Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, the Supreme Court is poised to make one of the most consequential rulings for women and their bodies in over a generation. For nearly 50 years, women have come to rely upon the precedent of Roe v. Wade and the freedom to make their own reproductive decisions without government interference in our personal lives. Now our freedoms are under attack as the Court considers a case asking for Roe v. Wade to be overturned.

As an adoption attorney for 25 years, I worked with more than 300 birth mothers making the most difficult and personal decision of their lives. They consulted family, loved ones, and doctors, but not one birth mother looked to the government to make that choice for her.

Earlier this year we passed the Women's Health Protection Act, legislation to codify the constitutional right to safe, legal abortion. Regardless of the Court's decision, we must make this bill law to permanently protect the reproductive freedoms of women across this land.

Madam Speaker, on Tuesday, November 16, 2021 I was unable to attend votes and missed Roll Call votes No. 374, No. 375, and No. 376. Had I been present, I would have voted AYE on Roll Call vote No. 374, AYE on Roll Call vote No. 375 and AYE on Roll Call vote No. 376.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the valiant efforts of the COVID-19 Response Team of the Androscoggin Valley Area of Coos County, New Hampshire. This group was formed in the early days of the pandemic in 2020.

Recognizing that this would take an all-in effort, the team consisted of healthcare professionals, regional social service organizations, community EMTs, educational professionals, and both the state and Federal detention facilities in the area.

While working together, this group was able to rapidly assess the spread of the pandemic and quickly formulate plans to mitigate further transmission. Initially this group concentrated on testing and contact tracing for positive tests. Soon after, local hot spots were quickly determined. Their work to promote quarantine efforts helped to slow the pandemic's progress. This outreach took in local nursing homes, social services, schools, local businesses, and more.

Maintaining social distancing mandates, the team met virtually, almost daily, to assess current county and state statistics and decide on what the next steps would be; all the while waiting on the creation and release of a vaccine.

Throughout the pandemic, this multi-disciplined group of individuals has met every challenge and managed to stay ahead of every curve. While there have been recent spikes in cases, case counts remain below state and national percentages.

It is with pride and my honor to recognize this community-minded group of individuals as heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 100th birthday of Lieutenant J.G. Howard T. Oedel. It is with great pride that I join others in honoring Howard's patriotism, dedication, and sacrifice.

Howard's life has been filled with many milestones and achievements, from serving as a crew member of the USS Massachusetts in World War II to being a Harvard graduate and Ph.D scholar. He is a pillar of the Hebron community and we are so thankful to have him.

As the daughter and daughter-in-law of World War II veterans, recognizing the service of our veterans is deeply personal to me. It is my great honor to serve those who have served us.

I wish Howard the happiest of birthdays. Congratulations.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dean Christon on the occasion of his retirement as Director and Chief Executive Officer of New Hampshire Housing.

Dean is as steadfast advocate for affordable housing and community development across New Hampshire. It was an honor to work alongside Dean, his team at New Hampshire Housing and countless other developers and advocates to see so many impactful projects come together, like Boulder Point Veterans Housing in Plymouth and the Pine Tree Lane Apartments in West Lebanon.

I commend Dean Christon on his retirement after more than three decades with New Hampshire Housing and on his unwavering dedication to the Granite State. Dean also serves as the Vice Chair of the Advisory Board of the Saint Anselm College Center for Ethics in Society and is a trustee of NeighborWorks Southern NH, a testament to his commitment to housing security and to the future leaders of our state.

On behalf of my constituents in New Hampshire's Second Congressional District, I thank Dean for his many years of service, and for being a part of what makes the Granite State so great. I am honored to recognize and congratulate Dean on his retirement and wish him the best of luck in the years ahead.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer my sincere gratitude to Peggy Senter on the occasion of her retirement as the founding president of Concord Community Music School.

For nearly four decades, Peggy has provided a place for students to learn, grow, and create. Concord Community Music School leads numerous music programs designed to build a sense of community by offering classes for all ages, musical abilities, and backgrounds. Through Peggy's energetic leadership, Concord Community Music School continues to expand services and be recognized nationally for its innovative and well managed programs.

On behalf of New Hampshire's Second Congressional District and all those who have been impacted by Peggy's vision, I thank her for her incredible service and congratulate her on all she has accomplished. I wish Peggy the best of luck in her new chapter and look forward to our continued work together to make New Hampshire an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Barbara Tetreault, long-time Editor of the Berlin Daily Sun newspaper, on her well- deserved retirement. Barbara has been with the paper since 1993 and the Editor since 2013. Her departure will be an end of an era.

