Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Miranda Tingle for her congressional service to the people of central and northwestern Illinois.

More than 10 years ago, she began her career in Congress working for my predecessor, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. Miranda found the job of casework to be meaningful and something that she could do to change lives for the better.

When Cheri Bustos retired from Congress, I was thankful that Miranda wanted to continue serving the people in our community. Miranda has spent more than a decade going above and beyond for every person that we serve in Illinois' 17th Congressional District.

One of my constituents wrote to me and said: ``Miranda was very clear that she couldn't make any promises, but she made it happen. Every question I had, every email or phone call was always returned within hours. I am forever grateful.''

That is who Miranda is, going above and beyond consistently to ensure that we do right by the people that we serve. People like Miranda are hard to come by around here, true public servants who give of themselves for the sake of their communities.

The countless people helped by Miranda, as well as her teammates in our office, are better off today because she made a difference with all of us.

Mr. Speaker, as Miranda prepares to close the congressional chapter of her career, I thank her for years of dedicated congressional service.

Miranda embodies the belief that no time is better spent than time spent in service to our fellow neighbors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Jason Jenkins, an 18-year-old who shares the same hometown as me, Rockford, Illinois.

Jason was a student and worked at Walmart in the evenings and on weekends. That was also where he was the victim of a horrific, racially motivated knife attack that ended his life.

Bystanders jumped to his side and comforted him while trying to stop the bleeding, a powerful testament to the good in our community that will always overpower hate.

Several of his teachers told me that Jason was an extraordinary young man known for his personality, positivity, and always looking to make people laugh.

Today, I am grieving with the Jenkins family, their neighbors, his team at Walmart, and his classmates at Auburn High School.

This has been a rough few weeks for the Rockford community. With every tragedy, it is important that we come together as one family to support each other during these difficult moments.

We will never forget Jason Jenkins.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today along with my colleagues from across the Illinois delegation to pay tribute to the victims that were killed and injured in the Rockford stabbing spree on March 27.

On that dark day for our city, we lost 15-year-old Jenna Newcomb, a student from East High School who shielded her sister and others from the attacker.

We lost 49-year-old Jay Larson, a 25-year veteran of the United States Postal Service and member of the Illinois Letter Carriers who was out delivering the mail to his neighbors.

We remember 63-year-old Romona Schupbach, a mother, a grandmother; and her 23-year-old son, Jacob Schupbach.

Together, we grieve for the loss of our loved ones.

As a native Rockfordian, I have faith that we will not let this tragedy define us. As we work to make sense of what happened, we must continue to tell the story of who we are and what we stand for.

Today, we lead with love, compassion, and kindness. As neighbors, we weather every awful storm, looking for the sunlight to tell us that it is over.

I appreciate my colleagues standing with me today on the floor of the House to remember those we lost in tragedy. I thank all of the Members of this entire body who share their thoughts, prayers, and are keeping Rockford in their hearts during this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House to join me in a moment of silence to remember the victims of the Rockford, Illinois, stabbing spree.

Mr. Speaker, as the only meteorologist in Congress, I rise today to honor one of the best in the history of local television: Tom Skilling of Chicago's Very Own WGN-TV. He retires tonight after 45 years in Chicago, tracking storms, blizzards, and tornadoes.

It wasn't just being a trusted resource on television. He mentored hundreds of interns, setting the bar high for generations of local meteorologists now serving all over the country.

For more than 20 years, I have known Tom to be a man of intense character with no limitation to his focus on perfecting the craft of analyzing, forecasting, and communicating.

I would not be standing here today without him sharing the belief that we are all just neighbors to one another, experiencing the same crazy weather together.

As the kids say, he is the GOAT. I am so proud to stand here and wish my friend the best in his retirement. He is the greatest.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Escobar for hosting this important discussion.

I would be remiss if I didn't say that your home State of Texas is the only State that I have ever lived outside of my own home State of Illinois. So, I have a soft spot for the Lone Star State.

Mr. Speaker, I stand here proud to cosponsor the Dignity Act tonight, which is the only bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill that currently exists in the House of Representatives.

This legislation is critical. It does just what we need. It secures our border, strengthens our economy, creates an orderly and humane path to legal status for those who follow U.S. law, and gives law enforcement the tools they need to stop the flow of fentanyl that is hurting and killing members of our families and our neighbors.

Make no mistake, I am deeply concerned with what is happening at the southern border. It is now Congress' time to act.

Since the moment I was sworn in, I have tried to work as hard as I can with both sides of the aisle to find solutions to complex problems. I have proposed legislation to increase the number of Customs and Border Protection officers that patrol our southern border. I have proposed legislation that would help identify the fentanyl that is coming into our country. I found Republican colleagues, Republican friends, to come together because we need to work together.

Unfortunately, House GOP leadership has rejected all of the bipartisan ideas.

I am a believer that to get things done here in Congress, we need to listen to the perspectives of both sides. In this Congress, the bipartisan path has been the only way that we have gotten results.

That is how we have been able to fund the government, prevent a catastrophic debt default, pass a bill to lower taxes for businesses and working families.

We have tried the partisan-only path to solving the immigration and border problem, but that does not work. Securing our border and fixing our immigration system must be done on a bipartisan basis.

Now, there are Members of Congress, especially my colleagues here on the floor right now, who want to solve the problem, but there are some in the House and the Senate GOP who want to strong-arm us, using the border as a political football in the ultimate display of gamesmanship.

Just yesterday, a bipartisan group of Senators released a plan to secure the border and fix our broken immigration system.

This compromised proposal is aggressive about tackling the challenges that we see at the border without straying from our Nation's core values.

The Senate plan makes our country safer; it makes our border more secure; and it treats people fairly and humanely.

But less than a day after its release, before most Members have even had a chance to read it, House GOP leadership said it is dead on arrival in the House.

Now, let's call it what it is: It is a display of inaction that puts politics in front of any solution.

The choice is clear: Do we choose to solve the problem in a bipartisan way, or do we allow Members across the aisle just to continue to refuse to consider the solution at all?

The latter is not what the people sent us here to do. In my district, in central and northwestern Illinois, my neighbors expect us to come here and solve problems, not to ignore them for political gain.

I have families in my district who have an empty seat at their dinner table because they lost a loved one to fentanyl.

And the House GOP leadership's response to that family is: Let's put the upcoming election in front of hurting families. That, Mr. Speaker, is as pathetic as it is selfish.

But the good news is, Speaker Johnson has another chance. He can work with us to put the Dignity Act up for a vote. Passing a bipartisan bill will show the American people we are serious about solving this problem.

I can think of few other examples where Democrats and Republicans have come together on such a difficult topic to propose bipartisan legislation that will secure our border, reform our immigration system, and put us on a sustainable path to solving the issues.

We can be the Congress to do it. We can create security for our Nation and for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I ask Speaker Johnson to give us the chance to do what we need. Bring the Dignity Act to the floor. Let us debate it, let us vote on it, and let's work together to solve the problem.

Mr. Speaker, I missed two votes on November 9, 2023. Had I been present, I would have voted: NAY on Roll Call No. 641 on agreeing to the amendment to reduce the salary of White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to $1; and NAY on Roll Call No. 642 on agreeing to the amendment to prohibit funding to finalize, implement, or enforce the FAR Council's proposed ``Federal Acquisition Regulation: Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate-Related Financial Risk'' rule.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.J. Res. 98.

Last year, the administration took an important step to protect workers' rights by issuing an updated joint employer rule. Unfortunately, House Republicans are now trying to reverse the strong standard.

My colleagues across the aisle are making misleading claims today about this joint employer standard, arguing incorrectly about the impact on small business franchises.

Now, let me be clear. The joint employer issue is simply about whether or not an employer is obligated to come to the bargaining table.

