Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time.

It is planned, and it is orchestrated. The Democrats' systematic attack on the independence of the Court has been going on now for several years, and it started right where the sponsor of the legislation read from first, when he said that Senator Chuck Schumer said: ``I want to tell you, Gorsuch; I want to tell you, Kavanaugh; you have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price.''

Guess where he said that, Mr. Speaker, the top Democrat in the government at the time, where did he say that?

It was on the steps of the United States Supreme Court.

Then, of course, 1 year later, Democrats--not just any Democrats, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee--introduced the bill to go from 9 to 13, the Court-packing bill.

Why did they want to add four?

Why not one? Why not two? Why not three? Why four?

It is because they want to take the Court from a 6-3 conservative majority Court to a 7-6 liberal Court. It is all planned.

Then, of course, we had the systematic attacks on two Justices in particular, Justice Alito and Justice Thomas. They even had a hearing in the Judiciary Committee where they brought in the guy who was demonstrated to be a liar when he was trying to say that Justice Alito was involved in leaking an opinion. That was total garbage.

Then, of course, we had the real leak, the Dobbs leak, on May 2, 2022.

What happened after that?

Mr. Speaker, 150 churches and crisis pregnancy centers around the country were attacked, not to mention the planned assassination attempt on Justice Kavanaugh in the aftermath of that leaked decision.

This whole systematic, orchestrated, and planned attack on the independence of one of the separate but equal branches of our government is serious stuff.

Then, of course, we now have the Democratic Socialists of America who want to get rid of the Court. They want to get rid of the Senate, and they want to replace the President. This is their party, the once great party. We mentioned FDR in this context, but in the broader context, the once great party of FDR and JFK is now controlled and is now anti- Israel, socialist, and all kinds of crazy ideas that go to the heart of what our country is about and our Constitution.

This is a good piece of legislation. Maybe this is a question these guys want to answer, Mr. Speaker. Maybe they want to answer some of these questions. Do they support replacing the Presidency? Do they support replacing the Court? Do they support abolishing the United States Senate? That would be an interesting question for the folks on the other side. We know they want to pack the Court. Do they agree with the Democratic Socialists who want to abolish the Court?

I thank the gentleman and also one of our other colleagues, Mr. Johnson from South Dakota, who has worked on this legislation for a long, long time. This is important. This is important because we know where they want to go.

We should remember when the Democratic Socialist Mamdani was sworn in as mayor of our largest city 9 months and 2 days ago, he said: ``I was elected as a Democratic Socialist, and I will govern as a Democratic Socialist.'' These are their principles.

Does my friend and colleague, Mr. Speaker, on the other side, controlling the time, the law professor, does he agree with what the Democratic Socialists are saying? That would be an important question for this body to understand.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the guys who sponsored this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend to the House the extraordinary life and contributions of Ohio's own Charles F. Kettering as we near the 150th anniversary of his birth.

Charles Franklin Kettering was born on his family's farm in Loudonville on August 29, 1876. After high school, he took a teaching position at a nearby school, where his evening lectures and demonstrations on science drew sizable crowds.

A 1904 graduate of The Ohio State University with a degree in electrical engineering, he was hired to lead the research laboratory at National Cash Register in Dayton. During his five years there, he secured 23 patents for his work on the electric cash register and other innovations.

While at NCR, Kettering and a small group of colleagues (dubbed the Barn Gang) worked during evenings and weekends to develop new gadgetry and electronic equipment for automobiles. This group was incorporated in 1909 as the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company, or Delco. By 1911, Kettering and his fellow engineers had developed the first practical electric self-starter for autos.

Following the acquisition of Delco by General Motors in 1918, Kettering joined the team at General Motors Research Corporation, where he held the position of vice president for more than a quarter century. His work on air-cooled automobile engines, two-stroke diesel engines, fuel additives, and quick-dry automotive paint contributed richly to the development of the modern passenger vehicle.

