Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to, once again, call on the United States to join the treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons and for all of the world's nuclear armed powers to adopt policies of mutual disarmament and abolition.

In a few short weeks we will mark the 80th anniversary of the only time nuclear weapons have been used in combat by the United States in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. The fact is in 80 years since, we have only avoided nuclear war by sheer luck. As long as countries possess massive arsenals of world-destroying weapons, the risk of miscalculation and the risk of escalation is eternal.

In the last few years, we have seen multiple situations that remind us of the extent of this fragility and of the danger. Nuclear-armed India exchanged fire with nuclear-armed Pakistan just this year. Cooler heads prevailed, this time.

Nuclear-armed Israel conducted unilateral strikes on facilities in Iran. That war didn't go nuclear this time.

Nuclear-armed Russia continues its brutal war of conquest in Ukraine. We are avoiding escalations that increase the threats of nuclear war between Russia and the West so far.

The truth is, the era of nuclear weapons will only end in one of two ways. Either we will abolish these horrific weapons from the face of the Earth, or we will use them and abolish humanity instead.

The only sane position and the only legitimate position for anyone who values human life is abolition.

In addition, more than one-half of the countries in the world have now formally agreed signing on to the TPNW. We should join them.

That is because just as we have gotten terrifyingly close to nuclear war in

these past 80 years, we have gotten close to disarmament. It is not a pipe dream. Reagan and Gorbachev also did it. South Africa unilaterally dismantled their arsenal. Other countries have stopped developing nuclear weapons before they got the bomb.

It is possible to disarm, and it is possible to abolish nuclear weapons. We only need the political will, and we need the urgency.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, you will note that I said the bombs dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the only nuclear weapons used in combat, but they were not--we must be absolutely clear--the only times nuclear weapons have been used.

In fact, nuclear weapons have been used thousands of times, and their primary targets have been Americans. We also mark this month the 80th anniversary of the Trinity test in New Mexico. So we should remember that entire communities have been poisoned by these weapons right here in the United States. Entire generations have seen their families, their friends, and their classmates die of rare cancers caused by radiation exposure. They have been forced to drink poisoned water and breathe poisoned air.

The effects on the communities known as the downwinders have been catastrophic, and their suffering is still, sadly, mostly unknown in this country. We have made some small steps toward providing overdue compensation to these Americans, the first and the most consistent victims of our nuclear weapons program, but we still are a long way from justice.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. McGovern for hosting this Special Order hour tonight and for his years of principled leadership on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the years of dedicated public service of Talia Glass, a Senior Community Representative in my District Office. Ms. Glass has selflessly served Minnesota's 5th District for over six years--since my first day in Congress. She has proven herself to be an incredibly thoughtful, organized, and reliable public servant, and the people of the 5th District are better off because of her service.

Talia is a born and raised Minneapolis resident and her dedication to this city and the entire 5th District is exemplified in everything she does. Over the last six years, Talia has helped countless constituents through federal casework assistance. She made sure small businesses were awarded the funding needed to stay open, fought for families' long-awaited tax returns, and ensured that individuals received their vital health insurance benefits. She organized major events to bring hundreds of constituents, advocates, and public officials together to tackle some of our community's biggest problems--the opioid crisis, Black maternal health, hospital stability, and so much more.

Along with her stellar casework record, Talia led my office's work on Community Project Funding. In just three years, Talia successfully managed our effort to bring home over fifty-four million dollars to the 5th District. She has a history of success, with every single project within her first three years being approved for funding. Her attention to detail, her reliability, and her dedication to quality work has served her well in her commitment to improving the lives of Minnesotans.

I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Talia for her years of remarkable public service during her time with the U.S. House of Representatives. It would be impossible for us to do this work without hardworking, compassionate staff supporting us. It has been a privilege to work with Talia and witness her accomplishments over the last six years, and I wish her the best in this new chapter of her career.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of my constituent, Kenneth Freed.

Mr. Freed devoted his life to his family, his community, and his love of classical music. He started his career as a professional musician with the Manhattan String Quartet before relocating to Minnesota and earning a coveted position as violist with the Minnesota Orchestra, where he served for 27 years. Whether with the Minnesota Orchestra or on his own, Mr. Freed shared his love of music across Cuba, Europe, South Africa, and Vietnam, where he performed, gave lessons, and made new friends. Simultaneously, Mr. Freed served as the music director of the Mankato Symphony Orchestra and played viola with the Rosalyra String Quartet and the Isles Ensemble.

