Floor Statements

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.

This amendment requires a report to outline the option for reducing the Department of Defense civilian workforce by 200,000 workers, a very arbitrary number.

It is truly stunning, a continuation of unprecedented attacks on our Federal civilian workforce that we have seen under this administration led by the very top, by President Trump and his Cabinet.

I will remind my colleagues that President Trump established DOGE last year, which resulted in cuts across the entire Federal workforce of over 280,000 employees. Since then, the Federal Government, and particularly the Department of Defense, has absolutely hemorrhaged critical talent, institutional knowledge, and subject-matter experts across our workforce, the men and women that we cannot afford to lose.

Over the last year, we have already seen reductions across the Department of Defense workforce by about 10 percent, over 78,000 workers. In fact, the GAO, the Government Accountability Office, already did a study on the Department of Defense's implementation of the 2025 reductions.

They put out their findings in a report on May 29 of this year. This is what they found: The Department of Defense did not consistently analyze the impacts on the civilian workforce reduction either in `25 or in prior years.

A study has been done, and they did absolutely nothing with it. Instead, we are taking up this amendment, which arbitrarily seeks recommendations to reach a target of 200,000 people in reduction before we even understand the impacts of the last set of cuts that have taken place.

Unfortunately, in our country and our national security, we already are paying the price for these reckless attacks on our hardworking men and women who keep our workforce and our Defense Department running. What we absolutely already know is these firings--

Mr. Chair, let's get to the bottom line here. Our responsibility as Members of Congress is to make sure that we have a Department of Defense that is ready. We can't do it with less people. We are losing this institutional knowledge that is so critical for defending our Nation.

Mr. Chair, I am against this. Please reject this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I thank Ranking Member Smith and Chairman Rogers for crafting this bill.

Mr. Chair, this bill continues the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee's proud bipartisan tradition and reaffirms our shared responsibility for managing strategic risk. In particular, I thank Chairman Wittman and our subcommittee staff for building this strong bipartisan bill.

I am, however, disappointed that some in the majority would kill the bipartisan hard work that we have done on this bill. Our servicemembers and their families deserve better.

Mr. Chair, this bill authorizes funding levels for key defense programs, including $4.3 billion for helicopter procurement, $3.3 billion for the F-35 program, over $3.9 billion for ground combat vehicles, and over $4.9 billion for key weapon systems procurement.

Mr. Chair, this bill also addresses the risks and the costs of military modernization without sacrificing oversight, such as authorizing multiyear procurement for the F-15EX and the F-35 aircraft, conditional on procuring sufficient spares for each aircraft; requiring the Air Force to budget for procurement a sufficient number of E-7A aircraft; and authorizing multiyear procurement for key munitions, coupled with strong funding for the munitions industrial base.

Mr. Chair, this bill also includes legislation that fortifies the Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation. I have great concern with this administration's plan for the DOT&E. We must ensure this office remains independent and relevant.

Finally, I thank our subcommittee professional staff, including Jay Vallario, Mike Kirlin, Heath Bope, Caroline Kehrli, Brooke Alred, and certainly my personal staff, Sam DeVito, Naajidah Khan, and our defense fellow Captain John Dacier for their work on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to welcome guest chaplain, Father Jon Thomas, priest and vicar general of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden.

He was born and raised in south Jersey and educated at Catholic University right here in D.C. Father Jon was ordained in 2010 and has since served the parishes across south Jersey.

As pastor in Atlantic City, he provided assistance and spiritual guidance to the workers in the hospitality industry in Atlantic City.

Since 2020, he has served as pastor of Christ the King in Haddonfield. The year I met him, he was hosting a virtual mass for frontline workers who were, during the pandemic, being challenged.

Since 2022, he has served as chaplain to the New Jersey AFL-CIO.

In 2025, he was appointed vicar general of the Diocese of Camden, serving roughly 475,000 Catholics across south Jersey.

I thank Father Thomas for the prayer, the call for unity, and to our community.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2(c) of rule XV, I rise to provide notice of my intent to offer a motion to discharge the Committee on Rules from the further consideration of House Resolution 1140.

I did.

I do, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to make a motion to discharge H.R. 5408, the Faster Labor Contracts Act. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the Faster Labor Contracts Act creates a fair and reliable time frame for workers and employers to reach their first contract.

