Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the Virginia National Guard--especially those from Virginia's Seventh Congressional District. Members of the Virginia National Guard serve their country and their communities on a daily basis. Over the past months, the Virginia National Guard has deployed with little notice and often for longer than originally expected. I want to thank and honor the Virginia National Guard for its expeditious deployment after the violent, deadly attack on the United States Capitol and assault on American democracy on January 6, 2021 and for their service since then to maintain security. Members of the Virginia National Guard also played a key role in protecting an essential American tradition--the peaceful transfer of power. I truly appreciate the members of the Virginia National Guard for their service before, during, and after the Inauguration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr. as the 46th President of the United States and Kamala D. Harris as the 49th Vice President of the United States.

The Virginia National Guard's willingness and readiness to serve is particularly appreciated given the existing, significant strains on the Guard and on all Virginians. In addition to their service in Washington, D.C., I would like to recognize and honor the Virginia National Guard's instrumental role in assisting with the COVID-19 response in the Commonwealth as well as its continuing training and deployment schedules. We must all recognize that the Virginia National Guard has continued to serve the United States overseas, and continued to prepare for forthcoming needs, while also deploying to serve American communities during a global pandemic and serve our nation in the face of threats at home. Additionally, we cannot overlook the commitment and contributions not only of the members of the Guard themselves, but also of their families, employers, and communities who make their service possible

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment, although I am not opposed.

Mr. Chair, I am proud to introduce this amendment alongside my colleague, Congressman Hurd from Texas, who is also a former CIA case officer.

Our bipartisan amendment, the Trafficking and Smuggling Intelligence Act, comes at a time of great hardship, violence, and heartbreak across Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries and at a time of crisis at our southern border.

The volatility in our backyard should be cause for serious concern. Here in the United States, we have experienced the devastating effects of the drug trade on the health of our citizens. On our southwest border, we have witnessed how ongoing violence and instability in Central America is a driving factor for increased migration toward the United States.

Our bipartisan amendment would require intelligence assessments of drug trafficking organizations, human trafficking organizations, and human smugglers across Mexico and the Northern Triangle.

These would include reports that could be released publicly to the American people.

Our amendment would direct our public servants to use their expertise to better understand the root causes of violence, instability, and migration. With these improved assessments from DNI, we would be able to strengthen our national security in the face of threats from traffickers, smugglers, and other criminal organizations.

Like so many of our colleagues, Congressman Hurd and I recognize that if we are to keep Americans safe while also responsibly addressing the situation at the border, we must address the conditions at the core of the instability we are seeing in Central America.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join us in supporting this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, central Virginia is home to some of the most community-centered and service-minded students in the country, and yesterday I was fortunate to recognize two of these students as winners of the Congressional Award Gold Medal.

Two of my constituents, Kasey Mize from Jeffersonton and Ciara Noelle Smith from Chesterfield, earned this national recognition for their respective work in community service, personal development, physical fitness, and exploration of the world around them.

Kasey's community service centered on organizing a sewing circle and providing more than 200 dresses a year to impoverished girls around the world, breaking down practical barriers that keep many girls from attending schools.

Ciara's service to her community involved volunteer hours spent working at the Science Museum of Virginia and constructing rehabilitation structures for a central Virginia wildlife foundation.

Both young people have demonstrated an ability to set goals, make a strategy, and see it through to the end.

Madam Speaker, I congratulate Kasey and Ciara on their accomplishments. I look forward to seeing how these two amazing young women will continue contributing to our Seventh District communities in the future.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Chair, I rise in support of my amendment to H.R. 3055.

Across the country, insufficient rural broadband access is creating a divide between those who are connected and those who are not. That is why my amendment increases funding for the USDA's ReConnect Program by $55 million, representing a 10 percent increase over last year's funding.

According to the FCC's 2019 Broadband Deployment Report, one in four rural Virginians lacks access to high-speed internet. This digital divide can lead to consequences that impact educational and economic opportunities across our rural communities. This figure is even more stark when you hear from those affected.

