Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, this resolution simply condemns socialism and anti-American ideas of the DSA. It is a simple up-or-down vote: Where do you stand on the anti-American platform of the DSA?

Mr. Speaker, 10 to 15 years ago, we wouldn't even have to ask this question. A resolution like this would have passed 10 or 15 years ago 435-0.

The Rules debate from yesterday showed that some of my friends think that this is pointless. Now, these are the same people who shut down government and didn't want to pay soldiers and employees for months on end, and we are being lectured about this being pointless? What was that?

However, what we are seeing in elections across the country paint a different picture. The Democratic Socialists of America was a fringe movement a decade ago. Now, they are growing within the Democratic ranks, winning primaries, and threatening the foundation of what makes this country the greatest on Earth.

Mr. Speaker, I can help my friends if they aren't sure how to vote on something as simple as this. Let me remind every Member of this Chamber: You took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. The DSA uses intimidation to shut down free speech.

This is unconstitutional, and it is anti-American. The DSA's candidates' platforms stand in direct contrast to our Republic. They are in favor of getting rid of the United States Senate, open borders, defunding the police, and allowing noncitizens to vote in Federal elections. Those aren't consistent with our Constitution.

DSA is an insidious movement within the Democratic Party. Let's be clear. They aren't running as Republicans. They are Democrats. There is no Republican Socialists of America.

Mr. Speaker, we know where these ideas lead to: Less freedom, less liberty, less money in your pockets, more government, more taxes, and more control. These are ideas in governments that many have fled to come to the United States of America. They came here to seek freedom, opportunity, and self-government. These are things that we have sworn to protect in this body.

This is no longer a fringe movement. They want to take over this country and upend our democracy and our voting laws. DSA-affiliated candidates are increasingly running for office across this country, and we are seeing what happens when they win.

Democrats and DSA don't want Americans to show their IDs at the polls, so noncitizens can vote them into power. However, as soon as they are elected, they turn around and ask for your ID to enter a government-run grocery store.

If we believe American elections belong to Americans and the American people, then we should have no problem saying so clearly. We should say so by adopting this resolution as a unified body because if we don't, we let this fester uncondemned.

If we fail to pass this resolution and we continue to not pass the SAVE America Act to ensure secure and fair elections, they will exploit our democracy. They will mislead the public into putting them into positions of power and erode all sense of individual liberty.

Freedom-loving Americans can escape New York City, but if DSA continues to run candidates and beat Democrats in Federal primaries, Americans will be the ones fleeing from their own country to escape socialist and communist ideologies.

Where can they go if they can't be here in America?

I encourage my colleagues to stand firm against the ideas coming out of the Democratic Socialists of America.

Families are worried about the cost of living. I understand that. However, like doctors, who take the Hippocratic oath, above all else, do no harm. Socialism is harm. Socialism doesn't lower costs. It doesn't bring prosperity.

Free markets and capitalism lift people out of poverty. Embracing freedom and liberty brings prosperity for people. These are the values that have guided this country for 250 years, and this body needs to ensure that it remains our guiding light.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my friends to support this resolution and vote ``yes.'' It is really not that hard.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, I rise today to offer my amendment to return common sense to decisions surrounding a member of the United States Armed Forces' constitutional rights.

Since 2015, our men and women in uniform have required approval from their base commander to carry a personal firearm on that installation.

Let's be clear: Constitutional rights are the baseline for all Americans, guaranteed to all Americans, and can only be restricted in thoughtful and specific decisions.

The Department's policy for the last 10 years has instead approached the Second Amendment from a no-first perspective, requiring our servicemembers to seek government approval to exercise their Second Amendment right. That is not how the Constitution works.

Madam Chair, I find it hard to reconcile the idea that it is these same men and women who use firearms every single day in training and in defending our country who are being denied access to their personal property.

Our servicemembers are extensively trained in firearms safety and in best practices. Yet, the Department treated them as blanket security risks.

I am grateful to the Secretary of War for taking recent action to ensure that applications for conceal carry on Department property are reviewed with a presumption of approval, returning these decisions to a commonsense yes-first perspective.

My amendment codifies this presumption to ensure that we are protecting the rights of our troops and adds a layer of accountability, requiring the Department to tell a servicemember why their application was rejected.

My amendment is straightforward: It preserves a base commander's ability to protect their installation and to deny the right to conceal carry. It restores the universal applicability of constitutional rights, especially to those men and women who serve us every day, and it increases transparency in those decisions.

Madam Chair, I thank Chairman Rogers for his support and his assistance in this effort. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I appreciate my colleague's concern. It is always interesting that there are some who put all of these stipulations on the rights of firearm owners, on the Second Amendment.

I always wondered to myself what would happen if we put those same restrictions on the First Amendment, if they had to get approval from the base commander before they exercise their First Amendment right, if they had to get approval from the base commander before they went to church and their First Amendment right to worship God as they see fit. I wonder how some of my colleagues might think of that, Madam Chair.

This is a commonsense approach. These are the men and women who use firearms every single day to defend our rights, our First Amendment rights, our Second Amendment rights, and all of our constitutional rights guaranteed to us in the Bill of Rights. That is who we are talking about.

If we can't trust them to be responsible gun owners, then who in the world can we trust?

Madam Chair, my colleague talked about that a military installation is a place where there are homes. Does a soldier have a right to defend their family in their own home?

These would seem to me to be basic rights, and I guarantee that to the Founders of our Constitution, this is an absolute basic right.

Could you imagine our Founders looking at us today deciding whether the men and women of the militia, the people who carry and use firearms every day to defend us, whether or not they are capable, whether or not government can grant them the right to carry a firearm and defend themselves?

Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the loss of Sergeant Devin A. Seibel, assigned to the Air Ambulance Company, Second Battalion, Fourth Combat Aviation Brigade, at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Devin was a dedicated soldier who was deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, an American-led coalition working to prevent a resurgence of ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

On May 31, Devin, at only 26 years young, tragically passed away during a training-related incident on Erbil Air Base in Iraq. His sacrifice is not only a reminder of the price of peace but also the unwavering dedication to our freedoms.

He leaves behind his loving wife, his stepfather, parents, and brothers, whom we will be praying for.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in remembering Sergeant Devin Seibel and his service to our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and celebrate a distinguished member of the United States Air Force, Brigadier General Sarah Russ, on her retirement after 30-plus years of military service.

Sarah began her public service career in 1994 as a distinguished graduate of the Officer Training School. In 2004, she transitioned to the Air Force Reserve and has served as an Air Attache at three U.S. Embassies in the Indo-Pacific region. General Russ has also spent a significant amount of her career stationed in Colorado Springs, including as an Assistant Professor at the Air Force Academy. Sarah would go on to serve more than 10 years here, with multiple assignments to NORAD/NORTHCOM and became an instrumental part in establishing U.S. Space Command as a member of the initial cadre of Battle Watch Commanders.

In addition to her commendable military career, Sarah is remembered by her colleagues in the Air Force as an invaluable mentor. Her selflessness, willingness to give back, and dedication to our local community only add to her distinguished service record.

Today, I stand to not only honor but thank Brigadier General Sarah Russ for her selfless service to our great Nation, and I wish her nothing but the best in her transition to civilian life.

Mr. Speaker, this Memorial Day, I rise to remember and honor our brave servicemen and servicewomen who made the ultimate sacrifice answering the call to defend our great Nation.

Whether it is the men and women who helped us gain our independence from the British throne in the Revolutionary War or the men and women who fought bravely against Japanese imperialism, we owe all of these men and women a debt of gratitude.

I hope that we in this Chamber rise to the occasion and that we continue this tradition of this country recognizing and honoring the memory of those who gave their lives so that we could have this liberty and freedom that God entrusted to us in this Nation.

Just this year, we lost a young soul who was stationed in my district, a

gentleman from Kentucky, Staff Sergeant Benjamin Pennington. He gave his life in service to our country.

Ben courageously answered the call to protect us from those who sought to do us harm, and his sacrifice is a grave and sobering reminder of the dangers that our men and women in uniform face across the globe each and every day.

Just like our police officers and our first responders, they walk out the door to deploy, sometimes a very long deployment, sometimes 9 months, 11 months, and they don't know if that is the last time they will see their spouse or their daughter or their son. We must remember this sacrifice.

