Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to salute the work of Barry Hoffman, founder and artistic director of the Symphony of Westchester, which began in 1984.

Barry has blended together 50 outstanding music professionals to perform classical music works for adoring audiences. There are four concerts held each year at Iona University in New Rochelle, each drawing 350 attendees to experience the orchestral brilliance of the works of Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Dvorak, and other great composers.

In addition, the symphony organization hosts an annual jazz institute, a young artists concerto competition for students of all ages, an apprenticeship with New Rochelle High School musicians, and so much more.

Barry and his army of woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings have delighted and educated our area for over 40 years with many more years ahead.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Barry Hoffman for his contribution to Westchester and the Bronx, and for the quality of our lives made more vibrant by music.

Mr. Speaker, I quote: ``Political satire is one of the oldest and most important forms of free speech. It challenges those in power while using humor to draw more people into the discussion. That's why people in influential positions have always targeted it for censorship.''

These are not my words. These are the words of Brendan Carr, the current FCC Chairman.

This week, Chairman Carr called for Jimmy Kimmel's show to be canceled for using that very same satire--Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, suppression of free speech.

I don't see this administration saying anything about limiting the free speech on FOX, OAN, or Newsmax. Free speech is okay if you agree with it, but if it disagrees with you, then out it goes.

That is the way it is in Putin's Russia and in Kim Jong-un's North Korea. That is the way it is in China, Hungary, and Iran. That is not America.

America believes in something good and greater: free speech, free thought, free practice of religion.

When we silence American voices, we slide every day toward the very regimes that we say we are fighting.

Mr. Speaker, the 16th District of New York is lucky to have an Education First facility located in Tarrytown.

During the August work period, I had the opportunity to tour their international language campus and speak with young people from over 60 countries who are in Tarrytown to learn English.

This location in our district is one of several dozen Education First campuses around the world. They have collaborated with the U.N. to create a joint global summer school program. In addition to physical schools, they also have the world's largest online language school.

These programs are designed to help English language learners pick up the language quickly for attending school or starting a new job.

It can be hard to be in a new place, learning a new language. I applaud the courage and openness of these students in coming to the United States and meeting students from different countries. Our world is stronger because of cultural exchanges like this one, and it does a heck of a lot for the local economy in Tarrytown.

Mr. Speaker, today, we celebrate the 238th birthday of the U.S. Constitution, and we reflect on the document that enshrines the freedoms that we hold dear.

At the heart of those freedoms is the First Amendment, the right to free speech. It protects popular speech and speech that challenges, provokes, and offends. That is the point.

This week, the Attorney General said that the Department of Justice would ``absolutely target you, go after you'' for so-called hate speech, a dangerous misreading of the Constitution. Though she has since walked it back, the message was clear: This administration would rather silence dissent than defend liberty.

I hear defense of the Second Amendment, the right to bear arms, but I want to make sure that we defend all amendments, including the Fifth Amendment for due process, and the 10th Amendment, rights that are reserved for the States and the people from the Federal Government.

Our rights don't come with an asterisk. We don't surrender the First Amendment or any others to political convenience.

On this Constitution Day, let us remember the greatest threat to democracy is not exercising our rights. It is the effort to suppress those rights.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the life and times of Millie Ortiz Sheehan. Today, we are naming a street after her in the town of Greenburgh where she did so much to help her community and her people.

Millie was born in New York City, the daughter of Miguel and Cruz Ortiz. She graduated from Baruch College where she met her husband, Francis. Together, they spent over 40 years married, with two children and four grandchildren.

Millie was a school psychologist with over 30 years of experience in the Greenburgh Central School District and still had time to be active in numerous community groups and worthwhile projects that helped her neighbors, particularly the youth of her town. She was a spectacular cook to boot.

Millie's loss came unexpectedly and tragically, but we remember her and her life, and we join the community in valuing her life spent caring about others. Her name on that street sign will ensure that Greenburgh will never ever forget her.

Honoring the Life of Lynne Trotter Wagstaff

Mr. Speaker, every now and then, there are people born who personify the essence of love in action. On November 2, 1946, Lynne Louise Trotter, later Lynne Louise Trotter Wagstaff, was born in Harlem, New York. She was one of those people.

Lynne attended St. Catherine of Siena and graduated from St. Pascal Baylon High School. She loved to dance and attended Johnson Dance Studio during her youth. Her summers were enriched, and she formed lifelong bonds at Camp Minisink, a camp for African-American youth in New York City.

