Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to clarify a point from my September 14, 2026, remarks

on the Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act, H.R. 10204. With regard to the relationship between the Library of Congress and the United States Copyright Office, ``it is important that both of these institutions remain preeminent in their fields and that they work together, hand in glove, even though one is performing legislative functions and one is performing legislative and executive functions.''

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9360) to sunset the Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 9360, the Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress Sunset Act, led by Representative Mary Miller of Illinois, is an important measure that will modernize how Congress manages its records.

H.R. 9360 sunsets the Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress, an outdated committee, and replaces it with a more efficient process for reviewing congressional records.

The bill instructs the Director of the Center for Legislative Archives of the National Archives to submit an annual report to the Archivist of the United States, the Clerk of the House, the Secretary of the Senate, and requisite congressional committees on the management and preservation of the records of Congress.

By eliminating this obsolete committee, H.R. 9360 provides a more efficient process for the management and preservation of congressional records through annual reports and cuts burdensome administrative hurdles.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Miller).

Mr. Speaker, I, too, urge my colleagues to support H.R. 9360, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9342) to revise certain authorities of the Government Publishing Office, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 9342, the GPO Modernization Act of 2026, led by Representative Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma, provides several much-needed reforms for the Government Publishing Office.

Founded in 1861, the Government Publishing Office has long functioned as an important resource not only for Congress but for the Federal Government as a whole by printing, preserving, and distributing official government documents.

Despite the important nature of its work, many of the operations of the GPO are still mired in slow and expensive physical printing processes.

This bipartisan legislation transports the GPO into the modern era by digitizing important government documents through programs like the National Collection of U.S. Public Information.

This serves as a centralized digital library that will greatly expand access for Americans to easily view government resources and stay informed with current events.

H.R. 9342 will also increase fiscal responsibility and efficiency within the GPO by transferring costly, time-consuming print products, such as the Congressional Directory, into a digital format.

Additionally, H.R. 9342 cuts bureaucratic red tape by simplifying the acquisition process for key operational equipment and updates GPO employee salaries to ensure that they are on par with other legislative branch agencies.

Taken together, the GPO Modernization Act will help ensure that the Government Publishing Office will have the tools and staff it needs to successfully transfer its inventory and operations to a digital-first format and continue to support the Federal Government for years to come.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice).

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 9342, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 10204) to modify the appointment and removal process for certain legislative branch officers, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, my bill, H.R. 10204, the Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act, makes important reforms for several vital institutions that serve Congress and the American people, including the Library of Congress, the Government Publishing Office, and the United States Copyright Office.

The bill is not to be confused with H.R. 6028, although they are substantially similar, which passed the House by a voice vote in June with widespread bipartisan support and contains the same provisions as

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 10204. This is an important bill. It probably won't get headlines or be the lead story on CNN or FOX tonight. But making sure, as the gentleman from New York said, that we have the Librarian of Congress actually answering to Congress, I think that is important.

I think this is a good housekeeping bill in many ways. It does some reform, but it also lets us move forward into the future.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the great work, as I said before, that Mr. Morelle and his team did on getting this bill into a good position. It was a thoughtful exchange. We were just trying to get the bill as good as we could.

I would also be remiss if I didn't recognize my constituent, former Congressman Bob Goodlatte, for his work on trying to make sure that we got the communication lines between the Register of Copyrights and the Librarian of Congress in a good position, as well. As Mr. Morelle pointed out to the body, Mr. Speaker, it is important that both of these institutions remain preeminent in their fields and that they work together, hand in glove, even though one is legislative and one is executive.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary public service and life

of Martinsville Sheriff Steve Draper, who passed away on August 29th, at the age of 73.

Sheriff Draper was born on March 26, 1953, in Martinsville, Virginia. From an early age, Mr. Draper felt a natural calling to serve his native home. His interests inspired him to volunteer for the Martinsville Volunteer Fire Department and the Martinsville Henry County Rescue. Mr. Draper held roles of firefighter, EMS provider and President of the Fire Company. These roles helped him build relations with his community and address the safety needs of the local area.

More notably, Mr. Draper pursued a career in law enforcement. Mr. Draper's first stint in law enforcement is where he exercised duties as deputy sheriff in the Martinsville City Jail.

As a symbol of trust and appreciation, Sheriff Draper won the support of his community in elected office. After Martinsville elected Mr. Draper to serve the Martinsville City Council, he then won election to the Martinsville Sheriff's position in 1993.

Starting in 1994, Sheriff Draper would lead his Office with dedication, honor and strength. For over 30 years, Sheriff Draper made strides to foster working relationships, support law enforcement officers and keep his community safe.

At the time of his passing, Sheriff Draper was the longest-serving sheriff in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Virginia Sheriff's Association, of which Sheriff Draper at one time served as President, noted Sheriff Draper was a mentor to many and a friend to law enforcement professionals throughout Virginia.

