Emily Randall

Mr. Speaker, I use this opportunity to recognize the life of one of my constituents, Todd Meadows of Elma, Washington, who passed away tragically on February 25, 2026, while crabbing on the Bering Sea in Alaska.

Todd was the newest member of the ``Deadliest Catch'' crew and had been filming his first season on the show at the time of his death. He was just 25 years old and leaves behind his fiancee Kennady and four children, River, Lawson, Kolson and Aspen, his parents, Angela and Lucas Meadows, six siblings, and many other family members who loved him.

His father said they started fishing together when Todd was just three years old and it became his greatest passion. He loved to fish and loved to watch other people fish. He was proud of the hard work and adventure that came with life on the water. He wanted nothing more than to show his children how to chase their dreams. He always wanted, ``Just one more cast!''

He loved spending time with family and friends and enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping, and country drives. Those who knew Todd will remember his adventurous spirit and the deep value he placed on time with the people he loved most. He worked hard, loved deeply, and brought joy to everyone around him.

On May 24, 2026 at the Fisherman's Memorial in Westport, Washington a moment to honor his life and lives of others lost at sea took place as the community gathered for a day of remembrance and blessing of the fleet.

Communities all over my district have deep ties to the maritime industry with their identities closely linked to the sea. I extend my condolences to Todd's family, friends, and colleagues as they mourn this loss and with the many others in my district who have lost a loved one to the sea.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Mejia for her leadership.

Mr. Speaker, the 14th Amendment means what it says: ``All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States. . . .'' Those are the words on paper.

Donald Trump and Stephen Miller attempted to rewrite the Constitution through an executive order banning birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented immigrants. It is the same legal arguments that were first used when a white supremacist wanted to deny U.S. citizenship to Chinese Americans.

Four Supreme Court Justices dissented in the ruling to protect the 14th Amendment. That tells us that we are not safe from these continuous attacks from Donald Trump and his administration on our Constitution, on our freedom, and on our neighbors.

We know that the White House is currently scheming to have Trump's activist Supreme Court rehear the case that upheld the 14th Amendment, that upheld birthright citizenship.

This is all part of a larger agenda to dehumanize Black and Brown people in this country, to strip away their rights, and to normalize questioning who belongs here. Who is American enough?

It is why Republicans have funded Donald Trump's immigration agenda by $200 billion and why on the 158th anniversary of the 14th Amendment, my colleagues and I launched the Defend the 14th Amendment Task Force.

Our goal is simple: to defend the Constitution, to coordinate oversight and public education efforts, and to respond strongly to the Trump administration's attacks on our rights, on our freedom, on our Constitution, our country, and our communities.

We will stand up to these attacks on civil liberties. We must continue this fight to ensure that the citizens of the United States are protected and that nothing erodes these constitutional protections. It is our duty. It is our responsibility, and it is the oath we swore when we took this public office.

Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to be a co-chair of this task force and so proud to stand here in defense of our Constitution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Pride Month ending today for most of the country, but still ongoing in our great State of Washington, where we just can't get enough.

I am also rising today to honor the resolution that I introduced alongside Representative Green, a longtime champion for LGBTQ equality.

LGBTQ people have been dutifully serving in our military for decades. We are your neighbors. We are your elected officials, teachers, mentors, and friends. Despite Republicans' unrelenting attempts to erase queer and trans people from our history books, from our public spaces, and from our military, LGBTQ Americans are standing strong in our truth.

That is the beauty of Pride Month and why I am so proud to introduce this resolution today to honor the many contributions of LGBTQ Americans to our country, contributions which are outlined in this resolution, so that no matter what attacks come on our government websites and in agencies across the executive branch, we will still have the story of so many brave LGBTQ leaders.

Who knows when the majority party will be organized enough to move the NDAA through the House, but we know when it does come, it will come with several anti-LGBTQ amendments that have absolutely no business being attached to the overall package.

Our Republican colleagues talk a lot about protecting our freedoms yet spend so much time trying to strip freedoms away from LGBTQ Americans, like the freedom to access healthcare by stripping TRICARE coverage for medically necessary, lifesaving care for trans people, and even taking away mental health coverage from trans kids and the freedom to

serve our country by moving to codify Trump's ban on trans servicemembers.

There are thousands of trans people who are willing to die to protect our country, but Trump, Vance, Hegseth, and House Republicans want to ban them from serving, or even the freedom for kids to participate in sports without being subjected to invasive and traumatizing exams to determine their gender before they can put on a jersey.

I would like to see some of my colleagues experience what a transvaginal ultrasound feels like. For a kid who is a survivor of sexual assault or trauma, or even one who is not, it is incredibly painful and traumatizing.

These actions are all part of a larger pattern we are seeing at the State level, across the country, by this administration, by House and Senate GOP leadership, and even by our activist Supreme Court, to attack and villainize LGBTQ Americans.

I want to be clear. The NDAA amendments do absolutely nothing to strengthen our military readiness or improve the lives of everyday Americans. Like everyone else, LGBTQ people want to afford childcare and housing, and have access to healthcare, and be able to contribute to an economy that works for all of us.

I look forward to a day where Members of Congress drop this bizarre and personal vendetta against queer and trans people and get back to working on real issues: to lower costs, ensure we all have healthcare and housing and childcare, and make America the country we know it can be.