Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, yesterday I missed three roll call votes. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows:

Roll Call No. 374--YES; Roll Call No. 375--YES; and Roll Call No. 376--YES.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the life and service of New Hampshire State Police Staff Sergeant Jesse Sherrill. Staff Sergeant Sherrill was tragically killed on October 28 when his cruiser was struck by a tractor-trailer when he was on duty working an overnight detail.

This is an immeasurable loss for his family and community and the entire State of New Hampshire.

Today, our State will pause for a celebration of life for Staff Sergeant Sherrill. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife and their children and extended family. We must never forget his dedicated service to keeping our State safe and the burden borne by the Sherrill family.

My thoughts are also with the men and women of the New Hampshire State Police and law enforcement community that has lost one of its own.

Day in and day out, those who serve and protect our communities risk their own safety for all of us. We can never forget their sacrifice.

I urge Granite Staters to take time to reflect on the legacy of Staff Sergeant Sherrill and to keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Through this horrible tragedy, we must honor his example and keep his memory alive.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1917) to modify eligibility requirements for certain hazard mitigation assistance programs, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material on H.R. 1917.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1917, introduced and championed by Representative Fletcher. The Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects, or HELP Act, is designed to cut through red tape to unlock Federal assistance to State and local governments to complete some of the most basic mitigation projects more efficiently, such as buyouts of flood-prone properties. It represents a change to the current law's one-size-fits-all approach to reviewing projects that frequently delays mitigation work which will be welcome news to communities across my State in New Hampshire, and across our country as we deal with more frequent severe weather events that may require a Federal response.

The National Institute of Building Sciences has conducted significant analysis on the return on investment to taxpayers for investments in mitigation. Congress, under both Democratic and Republican majorities, has seen fit to bolster investments in mitigation to drive down future disaster response and recovery costs.

Just last week, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee marked up the Resilient AMERICA Act which would align the calculation used to fund the Federal Emergency Management Agency's pre-disaster mitigation program with the agency's post-disaster mitigation program.

FEMA's longest-running mitigation program, the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, or HMGP, began in 1989 and provides assistance after a disaster has struck. While there have been more than $5.2 billion obligated to HMGP projects, more than $1 billion in HMGP dollars have gone unobligated and will return to FEMA.

This bill will help disaster-impacted communities complete the land acquisition and simple construction projects that would otherwise be categorically exempt from a NEPA review, streamlining the process with FEMA. I want to commend Congresswoman Fletcher for her efforts to help disaster-vulnerable communities quicken the pace of recoveries and mitigate against future events.

I support this bill and urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.

Committtee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of

Representatives,

Washington, DC, November 1, 2021.

Hon. Maxine Waters,

Chairwoman, Committee on Financial Services, House of

Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairwoman Waters: Thank you for your letter regarding

H.R. 1917, the Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects Act. I

appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively on this

legislation.

I acknowledge that by foregoing formal consideration on

H.R. 1917, the Committee on Financial Services does not waive

any future jurisdictional claims to provisions in this or

similar legislation, and that your Committee will be

consulted and involved on any matters in your Committee's

jurisdiction should this legislation move forward. In

addition, should a conference on the bill be necessary, I

would support your effort to seek appointment of an

appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate

conference involving provisions within this legislation on

which the Committee on Financial Services has a valid

jurisdictional claim.

I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation,

and I will ensure that our exchange of letters is included in

the Congressional Record during floor consideration of H.R.

1917.

Sincerely,

Peter A. DeFazio,

Chair.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Texas (Mrs. Fletcher).

Madam Speaker, I want to thank Congresswoman Fletcher again for her leadership on this issue. I urge my colleagues to pass this commonsense piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1339) to require the Secretary of Transportation to establish an advanced air mobility interagency working group, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on H.R. 1339, as amended.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the bill introduced by the gentlewoman from Kansas (Ms. Davids) as well as the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves).

Once viewed as only a figment of people's imagination, flying cars are now on the verge of becoming a reality and will take to the skies in no time, thanks to recent innovations in aircraft and propulsion technology. Advanced air mobility, or AAM, vehicles have the potential to alleviate traffic congestion, reduce the current burden on surface infrastructure, create good-paying U.S. jobs, and provide a more environmentally sustainable mode of daily transportation. In fact, last year, my home State of New Hampshire became the first State to safely allow roadable aircraft to use our roads, once they become certified for travel.

