Mr. Speaker, I rise today as we approach the conclusion of the 117th Congress and as I near the end of my service in this esteemed body. As I reflect on the multitude of challenges this Nation and the world has faced over these 4 short…
Mr. Speaker, I rise today as we approach the conclusion of the 117th Congress and as I near the end of my service in this esteemed body.
As I reflect on the multitude of challenges this Nation and the world has faced over these 4 short years and those that lie ahead, I thank my colleagues and our leadership for the seriousness and dedication with which they have tackled these challenging issues.
I thank my staff in Washington who are here and those in our three district offices for their tireless dedication to the people of Virginia's Second District. They have assisted so many who needed a helping hand--everyone from farmers to shipbuilders across coastal Virginia.
I thank my family: my husband, Robert, and my daughter, Violet. I couldn't have been here and served the district and the people of Virginia without them.
I also want to acknowledge the strength and the bond of the class of 2018. They have been amazing colleagues and true friends, and I know that they will continue to be leaders and focus on improving our country for the next generation.
We entered Congress under a partial government shutdown which was a legacy of a protracted battle of how to fund security at our southern border--a 35-day lapse in government funding. It was the longest in our history. On my first weekend in office I visited a pop-up food bank for members of our Coast Guard where the local community rallied around our Coast Guard families who were starting the new year without a paycheck. This was a story of our community stepping in to care for one another, which is so common, and something that I heard repeatedly across these 4 years in every corner of our district.
But there are also stories of how the distraction caused by political theater and political division can lead to unnecessary hardship. As we approach a looming deadline this year to fund our government, we should not let these divisions or rhetoric stand in the way of performing our fundamental role as Congress.
On May 31, 2019--a day that remains etched in the memory of Virginia Beach--I saw the devastation caused by the first of two mass shootings that roiled our community. That day, 12 innocent victims left home for work before the Memorial Day weekend--a time they looked forward to spending with their families at barbecues and the beaches--yet instead their lives were senselessly stolen by a shooter who entered the municipal center and indiscriminately opened fire.
Again, just weeks ago on the eve of Thanksgiving, a shooter opened fire in a local Chesapeake Walmart where shoppers were grabbing their last-minute items for a holiday meal. This time our community lost six more precious lives who would not join their families at the holiday table. Among these losses was a 16-year-old boy. This Congress has taken small measures to prevent these types of tragic events in our community and yours, Mr. Speaker, but as I depart, I implore my colleagues to continue to do more.
The first time I stood in this very place to speak on the floor of the House, I rose as a Jewish woman to speak out against anti-Semitism which has seen a rapid and alarming rise and has even reared its head among our colleagues in this body in the form of claims of dual loyalty towards those who show support for Israel--our strongest ally in the Middle East. I look back on that first speech I made as a Member of Congress and am even more concerned today about the rising frequency and pervasiveness of anti-Semitism. I implore my colleagues to continue their quest to root out this scourge of vile and pernicious anti- Semitism.
In that first speech, I mentioned my oath to support and defend the Constitution. But little did I know that 2 short years later, I would witness an attempt by our own President and his allies to subvert the Constitution and summon a mob to disrupt the counting of electoral votes of a free and fair election.
On that day, January 6, 2021, lives were lost, these hallowed Halls were desecrated, and the strength of our democracy was tested. I have been humbled to participate in uncovering facts about that dark day in our Nation's history. I thank Chairman Thompson, Vice-Chair Cheney, my colleagues, and the staff of the January 6 Committee for standing on the side of democracy.
I am proud of the work we have done over the last two Congresses to support our veterans and their families. My Gold Star families tax relief legislation eased the burden on children of those killed in combat or deceased from service-connected disabilities. I thank President Biden for making veterans' toxic exposure a priority. We passed the largest increase in access to veterans' benefits in our lifetime through the PACT Act, which included my COVENANT Act to provide healthcare to burn pit veterans.
The threats we face as a nation continue to grow as we witness Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, Iran's persistent pursuit of a nuclear weapon, and the rise of China threatening our maritime and national security. As we have heard in testimony, China is likely to attempt to take Taiwan by force in the next 5 years. This is our most pressing national security concern.
The action or inaction that we take in standing up to China in this moment will determine whose values will rule the remainder of the 21st century--the United States' and our allies' or the Chinese Communist Party.
That is why as I depart I urge my colleagues to take this threat seriously and to fulfill the constitutional task of Article I, Section 8, to provide and maintain a Navy. If we fail to remain the predominant maritime power in the Pacific, frankly, nothing else that we do here in this Congress will matter if we don't get this right.
God bless you.
Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore
