Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the End Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act.

The objective of this bill is very straightforward. No American who has suffered wrongful detention or hostage-taking by our adversaries should return home to face penalties from the IRS.

Under current tax law, individuals who have been held against their will can be subject to late tax payment penalties after returning home from captivity. This defies common sense and is antithetical to what we stand for as Americans. This is an overlooked flaw in our tax code that can only worsen the trauma of individuals and families who have already faced extraordinary challenges if this is not addressed by Congress.

The End Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act protects American hostages, wrongful detainees, and their families from tax penalties incurred because of circumstances beyond their control. This bill was precipitated because of cases like my constituent Ryan Corbett, a husband and father from Dansville, New York, who was wrongfully detained by the Taliban for 875 days. Ryan was held in a 9-foot-by-9- foot basement cell without regular access to the bathroom, sunlight, or appropriate medical care. Ryan was in dire health by the time he returned to his wife, Anna, and his 3 children, Ketsia, Miriam, and Caleb in January 2025. While Ryan and his family have not been subjected to tax penalties from the IRS, the fact that it was a possibility under the circumstances is unacceptable.

While I am thankful that we are taking a pivotal step today to correct that injustice, we must continue to fight to secure the release of Americans being illegally held abroad as Ryan was.

In closing, I ask my colleagues to support the End Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act to send a clear message that we stand by our fellow citizens who have endured unthinkable circumstances abroad.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in loving memory of Donna Besler-Tatem of Canandaigua, New York, a woman defined by faith, family, compassion, and service.

She led the Care Net Pregnancy Center of Canandaigua, helped to establish a Nowhere to Go program for people experiencing homelessness, supported suicide prevention efforts, and counseled individuals in the Ontario County Jail.

Donna lived with deep faith, love for her family, and compassion for others. She was always warm and welcoming, with a special gift of making people feel seen, heard, and valued.

After losing her beloved son Brennan to suicide, Donna transformed her grief into a mission of hope and compassion.

Family was precious to Donna. She was the loving mother of Ashley, Grant, Luke, and the late Brennan. She cherished her father; her sisters, including Diana, her sister and best friend; and her precious therapy dog, Piper.

In recent years, Donna devoted herself to caring for her beloved mother, who passed away just months ago.

Donna's life reminds us to be kinder, listen longer, judge less, and see the person first. Our Finger Lakes community is better because Donna was a part of it.

May God bless Donna, her family, and all who loved her.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, the Temple Mount, or Har HaBayit, as it is called, is the holiest site in the world to the Jewish people. During the periods of the First and Second Temples, Jews from across the land of Israel would travel to the Temple during the three annual pilgrimages. These pilgrims included figures like King Solomon, King Herod, and Jesus of Nazareth, our Lord and Savior.

However, whereas Christians and Muslims enjoy broad access and religious prayer rights at their holiest sites, Jews are severely discriminated against upon the Temple Mount.

Muslims can currently enter the Temple Mount at 11 different gates, but Jews can only enter from 1 gate. Muslims can visit the Temple Mount any day of the week, but Jews cannot ascend the Temple Mount on Friday or Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. Muslims have broad access to the Temple Mount and can pray openly upon the Temple Mount. Jews are severely restricted in their visits and do not enjoy the freedom to worship or the ability to wear their tallit and tefillin upon the Temple Mount.

And for the Jews that ascend in spite of all these restrictions, they still face harassment from Muslims upon the Temple Mount.

In fact, Muslim leaders have actively desecrated the site, including the planting and cultivating of trees at the inner courts of the Temple, expressly prohibited by Jewish law. Muslim children play soccer, practice boxing, and have picnics upon the Temple Mount, desecrating its holiness, while Jews cannot even freely worship upon the Temple Mount.

You don't have to take my word for it, Madam Chair. There is photo and video evidence of all this freely available. Individuals like Dr. Melissa Jane Kronfeld have spent extensive time documenting all of this. I thank her for her efforts to draw attention to this critical issue.

Further, when one of my staffers ascended the Temple Mount last year, he was harassed by Muslim onlookers, restricted from visiting most of the site, and was only allowed to be upon the Temple Mount for a very short duration of time.

Madam Chair, it is unconscionable that Jews do not enjoy the same access rights to visit and pray at their holiest site that other religions do. This is a basic tenet and principle of religious freedom, and the U.S. must do more on this issue.

That is why my amendment would emphasize the need for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to work to ensure religious freedom and equal access for all with respect to the Temple Mount.