Lynne met her husband of 47 years, William O. Wagstaff, Jr., at Central State. He was a Kappa and a football player, two criteria she later joked were on her checklist for potential mates in college. They were married on August 5, 1978, and purchased their first home in Mount Vernon, New York.

Although her childhood dream was to become an actress, she decided to pursue a career as an educator. Over the years, she was an elementary school teacher, a reading teacher, an assistant principal, and retired as the principal of P.S. 112, located in the Edenwald neighborhood of the Bronx.

Lynne spent her entire career in public education and felt it was her responsibility not only to educate but to provide care and safety for children who were often underserved and overlooked, either due to their race or economic status.

Lynne's love for her family was her foundation, and she poured into her family, always being a reliable supporter. Even when a relative might have felt that life's challenges left them fighting alone, she was always there.

Lynne leaves to carry on her legacy William O. Wagstaff, Jr.; William O. Wagstaff, III; William O. Wagstaff, IV; her daughter-in-law, Christina; and bonus children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, cousins, and friends who have become family.

It is an honor to recognize Lynne on the House floor today.

Mr. Speaker, the Federal Reserve Board meets this week to consider easing interest rates, a move that the President has been urging for months.

Inflation remains stubborn. Consumer prices rose by 2.9 percent in August compared to last year. Job growth is slowing. Unemployment has climbed to 4.3 percent, the highest in 4 years. We are now veering toward stagflation: rising prices and a cooling job market.

No matter what you call it, the reality is clear: American families and small businesses are struggling. The President came into office promising to lower costs and make life more affordable. Instead, he has delivered the opposite with a massive tax and spend bill and a reckless tariff agenda that is driving prices even higher and creating apprehension for employers.

Lower interest rates might offer some short-term relief. Yet, for real, lasting stability, you need a change in course and a change in policies coming from the top.

Mr. Speaker, it is a profound honor to recognize His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, known throughout the world as the ``Bridge Builder'' and the ``Patriarch of Peace.'' As the spiritual leader of over 250 million Orthodox Christians, he has dedicated his life to the pursuit of reconciliation, understanding, and human dignity. Despite enduring decades of persecution and restrictions upon his Patriarchate in Istanbul, he has remained steadfast in his mission, bearing witness not only to the strength of faith but also to the power of compassion.

His All-Holiness Bartholomew, born Demetrios Arhondonis in 1940 on the island of Imvros was elected in October 1991 as the 270th Archbishop of the 2000-year-old Church founded by the Apostle Andrew. He holds the historic title of Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, a position that dates back to the sixth century. A citizen of Turkey, he studied in Imvros, Istanbul, Rome, Switzerland, Munich, and Athens, where he earned his doctorate in Canon Law and helped found the Society of Canon Law of the Oriental Churches. Ordained in 1961 and 1969, he served as Assistant Dean of Halki, Secretary to Patriarch Demetrios, Metropolitan of Philadelphia, and later Metropolitan of Chalcedon before his election as Ecumenical Patriarch.

Patriarch Bartholomew's leadership extends far beyond the walls of the Church. He has become a global voice for peace, interfaith communication, and environmental stewardship, reminding the world that creation itself is a sacred trust. Through initiatives such as establishing a worldwide day of prayer for the environment and convening international gatherings of scientists, leaders, and theologians, he has exemplified how faith can serve the common good. His tireless journeys across continents and his engagements with parliaments, heads of state, and religious leaders have earned him honors from the United Nations, the European Union, and this very Congress, which bestowed upon him the Congressional Gold Medal beneath this Capitol dome.

Mr. Speaker, in honoring Patriarch Bartholomew, we recognize a man whose life's work has been the building of bridges, between East and West, faith and justice. His

enduring witness to peace and extraordinary work for humanity is an inspiration to us all. May his example continue to inspire us to build bridges of understanding, to care for all of God's creation, and continuously seek justice and reconciliation.

Mr. Speaker, as a

Mr. Speaker, today, I recognize Lauren Cullinan and Peyton Savarese, 11th graders at The Ursuline School in New Rochelle, who for 15 years have been friends and collaborated on multiple school projects together, including A Bear and a Book.

A Bear and a Book was founded in the fall of 2023 as a way to promote youth literacy. Like many others, when Lauren and Peyton were little, they would line up their teddy bears and read them a story. If they did not have someone to read to, they could always count on reading to their bears.

