Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1299) providing for the concurrence by the House in the Senate amendment to H.R. 6644, with amendment.

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 resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the Congressional Budget Office estimate for this bill.

Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules

The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives

announces bills that will be considered under suspension of

the rules in that chamber. Under suspension, floor debate is

limited, all floor amendments are prohibited. points of order

against the bill are waived, and anal passage requires a two-

thirds majority vote.

At the request of the Majority Leader and the House

Committee on the Budget, CBO estimates the effects of those

bills on direct spending and revenues. CBO has limited time

to review the legislation before consideration. Although it

is possible in most cases to determine whether the

legislation would affect direct spending or revenues, time

may be insufficient to estimate the magnitude of those

effects. If CBO has prepared estimates for similar or

identical legislation, a more detailed assessment of

budgetary effects, including effects on spending subject to

appropriation, may be included.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the House amendment to the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.

I share in President Trump's commitment to delivering a housing bill that puts American families first and expands access to American homeownership.

Over the last couple of months, we have heard clear concerns from literally hundreds of bipartisan Members and stakeholders expressing concerns with some of the provisions that were contained in the Senate- passed version of the housing bill.

For Ranking Member Waters and me, Ranking Member Cleaver and Chairman Flood on the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, this has been years of work in the making and months of intensive work in this 119th Congress to find a path that improves accessibility to housing for the American people, and affordability for the American people, that could be a bicameral, bipartisan housing measure.

This amendment that is before us today, which amends the good work of the Senate, is exactly that: hours and hours of listening to the American people across our cities, hours of testimony in our Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, led by the gentleman from Nebraska. We have that feedback.

That feedback, Mr. Speaker, informs this amendment. It informs this debate. Ranking Member Waters and I have collaborated together today on several revisions that ensure that these reforms are narrowly tailored and do not, in any way, in some unintentional way, reduce housing supply, disrupt housing markets, or harm those in the rental community.

The focus of the bill in the House and the Senate, and the focus of our work today in the amendment, is to continue to cut unnecessary barriers to new home construction, modernize HUD programs, and allow our community banks to more freely deploy funding into their communities that aid in the development of new housing products, whether it is single-family housing or housing for rent.

This bill has a provision in it that also meets the request of President Trump, which he outlined in this room in his State of the Union Address, that we limit institutional investors from competing with Moms and Dads and Americans out there trying to buy a house.

It removes some of the legal challenges that we felt were in the structure of the Senate's approach. Ultimately, in my view, and I believe the view of Chairman Flood, Ranking Member Cleaver, and Ranking Member Waters, this delivers on that goal of not having a young family buying their first home, being informed by their Realtor that somehow they missed that opportunity because the house was bought out from under them by some big-shot institutional investor. That is what President Trump talked about here in this House Chamber at the State of the Union Address.

I believe, Mr. Speaker, that the changes that we made in a collaborative, bipartisan way deliver on the President's goal and, in fact, help this bill.

Additionally, this bill modernizes outdated banking regulations so that community banks can focus on doing what they do best: lending and providing loans to families who are looking to buy a home and companies looking to finance construction.

Together, these changes strengthen our joint, bicameral focus on expanding housing access and affordability without discouraging investment in new housing development.

The amendment we are voting on advances practical, bipartisan solutions to modernizing the Federal housing programs, reducing regulatory burdens, streamlining the development process, and building more homes to meet growing demand.

Congress has a responsibility to pursue reforms that expand opportunity and keep this great American Dream within reach.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member. I thank Mr. Flood and Mr. Cleaver for their tireless effort over

the last year and a half, and I am proud to support this effort. I urge my colleagues to do the same.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, when I think about the ranking member, she knows the respect I have for her, and she has, I am sure, no less than four decades as one of the Nation's most strong and effective advocates for housing and housing solutions in our country. To say she supports a bill is high praise, and we are grateful to her.

Mr. Speaker, I have to say that I started what is a modest career in D.C. as a youngster in my twenties, and I was a staffer on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs during the first term of President Ronald Reagan.

President Reagan was trying to restart the economy after the grim decade of the 1970s. It was bad. President Carter had struggled with it. We were in two back-to-back recessions. One of his ideas was: What could we do in housing? Interest rates were at 20 percent. It is a little hard to buy a house when interest rates are 20 percent.

But he had a commission on housing; and one of his top ideas was to change the building codes, make them more modern, make them more competitive, both in manufactured housing and in modular construction techniques for resiliency and for energy efficiency.

Guess what, Mr. Speaker. We are going to do that today, 40 years later. We wouldn't be doing it if we didn't have the hard work of Mike Flood, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance in this Congress, and his partner in this effort, Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Flood), the chair of the Housing and Insurance Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Nebraska.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser), the chair of our Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

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

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentlewoman yielding time.

I agree with her that throughout this process, we have tried to be on the same page and be focused on that. We have heard from a lot of stakeholders, a lot of different companies, and a lot of different business models that provide housing options for Americans.

Ms. Waters outlined a number in her comments. These include providers of housing for Active-Duty military families, for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, near-campus student housing, and, of course, the senior market.

Also included are providers who are organized as nonprofits, as was noted, community land trusts, or entities engaged in Federal or State affordability programs, like the low-income housing tax credit program.

We have also heard from many about tools that we use today to provide for more affordable housing options, like First Look programs, to give current renters a leg up on becoming homeowners.

These are all valuable features of our current system that encourage, not reduce, the great availability and affordability of housing.

I agree with Ms. Waters that we need to make sure that, in the implementation of this section, these beneficial features are not inadvertently caught up when really they have done nothing to the fundamental problem that we are trying to solve today, which is this institutional investor challenge.

Leveling the playing field between individual buyers and large institutional investors is the goal. I think we have achieved it in what we have drafted.

These features did not cause the problem that we are here today to solve. I thank the ranking member for working with me to ensure that the build-to-rent industry, particularly, is appropriately exempted in the text that we negotiated and considered today, and I commit to working with the Treasury Department and the ranking member throughout the rulemaking process on these issues.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for this long process. It was a labor of love, I think. When Arkansas and L.A. get together, good things happen.

