whatever is

on his list. There was no objection.

There was nobody coming here to the

floor indignantly saying that their

rights as a Senator had been somehow

stripped as a result of that rule-

making—far from it, because people

recognized that in order for the Depart-

ment of Defense to function just like

any other administrative Agency, they

have to be able to make decisions

based on delegated powers from the

U.S. Congress. And in the face of what

has happened with the Dobbs decision,

the Defense Department is trying to

get to a place where there is a reason-

able outcome for people who have to

make this decision.

I think there is a lot of benefit to fed-

eralism, but one of those benefits

ought to be that, if you are serving in

the Department of Defense and the De-

partment of Defense assigns you, as is

the Department of Defense’s right,

without your permission or without

your say-so, without your OK, that it

is reasonable for the Department of De-

fense to notice when you are living in

a State that has banned abortion with

no exceptions for rape or incest. It is

reasonable for the Department of De-

fense to notice that you are living in a

State where, if you are a doctor and

you performed an abortion, you could

go to jail for 99 years or, if you are liv-

ing in the ‘‘Republic’’ of Texas, where

they have actually put a bounty of

$10,000 or $20,000 so that, if a neighbor

or a friend turns you in for pursuing re-

productive healthcare—an abortion—

you can get that money because you

let somebody know that you have done

that.

I mean, I admit this has all changed

because of Dobbs, and now we are try-

ing to grapple with that. We are all

trying to grapple with that, and we all

have differences of opinion about that.

But I think what we are saying is,

don’t make a difficult situation even

harder for the people who have signed

up, volunteered to be at the Depart-

ment of Defense; don’t create more un-

certainty at the Department of Defense

by holding up these flag promotions

just to get your point of view, just to

be able to make sure that it is harder,

not easier, for people to access repro-

ductive healthcare.

And I think that is why, when the

Senator from Alabama says that noth-

ing is going to convince him, that he is

going to be doing this as long as it

takes, I am really worried that that is

going to take forever because the ma-

jority, certainly, of the American peo-

ple are not going to agree that we

should make it harder for people who

are in this position.

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And by the way, just on the other

point about what the Federal law actu-

ally says here: We voted, I think, the

other day, if I am not wrong, on a

CRA—or whatever those administra-

tive things are around here—because

the Senator from Alabama was angry

that the VA had changed the excep-

tions for providing abortion from just

the life of the mother to situations

where there is rape or incest. He was so

angry at that, he came out here to ad-

dress that.

So don’t think this isn’t about that

subject, that this isn’t about a wom-

an’s right to choose. That is exactly—

that is why these guys are out here. I

am not saying the Senator from Utah.

That is why this objection has been

made.

So I think the American people need

to understand—I hope they under-

stand—who is standing up here on this

floor tonight for a woman’s right to

choose, for that fundamental constitu-

tional and human right, and who is op-

posing. And I know that there are sig-

nificant disagreements, as I said ear-

lier, in our country about those two

issues.

I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-

ator from Utah.

Mr. LEE. Mr. President, there are

myriad ways in which concerns of

those serving in the military, concerns

of dependents of those serving in the

military, could be accommodated in a

way that doesn’t violate the letter, if

not—or at least the spirit of the law.

Among other things, the military, if it

wanted to, could, without offending

this provision of law or any provision

of law that I am aware of, give military

personnel some say in where they live.

If there is some State that, for one

reason or another, whether related to

this issue or another, is offensive to

them; if it would, in their judgment,

impair their health or otherwise be ob-

jectionable to them—perhaps just be

objectionable to them on this basis—

the military could, without impli-

cating this or any other statute of

which I am aware, give them some say

in it, give them the ability to say ‘‘I

don’t want to serve there; I would like

to be transferred somewhere else.’’

That wouldn’t involve Federal funds

funding or at least facilitating abor-

tion.

So the fact that we have different

States with different laws and the fact

that those laws may impact people dif-

ferently depending on where they hap-

pen to be living, where they happen to

be serving at the time, doesn’t mean

that the only answer is for the Depart-

ment of Defense to ignore 10 U.S.C. 1093

and pretend that nothing has changed

relative to its relationship to Congress.

Now, as to Senator T

UBERVILLE

, let’s

remember, he went to the Department

of Defense. If I am not mistaken, he

went to the Secretary of Defense him-

self. He outlined his concerns because

there have been rumors circulating

about this policy for months.

Senator T

UBERVILLE

, remember, is a

member of the Armed Services Com-

mittee. The Senate Armed Services

Committee has an oversight role—an

important one—over the Department of

Defense. It was his right, it was his

duty to know what was going on in the

Department of Defense. He inquired

again and again and again, and they

wouldn’t tell him.

Finally, he got an audience with the

Secretary of Defense and informed

him, as I understand the conversation,

of the fact that there would be dire

consequences, including this one, if he

chose to proceed. The Secretary of De-

fense considered that risk, and he un-

dertook it nonetheless. He stood before

the law and the wishes of a U.S. Sen-

ator and the promise of a U.S. Senator

that this would be the consequence,

and he did it anyway.

I can’t speak to why he chose to do

that, but it was, in fact, his choice; it

was, in fact, his decision.

So, now, as to the suggestion that

there are other procedures for which

people can travel interstate and that

we haven’t raised objections with re-

gard to those, those aren’t covered by

this policy. This one is about abortion.

This one is there to say: If you want to

get an abortion, then you get the 3

weeks of extra leave, paid leave; then

you get the per diem; then you get the

reimbursed travel. You get all of that

if you are getting an abortion.

That is not there for anything else. It

is not there for the treatment of other

medical conditions that are common—

strep throat treatment that happens to

be unavailable in one area or another

or—I don’t know—schistosomiasis. I

don’t know what that is, but I heard

the term on ‘‘M.A.S.H.’’ once. It is a

real dire medical condition. Maybe you

are serving in one State, and they can’t

treat that in one State because of that

State’s quirky laws. This policy

doesn’t offer any relief on that, no.

This applies specifically to abortion,

implicating the concerns of the Amer-

ican people—legitimate concerns, I

would add—over the use of Federal

funds for that purpose. That unites

Americans more than perhaps any

other, and with a lot of good reason.

They are telling these military

women: We are so supportive of this

particular thing that we are going to

pay for your travel; we are going to re-

imburse everything; we are going to

give you a per diem and give you 3

weeks of paid leave.

I do wonder sometimes how one

would feel, as a woman serving in the

military, being told that. What if you

are a woman who may become preg-

nant who wants to become pregnant?

Does this create the kind of hostile en-

vironment in which a woman wanting

to serve in the military and wanting to

have children feels that the Depart-

ment of Defense is so, so resistant to

childbearing among its female service-

members that it is willing to pay out a

lot of money to do that?

In any event, this is not something

that one can easily reconcile with the

policy embodied in 10 U.S.C. section

1093. That can be changed. There is

nothing etched into the Constitution

about that. Congress could change it.

But to do that, you would have to have

the votes. To have the votes, you would

have to have some sort of legislative

effort to do that. There hasn’t been one

here.

Why? Well, because it is a lot easier

to just decree it, just pen a memo and

issue the memo, saying: We are going

to make it so. We are going to ignore

it.

As to the suggestion that this is not

something that can be compared to a

drunken frat party, well, fair point; it

cannot. No, it is much more serious

than that. The American people don’t

feel so passionately about a drunken

frat party that they have put in place

a Federal law saying that the Depart-

ment of Defense may never use funds

to hold certain kinds of parties, includ-

ing those involving alcohol.

This involves unborn human life.

Now, I understand that not everybody

approaches unborn human life and its

sanctity and the degree to which it

should be protected under law the same

way, but that is exactly why this pol-

icy exists, and that is exactly why the

policy is embodied in a Federal stat-

ute. This stands squarely in the face of

that, and it disregards it.

Senator T

UBERVILLE

has every right

and every reason to stand up for this.

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.

ADILLA

). The Senator from Colorado.

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I hope

we will bring this to a close, but I

would first of all say that—stating the

obvious—neither the Senator from

Utah nor I are a woman, and I am not

going to suggest that I know how peo-

ple who are women in the military nec-

essarily feel about this.

I suspect, far less often than the per-

son whom the Senator from Utah is

concerned about, which is somebody

who feels like they are somehow dis-

criminated against because they are

going to carry a child to term versus

somebody who is going to face this

really hard, hard, hard choice, that a

much more likely feeling and sense of

harm will be the complete loss of any

sense of privacy that they are going to

have as a result of Dobbs and the effect

of Dobbs and the effect of what these

people are arguing tonight on the floor

of the Senate about: making it harder

to travel; about saying that, no, you

can’t have more time to talk to your

commanding officer about a decision

that you have to make; no, the entire

unit is going to know what it is that

you are going to have to confront be-

cause, unlike every other medical pro-

cedure that we are dealing with, when

it is abortion, then everybody is going

to know, and your right to privacy has

been eviscerated.

I guarantee you, for every single per-

son who feels the way that the Senator

from Utah suggests that some people

feel, like somehow they are being dis-

criminated against because they are

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not in the position to have to deal with

the most difficult decision that any-

body could make, that the number of

people who are concerned about what

this has done to the right to privacy—

and this not just in the Department of

Defense but in our country—is far

greater, is far greater.

And I would also just say that if

States’ rights were of such paramount

importance, that there wouldn’t be

people in this country right now trying

to make it illegal for States to allow

people to use chemicals to perform

abortions, even though that is how a

majority of abortions in this country

are performed.

And I don’t agree with the Senator

from Utah that we should have a mili-

tary where I can just decide, as an indi-

vidual, that I am not going to serve in

a State because the laws of that State

are ones that I don’t agree to or I don’t

subscribe to or I morally disagree with.

That is not how the military is sup-

posed to work.

I would argue that is a lot more im-

portant than what the Constitution has

to say about weights and measures.

I suspect there is also a reason why

no Senator in the history of America,

on any issue of profound importance,

as this issue is, has held hostage every

single flag officer promotion of the De-

partment of Defense.

I suspect there is a reason why that

has never happened before—because we

know the damage this is doing, and we

know that sometimes, once you put

yourself into a cul-de-sac, it is really,

really hard to get out of it, especially

when the majority of the American

people don’t agree with you on the sub-

stance and don’t agree with your tac-

tic. But that is where we are tonight.

I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-

ator from Utah.

Mr. LEE. Mr. President, the argu-

ment made by my friend and my distin-

guished colleague from Colorado reso-

nates with me. He doesn’t want this to

be treated ‘‘unlike every other medical

procedure.’’ I couldn’t agree more.

That is all Senator T

UBERVILLE

is sug-

gesting. It shouldn’t be treated any dif-

ferently than the others, because other

medical procedures—you don’t get 3

weeks of paid leave; you don’t get per

diem; you don’t get your airfare and

whatever else paid for. Just treat it the

same way. It is not just that it is a

good idea; it is not just that it is fair;

it is that it is also consistent with Fed-

eral law, which says we don’t use Fed-

eral funds for abortions. We just don’t

do that.

So here, not only are we doing the

opposite of what he said he wanted,

which is to not have abortions treated

unlike every other medical procedure,

but we are using Federal funds to do it.

I find that difficult to reconcile with

the law and with the policy embodied

in that law.

As to the suggestion of States’

rights, I want to be very clear here.

Speaking of federalism—I don’t speak

of this ever as States’ rights. States

don’t have rights. States have power.

They have authority. Rights are the

opposite of power and authority.

Rights are things that you invoke

against authority, as a carve-out to

that authority.

So with regard to federalism, there is

no reason why someone serving in the

military couldn’t be given some sort of

preference not to serve in a particular

State, whether because of a moral ob-

jection to a State’s policy or a prac-

tical medical objection. That would be

an entirely permissible way, as far as I

am concerned, for the Department of

Defense to deal with the issue raised by

the Senator from Colorado. But what

they can’t do is find a way sneakily to

use Federal funds—Department of De-

fense funds—in order to bring about

these abortions.

Look, it is not Senator T

UBERVILLE

who brought us here. Senator

UBERVILLE

didn’t bring us to this mo-

ment. This was a conscious, deliberate

choice made by the Department of De-

fense, made by the Secretary of De-

fense, and it was an unwise one, and I

am proud to stand behind him in that.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-

ator from Colorado.

Mr. BENNET. I wrap just by saying

this: I think that the choice that has

been made is a practical choice that

has been made in the wake of a funda-

mental freedom and a fundamental

right being stripped from the American

people, and we are not going to solve

that disagreement tonight.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous con-

sent to have printed in the R

ECORD

names of people and the positions of

these ranking officers who are not

going to be promoted all around the

world as a result of what the Senator

from Alabama has done. That is why

we are here tonight.

With that, I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-

ator from Utah.

Mr. LEE. We can confirm every one

of those folks tonight, right now.

Mr. BENNET. Let’s do it.

Mr. LEE. Do it right now. If the De-

partment of Defense takes it off the

table and says they will suspend it

until such time as the Senate can de-

bate, discuss it, and bring about the

necessary change to Federal law, I will

agree to that right now, and we will

get them confirmed tonight.

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I would

ask my colleague, addressing the Sen-

ator from Utah through the Chair,

where in the rules there is language

that says the Department of Defense

will pay for an abortion. Where is it?

Because it is not in the plain text, you

know, and that is the basis for this ob-

jection. That is the basis for the moral

objection, if there is one, and that is

the basis for the offense that the Sen-

ators have taken from the idea that

the Department of Defense would steal

from the Senate the ability to make

these judgments on their own. I can’t

find anything in the plain text that

says it. We checked—my office has

checked again, as we have every night

that I have been out here—and are as-

sured that if a servicemember goes to

another State to seek abortion serv-

ices, that abortion is not paid for by

the Department of Defense or by the

Federal Government.

So I would ask again the Senator

from Utah to show us—he can do it off

the floor—where the language is that is

in these rules that explicitly says that.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-

ator from Utah.

Mr. LEE. Mr. President, the statute

prohibits the use of Federal funds to

pay for an abortion—can’t possibly be

interpreted as having nothing to say

about paying most of the cost associ-

ated with an abortion. By the time you

pay someone to travel, by the time you

pay someone to travel interstate, you

give them 3 weeks of compensated

leave, you give them per diem, most of

the cost associated with that abortion

has then been paid by the Federal Gov-

ernment.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-

ator from Colorado.

Mr. BENNET. I appreciate the gloss

that the Senator from Utah has put on

the plain language of this statute,

which clearly does not allow—if it did,

he would have shown us that language.

I wish that Justice Alito and the

other members of the Supreme Court

who applied the originalist view that

determined that because it doesn’t say

a woman’s right to choose in the Con-

stitution, there must not be such a fun-

damental right—I wish they had used

the sort of statutory interpretation my

colleague from Utah has chosen this

evening. Similarly, with the approach

to federalism, you know, it all depends

on what the underlying issue happens

to be.

With that, I yield the floor.

There being no objection, the mate-

rial was ordered to be printed in the

ECORD

, as follows:

ILITARY

OMINATIONS

IN THE AIR FORCE

Exec. Cal. No. 46—Col. Leigh A. Swanson to

be Brigadier General

IN THE ARMY

Exec. Cal. No. 47—Maj. Gen. Sean A.

Gainey to be Lieutenant General

Exec. Cal. No. 48—Maj. Gen. Heidi J. Hoyle

to be Lieutenant General

Exec. Cal. No. 49—Brig. Gen. Laurence S.

Linton to be Major General

Exec. Cal. No. 50—Brig. Gen. Stacy M. Bab-

cock to be Major General and Col. Peggy R.

McManus to be Brigadier General

IN THE AIR FORCE

Exec. Cal. No. 51—Maj. Gen. Andrew J.

Gebara to be Lieutenant General

IN THE ARMY

Exec. Cal. No. 52—Maj. Gen. Robert M. Col-

lins to be Lieutenant General

IN THE AIR FORCE

Exec. Cal. No. 82—to be Brigadier Col.

David J. Berkland; Col. Amy S. Bumgarner;

Col. Ivory D. Carter; Col. Raja J. Chari; Col.

Jason E. Corrothers; Col. John B. Creel; Col.

Nicholas B. Evans; Col. Bridget V. Gigliotti;

Col. Christopher B. Hammond; Col. Leslie F.

Hauck, III; Col. Kurt C. Helphinstine; Col.

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Abraham L. Jackson; Col. Benjamin R.

Jonsson; Col. Joy M. Kaczor; Col. Chris-

topher J. Leonard; Col. Christopher E.

Menuey; Col. David S. Miller; Col. Jeffrey A.

Philips; Col. Erik N. Quigley; Col. Michael S.

Rowe; Col. Derek M. Salmi; Col. Kayle M.

Stevens; Col. Jose E. Sumangil; Col. Terence

G. Taylor; Col. Jason D. Voorheis; Col. Mi-

chael O. Walters; Col. Adrienne L. Williams

Exec. Cal. No. 83—Col. Corey A. Simmons

to be to be Brigadier General

IN THE NAVY

Exec. Cal. No. 84—Rear Adm. George M.

Wikoff to be Vice Admiral

Exec. Cal. No. 85—Rear Adm. Frederick W.

Kacher to be Vice Admiral

IN THE AIR FORCE

Exec. Cal. No. 47—to be Brigadier General:

Col. Sean M. Carpenter; Col. Mary K.

Haddad; Col. James L. Hartle; Col. Aaron J.

Heick; Col. Joseph D. Janik; Col. Michael T.

McGinley; Col. Kevin J. Merrill; Col. Tara E.

Nolan; Col. Roderick C. Owens; Col. Mark D.

Richey; Col. Norman B. Shaw, Jr.

Exec. Cal. No. 87—to be Brigadier General:

Col. Kristin A. Hillery; Col. Michelle L. Wag-

ner

Exec. Cal. No. 88—to be Major General:

Brig. Gen. Elizabeth E. Arledge; Brig. Gen.

Robert M. Blake; Brig. Gen. Vanessa J.

Dornoefer; Brig. Gen. Christopher A. Free-

man; Brig. Gen. David P. Garfield; Brig. Gen.

Mitchell A. Hanson; Brig. Gen. Jody A. Mer-

ritt; Brig. Gen. Adrian K. White; Brig. Gen.

William W. Whittenberger, Jr.; Brig. Gen.

Christopher F. Yancy

IN THE ARMY

Exec. Cal. No. 89—Col. Carlos M. Caceres to

be Brigadier General

IN THE NAVY

Exec. Cal. No. 90—Rear Adm. Shoshana S.

Chatfield—to be Vice Admiral

IN THE ARMY

Exec. Cal. No. 91—Col. William F.

Wilkerson to be Brigadier General

Exec. Cal. No. 92—Col. Evelyn E. Laptook

to be Brigadier General

Exec. Cal. No. 93—Brig. Gen. Ronald R.

Ragin to be Major General

Exec. Cal. No. 94—to be Brigadier General:

Col. Brandon C. Anderson; Col. Beth A. Behn;

Col. Matthew W. Braman; Col. Kenneth J.

