Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to cast my vote for Roll Call Votes Nos. 143 through 152. Had I been present, I would have voted: ``Nay'' on Roll Call Vote No. 143, H.R. 3602; `'Nay'' on Roll Call Vote No. 144, Nunn Amendment No. 2 to H.R. 8038; ``Yea'' on Roll Call Vote No. 145, H.R. 8038; ``Yea'' on Roll Call Vote No. 146, H.R. 8036; ``Nay'' on Roll Call Vote No. 147, Spartz Amendment No. 1 to H.R. 8035; ``Nay'' on Roll Call Vote No. 148, Greene Amendment No. 2 to H.R. 8035; ``Nay'' on Roll Call Vote No. 149, Cammack Amendment No. 4 to H.R. 8035; ``Nay'' on Roll Call Vote No. 150, Motion to Recommit on H.R. 8035; ``Yea'' on Roll Call Vote No. 151, H.R. 8035; and ``Yea'' on Roll Call Vote No. 152, H.R. 8034.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to cast my vote for Roll Call Vote No. 142. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on H. Res. 1160.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to cast my vote for Roll Call Vote No. 141. Had I been present, I would have voted Yea on adoption of H. Res. 1143.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to cast my vote for Roll Call Votes Nos. 135 through 140. Had I been present, I would have voted: Nay on Roll Call Vote No. 135, LaLota Amendment No. 3 to H.R. 4639; Yea on Roll Call Vote No. 136, H.R. 4639, Nay on Roll Call Vote No. 137, H.R. 6046; Nay on Roll Call Vote No. 138, H.R. 4691, Nay on Roll Call Vote No. 139, H.R. 5947; and Nay on Roll Call Vote No. 140, H.R. 6323.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to cast my vote for Roll Call Votes Nos. 124 through 134. Had I been present, I would have voted: ``Nay'' on Roll Call Vote No. 124, Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on H. Res. 1149; ``No'' on Roll Call Vote No. 125, H. Res. 1149; ``Yea'' on Roll Call Vote No. 126, H.R. 6245; ``Yea'' on Roll Call Vote No. 127, H.R. 6015; ``Yea'' on Roll Call Vote No. 128, H.R. 5917; ``Yea'' on Roll Call Vote No. 129, H.R. 4681; ``Yea'' on Roll Call Vote No. 130, H.R. 6603; ``Yea'' on Roll Call Vote No. 131, H.R. 5826; ``Yea'' on Roll Call Vote No. 132, H.R. 3033; ``Yea'' on Roll Call Vote No. 133, H. Res. 288; and ``Yea'' on Roll Call Vote No. 134, H. Res. 883.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to cast my vote for rollcall Nos. 112 and 113. Had I been present, I would have voted nay on rollcall Vote No. 112, Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on H. Res. 1137, and nay on rollcall Vote No. 113, H. Res. 1137.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to cast my vote for rollcall Nos. 110 and 111. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 110, S. 382, and ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 111,

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to cast my vote today. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 107, Ordering the Previous Question on H. Res. 1125; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 108, H. Res. 1125; and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 109, H.R. 3250.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to cast my vote for Roll Call Nos. 105 and 106. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall Vote No. 105, H.R. 6655 and ``yea'' on rollcall Vote No. 106,

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise President Biden's work to improve housing in America.

The President's leadership in this area has led to lower housing costs, expanded rental assistance, and increased affordable housing nationwide.

Now, the President wants to implement the most consequential housing plan in 50 years in this country. It would provide a $10,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers and people who sell their starter homes. It would build and renovate more than 2 million homes.

The plan would crack down on corporate actions that rob renters, and it would provide rental assistance for hundreds of thousands of families, veterans, and youth leaving foster care.

It is a bold plan that would benefit millions of Americans, and I am proud to support it on the House floor today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Eugene Cornacchia, the longest serving president of St. Peter's University in Jersey City, New Jersey.

President Cornacchia is retiring this year after 17 years leading this prestigious university.

During his tenure, President Cornacchia helped St. Peter's become a university and gain national recognition. He helped start the university's first doctoral programs and the new schools of business, nursing, and education. He oversaw the construction of the new student center, Panepinto Hall, and the creation of the STEM empowerment center.

In addition, President Cornacchia secured more than $134 million in funding and $25 million in Federal grants for the school.

I enjoyed being there along with my two sons, Donald and Jack, to watch St. Peter's magical run during the 2022 NCAA tournament. Since then, they both have graduated from the school. I will be rooting for the Peacocks during tonight's tournament, as well.

Mr. Speaker, President Cornacchia is an exceptional leader and will be missed at St. Peter's University.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a solution to McDonald's ice cream machine problem.

Angry customers have flooded social media with posts about broken machines. McDonald's even jokes about it, but it is not a joke. It is a problem McDonald's refuses to fix.

The company limits franchise owners regarding who can repair their machines and denies them the right to find local repair workers to save them time and money.

Now, President Biden wants to give the American small business owners

more repair freedom. It is called the right to repair, and it would loosen copyright laws to permit small business owners to repair their own machines.

If successful, the move would save customers and small business owners millions of dollars per year, and McDonald's customers could finally get their ice cream consistently again. It is another way President Biden is fighting for the American people and for the right to have ice cream.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to question the Republican commitment to American families.

Recently, actions in Alabama have led a nationwide discussion on the popular in vitro fertilization, or IVF, pregnancy treatments. More than 8 million American babies have been born through IVF, and it has helped create parents and families nationwide.

The Republicans want to ban IVF across the country. First, Republicans want to force women to have children. Now, they want to stop women from having them. It is very confusing and very hypocritical.

Democrats want women to choose when they have their children. We also want to protect that right with the Women's Health Protection Act. The American people should make reproductive health choices, not politicians.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the Eagle Scout project of Michael Costeira.

Michael Costeira is a Boy Scout from Union, New Jersey, and he wanted to upgrade the almost 300-year-old Caldwell Parsonage.

The Caldwell Parsonage was the home of the Reverend James Caldwell, a strong patriot supporter during the American Revolution.

The original Caldwell Parsonage was burned by loyalist mobs in 1780. Later that year, Caldwell's wife, Hannah, was killed by British soldiers during the Battle of Connecticut Farms.

The current Caldwell Parsonage was built in 1782 and added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1982.

Michael Costeira wanted to preserve that history for his Eagle Scout project, so he researched various artifacts in the parsonage and he created more accurate exhibit labels for each of the items found.

I congratulate Michael. He has made a valuable contribution to an historic location in this country's great fight in the Revolution.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Reverend Brian Rawls, Sr., for becoming the 13th pastor of St. Paul Baptist Church.

Reverend Rawls continues a family legacy. His father, Bishop Hilton Rawls, Sr., has been the pastor of St. Paul Free Will Baptist Church in Newark for more than 40 years.

Reverend Brian Rawls comes to St. Paul Baptist Church with exceptional credentials. He earned a master of divinity degree and a doctor of divinity degree from New Brunswick Theological Seminary. He was the director of the Newark Youth One-Stop Career Center and a former chair of the Mayor's Commission on the Homeless for the city of Newark.

Today, Reverend Rawls is the dean of the School of Christian Studies and assistant professor of church ministry and leadership for Pillar College in Newark. In addition, he has traveled the world to teach about the Kingdom of God.

I congratulate my friend, the Right Reverend Brian Rawls. His church is getting an outstanding leader.