Floor Statements

Offered By: Ms. Wasserman Schultz

Amendment No. 75: Page 3, line 9, strike the closing

quotation mark and the final period.

Page 3, after line 9, insert the following:

``(4) Big cypress national preserve exclusion.--The plan

required by paragraph (1) shall not include oil and gas

leasing in any tract located within the Big Cypress National

Preserve.''.

Madam Speaker, it is time for our Republican colleagues to stop playing politics with women's bodies.

With the fall of Roe, the criminalization of abortion access nationwide with no exceptions is well underway.

Just last year in my home State of Florida, Governor DeSantis signed a 15-week abortion ban into law that offers no exceptions for rape, incest, or human trafficking, and more restrictive policies are coming.

Other States are even more restrictive, and the bill and resolution before us will further erode women's reproductive rights. These measures incentivize violence by failing to condemn a history of violence against abortion providers and patients.

While millions of Americans will lose under these measures, its harshest impacts land on single, working, and women of color.

A lack of access to safe abortions not only deprives a woman of the basic right to control her own body, but it also stifles her future economic, educational, and family planning opportunities. It basically hands her body, life, and future over to the State.

These horrific anti-abortion measures are a revolting assault on women's rights, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on both measures.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the career of Shari Bush and congratulate her on her well-deserved retirement.

Shari is retiring after 21 years at Cypress Bay High School in Weston.

As the BRACE Advisor, Shari was instrumental in helping hundreds of students get accepted to some of the top schools in the country.

She was an invaluable source of higher education guidance for my own children.

Cypress Bay High School has 4,800 students, and 98 percent of them are on track for college.

Shari plays a huge role in that.

Shari is an expert in advising students to apply for scholarships, financial aid, and coach them through all of the stages of college application process, including what schools to apply to, filling out applications, writing essays, testing, and making those critical final decisions.

She traveled to universities throughout the U.S. and abroad and has been hosted at more than 50 college campuses.

Currently, Shari is a member of the Advisory Board for the University of Miami and Florida State University and is a member of the FBI Citizens Academy.

I wish Shari all the best as she moves into the next chapter of her life.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the illustrious career of Michael Putney, and congratulate him on his well- deserved retirement.

A veteran of the airwaves for more than half a century, Michael Putney's 33-year tenure at Local 10 News made him one of South Florida's most popular and trusted TV reporters.

Michael began his career in broadcast journalism in 1966 in Columbia, Missouri. After stops in Washington D.C., Los Angeles and New York, he came to South Florida and made it his home.

Throughout my own career in public office, there have been many changes in the ever-evolving media landscape, but Michael has been the one dependable constant.

Another certainty for any elected official was that, at some point, you would have to answer the tough but fair questions from ``Putney.''

Michael was doggedly devoted to accountability throughout his tenure at WPLG and our community is far better as a result that work.

Michael's superior reporting skills won him two Emmys. And the state Supreme Court saw fit to appoint him to Florida's Judicial Management Council.

I hope Michael and his wife enjoy their time together doing some of his favorite things: cooking, reading, tennis and traveling.

I will miss him in the press gaggles, and in the studio, but I wish him all the best as he begins the next, relaxing chapter of his life.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Respect for Marriage Act because every American deserves to have their union recognized and respected in law.

Since the Obergefell and Loving decisions, millions of families rely on the constitutional guarantee that marriage equality affords. Yet, we just saw what happens when half our population relies on this High Court to protect our sacred rights.

Recent far-right Court nominees broke their pledges to respect the precedent of Roe, and look at the legal chaos, unequal treatment, and financial and physical ruin they have unleashed.

We can no more rely on their word than we can their apologists who say these legal extremists will uphold marriage equality.

This bill ensures that by guaranteeing that same-sex and interracial couples have a legal right to build a life with someone who shares their love.

I am honored to stand with the LGBTQ+ community to make this a more just, equal, and perfect union. Without these rights and this legislation, America can never truly aspire to that.

Madam Speaker, I remind all of my colleagues that history is watching, and I urge them to vote ``yea'' on the Senate amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the bill before the House today because at this very moment, thousands of children are waiting to be saved.

The internet can be a dangerous neighborhood for anyone, but especially vulnerable children. The ever-expanding reach of the internet has

fueled an exploding multibillion-dollar market for child pornography.

Tragically, this market exploits the graphic images that result from the horrific sexual assault of more children. The pandemic only exacerbated the problem, as our world shifts more online.

