Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my good friend, Timothy ``Tim'' Cliff Bauer, of Winnie, Texas, who passed away at his home on December 19, 2024, after a hard-fought battle with cancer, surrounded by his loving family.

Tim was born to Patricia and Leroy Bauer on September 13, 1951, in Beaumont, Texas. He grew up in the Winnie-Stowell community and was a devoted member of Grace Methodist Church.

While attending East Chambers High School, he met the love of his life, Vicki Cuniff. After graduation, Tim attended Texas A & M University, earning his bachelor of science in agronomy in 1973. He married Vicki during his senior year, and they returned to Winnie, where Tim farmed rice and raised Red Angus cattle.

In 1998, Tim and Vicki moved to the original Bauer Ranch homestead and lovingly restored it, going to great lengths to preserve its wonderful history and significance to the local agricultural community.

Tim founded Texas Financial in 2002 and revived the Bauer Ranch's cattle operation in 2011. He created the F1 Braford herd. He retired from his financial advisement business in 2015 but continued to ranch for another 7 years.

In 2023, Tim and Vicki moved to Kerrville, Texas, where he enjoyed the golden years of his life.

Tim was a man of conviction, stewardship, and passion. He held leadership roles in many organizations and was very well known for his love of hunting, fishing, and Western art.

Tim will be remembered for his sincere adoration for his family, unwavering faith, and steadfast presence. He was a true cowboy, a man's man, and tough as a boot. I am incredibly proud to have called him my friend.

May the Lord bless his memory and his wonderful family. We will all miss him.

Farewell, Tim.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 10 a.m. on Monday next.

Thank you, my friend, Randy. I appreciate you having this Special Order for such a very, very close friend.

I rise today, Mr. Speaker, to recognize really a close friend, a fellow Texan, Dr. Michael Burgess, for his distinguished career of 22 years, serving here in the U.S. House of Representatives.

I thank you, Mike, for being a wonderful mentor over the years, and for showing me and so many others of our colleagues just how to serve the American people with integrity and with honor and the shining example that you have been to all of us here.

No matter the topic, your position on the Energy and Commerce Committee, as the chairman of the Rules Committee, or at one of our Doctors Caucus meetings over the years, you have always been an invaluable resource to me and countless others. We will miss your knowledge, your expertise, your brilliant intellect, your wise counsel, and how well you represented our great Lone Star State.

Your legacy will carry on for many, many generations to come, and I thank you for being a dedicated public servant, a proud Texan, and a great American, without any question.

I also want to extend our deepest sympathies and our prayers at the recent tragic and untimely loss of your daughter, Christine.

We want to wish you, Laura, and your entire family all the best. Godspeed, my friend. May God bless you all. We will see you soon, and I want to keep in contact with you for the rest of our days.

God bless you. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a great American and a Texan, Robert E. Milstead, who passed away on December 6, just 1 week shy of his 97th birthday.

Mr. Milstead served his country as a career Air Force officer, with over 5,500 flying hours. He later joined First State Bank in Abilene, Texas, and became active in his community.

Mr. Milstead was a proud graduate of the University of Texas, having served as a Silver Spur and a Pi Kappa Alpha president.

He is survived by his loving wife of 74 years, Jane, who he met in college. They raised two incredible sons, retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant General Robert ``Boomer'' Milstead, Jr., and retired Austin Police Department Officer Randy Milstead.

He is survived by 7 grandchildren, including former communications director, Jimmy Milstead, of my staff; and 20 great grandchildren.

Mr. Milstead lived a full life and was greatly beloved. He will be missed, but his legacy will long endure.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a long-time pillar of the Southeast Houston community, Marie Flickinger, who passed away on November 11, 2024.

After becoming the first woman elected to the San Jacinto College District Board of Trustees in 1995, Marie served as Chair from 2007 to 2013 and again from 2017 until her retirement on November 4, 2024. She spent these nearly 30 years devoted to ensuring the institution's success, achieving numerous awards along the way.

Many have referred to Marie as the honorary ``Mayor of South Belt'' due to her involvement in practically every aspect of the community, an extensive list that included the founding of the South Belt-Ellington Chamber of Commerce, the local newspaper, and St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church, as well as the organization of countless community events.