I thank Ms. Waters for her diligence. I thank her staff for their diligence in working with my team, Ed and Shannon, and Cary. They all worked very

hard and collaboratively on what we did today.

I also thank Senators Tim Scott and Elizabeth Warren in the Senate. I think too often we play back and forth work here, but you are actually seeing legislation, Mr. Speaker, going back and forth between the committees. This is regular order.

Mr. Speaker, 390 Members came to the House floor a few weeks ago and voted for a housing bill that Ms. Waters and I put forward. That is a pretty big vote in today's time.

Likewise, in the Senate, as Chairman Flood referenced, Senators Scott and Warren got 89 Senators to vote for a housing bill. What does that tell us? That tells us that on a bicameral, bipartisan basis, we ought to have a housing bill.

President Trump has attempted to spur housing and housing ownership through tax changes in the Working Families Tax Cut Act, lowering regulatory burden so we can do more housing across this country. In his own State of the Union Address, he pointed out that we ought to have moms and dads being able to buy a house without competing on cash against somebody that is some big institutional investor.

That is the executive branch and the House and Senate all on the same page.

Today, we come to the House floor eager to bring that to fruition, to have a win, as Chairman Flood referenced, for the American people on greater affordability of housing and greater accessibility of housing.

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

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank Members from both sides of the aisle for their perseverance and efforts. Let me thank my friends in the Senate for their perseverance and support of the important policy of having more accessible and more affordable housing by cutting red tape and increasing capital availability to housing.

I want to think about my own constituency in central Arkansas. The community development officers, Mr. Howard and his team, at the city of Little Rock, have constantly approached me that if we could make reforms to the HOME Program, like Mr. Flood and Mr. Cleaver have proposed, it will lower the cost per square foot of the ability to use that program by the city of Little Rock for new housing construction.

They have approached me about CDBG money being more flexible in how it can be used for infrastructure and how that could produce more housing availability in Little Rock.

In this bill, we reform the incentives to investment by bank holding companies to directly invest in housing. That is a major, new source of capital that will come to the housing market.

Then just think about the reforms we talked about in building codes, Mr. Speaker, that have a nationwide benefit. Some 3,000 zoning agencies will be benefited from those changes. Then, also in Little Rock, there is the importance of HUD oversight.

I thank Mr. Torres of New York and Mr. Lawler of New York and their provisions in this bill that talk about HUD's oversight.

How do we hold HUD accountable for doing a better job?

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I will close by saying that the ranking member and I have included some commonsense, bipartisan reforms to our community banks to make it easier for them to be engaged in their community and delivering for those homebuilders who are building for our families across our communities.

It is important because, Mr. Speaker, six out of ten home construction loans in this country--six out of ten of those loans--are made by community banks under $10 billion. That is the heart of America. It is the heart of Main Street, and that is why the ranking member and I have put a modest number of consensus elements to signal to Americans living on Main Street and living in our neighborhoods we want to have a supply side approach: more capital available for the banks, more funding for our homebuilders, and more investment in one- to-four family properties through the provisions of cutting red tape in this bill led by Mr. Flood and Mr. Cleaver.

I just insist that that, I believe, is so important, and I believe that has been recognized by policymakers on both sides of the aisle.

The White House recently reinforced this principle in an executive order promoting access to mortgage credit which recognized that regulatory changes over the past two decades have made it increase the cost to originate a mortgage and service a mortgage and have distorted the structure of the mortgage market.

This executive order specifically emphasized the importance of ensuring that community banks and smaller lenders can continue participating in mortgage lending markets, reducing unnecessary regulatory burden.

The executive branch is on the same page with the legislative branch. I think this poses an opportunity for a bicameral success that we can send to President Trump's desk that increases accessibility to housing, increases affordability to housing, and is a real success in economic policy for this country.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Members on both sides of the aisle to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 11 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 6 o'clock and 26 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at 11 a.m.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2071) to prohibit Federal funds from being made available to international financial institutions for the purposes of financing foreign shrimp farms, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days 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, I rise today in strong support of my friend, Mr. Nehls', bill, the Save Our Shrimpers Act.

Across our coastlines, our communities believe it is crucial that we protect our domestic shrimping industry and the hardworking men and women who keep it alive every day, day in and day out.

For far too long, U.S. shrimpers along the Gulf and other coastal communities across our country have been put in a serious disadvantage by a wave of cheap, imported shrimp.

As the largest shareholder of multilateral lenders like the World Bank, the United States must ensure that these institutions are not financing competing shrimp producers with our domestic family growers. Representative Nehls' bipartisan bill addresses this issue.

Mr. Speaker, it requires U.S. representatives at the international financial institutions to oppose financing activities related to shrimp farming, shrimp processing, or the export of shrimp from a foreign country.

I thank Mr. Nehls for his leadership on this important issue and for helping ensure that our international financing policy prioritizes a level playing field for our shrimp producers here at home.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Nehls), who is the chairman of the T&I Subcommittee on Aviation, and who is the author of the bill we have before us this afternoon.

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

Mr. Speaker, I think Mr. Nehls has done good work on behalf of our hardworking men and women in the shrimping industry, particularly in his native Gulf Coast, who get up at the crack of dawn every day to make a living and serve a delicious product to Americans and neighbors alike.

Mr. Speaker, I witnessed something so similar 25 years ago in the Mississippi Delta when the Federal Government's policy was to subsidize importation of catfish from Vietnam. It literally put hundreds of family farms in Mississippi and Arkansas out of business and bankrupted the industry because we facilitated--through our trade policy, through our international financial institutions policy, through our import policy--a decision that was in contrast to the very policies of USDA, which were to increase family farms and increase farms diversifying their crop from row crop to domestically produced farm-raised catfish. These policies collided, Mr. Speaker.