A career that lasts for so long requires hard sacrifices. We are grateful to Sheriff Draper's family for supporting him throughout his career, even when job demands pulled away his attention. Sheriff Draper is survived by his wife, Donna Draper; children, Courtney Bennett (Jose Padilla) and Christopher Bennett; grandchild, Antonio Lee Bennett Padilla; and special niece, Skylar Sink. His brother, Bobby L. Draper, Jr. (Sammy); niece, Kelly Draper; cousins, Kenneth Draper (Pam Wright), Cody Draper (Natalie), Sarah Dru Draper, Laura Beth Gruettner (Todd), Katherine Eanes Amato (James), Stacy Eanes Clark (Daniel), Bill Draper (Debra), Robin Humlan (Mark), Nancy Draper Oaks (Joey), Bettie Draper Bowles (Gene), Susan Draper Thompson (Matt), Jerry Draper (Jeannie), Karen Berryman, Ann Powers, Drew Conrad, Jim Call, Susan Call, Charles Harris, Barry Harris, Rick Elkins, Ted Elkins, Chuck Alexandar and Jeffrey Alexandar.

Virginia's 9th Congressional District is proud to be the home of one of Virginia's most storied law enforcement careers. Sheriff Draper's lifelong commitment to the Martinsville Henry County area will help define his legacy. Sheriff Draper exhibited some of the finest qualities, not just of a public servant or law enforcement official, but as a friend, neighbor and family man.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Tammie Bebout, my Director of Constituent Services since I began in Congress in 2011. This month, Tammie is retiring from public service as a Congressional staffer after serving Members of Congress for more than 24 years.

Tammie's career in Congress first started in Virginia's 4th Congressional District. For years, she worked for Representative Randy Forbes of Virginia. Tammie made great strides, first as a Constituent Services Representative and then as a Senior Constituent Services Representative. Thanks to Tammie's efforts, she developed a precise understanding of casework and district office operations and issues that impacted her local community. She served as an excellent representative for Congressman Forbes' office.

The people of Virginia's 4th Congressional District and the office of Representative Forbes appreciated her dedication and service.

Tammie and her husband, Jim, then decided to move across the Commonwealth to Washington County, Virginia. Tammie so loved her work in Congressman Forbes' office that for some period of time she commuted across the State to continue her work for the 4th District.

They had settled in the Town of Damascus, a small rural town in Southwest Virginia of less than 1,000 people. Such towns make up a large portion of Virginia's 9th Congressional District, which spans over more than 9.000 square miles. Given the District's sparsely populated communities, there are unique challenges that people in our region face.

After being elected to serve these constituencies in Virginia's 9th Congressional District, I assembled a team in my district offices to tend to these challenges and our rural communities. Given her experience, my team considered it a godsend to be able to hire Tammie. We knew she would help to deliver an exceptional constituent services operation. And she did so.

With Tammie's background and leadership, my office's casework operations hit the ground running in 2011. We were ahead of many freshman offices thanks to her institutional knowledge of constituent services.

Tammie's leadership in my Abingdon office helped navigate various challenges for constituents. Such issues included federal natural disaster relief, federal agency help, veterans' assistance, and legislative correspondence, among other matters. In 2025 alone, Tammie helped with my office casework operations by contacting 40 federal agencies, completing more than 1,100 cases, and securing more than $1.685 million from federal agencies.

Whether out in the field or in the office, Tammie always acted in her role with the utmost professionalism, integrity, and respect.

My office mission statement highlights the importance of responsible leadership, principled representation, and exceptional constituent services for the people of Virginia's 9th District. I am proud to say that Tammie will be remembered for carrying out these principles with true class, heart, and skill.

Tammie exceeded well beyond all expectations as a constituent services leader. Moreover, her warmth, kindness and faith always resonated with those we helped. I am honored that Tammie could call herself a representative of my office.

I congratulate Tammie on an extraordinary career. On behalf of Virginia's 9th Congressional District and my staff, I offer her well wishes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the remarkable patriotism and service of John Knox Burton, a decorated Vietnam War veteran who resides in Virginia's 9th District.

In 1968, Mr. Burton made the honorable decision to answer his country's call and enlist in the military. He entered the military's ranks as a private, but following his stint at Officer Training School, he was a First Lieutenant for his deployment to Vietnam. In Vietnam, First Lieutenant Burton served as Assistant District Senior Advisor with a Republic of Vietnam Unit.

It was during this time that First Lieutenant Burton trained local personnel and helped advise district government officials. His help and coordination of joint U.S. and Republic of Vietnam military efforts advanced U.S. military objectives.

As a result of his service, First Lieutenant Burton earned high marks from military brass. His evaluating officers considered him to be one of the finest officers and commended his performance in combat in Vietnam.

Among the awards of his decorated service, First Lieutenant Burton received the National Defense Service Medal, the Sharpshooter Badge, the Vietnam Service Medal and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with a Bronze Star. The Cross of Gallantry orders highlight Lieutenant Burton's brave service ``side by side with his Vietnamese counterparts.''

Virginia's 9th District is proud to be the home of this Vietnam War hero. After joining the Virginia Tech community in 1977, Mr. Bulton grew as a talented educator. He led numerous courses and initiatives, including his work for the Center for Instructional Technology Solutions in Industry and Education.

In recognition of his successful career in education, Virginia Tech awarded Mr. Burton the Alumni Award for Excellence in International Outreach and later conferred upon him the title of ``Professor Emeritus.''

I join 9th District communities in honoring and celebrating the military service of Mr. Burton. His sacrifice to protect American life and liberty is to be fiercely commended. I hope that American military personnel continue to embody the same courage, values and service that Mr. Burton demonstrated to his country.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6028) to modify the appointment and removal process for certain legislative branch officers, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include additional extraneous material.