As a co-founder and publisher of the South Belt-Ellington Leader, Marie became known for her work shedding light on the impact of the Brio Superfund site in the 1980s, which eventually led to its remediation. Marie also

delved into the political arena, serving on two Mayoral Transition Committees for the City of Houston.

Mr. Speaker, I have no doubt Marie's legacy will be remembered, and my prayers are with her family, her San Jacinto College family, and the South Belt community during this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a longtime pillar of the southeast Houston community, Marie Flickinger, who passed away on November 11, 2024.

After becoming the first woman elected to the San Jacinto College District Board of Trustees in 1995, Marie served as chair from 2007 to 2013 and again from 2017 until her retirement on November 4, 2024.

She spent these nearly 30 years devoted to ensuring the institution's success, achieving numerous awards along the way. Many have referred to Marie as the honorary mayor of the South Belt, due to her involvement in practically every aspect of the community, an extensive list that includes the founding of the South Belt-Ellington Chamber of Commerce, the local newspaper, and Saint Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church as well as the organization of countless community events. She was a friend, and a friend of mine.

As a cofounder and publisher of the South Belt-Ellington Leader, Marie became known for her work shedding light on the impact of the Brio Superfund site in the 1980s, which eventually led to its remediation.

Marie also delved into the political arena, serving on two mayoral transition committees for the great city of Houston, Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I have no doubt that Marie's legacy will be long remembered and my prayers are with her family, her San Jacinto College family, and the South Belt community during this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the University of Houston--Clear Lake in celebration of its 50th anniversary.

The University of Houston--Clear Lake, also known as UHCL, opened in 1974 to support the aerospace industry near NASA's Johnson Space Center. Five decades later, it has become a vital part of the Southeast Houston community, offering more than ninety undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs in science, business, education, and the arts. UHCL's physical growth during this time has included the addition of a second campus in Pearland in 2010 and its expansion into a four- year university in 2014, a move that significantly increased the student population. The university's founding emphasis on science and technology has also gone beyond its original purpose to embrace other scientific areas, highlighted by a partnership with the Texas Medical Center that began in 2004.

Over 80,000 alumni have emerged from UHCL, many of whom are leaders in industries critical to our state and nation, including aerospace, healthcare, and education. However, the national recognition UHCL has received has never eclipsed the university's regional focus or its commitment to public service and empowerment of students to give back to their communities.

Throughout its history, UHCL's leadership has worked diligently and harnessed every tool available to support and keep a center for higher education in the Clear Lake area. These leaders have included past presidents Alfred R. Neumann, Tom Stauffer, Glenn Goerke, Bill Staples, and Ira Blake. Since 2021, Dr. Richard Walker has admirably served as the university's sixth president.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent this esteemed institution that has contributed much to the Clear Lake area. Congratulations again to the University of Houston--Clear Lake on half a century of success. God Bless and Go Hawks.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 75th anniversary of the Pasadena Livestock Show and Rodeo, which is proudly held in Pasadena, Texas.

The Pasadena Rodeo began in 1949 to commemorate the city's farming and ranching roots as heavy industry began to replace farmland. Its founders' goal was to unite the growing city, offer opportunities for local youth, and illustrate how the business community, the cowboy, and rural lifestyles could come together in harmony. An important rodeo component was, and still is, promoting the values of being a cowgirl or cowboy: following through on one's commitments, setting goals, and achieving those goals both personally and professionally.

For 75 years, attending the Pasadena Livestock Show and Rodeo has been a tradition for many families and businesses across the region. It continues to exhibit and pay tribute to the community's deep ties to its agricultural history and rich cowboy culture. Its livestock show now includes the Deer Park, La Porte, League City, and Pasadena school districts, with 12 high schools participating and hundreds of students packing the Ag Barn and exhibition spaces to showcase animals and projects. It has also grown to include an annual livestock auction, parades, carnivals, fairs, barbeque competitions, and several other events for thousands of visitors to enjoy.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to sincerely congratulate everyone involved in the Pasadena Livestock Show and Rodeo, both past and present, for 75 years of success. May God continue to bless the people of Pasadena and the Pasadena Rodeo for many decades to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 8958, the NASA Reauthorization Act of 2024. I am honored to represent the Johnson Space Center and privileged to chair the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee. As an original cosponsor of this bill, I can share with you that it is the result of a lot of hard work.

