Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Haley Stevens for this opportunity to speak on behalf of this really important legislation.

Imagine, if you will, the ability to model a manufacturing process to design a basketball shoe, maybe modeling the opportunity to cure a disease, maybe modeling market behavior, perhaps modeling a system to be able to equitably donate organs to people or molecules to cure a disease, modeling energy sources so that we can have a more safe and healthy planet, or maybe even, unfortunately, having to model the destruction of our infrastructure so that we can make sure that we have the national security resources to be able to protect our fine Nation.

H.R. 730, the Mathematical and Statistical Modeling Education Act, is designed to address all of these different issues in our society, but I come to the floor with really bad news, as though we needed more. America's K-12 students are falling further and further behind, particularly behind China's students, academically.

This lag is particularly concerning when we talk about the STEM fields because our industrial base continues to tell us that we are not educating and preparing the designers, engineers, and modelers of the future in order to be able to compete with our adversaries.

The National Assessment on Education Progress, which is colloquially known as the Nation's report card, has shown us that this knowledge and talent shortage is a nationwide challenge. In 2022, the assessment registered the largest decline in mathematics scores since we first started assessing in 1990. The scores of the average fourth grader were down 5 points. Worse, the average eighth grader recorded a score of 8 points lower than the previous assessment. The 2024 survey was even more concerning because it showed an overall growth of zero from 2022 and even declines among some students, as well.

With all the chaos that is unfolding in other parts of our government, particularly in the education sector, now is the time to invest in math and STEM education.

The Mathematical and Statistical Modeling Education Act is just one answer to this challenge. It is a bipartisan bill, and it directs $10 million of already-appropriated money to the National Science Foundation for a grant program that will support the modernization of mathematical and statistical modeling for education across this Nation.

As a former educator myself and an engineer by education and profession, I know personally that there is a very serious need to improve mathematics education for our K-12 students. Indeed, when I taught chemistry, I saw firsthand how my students struggled because they lacked the basic foundations in math that are necessary for the sciences. Today, I hear from both our generals and our CEOs about what these gaps mean for our country. It doesn't just hurt our economy. It hurts our national security, as well.

Math skills form the basis for all the STEM disciplines, and importantly, they also form the basis just for critical thinking and problem-solving in general. If our students can't get ahead in school, how will they get ahead in the STEM workforce as engineers, computer scientists, chemists, nurses, doctors, and much more?

Mr. Speaker, importantly, how will those who may decide to pursue STEM fields succeed where these same skills are useful among the trades or manufacturing?

Thankfully, schools across the country are developing new tools and curricula with students to help them learn these challenging topics.

I will repeat again that this is without any additional cost. This is with funds already appropriated.

I will also repeat again that this is a bipartisan piece of legislation that will provide our young people with the skills they need to succeed in our marketplace.

It passed in the 118th Congress unanimously out of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology as well when it was last marked up. I hope that my colleagues will support this unanimously and make this bill finally a law.

Lastly, I thank my Republican colleague and fellow veteran, Mr. Baird, for his hard work on this legislation and extend appreciation to the staff of the SST Committee, as well as Representative Stevens and Representative Babin, who have helped shepherd this legislation through today.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides to support this commonsense, bipartisan measure to strengthen our national security and our economy.

Madam Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Morelle for yielding.

Today, I am so grateful to have the opportunity to rise and offer this bipartisan legislation, H.R. 250, the Benjamin Franklin statue placement act. It is so very important to highlight moments where we do come together here in the body, and this bipartisan, bicameral legislation is a bright moment of that kind of unity.

I am really grateful for the support and partnership of my colleagues in this effort, Representative Fitzpatrick and Senators Coons and Boozman, on the other side of the Capitol.

The Benjamin Franklin statue placement act does seek to honor Benjamin Franklin, as mentioned, a renowned author, inventor, statesman, and dare I offer, the most important Founding Father of our great Nation.

Mr. Franklin's accomplishments and inventions are numerous and infamous. Electricity, bifocals, and the lightning rod are just a couple of examples that every day still centuries later are in our lives. He is known, as was mentioned earlier, for very pithy, very profound, and witty statements, such as a stitch in time saves nine or a penny saved is a penny earned. Most memorable, perhaps, is: ``It is a republic, if you can keep it.''

Arguably, Mr. Franklin's most important accolade is that he is the only person to have signed formally all three foundational documents separating our new Nation from the British monarchy.

