Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize September 1 as Constitution Day of the Slovak Republic, commemorating the adoption of Slovakia's Constitution in 1992.

A constitution is more than a legal document. It is a people's decision to govern themselves under law and to place limits on the power of government.

That principle has a particular meaning in Slovakia. Following decades of Communist rule, the Slovak people helped build a free, democratic republic grounded in constitutional government and in the rule of law.

Today, Slovakia is a friend and NATO ally of the United States. Our Nations share strong ties in security, trade, energy, and diplomacy. Generations of Slovak Americans have made that friendship deeper still.

Mr. Speaker, on Constitution Day, I congratulate the Slovak people and celebrate the freedom, self-government, and enduring friendship that bind our two nations.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Nathan Matthews, a wildland firefighter who gave his life protecting western Colorado.

Nate was serving with the Rifle Helitack crew on June 28, 2026, when the Knowles Fire suddenly overtook his team during initial attack operations in Mesa County.

Three of his fellow firefighters--Emily Barker, Nick Hutcherson, and Sydney Watson--were killed that day.

Nate survived the burnover and fought for nearly a month, but on July 25, 2026, he succumbed to his injuries. He was 43 years old.

Wildland firefighters go toward danger when everyone else is trying to get away. Nate did that for people he had never met, in a community far from his own.

His courage, and the courage of those who served beside him, deserves our lasting gratitude.

May God bless Nate's family, his crew, and all who mourn him.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the La Plata County Humane Society as it celebrates 55 years of service to the animals and people of Southwest Colorado.

In 1971, a group of dedicated Coloradans in Durango set out to make sure that every animal in need had a place to go. More than five decades later, that mission is still very much alive.

The Humane Society remains the only open-admission shelter in Southwest Colorado--meaning they turn no animal away, regardless of age, condition, or circumstance. Last year alone, they cared for more than 3,700 animals, performed over 2,000 spay and neuter surgeries, and helped hundreds of families keep their pets during times of hardship.

They are also part of the La Plata County emergency management team, ready to shelter pets when disaster strikes, which is a role that matters deeply in a district that knows how devastating wildfires can be.

None of this happens without the staff, volunteers, foster families, and donors who have shown up year after year. They are the reason this organization has lasted 55 years, and the reason it will last 55 more.

I am proud to recognize the La Plata County Humane Society and everyone who has made it what it is.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Colorado Army National Guard aviators who saved a life on one of Colorado's most challenging peaks.

Earlier this year, a hiker was stranded on Crestone Peak, more than 14,000 feet above sea level. Flight for Life cannot reach that altitude. Ground crews could not reach this hiker. The mission fell to our Colorado Army National Guard aviators.

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Mike Antinora and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Josh Friederichs flew their Black Hawk helicopter at the limits of its capabilities, hovering at 14,380 feet, while Sergeant Noah Jordan and Staff Sergeant Jake Beehler worked the hoist, lowering 180 feet of cable to reach where no one else could.

They brought that hiker home safely.

This is what our National Guard does not just in combat overseas but here at home when no one else can answer the call.

I am proud to recognize Chief Warrant Officer Antinora, Chief Warrant Officer Friederichs, Sergeant Jordan, Staff Sergeant Beehler, and rescue technicians Gerrit Padgham and Steven Gosselin. Colorado is safer because of their service.

Recognizing C & J Cafe

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Juan Agredano and his family, owners of C & J Cafe in Delta, Colorado, a community institution that has served Western Slope families since the 1980s.

When I visited last month, I was welcomed the same way every customer is: like family. This is no accident. It is the culture that Juan; his wife, Robin; and their daughter, Jennifer, have built through decades of showing up for their community day after day.

C & J Cafe is the kind of place that doesn't just feed people. It brings them together.

Whether it is the legendary cinnamon rolls, said to be the largest in Delta County, or simply the warmth at the door, the Agredanos have made their restaurant a cornerstone of community life.

When the challenges of COVID threatened restaurants across the country, Juan and Jennifer kept showing up. They kept serving their neighbors, and their neighbors never forgot it.

I am proud to represent a district with families like the Agredanos whose hard work, generosity, and commitment strengthen the communities they call home.

Recognizing Grand Valley Power

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Grand Valley Power as it celebrates 90 years of keeping the lights on in Colorado's Third Congressional District.

In 1936, a small group of farmers in the Grand Valley could not get electricity. The costs were too high, and the power lines simply didn't reach that far. So, they did what western Coloradans do: They came together to solve the problem themselves.

Neighbor by neighbor, they built what became Colorado's first, and today its oldest, rural electric cooperative. Within a year, electricity reached 250 homes and farms for the very first time. What many Coloradans already took for granted transformed lives across Mesa County.

Today, Grand Valley Power serves more than 18,000 members across the county. It remains not for profit, member owned, and rooted in the same cooperative spirit that inspired its founders nine decades ago.

Ninety years is a testament not only to a successful electric cooperative but to the enduring power of neighbors working together to strengthen their communities.

I am proud to recognize Grand Valley Power and everyone who carried that mission forward.

Recognizing Dennis Webb

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dennis Webb, who is retiring after nearly 20 years of covering the environment and natural resources for the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.

Out West, public lands are not an abstraction. They shape how people work, ranch, hunt, and live. Dennis helped the people of the Western Slope understand the policies that shaped those lands, from water rights to grazing to wildfires and wildlife management.

His reporting earned the respect not only of readers across western Colorado but of legislators and officials in Denver as well as here in Washington, D.C.

Good journalism doesn't tell people what to think. It helps them understand the issues well enough to think for themselves. Dennis did that with clarity, fairness, and a deep understanding of the West.

Thoughtful local journalism is increasingly rare, and western Colorado is better because Dennis Webb devoted his career to getting the story right.

I wish Dennis a well-earned retirement, and I thank him for his service to readers on the Western Slope.

Recognizing Patrick Morrissey

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Patrick Morrissey, a Colorado Hall of Fame wrestler whose great achievement came long after the wrestling mat.

Patrick was a Colorado State champion and an All-American, but in 2019, at just 48 years old, he was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease. Rather than retreat, he leaned into the same determination that defined him as an athlete.

In June 2024, Patrick joined a four-man crew to row 2,800 miles across the Pacific Ocean, from California to Hawaii. For 41 days, he battled towering waves, relentless winds, and the daily challenges of Parkinson's before reaching the shores of Kauai.

Patrick became the first person with Parkinson's to row the mid- Pacific. Along the way, he and his teammates raised more than $41 million for Parkinson's research.

Patrick's story reminds us that courage is not measured by the obstacles that we face but by our determination to keep moving forward.

I am proud to represent Patrick Morrissey and his family, whose example has inspired countless others.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Nicholas Dale, who gave his life battling the Gold Mountain fire in southwestern Colorado.

On July 12, Nicholas was piloting a firefighting helicopter when his aircraft went down in Silver Jack Reservoir. He was 56 years old and had traveled from Sooke, British Columbia, to help protect a State that was not his own.

We owe an enormous debt to aerial firefighters like Nicholas. Mission after mission, they fly into smoke and over rugged terrain so ground crews can gain the upper hand and communities have a fighting chance.

Nicholas is the fourth firefighter to lose his life battling Colorado wildfires this past month. His death is a sobering reminder of the risks wildland firefighters and aviators face every time they take to the sky or fire line.

Mr. Speaker, few Coloradans will ever see their faces, but everyone benefits from their courage. We thank them sincerely.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the volunteer firefighters of Beulah, Colorado, for their extraordinary service during the Aspen Acres fire in Pueblo County.

When shifting winds drove the fire toward the town of Beulah, the town's 22-member volunteer fire department stood between the flames and their community. Several firefighters lost their own homes during this fire. Even so, they remained on the line, working to protect their neighbors and the town they call home.

That choice says more about their character than any words I could offer today. It reflects courage, duty, and the deeply rooted sense of community that defines Beulah and so much of Colorado's Third District.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize the Beulah Volunteer Fire Department and to thank every firefighter who chose service to others over personal loss.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor three brave wildland firefighters who gave their lives protecting the people of Colorado.

Last Friday, Emily Barker, Nick Hutcherson, and Sydney Watson were responding to the Knowles fire in western Colorado as members of the Rifle Helitack crew. They answered the call to protect others, and in doing so gave their lives.

Emily was from Clinton Township, Michigan. Nick was from Glendale, Arizona. Sydney was from Warrior, Alabama. They came from across our country to serve in Colorado on some of the most challenging terrain in the American West.

This is what wildland firefighters do. They go where the need is greatest: into the smoke, into the canyons, and into danger so our communities can remain safe.

Today we thank Emily, Nick, and Sydney not only for how they died, but for how they lived: with courage, selflessness, and a commitment to serving others.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to keep their families, crewmates, and every firefighter still on the line in our thoughts and prayers.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the first sponsor of H.R. 3300, a bill originally introduced by Representative LaMalfa of California, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5911, the Crystal Reservoir Conveyance Act.

