Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4795, the Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act.

Anti-Semitism on American campuses is not a fringe problem, and it is not slowing down. Across the United States and our institutions of higher learning, we have seen a concerted and coordinated effort to isolate Jewish students and faculty.

In fact, as we have heard, the Combat Antisemitism Movement reported 531 incidents in the U.S. on college and university campuses in 2025.

I am incredibly proud of the work that the Education and Workforce Committee has done to combat the spread of this vile ideology, and American taxpayers' dollars should not go to subsidize universities that are actively singling out one of our closest allies to discriminate against them.

This isn't an issue over protests or slogans. In too many instances, this hatred has become a form of institutional discrimination supported by our colleges and universities. When that line is crossed, Congress has every right to intervene and demand that if you receive Federal dollars, there are basic standards that must be met.

I am grateful for Dr. Foxx and her leadership in this space, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this measure.

Mr. Speaker, 1 year ago on September 10, 2025, the world witnessed a senseless act of political violence that took Charlie Kirk from us on a college campus in my home State of Utah.

Charlie unashamedly believed in the promise of America. At age 18, he founded Turning Point USA, built, in its own words, to promote the principles of ``freedom, free markets, and limited government,'' a movement of millions who love this country and its founding ideals.

Charlie believed that we could become a more perfect Union through conversations and spirited debates. He believed that you beat bad ideas with better ideas, not by shouting them down or resorting to violence. He was doing that the day he was killed.

Charlie is gone, but the cause he gave his life to, settling our disagreements with words and not violence, does not die with him. It lives on in the millions of young Americans who he inspired, and it will outlast whoever tried to silence it.

On behalf of Utah and all who called Charlie a friend, I ask my colleagues to join me in a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk; his wife, Erika; and their children.

May God watch over the Kirk family, and we will carry forward what he taught us: to argue with conviction, and do it without hate.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1501, the Protecting Domestic Mining Act.

The United States of America is one of the most richly blessed nations on Earth. We have an abundance of resources and expertise and are good stewards of both.

For far too long, we have let nations that despise us control our access to critical minerals that power our economy and our military. Right now, China refines over 90 percent of the world's critical minerals. They graduate 3,000 mining engineers a year, while the United States graduates between 160 and 300. That cannot continue to happen.

This bill does something that is very simple and overdue: It makes mining and mineral processing permanently eligible for streamlined Federal permitting. Endless red tape does not protect a single acre of ground. It only protects China's monopoly and smothers American innovation before it can break ground.

This bill does not gut environmental review. It clears out the paperwork maze so we can build responsibly and build fast.

Let's be honest about who does this work best. No workforce on Earth is treated better than the American miner. No nation mines and processes minerals cleaner than we do. We should be proud to do it and do more, not be ashamed and fall further behind our adversaries.

A real mining strategy cannot change every 4 years. H.R. 1501 puts that certainty into law so American workers and American companies can excavate, invest, and build with our workers knowing there is always going to be steady, well-paying jobs that will support their families.

We have the minerals. We are rebuilding our workforce. All we need now is a government that gets out of the way.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a beloved Utah family whose lives were lost this past week in a flash flood in Wayne County.

Provo Fire Captain Spencer Long; his wife, Katrina; and their three sons, Reid, Thayne, and Gage, were camping when they were caught in floodwaters.

They are survived by their daughter and sister, Lydia, who now faces this unimaginable loss.

Mr. Speaker, the Longs are among the very best Utah has to offer. Utahns mourn together. No words will adequately express the profound loss that Lydia is now experiencing.

On behalf of Utah, we offer our deepest condolences to her, Provo Fire & Rescue, the city of Mona, and all those who loved the Longs. To many, the thought of continuing without them is unimaginable. Yet, we hold fast in the Heavenly Father's promise that the Lord is near unto them that are of a broken heart.

Mr. Speaker, today we pray that His presence be especially near Lydia and all of those who mourn. Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in a moment of silence.

