Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, this is not a vote that I ever thought I would be asked to take. The idea that this body would find a former chief of staff to the President of the United States, a former Member of Congress, in contempt was unthinkable prior to today.

We must approve this resolution, Madam Speaker, because of one simple fact: 187 minutes. For 187 minutes, Mark Meadows was besieged by cries for help from citizens, from members of the press, from members of the President's own family, and from our colleagues in this Chamber, pleading for Mr. Meadows to intervene and stop the attack.

The American people need to understand exactly what happened during that 187 minutes. Mr. Meadows knows, which is why he must come forward. It is increasingly clear that for 187 minutes the Commander in Chief was derelict of his duty. We know this because Mr. Meadows provided the evidence to the committee without any assertions of privilege.

And while the records he has handed over are helpful, there are many questions that we need to ask him.

Mr. Meadows received a text, one of several, from one lawmaker in the days leading up to the attack saying, ``Check your signal.'' The signal messages are encrypted. Only Mr. Meadows can tell us what they said, so we would like to ask him about that.

In the course of our investigation, we have heard from individuals involved

in planning the rallies that immediately preceded the violent attack on the Capitol.

Those people talked with Mr. Meadows.

We want to ask him about that.

We have heard from former White House staffers who ultimately reported to Mr. Meadows as the chief of staff.

We want to ask him about that.

We have heard from Justice Department officials who received instructions to amplify false claims about the election which Mr. Meadows knew about.

We want to ask him about that.

And we have heard from State officials about the pressure campaigns and the relentless attacks on democracy in Arizona, Michigan, and Georgia.

Mr. Meadows actually went to Georgia in connection with the recount effort.

The American people must hear from him about that.

We are investigating an attempt, as one rioter simply put it, and accurately, ``to overthrow the government.''

Our republic--which I myself served in uniform for 20 years--has never faced a threat as acute and imminent as what we face today.

Think back to the day of the violent attack. If you believed that Mark Meadows could help stop that attack, if you were one of the Members of this body who texted him to stop that attack, you must vote ``yes'' today.

If, for 187 minutes, you knew the former President could call off the rioters, you must vote ``yes'' today.

Madam Speaker, today I want to highlight the importance of the U.S. flag maritime fleet to our economic and national security. While only two percent of our country's imports and exports move on U.S. ships, the U.S. shipping industry supports, over 650,000 U.S. jobs, has over $150 billion in annual U.S. economic impact, and plays a critical role in supporting our military's ability to project power and meet wartime requirements.

Shipping is the most energy efficient way to move cargo, and we heavily rely on the U.S. flag fleet for trade security, diplomatic and maritime strength, and our readiness to defend and support American interests overseas.

The U.S. has only 84 international deep sea trading vessels, but the rest of the world has over 50,000. China alone has nearly 7,000.

The United States needs a robust U.S. flag maritime industry and a trained and qualified mariner workforce to support our surge sealift capabilities in responding to crises and military operations around the world when called upon. Further, the U.S. flag fleet routinely responds to disasters and emergencies, moves critical government and military cargo around the world, and carries American farm products in support of U.S. international development programs to help developing countries in need.

The shipping industry is facing unprecedented challenges today, but one thing we know all too well is that a strong commercial maritime capability enhances our national security. The Maritime Security Program which has broad bipartisan support in Congress is the single most important program to assist U.S. flag ships in foreign trade and helps ensure that we retain this important military capacity.

While the U.S. is the largest trading nation in the world based on exports and imports of goods and services, without strong sustained support, the U.S. flag fleet faces difficult challenges which have significant potential to negatively impact America's national security. I want to thank the U.S. flag fleet and the U.S. merchant mariners who work every day to support our military and our Nation.

Madam Speaker, to ``support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.''

We reaffirmed that oath on January 3. Yet only 3 days later in this very Chamber, this body was assaulted while carrying out the peaceful transfer of power, the very hallmark of our democracy.

