Floor Statements

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.

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

Madam Speaker, American biotech companies are leading a scientific revolution that is transforming our economy. In recent years, we have seen breakthroughs that have delivered promising new treatments for Alzheimer's, new biological alternatives to pesticides, and plastic- eating bacteria, just to name a few.

These innovations are making Americans healthier, driving a more sustainable economy, and supporting good jobs. However, while America leads the world in these emerging technologies, our competitors are close behind. If we want to ensure American industry stays on top, then American consumers must have confidence in the safety and reliability of our advancements.

One of the key ways American companies produce these breakthroughs is by producing synthetic nucleic acids, like DNA and RNA, for use in biotech research. These are an important tool though that allows scientists to study gene function, develop novel vaccines, improve diagnostic tests, and pursue countless other life-changing discoveries. Companies like Twist Bioscience in my district are pushing the envelope to accelerate and scale-up production, which, in turn, will facilitate faster discoveries.

As this field advances, particularly with the development of AI systems to design nucleic acid sequences, we need to double down on efforts to ensure the

technology is used safely and responsibly.

H.R. 3029, the Nucleic Acid Standards for Biosecurity Act, directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to carry out measurement research and lead consensus-driven standards development to ensure these tools can be harnessed in a trustworthy manner.

Businesses, small and large, in Oregon and across the country, will benefit from this partnership with NIST. These standards will drive sustainable growth while helping to keep this industry and the good jobs it supports right here in America. Through a commonsense partnership between government and industry, we will unlock responsible and trustworthy growth that benefits industry, workers, and consumers across the economy.

Madam Speaker, in closing, I want to extend my great gratitude to Chairman Babin and Mr. McCormick for their bipartisan work. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 3029, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, Americans are facing an affordability crisis. When I talk with Oregonians, they tell me one of the biggest challenges they face right now is the rising cost of electricity.

In addition to rising demand, aging infrastructure, rising fuel costs, and climate-change-driven disasters like winter ice storms, wildfires, and drought are also driving up the cost of electricity. We need more tools to ensure we can deliver the reliability and affordability that consumers need.

Geothermal energy already delivers clean, round-the-clock power in the Western U.S. Building on these innovations, next-gen geothermal technologies can play an important part in the transition to an affordable and reliable clean energy future across the country.

Oregon is already a leader in this space, producing the fifth most geothermal electricity in the U.S. Oregon Institute of Technology opened Oregon's first geothermal power plant at their Klamath Falls campus, and for 60 years the school has heated buildings and supplied hot water with geothermal energy.

Now, Oregon is leading the charge with next-gen geothermal technologies. Newberry Volcano in central Oregon is a hot spot--anybody laugh?--for geothermal innovation. The industry is piloting commercial- scale power plants there, and they are demonstrating new technologies that will allow geothermal systems to operate in extreme heat conditions, which greatly expands the role that these resources can play in our energy mix.

This is not just about Oregon or the Mountain West anymore. Next-gen geothermal technologies will make it feasible to deploy geothermal energy across the country and serve as a critical tool in the fight against climate change. This renewable energy will help meet America's energy needs across the Nation.

The Federal Government needs to lean in, partner with the private sector, and ensure these technologies move quickly to market so that Americans feel the benefit sooner rather than later.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 8790, the Next-Generation Geothermal Research and Development Act, will support geothermal research, development, demonstration, and commercialization efforts at the Department of Energy to overcome the remaining engineering challenges and take this technology from promise to reality.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague Mr. Harrigan for his leadership on this sensible, bipartisan bill, and I urge everyone to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 8790. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark 1 year of the Republicans' big, ugly bill, which has left our children, veterans, and seniors hungry.

When President Trump signed this bill, he promised to lower costs for everyday people. Instead, his bill cut billions of dollars for SNAP across the Nation, including $425 million in my home State of Oregon.

These cuts are taking food off families' tables. In Oregon, 70,000 people--parents, friends, and neighbors--have lost their food benefits.

Why did Mr. Trump do this? It was to give tax cuts to his billionaire buddies.