Workers in this country are guaranteed the right to organize and collectively bargain. Together, by passing this bipartisan bill, we can close one of the biggest loopholes undermining their ability to get an actual contract.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I am a union electrician by trade and a proud member of IBEW Local 351. I have spent my entire life fighting for workers to get a fair shake from their employers. I am proud to rise in support of what would be the most impactful protection for workers' rights in nearly 100 years, my Faster Labor Contracts Act.

Whether it is safer working conditions, better pay, or even something as simple as getting the weekend off from work, unions have been making people's lives better for generations. They do so by helping workers get a seat at the table with companies that control the purse strings. One of the most important tools a union has to get that seat is the right to collectively bargain.

Workers' right to negotiate their contracts together has been the law of the land for almost a century. Yet, for that entire time, there has been a glaring loophole in the system that allows employers to prevent unions from ever securing their first contract. Simply put, workers have no real option if their bosses hold out in negotiations indefinitely.

That is exactly what employers have done. They have run out the clock.

It can already take 1 year for workers to win and certify an election and to actually be unionized, and that is when the start of the clock begins. It takes an average of 458 days for an employer to agree with a union to get their first contract. That is just the average. Roughly one-third of all those workers are forced to wait over 3 years before they can sign on the dotted line.

Companies have every incentive to drag out this waiting game. For starters, delaying a new contract ensures that their profits don't have to be shared with their workers. Employers also know that if they can hold up negotiations long enough, there is a chance their employees might get frustrated and decide this process simply is too long. For some of the largest corporations, making collective bargaining as painful as possible might just prevent their other branches from trying to unionize in their workplace.

Let's be clear: Union-busting is illegal and wrong, and it has been for generations. With the dirty tactics of indefinite delays, many employers are working relentlessly to kill their employees' unions.

If you live in America, Mr. Speaker, you have likely crossed paths with many of those workers who were hurt by their employer's waiting games. Let's talk about the father in the Amazon delivery van dropping off home goods in an ice storm. Mr. Speaker, I am talking about the young woman at Starbucks who knows your coffee order by heart, or the kind senior bagging your groceries at Trader Joe's, or the hiking expert going that extra mile for you at REI.

Those workers are getting screwed, plain and simple. Many of them are also getting screwed by bosses like Jeff Bezos, who in a short time has accumulated more wealth than any human in the history of the world.

At Amazon, the company Bezos helped found, there are currently over 5,000 warehouse workers in Staten Island who voted to form a union in 2022. For 4 years, they have been waiting. They have been waiting for Amazon to negotiate in good faith, and they are still waiting.

Mr. Speaker, if your partner gave you an engagement ring but didn't show up for 4 years at the altar, you would think there is a problem. Well, folks, we do have a problem.

I believe workers deserve to hold their employers to those same standards. My Faster Labor Contracts Act offers a simple, three-step solution to turn endless negotiation delays into fair contracts for workers.

First, following the certification of a union election, it would require employers to begin contract negotiations with their new union within 10 days.

Second, if a new agreement is not reached after 90 days, my bill would give workers or their employers a choice to refer the negotiations to an independent mediation.

Finally, if mediation takes longer than 1 month, workers or the employer could ask for an arbitration panel to render a decision on a first contract.

This three-step plan would give both parties multiple opportunities to advance stalled contract discussions if they choose to. That is because right

now there are no opportunities if the other stops negotiating in good faith.

My bill's clear timeline for contract negotiations would ensure workers can start benefiting from their new union contract in months, not years. I am also confident that not every negotiation will require outside help because hundreds of employers already do this process the right way each day. Problem employers will be forced to sit down at the table when they know they are not allowed to run out the clock.

Unions fight for American workers of all political stripes. That is why my Faster Labor Contracts Act has attracted bipartisan support. Especially during this nasty era of politics, I am grateful for Members on both sides of the aisle who are willing to stand up with workers together.

Mr. Speaker, I am also grateful to my friends in the broader labor movement for long calling out bad-faith negotiations by employers.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert in the Record letters by several of these partners in support of the Faster Labor Contracts Act, including the Teamsters, AFL-CIO, IBEW, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, United Steelworkers, and International Association of Machinists.