I will begin by thanking committee staff, whose hard work helped move this legislation across the finish line.

At its core, this bill reflects a simple principle: Where there is strong local support, a clear public purpose, and appropriate safeguards, decisions should be made by the people closest to the resource.

That principle is, in fact, at the heart of this legislation.

H.R. 5911 would convey the Crystal Reservoir, Full Moon Dam and Ditch, and the surrounding land necessary for their operations to the city of Ouray, along with the associated water rights and infrastructure.

This request came from the city of Ouray itself. It is not a top-down proposal. It is a locally driven solution to a local problem.

For generations, Crystal Reservoir has served the community in multiple ways. It provides water for municipal use and agriculture. It supports recreation. It supports the city's hot springs, and it serves as an important resource for wildfire suppression in a region where that responsibility becomes more and more important each year.

In 2024, structural concerns at Full Moon Dam forced the United States Forest Service to drain the reservoir. Almost overnight, the community lost a resource it had relied upon for generations.

Today, the question before us is straightforward: Who is best positioned to restore, maintain, and manage this resource going forward?

The city of Ouray has answered that question. The city is prepared to assume full responsibility for repair, operation, maintenance, and liability.

The city is prepared to do the work. The city is prepared to bear the responsibility, and the city is prepared to make the long-term investments necessary to restore this important asset.

At the same time, this legislation protects the public interest. It preserves public access. It protects recreational opportunities. It prohibits commercial development. It includes a reversionary provision to ensure that the land continues to be used for its intended purpose, the land remains protected, and the public remains welcome.

The difference is that management moves closer to the people who depend on this resource every day.

This legislation is also good government. At a time when Federal land management agencies face substantial deferred maintenance backlogs, this bill relieves the Federal Government of future operational and maintenance obligations, while placing the resource in the hands of a willing and capable local partner.

In the West, we often say that water is life. This bill recognizes that reality. It respects local stewardship. It respects taxpayers, and it recognizes that communities willing to assume responsibility should be empowered to do so.

This is a story about local responsibility. The community is stepping forward to preserve an important resource, maintain public access, and ensure that future generations can continue to benefit from it.

Congress should support that effort. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 5911.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5631, the Geothermal Energy Advancement Act.

I begin by thanking my Republican colleagues Representatives Lee, Maloy, and Kennedy and my Democratic colleagues Representatives Ansari and Ocasio-Cortez for their partnership on this bipartisan legislation. At a time when Americans are often told Congress cannot work together across the aisle, this bill is proof that we still can.

Geothermal energy represents one of the most promising opportunities in America's energy future.

When we talk about geothermal energy in this bill, we are not talking about heating and cooling systems for individual buildings. We are talking about large-scale electricity generation from the heat miles beneath the Earth's surface, energy available around the clock and dispatched when the grid needs it.

It is American energy. It is always available. It strengthens grid reliability. It supplies reliable power for military installations, advanced manufacturing, and critical infrastructure. It can help meet growing energy demand without relying on foreign supply chains.

The good news is that the challenge facing geothermal energy today is not a lack of resources. It is not a lack of innovation. It is not technology. It is not lack of entrepreneurial spirit.

The challenge is process. It is red tape.

Geothermal projects can be complex and capital intensive. Now, this legislation does not solve every challenge facing the industry, but it addresses one of the challenges that Congress can solve: unnecessary delay, fragmented permitting, and regulatory uncertainty.

When projects spend years navigating regulatory uncertainty, these costs ultimately get built into the project. Greater certainty helps attract investment, accelerate deployment, and bring promising projects online more quickly.

Across the West, we have extraordinary geothermal potential, but permitting remains fragmented, timelines are uncertain, and expertise is often spread unevenly across the Federal Government.

As a result, projects face delays that serve no one's interests.

This legislation takes a practical approach to solving those problems. It improves coordination. It increases certainty. It streamlines permitting. It helps ensure that expertise is available where it is needed. It also provides the tools necessary to move worthy projects through the process more efficiently while maintaining responsible environmental stewardship. In short, this bill helps the system work the way Congress intended it to work.

America has tremendous geothermal potential, but we have a deployment problem. The good news, though, is we can solve it. If we are serious about American energy security, American competitiveness, and American innovation, we should remove unnecessary barriers that prevent us from developing the resources that we already possess.

The future will require more electricity, more reliability, more domestic energy production. Geothermal can help meet that challenge. This legislation helps unlock that potential.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Westerman for his invaluable help on this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5631.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today during National Police Week to recognize the heroic actions of Officer Tyler Cunningham of the Montrose Police Department.