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

I rise today in strong support of my bill, H.R. 6028, the Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act, as amended.

I thank Chairman Steil and Ranking Member Morelle for their support and commitment to getting this important Article I bill to the floor.

A lot has been done on this bill. We have been working on it for probably a year or a little bit more, and it would not be in the position it is in today or be as good a bill without the work that was done by committee staff on both sides of the aisle and by Mr. Morelle's input and others who have helped to perfect this bill. I think we have a darned good bill here.

This legislation makes important and long overdue reforms to key institutions that serve Congress and the American people, including the Library of Congress, the Government Publishing Office, and the United States Copyright Office.

At its core, this bill is about ensuring that agencies of the legislative branch are governed in a manner consistent with our constitutional system, improving continuity in leadership and strengthening congressional oversight.

I have long been concerned by the fact that certain functions and agencies that exist to support Congress remain subject to appointment structures rooted in the executive branch.

For many years I have worked to address similar constitutional inconsistencies. I think I am the only one that loves this bill. In fact, since 2016, at various times I have introduced legislation to transfer the Office of the United States Trade Representative from the executive branch back to Congress where I believe it belongs properly under our constitutional framework. That is not this bill.

H.R. 6028 is our bill, and it is guided by that same principle. The bill seeks to promote institutional balance amongst our coequal branches of government and ensure congressional support agencies remain accountable to the branch they serve.

The Library of Congress and the Government Publishing Office play indispensable roles in helping Congress carry out its legislative responsibilities. Yet, the heads of these legislative branch agencies are currently appointed by the executive branch, by the President, and then confirmed by the Senate.

This is an arrangement that came about in the latter part of the 19th century. It is a 19th century construct. I don't know for sure, Mr. Speaker, but I suspect that it had to do with time and distance and the fact that a lot of times Congress was not able to get here to do the oversight that it needed.

Those constraints that existed in the latter part of the 19th century, due to electronic communication and easier travel, no longer make that necessary. I think that is why they did this flip, where they gave up legislative power to the executive branch, and so we have created a new structure. The old structure created an inconsistency in governance, and the new structure helps us with certainty and accountability.

The legislation updates the process by establishing a congressional appointment framework for the Librarian of Congress and the Director of the Government Publishing Office.

Under the bill, bipartisan recommendations would be provided by the leadership of the House Administration Committee and the Senate

Rules Committee, with final selections being made by congressional leadership.

This model is not unprecedented. It closely follows the appointment process Congress previously adopted for the Architect of the Capitol, a reform enacted on a bipartisan basis and the one that has helped strengthen congressional control over a key legislative branch institution.

My bill also addresses the governance of the United States Copyright Office. Because the Copyright Office carries out executive-type functions, H.R. 6028 provides that the Register of Copyrights will be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Some of the improvements that were made just within the last couple of months made sure we had smooth working there because the Copyright Office, while it is in the executive branch, has to work closely with the Librarian of Congress. I believe the language that was ironed out between the parties makes a lot of sense and works well for the American people.

My bill better aligns government responsibilities with the appropriate constitutional framework. Ultimately, the bill is about clarity, accountability, and good governance. By modernizing leadership structures and clarifying lines of authority, we can strengthen the institutions that support Congress and serve the Nation as a whole, and we can ensure that these institutions are positioned to serve both Congress and the American people more effectively for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6028, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments of my colleague Mr. Morelle. I agree with everything that he added and said, some of which we overlapped and some of which we didn't.

This was truly a work where we are trying to do the right thing for the right purposes, and both sides worked together to reach what I think is actually a better bill. I know there were compromises, but it is a better bill than what we originally had, and I appreciate that.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6028, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the service of Fallen Deputy Logan Utt. The 9th Congressional District of Virginia and the entire Commonwealth of Virginia mourn the loss of Carroll County Sheriff's Deputy Logan Utt.

As part of a welfare check, Deputy Utt responded to a law enforcement request on Friday, May 29, 2026. However, what Deputy Utt and his colleague faced next was a tragedy. The situation unfolded into sudden gunfire. In the line of duty, Deputy Utt was tragically shot and killed.

Service was a core pillar of Deputy Utt's identity, character and life. At an early age, he showed an interest in helping his community. As a high school student in Carroll County, Virginia, he proudly joined the Cana Volunteer Fire Department.

Not only did Deputy Utt serve his local community, but he gave his life to his country as well. Following his graduation from Carroll County High School, the U.S. Air Force entrusted Deputy Utt with an opportunity to give back to his country. American strength and our military might are unmatched thanks to dedicated servicemembers like Deputy Utt.

Once Deputy Utt completed his military service, he joined the Carroll County Sheriff's Office in 2023. Once again, he made important strides to serve his local community by supporting the needs of law enforcement.

Law enforcement and community members mourn the tragic loss of their beloved colleague and friend. Carroll County Sheriff Kevin Kemp described Deputy Utt as a devoted husband, loving father, cherished family member. friend and respected member of our law enforcement community. A regional ceremonial escort from Roanoke, Virginia, to Mount Airy, North Carolina, was widely attended by many communities to pay their respects. Deputy Utt's death in the line of duty reminds us all that law enforcement never rests to protect and serve Virginia communities.