Mr. Speaker, the coalition we have built behind the Faster Labor Contracts Act bridges political parties, blue-collar and white-collar industries, young and old, and all walks of life. Our bill reaffirms that collective bargaining is a fundamental right

even the richest billionaires must comply with. By advancing this legislation, Congress can send a clear message that workers deserve a level playing field. I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

The previous question was ordered.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Scott for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, when a union wins more fair pay and better working conditions for its members, it sets the bar higher for everyone. Even if you are not part of the union yourself, you can still thank organized labor for negotiating some of what is in your contract.

For millions of workers, the first contract can take years to negotiate if an employer decides to play the waiting game. Some negotiations collapse before the contract ever becomes law. In fact, that is exactly what many corporations are banking on.

If we can't count on billionaires negotiating ethically, and we can't count on existing rules to stop employers from running out the clock, what can we count on?

We can count on ourselves to fight back. My Faster Labor Contracts Act is what an unprecedented coalition of lawmakers, labor leaders, and workers across this great Nation are now fighting back with.

We are proposing that workers get a choice. If an employer won't meaningfully come to the table, my legislation would give workers and employers the option to invoke hard deadlines. It is an option. It is not mandatory. If the bill offers a clear path to a first contract, and it doesn't pass, this has an end to it.

It is a really simple change. Yet, by leveling the playing field, the Faster Labor Contracts Act would be the most significant new protection for workers since before World War II.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Bobby Scott and my friends on both sides of the aisle for helping get this Faster Labor Contracts Act to this point. Let's pass it out of the House, get it over to the Senate, and send it to the White House to be signed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and commend Sergeant Michael ``Mike'' McLoone. Today, Friday, May 15, 2026, family, friends, and members of the community will gather in the gymnasium of Merchantville School in the Borough of Merchantville, New Jersey, to honor and recognize Sergeant Mike McLoone for his service to both his community and the United States of America.

Mike McLoone is a first generation American, born to Irish immigrants in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1945. After graduating from LaSalle College, he enlisted in the United States Army, where he was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and Fort Still, Oklahoma for his training. By May 1968, he was serving active duty in Vietnam, where he was deployed in the Delta Region with the 1st Battalion, 11th Artillery, 9th Infantry. Sergeant Mike McLoone served as an artillery crewman, specifically as the gunner of the cannon.

In August of 1969, Sergeant Mike McLoone was among the first that President Nixon removed from Vietnam. He achieved the rank of Sergeant before he was honorably discharged in May of 1970. For his time in the armed services, he was the recipient of the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.

Upon returning to the United States, Sergeant Mike McLoone married his wife of 55 years, Maureen McLoone and bought their first home in the Borough of Merchantville in 1974 at the corner of Centre Street and Chestnut Avenue. He became a certified public accountant and briefly moved out of Merchantville until returning once again in 1979 and has now lived for 47 years on Chestnut Avenue. There, Maureen and him raised their sons Andrew and Peter, who now both reside with their families in the Borough of Merchantville.

Today, we recognize both Sergeant Mike McLoone's service to his country and his community. He has served on the Railroad Planning Committee in years past and served as both a coach and officer for the Merchantville Bambino Baseball League throughout the 1990's. Mike also has served on the Merchantville School Board for 7 years, including two years as president of the board. He is a member of American Legion Post 68 in Merchantville, VFW Post No. 6650 in Ocean City, and a member of the Merchantville Historical Society. He and Maureen have worked diligently to restore and preserve their home, the Centennial House, which has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1991. He and his family have supported businesses and organizations throughout Merchantville, buying a lifetime supply of chocolate nonpareils from Aunt Charlotte's.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and commend Mary Campbell-Cruz for her outstanding service to the 1st Congressional District of New Jersey. On Friday, March 6, 2026, friends and colleagues gathered in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, to reflect on the distinguished public service of Mary Campbell-Cruz and celebrated her appointment to serve in Governor Mikie Sherrill's Cabinet as Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the Civil Service Commission. Today, we recognize her years of dedication to public service and her commitment to strengthening communities across our state.