Mr. Freed also devoted himself to inspiring a love for classical music in younger generations. He co-founded the non-profit Learning through Music, which helped children improve their academic abilities through music. He helped secure state funding for music education in schools across Minnesota, and especially in communities struggling with historic disinvestment.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in celebrating the life of Mr. Kenneth Freed alongside his family and friends.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and recognize the Minnesota Frisbee Association (MFA) on their 50th anniversary. Since their founding on July 19, 1975, the Minnesota Frisbee Association has been recognized nationally and internationally as one of the most innovative and successful flying disc clubs.

The Minnesota Frisbee Association has been a trailblazer in Minnesota, building a foundation on the principles of education, communication, community, and competition. They created the MFA Sport Development Grant Program to educate, expand, and increase accessibility to the sport across Minnesota. As a result, the grants have created a boom in frisbee infrastructure, programing, and organizational support across the state.

The Minnesota Frisbee Association has also partnered with sports teams such as the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings, and Minnesota's ultimate frisbee team, Wind Chill. They have leveraged these relationships to engage enthusiasts across the state, host local, national, and international competitions, and create a lasting and dedicated community among neighbors and athletes.

Members of the Association can be found competing with their friends and neighbors, or in the Hall of Fame for their contributions to the sport. This dedication to the flying disc community is seen off the field--they engage and uplift their neighbors by donating and fundraising for various local and national charitable causes.

Minnesota Frisbee Association is an example of dedication and passion not only to the sport, but also to their community. Please join me in celebrating the enduring achievements of Minnesota Frisbee Association throughout their 50 years.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to amend the rule to make in order the amendment at the desk that protects against any cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize John and Amy Higgins and their work to host the Fourth Annual Lake of the Isles Pencil Sharpening.

In 2022, after high winds damaged a 180-year-old oak tree near the historic Bull Higgins house, John and Amy commissioned local sculptor Curtis Ingvoldstad to shape it into a piece of art that folks of all ages can identify with: the No. 2 pencil.

Since then, John and Amy have welcomed the Minnesota community to join them on the first Saturday in June for an annual ceremonious pencil sharpening, complete with music, coordinated dance, and ice cream.

Through this annual event, John and Amy present the community with a story of renewal--a symbolic sharpened pencil to write new love letters or thank-you notes with--and invite folks to reflect on all of the things they have done in the past year and welcome in the next.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart in support of H. Res. 519.

What happened in my State of Minnesota was a painful reminder of the growing threats that public servants face simply for doing their jobs.

Speaker Melissa Hortman was a friend, mentor, and fierce advocate who dedicated her life to public service. The assassination of Melissa and her husband, Mark, and the harm done to Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, is a tragedy that should shake all of us, regardless of party.

This resolution calls on us, on both sides of the aisle, to take that violence seriously.

Recently, we have seen acts of political violence minimized, joked about, and used as a talking point. This has to stop. This job is never supposed to come with a target on our backs.

Political violence has no place in our democracy. If we truly believe in the work that we are doing here, then we have to protect the people who serve.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the late former Minnesota House of Representatives Speaker Melissa Hortman.

From the start of her career fighting housing discrimination as a volunteer lawyer to leading the Minnesota House as speaker, Melissa truly exemplified what it means to live a life of public service.

It was my honor to serve alongside her in the Minnesota legislature, where she showed me how to lead with passion and integrity.

I was heartbroken to learn that my dear friend and her husband, Mark, were assassinated in an act of senseless political violence.

There is absolutely no place in our communities for this kind of cruelty. We must settle our differences with civility and grace. We owe this promise to Melissa, Mark, and the Hoffmans, who also suffered at the hands of this violence, and our future generations.

Mr. Speaker, may Melissa's memory of unwavering dedication to all of Minnesota be remembered for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Maria Martirosyan Issakhanian, a dedicated member of my team for the last five years. Since November 2019, Maria has loyally served the constituents of Minnesota's 5th Congressional District.

Maria arrived in the United States at the age of six, growing up in the Little Armenia neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. After graduating from Bravo Medical Magnet High School, Maria went on to the University of California, Berkeley where she was a double major in Political Science and Slavic, East European, and Eurasian studies. Maria's background in politics and passion for public service inspired her to come to Capitol Hill, where she flourished as a U.S. House of Representatives intern on the prestigious Ways and Means Committee, a staffer at the office of Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles), and later, a staffer at my office.

During her time in my office, Maria proved to be a committed, thoughtful, and sharp member of the legislative team. With an extensive legislative background, strategic acumen, and a deep understanding of congressional politics, Maria introduced over 20 bills, successfully shepherding four of them into law, including the MEALS Act and two through the Education and Labor Committee. Her impact extends beyond legislative wins as she has effectively coordinated efforts to drive the national conversation on issues like universal school meals, student debt cancellation, and climate justice.

But Maria's skills and fervor go beyond her legislative work. In the past five years, Maria dedicated her free time to volunteering with community organizations to help young adults as they navigated their careers in Washington. Proud of her Armenian heritage, she serves as the President of the Congressional Armenian Staff Association, sharing her knowledge of Capitol Hill and professional development with the next generation of the Hill and uplifting her community every step of the way.

She always goes above and beyond to help people grow in our office as well. She would set aside one day every semester to train our interns on professional development, networking, and the importance of finding their vocation as they continue their journey beyond our internship program. Maria greatly cares for everyone in our office and has no problem going the extra mile in times of need.

Overall, Maria proved to be a reliable member of the team as she extended her hand to help others, warmly greeted new colleagues to help them feel welcome, and played an integral role in brightening our office with her generous puns and laughter.

On behalf of Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and thanking Maria for her service. Her contributions to my office and the constituents of the 5th District will forever be remembered and cherished. It was an honor to get to work alongside her to advance a more just world. Maria was an invaluable member of my team and will be missed in the office each day. I wish her all the best in her future endeavors as she takes her talents and skills to the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to denounce the Trump administration's police state tactics in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, New York City, and so many other cities across the country.

We should speak clearly about what is happening.

Masked agents of the state in unmarked vehicles are terrorizing communities. They are disappearing people. They are targeting political opponents of the President.

They are using militarized force to silence, intimidate, and brutalize not just Americans who are exercising their First Amendment rights but also members of the press.

They are partnering with Trump's donors, Silicon Valley oligarchs, for a sinister and deeply un-American agenda of surveillance and criminalization based on people's political views or, in some cases, just based on where they live.

There was a story that Trump told during the campaign about the need to restore law and order, about the need to target criminals. Within moments of assuming the Presidency for the second time, though, his true agenda became clear.

The administration has no interest whatsoever in targeting criminals. What they want is to fulfill Stephen Miller's white nationalist fantasy. They are targeting law-abiding people.

In fact, they are punishing immigrants who are following the law.

Let me say that again: They are punishing immigrants who are following the law.

That is what it means to use IRS data to target people. It means targeting people who are paying their taxes. That is what it means to send agents, with their faces covered by bandanas, to immigration court to arrest people while leaving their hearings. They are punishing people who are doing things the right way by showing up to court and going through the process.

It can be a little easy in politics to point out the hypocrisy on the other side and to point out people's inconsistencies when their own party is in charge. Yet, I can't ignore the irony that the Republican Party has spent my entire life railing about Big Brother when Democrats want to put simple things like energy standards on appliances.

For the last 4 years, the majority has gone on and on about the weaponization of the Federal Government. My Republican colleagues created a special subcommittee here in the House, which I happily voted for, to hammer the idea that Americans were being targeted based on their political views.

I wonder, when the Federal Government is sending marines to break up protests in Los Angeles, why are we hearing little from that side about the States' rights.

I wonder, when unaccountable rogue agencies are partnering with tech companies like Palantir to surveil and profile Americans, why are we hearing so little from the other side about civil liberties.

I also wonder, when people are being arrested, stripped of their green cards, and deported because they do not agree with our government's position on Gaza, why are we hearing so little from that side about the weaponization of the Federal Government.

The American people are right to be disturbed by these unmistakably fascist tactics, and they are showing up in numbers to oppose the militarized raids. They are using their constitutional rights to oppose the brutality of Trump and Miller's policies.

I stand in solidarity with the people in my district and across this country who are coming out to peacefully make their voices heard and demand respect for our constitutional rights and values.

The people who are standing up for their neighbors, standing up for families, and standing up for communities are showing more patriotism and more genuine commitment to our founding ideals than the people running the executive branch. This administration will not last forever, and the reactions of everyday Americans to this authoritarianism give me heart.

A couple of weeks ago, after an ICE raid at a pizzeria in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, two people gave quotes to local news that have been making the rounds. One of them said: ``It is just made to instill fear, and I am not sure why we need fear in our communities instead of love and caring and community.''

That is what we are about in this country, and that is what we will continue to stand up for.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate the incredible Minnesota Frost on a monumental performance throughout the 2025 Professional Women's Hockey League championship season, resulting in winning their second straight Walter Cup title.

Last year, our Minnesota Frost made history, winning the inaugural Walter Cup trophy at the 2024 PWHL finals. Thanks to their third consecutive overtime victory, the Walter Cup will stay at home in Minnesota for another year. This tremendous achievement wraps up an incredible season for the Frost.

I congratulate each and every athlete for the hard work and dedication they have put in to bring home this championship win and continue to put Minnesota women's sports on the map. We are so proud of them.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 156.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the City of Richfield, Minnesota, as they break ground on their renovation of Wood Lake Nature Center.

