Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on my bill designating the United States Postal Service facility located at 1225 Kempsville Road in Virginia Beach as the Colonel Edward Shames Post Office Building.

Colonel Shames was a proud Virginian and a member of Easy Company, 101st Airborne Division, notably featured in the hit HBO documentary ``Band of Brothers.'' He parachuted into Normandy on D-Day, fought through Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge, and led under fire in some of the most consequential battles of World War II. For his courage and sacrifice, he was awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.

After the war, Colonel Shames continued serving our Nation, eventually retiring as a colonel, and later made Virginia Beach his home, where he became a dedicated community member and a tireless advocate for veterans.

As the last surviving officer of Easy Company, Colonel Shames represented the very best of the Greatest Generation. Naming this post office in his honor ensures his legacy of service, leadership, and patriotism will endure for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following remarks submitted at the request of a Virginia Beach constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman of Temple Lev Tikvah, which reflect his views:

Dr. Marc Saperstein, distinguished author, rabbi, scholar

and professor, taught at Harvard University (where he earned

his doctorate), Washington University, George Washington

University, and was principal of Leo Baeck College in London,

England. Marc's late father, Rabbi Harold Saperstein, served

Temple Emanu-El of Lynbrook, New York, from 1933 to 1980. He

responded to Nazism early on in 1934 with his sermon, ``Call

to Battle.'' Marc's brother Rabbi David Saperstein was the

illustrious Director of Reform Judaism's Religious Action

Center, as well as the American Ambassador at large for

International Religious Freedom. Dr. Saperstein's exhaustive

and impressive tome (Agony in the Pulpit: Jewish Preaching in

Response to Nazi Persecution and Mass Murder from 1933 to

1945) appealed to my searching and critical eye as a family

member of the Holocaust's surviving remnant of European

Jewry.

Saperstein states, ``My book is a rebuttal to the

accusation that American Jews in general, and their rabbinic

leaders, in particular, remained silent; that they failed to

speak out on behalf of the suffering Jews of Europe and were

unresponsive to their pleas. It is also a rebuttal to the

further accusation that if they had only spoken out, `the

slaughterer would not have succeeded in his task' ''.

Indeed, it does offer a measure of consolation that

American rabbis representing American Jewry as spiritual

leaders did not keep silent, raising their agonizing voices

when their European brethren were being slaughtered on mass

in ``civilized'' Christian Europe. Not to have spoken would

have constituted not only a sin of omission but also one of

commission. However, what remains disturbing and perhaps

sinful if not unpardonable, is that the well-intentioned

pulpit messages of swelling pain could not stop the vast

tragedy from unfolding into the destruction of no less than

two thirds of European Jewry and one third of world Jewry.

America, however, was silent to our bitter cry for help,

which was denied and delayed, rendering it mere words blowing

in the wind as if unspoken. We, who have elevated language to

divine heights, discovered that Hitler's hateful rhetoric

proved more persuasive. The voluminous pulpit sermons serve

to glaringly highlight the inability to translate them into

concrete action to save fellow Jews, so many, and they relied

on us. The failure of rabbinic preaching in the absence of a

corresponding successful political campaign to arouse

American leaders and particularly FDR toward redemptive

action as our people went up in smoke, cannot be eradicated

from our collective consciousness and guilty conscience, nor

from American colossal failure to stand by basic morality

when assailed by barbaric forces aimed at subverting and

uprooting the Judeo-Christian heritage of shared humane

values that Nazism declared, with good reason, adversarial to

Hitler's new ``Chosen People'' and ``Aryan Commandments.''

Rabbi Stephen S. Wise's lobbying efforts before FDR, his

trusted ``friend'', and some organized mass rallies and

appeals proved futile even as the Allies were aware of the

``Final Solution'' being actualized. While American anti-

Semitism, anti-immigration/refugees and isolationism reigned

and presented FDR with tough challenges, he failed to assert

Presidential moral leadership allowing us to undergo a

crippling genocide, threatening the future Jewish potential

and even survivability. No less than a million and a half

Jewish children perished in the Shoah. The SS St. Louis with

its human cargo of mostly 937 Jewish passengers, including

children, sailing from Hamburg, Germany, was turned away and

back from these shores in May 1939 with disastrous

consequences.

The State Department rejected an opportunity to save 1,000

children, arguing that they would become Jewish adults.

