Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Professor Nathaniel Truedell, a devoted minister of music, educator, and mentor, in celebration of his 50th year of music ministry at Jones Tabernacle A.M.E. Zion Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.

For half a century, Professor Truedell has lifted the hearts of the Jones Tabernacle family through praise and worship. His devotion, discipline, and dedication have made him a cornerstone of the congregation. Through changing times, technological shifts, and pastoral transitions, he has remained a steady and stabilizing presence. He has always turned the spotlight and applause away from himself and toward the glory of God.

Professor Truedell's influence reaches well beyond the church walls, leading the Broad Ripple High School Gospel Choir and the Ebony Majestic Choir at Indiana State University for years. 50 years ago, he founded the community choir Sounds of Aquarius. He also taught at Broad Ripple High School and Washington Middle School, where he shaped the lives of countless students--myself included--through his teaching of theatre, drama, and music.

Those who know Professor Truedell describe him as humble, kind, generous, patient, and always striving for excellence. He is a leader, a teacher, and a mentor whose impact is felt by the many people he has served throughout our community.

Mr. Speaker, Professor Nathaniel Truedell has spent 50 years using music to serve God and uplift others. As Jones Tabernacle A.M.E. Zion Church gathers to celebrate his ministry, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Professor Truedell's faithful service. musical excellence, and lasting legacy.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Bishop Leonard Scott, an Indianapolis native, pastor, recording artist, entrepreneur, and visionary whose lifetime of service has transformed gospel music and inspired generations of believers. Well-recognized for his extraordinary contributions to gospel music, Bishop Scott's influence extends far beyond the walls of the church and across the Nation.

Bishop Scott has faithfully led Tyscot Records, the Nation's oldest continuously operating Black-owned gospel record label, for over five decades. What began in 1976 as a small family endeavor, financed through his work as a practicing dentist, has grown into one of the most influential institutions in gospel music. Under his leadership, Tyscot launched and nurtured the careers of countless artists while preserving the rich tradition of gospel music for future generations.

Known to many as ``The Hymns Professor,'' Bishop Scott has dedicated his own musical ministry to keeping the timeless message of traditional hymns alive. He introduced a new generation to the songs of faith through his acclaimed Keep Hymns Alive series. His recordings have reached millions of listeners, while uplifting families and communities through the Gospel with his work as pastor of Rock Community Church in Indianapolis.

Bishop Scott's remarkable leadership has earned him numerous honors, including the Dove Awards Lifetime Achievement Award, induction into the Stellar Honors Hall of Fame, and most recently, recognition from the Stellar Gospel Music Awards for his enduring impact on gospel music. His legacy is one of unwavering faith, entrepreneurial vision, and a steadfast commitment to ministry.

Mr. Speaker, Bishop Leonard Scott's life is a testament to the power of faith, perseverance, and service. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing his extraordinary contributions to gospel music, ministry, and our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor of Mary L. Aurtrey--a distinguished U.S. Army veteran, retired Sergeant Major, community leader, and tireless advocate whose lifetime of service reflects the very best of our Nation and the Hoosier state.

I established the Sheila Corcoran Hoosier Women Hero Award to recognize extraordinary women veterans whose dedication and leadership have strengthened our communities and inspired future generations. It is my honor to recognize Mary Aurtrey for her exceptional service.

Mary served our country with distinction in the United States Army, rising to the rank of Sergeant Major. Following her military career, Mary continued her mission of service by supporting veterans, empowering women, and strengthening the organizations that serve our communities.

Throughout her years of civic engagement, Mary has been a steadfast advocate and mentor through her involvement with organizations including Women in Networking Indianapolis, American Legion Women's Post 438, Woman's Life Chapter 703, the National Council of Negro Women--Indianapolis Section, Sister Soldier Network, AMVETS Post 99, the Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame, the Indiana Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, the Community Advisory Board for IU Memory University, and the Veterans History Project through the Library of Congress. Through these efforts, Mary has preserved the stories of veterans, supported families, and uplifted those around her. She represents the strength, resilience, and dedication of Hoosier women veterans who continue serving their communities long after their military careers conclude.

I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mary L. Aurtrey for her outstanding military service and her unwavering dedication to her fellow veterans and community. I thank her for making Indiana a stronger, more compassionate place through her lifetime of diligent service.

Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of my amendments to H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027, Carson Amendments No. 95 and No. 96. Both amendments are included in a bipartisan En Bloc.

My first amendment, Carson Amendment No. 95, is straightforward. It requires the Department of Defense to prepare a report for Congress and the public on the impact of research funded through the Congressionally Directed Medicat Research Programs, or CDMRP. The report would show how CDMRP-funded research is making a real-world impact for service members, veterans, and the American people.

It would also identify promising research that is ready to move into clinical or operational use, and where those breakthroughs may be getting stuck. That matters because a discovery only fulfills its promise when it reaches the people who can benefit from it. This report would give Congress better information to clear bottlenecks and strengthen the path from research to treatment.

This kind of report matters because CDMRP sits at the intersection of military health needs and broader medical progress. It supports medical research nationwide on serious health challenges tied closely to service, including brain injuries and toxic exposures. It also complements the work of the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs by supporting innovative research that may not fit neatly into other federal programs.

Those investments are already delivering results. CDMRP-supported research has advanced work on brain injury, toxic-exposure-related respiratory conditions, and other military health challenges. Its cutting-edge work on orthotics and prosthetics has also helped injured warfighters regain mobility and independence.

But because this program is so important, Congress needs a clearer picture of its full impact. We should know which projects are improving care and strengthening military readiness. We should also know which discoveries are ready for broader clinical or operational use.

That is what my amendment is designed to do. It gives Congress and the public a better view of CDMRP's value, and what is needed to move more medical breakthroughs into care. It also gives the military community, advocates, and the public a clearer view of what these investments are achieving. That kind of transparency can build even more support for this exemplary program.

This amendment is about making a strong program even stronger by giving Congress better information about what is working and how more promising discoveries can reach the people who need them. The CDMRP has a proven record of supporting high-impact medical research. It deserves our continued support, and it deserves careful oversight that helps good programs deliver even more.

My second amendment, Amendment No. 96, applies the same principle of public transparency to military artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence is transforming warfare. It can help our armed forces move faster, understand threats sooner, and protect our country in a more dangerous world. That matters, especially as we face growing threats and strategic competition with China.

But we also need to be honest about the risks. We should not pass weapons of war to algorithms without human judgment, oversight, and accountability.

This bill takes an important step by requiring the Department of Defense to update how it manages these systems. But that work should not happen behind closed doors alone. If the military is developing policies for AI-enabled weapons, the public needs to know what rules and safeguards are being put in place.

My amendment does that in a careful way. It requires DoD to share a public summary of how these systems are being approved and overseen, while protecting classified information and sensitive military operations. That means more transparency for the American people, without compromising national security.

The public deserves to understand how these powerful systems are evolving, and how the military plans to use them. Americans deserve a voice in this debate, and they cannot have that voice if basic facts are locked behind closed doors.

I urge my colleagues to support these amendments through the bipartisan En Bloc.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Edward Theodore ``Teddy'' Riley, a visionary musician, producer, songwriter, and innovator whose extraordinary contributions to American music have left an indelible mark on generations of artists and listeners around the world. Mr. Riley will be celebrated during this year's Juneteenth commemoration at Indianapolis' historic Madam C.J. Walker Legacy Center located in the 7th Congressional District, which I'm honored to represent here in Congress.

Teddy Riley began as a child prodigy and was playing instruments in church and working in recording studios as a teenager. Few artists can claim to have created an entirely new musical genre, launched the careers of future superstars, influenced generations of musicians around the world, and helped to redefine popular music. Teddy Riley has accomplished all four.

Widely recognized as the creator of New Jack Swing, Teddy Riley revolutionized popular music by blending the rhythmic energy of hip-hop with the soulful melodies of R&B. He helped define the sound of an era and transformed the landscape of contemporary music through his creativity and pioneering spirit. His influence can be heard in countless recordings and continues to shape artists across genres to this day.

Over a career spanning more than four decades, Mr. Riley produced, wrote, and performed some of the most iconic songs in modern music. His work with legendary artists helped launch chart-topping hits and platinum-selling albums, including collaborations with Michael Jackson (``Remember the Time'' and ``Dangerous''), Bobby Brown (``My Prerogative''), Keith Sweat, Stevie Wonder, Doug E. Fresh, Kool Moe Dee, and many others. As a founding member of the acclaimed groups Guy and Blackstreet, he further cemented his place in music history with timeless classics that remain beloved by audiences around the world, including his Grammy Award-winning hit ``No Diggity''.