Earlier this year, I sent out a survey to learn more about how the lack of reliable broadband internet is directly impacting the people I serve here in the House of Representatives. I received more than 100 responses in a short amount of time from families, students, and business owners across our district. Take, for example:

Regina from Louisa, who says that the lack of consistent, reliable internet services hinders everything her family does, from receiving reliable emergency notifications to paying their bills in a timely fashion;

Jasmine from Spotsylvania takes online classes at home, but the lack of access to broadband internet has barred her from accessing assignments that she needs to complete in order to obtain her degree; and

Robyn from Amelia County, who works on her family's beef and cattle farm, says: ``When the internet is down, I can't do simple things like process payments, send liability payments, or check the radar for our guys out in the fields.''

For every Regina, Jasmine, and Robyn, there are hundreds of thousands of Americans with similar stories. To level the playing field for our rural residents, we need to make sure broadband internet is a component of our national conversation about infrastructure. That is why I believe we need to expand existing programs such as USDA's ReConnect Program.

This program allows communities to apply for Federal funding to strengthen and expand their regional broadband infrastructure, but the current scope of these programs is insufficient to meet the scale of the challenge and the demand. In the first round of ReConnect Program grant applications this year, USDA saw a nearly 3-to-1 ratio in application funding requested versus the actual amount of funding available.

My amendment would increase the funding for the USDA ReConnect Program from $550 to $605 million, and I am proud to lead this bipartisan effort to provide greater connectivity to rural America.

This extra $55 million is not the magic solution, but it demonstrates that one of our priorities here in Congress is to keep our rural communities strong; and when rural America is strong, it makes our country as a whole even stronger.

By helping our rural neighbors close the broadband gap, we are allowing the rural communities to attract new businesses, spur economic growth, and give their kids an equal opportunity to succeed in a global, hyperconnected economy.

Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop).

Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Speaker, it is with great sadness today that I rise to honor the life of Mr. Christopher Kelly Rapp, a husband, son, musician, and public servant from Virginia's 7th Congressional District whose life was taken too early on May 31 of this year.

Friends and colleagues describe Mr. Rapp as empathetic, honest, and helpful. As a public works employee for Virginia Beach, Stafford, and Powhatan, he dedicated much of his working career to improving the lives of those around him. A man of deep faith, Mr. Rapp was also a devoted volunteer. In fact, he was scheduled to volunteer at an event to help the less fortunate on June 5th--an event which he was never able to attend.

In addition to his commitment to service, Mr. Rapp was known for the true and abiding love he possessed for his wife, Bessie. When they met, she was a travel agent and he wanted to travel the world. As husband and wife, they spent 24 years traveling it together. This abiding love also led to Mr. Rapp embracing his wife's culture by becoming an active member of Kultura Filipino. Through this group, he learned Filipino dances, empowered Pinoy children by teaching them about Filipino culture, and made his home a central location for all types of cultural communities from the Tidewater to Central Virginia.

Chris loved the experiences of life and was a life-long learner. Whether it was buying a Tagalog dictionary on his wedding day, starting piano lessons in his mid-50s, or avidly writing short stories, he capitalized on every second of life. He was renowned for his passionate performances on the bagpipe and served as a member of Greater Richmond Pipes & Drums, as well as Tidewater Pipes & Drums. These bands remember him for his love for music and eagerness to share his sound with the community.

I am heartbroken by the death of Mr. Rapp during the senseless shooting at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center. While I know that I can offer no true consolation, I offer my prayers and heartfelt sympathy to Mr. Rapp's wife, parents, family, and friends.

Madam Speaker, please join me today in commemorating the life of Mr. Christopher Kelly Rapp.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, my amendment to H.R. 2740 increases funding toward colorectal cancer screening and prevention.

Right now, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. This year alone, more than 50,000 people across the country are expected to die from this disease. One out of 20 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer during their lifetime.

When I hear these statistics, I think of more than just the numbers. I think of the families and the lives that are impacted. I think of my own mother-in-law who was diagnosed with colorectal cancer years ago and remains cancer-free to this day. I think of my dear friend Peg--a teacher, an advocate, and a fighter--who, when faced with her own devastating diagnosis, committed herself to educating others about this disease and the benefit of screenings.

With so many Americans like Peg and my mother-in-law diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year, Congress needs to support prevention efforts. Over the last few years, funding for the groundbreaking Colorectal Cancer Control Program has remained the same.