I think what the gentleman from Texas is arguing is let's have common sense in our policy that supports our producers and our family shrimp growers, support them and put them first in this channel of providing high-quality seafood to the American consumer.

Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Nehls) for this bill. I urge a ``yes'' vote on both sides of the aisle, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4437) to reduce the regulatory burden on certain well managed and well capitalized financial institutions, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days 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, I rise today in enthusiastic support of my friend from South Carolina (Mr. Timmons) and his SMART Act.

Community banks and credit unions play a vital role in all of our local communities across our Nation, often serving as the primary source of credit, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

These institutions support small businesses and small farms and help hardworking Americans achieve homeownership and long-term financial stability.

Too often, well-managed institutions are burdened by duplicative and outdated regulatory requirements. These unnecessary burdens divert time, staff, and resources away from lending and supporting their local economies and toward a check-the-box compliance process that does not make the financial system any safer or any sounder.

The SMART Act offers a practical, commonsense solution by streamlining and simplifying limited-scope exams for smaller, well- capitalized, and well-managed institutions, while fully preserving the safety and soundness standards.

This targeted supervisory relief reduces unnecessary burden, eliminates duplicative reviews, and frees community banks to focus on lending and those goals of serving their customers.

Regulators should recognize that financial institutions with a strong track record should not be subject to the same regulatory scrutiny as institutions that are under financial stress, poorly managed, or quite large and complex.

Furthermore, the SMART Act makes further improvements to bank and credit union examinations, encouraging Federal regulators to improve examination practices by assigning experienced examiners, minimizing unnecessary onsite disruptions, and ensuring exams are conducted in a more efficient and predictable manner.

Washington should not create unnecessary burdens that make it even harder for small public or privately held community banks and their credit union competitors to try to compete and serve their Main Street customer base.

The SMART Act is a practical, bipartisan step that preserves the strength of community institutions, keeps regulators focused on the areas of greatest risk, and supports a healthier, more balanced financial system for all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the SMART Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the CBO estimate for the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Timmons), my friend and the chairman of the Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs, and an outstanding, very active member of our House Committee on Financial Services.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Foster), who is the ranking member of our Subcommittee on Financial Institutions, working hand in glove with my friend from South Carolina (Mr. Timmons) who addressed the House. Together, they show the best of the Congress. They are focused on where the rubber hits the road for most all the customers in America, and that is our community banks.

I have said many times on this House floor that if you are concerned about housing, you ought to be concerned about our Main Street community banks because they, Mr. Speaker, deliver. Six out of 10 home construction loans are made by those banks under $10 billion.

Today, we are here to talk about providing some examination coordination. Examinations that give very targeted relief to the very best--well-capitalized, well-managed, unblemished, not connected to a merger or acquisition activity--community banks to let them better coordinate their routine exam process.

Mr. Speaker, I have worked at banks of that size, and I know the confusion of multiple exams that are uncoordinated between the agencies and come like waves, one after another, from which there is no relief. The same small compliance group dedicated in that bank under $6 billion is avalanched by these requests from the FDIC, the Federal Reserve, the OCC, the State Bank Department, the NASD, now FINRA for a broker dealer, a trust exam, an IT exam. There is no end to it.

This kind of coordination is so valuable to these often entrepreneurially

owned Main Street banks under $6 billion as described by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Foster) and the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Timmons). It is a powerful change, Mr. Speaker, because probably 8 out of 10 banks in the country under $6 billion would meet that test. I am sure there are between 3,000 and 4,000 banks that meet the definitions in this bill. That is real regulatory relief for real bankers who are serving real customers on Main Street in America, and that is what we want. That leads to better outcomes, faster economic growth, and more revenues for our States and for our society.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage a strong ``yes'' vote on the work by Congressmen Timmons and Foster, and I yield back the balance of my time of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3709) to amend the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 to establish a Financial Agent Mentor-Protege Program within the Department of the Treasury, 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.

I rise in support of Congresswoman Joyce Beatty's bill, the Advancing the Mentor-Protege Program for Small Financial Institutions.

Small financial institutions, as we have discussed this afternoon, play a vital role in providing financial services to our families and our small businesses across our communities that often lack robust access to financial products and services, particularly outside our urban areas.

Yet, over the last few decades, we have seen a steady decline in the number of these vital smaller institutions threatening access to mortgages for American families and important capital access for small business development or agricultural loans for our family farmers.

Representative Beatty's bipartisan legislation helps ensure that smaller banks and credit unions remain viable by formally codifying the Financial Agent Mentor-Protege Program within the United States Department of the Treasury.

Since 2018, the Department of the Treasury has launched the program to strengthen partnerships between the Nation's largest banks and some of our smallest financial institutions across our land. This program pairs small and rural financial institutions with larger banks and credit unions, giving them access to resources, training, and technical assistance so that they can better serve their communities and better position themselves to qualify to serve as financial agents to the Treasury.

By codifying this initiative, we strengthen community banks, credit unions, and rural banks, expanding access to responsible financial services and ensuring that more small institutions have the capacity to partner with the Federal Government on crucial financial operations.

I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty), for her leadership on this critical issue. I would encourage Members on both sides of the aisle to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the CBO estimate for this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members on both sides of the aisle to support Congresswoman Beatty's good bill. It really helps so many of these small institutions that just don't have the capacity building to cope with some of the things that we have talked about on the House floor today in terms of the compliance burden and requirements they have to be successful.

If we really want to help our smallest institutions do that, they have to have a peer network. They have to have expertise in some select areas to enhance their ability to serve not only the Department of the Treasury's needs but just to run a more successful financial institution and to be able to grow it and serve their communities.

This peer mentorship program is one that, since 2018, we have seen support for and seen success with. I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty) for urging that it be codified.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage Members on both sides to pass Mrs. Beatty's bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4478) to amend the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to permit Federal banking agencies to examine

qualifying insured depository institutions with under $6 billion in total assets not less than once during each 18-month period, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days 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, I rise in support of the bill introduced by the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Moore), H.R. 4478, the TRUST Act.