We were able to reach a bipartisan consensus that keeps NASA on track to return to the Moon, maintain our leadership role in low-Earth orbit, continue

to explore our solar system and universe, and push the boundaries of flight.

All too often, changes in administrations lead to upended plans at NASA. While ever-changing goals and priorities challenge all agencies, it is particularly problematic for NASA, which undertakes extremely complex programs that literally take decades to accomplish.

The bill before us today provides the necessary guidance and support to ensure NASA's success and meet the rising challenge that the Chinese Communist Party poses to the United States in space.

I hope that the other Chamber will seize the opportunity to take up this important piece of legislation before the end of this year so that NASA will have the certainty that it needs to carry out the bold activities that we have tasked it with.

I also thank the chairman of the Science Committee, my friend from Oklahoma, Frank Lucas, for his support in drafting this legislation, as well as his leadership on the committee over the past 6 years. I also thank Ranking Members Lofgren and Sorensen for their collegiality through this process and for their important contributions to the bill.

Finally, I thank the staff for their tireless work. Charlie Scales, Kelsey McBarron, Vishal Amin, Brent Blevins, and Tom Hammond from the majority staff and Pam Whitney and Ashlee Wilkins from the minority staff all put in a lot of time to get us where we are today. I thank them, as well.

Madam Speaker, I thank my fellow co-chair, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs) for sponsoring this Special Order hour with me.

Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce tonight's Special Order. We are going to be discussing Kamala Harris' tenure and her appalling record as the Biden border czar.

In this role, Harris has worked not to secure the border of America but instead to deliberately dismantle our borders and put our Nation's safety and sovereignty at grave risk. Her intentional negligence has exacerbated the largest illegal alien invasion in history, one probably not seen since the ancient Romans were overrun by the Germanic hordes in the 3rd century leading to its downfall, an invasion that continues to ravage our communities and our pocketbooks while creating avenues of entry for dangerous individuals who are bent on inflicting harm to Americans and our American way of life.

Since 2021, more than 350 suspected terrorists have been encountered attempting to cross our southern border. We know at least 99 illegal alien individuals from the FBI's terrorist watch list have been released into the United States after being in the custody of Customs and Border Patrol. How does this happen?

Shockingly, many of these vile criminals are earning their golden ticket into our country through the Biden-Harris administration's corrupt and dangerous CBP One app; in reality, an illegal granting of parole, by the way.

Since day one, this administration has viciously striven to reverse all of Donald Trump's effective border policies, remove vetting protocols for asylum seekers, hand out public benefits to illegals, and actively hinder States from safeguarding their own borders and citizens. My own, the Lone Star State of Texas, is one of them.

Border czar Kamala Harris has overseen it all and must be held accountable.

It doesn't take a national security expert, or even a policymaker, for that matter, to comprehend that by dissolving our borders, we expose ourselves to countless threats from all over the planet. Clearly, Harris does not care about the consequences of her own policies. In fact, she and the liberal media would rather deny that she ever held the title of border czar. She is using semantics to pull the wool over our eyes, but the American people see right through it.

Tonight, you will hear how border czar Harris has failed every State, city, community, and citizen of our country; how her reckless policies have led to the death or victimization of countless Americans at the hands of the illegal aliens that she has funneled into our Nation; and how communities and families have been devastated by the costs and deadly drugs being smuggled across the border.

Madam Speaker, make no mistake about it. This is a self-made border crisis that Kamala Harris has gone out of her way to create, and now the safety of our Nation is in jeopardy. She knows this, just as her boss does, and yet the only action we have seen is her running away from the consequences of her own failures.

My colleagues and I refuse to let her get away with it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my good friend, Beaumont Police Chief James ``Jimmy'' Singletary, who is retiring after a long, distinguished career in law enforcement.

Chief Singletary was born on January 27, 1948, to parents John and Melba Singletary in Beaumont, Texas. A lifelong resident of Beaumont, he attended Beaumont High School, where he secured a scholarship to Lamar University. He earned many accolades during his years on the Lamar University men's golf team, including four straight Southland Conference Championships, a Southland Conference Individual Championship in 1969, and back-to-back NCAA Division II National Championships in 1967 and 1968.

