Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I hereby remove myself as a cosponsor to

Mr. Speaker, this week, I had the honor to introduce a resolution designating May 9 as Home Front Heroes Day. This was an idea from Major John ``Lucky'' Luckadoo, a 101-year-old World War II veteran and patriot who lives in Dallas.

Home Front Heroes Day would recognize those who sacrificed so much to support our servicemembers and keep our Nation going during the Second World War.

I was so honored last year to celebrate Home Front Heroes Day in person with Lucky himself. We can all learn a lot from Major Luckadoo's leadership, and it is something I hope to carry with me throughout my time in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to know Major Luckadoo, who has worked so hard to make sure that folks who were on the home front get the recognition they deserve. I appreciate the opportunity to play a small role in Lucky's story.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to celebrating Home Front Heroes Day for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, last Saturday started out as a beautiful day, and families with kids just like mine headed to the Allen Premium Outlets. It is a place that every north Texan knows. It is where we go to get good deals and to get a new outfit for school or for work. Now some of those folks are never going to come home. Eight people were murdered, and dozens of lives were changed forever.

As a Texan, I want to say their names here so that they will live on in our Congressional Record for as long as our Republic stands.

The Cho family: Cho Kyu Song, his wife Kang Shin Young, and their 3- year-old son James--just 3 years old.

They are survived by their 6-year-old son, William, who is a child who lost his entire world in one afternoon.

Along with the Cho family, we also lost Christian LaCour, a security guard who died saving others and showing incredible bravery. Christian was just 20 years old.

We lost Aishwarya Thatikonda who was an engineer and who moved to the U.S. from India just 5 years ago and was full of high hopes.

As well we lost Elio Cumana-Rivas who was working hard to send money home to his mother and father in Venezuela.

Finally, we lost Daniela and Sofia Mendoza. Daniela was in fourth grade. Sofia was in second grade. Their mother Hilda is in critical condition.

A high school classmate of mine emailed me yesterday, Mr. Speaker, to tell me that one of our classmates had a son who attended their elementary school. My district lies just south of the mall in Allen. This is deeply personal for me and for all north Texans.

My deepest prayers and condolences go out to these families. I cannot imagine what they are going through.

I grieve with my fellow Texans as we endure yet another mass shooting. The wounds from that day will be with our community forever. It impacts all of us. I know because my wife and I have two boys who are 4 and 2. I held my boys so much closer the morning after that shooting. I know how so many parents are feeling right now: the fear that the next time it will be your family in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I also don't believe that it has to be this way. I know it doesn't have to be this way. We don't have to live like this.

Our public places don't have to become memorials. Our places of worship, our malls, and especially our schools don't have to become the site of the next tragedy.

Let me tell you, Mr. Speaker, I am so sick and tired of hearing some politician talk about what we can't do or saying that just raising the topic is dividing us. That is not who we are. There is nothing that we can't do in the United States of America when we put our minds to it. We can keep our families and our children safe.

It is also not my Texas.

Just yesterday, though, a bipartisan group in a Texas Statehouse committee did vote to raise the age to buy an assault rifle from 18 to 21.

That is my Texas where folks can come together across the aisle to get things done consistent with the Second Amendment and without abridging the rights of law-abiding gun owners. There are commonsense things that we can agree on and that the American people overwhelmingly support, like universal background checks, red flag laws to keep the guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals who shouldn't have them and raising the legal age to purchase semi-automatic rifles.

We could do those right now in a bipartisan fashion.

Let us start there and work together to save lives.

While we offer our prayers and as we observed a moment of silence tonight, let us act for the north Texans we lost and the ones who will be forever changed.

Mr. Speaker, on January 30, 2023, I was absent during the time of votes due to illness. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 94, H.R. 500, Financial Exploitation Prevention Act.

Madam Speaker, with news that Damar Hamlin has finally been released from the hospital, I am honored to join my fellow NFL alumni, Congressman Owens, and my colleagues here today to lead a moment recognizing Damar Hamlin's inspiring story on the floor of the people's House.

Football has some downsides, but it also has the power to bring us together, to remind us of what really matters. Damar's perseverance has inspired millions and, once again, highlighted the generosity and fundamental goodness of the American people.

Damar, congratulations on your recovery. We are all with you.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Owens).

Mr. Speaker, first, I want to say that we received amazing news this morning. Brittney Griner is coming home.

This is a huge relief for her, her wife, Cherelle, and her family after months of uncertainty in Russia's sham justice system. I thank President Biden, Secretary Blinken, and all at the State Department who made this happen.

Today, in a strong symbol of the stark differences in the freedoms between our two Nations, the U.S. Congress will vote in a bipartisan way to pass the Respect for Marriage Act enshrining marriage equality into Federal law and protecting marriages just like Brittney's.

I am proud to vote today to say that love is love no matter who you are or where you live and no matter what any future extreme or out-of- touch Supreme Court may say.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes'' and standing up for freedom.

Madam Speaker, on September 13, 2022, I was participating in a Presidential Delegation to the Republic of Kenya and absent during the time of votes. Had I been present, I would have voted:

YEA on Roll Call No. 421, S. 4785, a bill to extend by 19 days the authorization for the special assessment for the Domestic Trafficking Victims' Fund;

YEA on Roll Call No. 422, H.R. 5315, the Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant Act; and

YEA on Roll Call No. 423, H.R. 1066, the Wildfire Recovery Act.

Mr. Speaker, I was participating in a Presidential Delegation to the Republic of Kenya and absent during the time of votes. Had I been present, I would have voted:

YEA on Roll Call No. 424, H. Res. 1339, on Ordering the Previous Question;

YEA on Roll Call No. 425, H. Res. 1339, on Agreeing to the Resolution;

YEA on Roll Call No. 426, Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass Certain Bills (H.R. 1468, S. 4205, H.R. 7939, H.R. 7846, H.R. 7735, H.R. 5916, H.R. 8260, and H.R. 5865);

YEA on Roll Call No. 427, H.R. 884, the National Aviation Preparedness Plan Act;

YEA on Roll Call No. 428, H.R. 5774, the Expediting Disaster Recovery Act;

YEA on Roll Call No. 429, S. 2293, the Crew Act; and

YEA on Roll Call No. 430, S. 442, the BRIGHT Act.

Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress

Baird (Bucshon)

Bass (Correa)

Bush (Bowman)

Cardenas (Correa)

Conway (Valadao)

DeSaulnier (Beyer)

Dingell (Kuster)

Fallon (Nehls)

Gaetz (Cawthorn)

Higgins (NY) (Pallone)

Johnson (TX) (Jeffries)

Jones (Beyer)

Kirkpatrick (Pallone)

Lawrence (Beatty)

Lawson (FL) (Evans)

Levin (MI) (Correa)

McEachin (Beyer)

Miller (WV)

(Kim (CA))

Moore (WI) (Beyer)

Newman (Beyer)

Payne (Pallone)

Pingree (Kuster)

Rice (NY) (Deutch)

Schiff (Deutch)

Schrader (Correa)

Scott (VA) (Beyer)

Scott, Austin (Cammack)

Stansbury (Pallone)

Stevens (Kuster)

Tlaib (Bowman)

Upton (Katko)

Wexton (Beyer)

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life of George Thomas Nolan of Garland, Texas. Mr. Nolan passed away on August 12, 2022, and leaves behind a legacy that his family should be proud of.

Mr. Nolan was born on December 24, 1940, in Bay Shore, New York. Like myself, he was raised by a single parent. He joined the Army as a young man in the 1950s and served as a helicopter mechanic in Germany. He later went on to be a mechanic and shop steward at several airlines.

Later, he suffered a loss no parent should suffer. His daughter, Cari died, at the age of 38. After this tragedy, Mr. Nolan poured himself into community work, registering voters, knocking on doors and working to promote ``fairness and equality.''

He devoted his golden years to strengthening Medicare.

I was so honored to meet Mr. Nolan as part of my work to lower prescription drug prices. I even had the pleasure to invite him to join a roundtable with Speaker Pelosi on that subject this year.

Mr. Nolan was a great North Texan, a loving family man and a patriot.

He leaves behind his wife of 55 years, Bobbye Nolan, and his son, Tim J. Nolan. He

is also survived by his daughter-in-law Laurie Stone and grandchildren, Leah, Emma, and Nathan, as well as his first grandchild and daughter of Cari, Abigail Slider.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember and honor the life of Paul Tafalla, a brave and courageous North Texas veteran who passed away on July 2.

Paul Tafalla was a son of Dallas. As one of six siblings, he was raised in the historical ``El Pozo'' neighborhood in South Dallas. After moving with his family to East Dallas, Paul attended and graduated from Crozier Tech High School.

After graduation, Paul enlisted in the United States Army, where he would serve a 4-year enlistment with two tours to Vietnam. He bravely served in the 1st Cavalry Infantry division aboard the Huey and Chinook gunships, one of the first helicopter divisions to experience combat in Vietnam.

When he returned home to the United States, he married the love of his life, Sarah Lucille, in 1973 and had three beautiful children. Paul later worked as a precision optician on defense contracts at Texas Instruments for more than 20 years.

Paul was a member of the Freemasons and the Shriners Society, as well as belonging to other organizations such as the American Legion, Disabled Veterans, and VFW. He received several awards for his heroic bravery over his life. He was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Heroism and was honored by numerous city and state organizations, including the State Legislature of Texas, for saving four lives in a head-on car collision.

He also served his community by mentoring youth through sports. Paul received two Coach of the Year awards and led teams to multiple division titles and championships.

Paul lived a very selfless life and was known to always put others before himself. He was a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather. Paul's courage and kindness will leave a lasting impact on so many in Dallas.

I was lucky to know Paul, and I am proud to honor the life and legacy of Paul Tafalla today. His memory lives with his wife, children, and grandchildren. My thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones and the Dallas community today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Inflation Reduction Act.

For too long, Congress has refused to act while seniors like my mom, who is a breast cancer survivor, endured price gouging on their medicines while on Medicare.

Today, Democrats in Congress are changing that. We are going to stand up to Big Pharma and let Medicare negotiate lower prices and cap out- of-pocket costs at $2,000, as well as capping the cost of insulin.

For too long, Congress has refused to address the climate crisis and invest in clean energy. Today, Democrats in Congress are changing that. Through the largest-ever investment to fight climate change, this bill will cut emissions by 40 percent by 2030. It unleashes American and, yes, Texas-made clean energy while creating 9 million jobs.

Thanks to President Biden, and Democrats in Congress, this historic legislation will impact our Nation for generations to come, all while reducing the deficit without raising taxes on folks making less than $400,000 a year.

It is a big deal, and I cannot wait to vote ``yes'' for it. I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

With these words, our Founders summed up the entire theory of what

has become our constitutional Republic. But since the Supreme Court's ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, we have seen inalienable rights, like the right to choose how and who to form a family with, openly questioned by Justices on the Supreme Court and rightwing politicians.

Mr. Speaker, love is love. It took us far too long to recognize the right for same-sex couples to marry. Within 7 years since it was, millions of Americans have come to expect that they, too, will be able to fall in love and marry the person of their choosing.

What right could be more foundational? Their marriages, their family, their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is worth protecting, and that is why I will proudly vote for the Respect for Marriage Act.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of one of the most fundamental rights imaginable in a free society, the right to bodily autonomy and the freedom to choose when and how to begin a family.

As I stand here today, Texas women do not have that right. In Texas right now, a woman is required, by law, to either carry to term the offspring of their rapist or their abuser or drive 5 hours or more to Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, or anywhere they can get access to abortion services.

Now, some extremist Republicans in Texas want to prevent Texans from leaving the State to obtain an abortion. The same so-called conservatives who talk about Big Government want to tell Texas women where they can travel or are threatening the employers of those women who offer to pay for their travel.

What is next, Madam Speaker? Will they place checkpoints on our interstate highways, or question women boarding a plane or a train about the nature of their travel?

Does this sound like freedom to anyone?

I will not stand for it. My colleagues and I will not stand for it. The Ensuring Access to Abortion Act ensures that all American women have the right to travel within the United States, a right that we should not have to be affirming today but one that we will.

Madam Speaker, after the mass shooting in El Paso in 2019, I received a letter from then 6-year-old Cal from Rowlett, Texas.

He wrote:

When kids get shot, that is less friends to play with. When

I grow up I don't want to hear any more on the news about

people being killed with guns.

He was 6, and he had to write that to his Congressman. Today, just 3 years later, he is the same age as some of the kids murdered in Uvalde.

I refuse to accept that there is nothing that we can do, and I refuse to say there is nothing we can do to protect kids like Cal or my sons in their schools.

We have to act by passing commonsense measures, like raising the age to 21 to buy an assault-style weapon, banning high-capacity magazines, and increasing safe storage. That will save lives. This legislation, the Protecting Our Kids Act, will save lives.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' to help us save lives and for the Senate to finally act and to join us in trying to end this crisis.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support this bipartisan resolution supporting the people of Ukraine.

As the chairman said, I was in Ukraine just a few weeks ago, in the beautiful city of Kyiv. I met the very people who today, despite facing a ruthless enemy, are waging an inspiring campaign to save their democracy, including a young woman who told me she was going to get her white wine and Kalashnikov and defend her country. And she is.

This resolution tells the world, and most importantly the Ukrainian people, that the United States Congress stands with you. President Biden has used every tool at his disposal to unite the world in punishing Vladimir Putin for his unprovoked and unjustified war, and Congress will act to provide more resources to that effort.

Because our work continues to further help Ukraine defend itself and further isolate Russia. Putin has a choice: To pursue his long-term strategic goals or to continue this unnecessary and illegal war on Ukraine. He cannot do both.

We are united as a country and as a Congress in standing with the people of Ukraine in their fight for their democracy. I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes.''