Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to Jeff Molter MBA, MSN, CRNA. Mr. Molter will soon complete his term as national president of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA). I am proud that Mr. Molter was elected as the 2025 to 2026 president of this prestigious healthcare organization, with a storied history in Ohio where the AANA was founded.

As a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), Jeff worked to support CRNAs across the country during his term. CRNAs are advanced practice registered nurses who administer more than 50 million anesthetics to patients each year. They provide anesthesia in every healthcare setting, providing critical services to so many, particularly in rural and underserved communities. CRNAs provide anesthesia for all types of surgical cases and are the sole anesthesia providers in many rural hospitals.

As an AANA member since 1997, Mr. Molter has contributed greatly to the healthcare community nationwide and in the great state of Ohio. As a (CRNA) for more than 25 years, he began his career at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Cleveland and has since worked across hospitals and surgery centers throughout Ohio. Mr. Molter's extensive involvement with the AANA spans decades and includes national roles as Vice President, Board of Directors and Region 6 Director. His work on AANA committees includes the State Organizational Development, Finance, Executive, Governance, and Nominating committees. Mr. Molter also has significant experience with Ohio State Association of Nurse Anesthetists (OSANA) includes roles as President, President-elect, and Director; additional committee positions included OSANA State Government Relations, Communications, Finance, and Nominating committees.

In addition to his work as a CRNA, Mr. Molter is also an innovator. He is the co-creator of the Block Pro app along with fellow CRNA and business partner Scott Urigel. Mr. Molter is an alumni and guest lecturer for the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University. Mr. Molter earned his MBA degree from Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, his Master of Science degree in Nursing from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, and his Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio.

During his AANA presidency, Mr. Molter has been a strong advocate for the patients and practice of nurse anesthesia before federal agencies and members of Congress. He has worked tirelessly to promote anesthesia patient safety and the value of CRNAs to our healthcare system, and to help protect the profession for future generations.

I extend my sincere congratulations and appreciation to Mr. Molter today on a job well done. His service to AANA and commitment to safe, quality anesthesia care nationwide, and in the great state of Ohio, are highly commendable. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mr. Molter's notable career and outstanding achievements.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this amendment, and I thank my friend, Representative Mast, and my friend, Representative Titus, for their leadership on this issue and for their continued advocacy on behalf of our Nation's veterans.

This amendment is about ensuring veterans are not denied access to treatment options that may improve their quality of life.

Mr. Chair, do you want them getting advice from doctors or budtenders?

It is a simple question.

As President Trump's administration continues examining broader reforms to Federal cannabis policy, Congress has a responsibility to ensure veterans are not left behind in that process.

Many of our servicemembers come home carrying invisible wounds that last long after the battlefield, chronic pain, PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, depression, and other service-connected conditions that can profoundly affect the quality of their lives.

For some veterans, traditional treatments have not worked. Others are searching for alternatives that may help manage pain, improve daily functioning, or reduce reliance on highly addictive opioids.

Across much of the country, patients are able to have open and honest conversations with their doctors about whether medical cannabis may help treat serious medical conditions. Yet veterans receiving care through the VA still face Federal barriers that prevent VA physicians from fully engaging in those same conversations and recommendations with their patients.

I think that is fundamentally wrong.

Regardless of where someone stands on broader cannabis policy, we should all agree that veterans deserve access to informed medical guidance and treatment decisions driven by science, evidence, and patient care, not outdated Federal restrictions.

That is especially important as President Trump's administration and Federal health agencies continue taking steps to expand legitimate cannabis research and better understand both its risk and potential therapeutic benefits. If we are serious about evidence-based medicine and improving outcomes for veterans, then we should not be standing in the way of research, dialogue, or responsible treatment options.

Frankly, the current system is not working. We have veterans living in States with legal medical cannabis programs, veterans seeking relief from serious service-connected conditions, and VA physicians whose hands remain tied by outdated Federal policy. That disconnect serves no one, least of all the men and women who served this country.

Mr. Chair, I urge strong support for this amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today in strong support of my legislation, the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act.

Organized retail crime is far beyond isolated shoplifting. It is a highly coordinated criminal enterprise that harms businesses, workers, and families in every corner of our country.

Whether you are a truck driver, a small business owner, or an everyday consumer, this issue affects you.

These criminal organizations are engaging in large-scale theft operations involving violence and intimidation, putting the lives of retail workers, small business owners, and everyday shoppers at risk. They disrupt supply chains, drive up costs, and create economic shock waves that reach far beyond the retail sector.

Cargo theft and supply chain fraud are surging nationwide, and the consequences are serious.

First, it puts hardworking Americans in danger. Our truck drivers and rail workers play an essential role in keeping this country running, and they should not have to fear for their safety on the job.

Second, these crimes disrupt supply chains and raise consumer prices. As we have seen in recent years, when supply chains break down, it is hardworking families who are ultimately paying the price.

The goods stolen by these criminal organizations are not simply resold for profit. In many cases, the proceeds are used to finance broader criminal activity, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, and weapons trafficking.

The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act gives law enforcement the tools they need to combat this growing epidemic. By establishing an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center within the Department of Homeland Security, this legislation will improve coordination among Federal, State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies.

This bill also strengthens prosecutors' ability to pursue those criminal investigations and hold those threatening our businesses and our communities accountable.

From small businesses on Main Street to retailers operating nationwide, organized retail crime threatens a key pillar of the American economy. We can't allow criminal organizations to intimidate hardworking Americans, threaten jobs, or destabilize communities across our country.

That is why I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, especially this Police Week, and demonstrate that Congress will always stand with law enforcement, protect small businesses, and fight organized crime.

Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Cole for yielding but mostly for his leadership together with the ranking member, the lovely Ms. DeLauro, Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Collins and Vice Chair Murray, and Senate Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee Chairman Hagerty and Ranking Member Reed. I appreciate all of their work on this bill.

Separately, I thank my ranking member, Mr. Hoyer. I value his institutional knowledge and his insight on and off this committee. I am sad to see him leave at the end of this Congress.

I rise today in strong support of the fiscal year 2026 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations

Act. This legislation funds the Department of the Treasury, the Executive Office of the President, the Federal judiciary, the District of Columbia, and more than 20 independent commissions, departments, and agencies.

The breadth of FSGG's jurisdiction is daunting, and there are many who thought we could never get a bill done, let alone a bipartisan one. I thank all the members of the FSGG subcommittee for their hard work, and I certainly thank Kim Betz for her hard work in keeping this program online and on track to be here today. I thank all the members of the subcommittee because we would not be here without them.

The bill we are considering today has a total base discretionary funding level of $26.3 billion. However, when compared to FY 2025 enacted levels for non-Defense discretionary spending, this bill is a $140 million cut.

The Treasury Department is cut by 8 percent from FY 2025 enacted levels, including the IRS. In fact, the IRS enforcement account is below $5 billion for the first time since 2021.

The Executive Office of the President is funded at just over $870 million.

Funding for the Federal judiciary is increased by 6 percent to $9.7 billion, which will support court security and the Federal public defender's program.

Approximately $877 million in Federal payments are provided to the District of Columbia, including emergency security funding for D.C. to support events in the capital, like America's 250 celebrations, Memorial Day, and Labor Day.

Finally, $2.8 billion is provided for the SEC, FTC, FCC, GSA, SBA, and more than 20 independent agencies.

This bill will enable the GSA to reduce the number of Federal properties on the Federal Government's deferred maintenance list. It provides critical funding for national security, including the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence and the Committee on Foreign Investment.

The bill funds bipartisan programs like CDFIs, which support communities and high-intensity drug trafficking area programs that are critical to strengthening this administration's interdiction and fentanyl tracking efforts.

In conclusion, this bill funds critical government agencies and programs and preserves and protects Congress' responsibility of overseeing how these funds are being used.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank my distinguished colleague from the State of Michigan for yielding. He certainly is a class act.

I am proud to join my friend Representative Rulli in supporting this effort to protect our children and national security from dangerous foreign actors.

For years, China has been attempting to exert soft power over our country by forging ties with American schools and universities. In an attempt to influence our future generation, the People's Republic of China has been establishing Confucius classrooms in our K-12 public schools. Styled as language and cultural programs, these classes and their teachers are funded and vetted by the Chinese Government, a fact that is rarely disclosed to the parents.

A report from Parents Defending Education revealed that over 140 K-12 schools across the country had contracts with a Chinese Government entity. Attached to these contracts are a variety of incentives, including fully funded teacher exchanges, Chinese language programs, and opportunities for American students to learn in China.

However, this funding comes with strings attached. These teachers could also be terminated if the CCP deems that they violate Chinese laws or go against the national interest of China.

The CLASS Act combats this foreign interference by preventing our public schools from accepting these funds. It also ensures that the Department of Education will be notified of these contracts.

As China seeks greater influence in education across the globe, we should take commonsense steps to protect our children and maintain the integrity of the U.S. system of schools.

These Confucius classrooms are just another example of the CCP trying to exert influence outside their borders. The fact that they are targeting our kids should be a significant cause for concern.

That is why I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and demonstrate that Congress will always fight to protect our children and national security.

Mr. Chair, as the designee of Mr. Mast, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast), the true sponsor of this amendment who has just arrived to state his position.

Mr. Chairman, what else can I say after hearing the true story of a true American hero and why it should be important for all people--Floridians, every veteran--to be able to access cannabis if, in fact, it is necessary and prescribed by a doctor and if it helps them treat whatever they have come home with?

My father was wounded and left for dead in World War II, and he came home. I know what it takes for these people and the hurt that they have gone through on behalf of our country. They deserve every option available to bring them back to what they were before they left on our behalf.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 331, the HALT Fentanyl Act.

This bipartisan bill will save lives by providing critical tools for law enforcement to combat the ongoing opioid crisis across our country.

Thousands of Americans continue to die each year from fentanyl overdoses, and Ohio has been particularly hard-hit by the epidemic.

Prior to the temporary rescheduling in 2018, fentanyl-related substances could only be controlled individually, allowing cartel chemists to easily create new uncontrolled compounds. This temporary rescheduling proved to be effective as the number of new compounds since then has significantly declined.

The prevalence of fentanyl-related substances and continued trafficking of dangerous narcotics across our southern border requires strong, decisive action from our Congress.

According to the DEA, there were more than 36 million fentanyl pills and nearly 4,000 pounds of fentanyl powder seized in 2025. This represents over 157 million deadly doses.

As a former prosecutor and a co-chair of the Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery Caucus, I understand the importance of law enforcement aggressively targeting traffickers and making sure that we are addressing societal challenges of addiction.

Each life lost to an overdose is a tragedy. We must declare war on the drugs that are killing our kids in our community.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill and send it to the President's desk.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the IMPACTT Human Trafficking Act, which I introduced alongside Senator Peters early last year.

Thousands of men, women, and children are victimized by human traffickers in the United States each year. Ohio is consistently ranked among the States most heavily impacted by human trafficking incidents. Traffickers threaten, deceive, and manipulate their victims, forcing them into what amounts to modern-day slavery.

As a former prosecutor, I understand the importance of caring for victims, punishing perpetrators, and ensuring that law enforcement personnel also receive the resources and attention they need when investigating these heinous crimes.

This bill would codify and expand the Victim Assistance Program at HSI to provide much-needed support for victims and other individuals impacted by human trafficking.

The bill also makes permanent a program focused on promoting the well-being of HSI employees and partners who are repeatedly exposed to trauma and stress during the course of their work with victims and associated investigations. These law enforcement personnel are consistently exposed to some of the worst humanity has to offer, and they are working to protect the most vulnerable. We should do everything in our power to safeguard their well-being and make sure they have the resources they need to protect their mental health and continue to do this admirable work.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Senator Peters for his continued leadership on this issue and my colleagues in the House for their critical partnership on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this bill today.

Mr. Speaker, on Roll Call No. 286, I mistakenly voted YES when I intended to vote NO.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 5640, to rename the Chesterland post office the Sgt. Wolfgang Kyle Weninger Post Office Building.

Sergeant Weninger, who went by Kyle or Wolf, was a graduate of Kenston High School and a local legend in hockey in Geauga County.

Kyle joined the Marines in 2015 and immediately excelled. In roughly 4 years, he earned the coveted Marine Special Operations Insignia and rose to the rank of sergeant.

Tragically, Kyle, who was only 28, passed away following a training accident on June 16, 2020.

Sergeant Weninger made the ultimate sacrifice for his country, and his memory should be honored, particularly in Geauga County, where he grew up.

With the passage of this bill, Kyle's legacy will live on in our community. The postal facility will serve as a reminder to the residents of Ohio's 14th Congressional District of the sacrifice servicemembers and their families, like the Weningers, make on an everyday basis for our country.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the primary sponsor of H.R. 4105, a bill originally introduced by Representative Buck of Colorado, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the primary sponsor of H.R. 895, a bill originally introduced by Representative Buck of Colorado, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the package of appropriations bills under consideration.

As chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee, I thank the full committee chair, Ms. Granger, for her leadership in assembling funding packages that reflect strong Republican priorities.

The crisis at our southwest border has raged under the Biden administration. More than 2 million migrants crossed the border each of the last 2 years. That is not sustainable.

So this bill makes key investments to secure the border, expand detention, improve technology, and deter illegal immigration.

Under this bill, we provide $500 million to reach an end strength of 22,000 border agents consistent with H.R. 2.

To counter fentanyl, this bill provides $305 million for nonintrusive inspection equipment at our Nation's ports of entry.

This bill ensures ICE has the detention capacity it needs to enforce the law by providing 41,500 detention beds.

Without this funding, ICE would have released more than 10,000 current detainees who pose a threat to our communities.

This bill also provides the Coast Guard with two Fast Response Cutters to counter Chinese aggression in the Pacific. Additionally, this bill fully funds the Coast Guard's military pay raise, keeping our promise of supporting our troops.

Simply put, this bill ensures that men and women of the Department of Homeland Security who work tirelessly on our behalf have the resources and tools they need to protect this great Nation.

It reflects strong Republican priorities, cuts wasteful spending, and prioritizes securing the border.

We cannot surrender this progress for a wasteful and harmful government shutdown.

I ask my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Marcia Fudge as she transitions from her role as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

In Congress, I had the honor of working alongside her while serving the greater Cleveland area. Together, we worked to bring bipartisan wins back to the community, making Ohio a greater place.

I cannot thank her enough for her dedication to public service, not only to the Buckeye State but to our entire country. Whatever the next chapter holds for her, I have no doubt she will continue to do great things.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to encourage the support for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2024.

Having grown up on the shores of Lake Erie, I know that the Great Lakes are an irreplaceable resource and an invaluable economic driver for not only Ohio but for our entire country.

They provide clean drinking water for 48 million Americans, support more than 1.5 million jobs, and generate over $62 billion every year for our economy.

That is why I am proud to be leading the reauthorization of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative alongside my colleagues in the bipartisan Great Lakes Task Force.

The GLRI provides funding to Federal agencies, the Great Lakes States, local communities, and businesses to restore the Great Lakes ecosystem and the economic health of the Great Lakes region.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this legislation moving forward.