After graduating from Lamar University in 1971, Chief Singletary began his 53-year law enforcement career by joining the Beaumont Police Department, where he moved through the ranks from patrol officer to lieutenant. As a lieutenant, he oversaw seven different divisions, including Patrol, Criminal Investigations, Narcotics and Vice, Training and Personnel, Drug Enforcement Task Force, Special Weapons and Tactics, and Internal Affairs.

Chief Singletary retired for the first time from the Beaumont Police Department after 30 years and accepted a position with the Department of Justice as the Law Enforcement Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Texas. In 2002, he joined the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department as a major and was a member of the Narcotics Task Force and commander of the SWAT team. In 2009, he was assigned to the FBI's Safe Streets Task Force, where he worked with local agencies on violent crimes and major federal cases.

In 2011, Chief Singletary was sworn in as the Chief of Police for the Beaumont Police Department. His mission was to increase the department's local outreach, educate the public, and build trust between citizens and law enforcement to create a safer community for all residents. Under his leadership, community programs like the Police Community Advisory Committee, Citizen's Police Academy, Cops & Kids, Clergy and Police Partnership, Police Explorers, Youth Academy for Law Enforcement, and Practicum in Policing flourished.

Chief Singletary is also an avid family man. He met his late wife, Tammy, when they both played in a coed softball league. They welcomed their only child, Hallie, in 1988, and I am confident that he is looking forward to spending much time in his retirement with his daughter and grandson, Wyatt Justice, who is the apple of his eye. He has always been best known amongst his family and friends for his selflessness and for always taking the time to help those in need.

I have known Chief Singletary for many years. Even as a young man, he displayed an incredible depth of character that undoubtedly played a vital role in his journey to becoming such an upstanding public servant. It is my sincere honor to congratulate Chief Singletary

on his exemplary law enforcement career and thank him for his dedicated and courageous service to the citizens of Beaumont, Texas. May God bless him in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Utah, Mr. Moore, for having this Special Order, which is so important.

Mr. Speaker, if it was not abundantly clear already to the American people before, it certainly is now. Democrats want noncitizens to vote in our Federal elections. They can't deny it now. There is no other way to spin this. They want to allow noncitizens to vote. They are certainly no longer even hiding that fact anymore.

Today, we voted on the SAVE Act, a bill that requires individuals to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote in Federal elections and provides States with access to existing Federal databases so that they can clean up their voter registration rolls and remove noncitizens and even dead people from the rolls.

It is a commonsense bill that nearly 80 percent of voters are in support of. Yet, my colleagues across the aisle refused to support it.

Why is this? Well, the truth is simple. It is un-American, and as ridiculous and as outlandish as it is, the Democrats want foreign nationals to decide our Nation's elections, and they want them voting in their favor.

This is not a conspiracy. This is not a theory. This is a fact. Hundreds of noncitizens are already registered to vote in local elections right here in Washington, D.C., alone, but the left doesn't know when to stop.

It isn't enough to dismantle our national security by implementing open-border policies that give our adversaries easier access to the United States.

It isn't enough to blindly catch and release millions of unvetted illegal aliens and criminals and suspected terrorists all on the taxpayer's dime.

It isn't even enough that Americans are dying at the hands of those illegal border crossers or by the deadly drugs that they smuggle into the country by the hundreds of thousands every single day.

Every year, over 100,000 Americans are dying of overdoses. Joe Biden could end the illegal invasion taking place in my home State of Texas and other border States overnight, but, instead, the President and his party continue to twist the knife taking the border crisis one step further and eroding our most precious right as Americans, and that is the right to vote, the sacred right to vote.

Republicans will not stand by, I can tell you this, and allow this lawless travesty to unfold and one-party rule to take root in the United States of America.

The SAVE Act is critical to safeguard election integrity, something today's progressive Democrats clearly oppose. Is this even the same Democratic Party that I remember from just

a few decades ago, much less 50 years ago? It seems to have gone off the rails into the far-left Marxist arena and realm now.