Mary Campbell-Cruz has built a career defined by leadership, service, and a steadfast commitment to improving the lives of residents throughout New Jersey. She has held numerous roles in public service such as Political Director for the largest healthcare union in the country, Director of the New Jersey Healthcare Workers Alliance for Quality in Long-Term Care, and early in her career, District Director for Congressman John Adler and Campaign Manager for Shelley Adler. At a young age Mary worked to ensure that residents received representation and support. Throughout these roles, she has worked to strengthen community engagement, develop policy initiatives, and support elected officials in advancing initiatives that benefit working families and local communities.

Mary Campbell-Cruz earned her bachelor's degree in international relations and affairs, and economics from Washington College. Throughout her career she has applied her knowledge and expertise in government relations and strategic planning to support public institutions and strengthen the connection between government and the communities it serves.

Today, Mary continues her distinguished career in public service through her leadership in New Jersey government, where she brings years of experience working alongside community leaders and elected officials, including her service as District Director and Chief of Staff to Congressman Donald Norcross. She now steps into a new role within the Governor's Cabinet, where she will continue advancing policies that support opportunity, strengthen communities, and improve the quality of life for residents throughout the Garden State. Alongside her professional achievements, she is also a devoted mother to her two children, Maddie and Braden, demonstrating her exceptional commitment to both public service and family.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me to honor and commend, Mary Campbell-Cruz, a citizen dedicated to both her state and community, and who has thoroughly served them to the best of her ability.

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor and commend Master Sergeant Sandra ``Sandy'' McHugh, hometown hero of Collingswood. On Thursday, March 12, 2026, family, friends, and members of the community gathered at the Collingswood Senior Community Center in Collingswood, New Jersey, to honor and recognize Master Sergeant Sandy McHugh for her service to both her community and the United States of America.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and raised in the Baldwin neighborhood, Master Sergeant Sandy McHugh went on to attend Carnegie Mellon University for Graphic Design. She transferred to Temple University's Tyler School of Art where she earned a bachelor's in fine arts and master's in film production. After graduating she began teaching art in Cherry Hill from first to sixth grade at Johnson Elementary.

While teaching art, Master Sergeant Sandy McHugh served in the Air National Guard and went back to school, attending Glassboro State to earn her master's degree in education. Sandy taught at Johnson Elementary school for 30 years and simultaneously served

for 29 years as a member of the 108th Air Refueling Wing of the Air Force National Guard. Stationed at McGuire Air Force Base. she achieved the rank of Master Sergeant by the time she was honorably discharged. Sandy served in the office of public relations for 21 years and spent the remaining years as the head non-commissioned officer in the Chaplain's Office. Throughout her career she travelled the country educating fellow members on services of the Chaplain's Office, contributed photographic work on behalf of the Air National Guard, protected the chaplain, and organized drives to help both soldiers and their families before and after deployment.

Today, Master Sergeant Sandra ``Sandy'' McHugh is a 50-year resident of the Borough of Collingswood. She has played a role in the education of many students for whom her garden was a stop for class field trips. Throughout the years, she has also donated her personal art supplies to Collingswood Schools. Sandy is also the owner of the Seacoast Art Gallery in Topsail, North Carolina, that she opens and operates each summer. The walls are covered with her artwork and spaces filled with ceramic and pottery artwork from local artists.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in honoring and commending Master Sergeant Sandra ``Sandy'' McHugh a citizen dedicated to both her country and community, and who has thoroughly served them both to the best of their ability.

Mr. Speaker, during Roll Call vote No. 70 on H.R. 2189, I mistakenly recorded my vote as YEA when I should have voted NAY.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Howard Bennett, a Camden City, New Jersey, firefighter who tragically lost his life on the job last week.

He served his community for 26 years, and he will forever be remembered as husband to Fran, father to David and Jenna, a brother, a friend, and a protector.

When it came to the fire boat, Howard's knowledge was second to none. He treated it like an extension of himself, ensuring that it was always ready for action.

His fellow firefighters will remember him for his resourcefulness. When others thought something couldn't be fixed, Howard found a way to make it work.

He was a trusted mentor to young firefighters, always willing to help, simply because that is who he was.

Firefighter Howard Bennett served with integrity, humility, and heart. Today, I honor his service and extend my deepest condolences to his loved ones. May he rest in peace.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and commend Johnny Quinesso, Sr. On Thursday, February 5, 2026, family, friends, and members of the community gathered on the USS New Jersey in the City of Camden, New Jersey to celebrate the 100th birthday of Navy Veteran Johnny Quinesso, Sr.

