Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, Members of Congress should not be allowed to trade stock. This should be a no-brainer. Members of Congress should not be allowed to profit off of their service. When Members are in a position of directly benefiting from the manipulation of the stock market, and they profit off of their position, it is corruption, plain and simple.

Just last month, numerous Members and Cabinet officials profited off of Donald Trump's tariff chaos announcement. This should not be acceptable. I know a majority of Americans agree. Nearly 90 percent support a ban.

Every time a Member cashes in, it undermines public trust. That is why I have always supported a ban for elected officials and their families, because exploiting inside information to enrich yourself should never be allowed. It is time we come together to stop this corruption and pass an immediate stock trading ban.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sue Abderholden for her transformational leadership and advocacy for accessible mental health services in Minnesota.

During her 24 years of service as the executive director for the National Alliance on Mental Health Illness Minnesota, she helped pass over two dozen landmark laws that reshaped education, healthcare, housing, and criminal justice to better serve people living with mental illness.

Sue championed legislation to require mental health training for teachers and expanded crisis and early intervention services. Thanks to Sue's unwavering commitment to expanding culturally responsive, person- centered mental health care, our communities are safer and healthier.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for her years of service, and I hope she has a wonderful retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ted Pouliot for a lifetime of service supporting our Minneapolis community.

As a senior at DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis in 1952, Ted first started volunteering at House of Charity's dining hall to help feed Minnesotans going hungry. This was just the start of his decades of service.

Later in life, Ted founded the Minneapolis affordable housing nonprofit, Project for Pride in Living, helping folks find stable housing.

Now, at 91, Ted paints to raise funds for nonprofits throughout Minneapolis. This past weekend, he raised $12,000 at his art sale to benefit nonprofits working to end homelessness and address hunger for Agate Housing and Services, Groveland Emergency Food Shelf, and Sabathani Food Shelf.

Ted truly embodies what it means to live a life of service. It is truly an honor to recognize him here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate and recognize the extraordinary bravery of Tesfaye Deyasso, who was named the 2025 National Hero of the Year by the National Association of Letter Carriers.

On April 18, 2024, Mr. Deyasso witnessed a car drive off the highway and crash into a barrier, erupting into flames. Without hesitation, he rushed to the scene. Joined by a group of Good Samaritans, Mr. Deyasso worked tirelessly to pry the car door open, fighting against intense heat and smoke from the burning car to save the driver trapped inside.

Mr. Deyasso has been a proud member of the Minneapolis Branch 9 of the National Association of Letter Carriers for over 4 years. His heroism is a testament to the strength and compassion found in our community. I am proud to have Mr. Deyasso as a constituent, and I am honored to commend his bravery.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Tesfaye Deyasso on his remarkable and well-earned honor.

Mr. Speaker, I am here today as a Representative of a community that is deeply alarmed by the actions of this administration.

Just weeks ago, the Trump administration defied a unanimous--we didn't think this was possible--but a unanimous Supreme Court order by refusing to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland father wrongfully deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador. Despite the Court's clear directive, the administration continues to ignore the rule of law, undermining the very foundation of our democracy.

In my own district, the situation is equally troubling. A graduate student at the University of Minnesota was detained by ICE agents without warning. Despite having no involvement in political activism, he was taken from his home, held without immediate explanation, and had his visa retroactively revoked. This action not only disturbed his education but also instilled fear in our academic community.

These are not isolated incidents. Across the country, people are being detained and deported without due process, often based on tenuous and/or unverified allegations.

The administration's use of obscure laws, like the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, to justify these actions is a blatant abuse of power. We must ask ourselves: If the rights of noncitizens can be so easily disregarded, whose rights will be next?

Our Constitution guarantees due process and equal protection under the law to everyone in this country, not just citizens. If the government can silence you, detain you, or deport you while defying court orders, then none of our rights are safe. If we let this slide, we are saying the Constitution is optional. It is not.

What we are seeing is authoritarianism creeping in through the backdoor, one ignored ruling at a time.

My colleagues and I are ready to fight back with everything we have got.

Mr. Speaker, this budget resolution isn't about fiscal responsibility. It is about enriching the ultrawealthy and betraying working people. It is about gutting Medicaid and SNAP so that the rich can continue to hoard more tax breaks.

These cuts do not make our country stronger. They make it sicker, hungrier, and more unfair.

This time, Republicans are not even pretending to pay for it. Senate Republicans are rewriting the rules and inventing fake budget math to claim that these tax cuts will not cost us anything.

In truth, they cost the American people $7 trillion in total. All of this is being done to pave the way for a Trump term built on fear, lawlessness, and vengeance.

President Trump is firing public servants, slashing critical programs, and enacting chaotic tariffs that will raise costs. This chaotic administration is trying to drag us into a recession. Instead of stopping it, congressional Republicans are acting as willing accomplices.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the trailblazing accomplishments of Amy Cooper, this year's recipient of the Minnesota History Center National Girls and Women in Sports Day Wilma Rudolph Courage Award.

Amy's athletic career started at Washburn High School in Minneapolis where she was a standout athlete in swimming, track, basketball, and soccer.

Then, playing for Howard University, she went on to become the first soccer player from a historically Black college and university to earn all-conference honors.

Not long after, Amy was diagnosed with health conditions that prevented her from continuing to play soccer competitively so she turned to coaching. Yet, her commitment to expanding athletic opportunities for women of color never wavered.

Her perseverance and commitment to expanding opportunities for girls and women in sports makes her the perfect candidate for the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award, and we could not be more proud of her for this accomplishment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of the late Congressman Raul Grijalva.

