Floor Statements

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.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2685) to make data and internal guidance on excess personal property publicly available, 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, as the largest single purchaser of goods and services in the world, Federal agencies acquire billions of dollars of personal property, ranging from office supplies to automobiles, each year. Unfortunately, agencies routinely and wastefully dispose of excess personal property that could otherwise be repurposed for continued Federal agency use.

Agencies are already required to consider the availability of excess personal property before buying new products. This excess personal property is available to agencies at no cost, apart from any necessary transportation expenses.

In a June 2022 report, the Government Accountability Office found that agencies are continuing to acquire new property while not using available excess personal property. GAO's findings indicate that the guidance in the existing Federal Management Regulation, or FMR, alone may not be sufficient.

With better direction from Congress, agencies can be more efficient in leveraging excess personal property to meet their needs and ultimately save taxpayer dollars.

The Reuse Excess Property Act would hold agencies more accountable toward efficiently using and reusing personal property by introducing transparency and accountability mechanisms.

Specifically, this bill would reform existing statutory reporting requirements to the General Services Administration on excess personal property and require GSA to make this information publicly available. This will help decisionmakers and taxpayers better understand the extent to which agencies are working to cut wasteful spending through the use of excess property, informing future policy.

Because GAO found that agencies have varied guidance on the use of excess personal property that often neglects essential FMR components, S. 2685 would require agencies to publicly report their guidance. Such guidance must include essential FMR components outlined by GAO. Agencies must also designate an employee as responsible for searching through available excess personal property for items that meet agency needs.

In response to GAO's report, in February 2023, GSA convened the first meeting of an interagency working group to assess how agencies acquire personal property, uncover obstacles, and recommend improvements to policies for acquisition professionals. This bill would require GSA to make the findings of that working group, including a general summary, publicly available to provide full transparency into efforts to promote the maximum use of excess personal property.

In conclusion, this bill shines a light on agency practices and could incentivize more efficient use of excess personal property, saving untold taxpayer dollars in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative McClain for her leadership on the House companion of this legislation, H.R. 8276.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3639) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2075 West Stadium Boulevard in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as the ``Robert Hayden Post Office''.

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, I rise in support of S. 3639, which names a post office in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for Robert Hayden.

Hayden was born in Detroit, Michigan, where he attended Detroit City College, now Wayne State University, before going on to earn a master of arts degree from the University of Michigan.

During his lifetime, he published nine collections of poetry with much of his work touching on the Black American experience.

In 1969, he began to teach at the University of Michigan, becoming the first Black faculty member in the university's English department.

In 1976, he became the first African American to be appointed consultant in poetry to the Library of Congress, a position that is known today as poet laureate.

Hayden passed away in 1980 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

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

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill naming a post office for Robert Hayden, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3640) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 155 South Main Street in Mount Clemens, Michigan, as the ``Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Jefferson Post Office''.

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, I rise in support of S. 3640, which names a post office in Mount Clemens, Michigan, for Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Jefferson.

Jefferson served in the military during World War II, completing combat training at Selfridge Field in Mount Clemens and pilot training at the Tuskegee Army Airfield.

During his time with the Tuskegee Airmen, Jefferson was shot down over France and captured by Nazi ground troops. He was imprisoned in German-occupied Poland before being freed by General George Patton's U.S. Third Army.

Jefferson returned to Michigan where he became a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier, earned a teaching certificate, and obtained a master's degree in education from Wayne State University.

Jefferson taught elementary school science in Detroit, was appointed assistant principal, and retired in 1979 after 31 years of service to Detroit Public Schools.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I encourage my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3851) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 90 McCamly Street South in Battle Creek, Michigan, as the ``Sojourner Truth Post Office''.

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, I rise in support of S. 3851, which names a post office in Battle Creek, Michigan, for Sojourner Truth.

Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in New York State as Isabella Baumfree. She escaped slavery in 1827 and took her new name, Sojourner Truth, in 1843.

After meeting Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 1850, Truth began to passionately advocate for women's rights and courageously fought against racial injustices.

In 1851, Truth gave her famous ``Ain't I a Woman?'' speech to criticize race and gender discrimination at a convention in Akron, Ohio.

In 1857, Truth moved to Harmonia, a former utopian community that was later incorporated into Battle Creek, Michigan, where this post office is located.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6633) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 9355 113th Street in Seminole, Florida, as the ``Army SSG Ryan Christian Knauss Memorial Post Office Building''.

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, I rise in support of this bill, which would rename a post office in Florida for Staff Sergeant Ryan Christian Knauss.

Committed to protecting his country, Knauss joined the Army at the young age of 17. He served in Afghanistan where he supported the humanitarian evacuation of Americans and Afghani refugees.

On August 16, 2021, Staff Sergeant Knauss was processing eligible Afghani refugees when a bomb exploded, killing him and others.

Knauss earned numerous awards and decorations, including the Congressional Gold Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Purple Heart.

I support naming a post office in memory of Staff Sergeant Knauss, and I encourage my colleagues to support this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Luna), a fierce advocate for this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation and would just add how honored I am by the presence of Paula in the gallery. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5867) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 109 Live Oaks Boulevard in Casselberry, Florida, as the ``Colonel Joseph William Kittinger II Post Office Building''.

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, I rise in support of this bill, which would name a post office in Casselberry, Florida, for Colonel Joseph William Kittinger

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mills).

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

Mr. Speaker, Artificial Intelligence is an incredible tool that is only becoming more accessible, powerful, and impactful. With all the good this emerging technology provides our society, it also has its downfalls. It's easier than before for bad actors to make A.I. generated deepfakes to deceive the public and spread false information about elected officials and political candidates. Anyone with a laptop can create realistic images, videos, and audio clips depicting events that did not occur. This poses a threat to our security and could harm our election systems, and developers should be held liable for the harms they cause. As a Member of the Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs, I will continue to work to ensure AI-generated deepfakes are not undermining our local, state, and federal elections.

