Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Will Neitzel, a member of my staff for the last five and a half years. Will joined my team as I opened a new office and started my first term, serving Wisconsin's First Congressional District. Will has been an integral member of my team.

While serving in my personal office, Will's candor, hard work, and humor have been tremendous assets to my office. When first starting my office, Will was essential in getting my mail program up and running, working tirelessly to produce dozens of letters each week. As a policy staffer Will helped Wisconsin families and small businesses better understand and navigate federal programs.

After serving as one of my lead staffers in my personal office, Will then moved to the Committee on House Administration when I became Chairman in January of 2022. Will quickly became my Wisconsin advocate with the Committee, always thinking of ways House Administration can benefit the people of Wisconsin's First District. Will also jumped right in and helped lead the Committee's widely successful ``Running an Effective Committee in the Majority Series'', ``Level Up: GOP Staff Development Course'', and the ``Intern Lecture Series'', among many others.

With Will as a part of my Member Services team, the Committee has held briefings and education trainings for over 2,000 Members of Congress and their staff. This team has also successfully completed over 600 Member-related requests. Will also spearheaded the planting of the Sugar Maple tree on the U.S. Capitol Grounds commemorating the 175th anniversary of the State of Wisconsin.

Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt in my mind that the great people of Wisconsin are better off because of Will's service here in the U.S. House of Representatives. I'm so appreciative to have had him in my personal and committee offices. On behalf of my personal office and the Committee on House Administration, we want to thank Will for his great services and friendship. We wish the very best of success to Will, Steph, Jack, and Ada as they start a new chapter back home in Wisconsin.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act.

Blockchain and digital assets are transforming finance and reshaping, in particular, the way the internet works, but responsible innovators are being held back by stubborn Washington bureaucrats. It is pushing jobs and opportunities overseas.

For the first time in generations, the U.S. is at risk of missing out on leading the next wave of technology. FIT21 provides clear rules for digital assets and related businesses. It protects consumers and strengthens transparency and accountability. It establishes the United States as a technology leader.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support the bill and bring jobs, opportunities, and innovation in digital assets to the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XVII, during the 118th Congress, Representative Wexton of Virginia be permitted to use a medical assistive communication device on the floor of the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 36) authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for an event to celebrate the birthday of King Kamehameha I and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that H. Res. 961 be laid on the table.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 34) establishing the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies for the inauguration of the President-elect and Vice President-elect of the United States on January 20, 2025, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 35) authorizing the use of the rotunda and Emancipation Hall of the Capitol by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies in connection with the proceedings and ceremonies conducted for the inauguration of the President-elect and the Vice President-elect of the United States, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the first sponsor of H.R. 1803, a bill originally introduced by Representative Gallagher of Wisconsin, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mark Dobbins of Prince William County, VA on the occasion of his retirement on January 16, 2024, after more than 33 years of service to the United States House of Representatives.

During Mark's tenure of 33 years, he has worked for the Office of the Clerk and the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer. He retired as a Purchasing Agent Manager for the Office of Acquisitions Management within the CAO.

Mark began his House career in 1990 as an employee with the Clerk of the House as an Office Equipment Counselor, later being promoted to Senior Office Equipment Counselor in 1993. In 1996, Mark began a career with the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer as a Supervisor of Inventory Counselors. In 2002, Mark became a Supervisor with Acquisitions Management and was later promoted to Manager of the Small Purchasing Team.

As a Manager for the Small Purchasing Team within the Office of Acquisitions Management, Mark was responsible for oversight and managing the process required to efficiently purchase quality equipment, furniture, office supplies and related items for the House community at-large. He and his team carried out their responsibilities in compliance with the policies and procedures adopted by the Committee on House Administration and the Chief Administrative Officer.

In retirement, Mark has plans to stay active, spending more time with family and taking time to enjoy some travelling.

On behalf of the entire House community, we extend congratulations to Mark in grateful recognition of and appreciation for his many years of dedicated service to the U.S. House of Representatives. We wish him many wonderful years in fulfilling his retirement dreams.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of an amazing teacher, Sam Loizzo.

Born in Kenosha, Sam taught at Craig High School in my hometown for over three decades. Over his career, he taught thousands of students. I was lucky enough to be in his government class my junior year.

As a teacher, he taught about the institutions that make our country so great. He provided all of us an appreciation for the United States of America. He also provided an understanding that we are always working to form a more perfect Union.