Raul was one of was one of my dear friends in Congress and someone who I looked up to as a model for what real progressive leadership looked like.

He was a legend for the Chicano activism of his youth, and a trailblazer who started his career in public service as a community organizer and activist.

From his time on the school board to the County Board of Supervisors to the halls of Congress--Raul was always a voice for the voiceless.

He left such a profound legacy on Tucson's school board that an elementary school was named after him years before he ever got elected to Congress.

He was a fighter for working families his entire life and used every ounce of grit to deliver for his beloved community every day he was in office.

He was a fighter for working families his entire life and used every ounce of grit to deliver for his beloved community every day he was in office.

He was an uncompromising champion of the environment, of bilingual education, of the rights of immigrants, and of the rights of Native Americans.

He was also a genuine human being to the very last, committed to what he believed in, who never let the petty politics of the day make him cynical, or hard, or mean.

I am grateful for his commitment and unwavering courage that he used to make our country better.

I will miss him greatly.

I am sending love and light to his family, Ramona, Adelita, Marisa, and Raquel, his staff, and all who loved him.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 77.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center on its 100th anniversary. For a century, this incredible institution has been a beacon of hope, opportunity, and resilience for the people of North Minneapolis.

Since its founding in 1924, the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center has stood as a testament to the power of community-driven progress. It has uplifted generations through education, social services, and advocacy-- ensuring that families, children, and individuals have access to the resources they need to thrive. This legacy of empowerment, equity, and inclusion is deeply woven into the fabric of our shared history and continues to serve as an inspiration for us all.

The center, originally created during the Jim Crow era as a settlement house, began as a lifeline for Black women studying at the University of Minnesota who were barred from living in university dorms. Over time, it evolved to serve the community in many other ways, offering social services, recreational activities, and a cultural gathering space for the growing Black population in North Minneapolis.

Throughout the decades, the center has weathered challenges with determination, adapted to evolving community needs, and remained steadfast in its commitment to justice and opportunity for all. It is a pillar of strength and a cornerstone of progress for our community.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to celebrate the Phyllis Wheatly Community Center for its 100 years of service and to recognize the leadership, staff, volunteers, and supporters who have contributed to its legacy. The center's ability to provide sanctuary, build community, and uplift generations is a true testament to the resilience and spirit of the people it serves. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center on its remarkable achievement, and 100th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend congratulations and to recognize the continued leadership of Heather Edelson, who was elected in 2024 as the Hennepin County Commissioner for District 6, after serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives for six years.

Ms. Edelson was raised in North and Northeast Minneapolis and attended grade school in Columbia Heights. She was the first person in her family to graduate from college and went on to earn a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Minnesota. Prior to representing the constituents of Minnesota's District 50A, Ms. Edelson worked as a clinical outpatient mental health therapist. From a young age, she was taught by her grandfather, ``that doing the right thing is not a question, it's the only answer.'' This sentiment led to her passion for service.

During her three terms as a State Representative, Ms. Edelson was committed to making a positive impact on the lives of her constituents by advancing policies that improved their quality of life. She has been a champion for disability rights, senior rights, the education system, environmental issues, as well as mental health and public safety. She served on multiple committees, including Education Finance, Human Services Policy, and Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy.

Growing up, her family depended on services provided by the county, so she deeply understands the important role she now plays as one of seven Commissioners on the Hennepin County Board.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to honor Ms. Heather Edelson and her commitment to public service. Our community is fortunate to have a leader like Commissioner Edelson, and I look forward to working with her in her new role to make our communities a better place to work and live.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Jeremy Zavitz, a beloved father, husband, and member of our community and a teacher at DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis.

Jeremy dedicated his life to teaching and touched the lives of hundreds of Minneapolis students over the years. Even in the midst of difficult health challenges, he never wavered in his commitment to educating and supporting his students.

Generations of young people will carry his lessons of kindness, authenticity, and the power of connection.

Jeremy saw education as more than just an avenue for teaching. He saw it as a place to help his students become their best selves. His students and colleagues alike remember him as a teacher who led with authenticity and heart.

Our community will miss Jeremy dearly, and his legacy will live on.

Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 53.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the distinguished career of John Croman, an extraordinary member of our community and a political reporter.

John retired from his role as chief political reporter for KARE 11 after nearly 27 years of dedicated service, bringing Minnesotans reliable, informative, and timely political news.

Those who worked closely with John admired his wealth of knowledge about Minnesota politics and history and refer to him as the contact, and the context, for every story.

John was praised for his commitment to reporting on policy over fleeting trends of the moment and also for his tireless commitment for reporting the truth. He also brought joy to his colleagues and injected it into his work every single day.

We will miss his reporting and wish him well in his retirement.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this Republican budget resolution because it is not a budget. It is a blueprint for American decline.

Let's be clear. They want to exploit your labor and your tax dollars and gut your earned benefits all to bankroll tax cuts for their wealthy friends and donors.

They want to increase your healthcare costs while Elon Musk and his friends hoard even more wealth, and they have the audacity to call it fiscal responsibility.

This proposal will only deepen the constitutional crisis we are already in: a President trying to rule like a dictator and an unelected billionaire using hate and fear to expand his control over our country.

Congressional Republicans are pretending this chaos is normal, even as their own constituents call them out for their cowardice.

Our government is being hollowed out, our institutions are falling apart, and today House Republicans are slashing programs that people rely on to enact a massive $4.6 trillion tax giveaway to the rich.

So I ask my Republican colleagues: Whom will you serve, the people who sent you here or the billionaires trying to buy our democracy?