This year, I thank the Appropriations Committee for recognizing this problem. By bringing attention to the increasing rate of colorectal cancer among younger adults, we are sharing the gift of research and promoting the spread of 21st-century prevention.

My amendment would strengthen the Appropriations Committee's efforts by providing $3 million in additional funding for colorectal cancer research under the Coordinated Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Program.

In Virginia, the Virginia Department of Health significantly benefits from this program and uses these funds to provide early screenings across the Commonwealth.

If this critical amendment passes, the House would provide a major increase and much-needed funding for colorectal cancer screening and control under the CDC. This increased support means more necessary screenings, more evidence-based interventions, and a path toward more lives saved, especially among some of our country's most vulnerable patients.

Studies indicate that as many as 60 percent of colorectal cancer deaths could be prevented with screening, but the number of colorectal cancer screenings has remained level since 2010. Clearly, we are overdue for progress in this fight.

By making a vigorous effort to increase the numbers of screenings, we will be able to catch abnormal growths before they turn into cancer, and we can catch colorectal cancer early when treatment is more effective.

As we fight for additional vital funding for the CRCCP, we are allowing prevention and education initiatives to reach more Americans. That gives more families the opportunity to live cancer-free.

We have a rare opportunity to build a coalition in this battle. Across the country, more than 1,700 organizations have committed to defeating colorectal cancer as a public health crisis. Together, they have committed to the goal of 80 percent screened in the coming years.

Congress needs to join this effort, and my amendment can and should be part of that fight.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I have trouble with that argument from my colleague across the aisle when, last night, he voted for a 14 percent cut across the board to this pot of money, which he refers to as a ``magical'' pot of money.

I think it is incredibly important that when we are looking at priorities, priorities such as prevention, priorities such as early detection related to such a disease that kills so many Americans, where prevention and early screenings are vital to survival levels, it is incredibly important that we prioritize screenings and invest. This amendment stipulates $3 million toward this vital, vital effort.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I would like to note, for the Record, that I am new to Congress, elected in November, so I was not here last year or last Congress during the tax bill cycle. Given that my colleague across the aisle was, I find the lectures about fiscal discipline to be very challenging to take when we are discussing Monopoly money, fantasy land money, and taking money from the next generation.

I know a great deal about the challenges that ride on the fact that we have increased our debt year after year, and I find it very difficult to listen to lectures about this from a colleague who, in fact, voted to balloon the deficit.

This is about prevention and screening. This is about the health of Americans. This is about being proactive in our spending.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I thank the chairwoman for including my amendment in this en bloc.

As a co-chair of the New Democrat Coalition's National Security Task Force and as a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I rise to express my serious concern over the continued high-level vacancies across the State Department.

U.S. Foreign Service officers work to promote U.S. interests, values, and economic interests abroad, and these dedicated public servants keep American families safe.

But their mission could be jeopardized by persistent vacancies in the Foreign Service and senior leadership positions.

According to a report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office, 13 percent of Foreign Service positions were vacant as of March 2018.

At a time when we are engaged in constant competition with powerful adversaries, our servicemembers remain engaged in seemingly endless conflicts, and we face the threat of terrorism, these staffing shortages are deeply concerning.

Our transfer amendment urges the State Department to make every effort to fill critical positions and encourages the GAO to expand its study to consider the impact of vacancies in career and political- appointed positions on U.S. foreign policy, diplomacy, aid, and national security priorities.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Elvin Cosby on his retirement from Henrico County Government after 73 years of service.

Mr. Cosby began serving the Henrico Department of Public Works in April of 1946. He began his career in public service carrying water to county work crews and has also served as a truck driver, equipment operator, and county foreman. Most recently, Mr. Cosby acted as a maintenance supervisor and cleared debris from Henrico's roads.

Mr. Cosby has diligently served the public through each and every one of his functions within Henrico County Govemment. In addition to his tireless work ethic, members of the community have also praised Mr. Cosby for promoting diversity and symbolizing selflessness. As a fellow public servant, I am humbled and moved by his dedication to serve Virginia's 7th District.