Sam left a mark on everyone he met.

In addition to being a teacher, he was a talented photographer and sports enthusiast. Most importantly, he was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and a friend to many in my hometown of Janesville.

After he retired from teaching, he dove into photography. He was a constant presence in the community, always working hard to capture the moment.

While Sam may no longer be with us, his legacy lives on in Janesville and in the countless lives that he has touched.

I am proud that I have memories of Sam that I have captured. On behalf of the class of 1999 and Craig High School, and on behalf of the thousands that he touched, Sam will be missed.

Happy 100th Birthday to Grandma Steil

Mr. Speaker, grandparents are a window to the past and teach us where we came from. They are also a window to the future of who we will become.

My Grandma Steil has been that for all of us: an inspiration and a guide.

In Wisconsin, there are those whose grandparents retire to warmer climates, but my Grandma Steil has called Wisconsin home for 100 years. She never minds the cold. Below zero and wind? It is a fine day for a walk.

Maybe her strength came from growing up on a farm outside of Darlington, Wisconsin, during the Great Depression. After graduation and after World War II, she would marry her junior high school prom date, George Steil.

As a mother of 4, a grandmother of 10, and a great grandmother of another 10, she is a constant and loving presence and an example to all of us of how to live a meaningful life.

What makes my grandmother so special and so wonderful?

She is an ever-present inspiration of how to live a life of faith and service to others.

Whether it was serving as president of the Janesville Catholic Women's Club in 1954 or, as I still marvel, waking up at 4:30 in the morning in 2014 to prepare breakfast at the homeless shelter in Janesville, she provides us a guide on how to give to others in our community.

Grandma, thank you. You are a constant reminder of what it means to live a loving and meaningful life. We are profoundly grateful to be a part of your life.

On this, your 100th birthday, I say to you, Grandma, happy birthday.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the Expanding Access to Capital Act. This package would help improve our capital markets to foster innovation, growth, and job creation here in the United States.

It is a win for workers, investors, and entrepreneurs. It includes two bills I introduced that would help smaller public companies raise money.

The first, the Helping Startups Continue to Grow Act, would expand the IPO on-ramp first established in the bipartisan JOBS Act. It allows more early-stage companies to keep their emerging growth company status for longer, and it would update the low caps currently in place. The provisions ensure more companies can benefit from the rightsized disclosures and reduce compliance costs that come with EGC status.

Thanks to EGC status, these companies can focus on innovation and job creation rather than complying with a regulatory regime designed for larger and more mature firms. This is especially helpful for R&D- intensive startups that often work for years to develop lifesaving cures or transformative technologies.

This package also includes my bill to expand the availability of well-known seasoned issuer status to more small public companies. This designation allows qualified companies to use the shelf registration process, saving them time and money when they go to the public markets to raise capital.

In the two decades since the WKSI construct was created, it has been shown to be safe and effective. My targeted reform would reduce the cost of capital for small market companies, spurring more job creation and growth.

Many of these ideas are in Chairman McHenry's package, and they have long had bipartisan support and a long bipartisan track record.

My colleagues on both sides of the aisle should vote to modernize our capital markets. It is good for workers, investors, and entrepreneurs seeking to invest in American innovation and build a better future.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of H. Con. Res. 89, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and service of Thomas Holleran Neale, a specialist at the Congressional Research Service who served Congress for over 53 years until his death this year. Tom was born in 1943 and grew up in Auburn, New York. He attended Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, Syracuse University, and the Universite of Dijon. At CRS, he served countless members of Congress and committees with his expertise in American elections, political history, and constitutional theory.

Tom was a public servant, an active member of the community, and a faithful Catholic. He served as a member of community organizations including serving as president of the Association of Oldest Inhabitants. He contributed writings to Wilson Quarterly, the Encyclopedia of the United States Congress, and The Encyclopedia of the United States in the 19th Century. He lectured on American elections at Meridian International, the Organization of American States, and the House of Representatives' Parliamentary Development Task Force and its House Democracy Partnership. And on behalf of the State Department, he lectured at the Foreign Press Center in Washington, the U.S. Embassy in Austria and several Austrian universities, and the Egyptian Parliament and the American University in Cairo. He served Congress well and was recognized by many of his colleagues as an outstanding scholar and a dear friend to many. On behalf of all of Congress, I want to thank Tom for his enduring service to this institution.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of H. Con. Res. 84, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.