I first took that oath when I was 17 years old and entered the Naval Academy. I was willing to put my life on the line to serve my country and protect the foundation of this republic, a foundation that was shaken but not broken on January 6.

Mr. Bannon, a former naval officer like me, at one point understood this oath. He took it multiple times. He served his country honorably in the Navy.

I don't know what happened between the time Lieutenant Bannon left the Navy and today. What forces corrupted his understanding of this oath?

Mr. Bannon has been given the opportunity to voluntarily provide information relevant to the work of our committee, but he has not complied.

Truly, this is larger than Mr. Bannon, this is larger than this investigation, and this is larger than the tragic and horrific events of January 6.

This vote is a test of that oath. To my colleagues who chose to vote against enforcing the subpoena, you are saying to all future men and women who are called before this body that they can ignore a subpoena from Congress without consequence.

You can make that choice today. But that will be a vote to abdicate the power of the legislative branch in which you are elected to serve. That will be a vote to undermine the government and the Constitution which you took an oath to support and defend.

The consequences of that vote won't be limited to this investigation and this subpoena alone. Your vote will do serious, long-lasting damage to Congress as an institution. That, in turn, will do serious damage to our country, which we all love so dearly.

We ask our young men and women in uniform to go forth every day and protect us, to protect this republic, to protect our form of government. I am asking you to do the same, to protect our democracy from those forces seeking to destroy it from within.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2021. Simply put, this is a well-deserved and necessary pay raise for our disabled veterans.

I am proud to represent a district with eight major military installations, including Naval Station Norfolk, the largest naval station in the world.

Ours is a community where one in five people is either active duty servicemembers, veterans, or a military family member.

Our veterans, no matter where they were deployed or in what capacity they served, swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. They risked their lives thousands of miles away to keep America safe. And as a 20-year Navy veteran myself, I am proud to support this bill to ensure that every veteran can continue to use their benefits they earned in service to our country.

The Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2021, the Senate companion to my House bill, H.R. 3909, enhances benefits for wartime disability compensation, compensation for dependents, clothing allowance, dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses, and compensation to children. It increases the same way that Social Security benefits increase to meet the rising cost of living.

We have seen costs for disability care, clothing, and childcare increase over the years, and it is vital that we continue to provide benefits that actually meet the demands our veterans face every day.

Providing quality benefits to our veterans and their dependents can change lives, and Congress must honor the commitment to those American heroes who served.

Again, I urge swift passage of S. 189 so that we can responsibly assist our Nation's veterans once again.

Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the views submitted at the request of a Virginia Beach constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman, of Temple Lev Tikvah:

The Jewish High Holy Days, also known as the Days of Awe,

are a ten-day period commencing with the New Year of Rosh

Hashana and concluding with the Day of Atonement of Yorn

Kippur. With humble Biblical roots and profound Rabbinic

transformation, it is a sacred vehicle and opportunity set

aside for inspiring soul-searching and heroic resolve to mend

the brokenness of the human heart and do our called upon

share, individually and collectively, to repair and heal our

inner world as well as the outer one. Quite a tall order but

a compelling one!

The celebration this season takes place against the onerous

backdrop of a threatening gathering cloud of anti-Semitism--

the world's oldest and most resistant virus--at home and

abroad as critical American democracy, alarmingly violated on

1/6, along with the unresolved burden of shameful Black

slavery, lingering racism toward minorities, urban unrest and

a ravaging global pandemic with the State of Israel begrudged

its rightful responsibility to protect its citizens from

those intent on obliterating the only sovereign Jewish

country while denying the monumental Holocaust. What a

perfect storm scenario for the resurrection of history's

worst images of hatred for the Other.

The High Holy Days, peak Jewish religious experience, offer

a reflective mirror into an ancient people's awesome

spiritual odyssey enabling it to somehow survive history's

high waves of relentless tsunamis through offering humanity

noble teachings and indispensable lessons. On Rosh Hashanah

5782 (Based on calculating the generations enumerated in the

Biblical Genesis) as we celebrate the world's creation, our

prayerful focus is not only on the wonder of the unfathomable

acts of creation, but no less on the confounding complexity

of human relationships. Our Biblical heroes, unlike the Greek

ones, are flesh and blood creatures who both succeed and

succumb, contending with blessings as well as blemishes.