Servicemembers like Benjamin remind us that Memorial Day is not only a day to mourn our fallen but a deeply personal day for our military families and for our loved ones who bear the everlasting burden. It is not about barbecues. It is about remembering those who gave their lives.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in thanking and honoring those who have served our great Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished chairman for yielding to me.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act. I am proud to represent El Paso County and the 100,000 veterans and Active-Duty servicemembers who live there. These heroes committed their lives in service to the Nation and in protection of our Constitution. They served with the promise that when their military career ended, the VA would be there to provide the benefits they earned and to advocate for their best interests. Unfortunately, as we all know, too often, the VA fails in this mission.

For 30 years, veterans have had their Second Amendment rights stripped by the VA simply for the crime of receiving help managing their benefits. For the past three decades, if the VA assigned a veteran a fiduciary, a benefit they have rightfully earned, they would automatically report that veteran to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System as a prohibited person.

This unconstitutional practice blacklisted over a quarter million veterans from the right to purchase or possess a firearm. This malicious VA rule treats our veterans as second-class citizens and deters our heroes from seeking the care they earned in service to their Nation out of fear their Second Amendment rights will be taken away.

What would my colleagues on the other side, who so flippantly say veterans can be denied their Second Amendment rights, what would they say if we were somehow denying their First Amendment rights: their right to free speech, their right to religion, or their right to peaceably assemble? They wouldn't stand for it.

They will only stand for it because it denies a right that they disagree with. That is not what the Constitution is about.

I thank Chairman Bost for introducing this important legislation and to finally bring an end to this practice. I was proud to cosponsor it.

I am thankful that the Trump administration has already acted to right this wrong through agency directive.

Mr. Speaker, I rise before you with both humility and gratitude to honor the fallen law enforcement officers from the Pikes Peak Region on Peace Officers Memorial Day, which falls on May 15. I ask all of us to pause and remember the incredible courage these men and women demonstrated in service to others. They wore the badge with honor. They answered the call without hesitation, and they made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the communities they loved.

I also want to recognize the families and the loved ones left behind. To the spouses, children, parents, and friends: Your sacrifice did not end on the day we lost them. I want them to know that their service, their character and legacy live on in this community and in the hearts of those who served beside them.

To our brothers and sisters in blue who continue to serve every day, I know they carry the memory of these fallen heroes with them on every single shift.

Mr. Speaker, join me in remembering the fallen and honoring their families.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to celebrate the Navy JROTC Program at Doherty High School of Colorado Springs for their academic rigor and dedication to preserving our rich naval history.

NJROTC commander Captain Greg Thomas started to collect historic naval vessel plaques years ago, obtaining most of these plaques through online sellers. Now, with the collection boasting over 315 plaques and still growing, it has become the largest collection of naval plaques in the country.

Doherty High School has supported Captain Thomas' passion for naval history and pride by mounting the plaques along The Wall of Honor in the JROTC academic hallway. This hallway, alongside the Hall of Honor Murals, serves as a daily reminder of the prestige, honor, and sacrifice of our seamen who have bravely fought to defend our freedoms since 1775.

Doherty High School stands as a beacon of the courage and grit exemplified by our naval service members as they protect and patrol the waters, projecting power and strength across the globe.

Today, I stand to honor and thank Captain Greg Thomas and the cadets of the Doherty High School NJROTC program for preserving and honoring the history of our great United States Navy.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Alabama, and I thank my colleague from Colorado (Mr. Evans) for sponsoring this bill.

Colorado, my home State, is facing years of severe drought. Last year, Colorado saw one of the worst wildfire seasons since 2020, with more than 200,000 acres burned statewide.

This past winter didn't deliver the snowpack that Colorado relies on to help tamp down that wildfire risk. As many Coloradans already expect, this year could be even worse.

At the same time, wildfire mitigation has not been carried out at the pace or scale needed to reduce the risk of catastrophic fires. Across the West, wildfires are becoming more intense. They are destroying homes and businesses, damaging soil and watersheds, and making it harder for the land to recover.

Of course, they produce more emissions, and that creates a real problem for States like Colorado that are struggling to maintain compliance with the Federal air quality standards.

