Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I was not present during the following House votes today due to a flight delay. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 138 and YEA on Roll Call No. 139.

Personal Explanation

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Thomas M. Costello for his service to the United States Congress. Tom is retiring after almost two decades of service with the Architect of the Capitol, concluding a career rooted in public service.

Tom began his career as a United States Marine with tours overseas including meritorious service and sacrifice with the Multinational Force in Lebanon. Even during his time in the private sector, Tom continued to serve the Federal Government as a contractor before joining the Architect of the Capitol in 2006.

Since then, Tom has worked tirelessly in many behind-the-scenes ways to directly support Congress' legislative mission. For example, Tom's work was key to the restoration of the United States Capitol Dome, the replacement of the Legislative Call System, and ensuring clean, reliable power across Capitol Hill.

Tom's dedication to duty has garnered him the respect of colleagues and stakeholders across Congress. His leadership, skills, and wisdom on the jobsite have strengthened the effectiveness and credibility of the Architect of the Capitol with a tenure defined by integrity, accountability, and quality.

As Tom completes his service tomorrow, March 31, with the Office of the Chief Engineer, we extend our warmest wishes for a fulfilling retirement. His achievements and outstanding performance of duty stands as a testament to remaining ``always faithful,'' and his actions merit this special recognition and the deepest gratitude of the American People.

Mr. Speaker, I was not present during the following House votes today. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 107 and AYE on Roll Call No. 108.

Pursuant to the adoption of House Resolution 1142, the Senate amendment to H.R. 7147 is considered as agreed to with an amendment consisting of the text of the Rules Committee Print 119-21.

Senate amendment:

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following:

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1057, I call up the bill (S. 1383) to establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include additional material on the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1383, the SAVE America Act. I thank my colleague, Chip Roy, for his work on this bill, as well as my colleagues on the Committee on House Administration.

Today, Mr. Speaker, we have an opportunity to move forward with election integrity and to regain the trust of the American people in the way that we operate our elections.

The SAVE America Act has two key principles, both of which are common sense. The individuals who want to vote in U.S. elections should be U.S. citizens, and we should have a proof of citizenship when individuals register to vote. The second principle is that individuals when they vote show voter ID. Both of these are commonsense principles.

We know there are some on the other side of the aisle who want noncitizens to vote in our elections. In fact, we could just look at our Nation's Capital, which allows noncitizens to vote under current law in municipal elections.

I am of the view that U.S. elections should be for U.S. citizens only and that we should be proving that citizenship at the point in time that an individual registers to vote.

We should also be showing voter ID when we go to vote. This is a commonsense principle. The American people know that they need to show photo identification when they board an airplane, open a bank account, or buy a six-pack of beer.

I am often reminded of a debate we had at committee, and then I flew home to my home State of Wisconsin. I went to go buy a six-pack of beer. The clerk recognized me and said: Hi, Bryan. I said: How are you doing? She said: I need to see your ID. I handed over my ID. She confirmed it and allowed me to buy the beer.

I think it is nuts that we protect our beer in this country more than our ballots in jurisdictions. This is our opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to change that, to instill significant election integrity.

Before I close, let me say that during this debate today, we are likely to hear all sorts of comments from my colleagues on the left. They will make arguments about disenfranchisement. They will use terms like ``Jim Crow 2.0.'' I remind everyone watching to reflect back on the same language that was used when Georgia instituted election integrity provisions in 2021.

We can actually look, because the State of Georgia has operated two significant elections since then, and voter participation remained high. The University of Georgia conducted a significant survey to determine how people experienced the election in the State of Georgia. What they found was that people had a positive experience in how that election was conducted across all key demographic groups. The survey found statistically zero percent of Blacks had a poor or negative voting experience in the State of Georgia.

Making sure that it is easy to vote and hard to cheat is a core principle. As we instill election integrity in our system, we will see more people participating because they will have faith in our elections.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of S. 1383, the SAVE America Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Miller), a leader on this legislation and a member of the Committee on House Administration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett) to speak on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Luna).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney), the founder and chair of the Election Integrity Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentlewoman from New York.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Fine).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Rose).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), the House majority leader, to speak on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Harris).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Arrington), the chairman of the Budget Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman).

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew) to speak on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bean) to speak on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.

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

Mr. Speaker, let's bring this debate to its close. The questions before Members of the House of Representatives are very clear. One, do you think individuals should be U.S. citizens and prove that when they register to vote? Yes or no? Two, should individuals going to vote need to present voter ID upon arrival at the polls? Yes or no?