The Bear and a Book presentation begins with the girls reading an age-appropriate book to children with their own bear friends, Candy Bear and Sprinkles. At the end of the story, each child is given a bear and a book of their own to read at home.

With this book project, they have reached 55 classrooms in both New York and nearby Connecticut, and over 1,500 books and bears have been distributed.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud Lauren and Peyton for wanting to help young children in our community and for their entrepreneurial spirit.

Madam Speaker, death comes for all of us at a time and a place unknown. It may come quietly, after a long illness, or swiftly and violently without warning. None of us are exempt. The youngest and the oldest among us each will face that moment. We know it. We fear it. Still, we carry on, putting it out of our minds so that we can live, work, and love.

In that certainty, we are united. Death does not discriminate by race or religion, gender or sexual orientation, or economic status. We are all equal in our mortality.

On September 11, 24 years ago, death came suddenly and violently. It struck without mercy or logic. It took office workers, firefighters, police officers, maintenance workers, financial executives, flight attendants, secretaries. It took Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and those with no faith tradition. They were targeted simply because they showed up to work.

Others died trying to save them. Those first responders--the brave men and women of the FDNY, the New York Police Department, EMS, and Port Authority--ran into danger knowing full well the costs. Some lives were saved because of them, and many of those heroes never came home.

The attacks were an attack of hate, of an ideology turned into violence. In highjacking airplanes, those terrorists tried to hijack our values, to cause casualties in pursuit of their beliefs, and to use death as a weapon to divide us.

Yet, even as we still grieve, as we continue to lose 9/11 survivors to illnesses from that day, we remember something greater: that humanity goes on, even as individual lives are lost. Children who lost parents have grown up. Parents who lost children have passed on. Young Americans have graduated high school who were not yet born on that clear, bright, September morning. We are reminded that life continues, but it is up to us to give it meaning.

In a deeper sense, we are all on the 107th floor of that day. We are all aboard flight 93. We all carry the weight of that day, not just in mourning but in mission.

The universality of loss can and should be the foundation for our unity, and so I ask: Why, then, are we so divided? Have we learned nothing from

this tragedy? If death unites us, shouldn't life compel us to care for one another and to protect each other while we can?

Evil still exists. It takes on many forms. It still tries to convince us that terrorism or hatred can be justified and that violence can serve a cause. We must always reject that lie.

The deaths on that day 24 years ago give us a chance to remember. We remember the lost, and we honor the brave. We reaffirm our shared responsibility to stand against hate and those who use death and terror to divide us, and we hold fast to our common humanity.

Let us say a prayer for the fallen. Let us say a prayer for the living, and let us walk forward together in the shadow of that somber day.

Mr. Speaker, I have some comments that were drafted before today's events.

Last month, in Minnesota, a gunman opened fire on Catholic schoolchildren praying. Again, thoughts and prayers are offered, but what do we say and what do we do when the victims were already praying?

This cannot be our only response. We need substantive action.

As Westchester County executive, we acted early to ban gun shows from county-owned buildings. It was a small but meaningful sign that we were serious about keeping guns out of our communities.

Now, Congress must show that same seriousness. We need universal background checks. We need weapons of war off our streets. We need strong red flag laws to keep guns away from abusers.

State laws are not enough. Guns can easily be trafficked across State lines.

Thoughts and prayers didn't save children at Sandy Hook, Uvalde, or in that Minnesota church. They won't save the next victims unless we act. We have to keep weapons of mass death out of the hands of those who would use them to kill innocent people.

In the last few hours, we have one more example, the murder of Charlie Kirk. Any person, regardless of their politics, should be able to express their ideas without violence.

Commonsense gun laws save lives, Mr. Speaker, and we must pass them now.

Mr. Speaker, today, a CBS News poll came out. It showed 65 percent of Americans think that the President's policies are making us pay more for goods, such as groceries.

I have learned in my career that results mean more than rhetoric. I invite my colleagues to join me in tracking what is actually happening in the country, not the words that are being said.

I ask my colleagues to make a list this week when they shop and jot down the prices they pay. List the date.

Specifically note the price of a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk, a gallon of orange juice, a box of cereal, a dozen eggs, and a package of butter. Stop in any store. Note the price of a package of gym socks and a tube of toothpaste. When my colleagues gas up their cars, note the price of regular gasoline and their most recent electric bill. Date it today, this day in September. Keep the sheet handy.