For Lydia and those who mourn the Longs' passing, may God bless and comfort you.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my outgoing chief of staff, Mr. Lee Lonsberry, a beloved fixture here on the Hill and one of Utah's most trusted voices.

This end of this week marks the conclusion of a decade of Lee's exemplary public service. Before joining my office, Lee served as communications director for two distinguished members of Utah's delegation in both the House and the Senate.

As my chief of staff, Lee revealed his greatest gifts and talent, a style of leadership that has built a beautiful culture of service and family.

Lee has earned the respect and admiration of everyone who has had the privilege of working with him. We are excited to see him take those skills of service, patience, encouragement, and as a strategist into his next chapter. We know, as has been his last chapter, it will be a successful one.

I thank Lee for his personal friendship, his leadership to our remarkable team, his faithful service to the people of Utah, our country, and this institution. He will be missed. Well done, my friend.

Mr. Speaker, in a speech given by Frederick Douglass in 1894, he said: ``Education . . . [is] the light only by which men can be free. To deny education . . . is one of the greatest crimes against human nature [because] it is to deny them the means of freedom and the rightful pursuit of happiness.''

Mr. Speaker, this is why the issue of fraud in our financial aid system is so pernicious. Taxpayer dollars are finite, and each dollar that is defrauded represents another lost opportunity for the students who need it the most.

Ghost student fraud is a growing problem in higher education. Bad actors use fake or stolen IDs to enroll in classes, collect the refundable portion of the student aid, and then disappear, leaving taxpayers on the hook and denying real students an education.

Students and taxpayers deserve a student aid system that supports opportunity, not fraud. This bill builds on the good work already done by the Trump administration to protect taxpayer dollars and help safeguard the integrity of the student aid system by ensuring Federal aid goes to real students.

The No Aid for Ghost Students Act takes a straightforward approach: identify suspicious student aid applications and ensure these applicants are who they say they are before dollars go out the door.

The bill requires the Department of Education to use an identity fraud detection system to screen and assess each FAFSA application for fraud risk.

Just as importantly, the bill requires schools to verify the student's identity for applications flagged by the Department of Education for identity fraud risk before disbursing Federal student aid. This is a commonsense safeguard to ensure taxpayer dollars are kept out of the hands of fraudsters.

The verification methods in the bill are practical. Institutions may verify identity through in-person verification or a variety of other secure methods and must keep a record of each successful verification.

The legislation also requires the Department to establish guidelines for verification procedures, helping ensure schools have a consistent framework for carrying out these straightforward processes.

Since taking office, the Trump administration has made significant progress in combating student aid fraud. Last year, the Department blocked more than $1 billion in attempted fraud. In April, the Department implemented a new identity fraud detection tool directly into the FAFSA form, which blocked $60 million in the first 2 weeks. However, these safeguards, while effective, are not guaranteed to remain in place.

Under the Biden administration, we saw verification safeguards rolled back under false pretenses of equity and fairness, opening the door for fraudsters. This legislation addresses that vulnerability by putting fraud protections where they should be--in law.

Finally, the bill also promotes transparency and oversight. It requires the Department to provide Congress with a written description of the fraud detection system, notify Congress of substantial changes, and provide annual reports on the system's use and effectiveness.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense bill.

Mr. Speaker, every cent of taxpayer money should be treated as sacred. It comes directly out of the pockets of hardworking Americans. That is why no amount of fraud in Federal public assistance programs is acceptable. The Government Accountability Office, GAO, recently estimated that the Federal Government loses between $233 billion and $521 billion every year to fraud, based on data from 2018 through 2022.

When the government spends the American people's money, Americans should have confidence that their Federal taxpayer dollars are being used responsibly and carefully.

Recent reporting has revealed shocking degrees of waste, fraud, and abuse in Minnesota's Federal childcare assistance program. According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, data, the rate of improper payments in Minnesota's Federal childcare assistance program is nearly twice the national average.