For many community banks across the country, the challenge is not a lack of demand for loans. It is the growing weight of compliance costs and administrative burden that has steadily increased over time-- dramatically in the years since the global financial crisis.

These institutions play an essential role in our local communities by providing capital to help local farmers expand operations, support entrepreneurs, and allow families to meet their goals of building a house or doing a renovation.

Overly frequent exam schedules for well-performing, low-risk banks take significant time and resources away from the customers and communities they are meant to serve. The TRUST Act recognizes that regulatory oversight should reflect the level of risk that an institution actually presents to its shareholders, its depositors, and the economy, obviously, at large.

This bill raises the threshold for the 18-month exam cycle from $3 billion to $6 billion for those institutions that are well capitalized and well managed under the definitions of Federal regulators.

It is critical that we modernize outdated thresholds to prevent inflation and economic growth from unnecessarily increasing burdens on our community institutions. By expanding access to an extended exam cycle, these well-managed community banks with a strong track record can focus more time and resources on lending and serving their customers rather than just being caught up in an endless cycle of repetitive paperwork.

At the same time, the TRUST Act maintains robust oversight, with Federal regulators retaining their full authority to examine institutions and ensure the safety and soundness of our banking system.

By balancing effective oversight with reduced burden for well-managed institutions, this bill allows community banks to better serve families, farmers, and small businesses that rely on them every single day.

Mr. Moore's TRUST Act is a targeted reform that promotes efficiency without sacrificing accountability and ensures that our regulatory framework keeps pace with the needs of our communities and the financial institutions that serve them.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support Mr. Moore's bill, H.R. 4478, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Moore), one of our newest members on the House Financial Services Committee and the former speaker of the statehouse of North Carolina. Mr. Moore is the author of this bill and has given great thought to how we advance the ability of our Main Street institutions to serve our customers.

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

I want to echo the compliments of the ranking member on this bill as well as the bill that we discussed a few minutes ago by Mr. Timmons of South Carolina and Mr. Foster of Illinois. These bills speak to the heart of how to let a Main Street community bank under $6 billion that is well-managed and well-capitalized and let them do what they do best, which is grow their business, serve their customers, innovate new products, and serve those customers in the best way they know how. Maybe they can even grow their loan pipeline.

I can assure you, Mr. Speaker, having worked in an institution of that size, the number of personnel deviated from the tasks I just outlined about better customer service, growing your business, serving your community, attending the hospital board meeting, sponsoring the local little league, that is all put to the side when you are in one after another bank exam, which are frequently uncoordinated as in the case of Mr. Timmons' and Mr. Foster's bill, or again the benefit of having a predictable cycle, a tailored cycle based on the size of the institution, as the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Moore) proposes.

These have practical impacts every day for the American economy. A bank under $1 billion in size of assets, Mr. Speaker, probably has 100 to 150 employees. In any exam you are going to pull off, I would say, at least 10 percent of that total employment base with hours focused on exam prep, exam service, and exam follow-up.

These have practical implications, and I want to thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Moore) for speaking out on smaller financial institutions across this country to see the practical hands-on benefits of this strong bipartisan bill that he has brought to the House floor today.

I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the TRUST Act. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the CBO estimate on this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and Mr. Himes, too, for their joint leadership on this important task that we have before us today.

Mr. Speaker, here on the eve of 25 years since September 11, we come to this House floor to, once again, ensure that we have the tools in place to protect the homeland from foreign attacks.

Section 702 sets out these very specific boundaries and process where the United States Government collects the electronic communications from foreign nationals outside the U.S. It allows the U.S. to collect that intelligence on bad actors to prevent the reoccurrence of 9/11, but there is a lot of misinformation about section 702, Mr. Speaker.

First, it is used to surveil foreign nationals abroad. It is not targeted at Americans.

Secondly, it is not warrantless surveillance. There is a fundamental misunderstanding of this program.

Warrant requirements are created under the Fourth Amendment. They apply inside the United States. This is not a program that operates within the boundaries of the United States. It targets foreign nationals outside of the United States.

This is so important, as demonstrated by Mr. Hoyer, that we have clear, active protections on how this program is used to target foreign nationals with those protections to protect Americans' privacy under the Fourth Amendment. This bill is that balance, as described by the gentleman from Connecticut and my colleague from Arkansas.

Mr. Speaker, let's put America's safety first. Let's keep the homeland security paramount. It is critical. Let's support and pass S. 1318. I urge my colleagues to join me in that effort.

Mr. Speaker, financial fraud is a plague. Financial fraud is one of the fastest growing crimes in this country, harming families and seniors across the Nation.

Last year alone, Americans lost more than $12.5 billion to scams. These crimes steal hard-earned savings and retirement funds. They destroy lives, and they undermine confidence in our financial system.

That is why it is critical for every American to take simple steps to protect themselves. Never share banking or personal information unless you have verified the source. Be cautious of unsolicited calls and emails. Review bank statements regularly, and use and develop strong passwords and multifactor authentication to secure your accounts. If you suspect fraud, report it immediately to law enforcement or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, I have a mission to protect both Arkansans and all Americans from financial crime. It remains a top priority.

Expressing Appreciation to First Service Bank of Arkansas

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express appreciation to First Service Bank of Arkansas for their contributions to our beloved, respected Arkansas military community through their annual Operation Red, White, and Brave.

This program has raised both awareness and funds that provide resources for home modifications and financial assistance efforts for both veterans and current Active-Duty members and their families throughout our central Arkansas area.

This program raises money through donations, events, and an annual charity golf clinic.

Mr. Speaker, every day, I love representing the amazing volunteers and generous citizens across our Second District. Local community businesses like First Service Bank that dedicate time and effort to help our veterans and the people of Arkansas are a real feature and strength of central Arkansas.

Congratulating Randy Massanelli

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Randy Massanelli on his retirement as vice chancellor of the Government and Community Relations unit at the University of Arkansas and to thank him for his dedicated service to his community and our proud State.