The first Jewish family of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Isaac,

and Ishmael, birthing the kindred monotheistic religions of

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, reflects deep convictions

along with searing conflicts whose profound impact is still

with us today. This we know for sure, our basic human make-up

of passions and prejudices, loves and hatreds has not

changed. We remain subject to their influences in determining

our conduct, positively and negatively. While naturally we

tend to dwell on the multiple challenges and struggles of

contemporary life, there is much we can absorb from those who

laid the foundation for the twin components of Jewish

identity, faith, and peoplehood.

Abraham and Sarah had the stamina to leave their home in

pagan Mesopotamia in search of new beginnings--spiritually,

physically, and psychologically. They were not deterred by

the cumbersome obstacles such a journey and journeys would

entail, sustained by a driving vision of an encounter with a

God whose unifying message captured their yearning

imagination. Soon they would discover, however, that their

newly found breakthrough faith was intertwined with a

fragmented reality. The shared tenets and tents in an unknown

territory would become the testing ground for lofty ideals

and binding values. The Rabbis teach us that the founders'

tent in the wilderness of Canaan was open on all sides to

allow one and all to enter and be warmly welcomed, finding

caring respite and appreciated protection from both hostile

humans and adverse elements.

Are we equipped with the capacity to learn from mistakes

and chart a new course of conduct and consideration, finally

creating Shalom's overarching harmony? The tradition ushered

in by our progenitors is an optimistic one, having faith in

God as well as us, while sanctifying the precious gift of

life. As we enter the portals of a new year may we master

from those who shaped us in ways both manifest and concealed,

that we may turn hatred into love, violence into vision, pain

into promise, adversity into advantage and blemishes into

blessings!

Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman is the founder of Temple Lev Tikvah in Virginia Beach. He is a member of the Virginia Beach Human Rights Commission.

Madam Speaker, I rise to celebrate the 59th anniversary of Virginia Beach's own East Coast Surfing Championships (ECSC). After successfully holding its 2020 competition with safety guidelines in place, the ECSC is now the longest-running surfing championship in the world.

The ECSC was founded in 1963 by the Virginia Beach Jaycees, a leadership training and community involvement organization dedicated to empowering young people. Every year, the ECSC invites surfers from across the United

States and around the globe to compete to become the Champion of the Atlantic Coast. The event has steadily grown over the years and now brings a host of festivities to the Virginia Beach oceanfront, such as live music, skating, and beach volleyball.

It is an honor to celebrate the long-running success of the ECSC, a staple in our Coastal Virginia community. I am grateful for the ECSC's significant contributions to our local economy and culture, and I wish the competition and all its participants the best of luck in this year's event.

Madam Speaker, I rise to celebrate the career of Mr. Dale K. Nash, who is retiring on August 1 after serving as CEO and Executive Director of the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority, or ``Virginia Space,'' since 2012.

During Mr. Nash's tenure as CEO, Virginia Space, which owns and operates the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, MARS, at Wallops Island, Virginia, has grown to include a state-of-the-art payload processing facility and a purpose-built UAS runway. Under Nash, Virginia Space has also produced three launch pads that support cargo resupply missions to the International Space Station and Lunar science missions for NASA, as well as national security payload processing and launch services for the Department of Defense. Most recently, Mr. Nash was instrumental in attracting Rocket Lab USA to base its U.S. operations from MARS, which will accelerate the expansion and promotion of the commercial and government aerospace industry in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Mr. Nash's time at the helm of Virginia Space is the culmination of a 38-year-long career in the space industry that includes other prominent positions. Prior to his role with Virginia Space, Mr. Nash served as CEO of Alaska Aerospace and its Kodiak Launch Complex. He also held senior management positions on the Space Shuttle program and Orion program development with the United Space Alliance, Lockheed and Thiokol Corp.