The city of Berlin and the paper have both struggled over the years, yet Barbara's constant, dedicated, professional reporting has always presented the news in a candid and transparent manner to the people of Berlin. With New Hampshire's First in the Nation primary status, Barbara was there to ask the hard questions of candidates in the earliest days of their campaigns. Barbara's questions, often repeated across the state and country during the campaign, would help define the creditability and integrity of many candidates.

As Barbara steps back from the deadline to a slower pace, The Berlin Daily Sun will take on a new Editor who will put their stamp on the masthead. We know we will, occasionally, still see Barbara's name at the end of a column in the paper.

It is with great pleasure that I recognize and give honor to this wonderful woman who kept her community informed about the news of Berlin and the North Country.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer my sincere gratitude for Nicki Clarke as she moves on after fourteen years from her role as Executive Director of the Capitol Center for the Arts.

Over the span of Nicki's long and successful career, she has built a lasting memory as a leader and advocate for the arts in New Hampshire. Nicki has brought numerous rich and diverse art experiences to Granite Staters. Her leadership over the past fourteen years has been dynamic, innovative, and focused as she increased the number of shows and created the Bank of New Hampshire Stage. Her commitment to the theater and the community has touched the lives of so many in New Hampshire.

On behalf of New Hampshire's Second Congressional District and all those who have benefitted from Nicki's work, I thank her for her incredible service and congratulate her on all that she has accomplished. I wish her the best of luck in the years ahead, and I look forward to our continued work together to make New Hampshire an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize John Manning on the occasion of his retirement as Chief Executive Officer of Southwestern Community Services .

For more than 30 years, John Manning has provided much needed support to our community through his work at Southwestern Community Services (SCS). SCS runs numerous critical programs designed to empower low- income individuals and families, such as the Community Food Program, several Energy and Fuel Assistance Programs, seven Head Start Centers, and more. Through John's leadership, SCS continues to expand services, including the distribution of critical rental assistance funds to thousands of households throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

I commend John Manning on his retirement after more than three decades of public service and dedication to the Granite State. John also serves as the Fire Chief for the Town of Marlborough, a testament to his commitment to the well-being and safety of Granite Staters.

On behalf of New Hampshire's Second Congressional District, I thank John Manning for his service and wish him the best of luck in his new chapter.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember the life of Tom Cowie, a dedicated father and a passionate member of the greater Plymouth community. In Depth NH, a local New Hampshire newspaper, published an obituary of my friend Tom that I include in the Record:

Center Harbor, NH.--Thomas William Cowie, 68, longtime

Plymouth attorney and community volunteer died March 22,

2021, at home following a 10-week bout with metastatic lung

cancer.

He leaves his wife of 32 years, Paula Tracy, and their

daughter, Eliza Cowie of Boulder Colorado, two brothers, Paul

Cowie and Peter Cowie, and their families in Truckee,

California, and Fayetteville, N.Y. respectively.

Born October 10, 1952, to Barbara Ann (Olhoff) Cowie and

Walter T. Cowie in Syracuse, N.Y., he lived in Barre Vt.,

Fayetteville, NY, and spent summers on Big Moose Lake in the

Adirondacks before graduating from Fayetteville-Manlius High

School in New York in 1971.

At Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU), where he received his

bachelor's degree in political science in 1975, Tom played

lacrosse. He became the team's captain in his senior year and

was a leading scorer for all four years. His senior team went

on to play in the NCAA playoffs. Tom was chosen by the United

States International Lacrosse Association to play in the

national North-South All-Star Lacrosse Game at Cornell

University in 1975. It featured the best senior lacrosse

players in the nation. And although not an official college

statistic, Tom was also known for having the best long,

blonde ponytail sticking out of his helmet.

His joy was being outside, whether it was waterskiing,

skiing, paddling or driving friends and family for a cruise

around Squam Lake. To relax, Tom would often play the piano.

He could sight-read any song and particularly enjoyed playing

Christmas music, sung at annual gatherings with family

friends.

His favorite place in the world was the Adirondacks at his

childhood summer home ``Sunset'' a classic Earl Covey

designed camp on Big Moose Lake's Crag Point where he and his

brothers spent endless summer days and participated in the

lake association's annual waterski shows.