Bombing the railroads leading to Auschwitz was deemed by FDR

a diversion from fighting Nazi Germany even while the Allies,

including American planes, were bombing chemical

installations nearby. Davis S. Wyman's monumental classic,

``The Abandonment of the Jews,'' (what an apt and shaking

title) is a must-read. The New York Times, under Jewish

ownership, buried Holocaust events in its back pages. There

is a sense of a high conspiracy early on if not to deny the

Holocaust, to diminish it.

Saperstein's book corresponds with the world-wide dangerous

resurgence of anti-Semitism's alarming specter. It has opened

a much-appreciated window to revisiting the costly

shortcomings of response, Jewish verbal and American

political, in our darkest times, along with hopefully, though

not guaranteed, learning from them. The late incomparable

Elie Wiesel wrote of his profound disappointment, along with

other survivors, that the world failed to learn from the

Holocaust given the genocides that followed. The organized

American Jewish community is far more effective than it was

before WWII, though there are even now limits to its power

and influence, always begrudged and enlarged by our

detractors. Dare we remember that in 2017 in Charlottesville,

Virginia, white supremacists marched Nazi-like without

bothering to cover their heads with hoods, shouting, ``Jews

will not replace us.'' Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue

was the scene in 2018 of the worst crime against Jews

committed on American soil with 11 Jewish worshipers murdered

on Shabbat. The Gaza War following the October 7, 2023,

ghastly Hamas attack triggered antisemitism on American

campuses. The massacre at Bondi Beach, Australia, during the

Festival of Chanukah, painfully attests that no place

anywhere is safe.

The dreadful ``Auschwitz'' does not shockingly resonate to

an American public's large segment only seventy some years

following such grave historical events, despite multiple

Holocaust Museums. Holocaust education and world history are

essential tools in the never-ending struggle against

forgetfulness, ignorance, and prejudice with new genocides

rising, each unique and the same. Democracy, any democracy,

is but a fragile institution as we witnessed, and its

essential safeguards are demanding. The State of Israel, the

world's only sovereign Jewish country, built on the

Holocaust's ashes, has become a target for those attacking us

when powerless and now resenting a measure of Jewish

defensive power that we were so tragically lacking when

abandoned by the world.

Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman is founder and spiritual leader

of Temple Lev Tikvah as well as Honorary Senior Rabbi Scholar

at Eastern Shore Chapel Episcopal Church, both in Virginia

Beach. His Polish family lost hundreds of members during the

Holocaust. He spent his early childhood among Jewish refugees

in Kazakhstan, where he was born in 1945, Poland, Austria and

Germany before moving to Israel in 1949.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record remarks submitted at the request of a Virginia Beach constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman of Temple Lev Tikvah, and are a reflection of his views:

I found refuge every morning hiding

Under my grandpa's inviting, embracing Tallit

Of black and white woven of the tapestry

Of a survivor's spared life,

A wondrous cloth, never abandoned nor lost,

He managed to safeguard on the run

Twice from Poland, in Siberian exile and Kazakhstan,

Stained by flowing tears,

The beauty marks of refugees,

An added layer of essential warmth

Which sustained a ravaged body and tested soul,

Wrapping me, his other saved possession,

In a magical garb whose sacred fringes I playfully

unraveled,

Ever since attempting together tie what

Torn away is forever gone.

The youngest member at the Shoah (Holocaust) survivors'

Minyan (quorum) in Germany's Wetzlar Displaced Persons

Camp,

I hear louder and louder in the dark

With elapsed some eighty years,

The adults' heartfelt davening (praying) with painful

groaning

Of weighing memories while searching for the light,

Gratefully feeling still the loving hands faithfully

Placed on my curly head by proud Grandpa Zvi,

Son of martyred Rabbi Yaacov and Dena of Zamosc,

With radiant grandma Rachel smilingly approving,

Reassuring their first grandchild,

A refugee like Father Abraham and Mother Sara,

Whose birth was surely a divine sign of a threatened

Covenant renewed, to protect me always with a Tallit

Of reaffirmed life even if God's blessing would not.

Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman is the founder and spiritual

leader of Temple Lev Tikvah as well as Honorary Senior Rabbi

Scholar at Eastern Shore Chapel, both in Virginia Beach.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my bill, the Care for Military Kids Act, that was included in the appropriations package for 2026 that just passed the House.

As a proud Representative of Virginia's Second Congressional District, home to one of the largest Active-Duty military populations in the United States, advocating for those who serve our country and their families is one of my top priorities.

Unlike civilian families, military families often need to move every 2 to 3 years, not by choice but by obligation.

When relocated to another State, servicemembers uproot their whole lives to answer the call to serve and their families often sacrifice a great deal.