Wood Lake Nature Center is one of Minnesota's first environmental education centers. Since 1971, the Center has been a destination for south metro residents looking to experience marsh, woodland, and restored prairie land in the heart of an urban setting. Over 100,000 people visit the center each year, including 25,000 who go for programming like summer camps, group hikes, archery, wilderness skill training, birding, and more. On a daily basis, around three separate schools bring their students to learn about the natural world. It has become an invaluable resource to inner city students who otherwise may not have access to the preserved natural spaces and environmental education provided at Wood Lake Nature Center.

While hosting such a diversity of guests and programs, Wood Lake Nature Center had found it difficult to keep up with rising demand. Their 4,000-square-foot visitors center had fallen into disrepair, and it couldn't adequately house all of the programs and visitors that have come to love the connection to nature they receive there.

The City of Richfield embarked on a multi-year capital campaign and planning process to reimagine what the Center could be. They worked with the Science Museum of Minnesota on educational nature exhibits, talked with architects and contractors on the building design, and passed a ballot initiative to help raise funds. Voters overwhelmingly approved this new funding. I was also proud to secure a Congressional appropriation of $3,000,000 through Community Project Funding to make sure this project could move forward.

Richfield's groundbreaking ceremony is a celebration of what is possible when community members, elected leaders, non-profits, businesses, and philanthropic groups work together and dream big. Next fall, thousands of Minnesotans will get to walk through the doors of a visitors center that is a fitting centerpiece to this incredible nature preserve. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Richfield, and the whole Wood Lake Nature Center team, on this remarkable achievement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of Tracey Williams-Dillard, CEO and Publisher at the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder--our state's oldest Black-owned newspaper. In 2025, Ms. Williams-Dillard was inducted into the esteemed Half- Century Club by the Minnesota Newspaper Association. This prestigious honor celebrates her 50-plus years of dedication to the newspaper industry, highlighting her unwavering commitment to the legacy of the Spokesman-Recorder and her vital role in amplifying Black voices in media.

Ms. Williams-Dillard's lifelong journey in journalism started at age eight when she began working after school to print addresses at the Spokesman-Recorder, her family's newspaper. It was here that she first learned the importance of hard work, responsibility, and the value of earning a living--lessons that would become the foundation of her career. Over the next decades, Ms. Williams-Dillard performed various roles at the newspaper including as a receptionist, in billing and advertising, and as office manager. Her path to becoming the president and CEO was not straightforward, and her journey reflects her versatility, adaptability, and a deep commitment to both personal and professional growth.

In 2001, she was named President and CEO of the newspaper, and, in 2007, Ms. Williams-Dillard became its proud owner. Under her leadership, the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder has exemplified excellence, never missing a deadline, a testament to her meticulous attention to detail and steadfast dedication to journalistic integrity.

Ms. Williams-Dillard's leadership is rooted in the strong foundation laid by her predecessors--one built on respect, deep ties to the African American community, and a steadfast commitment to integrity with readers. She has not only maintained these values but has expanded them, ensuring the paper remains a vital and respected voice for historically marginalized communities and beyond.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize Ms. Williams-Dillard today for her extraordinary contributions to our community, and for her recent honor from the Minnesota Newspaper Association. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Ms. Williams Dillard--and the whole Spokesman-Recorder team--on this remarkable achievement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Jeremy Zavitz, a dedicated educator, loving husband, and devoted father who touched the lives of so many in our community. Mr. Zavitz passed away on February 22, 2025, after a 24-year fight with brain cancer, but his legacy will live on in the hearts of all who knew him.

Mr. Zavitz was born in Minneapolis and was a proud graduate of Orono High School. He later attended the University of St. Thomas, where he earned a degree in history and teaching. Initially, Mr. Zavitz embarked on a career in real estate and business development but ultimately found his calling in education. In 2012, Mr. Zavitz began his tenure at DeLaSalle High School as a social studies teacher, where his vibrant spirit, unwavering dedication, and passion for teaching radiated.

Known for his energetic and engaging classes, Mr. Zavitz had the unique ability to transform lessons into powerful stories that captivated his students. His approach to teaching was rooted in authenticity and compassion, making every student feel welcome, valued, and heard. Colleagues and students alike remember him not just for his knowledge and dedication to teaching but also for his commitment to living a life of purpose.

Jeremy is survived by his loving wife, Maud Zavitz, and their 7-year- old son, Edmund John Zavitz. He leaves behind a legacy not only through his family but through the generations of students who carry forward his lessons of kindness, authenticity, and perseverance.

Mr. Speaker, Jeremy Zavitz was a true example of what it means to lead a life of service to others, and his impact on DeLaSalle High School, his community in South Minneapolis, and his family will never be forgotten. Today, we honor his memory and express our deepest condolences to his family and all who were fortunate enough to know him.