I urge all my colleagues to vote for this commonsense amendment and to support religious freedom for all and support the rights of the Jewish people to freely worship at their very holiest site, the Temple Mount.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I respect the opinion of my colleague across the aisle, but it was also said that moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was going to be too inflammatory and too dangerous. Many Presidents said they would do it. President Donald Trump did it, and it hasn't proven to be overly inflammatory. In fact, it proved to be the right place and the right thing to do.

I think this is common sense. Why should Jewish people not be able to worship at their holiest site in equal measure that all other religions get to worship at their holiest sites? I think this is a commonsense amendment. I don't think it would be inflammatory. I think it makes sense. It restores dignity, and it also restores fairness to the international religious freedom tenets that we all stand for, foundational type of religious freedoms that we actually revere in this country under our First Amendment.

I urge my colleagues to vote for this commonsense amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the 300th anniversary of Old Fort Niagara, one of the most significant historic landmarks in the United States. Established by the French in 1726 at the strategic junction of the Niagara River and Lake Ontario, Old Fort Niagara has stood for three centuries as a symbol of our Nation's rich history, resilience, and enduring spirit.

Occupied at various times throughout history by French, British, and American forces, the fort has played a pivotal role in major conflicts, including the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812. Today, it continues to honor the legacy of the soldiers who defended it, preserving their stories as a testament to the military service and sacrifice that helped shape our Nation.

As Old Fort Niagara commemorates its 300th anniversary, we honor the generations of soldiers, civilians, historians, educators, and volunteers who have worked tirelessly to preserve and protect this site. Their dedication ensures that future generations will continue to learn from and value the rich history and legacy of this landmark.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Old Fort Niagara on its 300th anniversary and in recognizing the educators, historians, and volunteers who have made invaluable contributions to the preservation of American history.

Madam Speaker, I rise to support passage of H.R. 8872, the Preventing Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in TANF Act.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, as it is known, was created to help families in poverty meet urgent needs while supporting work and long-term self-sufficiency.

Unfortunately, Federal TANF funds have become too easy for State governments to use as slush funds for unrelated programs, as you heard my great colleague, Mr. Bean, describe. Some States--he left them unnamed--are using it to build sports stadiums instead of focusing this money on families who are truly in need of assistance.

This is why I am leading this bill with my colleague from Florida, Mr. Aaron Bean, the Protect TANF Resources for Families Act, which is included in this bill package.

This bill says something very simple: Federal TANF funds can only be used to support families in poverty, and they cannot be used to fill State budget gaps.

This bill does not take away State flexibility. States will continue to have flexibility to operate their TANF programs in ways that work for individual communities, but flexibility requires responsibility.

Federal dollars provided for needy families should remain focused on needy families. Struggling families should be able to trust that TANF resources are being preserved for them. Taxpayers have the right to ensure that their money isn't being diverted through unfair State budget maneuvers.

This bill is an important step toward restoring accountability, protecting limited resources, and making sure TANF serves the families who truly need our help.

Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Jason Smith, subcommittee Chairman Darin LaHood, and my colleague who cosponsors this bill, Aaron Bean from Florida, for marking up this important bill. I also thank our Speaker, Leader Scalise, and Whip Tom Emmer for bringing this bill to the floor.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill to help us end waste, fraud, and abuse, and to provide accountability to our taxpayers.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1318, the Foreign Intelligence Accountability Act. This legislation will extend FISA section 702 for another 3 years.

This law is an essential national security tool. You don't need any more evidence. Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States, our Commander in Chief, both of us who hail from New York, understand that FISA section 702 is a vital tool that allows the U.S. to gather intelligence on dangerous foreign adversaries.

After speaking with our military leaders, President Trump recently commented: Not one said, even tacitly, that they can do without FISA section 702.

President Trump also said that FISA section 702 is one of the reasons we have had such tremendous success on the battlefield as we pursue this war in the Middle East.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support our military, protect our national security, and vote ``yes'' on this critically important section.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the first sponsor of H.R. 7380, a bill originally introduced by Representative Swalwell of California, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that it may be in order at any time on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, for the Speaker to declare a recess, subject to the call of the Chair, for the purpose of receiving in joint meeting His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table S. Con. Res. 29, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the Bicentennial of the Town of Alabama, located in Genesee County, New York. In the early 19th century, settlers began to gather in the region, appreciating the abundant resources the land offered. By 1828, the previously named town of Gerrysville was officially renamed Alabama. Within the town there are four hamlets: Alabama Center, Basom, South Alabama, and Wheatville.

For 200 years, Alabama has respected and maintained its strong farming heritage. The fertile land has proven Alabama and the surrounding area as one of the foremost agricultural regions within the State. Agricultural growers and producers continue to responsibly steward the land, providing fresh products to our region and country.