Service in law enforcement is time-consuming, stressful and demanding. But that did not distract Deputy Utt from being a caring husband and father. He is survived by the love of his life, his wife, Katlin ``K.T.'' Utt; his beloved children, Silas and Bertie, who were the pride and joy of his life; his grandmother, Frances ``Nana'' Utt; his brothers, Jess Edwards and Lee Edwards; and his sisters, Hassidy Capps and Sarah Blair (Matt).

Deputy Utt was 31 years old. The pain and shock from his tragic death will weigh heavily on Virginia's 9th District and make healing difficult. But the memory of a loving man, public servant and veteran who worked hard to make others safe and free will resonate for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 82nd anniversary of D-Day.

On June 6, 1944, American soldiers raced into the mouth of the Nazi war machine, storming the beaches of Normandy.

For the town of Bedford, Virginia, D-Day is always particularly poignant. Twenty boys from Bedford lost their lives on D-Day. Bedford suffered the highest D-Day death toll per capita of any American community.

We honor and remember our D-Day heroes with the National D-Day Memorial located in Bedford.

This year, the memorial celebrates its 25th anniversary. However, this will be the first D-Day since the passing of memorial advocate Lucille Hoback Boggess.

Ms. Hoback Boggess had two brothers killed on D-Day, and she helped lead efforts to create the memorial with founder Bob Slaughter.

We continue to follow in her footsteps, preserving the legacy of her brothers and the many heroes who served in Normandy and through their heroism cracked the wall of Hitler's fortress Europe.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Carter Family descendant, Ms. Rita Forrester, who worked for years in Southwest Virginia to preserve the storied legacy of an American country music icon, the Carter Family. Therefore, I include in the Record a proclamation in their honor:

Whereas, The Original Carter Family, A.P., Sara, and

Maybelle, changed Country Music history, and helped establish

the fabric of American Country Music, beginning in 1927, with

their first recordings during what Johnny Cash referred to as

the ``Big Bang of Country Music.'' Over succeeding decades,

they introduced hundreds of songs that became the canon of

``songs everybody knows,'' including ``Wildwood Flower,''

``Keep on the Sunny Side,'' ``Will the Circle Be Unbroken,''

and ``The Wabash Cannonball;''

Whereas, Janette Carter, daughter of A.P. and Sara,

fulfilled a deathbed promise to her father to ``carry the

music forward.'' drew on her legacy, her faith, and on the

strength and inspiration of family and friends, and founded

``The Carter Family Fold,'' weekly live traditional Country

Music program in the valley, at the homeplace of the Carter

Family. Thus, the Carter Family Fold became a vital part of

our contemporary cultural story;

Whereas, Janette's daughter, Rita Forrester assisted her

mother in producing and running the weekly show and

travelling to events regionally, nationally, and

internationally, to receive accolades and awards, at one

point, meeting British Prime Minister, Margret Thatcher;

Whereas, Rita persevered, helping to maintain consistent

quality, authentic experience for all who came regularly from

every state in the nation and many countries around the world

to experience authentic traditional Country Music, even when

tragedies struck, such as the week her house burned taking

the life of her beloved husband;

Whereas, Rita Forrester, on the event of her mother's

passing, assumed duties as the director, steadfastly ensuring

that this important part of our cultural heritage would

continue, performing tasks including scheduling, hosting and

introducing the performances, personally making homemade

chili for the audience, and travelling to represent the

Carter Family Fold and the family;

Whereas, Rita's humble, gentle manner belies her powerful

influence. In days when social media and artificial

intelligence replace cultural heritage that has sustained our

families for generations, those who nurture our traditional

arts become the heroes of our society; and

Therefore, in the old style of building a home, there was a

foundational hearthstone, or ``heart stone'' as it was called

by some ancient Scots. Sich is the power of Rita Forrester's

devotion, commitment, and steadfast faith that they are

inextricably woven into the legacy of the Carter Family. Rita

Forrester is recognized as a vital part of the foundation of

the Carter Family Fold, and a Heart Stone of our culture.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1275 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

The Rules Committee met yesterday and reported out a rule providing for consideration of five measures: H.R. 5626, the Cashless Bail Reporting Act; H.R. 6260, the Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act of 2025; H.R. 8365, the Monitor Accountability Act; H. Con. Res. 96, Expressing Support For Law Enforcement Officers; and H.R. 8469, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2027.

House Resolution 1275 provides for consideration of H.R. 5625, H.R. 6260, and H.R. 8365, each under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate for each bill, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary or their respective designees, and provides for each bill one motion to recommitment.

The rule further provides for consideration of H. Con. Res. 96, Expressing Support For Law Enforcement Officers, under a closed rule with 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary or their respective designees.

Finally, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 8469, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2027, under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees. The rule provides 1 motion to recommit and makes 51 amendments in order.

This rule will provide for consideration of several important bills, Mr. Speaker, that I believe will improve the safety of our local communities and the law enforcement officers that serve them. It will also bring the first appropriations bill for fiscal year 2027 to the floor so we can begin the process of passing the bills before the September 30 end of the fiscal year.

First, I would like to start by saying thank you to our law enforcement officers, particularly since this week is Police Week. We honor our law enforcement officers and the men and women who gave their lives in the line of duty.

