Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor my outgoing chief of staff, Sam Pritchard, and thank him for his service to Iowa's Second Congressional District.

Sam is a Cedar Rapids native and there is no one more passionate about serving their home State. He has been a trusted confidant for me since joining our team but has also become a dear friend, always offering steady advice with a good dad joke thrown in every now and then for good measure.

I also thank Sam's wife, Katie, and his children, Clare and John Thomas, for sharing Sam with us over the years. We couldn't be more thrilled for your family in this new chapter.

Mr. Speaker, even though Sam is leaving the Hill, we know he will always be a member of our team. I thank him for his service to Iowa and his service to our country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Ernest Topness for his distinguished and impactful career serving both our Nation and the people of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Mr. Topness, known by many as Ernie, first joined the United States Postal Service in 1959 after serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean war.

Ernie delivered mail in Cedar Rapids for 65 years, making connections and building friendships with those on his route.

Ernie's dedication is unmatched. When others would sit out on a snow day or call in sick, he was always known to actually show up.

At the age of 91, Ernie recently retired as the second longest serving mail carrier in the United States.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Topness' legacy is one of unwavering dedication and inspiring service. We wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act. This bill puts American industry, American manufacturing, and American workers first.

For decades, companies operating under the control of the Chinese Communist Party in the People's Republic of China have systematically violated U.S. trade laws.

The CCP's illicit trade practices, including duty evasion, transshipment, market flooding, forced labor, and fraud, are deliberately designed to take advantage of American workers and businesses, lowering wages, forcing manufacturers to close their doors, and gutting our rural manufacturing towns.

For example, the select committee on China uncovered trade fraud by Chinese auto manufacturer Qingdao Sunsong. Sunsong was using transshipment to evade U.S. tariffs, forcing an Illinois company to lay off a quarter of their workforce.

Sunsong is far from the only Chinese company taking action to exploit our trade system to bolster China's nonmarket economy, crippling American industry and manufacturing, threatening workers' wages and livelihoods, and enabling slave labor.

However, despite the sheer volume of trade-related crime, the Department of Justice remains inadequately equipped to effectively detect, investigate, and then prosecute such offenses.

While tariffs are one tool in our toolkit to level that playing field, we also must enforce our trade laws and hold China accountable for repeated violations that have a catastrophic impact on American workers and American industry.

By strengthening the Trump DOJ's ability to detect and prosecute international trade crimes, my bipartisan bill will ensure that Communist China and other perpetrators are criminally liable for illicit activity and that those penalties are properly enforced. This

will help to reshore domestic manufacturing and provide opportunities for our American workers.

I am also very proud to have the support of the China select committee chairman, Chairman Moolenaar, and Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi on this bill. I deeply appreciate their partnership and collaboration on this. I also thank Chairman Jordan and Ranking Member Nadler for their support of this key bill on the Judiciary Committee.

To close, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and support American workers in the process.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of a fellow Iowan, Jon West.

Mr. West was born in 1971 in Mason City, Iowa, to Terry and Linda West. He grew up in Forest City and graduated from Forest City High School in 1989.

In 1990, Jon married the love of his life, Tammy Schoolcraft, in Forest City, Iowa. Their love story is one of true partnership and devotion, standing as a testament to the power of enduring love and commitment.

Jon dedicated 30 years of his professional life to Winnebago Industries. He started in an entry-level position and worked his way up to become the lead manufacturing engineer in the cabinet shop. His unwavering dedication and innovative spirit led to numerous improvements within the company, benefiting his community.

Beyond his professional achievements, Jon was deeply committed to his community. He served as a two-term city council member in Forest City, always striving to give back and make a positive impact. His love for farming, alongside his dear friends Jay and Kevin, further demonstrated his desire to contribute to the local community.

Jon was a fourth-generation Iowan, with his family history in the State dating back to the late 1800s. His roots ran deep in Iowa and pride in his heritage was evident in everything he did. Jon's greatest joy, however, came from being with his family. Whether it was spending time with his children TJ and Ashley or his granddaughter, Rhea Lou, Jon found happiness in the warmth and love of those around him. He continues to live on through his family, especially his second grandchild and namesake, Lyra Jon, whom he never met.