Beyond his commercial success, Teddy Riley's legacy is one of innovation, mentorship, and artistic excellence. His groundbreaking production techniques helped bridge musical genres, expand creative possibilities for future generations, and elevate the cultural impact of Black music throughout the world. His contributions have earned him widespread acclaim, including two Grammy Awards, the Soul Train Award, the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He is recognized as one of the most influential producers in modern music history.

Mr. Speaker, Teddy Riley's remarkable career stands as a testament to the power of creativity, perseverance, and innovation. As he is celebrated during this Juneteenth in Indianapolis, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing his extraordinary achievements and enduring contributions today to American music and culture.

Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of my amendment No. 9 to H.R. 8469, the Fiscal Year 2027 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.

When Americans serve our country, we have a responsibility to support them when they come home. That means giving the Department of Veterans Affairs the tools it needs to treat veterans today and find better ways to help them recover tomorrow.

My amendment is straightforward. It increases funding for the VA's Medical and Prosthetic Research Program to $994 million. As drafted, the underlying bill cuts $45 million from veteran-focus medical research. I believe that is the wrong direction at a time when research costs are rising, veterans' needs remain urgent, and medical breakthroughs depend on sustained investment.

VA research supports veterans who are living with traumatic brain injury, PTSD, toxic exposure, cancer, chronic disease, limb loss, and other conditions tied to their service. These are not abstract issues. They directly impact whether veterans can work, care for themselves and their families, regain independence, and live with dignity.

This work is already making a difference. The VA is the largest integrated health care system in the country, which gives its researchers a unique window into veterans' long-term health needs. That matters because many service-related conditions affect veterans over many years and require sustained, longitudinal study, VA researchers have used that experience to expand lung cancer screening to hundreds of thousands of veterans, advance precision medicine, and develop prosthetic technologies that help veterans regain mobility and independence.

This research does not stop at the walls of the VA. Breakthroughs that begin with veterans can improve care for the entire country. VA researchers are using artificial intelligence and advanced imaging to detect disease earlier, testing new treatments for spinal cord injuries and bone regeneration, and advancing robotic and sensor-enabled prosthetics that help veterans with limb loss regain mobility, independence, and dignity. That is why sustained investment in VA research is not just sound science, it is how we turn our commitment to veterans into better care, better recovery, and better medicine for all Americans.

This is exactly the kind of work we should be strengthening, not cutting. This amendment is a modest, responsible step to reverse the funding cut in the bill and keep VA medical research moving forward.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and help uphold our commitment to America's veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor the life and legacy of Asal Sayas. Asal was a remarkable public servant, advocate, and friend, whose passing leaves an immeasurable void in the lives of all who knew her.

Asal was an extraordinary leader and a dedicated public servant in Congress and the Executive Branch. She served as the Director of Operations for my office, and in the Senate for Senator Klobuchar. Asal was an invaluable member of my team who brought a deep sense of purpose to her work. She was someone you could always count on, driven by a genuine desire to serve others and a ready smile that she shared with us often. She also

shared her pride in Persian culture and traditions, helping us all learn more about this special part of the world. Like so many who had the privilege of working with Asal, I appreciated her presence and her commitment to public service. Because of her hard work and dedication, Indiana's 7th Congressional District is a better and stronger community.

Asal was a fighter. She faced her unexpected cancer diagnosis with courage, strength, and creativity. Some people might have been afraid to try experimental treatments, but not Asal. She researched them, pursued them, and kept her village of friends and supporters updated on how things were going, and how we could help her with her battle. Even in her most difficult moments, she embraced resilience, which inspired everyone around her. But her legacy extends far beyond her personal battle. She dedicated her life to fighting for others, especially those navigating some of life's most difficult journeys.

As President Biden's Senior Advisor on Health Outcomes and Cancer for the Cancer Moonshot Initiative, Asal helped lead a national effort to reduce cancer deaths and improve the lives of patients and their families. She was deeply committed to uplifting the work of scientists and doctors to advance early detection, address health disparities in cancer research, screening, and treatment, and push forward research to one day end cancer as we know it.