I am glad we are bringing bills to the floor this week to do Congress' part in helping and honoring law enforcement officers. Among those is H.R. 6260, the Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act. This bill provides commonsense accountability measures for charitable bail funds. These are organizations that use money given as donations to bail out defendants, many of whom have been charged with violent felonies or whom are repeat offenders.

Charitable bail funds have consistently helped release violent criminals back onto our streets where they have committed robbery, assault, kidnapping, and even murder in some cases.

H.R. 6260 closes loopholes that have allowed for potential fraudulent practices and include charitable bail funds as entities ``engaged in the business of insurance,'' thereby ensuring that charitable bail funds will be subject to the criminal provisions under Federal law that apply thereto.

Another bill in this rule is H.R. 5625, the Cashless Bail Reporting Act. This legislation requires the Department of Justice to publish an annual report listing the State and local governments that allow cashless bail for criminals who pose a clear threat to public safety.

Recently, destructive policies in some States and cities are allowed for the gradual elimination of monetary bail systems and, as a result, has led to increased crime. According to a March 2023 study conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the percentage of violent felony offenders who were rearrested increased from 62 to 72 percent.

The correlation is clear: Cashless bail policy leads to increased crime in our communities, and the American people should know if their local governments are participating in these ill-advised programs.

Additionally, this rule brings to the floor H.R. 8365, the Monitor Accountability Act. This bill provides for needed reforms for court monitors, which are independent officials whose job it is to conduct oversight during court proceedings. While many court monitors have performed their duties well, others have initiated unnecessarily long agreements and have charged government agencies with the expensive fees.

H.R. 8365 curbs the excesses of court monitors by imposing a maximum term of service, regulates the fee amount a monitor may charge, and sets general expectations for the court monitor industry. This bill codifies many of the recommendations that then-Attorney General Garland put into place after the Biden administration reviewed the Federal monitoring program.

This rule also brings up H. Con. Res. 96, a resolution that supports National Police Week by honoring the courageous law enforcement officers across our Nation who put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe.

This resolution expresses Congress' immense gratitude for the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers at every level. At a time when officers are facing growing dangers in carrying out their duties, it is important that the House stand in unison to honor these brave men and women.

Lastly, the rule provides for consideration of the first appropriations bill for fiscal year 2027, H.R. 8469, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The bill provides robust funding for military housing, services for children and military members, and maintenance projects for military base facilities.

This legislation also takes care of our veterans by fully funding veterans' healthcare program benefits, and investing over $2 billion in capital improvements for VA medical facilities and national cemeteries.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 8469 also bolsters our national security through continued investments for military bases and infrastructure for advanced weapons systems in places like the Indo-Pacific, where it is imperative that we strengthen our capabilities vis-a-vis China. As we heard in the Rules Committee last night, this appropriations bill, the MILCON-VA bill, passed unanimously, 58-0, out of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I listened to my colleague with some interest. It sounds like he doesn't like the current occupant of the White House and has serious concerns about that, but it doesn't sound like he dislikes any of the bills that much because he didn't spend much time talking about them.

That is what this rule is about--bringing those bills to the floor. In the MILCON-VA appropriations bill that passed out of the Appropriations Committee unanimously, I grant you, there were things in there that Democrats didn't like and things in there that Republicans didn't like. Yet, as we heard last night in the Rules Committee, the Appropriations Committee came together. They all had to compromise on certain things, but they got the bill done, and they felt like it was, overall, a good bill. There were certain disagreements, but overall, they felt like it was a good bill.

Then, we are doing some things, and they may want to do more, but we are doing some things that are very positive for law enforcement and for our local communities that will help communities be able to better figure out what is going on, whether it be bail or the monitoring system, et cetera.

That is what we are discussing here today. There is lots of time in the leadership hours and in the morning hour to give 1 minutes, 5 minutes, or an hourlong speech. Yet, today, we are supposed to be discussing during this time period the rule that brings to the floor four bills that are good bills and an appropriations bill.

I am glad to hear that there is not a whole lot of consternation about the bills that we are presenting this rule on. While there may be disagreement on other items, I am glad that we are moving forward on that.

It is always tempting when you are here presenting a rule to get dragged into the cesspool or the thoughts that the other side wants to talk about, but that is what I am here to talk about: the bills that are in the rule that we are presenting today.

Apparently, they are pretty good. I know they don't like them 100 percent, but they must be pretty good, or they would have spent more time talking about them in the opening salvo of this debate on the rule. So, I think that should encourage all Members, both Democrats and Republicans, to vote for the rule.

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

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

The gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) said something last night about not having heard voices on our side of the aisle talking about the pardons, and Mr. Scott said: I did. I had a problem with it. That was Mr. Austin Scott from Georgia.

I would remind the gentleman that he and I had a colloquy in the Rules Committee on February 4, 2025, on that same subject where I indicated that I had significant concerns about pardoning folks who had assaulted police officers.

It is not fair. That was something they pulled up because I am a member of the Rules Committee, and they brought it up in the Rules Committee meeting because I made a comment to the media in my home district. I am sure there are lots of other Republicans who have done the same, raised some concerns, raised some issues, and as a result, the White House came out with some explanations. People can choose to accept or not accept those explanations. It is what it is. But a number of us did raise concerns about that at the time.

Now, that being said, we have some bills before us today that are good bills. That is what we are supposed to be talking about.