As a native of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and a proud graduate of the University of Fayetteville, Mr. Massanelli served in the United States Army for 15 years, rising to the rank of major before moving to higher education.

While in the Army, Randy served in numerous assignments as the officer in charge of ground convoy movements for the Pershing II missiles in Europe and a combat tour in the Persian Gulf

war, earning countless honors, including the Bronze Star for service and sacrifice.

In 2014, Mr. Massanelli joined the University of Arkansas and has been bringing his keen judgment and personal experience, working tireless hours to help obtain important research grants and funding for the University of Arkansas.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Randy Massanelli, for his years of service and commitment to Arkansas. His work is a model for future generations of public servants, and his devotion to our State is truly commendable.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary work of the Arkansas Mission of Mercy dental clinic and its executive director, my good friend, Dr. Terry Fiddler of Conway, Arkansas.

For more than 20 years, including just last weekend, Arkansas Mission of Mercy has provided free, high-quality dental care for families who would otherwise go without.

Each year in Conway, hundreds of Arkansans line up in the early morning hours, some arriving before 3 a.m., for the chance to receive care.

Throughout these annual clinics, Mission of Mercy has served more than 28,000 patients and delivered over $23 million in free dental services across our State.

This effort is powered by more than 800 volunteers, including dozens of dentists, hygienists, and medical professionals who give their time to serve their neighbors.

Dr. Fiddler and the Arkansas Mission of Mercy are not just restoring smiles. They are restoring dignity, health, and quality of life for thousands of Arkansans.

I thank Dr. Fiddler and his team for their years of service to our State.

Importance of Financial Literacy

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the importance of financial literacy. April is National Financial Literacy Month, and it is worth pausing to recognize why it matters so much to our families.

Every day, Americans make decisions that shape their financial future: how to save, how to budget, how to plan for the unexpected. These choices have lasting consequences, and yet, too many people navigate them without the right tools or knowledge.

As a former community banker and investment adviser, helping Arkansans understand their finances and plan for a secure future was one of the most rewarding chapters in my career.

The basics are simple but powerful. Live within your means. Save for that rainy day. Take advantage of compound interest. Plan ahead.

It is never too early or too late to learn about financial literacy. If you don't know where to start, reach out to your local bank, financial adviser, or financial planner in your community.

When Americans have the confidence and knowledge to manage their money well, they are better positioned for long-term success.

Honoring John Purifoy Gill

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and extraordinary legacy of a true Arkansas leader, John Purifoy Gill, who passed away last month at the age of 89.

John was a decorated marine, retiring as a lieutenant colonel, and a distinguished attorney who helped shape Arkansas law for decades.

From serving as a delegate to the Arkansas Constitutional Convention to leading the Arkansas Bar Association, his impact on our legal community is lasting and profound.

But John's leadership extended well beyond the law. He was a historian, a preservationist, and a storyteller, who dedicated his life to capturing the spirit of the Natural State.

His books, his work with our State Parks Commission, and his deep involvement in historic preservation ensured that Arkansas' story would be told and long remembered.

I had the privilege of working closely with him to honor Scipio A. Jones where John's research and advocacy were instrumental in placing this foundational and incredibly important attorney's portrait in the Little Rock post office that now bears his name.

John was a dear friend and a trusted voice. I loved our collaboration in historic preservation, outdoor recreation, and public service.

He leaves behind not just an extraordinary professional legacy but a loving family, a stronger Arkansas, and a standard of service that will continue to guide us.

Honoring Alan Greenspan

Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize that last month on March 6, Alan Greenspan celebrated his centennial, 100 years old.

Most Americans know him well as the man who ran the Federal Reserve for nearly 20 years, through four Presidents, historic prosperity, and he was witness to more than a few financial crises on his watch.

Often called the Maestro, he was confirmed as Fed Chairman on August 11, 1987, just 2 months before Black Monday, the largest single-day percentage decline in market history.

The next morning, the Fed issued a one-sentence statement: ``The Federal Reserve, consistent with its responsibilities as the Nation's central bank,

affirmed today its readiness to serve as a source of liquidity to support the economic and financial system.''

It was short, calm, and unambiguous. Markets stabilized, and the crash did not become a depression.

That was Greenspan: precise under pressure and deliberate when others were panicking.

He went on to navigate the savings and loan crisis, the Gulf war recession, and the dot-com boom and bust.

My best wishes for his centennial, and my best wishes to his family.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 139, a straightforward, commonsense balanced budget amendment to the United States Constitution.

Throughout my tenure in Congress, I have consistently supported solutions to address Washington's top-down, one-size-fits-all approach to spending. For decades, Washington has spent beyond its means, avoided difficult decisions, and relied on borrowing to fund an ever- expanding government. That approach has proven unsustainable, and today the consequences are impossible to ignore.

History has shown that we cannot afford to wait any longer. In 1995, when our national debt was $4.9 trillion, the Senate failed to pass a balanced budget amendment, by a single vote.

The last time this house debated this important measure was in April 2018--just 8 years ago, but that was before a global pandemic, and our debt reached $21 trillion. This measure was critical then and is essential today with our national debt now exceeding $38 trillion, and annual deficits are approaching $2 trillion.

This is not abstract math. Rising debt means higher interest costs, fewer resources available for national priorities, and a growing burden for future generations. Working families, farmers, and small businesses in central Arkansas live within their means. They make responsible choices every day about spending, saving, and prioritizing their needs. The federal government should operate with the same level of discipline.

Yet Washington cannot get its excessive spending under control. Addressing this issue is long overdue. A balanced budget amendment is just one tool to get our fiscal house in order. Its purpose is simple: restore accountability and discipline to a broken budget process. It would require Congress to confront tradeoffs honestly, set clear priorities, and stop treating unlimited borrowing as a substitute for responsible policymaking.

Passing this sends a clear message that Congress is serious about reining in spending and putting our Nation on a sustainable fiscal path. Our Nation must spend within its means.