For servicemembers who have dependents with disabilities, the sacrifice can greatly impact their livelihood. Unfortunately, with every move, dependent children must re-enter entirely new State health systems with new Medicaid rules, new waiver programs, new provider networks, and long wait lists.

The Care for Military Kids Act would ensure that any dependent of an Active-Duty servicemember - currently receiving long-term care services through a State administered Medicaid plan, will remain eligible should their family be stationed outside the State, ensuring our servicemembers do not have to choose between serving their country and getting their children the critical care they need.

Mr. Speaker, I was grateful that this important piece of legislation was included in the appropriations package for 2026.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the National Certified Dietary Manager (CDM), Certified Food Protection Professionals (CFPP) Day, which this year fell on Friday, November 28, 2025.

This day is meant to honor the contributions these professionals have made in the foodservice management profession and their vital role in America's healthcare industry and particularly long-term care.

Foodborne illness is a health threat to all Americans, but seniors are most at risk as they are more susceptible to the adverse health effects from foodborne-induced gastroenteritis. The CDM, CFPP credential raises the standard of care in Skilled Nursing Facilities and establishes a more clearly defined career path for those who choose to serve in long-term care.

As a geriatric nurse practitioner, I have seen firsthand how dedicated professionals with the CDM, CFPP credential positively affect health outcomes. They are responsible for managing nutrition and foodservice operations, and are trained and qualified to administer menus, food purchasing and preparation, and to apply nutrition principles, among many other essential tasks.

I would also like to recognize the Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals (ANFP) for its efforts to designate November 28 as National CDM, CFPP Day. Over 90 percent of ANFP's 13,000 members work in healthcare and most of those are in long-term care. ANFP's Youth Apprenticeship Program is based in the CDM, CFPP credential and was approved by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2022.

The CDM, CFPP credential is a source of pride for those who achieve and maintain it. CDM, CFPP credential holders are committed to ensuring our vulnerable seniors receive the care and attention they deserve, often working year-round and over holidays.

I am proud to honor their significant impacts to healthcare and celebrate the National Certified Dietary Managers, Certified Food Protection Professionals Day of the Year.

Mr. Speaker, this NDAA delivers the investments and reforms our servicemembers deserve, improving readiness, modernizing our forces, and strengthening the foundation of America's national defense.

The bill revitalizes our defense industrial base, strengthens American shipbuilding, and supports the workforce that keeps our Navy and joint force mission-ready. These investments deliver for our Nation, and they deliver for Hampton Roads, home to the sailors, shipbuilders, and military families who sustain our national security every single day.

It invests directly in the men and women who wear the uniform by improving pay, strengthening housing, expanding childcare, and ensuring access to timely, high-quality healthcare. It also makes targeted improvements to training capabilities and modernization so our force remains the world's premier fighting force.

The fiscal year `26 NDAA builds a stronger military, a more resilient industrial base, and a more secure nation. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Madam Speaker, by direction of the Republican Conference, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 11 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record remarks submitted at the request of a Virginia Beach constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman of Temple Lev Tikvah, and are a reflection of his views:

The Jewish High Holy Days 5786

The Jewish High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur,

an ancient people's peak spiritual drama of courageous

contemplation and heartfelt contrition, are captured in the

life and work of Rabbi Irving Greenberg, acclaimed modern

Orthodox rabbi and author. His latest book, The Triumph of

Life (A Narrative Theology of Judaism), is Greenberg's own

triumphant accomplishment offering Jews and non-Jews alike an

encompassing scholarly yet accessible work of theological

art, bound to rank high as a pioneering beacon of light,

learning and enlightenment in our postmodern new age with

revolutionary promise as well as colossal dark threats to

human life, the painstakingly garnered civilization and the

very survival of all life on our planet Earth. Greenberg

attributes the impetus to writing this inspirational guide--

which aims to reassure readers from all persuasions that

covenantal life of the spirit is worth laboring and fighting

for--to his shaking 1961 experience in Israel while attending

Tel Aviv University as a Fulbright scholar and encountering

the enormity of the Holocaust for the first time.