The Treaty of Paris, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights, together known as the Charters of Freedom, boast the signatures of some of our Nation's most revered figures. Mr. Franklin's signature is the only one that appears on all three documents, however. That is not only something worthy of note, but something, of course, to celebrate.

This is why I was shocked when I learned on my very first official tour of the Capitol Building--which was given to me by my own team member, Emma Consoli, who is the one we really should thank for this legislation--that there are no statues on the Capitol tour of Mr. Franklin. Indeed, Mr. Franklin's lone statue sits at the base of a stairwell, a dark stairwell, just off the Senate floor, out of sight of the hundreds of thousands of people who visit the Capitol.

As we approach this Nation's 250th anniversary, it really is of utmost importance to have Mr. Franklin rightly on display and immortalized for his contributions to our foundation. The Benjamin Franklin statue placement act will do just that.

While Representative Fitzpatrick and I both are both immensely proud of Pennsylvania's own Ben Franklin, we know this is not just for Pennsylvania but for our entire country. I am very grateful to the 77 Members who shared this sentiment last Congress and to our 22 evenly bipartisan original cosponsors and to the 33 Members who have already sponsored it today.

I am also very grateful for the leadership of Chairman Steil and Ranking Member Morelle who supported this bill and believed in it as it passed through the House Administration Committee unanimously in September.

This placement act, as written, directs the Joint Committee on the Library to procure and to place a statue of Mr. Franklin along the Capitol tour route, as mentioned, before 2026 ends in celebration of our 250th anniversary.

The installation of this statue in the Capitol Building will not only be an apt celebration for such an important figure in our history, but it is something that I will urge my colleagues to make sure that we vote in favor of today, so we can start that clock ticking. It is important that we take up this legislation now so that this awesome statue that has already been built and already been donated can be cast to perfection and placed ahead of 2026.

I am grateful for the support of this effort. I thank the sculptor, Zenos Frudakis, for his beautiful work already. I appreciate so much the hard work that has gone into this by all of the people who stand around me for being able to get this to the floor for consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, this week marks a very solemn anniversary. It is the anniversary of Russia's brutal attack on Ukraine.

Three years ago, Russia started this war by invading Ukraine, not the other way around.

I repeat: Three years ago, Russia started this war.

I am utterly disgusted that President Trump would refute this absolute truth.

I am equally horrified by President Trump's characterization of President Zelenskyy as a dictator who does not want peace. I was with President Zelenskyy just last week in Germany for the Munich Security Conference. He is an honorable and earnest leader, a man who has even offered to step down from the Presidency if it would guarantee the freedom of his people.

President Trump's blatant lie and absurd insult is a lie directly out of Soviet-style propagandist playbooks. It is Putin who wants to take Ukraine's resource-rich land. It is Putin who wants to strip its people of their rights and their freedoms, and it is Putin who wants to destroy another European democracy. It is Putin who is a cancer on the world, a liar, a torturer, a murderer, and a war criminal.

It is appalling to see our President of these United States, expected to be a reliable standard-bearer of democracy, align himself and as a result ourselves so closely with our adversaries, even organizing a sit-down to determine the fate of Ukraine without Ukraine at the table, and without the input of our European allies at all.

Whatever comes out of these meetings will not be a peace agreement. It will instead be a Russian power grab and an appeasement of war criminal Putin facilitated by the United States, an illegitimate peace. It is all horrifying. It is all infuriating, and it is all antithetical to our American ideals.

As President Trump and his administration publicly trash our allies, undermine the strength of NATO, and decimate our international aid programs, our adversaries are greedily and happily waiting to fill the gaps that this administration is deliberately creating.

On Monday, the United States joined Russia, North Korea, Belarus, Sudan, and Hungary--I will name them again: Russia, North Korea, Belarus, Sudan, and Hungary--a group of countries I never would like us to be associated with, in voting against the United Nations resolution condemning Russian aggression and demanding the immediate withdrawal of Putin's forces from Ukraine.

To quote my Republican colleague and dear friend, Congressman Don Bacon: The Trump administration royally screwed up on Ukraine.

Another anniversary is fast approaching. Indeed, on April 20 of last year, 101 Republicans voted to support Ukraine. I am really glad that Representative Bacon is speaking out about President Trump's actions, but I wonder where are the rest of his colleagues?

I hope that the other 100 Members who supported aid to Ukraine in April will be as brave as Representative Bacon and speak out against this administration's ridiculous and dangerous actions.