But as these new aircraft emerge in an already complex U.S. airspace, we must ensure that they are safe, both for those on board and those on the ground.

H.R. 1339, the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act, would establish an interagency working group, bringing together the Federal Government, States and localities, the aerospace industry, labor unions, and other key stakeholders to plan and coordinate efforts to safely integrate AAM operations in our national airspace system.

The interagency working group's recommendations on safety, security, and infrastructure needs will help support the deployment of this technology and advance U.S. leadership in this emerging global industry. This legislation has support from both sides of the aisle and the endorsement of several organizations representing the U.S. aviation and aerospace sector.

Madam Speaker, I support this bipartisan bill, I urge my colleagues to do the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, we thank Holly as well for her contributions to the House and to this important issue area and wish her all best in her next steps.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of this commonsense legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3193) to amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to provide for a high-speed broadband deployment initiative, as amended.

Madam 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 H.R. 3193, as amended.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3193, the Eliminating Barriers to Rural Internet Development Grant Eligibility, or E-BRIDGE, Act.

Introduced by Ranking Member Graves and Representative Guest, the bill would create a high-speed

broadband initiative at the Economic Development Administration and clarify that public-private partnerships and consortiums are eligible for broadband project grant awards.

Access to reliable high-speed internet is vital for participation in today's workforce and economy. Whether it is working or learning from home, communicating virtually with friends and family, shopping online, or consulting with your doctor remotely, almost every aspect of our daily lives now relies on a connection to the internet.

Unfortunately, millions of people across the country still don't have access to high-speed internet. In my home State of New Hampshire, 10 percent of households lack an internet subscription. This problem is especially prevalent in rural America.

According to a study by the Pew Research Center, almost 30 percent of rural Americans don't have access to high-speed broadband internet services at home. This poses challenges for our small businesses, for students, for families.

Passing this legislation will help our rural communities thrive by removing existing barriers to internet development.

EDA already has the authority to award grants to fund the deployment of broadband infrastructure in communities in most need of assistance, but many communities lack the financial and technical resources necessary to properly develop broadband deployment strategies.

In order to effectively deploy broadband projects in the last mile, local communities must have the flexibility to collaborate with public- private partnerships and consortiums in developing these proposals. By clarifying that public-private partnerships and consortiums are eligible for EDA grants, H.R. 3193 ensures that communities can leverage private-sector expertise without disqualifying them from receiving assistance.

This bill also provides grant applicants with additional flexibility in financing broadband infrastructure projects by clarifying that funds can be combined with other Federal resources and allowing real or personal property to count toward the non-Federal share of a project's cost.

Madam Speaker, I thank the ranking member for introducing this critical legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Financial Services,

Washington, DC, November 3, 2021.

Hon. Peter DeFazio,

Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing concerning H.R. 3193, the

``E-BRIDGE Act.'' In order to permit H.R. 3193 to proceed

expeditiously to the House Floor, I agree to forgo formal

consideration of the bill.

The Committee on Financial Services takes this action to

forego formal consideration of H.R. 3193 in light of our

mutual understanding that, by foregoing formal consideration

of H.R. 3193 at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction

over the subject matter contained in this or similar

legislation, and that our Committee will be appropriately

consulted and involved as this or similar legislation moves

forward with regard to any matters in the Committee's

jurisdiction. The Committee also reserves the right to seek

appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any

House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation

that involves the Committee's jurisdiction and request your

support for any such request.

Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter

confirming this understanding, and I would ask that a copy of

our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the

Congressional Record during Floor consideration of H.R. 3193.

Sincerely,

Maxine Waters,

Chairwoman.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Graves and Mr. Guest for their leadership on this important issue. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3709) to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to submit to Congress a report on preliminary damage assessments and make necessary improvements to processes in the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and for other purposes.

Madam 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 H.R. 3709.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3709, introduced and championed by Representatives Katko and Delgado, two colleagues of ours on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

The Preliminary Damage Assessment, or PDA, Improvement Act would direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency to produce a report examining the PDA process and establish a more consistent training regime for FEMA personnel to effectively support State and local officials as they conduct these assessments in the wake of disaster.

FEMA uses PDA findings to determine the extent of damage and the subsequent unmet needs of individuals, businesses, and the public sector in a disaster-impacted area.

