Jake LaTurner

Madam Speaker, I rise today to address this body for the last time.

I have always felt immense gratitude for God's blessings in my life, but since deciding not to seek reelection last spring, that gratitude has only deepened.

As a son of Kansas, I am guided by our State motto, ``ad astra per aspera,'' ``to the stars through difficulties.''

It is a truth I have seen lived out in my own family, generation after generation. My grandmother dropped out of school in the ninth grade because she had only one dress and could no longer endure the ridicule of her classmates. Yet, after raising six children, she returned to school, earned her GED, and became a nurse. This was a testament to her resilience.

My grandfather, the eldest of the six siblings, faced his own struggles. After losing his father at the age of 18, he became the first in our family to graduate from high school. He served his country in Korea, where he lost sight in one eye. Unable to pass a physical, he worked odd jobs until he found his calling in public service, becoming a lay judge in our county.

My father continued this legacy of determination. As a single parent, he worked long hours managing the local Sonic while putting himself through college. He became the first in our family to earn a degree, going on to serve as an educator and later as the mayor of our hometown, Galena, Kansas.

I share these stories, Madam Speaker, because they remind me every day that I did not get here on my own.

To put a finer point on it, my grandfather's father was killed in the mines at the age of 41, leaving behind a widow and six hungry children. They endured hardships most of us cannot fathom. Yet, three short generations later, his great-grandson was called ``the gentleman from Kansas'' on the floor of the United States House of Representatives.

What a country this is.

It is not just my story. It is the American story. It is the story of what is possible in this extraordinary country when opportunity is paired with sacrifice, when freedom is protected, and when institutions like this one work to preserve that dream for those yet to come.

This Chamber, at its best, exists to ensure that the ladder my family climbed remains sturdy and strong for future generations. I am confident that, in the 119th Congress, we will take up that charge, improving our economy, securing our border, making our streets safer, and showing true American leadership on the world stage.

I humbly offer two parting suggestions.

When I first arrived here, I visited then-dean of the House, Don Young. He told me that when he arrived in 1973, it was customary for freshman Members to wait 6 months before speaking on the House floor. To his surprise, I adopted this tradition.

I did so partly out of deference to the dean, but mostly because it showed respect for this institution, an institution and a system of government that our Founders painstakingly designed to safeguard against human nature. It is all of our responsibility to protect and preserve it.

My second suggestion concerns our role on the world stage. We must be thrifty, strategic, and we must never outsource our sovereignty, but we still have a critical role.

One small but impactful example is preventing children from dying of starvation. Ready-to-use therapeutic food, or RUTF, is an American- made, nutrient-dense paste that has saved millions of lives across the globe. The State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee increased funding by $300 million while reducing overall spending by over 10 percent, and this body passed it. That increase should be realized. It is the right thing to do.

I thank Tim Shallenburger; Mark Dugan; Sam Brownback; Lynn Jenkins; Jake Conard; and Braden Dreiling, my chief; and all of my staff, past and present, for serving both our district and this institution so ably.

I thank the people of Kansas from the bottom of my heart for trusting me to represent them in the State senate as State treasurer and in Congress.

Most importantly, I thank my friends, both at home and my colleagues here. They are my supporters who helped me get here.

I also thank my family. I especially thank my grandparents who helped raise me; my dad; my brother; my sister; my wife, Suzanne; and our four children, Ava, Joe, Maggie, and Gus, who are here with me today, for joining me on this journey and for their incredible sacrifices.

To my kids, the best title I have ever had is ``Dad,'' and that title is about to get my full attention.

Above all, I thank God for his blessings on my life, my family, and this Nation.

Madam Speaker, the future is bright, and for the last time I yield back.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the pride of Hays, America, a dedicated staffer of 7 years, my longest-serving staffer, and my real life friend, Braden Dreiling.

Braden and I met when I was a State senator and he was a front desk staffer for the majority leader.

Our professional relationship rose from a Cracker Barrel lunch and grew into a true partnership. He has been my chief and my most trusted confidante. He is also always the first and the last in the room, always wanting and expecting the best from me. He always has a level head regardless of circumstances.

Braden and his wife have two beautiful daughters, and although his service in Washington is coming to a close, I know that he will make his friends and family proud as his service to Kansas will continue on.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1549) to provide the Congressional Budget Office with necessary authorities to expedite the sharing of data from executive branch agencies, and for other purposes.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, the Congressional Budget Office, or CBO, is the legislative branch agency responsible for helping Congress accurately analyze the budgetary impact of proposed legislation.

The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 authorized CBO to collect information and data directly from agencies. Timely access to agency data is necessary for CBO to produce accurate cost estimates for legislation and prepare other congressional reports. However, agencies often delay or restrict CBO's access to data. One of the most common reasons agencies restrict CBO's access to Federal agency data is because of perceived Privacy Act obstacles.

This bill, the Congressional Budget Office Data Access Act, solves this problem by granting CBO the same Privacy Act exemption afforded to the Government Accountability Office and Congress.

Under existing law, CBO must meet the confidentiality standards required of the agency that is providing the data, and this bill maintains that standard of confidentiality while expanding CBO's data access authority, such access that GAO and Congress already possess.

CBO access to agency data is critical for the legislative branch agency's ability to fulfill its mission.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my House Oversight Committee colleagues, Representative Grothman and Representative Mfume, for their work on the House companion of this legislation, H.R. 7184. I also thank House Budget Committee Chairman Arrington and Ranking Member Boyle and their staff for coordinating with the Oversight Committee on this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my House colleagues to support this commonsense bill to support CBO in carrying out its mission, and I yield back the balance of my time.