I hope my colleagues will join me in celebrating Mr. Nash upon the culmination of his impactful career. I am thankful for his dedication and service to our country's space program, and I wish him and his family the best of luck and much happiness in retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor retired Navy Captain Giles M. Kelly, a member of the Greatest Generation. Today, July 17, 2021, Captain Kelly, celebrates his 100th birthday, and I commemorate his exceptional and dedicated service to our nation.

Captain Kelly, the son of an electrical engineer and an educator, was born in Bronxville, New York. He graduated from New York State Merchant Marine Academy in 1942 and reported for duty as a Navy Reserve in the Pacific during the Second World War. He continued his studies at Williams College, and in 1951, he completed a master's degree in public affairs at Princeton University. He was recalled to active duty during the Vietnam War, acting as chief of public affairs at the North American Treaty Organization (NATO)'s Atlantic Command in Norfolk, Virginia.

Captain Kelly also worked for Central Intelligence Agency and the State Department as a foreign service officer in Europe and Africa. He commanded the former presidential yacht Sequoia from 1983 to 1988 and wrote a book about the historic ship. Further, Captain Kelly was an adjunct professor of seamanship and sailing at American University, worked at the Smithsonian Institution, and was the owner and director of the Gangplank Sailing School.

On this, his 100th birthday, Captain Kelly has our appreciation for his long and faithful service and the best wishes of Congress in celebrating this momentous occasion.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Virginia Wesleyan University Softball Marlins upon winning the 2021 NCAA Division III Championship. This was no easy task, and it took extraordinary skill, character, and determination to complete this difficult achievement.

This national championship victory is the Marlin's third title in the last four complete seasons, having also won in 2017 and 2018. After having their 2020 season cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Virginia Wesleyan returned to the field in 2021 in dominant fashion, winning 46 games while only losing six times and tying once. After seeing the championship series against Texas Lutheran University tied after two games, the Marlins displayed their might, winning the final game with a score of nine runs to one.

It is truly an honor to have such outstanding champions represent our community. I congratulate all the members of the Virginia Wesleyan Softball Marlins on this tremendous accomplishment, and I wish the program the best of luck in the seasons to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Sergeant Peter Koepp, Sergeant Mark Laino, Officer Christopher Watkins, and Officer Bobby Meis of the Virginia Beach Police Department upon receiving the Congressional Medal of Bravery for their heroic actions on May 31, 2019.

Like many in our community and around the nation, I was shocked and horrified to hear about the active shooter situation in Virginia Beach's municipal building that day. The four officers arrived separately at the hectic scene before converging toward the sound of gunfire. Together, they approached the assailant and bravely exchanged gunfire, during which Sergeant Koepp was struck by a bullet, receiving blunt trauma to his abdomen. The officers' positioning allowed city employees and citizens to evacuate the premises until SWAT officers arrived. Sadly, 12 individuals in the building lost their lives that day. Still, the heroism that Officers Koepp, Laino, Watkins, and Meis exhibited may have saved countless more.

Knowing that they would enter a high-risk situation, each of these officers swiftly responded to the call to action. Our community is eternally grateful for their courage, and it is my privilege to celebrate these heroes as they receive this well-deserved honor.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the INVEST in America Act.

I am pleased that this bill includes funding for projects that are critical to our community in coastal Virginia.

The parallel Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel will expand to four lanes, will make the roads safer, and reduce traffic. Updating Tidewater Drive in Norfolk will facilitate access to Norfolk Naval Station, the world's largest Navy base.

The funding will create a much-needed evacuation route for the Sandbridge community and Virginia Beach in the event of flooding or extreme weather, which happens more frequently due to climate change.

This bill will also fund the replacement of aging buses that serve Hampton Roads Transit.