Along the Front Range, ozone levels already exceed Federal limits, and wildfire smoke has contributed to some of the highest ozone days on record. Yet, the EPA's current process for handling wildfire emissions does not provide States with enough certainty to secure exemptions for these so-called exceptional events.

In fact, some of Colorado's highest ozone readings have been driven by wildfire emissions, pollution that is entirely outside the State's control. If those wildfire days were excluded in 2024, Colorado's highest ozone reading would have been 73 parts per billion instead of 88, well within the Federal standard of 75.

Without these exemptions, States and local communities are forced to bear the consequences of nonattainment, whether that means new regulatory burdens, higher costs for consumers, or barriers for businesses trying to operate and grow.

It also makes it harder to carry out the very actions that would reduce wildfire risk in the first place. Prescribed burns, one of the most effective tools we have, become more difficult because their emissions count against compliance.

Research from Stanford University shows that prescribed burns can reduce wildfire severity by 16 percent and net smoke pollution by an average of 14 percent. That is backward.

I am proud to cosponsor the FIRE Act, led by my colleague, Gabe Evans, which brings much-needed clarity to how the Clean Air Act treats wildfire emissions and ensures that States aren't penalized for taking proactive steps to reduce risk. We should not have environmental policies that lead to worse environmental outcomes.

Right now, by discouraging prescribed burns, we are making it harder for States like Colorado to do proper fire mitigation. We are contributing to more emissions, not less, and that just doesn't make sense.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his leadership on this issue,

and I urge my colleagues to support the FIRE Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join the nation in mourning the loss of Sergeant Benjamin N. Pennington, assigned to the 1st Battalion, 1st Space Brigade in my district at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs.

A Kentucky native, Benjamin had the drive to serve instilled in him from a young age. Even as a kid, he knew he wanted to be an American soldier. Here beside me is one of his drawings he made in kindergarten where he wrote: ``I love America because I want to fight for my country,'' at 5 years old. He would even spend all day outside playing Army man with his friends and with his neighbors, dreaming of the day he would be able to wear a uniform. He enjoyed watching the Military Channel and reading books about the military. Even his childhood bedroom was decorated with Army prints and military planes hanging from the ceiling.

As a teenager, Benjamin enjoyed playing sports, but he dedicated most of his time to Boy Scouts, later proving his dedication to serving by achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

In growing up, many of his teachers recognized all the qualities of an American hero. With his determination, his compassion, and his natural charismatic demeanor, no act of service was ever too small.

In 2017, at age 18, just one month after graduating high school and his Eagle Scout ceremony, Benjamin enlisted in the United States Army as a supply unit specialist, where he quickly earned the trust of his colleagues and senior officials.

He spent much of his career stationed at Fort Polk in Louisiana, and he served a tour in Korea before ultimately being stationed at Fort Carson. While there, Benjamin fell in love with the beauty of the nature and the mountains of Colorado Springs. It was there that he also found the comfort of home in church, giving his life to Christ through baptism in January of this year.

While talking to Benjamin's father, Tim, a great man, he told me that Benjamin enjoyed going to Major League Baseball games and had the goal to see a game at every MLB stadium.

Benjamin was deployed in support of Operation Epic Fury, answering the call to defend our freedoms from those who sought to harm our country. Tragically, on March 8, Benjamin was only 26 years young when he gave the ultimate sacrifice, succumbing to his injuries during an enemy attack at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. His sacrifice is a grave and sobering reminder of the dangers our men and women in uniform face in the Middle East and across the globe to defend our Nation and our freedoms.

During Benjamin's time in service, he earned many honors, including the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Army Commendation Medal. In recognition of his true bravery and his true sacrifice, the United States Army has announced that he will be posthumously promoted to the rank of staff sergeant, an enduring testament to the courage and sacrifice to our Nation that will not be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in honoring Sergeant Pennington's noble sacrifice.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 67 lives that were lost on the tragic flight last year on American Airlines Flight 5342. Amongst the 67 lives lost, 28 of them were members of the U.S. Figure skating community, many of them calling my district of Colorado Springs their training ground. These skaters were some of the brightest in their sport, returning from the U.S. Championships and National Development Team Camp in Wichita, Kansas.