We have got bills that deal with monitoring of courts. We have got bail bills that we are dealing with. There are a number of things. We have got a resolution that expresses Congress' support for our law enforcement, which I think we are all in agreement on, and the gentleman said as much that we all support our local law enforcement and our law enforcement folks out there.

I would say, Mr. Speaker, let's look at these bills. That is what we are debating now is whether or not to bring these bills to the floor. I think all the bills that we presented should be brought to the floor. We can talk about other bills on another day, but these bills are appropriately before the House.

Then let's talk about the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies funding bill from Appropriations, which passed unanimously out of committee.

My colleague has indicated that we are offering a handful of amendments. Now, I have managed a couple of these rules before, and some of them have been closed. He consistently says: You haven't allowed any amendments, and now he depicts the amendments that we are allowing as a ``handful.'' A majority of those--in fact, it is a supermajority of those that were theoretically in order, and it is 51.

Now, by my count, Mr. Speaker, that is 10 handfuls and a little bit more. It is not a handful of amendments. It is 10 handfuls. I would have to get a whole line of people here to hold on to all these amendments. We are going to hear debate on them, and we are going to have discussion about it.

So it gives you some idea of the hyperbole that my friends on the other side of the aisle are using when you take 51 amendments and depict them as a mere handful.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. If I am to be pilloried on the floor of the United States House, let us get the facts correct.

First, I am sure that WJHL, a television station, would not appreciate being called a newspaper. Second, let me read you the first quote.

Griffith: ``I have mixed feelings. I personally think that some of those folks who assaulted police officers deserve some of the time they got.'' If I am to be pilloried, there is what I said.

The following week, in the Rules Committee, in response to questions from my colleague, I responded that I did not have every case in front of me, speaking of pardons. It is a difficult decision, and I would have had a hard time pardoning people who assaulted police officers on any occasion.

If I am to be pilloried, let's get the record straight, and I think the same would be true for many of my colleagues on this side of the aisle.

Let's talk about violent criminals because we have a bill in front of us today that will deal with that. We have the charitable--the phraseology is the ``charitable bail funds.'' We have a bill in front of us that will treat them as insurance.

Now, people may think at home, if they are watching this, what in the world do bail bonds have to do with insurance? Well, having been a criminal defense attorney, I can assure you that the insurance is to ensure that people show up for their court dates, and that is what bonds are for.

If you put up a bond, an insurance company usually writes that. If it is a corporate surety bond, that is usually what you have. Sometimes, you have property bonds, and there are other ways of doing it. If you have a corporate surety bond or a group comes forward and puts the money up for you, that group ensures that you will be present in court, or you forfeit the amount that you have put forward.

That is all fine and good. We have charitable groups out there, and they are looking at cases where you have people who can't afford it, but it is not a violent crime or something where there is a danger to the public. I understand that. That is what the bill does. It says we are going to treat them like they are insurance companies because they are, in fact, stepping into the shoes of an insurance company.

It is not grandma who is putting up her house, which many of my clients had their grandmas put up their houses to guarantee they would be present in court when they were supposed to be there to be tried for their offenses. They are acting like those corporate surety bonds. They are stepping into those shoes, and they ought to be treated accordingly under the law.

Then, we heard a whole litany--and I really didn't want to get into it--a whole litany of things that people did who were doing bad things on January 6 and did some bad things afterward, as well. I point out also that that is not before us at this very minute. What is before us is a bill on these charity bonds and cashless bonds.

When people are released on cashless bonds or artificially low bail, they have a greater propensity to reoffend, as I said in my opening. Because I feel compelled, for example, in Wisconsin, Darrell Brooks was released on a $1,000 bond after running over a woman with a vehicle, despite a lengthy criminal history and an additional outstanding warrant.

Brooks was previously charged with aggravated battery and had an outstanding warrant in Nevada after skipping bail for a sex-related crime. Then, on November 21, 2021, Brooks drove through a Christmas parade, injuring over 50 individuals, killing 6, 1 of whom was an 8- year-old child.

A March 2023 study, which I mentioned before, by researchers at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, found that approximately 72 percent of violent felony offenders who were released without bail were rearrested.

We could stand here and go through hours of this, but, Mr. Speaker, we have before us a good number of bills

that deal with trying to make our communities a little bit safer, giving people more information, and trying to make sure we are getting it right, trying to help our police officers and our local communities be safer.

These are all good bills. They may not do everything that everybody wants, but these bills before us and this rule that we are presenting are good bills. Then, we have the MILCON-VA bill, which passed out of the Appropriations Committee unanimously, 58-0.

I believe that we should pass these bills. The first step in doing that is passing the rule so we can bring the bills to the floor with set time for debate. There will be plenty of time for debate. There will be time on the MILCON-VA bill to go over amendments and to then consider as a House, as the House for the United States, whether or not we want to pass them. I think we should.

The first step is we have got to pass this rule.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to all vote ``yes'' to bring these bills to the floor. My colleagues on the other side can debate whatever deficiencies they may see in the bills and have their time to tell the American people about those bills.

I really wish they would focus, when we are talking about a rule, on the rule to bring the bills to the floor and not all these other matters. I understand they want to talk about other things. I get it. That is the role of the minority. However, Mr. Speaker, as the majority, we need to pass this rule.