Although I know he will be dearly missed by mentees, colleagues, and friends at the Department of Public Works, I hope Mr. Cosby will enjoy getting to spend more time with his wife and grandchildren. After seven decades of working on others' behalves, I cannot think of many more deserving of a blissful and relaxing retirement.

Madam Speaker, please join me in commending Mr. Cosby for his unwavering commitment to improving our community.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to celebrate my friend, my constituent, and my role model, Peg Myrick. I celebrate Peg here on the floor of the House of Representatives because her life and her example is one I would like to share with you, my colleagues.

Peg began her career as a teacher, reaching kids, impacting lives, but on Halloween 2016, Peg was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. With a life-changing terminal diagnosis, Peg committed herself to continuing her role as an educator, now acting as an ambassador for Fight Colorectal Cancer and educating others on the importance of screenings and understanding this disease.

As she has battled for her life, she shares her exuberant positivity with everyone, and she demonstrates in her daily life what it is to live for the minute, what it is to show life and love to those around you--to her family, to her friends--and she demonstrates a lesson I think we should all learn from, which is that we are all in this together. Through her positivity and her friendship, she endeavors to lift up everyone around her.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 119 greater Richmond area high school seniors enlisting in the United States Armed Services after graduation. These students have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to academic excellence and public service. I am honored to offer my sincerest congratulations on this achievement and offer my best wishes for the years to come.

I commend the following graduates on their selflessness and bravery for choosing to serve their fellow Americans in the United States Armed Services: Caleb Alford, Jamaiya Allen, Nya Banks, Ryan Beggs, David Benfield Jr., Andreas Biggers, Rosemary Brett, Kylie Cargill, Cayne Chartrand, Alexsis Creighton, Tania Dawson, Jack Dewalt, Samantha Edwards, Jillian Engels, Keaton Fields, Joseph Franklin, Andrew Fulkerson, Jacob Gecsey, Maria Guevara, Tayauna Hargrove, Dylan Hicks, Kiara Holloway, Michael Humphrey, Precious King, Elijah Knipp, Rogelio Macuno III, Michael Mays, Teshawn McDaniel, Jaeshaunda McIver, Christopher Meadows, Maurice Miles, Tatianna Montero, Perrion Neal, Jacob Parker, Ethan Parsons, Tristan Philyaw, Robert Post, Eric Rice, Jonathan Simpson, Yahsean Singleton, Marlon Spence, Trey Staub, Alexandra Stone, Larry Sutton Jr., Joshua Thomas, Matthew Vanderwerff, Nicholas Waldruff, Latrell Warren, Naziah Watson, Lianna Williams, Andrew Wood, Mark Wood Jr., Damen Banberger, William Barker, William Bizzell, Austin Bowen, Robert Brandon, Benjamin Brown, Emmanuel Cann, Alexus Costello, William Cunningham, Nicholas Curran, Robert Daniels, Probus Das, Kioana Edwards, Jackson Erley, Marcus Fuller-Collins, Sefan Garner, Patrick Goole, Ashley Gothreau, Gabriel Groseclosedurand, George Hall, Darius Harris, Arshina Hull, Ciera Johns, Connor Johnson, Francisco Johnson, Luis Kercy, Daiquan Lewis, Michael McCoy, Avery McKay, Shaqee Mills, Dylan Moore, David Price, Samuel Price, Duncan Proffit, Forrest Rohde, Terrion Rollins, Derric Skinner, Nikolas Smith, Dante Staves, Trevor Sterrett, Timothy Thompson, Davion Tribbey, Seth Wassenberg, Austin Williams, Hunter Williams, Marcanthony Williams, Patrick Wilson, Jones Zion, Trevor Campbell, James Cappiello, Miguel Castillo-Padilla, Secoiya Davis, Michael Edwards, Abigail Ford, Joseph Kamanda, Adam Lambert, Enrique Lopez, Sean McCracken, Lily Nicholson, Gabriel Reillyscheidt, Tylica Singleton, Ryan Snider, Roy Terrell, Adboul Bah, Zane Mangrum, Ethan Oliva, and John Smetek.

These students will be honored at the 4th Annual Greater Richmond area Our Community Salutes Ceremony on May 30th at Hermitage High School in Henrico, Virginia.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking these young women and men for courageously deciding to serve their country. We are safer and stronger because of their choice to protect the values that make us uniquely American.