Jon West was a proud Iowan, a dedicated member of the Forest City community, and a devoted husband, father, and friend. I am honored to recognize his life, and I invite my esteemed colleagues to join me in paying tribute to the memory of Jon West.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Protecting the American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act. I thank Representative Newhouse for his continued leadership on this issue. I am proud to have helped introduce this important piece of legislation to protect our food supply from foreign adversaries like Communist China.

China does continue to buy up American farmland at an alarming rate. They are aiming to gain control of our food and fuel supply chains, stealing American intellectual property, and strategically purchasing land near sensitive sites.

China doesn't even allow its own citizens to own land, but we have allowed China to purchase nearly 350,000 acres of our agriculture land.

Our adversaries will stop at nothing to disrupt critical industries like agriculture, and this bill will help us to block transactions that are a threat to our national security.

By ensuring that the Secretary of Agriculture has a seat at the table at CFIUS, foreign transactions involving agricultural assets will receive proper oversight so that we can prevent our adversaries from continuing to undermine our food supply and national security.

In Iowa, we know our land is sacred. Iowa farmers truly do feed and fuel the world, so we cannot allow the CCP to continue buying up our most valuable resource.

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

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 233, H. Res. 1215, and YEA on Roll Call No. 234, H.R. 6983.

Mr. Speaker, I was born and raised in Iowa, and I have always known that it was the place that I wanted to live and raise my family.

Recently, U.S. News and World Report caught up to what Iowans have known for a long time and officially ranked Iowa as one of the best States to live. They also ranked Iowa third for new opportunities. Under Governor Kim Reynolds, Iowa is flourishing.

While President Biden spent trillions of taxpayer dollars on woke priorities and created rampant inflation, Iowa cut taxes for families.

While President Biden opened our borders and allowed countless illegal immigrants to invade, Iowa is working to deport illegal immigrants who endanger our communities.

Iowa is a model for the rest of the country. Our prosperity under Governor Reynolds is the perfect contrast to Joe Biden's national failures. Iowa is leading the way with commonsense conservatism, and our future is bright.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support my bill, the Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act.

The United States continues to lead the world in medical innovation, development of new cures, and cutting-edge medical technology. However, the high maternal mortality and stillbirth rate in the United States is inexcusable. Over 21,000 babies are stillborn every year, and nearly one in four of these deaths are preventable.

In the last two decades, the stillbirth rate in the United States declined by a negligible 0.4 percent. In a report published by the World Health Organization comparing progress in improving stillbirth rates, the United States ranked 183 out of 195 countries.

Our moms and our babies deserve better.

The tragedy of a stillbirth, the unexpected death of a baby after 20 weeks of pregnancy, is devastating to mothers and fathers. Many women who endure a stillbirth have already picked out their baby's name or started decorating a nursery. The heartbreak of stillbirth leaves an unfillable void for the families that it impacts.

Stillbirth disproportionately impacts minority, rural, and underserved communities, including many communities in my home State of Iowa that are designated as maternal healthcare deserts.

I have heard from women in rural Iowa who drive over an hour to see their OB/GYN or visit the nearest maternal ward or hospital and struggle to receive the quality care they need throughout their pregnancy. Ensuring expecting women have access to high-quality maternal care, regardless of their ZIP Code or their income level, is critical to preventing stillbirths and improving outcomes for both moms and babies.

Congress must use every tool at our disposable to end stillbirth and support stillbirth prevention, awareness, and research. That is why we are here today.

My bipartisan Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act would finally dedicate funds toward stillbirth prevention and research, saving the lives of mothers and babies.

Throughout my work on this legislation, I have had the opportunity to sit down with stillbirth prevention advocates who have turned their pain into passion. These brave women are on a mission to ensure that no mother, father, or family ever endures the tragedy of stillbirth again. They are truly some of the strongest women I have ever met.

I have been honored to fight alongside them to bring this vital legislation across the finish line, as well as with my co-lead on the bill, Congresswoman Alma Adams. She has long fought to improve stillbirth prevention, and I am proud of the work that we have done together in a bipartisan manner to support expecting moms from Iowa to North Carolina and across the country.