Mr. Speaker, I advise that whenever my colleagues are ready, I am prepared to close. I urge my colleagues to pass this rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, we have before us the MILCON-VA bill. For folks watching at home, I will translate: military construction at our bases and Veterans Affairs, which is our VA hospitals, et cetera. That is what this rule has in it. It also has a number of bills related to law enforcement making things better: the monitoring systems, the bail systems, cashless bonds, et cetera.

These are good bills, and the rule ought to be passed, as I said before.

I would be remiss if I didn't speak about the fact that this is Police Week. It is one of the reasons why we have these bills and others in front of us.

This year, unfortunately, and it has happened before since I have been in office, an officer was killed in the Ninth Congressional District. Officer Hall was killed in an inmate attack at the River North Correctional Center in Independence, Virginia, which is in Grayson County in November of last year.

Two additional officers were attacked at that time. Both are physically doing okay, but, Mr. Speaker, I don't know how you ever get over an act of violence where you witnessed a colleague, a friend, a brother in law enforcement, being murdered.

That is really what we are about this week, and this rule promotes four bills that will help. It doesn't solve everything. It doesn't resolve everything. Jeremy Hall will be remembered in another resolution coming up this week that we will be voting on to honor fallen law enforcement officers.

We can also honor them all by taking these steps forward in trying to make our system better and recognizing that we probably ought not let violent felons, people who have already committed crimes, out on either no bond or low bond. We probably ought to make sure that the folks posting the bonds are capable and available to actually ensure the presence of the defendant at trial.

Mr. Speaker, I left this out earlier, and I apologize. It is a big part of the bail system. It is also to ensure their good behavior while out on bond. It is both presence on the court date and good behavior between the time the bond is posted and the time of that court date.

What the data shows us is that without one of these bills, there is an increase from 62 percent to 72 percent of recidivism. That helps our police officers and honors those who have been wounded, physically or psychologically, while serving in law enforcement, and those who answered the last call, like Officer Hall.

Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will vote to put this rule forward. I urge the passage of the rule and the underlying legislation.

The text of the material previously referred to by Mr. McGovern is as follows:

An Amendment To H. Res. 1275 Offered By Mr. McGovern of Massachusetts

At the end of the resolution, add the following:

Sec. 10. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the

House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the

bill (H.R. 7711) to prohibit the use of Federal funds to

compensate individuals who were prosecuted for their

involvement in the attack on the United States Capitol on

January 6, 2021, and for other purposes. All points of order

against consideration of the bill are waived. The bill shall

be considered as read. All points of order against provisions

in the bill are waived. The previous question shall be

considered as ordered on the bill and on any amendment

thereto to final passage without intervening motion except:

(1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the

chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on the

Judiciary or their respective designees; and (2) one motion

to recommit.

Sec. 11. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX and clause 8 of rule XX

shall not apply to the consideration of H.R. 7711.

Sec. 12. The Clerk shall transmit to the Senate a message

that the House has passed H.R. 7711 no later than three

calendar days after passage.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my friend Ms. Sandra Jean Caldwell ``Sandy'' Davis, who passed away on March 17, 2026, at the age of 79.

Ms. Davis was born on August 9, 1946, in Radford, Virginia. Her upbringing in rural Virginia included graduating from nearby Floyd County High School.

After graduation, Ms. Davis pursued lengthy careers in Southwest Virginia. Her first career path focused on the Commonwealth of Virginia's Health Department. This line of work provided her the opportunity to serve the public health needs of communities in the New River Valley, primarily in Radford and nearby Giles County.

In addition to addressing local health care challenges, Ms. Davis developed a reputable career in banking and finance. She rose to senior vice president at the Bank of Christiansburg, the first woman in Southwest Virginia to achieve that position.

Together with her first husband, Patrick C. Cupp, Ms. Davis founded BCR Real Estate and Property Management. Their company would be foundational in supplying housing to college students seeking to attend two of Southwest Virginia's premier academic institutions, Virginia Tech and Radford University.

Moreover, Ms. Davis dedicated significant attention and resources to higher education and athletics at these institutions. She served on the Board of Visitors for Radford University and Virginia Tech. Ms. Davis also devoted time to the Board of Directors for the New River Community College in Pulaski County, Virginia.

More scholarship opportunities are available to students and student- athletes thanks to Ms. Davis' contributions. In 2018, she and her second husband, Jack Davis, a renowned author and historian, made a landmark $8 million donation to Radford, which was one of the largest gifts in the school's history. Additionally, Radford University's Athletic Director credits Ms. Davis' impact on Radford Athletics, saying she helped create opportunities for student-athletes to pursue excellence and represent Radford with pride.

New River Valley communities and schools recognized Ms. Davis for her excellent work and profound charity. Among her highly esteemed accolades, both the Blacksburg Rotary Club and Montgomery County Chamber awarded her Citizen of the Year. In 2022, Ms. Davis was inducted into the Southwest Virginia Business Hall of Fame.

Besides her husband of 23 years, Jack, Ms. Davis is survived by her sister, Mildred Weddle; two stepchildren; and more than a dozen nieces and nephews.