Born and raised in Vineland, New Jersey, Johnny served his country as a radioman for the United States Navy on the LSM-302, where he was the radioman on duty as the message was received that the Japanese had surrendered, and that World War II had ended.

Following his time in the war, Johnny was a dedicated government employee with the Internal Revenue Service for 43 years, meanwhile continuing to dedicate his time volunteering on the Battleship New Jersey, shaping the lives of visitors through stories of his service.

While living in Vineland, New Jersey, Johnny Quinesso, Sr. has remained a symbol of strength and his willingness to teach others about history, has made a powerful example of what it means to be a leader, and friend, supporting others for the entirety of his life.

We celebrate Johnny Quinesso, Sr.'s 100 years of life and look forward to many more years as a constant source of heroism, dedication, and inspiration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in honoring and commendling Johnny Quinesso, Sr., a citizen dedicated to both his country and community, and who has thoroughly served them both to the best of their ability.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and commend Jim Peeler for receiving the 2026 Camden County Martin Luther King, Jr. Congressional Freedom Award. Born in North Carolina, Jim Peeler moved as a child with his family to Atlantic City, New Jersey. After graduating from college, Jim commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army in 1962. Following his service in the armed forces, Jim began what would be a 60-year civil service career. He first met Martin Luther King, Jr. at the 1964 Democratic Convention held in Atlantic city, where he discussed negative demonstrations at the convention and led to his appointment to the then newly established New Jersey State Division of Civil Rights by former New Jersey Governor Richard Hughes.

Jim Peeler had worked in very high intensity human services roles prior to deciding to dedicate decades of service as an educator and coach at Overbrook High School and Edward Junior Highschool now known as Winslow Township High School. He ended his coaching career at Cherry Hill High School East, where he had the opportunity to work under and alongside Beau Woods and Herb Fisher for eight years, a time that he reflects upon fondly to this day. He retired as an educator in 2008.

While he pushed his students both on the field and in the classroom, Jim Peeler also continued his education earning a Master of Administration and Supervision from Rutgers University. Following his retirement as an educator. Jim worked as an administrator for Camden County's Pollution Control Financing Authority, where he remained as a fixture for 12 years before. formally retiring in 2020. Meanwhile throughout his career, Jim Peeler committed himself to civil rights, serving a combined 24 years as Chairman of the Human Relations Councils for Cherry Hill, Camden County, and New Jersey. His time with the State Human Relations Council was at the behest of former governors McGreevey Corzine, and Christie. In 2006 Jim had the opportunity to present a session detailing ways to Pave the Way for Immigration through Human Relations at the Human Relations Council Conference. In 2013, he was awarded The Hela Yong Memorial Award from the New Jersey. Commission on Holocaust Education. Jim Peeler is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., American Legion 68 in Merchantville, the Cherry Hill Alliance on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, as well as the Cherry Hill African American Civic Association and several other organizations.

Today, Jim has been happily married to his wife, Nancy, for 56 years and are the proud parents of Michael, Eric, and their late son Scott. They feel blessed to have their wonderful grandchildren, Chase, Breanna, Sierra, Brayden, and Shane and when not with family or volunteering, Jim is fishing or golfing.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in honoring and commending Jim Peeler, a resident of Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey, a resident dedicated to his country and community and who has thoroughly served them both to the best of his ability.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Anthony ``Tony'' R. Pittman, Sr., who was born on May 8, 1948, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. He was raised in Cranford, New Jersey, where he attended school and formed long lasting friendships, including the love of his life Brenda Brown. After graduating from high school, he answered the call to serve his country enlisting in the United States Air Force, where he was stationed in Korea.

Following his deployment, Anthony R. Pittman, Sr. married Brenda Brown and together built a life centered on love and family. Together, they welcomed three children while living in Landover, Maryland where he worked for NASA. Ultimately, the family relocated and settled in Willingboro, New Jersey, where Anthony worked for Lockheed Martin and retired after dedicating himself to the company for 36 years.

Anthony R. Pittman, Sr. will be remembered for his dedication to his family, his quiet strength, and his unwavering love for those closest to him. His legacy will continue through the generations he so deeply cherished.