Asal was a passionate and powerful voice within the cancer community, raising awareness about early-stage colon cancer, advocating for younger and underserved populations, and ensuring that no one facing this disease felt alone. Through her work with national colorectal cancer organizations and as co-founder of Colorectal Cancer Change (CRCC), she empowered patients, educated families, and built a legacy of advocacy that will continue to shape lives for years to come.

Her service also spanned nearly a decade as Director of Government Affairs at amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, where she championed expansion and improvements in HIV/AIDS research.

In honoring Asal's legacy, we must also carry forward the mission she championed. Today, colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer- related deaths among men under 50 and the second leading cause among women under 50, a deeply concerning reality that demands urgent action. Early detection saves lives, yet far too many are diagnosed at later stages, especially younger Americans.

That is why I urge my colleagues to continue investing in lifesaving medical research, to fully fund cancer initiatives like the Cancer Moonshot, and to expand access to early screening and preventive care. This is how we honor Asal--not only in words, but through our actions, our policies, and by our votes to fully fund lifesaving research and health services.

To know Asal was to know compassion, brilliance, and purpose. She touched countless lives, including my own, not only through her extraordinary professional accomplishments, but through her warmth and kindness. Today, we mourn her loss, but we also celebrate her amazing life defined by service and love.

My thoughts and prayers are with her family, her friends, and all who are grieving this loss. May they find comfort in the legacy she leaves behind, and in knowing that her work and voice will continue to inspire generations to come.

May her memory be a blessing.

Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Graves, my friend Ranking Member Larsen, and the wonderful staff for their leadership and their partnership, which has allowed our committee to mark up our bill, the ALERT Act, and bring it to the floor today.

The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee worked together in a bipartisan way with our Armed Services Committee colleagues to collaborate and produce a comprehensive bill that addresses and implements all of NTSB's 50 recommendations in the DCA collision report, not just a few.

The terrible midair collision at DCA on January 29 last year still haunts all of us. I also want to take a moment to recognize the family members who lost their loved ones. I continue to mourn the loss of the 67 people who died that day, including Asra Hussain from Carmel, Indiana.

Family members have turned their pain into great power and advocacy, and they have helped us to keep working on a bill that is comprehensive and will make long overdue changes to improve safety.

Today's bill will save lives, and it addresses all of NTSB's recommendations to fix problems that have been ignored for far too long. It requires ADS-B In and collision prevention technology with a hard deadline. It enhances air traffic control training and procedures, including time-on position limits. It modernizes ATC facilities and technology. It addresses deficiencies in the safety cultures at DOT, FAA, and DOD. It strengthens the traffic management and safety of the national airspace and the DCA area, including assessing volume, aircraft arrival rates, and regular review of helicopter routes in the area.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join us in passing this remarkable bill that we have all worked so hard to improve and to bring to a vote. I would also like to thank the Subcommittee on Aviation staff, both Democratic and Republican, for their

hard work, late nights, and long weekends to help us bring this to the floor today. Let's pass this bill.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Kenneth O. ``Kenny'' Edwards upon the occasion of his retirement after 36 years of dedicated service to the railroad industry and to the working men and women of Indiana.

Born and raised in Peru, Indiana, Mr. Edwards is a proud fifth- generation railroader whose life's work reflects a deep commitment to safety, fairness, and the dignity of labor. Over the course of his distinguished career, he has become a respected leader and tireless advocate for railroad workers, earning the trust and admiration of colleagues across the state and nation.

Since 2009, Mr. Edwards has served as the Indiana State Legislative Director for the SMART Transportation Division, where he has championed policies that protect workers and strengthen our rail infrastructure. With more than three decades of service as a union officer, he has played a critical role in advancing rail safety initiatives, improving working conditions, and supporting infrastructure projects that benefit both workers and communities.

His leadership has helped secure important protections for train crews, including safeguarding their privacy in the wake of tragic incidents. He has also advocated for commonsense safety improvements, like reducing train lengths and enhancing rail yard conditions. Throughout his career, Mr. Edwards has exemplified the very best of public service through his advocacy, integrity, and unwavering dedication to others.

Mr. Speaker, Kenneth O. Edwards has devoted his life to uplifting working families and strengthening one of our nation's most vital industries. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring his remarkable career and in wishing him continued success and fulfillment in his well-earned retirement.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the life and legacy of the Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr.--a moral giant of the civil rights movement, a champion for the poor and dispossessed, and one of the most gifted communicators in American history.