Burgess; Col. Thomas E. Burke; Col. Chad C.

Chalfont; Col. Kendall J. Clarke; Col. Pat-

rick M. Costello; Col. Rory A. Crooks; Col.

Troy M. Denomy; Col. Sara E. Dudley; Col.

Joseph E. Escandon; Col. Alric L. Francis;

Col. George C. Hackler; Col. William C. Han-

nan, Jr.; Col. Peter G. Hart; Col. Gregory L.

Holden; Col. Paul D. Howard; Col. James G.

Kent; Col. Curtis W. King; Col. John P.

Lloyd; Col. Shannon M. Lucas; Col. Landis C.

Maddox; Col. Kareem P. Montague; Col. John

B. Mountford; Col. David C. Phillips; Col.

Kenneth N. Reed; Col. John W. Sannes; Col.

Andrew O. Saslav; Col. Charlone E.

Stallworth; Col. Jennifer S. Walkawicz; Col.

Camilla A. White; Col. Scott D. Wilkinson;

Col. Jeremy S. Wilson; Col. Scott C. Wood-

ward; Col. Joseph W. Wortham, II; Col. David

J. Zinn

IN THE MARINE CORPS

Exec. Cal. No. 95—to be Brigadier General:

Col. David R. Everly; Col. Kelvin W.

Gallman; Col. Adolfo Garcia, Jr.; Col. Mat-

thew T. Good; Col. Trevor Hall; Col. Richard

D. Joyce; Col. Omar J. Randall; Col. Robert

S. Weiler

IN THE NAVY

Exec. Cal. No. 96—to be Rear Admiral

(lower half): Capt. Walter D. Brafford; Capt.

Robert J. Hawkins

Exec. Cal. No. 97—to be Rear Admiral

(lower half): Capt. Amy N. Bauernschmidt;

Capt. Michael B. Devore; Capt. Thomas A.

Donovan Capt. Frederic C. Goldhammer;

Capt. Ian L. Johnson; Capt. Neil A.

Koprowski; Capt. Paul J. Lanzilotta; Capt.

Joshua Lasky; Capt. Donald W. Marks; Capt.

Craig T. Mattingly; Capt. Andrew T. Miller;

Capt. Lincoln M. Reifsteck; Capt. Frank A.

Rhodes, IV; Capt. Thomas E. Shultz; Capt.

Todd E. Whalen; Capt. Forrest O. Young

Exec. Cal. No. 98—to be Rear Admiral

(lower half): Capt. Brian J. Anderson; Capt.

Julie M. Treanor

Exec. Cal. No. 99—to be Rear Admiral:

Rear Adm. (lh) Casey J. Moton; Rear Adm.

(lh) Stephen R. Tedford

Exec. Cal. No. 100—Rear Adm. (lh) Rick

Freedman to be Rear Admiral

Exec. Cal. No. 101—Rear Adm. (lh) Kenneth

W. Epps to be Rear Admiral

Exec. Cal. No. 102—to be Rear Admiral:

Rear Adm. (lh) Stephen D. Barnett; Rear

Adm. (lh) Michael W. Baze; Rear Adm. (lh)

Richard T. Brophy, Jr.; Rear Adm. (lh) Jo-

seph F. Cahill, III; Rear Adm. (lh) Brian L.

Davies; Rear Adm. (lh) Michael P. Donnelly;

Rear Adm. (lh) Daniel P. Martin; Rear Adm.

(lh) Richard E. Seif, Jr.; Rear Adm. (lh) Paul

C. Spedero, Jr.; Rear Adm. (lh) Derek A.

Trinque; Rear Adm. (lh) Dennis Velez; Rear

Adm. (lh) Darryl L. Walker; Rear Adm. (lh)

Jeromy B. Williams

Exec. Cal. No. 103—Capt. Frank G.

Schlereth, II to be Rear Admiral (lower half)

Exec. Cal. No. 104—to be Rear Admiral

(lower half): Capt. Joshua C. Himes; Capt.

Kurtis A. Mole

Exec. Cal. No. 105—to be Rear Admiral

(lower half): Capt. Thomas J. Dickinson;

Capt. Kevin R. Smith; Capt. Todd S. Weeks;

Capt. Dianna Wolfson

IN THE AIR FORCE

Exec. Cal. No. 106—to be Major General:

Brig. Gen. Thomas W. Harrell; Brig. Gen.

Jeannine M. Ryder

IN THE MARINE CORPS

Exec. Cal. No. 107—Lt. Gen. James W.

Bierman, Jr. to be Lieutenant General

IN THE AIR FORCE

Exec. Cal. No. 110—To be Major General:

Brig. Gen. Curtis R. Bass; Brig. Gen. Kenyon

K. Bell; Brig. Gen. Charles D. Bolton; Brig.

Gen. Larry R. Broadwell, Jr.; Brig. Gen.

Scott A. Cain; Brig. Gen. Sean M. Choquette;

Brig. Gen. Roy W. Collins; Brig. Gen. John R.

Edwards; Brig. Gen. Jason T. Hinds; Brig.

Gen. Justin R. Hoffman; Brig. Gen. Stacy J.

Huser; Brig. Gen. Matteo G. Martemucci;

Brig. Gen. David A. Mineau; Brig. Gen. Paul

D. Moga; Brig. Gen. Ty W. Neuman; Brig.

Gen. Christopher J. Niemi; Brig. Gen. Bran-

don D. Parker; Brig. Gen. Michael T. Rawls;

Brig. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder; Brig. Gen.

David G. Shoemaker; Brig. Gen. Rebecca J.

Sonkiss; Brig. Gen. Claude K. Tudor, Jr.;

Brig. Gen. Dale R. White

IN THE MARINE CORPS

Exec. Cal. No. 111—Maj. Gen. Bradford J.

Gering to be Lieutenant General

Exec. Cal. No. 112—Maj. Gen. Gregory L.

Masiello to be Lieutenant General

Exec. Cal. No. 113—Rear Adm. James P.

Downey to be Vice Admiral

IN THE ARMY

Exec. Cal. No. 130—Maj. Gen. John W.

Brennan, Jr. to be Lieutenant General

IN THE NAVY

Exec. Cal. No. 131—Vice Adm. Karl O.

Thomas to be Vice Admiral

IN THE MARINE CORPS

Exec. Cal. No. 132—Lt. Gen. Michael S.

Cederholm to be Lieutenant General

IN THE AIR FORCE

Exec. Cal. No. 133—Brig. Gen. Derin S. Dur-

ham to be Major General

IN THE ARMY

Exec. Cal. No. 134—to be Brigadier General:

Col. Brandi B. Peasley; Col. John D. Rhodes;

Col. Earl C. Sparks, IV

Exec. Cal. No. 135—Brig. Gen. William

Green, Jr. to be Major General

Exec. Cal. No. 136—Maj. Gen. Mark T.

Simerly to be Lieutenant General

IN THE MARINE CORPS

Exec. Cal. No. 137—Maj. Gen. Ryan P. Her-

itage to be Lieutenant General

IN THE NAVY

Exec. Cal. No. 138—Vice Adm. Craig A.

Clapperton to be Vice Admiral

IN THE AIR FORCE

Exec. Cal. No. 139—Col. Brian R. Moore to

be Brigadier General

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-

ator from Colorado.

LEGISLATIVE SESSION

MORNING BUSINESS

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I ask

unanimous consent that the Senate

proceed to legislative session and be in

a period of morning business, with Sen-

ators permitted to speak therein for up

to 10 minutes each.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

NATIONAL POLICE WEEK

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I rise to

recognize the sacrifices and dedication

of our Nation’s law enforcement per-

sonnel. I am proud to cosponsor the

resolution offered by Senators D

URBIN

and G

RAHAM

recognizing May 14

through May 20 as National Police

Week. This bipartisan resolution recog-

nizes the critical role that law enforce-

ment officers play in keeping our

neighborhoods and communities safe.

It also calls attention to the impor-

tance of ensuring enforcement officers

have the equipment, training, and re-

sources necessary to perform their du-

ties. Finally, the resolution pays trib-

ute to fallen law enforcement officers,

including three Marylanders whom I

would like to recognize in particular.

These names will be added to the Na-

tional Law Enforcement Officers Me-

morial, located in Judiciary Square

near Capitol Hill.

Deputy First Class Kenneth ‘‘Kenny’’

Olander served the Sheriff’s Office of

Frederick County, MD, for 32 years. He

worked as a patrol operations deputy,

school resource officer, and most re-

cently as a community deputy. He had

previously served in the Army for 6

years and worked as a military police

officer. He passed away in March of

2022 after contracting COVID–19 in the

line of duty. He is survived by his wife

and three children.

Corporal Gregory Bednarek served

with the Maryland Transportation Au-

thority Police for 19 years. A lifelong

Marylander, Gregory was born in Balti-

more and attended the University of

Maryland, College Park. He died from

complications as the result of con-

tracting COVID–19 in the line of duty.

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He is survived by his wife, step-

daughter, stepson, parents, sister, two

nephews, and niece.

Wicomico County Deputy First Class

Glenn Hilliard had served with the

Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office for 6

years and had previously served with

the Berlin Police Department for 10

years. He was shot and killed in July of

2022 while attempting to arrest a man

wanted on multiple felony warrants.

Hilliard had bravely pursued the sus-

pect on foot as he attempted to flee. He

is survived by his wife and three chil-

dren.

The sacrifices of these Marylanders

will not be forgotten, nor will their

decades of faithful service to keeping

their communities safe. We extend our

heartfelt condolences to the families

left behind.

NATIONAL POLICE WEEK

Mrs. HYDE-SMITH. Mr. President,

this week our Nation commemorates

the 2023 National Police Week and hon-

ors the brave men and women of law

enforcement who have made the ulti-

mate sacrifice in the line of duty. As a

nation, we will pay tribute to those

who have given their lives to protect

our communities and join in mourning

their loss with their families and loved

ones.

As we recognize National Police

Week and remember these fallen offi-

cers, we must acknowledge the critical

role that law enforcement officers play

in keeping our communities safe. They

leave their homes and families every

day not knowing if they will return.

The amount of courage, dedication, and

passion that demands cannot be over-

stated. It is important to remember,

too, that their families also dem-

onstrate exceptional courage, as they

support their loved ones knowing the

circumstances are sometimes life and

death.

My State of Mississippi is blessed

with amazing law enforcement. These

men and women in blue are not only

hometown heroes, but also are an inte-

gral part of our communities. Every

loss of an officer is deeply felt by all. I

would like to specifically remember

and honor the nine fallen officers from

Mississippi whose names have been

added to the National Law Enforce-

ment Officers Memorial this year.

These officers died heroes in service to

their communities, and we will forever

be grateful for their sacrifice.

We remember: Steven Michael Robin

and Branden Paul Estorffe of the Bay

St. Louis Police Department, who were

shot and killed while conducting a wel-

fare check, and Marzell Jerome Brooks

of the Brookhaven Police Department,

who passed from COVID–19 during the

commission of his job duties.

We remember: Myiesha Breanna

Stewart of the Greenville Police De-

partment, who was shot and killed dur-

ing a vehicle pursuit of a suspect who

fled the scene after a shooting; Lee Dan

Vance, Jr., of the Hinds County Sher-

iff’s Office who died after contracting

COVID–19 during an outbreak among

employees and inmates; and Robert Ed-

ward Moak, Sr., of the Lincoln County

Sheriff’s Office, who was killed by a

suspect who he had testified against in

court.

We remember: Kennis Winston Croom

of the Meridian Police Department,

who was shot and killed while respond-

ing to a domestic violence call, and

Jeffrey Ray Turney of the Pontotoc

Police Department, who succumbed to

COVID–19 after contracting the illness

during the commission of his job du-

ties.

Lastly, we remember Johnny Ray-

mond Patterson of the Verona Police

Department, who was struck by a vehi-

cle while directing traffic.

To honor their memory, we must put

our words into actions by ensuring our

officers have the resources and tools

they need to do their jobs safely and ef-

fectively. It is critical they have ade-

quate support for training, equipment,

and technology, as well as policies that

prioritize officer safety and well-being.

For my part, I will continue to be an

advocate for law enforcement profes-

sionals and provide support where pos-

sible and do all I can to honor the leg-

acy of those lost in the line of duty.

I ask my colleagues to join me in re-

membering and honoring these brave

officers in Mississippi and across the

Nation during National Police Week

and throughout the year. It is my pray-

er that their families and loved ones

find comfort in knowing that their sac-

rifices will never be forgotten.

TRIBUTE TO LAWRENCE ECKSTEIN

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I rise

today to recognize the exceptional life

of Lawrence Eckstein, on the occasion

of his 99th birthday.

Mr. Eckstein was born on June 30,

1924, in Wisconsin. He attended

Winneconne High School before head-

ing into the workforce at age 14. At age

20, Mr. Eckstein entered the U.S. Army

and served as a private in both the 85th

Infantry Division and 10th Mt. Division

from 1944 through 1947. During his time

in the U.S Army, he was stationed

throughout Italy and Austria. He was a

recipient of the Bronze Star Medal and

received a Quilt of Valor in 2022.

In 1952, Mr. Eckstein married his wife

Darlene. Together, they raised six chil-

dren and celebrated 61 years of mar-

riage before her passing in 2013. After

the military, Mr. Eckstein worked

within the Kimberly-Clark Corporation

for 26 years. Retirement didn’t stop Mr.

Eckstein from keeping busy. He drove

semi-trucks up until the age of 86 and

often could be seen riding his bike on

the Wiouwash trail in Winneconne up

until the age of 95.

Mr. Eckstein is also incredibly active

with the Winneconne Legion, marching

in local parades up until the age of 91.

He also had the opportunity to go on

the Old Glory Honor Flight back in

2012.

I am privileged to acknowledge the

life and work of Lawrence Eckstein,

and on the occasion of his 99th birth-

day, I wish him a happy birthday and

thank him for his lifetime of service to

our country.

HONORING SEAMAN SECOND

CLASS DAVID JOSEPH RILEY

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I rise

today to honor the sacrifice of S2C

David Joseph Riley who lost his life,

along with 428 of his fellow crewmen,

on December 7, 1941, while serving on

the USS Oklahoma during the attack

on Pearl Harbor. After over 80 years,

S2C Riley’s remains will finally come

to Juda in Green County, WI, on May

27, 2023.

Seaman Second Class Riley was born

on February 18, 1916, and at the age of

11 years old became the foster son of

Elmer and Della (Matzke) Asmus of

Juda, WI. He attended the Juda ele-

mentary and high schools and was

known for his cheerful and likable

manner. In 1939, he joined the Wis-

consin National Guard, and in May

1940, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. After

training, he was assigned to the battle-

ship USS Oklahoma.

On December 7, 1941, Seaman Second

Class Riley was onboard the USS Okla-

homa, docked at Ford Island, Pearl

Harbor, when it was attacked by Japa-

nese forces. This ship was hit by mul-

tiple torpedoes, causing it to quickly

flip and capsize.

On December 21, 1941, Mr. and Mrs.

Asmus received a telegram from the

Navy, stating that Seaman Second

Class Riley was missing. On February

17, 1942, 1 day before what would have

been his 26th birthday, they received

another telegram declaring that Sea-

man Second Class Riley had lost his

life in service of his country. Unfortu-

nately, his remains could not be identi-

fied at this time. Eventually, the re-

mains of the men lost aboard the Okla-

homa were recovered and buried at the

National Memorial Cemetery of the

Pacific—NMCP—and listed as ‘‘Un-

knowns.’’

The loss of Seaman Second Class

Riley was devastating to the tight-knit

community of Green County, and over

80 years later, his legacy is still known

and honored. The American Legion

Post 84 in Monroe is the Zilmer-Riley

post, named in part for Seaman Second

Class Riley. A plaque in Juda High

School commemorates the sacrifice

made by Seaman Second Class Riley

and two other men from Juda during

World War II.

In 2015, the Department of Defense

authorized the exhumation of the USS

Oklahoma ‘‘Unknowns,’’ interred at the

National Memorial Cemetery of the

Pacific, NMCP. Seaman Second Class

Riley’s remains were exhumed and

identified through the painstaking ef-

forts of the Defense POW/MIA Account-

ing Agency—DPAA—the Armed Forces

DNA Identification Laboratory—

AFDIL—and the Navy Casualty POW-

MIA Branch.

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Deborah Krauss Smith, great-grand-

niece of Seaman Second Class Riley’s

foster parents, worked diligently to

gain approval from the Navy Casualty

POW/MIA branch to return Seaman

Second Class Riley’s remains to Juda,

where they will be interred with those

of his foster parents, fittingly over Me-

morial Day weekend 2023.

It is our duty to honor Seaman Sec-

ond Class Riley and his fellow service-

members who lost their lives on that

fateful day. I ask that we all take a

moment to remember S2C David Jo-

seph Riley and to pay tribute to his

service and sacrifice.

TRIBUTE TO PAUL CASASCO

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I

rise today to honor the achievements

of Mr. Paul Casasco, a senior audio op-

erator for the Senate Chamber, on the

occasion of his retirement.

Maryland is home to a robust Federal

workforce that serves our country with

pride. Federal employees work day-in

and day-out to provide vital services to

the American people, and I have the

honor of representing many of these

dedicated individuals.

A native of Howard County, MD, Paul

Casasco has served the U.S. Senate

with distinction for 37 years. Hired in

April 1986, Mr. Casasco was a member

of the original team that piloted live

national coverage of the Senate floor.

Within weeks, the U.S. Senate voted to

make this coverage permanent, ce-

menting public access to and trans-

parency of its procedures and activi-

ties. Mr. Casasco’s contributions have

ensured that the Senate Recording

Studio has become a modern facility

that caters to the body of the Senate.

He is the last serving member of the

original 1986 team.

Paul Casasco’s dedication will be

sorely missed in the U.S. Senate. His

colleagues and I join in wishing him all

the best for a fulfilling and enjoyable

next chapter in retirement.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

IOWA BEER CRAFT MONTH

∑ Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, I rise

today to recognize June as Iowa Beer

Craft Month. This celebration honors

our local craft breweries which con-

tribute so much to the economy and

culture of our State.

Iowa’s craft beer industry continues

to grow and thrive, creating more than

$1 billion in economic impact. Iowa

Beer Craft Month offers beer lovers

across the State a wonderful oppor-

tunity to responsibly explore the

unique and amazing flavors and styles

of our local breweries, while also sup-

porting Iowa small businesses.

I encourage all who can to raise a

glass and toast to the exceptional qual-

ity and craftsmanship of Iowa beer.∑

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

A message from the President of the

United States was communicated to

the Senate by Ms. Kelly, one of his sec-

retaries.

PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGE

REPORT ON THE CONTINUATION

OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY

THAT WAS ORIGINALLY DE-

CLARED IN EXECUTIVE ORDER

13303 OF MAY 22, 2003, WITH RE-

SPECT TO THE STABILIZATION

OF IRAQ—PM 13

The PRESIDING OFFICER laid be-

fore the Senate the following message

from the President of the United

States, together with an accompanying

report; which was referred to the Com-

mittee on Banking, Housing, and

Urban Affairs:

To the Congress of the United States:

Section 202(d) of the National Emer-

gencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides

for the automatic termination of a na-

tional emergency unless, within 90

days prior to the anniversary date of

its declaration, the President publishes

in the Federal Register and transmits to

the Congress a notice stating that the

emergency is to continue in effect be-

yond the anniversary date. In accord-

ance with this provision, I have sent to

the Federal Register for publication the

enclosed notice stating that the na-

tional emergency with respect to the

stabilization of Iraq declared in Execu-

tive Order 13303 of May 22, 2003—as

modified in scope and relied upon for

additional steps taken in Executive

Order 13290 of March 20, 2003, Executive

Order 13315 of August 28, 2003, Execu-

tive Order 13350 of July 29, 2004, Execu-

tive Order 13364 of November 29, 2004,

Executive Order 13438 of July 17, 2007,

and Executive Order 13668 of May 27,

2014—is to continue in effect beyond

May 22, 2023.

Obstacles to the orderly reconstruc-

tion of Iraq, the restoration and main-

tenance of peace and security in the

country, and the development of polit-

ical, administrative, and economic in-

stitutions in Iraq continue to pose an

unusual and extraordinary threat to

the national security and foreign pol-

icy of the United States. Therefore, I

have determined that it is necessary to

continue the national emergency de-

clared in Executive Order 13303 with re-

spect to the stabilization of Iraq.

OSEPH

R. B

IDEN

, Jr.

HITE

OUSE

, May 16, 2023.

MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE

At 2:15 p.m., a message from the

House of Representatives, delivered by

Mrs. Cole, one of its reading clerks, an-

nounced that the House has passed the

following bill, in which it requests the

concurrence of the Senate:

H.R. 3089. An act to amend title 18, United

States Code, to modify delayed notice re-

quirements, and for other purposes.

MEASURES REFERRED

The following bill was read the first

and the second times by unanimous

consent, and referred as indicated:

H.R. 3089. An act to amend title 18, United

States Code, to modify delayed notice re-

quirements, and for other purposes; to the

Committee on the Judiciary.

MEASURES DISCHARGED PETITION

We, the undersigned Senators, in accord-

ance with chapter 8 of title 5, United States

Code, hereby direct that the Senate Com-

mittee on the Judiciary be discharged from

further consideration of S.J. Res. 18, a joint

resolution disapproving of the rule sub-

mitted by the Department of Homeland Se-

curity relating to ‘‘Public Charge Ground of

Inadmissibility’’ and, further, that the joint

resolution be immediately placed upon the

Legislative Calendar under General Orders.

Roger Marshall, Mike Crapo, Bill Cas-

sidy, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Ted Budd,

Jacky Rosen, Tom Cotton, Josh

Hawley, Thom Tillis, Marsha Black-

burn, John Thune, John Barrasso, Joni

Ernst, Ted Cruz, Cynthia Lummis, Ron

Johnson, Sherrod Brown, Markwayne

Mullin, John Boozman, Lindsey Gra-

ham, Tommy Tuberville, Eric Schmitt,

Rick Scott, Mike Lee, Bill Hagerty,

Kevin Cramer, Steve Daines, John Ken-

nedy, Mitch McConnell, John Cornyn.

MEASURES DISCHARGED

The following joint resolution was

discharged from the Committee on

Veterans Affairs, by petition, pursuant

to 5 U.S.C. 802(c), and placed on the cal-

endar:

S.J. Res. 18. Joint resolution disapproving

of the rule submitted by the Department of

Homeland Security relating to ‘‘Public

Charge Ground of Inadmissibility’’.

MEASURES PLACED ON THE

CALENDAR

The following bill was read the sec-

ond time, and placed on the calendar:

H.R. 2. An act to secure the borders of the

United States, and for other purposes.

EXECUTIVE AND OTHER

COMMUNICATIONS

The following communication was

laid before the Senate, together with

accompanying papers, reports, and doc-

uments, and was referred as indicated:

EC–1223. A communication from the Sec-

retary of the Senate, transmitting, pursuant

to law, the report of the receipts and expend-

itures of the Senate for the period from Oc-

tober 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023, received

in the Office of the President of the Senate

on May 16, 2023; ordered to lie on the table.

REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

The following reports of committees

were submitted:

By Mr. PETERS, from the Committee on

Homeland Security and Governmental Af-

fairs, without amendment:

S. 111. A bill to require each agency, in

providing notice of a rulemaking, to include

a link to a 100-word plain language summary

of the proposed rule (Rept. No. 118–28).

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S. 257. A bill to prohibit contracting with

persons that have business operations with

the Maduro regime, and for other purposes

(Rept. No. 118–29).

By Mr. PETERS, from the Committee on

Homeland Security and Governmental Af-

fairs, with amendments:

S. 479. A bill to modify the fire manage-

ment assistance cost share, and for other

purposes (Rept. No. 118–30).

By Mr. PETERS, from the Committee on

Homeland Security and Governmental Af-

fairs, without amendment:

S. 780. A bill to require the Comptroller

General of the United States to analyze cer-

tain legislation in order to prevent duplica-

tion of and overlap with existing Federal

programs, offices, and initiatives (Rept. No.

118–31).

By Mr. PETERS, from the Committee on

Homeland Security and Governmental Af-

fairs, with amendments:

S. 917. A bill to establish the duties of the

Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastruc-

ture Security Agency regarding open source

software security, and for other purposes

(Rept. No. 118–32).

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS AND

JOINT RESOLUTIONS

The following bills and joint resolu-

tions were introduced, read the first

and second times by unanimous con-

sent, and referred as indicated:

By Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina (for

himself and Ms. H

ASSAN

S. 1607. A bill to amend title XVIII of the

Social Security Act to permit a private

cause of action for damages in the case of a

group health plan which fails to provide for

primary payment or appropriate reimburse-

ment; to the Committee on Finance.

By Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Mr.

RUZ

, and Mr. K

ELLY

S. 1608. A bill to provide for the expansion

of the Starr-Camargo Bridge near Rio

Grande City, Texas, and for other purposes;

to the Committee on Environment and Pub-

lic Works.

By Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself, Mr.

ARNER

, Mr. P

ADILLA

, Mr. W

ELCH

Mr. B

ROWN

, Mr. S

ANDERS

, Ms. S

MITH

Mr. W

HITEHOUSE

, and Mr. W

YDEN

S. 1609. A bill to direct the Election Assist-

ance Commission to establish a program to

make grants to States to provide increased

pay for election workers, and for other pur-

poses; to the Committee on Rules and Ad-

ministration.

By Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself, Ms.

IRONO

, Mr. B

LUMENTHAL

, Mr.

ETTERMAN

, Mrs. G

ILLIBRAND

, Mr.

ING

, Mr. H

ICKENLOOPER

, Mr. C

ARDIN

Ms. W

ARREN

, Ms. B

ALDWIN

, Ms.

UCKWORTH

, Mr. W

ELCH

, Mr. W

YDEN

Mr. S

ANDERS

, Mr. C

ARPER

, Mrs. M

RAY

, Mr. B

OOKER

, Mr. B

ENNET

, Mr.

ELLY

, Ms. K

LOBUCHAR

, Mrs. F

EIN

STEIN

, Mr. B

ROWN

, Ms. R

OSEN

, Mr.

ARKEY

, Mr. D

URBIN

, Ms. S

MITH

, Mr.

HITEHOUSE

, Mr. H

EINRICH

, Ms. C

ANT

WELL

, and Ms. C

ORTEZ

ASTO

S. 1610. A bill to authorize administrative

absences and travel and transportation al-

lowances for members of the Armed Forces

to travel and obtain reproductive health

care; to the Committee on Armed Services.

By Ms. SMITH:

S. 1611. A bill to amend the Rural Elec-

trification Act of 1936 to reauthorize the

Community Connect Grant Program, and for

other purposes; to the Committee on Agri-

culture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

By Mr. KING (for himself and Ms. C

LINS

S. 1612. A bill to require the Secretary of

Veterans Affairs to publish a rule to imple-

ment the requirement that the Secretary be

permitted to waive the limitation in law on

reimbursement of veterans receiving domi-

ciliary care in State homes; to the Com-

mittee on Veterans’ Affairs.

By Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Mr.

UJA

, Mr. T

UBERVILLE

, and Mr.

ARNOCK

S. 1613. A bill to amend the Agriculture

Improvement Act of 2018 to reauthorize the

feral swine eradication and control pilot pro-

gram, and for other purposes; to the Com-

mittee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and For-

estry.

By Mr. RUBIO:

S. 1614. A bill to amend title 18, United

States Code, to enhance protections against

the importation, and transport between

States, of injurious species, and for other

purposes; to the Committee on Environment

and Public Works.

By Mr. LANKFORD (for himself, Mr.

HUNE

, Mr. J

OHNSON

, and Mr. M

SHALL

S. 1615. A bill to improve agency rule-

making, and for other purposes; to the Com-

mittee on Homeland Security and Govern-

mental Affairs.

By Mr. MARKEY:

S. 1616. A bill to amend title 28, United

States Code, to allow for 12 associate justices

of the Supreme Court of the United States;

to the Committee on the Judiciary.

By Mr. SULLIVAN:

S. 1617. A bill to protect Federal, State,

and local public safety officers; to the Com-

mittee on the Judiciary.

By Mr. VAN HOLLEN (for himself, Mr.

UBIO

, Ms. B

ALDWIN

, Mr. Y

OUNG

, Mrs.

HAHEEN

, and Mr. B

RAUN

S. 1618. A bill to amend the Small Business

Investment Act of 1958 to establish an em-

ployee equity investment facility, and for

other purposes; to the Committee on Small

Business and Entrepreneurship.

By Ms. ERNST (for herself and Mr.

AINE

S. 1619. A bill to require the Secretary of

Defense to develop a strategy to counter

fentanyl trafficking in the United States,

and for other purposes; to the Committee on

Armed Services.

By Mr. OSSOFF (for himself and Mr.

ARNOCK

S. 1620. A bill to amend the Military Con-

struction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year

2021 to extend the authorization for a con-

struction project at Fort Gillem, Georgia; to

the Committee on Armed Services.

By Mr. OSSOFF (for himself and Mr.

RAUN

S. 1621. A bill to provide for an exemption

from authorized strength limitations for li-

censed behavioral health providers; to the

Committee on Armed Services.

By Ms. CORTEZ MASTO:

S. 1622. A bill to discourage speculative oil

and gas leasing and to promote enhanced

multiple use management of public land and

National Forest System land, and for other

purposes; to the Committee on Energy and

Natural Resources.

By Mr. OSSOFF (for himself and Mr.

ARNOCK

S. 1623. A bill to extend the authority of

the Department of the Army to carry out a

child development center project in Fort

Gordon, Georgia; to the Committee on

Armed Services.

By Mr. KAINE (for himself, Mr. M

ORAN

Mr. H

EINRICH

, Mr. R

UBIO

, Ms. S

MITH

Mr. D

AINES

, Mr. W

ELCH

, Mrs. C

APITO

Mr. B

UDD

, Mr. W

ARNER

, and Mr. V

OLLEN

S. 1624. A bill to require certain civil pen-

alties to be transferred to a fund through

which amounts are made available for the

Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Re-

search Program at the National Institutes of

Health, and for other purposes; to the Com-

mittee on Health, Education, Labor, and

Pensions.

By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and

Mrs. B

LACKBURN

S. 1625. A bill to amend the Internal Rev-

enue Code of 1986 to provide for an election

to expense certain qualified sound recording

costs otherwise chargeable to capital ac-

count; to the Committee on Finance.

By Mr. SCOTT of Florida:

S. 1626. A bill to require the Federal Com-

munications Commission, in consultation

with the Federal Trade Commission, to issue

rules prohibiting entities from offering

minor consumers artificial intelligence fea-

tures in the products of those entities with-

out parental consent, and for other purposes;

to the Committee on Commerce, Science,

and Transportation.

By Mr. KELLY (for himself and Mrs.

LACKBURN

S. 1627. A bill to amend the Internal Rev-

enue Code of 1986 to create a tax credit for

nurse preceptors; to the Committee on Fi-

nance.

By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Mr.

ORAN

S. 1628. A bill to prioritize funding for an

expanded and sustained national investment

in agriculture research; to the Committee on

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

By Mr. LUJA

S. 1629. A bill to amend title 5, United

States Code, to increase the accountability

of the Office of Special Counsel in enforcing

certain provisions of that title vigorously,

consistently, and without regard to the po-

litical affiliation, career status, or personal

characteristics of individuals subject to

those provisions, and for other purposes; to

the Committee on Homeland Security and

Governmental Affairs.

By Mr. HEINRICH (for himself, Mrs.

APITO

, Mr. B

ENNET

, Mr. R

ISCH

, Mr.

ING

, Ms. C

OLLINS

, Ms. C

ORTEZ

ASTO

, Mr. D

AINES

, Mr. W

YDEN

, Mr.

RAPO

, Mr. T

ESTER

, and Mr. R

OUNDS

S. 1630. A bill to modify the procedures for

issuing special recreation permits for certain

public land units, and for other purposes; to

the Committee on Energy and Natural Re-

sources.

By Mr. PETERS (for himself, Mr. J

OHN

SON

, Ms. S

INEMA

, and Mr. H

OEVEN

S. 1631. A bill to enhance the authority

granted to the Department of Homeland Se-

curity and Department of Justice with re-

spect to unmanned aircraft systems and un-

manned aircraft, and for other purposes; to

the Committee on Homeland Security and

Governmental Affairs.

By Ms. CORTEZ MASTO (for herself,

Mr. B

OOZMAN

, and Mr. P

ETERS

S.J. Res. 28. A joint resolution providing

for the reappointment of Roger W. Ferguson

as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of

the Smithsonian Institution; to the Com-

mittee on Rules and Administration.

By Ms. CORTEZ MASTO (for herself,

Mr. B

OOZMAN

, and Mr. P

ETERS

S.J. Res. 29. A joint resolution providing

for the reappointment of Michael Govan as a

citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the

Smithsonian Institution; to the Committee

on Rules and Administration.

By Ms. CORTEZ MASTO (for herself,

Mr. B

OOZMAN

, and Mr. P

ETERS

S.J. Res. 30. A joint resolution providing

for the appointment of Antoinette Bush as a

citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the

Smithsonian Institution; to the Committee

on Rules and Administration.

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1679 May 16, 2023

SUBMISSION OF CONCURRENT AND

SENATE RESOLUTIONS

The following concurrent resolutions

and Senate resolutions were read, and

referred (or acted upon), as indicated:

By Mr. SCHUMER (for himself and Mr.

ONNELL

S. Res. 214. A resolution to authorize testi-

mony and representation in United States v.

Neely; considered and agreed to.

ADDITIONAL COSPONSORS

At the request of Ms. E

RNST

, the

name of the Senator from Louisiana

(Mr. C

ASSIDY

) was added as a cosponsor

of S. 13, a bill to prohibit Federal fund-

ing of Planned Parenthood Federation

of America.

At the request of Mr. H

AGERTY

, the

name of the Senator from Utah (Mr.

OMNEY

) was added as a cosponsor of S.

26, a bill to amend the Internal Rev-

enue Code of 1986 to repeal the amend-

ments made to reporting of third party

network transactions by the American

Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

141

At the request of Mr. M

ORAN

, the

name of the Senator from Oregon (Mr.

ERKLEY

) was added as a cosponsor of

S. 141, a bill to amend title 38, United

States Code, to improve certain pro-

grams of the Department of Veterans

Affairs for home and community based

services for veterans, and for other pur-

poses.

161

At the request of Mr. K

AINE

, the

name of the Senator from Arkansas

(Mr. B

OOZMAN

) was added as a cospon-

sor of S. 161, a bill to extend the Fed-

eral Pell Grant eligibility of certain

short-term programs.

320

At the request of Mr. C

ASEY

, the

name of the Senator from Rhode Island

(Mr. W

HITEHOUSE

) was added as a co-

sponsor of S. 320, a bill to amend title

II and XVIII of the Social Security Act

to eliminate the disability insurance

benefits waiting period for individuals

with disabilities, and for other pur-

poses.

396

At the request of Mr. M

ENENDEZ

, the

name of the Senator from Florida (Mr.

COTT

) was added as a cosponsor of S.

396, a bill to require the Secretary of

State to submit an annual report to

Congress regarding the ties between

criminal gangs and political and eco-

nomic elites in Haiti and impose sanc-

tions on political and economic elites

involved in such criminal activities.

412

At the request of Mr. C

ORNYN

, the

name of the Senator from Utah (Mr.

) was added as a cosponsor of S. 412,

a bill to provide that it is unlawful to

knowingly distribute private intimate

visual depictions with reckless dis-

regard for the individual’s lack of con-

sent to the distribution, and for other

purposes.

452

At the request of Mr. M

ANCHIN

, the

name of the Senator from Delaware

(Mr. C

OONS

) was added as a cosponsor

of S. 452, a bill to require the Secretary

of Energy to establish a Nuclear Fuel

Security Program, expand the Amer-

ican Assured Fuel Supply Program,

and submit a report on a civil nuclear

credit program, and for other purposes.

652

At the request of Ms. M

URKOWSKI

, the

names of the Senator from Kansas (Mr.

ORAN

), the Senator from Georgia (Mr.

SSOFF

) and the Senator from Colorado

(Mr. B

ENNET

) were added as cosponsors

of S. 652, a bill to amend the Employee

Retirement Income Security Act of

1974 to require a group health plan or

health insurance coverage offered in

connection with such a plan to provide

an exceptions process for any medica-

tion step therapy protocol, and for

other purposes.

661

At the request of Mr. M

ARKEY

, the

name of the Senator from California

(Mrs. F

EINSTEIN

) was added as a co-

sponsor of S. 661, a bill to require an

interagency study on the environ-

mental and energy impacts of crypto-

asset mining, to assess crypto-asset

mining compliance with the Clean Air

Act, and for other purposes.

668

At the request of Mr. B

OOZMAN

, the

name of the Senator from Alaska (Mr.

ULLIVAN

) was added as a cosponsor of

S. 668, a bill to require the Secretary of

the Treasury to mint coins to honor

and memorialize the tragedy of the

Sultana steamboat explosion of 1865.

711

At the request of Mr. B

UDD

, the name

of the Senator from California (Mrs.

EINSTEIN

) was added as a cosponsor of

S. 711, a bill to require the Secretary of

the Treasury to mint coins in com-

memoration of the invaluable service

that working dogs provide to society.

761

At the request of Mr. C

OTTON

, the

name of the Senator from Michigan

(Mr. P

ETERS

) was added as a cosponsor

of S. 761, a bill to combat forced organ

harvesting and trafficking in persons

for purposes of the removal of organs,

and for other purposes.