I join the New River Valley in mourning the loss of a philanthropic titan, education advocate, and community leader. Throughout her career of service and business, Southwest Virginia communities received support. Ms. Davis will continue to be remembered for her significant impact on our region.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize March 23, 2026 through March 27, 2026, as National AHEC (Area Health Education Centers) Week.

The AHEC program was originally authorized in 1971 and worked in conjunction with other Health Resource Services Administration (HRSA) programs to provide health professionals to staff the brick-and mortar Community Health Centers. Today, Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) offer hands-on and innovative health career curriculums for pre-college level students, and are committed to continuing education, clinical training of health professionals and responding to community health needs. The Nation's 300 AHECs are in nearly every state and in multiple U.S. territories. Administered by HRSA, AHECs are federally funded, and many are also supported by state governments, foundations, or other partners.

AHEC clinical training placements put health profession students in a variety of real-world settings, such as migrant, urban, and rural community health clinics and health departments that provide healthcare to rural and underserved populations. Connecting students to community populations helps facilitate future engagement and network alliance building for health career students to remain in their clinical practice regions and continue providing more sustainable healthcare in rural and underserved areas following their training.

AHECs are also responsive to community priorities. They are dedicated to collaboratively developing community health education curriculums, for both online and face-to-face training programs, through unique partnerships that meet the broader range of public health needs of diverse and severely rural and underserved populations.

The need to strengthen the healthcare workforce, particularly for the underserved, continues. According to new Association of American Medical Colleges, the U.S. could see a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2034, and the American Hospital Association says more than 200,000 new registered nurses are needed each year to meet increasing health care needs and to replace nurses entering retirement. AHECs continue to be committed to addressing shortage areas and expanding the health care workforce, while maximizing and facilitating distribution, especially in rural and underserved communities.

In the past 5 years, the AHEC program has trained 2 million healthcare professionals, who are prepared to deliver culturally appropriate, high-quality, team-based care, with an emphasis on primary care for rural and underserved populations

I have had the opportunity to work closely with the Virginia AHEC and have witnessed the amazing work they are doing. The Virginia AHEC regions are made up of dedicated teams of professionals who collaborate with healthcare providers, educators, and community leaders, to create innovative programs and initiatives that address the evolving healthcare needs of our Commonwealth's underserved population.

The mission of Virginia AHEC is to provide interprofessional and educational resources to motivate, recruit, train, and maintain a healthcare workforce dedicated to serving rural regions with the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 2024, they offered continuing education to over 1,000 health care workers, pipeline programming for over 900 high school students, and clinical training to over 1,800 health professional students to accomplish this mission.

Virginia AHEC strives to provide experiential learning opportunities for health professional students in every region. In 2024, Virginia AHEC helped 1,844 students complete 4,668 hours of training at rural and medically underserved clinical training sites.

Virginia AHEC provides specialized programming for health professional students who wish to work in Primary Care, specifically in rural and/or medically underserved areas in Virginia, called the VA AHEC Scholars Program. In 2024, Virginia AHEC had 224 active VA AHEC Scholars. Each Scholar completed

40 hours of education and 40 hours of clinical training through participation in the program.

As a major component of the program, Virginia AHEC created a statewide, a synchronous Community Health Worker Training Program. Since the creation of the program three years ago, VA AHEC has trained over 300 Community Health Workers.

The Southwest Virginia AHEC is located at the Bradley Free Clinic. The Bradley Free Clinic works with students from 28 academic programs spanning medicine, dentistry, residency training, counseling, and public health, providing hands-on clinical and community-based learning experiences. My son personally experienced the benefits of this hands- on learning environment to prepare him for a career in healthcare.

On behalf of my constituents at Virginia AHEC program and the national AHEC program more broadly, I call on my colleagues to join me in recognizing March 23, 2026 through March 27, 2026, as National AHEC (Area Health Education Centers) Week.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and public service of Harry Fleisher Collins, Jr., who passed away on March 1, 2026, at the age of 74.

Mr. Collins is well remembered for his service to the community of Christiansburg, Virginia. He served on the Christiansburg Town Council for four years. His leadership is credited for the development of Christiansburg's Huckleberry Park. Following his passing, the Town of Christiansburg lowered its flags to half-staff to honor Collins' service.

The local Republican Party in Montgomery County believed in Mr. Collins' leadership. Local Republican Party officials, who were impressed by Mr. Collins' strong record in public office and his commitment to electing Republican candidates for local offices, selected Mr. Collins to be Chairman of the Montgomery County Republican Party.

As the survivor of a double-lung transplant, Mr. Collins devoted significant time to the Lung Transplant Foundation. He served as the CEO, worked tirelessly to support the Foundation's initiatives and advocated for those needing help.

Mr. Collins is survived by his loving wife, Sherri; his sister, Valerie Myers and her husband Steve Myers; his daughter, Kristin Sells and her husband Aaron Sells; his sons, Zach Collins and wife Miranda Collins, Brock Collins and wife Becky Collins, and Ryan Collins and wife Brittney Cockram; and his stepsons, Austin Huff and wife Sydney Huff, and Colin Huff. He was a proud grandfather to 13 grandchildren and one great-grandchild, all of whom were the light of his life.

I enjoyed working with Mr. Collins and considered him a friend. I join the Christiansburg, Virginia community in mourning the loss of a public servant, community advocate and respected man. Mr. Collins' community work should inspire other local officials in Montgomery County and the greater New River Valley.