I also want to express my love and support to Reverend Jackson's family as they grieve such a deeply personal loss, including our colleague Congressman Jonathan Jackson, our former colleague Jesse Jackson, Jr. and all the Jackson family members and friends.

Reverend Jackson was born during height of the Jim Crow segregation in Greenville, South Carolina, yet he rose from humble beginnings to become a global voice for justice, equality, and human dignity. He first came to national prominence in the 1960s as a young advocate in the struggle for civil rights and an aide to Dr. King, who appointed him to lead the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's Operation Breadbasket in Chicago and eventually, it's national director. Following Dr. King's assassination in 1968, Reverend Jackson helped sustain and lead the movement's moral urgency, shaping a new era of activism grounded in nonviolence, direct action, and an unshakable faith in the power of love.

In 1971, he founded Operation PUSH--``People United to Save Humanity'', building an inclusive advocacy movement united in the pursuit of economic and social justice. Reverend Jackson led boycotts against corporations that had poor records in hiring Black employees or contracting with Black businesses. In 1984, he organized the National Rainbow Coalition, bringing to life an organization of voters from a broad spectrum of races and creeds. This helped him launch his historic presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988,

when he first won five primaries, and subsequently garnered 6.9 million votes. This transformed American politics, inspiring discouraged Americans to believe in the possibility of a multiracial democracy and helping to expand participation within the Democratic Party. His call to ``Keep Hope Alive!'' was more than a slogan--it was a moral charge to the Nation and a testament to his belief that love and collective action can bend the arc of history toward justice.

For more than six decades, Reverend Jackson served as both bridge and trailblazer, connecting the civil rights movement of the 1960s to the ongoing struggle for a more inclusive democracy in the 21st century. He marched, organized, led boycotts, negotiated, and preached on behalf of those too often marginalized or ignored, always affirming, ``I am somebody.'' He mentored and was a friend to many, including me.

Mr. Speaker, Reverend Jesse Jackson was a fearless advocate for love and justice whose voice stirred our conscience and challenged our Nation to live up to its highest ideals. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring his extraordinary life and legacy, and in recommitting ourselves to the future of a Beloved Community that he so faithfully envisioned.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the life and legacy of Congressman Lee H. Hamilton, a devoted public servant, a champion of bipartisanship, and a true Hoosier icon.

For 34 years, Congressman Hamilton represented Indiana in the United States House of Representatives with integrity, civility, and unwavering dedication to his constituents. Throughout his tenure, he earned national respect for his thoughtful leadership on foreign affairs, intelligence, and national security matters, serving as Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and playing a pivotal role in the Iran-Contra investigation. Later, as Vice Chairman of the 9/11 Commission, he helped guide our Nation through one of the most consequential inquiries in modern American history.

Congressman Hamilton believed deeply in representative democracy and the responsibility of elected officials to work across party lines. He forged lasting bipartisan partnerships, including with Senator Richard Lugar, demonstrating that principled collaboration strengthens Indiana and our Nation. His commitment to civil discourse and institutional integrity set a standard for all public servants.

After retiring from Congress, Congressman Hamilton continued to serve our community through scholarship and civic education at Indiana University. Through the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies and the Center on Congress, he helped prepare future generations to understand and engage in public life with seriousness and respect.

A son of Evansville, a proud graduate of DePauw University and Indiana University, and a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, Lee Hamilton never lost sight of his Hoosier roots. His life embodied service to his district, to Indiana, and to America.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Congressman Lee Hamilton's extraordinary legacy. May we follow his example of integrity, bipartisanship, and devotion to democratic ideals. May his children, grandchildren, and all who mourn his passing be comforted by the knowledge that we honor his legacy here in Congress, and treasure the incredible leadership he shared with us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak about the terrible midair collision at DCA on January 29, 2025. I continue to mourn the loss of 67 people who died because of this tragedy, including Asra Hussain, from Carmel, Indiana. The House needs to pass a comprehensive, bipartisan solution that will implement all 50 of the NTSB's recommendations, and which provides a holistic framework for meaningful, system-wide safety improvements.

I commend my Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman and Ranking Member, Sam Graves and Rick Larsen. They worked tirelessly to produce a bill that will implement all 50 safely recommendations from the NTSB, which just released their final report on January 29th. As the Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee, I'm proud to join them as an original cosponsor of the ALERT Act, with our colleagues from the Armed Services Committee, Chairman Mike Rogers and Ranking Member Adam Smith, and many other colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, the House needs to follow regular order. Today's bill was added to the suspension calendar over the concerns of the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Committees of Jurisdiction. This bill has been mysteriously held and stuck at the desk since December--without being referred to the Transportation Committee or the Armed Services Committees for consideration, markup, and amendments. Yet, as soon as our two committees introduced a comprehensive safety bill, the Speaker green lights the other chamber's bill to fly off the desk and bypass our committees. That's not regular order, and it's not right. Our carefully crafted joint Transportation and Armed Services bill should not be railroaded out of floor consideration because of some backroom deal. Under regular order, our Committee should be able to bring our House bill, the ALERT Act, to the House floor before a Senate bill is pushed ahead of us. Especially when it's an incomplete bill.

Unlike the ALERT Act, which implements every one of NTSB's safety recommendations, the ROTOR Act addresses just seven of the 50 recommendations. While the ROTOR Act is a good first step, it doesn't fix the massive systemic problems that resulted in a crash that was 100 percent preventable. Safety is too important to break the rules and ignore regular order. I urge the Speaker to refer this bill to our Committee for consideration and markup.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to reintroduce my resolution condemning the ethnic violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Dr. King famously said, ``injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'' The United States, credible human rights organizations, and civil society have documented and published reports and findings that implicate the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda in aiding and collaborating with armed groups and militias, including several that are designated for United Nations sanctions due to human rights violations.

Militias engage in illicit mining activities to finance and sustain themselves, often exploiting child labor and engaging in environmental degradation practices that undermine the DRC's economic interests and international treaty obligations.

My resolution condemns all acts of violence perpetrated against ethnic minorities throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It reaffirms that the United States has held and continues to hold the governments of the DRC and Rwanda responsible for upholding the rights of all citizens, regardless of ethnicity, in accordance with international obligations.

My timely resolution also holds accountable all state security forces that perpetrate atrocities against the civilian population by conducting transparent investigations and prosecutions and taking all additional necessary measures to prevent further atrocities continue progress toward the disarmament, demobilization, reintegration, reparation, and resettlement of armed groups in coordination with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as outlined in United Nations Security Council Resolution 2666 (2022). Last, it calls on President Donald Trump to appoint a Special

Envoy to the Great Lakes region of Africa, which will be vital to addressing the enduring regional security crisis emanating from eastern

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to reintroduce the Justice for Shireen Act today. I thank my House Colleagues who joined me in calling for a report to Congress from the FBI and State Department, in consultation with the Attorney General, Secretary of Defense and Director of National Intelligence, on the death of American-Palestinian Journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh. I send my deep condolences to the Abu Akleh family for this terrible killing and continue to stand with them to demand justice and accountability.

Shireen Abu Akleh, an American-Palestinian Journalist, was killed on May 11, 2022. She was killed while wearing a clearly marked press vest on assignment, reporting on a military raid that took place in the Israeli occupied city of Jenin. Shortly after her death, I led a letter, signed by 58 Members of Congress, to the FBI and State Department calling for an independent and open investigation led by her home country, the United States, and 24 Senators have echoed this request. More than three years later, and we still do not have answers. It is imperative that Congress receives the information needed to conduct the necessary oversight. We must ensure no taxpayer dollars contribute to human rights violations or anyone's death--most especially an American abroad.

As an American, Ms. Abu Akleh was entitled to the full protections afforded to U.S. citizens living abroad. As Members of Congress, we need to uphold the values that our nation was founded on, including human rights, equality for all, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. As Members of Congress, we have a duty to protect Americans reporting abroad. An Israeli investigation was concluded, finding that it was indeed an Israel Solider who shot Ms. Abu Akleh in her line of duty. It is the responsibility of the U.S. to learn all the unanswered questions leading up to, during and after the fatal shot that killed Ms. Abu Akleh. Additionally, this bill requires an identification of any United States defense materials or services that were implicated in the death of Ms. Abu Akleh. No U.S. weapons or military services by the U.S. should be used to kill Americans on foreign soil. American taxpayers should not be paying for any violation of human rights abroad.

Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in calling for justice and accountability for Shireen Abu Akleh.

Mr. Speaker, I inadvertently voted YEA on Roll Call No. 31. My intent was

to vote NAY on Roll Call No. 31, passage of H.R. 2988, Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act.