If you believe, like I do, in a commonsense proposal to make sure that only U.S. citizens are registering to vote and that people are who they say they are when they go to the polls, you should vote ``yes.''

The answer to this is easy. It is common sense. It is why it is popular. Let's make sure we reinstall integrity in our elections.

For the record, let me just clear up a few misconceptions that our colleagues on the left have tried time and time again to bring.

First, are noncitizens voting in U.S. elections? We know what the Democratic playbook is. We only have to look here in our Nation's Capital, where noncitizens under current law are allowed to vote in municipal elections. We know our Democratic colleagues want noncitizens to vote in U.S. elections. It is why making sure that we are ensuring individuals who are registering to vote, in particular for Federal elections, are U.S. citizens.

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle bring up the married woman argument. As you may know, Mr. Speaker, I am engaged and going to be married in a few weeks from now. My fiancee is planning to change her name, move to the great State of Wisconsin, and register to vote. She and countless other individuals will have no problem registering under this bill. You can bring forward your identification. You can sign an attestation if you don't have the documentation.

We want to make sure that it is easy to vote and hard to cheat. We could look at our committee hearing that we had just this week where we brought in the secretary of state of Wyoming, which has strong election integrity provisions. We asked the gentleman on the record, the secretary of state. Wyoming has delivered and shown the American people that you can implement citizenship verification and photo identification without the problems, without the hyperbole that we continue to hear on the left.

We heard hyperbole as it relates to information being shared with DHS' SAVE database. They only offer the first part, that it goes to DHS. Why? Read the bill. It is actually to check if individuals who are on the voter rolls in States across the country are citizens of the United States. Our colleagues on the other side of the aisle don't want to check the voter rolls to determine if an individual is a citizen of the United States. It should leave you with a great question as to why they are concerned.

We should be checking and cleaning up the voter rolls and removing individuals who are not eligible to vote. Every citizen deserves the right to vote. One individual who is ineligible to vote is one too many because it casts out the vote of a legal United States citizen.

Finally, we hear arguments against voter ID. This is a core, commonsense principle. My colleague, Mr. Bean, brought up the example that it is illegal for an underage individual to purchase a beer, but as you go to buy a beer, you get asked for your ID. As I said earlier, I think it is absolutely nuts that we protect our beer more than our ballots in jurisdictions across this country.

If you are like me and think that we should have voter ID, vote ``yes'' on the SAVE America Act. This is our opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to take a major step forward in election integrity, making sure that U.S. elections are for U.S. citizens only and making sure that people are who they say they are by checking voter ID when individuals go to vote. It is a commonsense proposal.

The American people will get to see where their Member stands, and I encourage every Member of this Chamber to vote ``yes'' on the SAVE America Act.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, Ranking Member Joseph D. Morelle and I wish to recognize a special group of dedicated and exceptional employees of the Office of the Clerk, Office of the Sergeant at Arms, Office of Inspector General, and the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer of the U.S. House of Representatives who have reached the milestone of 25 years of service.

The House's most important asset is its remarkable and steadfast employees, whose work is essential to keeping its operations running efficiently and effectively. The employees we acknowledge today are distinguished by their hard work, dedication, and professionalism in support of House Members, their staff, and constituents, as well as for their daily contributions to the overall operations of the House. These employees, whose work is often performed behind the scenes, have a diverse range of responsibilities and skills. They support the legislative process, ensure the security of this great institution, maintain our technology and service infrastructure, and contribute to a more efficient and productive House. The outstanding contributions and accomplishments of these devoted employees during their years of service, have benefited the U.S. House of Representatives, its Members, staff, and the American public.

We recognize and honor the individuals named below for 25 years of loyal service to the House. Collectively, the employees listed below represent 675 years of service and include their names in the Record:

Office of the Clerk: Carla Benson, Ora Branch, Philisha

Lane, Bennetta McDuffie, Jenelle Pulis Kenneth Rosen

Office of the Sergeant at Arms: Wendy Benson, Christopher

Brown, LaKeisha Commodore, Christopher Fischer, Lynn Hershey,

John Looney, Robin Pegues, Diana Rodriguez

Office of Inspector General: Julie Poole

Office of the CAO: Marcus Suydam, Shawn Sessoms, Steve

Hunter, Brandon Braxton, Andreal Little, Myrtle Norma, Carol

Swan, Richardo Underwood, Lisa Butler, George Vallandingham,

Alfonzo Wallace, Jamie Harvey

On behalf of the entire House community, I want to once again congratulate, acknowledge, and thank these employees for their professionalism and commitment to the U.S. House of Representatives as a whole, and to the Clerk, the Sergeant at Arms, the Chief Administrative Officer, and the Inspector General. Their long hours, hard work, diverse skills, and team spirit are invaluable, and their years of unwavering service and dedication set an example for their colleagues and raise the bar for those who will follow in their footsteps. I applaud all our honorees, and I am proud to stand before you and our great Nation on their behalf to recognize the importance of their public service.

Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman of the full committee, Mr. Hill, for his leadership as well as the chair of the subcommittee, Mrs. Wagner, not only for her hard work but also for the flawless Luxembourg pronunciation of my last name as the former ambassador to Luxembourg.

Mr. Chair, I rise because we have an opportunity here to make the world's best capital markets even better. In a period of time when Americans are struggling with higher costs, we have an opportunity to lower costs, and the legislation before us tonight accomplishes both of those goals.

Outdated capital market rules are holding back innovation and limiting investor access. By weighing down the engine of our economy, they are raising costs and stifling growth.

The INVEST Act will help to address these challenges. It expands access to capital for smaller companies by making targeted reforms to crowdfunding rules and venture investment restrictions. It opens up investment opportunities to more working Americans saving for their retirements, opportunities that are currently reserved for the rich.

INVEST also streamlines disclosures for startups, and I like that it includes my WKSI bill that alters the status of more companies. More companies can sell securities to the public quicker and with less cost. This bill helps modernize our capital markets, Mr. Chair, to lower costs, reduce complexity, and open opportunities for more Americans.

Mr. Chair, I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Detective Pete Deates of Kenosha, Wisconsin. Detective Deates has served the Kenosha community admirably for over 23 years through his work as a detective and as President of the Kenosha Professional Police Association (KPPA).

Detective Deates' service to the greater Kenosha community includes 15 years as a detective, with the majority of his time in the Sensitive Crimes Unit. Most recently, he helped start the Kenosha Police Department's first Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, combatting criminals who prey on children. Detective Deates also serves as the canine handler for the Kenosha Police Department's Electronic Storage Detection Canine, Iris. Detective Deates and Canine Iris spent the last several years traveling the State of Wisconsin, holding the worst criminals accountable and protecting those in need. His detail-oriented approach to policing and his commitment to mentoring the next generation of law enforcement deserves recognition. Detective Deates consistently modeled the professionalism, dedication, and bravery necessary to keep our community safe. In October of this year, Detective Deates was recognized as the 2025 First Responder of the Year by the Wisconsin State Legislature.

In his role as President of the KPPA, Detective Deates advocates for law enforcement officers and diligently worked to enhance officer safety, training, and wellness. Under his 19 years of leadership, Detective Deates successfully fostered a strong, collaborative relationship between the KPPA and the City of Kenosha, strengthening the Kenosha police force and ensuring that safety is the top priority.

Families across Kenosha are grateful for Detective Deates' work. For over two decades, he has served as a steady example of what law enforcement should be. Whether helping a traumatized victim, briefing a prosecutorial team on a complex case, or standing shoulder-to-shoulder with officers after a difficult call, his lead-by-example approach makes his department and community stronger.

Detective Deates' dedication and courage should serve as an inspiration to us all. I want to congratulate Detective Deates on his retirement and his impressive career and thank him for all he has done to make Kenosha and Wisconsin a better, safer place.

Mr. Speaker, I call up H. Res. 308 and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I call up H. Res. 309 and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I call up H. Res. 310 and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I call up H. Res. 311 and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I call up H. Res. 312 and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague Mr. Davidson for his broad work in the capital market space and for leading us here on the floor today.

I rise to urge my colleagues to support the Expanding WKSI Eligibility Act. I thank my co-leads, Mr. Fields, as well as Chairman Hill and Ranking Member Waters, for their support.

We have far too many regulations in the United States, and this bill is about rightsizing our regulations in support of investments and jobs.

This commonsense bill will help more well-run companies responsibly raise money in the public markets. It rightsizes regulatory burdens and frees up more resources for companies to invest in American jobs and American innovation.

The well-known seasoned issuer--also known as WKSI--status was first implemented around 20 years ago. It allows qualified public companies in good standing to use automatic shelf registration. This reduces the cost and complexity of a public offering and allows companies to be more responsive to market conditions.

The WKSI construct has a track record of success in expanding access to public markets while protecting investors.

According to Joel Trotter, one of the authors of the JOBS Act, ``Decades of successful experience show that the well-known seasoned issuer category is long overdue for expansion.''

