Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was not able to be present for roll call votes 367 and 368 today. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 367 and ``nay'' on rollcall No. 368.

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was not able to be present to vote today. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 361, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 362, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 363, and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 364.

Mr. Chair, I regret that I was not able to be present for rollcall Nos. 298, 299, and 308 on the Blumenauer, Tlaib, and Roy amendments to H.R. 2670. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall No. 298, ``no'' on rollcall No. 299, and ``no'' on rollcall No. 308.

Amendment No. 31 Offered by Mr. Roy

Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 290.

Mr. Chair, I regret that I was not able to be present for rollcall No. 190 on agreeing to the amendment. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall No. 190.

Mr. Chair, I regret that I was not able to be present for rollcall No. 167 on agreeing to the amendment. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall No. 167.

Amendment No. 5 Offered by Mr. Hern

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was not able to be present for rollcall No. 144, the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 1093. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 144.

Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall No. 131.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce on achieving 5-Star Accreditation status from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Incorporated on December 18, 1968, the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce has become the largest and most effective Chamber in Northern Virginia, with more than 1,000 members forming the premier network of business and community leaders in the nation's most economically vibrant county.

The Loudoun Chamber's diverse membership includes businesses, nonprofits and public-sector partners of every size and industry, and includes visionary entrepreneurs and leaders who are dedicated to making Loudoun a world-class community to live, work, and grow a business.

The Loudoun Chamber is an effective advocate for and partner with Loudoun's Department of Economic Development and Visit Loudoun, a partnership that has earned local, national and international recognition, the latter for their collaboration on the ``Loudoun Is Ready'' COVID response campaign.

The Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE)--the nation's leading association for Chamber industry executives--named the Loudoun County Chamber one of 4 finalists for Chamber of the Year in 2021, recognizing Loudoun's Chamber for its performance and community impact.

Loudoun Chamber President & CEO Tony Howard has earned highly valued industry certifications from the U.S. Chamber's Institute for Organizational Management (IOM) and ACCE's Certified Chamber Executive (CCE), the Chamber industry's top recognition for professional excellence.

Howard was also named Virginia's Chamber Executive of the Year in 2015, by the Virginia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (VACCE).

ln recognition of the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce's many years of industry leading programs, business advocacy and community impact, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce awarded the Loudoun Chamber 5-Star Accreditation.

This 5-Star Accreditation is the U.S. Chamber's highest endorsement for a local Chamber's performance. This places the Loudoun Chamber amongst the top 2 percent the 7,000 Chambers nationwide for the quality of its programs, policies and impact on the community.

U.S. Chamber's Accreditation Program establishes standards for operational excellence and recognizes Chambers that achieve ``best in class performance'' in areas such as governance policies, financial controls, communications, public policy and programming. This extensive review took 6 months to complete. ``To earn our industry's highest distinction is reflective of the Loudoun Chamber's staffs and leadership's commitment to excellence in all your organization does to serve your community,'' said U.S. Chamber Vice President Raymond P. Towle.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the admirable work done by Leesburg Chief of Police, Gregory C. Brown.

On December 1, 2022, Chief Brown is set to officially retire and conclude a 26-year career of law enforcement service to the Leesburg and Loudoun communities.

Throughout his tenure, he has successfully implemented innovative leadership and management techniques. Additionally, he has expanded the department to include 90 sworn officers and 18 civilians. As described by his fellow colleagues, Chief Brown has ``consistently utilized Community Policing philosophies and strongly believes that the needs of the community should be at the heart of everything we do''.

Chief Brown is known for his commitment to building trusting and meaningful partnerships within the community. To do so, he has overseen numerous projects for technological advancements within the department, all with the intent of aiding the general public.

It is evident that Chief Brown embraces the concept of ``Servant Leadership''. He began his long-tenured law enforcement career with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department in 1996. Later, he joined the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. Here, he served for nearly 20 years, achieving the rank of Captain before being appointed Leesburg Chief of Police. Upon his official retirement, Chief Brown will remain in the area to serve the community in a new role. He will be resuming the title of the Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy (NVCJTA), where he will oversee the training of members of the Town of Leesburg Police Department and 16 other regional law enforcement agencies.

I want to formally recognize the contributions that Chief of Police Gregory C. Brown has made to our community and the nation. He is the embodiment of integrity and dedication, consistently striving to improve the well-being of citizens throughout the 10th district of Virginia and our Nation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Transgender Awareness Week.

Each and every day, our trans friends and neighbors fight to make their voices heard, to demand their basic human rights, and to live free from increasing dehumanizing and hateful attacks. Their spirit and fight deserve to be celebrated this week and every week.

Madam Speaker, we stand with the trans community and join their fight to live openly and authentically without fear of discrimination. We also must not ignore the horrific violence targeting the trans community.

Sunday marks Transgender Day of Remembrance as we honor the at least 32 transgender or gender-nonconforming Americans who have been killed this year and commit to doing all in our power to end this bigoted violence.

As co-chair of the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus' Transgender Equality Task Force, I will never stop working to uplift the voices and visibility of trans Americans and shine the light on injustices this community faces.

To my friends in the trans community, I want to let you know that you are seen, you are heard, and you have allies here in Congress.

Madam Speaker, I regret that I was not able to be present for Roll Call No. 479 on agreeing to the resolution H. Res. 1464. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 479.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the I'm Just Me Movement's month of October as, I'm Just Me Because Month.

Councilwoman Tina Stevens of Stephens City, Virginia began the I'm Just Me Movement in 2013 to assist and support a college opportunity for a young man whose family was going through hard times. This movement impacted their family and their community in unexpected ways. As their outreach of inclusion grew, the movement became a nation-wide non-profit organization in 2015, with a mission of spreading positive acceptance of others and breaking down stereotypes. The organization works to encourage a celebration of the rich scopes of diversity contained within each individual through acceptance and respect for one another.

