Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with mixed emotions, as this will likely be the final time that I speak in front of this Chamber as a Member of Congress.

For the last 22 years, I have had the great privilege of serving the people of Rhode Island's Second Congressional District. It has been the honor of my lifetime to represent the voice and vote of my constituents, and I am so humbled by the faith and the trust that they have placed in me all these years.

After my accident, it was my community that was there for me when I needed them the most, and it was their constant love and support, along with my family, which ultimately inspired me to run for office as a way of giving back.

My journey to recovery was not always an easy one, but thanks to my family, my faith, and my community, I was able to move forward and become the first quadriplegic ever elected to the United States Congress.

For the last 36 years, I have woken up every day with one goal in mind: giving good public service to the people of Rhode Island. That focus has held true since my early days in public service, beginning when I was elected as a delegate to Rhode Island's Constitutional Convention, continued through my time in the General Assembly and as the Nation's youngest secretary of state, and it has remained strong throughout my final days as a United States Congressman.

I will forever be grateful for the enduring friendships and lifetime memories that I have forged here in this body. But most of all, I am so proud of all that we have been able to accomplish for the people of Rhode Island and the United States.

I have fought to protect and advance the rights of Americans with disabilities, moving our society closer to becoming fully inclusive and accessible for all.

On the Committee on Armed Services, I have led the efforts to strengthen our national security, and cybersecurity, in particular, and I have been proud to support the hardworking men and women of my district who build the world's finest nuclear submarines at Electric Boat.

As the chairman of the Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems, I

have sought to procure the finest, cutting-edge technologies for our soldiers, sailors, airmen, guardians, and marines, so that our women and men in uniform never enter a fair fight.

Moreover, I have spoken up for our Nation's foster youth, who are too often forgotten and left behind, and I have worked across the aisle to invest in job training, apprenticeships, and career and technical education.

Looking back, I will always be proud of my vote for President Obama's Affordable Care Act, which lowered healthcare costs and secured coverage for millions of uninsured Americans.

I will never forget the moment that I became the first Congressman in a wheelchair to preside over the U.S. House of Representatives as Speaker pro tempore as we marked the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I thank Nancy Pelosi, perhaps the greatest House Speaker of the modern era, for making that day possible.

Likewise, I thank Majority Leader Steny Hoyer for his decades of friendship and leadership in passing the Americans with Disabilities Act and for his unrelenting efforts to make sure that the Capitol complex is accessible to Americans of all abilities.

I also express my gratitude to my colleagues in the congressional delegation, Jack, Sheldon, and David, for their friendship and support. I could not have asked for better colleagues to work with on behalf of our great State.

Finally, I thank the dozens of dedicated staff members who have served in my office over the years, as well as my friends and my entire family, especially my mom, my late dad, my brothers, and my sister for standing by my side every step of this journey.

Choosing not to seek reelection to Congress was one of most difficult decisions of my life. But after two decades of living in two places at the same time and weekly air travel, I am ready to chart a new course.

Although I will no longer be in Congress come beginning of next year, I am not going away. I am just coming home.

I love my State, and I love the people who live there. So most of all, I want to say thank you, Rhode Island, for the opportunity to serve the community which has given me so much. I will always cherish the time that I was blessed to represent you.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this year's National Defense Authorization Act.

I want to begin by thanking Chairman Smith, Ranking Member Rogers, and Ranking Member Banks for their leadership on this critical legislation.

As chairman of the Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems, I am proud of all of the work that we have done in this year's bill, from cyber, to research and development, to artificial intelligence, as well as our efforts to combat climate change, including shifting towards developing sustainable alternative aviation fuels. It is this subcommittee, in particular, that works to deliver cutting-edge technologies into the hands of the warfighter. For the past 22 years, it has been my job to ensure that our troops never enter a fair fight.

As I prepare to depart from Congress at the end of this year, I will always cherish the opportunity I have had to work across the aisle to provide for our national defense. I thank my colleagues and staff, without whom many of these accomplishments would not be possible. But most of all, I would like to thank each and every servicemember and civilian who has dedicated their life to the U.S. military and protecting our way of life.