815

At the request of Mr. T

ESTER

, the

names of the Senator from Connecticut

(Mr. B

LUMENTHAL

), the Senator from

Washington (Ms. C

ANTWELL

), the Sen-

ator from Arkansas (Mr. C

OTTON

), the

Senator from New York (Mrs. G

ILLI

BRAND

), the Senator from Hawaii (Ms.

IRONO

), the Senator from Virginia

(Mr. K

AINE

), the Senator from Maine

(Mr. K

ING

), the Senator from Min-

nesota (Ms. K

LOBUCHAR

), the Senator

from New Mexico (Mr. L

UJA

), the Sen-

ator from New York (Mr. S

CHUMER

the Senator from New Hampshire (Mrs.

HAHEEN

), the Senator from Michigan

(Ms. S

TABENOW

), the Senator from

Georgia (Mr. W

ARNOCK

), the Senator

from Massachusetts (Ms. W

ARREN

), the

Senator from Arkansas (Mr. B

OOZMAN

the Senator from Indiana (Mr. B

RAUN

)

and the Senator from Vermont (Mr.

ELCH

) were added as cosponsors of S.

815, a bill to award a Congressional

Gold Medal to the female telephone op-

erators of the Army Signal Corps,

known as the ‘‘Hello Girls’’.

831

At the request of Mr. M

ERKLEY

, the

name of the Senator from North Da-

kota (Mr. C

RAMER

) was added as a co-

sponsor of S. 831, a bill to address

transnational repression by foreign

governments against private individ-

uals, and for other purposes.

928

At the request of Mr. T

ESTER

, the

names of the Senator from Rhode Is-

land (Mr. W

HITEHOUSE

) and the Senator

from New Hampshire (Mrs. S

HAHEEN

)

were added as cosponsors of S. 928, a

bill to require the Secretary of Vet-

erans Affairs to prepare an annual re-

port on suicide prevention, and for

other purposes.

1058

At the request of Mr. R

EED

, the name

of the Senator from California (Mrs.

EINSTEIN

) was added as a cosponsor of

S. 1058, a bill to protect airline crew

members, security screening personnel,

and passengers by banning abusive pas-

sengers from commercial aircraft

flights, and for other purposes.

1165

At the request of Ms. B

ALDWIN

, the

names of the Senator from Rhode Is-

land (Mr. W

HITEHOUSE

) and the Senator

from West Virginia (Mrs. C

APITO

) were

added as cosponsors of S. 1165, a bill to

amend title XIX of the Social Security

Act to allow States to make medical

assistance available to inmates during

the 30-day period preceding their re-

lease.

1212

At the request of Mr. W

ARNER

, the

names of the Senator from Delaware

(Mr. C

OONS

) and the Senator from

Georgia (Mr. W

ARNOCK

) were added as

cosponsors of S. 1212, a bill to authorize

notaries public to perform, and to es-

tablish minimum standards for, elec-

tronic notarizations and remote

notarizations that occur in or affect

interstate commerce, to require any

Federal court to recognize

notarizations performed by a notarial

officer of any State, to require any

State to recognize notarizations per-

formed by a notarial officer of any

other State when the notarization was

performed under or relates to a public

Act, record, or judicial proceeding of

notarial officer’s State or when the no-

tarization occurs in or affects inter-

state commerce, and for other pur-

poses.

1220

At the request of Mr. K

ENNEDY

, the

name of the Senator from Arkansas

(Mr. B

OOZMAN

) was added as a cospon-

sor of S. 1220, a bill to establish the po-

sition of Special Envoy to the Pacific

Islands Forum.

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATES1680 May 16, 2023

1271

At the request of Mr. S

COTT

of South

Carolina, the names of the Senator

from Arizona (Mr. K

ELLY

), the Senator

from West Virginia (Mrs. C

APITO

), the

Senator from Maine (Mr. K

ING

), the

Senator from Florida (Mr. S

COTT

), the

Senator from Rhode Island (Mr. W

HITE

HOUSE

), the Senator from North Caro-

lina (Mr. B

UDD

), the Senator from New

York (Mrs. G

ILLIBRAND

), the Senator

from North Carolina (Mr. T

ILLIS

), the

Senator from West Virginia (Mr.

ANCHIN

) and the Senator from Lou-

isiana (Mr. C

ASSIDY

) were added as co-

sponsors of S. 1271, a bill to impose

sanctions with respect to trafficking of

illicit fentanyl and its precursors by

transnational criminal organizations,

including cartels, and for other pur-

poses.

1273

At the request of Ms. R

OSEN

, the

name of the Senator from Illinois (Ms.

UCKWORTH

) was added as a cosponsor

of S. 1273, a bill to require a study on

Holocaust education efforts of States,

local educational agencies, and public

elementary and secondary schools, and

for other purposes.

1298

At the request of Mr. K

AINE

, the

name of the Senator from Vermont

(Mr. W

ELCH

) was added as a cosponsor

of S. 1298, a bill to award grants for the

creation, recruitment, training and

education, retention, and advancement

of the direct care workforce and to

award grants to support family care-

givers.

1334

At the request of Ms. R

OSEN

, the

name of the Senator from Indiana (Mr.

RAUN

) was added as a cosponsor of S.

1334, a bill to require the Secretary of

Defense to develop, in cooperation with

allies and partners in the Middle East,

an integrated maritime domain aware-

ness and interdiction capability, and

for other purposes.

1375

At the request of Mr. M

ARSHALL

, the

name of the Senator from North Caro-

lina (Mr. B

UDD

) was added as a cospon-

sor of S. 1375, a bill to amend title

XXVII of the Public Health Service Act

to apply additional payments, dis-

counts, and other financial assistance

towards the cost-sharing requirements

of health insurance plans, and for other

purposes.

1398

At the request of Mr. B

UDD

, the

names of the Senator from Mississippi

(Mr. W

ICKER

), the Senator from South

Dakota (Mr. T

HUNE

) and the Senator

from Alabama (Mrs. B

RITT

) were added

as cosponsors of S. 1398, a bill to pro-

hibit agencies of the government from

soliciting or entering into agreements

with nongovernmental organizations to

conduct voter registration or voter mo-

bilization activities on the property or

website of the agency or from using

Federal funds to carry out activities

directed under Executive Order 14019,

and for other purposes.

1449

At the request of Mrs. C

APITO

, the

name of the Senator from Oklahoma

(Mr. L

ANKFORD

) was added as a cospon-

sor of S. 1449, a bill to improve the en-

vironmental review process, and for

other purposes.

1460

At the request of Mr. B

OOKER

, the

name of the Senator from Vermont

(Mr. W

ELCH

) was added as a cosponsor

of S. 1460, a bill to amend the Con-

sumer Product Safety Act to remove

the exclusion of pistols, revolvers, and

other firearms from the definition of

consumer product in order to permit

the issuance of safety standards for

such articles by the Consumer Product

Safety Commission.

1509

At the request of Mr. B

OOKER

, the

name of the Senator from Iowa (Mr.

RASSLEY

) was added as a cosponsor of

S. 1509, a bill to amend the Food Secu-

rity Act of 1985 to extend and reform

the conservation reserve program, and

for other purposes.

1525

At the request of Mr. S

CHMITT

, the

name of the Senator from Indiana (Mr.

RAUN

) was added as a cosponsor of S.

1525, a bill to amend the Communica-

tions Act of 1934 to address govern-

mental interference in content modera-

tion decisions by providers of inter-

active computer services, and for other

purposes.

1530

At the request of Mr. G

RAHAM

, the

names of the Senator from Nevada (Ms.

ORTEZ

ASTO

) and the Senator from

North Carolina (Mr. T

ILLIS

) were added

as cosponsors of S. 1530, a bill to permit

COPS grants to be used for the purpose

of increasing the compensation and

hiring of law enforcement officers, and

for other purposes.

1532

At the request of Mr. S

COTT

of South

Carolina, the names of the Senator

from Nebraska (Mr. R

ICKETTS

) and the

Senator from Louisiana (Mr. C

ASSIDY

)

were added as cosponsors of S. 1532, a

bill to suspend the entry of covered

aliens in response to the fentanyl pub-

lic health crisis.

1560

At the request of Mr. H

AWLEY

, the

name of the Senator from Georgia (Mr.

SSOFF

) was added as a cosponsor of S.

1560, a bill to require the development

of a comprehensive rural hospital cy-

bersecurity workforce development

strategy, and for other purposes.

1600

At the request of Mr. D

URBIN

, the

name of the Senator from Pennsyl-

vania (Mr. C

ASEY

) was added as a co-

sponsor of S. 1600, a bill making further

supplemental appropriations for the

fiscal year ending September 30, 2023,

for border management activities, and

for other purposes.

RES

At the request of Mr. B

UDD

, the name

of the Senator from Florida (Mr.

COTT

) was added as a cosponsor of S.J.

Res. 27, a joint resolution providing for

congressional disapproval under chap-

ter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of

the rule submitted by the Office of Fed-

eral Contract Compliance Programs of

the Department of Labor relating to

‘‘Rescission of Implementing Legal Re-

quirements Regarding the Equal Op-

portunity Clause’s Religious Exemp-

tion Rule’’.

CON

RES

At the request of Mr. M

ENENDEZ

, the

name of the Senator from Georgia (Mr.

ARNOCK

) was added as a cosponsor of

S. Con. Res. 2, a concurrent resolution

commending the bravery, courage, and

resolve of the women and men of Iran

demonstrating in more than 133 cities

and risking their safety to speak out

against the Iranian regime’s human

rights abuses.

RES

138

At the request of Mr. M

ERKLEY

, the

name of the Senator from Vermont

(Mr. W

ELCH

) was added as a cosponsor

of S. Res. 138, a resolution highlighting

the risks that environmental defenders

face around the world and commending

their role in defending human rights,

combating climate chaos, and sup-

porting a clean, healthy, and sustain-

able environment.

RES

188

At the request of Mr. M

ENENDEZ

, the

names of the Senator from North Caro-

lina (Mr. B

UDD

) and the Senator from

Wisconsin (Ms. B

ALDWIN

) were added as

cosponsors of S. Res. 188, a resolution

celebrating the 75th anniversary of the

founding of the State of Israel, and for

other purposes.

RES

203

At the request of Ms. R

OSEN

, the

names of the Senator from Oklahoma

(Mr. L

ANKFORD

), the Senator from

Rhode Island (Mr. R

EED

), the Senator

from Connecticut (Mr. M

URPHY

), the

Senator from Delaware (Mr. C

ARPER

the Senator from California (Mr.

ADILLA

), the Senator from Pennsyl-

vania (Mr. F

ETTERMAN

), the Senator

from Arizona (Mr. K

ELLY

), the Senator

from California (Mrs. F

EINSTEIN

) and

the Senator from Wisconsin (Ms. B

ALD

WIN

) were added as cosponsors of S.

Res. 203, a resolution recognizing the

significance of Jewish American Herit-

age Month as a time to celebrate the

contributions of Jewish Americans to

the society and culture of the United

States.

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED

BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself

and Mrs. B

LACKBURN

S. 1625. A bill to amend the Internal

Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for an

election to expense certain qualified

sound recording costs otherwise

chargeable to capital account; to the

Committee on Finance.

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President,

I rise to speak in support of the Help

Independent Tracks Succeed (HITS)

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1681 May 16, 2023

Act, which Senator B

LACKBURN

and I

introduced today. Representatives

INDA

NCHEZ

and R

STES

have in-

troduced companion legislation in the

House of Representatives.

The U.S. Tax Code allows film, tele-

vision, and theater productions to fully

deduct production expenses in the year

they are incurred.

However, recording artists are not

given the same treatment and instead

must amortize their production ex-

penses over a number of years.

Moreover, many live performance

stages and venues across the country

closed for months as a result of the

pandemic. Independent musicians and

music makers, including both techni-

cians and creators, suffered more than

most other professions during this pe-

riod, and many continue to recover.

Our bill would provide a measure of

relief to music creators by allowing

independent musicians, technicians,

and music producers to deduct the

costs of producing new musical and

other sound recordings in the year they

are incurred, thereby putting them on

a level playing field with film, tele-

vision, and theater productions.

Specifically, the bill would allow

qualified sound recording producers to

deduct 100% of recording production

expenses—up to $150,000—in the year

they are incurred, rather than in later

years.

Because this change would simply ac-

celerate a tax deduction that already

exists, the bill’s cost would be modest.

In addition, because the deduction

would be capped at $150,000 per produc-

tion, our legislation would benefit

smaller, independent musicians and

music producers rather than large com-

panies.

Music has inspired, comforted, and

entertained each of us. Our bill would

help create parity between musical cre-

ators and other creative producers and

stimulate a sector of the economy that

is a fundamental part of each of our

lives.

I hope my colleagues will join me in

support of this bill.

By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and

Mr. M

ORAN

S. 1628. A bill to prioritize funding for

an expanded and sustained national in-

vestment in agriculture research; to

the Committee on Agriculture, Nutri-

tion, and Forestry.

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask

unanimous consent that the text of the

bill be printed in the R

ECORD

There being no objection, the text of

the bill was ordered to be printed in

the R

ECORD

, as follows:

S. 1628

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep-

resentatives of the United States of America in

Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘America

Grows Act of 2023’’.

SEC. 2. FUNDING.

(a) I

ENERAL

.—There is appropriated,

out of any money in the Treasury not other-

wise appropriated, to each funding recipient

described in subsection (b) for the programs,

projects, and activities of such funding re-

cipient, the following amounts:

(1) For fiscal year 2024, the amount equal

to 105 percent of the amount of new budget

authority made available in appropriation

Acts for that funding recipient for fiscal year

2023, increased by the percentage increase (if

any), during fiscal year 2023, in the Con-

sumer Price Index for all urban consumers

published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

(2) For each of fiscal years 2025 through

2033, the amount equal to 105 percent of the

amount appropriated to that funding recipi-

ent under this subsection for the previous

fiscal year, increased by the percentage in-

crease (if any), during such previous fiscal

year, in the Consumer Price Index for all

urban consumers published by the Bureau of

Labor Statistics.

(3) For fiscal year 2034, and each fiscal year

thereafter, the amount appropriated under

this paragraph for the previous fiscal year,

increased by the percentage increase (if any),

during such previous fiscal year, in the Con-

sumer Price Index for all urban consumers

published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

(b) F

UNDING

ECIPIENTS

ESCRIBED

.—The

funding recipients described in this sub-

section are—

(1) the Agricultural Research Service;

(2) the Economic Research Service;

(3) the National Agricultural Statistics

Service; and

(4) the National Institute of Food and Agri-

culture.

VAILABILITY

.—Each amount appro-

priated under subsection (a) shall remain

available for obligation through the last day

of the fiscal year for which such amount is

appropriated.

SEC. 3. EXEMPTION FROM SEQUESTRATION.

(a) I

ENERAL

.—Section 255(g)(1)(A) of the

Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit

Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 905(g)(1)(A)) is

amended by inserting after ‘‘Advances to the

Unemployment Trust Fund and Other Funds

(16–0327–0–1–600).’’ the following:

‘‘Appropriations made available under sec-

tion 2(a) of the America Grows Act of 2023.’’.

(b) A

PPLICABILITY

.—The amendment made

by subsection (a) shall apply to any seques-

tration order issued under the Balanced

Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act

of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 900 et seq.) on or after the

date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

(a) S

TATUTORY

AYGO

CORECARDS

.—The

budgetary effects of this Act shall not be en-

tered on either PAYGO scorecard maintained

pursuant to section 4(d) of the Statutory Pay

As-You-Go Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 933(d)).

(b) S

ENATE

AYGO

CORECARDS

.—The budg-

etary effects of this Act shall not be entered

on any PAYGO scorecard maintained for

purposes of section 4106 of H. Con. Res. 71

(115th Congress).

SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

SENATE RESOLUTION 214—TO AU-

THORIZE TESTIMONY AND REP-

RESENTATION IN UNITED

STATES V. NEELY

Mr. SCHUMER (for himself and Mr.

ONNELL

) submitted the following

resolution; which was considered and

agreed to:

S. R

. 214

Whereas, in the case of United States v.

Neely, Cr. No. 21-642, pending in the United

States District Court for the District of Co-

lumbia, both the prosecution and defense are

seeking the production of testimony from

Michael J. Mastrian, Director of the Senate

Radio and Television Gallery, a department

of the Office of the Sergeant at Arms and

Doorkeeper of the Senate;

Whereas, pursuant to sections 703(a) and

704(a)(2) of the Ethics in Government Act of

1978, 2 U.S.C. §§ 288b(a) and 288c(a)(2), the

Senate may direct its counsel to represent

current and former officers and employees of

the Senate with respect to any subpoena,

order, or request for evidence relating to

their official responsibilities;

Whereas, by the privileges of the Senate of

the United States and Rule XI of the Stand-

ing Rules of the Senate, no evidence under

the control or in the possession of the Senate

may, by the judicial or administrative proc-

ess, be taken from such control or possession

but by permission of the Senate; and

Whereas, when it appears that evidence

under the control or in the possession of the

Senate may promote the administration of

justice, the Senate will take such action as

will promote the ends of justice consistent

with the privileges of the Senate: Now,

therefore, be it

Resolved, That Michael J. Mastrian, Direc-

tor of the Senate Radio and Television Gal-

lery, is authorized to provide relevant testi-

mony in the case of United States v. Neely, ex-

cept concerning matters for which a privi-

lege should be asserted.

. 2. The Senate Legal Counsel is author-

ized to represent Mr. Mastrian, and any cur-

rent or former officer or employee of his of-

fice, in connection with the production of

evidence authorized in section one of this

resolution.

AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO

MEET

Mr. MERKLEY. Madam President, I

have 11 requests for committees to

meet during today’s session of the Sen-

ate. They have the approval of the Ma-

jority and Minority Leaders.

Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph

5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Sen-

ate, the following committees are au-

thorized to meet during today’s session

of the Senate:

COMMITTEE ON BANKING

HOUSING

AND URBAN

AFFAIRS

The Committee on Banking, Housing,

and Urban Affairs is authorized to

meet during the session of the Senate

on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at 10 a.m., to

conduct a hearing.

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE

SCIENCE

AND

TRANSPORTATION

The Committee on Commerce,

Science, and Transportation is author-

ized to meet during the session of the

Senate on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at 10

a.m., to conduct a hearing.

COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC

WORKS

The Committee on Environment and

Public Works is authorized to meet

during the session of the Senate on

Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at 10:15 a.m., to

conduct a hearing.

COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

The Committee on Finance is author-

ized to meet during the session of the

Senate on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at

10:15 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATES1682 May 16, 2023

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

The Committee on Foreign Relations

is authorized to meet during the ses-

sion of the Senate on Tuesday, May 16,

2023, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

The Committee on Foreign Relations

is authorized to meet during the ses-

sion of the Senate on Tuesday, May 16,

2023, at 2 p.m., to conduct a hearing on

nominations.