I want to emphasize how important it is that the American people hear President Trump's own words, see his own actions, and be appropriately outraged.

President Trump's disavowal of Ukraine and his cozying up to dictators puts us here in the United States at risk as well. President Trump's turn towards authoritarianism leaves us exposed politically and economically.

Scorned allies could pull out or change their free trade agreements, cause shortages in imported goods, including food and oil, pharmaceuticals, and more. President Trump campaigned on bringing down costs, but his very actions right now are indeed undermining the value of the dollar and driving up inflation.

We have heard over and over again from the American people that the prices of essential goods are already too high, and President Trump's actions will only hurt our attempts to bring down these costs.

America's global leadership also helps to keep Americans safe, too. President Trump turning his back on Ukraine isolates us and undermines our strength, the strength of international institutions, and the security networks that work, like NATO.

This encourages NATO allies to question our own alliance and allegiance. It, in turn, causes our allies worldwide to do the same, and those who are considering with whom to form alliances, and there are many, it causes them as well to turn away from us.

It gets worse. With President Trump actually allying himself with China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, these countries now seemingly have America's explicit backing to spread their influence, and in some cases to spread their force, like we have seen in Ukraine. This will undoubtedly cause people to flee oppressive regimes and create new regimes, who will be inspired by this global democratic back slide.

President Trump claimed he was going to reduce this kind of migration, but the political turmoil he is causing will, in fact, make it worse, pushing people to seek safety outside of their own home country.

We can't turn our back on Ukraine and the world, and we cannot expect that the consequences of that decision will not reach our shores. The American way of life is reliant on our global reputation and interconnectivity. President Trump is doing his very best to tear that all down.

President Trump must reverse his dangerous position. He must stop this gamesmanship, and he must recommit to our longstanding alliances instead of realigning ourselves, the United States, with dictators.

I yield now to my esteemed colleague from the great State of Ohio, the very honorable Marcy Kaptur.

The gentlewoman is very welcome. It is my privilege.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Vindman).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Case).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Kennedy).

Mr. Speaker, I very much thank all of my colleagues for joining us and meeting here tonight.

This evening, we heard about the damage that President Trump's actions have done to our Nation's security. If our Nation turns its back on Ukraine, we heard about what comes next: Our ally Taiwan left in greater jeopardy to a Chinese invasion; our allies elsewhere left looking for security and other

trading opportunities; and worst of all, our enemies worldwide left emboldened by Trump's isolationist actions.

The American people should be worried tonight. History has shown us that when America is isolated, we are less safe.

I very much hope that my Republican friends, the 101 of them, now 100 of them, who very recently voted in support of this nation in its fight for their democracy and, as a consequence, all of our democratic values, will stand up to our President and will help us, the United States, change our course and, as a consequence, the world change its course for safety and freedom, as well.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 9 o'clock and 50 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Taxpayer Data Protection Act, but before then, I will hold this piece of paper up for just a little while because it is my anticipation that before I finish speaking, the internet will have transcribed this piece of paper and the data that is in it.

Mr. Speaker, what if I told you that, somewhere in the multiverse, there was a person, dare I say a villain, who was intent on accessing all the data of the world's most powerful nation and of all of her people. Imagine him sitting in his lair. Perhaps he is stroking a cat. In his mind's eye, he envisions the files of data that he and his minions will soon have access to. Perhaps he will have access to your Social Security number or perhaps your health information. Perhaps he will know about your financial status or what you buy. Perhaps he will unilaterally refuse payments to the defense programs, take a cut of his own from payments, or even will authorize contracts to only his very favorite people and his very favorite organizations.

He will also know deeper secrets that our government works so hard to make sure remain so, so that our citizens can be protected, and so will our adversaries have those same secrets, either intentionally or unintentionally.

You would probably really enjoy this scenario if it were the plot of the new 007 movie, but imagine if it wasn't just a plot and that it was, instead, a reality. This is, in fact, what president Elon Musk and his unelected, unvetted, and untrained minions are attempting to accomplish.

Elon Musk is not rooting around in our Treasury data so he can find fraud and waste. He does not care about curbing spending or getting the budget balanced. He is not trying to optimize our Nation's wealth or to help us all make smarter choices. He never cared about any of this, and he never will.

Yet, knowing this, Trump has, in fact, set him loose on the hunt for data. Make no mistake about it, he is attempting, if he has not already, to access this cache of information, both the personal and the national interest information of our entire people and our entire Nation that will forever be his and his minions' and at their disposal forever, should they be successful.

My guess is that by now, the internet has already translated this piece of paper into data because that is the way the internet works. That is not a read-only piece of data. You may have been able to read it, but in that space of time, my guarantee is that someone on the internet has not only translated it but is also now spinning it into different directions and thoughts.

This all should strike fear in the hearts of all Americans for all kinds of different reasons. It is a blatant and overt theft of information that is not theirs to have. Think of the power that that information will wield. It is a violation of our Constitution and of the checks and balances that we all grew up honoring, regardless of what party we associate ourselves with.

What is a person to do? A person has to think hard about how they feel about the means and ends. You may be one of those people who believes that this government needs to be held in check. I understand that you may have voted for this, but is this, in fact, the way that you want this to be accomplished?

You should be concerned that the law is being broken in your name. You may be one of the people in the middle who fears that your information will be used against you and just now is waking up and realizing that this may not be exactly what you want. You should also be outraged and concerned.

If you are one of those people who never signed up for this to begin with, I am truly sorry. We are in a situation right now where the House, Senate, and White House are all under Republican control. We need all of you, all three different kinds of you, to tell us to do our jobs.

What does doing our job look like? It looks like supporting this bill that is on the floor, the Taxpayer Data Protection Act. What it looks like is passing this bill on the floor with a resounding majority and making sure--a la ``Schoolhouse Rock!''--that it goes to the Senate as well and that it gets to the President's desk with a veto-proof majority.

What it looks like is stopping the executive orders and actions of the executive, Trump, so that this kind of thing cannot continue to happen. The legislative branch, us, but really specifically the Republican majority today are the only ones who can put a stop to this dangerous lawlessness, but they are not going to do that even though they will privately acknowledge how wrong it is, even though they privately hope that Musk and Trump will wear themselves out, even though they privately hope the courts will work, and even though they privately say it is read-only access and is not that much data.

Mr. Speaker, it is dangerous, unconstitutional, and illegal. I ask my friends to step up and speak up. Please continue to call your Congressmen, particularly your Republican ones.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to address the hard work and invaluable contributions of Kristen Meyer to my office. Kristen has honorably served as an Air Force Congressional fellow on my legislative team for the past year.

While Kristen's time in my office is coming to an end, her contributions to my community and to our Nation will be durable and lasting. Notably, in just one year's time, she has helped us to reinvigorate the bipartisan Servicewomen and Women Veterans Caucus like never before. She has championed dozens of legislative proposals through the fiscal year 2025 NDAA, which passed last evening, and she spearheaded numerous Intelligence Authorization Act provisions that will make our country and our world safer. She has improved office processes, strategies, community outreach, and much more, and most importantly, she has made us laugh even when we felt like crying.

The HoulaTeam is incredibly grateful to the generosity, ferocity, kindness, and humor that Kristen has brought to our office every single day.

I thank Kristen for her service and for her vital contributions to the intelligence community. We wish her the best of luck on her next steps, and we will miss her.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith both for their leadership and clear vision for our committee, which has guided our national security and collective defense.

This Congress, I had the privilege of serving as the ranking member our military Quality of Life Panel alongside my dear friend and Republican colleague, Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska.

The bill before us today, including more than 20 provisions from that Quality of Life Panel, is truly a testament to what this body can accomplish when we come together and when we do hard work together.

From inadequate pay and substandard housing conditions to food insecurity and long wait times for essential services, our panel's findings make it clear that we still have a lot of work to do to ensure that our military families survive and thrive.

I am very pleased that the fiscal year NDAA includes a 14.5 percent pay raise for most junior enlisted and a 4.5 percent pay raise for all servicemembers. This increase is critical for us to retain our all- volunteer enlisted forces and maximize the investments we have made in them.

It also includes key healthcare provisions, like no-cost contraception and my bill, the MOMS Who Serve Act, which is the largest investment in maternal health in the DOD's history.

It requires the DOD to fully fund overdue maintenance for housing and fee assistance for childcare so that no family is turned away. It ensures that our spouses have the support they need to ensure pathways to employment and transfer licenses for careers when they move.

This is the most consequential and important piece of legislation of the entire 118th Congress. With this bill in law, our Nation will be more secure and our servicemen and -women more resolved to face the global challenges of tomorrow.