To honor their sacrifice, I urge all of my colleagues to support the

Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 489 and YEA on Roll Call No. 501.

Madam Speaker, today, I honor the life and memory of Ms. Carol Sarganis, a teacher, a role model for people with Muscular Dystrophy, and a champion for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace.

When she was diagnosed with Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy as a young child, Carol's doctors told her parents that she would never accomplish anything in her life. However, her parents disagreed, and they instead encouraged her--and fought for her right--to receive a solid public- school education.

Carol was a successful student, and she defied the expectations of her counselors who thought she wouldn't be able to handle a rigorous academic environment. After graduating from East Providence High School, Carol attended Salve Regina University in Newport, RI to pursue her dreams of becoming a teacher.

By the time she earned her Bachelor's Degree in elementary education, the progressive nature of the disease had made her almost entirely dependent on a manual wheelchair. This came long before the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed into law, so she had to rely on others, such as her brother or nursing students, to carry her up multiple flights of stairs just to attend class.

In 1968, she graduated from Salve Regina and joined the Newport Public School System as a remedial reading specialist, where she taught until her retirement in 1996. Always seeking to redefine any limit, she went on to earn a Master's Degree from the University of Rhode Island while teaching fulltime. During her tenure as a teacher, she was recognized as Teacher of the Year. Eventually, Carol learned to drive using an adaptive vehicle to accommodate her disabilities. After retiring from teaching, Carol worked as an employment specialist and job coach with Project: Return to Work, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission of providing employment services and placement opportunities for Americans with disabilities, including veterans.

Carol was a role model, not just through her personal experience with overcoming barriers in the workplace, but through her relentlessly positive attitude. She believed life was a gift and refused to be defined by either her physical limitations or the biased perceptions of others. Instead of growing bitter about increasing limitations presented by the disease, she chose instead to be grateful for all of the blessings that she had. Near the end of her life, when she was almost entirely paralyzed, she was grateful for the staff of the nursing home who brought her outside to feel the sun on her face and helped her by writing cards she dictated for friends and loved ones. Always one to share her blessings, Carol would decorate the rooms of other residents with cards she had received to brighten up their living arrangements.

On October 25, 2022, Carol passed away at Rhode Island Hospital. Carol left behind her brother George Sarganis and his wife Claire McWilliams, her beloved niece Zoe Sarganis of Central Falls, and her beloved cousins Elaine and Dick Bianco of Barrington, Rhode Island.

Madam Speaker, it has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime to serve the people of Rhode Island's Second Congressional District for the last 22 years.

Together we have accomplished so much, from strengthening our national security and cybersecurity, in particular, to advancing the rights of people with disabilities, to advocating for our Nation's foster youth, and so much more.

With less than 2 months left in my term, I will be leaving Congress with a lot of mixed emotions, but I still believe that politics and government is still a noble profession, and I couldn't be more proud of the person who will be succeeding me as the next Congressman for Rhode Island's Second Congressional District, Seth Magaziner.

Throughout his career, Seth has proved himself to be a committed fighter for working families, and that is exactly what he will continue to do as a Congressman.

Seth will be laser-focused on cutting costs for Rhode Islanders, from lowering the price of prescription drugs to cracking down on oil and gas companies that are price gouging everyday Americans.

Seth will fight to combat the climate crisis, and he will work to keep Rhode Islanders safe from the threat of gun violence.

Seth will always stand up for anyone who tries to cut older Rhode Islanders' hard-earned Medicare and Social Security benefits.

Madam Speaker, I couldn't be more proud of Seth, and I can't think of a better person to serve the people of Rhode Island. Congratulations.

Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 451.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today because Americans are divided. Our public discourse is broken. Instead of fostering open and honest political debate, our flawed information environment creates echo chambers and partisan silos.

At times, it feels like the very fabric of our Nation is being torn at the seams. This toxic polarization has infected the Capitol, too, where it is becoming increasingly difficult to get things done in a bipartisan manner.

The nonstop outrage and anger must end.