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND

GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

The Committee on Homeland Secu-

rity and Governmental Affairs is au-

thorized to meet during the session of

the Senate on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at

10 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY

The Committee on the Judiciary is

authorized to meet during the session

of the Senate on Tuesday, May 16, 2023,

at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE

The Select Committee on Intel-

ligence is authorized to meet during

the session of the Senate on Tuesday,

May 16, 2023, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a

closed hearing.

SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE

CUSTOMS

AND GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS

The Subcommittee on International

Trade, Customs, and Global Competi-

tiveness of the Committee on Finance

is authorized to meet during the ses-

sion of the Senate on Tuesday, May 16,

2023, at 3 p.m., to conduct a hearing.

SUBCOMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND

INFRASTRUCTURE

The Subcommittee on Transpor-

tation and Infrastructure of the Com-

mittee on Environment and Public

Works is authorized to meet during the

session of the Senate on Tuesday, May

16, 2023, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hear-

ing.

PRIVILEGES OF THE FLOOR

Mr. TUBERVILLE. Madam Presi-

dent, I ask unanimous consent that

Preston McGee, an intern in my office,

be granted floor privileges until May

17, 2023.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Madam Presi-

dent, I ask, as a preliminary matter,

unanimous consent that Martin Gurch

and Michael Harris, fellows in my of-

fice, be given floor privileges for the re-

mainder of 2023.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF

THE SENATE

16, 2023.

Hon. K

AMALA

ARRIS

President of the United States Senate,

Washington, DC.

ADAM

: I have the honor to submit a full

and complete statement of the receipts and

expenditures of the Senate, showing in detail

the items of expense under proper appropria-

tions, the aggregate thereof, and exhibiting

the exact condition of all public moneys re-

ceived, paid out, and remaining in my pos-

session from October 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023,

in compliance with Section 105 of Public Law

88–454, approved August 20, 1964, as amended.

Sincerely,

ONCERIA

A. B

ERRY

Secretary of the Senate.

CHANGING AGE-DETERMINED ELI-

GIBILITY TO STUDENT INCEN-

TIVE PAYMENTS ACT

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I ask

unanimous consent that the Senate

proceed to the immediate consider-

ation of Calendar No. 60, S. 467.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The

clerk will report the bill by title.

The legislative clerk read as follows:

A bill (S. 467) to modify the age require-

ment for the Student Incentive Payment

Program of the State maritime academies.

There being no objection, the Senate

proceeded to consider the bill, which

had been reported from the Committee

on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-

tation, with an amendment, as follows:

(The part of the bill intended to be

inserted is printed in italic.)

S. 467

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep-

resentatives of the United States of America in

Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Changing

Age-Determined Eligibility To Student In-

centive Payments Act’’ or the ‘‘CADETS

Act’’.

SEC. 2. AGE REQUIREMENT FOR THE STUDENT

INCENTIVE PAYMENT PROGRAM OF

THE STATE MARITIME ACADEMIES.

Section 51509 of title 46, United States

Code, is amended by adding at the end the

following:

‘‘(i) A

EQUIREMENT

.—The Secretary

may make an agreement under this section

only with a qualified student who will meet

the age requirement for enlistment or com-

mission in the Navy Reserve at the time of

graduation from the academy.’’.

Mr. BENNET. I ask unanimous con-

sent that the committee-reported

amendment be considered and agreed

to; the bill, as amended, be considered

read a third time and passed; and that

the motion to reconsider be considered

made and laid upon the table.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

The committee-reported amendment

was agreed to.

The bill (S. 467), as amended, was or-

dered to be engrossed for a third read-

ing, was read the third time, and

passed, as follows:

S. 467

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep-

resentatives of the United States of America in

Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Changing

Age-Determined Eligibility To Student In-

centive Payments Act’’ or the ‘‘CADETS

Act’’.

SEC. 2. AGE REQUIREMENT FOR THE STUDENT

INCENTIVE PAYMENT PROGRAM OF

THE STATE MARITIME ACADEMIES.

Section 51509 of title 46, United States

Code, is amended by adding at the end the

following:

‘‘(i) A

EQUIREMENT

.—The Secretary

may make an agreement under this section

only with a qualified student who will meet

the age requirement for enlistment or com-

mission in the Navy Reserve at the time of

graduation from the academy.’’.

AUTHORIZING TESTIMONY AND

REPRESENTATION IN UNITED

STATES V. NEELY

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I ask

unanimous consent that Senate pro-

ceed to the consideration of S. Res. 214,

submitted earlier today.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The leg-

islative clerk read as follows:

A resolution (S. Res. 214) to authorize tes-

timony and representation in United States

v. Neely.

There being no objection, the Senate

proceeded to consider the resolution.

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, an-

other criminal trial arising out of the

events of January 6, 2021, is scheduled

to begin on May 22, 2023, in Federal dis-

trict court in the District of Columbia.

The defendant in this case is charged

with multiple counts, including unlaw-

fully entering and remaining in a re-

stricted area within the U.S. Capitol

grounds.

The prosecution and defense are

seeking trial testimony from Michael

J. Mastrian, director of the Senate

Radio and Television Gallery, which

operates under the authority of the

Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of

the Senate, relating to the Gallery’s

regulation of access to the Capitol by

bona fide members of the electronic

news media.

Senate Sergeant at Arms Gibson

would like to cooperate by providing

relevant testimony in this proceeding

from Mr. Mastrian.

In keeping with the rules and prac-

tices of the Senate, this resolution

would authorize the production of rel-

evant testimony from Mr. Mastrian,

with representation by the Senate

legal counsel.

Mr. BENNET. I ask unanimous con-

sent that the resolution be agreed to,

the preamble be agreed to, and that the

motions to reconsider be considered

made and laid upon table with no inter-

vening action or debate.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. There

being no objection, it is so ordered.

The resolution (S. Res. 214) was

agreed to.

The preamble was agreed to.

(The resolution, with its preamble, is

printed in today’s R

ECORD

under ‘‘Sub-

mitted Resolutions.’’)

ORDERS FOR WEDNESDAY, MAY 17,

2023

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I ask

unanimous consent that when the Sen-

ate completes its business today, it

stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on

Wednesday, May 17; that following the

prayer and pledge, the Journal of pro-

ceedings be approved to date, the

morning hour be deemed expired, the

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1683 May 16, 2023

time for the two leaders be reserved for

their use later in the day, and morning

business be closed; that following the

conclusion of morning business, the

Senate proceed to executive session to

resume consideration of the Daniel

nomination; further, that the cloture

motions filed during yesterday’s ses-

sion ripen at 11:30 a.m. and that if clo-

ture is invoked on the Daniel nomina-

tion, all time be considered expired at

2:15 p.m.; further, if cloture is invoked

on the Papillion nomination, the con-

firmation vote be at a time to be deter-

mined by the majority leader following

consultation with the Republican lead-

er; that following the cloture vote on

the Papillion nomination, notwith-

standing rule XXII, the Senate resume

legislative session to consider Calendar

No. 77, S.J. Res. 18; and that at 5 p.m.,

the joint resolution be considered read

a third time and the Senate vote on

passage of the joint resolution; further,

that upon disposition of the joint reso-

lution, the Senate resume executive

session and that if any nominations are

confirmed during Wednesday’s session,

the motions to reconsider be consid-

ered made and laid upon the table and

the President be immediately notified

of the Senate’s action; finally, that

there be 2 minutes of debate, equally

divided, prior to each rollcall vote.

For the information of the Senate,

there will be one vote at 11:30 a.m., two

votes at 2:30 p.m., and two votes at 5

p.m.

ADJOURNMENT UNTIL 10 A.M.

TOMORROW

Mr. B

ENNET

. Mr. President, if there is

no further business to come before the

Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned

under the previous order.

There being no objection, the Senate,

at 7:27 p.m., adjourned until Wednes-

day, May 17, 2023, at 10 a.m.

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EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS

∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.

Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor.

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E447 May 16, 2023

HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF

SONYA CAMPBELL AND MIKE

MAY

HON. ANN M. KUSTER

OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Ms. KUSTER. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to

honor the dedicated service of Sonya Camp-

bell and Mike LeMay, longtime owners of the

Hanover True Value Hardware Store. For over

50 years, Sonya and Mike faithfully served

their community with a helping hand and an

easy smile. Their store has been an institution

of downtown Hanover, and over the decades

they helped so many to improve their homes,

yards, garages, and offices. Mike and Sonya

are embarking on their well-earned retirement

this year, and their presence in Hanover and

the Upper Valley Region will be sorely missed.

Sonya began working at the True Value

store in 1976 as a teenager, at the same time

I was attending Dartmouth College in Han-

over. In 1991, Sonya bought the store and be-

came the owner. She remained the owner for

more than three decades, maintaining the

hardware store that locals came to love and

rely on with her family by her side. The strong

family ties are part of what makes the store so

authentic to Hanover and the Upper Valley

community—it is run by people who care

about their neighbors and want to help in any

way they can. Over the years, I have had the

pleasure of visiting Sonya and Mike’s store

many times, and during each visit they re-

minded me of the values of hard work and

kindness in the community.

Sonya and Mike’s dedication to their com-

munity runs deep, and there are few in Han-

over and the Upper Valley who have not felt

their positive impact. From serving as a long-

time resource for the town’s older residents—

fixing flashlights, replacing keys, and helping

with household repairs—to working with the

local newspaper, the Valley News, to provide

free copies of the paper to Hanover High

School graduates so they have a record of the

news on the day they graduated, Mike and

Sonya are always looking for ways to help

their neighbors.

I wish them well in their retirement and

know that their presence in downtown Han-

over will be sorely missed.

PERSONAL EXPLANATION

HON. RUSS FULCHER

OF IDAHO

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Mr. FULCHER. I arrived on the floor too

late.

Had I been present, I would have voted

YEA on Roll Call No. 213.

PERSONAL EXPLANATION

HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

OF ALABAMA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, on the after-

noon of May 16, 2023, I was unavoidably de-

tained in my district. Had I been present, I

would have voted NO on the Motion on Order-

ing the Previous Question for H. Res. 398 and

NO on H. Res. 398.

PERSONAL EXPLANATION

HON. LARRY BUCSHON

OF INDIANA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, I was un-

avoidably detained due to travel delays.

Had I been present, I would have voted

YEA on Roll Call No. 213 and YEA on Roll

Call No. 214.

IN MEMORY OF MR. FREDERICK C.

‘‘FRED’’ BRUMMER

HON. DANIEL WEBSTER

OF FLORIDA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Mr. WEBSTER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am

honored to recognize the life of my good

friend, Mr. Fredrick C. ‘‘Fred’’ Brummer, who

passed away on May 1, 2023. Fred was a

loyal friend and dedicated public servant who

contributed enormously to our community.

Fred was born October 28, 1945, in Bab-

ylon, New York. In 1957, at the age of 12,

Fred and his family moved to Florida. He

graduated from Florida Atlantic University with

a Bachelor of Science in Business Administra-

tion in 1968 and a Master of Business Admin-

istration in 1974. In 1972, he married his won-

derful wife of 51 years, Catherine A. ‘‘Cathi’’

Anderson, of Hollywood, Florida.

In 1976, Fred earned the qualification as a

Certified Public Accountant. Fred began his

private accounting practice, Brummer & Rog-

ers, PA, CPA, in 1981 in Apopka, Florida. He

was a member of both the American and Flor-

ida Institutes of CPAs.

In 1998, Fred was elected to serve as State

Representative from District 38 in the Florida

Legislature and did so subsequently until

2006. During his time in the Florida Legisla-

ture, Fred served as Chair of the State Admin-

istration Committee, the Committee for Appro-

priations for Commerce and Local Affairs, and

the Committee for Finance and Taxation and

as Vice Chair of the House Appropriations

Committee. He was recognized for his stead-

fast service by numerous organizations includ-

ing as ‘‘Representative of the Year’’ by both

the Florida Police Benevolent Association and

the International Association of Fire Fighters.

In 2006, Fred was elected to serve as an Or-

ange County Commissioner and served honor-

ably until 2014.

Fred was passionate and dedicated to serv-

ing his community. He chaired the Orange

County School Overcrowding Committee, was

a member and President of the Apopka Rotary

Club, member of the Orange County Member-

ship and Mission Review Board, Orange

County Public Schools Finance Advisory Com-

mittee, the Wekiva Basin Area Task Force, the

Wekiva River Basin Coordinating Committee,

Lake County Fire & Emergency Service Advi-

sory Committee, and the City of Apopka Fire

Pension Board.

He was honored for his many years of serv-

ice by receiving many awards and acknowl-

edgements including the Apopka Chamber of

Commerce Businessman of the Year in 1991,

Apopka Rotary Rotarian of the Year in 1993,

and in 1995 receiving the Apopka Chamber of

Commerce Community Service Award, the

Apopka Daybreak Rotary Outstanding Service

Award, and the Habitat for Humanity Greater

Apopka Volunteer Service Award.

Fred is remembered as a man of honor, of

humility and as one who served his commu-

nity with tireless dedication. I am truly thankful

for Fred’s friendship and dedication to the

Central Florida community.

COMMENDING TERRY O’SULLIVAN

ON HIS RETIREMENT AS GEN-

ERAL PRESIDENT OF THE LA-

BORERS’ INTERNATIONAL UNION

OF NORTH AMERICA

HON. DONALD NORCROSS

OF NEW JERSEY

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today

to honor and commend General President of

the Laborers’ International Union of North

America (LIUNA), Terry O’Sullivan, who is re-

tiring after nearly 24 years of service.

Once one of the youngest union leaders in

the nation, Terry dedicated his life to serving

the members of LIUNA, fighting for middle

class and working families, and advancing the

broader labor movement in the United States.

As General President, Terry inspired work-

ers and grew LIUNA’s membership to one of

the largest and most active unions in the na-

tion. LIUNA built a reputation as a premiere

energy and infrastructure union under his

leadership, and more than half a million

LIUNA members continue to power our econ-

omy.

After more than two decades of fighting for

the working people of this country, Terry’s im-

pact on the labor movement will last for gen-

erations. The working men and women of the

United States are lucky to have had Terry in

their corner for 24 years, and we cannot thank

him enough for his service.

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of RemarksE448 May 16, 2023

Please join me in honoring and com-

mending Terry O’Sullivan as we celebrate his

extraordinary career and wish him happiness

and success as he begins this new chapter.

HONORING THE LIFE OF DONALD

L. HALE

HON. JOHN R. CARTER

OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am

honored to celebrate the life of Donald L.

Hale, who joined the angels in July of 1997.

As a true and devoted patriot, he made valu-

able contributions to the safety of our Nation

and to the preservation of freedom around the

world.

As a member of ‘‘Merrill’s Marauders’’ dur-

ing WWII, Hale answered the call for the most

dangerous missions and faced the most brutal

conditions in the Japanese-occupied jungles of

Myanmar (then known as Burma). Heroes like

him represent both the best of our Army and

of our Nation. They endured fierce combat,

life-threatening illnesses, along with extreme

exhaustion and heat, all in the toughest terrain

one can face in battle. Their fearless efforts

laid the foundation for the creation of the Army

Ranger regiment.

The contributions of Hale and his fellow Ma-

rauders did not go unnoticed. They were re-

cently honored with Congressional Gold Med-

als, ensuring that the U.S. will never forget

their sacrifices. While he is sadly no longer

with us, Hale’s family proudly received his

honor on his behalf.

As we mourn Donald Hale’s passing, his

presence was a blessing for all who knew him

and his commitment to his Nation helped keep

us free. The positive impacts he had on the

lives of others will live on and remain forever

in our hearts.

PERSONAL EXPLANATION

HON. JUAN CISCOMANI

OF ARIZONA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Mr. CISCOMANI. Mr. Speaker, due to un-

foreseen circumstances in flight delays, I

missed one vote on Monday, May 15, 2023.

Had I been present, I would have voted YEA

on Roll Call 213.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF

FORMER CONGRESSMAN STEVE

STIVERS UPON HIS RETIREMENT

FROM THE OHIO NATIONAL

GUARD AT THE RANK OF MAJOR

GENERAL

HON. ROBERT E. LATTA

OF OHIO

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I along with mem-

bers of the Ohio Delegation would like to take

this opportunity to congratulate Former Con-

gressman Steve Stivers on his retirement from

the Ohio National Guard at the rank of Major

General. During General Stiver’s career in the

Ohio National Guard, he also held office in the

Ohio Senate and the U.S. House of Rep-

resentatives, representing Ohio’s 15th Con-

gressional District. He distinguished himself in

Washington by his common decency, his dedi-

cation to his constituents, and a desire to help

anyone he could. Currently, he is serving as

president and CEO at the Ohio Chamber of

Commerce.

Born and raised in Ripley, Ohio, Steve is

the son of Carol and Ernst Stivers. After grad-

uating high school, he went on to study at The

Ohio State University where he earned a

bachelor’s degree in economics and inter-

national relations in 1989. He earned his MBA

from OSU in 1996. During his undergraduate

studies at OSU, Steve joined the Ohio Na-

tional Guard. He was eventually called to ac-

tive duty in October 2004 and was sent to

Djibouti, Kuwait, Qatar, and Iraq, where he

was awarded a Bronze Star for his service as

battalion commander during Operation Iraqi

Freedom.

Before being called to active duty, Steve

was appointed by Ohio Senate Republicans in

2003 to represent the 16th Ohio Senate Dis-

trict. He won a full term to the Ohio Senate in

2004. He remained in the Ohio Senate until

2008. In 2010, Steve ran and won a seat in

the U.S. House of Representatives from the

15th Congressional District. During his time in

Congress, he served on the House Committee

on Financial Services and became the Rank-

ing Member of the Subcommittee on Housing,

Community Development, and Insurance. He

would go on to win re-election 5 consecutive

times before leaving the House in 2021 to

serve as the president and CEO of the Ohio

Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me

in paying special tribute to our former col-

league, Major General Steve Stivers, on his

retirement from the Ohio National Guard. On

behalf of the people of the Fifth Congressional

District of Ohio, I wish Steve all the best in his

future endeavors and thank him for his 38

years of service to Ohio and our Nation.

HONORING DENISE JONES FOR 50

YEARS OF SERVICE

HON. KAY GRANGER

OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to

recognize the retirement of one of my constitu-

ents, Ms. Denise Jones.

Ms. Jones is retiring this May after 50 years

of service to the public education system in

North Texas.

A lifelong resident of Haltom City, Texas,

Denise grew up attending public schools

around her including WT Francisco Elemen-

tary, Haltom Middle School, and Haltom High

School.

As a senior at Haltom High School in 1972,

Denise joined the staff and never looked back.

For the first 25 years, she faithfully served the

Birdville Independent School District as a dis-

trict administrative assistant. Then, in 1998,

Denise joined the special education depart-

ment where she has been a loyal servant for

the past 25 years.