In May 2025, an HHS audit of Minnesota's Federal childcare program found repeated failures to verify attendance and comply with payment requirements.

However, the problem is not limited to Minnesota. Since 2002, the Child Care and Development Block Grant, CCDBG, has been identified as a Federal program at risk for improper payments. The Office of Management and Budget and HHS have all consistently

warned that changes are needed to protect the program from waste, fraud, and abuse.

I am proud that this legislation includes my Closing the Provider Fraud Gap Act, which commissions GAO to conduct a study on existing Federal fraud prevention measures in early childhood programs and then report on recommendations to improve fraud prevention.

The Stop Child Care Scam Act is a reasonable and commonsense solution to protect Federal taxpayer dollars from being defrauded.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I would like to start my comments with a simple truth: There are only two sexes, male and female.

Sex is a biological fact, not an ideological whim. Yet, across our country, school districts are actively pushing radical gender ideology on children and, in some cases, facilitating social transitions without parental knowledge or consent.

I grew up in a time when most Americans, like me, knew what a boy was and what a girl was. This was not ever controversial. Unfortunately, with the rise of radical gender ideology today, many have lost what was called common sense.

Here is another truth that should not be contentious: Parents, not school administrators, should have the ultimate right to make decisions about their child's upbringing. Once again, this is common sense.

The Heritage Foundation has written: ``A century of Supreme Court jurisprudence supports the notion that parents enjoy the fundamental constitutional right to direct the upbringing, health, and education of their children.''

We are not talking about nicknames on football teams. We are talking adults, with no relation to a minor child, secretly transitioning a child, and then actively working to conceal it from that child's parents. That is madness. If a child is struggling with gender dysphoria, then parents should be the first, not the last, to know.

Right now, according to Defending Education, at least 21,000 schools in 1,200 districts, covering over 12 million students, have policies that prevent faculty and staff from disclosing a student's gender identity to his own parents without the student's permission. That is simply unacceptable.

If a child needs a permission slip signed to go on a field trip, a school should never think it has the right to socially transition that same child without informing his or her parents.

The Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act is straightforward: Any district that promotes these ideologies in a classroom or conceals a child's gender transition from parents will lose Federal funding.

Our school system should be teaching children how to read, write, and think, not how to turn little Johnny into little Jenny. Not long ago, these ideas would not have been controversial.

Today, too many schools want to cut parents out and push their own personal ideology instead. I am grateful to Chairman Walberg for the work he has done to bring this bill to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I urge every one of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share an incredible essay written by a student from Utah's Fourth District to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of our country's founding.

Last fall, I invited students from across Utah's Fourth Congressional District to participate in an essay contest as part of America 250. They were asked to answer a simple but profound question: What does America mean to me?

My office received numerous submissions from young people across the district that were heartfelt and profound. The winning essay I picked came from a senior in my district whose name is Katie.

Drawing inspiration from ``The Wizard of Oz,'' Katie reflected on the lesson that took Dorothy an entire journey to learn, that often what we are searching for is right in front of us.

Mr. Speaker, I will read Katie's essay into the Record:

As a child, I was fascinated with the Warner Bros. film,

``The Wizard of Oz,'' where the main character, Dorothy, was

able to travel to a magical land over the rainbow in

an attempt to find the truth that she was looking for.

In her travels, she was confused by many people and left

unsatisfied. In the end, she realized that what she was

looking for could only be found in one place: the close,

simple, and inspired environment of home.

Today, many people confuse the beautiful simple nature of

truth found at home as dry and boring ideas that worked in

the past, but could never solve the progressive problems

posed now in our modern world.

They ignore the rich history of our country, discounting

our Nation's Founders and great documents of the past as

outdated or primitive. They dismiss the simple truths found

at the heart of our Nation as old-fashioned and instead seek

novel and progressive movements in a far-reaching attempt to

find truth.

As a member of the rising generation, I have observed many

of my peers looking, searching, and struggling to find

freedom, opportunity, and purpose in lands across the sea and

in ideologies that seem new and exciting.

I even, at times, wondered if truth really could be found

in the novel and sensational until I realized that this

wasn't satisfying my search for truth, that I was looking for

a purpose where purpose did not lie. I was seeking for

opportunity where I thought it was and freedom, true freedom,

in every place, except for where it really was.

These values were not found for me in my trips to

Switzerland, Portugal, or any other novel, foreign country. I

did not discover them in woke ideologies or progressive

podcasts, but instead in the simple and inspired environment

of home, America. That is what this country means to me.

Home is the source of truth. Home is where you can find

freedom, and I can say, without any doubt, that there is no

place like it.

I am proud beyond words to call the United States of

America my home, and I ask you today, whatever it is you

might be looking for, instead of going to podcasts,

conspiracy theories, or the fake news, look first to the

sweet and simple truths held in the heart of my home and

yours, the United States of America.

Katie's words touched me, and I am grateful to note that she is not the exception. She is the example, and the example of what makes Utah and this country so special: hope, respect, appreciation, courage, hard work, big dreams, and love for this country.

That is Utah, and I am grateful for the parents who are raising our youth to carry on the torch of liberty and freedom that we have been so blessed with from on high.

Mr. Speaker, America is back, and so is common sense.

This last year has reminded us of what is possible when America has a competent and respected leader who understands the unique role that our great Nation should fill on the world stage.

I am grateful to have President Donald J. Trump back in the White House with the strength and vision needed to be the leader of the free world. One of the things I have admired most about the President is that he is the same man behind closed doors as he is in front of the camera. Whether you like him or not, you know what he stands for exactly, and he will act on that.

It is the type of leadership that has delivered real results for the American people. We have seen real results on our southern border as illegal crossings and the flow of illicit drugs has dropped significantly.

Families are feeling real relief at the gas pump and grocery store as their wages are going up and opportunities are increasing. In our schools and military, the emphasis is, once again, on merit instead of discriminatory DEI standards. In America, success should be earned and not engineered by woke bureaucrats. It is called common sense.

Every day of this last year, the President and House Republicans have worked to ensure that you keep more of your own money and remove the red tape so you can thrive. We are blessed to live in the greatest country in the history of mankind every single day. America's brightest days are ahead of us, and I am grateful to have a Commander in Chief who believes in the spirit and promise of America. He is a leader who is working to make sure this beautiful country remains the land of freedom and opportunity for all who are willing to work hard, take responsibility, and dream big.

Mr. Speaker, as with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I stand before my colleagues with a heavy heart to honor the life and legacy of my dear friend and esteemed colleague, Doug LaMalfa.

Doug's sudden passing this week leaves a void not only in this Chamber but in the hearts of all who knew him. To a person, a testament from everyone who has crossed his path would be this: What a really good man.

As a Member of the Western Caucus, I witnessed firsthand Doug's fierce advocacy for farmers, ranchers, and hardworking families who form the backbone of our Nation. It was inspiring.

On the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I saw the same tenacious commitment to his beloved State of California as he championed water rights and fought for the conservative values at the very core of our American culture.

Doug was a steadfast warrior for the country and State he loved. He will be sorely missed. His faith, grit, and authenticity have inspired us all. Rest assured, we will continue to carry on the torch that Doug championed so well.

We know where Doug is at this moment. Our prayers are with him, with Jill, and with his family. Rest in peace. May God bless him.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak in strong support of the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act.

This legislation will make it easier for small businesses to offer quality, affordable healthcare coverage to their employees by allowing them to band together to have access to the same regulatory and economic benefits as large group plans.

Right now, small businesses are on an unequal playing field with larger companies and unions. Because they have fewer employees, small business have limited bargaining power when it comes to negotiating lower insurance costs for their workers. Since 2010, the share of small businesses with fewer than 50 employees offering health coverage has dropped from 39 to 30 percent.

