Andrea Salinas

Mr. Speaker, I have spent the past month traveling across my district talking with Oregonians about the challenges they face right now. Above all else I heard the same thing. Everything is too expensive.

Since President Trump took office, Oregonians have had to pay an extra $3,900 because of inflation, his tariffs, and his war with Iran. I could stand here all day listing what has gotten more expensive because of his harmful policies, but I only have 60 seconds, so I want to highlight how just one of his failures, the war in Iran, is hurting Americans.

Before the war, farmers in my district paid $4.22 a gallon for diesel. Now Trump's war is driving up fuel costs, and my farmers are now paying $5.87 for that same gallon of diesel. That rise in costs for farmers impacts the prices everyone pays at the grocery store.

The cost of fresh tomatoes is up by nearly 40 percent, costing an all-time high of $2.69 cents a pound. That is not a record anyone should be proud of, but does President Trump care? No.

People across my district are struggling, and they are paying for the failures Trump and Republicans in Congress have created. Families deserve a Congress focused on lowering costs and making it easier for them to get ahead. This Congress is not it.

Mr. Speaker, President Trump knows that the only way Republicans can win this midterm election is to lie and cheat. Trump has failed to address the affordability crisis. Now, instead of fighting to lower costs, he is fighting to suppress votes and prevent Americans from holding him and the GOP accountable this November.

Over the past year, the American people have watched as Trump has tried to suppress votes in any way he can. He has pushed for the SAVE America Act, helped undermine the Voting Rights Act, and most recently has urged the courts to restrict mail-in voting, even though the President himself votes by mail.

We all know why. Trump can't stand the fact that he lost the 2020 election. He pushed the big lie, claimed the election was rigged, and without proof, blamed mail-in voting. President Trump can't stand that he lost in 2020. He can't stand the thought of losing again, and that is why he is trying to prevent Americans from voting by mail.

Let me be clear. Our elections are free, fair, and accurate. Take it from my home State of Oregon. We have been an entirely vote-by-mail State for nearly 30 years, and our elections have been safe and secure. Oregon consistently has some of the highest levels of voter turnout in the country, and research has shown that voters from both sides of the aisle vote by mail at similar rates.

The right to vote should not depend on your State, your marital status, your access to a passport, or whether you can make it to a polling place on election day. Every eligible American deserves a fair and accessible way to make their voices heard.

We should be removing barriers to vote, not increasing them. That is why I introduced the Universal Right To Vote by Mail Act.

My bill would give every eligible voter in America the right to vote by mail in Federal elections without requiring a specific excuse. It would also require States to give voters a chance to fix a simple mistake or discrepancy on their ballot before that vote is rejected.

This is not about helping any one party or the other. It is about making sure every eligible American has a fair opportunity to participate in our democracy. President Trump is trying to take that opportunity away. He is attacking vote-by-mail because he is afraid of the results when voters make their voices heard this November.

Congress must reject the attacks on vote-by-mail. I urge my colleagues to defeat the previous question and support my Universal Right To Vote by Mail Act so every eligible American can cast their ballot safely, securely, and conveniently.

The answer to Republicans' fears that they will lose the upcoming election is not to make it harder for people to vote, the answer is to earn their votes.

Mr. Speaker, 57 years ago this week, the world watched as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first stepped foot on the Moon.

That historic achievement was thanks to American innovation and engineering breakthroughs, and it showed what is possible when we dream beyond the stars.

Now, 57 years later, we are preparing for our return to the Moon. Through NASA's Artemis program, the U.S. will once again set foot on the Moon, opening the door for the next era of space exploration. But missions like Artemis would not be possible without the skilled technical workers, scientists, and innovators whose talent turns bold ideas into reality.

If America is to remain the world's scientific leader, we must continue investing in the programs and inspiring the next generation of students who make these missions possible. That is why I urge my colleagues to pass my resolution that would recognize July 20, the day the astronauts landed on the Moon, as Moon Day.

Mr. Speaker, I will keep working to support policies that get us one small step closer to the next giant leap for mankind.