I couldn't agree more, and this bill does exactly that. It lowers the size threshold for WKSI qualification while maintaining all the existing good governance requirements.

In other words, more small and midsized American public companies will be able to benefit from the privileges that already exist for larger businesses with similar compliance records.

The Expanding WKSI Eligibility Act also includes a helpful reporting requirement for the Securities and Exchange Commission. This report will provide Congress and the public with a better understanding of how many previously ineligible companies are trying to regain their WKSI status. Doing so will gain the insight needed to make future legislative adjustments.

The Expanding WKSI Eligibility Act is a tailored, regulatory improvement

that will support small and midsized businesses, job creators, and investments.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of H. Con. Res. 62, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6019) to repeal certain provisions relating to notification to Senate offices regarding legal process on disclosure of Senate data, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6019, introduced by my colleague, Congressman Austin Scott of Georgia.

Before I dive into the substance of this bill, let me highlight some good news. The government is open and funded. SNAP benefits are being funded. Air traffic controllers, TSA agents, and hardworking people are getting paid.

Of course, Mr. Speaker, if the Democrats had their way, the Federal Government would still be shut down. People wouldn't be receiving their SNAP benefits. Law enforcement officials at the Federal level wouldn't be receiving payments. Air traffic controllers and TSA agents also wouldn't be paid.

The good news is, Mr. Speaker, by passage of the underlying legislation that we are going to be discussing today, the government is open and operational for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, no bill is perfect, and the bill we passed to reopen the government is just that. It had a provision that needs repair, which we need to go in and remove out from that bill. The legislation by my colleague, Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia, does just that.

The troubling provision grants Senators a private cause of action against the United States. If a Senator's data, either official or personal, is retrieved without their knowledge, they can sue the government. It also included a provision to allow Senators to receive a minimum of $500,000 per instance of data retrieval. That policy, in my opinion and in the opinion, I think, of all the Members of this institution, is unacceptable.

No one should be able to enrich themselves because the Federal Government wronged them--no elected official should be able to.

Without question, there are far better ways to handle this. The legislative branch should correctly address the Biden administration's weaponization of the FBI to spy on United States Senators in its operation, Arctic Frost. The abuses, Mr. Speaker, by the Biden administration are completely unacceptable, and I am committed to holding those involved accountable.

No one benefited from the failures of the Biden administration. However, that does not mean that elected officials should be financially benefiting from those failures now.

These provisions are not the right path to address the concerns, true concerns, over the separation of powers. Remember, Congress serves the American people, not the other way around.

Today, we have an opportunity to take a good bill that reopened the Federal Government and make it better by repealing the provisions that were slid into the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2026.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support H.R. 6019 to repeal this legislation. I thank my colleague, Congressman Austin Scott, for bringing this legislation forward.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Austin Scott) to speak on his bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy) to speak on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Rose).

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining on the majority.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Kiley).

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

Mr. Speaker, before we close, I just want to wrap up a few things that have been discussed today.

We were closed as a Federal Government for 43 days because Democrats in the House of Representatives voted against a clean CR and then cheered on their Democratic colleagues in the United States Senate to keep the government closed as people suffered, as individuals who were showing up to work weren't receiving payment, including law enforcement officers and Border Patrol officers. SNAP benefits weren't being paid, and that pain was getting quite real.

Finally, after 43 days, eight Democratic Senators came to the table and said we should reopen the government. Those eight voted for this bill. I didn't hear my colleagues critique those eight Democrats in the United States Senate who were involved in drafting the final legislation. In fact, my suggestion the whole time was that the Senate should have passed the clean CR the House sent to them.

If we look at the record, time after time after time, Democrats in the United States Senate refused to pass the clean CR, which would have avoided this mess in the first place.

If we are curious as to who caused this problem, I think the answer, Mr. Speaker, is quite clear. Democrats in the House of Representatives voted against the clean CR and then cheered on their Democratic colleagues in the United States Senate to keep this government closed.

As this came to the House, this provision was buried in it, but we had an obligation to reopen the Federal Government to make sure that law enforcement officers were getting paid, air traffic controllers were getting paid, and SNAP benefits were flowing once again, so we voted for it. Today is the opportunity to clean up this provision.

There are far better ways to address the abuses of the Biden administration, and those abuses do need to be addressed, just not in this mechanism.

I encourage all my colleagues in the House of Representatives to vote ``aye.'' I hope we have a unanimous vote tonight, as we pass H.R. 6019.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.