As a former schoolteacher and daughter of

an educator, I know firsthand how important

the of work our public servants is. Denise’s

achievement of working in public education for

50 years is truly impressive and reflects her

unwavering dedication to helping shape the

minds of future generations. Her impact will be

felt for many years to come.

Again, I want to congratulate Denise on her

retirement from Birdville Independent School

District and wish her the absolute best.

CELEBRATING AMERICA’S

TEACHERS

HON. GWEN MOORE

OF WISCONSIN

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, as

the mother of a teacher and the daughter of

a teacher, I am glad to rise today to recognize

Teacher Appreciation Week which was cele-

brated from May 8 through May 12, 2023.

As another school year comes to a close in

the coming weeks, we should take the time to

applaud the men and women who are so cru-

cial to ensuring our children have a quality

education.

To say it can be a thankless job, is a gigan-

tic understatement. But it can also be a very

rewarding career, one that changes lives for-

ever.

I think it would not be hard for any one of

us to recall a teacher who had an impact and

probably continues to have an impact on our

lives today.

And that’s why its critical that we ensure

that today’s students and the generations to

come have access to quality teachers who

help make a difference in their education out-

comes.

For too long, our Nation’s policies have

under-valued the teaching profession. We can

ill-afford to do that.

We know that there are persistent and wide-

spread teacher shortages nationwide every

year, with thousands of teaching positions

going unfilled.

We can support our students by ensuring

they have high quality teachers who can earn

a decent wage.

Recent data from the National Education

Association shows that in 17 percent of school

districts, the top salary a teacher can earn

(with 30 years of experience and a Ph.D.) is

$60,000.

Nearly 9,000 school districts provide starting

teacher salaries below $40,000.

We need to support efforts like the Amer-

ican Teacher Act that I have cosponsored that

help school districts of all sizes adequately

pay teachers.

This is not rocket science.

Two-thirds of teachers, and half of teachers

of color, believe higher salaries are the best

way to attract and retain a talented and di-

verse workforce, making it the top choice of

incentives.

Other research finds that teacher salaries

are the number one reason why teachers say

they will leave and the number one reason

former teachers say they did leave the profes-

sion.

As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation

Week, I encourage everyone to remember and

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E449 May 16, 2023

thank a teacher who has made a difference in

their life.

I want to thank the teachers who shaped my

life and my children’s and grandchildren’s

lives.

And I encourage my colleagues to work with

me to support policies to help train, develop,

and adequately pay our teachers.

RECOGNIZING CAPT. KATHRYN

BONNER

HON. DIANA HARSHBARGER

OF TENNESSEE

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Mrs. HARSHBARGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise

today to honor my constituent Captain Kathryn

Esther Bonner of Sevierville, Tennessee for

her heroic service. Last year, I came to know

Captain Bonner when I had the pleasure of

honoring her personally at our First Congres-

sional District’s Veteran Pin Ceremony of

Honor in Sevier County.

In 1967, Captain Bonner reported to Officer

Training in Newport, Rhode Island as an En-

sign Nurse Corps officer for the United States

Navy. Upon completion of her training, she re-

ported to Camp LeJeune Marine Corps base

in North Carolina. There, she first cared for

the many wounded Marines returning from the

Vietnam War and began her lifelong love and

respect for the Marine Corps.

In November 1969, Captain Bonner was as-

signed to her next duty station, aboard the

USS Sanctuary AH–17, a vessel responsible

for patrolling the waters off the coast of Hue,

Vietnam. While aboard, she administered

round-the-clock care to badly wounded service

personnel, many arriving straight from the bat-

tlefield and rice paddies, as well civilian Viet-

namese patients. Every day, she lived and

worked in constant vigilance as she was al-

ways within feet of the wards where the

wounded lay. A welcome break in the testing

routine, she recollects fondly the visit from

Bob Hope, Connie Stevens, and Neil Arm-

strong, who just a few months earlier had

walked on the moon, on Christmas Eve 1969.

Captain Bonner served at many stations of

duty over her extensive military career to in-

clude the Fleet Naval Hospital Comm Z14

Jacksonville and the U.S. Navy Bureau of

Medicine and Surgery in Washington, D.C.,

among others. Her retirement from active-duty

service in 1971 did not end her call to service

as she continued her career as a Nurse in the

United States Air Force Reserves. In that role,

she completed flight nurse training and helped

bring wounded Marines back home from the

1983 Beirut Barracks Bombing. In 1988, she

returned to the Navy as a Reservist and

served with distinction until her formal retire-

ment in June of 2003, after 26 years of mili-

tary service. Captain Bonner received several

awards and commendations during her career,

including the Meritorious Service Medal, 3

Navy Commendation Medals, 2 Air Force

Commendation Medals, and the Navy and Ma-

rine Corps Achievement Medal. She was also

selected as the Outstanding Nurse of the Year

3 times in her Air Force Reserve units time of

service and once as her numbered Air Force

Nurse of the year. Please join me to recognize

American hero, Captain Bonner and thank her

for her selfless, courageous military service to

our Nation.

RECOGNIZING THE 2022–2023 DUN-

MORE HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BAS-

KETBALL TEAM’S STATE CHAM-

PIONSHIP

HON. MATT CARTWRIGHT

OF PENNSYLVANIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise

today to recognize the incredible achieve-

ments of the 2022–2023 Dunmore High

School girls varsity basketball team. During

this year’s season, the ‘‘Lady Bucks’’ brought

great pride to our community by winning the

Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Associa-

tion (PIAA) 3A State Championship for the first

time in school history.

As the Member of the U.S. House rep-

resenting Dunmore, I’m proud to celebrate the

hard work, dedication, and teamwork of the

Lady Bucks that led to their championship.

They played with passion and a spirit of excel-

lence that was evident in every game. They

demonstrated that when a group of individuals

works together and supports each other, any-

thing is possible.

I want to acknowledge the coaching staff,

led by Coach Carrie Toomey, and Assistant

Coach Michael O’Malley, who have instilled a

culture of commitment, discipline, and respect

in these athletes. Under their guidance, Dun-

more truly played a season worthy of a state

title.

The success of the 2022–2023 team is also

a reflection of the support they received from

the Dunmore itself. From parents and families

who cheered them on in every game, to the

teachers and staff who have provided guid-

ance and encouragement, to the businesses

and organizations that also supported the

team, the Dunmore Lady Bucks have been lift-

ed up by the entire community.

It’s no surprise it happened that way be-

cause, in Northeastern Pennsylvania, we be-

lieve in the power of working together and

showing civic spirit. The Dunmore Lady Bucks’

championship is a testament to the strength of

that belief. These players demonstrated what

can happen when we support our young peo-

ple to the fullest.

So, I congratulate the 2022–2023 Dunmore

High School girls varsity basketball team on

their historic season and thank them for inspir-

ing us all. I’m proud to represent Dunmore

and look forward to celebrating many more

successes in the future.

PERSONAL EXPLANATION

HON. JAKE AUCHINCLOSS

OF MASSACHUSETTS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Mr. AUCHINCLOSS. Mr. Speaker, I was

necessarily absent from votes on May 15,

2023.

Had I been present, I would have voted

YEA on Roll Call No. 213, and YEA on Roll

Call No. 214.

RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVER-

SARY OF THE CITY OF NEW

FAIRVIEW

HON. MICHAEL C. BURGESS

OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to

honor the City of New Fairview as they cele-

brate the municipality’s incorporation 50 years

ago on May 21, 1973. In the late 1800s, set-

tlers moved to Wise County, Texas, many

traveling from Illinois. The area that covers

roughly 16 square miles was originally named

the ‘‘Illinois Settlement.’’ As time passed, the

population grew slowly, and the agrarian com-

munity established a church, cemetery, and a

school. In 1973, the city’s name was changed

to ‘‘Fairview’’ based upon the residents’ beau-

tiful point of view overlooking the north Texas

prairie.

By 1980, the city had a population of 180

people. Almost two decades later in 1999, the

population had grown to nearly 900 residents,

and the city officially changed their name to

‘‘New Fairview’’ in order to distinguish them-

selves from several other cities in the State of

Texas who shared the name.

As a result of its prime location in close

proximity to job centers in Fort Worth and Alli-

ance Airport, the City of New Fairview con-

tinues to expand and develop while still retain-

ing the semi-rural environment that its resi-

dents appreciate. The strong Texas economy

has fueled expansive business development

and population growth in New Fairview. The

North Central Texas Council of Government

has estimated the 2022 population at 2,060,

resulting in the city being one of top ten fast-

est-growing cities in the 16-county region. City

residents are served by excellent schools with-

in the Northwest and Decatur ISDs, which also

have encouraged new housing starts for fami-

lies. In the short 50 years that New Fairview

has existed, the city has had significant growth

and shows no sign of slowing down.

It is my honor to represent the citizens of

the City of New Fairview, Texas, in the U.S.

House of Representatives and join its citizens

in marking the thriving city’s semi-centennial

and look forward to ‘‘The City with a View’s’’

bright future.

RECOGNIZING MR. MATT STEVE

PANDOL, JR.

HON. DAVID G. VALADAO

OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Mr. VALADAO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today,

along with my friend and colleague, Congress-

man K

EVIN

ARTHY

, to honor the life of Mr.

Matt Steve Pandol, Jr., who passed away on

April 21, 2023, at his home in Delano, Cali-

fornia. He was 60 years old.

The son of Matt and Lucy Pandol, he was

born on June 27, 1962. Matt spent his child-

hood in Delano and attended California State

University, Fresno, where he graduated with a

degree in plant science. Following his gradua-

tion, he returned home to work for his family

business. Matt married his wife Linda in 1994.

They had three children together and raised

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of RemarksE450 May 16, 2023

them in his hometown. He worked independ-

ently and alongside the Pandol Family organi-

zation and served on the board of directors of

Pandol Bros., Inc. and Delano Grape Growers

Co-op Winery. Today, Pandol Bros. is one of

the nation’s top producers of grapes.

Matt was a fixture in the Delano community.

He was a parishioner of St. Mary’s Catholic

Church, a member of the Greater Delano Area

Youth Foundation, and a member of the

American Slavonic Social Club. He was also

involved in the All Slavonic American Associa-

tion of Fresno. An avid shooting sports com-

petitor, Matt was a regular at shooting tour-

naments across the nation. He was a member

of the Kern County Gun Club and other sport-

ing clubs. He also spent time hiking, fishing,

and enjoying the outdoors.

Matt was a hardworking farmer, dedicated

to producing the finest produce in California.

He worked closely with his brother, Andrew,

on Pandol Farms and cherished the time they

spent working together. He was dedicated to

the quality of the Pandol Family product. With

his family name on the box, he believed the

fruit had to be first class. His team was very

important to him, and he valued their expertise

and dedication to farming.

Matt is survived by his wife, Linda; his chil-

dren, Matt III, Stefanie, and Mark; his mother,

Lucy Pandol; brothers Louis Pandol, John (An-

gelica) Pandol, Andrew S. (Beth) Pandol; sis-

ter, Margaret (Scott) Curtis; and mother-in-law,

Gerry Marcia, in addition to other relatives and

in-laws.

Mr. Speaker, today we ask our colleagues

in the United States House of Representatives

to join us in honoring the life of our dear

friend, Mr. Matt Steve Pandol, Jr., who was

taken too soon. Our thoughts and prayers are

with his family and friends during this difficult

time.

COMMENDING JOSEPH SELLERS,

JR. ON HIS RETIREMENT AS

GENERAL PRESIDENT OF THE

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION

OF SHEET METAL, AIR, RAIL

AND TRANSPORTATION WORK-

ERS

HON. DONALD NORCROSS

OF NEW JERSEY

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today

to honor and commend General President of

the International Association of Sheet Metal,

Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART)

Joseph Sellers, Jr., who is retiring after nearly

3 decades in SMART local and national lead-

ership.

The son of a SMART sheet metal worker

and local union officer, Sellers followed in his

father’s footsteps and began an apprentice-

ship in 1980 at Local 19 in Philadelphia before

becoming a journeyman four years later. In

1994, he was elected to the Local’s executive

board and become its president and business

manager in 2002.

After being elected to international leader-

ship in 2009 and serving as the union’s gen-

eral secretary since 2011, Sellers became

SMART’s general president in 2015 and was

re-elected in 2019.

Under Sellers’ leadership, SMART improved

outreach and visibility to key stakeholders and

policymakers on important issues to union

members such as pensions, healthcare, and

apprenticeships. His advocacy advanced di-

versity and inclusion in the union, and he es-

tablished strong working relationships with

members of Congress and the Biden Adminis-

tration, where he helped champion the pas-

sage of the American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan

Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction

Act among many others.

The United States, SMART, and the working

men and women of our country are better off

because of the steadfast and visionary leader-

ship of Joseph Sellers, Jr. He advanced the

ideals of working people and fought to im-

prove the quality of life for the American peo-

ple. We are grateful for his decades of service

to SMART, and his commitment to the working

people and families of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in hon-

oring and commending Joseph Sellers, Jr., of

the International Association of Sheet Metal,

Air, Rail and Transportation Workers as we

celebrate his retirement and dedication to

serving the organization and their many work-

ing families throughout his career.

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D459

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Daily Digest

Senate

Chamber Action

Routine Proceedings, pages S1655–S1683

Measures Introduced: Twenty-five bills and four

resolutions were introduced, as follows: S.

1607–1631, S.J. Res. 28–30, and S. Res. 214.

Pages S1678–79

Measures Reported:

S. 111, to require each agency, in providing notice

of a rulemaking, to include a link to a 100-word

plain language summary of the proposed rule. (S.

Rept. No. 118–28)

S. 257, to prohibit contracting with persons that

have business operations with the Maduro regime.

(S. Rept. No. 118–29)

S. 479, to modify the fire management assistance

cost share, with amendments. (S. Rept. No. 118–30)

S. 780, to require the Comptroller General of the

United States to analyze certain legislation in order

to prevent duplication of and overlap with existing

Federal programs, offices, and initiatives. (S. Rept.

No. 118–31)

S. 917, to establish the duties of the Director of

the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

regarding open source software security, with amend-

ments. (S. Rept. No. 118–32)

Pages S1677–78

Measures Passed:

DC Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform

Amendment Act: By 56 yeas to 43 nays (Vote No.

126), Senate passed H.J. Res. 42, disapproving the

action of the District of Columbia Council in ap-

proving the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Re-

form Amendment Act of 2022.

Pages S1655–63, S1663

During consideration of this measure today, Senate

also took the following action:

Committee on Homeland Security and Govern-

mental Affairs was discharged from further consider-

ation of the joint resolution.

Page S1663

CADETS Act: Senate passed S. 467, to modify

the age requirement for the Student Incentive Pay-

ment Program of the State maritime academies, after

agreeing to the committee amendment.

Page S1682

Authorizing testimony and representation: Sen-

ate agreed to S. Res. 214, to authorize testimony and

representation in United States v. Neely. Page S1682

Message from the President: Senate received the

following message from the President of the United

States:

Transmitting, pursuant to law, a report on the

continuation of the national emergency that was

originally declared in Executive Order 13303 of May

22, 2003, with respect to the stabilization of Iraq;

which was referred to the Committee on Banking,

Housing, and Urban Affairs. (PM–13) Page S1677

Daniel Nomination—Agreement: Senate contin-

ued consideration of the nomination of Jeremy C.

Daniel, of Illinois, to be United States District

Judge for the Northern District of Illinois.

Page S1664

A unanimous-consent-time agreement was reached

providing for further consideration of the nomination

at approximately 10 a.m., on Wednesday, May 17,

2023; that the cloture motions filed during the ses-

sion of Monday, May 15, 2023, ripen at 11:30 a.m.,

on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, and that if cloture is

invoked on the nomination of Jeremy C. Daniel, all

time be considered expired at 2:15 p.m.; that if clo-

ture is invoked on the nomination of Darrel James

Papillion, of Louisiana, to be United States District

Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana, the con-

firmation vote be at a time to be determined by the

Majority Leader, following consultation with the Re-

publican Leader; that following the cloture vote on

the nomination of Darrel James Papillion, notwith-

standing Rule XXII, Senate begin consideration of

S.J. Res. 18, disapproving of the rule submitted by

the Department of Homeland Security relating to

‘‘Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility’’; that at

5 p.m., Senate vote on passage of the joint resolu-

tion; and that there be two minutes for debate

equally divided prior to each roll call vote.

Pages S1682–83

Messages from the House: Page S1677

Measures Referred: Page S1677

Measures Placed on the Calendar:

Pages S1655, S1677

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — DAILY DIGESTD460 May 16, 2023

Executive Communications: Page S1677

Additional Cosponsors: Pages S1679–80

Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:

Pages S1680–81

Additional Statements: Page S1677

Authorities for Committees to Meet:

Pages S1681–82

Privileges of the Floor: Page S1682

Record Votes: One record vote was taken today.

(Total—126) Pages S1663–64

Adjournment: Senate convened at 10 a.m. and ad-

journed at 7:27 p.m., until 10 a.m. on Wednesday,

May 17, 2023. (For Senate’s program, see the re-

marks of the Acting Majority Leader in today’s

Record on page S1683.)

Committee Meetings

(Committees not listed did not meet)

APPROPRIATIONS: HYPERSONIC THREATS,

MISSILE DEFENSE, AND PROTECTION OF

U.S. HOMELAND

Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense

concluded a closed hearing to examine proposed

budget estimates and justification for fiscal year

2024 for hypersonic threats, missile defense, and the

protection of the United States homeland, after re-

ceiving testimony from General Glen D. VanHerck,

Commander, North American Aerospace Defense

Command and Northern Command, and Vice Admi-

ral Jon A. Hill, Director, Missile Defense Agency,

both of the Department of Defense.

APPROPRIATIONS: SECURITY,

COMPETITIVENESS, U.S.-CHINA

RELATIONSHIP

Committee on Appropriations: Committee concluded a

hearing to examine the President’s proposed budget

request for fiscal year 2024, focusing on investing in

United States security, competitiveness, and the path

ahead for the United States-China relationship, after

receiving testimony from Lloyd J. Austin III, Sec-

retary of Defense; Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of

State; and Gina M. Raimondo, Secretary of Com-

merce.

SILICON VALLEY BANK AND SIGNATURE

BANK

Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs:

Committee concluded a hearing to examine the fail-

ures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, in-

cluding S. 1045, to amend the Federal Deposit In-

surance Act to clarify that the Federal Deposit Insur-

ance Corporation and appropriate Federal regulators

have the authority to claw back certain compensation

paid to executives, after receiving testimony from

Gregory W. Becker, Silicon Valley Bank, Santa

Clara, California; and Scott A. Shay, and Eric How-

ell, both of Signature Bank, New York, New York.

NASA BUDGET

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation:

Committee concluded a hearing to examine the

President’s proposed budget request for fiscal year

2024 for the National Aeronautics and Space Ad-

ministration, after receiving testimony from former

Senator Bill Nelson, Administrator, National Aero-

nautics and Space Administration.