After college, he spent several years in Truckee,

California, enjoying skiing and hiking, and learned the art

of stonemasonry along the shores of Lake Tahoe. He

participated in the Sierra-Tahoe Pro Ski Circuit in 1977 and

1978 and thru-hiked the 186-mile Tahoe-Yosemite Trail during

his time there.

Tom enjoyed all forms of sport, including tennis, softball,

and golf. He tried parachute jumping and learned the sport of

curling in Plymouth last year. After moving to the Plymouth

area in the early 1980s to join his cousin, Bill Cowie, in

sales, he took graduate courses at Plymouth State University.

After being urged to consider the practice of law, he

enrolled at the former Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord,

now UNH School of Law, and received his Juris Doctor of law

degree in 1986. He then entered the general practice of law

with Ross V. Deachman in Plymouth in 1987, later partnering

to become the current firm of Deachman & Cowie, P.A.

For Tom, the practice of law was always about helping

others solve their problems and being part of a small-town

community. His law practice was what he described as

``country law'' and it involved many charitable efforts. At

the state level, Tom volunteered his legal services in the

New Hampshire Bar Association Pro Bono Program, offering free

legal advice to those in need and served on the New Hampshire

Bar Association Board of Governors as a Grafton County

Governor and then as a Governor-at-Large from 1991 to 1996.

He also served on the Board of Directors of Speare Memorial

Hospital in Plymouth.

In 1987, at Cannon Mountain in Franconia, NH, he met Paula

Tracy as a single in the T-bar lift line. They went on to

marry in 1988 and together enjoyed many years of skiing with

their daughter, Eliza.

A long-time resident of Rumney N.H., Tom served on numerous

boards, including 12 years on the Rumney School Board,

beginning in 1997. In addition to serving on a number of

social service agencies concerned with child welfare in the

Pemi-Baker area, Tom worked to foster a love of local nature,

including years serving on the Quincy Bog Board of Directors.

He served for almost a decade as a member of the Board of

Trustees at the Squam Lakes Natural Sciences Center in

Holderness and at the time of his death, he was the Board's

secretary.

His love of lacrosse never left him and that love enriched

others in the Plymouth area because of his efforts to

establish high school lacrosse teams at Plymouth Regional

High School (PRHS). He volunteered to coach lacrosse, first

at Plymouth State University as an assistant coach of the

men's varsity team in the mid-1980s, then for boys in the

independent White Mountain Wolves league. With a group of

others, he campaigned and advocated for the creation of a

high school lacrosse program at PRHS. While it took more than

a few tries to get the votes at the school district meeting,

the program was established in 2008.

Tom was asked to coach the first PRHS women's team with

Maureen Wentzell and by the second year of their coaching,

the team won the Division III state championship in 2011. He

continued to play lacrosse in the summers with fellow OWU

alumni at the Summit Lacrosse tournaments in Lake Placid,

N.Y. with his last tournament participation in 2004.

Tom had a strong faith in a higher power and he remained

thankful, loving, humorous, forgiving, and forever hopeful

till the end. His family wishes to thank the teams at

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon and Lakes

Region VNA in Meredith. Their exceptional care and kindness

allowed him to pass away at home with grace and comfort.

Madam Speaker, when I say ``war hero,'' what image comes to mind?

Some might imagine a brave soldier charging an enemy position, who reminds us of what it means to be courageous. Others might think of a medic dodging enemy fire to provide care for their wounded brother-in- arms, who reminds us of what it means to be selfless. And, still, others might think of a prisoner of war, like my father, a pilot in World War II, who was shot down on D-day and whose stoic survival through inhumane conditions reminds us of what it means to be resilient.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of another type of war hero: Those who go to war armed only with illusion and creativity.

In World War II, two top-secret units, known as the Ghost Army, used combat deception to fool the Nazis. They risked their lives to draw forces away from American combat units so that they would face less resistance. This required a special kind of courage. Whereas a typical American unit had tanks made of steel, the Ghost Army was equipped with tanks made of rubber.

Using inflatable equipment, sound effects, radio trickery, and impersonation, the Ghost Army made it appear there were tens of thousands of combat troops where there really were none. In operations throughout the war, their actions were decisive.

In September of 1944, they filled a 25-mile gap in Patton's line that had opened up after he charged across France. In March of 1945, they impersonated two full divisions to draw enemy attention away from the Ninth Army's crossing of the Rhine River. Their combat deceptions worked brilliantly.

According to a U.S. Army analysis after the war, the Ghost Army deception saved up to an estimated 30,000 Allied lives. Their tactics were so effective that the Army kept them secret for more than 50 years after the war. And because of this classification, the men of the Ghost Army were never recognized for their heroism and contributions to defeating fascism in Europe.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 707, the Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act, would right this wrong by awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the Ghost Army.