Madam Speaker, I got my deployment declassified. It is.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman so much for the opportunity to stand here in solidarity with our colleagues across the aisle in honor of Police Week and in honor of our police officers and peace officers across this country.

I rise today to remember the remarkable lives of two Virginia State police officers, one from our district in Midlothian and one from nearby New Kent County. They were both killed in the line of duty.

On August 12, 2017, Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen and Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates were not responding to an ordinary call. Instead, they were flying via helicopter to an event that became infamous as one of the darkest days in modern Virginia history.

Cullen and Bates were en route to Charlottesville to monitor the events transpiring around the Unite the Right white nationalist rally. Forces of hate had gathered, and law enforcement was called in to help end the chaos.

After police had canceled the event as an unlawful assembly, Cullen and Bates were instructed to assist their fellow officers. They were to circle over Charlottesville, and their mission was to provide surveillance of the violence, restore order, and help the community end the nightmare that had transpired. However, mid-flight, their helicopter crashed on the outskirts of Charlottesville, and both Cullen and Bates were killed in action.

In the wake of the tragedy and the stress of the Charlottesville protests,

Executive Director Wayne Huggins of the Virginia State Police Association said: ``I don't know if State police, in its 85 years, has had a more excruciating time.''

The pain of the families of Lieutenant Cullen and Trooper-Pilot Bates is unimaginable, and the loss experienced by the Virginia State Police and their fellow brothers and sisters in the law enforcement community is still felt to this day.

This is National Police Week. We remember the brave and dedicated service of Lieutenant Cullen and Trooper-Pilot Bates. They died in an effort to protect their fellow Virginians, and their sacrifice will always be remembered.

As a former Federal agent, the daughter of a career law enforcement officer, and, most respectfully, as a grateful American and Virginian, I thank the law enforcement officers and peace officers who dedicate their lives to keeping us safe. This week and every week we stand with our law enforcement officers, and we will never forget those who laid down their lives for their neighbors.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act.

Back in 2003, 16 years ago, the Pentagon commissioned a report on how climate change would impact our ability to keep our country safe. Its conclusion? That we should move beyond scientific debate and treat ongoing ecological damage as a serious national security threat.

Our military and intelligence communities agree that climate change exacerbates conflict and instability. It weakens fragile governments, contributes to food and water insecurity, and perpetuates poverty.

These are threat multipliers, and they present real risk to U.S. interests around the globe, especially in areas vulnerable to extreme weather, such as the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa.

As a former CIA officer, I recognize that combating climate change is a national security imperative, and the first step in this fight is to keep our word to cooperate with our allies and partners in this battle. By staying in the Paris Agreement, we demonstrate that the United States takes our planet's fate seriously, keeps its word, and can be a steady partner in future agreements. Going forward, we must use our country's tremendous diplomatic, military, and economic strength as assets in this global fight.

Today, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation because our country cannot afford to abdicate its role of leadership.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my commonsense broadband mapping amendment to H.R. 1644, the Save the Internet Act of 2019.

The digital gap between our rural and urban communities is real, and I hear about it from the people I serve every day.

According to the FCC's 2018 Broadband Deployment Report, more than 30 percent of rural Americans lack access to high-speed fixed broadband, compared to only 2 percent of urban Americans. This disparity has long- term implications for the economic strength and security of our country.

In rural America, a lack of reliable broadband internet makes it harder for businesses to find customers and attract new employees. Without reliable broadband internet, communities across this country face challenges attracting new businesses and investment.

In rural America, farmers have a tougher time using the latest precision agriculture technology, and in places without reliable broadband internet, kids find it difficult to complete their homework assignments.

In our district in central Virginia, farmers and producers are disadvantaged because the lack of broadband makes doing business harder. In our district, constituents drive their kids to McDonald's or to neighboring counties so that they can complete their research projects for school. And what is happening in our district is happening nationwide.

Today, we are considering a critical piece of legislation to champion the idea of a free and open internet.

There is no question that rural broadband internet access should be a part of this conversation, as this bill would also include a provision to restore the FCC's authority to fund the expansion of broadband access across our rural communities. But right now, there are many questions surrounding the accuracy of the FCC's broadband internet maps, which detail which areas in the United States have high-speed internet coverage and which do not.

