Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 2474, the Expanding Appalachia's Broadband Access Act, as amended.

This bill requires the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on the capability of the Appalachian Regional Commission to include low-orbit satellites in broadband projects.

This study, conducted by the Government Accountability Office, will, number one, assess whether these low-orbit satellites can meet businesses' needs; two, evaluate the economic development growth in areas already utilizing low-orbit satellites; and three, analyze the cost-effectiveness of implementing broadband via satellites.

By directing GAO to study this important issue, Congress can help ensure that small businesses and residents in rural and Appalachian communities can benefit from emerging technologies and continue developing economically.

Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 2474, the Expanding Appalachia's Broadband Access Act, as amended, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 6480, legislation introduced by me and cosponsored by Representative Scott Perry. The Federal real estate portfolio is being reshaped at a speed and scale this institution has never seen. Last year, under DOGE, leases were terminated overnight, buildings were emptied, and entire agencies were displaced. Through all of it, Congress was given little information about what was being sold or surrendered.

This should concern every single Member of this Chamber, regardless of political party. This has been a problem under both Democratic and Republican administrations.

The GSA used to keep Congress informed. They produced a ``State of the Portfolio'' report, a clear, comprehensive accounting of the Federal real estate footprint. They haven't done so since 2013.

Now, in 2026, after an aggressive reshaping of the Federal Government's real estate portfolio, Congress is flying blind. H.R. 6480 turns the lights back on.

This bill, introduced by myself and cosponsored by Representative Perry, directs the Administrator of General Services to submit an annual report to Congress on the state of the Federal real estate portfolio: every lease signed and terminated, every square foot leased and occupied, every GSA-owned building disposed of, every plan to relocate Federal agencies, all of it on the record, in front of Congress, accountable to the people of this country.

Congress has a constitutional obligation to know what is happening to Federal property that belongs to the American taxpayer. No administration of either party should be making unilateral decisions about the public's assets without this body having full visibility.

Mr. Speaker, I support this important bill, H.R. 6480, and urge my colleagues to do the same. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, Federal employees deserve to work in safety and security, and the Americans who go to Federal buildings to access essential services deserve to do so with the same assurances.

A 2025 GAO report found that in fiscal year 2024 alone, there were over 3,500 incidents, recorded incidents, at Federal facilities across this country: 763 threats, 142 weapons violations, 9 arson attacks, 3 homicides, and 1 kidnapping.

These are attacks on the women and men who show up every day to serve the American people. Right now, in this political climate, Federal employees are being targeted, online, in person, and in the buildings where they work. The hostility directed at our civil servants has reached a boiling point, and Congress must act to keep people safe.

However, threats don't only come from people. When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, 83 Federal facilities in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama were significantly damaged. Back- to-back hurricanes, Irma and Maria, severely damaged Puerto Rico's Federal buildings and Federal courthouses in 2017. Storms are getting stronger and more destructive. It is critical that workers and visitors to Federal buildings know what to do in case of an emergency.

H.R. 6481, the Federal Building Threat Notification Act, introduced by myself and cosponsored by Congressman Perry, directs the Administrator

of General Services and the Director of the Federal Protective Service to develop and disseminate a clear, actionable emergency communication protocol for public buildings.

The guidance will include best practices and protocols to inform building tenants of threats to the buildings or their occupants and instructions for safety practices in response to threats or heightened risk.

The Federal Building Threat Notification Act is common sense and good policy. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 6481, the Federal Building Threat Notification Act, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7388, the Smart Space Act, as amended.

The General Services Administration's portfolio of owned buildings are now, on average, over 52 years old, and many of the buildings have not undergone any significant modernizations since they were constructed.

In 2025, the GAO reported that GSA has a $6.1 billion deferred maintenance and repair backlog.

In 2026, the Public Buildings Reform Board reported that GSA's backlog was approximately $50 billion. Whether the cost to repair GSA's buildings is $6.1 billion or $50 billion, GSA does not currently have the funding. The Smart Space Act is intended to address this

funding shortfall by directing GSA to identify alternative financing solutions for the construction, renovation, or, when necessary, disposal of public buildings.