In January, I want my colleagues to do that list again. We won't need a cable news station, a podcast, or a talk show to tell us what is going on. We will see it for ourselves.

Mr. Speaker, 20 years ago Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. The images of families stranded, neighborhoods submerged, and a city brought to its knees are seared into our national memory. That tragedy exposed serious failures in our disaster response, and we promised never to let it happen again.

This administration has broken that promise. They have hollowed out our national emergency response systems and are floating the idea of eliminating FEMA altogether. That is not leadership. That is negligence.

Disasters don't care about ideology. In the last year, we have seen natural disasters in California, Texas, North Carolina, and Florida. Whether it is a natural disaster or pandemic, Americans expect a Federal Government that shows up and is ready to respond. Costs and response capacity are too much for any one State to bear on their own.

Americans deserve competence and compassion, not political games and threats to withhold funds when lives are on the table.

We must remember the lessons of Katrina. Disaster will strike whether we are ready or not. It is the Federal Government's responsibility to be ready.

Mr. Speaker, I am a proud son of Mount Vernon, New York. I was born there. I went to school there, and it shaped the person who I am today. My roots run deep in that community, and I carry its values with me every day in my work here in Congress.

During World War I, 22 fellow sons of Mount Vernon answered the call to serve and joined the fight to defend freedom abroad. These men became part of the legendary Harlem Hellfighters, the 369th Infantry Regiment of the New York Army National Guard.

The Harlem Hellfighters hold a remarkable and important place in our Nation's history. Comprised primarily of Black Americans, this unit was among the first African-American regiments to serve with the American Expeditionary Forces during the First World War, and a later version served in the Second World War. Mr. Speaker, because the U.S. Army remained segregated at the time, these men were assigned to fight under French command.

They spent nearly 200 days in front-line trenches, more than any other American unit. They faced unimaginable hardship but never wavered. They suffered the most casualties of any American regiment with nearly 1,500 men making the ultimate sacrifice.

Yet, despite their heroism and service, they returned home to a country that did not afford them the recognition they earned. Today that changes.

This afternoon, these brave men, our Harlem Hellfighters, will be honored with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award Congress can bestow. This long overdue recognition honors their extraordinary valor, their unwavering service, and their critical place in American history.

The men of the 369th embodied courage, resilience, and patriotism in the face of adversity. They are more than deserving of this distinction.

In a few hours, I will join their descendants in laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We will pay tribute to those who served and sacrificed and whose names were too long left unspoken.

Their legacy lives on in Mount Vernon, in New York, and across this Nation that they helped defend.

We honor them today and remember them always.

Honoring Lola Daniels Hunter

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute the life and achievements of Lola Daniels Hunter, who served our community as president of the White Plains Greenburgh Branch of the NAACP, as a board member of the Greenburgh Police and Advisory Committee, and as a leader of the North Elmsford Civic Associations.

For over 50 years, Lola was a member of Bethel Baptist Church in White Plains, serving in board leadership. She showed her professional skills in the Westchester Department of Service Services, having achieved a B.A. degree from the College of New Rochelle and an M.B.A. from Pace University. She is survived by her daughter, Priscilla ``Ann'' Daniels, and legions of friends and neighbors in Greenburgh, White Plains, and Mamaroneck who loved her as she loved them and the community.

She is with the Lord now, but we are all better for her time with us.

Rest in power, Lola.

Mr. Speaker, President Trump has called on several Republican Governors to redistrict congressional districts no matter what the cost to fairness, voter inclusion, or proper geographic representation.

If his big, beautiful, ugly bill and its related policies were so popular, then he wouldn't need to do this. Cutting Medicaid for rural hospitals and food programs for the needy isn't so popular after all. His irrational tariff policies are backfiring. If his backtracking on environmental progress, threats to Social Security and VA benefits weren't creating a grassroots pushback, then this wouldn't be necessary. The unpopularity of his policies should lose him the tightfisted control of this House.

Mr. Speaker, we cannot box following the Marquess of Queensberry rules of fair and impartial districting while the World Wrestling Federation rules allow you to hit your opponent over the head with a chair.

This is a desperate power grab by a President whose agenda has failed the American people. We cannot let gerrymandering silence voters. Democracy demands fairness, and we must fight for it.