These maps have important implications for our rural communities, schools, and businesses. These maps are used to award funding and subsidies to expand broadband coverage to areas that don't have it, and, in many cases, these efforts have led to great success.

However, these maps have been found to be inaccurate, incomplete, or unreliable. Often a map will claim an entire area is covered by high- speed broadband when, in reality, only a small portion of that area has reliable coverage.

This trend should not be the status quo in our digital age because it leaves so many rural families underserved. Areas where the FCC's maps incorrectly say there is high-speed rural broadband connectivity are often ineligible for funding to expand broadband, and these inaccuracies greatly disadvantage our rural communities.

Erroneous information in these maps could be the difference between a senior citizen being able to access lifesaving telemedicine services or not; it could be the difference between a farmer who can keep up with market fluctuations halfway across the world or not; and it could control the ability of a young, aspiring student to access online information, college applications, and research materials.

My amendment to the Save the Internet Act would address a lack of reliable broadband internet connectivity in our rural communities, and it would begin to fix the errors in our current broadband maps.

My amendment would require the Government Accountability Office to produce a full report that examines the accuracy and quality of the FCC's broadband mapping. This report would also identify what the FCC should do to produce more accurate, reliable, and high-quality maps.

Additionally, the GAO report required by my amendment would help identify the scope of the broadband mapping problem and actually suggest solutions. With this new information, the FCC would be better able to update its maps so that we can properly target our broadband expansion efforts to the rural towns, townships, and communities across our district.

Better maps of broadband coverage are a critical first step toward getting high-speed internet to every household, something we should aim to do in our globalized, digitally-focused economy. As we are having important discussions about protecting and expanding reliable access to the internet, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment to H.R. 1644.

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

Mr. Chair, may I inquire how much time I have remaining?

Mr. Chair, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Michael F. Doyle).

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

Mr. Speaker, last week the administration asserted that the Affordable Care Act should be invalidated in Federal court. If this effort succeeds, protections for those with preexisting conditions would vanish.

Approximately 51 percent of central Virginians under the age of 65 have a preexisting condition. If this effort succeeds, we would see the return of caps on lifetime coverage, and those over 65 could be forced to pay higher Medicare premiums.

If this effort succeeds, we would lose the ability to keep our children on our insurance plan until age 26. In Virginia, where we just saw Medicaid expansion become law, this would be upended as well.

If efforts to scrap our healthcare system succeed, Medicaid expansion would be completely gutted, and with it, our efforts and ability to deal with the opioid epidemic across our State.

Right now, we need a bipartisan effort to stabilize and fix our healthcare system, not a hyperpartisan lawsuit focused on settling old scores.

Central Virginians deserve better. We are here to solve problems, and if there is a problem with our healthcare system, we should fix it, not upend our system, not hurt those with preexisting conditions, not get rid of the prohibition on lifetime caps, not eliminate a provision that allows young people to stay on their parents' insurance.

This is why, among the other efforts we are making in this body, I am proud to cosponsor the Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions and Making Healthcare More Affordable Act of 2019.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in celebration of the Girl Scouts of the United States.

On this day in 1912, the Girl Scouts of America was officially launched in Savannah, Georgia, with a meeting of just 18 girls. Now, 107 years later, the Girl Scouts have engaged and inspired generations of young women and empowered millions to serve their communities.

More than 50 million women are alumni of the Girl Scouts: 58 percent of the women who serve in Congress were Girl Scouts, and 72 percent of the women who serve in the Senate were Girl Scouts as young women.

My daughters and I have been lucky enough to be a small part of this rich history, and, for the past 5 years, I have served as a Girl Scout leader for my daughter's troop. Two-and-a-half million girls and adults nationwide participate in this tremendous program.

In my time as a Girl Scout leader, I have gotten to know so many bright and talented young women, to learn from them and with them, and to use the tools and lessons of the Girl Scouts to instill within these future leaders a fundamental belief in the power of service, the value of character, and the importance in our community.

As storied as this organization's past is, it will always be focused on the future. That is the purpose of Girl Scouts.