Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, as a congresswoman, and a champion of health care initiatives, and as a voice for breast cancer survivors, a disease that affects minority women and all women, I am here today to talk about the pressing need for increased funding for triple-negative breast cancer. Breast cancer is a devastating disease that affects far too many of us. But triple-negative breast cancer, in particular, is one of the most aggressive and deadly forms of breast cancer.

Women with triple-negative breast cancer often face a worse prognosis and limited treatment options. This is why we need to increase

funding for research into this disease. We need to find better ways to detect it early and to develop new treatments that will give women with triple-negative breast cancer a fighting chance.

But funding for research is not enough. We also need to ensure equity and access to treatment for all women with breast cancer, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. Women from marginalized communities often face barriers to accessing care, and we must work to break down those barriers.

No woman should have to fight breast cancer alone, and no woman should be denied the care she needs because of where she comes from or how much money she makes. We must come together as a community, regardless of political party, to ensure that all women have access to the care and treatment they need.

I urge my fellow lawmakers to join me in supporting increased funding for triple-negative breast cancer research and ensuring equity and access to care for all women with breast cancer. Together, we can make a difference and save lives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose the removal of Congresswoman Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee.

I begin by asking: What is the crime?

You see, Mr. Speaker, this is a question that many in this country have been asking over the last week: What is the crime?

Now, many were referring to Tyre Nichols, but I am asking this question as it relates to Congresswoman Omar.

Was her so-called crime allegedly committing fraud in Brazil?

Was her so-called crime allegedly breaking campaign finance laws during her election to Congress?

Was her so-called crime stealing from a roommate?

Was her so-called crime defrauding and outright lying to her constituents?

No, it was none of the above. These are crimes that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have no qualms in countenancing when it is politically expedient.

I ask again: What is the crime?

There are those who have been accused of and/or under investigation for participating in attacking our very democracy here on January 6, and they have been seated on committees.

Here we are with our first African-born Member of Congress, who has not been accused of the above crimes or any crime, and we are wasting taxpayer dollars debating her removal from her duly appointed position on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

I ask again, Mr. Speaker: What is her crime?

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose the removal of Congresswoman Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee and I begin by asking what is the crime?

You see this is a question that many in this country have been asking over the last week. What is the crime? Now many were referring to Tyre Nichols, but I am asking this question as it relates to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.

Was her so-called crime allegedly committing fraud in Brazil?

Was her so-called crime allegedly breaking campaign finance laws during her election to Congress?

Was her so-called crime stealing from a roommate?

Was her so-called crime defrauding and outright lying to her constituents?

NO. None of the above.

But these are crimes that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have no qualm in countenancing when it is politically expedient.

So again I ask, what is the crime?

There are those that have been accused of and or under investigation for participating in attacking our very democracy here on January 6th and they have been seated on committees.

So here we are with our first African-born Member of Congress who has not been accused of the above-crimes or any other crimes and we are wasting taxpayer dollars debating her removal from her duly appointed position on Foreign Affairs.

So I ask again--what is the crime?

I certainly hope my colleagues across the aisle will do more than claim the moral high road and actually take the moral high road and acknowledge the hypocrisy and do what is right. The country is tired of the consistent double standards.

Finally, while I am still unclear of what the alleged crime is, I sure hope Rep. Omar's so-called ``crime'' isn't the same asTyre's.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today gravely concerned about the passage of H.R. 21.

Texas' hardworking families sent me to Washington to represent them in good faith, and dozens of them fear the passage of this bill.

My constituents are working every single day to make ends meet and took time out of their day to share their fears of this bill becoming law.

Why?

Because this Republican bill will raise costs on working families across the country.

When Hurricane Gustav hit my home State of Texas, key energy supplies went offline, and we relied on the quick response from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to avoid catastrophe.

The SPR has been used countless times to keep the lights on during emergencies. H.R. 21 will make it impossible for our government to quickly respond to emergencies, leaving Americans abandoned in the dark when they are most in need.

After going a week without electing a Speaker, I think Congress should get its own House in order before trying to claim the powers of the President or interfere with the energy market.