While the cost of healthcare and groceries skyrocket, families are losing the support they need to put food on the dinner table and pay their bills.

Mr. Speaker, we must restore these devastating cuts to SNAP. No child, veteran, or senior in the wealthiest nation on the planet should go hungry because Republicans chose tax breaks for billionaires over food for families.

Mr. Speaker, President Trump and I ran for office on the same promise: to lower costs.

Let's review the promises President Trump made to the American people.

The average cost of gas on the day President Trump took office was around $3 per gallon. On the campaign trail, he said he would bring the price of gas to under $2 a gallon. Today, the national average of gas is $4 a gallon, and it is over $5 in Oregon. Diesel is even higher, around $6 a gallon. Oregonians, from families to farmers, are paying the steep price.

Trump also promised to cut Americans' energy bills in half, but electricity rates haven't fallen. Rates are up 10 percent under the Trump administration, which is more than the rate of inflation and way more than hardworking families can afford right now.

President Trump promised over and over again to make America affordable. It is obvious that this administration has not lived up to its promise. Instead, Trump has propelled our Nation into an illegal war, which has disrupted global oil markets and has put his administration's foolishness on a global stage.

For the sake of our wallets, our environment, and the future workforce and economy, we need to invest in a diverse portfolio of affordable, clean energy and rein in Trump's recklessness.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Allan Pollock for 19 years of dedicated public service in my district.

This summer, Allan is retiring from his role as general manager of the Salem Area Mass Transit District known as Cherriots.

Under Allan's leadership, Cherriots has grown steadily. They restored weekend and late-night service, underwent a comprehensive rebranding, and have put sustainable, climate-friendly electric buses into circulation.

Cherriots now provides over 3 million rides yearly.

But beyond numbers, Allan quite literally brought our community together--bringing workers to their jobs, shoppers to stores, and parents home to their children.

Oregon's Sixth District wishes Allan the best in his next chapter. We thank him for his years of dedicated service and for leaving the Salem area stronger and more connected.

Mr. Speaker, Amalia, an 18-month-old, was sent to Dilley Detention Facility where she began to fall ill. Her parents waited in the health clinic line eight separate times, begging for little Amalia's life.

It wasn't until Amalia's blood oxygen levels were low enough to kill off part of her tiny brain that ICE took her concerns seriously. Amalia was admitted to the ICU where she was diagnosed with COVID-19, pneumonia, RSV, and was in severe respiratory distress.

As a mother, I know that even just one of these diagnoses can be a death sentence for a toddler, and this story is far from unique.

Children as young as 2 months old are being held at Dilley for more than 40 days, which is double the legal limit, under nightmarish conditions: worm-infested food, unsanitary drinking water, and mothers being separated from their children, all while being screamed at by agents. In any other setting, we would call this out for what it is: child abuse.

While detained babies sit on lawyers' laps to represent themselves in court, Trump is spending billions of dollars on ICE, which could be used to improve the lives of hardworking families who are just trying to provide stable homes for their children.

Mr. Speaker, Trump can stop this chaos now, but the emotional damage is done. The fear, instability, and trauma these children have experienced will never disappear. It will linger for generations.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to share an excerpt of a letter from a child who was detained at the Dilley ICE facility: ``My name is Ariana . . . I am 14 years old, and I am from Honduras. I've been detained for 45 days. Since I got to this center, all you will feel is sadness and mostly depression. I've been in this country for almost 7 years, and in those 7 years, my mom and I found a home and made a bigger family. I have never been separated from my siblings, and it's honestly sad because they are little, and they need their mom and sister.''

She goes on to say: ``I haven't been getting any school time. There are various viruses. People are always sick. Serious situations happen, and the officers can't take them seriously enough. There are no consequences. They don't care.''

Mr. Speaker, children are being traumatized by what this administration is doing to them. We must ask ourselves: Is this right? Is this moral? Is this the Nation we want to be?

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose President Trump's disastrous tariffs and shine a light on the real harm they are causing families and businesses in my district.