This bill will ensure greater consistency of PDAs across FEMA's 10 regions by creating a training program with a goal of ensuring a more consistent process of data collection and analysis.

As communities across the country experience more extreme weather events, consistent and timely PDAs are more important than ever to the recovery process.

Madam Speaker, I support this legislation and ask my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I want to commend again my fellow committee members for introducing this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2220) to amend title 40, United States Code, to modify the treatment of certain bargain-price options to purchase at less than fair market value, and for other purposes.

Madam 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 H.R. 2220.

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 2220, introduced by Representatives Guest, Webster, and Pence, requires the General Services Administration to secure congressional authorization before it can exercise a prenegotiated purchase option in an operating lease.

Currently, OMB rules stipulate that a lease cannot be scored as an operating lease if it contains a prenegotiated bargain-price purchase option. Operating leases allow agencies to budget their rent outlays annually, whereas capital leases require the agency to budget, upfront, the entire net present value of all rental obligations it will incur over the duration of the lease term. Unless GSA has full, upfront appropriations in hand, the agency must rely on operating leases that can be paid for year by year.

But preventing an operating lease from containing a prenegotiated bargain-price purchase option means that if GSA wants to acquire the building at the end of the lease, the agency must pay fair market value instead of being able to negotiate a sales price at the beginning of the lease. In essence, the Federal Government ends up paying for the building twice, once when it leases the building and once when it purchases the building at the end of the lease at the current market rate.

The scoring rules are designed to ensure that ownership risk stays with the lessor and that the lease isn't a mechanism by which the government finances its ownership of the property. But the effect is that the Federal Government is overpaying for buildings and not getting the benefit of equity that it has created for private-sector landlords.

It is time to give GSA the flexibility it needs to make savvy financial deals for the Federal Government. I urge adoption of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 390) to redesignate the Federal building located at 167 North Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee as the ``Odell Horton Federal Building''.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 390.

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 390 designates the Federal building at 167 North Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee, as the Odell Horton Federal Building.

The bill is sponsored by our colleague from Tennessee, Representative

Steve Cohen, and it is cosponsored by the entire Tennessee congressional delegation.

Currently, the Federal building in downtown Memphis is named for Clifford Davis, a former Congressman who was a member of the KKK, and this legislation would rename the building in honor of Judge Odell Horton, the first Black Federal judge and assistant U.S. attorney in Tennessee since Reconstruction, who was nominated by President Jimmy Carter and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 1980.

The history of America is replete with acts of bigotry, oppression, and hatred. We can't erase it, but we can make sure we don't honor it. I support this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Cohen for his sponsorship of this legislation, for the bipartisan support that it enjoys.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to adopt this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my amendment to require the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to conduct a study on the number of job applicants impacted by age discrimination and issue recommendations on addressing age discrimination in the job application process.

Nearly half of older job applicants report being asked for age- related information when applying for a job, and three-quarters of workers over the age of 45 lack confidence in their ability to find a new job due to age discrimination.

This poses a significant challenge for workers in my home State of New Hampshire. As a State with an aging workforce, New Hampshire businesses are concerned about both how to attract talent and how to ensure that the institutional knowledge and experience of workers reaching retirement age is passed down. When workers are pushed out of our labor force by age discrimination or by the concern that they may face discrimination, our businesses and communities lose the benefit of their knowledge and experience.

Strengthening age discrimination laws is the right thing to do because it will both protect workers and also serve to help keep them in our labor force at a time when businesses are already struggling to attract talent. In our changing economy, we need to ensure that older workers continue to have opportunities available to them.

We must pass the Protect Older Job Applicants Act to clarify that job applicants can challenge discriminatory hiring practices under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment and help us gain a better understanding of the issues that older job applicants face when applying for jobs and the solutions that are needed to stop discriminatory practices.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record two letters in support of the underlying legislation, one from the American Federation of Government Employees and one from the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations.

American Federation of

Government Employees, AFL-CIO,

Washington, DC, September 28, 2021.

Dear Representative: On behalf of the American Federation

of Government Employees, AFL-CIO (AFGE), which represents

more than 700,000 federal and District of Columbia employees,

I urge you to vote for H.R. 3992, the ``Protect Older Job

Applicants (POJA) Act of 2021.''

Under existing law, the Age Discrimination in Employment

Act (ADEA) only applies to currently employed people seeking

recourse in the face of employment discrimination based on

age. The ADEA does not cover job applicants who experience

age discrimination in hiring, including applicants for

federal government positions.