Today, Anthony R. Pittman, Sr. is survived by his brothers, Cary Pittman, III and Charles Pittman, with whom he shared a life-long bond; his three adoring children, Anthony Pittman, Jr. (Tess), Leslie Pittman, and Michael Pittman (Meredith); and was a proud and loving grandfather to Nicole (Anthony), Ian (Alyssa), Cameron (Jesse), Julian, and Patrick; a cherished great-grandfather to Hayes and was predeceased by his beloved wife, Brenda Brown; his parents, Cary and Margaret Pittman; and his sisters, Gloria Brown and Gwendolyn ``Mickey'' Pittman.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in honoring and commending Anthony R. Pittman, Sr., a man dedicated to both his family and country and who has thoroughly served them both to the best of his ability. I extend sincerest condolences for a life well lived.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and ranking member for what they have done to try to make it better for those who we represent, but I am here to speak out against the flexibility for workers not to be paid education act. Yes, I said that.

This disastrous bill would be a blueprint to commit wage theft on a silver platter.

I know what it is like to be cheated out of wages. That happened to me, unfortunately, when I was a younger man. The rules that are set up are there to protect those who had the least ability to protect themselves.

A fair day's pay for a hard day's work. This is not a slogan. It is a principle of who we are in this country. It is those values that hold this country together.

This bill is pushing corporations to create a loophole. I want to take just a moment, ``voluntary for good causes'' is something we all do in America, and we have the ability to do it now. This bill would create more gray areas and, for those who want to exploit workers, give them a roadmap to do it.

Allowing companies to require worker attendance--and you call it voluntary and it is not job-related--without pay, this is what fundamentally is going to change here. If your boss requires it and if you work, you have to be paid. It is the system that is not broken now. This would create ambiguity for those workers saying they are voluntary.

That is not good. In fact, we call those captive meetings now when they come in to preach why worker unions are bad, but they have to pay them now. This would give them the ability to call it a training and not pay them. This is a loophole.

I urge those who introduced this to come up with language that would not allow that to happen. If you truly believe that, then the language that we offered would be something that we could both stand together on.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to reject this bill. As I say, if it is not broke, you don't have to fix it. We have a system where people pay to go to college, to go to trade school. I went through an apprenticeship. There are ways we can do this that benefits workers while not creating an opportunity for those who want to exploit them.

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I want to offer a motion to recommit the bill back to committee. If the House rules permitted, I would have offered this motion with an important amendment to this bill. My amendment, Raise the Wage Act, would ensure all workers receive a long-overdue raise. $7.25 an hour is minimum wage. That is incredible. Mr. Speaker, 2009 was the last time we touched this. It is unbelievable that 16 years have gone by and that we haven't found it within ourselves the values we hold dear in America to give those who have the least a raise.

We gave billion dollar giveaways to those in the top tax bracket, and we can't raise the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour. We should hang our heads in shame that we don't think about those who can't make it.

I have heard all of the excuses. We used to regularly have increases on a bipartisan basis since minimum wage started almost a half century ago. Both Democrat and Republican Presidents, Congress, we all understood it. Well, amnesia is something that has hit us. Please, Mr. Speaker, we need to raise the minimum wage. Our policy decisions cannot undercut workers and their families. Raising the minimum wage is not only good for the worker, but for their families.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of this amendment into the Record immediately prior to the motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in voting for this motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my dear friend, Donald Payne, Jr., on what would have been his 67th birthday.

There were a few differences between Donald Payne and me. We often got confused. His birthday was on December 17; mine was on December 13. He came from north Jersey; I come from south Jersey. I served the First District; he served the 10th District.

What mattered most was what we had in common. We both fought for families in the State of New Jersey. Don brought to New Jersey the values of what we were to be from New Jersey each and every day.

He was tough. For those of you who knew him, he had dialysis in the morning and would come here in the afternoon and continue to work. For anybody who has ever been through dialysis, that was tough, and he knew it. We owe him a great debt of gratitude for coming to work each and every day.

I will always remember him for his kindness, his compassion, and his open heart; and I will be forever grateful for his friendship.

Madam Speaker, from one Don to another from New Jersey, we miss him and his bow tie.