Expressing condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the victims of the crash of American Eagle Flight 5342 and PAT 25, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H. Res. 153, expressing condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the victims of the plane crash of American Eagle Flight 5342 and U.S. Army call sign PAT 25, introduced by my colleagues from Kansas, Representatives Ron Estes and Tracey Mann. I thank both Congressman Estes and Congressman Mann for their leadership on this matter as well as the leadership and cooperation of the entire Kansas congressional delegation.

The last couple of months have been heartbreaking and trying. It has been a hard time for our country and the U.S. aviation system. There have been numerous accidents, with the Potomac DCA midair collision being among the most tragic.

At approximately 8:52 p.m. on January 29, 2025, American Airlines Flight 5342, flying from Wichita, Kansas, to Ronald Reagan National Airport, collided with UH-60 Army Black Hawk helicopter PAT 25 while on final approach to runway 33 at DCA, resulting in both aircraft crashing over the Potomac River.

There were no survivors. Mr. Speaker, 67 innocent lives were lost: 60 passengers, 4 flight crew, and 3 Army soldiers.

There is no one in my home State who hasn't been deeply affected by this tragedy. Kansas is known as the Air Capital of the World, a place where aviation is not just an industry, but a way of life. The passengers on Flight 5342 were our neighbors, our coworkers, and our loved ones.

We are forever grateful for the more than 300 first responders who arrived almost immediately on the scene to try to rescue survivors. Responding parties initially included Washington, D.C., Fire and Emergency Medical Services, the Metropolitan Police Department, Virginia State and municipal police departments, and multiple Federal agencies, including the NTSB, FBI, and U.S. Coast Guard.

Sadly, this and other events stand as a stark reminder of the complexities of the national airspace system and that we shouldn't take the precious few moments with loved ones for granted.

We must investigate this accident thoroughly to prevent this event from ever happening again and ensure that aviation safety always remains a top priority.

With regard to the investigation, we are grateful to the NTSB personnel who are actively supporting the victims' families through the agency's family assistance program. Family assistance is a critical function of the NTSB and invaluable to those mourning the loss of one or more of their loved ones.

In times of tragedy, it can be difficult to sort through the torrent of emotions--sadness, rage, loneliness, and regret. While counseling cannot bring back the loved ones lost, it can help survivors process the storm and maybe, just a little bit, blunt some of the pain.

The NTSB is also leading the accident investigation itself. The agency deployed over 40 investigators alongside the Coast Guard, FBI, dive teams, and the Army Corps of Engineers to aid in the recovery and analysis.

Aside from the wreckage of both aircraft and the personal effects of the victims, the agency has recovered the recording devices from both aircraft, and they are being analyzed by NTSB experts.

This effort also extended far beyond the NTSB's personnel. Hundreds of government employees are supporting this investigative mission, including employees from the FAA, FBI, and Department of Transportation.

As a Member of Congress and as a citizen who cares deeply for U.S. aviation, I am proud of those public servants and grateful for their sense of duty and sacrifice.

Even though we all want answers, we must resist the urge to speculate on the causes of aviation accidents and allow the NTSB to complete its work. Aviation safety is dependent on a stable operating environment and technical analysis. I, for one, would like to trust the experts as they continue their mission to make the skies safer.

When the final report comes out and the time comes to act, I hope that this body remembers this moment. We must do everything in our power, working across the aisle, to prevent this from ever happening again. In the meantime, let us come together in expressing our deepest condolences and agree to this resolution.

Our thoughts and prayers remain with the passengers, crew, their loved ones, and first responders.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Subramanyam).

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H. Res. 153, and I continue to express condolences for all the victims to their families, friends, and loved ones.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Mann for managing the floor time on this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 153, a resolution honoring the victims of Flight 5342 and Black Hawk PAT 25 and offering condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones.

First, I offer my own condolences, prayers, and support to those who are mourning the loss of a loved one. While it has been a little more than a month since this tragic incident, there are still no words to adequately express the heartbreak we all feel at their loss and no words that can properly console them. I pray that, in time, God would give them and all those impacted a peace that would surpass all understanding.