My district is home to some of the best wineries in the world, and Canada is our single largest foreign market. After Trump imposed his tariffs, Canada responded with their own tariffs that lasted for months. Many Canadians continue to boycott our products, all while our growers and producers pay the price. They are facing higher costs, shrinking export opportunities, and real economic pain for real families.

In October, wine sales to Canada were down 84 percent when compared to last year. If we fail to act, this Congress will be complicit in enabling President Trump to destroy the hard-fought relationships my community has brokered. Wineries in my district built their relationships across the border over decades, and in one day, President Trump destroyed them.

These tariffs hurt American farmers and American consumers alike. We must act and protect the American people from the volatile whims of the petulant President.

Mr. Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to call out President Trump for abusing his power, acting in secrecy, and threatening our safety, all while failing to address the rising costs in America.

Trump is deploying ICE to our neighborhoods to terrorize our immigrant communities. His operations rely on brutal tactics, avoiding deescalation and due process against U.S. citizens. Although the administration claims it is only targeting undocumented criminals who pose a threat, we know that is an outright lie.

At every turn, the administration erodes any trust it has ever had with the public. That became even clearer when Secretary Noem signed an order barring Members of Congress from conducting oversight of ICE facilities without 7 days' notice.

I visited an ICE facility in Tacoma, Washington. I did provide that 7 days' notice, even though I was not legally required to do so, and yet I was still denied access to meet with my constituents due to so-called scheduling issues.

This is not transparency. This is an attempt to control access, suppress oversight, and manipulate the narrative.

Instead of terrorizing our communities, Trump needs to get back to the real work of solving the affordability crisis.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to pass this legislation to prevent families' healthcare costs from skyrocketing.

I will share just a few messages from my hardworking constituents who will be impacted.

Kelly from Salem wrote: ``My policy is going to increase from $40 to $191. I will have no wiggle room in my budget, no room for emergencies.''

Rachel from Amity says that her plan will increase from $511 to $1,328 per month. She wrote: ``We will probably choose to only insure our child. We cannot afford 25 percent of our income going to health insurance.''

Janice from Salem said that her monthly costs will go from $465 to $1,100. ``I will go without health insurance if I can't bring it way down to no more than $500 a month. I am 5 years away from retirement.''

Mr. Speaker, these are just three stories from about 16,000 in my district, and there are millions just like these across our country. Our constituents are counting on this body to lower their costs and save their healthcare.

Mr. Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this disgusting bill that does nothing to protect children's innocence.

It endangers parents, healthcare providers, and children. It allows healthcare providers and parents to be fined and possibly jailed if they help a minor access lifesaving care. It permits Federal law enforcement to act as the national gender police, allowing them to invade children's private medical records.

This bill puts even more children in harm's way and exacerbates the mental health crises that our young people are facing because it stops them from actually receiving the care that they need right now.

Madam Speaker, why is our focus on this when what I am hearing from constituents is that Republicans are falling short in addressing the cost of groceries, healthcare, and housing?

To my Republican colleagues, why not focus on the issues that will impact millions of families who are just one paycheck away from homelessness or losing their healthcare instead of waging a war on children's genitals? What is this unhealthy obsession? Let's end it today by voting ``no'' on H.R. 3492.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize George Fox University Women's Golf Head Coach MaryJo McCloskey.

In 2006, Coach MJ helped found the women's golf program at George Fox, and since then, she has coached hundreds of talented student- athletes.

During her time coaching, she has put together an inspiring track record. She is an 8-time NCAA Division III West Region Coach of the Year, a 10-time Northwest Conference Coach of the Year, and has an NCAA National Championship under her belt.

In addition to coaching her award winning team, she recently published a book titled ``When Girls Win,'' which delves into the personal challenges Coach MJ has faced as a woman in a male-dominated field while illustrating how people like you and me can build a winning mindset.

MaryJo has been a fixture at George Fox University, and her hard work and determination led her to be one of two inductees to the Women's Golf Coaches Association's Hall of Fame.

Oregon's Sixth Congressional District is extremely proud of what Coach MJ has achieved. Her tremendous honor is not only a testament to the investment she has made in herself, but also to her family, her community, and, most importantly, to her team.

I congratulate Coach MJ.