Madam Speaker, finally, the INVEST in America Act will fund planning for the Craney Island Marine Terminal, connecting Route 164 with the Commonwealth Railway that services the Port of Virginia, which is responsible for one in nine jobs in the Commonwealth.

Members of Congress must be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars, and I advocated for these projects that will support our constituents. Investing in infrastructure strengthens the backbone of our economy, keeps America running, and puts a down payment on the future.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for these critical projects.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Cathy Lewis upon the culmination of her time as host of WHRO's HearSay.

Twenty-five years ago, Cathy became the founding host of HearSay, WRHO's flagship public affairs program. During her time with HearSay, Cathy has connected listeners with a variety of guests, from political candidates, to business owners, and civics leaders, including President Barack Obama. Cathy has used her exceptional ability to lead civil discussion to educate audiences about governance and inform them about important issues in their communities. Her work has made Cathy a prominent voice in Coastal Virginia, and she has routinely made lists of the most influential individuals in the region.

I am grateful for Cathy's service and for the outstanding contributions that she has made to our community and beyond. Again, it is an honor to congratulate Cathy for her 25 years with HearSay, and I wish her the best as she moves on to the next chapter of her career.

Mr. Speaker, like all of us, I watched with horror as our Capitol was overrun on January 6 by those seeking to overturn a free and fair election.

As a 20-year Navy veteran, I swore an oath multiple times throughout my career to support and defend our Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. As Members of Congress, we swear the same oath, and we swear this oath, not as a member of a political party, but as Americans. There is no carve-out for political expediency.

I implore every Member of this body to uphold their oath and vote in support of this bipartisan commission. The American people deserve to understand exactly what happened that day in January.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues not to turn this into a partisan litmus test, not to pit Republican against Democrat, and not to perpetuate the big lie. Finding the truth should not be controversial or a question of partisanship.

This is about our shared future, the future of this Congress, and the future of democracy. We must do this together, and I urge an ``aye'' vote.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Rabbi Rosalin Mandelberg in celebration of her 25 years as an ordained Rabbi. Rabbi Mandelberg, also affectionately known as Rabbi Roz, serves as the Senior Rabbi of Ohef Sholom Temple in Norfolk, Virginia, where she has led the congregation for the last 16 years. Through her teachings, her relationships, and her dedication to faith, Rabbi Roz has instilled an enduring sense of community in the Hampton Roads area.

Rabbi Roz was ordained on May 16, 1996, by the Hebrew Union College. Before joining Ohef Sholom Temple, Rabbi Roz served in the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation and Westchester Reform Temple. In her 16 years at Ohef Sholom Temple, she has successfully engaged multiple generations within the Jewish faith and has fostered a growing knowledge and appreciation of Judaism within the broader community. Rabbi Roz has also embraced and demonstrated an understanding of faith-driven selflessness and compassion for others.

I am thankful that Rabbi Roz has been such a powerful voice in our community for positivity. I am proud to join the Ohef Sholom Temple congregation and the Norfolk community in congratulating Rabbi Roz upon 25 years of service and leadership.

Mr. Speaker, throughout history, the Jew has never been safe. People have demonized, ostracized, and murdered Jews for millennia. From the ashes of the Holocaust, the massacre of 6 million of our brethren, Jews return to their ancestral home to build an oasis in the desert and a democracy of their own.

Jews persisted, even in the face of ultimate evil. And, today, in their rightful homeland, they are attacked from within. Some call them villains for defending their home and their families; for not turning a cheek and a blind eye to terror, bombings, and missiles raining down.

Who would turn a cheek when their mere right to exist is questioned? Or turn a blind eye when history has been so unkind?

Not you and not the Israelis.

And we as Americans, and me as an American and a Jew, must stand for what is right. We must declare that Israel has a right to exist; that Israel has the inherent right to defend itself; that we have a duty, as Americans, to stand by the side of Israel in the face of attacks from terrorists and suicide bombers and malign regimes, who, again, have the same goal in mind, to kill Jews.

Now is the time to stand with Israel.