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE BUDGET

Committee on Environment and Public Works: Com-

mittee concluded a hearing to examine the Presi-

dent’s proposed budget request for fiscal year 2024

for the Fish and Wildlife Service, after receiving tes-

timony from Martha Williams, Director, Fish and

Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior.

WATER MANAGEMENT

Committee on Environment and Public Works: Sub-

committee on Transportation and Infrastructure con-

cluded a hearing to examine perspectives on new and

existing Army Corps of Engineers authorities to re-

spond to water management issues including

drought and water conservation, after receiving testi-

mony from Andrea Travnicek, North Dakota Depart-

ment of Water Resources Director, Bismarck; Steph-

anie Roe Lewis, Gila River Indian Community, Ari-

zona; Leslie A. Meyers, Salt River Project, Tempe,

Arizona; Christy Plumer, Theodore Roosevelt Con-

servation Partnership, Washington, D.C.; and Jen-

nifer L. Verleger, Western States Water Council,

Murray, Utah.

IRS FUNDING CUTS

Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing

to examine House Republican supplemental IRS

funding cuts, focusing on the impact on Federal law

enforcement and the Federal deficit, after receiving

testimony from Natasha Sarin, Yale Law School and

Yale School of Management, New Haven, Con-

necticut; and Don Fort, former Chief, Criminal In-

vestigation, Internal Revenue Service, Department of

the Treasury, Pete Sepp, National Taxpayers Union,

and Chris Edwards, Cato Institute, all of Wash-

ington, D.C.

ECONOMIC COOPERATION

Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on International

Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness con-

cluded a hearing to examine economic cooperation

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — DAILY DIGEST D461 May 16, 2023

for a stronger and more resilient Western Hemi-

sphere, after receiving testimony from Jonathan

Fantini Porter, Partnership for Central America, Eric

Farnsworth, Council of the Americas, Margaret

Myers, Woodrow Wilson Center, Cathy Feingold,

AFL–CIO, and Neil Herrington, U.S. Chamber of

Commerce, all of Washington, D.C.

U.S. POLICY TOWARDS RUSSIA

Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded

a hearing to examine U.S. policy towards Russia,

after receiving testimony from Andrea Kendall-Tay-

lor, Center for a New American Security Trans-

atlantic Security Program, and John J. Sullivan,

former Deputy Secretary of State and Ambassador to

the Russian Federation, both of Washington, D.C.

NOMINATIONS

Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded

a hearing to examine the nominations of Ana A.

Escrogima, of New York, to be Ambassador to the

Sultanate of Oman, Lisa A. Johnson, of Virginia, to

be Ambassador to the Lebanese Republic, Ervin Jose

Massinga, of Washington, to be Ambassador to the

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Bryan

David Hunt, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the

Republic of Sierra Leone, and William W. Popp, of

Missouri, to be Ambassador to the Republic of

Uganda, all of the Department of State, after the

nominees testified and answered questions in their

own behalf.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN

GOVERNMENT

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Af-

fairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine ar-

tificial intelligence in government, including key

practices to help ensure accountability in Federal use

of AI, after receiving testimony from Taka Ariga,

Chief Data Scientist, Science, Technology Assessment

and Analytics, Government Accountability Office;

Ritchie Eppink, American Civil Liberties Union

Foundation, Boise, Idaho; Lynne E. Parker, Univer-

sity of Tennessee AI for Tennessee Initiative, Knox-

ville; Daniel E. Ho, Stanford University, Stanford,

California; and Jacob Siegel, Brooklyn, New York.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE OVERSIGHT

Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Privacy,

Technology, and the Law concluded an oversight

hearing to examine AI, focusing on rules for artificial

intelligence, after receiving testimony from Sam Alt-

man, OpenAI, San Francisco, California; Christina

Montgomery, IBM, Cortlandt Manor, New York;

and Gary Marcus, New York University, Vancouver,

British Columbia, Canada.

INTELLIGENCE

Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed

hearings on intelligence matters, receiving testimony

from officials of the intelligence community.

Committee recessed subject to the call.

House of Representatives

Chamber Action

Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 37 pub-

lic bills, H.R. 3355–3391; and 4 resolutions, H.

Res. 405–408, were introduced.

Pages H2375–77

Additional Cosponsors: Page H2379

Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:

H.R. 1482, to provide guidance for and invest-

ment in the upgrade and modernization of the Na-

tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Weather Radio All Hazards network, and for other

purposes (H. Rept. 118–60);

H.R. 1496, to upgrade the communications serv-

ice used by the National Weather Service, and for

other purposes (H. Rept. 118–61);

H.R. 1735, to coordinate Federal research and de-

velopment efforts focused on modernizing mathe-

matics in STEM education through mathematical

and statistical modeling, including data-driven and

computational thinking, problem, project, and per-

formance-based learning and assessment, inter-

disciplinary exploration, and career connections, and

for other purposes, with an amendment (H. Rept.

118–62);

H.R. 1153, to provide a clarification of non-appli-

cability for regulation and prohibition relating to

sensitive personal data under the International Emer-

gency Economic Powers Act, and for other purposes

(H. Rept. 118–63); and

H.R. 366, to amend title 38, United States Code,

to treat certain individuals who served in Vietnam

as a member of the armed forces of the Republic of

Korea as a veteran of the Armed Forces of the

United States for purposes of the provision of health

care by the Department of Veterans Affairs (H.

Rept. 118–64).

Page H2375

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — DAILY DIGESTD462 May 16, 2023

Recess: The House recessed at 10:47 a.m. and re-

convened at 12 p.m.

Page H2358

Recess: The House recessed at 1:07 p.m. and recon-

vened at 1:30 p.m.

Pages H2369–70

Protect Our Law enforcement with Immigration

Control and Enforcement Act of 2023, Federal

Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Pur-

chase Act, and Expressing support for local law

enforcement officers and condemning efforts to

defund or dismantle local law enforcement agen-

cies—Rule for consideration: The House agreed to

H. Res. 398, providing for consideration of the bill

(H.R. 2494) to make the assault of a law enforce-

ment officer a deportable offense; providing for con-

sideration of the bill (H.R. 3091) to allow Federal

law enforcement officers to purchase retired service

weapons; and providing for consideration of the con-

current resolution (H. Con. Res. 40) expressing sup-

port for local law enforcement officers and con-

demning efforts to defund or dismantle local law en-

forcement agencies, by a recorded vote of 222 ayes

to 203 noes, Roll No. 216, after the previous ques-

tion was ordered by a yea-and-nay vote of 220 yeas

to 209 nays, Roll No. 215.

Pages H2360–69, H2370–71

Privileged Resolution—Intent to Offer: Rep-

resentative Robert Garcia (CA) announced his intent

to offer a privileged resolution.

Page H2372

Presidential Veto Message—Disapproving the

rule submitted by the Department of Commerce

relating to ‘‘Procedures Covering Suspension of

Liquidation, Duties and Estimated Duties in Ac-

cord With Presidential Proclamation 10414’’:

Read a message from the President wherein he trans-

mitted his Memorandum of Disapproval of H.J. Res.

39, disapproving the rule submitted by the Depart-

ment of Commerce relating to ‘‘Procedures Covering

Suspension of Liquidation, Duties and Estimated

Duties in Accord With Presidential Proclamation

10414’’, and explained his reasons therefore—or-

dered printed (H. Doc. 118–41).

Page H2370

Without objection, the House postponed further

consideration of the veto message and the joint reso-

lution until the legislative day of May 24, 2023.

Page H2370

Presidential Message: Read a message from the

President wherein he notified Congress that the na-

tional emergency declared in Executive Order 13303

of May 22, 2003, as modified in scope and relied

upon for additional steps taken in Executive Order

13290 of March 20, 2003, Executive Order 13315

of August 28, 2003, Executive Order 13350 of July

29, 2004, Executive Order 13364 of November 29,

2004, Executive Order 13438 of July 17, 2007, and

Executive Order 13668 of May 27, 2014 with re-

spect to the stabilization of Iraq is to continue in ef-

fect beyond May 22, 2023—referred to the Com-

mittee on Foreign Affairs and ordered to be printed

(H. Doc. 118–42).

Page H2374

Quorum Calls—Votes: One yea-and-nay vote and

one recorded vote developed during the proceedings

of today and appear on pages H2370–71 and

H2371.

Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and ad-

journed at 2:40 p.m.

Committee Meetings

TO REVIEW THE NATIONAL FOREST

SYSTEM: SUPPORTING FOREST HEALTH

AND CONFRONTING THE WILDFIRE CRISIS

Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Forestry

held a hearing entitled ‘‘To Review the National

Forest System: Supporting Forest Health and Con-

fronting the Wildfire Crisis’’. Testimony was heard

from Randy Moore, Chief, U.S. Forest Service, De-

partment of Agriculture.

MEMBER DAY TO RECEIVE TESTIMONY ON

THEIR NATIONAL DEFENSE PRIORITIES

FOR THE NATIONAL DEFENSE

AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR

2024

Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a

hearing entitled ‘‘Member Day to Receive Testimony

on Their National Defense Priorities for the National

Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024’’.

Testimony was heard from Chairman Thompson of

Pennsylvania, and Representatives Case, Crenshaw,

Garcia of Texas, James, Larsen of Washington,

Obernolte, Kaptur, and Wenstrup.

EXAMINING THE POLICIES AND

PRIORITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF

EDUCATION

Committee on Education and Workforce: Full Committee

held a hearing entitled ‘‘Examining the Policies and

Priorities of the Department of Education’’. Testi-

mony was heard from Miguel Cardona, Secretary,

Department of Education.

MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES

Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on

Energy, Climate, and Grid Security held a markup

on H.R. 1042, the ‘‘Prohibiting Russian Uranium

Imports Act’’; H.R. 1640, the ‘‘Save Our Gas Stoves

Act’’; and H.R. 3277, the ‘‘Energy Emergency Lead-

ership Act’’. H.R. 3277 and H.R. 1640 were for-

warded to the full Committee, without amendment.

H.R. 1042 was forwarded to the full Committee, as

amended.

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PROTECTING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

FROM CYBERATTACKS: EXAMINING

EXPERTISE OF SECTOR SPECIFIC AGENCIES

Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on

Oversight and Investigations held a hearing entitled

‘‘Protecting Critical Infrastructure from

Cyberattacks: Examining Expertise of Sector Specific

Agencies’’. Testimony was heard from Puesh Kumar,

Director, Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security,

and Emergency Response, Department of Energy;

Brian Mazanec, Deputy Director, Office of Prepared-

ness, Administration for Strategic Prepardeness and

Response, Department of Health and Human Serv-

ices; and David Travers, Director, Water Infrastruc-

ture and Cyber Resilience Division, Office of

Groundwater and Drinking Water, Environmental

Protection Agency.

OVERSIGHT OF PRUDENTIAL

REGULATORS

Committee on Financial Services: Full Committee held

a hearing entitled ‘‘Oversight of Prudential Regu-

lators’’. Testimony was heard from Michael Barr,

Vice Chairman for Supervision, Board of Governors

of the Federal Reserve System; Martin Gruenberg,

Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation;

Todd Harper, Chairman, National Credit Union Ad-

ministration; and Michael Hsu, Acting Comptroller,

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Depart-

ment of the Treasury.

MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES

Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a

markup on H.R. 3205, to disrupt the international

fentanyl supply chain, and for other purposes; H.R.

3203, to impose sanctions with respect to Chinese

producers of synthetic opioids and opioid precursors,

to hold Chinese officials accountable for the spread

of illicit fentanyl, and for other purposes; H.R.

3202, to prohibit any official action to recognize or

normalize relations with any Government of Syria

that is led by Bashar al-Assad, and for other pur-

poses; H.R. 3099, to establish in the Department of

State the position of Special Envoy for the Abraham

Accords, and for other purposes; H. Res. 81, calling

on the President to support the creation of a Special

Tribunal for the Punishment of the Crime of Ag-

gression against Ukraine; H. Res. 377, calling for

the immediate release of Evan Gershkovich, a United

States citizen and journalist, who was wrongfully de-

tained by the Government of the Russian Federation

in March 2023; H. Res 272, calling on the Govern-

ment of the Russian Federation to immediately re-

lease United States citizen Paul Whelan; and H.R.

1176, to amend the Taiwan Allies International Pro-

tection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act of

2019 to provide that the United States, as a member

of any international organizations, should oppose any

attempts by the People’s Republic of China to re-

solve Taiwan’s status by distorting the decisions, lan-

guage, policies, or procedures of the organization,

and for other purposes. H.R. 3205, H.R. 3203, H.

Res. 81, and H.R. 3202 were ordered reported, as

amended. H.R. 3099, H. Res. 377, H. Res 272, and

H.R. 1176 were ordered reported, without amend-

ment.

PROTECTING THE HOMELAND: AN

EXAMINATION OF FEDERAL EFFORTS TO

SUPPORT STATE AND LOCAL LAW

ENFORCEMENT

Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on

Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intel-

ligence; and Subcommittee on Emergency Manage-

ment and Technology held a joint hearing entitled

‘‘Protecting the Homeland: An Examination of Fed-

eral Efforts to Support State and Local Law Enforce-

ment’’. Testimony was heard from Michael Gerke,

Chief of Police, Odessa Police Department, Texas;

Don Barnes, Sheriff, Orange County, California; and

Michael Cox, Commissioner, Boston Police Depart-

ment, Massachusetts.

MOSTLY PEACEFUL: COUNTERING LEFT-

WING ORGANIZED VIOLENCE

Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on

Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability held a

hearing entitled ‘‘ ‘Mostly Peaceful’: Countering Left-

Wing Organized Violence’’. Testimony was heard

from public witnesses.

LOOKING AHEAD SERIES: OVERSIGHT OF

THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL POLICE

Committee on House Administration: Full Committee

held a hearing entitled ‘‘Looking Ahead Series: Over-

sight of the United States Capitol Police’’. Testi-

mony was heard from J. Thomas Manger, Chief of

Police, U.S. Capitol Police.

REVISITING THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE

FACE ACT

Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Con-

stitution and Limited Government held a hearing

entitled ‘‘Revisiting the Implications of the FACE

Act’’. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

EXAMINING THE PRESIDENT’S FY 2024

BUDGET FOR THE BUREAU OF LAND

MANAGEMENT AND THE OFFICE OF

SURFACE MINING, RECLAMATION AND

ENFORCEMENT

Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on En-

ergy and Mineral Resources held a hearing entitled

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‘‘Examining the President’s FY 2024 Budget for the

Bureau of Land Management and the Office of Sur-

face Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement’’. Testi-

mony was heard from public witnesses.

EXAMINING THE CHALLENGES FACING

FOREST MANAGEMENT, WILDFIRE

SUPPRESSION, AND WILDLAND

FIREFIGHTERS AHEAD OF THE 2023

WILDFIRE YEAR

Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Fed-

eral Lands held a hearing entitled ‘‘Examining the

Challenges Facing Forest Management, Wildfire

Suppression, and Wildland Firefighters Ahead of the

2023 Wildfire Year’’. Testimony was heard from

Jaelith Hall-Rivera, Deputy Chief, State and Private

Forestry, U.S. Forest Service, Department of Agri-

culture; Jeff Rupert, Director, Office of Wildland

Fire, Department of the Interior; Greg Bolin, Mayor,

Paradise, California; and public witnesses.

PRESERVING U.S. INTERESTS IN THE

INDO-PACIFIC: EXAMINING HOW U.S.

ENGAGEMENT COUNTERS CHINESE

INFLUENCE IN THE REGION

Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on In-

dian and Insular Affairs held a hearing entitled ‘‘Pre-

serving U.S. Interests in the Indo-Pacific: Examining

How U.S. Engagement Counters Chinese Influence

in the Region’’. Testimony was heard from public

witnesses.

OVERDUE OVERSIGHT OF THE CAPITAL

CITY: PART II

Committee on Oversight and Accountability: Full Com-

mittee held a hearing entitled ‘‘Overdue Oversight

of the Capital City: Part II’’. Testimony was heard

from Muriel Bowser, Mayor, District of Columbia;

and Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attor-

ney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

THE NEXT FIFTY YEARS OF THE CLEAN

WATER ACT: EXAMINING THE LAW AND

INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT COMPLETION

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Sub-

committee on Water Resources and Environment

held a hearing entitled ‘‘The Next Fifty Years of the

Clean Water Act: Examining the Law and Infrastruc-

ture Project Completion’’. Testimony was heard from

Andrea J. Travnicek, Director, Department of Water

Resources, North Dakota; Serena Coleman McIlwain,

Secretary of the Environment, Maryland; and public

witnesses.

REVIEWING VA’S IMPLEMENTATION OF

THE PACT ACT

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs: Subcommittee on Dis-

ability Assistance and Memorial Affairs held a hear-

ing entitled ‘‘Reviewing VA’s Implementation of the

PACT Act’’. Testimony was heard from Joshua Ja-

cobs, Under Secretary for Benefits, Veterans Benefits

Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; and

public witnesses.

HEALTH CARE PRICE TRANSPARENCY: A

PATIENT’S RIGHT TO KNOW

Committee on Ways and Means: Full Committee held

a hearing entitled ‘‘Health Care Price Transparency:

A Patient’s Right to Know’’. Testimony was heard

from public witnesses.

SECURITY CLEARANCE REFORM

Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Full Com-

mittee held a hearing entitled ‘‘Security Clearance

Reform’’. This hearing is closed.

Joint Meetings

No joint committee meetings were held.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR WEDNESDAY,

MAY 17, 2023

(Committee meetings are open unless otherwise indicated)

Senate

Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: business

meeting to consider the nomination of Xochitl Torres

Small, of New Mexico, to be Deputy Secretary of Agri-

culture, Time to be announced, S–216, Capitol.

Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy, to

hold hearings to examine rural broadband, focusing on

connecting our communities to the digital economy, 3

p.m., SR–328A.

Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Emerging

Threats and Capabilities, to hold hearings to examine the

role of Special Operations Forces in supporting the Na-

tional Defense Strategy, including activities that con-

tribute to long-term strategic competition with China

and Russia, 9:30 a.m., SR–222.

Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Sub-

committee on Economic Policy, to hold hearings to ex-

amine strengthening accountability at the Federal Re-

serve, focusing on lessons and opportunities for reform,

2:30 p.m., SD–538.

Committee on the Budget: to hold hearings to examine

how tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations drive the

national debt, 10 a.m., SD–608.

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: business

meeting to consider S. 92, to designate the outdoor am-

phitheater at the Blue Ridge Music Center in Galax, Vir-

ginia, as the ‘‘Rick Boucher Amphitheater’’, S. 162, to

amend the Smith River National Recreation Area Act to

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include certain additions to the Smith River National

Recreation Area, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers

Act to designate certain wild rivers in the State of Or-

egon, S. 199, to codify the authority of the Secretary of

Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to conduct

certain landscape-scale forest restoration projects, S. 440,

to designate certain land administered by the Bureau of

Land Management and the Forest Service in the State of

Oregon as wilderness and national recreation areas, to

withdraw certain land located in Curry County and Jose-

phine County, Oregon, from all forms of entry, appro-

priation, or disposal under the public land laws, location,

entry, and patent under the mining laws, and operation

under the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws, S.