I will continue to support efforts that restore fiscal discipline, strengthen our economy, and ensure a stronger future for our children and grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H. Con. Res. 38, Directing the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to remove United States Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran have had an adversarial relationship since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. In 1979, Iranian theocratic revolutionaries removed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was a close U.S. ally. and the current Islamic Republic was declared. The establishment of the Islamic Republic, also known as the Iranian regime, in conjunction with the U.S. Embassy hostage crisis, laid the groundwork for the United States to have no diplomatic relations with Iran beginning in 1980.

Since 1979, the United States has used sanctions and diplomacy to deter, constrain, and encourage the Iranian regime to change its egregious behavior. That behavior includes supporting terrorism at home and becoming the globe's largest state sponsor of terrorism, developing a nuclear weapon program, proliferation activities, destabilizing the region through its ballistic missile and drone development, and attacks directly and indirectly killing Americans for over four decades. That sanction posture is now over four decades old.

In 1979, the Carter Administration imposed sanctions on Iran in response to the U.S. Embassy hostage crisis. In the 1980s and 1990s, Congress expanded sanctions on Iran to deter and compel the Iranian regime to stop supporting international terrorism and its pursuit of advanced weapons. including chemical, biological, and nuclear. In 2002, the United States and our allies learned about previously undisclosed nuclear facilities in Iran. In response. the United States and our allies imposed further sanctions on Iran to convince the Iranian regime to limit its nuclear activities. The Iranian regime did not stop or limit the activities, so in 2006 the United Nations Security Council imposed multinational sanctions preventing trade with Iran. In 2009. the Iranian regime violently cracked down on mass protests over its 2009 presidential election. In response, Congress targeted more sanctions on Iran that aimed at Iran's oil exports and economic sector. Congress determined that to lift those sanctions, the Iranian regime must stop its support of international terrorism and end its proliferation activities. That has never happened, as the Iranian regime is the number one state sponsor of terrorism and has continued to pursue nuclear and advanced weapons.

In 2015, the Obama Administration tried a new approach of appeasement and entered the United States into the disastrous Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCOPA). This is also known as the ``2015 Iran nuclear deal,'' which required Iran to curb its nuclear program, reduce uranium enrichment by 98 percent, and dismantle most centrifuges. In exchange, the United States, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom agreed to provide significant relief from international sanctions imposed on Iran. This deal was disastrous because Iran continued to enrich uranium and pursue their nuclear weapons goals. In addition to that disastrous policy, the Obama Administration transferred $1.7 billion in cash to Iran in January 2016. On top of that, the 2015 Iran nuclear deal allowed billions in new commerce to flow into Iran. Again, remember that the Iranian regime is the number one state sponsor of terrorism. That money benefited the Iranian regime's dangerous behavior.

In 2018, President Trump pulled the United States out of the disastrous 2015 Iran nuclear deal and announced that the United States would reimpose sanctions on Iran. With no delay, Iran escalated its regional military activities, which included directly attacking the United States forces in the region.

The Biden Administration was unable to deter the Iranian regime. In addition, the Biden Administration recklessly provided Iran with sanctions relief that gave Iran access to approximately 816 billion in previously frozen funds. Those shortsighted actions of the Biden Administration sadly played a part in the build-up of the October 7th attack on Israel by the Iranian regime-backed terrorist organization, Hamas. In response, Congress passed new sanctions on any foreign financial institution that engages in transactions with the $6 billion in Iranian funds. In 2024, my bill, the Holding Iranian Leaders Accountable Act, was signed into law to expose the Iranian regime's financial corruption.

In 2025, back in the White House, the Trump Administration renewed a ``Maximum Pressure'' campaign on the Iranian regime. The actions by President Trump and his Administration recognize that nearly five decades of sanctions imposed bilaterally and by the United Nations have failed to stop Iran's destructive ambitions. The Trump Administration recognizes that years of intensive but ultimately futile negotiations over Iran's nuclear weapons program accomplished nothing and were rightly rejected by bipartisan majorities in both the House and Senate at the end of the Obama Administration.

Today, the House is considering a War Powers Resolution. This War Powers Resolution does not account for the nearly five decades of history. This resolution is not about whether we support the major combat operation that is currently ongoing in Iran--it is about curbing the power of the Executive Branch, specifically the President, to protect the United States from the Iranian regime. Taking away the authorities granted to the President under the War Powers Resolution in the very midst of an ongoing major combat operation is reckless and shortsighted.

I encourage my colleagues to oppose H. Con. Res. 38.

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 the topic of the Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise today with my colleagues to lead the House of Representatives in reading President George Washington's farewell address.

Having just celebrated the 294th birthday of our indispensable first President, this is a fitting tribute as we celebrate the 250th year of our Nation's creation.

The farewell address is a remarkable document. Published in the American Daily Advertiser on September 19, 1796, it was never delivered in person, but it was widely read and remains one of the most important documents in American history.

President Washington completed his two terms as our indispensable first President. He was first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.

Every step of the way, he viewed his actions through the lens of the precedent it would set for the Presidency and for future Presidents: his dress, his decorum, his relationship with Congress, his decisions about his Cabinet, and his approach to executive decisionmaking.

In this address, you will see clearly that he ended his extraordinary public career on a high note.

The practice of reading the farewell address began in a joint session of Congress on February 22, 1862, during the darkest days of the Civil War.

The Senate revived the ceremonial reading in 1888, and each year since 1896, the Senate has observed George Washington's birthday in February by selecting a Senator, alternating parties, to read the 7,641-word statement in their legislative session. This year, fittingly, in this year of America250, our semiquincentennial, it was Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia.

The House revived the ceremonial reading in 1889 and continued intermittently until 1933, after which it became an annual fixture in until 1979.

Today, Mr. Speaker, my colleagues and I are delighted to return this tradition to the House floor accompanied by our handsome portrait of our first President by John Vanderlyn that has hung here in the House Chamber since the 1830s.