H.R. 3992 extends the protections of the ADEA to external

job applicants in addition to employees. Specifically, this

legislation would allow job applicants to be able to bring

disparate impact discrimination claims under the ADEA. The

bill would protect older Americans against employment

discrimination that prevent them from even getting a foot in

the door. Considering the heightened long-term unemployment

struggles older Americans have experienced during the COVID-

19 pandemic, this bill is critically important.

Building on our support for H.R. 1230, the ``Protecting

Older Workers Against Discrimination Act,'' AFGE is proud to

be a

leader in the fight against all forms of employment

discrimination including those affecting older Americans.

Please support H.R. 3992, the ``Protect Older Job Applicants

(POJA) Act of 2021.''

Sincerely,

Julie N. Tippens,

Director, Legislative Department.

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

Mr. Speaker, I will correct the record again on the fact that the committee did hold a hearing on this subject on March 18, 2021.

At that hearing, Laurie McCann, a senior attorney at AARP Foundation, testified about the erosion of protections for older workers in judicial decisions under the ADEA, including specific mention in her testimony of the Seventh Circuit's Kleber decision and its harmful impact on applicants. So, that is well-documented.

This particular amendment seeks to give us additional information going forward that would be valuable in understanding the plight of older job applicants.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Newman).

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Garcia), the cosponsor of the underlying legislation.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate Sara Casassa on being named New Hampshire's 2022 Teacher of the Year. Serving her community as a teacher for the past three decades, Sara has made a lasting impact on the lives of students and families across the New Hampshire public school system.

Sara arrived at Barnard School in 2009 as a language arts teacher while also having knowledge as a webmaster and technology integrator. Sara's compassion and selflessness have given her the ability to cultivate an effective learning environment both virtually and in the classroom. It is without doubt that Sara has been an asset for students inside and outside the classroom. Moreover, her easy-going personality and sense of humor has made her beloved amongst the South Hampton community.

As the proud product of Manchester public schools, I know firsthand that access to a high-quality education is the cornerstone of our democracy, our economy, and our future. Sara's dedication to her profession, to providing a robust and engaging education experience to her students will no doubt lead to countless open doors for her students down the road. Sara is an example of what an exceptional educator and leader looks like.

On behalf of my constituents in New Hampshire's First Congressional District, I want to congratulate Sara for her achievement and thank her for her decades of service to our community. Sara has demonstrated a deep dedication to teaching and inspiring our future leaders. This is a well-deserved honor.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Alan R. Cote and Stephen P. Carkhuff, two outstanding New Hampshire residents who have been awarded the Carnegie Medal. Cote and Carkhuff have been presented with this prestigious award for their heroic actions on October 23, 2019, when they risked their lives to help rescue the lives of two others from a burning vehicle in Auburn, New Hampshire.

The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission was founded by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1904 to recognize and support everyday civilians who risk their own lives to save others in extraordinary acts of courage. Carnegie was inspired to create the Fund after a January 1904 mine disaster that took 181 lives. Among

those who died in the accident were an engineer and miner who selflessly rushed into the mine in the midst of the disaster in an effort to rescue others.

More than 100 years later, Alan Cote and Stephen Carkhuff perfectly encapsulate this spirit of impulsive heroism. After hearing the late- night crash, Cohen and Carkhuff raced toward the already burning vehicle without concern for their own safety and assisted in removing both unconscious passengers from the car. Their quick response helped ensure the safety of both passengers, both of whom survived.

On behalf of my constituents in New Hampshire's First Congressional District, I want to thank and congratulate these selfless and courageous men. Let their courage and heroism serve as an example for us all.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Memorial Elementary School on its designation as a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School. Principal Philip Schappler, teachers, board members, and staff at this school have made a lasting impact on the

lives of students and families from the Bedford community.

Each year, the Department of Education recognizes the academic excellence of a select few elementary, middle, and high schools across the nation through the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. In order to be recognized as a Blue Ribbon School, schools must demonstrate that their institution leads students of all backgrounds to master meaningful and challenging material. The Blue Ribbon designation process is highly selective, with only two schools across the State of New Hampshire receiving a 2021 Blue Ribbon designation.

Receiving its first Blue Ribbon award in 2012, Memorial Elementary School has shown a consistent dedication to each student's learning and wellbeing that has not gone unrecognized. Being named a National Blue Ribbon School is no small feat, and I am proud to serve and represent a school district with such a strong commitment to academic excellence.