As the town celebrates its 200th anniversary, I join my colleagues in wishing its residents a wonderful year of celebration and many more future milestones.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues on tax day to celebrate a generational victory for American workers, families, and small businesses.

The working families tax cut signed into law last July Fourth was a game-changing event for Americans and especially people in my district in upstate New York, the highest tax State in the Nation, even higher than Mr. Thompson's district now as the Democrats in these two States continue to compete to raise our taxes.

This tax season, though, is really good news. I have heard from countless constituents and their families about the money they have saved already from President Trump's tax cuts. We doubled the standard deduction, increased the child tax credit to $2,200 per child. These are now permanent.

What does this mean in practice? A family of three welcoming a new baby into their lives can expect a tax refund of over $4,000, plus a $1,000 Trump Account deposit to jump start that child's financial future.

That is real money for food, diapers, clothes, and a future nest egg for that child. That is government working for families, not against them.

For nearly 90 percent of Americans who claim the standard deduction, this law delivers over $205 billion in new tax relief on top of what we already did in the Trump tax cuts in 2017.

I spent many years of my life managing and operating our family's small business. I know firsthand what it is like to struggle to make payroll and the stress that small business owners face every single day, especially in States like New York. This is why making the section 199A Qualified Business Deduction now permanent is a certainty for millions of Main Street businesses, small businesses, including sole proprietors, independent contractors, and tradesmen. It means these entrepreneurs can invest in their workers, plan for their future, and compete in a more dynamic marketplace.

Mr. Speaker, I thank President Trump, Speaker Johnson, and our great Chairman Smith for spearheading this effort to build on the successes of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and deliver the most significant tax relief for American workers and families in a generation. This has been a godsend for people in New York against the Democrats who are continuing to raise our taxes in the State of New York. I thank them for the relief.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 71.

Mr. Speaker, I want to first address a comment by the ranking member, Mr. Morelle. We both hail from New York. He is a dear friend, but I just want to point out something.

New York City Democrats actually put up a bill to allow noncitizens to vote in their elections. Our far-left leaning--and I think you can argue that very easily--Court of Appeals, New York's highest court, actually turned that down and said: No, only citizens can vote in our elections. That is New York State law, and that is our national law.

I just want to make sure that that was your response to Mr. Burchett to make sure you understood that we have addressed this in New York, and we have established that only citizens can vote. We want to make sure we secure the ballot and know that citizenship in this country has value.

There is nothing more profound or important for the preservation of our constitutional Republic and to keep the power in ``we the people'' than the sacred right to vote.

Democrats have continuously undermined election integrity, sowing the seeds of mistrust with mail-in ballots, failing to provide ID, not proving that there is, indeed, one citizen, one vote.

This bill merely requires that you prove that you are a citizen and that we secure the ballot by knowing that there is one citizen, one vote.

As the cofounder and the chair of the Election Integrity Caucus, I would love to see every legal citizen vote in every election. I know I have as a proud American citizen.

Consider this situation: If you discovered that you had won the lottery, only to find out that a cartel member had perfectly replicated your winning lottery ticket and it was worth, let's just say, $200 million, maybe even $50 million, and you went to go turn in your ticket, but somebody else without a valid ID stole your identity and took your money, you would probably argue that we should have a valid voter ID.

I only wish that Americans would value their right to vote, as simple as it is, and to recognize that important act of voting as important to preserving our country, our Republic, and keeping power, again, in ``we the people.''

Mr. Speaker, a secure valid ID system is the only way to ensure one citizen/one vote.

I urge all of my colleagues to join the Election Integrity Caucus and stand for election integrity and make sure that every citizen eligible to vote votes in every election.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend President Donald J. Trump for his decisive leadership that restored American strength, put our security first, and reasserted the rule of law on behalf of the American people in our hemisphere.

For years, Venezuela, under Nicolas Maduro, was not a legitimate government. It functioned as a criminal enterprise, enriching corrupt elites, fueling narcoterrorist networks, and exporting disorder throughout the Western Hemisphere.

That criminal activity did not stop at Venezuela's borders. It strengthened cartels, expanded drug trafficking routes, and contributed directly to the fentanyl crisis that is devastating working families across the United States, including in my home State of New York.

Under President Trump, that era of weakness is over. Criminals no longer get a free pass.

Through Operation Absolute Resolve, U.S. forces and law enforcement partners successfully captured Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, both tied to narcotics trafficking, in a carefully planned, coordinated operation, carried out with precision and without a single U.S. casualty.