Mr. Washington's Farewell Address:

``Friends and Fellow-Citizens:

``The period for a new election of a citizen to administer the executive government of the United States being

not far distant, and the time actually arrived when your thoughts must be employed in designating the person who is to be clothed with that important trust, it appears to me proper, especially as it may conduce to a more distinct expression of the public voice, that I should now apprise you of the resolution I have formed, to decline being considered among the number of those out of whom a choice is to be made.

``I beg you, at the same time, to do me the justice to be assured that this resolution has not been taken without a strict regard to all the considerations appertaining to the relation which binds a dutiful citizen to his country--and that, in withdrawing the tender of service which silence in my situation might imply, I am influenced by no diminution of zeal for your future interest, no deficiency of grateful respect for your past kindness; but am supported by a full conviction that the step is compatible with both.

``The acceptance of, and continuance hitherto in, the office to which your suffrages have twice called me, have been a uniform sacrifice of inclination to the opinion of duty and to a deference for what appeared to be your desire. I constantly hoped that it would have been much earlier in my power, consistently with motives which I was not at liberty to disregard, to return to that retirement from which I had been reluctantly drawn. The strength of my inclination to do this, previous to the last election, had even led to the preparation of an address to declare it to you; but mature reflection on the then perplexed and critical posture of our affairs with foreign nations, and the unanimous advice of persons entitled to my confidence, impelled me to abandon the idea.

``I rejoice that the state of your concerns, external as well as internal, no longer renders the pursuit of inclination incompatible with the sentiment of duty or propriety, and am persuaded whatever partiality may be retained for my services, that in the present circumstances of our country, you will not disapprove my determination to retire.

``The impressions with which I first undertook the arduous trust were explained on the proper occasion. In the discharge of this trust, I will only say that I have, with good intentions, contributed towards the organization and administration of the government, the best exertions of which a very fallible judgment was capable. Not unconscious in the outset of the inferiority of my qualifications, experience in my own eyes, perhaps still more in the eyes of others, has strengthened the motives to diffidence of myself; and every day the increasing weight of years admonishes me more and more that the shade of retirement is as necessary to me as it will be welcome. Satisfied that if any circumstances have given peculiar value to my services, they were temporary, I have the consolation to believe, that while choice and prudence invite me to quit the political scene, patriotism does not forbid it.''

Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the distinguished gentleman from Utah (Mr. Kennedy) to continue our reading.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Utah for his participation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer), who joined us. He is the distinguished former Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the Commonwealth of Virginia (Mr. Cline) to continue our reading.

``This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. . . . [B]ut, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness and is truly their worst enemy.

``The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation on the ruins of public liberty.

``Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight) the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and the duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.

``It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.

``There is an opinion that the parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the government and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty. This within certain limits is probably true--and in governments of a monarchical cast patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. But in those of the popular character, in governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency, it is certain there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose. And there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be, by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into flame, lest instead of warming it should consume.

``It is important, likewise, that the habits of thinking in a free country should inspire caution in those entrusted with its administration, to confine themselves within their respective constitutional spheres, avoiding in the exercise of the powers of one department to encroach upon another. The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one and thus to create, whatever the form of government, a real despotism. A just estimate of that love of power and proneness to abuse it which predominates in the human heart is sufficient to satisfy us of the truth of this position. The necessity of reciprocal checks in the exercise of political power, by dividing and distributing it into different depositories and constituting each the guardian of the public weal against invasions by the others, has been evinced by experiments ancient and modern, some of them in our country and under our own eyes. To preserve them must be as necessary as to institute them. If in the opinion of the people the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way which the Constitution designates. But let there be no change by usurpation; for though this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed. The precedent must always greatly overbalance in permanent evil any partial or transient benefit which the use can at any time yield.

``Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that the national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.''

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Kennedy).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cline).

``In relation to the still subsisting war in Europe, my proclamation of the 22d of April 1793 is the index to my plan. Sanctioned by your approving voice and by that of your representatives in both houses of Congress, the spirit of that measure has continually governed me, uninfluenced by any attempts to deter or divert me from it.

``After deliberate examination with the aid of the best lights I could obtain, I was well satisfied that our country, under all the circumstances of the case, had a right to take--and was bound in duty and interest, to take--a neutral position. Having taken it, I determined, as far as I should depend upon me, to maintain it with moderation, perseverance, and firmness.

``The considerations which respect the right to hold this conduct it is not necessary on this occasion to detail. I will only observe that, according to my understanding of the matter, that right, so far from being denied by any of the belligerent powers, has been virtually admitted by all.

``The duty of holding a neutral conduct may be inferred, without anything more, from the obligation which justice and humanity impose on every nation, in cases in which it is free to act, to maintain inviolate the relations of peace and amity towards other nations.

``The inducements of interest for observing that conduct will best be referred to your own reflections and experience. With me, a predominant motive has been to endeavor to gain time to our country to settle and mature its yet recent institutions and to progress without interruption to that degree of strength and consistency which is necessary to give it, humanly speaking, the command of its own fortunes.

``Though in reviewing the incidents of my administration I am unconscious of intentional error. I am nevertheless too sensible of my own defects not to think it probable that I may have committed many errors. Whatever they may be, I fervently beseech the Almighty to avert or mitigate the evils to which they may tend. I shall also carry with me the hope that my country will never cease to view them with indulgence and that, after forty-five years of my life dedicated to its service with an upright zeal, the faults of incompetent abilities will be consigned to oblivion, as myself must soon be to the mansions of rest.

``Relying on its kindness in this as in other things, and actuated by that fervent love towards it which is so natural to a man who views in it the native soil of himself and his progenitors for several generations, I anticipate with pleasing expectation that retreat in which I promise myself to realize without alloy the sweet enjoyment of partaking, in the midst of my fellow citizens, the benign influence of good laws under a free government--the ever favorite object of my heart, and the happy reward, as I trust, of our mutual cares, labors, and dangers.''