I would be remiss if I closed without noting my severe disappointment in those colleagues who chose to sully this bill with political culture wars that will impact the healthcare of minors. This is not what we were tasked to do, and I urge us to remain focused and of service.

Young America, the next generation of our all-volunteer force, and their families are watching, and our national security depends on it.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 456, H.R. 82, and NAY on Roll Call No. 457, H.R. 5342.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) on 40 years of working with Congress and providing policymakers with educational resources about climate, clean energy, and environmental topics.

To address climate change, we need durable policies that support impactful climate solutions that withstand the ups and downs of Washington. That requires us to work across the aisle and craft bipartisan legislation. Thankfully, there is more common ground on combatting climate change than ever before, and the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus is providing a unique space for Members who share my interest in paving the way forward together.

EESI also understands the value of finding common ground and has been a true partner to the Caucus in helping to educate members on a multitude of topics, including the advancement of climate solutions in the Farm Bill, natural climate solutions, carbon sequestration, community resilience, and climate negotiations on the international stage during the U.N. Conference of Parties.

During my time in Congress, I have always appreciated EESI's ability to deliver timely, nonpartisan, science-based educational resources in formats that my staff and I can use to serve the constituents of the Sixth District of the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. EESI's partnership has directly supported the educational efforts that the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus has facilitated for its Members and staff. Building bipartisan collaboration around data-driven climate solutions will keep the United States on a course to meet its climate goals while revitalizing the economy, safeguarding energy security, and providing cost-effective, cleaner power for everyday Americans.

EESI has a long history of working on climate and environmental issues regardless of which party is in the White House. EESI's predecessor organization dates back to the time of Richard Nixon, and EESI itself was established as an independent nonprofit organization during Ronald Reagan's first term. The organization began its work on climate change under the George H.W. Bush Administration and, more recently, it has extensively tracked the historic climate investments passed by the House and Senate during the Biden Administration. This history exemplifies EESI's commitment to facilitating constructive, bipartisan dialogues around how to bast combat climate change.

Congratulations to EESI on 40 years of working alongside Congress and promoting durable, bipartisan climate solutions. I wish EESI all the best for the next 40 years of advancing solutions, fostering bipartisanship, supporting rural communities, and cultivating young leaders.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for the opportunity to speak on this Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleagues as a very proud member of the Bipartisan Fiscal Forum Steering Committee. Together, we are very much committed to addressing one of the greatest threats to our Nation's long-term stability, and that is that of our unsustainable debt trajectory.

We also understand that we simply can't afford to treat our fiscal future like a political football. I represent Pennsylvania's Sixth Congressional District, a very purple community, where people understand that fiscal responsibility isn't a partisan issue, but it is a community value. We know that our prosperity both at home and across the country depends on smart and responsible fiscal stewardship.

Before coming to Congress, I was a business leader in Pennsylvania, and I have seen firsthand the risks and consequences of debt when it is not carefully managed. Businesses that ignore fiscal discipline may eventually falter. They may lose investors, may lose opportunities, or may even fail.

In the same way, if we continue on our current fiscal path as a nation, we could also find ourselves on similarly dangerous ground.

Over the past few years, this Nation and consequently the Federal Government has faced very costly and unprecedented challenges, from responding to the global pandemic, to defending our allies abroad from brutal, illegal attacks, to historic emergency national disasters. These crises have demanded investments and American leadership to protect our country and to support our global partners.

However, as interest rates now dip and inflation lowers and eases, now is, in fact, the time to refocus our efforts. In the coming months, we must have serious conversations about the future of our long-term fiscal health. As we look toward this future, the long-term implications of our national debt demand our attention and demand action.

Right now, as has been mentioned, the U.S. national debt is over $35 trillion, larger than our entire economy's GDP. On a similar note, according to the Congressional Budget Office, if we fail to change course, interest payments on that debt alone are projected to exceed $1 trillion annually by 2033. That is $1 trillion just to pay the interest, money that could otherwise go toward infrastructure, families, education, and national security.

Speaking of national security, I want to be clear: Our economic security is absolutely directly tied to our ability to defend ourselves and to lead on the global stage. The more that we borrow, the more we depend on foreign creditors, and the less flexibility that we have in making decisions that are in our national interests.

As our interest outlays increase, the less funding we have to spend on things like our military's preparedness. We cannot afford to have our hands tied by debt when it comes to protecting this Nation.