This is what peace through strength looks like. This was a lawful action. This was an act of justice against an indicted narcotrafficker who believed he could evade accountability while ordinary people paid the price. President Trump proved him wrong.

This operation also demonstrated what strong leadership looks like. Our military, intelligence community, and law enforcement agencies worked seamlessly together, drawing on decades of experience, to deliver accountability.

The administration did not stop there. By cracking down on sanctioned oil shipments and seizing illicit tankers operating in violation of U.S. law, President Trump sent a clear message: Sanctions will be enforced. Criminal profits will be cut off. Rigged systems will be dismantled. When you stop the money, you choke off the trafficking.

Predictably, Democrats have reacted with hysteria, due largely to their acute Trump derangement syndrome and insistence on an America last policy. This is reminiscent of the policies of the Biden administration.

Democrats would rather see America cower to our adversaries than stand up for our people and enforce the Monroe Doctrine, or what we now refer to as the Donroe doctrine. Appeasement never results in effective deterrence.

Democrats' fecklessness has empowered dictators, emboldened traffickers, and left Americans less safe. Peace through strength works, and strong leadership matters.

The mission is stability in the Western Hemisphere and a secure transition in Venezuela that prevents criminals and adversaries from filling a dangerous vacuum. President Trump will continue to lead with strength, accountability, and resolve.

Mr. Speaker, this operation stands for a simple principle: Stand with the rule of law, cut off the money supply, stop the trafficking, always put America first, and the American people will win.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Gill for yielding. I rise in strong support of my bill today, H.R. 323, to rename the post office in Avon, New York, as the Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz Memorial Post Office Building.

It is appropriate to name this post office after Anthony Mazurkiewicz. A grateful community should always find ways to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in its service.

Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz, also known as Tony, was born on November 7, 1967, in Amsterdam, New York. Officer Mazurkiewicz was a graduate of Avon High School and SUNY Brockport.

Officer Mazurkiewicz then began his law enforcement career in 1988 as a jail deputy with the Monroe County Sheriff's Department in Rochester, New York. In 1993, he joined the Rochester Police Department as a patrol officer, serving both Clinton and Goodman sections until he transferred to the tactical unit in 2002.

During his distinguished career as an officer with the Rochester Police Department, Officer Mazurkiewicz was the recipient of the Rochester Police Department Life Saving Award, Officer of the Month Award, 17 Excellent Police Service Awards, 7 Unit Commendation Awards, 32 Chief's Letters of Commendation, and the Good Conduct Award for 29 years of service without a sustained complaint.

Beyond his duties as an officer with the Rochester Police Department, Officer Mazurkiewicz was also an active member of the Rochester Police Locust Club, a very distinguished club, for his entire 29-year career. This included

serving as the tactical unit representative to the executive board for over 20 years and as a member of the contract negotiations team, the scholarship committee, and the house committee.

Officer Mazurkiewicz devoted 29 years to serving and protecting the Rochester community and was looking forward to a well-earned retirement to spend fishing, traveling, relaxing, and spending a lot of time with his wife, Lynn, and their family.

On July 21, 2022, Officer Mazurkiewicz was tragically shot and killed while on duty while conducting surveillance duty. As part of a murder investigation, Officer Mazurkiewicz and another officer were in an unmarked police vehicle when the subject walked up from behind and fired 17 rounds.

Officer Mazurkiewicz is survived by his wife of 28 years, Lynn; four children; three grandchildren; his parents, Francis and Rose Mazurkiewicz; his brother, Frank; his sister, Lisa; many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins; Anthony's very large and extended law enforcement family; and everyone in the community who knew him.

Officer Mazurkiewicz was an American hero who dedicated 35 years of his life to upholding justice and the rule of law until he was ruthlessly killed in the line of duty while serving our community.

Renaming the Avon post office in his honor will not fill the profound hole left in our community and in the hearts of his beloved family, but it will serve as a lasting tribute to his honorable service and very distinguished legacy.

This tribute to Officer Mazurkiewicz will inspire future generations and ensure that his courage, patriotism, and commitment to our community are never forgotten.

I am grateful to my New York congressional colleagues for cosponsoring this bill and am especially thankful to Congressman Joe Morelle for co-leading this bill with me. I also thank Chairman Jim Comer, the Ranking Member Emeritus Gerry Connolly, and Ranking Member Robert Garcia for their support in the Oversight Committee. Finally, I thank Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for their help in getting this bill to the floor.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill to honor the life and service of Anthony Mazurkiewicz and show our enduring support for all of our fallen law enforcement officers.