I have heard from so many working families across central and northwestern Illinois who feel as if they are left behind and as if their government does not stand for them as they work paycheck to paycheck trying to do the right thing for themselves and their families.

All the while, big corporations automate jobs and misclassify workers all to save a quick buck while reporting record profits and forgetting whose labor got them to their positions of success in the first place.

As a member of the Congressional Labor Caucus, I believe that when workers come together to bargain for fair wages, for good benefits, and for safe workplaces, then every entity that has control over these conditions should be at the table, and it is required by law.

That is exactly what the Biden administration's joint employer rule does. The strong standard overturns the previous administration's rule which allowed corporations to easily outsource jobs so they could evade responsibility and undermine organized labor.

We cannot allow House Republicans to undermine workers in this country by overturning the National Labor Relations Board's joint employer standard.

To the hardworking people in my district, let me be clear. As their Member in Congress, I will always stand on the side of workers and fight for their protections.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote against this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Doug House of Rock Island, Illinois on his induction into the Quad Cities AFL-CIO Hall of Fame.

Doug has spent many years dedicated to a life of service. Whether that was showing support on the picket line to working people, joining the National Guard, or now as he's come out of retirement to be a member of my very own staff, Doug has shown what it means to be an exemplary member of our community. Doug spent time as a member of UAW Local 281, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 537 & 150, and he is a 35-year member of Laborers Local 309

While dedicating his life to service, Doug has made it a priority to find balance with the things that matter most to him. Family always came first, but he found a way to balance his love of his work, political activism, and enjoying a home life filled with family and friends. He has many interests including hot rods, collecting John F. Kennedy and other political memorabilia, hunting, and fishing. It is an honor to have him in as a member of my staff and community. Doug deserves all the accolades and honor from this induction into the AFL- CIO Hall of Fame.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Doug House again formally on the honor of being inducted into the Quad Cities AFL-CIO Hall of Fame, and I join the rest of the community in thanking him for all he has done for the residents of the Illinois 17th District and beyond.

Mr. Speaker, as ranking member of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, I was thrilled to lead the DOE and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act alongside my colleague and chairman of the Energy Subcommittee, Congressman Williams.

I would be remiss if I didn't also share that my mother gave me the wonder of what is going on above so that I could spend the first 22 years of my professional life as a meteorologist helping explain how things work.

Also, I hope that the people at home see that this body is working together today in a bipartisan way, just like NASA and the Department of Energy have for decades and decades. They have improved our understanding of the universe by working together.

This bill seeks to build and expand upon that legacy by advancing coordination on fundamental and applied science. The collaborative research and development efforts that this bill facilitates will have a profound impact not just for my constituents but for the entire rest of the country.

As a meteorologist, I know that we need to improve climate modeling and simulation to increase our understanding of how the planet is changing. It will help us make smart decisions to change the trajectory while creating resilient communities. This takes interagency collaboration.

Most importantly, as we see here in the Science Committee, when we collaborate, we inspire a new generation of scientists and engineers. When the first humans land on Mars, they are going to rely on the things that we develop today. That is why I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Sgt. William Lind of Moline, Illinois on receiving the First Responder Hero Award from Black Hawk College in Moline, Illinois.

In October of 2022, Sgt. Lind was attacked and critically injured after trying to apprehend a suspect trying to flee the scene of an arson. After his long road of recovery, he finally got back to work at the East Moline Police Department. Upon his return, he received a Purple Heart because of the bravery he showed in the line of duty. The Purple Heart Award is given to officers in the department who have sustained a serious injury from an assault ``with potentially lethal force'' while on duty. On that day in October, Sgt. Lind sustained life threatening injuries while trying to protect those in our community. Following this Purple Heart, he received the First Responder Hero Award from Black Hawk College. I'm indubitably grateful to have an officer like Sgt. Lind serving the community I represent here in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Sgt. William Lind formally on the honor of receiving the First Responder Hero Award. I join the rest of the community in thanking Sgt. Lind for his courage and bravery in the line of duty.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Peyton Sallows of Port Byron, Illinois on receiving the Civilian First Responder Hero Award from Black Hawk College in Moline, Illinois.