To begin solving some of these issues, I propose an idea, which I developed in partnership with my former science and technology policy adviser, Eric Saund, a phenomenal cognitive science and artificial intelligence researcher. Together, we call for redesigning what is popularly described as the ``marketplace of ideas.''

As economists point out, markets are information systems. The invisible hand of supply and demand discovers the value of goods and services, and the equal access to information in a market yields collective efficiency.

Now, imagine a market where suppliers or, in this case, speakers of ideas hawk their wares in a public square, while consumers, or listeners, sample and choose the news, stories, and opinions they prefer. The best ideas would win by virtue of the audience's discernment and collective wisdom, right?

But what if the market's information architecture, the modes and pathways of information exchange and processing, is fundamentally broken? Just like a market wouldn't function properly if the vendors' loudspeakers and telephones were damaged, the algorithms, programmatic methods, and platform designs that govern our marketplace of ideas are clearly not working. When a market is broken, it is the responsibility of government to act.

How do we fix it? We start by leveling the playing field and modifying the shape, not the content, of our ideas marketplace to facilitate healthy exposure and competition among all ideas within our political discourse.

As it currently stands, our marketplace has been distorted to resemble a dome-like shape in which discourse is driven to the extremes of each side. Instead, we propose bending the dome shape of our marketplace into a bowl shape, encouraging people to seek common ground and creating space for productive conversation among ideological foes and compatriots alike.

By leveling the playing field through tweaks to both the supply and demand side, we can create a marketplace of ideas where fairness and civility are rewarded and extremism is discouraged.

On the demand side, we can invest in civics education initiatives that teach children critical reading, listening, and thinking skills, like how to spot disinformation on social media. Adults, too, can lose awareness of how their buttons are being pushed by sophisticated propagandists.

As our Founders recognized, our democracy requires an educated citizenry. However, the demands of our modern media environment require our education system to grow and adapt accordingly.

We could borrow from the playbooks of other countries, like Finland and the Baltic states, which have developed robust civil defenses against insidious disinformation campaigns emanating from neighboring Russia. We can even motivate public awareness and engagement through playful, competitive, and financial incentives to reward people for knowing basic civics and following factual, unbiased news and information sources. We should encourage participation in nonpolitical areas of life, such as sports, hobbies, recreation, civics projects, and family activities, to reinforce the common bonds between us.

Solutions arise on the supply side, as well. In a traditional public square, each speaker's identity is known and thereby can be held accountable for their speech. But on social media, phony accounts and troll farms can spread lies, disinformation, and distorted narratives without consequence. A solution may be found in modern technologies for digital identity tools, which can ensure that every social media account is held by a unique, real human being.

Congressman Bill Foster's Improving Digital Identity Act of 2021, of which I am a proud cosponsor, advances associated frameworks and standards and promotes the adoption of privacy-preserving digital identity technologies.

This is a complicated issue, but I think it is worth giving thought to.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Presidential Election Reform Act.

January 6, 2021, will forever be known as one of the darkest days in our Nation's history, which threatened the very survival of our democracy. Incited by a former President, a violent mob stormed the Capitol, intent on preventing the peaceful transfer of power upon which our democracy depends.

Thankfully, they failed, and Vice President Mike Pence fulfilled his constitutional duty to oversee the counting of the electoral votes. No matter what President Trump and his cronies claim, the Vice President of the United States has no legal authority to reject, delay, or otherwise obstruct the counting of the electoral votes.

Yet, there are those who continue to spew the big lie and undermine the legitimacy of future elections. So, today, we must reject these dangerous voices and pass the Presidential Election Reform Act so that we can safeguard our democracy from any attempt to overturn the will of the people.

We came perilously close to losing our democracy on January 6, 2021. Let us come together to protect the rule of law and prevent any similar assault on our democracy from ever happening again.

Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 421.

Mr. Speaker, I know the damage that guns can cause firsthand. When I was 16, an accidental gunshot severed my spinal cord and left me paralyzed.

And yet, the damage caused by that gun pales in comparison to the destruction caused by assault weapons, whose sole purpose is to inflict maximum damage on their targets.

No one needs an assault weapon to go deer hunting.

No one needs an assault weapon to defend their home.

These weapons of war simply have no place on our streets.