Additionally, this bipartisan legislation has been endorsed by dozens of women's health, public health, and medical provider associations, and it has been passed by the Senate already in a similar form by unanimous consent.

I was blessed to be able to spend Mother's Day with my two sons over the weekend, but my heart continues to ache for the women who were mourning the loss of a child they never got to meet. I hope my colleagues join me in bringing more wonderful babies and healthy pregnancies into this world by supporting this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this simple bill. It forces TikTok to cut ties with the CCP or lose American users.

The day after we introduced our bill, TikTok went into panic mode. They lied to their users saying Congress was going to ban TikTok, using young kids as political pawns.

TikTok's gross stunt proved our point. What if on election day, TikTok sent out an alert saying our elections were canceled. We must act now.

Today, we are sending a message to the CCP that we are going to deflate the 140 million spy balloons that they have installed on American phones. We must act and pass this bill today.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Dr. Foxx for her leadership in stewarding this bill through committee.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support my bill, the Pregnant Students' Rights Act.

When Roe v. Wade was rightfully overturned last year, the next chapter of the pro-life movement began, and we were all given a new opportunity to strengthen our support for unborn babies and new moms.

As a mom of two, this issue is personal to me. When you are pregnant, there are a million questions going through your head. From doctors' appointments to new financial responsibilities, pregnant students have so much on their plate as they work to balance school with having a healthy pregnancy.

Unfortunately, many women on college campuses are pressured into having an abortion and told they must choose between having their baby and continuing their education, despite Title IX protections in place.

Under Title IX, pregnant students have the right to stay in school, finish their education, and achieve their career goals. However, academic disparity exists due to the lack of resources, support, and tools for pregnant students.

These women may fear institutional reprisal, a loss of athletic scholarship, or negative impacts on their academic opportunity, and standing.

These fears and anxieties are not only unjust to women, but they are really a poor reflection of how our higher education institutions treat pregnant students. These institutions have a responsibility to empower all of their students to succeed, including pregnant students.

There are many organizations that provide physical and emotional support for new and soon-to-be moms, and pregnant students should know about these resources on college campuses. They deserve to be treated with respect and to be surrounded with care and love.

I have visited pregnancy resource centers in Iowa. I have met with those who have dedicated themselves to the cause of life, many of whom have traveled to Washington, D.C., to the March for Life this weekend.

It has been inspiring to me to see the pro-life community spring into action to help expecting moms and their babies to thrive. That is what this movement is really all about: recognizing the sanctity of every life and valuing life at every stage.

Pregnant students bravely balance the responsibilities of bringing a new life into this world while simultaneously continuing their pursuit of a bright future through education. It is crucial for pregnant students to know that they have people standing behind them, that they have resources available to them, and that they are entitled to accommodations on campus.

Being able to complete your education as a mother is not only empowering for the student, but it is vital to ensuring that the unborn child has the best possible future ahead.

The Pregnant Students' Rights Act amends the Higher Education Act to require education institutions at the higher level to distribute information about the rights of pregnant students and the resources available to them at the school via their student handbooks, via email, websites, and during orientations. It also strengthens procedures for students to be able to file complaints and pursue accountability if their rights to these accommodations are violated.

It is deeply troubling to me that the Biden administration is so dug in on their pro-abortion agenda that they would oppose providing pregnant women on college campuses with resources to continue their education and have a healthy pregnancy. They don't even want them to have this information or know that they have options other than abortion.

I hope my colleagues across the aisle will vote to empower pregnant women and support this vital, life-affirming legislation. There is no reason that providing additional resources and support to women who choose life should be partisan. Every woman who chooses to complete her studies through her pregnancy is another American citizen doubly contributing to our families, to our communities, to our workforce, and should be an inspiration to us all.

This bill, the Pregnant Students' Rights Act, is a step in the right direction to creating a culture of life in our society and a step that we must take as we continue to pursue policies that will help our families grow and thrive.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote in support of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 9, H.R. 839 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 10, H.J. Res. 98.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall No. 4. Motion to Reconsider H. Res. 947, ``aye'' on rollcall No. 5, H. Res. 947, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 6, Motion to Recommit, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 7, H.R. 788 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 8, S.J. Res. 35.

personal explanation

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor U.S. Air Force veteran and Marion police officer, Corporal Ron Slagle for his 25 years spent protecting our Iowa communities.