But these are not just heinous online images, they are crime scene photos created by a thriving industry that uses children as sexual commodities.

Almost 15 years ago, I introduced the Providing Resources, Officers, and Technology to Eradicate Cyber Threats to Our Children Act of 2007. With the support of Mr. Jordan at a House Judiciary hearing on that bill, we heard from a very brave young woman, Alicia Kozakiewicz. She was abducted by an internet predator at just 13, held captive in his dungeon basement, and sexually tortured for 4 days.

The FBI found Alicia because the Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, or ICAC, had the technology to lift the digital fingerprints of this perpetrator's crimes.

They were able to discover the location where he held her captive, chained to the floor, connected to a collar around her neck. Internet crimes officers tracked the IP address back to his door, and literally rescued her from death.

I remember her testimony like it was yesterday. It moved many of the members of that committee, including myself, to tears.

In the 20 years since her abduction and torture, Alicia still shares her personal nightmare to help protect other young people.

Over that next year, we learned a lot about these offenders: who they are, how they operate, and most important, where they are. We saw detailed law enforcement maps that showed the locations of hundreds of thousands of sexual predators, 5 percent of whom had actual child victims waiting to be rescued.

It was a truly harrowing environment they described.

And Congress acted.

With then-Senator Joe Biden as my Senate partner, we passed legislation establishing the National Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program, or ICAC, a specialized group of law enforcement officials dedicated to the protection of children.

The task forces grew from 42 to 61, and arrests and child rescues doubled. They doubled. Literally thousands more predators were apprehended and children rescued. An untold number of sexual assaults were prevented.

Mr. Speaker, the PROTECT Our Children Act, the bipartisan legislation that I introduced this week with Senator Cornyn, and Representatives Chabot, Kuster, and Reschenthaler reauthorizes the National Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program, the national network of coordinated law enforcement task forces investigating and prosecuting those who sexually exploit our most vulnerable constituents--our children.

According to estimates, half of the arrests made by ICAC teams led us to the door of a hands-on offender, and thus, a child waiting to be rescued.

We must make the protection of these children the focus of all of our efforts. Please think about these precious children being victimized. If you are a parent, God forbid, it was your own child.

Let's give these ICAC teams the resources they need to rescue as many as possible.

An impressive and deeply troubling investigation by The New York Times described the forces arrayed against these ICAC teams as an ``insatiable criminal underworld,'' and one in which tech companies are not always able or totally willing to confront.

But if we empower these ICACs with today's reauthorization, thousands more innocent children will be protected from these unspeakable crimes. We owe them that.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their indulgence.

Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise to honor the life of my dear friend Renee Lucille Smoley.

Renee Smoley grew up in Long Island, New York, graduating from Hunter College in 1943. Renee and her husband, Dr. Melvin Smoley, moved to my hometown of Weston, Florida in 1989 where Renee became the longtime President of the Tequesta Homeowners Association.

The City of Weston soon became Renee's love and passion. She chaired the Peace Mound Park Committee to restore the archeological and historical significance to the city. She served on the Committee for Weston's 4th of July parade, and in 1996, Renee was tapped to serve as the co-chair of the Steering Committee to determine the feasibility of Weston incorporating and becoming its own city. For her contributions to the city, Renee was fondly referred as the Mother of Weston. She served on the Board of the Weston Music Society, was a charter member of AAUW Weston and Chair of AW Foundation and was inducted to the Broward County Senior Hall of Fame.

Of all her accomplishments in Weston Renee was most proud of her assistance to 27 Kosovo refugees in 1999. She enlisted the help of Weston residents and businesses to provide them with housing and utilities for two years.

Renee may have been tiny, but her broad shoulders carried me throughout my career in public service. I am grateful to Renee for her encouragement, wisdom, and love. She was not just the Mother of Weston but a mother to many in so many ways.

My heart is with her family in mourning the loss of this kind, generous, and compassionate soul.

We were forever privileged to have shared this time with Renee. May her memory be a blessing.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for yielding.

I rise to support this continuing resolution that will keep our Federal Government open and deliver the vital services that impact us all.

Look no further than Southwest Florida, in my home State, where Hurricane Ian inflicted tragic human loss

and massive property damage. While we pray for those who endured Ian's wrath and those who still face it, let's pass this continuing resolution and offer more than well wishes.

Thankfully, President Biden declared a major disaster, unleashing extensive Federal aid and assistance for the counties hit by Ian. But this CR will allow FEMA and other Federal partners to keep assistance flowing to Florida in our time of need, while also aiding those hurting in Puerto Rico, Alaska, New Mexico, and Mississippi.

We cannot leave communities behind that are still picking up the pieces from disastrous floods, wildfires, and hurricanes, and even basic water system failures. This Federal funding bill comes to their rescue by helping to meet long-term housing, infrastructure, and recovery needs.

This CR also extends funding for vital Federal education, health, housing, and public safety programs. It keeps up school, job training, and child nutritional investments, and it keeps funds flowing to address badly needed affordable housing problems which plague so many families in Florida.

Anyone who understands the housing struggles that millions of Americans face cannot possibly ignore the relief that this CR offers. This legislation also keeps America's security intact, while also supporting those brave veterans who defended us.

This CR also confronts Russia's fake elections to annex parts of Ukraine, whose families urgently need our support to defend global democracy and turn back a murderous communist tyrant.

I am pleased that this continuing resolution before us reflects that vanishing breed of bipartisan, bicameral, negotiated compromise.

I hope our colleagues on the other side of the aisle respect that and honor the trust that Americans hand us to maintain an orderly economy and state of affairs. This CR provides that basic test of governance.

Americans want our government funding bills to help reduce their cost of living, support their families, create good jobs, and combat climate change. This continuing funding legislation gives us the time we need to ensure our 2023 bills will do exactly that.

Let's keep America running so Congress can complete America's critical fiscal work.

Madam Speaker, it is my great pleasure to announce to our colleagues in the United States House of Representatives that the Congressional Women's Softball Team last night snapped a 7-year dry spell and beat the press team, the Bad News Babes, 6-5. I am surprised that they are not here to participate in this exuberance.

It has been 7 long years in the wilderness, and we are so proud to stand before you and tell you a couple of important things. One is that our greatest source of pride is that this team is bipartisan.

Madam Speaker, the greatest source of pride for us as a team is that this team is bipartisan. Ever since our inception in 2009, the Congressional Women's Softball Team has played across the aisle, in both Houses, and really tried to set an example every day of how we can come together, leave our differences off the field, and make sure that we can come together for a common purpose, and that is fighting breast cancer and making sure that we can raise awareness about breast cancer in young women; and, also, to make sure that we can demonstrate that coming together can help build relationships and foster collaboration once we leave the field and the game is over.

Most importantly, I am so proud to tell you that our charity, the Young Survival Coalition, which is a young women's breast cancer organization that helps young women deal with the unique challenges that we face when diagnosed with breast cancer, we have raised, in the last 14 years, $2.6 million for the Young Survival Coalition and, last night, raised a record, more than $530,000 for YSC.

Very briefly, because I know we are all in a hurry, without the leadership and dedication of our board of directors, led by Atalie Ebersole, who is our intrepid committee chair, year in year and out, she just does an amazing job with the whole organizing committee, and also--I am annoying. I am going to

embarrass you--Natalie Buchanan Joyce, please join us. Coach Nat, you have got to come up here. Tori Barnes, Coach Natalie, Coach Ed, they are--and Jim Kiley--they are the glue that help make sure that we know what we are doing and that we can come together as a team every single year. So thank you.

And then lastly, I acknowledge both Ed Perlmutter and Cheri Bustos. We occasionally have retirements amongst our colleagues. This year, we are losing two of our really dear colleagues who have been with us since the beginning of their time in Congress, and we appreciate their efforts so much.

And really, lastly, before I turn it over to Congresswoman Bice, for those of you that have not met me or have not heard my story, I won't make it lengthy, but I was diagnosed with breast cancer almost 15 years ago, when I was 41 years old.

One day I was the picture of health. The next day, after doing a self-exam in the shower, I found a lump and, a few days later, realized it was breast cancer; and that I had the genetic mutation, BRCA2, which made me five times more likely of getting breast cancer.

I didn't know I was at that kind of risk as an Ashkenazi Jewish woman. And if I didn't know, as involved as I had been in the fight against breast cancer, then I realized, my gosh, how many women don't know.

So thank you to these incredible women who help us raise awareness about our Capitol Hill family. Think about all the young woman that work in this process; and that we can make sure, pay attention to their breast health; know what is normal for them so they know when something feels different. And when you catch breast cancer early, you are so much more likely to survive it.

So thank you to my colleagues. Go Congress. We beat the press. We are beating cancer.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice).

Madam Speaker, go Congress. Beat the press again next year.

Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise to honor the life of Mrs. Emma Inez High Johnson.

Born in New Market, Alabama, Emma Inez High Johnson began an uncommon life of modesty, sacrifice, and service. Her commitment to men, women, and children from all walks of life made her efforts more distinct and special. It was over twenty-five years ago when Bishop Victor T. Curry affectionately and appropriately tabbed Emma, Queen Inez. This noteworthy and royal designation perfectly captured the very essence of a woman, regal in both nature and nurture.

This accomplished, yet uncomplicated, woman was proudly connected to her faith and her family, readily accepting her divine destiny and mission as a wife, mother, nurturer, worshipper, and most importantly, a woman of faith. Emma labored to ensure that those with whom she worked were treated with compassion, dignity, and respect. Her encouragement and empowerment of her colleagues in many ways reflected her warm spirit.

Emma wed the late Pastor Joe Cephus Johnson in 1966 and together they celebrated three children and a 52-year marriage.

As first lady of the Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church, Emma labored fervently in service. As chairwoman of Women in the Spirit of Excellence (W.I.S.E.), servant leader of the Women's Ministry, Sunday School and Vacation Bible School instructor, a member of the Encouragement Ministry, Women's Day speaker, and directress of Ebenezer's Angelic Choir, Emma's multi-giftedness was constantly on display.

Beyond the walls of Ebenezer, Emma's work for an assortment of causes and organizations was hard to miss. In her roles as vice president of the International Association of Minister's Wives and Minister's Widows Coterie of South Broward, a member of the Progressive Kingdom Baptist Association, a member of the Divine Divas, and a 2nd Generation Member of the Red Hatters Society International, Emma was deeply entrenched in the work of community service.

My heart is with her daughters and family, and the entire Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church family in mourning the loss of this kind and compassionate and virtuous woman.

We are forever blessed to have shared this time with Queen Inez on Earth. May her memory be a blessing.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise to support legislation that delivers relief to every kitchen table across the country, cuts healthcare and drug costs, and creates millions of good-paying jobs to save our planet for future generations.

In my home State of Florida, the Inflation Reduction Act hands security and peace of mind to millions of seniors in my State. It caps out-of-pocket prescription costs and monthly insulin costs for Medicare recipients, and finally allows Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices.

Millions of Floridians will be healthier and more financially secure by lowering premiums for 13 million Americans with expanded financial help for the Affordable Care Act healthcare policies. It will slash energy costs and work to stop our warming planet from stealing their grandchildren's future.

This is our biggest shot ever to tackle climate change by speeding up clean energy transitions and cutting climate pollution 40 percent by 2030.

The Inflation Reduction Act does all this by making corporations pay their fair share, reducing the deficit, and ensuring no one who makes less than $400,000 will pay one penny more.

This is game-changing relief for our seniors, our climate, and anyone demanding tax fairness.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to pass this lifesaving legislation.

Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise to recognize the 107th birthday of Dania Beach Centenarian, Evelyn Dixon Williams.

Evelyn Dixon Williams, a Dania Beach resident and pioneer, will celebrate her 107th birthday on August 2, 2022. Born in 1915, Mrs. Williams has witnessed much change in her lifetime and continues to be healthy and aware. She is someone who has been kind and generous throughout her lifetime and is truly an inspiration to others.

Born in Mosely Town, Georgia, and raised in neighboring Vidalia, Evelyn Williams and her husband Alonzo Williams moved to Coconut Grove, Florida, in 1935 and later relocated to Dania with their two sons-- Deotis and Luriel. The Williams family were early members of New Jerusalem Baptist Church in the Liberia (Hollywood) neighborhood, bordering Dania Beach.

Mrs. Williams is an encouraging influence in our community, where she has supported young people in pursuing higher education and professional goals. She regularly visited elderly, homebound and nursing home residents--often bringing fruit, staying to read and pray, and always delivering a message of

hope and Godly love. Evelyn Williams' activism included serving in the Broward Civic Improvement Association--an organization devoted to assisting families in need and ensuring improvements in housing and area schools. Recognized by the Broward County Historical Society as a dedicated poll worker of nearly 50 years, Mrs. Williams was also honored by the City of Dania Beach on her 100th birthday as a noteworthy pioneer for her many years of community service; and as a Broward County centenarian during the County's Centennial Celebration. In her advanced years, Evelyn Dixon Williams continues to be a gracious lady of dignity, demonstrating the resilience of a life well-lived.

I wish Mrs. Williams a hearty congratulations on this milestone birthday, and I am grateful for her invaluable work to improve the lives of those in Florida's 23rd Congressional District and across Broward County.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this assault weapons ban to reclaim our streets, churches, schools, and synagogues.

Assault weapons are killing machines and the weapon of choice for mass murderers. In my own county, in Parkland, a lone teenager slaughtered 17 people by himself all because he had an assault weapon. This deranged individual tragically, brutally killed and then overturned the lives of those families and forever changed our entire community.

But this is no isolated case. Similar mass murders haunt Las Vegas, El Paso, Buffalo, Uvalde, Orlando, Pittsburgh, and too many other communities for me to list here today.

No parent should fear seeing a child off to a mall, movie theater, or school knowing that a killer wielding a weapon designed to kill as many people as possible and as fast as possible may lie in wait for them.

We need a whole-of-government solution to this health epidemic, including enforced ammunition background checks.

Let's take these killing machines off our streets and end this fear that one person with one assault weapon in one moment can tragically tear countless lives apart.

Republicans take note: the Supreme Court clearly allows limitations on weapons in their decisions. Repeating a falsehood doesn't make it true.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership and compassion about this extremely important issue.

Mr. Chair, I must rise in opposition to the gentlewoman's amendment. While I know she has the best of intentions, I want to be very practical about my opposition to this. The reality is the amendment will not alleviate the suffering of the Cuban people, quite the contrary. In fact, it may exacerbate their pain by simply enriching a tyrannical regime who uses violence and repression to keep their cruel grip on power.

On a day in which we just heard from the First Lady of Ukraine, who is obviously experiencing what the brunt of repression means from a brutal dictator, we certainly should not be caving to brutal dictatorship in the Western Hemisphere.

The dictatorship in Cuba controls all trade on the island, and, in turn, uses resources to oppress its own people.

The current cash-in-advance requirement for the financing of agricultural exports to Cuba ensures that the regime in Cuba cannot benefit from loans or credit, and that its corrupt, military-run financial institutions are not intertwined with American financial institutions.

Please, anyone within the sound of my voice needs to understand that this amendment allows U.S. persons to invest in Cuban agricultural businesses, even if those businesses are involved in trafficking and confiscated property, as defined in the LIBERTAD Act, which is law, even if the business is controlled by the Government of Cuba, the Cuban military, or any other entity. It is inexplicable to me how we could allow that.

It is also important to point out that unlimited quantities of food, medicine, and other basic necessities are already permitted into Cuba both for sale and through humanitarian donations.

And as the Biden administration has done, the best way to lift up the Cuban people is to support their efforts for democratic reform and mount pressure for release of hundreds of arbitrarily detained political prisoners, including 20 children.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment and support liberty all over the world.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

With great respect for my friend from Massachusetts, I rise in strong opposition to these amendments.

I spend every day in my work as chair of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee protecting and improving the lives of our Nation's veterans. I vigorously oppose privatization, so much so that I voted against the VA MISSION Act, in which the AIR Commission appeared as part of that law, because of my concern about sending veterans who might end up remaining permanently in community care.

This en bloc contains two amendments to the MILCON-VA division that would eliminate funding for the AIR Commission at the Department of Veterans Affairs. This independent commission was established by the VA MISSION Act to develop recommendations to modernize and realign VA health facilities so we can best meet the needs of our Nation's veterans.

The reality is that the VA has different infrastructure needs today than it did decades ago. Not only are most VA facilities over 60 years old, but the veteran population has also shifted geographically over time.

The draft market assessments VA has developed and will continue to fine-tune are essential to ensure that VA's facility footprint meets veterans' needs where they are physically located today, not where most veterans were over 60 years ago. We can't ignore these changes and also effectively meet the current needs of our veterans.

We cannot just cancel the Commission and pretend the problem doesn't exist or need to be addressed. We all care about veterans and, since we do, we should be focused together on making sure they have state-of- the-art facilities that are designed to modern standards and are best- positioned to serve them.

The point of VA's market assessments is to identify the current, true needs of our veterans in each market, and the AIR Commission will then review those assessments and make final recommendations to the President and to the Congress. They come back to Congress after these market assessments and recommendations are made.

The funding in this bill does not implement the recommendations. I repeat. The funding in this bill does not implement the recommendations.

We all, on both sides of the aisle, consistently talk about meeting the needs of our veterans. Making sure veterans have access to high- quality care in high-quality facilities is a priority we all share. Adjusting the landscape of our facilities to meet veterans where they live today is key to meeting the needs of our veterans.

If we want to make sure that we don't move further toward privatized healthcare for our veterans, we need to make sure that there are VA facilities that are convenient for them, or that they are eligible by law to go into community care if there are not.

I have the utmost respect for the gentleman and my colleagues who are sponsors of this amendment, but as Chair of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee responsible for the entire budget for the VA, it is our responsibility to meet the needs of veterans across the entire country.

We need to be careful about making rash decisions that have a long- term impact. Unfortunately, the amendments in this en bloc will do more harm than good. And for those reasons, I will vote ``no'' on this en bloc, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 8294, the appropriations minibus for fiscal year 2023.

I really want to start out my remarks, Mr. Chair, by saying what a joy it is to work with my counterpart, Judge Carter, as our ranking member. He and I really worked hand in glove. We are personal friends, and we worked very closely together, along with the ranking member, Ms. Granger, and Ms. DeLauro. In a very divisive process, it is really nice to have met and befriended someone like Judge Carter. I wish him the best.

By now, we all know President Biden's wise words: ``Don't tell me what you value. Show me your budget, and I will tell you what you value.''

This minibus truly reflects our values, the values of promoting progress and opportunity, and protecting those who most need it. That is why I take tremendous pride in this bill as the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee chair. It is a statement of principled values, especially with its strong support for veterans, servicemembers, and their families.

We steer $15.1 billion to critical military infrastructure, such as new barracks and child development centers, and focus on ensuring that family housing is clear of mold, lead, and contaminants. We invest in climate and energy resilience projects and devote $200 million to PFAS contamination cleanup at closed installations.

We provide more to NATO security and support the infrastructure necessary for wartime, peace, and deterrence operations by bolstering requirements to confront Russian aggression and protect our European allies.

This bill improves the quality of life on military installations and honors servicemembers and their families once they leave these facilities by ensuring veterans receive the care and support they earned. We do it by providing the Department of Veterans Affairs with $135 billion to boost medical research and fully fund medical care. We make major investments in women's health, mental health, suicide prevention, and homelessness programs, and we tackle the disability claims backlog.

The bill also tackles two issues close to my and many Members' hearts. It includes a prohibition on the painful scientific testing on dogs and cats, and it also makes permanent VA's authority to offer a full range of fertility treatment. That means expanding eligibility to include partners in addition to spouses, removing discrimination against same-sex couples, and allowing the use of donated sperm and eggs in IVF.

Outside of MILCON-VA, the Energy and Water bill appropriates a record $407 million for Everglades restoration. The river of grass is the lifeblood of south Florida, and the chance to make this level of historic progress is hugely significant toward our restoration efforts.

I am proud that this bill makes it a priority to reduce the number of injuries and deaths associated with pools and spas. We will save lives by increasing funding by pool safety grants to $2.5 million. Drowning poses a significant public health risk to our Nation's children, remaining the number one cause of unintentional death for children younger than 5 years old in this country.

Additionally, the Interior bill reflects the importance of protecting our coastlines from greedy oil companies by prohibiting the Department of the Interior from conducting offshore oil and gas leasing activities along Florida's coasts.

It also funds valuable community projects, and in my district, that means critical infrastructure, clean transit, and improved water quality in Hollywood, Southwest Ranches, and Sunrise.

Finally, our values are reflected by how Congress confronts the dramatic rise in highway fatalities. New data shows we lost ground in our fight to end drunk driving, the leading cause of highway deaths. But this bill directs the DOT to take immediate steps to save lives by requiring the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to issue a rule requiring all new passenger vehicles to be equipped with advanced alcohol monitoring technology. This technology will save an estimated 9,400 lives a year. For reference, airbags save 3,000 lives annually. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, this may be the most significant motor vehicle safety rulemaking ever undertaken in terms of the lives it can save.

We have a chance to enhance, improve, and save millions of lives by passing this minibus, and I respectfully urge my colleagues to support these cherished American values.

Lastly, Mr. Chair, I thank my incredible staff for all the work that they did to bring this remarkable piece of legislation to the floor.