I am proud that 75 years after their service, with the help of my colleague from Utah, Mr. Stewart, the Ghost Army will finally get some recognition that it so deserves. I thank my colleague for his help.

Madam Speaker, I encourage all of our colleagues to support this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Richard ``Dick'' Hamilton for his selfless work to honor the memory of our cherished state symbol, the Old Man of the Mountain. His granite resolve has led to this beautiful plaza where you stand today.

Daniel Webster wrote, ``Men hang out their signs indicative of their respective trades; shoemakers hang out a gigantic shoe, jewelers a monster watch, and dentists hang out a gold tooth. Now, up in New Hampshire, God almighty has hung out a sign to show that here he makes men.'' Dick Hamilton is one of those men.

As we remember May 2, 2003, the day the Old Man gave up his perch on the side of Cannon Mountain, we also salute Dick and countless others who carry on the memory of the Old Man and what he means to the people of the Granite State. I take this time to honor Dick and keep the memory of the Old Man alive

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, as a mother and aunt--and now a great aunt--to a dozen little

ones, I know there is nothing more important than keeping our children and loved ones safe. From a young age, we tell our children to wear their seatbelts in the car, a helmet while riding a bike or skiing, and to handle sharp objects with care. We go to great lengths to protect our children from the dangers we can see, but there are threats to our children's and loved ones' well-being that oftentimes go undetected.

Among the most dangerous of these is carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is a stealthy killer. You cannot see it, hear it, taste it, or smell it. This deadly gas claims the lives of over 400 Americans every year and results in over 20,000 emergency room visits.

Two of my constituents, John and April Courtney in Lyman, New Hampshire, tragically lost their lives to carbon monoxide poisoning just this past year. If people know about the dangers of carbon monoxide and have alarms properly installed in their homes, tragedies like the one in my district, can be prevented.

Mr. Speaker, that is why I am so proud to join my good friend, Representative Carter, in introducing in the House, H.R. 1460, the Nicholas and Zachary Burt Memorial Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act that we will be voting on this evening.

This legislation provides funding for States to prevent future carbon monoxide-related deaths by educating the public about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and installing detectors in housing for the elderly and low-income individuals and high-traffic public buildings like schools. This bipartisan legislation will save lives.

At a time when Congress so often seems divided, this legislation is proof that we can work together to find common ground and get things done to help our constituents.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Carter, and I thank our chairman, and I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of the American Rescue Plan Act, ambitious and urgently needed legislation to end the COVID-19 epidemic and to facilitate our economic recovery.

The Federal Government has a responsibility to provide support to millions of families struggling because of lost work or grieving because they lost a loved one.

And this American Rescue Plan fulfills this responsibility, providing $1,400 relief checks to Americans that are hurting financially.

For the Americans who have lost their job during the pandemic, the bill extends critical unemployment benefits so they can get back on their feet.

For children and families who are approaching 1 year of remote schooling, this bill provides $125 billion to safely reopen our schools and protect teachers and students.

For small businesses that have been hit hard, this legislation could increase funding for the Paycheck Protection Program and other support loans and grants.

For over 25 million Americans who are struggling to put food on the table, this bill increases SNAP benefits so families do not go hungry.

For nearly 10 million Americans who are behind on rent and utilities, this bill provides funds to keep a roof over their head and the lights on.

And I am very pleased that this bill includes funding modeled after my legislation to ramp up and fund the manufacturing and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in strong support of the American Rescue Plan Act, bold and desperately needed legislation to crush the COVID-19 pandemic and bolster our economic recovery.

As our Nation mourns over 500,000 Americans who have lost their lives due to this terrible virus, we must act decisively and with great purpose to support our families and communities that are struggling. The American Rescue Plan delivers on this need, providing $1,400 relief checks to Americans who are hurting financially.

For the nearly 16 million Americans who have lost their jobs during the pandemic, this bill extends critical unemployment benefits so they can get back on their feet.

For our children and families who have been practicing distance learning, this bill provides over $125 billion to safely reopen our schools and protect our teachers and students.

For businesses who have been hit hard, this bill includes increased funding for economic injury disaster loans.

For the one in seven Americans who are struggling with food insecurity, this bill increases monthly SNAP benefits so they do not go hungry. And for the good of the country, this bill ramps up funding for the manufacture and distribution of the vaccine.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.