I ask American citizens to please take note, take note of these Democrats that are voting against this bill and our President's foolish promise to veto it. Yes, your eyes are not lying. They did.

We are witnessing an attempt by the Democratic Party to simply hijack U.S. elections on a permanent basis. We cannot ever allow this to happen. If the grand experiment that is the United States of America is to continue for another 248 years, we must act now to ensure that only Americans can vote in American elections.

The law is clear. Only U.S. citizens can vote. Why do the Democrats not want voters to prove that they are U.S. citizens when they register and vote?

Amen.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Moore) for this Special Order, and what a special time it is.

As the son of a World War II vet myself who was in the Pacific, and as a former Army enlisted troop and former Army Air Force officer myself stationed in Germany during the seventies, it is a great honor that I have the opportunity to read a letter written by a World War II and D-day veteran, U.S. Army Major Ellsworth Hill, written to his family back home on June 14, 1944:

Dear Florence, Barbara, and Nancy, this one letter to all

three will have to suffice for the time being for there is

scarcely an idle moment to write. When there is an idle

moment, I usually am so tired that I just fall asleep.

Today, however, I have had some time to myself and have

been far enough away from activities to really enjoy myself.

As you may surmise, I am somewhere in France--just where is,

of course, not to be disclosed, but as the papers have

carried the story of D-day, you know that it was on the coast

of Normandy.

The going for the past week has been quite rugged,

particularly for an old man like myself, but I have found

that I could keep up with the youngsters. You should have

received a letter from me dated June 5, but nothing has been

written in the meantime.

All the things incident to the landing on the beaches and

the first few days here can be left for future communication.

What can be said now would hardly do justice to what

happened. Maybe as things develop, I can write you of my own

experiences.

It so happened that I went over with the first attachment

of the Advance Section, and because of that, I have had a

bird's-eye view, or should I say a foxhole view, of this

show. The magnitude of it is beyond all comprehension.

For the past week, I have been living in a pup tent--that

is, when we have had a chance to even pitch it. I sleep on

the ground, and I mean sleep. Tottering around with a pack,

side arms, and K rations through the country and up and down

hills has been pretty strenuous exercise. By way of

diversion, there is an occasional air raid or some artillery

shelling of the roads that we are traveling on.

Fortunately, the weather has been marvelous. Only one day

of rain, and that wasn't too bad. When I stop to think of it,

I find that I am feeling pretty marvelously well and am

really in good physical shape.

The spot where our camp is located right now is in a very

picturesque country. I don't know whether Mummy has been in

this part of Normandy, but if she has, she can tell you how

pretty these French farms are.

Tonight, I had the first cooked meal in over a week. I went

up to a little French cafe in a small village and, believe it

or not, had a steak, French fried potatoes, strawberries, and

a bottle of wine all for 100 francs, about $2. I am enclosing

a 5 Franc note for Nancy's collection of whatnots.

The people here are getting excited over what they say is

their liberation. As one drives through the villages, they

chase and wave, and every farmer wants to give you wine, but

with it all, there has been destruction. Some of the most

beautiful chateaus have been devastated, and whole families

have been made homeless.

Because I can tell you so little about what is going on and

because I am sleepy, I will stop here. All I really wanted to

say was that I am well and not to have any worries about me.

With love to you all, and a word that I will write as often

as circumstances permit, Old Man Hill.

What an eye-opening letter. Folks, no one but those who were there can truly understand what our D-day and World War II veterans went through, what they saw, and what they felt.

I agree with Major Hill. Without seeing it firsthand, it is nearly impossible to comprehend. However, what we can do is continue to honor the sacrifices and the memories of these World War II vets who went into Europe to fight for our freedoms and memories.

To the D-day and World War II veterans still with us today, we may never be able to repay your debt, but I pray that we never miss an opportunity to say thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my long- time friend, Ira Lloyd ``Tookie'' Kirkham of Tarkington Prairie, Texas, who passed away on April 29, 2024. Tookie dutifully served the residents of Liberty County for twelve years as county judge before retiring in 2006. He was a patriarch in the surrounding community, a wonderful mentor to many, a fantastic athlete, and a devoted public servant.