GSA already uses alternative financing in the form of public-private partnerships, or ``P3s,'' to procure energy savings and facility improvements with no upfront capital costs or appropriations from Congress.

When used appropriately and when both partners are held accountable, public-private partnership can help deliver high-cost, technically complex projects more quickly, leverage private-sector resources and expertise, and reduce construction and operational risks for the Federal Government.

H.R. 7388, as amended, directs GSA to convene consultation meetings with real estate experts to identify alternative financing solutions for the construction or renovation of public buildings. Learning from experts is always a good thing.

Mr. Speaker, I support this bill and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 7388, the Smart Space Act, as amended, and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 73, legislation introduced by myself and Representative Perry.

This resolution authorizes the use of the Capitol grounds for events related to the 45th Annual National Peace Officers' Memorial Service on May 15, 2026.

The National Fraternal Order of Police will host this event to honor the Federal, State, and local law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty in the year 2025.

In my home State of Arizona, we honor Officer Gabriel Facio of the Apache Junction Police Department, who was killed in the line of duty in June 2025.

Officer Facio served with the Apache Junction Police Department for nearly 4 years and had previously served as an officer in the city of Phoenix. He is survived by his wife, daughter, son, parents, and a grandchild.

Last month, we lost two more Arizona heroes. State Trooper Hunter Bennett was killed in a helicopter crash alongside his pilot, Retired Lieutenant Colonel Robert Skankey, while responding to an active shooter incident.

Trooper Bennett was just 28 years old and was married to his high school sweetheart, Breanna. He graduated top of his class from the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy after graduating magna cum laude from Arizona State University.

Pilot Skankey retired from the United States Marine Corps after 22 highly decorated years. He went on to join the Arizona Department of Public Safety, serving as an aviation supervisor. He leaves behind his wife, Tjiske, and four children. Their service and sacrifice remind us that the dangers our law enforcement officers face are real and they are ever-present.

We honor Officer Facio, Trooper Bennett, Pilot Skankey, and all officers throughout the country for their sacrifices and devotion to protecting our communities.

In addition to the families and friends of the deceased, event organizers expect 25,000 police officers from around the country to be in attendance.

Additionally, this resolution authorizes the use of Capitol grounds for the National Honor Guard and Pipe Band Expedition on May 14, 2026.

Mr. Speaker, I support this bipartisan resolution and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for a short closing statement.

Mr. Speaker, I support H. Con. Res. 73. At a time of hyperpartisanship in this body, it is good that we can come together unanimously in a bipartisan way to support the law enforcement officers and their families who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in support of their communities.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 73, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program Act, a bipartisan bill that is absolutely critical to the future of my home State of Arizona and the American West.

The Colorado River is the lifeblood of our region. More than 40 million people across the seven basin States depend on it for drinking water, agriculture, and economic vitality. In Arizona alone, it supports our cities, our farmers, our Tribal communities, and our economy, including our critical semiconductor industry.

But this river is under enormous pressure from a drought now entering its 25th year, from overuse, and from a changing climate that is reshaping the West as we know it. At the same time, dozens of native fish, migratory birds, and plant species that depend on this river are fighting for survival.

The Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program is an incredibly successful collaboration between the Federal Government, the States, and key stakeholders. It has been doing the hard work on the ground for over two decades to manage habitats and protect native species.

This program has successfully established thousands of acres of native riparian and aquatic habitat, stocked the river with native fish, and increased the numbers of breeding migratory birds over more than 5,000 acres.

The program also provides a measure of reliability and certainty for future river operations. States like Arizona have a responsibility under the Endangered Species Act to protect these vulnerable habitats while balancing the need to deliver Colorado River water to users across the State and region.

This fund gives the Lower Basin an essential tool to protect the health of the river, and it is one less thing to fight over at a time when tensions over the river's future are exceptionally high.

The Lower Basin States of Arizona, California, and Nevada are continuing to put our money where our mouth is, contributing millions to the conservation of this critical resource.

This bill simply ensures that the money we contribute to the program can accrue interest as it sits in the Treasury's coffers. Dollars that our States put in will go a lot further at no additional cost to the taxpayers of this country.

