Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Henriksen Amplifiers of Arvada, Colorado for receiving the Arvada Economic Development Association's 2024 Lloyd J. King Entrepreneurial Spirit Award. Each year, this award recognizes an Arvada company that demonstrates excellence in entrepreneurial spirit, creative business practices, and economic innovation.

Bud Henriksen founded Henriksen Amplifiers in 2006 with his son Peter when a newly acquired jazz guitar led him to make his own amp. Since Bud's passing in 2009, Peter Henriksen has carried on his father's legacy while expanding further into other genres of music. Henriksen's contributions to Arvada extend beyond amplifiers: the business has been committed to investing their time, expertise, and money in local concerts, artists, and community events, such as the annual Rocky Mountain Archtop Guitar Festival in Olde Town Arvada. Henriksen Amplifiers sets a clear example of how a business can bring more to a community than just their product.

On behalf of the people of Colorado's Seventh Congressional District, it is my honor to congratulate Henriksen Amplifiers for receiving the Lloyd J. King Entrepreneurial Spirit Award and for their contributions to the Arvada community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize European Gourmet of Arvada, Colorado for receiving the Arvada Economic Development Association's 2024 Outstanding Retailer Award. Each year, this award honors an Arvada business that demonstrates an exceptional contribution to the local economy and commitment to excellence in service.

Since the Bien family founded the business in 1999, they have worked hard to offer a wide variety of traditional Polish and Eastern European treats, such as their sausages, hams, cheeses, bread, pierogies, and sweets. Today, European Gourmet has earned the reputation as a top destination for Polish and Eastern European cuisine in Colorado, with people from around the state traveling to Arvada to experience their authentic foods and great service.

On behalf of the people of Colorado's Seventh Congressional District, it is my honor to congratulate European Gourmet on receiving the Outstanding Retailer Award and for their contributions to the Arvada community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lindsey Horan of Golden, Colorado for representing the United States in Women's Soccer at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Lindsey is a world-class athlete, having won three championship titles since she began her professional career in 2012. She played a vital role in the United States Women's National Soccer Team (USWNT) winning the Women's 2019 World Cup and earning the bronze medal during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She returned to the international field as captain of the team during the 2023 World Cup, where she led the team to the knockout stage of the tournament. Lindsey, along with the rest of the USWNT, has also worked hard to champion equal pay between the men's and women's national soccer teams. She is a remarkable athlete, and her valuable contributions during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games helped the United States bring home an Olympic gold medal.

On behalf of the people of Colorado's Seventh Congressional district, it is my honor to congratulate Lindsey Horan for representing Colorado and the United States during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ambrosia Williamceau, Maria Abeyta, and Charlotte Williams for earning this year's JeffCo Prosperity Partners Achievement Awards.

The Achievement Awards are granted to recognize individuals of the JeffCo Prosperity Partners (JPP) Program and Head Start families who reach significant milestones in education, employment, and economic opportunity. The recipients must successfully graduate from the JPP Program, gaining skills in career development, academics, and financial literacy education.

This year's Achievement Award honorees are recognized for their outstanding determination and hard work during the JPP Program. Receiving this award demonstrates dedication to personal growth, distinguishing their drive for professional development and improving their lives on a multigenerational level.

On behalf of the people of Colorado's Seventh Congressional district, it is my honor to congratulate Ambrosia, Maria, and Charlotte on their incredible accomplishments and for receiving the 2024 JeffCo Prosperity Partners Achievement Award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Technician Fifth Grade Clifford Strickland of Fowler, Colorado, a fallen World War II soldier considered missing in action until December of 2023.

Clifford was a U.S. Army Technician out of Charlie Company, 803rd Engineers Battalion. He was stationed in the Philippines where he was constructing vital landing strips for U.S. forces when the military of Japan attacked the islands. Clifford and his fellow soldiers bravely defended the island for several months before he was captured in April of 1942, forced into the agonizing Bataan Death March, and taken to Cabanatuan Prison Camp where he died months later. After he was buried, it took 81 years to identify Clifford's remains.

In service of his country, Clifford made the ultimate sacrifice and we are eternally grateful for his courage in the line of duty. On June 29, 2024, Clifford will finally return home where he will be buried surrounded by family and loved ones in Florence, Colorado.

On behalf of the people of Colorado's Seventh Congressional District, it is my honor to recognize Clifford's service and sacrifice. We are thankful to have him home after all these years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Amie Baca- Oehlert for service with the Colorado Education Association (CEA).

Amie is a bold and courageous leader who served for over a decade in leadership, including six years as president of CEA. Amie made

hard decisions throughout her tenure and led during unprecedented times--including the COVID-19 global pandemic.

During COVID, Amie led with incredible power and grace. She formed new coalitions with healthcare and public health organizations, which was critical in supporting educators with vaccine and PPE access, important scientific knowledge about the virus, and information on how to keep themselves and their students healthy.

She was also at the helm during the murder of George Floyd and spoke out publicly against racism and police brutality. Amie made it clear that educators and CEA would not sit on the sidelines in the fight for racial, social, and economic justice.

Amie has committed her life and her career to improving the quality of life for people throughout Colorado. She has championed affordable housing, gun violence prevention, school funding, and mental health for educators and students. Our schools, our students, our educators, and our communities are better off thanks to Amie's leadership.

On behalf of the people of Colorado's Seventh Congressional District, it is my honor to thank Amie Baca-Oehlert for her tireless work and dedication to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I missed the first vote in the 10:30 am vote series on the Motion Ordering the Previous Question on H. Res. 1316. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 283, the Motion Ordering the Previous Question on H. Res. 1316.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Randy Keller of Canon City, Colorado for his outstanding performance of duties as the Fremont County Coroner during the extraordinary circumstances during the funeral home tragedy in Penrose, Colorado.

In October of 2023, the remains of nearly 200 individuals were found improperly stored at a local funeral home. This horrific and shocking crime rocked this close knit community and prompted Colorado officials to declare a state disaster.

As the Coroner, Mr. Keller oversaw this crisis with incredible efficiency and compassion. Families who had worked with the funeral home during some of their most vulnerable moments were left wondering if their loved ones were cared for properly.

Mr. Keller worked overtime to coordinate with local, state, and federal agencies to identify the deceased, notify their loved ones, and seek justice for the community members impacted by this tragedy. Mr. Keller's work gave closure to grieving families and helped restore trust to the people of Fremont County.

On behalf of the people of Colorado's Seventh Congressional District, it is my honor to recognize Randy Keller for his commitment and service to Fremont County.

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

Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chair, more than 20 percent of Americans have owned or traded cryptocurrency.

Despite this, the U.S. still lacks a clear regulatory structure for digital assets which is hurting American competitiveness and incentivizing some companies, unfortunately, to move overseas.

While there may be disagreement about how to best establish the appropriate market regulatory structure, there is broad bipartisan agreement for preventing criminals from using cryptocurrencies for illicit purposes, such as money laundering, terrorist financing, and sanctioned evasion.

My amendment would provide clarity and conformity to how the Bank Secrecy Act and regulations safeguarding our financial system from criminals are applied to digital assets.

The base bill already calls for the Bank Secrecy Act to apply to digital assets; however, by amending the BSA directly and explicitly expanding the definition of financial institution in the BSA to cover digital asset entities, we are providing certainty to the regulators and the Department of Treasury in their authorities to protect our financial system.

Additionally, the amendment would also require a study to assess the risk posed by centralized intermediaries based in jurisdictions that lack robust anti-money laundering enforcement.

While in most cases, American digital asset companies are already complying with the applicable requirements under the Bank Secrecy Act, we also have to be thinking about the threat of foreign companies with U.S. touchpoints that are not complying with equivalent controls or reporting standards.

I thank Chairman McHenry and Representative Hill for working with me on this issue, and their commitment to strengthening the anti-money laundering provisions in this bill.

This amendment, combined with the underlying bill, will help provide more oversight into the digital asset market and support regulators' work to protect consumers and investors. While there is more work to be done to ensure the integrity of our digital assets market, this amendment is an important step forward and I urge my colleagues to support the adoption of the amendment and the underlying bill.

Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I, again, thank the chairman from North Carolina for working with me and others to bring a bipartisan bill with broad support to the House. This has been years in the making, and I congratulate him for getting it to this point. I appreciate his willingness to work with me. I also thank my team for helping me address an issue that I had concerns about.

Mr. Chair, I ask for the support of my colleagues, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ryann Carlson for earning the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth Award.

Ryann has overcome many challenges along his journey to success, demonstrating perseverance at every step. Students who strive to make the most of their education, like Ryann, develop crucial skills and a work ethic that will guide them for the rest of their lives. This award is a testament to Ryann's hard work, determination, and perseverance at Three Creeks K-8 and is clearly just the beginning of a bright and promising future.

It is my honor to congratulate Ryann Carlson on achieving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth Award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Luther Kozhevnikov for earning the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth Award.

Luther has overcome many challenges along his journey to success, demonstrating perseverance at every step. Students who strive to make the most of their education, like Luther, develop crucial skills and a work ethic that will guide them for the rest of their lives. This award is a testament to Luther's hard work, determination, and perseverance at Wheat Ridge High School and is clearly just the beginning of a bright and promising future.

It is my honor to congratulate Luther Kozhevnikov on achieving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth Award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sakura Chenhalls for earning the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth Award.

Sakura has overcome many challenges along her journey to success, demonstrating perseverance at every step. Students who strive to make the most of their education, like Sakura, develop crucial skills and a work ethic that will guide them for the rest of their lives. This award is a testament to Sakura's hard work, determination, and perseverance at Three Creeks K-8 and is clearly just the beginning of a bright and promising future.

It is my honor to congratulate Sakura Chenhalls on achieving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth Award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Victoria Dominguez Salazar for earning the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth Award.

Victoria has overcome many challenges along her journey to success, demonstrating perseverance at every step. Students who strive to make the most of their education, like Victoria, develop crucial skills and a work ethic that will guide them for the rest of their lives. This award is a testament to Victoria's hard work, determination, and perseverance at Jefferson Jr./Sr. High School and is clearly just the beginning of a bright and promising future.

It is my honor to congratulate Victoria Dominguez Salazar on achieving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth Award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Simon Rivas Nieto for earning the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth Award.

Simon has overcome many challenges along his journey to success, demonstrating perseverance at every step. Students who strive to make the most of their education, like Simon, develop crucial skills and a work ethic that will guide them for the rest of their lives. This award is a testament to Simon's hard work, determination, and perseverance at Three Creeks K-8 and is clearly just the beginning of a bright and promising future.

It is my honor to congratulate Simon Rivas Nieto on achieving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth Award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Giovonni Alijah Gonzales for earning the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth Award.

Giovonni has overcome many challenges along his journey to success, demonstrating perseverance at every step. Students who strive to make the most of their education, like Giovonni, develop crucial skills and a work ethic that will guide them for the rest of their lives. This award is a testament to Giovonni's hard work, determination, and perseverance at Wheat Ridge High School and is clearly just the beginning of a bright and promising future.

It is my honor to congratulate Giovonni Alijah Gonzales on achieving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth Award.