This past September, Peyton Sallows, a bright 7-year-old from Port Byron, showed a remarkable amount of courage when her mother Ali experienced severe anaphylactic shock. Peyton quickly called 911 and calmly spoke to the dispatcher. Her bravery and ability to stay calm during an extremely stressful situation saved her mother's life. Her actions allowed first responders to arrive quickly and conduct lifesaving treatment. It is an honor to have a child as bright and courageous as Peyton in the district I get to represent in Congress. I can't wait to see where this bravery leads her in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to formally congratulate Peyton on receiving this much deserved ``Civilian First Responder Hero Award'' from Black Hawk College. I join the rest of the community in thanking her for her incredible display of courage and bravery during an extremely challenging situation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Moline Fire Department in Moline, Illinois who received the First Responder Agency of the Year Award from Black Hawk College.

The Moline Fire Department works incredibly hard to ensure the safety and well-being of the community in which they serve. They are so loved by the city of Moline that they received more nominations than any of the other first responder agencies in the area. The ``First Responder Agency of the Year'' award acknowledges the dedication and extraordinary contributions of the Moline Fire Department to the community. I am proud to call Moline my home and I am incredibly grateful to have First Responders like these on call when you need them most.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Moline Fire Department formally on the honor of receiving the First Responder Agency of the Year Award. I join the rest of the community in thanking the Moline Fire Department for their commitment to serving and protecting the residents of Moline, Illinois.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a journalist who, through hard work and determination, brought the news to the people of Illinois' 17th Congressional District. Barb Ickes has been in newspaper storytelling for more than 30 years. She has broken countless news stories, exposed corruption, and helped Quad-City Times readers through record floods, tough economic times, and monumental political events.

She helped us navigate crossing the Mississippi River with her ``bridge beat'' and took us to her ``off-limits places.'' Barb has seen it all, and she has shared it with our community.

As Barb retires from her position as managing editor with the Quad- City Times, we recognize her accomplishments and the legacy that she leaves for the next generation of news reporters.

I am honored to wish her the best as she turns the page to her next chapter.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a local leader in broadcast news and fellow Quad citizen.

For more than 40 years, families in our region could count on the friendly demeanor and seasoned professionalism of Paula Sands on KWQC TV 6 News.

Paula boasts an accomplished career, taking the helm as the region's youngest woman to host her own TV show at the age of 23. Since then, and for the past three decades, she hosted ``Paula Sands Live'', a news show dedicated to current events and local businesses.

She is an Emmy award winner. She has taken a seat in the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' Silver Circle.

All the while, Paula served her hometown as a trusted voice.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to enter the contributions of such a legendary figure into the Record. I wish Paula Sands my sincerest gratitude and well-wishes as she enters retirement.

Mr. Chair, the annual Defense Appropriations bill is one of the best tools we have to strengthen our national security and foster innovation.

This year's bill includes a well-deserved 5.2 percent pay raise for our troops and $12.5 million dollars to support the Rock Island Arsenal and manufacturing jobs in my district.

Workers in Central and Northwestern Illinois take great pride in supplying our military with new equipment that helps service members safely defend and protect our nation.

That is why I'm proud to introduce my amendment to fund novel technology that can 3D print high-strength, lightweight carbon fiber composite parts into state-of-the-art wings for Unmanned Air Vehicles.

This new technology will produce wings roughly 10 times faster than traditional technologies on the market, allowing for the fabrication of a wing in a single day and assisting the military in meeting the demand for Collaborative Combat Aircraft.

At the same time, this funding will create good-paying jobs for the families in my neighborhood.

I urge Congress to pass my amendment and get this project off the ground for our taxpayers and for our national defense.