I thank my colleagues for their partnership in getting this bill to the House floor, especially Congressman Ken Calvert of California and Congresswoman Susie Lee of Nevada.

Madam Speaker, I urge colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this commonsense, bipartisan legislation.

Mr. Speaker, today, I am proud to honor a man who spent his entire life in service to others, former Chandler, Arizona, Mayor Coy Payne.

He was born in 1929 to a hardworking family in Texas and came to Arizona in the 1940s. He earned everything he got. He worked his way through school, served in our Army during the Korean war, earned a degree from Arizona State University, and then gave 30 years of his life educating the children of Chandler. He served on the Chandler City Council for many years, and then in 1990, he was elected mayor of the city of Chandler, the first Black mayor in Arizona history.

As mayor, he led a booming, growing city with steady hands and an open door. People trusted him because he listened, because he knew he was going to do all he could to make their lives better.

Mayor Payne passed away in 2019, but his legacy lives on.

As we celebrate Black History Month, I rise today to introduce legislation to name the U.S. Post Office at 101 North Colorado Street in Chandler, Arizona, as Mayor Coy Payne Memorial Post Office.

It is only fitting that this memorial sits in the heart of Chandler, a token of our appreciation and a reminder that his first love was the people of Chandler and all of its wonderful activities.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Judge Kevin Kane upon his retirement after more than four decades of distinguished service to the courts and to the people of Arizona. Over his 44-year legal career, Judge Kane earned a reputation as a fair, thoughtful, and compassionate jurist who understood that the justice system works best when it is both principled and humane.

Judge Kane has a deep commitment to public service and to improving how courts serve their communities. His career spanned roles as a state supreme court law clerk, public defender, and municipal judge, including service on the bench in Utah, Phoenix, and Tempe. He was appointed to the Phoenix Municipal Court in 2006 and became the first openly gay judge to serve on that bench, following more than a decade of prior service as a staff attorney for the court. In 2016, he was appointed Presiding Judge of the Tempe Municipal Court, a role he has carried out with distinction for the past decade.

Under Judge Kane's leadership, the Tempe Municipal Court became more efficient and accessible. He made it easier for people to navigate the legal system, including expanding remote court access and creating partnerships to connect individuals with vital city services. Judge Kane continued to carry a full judicial caseload while making these reforms, demonstrating his commitment to both effective leadership and fair administration of justice.

Judge Kane is especially recognized for his work advancing ideas that help people solve problems instead of getting stuck in the justice system. He served as Presiding Judge of the Maricopa County Regional Homeless Court and currently chairs the East Valley Regional Veterans' Court, which brings together legal and treatment professionals to support veterans facing challenges such as post-traumatic stress. He also presided over Tempe's Mental Health Court, which helps individuals with mental illness or developmental disabilities receive the care and support they need.

Judge Kane's impact on Arizona's justice system is lasting. He leaves behind stronger institutions and countless lives positively affected through his commitment to service with compassion.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Judge Kevin Kane on his retirement and in thanking him for a lifetime of service to Arizona and to the rule of law.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center in Phoenix. The museum is a truly historic site with real significance for Black history in Arizona and the United States.

The building that houses the museum, known today as ``The Carver,'' is itself a storied symbol of both injustice and perseverance. It first opened in 1926 as the Phoenix Union Colored High School, the only Arizona high school built exclusively to serve Black students during the era of segregation. That difficult history is inseparable from the Carver's legacy. Today, the site stands as a place dedicated to preserving and retelling Black history.

Any account of Black history in Arizona is incomplete without the Carver. Despite school segregation, the Carver produced graduates who went on to become leaders, public servants, artists, educators, and civil rights advocates. The building is standing proof that talent and hard work are rewarded, even when the opportunity for success was difficult, if not impossible, to come by in a racially segregated world.

The school closed in the 1950s following the desegregation of Phoenix high schools, but the future of the building was uncertain. Alumni and community leaders recognized its historical and cultural importance and mobilized to save it from demolition. In 1996, the site was reborn as the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, ensuring that the legacy of those who studied, taught, and organized there would not be lost.

The Carver Museum today preserves and shares formative chapters of Black history in Arizona through exhibitions, archives, educational programming, and community events. Exhibits share the experiences and contributions of African Americans who helped shape Phoenix and Arizona history.

The importance of the Carver goes beyond historical preservation. The museum is a community gathering place. It is a space for learning and bringing people from different backgrounds and generations together. It is a resource for educators and researchers, a powerful reminder that Black history is not distant or abstract. It is local and lived. The Carver is foundational to the story of Black history in Phoenix and our state. By preserving the past, the museum helps current and future generations of Arizonans become well-rounded, and well-informed civic leaders who are ready to serve our community and make a real difference.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center on its 100th anniversary. May it continue to educate, inspire, and remind us that honoring history is essential to building justice and opportunity for all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 72.

I thank Ranking Member Meeks for his great leadership on this critical issue.

It is time to end Trump's illegal tariffs on Canada, his tariffs on United States' biggest trading partner, Mexico, and the so-called liberation day tariffs. Congress has the power of the purse, not the President. It is time that we take our power back from an executive who is out of control.

Trump's tariffs have been a massive tax on the American people, costing an average household $1,000 per household just in the last year. These tariffs have led to slower job growth, a declining manufacturing industry, and less investment. They have hurt our farmers and increased food costs.

These tariffs have inflicted real damage on our relationship with Canada. Canada isn't just our neighbor. It has historically been one of our strongest military allies and biggest trading partners. Trump's constant insults, threats, and these punishing tariffs have turned one of our best friends away from us and toward the People's Republic of China.

Enough is enough. It is time that we end this. I urge my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats alike, send Trump a clear message that he can't unilaterally wage a trade war against one of our strongest allies and biggest trading partners.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Neguse for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, my Republican colleagues are trying to use today's procedural rule vote to sneak in a provision that would block a vote on Trump's tariffs for the next 6 months.

I have a bill to end Trump's tariffs on Mexico, the United States' number one trading partner, that Republicans have been stalling for months.

They have also blocked our bills to end the tariffs on Canada and the so-called liberation day tariffs.

These tariffs have been a disaster for American families and businesses. Domestic manufacturing is in a downturn. Farmers are suffering, and the tariffs cost the average American household over $1,000 per household in the last year alone, according to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.

Too many of our Republican colleagues would rather surrender their congressional authority than stand up to Trump. They would rather cross their fingers or pray that the Supreme Court settles this.

Let's be clear. A vote for this rule is a vote in favor of Trump's illegal tariffs. It is a vote for higher costs for the American people, and it is an abdication of our duty as Members of Congress.

I urge my colleagues, Republican and Democratic alike, to vote ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, Arizonans are sick and tired of the chaos at the Department of Homeland Security. Instead of targeting hardened criminals, DHS is arresting hardworking people off our streets to meet arbitrary deportation quotas.

Faith leaders in my district tell me constituents are avoiding church, keeping kids home from school, and skipping medical care, terrified of being profiled based on the color of their skin.

To meet their quotas, DHS is proposing to turn an industrial warehouse in a Phoenix suburb into a 1,500-bed detention facility. ICE's Acting Director called it Amazon Prime but with human beings.

People across the political spectrum are strongly opposing this and for good reason. They don't want human beings held in a makeshift jail down the street from their child's high school. They don't want masked agents in their church parking lot. None of this makes Arizonans safer.

Congress has a duty to rein in the Department of Homeland Security that is absolutely out of control. I won't stop until that happens.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor and remember Yvonne Fedderson, an Arizonan whose compassion and resolve helped build Childhelp, one of the Nation's leading nonprofits dedicated to the prevention and treatment of child abuse. She devoted her life to protecting children who too often suffer in silence. Yvonne passed away on January 23, 2026, at the age of 90.

Yvonne first found success as an actress in film and television in the 1950s and 1960s. Her acting career included appearances in widely recognized films and television series. But she ultimately chose a life of service. Rather than continuing to pursue acting, Yvonne and her close friend and fellow actress Sara O'Meara turned their fame into a mission to protect vulnerable children in need. In 1959, the two actresses created International Orphans, Inc., to support orphans in post-typhoon Japan. International Orphans later evolved into Childhelp, a national nonprofit dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect and supporting children and families in need.

Friends and colleagues knew Yvonne as a steady and determined leader who understood that protecting at-risk children is hard work that requires persistence and dedication. That commitment helped Yvonne shape Childhelp into a practical, action-driven organization with real reach and impact. As President and Vice Chair of Childhelp, she helped build a national network of chapters and volunteers and expand programs like the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline and the Speak Up Be Safe prevention curriculum. Childhelp has supported more than 14 million children and families across the United States since its founding.

Yvonne's impact in Arizona is even more meaningful because it was her home. The Scottsdale-based Childhelp continues to advance the vision Yvonne and Sara first set out to realize more than six decades ago: to keep children safe and to help communities respond to children in need quickly and with compassion. Childhelp has impacted communities across Arizona through prevention programs and direct services, including residential treatment programs that have helped young survivors heal and rebuild their lives.

I extend my condolences to Yvonne's loved ones and to the entire Childhelp community, who will carry her mission forward and continue building on the legacy she created.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Yvonne Fedderson. Our country is better off because of Yvonne. Arizona is better off because of Yvonne. I thank Yvonne for a lifetime of service to children and families in need.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark a solemn anniversary.

Fifteen years ago today, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was doing her job, holding a ``Congress on Your Corner'' event at a grocery store in Tucson, standing outside in the January sunshine, listening to her constituents, figuring out how she could help them.

Then the unthinkable happened. In an instant, this moment of democracy turned into a tragedy. A gunman targeting Congresswoman Giffords killed six of our fellow Arizonans: Federal Judge John Roll, a dedicated public servant; Dorothy Morris, Phyllis Schneck, Dorwan Stoddard, beloved members of the community; 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green, born on September 11, 2001, a budding public servant who had just been elected to her middle school student council; and Gabe Zimmerman, Gabby's director of community research who died doing the work that he loved.

Thirteen others were wounded, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. She survived a gunshot wound to her head through the sheer force of her will, exceptional medical care, and the unwavering support of her husband, Captain Mark Kelly.

I worked closely with Gabby when she was in the State legislature, and I served on the Phoenix City Council. She was a singularly talented leader, brilliant and tough as nails, with the rare gift for bringing people together. There is no doubt in my mind that if it were not for that day, Gabby Giffords would be sitting in the United States Senate right now or the Governor's office, maybe even the White House.

We have seen the consequences when political disagreements metastasize into something darker. In the last few years, political violence has increased in frequency and intensity, and this violence has been directed at both Republicans and Democrats.

Gabby Giffords herself has shown us the path forward. Despite a long and difficult recovery that continues to this very day, she has transformed unimaginable tragedy into courageous action.

Through GIFFORDS, the organization she cofounded with Mark Kelly, she leads the fight for a future free from gun violence, not with bitterness, but with courage, determination, and with hope.

Her example stands as a rebuke to the cynicism that too often characterizes our politics. Gabby reminds us that we can disagree and disagree strongly while still recognizing the fundamental humanity in one another. We can fight for our principles without demonizing our opponents.

On this 15th anniversary, we honor those who we lost by recommitting ourselves to the work that they believed in, a democracy where disagreement is not just tolerated but celebrated, where robust debate strengthens rather than threatens our institutions, and where every American can engage in civic life without fear.

That is the America Gabby Giffords fought for then. That is the America she fights for now, and that is the America we must build together.

Mr. Speaker, no matter who you are shopping for this holiday season, you will be paying a lot more due to Trump's illegal tariffs.

Prices for toys and games are up 17 percent. Clothing and shoes are up 20 percent. Electronics are up 34 percent.

Home and kitchen gifts are up a whopping 38 percent.

Too many Arizona families are getting squeezed, and their paychecks are buying less and less. Joy and happiness are being replaced with stress and fear, fear that they can't provide for their families, and fear that things aren't getting any better.

Until Congress stands up to Trump and his illegal, reckless tariffs, things won't get better. Arizona families will continue to face uncertainty, but the Speaker of this House is about to send Congress home for the holidays without a single vote to rein in the President's abuse of tariff power, not one vote.

Enough is enough. House Republicans need to stand up for their constituents, stand up to Trump, and put an end to this tax on American families.