As the I'm Just Me Movement expanded its efforts to spread understanding of others and healing, the organization began an initiative known as Live Life Forward with a goal of breaking down stereotypes.

Through the Live life forward initiative and related workshops, mentoring programs, and presentations at schools and businesses, the I'm Just Me Movement speaks out to advocate for inclusion and diversity and to raise awareness about bullying and self-esteem issues in order to positively impact youth, families, and communities to guide, teach, train, and mentor them for a better future.

The movement works to remind everyone that the concept of diversity encompasses civility, acceptance, mutual respect, and understanding that each individual is unique.

Throughout the month of October, the I'm Just Me Because movement is focusing on promoting individual development, creating environments that break down stereotypes, and embracing individuality by recognizing the diversity around us and moving beyond simple tolerance to celebrating all of humanity.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues join me in recognizing the contributions of Ms. Tina Stevens and the I'm Just Me Movement has made in our community and the Nation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) located in Manassas, Virginia, which has provided biological research resources for decades. Over the past two years, ATCC played a critical role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by supporting the research community within the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Defense (DoD), and other partners.

Founded in 1925, ATCC is a diverse biological resource center, focusing on advancing global health initiatives within the U.S. government, academia, and research foundations. ATCC has assisted the government for over 50 years with research and development, innovative solutions, and biological products. During several recent pandemics, including COVID-19, SARS, Zika, and H1N1 influenza, ATCC was a provider of R&D services, reagents, detection and surveillance assays, and logistical support for the federal and global response. ATCC ensured the research community could conduct research, gather data, share insights, and advance critical countermeasures.

ATCC manages the Biodefense and Emerging Infections Resources (BEI Resources) Program for NIAID, which has received more than 140 variants of SARS-CoV-2 and propagated the virus to enable and support diagnostic, vaccine, and therapeutic development. BEI Resources has provided more than 105,000 vials of SARS-CoV-2 and related coronavirus strains and reagents to over 3,600 researchers at 1,700 institutions in more than 70 countries since 2020. BEI Resources continues to play a critical role in cross-agency initiatives to harmonize research methodologies, assess the impact of emerging variants, and evaluate new and existing countermeasures.

ATCC offers researchers a range of tools and resources to contain the impact and investigate the long-lasting effects of COVID-19, including monoclonal antibodies against the spike glycoprotein receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2, microbial strains for cross-reactivity testing, cell lines for vaccine development and immune research, and heat- inactivated material for use in molecular assays. ATCC has also worked to advance molecular diagnostic testing and has provided the necessary array of clinically relevant materials for evaluating the limit of detection, inclusivity, and cross-reactivity of the virus.

As a non-profit, ATCC collaborates with many areas of the federal government including, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the CDC, the National Cancer Institute, the DoD, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to strengthen and improve public health initiatives.

Whether the challenge is COVID-19 or another infectious disease, ATCC has enabled the research community by providing high-quality, industry- standard biological materials and services.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0, transformative legislation that would vastly increase funding for lifesaving research of treatments and cures for childhood cancer and rare diseases.

This legislation would reauthorize the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research program, which is set to expire next year, for an additional 5 years and increase funding to $25 million annually, which is nearly double the current amount. I am proud that this bill has broad bipartisan support, with over 110 cosponsors. It also passed through committee unanimously.

I am proud to carry this legislation in honor of Gabriella, who is from Virginia's 10th Congressional District. Gabriella was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and passed away in 2013 at age 10.

She was a fierce fighter not only in her own battle with cancer but as an advocate on behalf of the millions of other children who have suffered from this terrible disease. In the months following her terminal diagnosis, Gabriella became a national force for change, urging Congress to ``stop talking, start doing'' and increase funding to discover better treatments and cures.

Her heroic efforts delivered a successful push to pass the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act in 2014, bipartisan legislation named in her honor. Gabriella's family joined sponsor Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia and President Barack Obama in the Oval Office for the bill signing.

The Kids First program has done remarkable work these past few years, sequencing more than 20,000 samples from childhood cancer and structural birth defect cohorts and starting the Gabriella Miller Kids First Data Resource Center, a comprehensive data resource for research and patient communities meant to advance discoveries.

It has been almost 9 years since we lost Gabriella, and there is still a long fight ahead to better understand, treat, and ultimately cure childhood cancer.

Tragically, cancer is the number one cause of disease-related death in children aged 14 and younger. This year alone, it is estimated that over 10,000 children in the U.S. under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer. Yet, despite these staggering statistics, the tools we have to treat these diseases are woefully inadequate.

Many of the treatments available today for kids battling cancer haven't seen significant advances in decades. In fact, Gabriella Miller died from the same brain cancer that Neil Armstrong's daughter died from in 1962. Fifty years later, she was receiving the same kind of treatment. That is outrageous. We are failing our kids, and we can, and we must do better.

My bipartisan Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0 nearly doubles funding for the Kids First program. With this major boost in Federal funding, we will unlock the full potential of Kids First and enable the hardworking doctors, scientists, and researchers to step up their work to find ways we can help these children suffering from cancer and rare diseases.

Mr. Speaker, this is a lifesaving bill. For the Millers, who are here in the Capitol watching us advance this bill today, and the millions of American families who have had to go through the torment of hearing a doctor deliver a cancer diagnosis for their child, I urge all of my colleagues to heed Gabriella's call to ``stop talking, start doing'' and pass this bipartisan bill.