Small businesses have ranked the cost of health insurance as their number one problem for 32 straight years. For nearly four decades, it has remained the top concern. In fact, 98 percent of small businesses report that healthcare costs will become unsustainable in the next 5 to 10 years, threatening their ability to survive and remain competitive.

This is not because small businesses do not want to offer healthcare benefits. Small business owners work very hard to provide for their employees. The problem is that healthcare in this country has become simply unaffordable for far too many businesses and working families.

Employers are looking for innovative solutions to lower costs and increase coverage for their employees. When asked, 79 percent of employers reported they were interested in joining an association health plan. We know these plans work. Under the first Trump administration's association health plan rule, healthcare costs for those enrolled in an AHP decreased for some industries by more than 50 percent.

The Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act would level the playing field for small businesses and empower their employees to access quality healthcare at a lower cost. It also represents an essential step toward purchasing health insurance across State lines.

As we continue our efforts to lower costs for small business owners and workers, this is just one step we can take to make sure that more Americans can access high-quality, affordable healthcare.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 6703.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my friend, Ms. Emma Hall, my deputy chief of staff and the first and only communications director since the beginning of my journey here to D.C.

Emma has served in my office and the constituents of Utah's Fourth Congressional District for nearly 5 years.

During this time, I have come to rely on her sharp instincts, her keen attention to detail, and her unwavering commitment to keeping my constituents back home informed of the day-to-day effort here in Washington.

It is often said in Congress that if we do not communicate what we are doing, then folks back home will assume that we are doing nothing. With relentless consistency, every bill, letter, hearing, and townhall meeting has been communicated with my constituents with professionalism, clarity, and, if I may say, refinement. Ms. Hall is meticulously organized, with tasks completed weeks ahead of schedule. Nothing is left to the last minute.

She is the heart and soul of our team. No birthday is forgotten without a card, cake, and celebration.

Over these last 5 years, her leadership and thoughtfulness have helped in the effort to make our team feel like a family. For that, Emma will always remain a member of Team Owens.

Mr. Speaker, our entire team will miss Emma. We wish her the very best in her new endeavor.

Mr. Chairman, I, too, thank Chairman Graves for his leadership in advancing commonsense permitting reform that cuts red tape and restores accountability to Federal decisionmaking.

I am proud that one of our top priorities this Congress, the Water Quality Criteria Development and Transparency Act, is included in this package. This legislation will finally bring clarity and consistency to the Clean Water Act permitting process by requiring the EPA to publish clear, accessible guidance on water quality certifications.

For Utah and other Western States, where water is scarce and infrastructure projects are critical to our growth, this reform is a game changer. Too often, confusing, and inconsistent permitting rules delay or derail projects that communities depend on, whether it is water storage, energy development, or transportation.

The PERMIT Act is about delivering certainty and efficiency without compromising environmental standards. I am proud to support it, and I look forward to getting this across the finish line for Utahns and for Americans across the country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1069, the PROTECT Our Kids Act. For far too long, American education has been undermined from within by actors who have taken advantage of our free and open society to advance the nefarious and anti-freedom objectives of the Chinese Communist Party.

Under the veneer of cultural and educational exchange, the CCP and operatives have restricted free speech, monitored Chinese students and faculty, and served as intelligence-gathering conduits on emerging American technologies.

These soft power tactics are part of a broader strategy to cultivate networks of communist influence, within the very institutions responsible for shaping the next generation of American patriots.

These subversive efforts are not limited to our universities. The CCP has even reached into elementary classrooms, cultivating favorable attitudes toward the Chinese Communist Party among young American students.

With passage of the PROTECT Our Kids Act, schools that refuse to confront this reality will no longer be eligible for Federal funds, full stop. The message is straightforward and simple to education administrators who don't understand the concept of American patriotism. This behavior will not be tolerated and no longer subsidized by the American taxpayers.

Under this Republican majority and this Trump administration, American education will be protected and renewed. Our classrooms will return to their rightful purpose: teaching and preserving our great American values.