Just as we stand with those suffering now in their time of loss, we will continue to stand with them as we continue to understand what happened on that tragic night of January 29. I hope the answers that are uncovered will help bring some closure to those grieving and help ensure that a tragedy like this never happens again.

Mr. Speaker, as we honor the 67 lives cut short by this accident, I also thank the countless first responders who rushed to the scene to first try to rescue and then recover those aboard Flight 5342 and PAT 25. Thanks to their tireless and selfless efforts, the bodies of all 67 victims have been recovered.

Additionally, I extend thanks to the staff of Wichita's Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport and to the greater Wichita community, where Flight 5342 originated, for their efforts to embrace and lift up those impacted by that crash. In towns and cities across the Nation and the world, countless other communities have banded together to similarly show support to the members of their community who lost a loved one on that tragic night.

It is in each home, school, workplace, and community where each of the 67 victims was known and loved that they will continue to be remembered, celebrated, and honored. As we have learned more about the individual passengers aboard the plane, as well as the pilots and flight crew of Flight 5342 and the crew of the Black Hawk, we have come to know how much they meant to the people around them and how much they will be missed.

We commit to honoring their memory by doing the best we can to carry out a thorough investigation and make whatever changes are deemed necessary.

I am grateful to the National Transportation Safety Board, the FAA, the Army, and all the other involved agencies for the swift progress they have made thus far and for the work they are committed to carrying out.

I also extend my thanks to Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves for his help in bringing this resolution to the floor and to all the Members who have offered their support during this time.

The devastating plane crash coincided with Kansas Day, the day our State was founded 164 years ago. It is typically a day of recognizing the State's heritage and when schoolchildren across the State learn Kansas facts and symbols. Beyond the sunflower, western meadowlark, and ``Home on the Range,'' our State is known for something else not found in a textbook or school worksheet: our compassion and care for one another.

Kansas is a special place to call home. After a tragedy like what happened on January 29, we not only grieve with the families and friends we know, but we grieve for all those who lost their lives that evening.

More than a month has passed since the events of January 29, but that is a date that will be forever etched in the minds and hearts of the American people.

As their Representatives in Congress and the Representative of the Air Capital of the World, we come together today to offer our sincerest condolences to each person who is grieving the loss of a loved one and to honor the victims of Flight 5342 and PAT 25.

Mr. Speaker, may they rest in peace.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 153) expressing condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the victims of the crash of American Eagle Flight 5342 and PAT 25, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on H. Res. 153.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 153, which expresses condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the victims of the crash of American Flight 5342 and PAT 25.

This is a bipartisan resolution to honor the 67 lives that were lost during the tragic collision that occurred over the Potomac River on January 29, 2025.

January 29 is typically a day of celebration in Kansas. From Manhattan to Goodland, Topeka to Liberal, Kansas City to Dodge City, Kansans come together to celebrate the rich history of Kansas and the anniversary of our statehood.

January 29, 2025, changed the meaning of this day for Kansas and for the country forever. The world lost 67 bright, innocent lives that day, and I speak for all Americans when I say that this is a day that we will never ever forget.

When we celebrate Kansas Day in years to come, we will also feel the nudging of the somber emotions aroused by this tragic accident. We will remember our fellow Americans whose lives were tragically lost: farmers, parents, professors, college students with bright futures taken from us far too soon.

For more than a century, the United States has led the world in aviation safety and innovation. Wichita has been known as the Air Capital of the World for more than a century due to our historic ties to aviation history. Although tragic accidents like these are rare, none of us are strangers to the hazards involved in man's pursuit of flight.

We must continue to strive to learn as much as we can about this accident so that it never ever happens again.

H. Res. 153 also lauds the heroism displayed by the many local, State, and Federal officials who sprang into action to perform recovery efforts. These men and women are heroes who demonstrated tremendous respect for the fallen, working in cold temperatures and icy waters for several days.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this legislation and reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Estes), my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin).