In Congress, we face critical deadlines in the coming months. As we prepare to vote on yet another short-term

funding extension this week, we are reminded that a bipartisan full- year compromise for fiscal year 2025 government funding has yet to be reached.

Early next year, we will once again face the debt ceiling. These are not abstract deadlines. These are real and pressing moments where we have the opportunity to get control of our fiscal future together, but that opportunity is slipping away if we continue to delay these difficult decisions and if we continue to politicize this issue.

So that is why the Bipartisan Fiscal Forum exists. We are here. We are here to sound the alarm, and also to propose durable solutions, solutions like a bipartisan fiscal commission, or the Fiscal Responsibility Act that we passed just last year.

Our mission as a group is to raise the profile of this issue with our colleagues and with the public while ensuring that we have healthy, constructive debates on fiscal policies here in Congress.

As a bipartisan group, we know that this is not about scoring political points. This is about securing a sustainable future for our children and for our grandchildren. We may not agree on every solution or on the levers to pull, increasing revenues or decreasing costs, but we cannot afford to continue to keep kicking the can down the road.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to please come together, to set aside partisanship, and to work toward a balanced, sustainable budget. We owe that to the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Lofgren for yielding me the time to speak on behalf of my bill, H.R. 1735, and I thank so much my colleague, Representative Baird, for his tireless efforts to help us get this across the finish line.

It is past time that America's K-12 students enter the 21st century, and this Mathematical and Statistical Modeling Education Act is a bipartisan bill that will help with that and will direct $10 million in funding, importantly, funding that is already appropriated to the National Science Foundation, toward grant programs, and it will support the modernization of mathematical and statistical modeling education across this fine Nation.

As someone who is educated as a systems engineer, with both undergraduate and graduate degrees, which focused on things like operations research and linear programming and statistical modeling, I have had the privilege of using all of these kinds of maths all during my career and life.

Also, as a former high school chemistry teacher, I saw firsthand that many of my students struggled because they lacked the basic foundations in math that are necessary to succeed in the sciences, and frankly, to succeed in our economy.

These math skills form the basis of all the STEM disciplines, and importantly, they also form the basis of critical thinking and problem- solving as well. Without them, students struggle to keep up, let alone to get ahead not just in math and science but ultimately in our competitive workplace and world.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress, which is colloquially known as the Nation's report card, has shown that this is a national challenge. The most recent assessment registered the very largest declines in math scores since we first started assessing them in 1990. The scores of our average fourth graders were down five points. Worse, the average score of our eighth graders recorded an eight-point lower assessment than the last time.

As our students are continuing to recover from the pandemic, now particularly is a very good time to focus on a renewed and modified investment in math and STEM education and skills.

If our students can't get ahead in school, how will they get ahead in the STEM workforce as engineers, as chemists, as nurses, as doctors, and so much more?

As importantly, how will those who do not pursue STEM fields succeed where these same kinds of skills are very, very useful in things such as the trades and manufacturing or any other job in industry?

Thankfully, schools across the country are already developing new tools and curricula to better connect students and help them learn these challenging topics.

It is crucial though that the Federal Government deliver its financial support to schools that are already leading this effort and that want to in the future.

My colleagues also supported an amendment to the bill ensuring that this funding is broadly available, so students can benefit from it no matter what kind of school they go to. Their adjustment made sure that schools which are private, faith-based, or homeschools also have access to this funding.

I also want to highlight that this funding is all drawn from funds that are already appropriated to the National Science Foundation. This legislation does not represent any new funding authorizations or authorities. It is simply ensuring that the NSF is able to spend the money it already receives to bolster innovation in this very important area.

This bill will go a long way towards providing our very youngest people with the skills that they need to succeed in today's marketplace. It passed with a strong bipartisan majority in the 117th Congress and was passed unanimously out of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology last year in this Congress as well.

I once again thank my Republican colleague, Mr. Baird, for his work on this legislation. I also extend my deep appreciation to the SST staff and committee who have helped to shepherd this legislation through today.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this very commonsense, bipartisan measure.

Mr. Speaker, what happened to the Republican Party that once stood for free market capitalism, for for-profit businesses to be allowed to run their companies as they wanted, to be able to have people not be fettered by people like us here in Congress? Seriously, what happened to them?

I rise in opposition to my Republican colleagues and their efforts to strip Americans of their freedom to build, invest in, and do what is right for them, themselves, and their businesses. These bills that these Republican Members are passing and advancing this week will take away these rights from these businesses, investors, and consumers alike.

What does this mean? It means businesses can't account for record storms that impact their bottom line, retirees' hard-earned savings will suffer under limited investment options, or company policies that elevate women and minorities will be ignored.

Simply put, Republicans are trying to cancel freedoms that have been studied and proven to increase profits long term. It is absurd, and dare I say, it is pretty weird.

As co-chair of the Stakeholder Capitalism Caucus and a proud Pennsylvanian business leader, I urge my colleagues to reject this anticapitalist agenda.

Mr. Chair, had I been present, I would have voted AYE on Roll Call No. 409.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate Bentley Systems as they mark 40 years of business in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Under Greg Bentley's leadership as CEO, Bentley Systems has grown to become the industry leader with its digital twin advanced infrastructure technologies. Their tools are utilized by every State department of transportation across our Nation and by 194 countries worldwide, not only helping move forward our outdated infrastructure, but also moving us into the 21st century.

In Congress, I am proud that we have made recent bipartisan progress for the Federal Government to fully realize this kind of potential. From the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization to the Water Resources Development Act to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, each of these bills have contained related provisions that will help save taxpayer dollars and improve our infrastructure for years to come.

I congratulate Greg Bentley on his well-deserved retirement as CEO. His entrepreneurial leadership and vision have transformed Bentley into a cornerstone of innovation right in our own backyard of Exton, Pennsylvania.

I congratulate Bentley Systems, and here is to 40 more years.

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

Mr. Chair, today I rise to urge my colleagues to support my bipartisan amendment to the Energy and Water Appropriations Act.

My amendment seeks a commonsense approach to a pressing issue that impacts not only our energy and national security but also the daily lives of millions of Americans, including my constituents, who have struggled with power reliability issues in the wake of increased extreme weather events. Notably, my bipartisan amendment urges the Department of Energy to address domestic shortages of electrical transformers using the existing authorities of the Defense Production Act.

Large power transformers and distribution transformers are the backbone of our Nation's electrical grid. They ensure that power is delivered to homes, businesses, and essential services across our country. Here is the problem: Right now we are facing a significant shortage of these critical pieces of infrastructure due to supply chain challenges. This leaves our grid vulnerable to disruptions, whether from natural disasters or cyberattacks or extreme weather. It also leaves us

dependent on other countries, including our foreign adversaries like China, for these key components. This means that both our energy and our national security are at risk.

In southeastern Pennsylvania, which I am very proud to represent, we have experienced significant electricity reliability issues following extreme weather events. Indeed, just this past week, severe storms caused very prolonged power outages in our community, impacting families, businesses, and essential services like hospitals and emergency response units. In addition, more than 130,000 Pennsylvanians were without power during those heat advisories, some for days and days on end. These outages have highlighted the fragility of our current grid infrastructure, and they underscore the current need to bolster our critical energy supply chains.

My district is not alone in these struggles. Indeed, across the Nation, we have seen the impacts of power outages and grid failures as they become more frequent. They disrupt communities, hinder economic activity, and have even claimed lives. Swiftly addressing the shortage of transformers is about protecting our communities, our economy, our national security, and our American way of life.

Luckily, we have the tools to address this issue. There are existing authorities within the Defense Production Act that could be leveraged to bolster domestic manufacturing to supply and repair transformers and ensure that our grid remains resilient and reliable. In fact, in 2022, President Biden granted the authority to utilize the Defense Production Act to accelerate domestic production of transformers and electric grid components.

In addition, I was proud to vote in favor of the Inflation Reduction Act, which also included $500 million in funding for the DPA, or Defense Production Act, much of which is still available to bolster these critical supply chains and should be rapidly deployed. This amendment showcases the strong bipartisan support for the Department of Energy to utilize these existing authorities and existing funding for this purpose.

As co-chair of the bipartisan Climate Solution Caucus, I have worked tirelessly with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to secure our energy infrastructure and to combat climate change. This amendment is a testament to that shared commitment to these goals. I thank my co- chair, Representative Andrew Garbarino, and caucus members Jack Bergman and Don Bacon, and Congresswoman Kim Schrier for their support on this amendment. By addressing the shortage of transformers, we are not only enhancing our Nation's energy security but also advancing our efforts to build a more resilient energy system that serves all of the American people.

In closing, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan amendment to help bolster our grid, to protect families and communities, and to ensure a reliable power supply for all Americans.

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