Tookie was born on August 26, 1942, in Cleveland, Texas, to Ira Joe Kirkham and Bobbie Chapman Kirkham. The family later moved to Tarkington Prairie, where Tookie attended Tarkington High School, excelling in

many different sports. His athletic accomplishments in high school earned him nine college scholarships, a state championship in the high jump, and All-State honors in football and basketball. After graduation in 1961, Tookie attended the University of Corpus Christi on a basketball scholarship. Nevertheless, he remained a staunch supporter of Tarkington ISD and Tarkington athletics for the rest of his life.

Following college, Tookie accepted a job as a lineman with Southwestern Bell but soon moved on to work at Jefferson Chemical before spending many years at Texaco. During that time, he also started a second career in public service, beginning with an appointment on the Dairy Day Board in 1968. Tookie went on to hold many other public service positions, including serving on the Tarkington School Board, the Cleveland Bank and Trust Board of Directors, the Soil and Water Conservation District, the Trinity River Board, and the Yettie-Kersting Hospital Board. He was also an involved member and leader at Oak Shade Baptist Church, the Greater Cleveland Chamber of Commerce, the Cleveland Rotary Club, and the Tarkington Prairie Masonic Lodge No. 498.

However, the crescendo of his public service career occurred when Tookie was elected as Liberty County Judge in 1994, the first person to ever do so from Tarkington Prairie. Throughout his tenure in this position, Tookie remained committed to bringing jobs and industry to Liberty County. He championed many transportation projects in the area, promoted fiscally conservative policies, and worked to help juveniles turn their lives around. In retirement, Tookie's role in local politics was advisor and counselor to many elected officials, often filling in as a substitute judge for surrounding Southeast Texas county judges. One of Tookie's legacy projects was the State Highway 105 relief route bypass in Cleveland. For his work securing contracts, right-of-way, and funding, the Texas Department of Transportation honored him with its prestigious Road Hand Award in 2012.

Tookie married his high school sweetheart, Cordella Price Kirkham, in 1964 and had two daughters, Kem and Kehle. His four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren were the pride and joy of his life.

Mr. Speaker, I will always appreciate Judge Ira Lloyd ``Tookie'' Kirkham's support and friendship over the years. I send my deepest sympathy and prayers to his wife, Cordella, and loved ones. He will certainly be missed by all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 272, the Astronaut Safe Temporary Ride Options Act, or, for short, the ASTRO Act. As the bill's sponsor, I thank Chairman Comer for his help in getting the bill to the floor.

One of the great honors of serving as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics is having the opportunity to meet our astronauts preparing to go to space and to hear from them after they return from their missions. The ASTRO Act is a result of these conversations and NASA's advocacy for increased astronaut safety.

The brave men and women who wear the iconic blue flight suit risk their lives to advance America's leadership in space. We owe it to them to ensure that when they return from long-duration space missions, their recovery and health studies are not hampered by bureaucracy.

The space environment poses significant medical issues, such as osteoporosis, muscle atrophy, broken bones from reentry, vision and ocular changes, and disrupted equilibrium, which prevent astronauts from being able to drive when they come back home.

However, NASA astronauts' participation in physiological research and longitudinal studies upon their return from space informs future exploration efforts and how we treat future astronauts. It is imperative that they get these things checked.

The ASTRO Act streamlines the approval process for astronauts to receive transportation to and from their homes and the Johnson Space Center for doctor visits until they are medically cleared to resume driving. There are no costs associated with this bill but, rather, a significant paperwork reduction in the approval process.

Additionally, my bill provides transparency by requiring NASA to send an annual report to Congress on how this authority is used in the future.

Astronauts' health data acquired by the Johnson Space Center upon return from space is invaluable. This bill ensures hassle-free transportation to and from these important medical evaluations so that we can appropriately study the impacts of space exploration on the human body.

As we prepare to go to the Moon and farther to Mars and beyond, it is incumbent upon us to streamline operations to enable discovery and innovation. America has long been the leader in space exploration, and we must remain there. We will continue to push the bounds of our universe outward.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Jeff Jackson for cosponsoring this legislation bipartisanly as well as Chairman Comer and Chairman Lucas for their support. I urge my colleagues to please support this bill.