Anna Paulina Luna

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of John Anthony DeMarco, a man of uncommon character and strength. John was the father of my legislative assistant, John DeMarco, and his passing is an immense loss, not only to those who loved him, but those who were fortunate enough to know him.

He was a proud cement mason through his working life and a cherished member of his union, where he was known for his expertise, his work ethic, and his unwavering dedication to his trade.

To John, hard work was simply a fact of life, and he embraced it wholeheartedly. He never missed a day on the job, and much of his consistency can be attributed to his refusal to leave a project unfinished. It can also be accredited equally to his deep devotion to his crew.

John was fiercely loyal. He never expected recognition for being a good friend. He simply always showed up when he was needed. In a world where people seek constant acknowledgment and praise, those in John's life could rest assured that he would have their back and never ask for anything in return.

Above all, John was devoted to his family. He was a pillar of strength and an example of a protector that most men can only hope to emulate. There was nothing that John wouldn't do for his wife and children, and his constant presence in their lives reflected that very clearly. Every evening, no matter what time of day it was, John could be found at the dinner table listening intently and sharing his hard- earned wisdom. That kind of unwavering presence is perhaps the greatest gift that a father and a husband can give.

I am privileged to honor the life of John DeMarco. May his example continue to inspire all who carry his memory forward.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise to support this amendment. As you know, I never thought I would have to be debating liability protections for pesticide companies, yet here I am today.

I would like to share some statistics with you. A major study found that pesticide mixtures increased childhood leukemia by 23 percent, brain cancer by 36 percent, and overall childhood cancer by 30 percent.

We find that a majority of Americans, specifically that do rely on SNAP and EBT, are being fed massively processed foods that are increasing their cancer risk, not to mention, as a whole, I think this is something that we should all get behind. We do not want to ever provide or be on the side of cancer-causing anything.

Research shows that maternal exposures to pesticides at home and work are linked to a higher risk of leukemia in children. These chemicals are known to cross the placenta and impact fetal development.

In addition to that, a review of over 174 studies, from 2013 to 2023, found constant and consistent links between pesticide exposures and leukemia, brain cancers, and rare childhood cancers.

Off the record, I had a conversation in the Cloakroom with a young Member of Congress who was just elected in Georgia who said he suffered from thyroid cancer, and he thought it was due to an environmental factor.

The point is that this should not be partisan. It is about the American people and protecting them.

Now, I understand that this place can get pretty heated sometimes, but I was also called a damn liar for defending my position, which is far from the truth. The fact is that I am not getting paid special interest money. I am trying to fight for my district and, I think, for the well-being of a majority of Americans. The fact is that there is far too much special interest money going into policies like these. While people claim that they are not in opposition, if you pull FEC reporting, of which we have screenshots of all of that, it says quite otherwise.

I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Maine (Ms. Pingree).

Mr. Chairman, may I inquire how much time is remaining.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to clarify that section 10205 blocks States and local governments from requiring any warnings beyond what the EPA provides. As far as I am concerned, if someone is trying to give something to my kid that causes cancer, I would hope to heck that Congress would block that.

Mr. Chairman, I will end by saying that I take zero money from pesticide liability and manufacturers, and my colleague takes $124,000 from them. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, my colleagues are spending a lot of time lecturing the American people on how this is going to require them to show their papers. Last time I checked, during COVID they demanded that if you simply wanted to go to a funeral, be with your loved one while they are dying, or get married, then you have to show your papers. In fact, in New York

City, Mr. Speaker, they were literally asking you for your COVID passport.

Yet the SAVE America Act, a commonsense piece of legislation that requires two things, voter ID, plus proof of citizenship, is being labeled by people in the Senate and people in this very Chamber as Jim Crow-era laws.

Let me remind the American people of history. It was the Democratic Party who championed the Jim Crow-era laws. And this is the farthest thing from it. In fact, Mr. Speaker, if you are doing that, then you are insulting over 70 percent of your voters, Democrats, who believe that voter ID is the best way to secure an election.

Then we have the argument that we have from BlueAnons saying that Trump is trying to steal the election, and orange man bad, and this is somehow going to fix the midterms. However, the fact is that if we are going to play that game, then you would want voter ID and you would want to secure the elections.

So please support this legislation.

I do not believe that Barack Obama in showing his voter ID was engaging in Jim Crow-era law or pushing that type of perspective. And for the same people who are advocating saying that Kristi Noem and ICE will demand your personal information and you will be under surveillance, might I remind them that they actually all authorized the reauthorization of FISA, unreformed, that violated our constitutional rights.

This is pretty simple. If you are not an American, Mr. Speaker, then you do not get to vote in our elections. This not a free-for-all country. A majority of Americans support this. A majority of the world has voter ID in place. It is not racist.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleagues and the House Administration Committee for doing this. I support all of my colleagues, and I urge them to vote for this piece of legislation.