Mr. Speaker, artificial intelligence is an incredible tool that is only becoming more accessible, powerful, and impactful.

With all the good this emerging technology provides our society, AI also has its downfalls. It is easier than ever before for bad actors to make AI-generated deepfakes to deceive the public and spread false information about elected officials and political candidates. Anyone with a laptop can create realistic images, videos, and audio clips depicting events that did not occur.

This poses a serious threat to our national security and could harm the integrity of our election systems.

As a member of the Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs, I will continue to work to ensure AI-generated deepfakes are not undermining our local, State, and Federal elections.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in appreciation for a member of my staff, Mike Howard, who has recently embarked on a new job off the Hill after nearly three years of service as my communications director. Mike began in my office in August of 2021, and has served since then as a trusted advisor who has constantly sharpened our team and ensured that we are able to get out the message of our work here in Congress to my constituents from Galena to Atchison.

Mike has spent countless early mornings and late nights preparing with me for interviews, town halls, committee hearings, and making sure that we are able to clearly explain the work that we do here. Mike will be sorely missed as he moves on to this new role, but I would like to thank him once again for his dedication and commitment to the people of the Second Congressional District of Kansas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in appreciation for a member of my staff for her dedicated service to the people of Kansas. Jackie Hunley began in my office in October of 2021 and since then has dedicated her time, energy, and expertise to improving the lives of the people of the Second Congressional District. From serving as a legislative correspondent and ensuring we provide thoughtful replies to each constituent letter to shaping our office's appropriations process as my legislative director, Jackie has made our office better with her quick wit, work ethic, and desire to serve others.

Jackie has become an adopted Kansan during her time with our team, not least because she met her husband, Chance--a fellow Southeast Kansan, while serving on our staff. While we will miss her as she has moved on to serve her own home state of Iowa, I extend my deepest gratitude for her time of service to myself and my constituents and look forward to seeing her excel in her new role.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6972) to amend title 5, United States Code, to require an Executive agency whose head is a member of the National Security Council to notify the Executive Office of the President, the Comptroller General of the United States, and congressional leadership of such head becoming medically incapacitated within 24 hours, 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 measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, like many of you, I was shocked this past February when Congress learned that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was medically incapacitated for days before the President or congressional leaders were made aware.

The lack of transparency set off alarm bells on both sides of the aisle and across the national security community.

We are experiencing crises across the world, crises that require our defense leadership to be alert and ready.

Unfortunately, our defense leadership was not ready earlier this year. Secretary Austin was incapacitated, and no one knew.

In these times, we cannot afford to be caught so unprepared. That is why this bill is an important measure to ensure military readiness.

The Securing the Chain of Command Continuity Act requires congressional and Presidential notification when someone who is a member of the National Security Council and is the head of an executive agency becomes medically incapacitated.

Under the bill, the person filling in for the incapacitated official must send the proper notifications within 24 hours of the official's medical incapacitation.

If the proper notifications are not provided, a report detailing why the notification rules were not followed must be sent to Congress, the President, and the Comptroller General within 72 hours. This is a measured and balanced solution to this national security issue.

I thank my colleagues, Representative Kiggans of Virginia and Representative Davis of North Carolina, for their bipartisan work on this important and timely legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Raskin for his comments.

I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Kiggans).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Van Orden), my friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. We were so close, Mr. Speaker. So close.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my House colleagues to support this commonsense government transparency bill to address a relevant national security concern.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7219) to ensure that Federal agencies rely on the best reasonably available scientific, technical, demographic, economic, and statistical information and evidence to develop, issue or inform the public of the nature and bases of Federal agency rules and guidance, 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 measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, the Information Quality Assurance Act. Each year, thousands of regulations are imposed as an added burden on the American public. The Code of Federal Regulations, in which these rules are housed, spans 243 volumes that contain over 180,000 single-spaced pages. Agency guidance explaining these regulations to the public likely spans millions more pages.

If we must have rules imposed by Federal regulatory agencies, we should, at the very least, ensure that regulatory agencies rely on the best available information. Unfortunately, agencies frequently do not rely on the best available information to create their regulations.

Year after year, the Federal courts are clogged with litigation brought by regulated parties who point out that Federal agencies have acted based on flawed information. Over the years, Congress has tried to improve the situation.

In 2000, Congress enacted the Information Quality Act, which charged the Office of Management and Budget and each Federal agency to adopt guidelines to ensure agencies rely on high-quality information.

In 2015, Congress enacted the Foundations of Evidence-Based Policymaking Act, expanding on the Information Quality Act to further ensure agencies use high-quality information.

Still, disputes continue to arise over whether regulators are basing their decisions on the best quality information available. Every year, courts strike down agency rules that do not rely on adequate information. Every year, agency guidance that does not rely on the best information forces regulated parties down pathways that do not make sense.

The Information Quality Assurance Act takes several major but straightforward steps to solve that problem. For the first time, it requires that the information on which agencies rest their rules and guidance be the best reasonably available information. It also includes several additional terms to make sure agencies are finally held to that standard.

This legislation will improve the quality of agency decisionmaking, improve the acceptability of new rules and guidance, and avoid the need for many disputes over agencies' use of information to go to court.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I thank Representative McClain and Representative Porter for their work on this important bipartisan legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for making that mistake so that when I make it here in a few bills, it will be easier for me.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. McClain).

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill to ensure that agencies rely on the best reasonably available information to create their regulations.

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

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