Last month, Corporal Slagle signed off on his last shift with the Marion Police Department, my hometown, with a final 10-42 alongside his family and friends.

From his time in the Air Force to his dedication to the Marion Police Department, and his advocacy to ensure that law enforcement officers, first responders, and veterans have access to mental health care resources, Corporal Slagle embodies what it means to be a public servant.

It is no surprise that he has instilled the value of service in his children, who have also embraced careers to help others.

He has a true servant's heart, and I wish him all the best in his retirement. I congratulate Ron.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize two outstanding Iowans: John Ockenfels and Peter Teahen.

Between May 5 and July 30, these two lifelong friends embarked on a journey to fly around the world. Taking off from Cedar Rapids in a single-engine plane, John and Peter flew more than 25,000 miles to complete one mission: eradicating polio.

Only 700 pilots have ever flown around the world, and fewer than 300 of them are alive today. I am so proud to say that John and Peter are among their ranks, having accomplished this feat to help save children all over the world.

Iowans are so proud of John and Peter for this accomplishment and for their service to such a worthy cause.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from Arkansas for yielding me the time to speak on this very important piece of legislation today and for his leadership on this bill. It is tough to craft a bill that funds the priorities of the American people in a way that is targeted and respects taxpayers, and I appreciate the gentleman's approach to do that in a very meaningful way.

Mr. Chair, it is why I am supporting this bill here today, the fiscal year 2024 Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill.

This bill delivers on the promises that we have made to the American people. We are reining in out-of-control spending and regulation. We are restoring accountability for taxpayers. We are deweaponizing the Federal Government.

Additionally, as the chairman mentioned, we are prioritizing national security against our foreign adversaries, both in dealing with the border and also in dealing with adversaries like China.

This bill promotes a Federal Government that works for the American people. We are ensuring that bureaucrats who have been abusing the COVID-19 telework policies and are still working from home actually go back to work and get back in the office like America is. They need to start putting in 100 percent effort for the taxpayers that pay their salary.

I am not sure how many of my colleagues here in the Chamber, Mr. Chair, are aware of the GAO report that came out over the summer, but it flagged that 17 of 24 Federal agencies here in Washington, D.C., were only using, on average, about 25 percent of their office space.

Taxpayers fund the bill for these offices. It is $7 billion a year. The lights were on, but no one was home. We need to make sure that they are putting 100 percent effort in for the taxpayers that pay their salary.

I am sure all of our offices are getting the same calls mine are about reductions in government services, and we need to make sure they are giving 100 percent.

This bill also restores accountability by reining in rogue overreaching agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that will now be subject to congressional oversight and will answer to the American taxpayer rather than being able to pursue a partisan agenda that hurts our small businesses.

This bill also protects American families and small businesses by rescinding funding for President Biden's proposals to supercharge an army of IRS agents, while maintaining those very important taxpayer service operations. We don't want to see a reduction in services for our taxpayers, and when they are calling, they should not be getting a dial tone.

Our bill also protects Iowa farmers from onerous regulations like the SEC's climate disclosure rule and the expansive Scope 3 emissions disclosure requirement. This would be disastrous for producers not only in my district but around the country. It would bury our hardworking farmers, who feed and fuel the world, in paperwork and compliance costs.

We are also taking strong steps to ensure that we are bolstering national security against threats from our adversaries, like the Chinese Communist Party. I also serve on the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. I think this is of utmost importance, Mr. Chair. We need to protect taxpayer resources from supporting the Wuhan Institute of Virology or any other laboratory operated by the CCP.

Finally, this includes my language to require the GSA to investigate the status of Chinese surveillance equipment on Federal property. It supports efforts to remove that telecom equipment from U.S. networks.

Mr. Chair, I think this really hits the mark in investing in the priorities I continue to hear about from my constituents. It is why I am proud to support it.