Referring to the famous Adolf Eichmann trial of the

notorious SS officer in Jerusalem, with profound impact on an

entire mesmerized nation. I vividly recall as a teenager

living then in Israel and myself son of Polish Holocaust

survivors, the shock of the horrific events described by

shaken witnesses. The author offers us a touching

confessional of a crisis of faith of an Orthodox raised Jew,

challenging his basic assumptions about God, covenant and

life's meaning. ``My loving wife (Blu is a distinguished

feminist Orthodox Jew and author) and family saved me from

nihilism and despair by showing me the incredible tenacity

and unspent power of embracing life. The emergent State of

Israel suggested to me that the Divine was still operating in

the world, and testified to the human capacity to take power

for reestablishing life and reasserting its value.''

Referring to his book with its far-reaching conclusions of

ushering in the hoped for messianic era which Greenberg

testifies is within human reach in our postmodern era with

its new opportunity for creative human unity within enriching

diversity, upholding universal human dignity and equality via

restoring God's violated image, ``I hope it will appeal to

non-Jewish readers as well, especially to Christians,

partners in the struggle to overcome millennia of hostility

and delegitimization. People of all religions must work

together to repair the world politically, economically, and

culturally, and turn the Earth into the paradise all humans

deserve.'' The admirable Orthodox rabbi who found his way

back to faith and his own particular belief structure

following a most challenging crisis impacted by the

shattering Holocaust, was enabled to reach beyond the

confines of his own faith's traditions and give credit where

it's due.

His own Jewish people historically have not lacked

fracturing divisions among opposing ideologies not allowing

for urgently required unity at times of grave danger, such as

during the Holocaust. The prosecution of the Gaza War

following Hamas's barbarism both united and divided Israelis

with a backlash of antisemitism in the United States and

Europe. It is evident that events in Israel affect the Jewish

Diaspora, even as the author emphasizes the debt of the

latter to the Israeli partner. It is clear though that

influential American Jewry is the glue to the essential

relationship between Israel and the United States. Greenberg

hails Israel's 1948 creation as reassuring that God's

covenant with the Jewish people yet continues in spite of the

Holocaust's heavy toll. The world's only Jewish state's

robust democracy with multiple accomplishments benefiting

humanity has served as a source of pride and unity to world

Jewry even though

challenges to Israel's existence and character persist from

within and without. May life's universal blessing yet

triumph!

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record remarks submitted at the request of a Virginia Beach constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman of Temple Lev Tikvah, and are a reflection of his views:

October 7 Revisited. Prophet Habakkak's haunting Biblical.

Words come true on a sacred turned scarred Day robbed of its

joys, ``For a stone shall cry out From the wall.'' Once

loving homes where the Divine forged an abode turned Into

blackened stones soaked from Hatred--filled wells of blood

and fire, With walls of witness wailing in silence Of strewn

bodies, young and old bonded. In death as in life, for the

land of ubiquitous. Memorials again and again and again, Till

when? Of snuffed dreams in a hunting field. Where dancing--

davening flowers held. Sway till halted singing from deep

within. Surging souls yearning to bond across. Man--made

borders--barriers to be. Breached for war or peace, To yet

prevail with heightened cadence. Of Shalom's invisible,

ever--surviving promise!

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Family Caregivers Month and to honor the more than 63 million Americans who selflessly care for their loved ones. That includes more than 1.5 million Virginians who step up every single day for their parents, spouses, and family members.

As a Navy veteran, a nurse practitioner, and someone who has seen firsthand the challenges families face, I know just how essential these caregivers are to our long-term care system.

Far too often caregivers shoulder enormous emotional, physical, and financial burdens without adequate help.

That is why Congress must work together to advance commonsense, bipartisan solutions, like the Credit for Caring Act, increased respite care funding, and expand workplace flexibility. These are practical steps that will give caregivers the support they desperately need.

When caregivers thrive, families thrive. This month, and every month, let's honor their sacrifice.

Mr. Speaker, I thank all the caregivers out there. They are appreciated.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today not only as a Member of Congress, but as a geriatric nurse practitioner and an advocate for our nurses across the Nation, to recognize the unyielding composure of our emergency nurses during Emergency Nurses Week.

In the United States, it is federal law that an emergency room never closes and that every person who comes to an ER receives care. Day or night, emergency nurses answer the call of duty--providing quality care to patients in critical condition while operating in demanding, high- stakes environments where every second counts. Emergency nurses work around the clock, caring for patients of all ages and across every specialty--from cardiology and oncology to pediatrics and geriatrics.

Emergency nurses are heroes, often the first point of contact for patients within the ER, and they provide comfort and attentive care during an uncertain or stressful time for patients and their families. Their critical thinking skills and their compassion for their patients make their role essential for preserving our Nation's healthcare system.