After all, it is no coincidence that assault weapons were the firearm of choice for the killers in Uvalde, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Parkland, Orlando, Sandy Hook, and the list goes on.

I ask my colleagues, does this body have the courage to stop the next massacre from taking place?

Or will we shirk from our responsibilities and our duty to act, content to simply offer thoughts and prayers while Americans, and even small children, are mowed down in our schools, grocery stores, and places of worship?

I know which side I am on. I hope my colleagues will join me.

I thank Congressman Cicilline for his steadfast work on bringing this legislation to the floor.

Madam Speaker, yesterday marked the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

When I was 16 years old, an accidental gunshot left me permanently paralyzed. That was 1980, 10 years before the ADA was enacted into law.

Then on July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA into law, and my life and the lives of millions of others were transformed.

For 32 years, the ADA has broken down barriers and helped millions of people with disabilities to reach places in society that were previously unattainable. No longer do Americans with disabilities face legalized discrimination in places of public accommodation, employment, transportation, and so much more.

In fact, without the ADA, I would not be here today proudly representing the Second Congressional District of Rhode Island as the first quadriplegic ever elected to Congress. Yet, our fight for universal accessibility and inclusion is far from over.

Millions of Americans with disabilities are counting on this body to do what is right and continue the battle for accessibility and inclusion. I hope to be a partner in that fight for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome the soon-to-be newest members of NATO: Finland and Sweden.

Although the conflict in Ukraine has begun to fall out of the news cycle, the free world continues to be challenged by a violent autocrat with delusions of grandeur, making the strength of NATO all the more important.

Every day, Vladimir Putin has demonstrated his willingness to kill and maim countless innocent civilians and trample international norms in hopes of reclaiming the glory of a long-gone empire.

By invading Ukraine, Putin expected to fracture the world's response, dividing the United States and our NATO allies. Instead, he has done just the opposite.

Led by the United States, the international community has stood in lockstep with the people of Ukraine. And now, we are expanding the roster of NATO countries, creating a stronger and more united membership than ever before.

Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO will bolster our collective security and serve as a warning to Russia and to all other global aggressors: The United States and the international community are more united than ever before. We will never tolerate attempts to expand sovereign borders through force, not in Ukraine, not anywhere.

Mr. Chair, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 379.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 8404, the Respect for Marriage Act.

Like many Americans, I was deeply disturbed by Justice Thomas' opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson, which actually named marriage equality as the next piece of settled case law that he is intent on destroying.

Let's face it, marriage equality is at risk in America, and we must pass legislation to enshrine the right to marry for same sex and interracial couples before it is too late.

Early in my career, when I was a State representative, I supported legislation to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. I remember discussing this bill with my late father, who grew up during the civil rights movement. He was no activist, but he firmly believed that all Americans should be entitled to equal civil rights.

Just like the Jim Crow laws, which legalized discrimination, that existed during his lifetime, he believed that our Nation's discriminatory treatment of LGBTQ Americans would mark a shameful chapter in our Nation's history.

When the Supreme Court legalized marriage equality, we turned a page granting equal protection under the law for all Americans, no matter who they love. But now I fear that future is no longer guaranteed.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill so that marriage equality remains the law of the land.

Madam Speaker, earlier this week, I led my Democratic and Republican colleagues in introducing legislation to eliminate discrimination against parents and guardians with disabilities.

Together with Representatives Bass, Bacon, Fitzpatrick, and Lawrence, I introduced the Equality for Families with Disabilities Act, just 2 weeks before the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Today, there are 4.1 million parents with disabilities raising families here in the United States. Yet, parents and guardians with disabilities face excessive scrutiny and disproportionate targeting for unwarranted intervention from child welfare agencies.

The research is clear: Children raised by parents with disabilities do not exhibit stunted development or worse outcomes than their peers. In fact, the opposite is true. Children raised by parents with disabilities demonstrate greater compassion, tolerance, problem-solving skills, and other positive characteristics.

Mr. Speaker, it is time to end discrimination against parents and guardians in State child welfare proceedings once and for all.

Thirty-two years since Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this urgent legislation.