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, there is still a lot to uncover about this accident, and we are confident that the NTSB is reviewing the evidence so that we can learn from this accident to prevent future loss of life.

As we express our deepest condolences and prayers, we join our beloved Kansas and Nation in mourning the lives lost. Psalms 34:18 reminds us: ``The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.''

We lift up the loved ones of the 67 lost souls and rest in the knowledge that no matter the circumstances we are facing, God is always with us.

Kansas is the heartbeat of the country, and our State motto reminds us that we will persevere together through this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, by adopting this measure, we honor the memory of these victims and ensure that they will never be forgotten. I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I add my thanks and my condolences, and the very real grief of my constituents and neighbors, to what has already been said.

We are here today to honor the lives lost on American Eagle Flight 5342 and the brave souls aboard the PAT 25 helicopter. Each of them was more than a passenger and more than a soldier. They were loved ones-- friends, parents, classmates, children, teammates, and colleagues-- whose very presence made the world better.

While the flight manifest has not been shared, from the names that have been shared publicly, I want to specifically mention those who lived in the Eighth District of Virginia. They are Vikesh Patel; Staff Sergeant Ryan O'Hara; Olesya Taylor and her daughter, Olivia Ter; Yu ``Joe'' Zhou, Kaiyan Mao, and their son, Eddie Zhou; and members of the Haynos family, Stephanie, Roger, and their son, Cory.

We take time to remember them today. I express my deep condolences to their family. I reiterate my heartfelt thanks to the first responders supporting this effort. They heard the call, and they rushed out immediately, risking their lives in the deadly cold and the icy waters of the Potomac as part of the rescue operations.

These include the best of Virginia's Eighth. They are the fire departments, emergency management teams, and police departments of the city of Alexandria, Arlington County, Fairfax County, the city of Falls Church, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

I would also like to recognize the Federal agencies working on the recovery and investigation, including the National Transportation Safety Board, the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Coast Guard, the Army, and all the others who contributed.

I thank those from local jurisdictions, including hospitals, mental health providers, and even caring neighbors and support services, who offered on-the-scene support to our emergency responders and who continue to support those impacted.

Mr. Speaker, mental health is critically important. I want to stress how many people have been impacted by this tragedy and how important it is that we connect folks to resources and help.

Finally, I thank all the air traffic controllers, the MWAA employees, and the DCA employees who have returned to their jobs and worked tirelessly to keep our airspace safe. I know it has to be incredibly difficult, working in close proximity to this tragedy and seeing the recovery efforts while completing their jobs. My heart goes out to them, and we thank them for their professionalism in this trying time.

Mr. Speaker, in sorrow and shared humanity, I wholeheartedly support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Kansas (Ms. Davids) for yielding.

On January 29, our community in northern Virginia was shattered.

Mr. Speaker, 67 lives were taken from us far too soon when American Eagle Flight 5342 and Army flight call sign PAT 25 collided. Many of those on Flight 5342 called Virginia's 10th District home, and they leave behind countless family members, friends, and loved ones in our community.

I am especially heartbroken for the children who were on the plane. Some of them were former Loudoun County Public Schools students and members of our local figure skating community at the Ashburn Ice House and Ion International Training Center, places where I have taken my own daughters figure skating in the past.

To the servicemembers who lost their lives on PAT 25, we thank them for their service to our Nation.

To the first responders who rushed to the scene and worked in frigid and dangerous conditions to save anyone they could, including Fairfax and Prince William Counties' first responders, we are so grateful.

To the professionals at the NTSB who are investigating this tragedy to ensure we learn from it and to prevent others like it, they have our appreciation and full support in their work.

Finally, to my constituents, we will do anything and everything we can to make sure a tragedy like this doesn't happen again.

Mr. Speaker, it will take a long time to come to terms with this loss, but I know that our community is resilient. It has warmed my heart to see how it came together for us in the aftermath of such an awful tragedy. I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution.