Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of John Edward McClure. A true pioneer in what is considered the final frontier, John led the business development team that brought the ON- STAR automobile safety and communication system to reality. Through his vision for the practical and purposeful application of what was then an emerging technology, thousands of lives have been saved and countless motorists have been kept safe thanks to this technology.

John and his team helped exploit the nascent Internet of Things, or how machines talk to machines, to create ON STAR, one of the first communication systems to exploit this technology. ON STAR achieved its goals of providing security, enhancing productivity, and monitoring vehicle operation and maintenance for motorists.

A true entrepreneur, John started numerous companies including an asset tracking company using GPS and other satellite technologies to monitor cargo and other materials in transit. Mr. McClure's quest to constantly push the boundaries of technology led him to focus on helping youth acquire a thirst for discovery. He mentored individuals and led student groups sharing his mantra that there ``are no Can't Dos in life, only Can Dos!''

Combining his passion for aerospace and education, he introduced the NASA CubeSat initiative to a group of Nebraska middle- and high-school students. He helped pair them with undergraduate mentors from the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Together the team proposed an experiment that NASA has accepted for a future mission to orbit earth. Known as the Big Red Satellite Team, this group will carry on John's mission to have this historic-first CubeSat designed and built in Nebraska. The team will test cutting edge solar cell technology.

Always looking beyond the horizon, John's ultimate goal is for the Big Red Satellite project to serve as a catalyst for the development of STEM careers and ultimately help build an aerospace industry in Nebraska. An accomplished fixed wing and hot air balloon pilot, John never stopped reaching for the stars. His words and his actions clearly communicated his primary mission: create opportunities that give kids an opportunity to succeed.

John McClure passed away September 15, 2021. I offer my condolences to his entire family. John's many achievements will continue to impact Nebraska well into the future. A future that John sought to improve by helping young students discover their abilities and believe that anything is possible. His life's work has helped people in every state of this union, and his legacy of encouraging others to make their dreams a reality will be carried on by those he inspired.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National Native American Heritage Month and to honor the 35th anniversary of the Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition, a private nonprofit organization in Nebraska.

The Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition provides community healthcare and services targeting the urban American Indian and Alaska Native population in the greater Omaha metropolitan area, Lincoln area, and Sioux City, Iowa, since 1986. Their rehabilitative healthcare services and their diabetes self-management program are nationally recognized. Currently, they are led by their CEO, Dr. Donna Polk.

Donna Lee Mays was raised by her father after her mother was hit and killed by a drunk driver on Christmas Day in 1949 at the age of 23. Dr. Polk was only 7 years old. Dr. Polk credits her grandmother, Annie Lee Mays, as one of her inspirations because of her spirituality and wisdom.

Dr. Polk firmly believes in having vision and that you have to be able to see how things can be. If you don't, Mr. Speaker, you don't work to effect change.

Between 1972 to 1985, Dr. Polk served as an affirmative action and equal opportunity officer at the State of Nebraska. She volunteered in the Nebraska corrections system for 26 years and starred in her own TV show called ``Frankly Female,'' a show for and about women.

Dr. Polk earned her bachelor's degree in university studies, her master's in counseling psychology, and a doctorate in administration, instruction, and curriculum, all from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. In addition, she is a published author. She wrote her book, ``Black Men and Women of Nebraska,'' in 1981 to shine the light on prominent African-American individuals in our State.

She joined the Urban Indian Health Coalition in 1991, running the counseling program for women. She leads a team of over 40 employees that offer services such as inpatient and outpatient substance abuse, transitional living, alcohol and drug recovery, healthcare services, and transportation to their facilities. Dr. Polk takes great pride in the community programs--Project Upstream, the Tired Moccasins Elders Program, and the Elder's Program--which help Native youth and families overcome socioeconomic disparities and provide meals, educational opportunities, and even extracurricular activities for all ages. Dr. Polk is thrilled about the inauguration of their new headquarters scheduled to open in the spring of 2022.

In recognizing the Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition, we shine a spotlight on 35 years of helping elevate the health status and disparities of urban Indians and other underserved populations in Nebraska and Iowa through education, collaboration, advocacy, and health service delivery.

Congratulations to Dr. Polk and her team for 35 years of excellence and serving our great community.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleagues from Indiana and Illinois.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5661, the Continued State Flexibility To Assist Older Foster Youth Act.

We can all agree that our children and youth have suffered tremendously during this pandemic. Foster youth

that aged out of the system are hurting and feel forgotten. We can come together to support these youth through continuing States' flexibility with the Chafee funds to assist older foster youth.

The act will allow the emergency Chafee funds flexibilities that we implemented during the pandemic to continue through fiscal year 2022. It will give youth the option to reenter foster care that aged out during the pandemic, remove the living expenses cap, and expand the educational training funds to assist them.

We hear more and more from youth that need our help. As a foster-to- adopt parent, I know that our foster youth need our help, and we need to make sure that we hold to our responsibility to fully support them during this crisis. Young adults who have aged out of foster care are the number one risk for homelessness in that age group.

Mr. Speaker, we have the opportunity here to make a difference.

Madam Speaker, I rise today as a proud American. In 1776, our Founding Fathers proposed e pluribus unum, ``Out of many, we are one,'' for the first Great Seal of our country. It can be found on our currency, on buildings, and in the seal of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Sadly, this fundamental value is rarely seen in today's day and age. I am proud because I have come across an American faith-based organization that should serve as an example to all of us and this principle of e pluribus unum.

I am referring to the Tzedek Association. Recently, though they are of a completely different faith, and though this is really outside the purview of what they normally do, Tzedek has dedicated itself to saving the people from Afghanistan.

The Tzedek Association is a Jewish national nonprofit that advocates for criminal justice reform and religious liberty and fights for humanitarian cases throughout the globe.

Tzedek championed the First Step Act, as well as other commonsense criminal justice reforms. In fact, the president and founder of Tzedek, Rabbi Moshe Margaretten, was honored by former President Trump and the First Lady with the lighting of the menorah at the White House Hanukkah party in recognition of Tzedek's contribution to prison reform.

After the Taliban took over Kabul, it came to Tzedek's attention that the last remaining Jew of Afghanistan was in danger of being killed. They were requested to utilize their political connections to save his life. One thing led to another, and this led to Tzedek coordinating the escape of dozens and dozens of Afghans.

Let me stress the novelty of this: An Orthodox Jewish organization, led by Orthodox rabbis, is working day and night to save the lives of Muslims, Christians, and people of other faiths--mostly many women and children--because they clearly live by the value ``out of many, we are one.''

Tzedek has thus far coordinated the rescue of female judges, orphans, translators, and other individuals who helped the United States and the U.K. in the war on terror. They also saved the lives of female soccer players, who are at risk of being killed by the Taliban simply because they have chosen to play this global sport.

They recently led an effort to save two pregnant women who were high- risk targets, one of whom gave birth to a healthy baby girl just 3 days after being rescued. And yes, they also saved the last remaining Afghanistan Jew, Zebulun Simantov.

But along with him, they rescued 30 other people, religious minorities who were at risk of persecution just because of their faith. To accomplish all of this, Tzedek has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, all of which has come from the Jewish community. It is awe- inspiring and a lesson to us in Washington and to those all across the world that we must come together more often for the greater good.

Despite our differences, we must unite as creations of an Almighty God and do what we can together to make this world a better place.

Recognizing Troop 60 of Papillion

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Boy Scout Troop 60 of Papillion, Nebraska, for their efforts to partner with the city of Papillion to preserve the community's historic 100-year-old Boy Scout cabin.

Originally formed in 1913 as Troop 1, they began building the log cabin in 1921 under the leadership of Scoutmaster Reverend B. Johansen to be used as the troop's headquarters. In June 1922, the Papillion community dedicated the Scout cabin, and it has been in continuous use ever since.

The cabin is an iconic local landmark in Papillion's City Park, celebrating pride in both Scouting and the community. It is believed that this Scout cabin could be one of the oldest Scout cabins in continuous use west of the Mississippi. Troop 60 recently finished renovation of the historic cabin, preserving it for another 100 years and for generations to come.

This restoration was part of the Papillion 150 celebration. Papillion 150 was a community movement that recognized the city of Papillion's 150th anniversary, having grown from an 1870s railroad town that was on the mainline of the Union Pacific Railroad to now being one of the fastest growing cities in Nebraska.

I also recognize the troop's longtime sponsor, the Harry Bossard American Legion Post 32, which has mentored Troop 60 to be the shining example of positive impacts of Scouting. Throughout Troop 60's history, it is estimated that over 200 individuals have attained the rank of Eagle Scout, and many of those have gone on to become leaders throughout the community of Papillion, the State of Nebraska, the military, and even in the Halls of Congress with our own chief of staff, Mark Dreiling.

Madam Speaker, I salute Troop 60 of Papillion.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss the need to improve access to critical mental health resources for veterans battling with Post-Traumatic Stress and TBI, and to pledge my continued support on these vital issues facing our countless brave and heroic men and women who have dedicated their lives to serving our nation. It is imperative that we as a country and the United States Congress continue to work with our partners in government, industry, academia, and with private citizens to provide the best possible tools needed for their mental health and well-being.

TBI is a serious and complex injury that happens on and off the battlefield. In fact, most TBl's occur during training. While many injuries appear to be psychological, many of them are physical and are caused by actual damage to the brain because of blast exposure, heavy weaponry, or just doing the day-to-day job of a service member.

I stand firmly behind my colleague, Representative Lee Zeldin, as a partner in his efforts and a cosponsor of H.R. 1476, the PFC Joseph Dwyer Peer Support Program Act--a wonderful tool for our military that provides grants for peer-to-peer mental health support authorized by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. I will continue to support efforts like this and other measures to improve the safety, research, and well- being of those who volunteer to keep our nation safe.

The timing of this cannot be more critical. We know that following the debacle in Afghanistan, we have seen a significant increase of veterans calling the suicide hotlines and, very unfortunately, we've seen an increase in suicides. Many veterans are questioning the value of their service in Afghanistan, and hurting knowing that friends and colleagues died for what General Millie has called a strategic failure. I share in that pain frankly. I encourage anyone struggling with this to reach out and get help. You are not alone. But also know, that your service was worth it. We stopped terrorism for 20 years coming out of Afghanistan and protected the homeland. We killed or captured the terrorists that masterminded 9/11. I think the decisions by President Biden were wrong in the failed withdrawal from Afghanistan, but our country will learn from its mistakes and we will rebound. We always do because we are a free country. I encourage my fellow veterans to keep the faith . . . in our God and country.

I urge my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to work together and ensure we do all we can to serve and support our men and women in uniform by keeping their physical brain health and mental health a priority.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to include in the Record the following remarks by Michael R. Pompeo. former Secretary of State of the United States. Secretary Pompeo addressed the ``Support Free Iran, U.S. To Hold Ebrahim Raisi Accountable for the 1988 Massacre'' on Monday, September 20, 2021, in Washington, D.C. Below is Secretary Pompeo's speech.

``Thank you all so much. That's an amazing welcome I hope

you are as happy after my remarks. I think you will.

Thank you, Amir, for that kind introduction. It is such a

blessing for me to be with you all today. It is a special

gathering that we can all be together to talk about an

enormous threat to the world and to freedom loving people.

It's truly an honor.

Since I last spoke to you Ebrahim Raisi was formally

installed as Iran's latest so-called President. You are

rightly gathered at this conference with the theme of

demanding that he be held accountable for what happened in

1988, the massacre of political prisoners inside of Iran. And

I want each of you to know today that I join with you in your

cause!

I came to know Raisi when I was the CIA Director. He should

be prosecuted; not tomorrow; not next week; not next year.

Prosecute him now.

And of course, I will talk more about this. But I support a

free Iran! Bless you for staying in the fight.

Make no mistake, Make no mistake. Ebrahim Raisi, himself is

personally responsible for the mass execution of thousands of

Iranian political prisoners, names of over 5,000 have been

published. The bodies of these brave men and women were

dumped in unmarked graves. And Because Iran has never, and

likely under this regime will never allow an investigation

into these killings, we do not know the true number of

Iranians who were murdered. But it is almost certainly more

than the 5,000 list of names that we have.

Your actions, our actions supporting our love of the

Iranian people must begin by holding Ebrahim Raisi

accountable for his crimes against humanity. Remember he

wasn't an advisor; he wasn't a foot soldier. He was an

executioner.

I know there are those in the audience who have family that

were killed in Raisi's massacre. Too, some of you have loved

one and friends currently imprisoned, in Evin and elsewhere

in Iran, and some, who have had loved ones simply disappeared

or worse. We will never forget any of them and will pray for

you and each of them.

You know this character Ebrahim Raisi is exactly who

Khamenei wants as President--someone who will do his bidding.

Someone willing to brutalize and slaughter the Iranian people

at his command. This is not moving forward. It is moving

backwards.

It is only those who are resisting, both inside and out,

who provide the hope for Iran. That is why this gathering and

the work you do today is so important.

The contrast between a government that serves its people

rather than subjugates them is incredibly stark. We can see

it. That should be all of our inspiration for freedom for the

Iranian people.

It's has been almost eight months since I left office as

the Secretary of State. When we left as Secretary of State,

Iran was more isolated and the regime as weak than ever.

However, I must say I've watched the events of the past weeks

and months and I worry that events in Afghanistan and the

posture of the current administration are allowing the regime

to get ``off the mat'' and re-strengthen. I know the Iranian

people do not want that. That is why we must keep pressure on

our representatives to forgo renegotiating the nuclear deal

and avoid paying Iran ransom to either re-enter that deal or

because they believe it would be a show of ``good will.''

Good will is not something a terrorist regime understands. We

must also ensure that advancements in the Iranian nuclear

program are strictly monitored, and action taken whether

that's by the United States, other western nations or by the

IAEA to ensure that they don't just run out the clock on the

path not only to a nuclear weapon but to a full nuclear

program.

I must say, over the last year or so of the pandemic the

Iranian regime has used the coronavirus to continue crackdown

on its own citizens. Its actions are not only ignorant but

malevolent. They have used the pandemic to extinguish

uprisings and subdue the Iranian people. This is totally

unacceptable.

As Americans, we know supporting the general welfare of our

citizens is the duty of the government, and to subjugate them

is horrific.

And while we know that the Iranian regime does not value

freedom, we should at least expect the United States to value

that freedom. You have all watched these last few weeks. Our

credibility was called into question in our disgraceful exit

from Afghanistan and again questioned this past week when our

own Secretary of State took down a tweet of support for the

people of Hong Kong who were asking for freedom in their

struggle against the Chinese Communist Party.

These demonstrations of the absence of resolve and lack of

support for freedom-loving people are the welcome by

terrorists and those oppressing the people of Iran.

And yet we know that the more the government attempts to

strengthen its hold over the people of Iran, the weaker it

will become. This is certainly the case today. Protests

spurred by water shortages erupted in over half of the

country's provinces and protests have taken place in Ahvaz,

in Tabriz, in Tehran, and in Isfahan, and other cities all

across Iran. These protestors, these amazing freedom-loving

people have shown considerable resilience and bravery in

resisting the regime. And I know that in the end the Iranian

people will have a secular, democratic, and nonnuclear

republic.

The actions in 1979 were of course a key turning point. To

understand Iran and its rightful place in history we must

unpack what happened in 1979. I think this is why Iran will

never return to rule by a dictatorial Shah or theocratic

regime. This fight is the real fight and it began in those

frightful first moments of the so-called revolution in 1979.

The central fight is the one in the streets, and in the

mosques and in the minds of the Iranian people--it is the

divide between the people and the organized opposition

seeking freedom and democracy on one side, and the entirety

of the regime on the other.

Look I have been at this, but not as long as some of you.

But I have been in this fight on the right side for over a

decade now, my entire life of decade of public service.

Back in 2010 I spoke with many of you. I spoke of the

Iranian people and their history, their kindness and their

respect for reason, knowledge and respect for human life. The

Iranian people are tolerant people--They have been a homeland

for Arabs and Jews, Christians and Muslims right on Iranian

soil. This is the loveliness of the Iranian people.

The Iranians want to prosper in their faith and protect

their families--this is as true in Tehran as it is in any

place here in the United States and don't ever forget that.

There is a new leader, there's a new elected. I say that

word cautiously. The regime headed by the puppet Raisi and

the IRGC is no less radical than the one left by the previous

president It continues to be revolutionary in its zeal. It is

brutal. It is theocratic.

It is also craven and fearful of the Iranian people. It's

kleptocratic. Its leaders will and have killed their own by

the thousands and then choose those who committed these

massive atrocities, like Raisi, to now lead their terror

organization and their regime. Its leaders can shoot down a

civilian airliner killing hundreds of civilians and think

nothing of denying responsibility and hiding the black box

that would unpack the clues and fingerprints of the regime's

leaders who caused the death of civilians. The leaders in

Iran seek not only to dominate their own country and their

own people, hut capitals from Baghdad to Tehran and from

Damascus to Beirut and to Sanaa. All for the petty desire to

maintain their grip on power.

When I last spoke to you, I noted that we must dismiss the

Western conceit. I hear it even in this city which we are

sitting today. It's this western conceit commonly accepted in

Brussels, in Paris, in Bonn and in too many places here in

the United States that there are moderates inside of the

regime. I never met one, nor read of one. This is important.

The lie, that there are moderates inside of this regime.

There are too many countries that play footsie with this

terrorist regime. The elections of last month should provide

evidence that this claim of moderation is even possible

within this regime. We cannot have them fool us. These are

but tiny actors occupying roles in the same show of force.

We know the characters. The Ayatollah plays the father,

keeper of the so-called revolutionary faith and is the elder

statesman ``protecting the revolution'' from every threat--

including the threats from the heathen secular inside and

outside of Iran. Soleimani played the warrior-hero-role.

Deliverer of rights against made-up grievances from the near

abroad and afar. The newly installed Foreign Minister,

Hossein Amit-Abdollahian, was molded by Soleimani. This man,

despite of the fact that he is a diplomat, a Foreign

Minister, make no mistake who he is. He is a staunch

supporter of the ``Axis of Resistance,'' the array of

terrorists that Iran supports throughout the entire Middle

East. He is a terrorist himself who would kill his own people

to save the regime just as quickly as any other of the

Ayatollah's henchmen Don't let that title of diplomat fool

anyone.

Ebralum Raisi, a murderer of his own people, will now take

on the role as heir apparent to the faith and determined

negotiator who concurs America by getting the immoral

sanctions placed upon the people lifted and improving life

for all. This will be the theatre of Ebrahim Raisi. These

actors--each of them, all of them will keep this show going

despite the audience wanting their run to end and they are

prepared to use every power, to use the IRGC, to use the

Basij and any tool to keep their grip over the Iranian

people.

There is nothing new about them. They are just the next

generation of the regime, perhaps even more radical than

their predecessors. Every one of them should be held

accountable, all of them should be held accountable, for the

tens of thousands of Iranians they have murdered.

And world leaders, I hope you are listening, should band

together to reject Raisi; each of you, each of you should

reject Raisi. You should refuse to engage with him, to

acknowledge him as a democratically elected president by the

people--since he was no such thing. A good place to start

would be by this week at the United Nations General Assembly,

not too far from where we are all sitting, holding Raisi

accountable for his crimes against the people of Iran. It's

possible to do.

Speaking of Raisi's actions, Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General

of Amnesty International (2018-2020), said in his remarks to

the Call for Justice: ``I served as the Secretary-General of

Amnesty International during which time a report was brought

out on this terrible tragedy and the tragedy of 1988 that we

saw took place in Iran. Let us be very clear, what happened

in 1988 was a totally brutal massacre of political prisoners,

which is a crime against humanity.'' This former leader of

Amnesty closed with this. ``And if you go with the

definition, notwithstanding the technicalities, it amounts to

genocide.'' We know a bit about this. We have to keep the

Iranian regime in a box.

Contrast the current administration's posture toward the

regime with the one that the Trump administration had. Our

mission was really very simple. We laid down 12 very simple

demands, twelve requirements that made clear that if the

Iranian regime failed to do that we would apply every

American power and indeed we would build a coalition around

the world to deny the regime the power to kill its own people

and to foment terror around region and indeed around the

world. This seemed so straight forward to me. We formed

alliances to achieve these ends and supported Israel's

efforts to enhance our pressure campaign as well.

This administration is returning to the roots of its past,

It's the Obama Policy 2.0. They are seeking to walk away from

the support we had provided to the Iranian people just as

they did in 2009, when the Iranian people demanded freedom

and the administration walked away from them.

But here is the good news. The resistance forces in Iran,

these noble Iranian patriots, are as strong as they have ever

been, and they provide optimism for everyone around them who

supports them. You do that too.

You can actually see the effects of the last years of our

work in their recent elections. Every more effort had to be

made. The regime became more desperate, the fraud had to be

increased and the Iranian people could see it as plain as

day. Since 1979, every election in Iran has served only to

give an appearance of republicanism to a corrupt, brutal

theocracy. The 2021 presidential election, however, was

different. It is vastly different from those before it,

primarily because it is taking place when the theocratic

regime is at its most precarious state since it took power in

1979, and the people of Iran know this. Its prospects of

survival are openly questioned by regime insiders and

challenged by a restive, freedom-seeking nation. In short,

you all know the math. Very few actually voted FOR Raisi.

Turnout was the lowest since 1979 marking a total rejection

of the regime and its candidate.

Even the regime admitted for the first time in 40 years

that the majority of Iranian people stayed away from the

ballot box. It was, in fact, a boycott of the regime--and the

regime leader fear and know it.

This boycott is evidence that the Iranian people pin no

hope on elections as a conduit for substantive change.

The program that we implemented also served to lay bare the

regime's economic incompetence, systemic corruption, and

outright plunder of the country's wealth that have pushed 80%

of the population below the poverty line. They see the

corrupt ruling theocracy as their true enemy and the first

and foremost cause of the economic crises. One of the most

dominant slogans in the recent uprisings has been, ``Our

enemy is right here; they lie when they say it is America.''

History is replete with protest movements. As with all

protest movements, flags were burned, right? This is what

people do, but now, the most common flag being burned was not

the Israeli or the American flag, but the flag of this evil

regime.

So, what is ahead? So how do we all move forward together?

What is the path that we move down to?

The regime is at its weakest point in its now 40 plus years

of existence Iranians from every corner of the nation are

seeing with their own eyes, the failure of the regime to

deliver on the very promises that it made. The epic

incompetence in handling COVID-19 is on-going--vaccination in

Iran is at among the lowest rates in the entire world not

because the vaccine is not available, but because the regime

refuses to accept vaccines from those prepared to give them

to them. Indeed, they rejected it from the Trump

administration. This epic incompetence and quest for nuclear

power has made it pariah,

has made Iran, the regime, pariah, even to its fellow Muslim

countries in the region.

It's epic incompetence in simply ruining the nation has

resulted in has made food and gas and the most basic staples

unaffordable and the nation's ability to respond to natural

disasters like floods and earthquakes virtually nonexistent.

The Iranian people are wise. They can see that Iran is not

working The people know it.

As for President Raisi, he is the not he President of the

people of Iran. He is the President for the Ayatollah. His

mission is clear. Inflict pain Frighten, continue to loot and

plunder. Protect the clerics and protect the Republican

Guards. He was chosen by the Ayatollah now because he is only

60 years old and thus could lead for the next two to three

decades. I don't believe that's the fate of the Iranian

people. These years will give him the time he needs to get

his own people into place and demonstrate that the Supreme

Leader wants him to have time to prepare for the next phase

of the of the so-called revolution. He will use the IRGC and

his Qods Force to generate conflict externally to deflect

attention and to maintain the narrative of the oppressed.

The path forward calls This calls for a clear response--the

United States must lead the world, starting today, on this

occasion, to hold him accountable for crimes against humanity

that he committed. Any dealings with Raisi, would he

tantamount to dealing with a mass murderer. This is not only

immoral but counterproductive. All of us should make this

crystal clear to our allies in Europe and Asia as well and

hold them accountable if they deal with this man that sent

thousands of his country to execution in 1988.

It is worth noting that the apologists for the regime

suggest that Raisi's election and the power now in the hands

of ``hardliners'' is a result of the American pressure on the

regime. This is nonsense. Utter nonsense. The latter notion

that of hardliners versus reformers or moderates is not

remotely reflective of the total control of the Ayatollah

over everything that so that nothing moves without his

blessing inside of that country. As for whether pressure

drives Iran to continue it authoritarian ways, it is obvious

that Iran's leadership has been static or trending right for

two decades.

The world often overstates its influence on domestic

politics. It is the people of Iran who have the power. The

Ayatollah has been very intent. Raisi demonstrates that IRGC

generation is replacing the Revolutionary generation.

Moreover, while Raisi and others have criticized this nuclear

deal, it touches none of their equities. Thus, they get to

use the deal politically and reap the benefits from the

resources received to protect the Ayatollah and his henchmen.

So, he will complain about the deal, he will use it to gain

more concessions from a deal-hungry U.S., but won't, in the

end, block it.

I worry, too, that the situation on the Iranian border with

Afghanistan will only strengthen the Iranian regime's hand.

The Iranians watched as the United States projected weakness

and chaos as it withdrew from Afghanistan. And we know that

the Iranians thrive on weakness. We also know that it always

emboldens our adversaries.

The truth is that the present administration inherited an

orderly plan for a drawdown in Afghanistan based on firm

conditions to keep our people safe. And the people of our

allies who were fighting in Afghanistan and alongside of us

as well.

The Administration ripped up that plan and turned it into a

chaotic rush for exit. And thirteen brave Americans paid with

their lives.

I worry that same weakness will enable a blood thirsty

Iranian regime to be even more harsh on its own people who

oppose the regime, and the American weakness will embolden

the ``Axis of Resistance'' to spark increased terrorism in

the Middle East and, indeed, all around the world.

In fact, in the wake of our Afghanistan withdrawal, here is

what Raisi said, ``America's military defeat and its

withdrawal must become an opportunity to restore life,

security and durable peace in Afghanistan Iran backs efforts

to restore stability in Afghanistan and, as a neighboring and

brother nation, Iran invites all groups in Afghanistan to

reach a national agreement'' Let me translate that for you.

Iran welcomes Afghanistan as another tool in the terrorist

hub of the ``Axis of Resistance.''

They don't want good things for the Afghan people any more

than they want good things for their own people. They want

the very power that they have so dearly clutched onto for

these decades at the expense of the Iranian people. It is

worth us all remembering today that this is not the first

connection to external terror. The Ayatollah already hosts

the most senior Al Qaeda leadership in his country. Let me

say that again: Al Qaeda international, the headquarters for

Al Qaeda's operational leaders that builds up plots across

the world is not in Afghanistan is NOT in Afghanistan, it is

not in the Afghan border, it is not Pakistan--we know they

are being hosted, protected, and operating today from Iran.

And don't forget this. The Ayatollah did not truly conduct

a revolution, although he will claim that. No, revolutions

move their people towards modernity and reason and to light,

this was not a revolution, but a devolution of the basic

standards of human rights that the rich of history of Iran

had promoted for decades and decades.

There is not far from here, think tanks and salons and some

of the nicer parties where there is this idea that there is

no solution if the regime is overthrown. The Ayatollah--and

many will tell you that you are better off with the devil you

know. The Iranian people don't believe that for a second

because it is fundamentally untrue. There are many paths

forward and all of them are better for the Iranian people

than the status quo.

And preparing, as we are doing, preparing the transition to

a New Iran is a task for today. We should start by securing

the humanitarian well-being of the Iranian people as they

make this transition. Over the years, it has been

demonstrated that the Iranian culture makes toppling

governments a part of the national spirit. You should know

that nearly 100% of ordinary Iranians believe the regime's

days are numbered. I believe that too.

I am also deeply heartened by the fact that the Iranian

people have made it abundantly clear that they are

increasingly unafraid of the regime. Rather than punish Iran

for its continued aggression against us and our partners in

the Middle East, sadly, the Biden Administration is trying to

get back to the nuclear deal with a much weaker hand.

As was the case with the Trump Administration, human rights

and counter terrorism should be at the forefront of our

policy, not appeasing the Iranian regime.

We worked tirelessly to keep Iran from having a nuclear

weapon and a nuclear program. We have to apply pressure until

they change, or until reforms which move Iran toward a

democratic form of government take place. We cannot shower

the Ayatollah with money and economic benefits in the hopes

that they won't be used to inflict terror and oppression. We

have seen this sad story before. This thinking is foolish and

backwards. The program of sanctions and pressure that was

employed by the Trump Administration needs to remain the

model if we want to ensure the security of the American

people and the freedom of the people of Iran.

I pray that the United States will not increase the

resources the Ayatollah has at his disposal to do empower the

theocracy. Engagement with the regime will lengthen the time

that Iran and the regime has to behave as it has for these

past decades denying basic human dignity

Remember, the Ayatollah's power grab was not so much a

revolution but a devolution. It's important to remember that.

It was a lesson for me that I learned. And I must say I am

hopeful. I am hopeful that the world has learned much about

the theocracy in Iran these past few years. And it's not that

we didn't know it before; you have all seen it before. Around

the world, you can see that even in Europe the tide of

tolerance for the regime is slipping. This is a good thing.

We must continue to support the Iranian people as they

fight for a freer and more democratic Iran in any way that

they can. There is so much good work to do, and you all are

doing today.

In the end the Iranian people will have a secular,

democratic, non-nuclear Republic. I pray that this day will

come soon. It is a such a joy to be with you all today. I

pray that these days will come soon with the Iranian people

with the support of Iranians living all around the world--and

those who resist from within, they are noble people--that day

will come sooner. I am committed to this cause; I know you

everyone in this room is as well. May your mission be

blessed, and the Iranian people protected and provided for

always. It is a hopeful time, a deeply hopeful time, and a

time to redouble our efforts.

Thank you for having me here today. God bless you, and may

God bless the Iranian people.''

Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate Carole Kinlow for the record on her nomination by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, for the Angels In Adoption Award. This award and recognition is something very personal to me as my wife Angie and I are foster-to-adopt parents to two of our four children.

For over 24 years, Carole has served the Omaha community as a mentor and role model for young women in varying roles at many organizations. She served as an advocate at Emergency Pregnancy Services, instructor for the Kids Ability program and Girls Inc., Legal Advocate for victims of Domestic Violence at Youth Women's Christian Association, and as a property manager and regional supervisor assisting low-income families.

These experiences led Carole and her husband David to become foster parents as well as family advocates for youth experiencing homelessness. It also led them to start the non-profit, Carole's House of Hope, a transitional living program to protect and foster the growth and success of women and their children. The goal of the non-profit is to meet the needs of these individuals' facing homelessness, with a particular emphasis to assist young women who found themselves homeless after becoming emancipated from the foster care system.

Carole, whose motto is `Hope is believing, encouraging, dreaming, caring . . . hope is us,'' credits her personal and professional success to her husband David, who is the Director of Properties for Carole's House of Hope. She says he has stood by her side and served 22 years helping at-risk individuals including as a Youth Care Worker at Uta Halee/Cooper Village.

Congratulations to Carole and her husband David, for this nomination honor. I am thankful for her service to so many in a segment of our community that is close to my heart.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to wish the people of Taiwan and Americans celebrating the upcoming Taiwan National Day on October 10th a Happy Double Ten Day.

In the decades preceding and following the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, the United States and Taiwan built a strong relationship that cannot be broken--a bond born out of our shared values and cooperation with one another in times of crisis, and in times of advancement.

Taiwan has transformed itself into a model of democracy with a respect for human rights,

freedom of speech, rule of law, and a market economy. Americans share these core values with Taiwan--the foundation of our strong relationship. Taiwan is a multidimensional success story and has shown that democracy can work in China.

The United States and Taiwan have a long-standing and vibrant trade relationship. Taiwan is the United States' 9th largest goods trading partner. In 2020, two-way goods trade between the United States and Taiwan totaled $90.9 billion while goods and services trade between the countries totaled $106 billion the same year. Taiwan is one of the largest Asian markets for Nebraska's agricultural exports. Nebraskan companies have an abundant opportunity to expand their business and cooperation with Taiwan. I will continue to work with our friends in Taiwan to find areas where we can partner to our mutual benefit.

This is a day to celebrate, and to be optimistic. I ask my colleagues to join me in recommitting to a robust U.S.-Taiwan relationship, and in wishing Taiwan a Happy Double Ten Day.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize two Hispanic trailblazers in Omaha--Robert, known as Bob, Campos and Dr. James, known as Jim, Ramirez--for their generous contributions to our community.

After growing up together in the same working-class South Omaha neighborhood, Bob and Jim each went on to lead extraordinary, successful lives, and they have made a huge difference in our community.

Bob Campos was born in 1938 to Mexican immigrant parents in South Omaha, a neighborhood long regarded as a melting pot of multicultural immigrant families. Growing up, his large family shared only a one- bedroom home. So when Bob was only 8 years old, he went to work at the neighborhood grocery store to earn some extra income for his family.

At 16 years old, Campos dropped out of high school and attempted to enlist in the United States Marines but was unsuccessful after falsifying his age in his application. Shortly after that, he fulfilled his desire to serve his country by joining the U.S. Coast Guard.

After his military service, Bob moved back to Omaha and worked at the Kiewit Construction Company. After 15 years at Kiewit, he started his own business, Campos Construction, on January 1, 1977. Starting his business with only $500 and a pickup truck, Campos grew his company to become the largest minority-owned construction company in Nebraska.

Bob's reputation for excellence led him to take on high-profile projects, to include painting the home of President Abraham Lincoln in Illinois and building the Gerald R. Ford Conservation Center in Omaha.

In 2003, Bob leased the land to build community soccer fields in South Omaha, personally mowing and tending to the property now known as the Bob Campos Soccer Complex.

Bob also fosters educational leadership opportunities for Hispanic high school students through the Grassroots Leadership Development Program.

Dr. Jim Ramirez was born in 1934 to Mexican immigrant parents who worked in the meatpacking plants of South Omaha.

During high school, Dr. Ramirez faced repeated discrimination and was told by guidance counselors and peers that Latinos such as himself did not belong in college. So after graduation, Jim joined his father at the Nebraska Beef packing plant, where arduous work motivated him to pursue higher education and a better life.

For 18 years, Ramirez worked the slaughterhouse in the day and took classes at night; graduating in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Nebraska Omaha. He went on to earn his master's degree in guidance and counseling from UNO in 1974 and, ultimately, a Ph.D. in adult continuing education in 1984.

Having witnessed discrimination throughout his years as a student, Dr. Ramirez made it his life's mission to promote pathways to higher education for Omaha's Hispanic community.

In 1972 Dr. Ramirez was selected to chair UNO's Committee on Mexican- American Affairs, upon whose recommendation the University hired more Hispanic faculty, administrators, and staff.

After earning his doctorate, Dr. Ramirez was hired by UNO as a professor and counselor, where he spent decades mentoring countless Hispanic and minority students.

Dr. Ramirez went on to work as a human relations specialist at Omaha Public Schools, where he recruited Hispanic teachers from across the country to teach and mentor Omaha's Latino students.

Additionally, today I would like to recognize the Latino Center of the Midlands for celebrating 50 years of serving Omaha's Hispanic community.

The Latino Center is an education and social service nonprofit located in South Omaha, the heart of Omaha's Latino community.

Founded officially in 1971 as the Chicano Awareness Center, their work is rooted in advocacy for and service to Omaha's Latino community. Their three major programs, Family and Community Well-Being, Pathways to Success, and Workforce Education and Innovation impact over 2,500 individuals and families a year. Currently it is led by Albert Varas.

During Hispanic Heritage Month, no other two individuals and organization are deserving for our recognition than Bob Campos, Dr. Jim Ramirez, and the Latino Center. Together they demonstrate for all Americans, especially Latino Americans, that through hard work, perseverance, and faith, anything is possible.

I am pleased to announce that Bob Campos, Dr. Jim Ramirez, and the Latino Center of the Midlands have been selected as the inaugural inductees to the Nebraska Hispanic Hall of Fame, established this year by the Nebraska Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with my office, where their stories and many others will be shared for centuries to come.

Thank you, Bob and Jim, and the Latino Center, for making a difference in our great community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of our great constituents and a great friend of mine, Joyce ``Clark'' Schram, who celebrated her 90th birthday on June 24. Joyce grew up on a farm, raising cows for milk and butter and chickens for eggs.

To this day, Joyce remembers the winter day in 1936 that her father told them they had to give up their family farm. Joyce compares that day to a funeral. They loaded up and moved to a new farm near Council Bluffs owned by a wealthy man who knew nothing about farming. The Clark family lived on that farm for about 3 years until they moved to another farm east of Crescent, Iowa.

On December 7, 1941, Joyce remembers celebrating her Uncle Leonard's birthday when his father-in-law, who was listening to the radio, shouted from across the big dining room table: ``We are at war.'' The room became silent. A few hours later, the family learned of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Months after this, Joyce recalls occasionally hearing the air raid sirens from Omaha and how they had to turn off their lights in their houses until an all-clear signal was given.

Because her family had recently moved, Joyce had a 2-mile trek to her new school. She recalls her father making a path through the timber so she could complete the journey on her pony. Joyce's family moved once again to Council Bluffs, where she attended Thomas Jefferson High School and graduated in 1949. Although she graduated with a scholarship, she sacrificed going to college so that her family would not struggle financially.

Joyce then went to work at Omaha Standard Truck Body for a short time before working at an insurance company. In 1952, she quit and moved back to help out at her family's farm, which was devastated by a flood. After helping her parents for a month, Joyce was offered a job at Mutual of Omaha as a claims auditor. During this time, men were hired more than women, but many men were serving in the Korean war, and Joyce had the skills needed to fill this job role.

That fall, Joyce met her future husband, Conrad ``Connie'' Schram, shortly before he was deployed to Korea. When he returned a year later, he and Joyce began their courtship, married in 1955, and moved to a farm south of Valley, Nebraska.

In 1956, their son John was born, and in 1957, their daughter Kathleen was born but tragically passed a month later. In 1960, they had a son, but he also, sadly, died at birth. Despite their losses, Joyce and her husband had more children, twin boys, Tim and Tom, who are both friends, and daughter Mary.

Staying in the family business of farming, Joyce and her husband moved from a hill farm in Papillion, Nebraska, to the Hickey farm, which is on ground west of Joyce's house in the Platte River, Iowa, area. They lived there until 1976 when they built their house that Joyce lives in today.

Joyce's husband unexpectedly passed in 1980, leaving Joyce to raise four children. While her twin boys were away at college, her older son John took over the family farm. Joyce said that it was a miracle that the family was able to survive through these tough times after her husband's passing. Joyce credits her children, her sister, Evelyn, and brother-in-law, Norman, for keeping her strong through those tough months.

Joyce went back to school briefly before working for the Sarpy County Election Commission, where she has worked for 12 years to include as the Sarpy County Election Commissioner. In 1996, she was honored and selected as an electoral college member and has been active in the Republican Party for 35 years.

Joyce Schram has lived an eventful, blessed, and full life surrounded by her family and many friends who love and adore her. It should be noted that to this day, Sunday dinner prepared by Joyce has been a staple in her home as long as anyone can remember, and of course, everyone is welcome for dinner.

On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, we wish Joyce all the best and congratulate her as she celebrates 90 years of life.

Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong opposition to this amendment and the extreme damage it would do to our national security.

This amendment is misguided based on the rapid changes in the global threat environment. It is well-established that Russia has modernized its entire nuclear arsenal. Meanwhile, we are still debating it, and we have a 50-year-old ICBM. Even more concerning is that we have recently learned that China has embarked on a crash nuclear buildup program, the pace of which has stunned observers around the world.

Open-source reporting has recently confirmed three new Chinese ICBM fields with over 100 silos each. When armed, these silos, along with China's road-mobile ICBMs model, will match our ICBM inventory, and they will be new. China is now on pace to quadruple its nuclear stockpile as it sprints to achieve parity with the United States and Russia.

For the first time in our history, the United States confronts not one but two peer nuclear-armed competitors who do not share our values.

Make no mistake, our friends and allies are watching this vote. Further delaying modernizing our land-based leg of the triad while China and Russia modernize theirs will have the disastrous effect of encouraging allies to develop their own nuclear capabilities or, worse, submit to coercion from China and Russia.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the National Defense Authorization Act. I commend the outstanding leadership of Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Mike Rogers for delivering strong, bipartisan legislation that provides for our common defense.

While I am personally grateful that this bill includes dozens of my provisions, I am most proud of the fact that the bill sends a clear bipartisan message that we must keep our national defense spending level with inflation and reject the temptation to cut defense when our allies and enemies are questioning American leadership. As the White House's own strategic guidance states, America must confront global challenges from a position of strength, not weakness.

I am also proud that this bill includes multiple provisions ensuring oversight and accountability for the recent debacle in Afghanistan. As we stand here today, this crisis is ongoing, with hundreds of U.S. citizens and residents, including my constituents from Nebraska, who are still trapped in Afghanistan. Oversight of the way the botched withdrawal was handled is not and should not be a partisan issue, and I am proud that the House has not backed away from its responsibilities.

Madam Speaker, I urge support of this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the hard work and success of Timothy J. Burke, who retired from the Omaha Public Power District on July 2 after serving the company for 24 years. He began his career with OPPD in 1997 as vice president and in 2015 took over as the company's 12th President and CEO.

During his time with OPPD, Tim faced some tough challenges, but with his tenacity and great leadership skills, he overcame them all.

Burke's tenure as CEO will be remembered as one of transition. He made several decisions early on that set the future for OPPD. When he became the CEO, OPPD initiated utility-wide lean financial work to make the utility financially efficient and strong. Burke also made what he called the most difficult decision he ever made or had been involved with, recommending the closure of Fort Calhoun Nuclear Generating Station due to financial concerns and economies of scale at the country's smallest nuclear plant.

In addition, under Burke, the company continued to achieve financial stability and 5 straight years of no general rate increase--which is amazing--which is now in its fifth year of no rate increases. Further, Burke's time at OPPD included a transition to more renewable energy and the commitment to be a net zero-carbon emitter by 2050.

Throughout his career, Burke has remained active in local and industry organizations. His recent involvement includes the American Public Power Association, Large Public Power Council, Nebraska Power Association, the Business Ethics Alliance trustee, and the past chair and executive committee of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce and United Way of the Midlands. He has also been heavily involved with Offutt Air Force Base and STRATCOM and has served as chair of the STRATCOM Consultation Committee. He is on the executive committee of the Offutt Air Force Base Advisory Council, and he has been a civic leader with the Air Force Chief of Staff and the Air Force Global Strike Command Civic Leader program.

I had 16 assignments in the Air Force and found the local community around Offutt to be the most supportive and welcoming of all, and Tim embodies that patriotic welcoming spirit to the fullest.

Family is extremely important to Tim. He and his wife, Terri, have three sons, five grandchildren, and a sixth grandbaby on the way.

Post retirement, Tim is looking forward to first spending more time with his family and then finding ways to keep himself busy in the local area. He has been heavily involved in the local area, and I am sure he will continue to do so, and we need him.

On top of all of this, one of Tim's passions is music, especially playing with his Irish pub band, the Shenanigans, with two of his sons. Burke is an exceptional leader and a skilled communicator and has served the Omaha area with honor and distinction.

We thank Tim for his time with OPPD and for keeping the power on for those living in southeast Nebraska.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize Charles Jackson French, a World War II hero with ties to Omaha who made one of the most underappreciated sacrifices in American military history

The story of Charles Jackson French is an American story: One of courage, sacrifice, and hope. Charles, a Black man, was born in a racially segregated Foreman, Arkansas, on September 15, 1919. In 1937, Charles enlisted in the United States Navy. After completing his enlistment, he moved to Omaha, Nebraska, to be with family, but after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he reenlisted.

According to accounts, on September 5, 1942, Petty Officer First Class French was serving as a mess attendant in the racially segregated USS Gregory. As a Black man growing up in 1930's Arkansas, Charles lived in a time when segregation laws prohibited Black people from swimming alongside White people in public pools and beaches, yet when the USS Gregory was attacked and sunk by Japanese gunfire off the coast of Guadalcanal, it was Petty Officer French who dove into the treacherous waters of the Pacific to save his fellow sailors who had been wounded.

Petty Officer French loaded 15 of his fellow sailors into a lifeboat and saved his injured comrades from drowning. However, Charles knew that they could not simply float to shores controlled by the Japanese where they would meet a fate worse than death. Prisoners were often tortured then executed. Military.com recounted how Charles tied a rope around his waist with the help of his shipmates and towed his fellow sailors through shark-infested waters for 8 long hours until they were finally identified and saved by an American landing craft.

In his book ``Black Men and Blue Water'' Chester Wright recounted his conversation with Petty Officer French who told him that when he and the raft full of survivors were rescued, persons aboard the ship told Charles to go ``where the colored boys stay'' while the crew tended to the wounded White survivors. Charles further shared that the sailors rescued by him told the crew: ``He ain't going nowhere. He is a member of the Gregory's crew and he damned well will stay here with the rest of us.''

Just like the sailors who stepped up at the time for French, it is our time to stand up and recognize with full measure the sacrifice and service of French, whose story has been underappreciated by the Navy and history. A real-life hero like Charles must be recognized by the military and the country that he devoted his life to.

In World War II, the Navy gave French a commendation letter. I have now asked the Navy to review and consider upgrading to a medal, and the Navy is reviewing this now.

Full recognition of U.S. Navy Petty Officer First Class Charles Jackson French is long overdue. We owe it to Charles, his family, and to the millions of Americans who learned from Charles' story.

Last Friday, I also introduced legislation to rename one of Omaha's post offices after Charles, and I am pleased that Representatives Jeff Fortenberry and Adrian Smith have joined me in this effort to recognize a Nebraska hero.

Today, I call on the Navy, Congress, and the White House to recognize the service and sacrifice of Petty Officer First Class French so that all Americans, especially our Nation's future leaders and servicemembers, can be inspired by Charles' display of patriotism and sacrifice. But also, so the family of Charles can be comforted by the eternal gratitude of a Nation that Petty Officer First Class French so dutifully served. This three-decade veteran salutes him.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to address the very concerning uptick in hate crimes against members of the Jewish community in recent weeks. To be clear, these incidents have not been isolated, and their sheer volume should frighten us all.

We must do more to acknowledge these crimes against our Jewish brothers and sisters and ensure the perpetrators of these crimes are held accountable.

Perhaps the most telling sign of how dangerous things have gotten is the statistical data. Those who clearly identify as Jews, with their garb and outward trappings, have been viciously and frequently targeted.

According to the ADL, there has been an 80 percent increase in anti- Semitic incidents in the United States. Some include Nazi propaganda in public parks and synagogues as well as suspensions in schools related to anti-Semitic attacks.

In Lincoln, Nebraska, the South Street Temple was spray-painted with swastikas and racial epithets. In Omaha, about 75 headstones were toppled and more than $50,000 in damage caused at the Temple Israel Cemetery.

I have repeatedly condemned this behavior and stand with Nebraska's Jewish community and all of those across the U.S. who have experienced similar situations.

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting one of the most prominent leaders of the orthodox Jewish community, Rabbi Dovid Hofstedter, the son of Holocaust survivors who founded the Dirshu, the largest Torah organization in the world.

Rabbi Hofstedter was compelled to come to Washington to address my colleagues and me about the very serious issues related to the safety and security of the State of Israel, including the hatred toward Israel that has manifested itself in many cases toward the entire Jewish people.

I committed to Rabbi Hofstedter that we, in Congress, will do everything in our power to continue standing up for the Jewish people and ensuring their safety, from New York to Nebraska and all across the United States.

During his address to my colleagues and I, Rabbi Hofstedter remarked that perhaps at no time since the 1930s have we found ourselves in a more similar situation. Jewish lives are being threatened both domestically and on a global scale. However, after watching the hate crimes against our Jewish brothers and sisters over the last few weeks, it is abundantly clear that the rabbi's words were sadly and tragically understated.

It is time for all of us in Congress to wake up to the reality of the hatred that is being directed toward the Jewish people and ensure that ``never again'' truly means ``never again.''

Cowardice emboldens the enemy. What Rabbi Hofstedter and Dirshu represent is the true antidote to this venomous hatred that has been exhibited toward the community he leads.

We must not buckle under fear but, rather, call out the haters and show that the Jewish people as a community will never stand down. They will continue to practice their Jewish heritage with their heads held high.

Out of the darkness of the Holocaust, Rabbi Hofstedter decided to dedicate his life to reviving the levels of Jewish scholarship and education to the levels that were predating the Holocaust. As the son of Holocaust survivors, Rabbi Hofstedter's personal life's mission

that he has chosen to undertake and execute upon ought to serve as a source of inspiration for every Member of this legislative body. Just as Martin Luther King once said: ``Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.''

I thank Rabbi Hofstedter for all that he and the members of the Dirshu continue to do to advance Jewish scholarship and education in the face of the evil that has been perpetrated on their community in recent weeks. May God bless them all. May God bless the United States of America.