On behalf of my constituents in New Hampshire's First Congressional District, I want to congratulate and thank everyone who has helped make Memorial Elementary School the exemplary institution that it is today.

Madam Speaker, for 48 years the right to choose has been the law of the land, and it is time that Congress protects that right and access to the full range of reproductive care.

States are passing dangerous bans on abortion that harm patients and criminalize doctors, and anti-choice legislators are erecting barriers that are ever more onerous for women. This has even happened in my home State of New Hampshire where the legislature passed an abortion ban and forced ultrasounds for women seeking an abortion.

If the Supreme Court won't protect Roe v. Wade, then Congress must pass the Women's Health Protection Act.

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding and for his leadership on the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and for his longstanding commitment to fighting for those who have served all of us.

So today does mark the 10th anniversary of the end of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. It was a deeply flawed, deeply prejudiced policy of our government that prohibited LGBTQ individuals

from serving openly in the Armed Forces.

The policy told LGBTQ individuals that they were not welcome to serve their country, that their government viewed them as second-class citizens.

It also forced many who swore an oath to give everything for their country, up to and including their lives, to hide who they were and to live in secret or to face the loss of a job, a life's calling, financial security, health, and happiness.

Americans who were ready, willing, and eager to serve their country were forced to leave the armed services for good, many receiving less- than-honorable discharges. It is estimated that over 13,000 servicemembers were discharged in the 17 years that Don't Ask, Don't Tell was enforced.

A decade after its repeal, Don't Ask, Don't Tell still casts a long, dark, and disgraceful shadow and haunts those who were targeted. We have much more work to do to correct this tremendous injustice endured by those who served and were discharged during Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

That is why I was proud to introduce the Securing the Rights our Veterans Earned Act, or SERVE Act, to help correct these injustices and guaranteeing VA benefits for LGBTQ-plus veterans forced out of service for being themselves. This includes veterans who were discharged under Don't Ask, Don't Tell, those issued so-called blue discharges during World War II, as well as those forced out under the Trump's administration discriminatory policy on transgender servicemembers.

I want to highlight one story of a courageous veteran, Landon Marchant. Landon Marchant is a transgender veteran of the Air Force who enlisted to serve their country and for the promise of a better life. But after just 22 months, they were dishonorably discharged.

As Landon writes: ``The impact of Don't Ask, Don't Tell did not end when I received my discharge paperwork, and it did not end when the ban was finally repealed. It has impacted my post-military life. I was discharged less than 2 months before reaching the 2-year minimum for full GI Bill eligibility, and I have had to fight for my disability benefits while having inconsistent employment.''

So it took nearly 10 years after their discharge to be awarded the VA benefits that Landon had earned, and still, this fight continues.

Stories like Landon's are heartbreaking. I thank them for having the courage to stand up and to speak out about this personal experience.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell isn't just about a policy on paper. It is about living, breathing people, like Landon and thousands more who lived with the stigma, the trauma, and the adverse effects.

I applaud the Department of Veterans Affairs for announcing that it will work to correct injustices like Landon's. And I urge my colleagues in this Chamber to support these efforts and others that will provide all LGBTQ-plus servicemembers and veterans with the full measure of equality, of care, and of respect that they have earned through their service.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dover native Jessica Parratto on winning a silver medal in the women's synchronized 10-meter platform diving competition at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. It was an honor welcoming her home to Dover and seeing firsthand the pride her hometown feels for her.

All the way from her days at the Seacoast Swimming Association to her time at the University of Indiana and, of course, in Tokyo, Jessica's hard work and dedication have inspired so many others. I am deeply impressed by the skill, teamwork, and perseverance that she demonstrated alongside her teammate Delaney Schnell.

Especially after the hardships of the past year, it is uplifting and inspiring for all Granite Staters to see Jessica make history as part of the first American pair to win an Olympic medal in women's synchronized 10-meter platform diving.

On behalf of my constituents across New Hampshire's First Congressional District, I would like to thank Jessica for representing our nation with true athletic excellence on the Olympic stage in Tokyo. We were proud to recently welcome her home to Dover and extend our sincerest congratulations on her historic silver medal-winning performance. I hope she enjoys a well-deserved celebration of her achievements and wish her continued success in all her future endeavors.