While responding to a residential structure fire alongside fellow first responders, Officer Cunningham arrived to find the roof and back of the home fully engulfed in flames. After learning that a woman remained trapped inside, he quickly assessed the situation, forced entry through the front door, and entered the burning residence. Officer Cunningham was able to find the woman and carry her to safety, where EMS personnel were waiting on scene.

In moments of crisis, first responders are called upon to make split- second decisions under extraordinary pressure. Officer Cunningham's courage, quick judgment, and willingness to put himself in harm's way saved a life that day.

His actions reflect the professionalism, selflessness, and dedication displayed every day by law enforcement officers and first responders across Colorado's Third District.

I ask all of my colleagues to join me in thanking Officer Cunningham for his bravery and for his continued service to the people of Colorado.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Randy Black of Durango, Colorado, for his outstanding commitment and contributions to the people of Durango.

Chief Randy Black has devoted more than three decades to the safety and well-being of the Durango community. Beginning as a volunteer firefighter, he rose through the ranks to lead the department as Fire Chief of the Durango Fire Protection District.

Under Chief Black's guidance, the department has prioritized community engagement, ensuring that fire and emergency services remain visible, responsive, and closely connected to the people of Durango. In recognition of his continued commitment to community well-being and addiction prevention, Chief Black was recently honored with the Mothers for Awareness and Prevention of Drug Abuse Leadership Award.

On behalf of the Durango community, we extend our deepest thanks to Chief Randy Black for his compassionate work addressing addiction and overdose and for his commitment to protecting public health. His leadership has strengthened the safety and resilience of the community he so faithfully serves.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Bob Brammer of Durango, Colorado, for his exceptional dedication and service to the Durango community. Bob Brammer served with the Durango Police Department for 21 years, including six years as Chief of Police. During his tenure, he led initiatives to strengthen the department's ability to protect public health and safety--expanding crisis deescalation programs and improving access to emergency response kits in public buildings.

In 2024, Mr. Brammer was appointed Assistant City Manager by the Durango City Council, a testament to his leadership and enduring commitment to public service. Throughout his career, Bob Brammer has exemplified the values of integrity, compassion, and community engagement that make Durango such a special place to live. His efforts have not only improved public safety but also built lasting trust between law enforcement and the citizens they serve.

Mr. Brammer continues to serve with distinction, earning the Mothers for Awareness and Prevention of Drug Abuse Leadership Award for his tireless efforts to protect families and prevent drug abuse.

I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Mr. Brammer for his steadfast dedication and continued leadership in the Durango community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7342, the Made in America Jobs Act of 2026, which I am proud to lead with my colleague from Alabama, Congressman Shomari Figures.

This is a straightforward, practical bill. It ensures that Economic Development Administration funds can be used to support projects that help bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States, especially in communities that need them the most, all without creating new programs or increasing spending.

Now, manufacturing does not move one factory at a time. It moves in ecosystems. It requires roads, utilities, workforce, and sites that are ready for investment. Too often, rural communities have the land, the workforce, and certainly the work ethic, but they lose out because they don't have the infrastructure in place when an opportunity comes along. In western and

southern Colorado, I see that every day.

We have communities that can support things like agricultural processing facilities, equipment repair, and fabrication shops, small- scale energy manufacturing, and value-added production for the crops and resources that we already produce.

When a company looks at a site and sees that the water, sewer, or access roads aren't ready, the project goes somewhere else. That means fewer good-paying jobs, and it means more young people leaving our communities to find opportunity elsewhere.

This legislation helps fix that. It gives communities the tools to get sites ready, to compete for investment, and to keep more of that economic activity right here at home. It strengthens our industrial base, it supports rural economies, and it does it in a targeted and fiscally responsible way.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Graves and Congressman Figures as well as our staffs for their work on this bill. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 40th anniversary of the Business Incubator Center and its extraordinary impact on Mesa County and Colorado's western slope.

For four decades, the Business Incubator Center has been a driving force behind economic growth: supporting entrepreneurs, strengthening small businesses, and creating opportunities in communities across the region. Its work reflects the very best of local innovation and leadership.

The impact is clear. The Incubator has supported 33 percent of all businesses in Mesa County and has helped create more than 14,000 jobs. These are not just numbers, they are families supported, livelihoods sustained, and stronger communities.

Through mentorship, resources, and a commitment to helping others succeed, the Business Incubator Center has empowered generations of businessowners to build something meaningful and lasting in western Colorado.

I congratulate the Business Incubator Center on 40 years of success and in recognizing its lasting impact on the people and communities it serves.