They had spent nearly a week with their training mates on the National Development Team, training mates who had built a bond, many over several years, a bond that was extremely close due to the nature of their training. When they said goodbye, they said goodbye knowing that they would soon all meet again in Colorado Springs for another training opportunity.

The United States and the international skating community had suffered a great loss, and the surviving members of the United States skating community had suffered a great trauma.

When the news of Flight 5342 broke, the skaters on the National Development Team knew exactly who was on that flight. They sent countless group messages begging for responses, but all their responses went unanswered. A tertiary trauma to that of the incident and the survivor's guilt many of them hold.

On that flight were Alydia Livingston, Olivia Eve Ter, Everly Livingston, Brielle Beyer, Jinna Han, Cory Haynos, Edward Zhou, Angela Yang, Lily Li, Sean Kay, Spencer Lane, Alexandr Kirsanov, Vadim Naumov, Evgenia Shiskova, Inna Volyanskaya, Peter and Donna Livingston, Luciano Aparicio, Franco Aparicio, Justyna Magdalena Beyer, Jin Hee Han, Roger Haynos, Stephanie Haynos, Julia Kay, Christine Lane, Olesya Taylor, Kaiyan Mao, and Yu Zhou, all members of the U.S. Figure Skating community.

They were the United States' world-class coaches, dedicated loving parents, and the next generation of elite Olympian athletes, who we will never forget. I thank Candence Floyd for being a shining light in a moment of tragedy and for helping honor her lost teammates.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in praying for the families and friends of all these lives lost during this tragic flight.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor and celebrate thirty years of ministry and community impact of Springs Rescue Mission in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Springs Rescue Mission has become a pillar of the Pike's Peak region, not only by caring for the homeless but as a model of local business, government, healthcare, and faith-based collaboration, for the good of the community.

In a short thirty years, Springs Rescue Mission has become an expansive homeless resource campus--a Community of Hope for the most vulnerable men and women of Colorado Springs. With 450 beds, the Mission is now the largest homeless shelter in the region. The Resource Center offers case management and other essential services to help those in need to regain their health, return to work, and find permanent housing. Every day, hundreds of neighbors in need come to the Mission for a filling meal, a hot shower, a warm bed, and compassionate care. Just next door, 65 chronically homeless people have found a home at Greenway Flats. And in the middle of it all, a new 200-seat Samaritan's Kitchen recently opened its doors to our community.

Jesus' words in Matthew 25:34-40 have been the underlying inspiration for the staff, volunteers, board, and donors to the Springs Rescue Mission,

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, `Come,

you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for

you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and

you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was

a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed

Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you

came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, saying,

`Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty

and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take

You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick,

or in prison, and come to You?' And the King will answer and

say to them, `Assuredly, I say to you, in as much as you did

it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to

Me.'

Springs Rescue Mission has been champions for those trapped in homelessness, addiction, and poverty, and they have been models of collaboration and partnership across every walk of life to ensure people receive the care they need. For the many friends and neighbors of Colorado Springs, receiving support from Springs Rescue Mission is far more than shelter or food; it is about belonging in a place that accepts everyone and anyone, thanks to the leadership of Travis Williams, all the team members, and the many volunteers who dedicate their time and effort simply to giving back.

Today, I stand to honor and thank all of those associated with the Springs Rescue Mission for blessing Colorado's 5th Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a true gem of the Colorado Springs region, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, otherwise known around the world as the Race to the Clouds.

Founded by entrepreneur and philanthropist Spencer Penrose over 100 years ago, it has grown exponentially since its beginning.

Being the second-oldest auto race in America and one of the most iconic motorsports events, many racing legends have pushed the limits of their automobiles to take on the hill climb. The course includes 156 turns to the top of America's Mountain and a finishing elevation of 14,115 feet above sea level.

Even today, it draws competitors, media, and fans from around the world, highlighting Colorado Springs as a premier destination for outdoor recreation, innovation, and international sport.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in celebrating 104 years of remarkable tradition at Pikes Peak.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, America often faces difficult moments and difficult choices. Presidents are no different. They oftentimes have to face difficult decisions, and I hope that Members of this body will think about their vote as they decide whether to support the President in this effort or not and apply the same standard.

I have always thought to try and apply the same standard, whether the President belongs to the Republican Party or the Democratic Party, apply the same standard.

I rise today in support of President Trump's action against Iran. The Iranian regime has been threatening America for nearly 50 years. It has killed countless American citizens, and it has brutally killed our servicemembers.

I had a gentleman in my district come up to me the other day. This was before the President took action, and he said: We must take action. He said: I have lost 20 of my friends to the Iranians, to their terror throughout the years. He had served 24 years in the United States Army.

In years prior, we have had Presidents use strikes against our enemies and have done it without congressional approval because the Constitution does a couple of things. In Article I, it gives Congress the power to declare war, but in Article II, it gives the President the power to be the Commander in Chief. Our Founders intentionally made it inherently contradict in that way.

They wanted to diffuse power. They didn't want to give all the power to Congress, and they didn't want to give all the power to the President of the United States, so they intentionally did that. Presidents throughout time have used that.

Thomas Jefferson in the First Barbary War did not come to Congress. He deployed troops in the Barbary War. The War of 1812, the same thing was done, although Congress did come back and authorize and declare war. It wasn't done at first.

We have had Presidents use these strikes against our enemies without

congressional approval in modern times, like President Obama in Libya or President Clinton in Kosovo. Yet, for some reason, the other side of the aisle wants to make a political statement on this particular issue because of who the President is.

Mr. Speaker, that is not a standard any of us should apply. I would hope, as a legislator--I wasn't here when Bill Clinton was President. I wasn't here when Barack Obama was President. I can say that I had a public life then. I didn't go out and attack the President of the United States at that time.

I am here to support the men and women of the military and the Presidents who have to make tough decisions from time to time. For some reason, on the other side of the aisle, many want to make a political statement rather than just let the President use his legal authority as Commander in Chief, as stated in the Constitution.

Both Republican and Democratic Presidents have attempted to negotiate deals with this Iranian regime, only to be met with lies and deception. We have seen it time and time again.

Mr. Speaker, I want to be clear. If President Trump had not acted, every American life in the region would have been in immediate peril.

The President and his administration have set clear goals. What are they? They are to annihilate their nuclear capabilities, to annihilate their Navy, and to annihilate their missile and delivery capability. This will save the globe from Iran's regime of terror.

Time and time again, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have claimed that any military action will draw us into a long-term war. They say it is going to happen. Just a few short months ago in Venezuela, we had folks who said: Well, why didn't the President come to Congress and have us declare war?

Did we declare war on Venezuela? No. Are we at war with Venezuela? No. It was a 1-day action that the President has the authority to undertake as Commander in Chief of the United States military.

It didn't happen in Venezuela. They told us that the President will draw us into a long-term conflict. It didn't happen in Operation Midnight Hammer when the President ordered B-2 bombers to deliver strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. It is not going to happen now.

President Trump made every effort to find a peaceful and negotiated solution to this crisis. Ayatollah Khamenei only sought death to America. He had no intention of negotiating.

In fact, for 47 years, this regime has simply used deception, lies, and deals to kick the can down the road so that they could pursue their nuclear ambitions. They were never giving up on that. They didn't give up on it after Operation Midnight Hammer and not until this regime has ended.

Due to Khamenei's death, I believe the United States has avoided a prolonged conflict that would have killed many Americans. I find some of the comments by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle outlandish, and I hope that they will choose.

So many say they support the nation of Israel. So many can stand up and say they support our men and women in the military. It is time to choose. Will they choose to defend our Nation first instead of their political games directed at a President? If they choose political games directed at a President, when this President is gone, they will have damaged the institution of the Presidency. They will have damaged the honor of this House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Grace Baptist Church and Pastor Matt Miller for 50 years of Gospel service in Colorado's Fifth Congressional District.

Founded by Dr. Dean Miller's family in 1976 as Cornerstone Baptist Church, for 50 years this congregation has ministered the hope of the Gospel.

They have provided Christian education, and they have equipped Christians for ministry. They have also trained the next generation of Bible preachers.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in congratulating Pastor Miller and all who have been there as congregants. Well done to all of the faithful servants at Grace Baptist Church.