452, to require the Secretary of Energy to establish a Nu-

clear Fuel Security Program, expand the American As-

sured Fuel Supply Program, and submit a report on a

civil nuclear credit program, S. 461, to make certain irri-

gation districts eligible for Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin

Program pumping power, S. 534, to withdraw certain

Bureau of Land Management land from mineral develop-

ment, S. 535, to streamline the oil and gas permitting

process and to recognize fee ownership for certain oil and

gas drilling or spacing units, S. 593, to amend the John

D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recre-

ation Act to establish the Cerro de la Olla Wilderness in

the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument and to

modify the boundary of the Rio Grande del Norte Na-

tional Monument, S. 612, to reauthorize the Lake Tahoe

Restoration Act, S. 623, to amend the Alaska Native

Claims Settlement Act to exclude certain payments to

aged, blind, or disabled Alaska Natives or descendants of

Alaska Natives from being used to determine eligibility

for certain programs, S. 683, to modify the boundary of

the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to in-

clude certain Federal land in Lake County, California, S.

706, to withdraw the National Forest System land in the

Ruby Mountains subdistrict of the Humboldt-Toiyabe

National Forest and the National Wildlife Refuge System

land in Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Elko and

White Pine Counties, Nevada, from operation under the

mineral leasing laws, S. 736, to establish the Chiricahua

National Park in the State of Arizona as a unit of the Na-

tional Park System, S. 776, to amend the Wild and Sce-

nic Rivers Act to designate certain segments of the Gila

River system in the State of New Mexico as components

of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, to pro-

vide for the transfer of administrative jurisdiction over

certain Federal land in the State of New Mexico, S. 843,

to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to

authorize the use of funds for certain additional Carey Act

projects, S. 873, to improve recreation opportunities on,

and facilitate greater access to, Federal public land, S.

1260, to release the reversionary interest of the United

States in certain non-Federal land in Salt Lake City, Utah,

S. 1466, to adjust the boundary of the Santa Monica

Mountains National Recreation Area to include the Rim

of the Valley Corridor, S. 1540, to amend the Forest and

Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974

and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of

1976 to provide for circumstances under which reiniti-

ation of consultation is not required under a land and re-

source management plan or land use plan under those

Acts, and the nominations of David Crane, of New Jer-

sey, to be Under Secretary, and Jeffrey Matthew

Marootian, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant

Secretary (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy), both

of the Department of Energy, 10 a.m., SD–366.

Committee on Environment and Public Works: to hold hear-

ings to examine Federal actions to improve project re-

views for a cleaner and stronger economy, 10:15 a.m.,

SD–406.

Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on Health Care, to

hold hearings to examine improving health care access in

rural communities, focusing on obstacles and opportuni-

ties, 2:30 p.m., SD–215.

Committee on Foreign Relations: to hold hearings to exam-

ine the nominations of Jennifer M. Adams, of Virginia,

to be Ambassador to the Republic of Cabo Verde, Heath-

er Roach Variava, of Iowa, to be Ambassador to the Lao

People’s Democratic Republic, Julie Turner, of Maryland,

to be Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights

Issues, with the rank of Ambassador, Matthew D. Mur-

ray, of Maryland, for the rank of Ambassador during his

tenure of service as United States Senior Official for the

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and Jennifer

L. Johnson, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Fed-

erated States of Micronesia, all of the Department of

State, and other pending nominations, 2:45 p.m.,

SD–419.

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Sub-

committee on Primary Health and Retirement Security,

to hold hearings to examine a crisis in mental health and

substance use disorder care, focusing on closing gaps in

access by bringing care and prevention to communities,

10 a.m., SD–430.

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs:

business meeting to consider S. 285, to provide for the

perpetuation, administration, and funding of Federal Ex-

ecutive Boards, S. 311, to correct the inequitable denial

of enhanced retirement and annuity benefits to certain

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers, S. 1137, to

establish the Law Enforcement Mental Health and

Wellness Program, S. 931, to improve the visibility, ac-

countability, and oversight of agency software asset man-

agement practices, S. 1524, to ensure that whistleblowers,

including contractors, are protected from retaliation when

a Federal employee orders a reprisal, S. 1528, to stream-

line the sharing of information among Federal disaster as-

sistance agencies, to expedite the delivery of life-saving

assistance to disaster survivors, to speed the recovery of

communities from disasters, to protect the security and

privacy of information provided by disaster survivors, S.

1549, to provide the Congressional Budget Office with

necessary authorities to expedite the sharing of data from

executive branch agencies, S. 885, to establish a Civilian

Cybersecurity Reserve in the Department of Homeland

Security as a pilot project to address the cybersecurity

needs of the United States with respect to national secu-

rity, S. 1425, to require a report on Federal support to

the cybersecurity of commercial satellite systems, S. 1464,

to restrict the flow of illicit drugs into the United States,

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S. 1564, to require the Director of the Office of Personnel

Management to establish, or otherwise ensure the provi-

sion of, a training program on artificial intelligence for

Federal management officials and supervisors, S. 1443, to

require an interagency strategy for creating a unified pos-

ture on counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C–UAS) ca-

pabilities and protections at international borders of the

United States, S. 1510, to amend provisions relating to

the Office of the Inspector General of the Government

Accountability Office, S. 473, to provide for drone secu-

rity, and S. 1560, to require the development of a com-

prehensive rural hospital cybersecurity workforce develop-

ment strategy, 10:30 a.m., SD–562.

Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, to hold

hearings to examine health care denials and delays in

Medicare Advantage, 2 p.m., SD–562.

Committee on the Judiciary: to hold hearings to examine

the nominations of Ana de Alba, of California, to be

United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit, and

Irma Carrillo Ramirez, of Texas, to be United States Cir-

cuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit, 10 a.m., SD–226.

Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency

Action, and Federal Rights, to hold hearings to examine

Federal judicial ethics processes at the Judicial Conference

of the United States, 2 p.m., SD–226.

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs: to hold hearings to exam-

ine the President’s proposed budget request for fiscal year

2024 and 2025 advance appropriations requests for the

Department of Veterans Affairs, 3 p.m., SR–418.

Select Committee on Intelligence: to hold closed hearings to

examine certain intelligence matters, 2:30 p.m.,

SVC–217.

House

Committee on Agriculture, Subcommittee on Livestock,

Dairy, and Poultry, hearing entitled ‘‘A Review of Ani-

mal Agriculture Stakeholder Priorities’’, 10 a.m., 1300

Longworth.

Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Legisla-

tive Branch, markup on the Subcommittee on Legislative

Branch FY 2024 Appropriations Bill, 11 a.m., H–140

Capitol.

Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Af-

fairs, and Related Agencies, markup on the Subcommittee

on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related

Agencies FY 2024 Appropriations Bill, 10 a.m., H–140

Capitol.

Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on

Health, markup on H.R. 1418, the ‘‘Animal Drug User

Fee Amendments of 2023’’; H.R. 2544, the ‘‘Securing the

U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network

Act’’; H.R. 3281, the ‘‘Transparent PRICE Act’’; H.R.

2666, the ‘‘Medicaid VBPs for Patients (MVP) Act’’;

H.R. 3285, the ‘‘Fairness for Patient Medications Act’’;

H.R. 3284, the ‘‘Providers and Payers COMPETE Act’’;

H.R. 3290, to amend title III of the Public Health Serv-

ice Act to ensure transparency and oversight of the 340B

drug discount program; H.R. 2559, the ‘‘Strengthening

Community Care Act of 2023’’; H.R. 2547, the ‘‘Special

Diabetes Program for Indians Reauthorization Act of

2023’’; H.R. 2550, the ‘‘Special Diabetes Program Reau-

thorization Act of 2023’’; H.R. 1613, the ‘‘Drug Price

Transparency in Medicaid Act of 2023’’; H.R. 2665, the

‘‘Supporting Safety Net Hospitals Act’’; H.R. 2679, the

‘‘PBM Accountability Act’’; H.R. 3248, the ‘‘Diagnostic

Lab Testing Transparency Act’’; H.R. 3262, to amend

title XI of the Social Security Act to increase transparency

of certain health-related ownership information; H.R.

3282, the ‘‘Promoting Transparency and Healthy Com-

petition in Medicare Act’’; H.R. 3237, to amend title

XVIII of the Social Security Act to require each out-

patient department of a provider to include a unique

identification number on claims for services, and to re-

quire hospitals with an outpatient department of a pro-

vider to submit to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid

Services an attestation with respect to each outpatient de-

partment, 10 a.m., 2123 Rayburn.

Subcommittee on Communications and Technology,

markup on H.R. 3279 the ‘‘WIRELESS Leadership Act’’;

H.R. 3295, the ‘‘BROADBAND Leadership Act’’; H.R.

3287, the ‘‘CABLE Leadership Act’’; legislation on the

CABLE Expansion Act; legislation on the CABLE Com-

petition Act; legislation on the Cable Transparency Act;

H.R. 3298, the ‘‘BEAD FEES Act’’; legislation on the

GRANTED Act; H.R. 3300, the ‘‘5G UPGRADE Act of

2023’’; legislation on the SPEED for Broadband Infra-

structure Act of 2023; H.R. 3289, the ‘‘Wireless

Broadband Competition and Efficient Deployment Act’’;

H.R. 3288, the ‘‘Broadband Competition and Efficient

Deployment Act’’; legislation on the Wireless Resiliency

and Flexible Investment Act of 2023; legislation on the

Broadband Resiliency and Flexible Investment Act; H.R.

3291, the ‘‘Proportional Reviews for Broadband Deploy-

ment Act’’; legislation on the RAPID Act; legislation on

the Coastal Broadband Deployment Act; H.R. 3292, the

‘‘Brownfields Broadband Deployment Act’’; H.R. 3280,

the ‘‘TRUSTED Broadband Networks Act’’; H.R. 3301,

the ‘‘Connecting Communities Post Disaster Act of

2023’’; H.R. 3296, the ‘‘Wildfire Communications Resil-

iency Act’’; H.R. 3297, the ‘‘Reducing Barriers for

Broadband on Federal Lands Act’’; legislation on the

Standard FEES Act; H.R. 3293, the ‘‘Expediting Federal

Broadband Deployment Act’’; H.R. 3299, the ‘‘DIGITAL

Applications Act’’; H.R. 3283, the ‘‘Facilitating DIG-

ITAL Applications Act’’; legislation on the Federal

Broadband Deployment Tracking Act; and legislation to

amend the Communications Act of 1934 to extend the

authority of the Federal Communications Commission to

grant a license or construction permit through a system

of competitive bidding, 1 p.m., 2123 Rayburn.

Committee on Financial Services, Subcommittee on Finan-

cial Institutions and Monetary Policy; and Subcommittee

on Oversight and Investigations, joint hearing entitled

‘‘Continued Oversight Over Regional Bank Failures’’, 10

a.m., 2128 Rayburn.

Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, hearing enti-

tled ‘‘The Current Mortgage Market: Undermining Hous-

ing Affordability with Politics’’, 2 p.m., 2220 Rayburn.

Committee on Foreign Affairs, Full Committee, hearing

entitled ‘‘The State of American Influence in 2023: Great

Power Competition and Persistent Crises in an Era of

Budget Constraints’’, 2 p.m., HVC–210.

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — DAILY DIGEST D467 May 16, 2023

Committee on Homeland Security, Full Committee, mark-

up on legislation on the Securing Open-Source Software

Act of 2023; H.R. 1501, the ‘‘Unmanned Aerial Security

Act’’; H.R. 3224, the ‘‘Countering Weapons of Mass De-

struction Extension Act of 2023’’; H.R. 3208, the ‘‘DHS

Cybersecurity On-the-Job Training Program Act’’; and

H.R. 3254, the ‘‘First Responder Access to Innovative

Technologies Act’’, 9:30 a.m., 310 Cannon.

Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Courts, In-

tellectual Property and the Internet, hearing entitled ‘‘Ar-

tificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property: Part I—

Interoperability of AI and Copyright Law’’, 10 a.m., 2141

Rayburn.

Committee on Natural Resources, Full Committee, markup

on H. Con. Res. 34, expressing disapproval of the with-

drawal by the Secretary of the Interior of approximately

225,504 acres of National Forest System lands in Cook,

Lake, and Saint Louis Counties, Minnesota, from disposi-

tion under the United States mineral and geothermal

leasing laws; H.R. 200, the ‘‘Forest Information Reform

Act’’; H.R. 359, the ‘‘Fort San Geronimo Preservation

Act’’; H.R. 663, the ‘‘Native American Child Protection

Act’’; H.R. 886, the ‘‘Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments

Act’’; H.R. 1586, the ‘‘Forest Protection and Wildland

Firefighter Safety Act of 2023’’; H.R. 2989, ‘‘Save Our

Sequoias Act’’; and H.R. 3195, the ‘‘Superior National

Forest Restoration Act’’, 10 a.m., 1324 Longworth.

Committee on Oversight and Accountability, Subcommittee

on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce,

hearing entitled ‘‘Tracking the Postal Service: An Update

on the Delivering for America Plan’’, 10 a.m., 2154 Ray-

burn.

Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic,

hearing entitled ‘‘Like Fire Through Dry Grass: Nursing

Home Mortality and COVID–19 Policies’’, 10 a.m., 2247

Rayburn.

Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy,

and Regulatory Affairs, hearing entitled ‘‘Driving Bad

Policy: Examining EPA’s Tailpipe Emissions Rules and

the Realities of a Rapid Electric Vehicle Transition’’, 2

p.m., 2154 Rayburn.

Committee on Small Business, Full Committee, hearing

entitled ‘‘Taking on More Risk: Examining the SBA’s

Changes to the 7(a) Lending Program Part II’’, 10 a.m.,

2360 Rayburn.

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Sub-

committee on Economic Development, Public Buildings,

and Emergency Management, hearing entitled ‘‘The Im-

pacts of FEMA’s Strategic Plan on Disaster Preparedness

and Response’’, 10 a.m., 2167 Rayburn.

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Subcommittee on Health;

and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, joint

hearing entitled ‘‘VHA Recruitment and Retention: Is

Bureaucracy Holding Back a Quality Workforce’’, 10:30

a.m., 360 Cannon.

Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, hearing enti-

tled ‘‘The Transition Assistance Program: Steps to Ensure

Success for Servicemembers as they Enter Civilian Life’’,

3 p.m., 360 Cannon.

Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Health,

hearing entitled ‘‘Why Health Care is Unaffordable:

Anticompetitive and Consolidated Markets’’, 2 p.m.,

1100 Longworth.

Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Subcommittee

on National Intelligence Enterprise, hearing entitled

‘‘Roles and Functions of the National Counterintelligence

Center (NCTC)’’, 10 a.m., HVC–304 Hearing Room.

This hearing is closed.

Full Committee, business meeting on publicly releas-

ing an unclassified transcript of a recent Committee

event, 2 p.m., HVC–301 Hearing Room.

Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the

United States and the Chinese Communist Party, Full Com-

mittee, business meeting on two committee reports out-

lining policy recommendations based on the committee’s

March 23, 2023, hearing regarding the CCP’s genocide

targeting the Uyghurs and on the committee’s April

2023 activities—including a tabletop exercise and round-

table—focused on enhancing deterrence against CCP ag-

gression aimed at Taiwan, 10 a.m., 1310 Longworth.

Full Committee, hearing entitled ‘‘Leveling the Playing

Field: How to Counter the CCP’s Economic Aggression’’,

7 p.m., 1310 Longworth.

Joint Meeting

Joint Economic Committee: to hold hearings to examine

how a U.S. default crisis harms American families and

businesses, 2:30 p.m., SH–216.

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — DAILY DIGEST

Congressional Record

The Congressional Record (USPS 087–390). The Periodicals postage

is paid at Washington, D.C. The public proceedings of each House

of Congress, as reported by the Official Reporters thereof, are

printed pursuant to directions of the Joint Committee on Printing as authorized by appropriate provisions of Title 44, United

States Code, and published for each day that one or both Houses are in session, excepting very infrequent instances when

two or more unusually small consecutive issues are printed one time. ¶ Public access to the Congressional Record is available online through

the U.S. Government Publishing Office, at www.govinfo.gov, free of charge to the user. The information is updated online each day the

Congressional Record is published. For more information, contact the GPO Customer Contact Center, U.S. Government Publishing Office.

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Government Online Bookstore at: bookstore.gpo.gov. Mail orders to: Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 979050, St. Louis, MO

63197–9000, or phone orders to 866–512–1800 (toll-free), 202–512–1800 (D.C. area), or fax to 202–512–2104. Remit check or money order, made

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the Congressional Record.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Record, U.S. Government Publishing Office,

Washington, D.C. 20402, along with the entire mailing label from the last issue received.

D468 May 16, 2023

Next Meeting of the SENATE

10 a.m., Wednesday, May 17

Senate Chamber

Program for Wednesday: Senate will continue consider-

ation of the nomination of Jeremy C. Daniel, of Illinois,

to be United States District Judge for the Northern Dis-

trict of Illinois, and vote on the motion to invoke cloture

thereon at 11:30 a.m. If cloture is invoked on the nomi-

nation, Senate will vote on confirmation thereon at 2:15

p.m., followed by a vote on the motion to invoke cloture

on the nomination of Darrel James Papillion, of Lou-

isiana, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern

District of Louisiana.

Following the vote on the motion to invoke cloture on

the nomination of Darrel James Papillion, Senate will

begin consideration of S.J. Res. 18, disapproving of the

rule submitted by the Department of Homeland Security

relating to ‘‘Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility’’,

and vote on passage thereon at 5 p.m., followed by a vote

on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of

Nancy G. Abudu, of Georgia, to be United States Circuit

Judge for the Eleventh Circuit.

Next Meeting of the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

10 a.m., Wednesday, May 17

House Chamber

Program for Wednesday: Consideration of H.R.

2494—POLICE Act of 2023.

Extensions of Remarks, as inserted in this issue

HOUSE

Auchincloss, Jake, Mass., E449

Bucshon, Larry, Ind., E447

Burgess, Michael C., Tex., E449

Carter, John R., Tex., E448

Cartwright, Matt, Pa., E449

Ciscomani, Juan, Ariz., E448

Fulcher, Russ, Idaho, E447

Granger, Kay, Tex., E448

Harshbarger, Diana, Tenn., E449

Kuster, Ann M., N.H., E447

Latta, Robert E., Ohio, E448

Moore, Gwen, Wisc., E448

Norcross, Donald, N.J., E447, E450

Sewell, Terri A., Ala., E447

Valadao, David G., Calif., E449

Webster, Daniel, Fla., E447

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