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Mike Kennedy of Utah, Don Beyer of Virginia, and Ben Cline of Virginia, for joining me in this renewal of tradition in this, our semiquincentennial year, of reading George Washington's Farewell Address.

Indeed, as that Member of the very first Congress from Virginia, American Revolutionary War hero Light-Horse Harry Lee, said at George Washington's eulogy, he was, in fact, ``First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.''

I give my thanks also to Speaker Johnson and the Republican vice chairman, Blake Moore, for allowing us to use this time on the House floor.

I encourage all of our citizens to participate in America's 250th birthday in this year of 2026 as we celebrate on July Fourth the signing and publication of our Declaration of Independence from July Fourth, 1776.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate President Robert Arrington on his recent selection to lead the Arkansas Development Finance Authority.

President Arrington succeeds President Mark Conine, who served the authority from May of 2021 until his departure during 2025. President Arrington has worked at the authority since 2014 and was previously the vice president of homeownership and public finance.

The ADFA was established by then-Governor Clinton in 1985 to promote economic growth and community development across Arkansas.

President Arrington is a former municipal securities principal with over 25 years of public finance experience and is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate President Arrington on his selection and wish him many years of faithful service to the great State of Arkansas.

Petit Jean State Park 100th Anniversary

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the recent celebration of the 100th anniversary of Petit Jean State Park, a landmark of natural beauty and historical significance in central Arkansas.

Established in 1923 and dedicated in 1925, Petit Jean was Arkansas' first State park and helped inspire and initiate the entire Arkansas State Park System. The Civilian Conservation Corps later built many of the enduring features, including cabins, trails, and the historic Mather Lodge. For a century, families have enjoyed its scenic overlooks, hiking trails, Cedar Falls, and the landscape.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Petit Jean State Park on its centennial and its enhancement of the beauty of the Natural State. I thank the many State park rangers and related staff for all of their contributions to conservation, recreation, and enjoyment in the Natural State.

Commending National Guard Enlistment in the Second District of Arkansas

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding patriotism of Arkansas' Second Congressional District, which was the highest-producing district for Arkansas National Guard enlistments in fiscal year 2025.

Our district led the State in Army National Guard recruitment, contributing 314 new soldiers, and accounted for 47 percent of all Air National Guard recruits statewide. In total, the Second District produced 351 enlistments in 2025, surpassing any other congressional district in the State.

These young men and women have chosen a path of duty, sacrifice, and leadership. Their decision to serve reflects on the strong values of central Arkansas and the deep respect our communities all hold for our Nation, its defense, and the men and women who wear the uniform.

Honoring Dr. Linda Jackson

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Linda Jackson.

Last year, Dr. Jackson was honored with the Outstanding Alumna of 2025 Award from the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton.

This incredible woman overcame life's toughest challenges and hardships, experiencing extreme poverty at a young age. She was forced to drop out of school in the eighth grade to take care of her disabled brother.

Despite this, Mr. Speaker, she earned her associate of science and associate of arts degrees at the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton in 2014 at age 33. She continued her education, earning seven more degrees after leaving UACCM, balancing her time between her studies and raising her 10 children. In 2025, she passed the State board exam for the credential of family nurse practitioner.

Dr. Jackson's story is a story of hard work, perseverance, determination, and triumph.

Celebrating Doug Zollner's Retirement

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my good friend Doug Zollner, dedicated advocate for the Natural State.

After three decades of being a mentor, leader, and giant in the world of conservation, Doug has decided to retire from the Nature Conservancy offices in Arkansas.

Doug's efforts and expertise in conservation have enriched our State. Doug's leadership helped drive more than $30 million in public funding to Arkansas for forest management.

He also cofounded the Fire Learning Networks, a national collaboration of fire practitioners helping 14 countries around the world. Just last year, he visited Tanzania to share fire and forest management strategies and tour Katavi National Park.

Congratulations to Doug for his dedication to conservation, to the Nature Conservancy, and to forest management practices. I wish him the very best in retirement.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5616) to amend title 31, United States Code, to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $2.50 numismatic coins and $2.50 circulating coins, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam Chair, 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 the bill.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the bill sponsored by the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt), my good friend, the $2.50 for America's 250th Act.

The greatest experiment in the history of the world, the United States of America, is still going stronger than ever, and 2026 marks our Nation's 250th birthday, an incredible feat as our Founders came together, found common ground, and voted to declare independence from Great Britain.

Over the past 250 years, America has embodied the shining city on the hill that John Winthrop envisioned in his famous 1630 sermon. Grounded in the ideas at the heart of the Declaration that all men are created equal and that governments derive their power not from the divine right of kings but from the consent of the people, the United States has made the world more free and more prosperous over our two-and-a-half centuries.

To celebrate our semiquincentennial, H.R. 5616 will authorize the United States Secretary of the Treasury to issue special $2.50 numismatic coins. This continues a long tradition of marking significant milestones with coins that give everyday Americans tangible reminders of these historic moments.

Mr. Aderholt and I are both old enough, Madam Speaker, to recall the bicentennial tradition of that feature of special coin or printed bill issuance and how our grandfathers instilled in us American history and a love of country.

We were not there for the first $2.50 coin authorized under the legislation that we have today because it marked the 150th anniversary of the United States a century ago.

America is the land of freedom and the beacon of hope for many around the world, something that all of us who have the privilege and honor of living here should never take for granted, and certainly no one on this House floor who has the privilege of representing our citizens takes for granted.

Every day I wake up proud to be an American, and I thank Mr. Aderholt for his contribution in celebrating 250 years of independence.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a CBO estimate for this bill.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt), the author of this bill for our semiquincentennial, and the chair of the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Aderholt for using this historic precedent to, again, have a numismatic memory of our semiquincentennial with this $2.50 coin. I commend him for his work, his loyalty to this country, and for his service to the people in Alabama.

Mr. Speaker, for all the reasons I explained earlier, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.