It is important that we give our emergency nurses the praise and attention they deserve during Emergency Nurses Week to show our appreciation for the dedication they have to our Nation's health and for the millions of lives they touch on a daily basis. We're forever grateful for their sacrifice.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the VA Hospital Inventory Management System Authorization Act.

As a Navy veteran, a nurse practitioner, and the proud Representative of a district that is home to more than 78,000 veterans, I know how essential it is to ensure our veteran health system works efficiently and effectively.

Unfortunately, outdated systems and fragmented logistics have created real obstacles within the VA. These failures aren't just technical. They are personal. They affect real people and real families.

Over the past several years, millions of dollars in medical equipment have gone missing from VA facilities across the country. These are not isolated incidents. They are symptoms of a broader issue, one where a lack of modern infrastructure has led to waste, delay, and avoidable gaps in care.

That is why I introduced this bipartisan and commonsense approach to improving how the VA manages medical supplies. This bill authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop or acquire a cloud-based inventory management system to help ensure VA clinicians always have the right tools at the right time to provide high-quality care.

This system will offer better tracking, better forecasting, and better accountability. We are not reinventing the wheel. We are simply asking the VA to adopt the same kinds of tools

and best practices that are already being used in the private sector and to do so in a way that is transparent, results-driven, and veteran- focused.

The benefits are clear. A modern inventory management system will reduce waste, prevent delays in care, and ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently. Most importantly, it will help restore trust in a system that too often leaves veterans feeling frustrated and forgotten.

Madam Speaker, I respectfully urge my colleagues to support this bill and join me in making a practical, bipartisan improvement to the care our veterans receive.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for having us tonight to talk about this important issue.

Over the August district work period, I traveled throughout coastal Virginia and heard directly from the people I represent: servicemembers, shipyard workers, working families, and aerospace leaders. I saw firsthand how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is already beginning to shape our future here at home.

At a TRICARE roundtable, I met with hospitals, small clinics, and providers who serve our military community. Families told me how critical it

is to have consistent, reliable access to healthcare. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act makes a strong downpayment by providing over $2 billion in new funding for the Defense Health Program, strengthening medical readiness for our servicemembers and ensuring our servicemembers and their families and loved ones can get the care they deserve.

I also visited the Curtiss-Wright service center in Chesapeake, where skilled workers support our Navy's nuclear fleet. Their work is a reminder that America's shipbuilding strength begins with the men and women of our industrial base. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act invests more than $29 billion in shipbuilding and another $25 billion in advanced weapons and munitions. These funds will help sustain high- skilled jobs across Hampton Roads and guarantee our Navy remains the strongest in the world.

At Naval Station Norfolk, I heard from commanders and sailors about the importance of readiness and from military families about the daily challenges of housing, childcare, and the costs of moving.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act makes historic investments in quality of life for our servicemembers, providing over $7.5 billion this year for modernization of military housing, including $1 billion for unaccompanied housing across the services, $230 million for the Marine Corps Barracks 2030 initiative, tuition assistance, childcare, and housing allowance supplements, and an extension of temporary lodging expenses from 14 to 21 days to ease the burden of PCS moves. These are not abstract numbers. They are real solutions for the families who sacrifice so much to serve our great Nation.

Finally, I traveled to Wallops Island in my district to visit the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, where Virginia is playing a vital role in America's return to the Moon and preparation for Mars. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act provides nearly $10 billion for NASA, supporting Artemis missions, the International Space Station, and new launch infrastructure. These investments will directly benefit Wallops, strengthen our space economy, and inspire the next generation of aerospace leaders here in Virginia.

Mr. Speaker, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act restores American strength at sea, revitalizes our industrial base, improves quality of life for military families, and secures our future in space. I am proud to have supported this historic legislation, and I will keep working to make sure coastal Virginia sees the full benefit of what we accomplished.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the brave members of the Virginia Beach Fire Department's Swiftwater Rescue Team, who were recently deployed to Texas Hill Country to support the flood rescue efforts there.

The specialized team is uniquely qualified to respond to natural disasters, having recently assisted in the rescue efforts from the October floods that occurred in western Virginia.

On July 4, the team drove 1,700 miles through the night from Virginia Beach to Texas to aid in the flood rescue efforts. In the face of tragedies like the floods in Texas, we are incredibly fortunate to have brave first responders who choose to run toward danger instead of away from it.

I will continue to pray for the safety of our first responders, as well as the victims and families affected by this horrific disaster. I am grateful that this team was able to put their expertise to use and assist in saving lives.

I am happy to hear the news that they are coming home.