Charles Kettering's philanthropy was equally effective and noteworthy: Believing that industrial research could have practical applications in the medical field, he helped found what ultimately became the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, one of the top- ranked cancer care facilities in the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, the people of Loudonville will gather this Saturday to celebrate the accomplishments of its favorite son. On behalf of the people of Ohio's 4th Congressional District, I am proud to join in the accolades to this inventor, engineer, and philanthropist whose work revolutionized nearly every aspect of modern life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the contributions of the founders, owners, and employees of D&D Ingredients of Delphos, Ohio, as they mark fifty years in business.

Founded in 1976 by Doc and Dorothy Miller, D&D Ingredients is one of the region's most prominent animal nutrition companies. Through their integrity and hard work, commitment to delivering high-quality products, and dedication to meeting the needs of their customers, the Millers formed the foundation for steady growth that has made D&D a major force in the animal feed and pet food space. The company now employs 156 and serves customers across the globe.

Five years ago, D&D became a part of the California-based Swanson Family of Companies, allowing D&D to serve new markets while maintaining the family-friendly culture and values that have shaped the company since its founding.

Mr. Speaker, D&D will hold an open house on Saturday to commemorate this milestone. On behalf of the people of Ohio's 4th Congressional District, I am proud to join in the accolades to the men and women of D&D Ingredients as they celebrate fifty years of outstanding service to their customers. They have my very best wishes for continued excellence in the decades to come.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, you don't give up your Fourth Amendment rights when you are exercising your Second Amendment rights. That is what is happening out there: People's privacy is being invaded. These merchant codes are there so the government can abuse them and track you.

If you don't think I am right about this, we have the evidence: January 15, 2021, an email from the FBI to Bank of America saying give us every debit card and credit card purchase for anyone in Washington, D.C., for these particular dates. That is bad enough. You are allowed to travel in this country, too. That is a right we have. Here is what they also say: Also, overlay that with any historic purchase for weapons or weapons-related purchases.

What? We want to know what you bought when you were at a certain location, and we want to know if you ever purchased a gun anytime in your life with that credit card or debit card. That is what the FBI asked Bank of America to do.

That is how dangerous this practice is. That is why the sponsor from West Virginia, the chairman, and the committee's work is so good. God bless them.

You don't give up your Fourth Amendment rights. Our Constitution protects our First, Second, and Fourth Amendment liberties--all of them. They are all important. That is why this legislation is critical.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his good work and Mr. Moore from West Virginia for sponsoring the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the 2026 Allen County Agricultural Hall of Fame Inductees. The Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce will hold an induction ceremony in Lima on July 9, 2026, to mark the induction of the 2026 Allen County Agricultural Hall of Fame class. I include in the Record the names of this year's inductees:

Gary and Jackie Austin of Harrod, and

Thompson Seed Farm of Delphos.

Selection for the Hall of Fame is a high honor that has been accorded to fewer than 50 people and organizations since 2013. Consideration is based on each nominee's contributions to the agriculture industry in Allen County.

On behalf of the people of Ohio's 4th Congressional District, I am pleased to join in the accolades for these distinguished inductees as they are recognized for their commitment to agriculture and their service to others.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9238) to amend the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 to extend the authorities of title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members

may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 9238.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, FISA section 702 will expire on Friday. This bill extends the program until July 2.

The 702 program is critically important to our national security. More than 60 percent of our intelligence presented to the President, to the Commander in Chief, every single day is derived from 702.

With the World Cup about to begin this week, we cannot be left without this critical tool every day. The 702 program helps keep us safe here at home and advance our interests abroad.

This temporary extension will ensure that there is no disruption to the program while we find a path forward on reauthorization.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I think that might be the first time that I heard my friend and gentleman from Maryland agree with the President, as he smiles.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Crawford), the distinguished chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a good friend who is doing a great job.

Mr. Speaker, I will point out to the gentleman from Kentucky, that is not the question today. The question today is: Can we go another 3 weeks, 21 days, and try to figure out what makes sense on protecting the privacy rights of Americans?

That is a simple question. I don't think 3 weeks is too much to ask. For goodness sakes, this program has been around forever. We did 56 reforms to it just 2 years ago.

I think the question is probably just: Can we go another 3 weeks and figure it out and maybe have those discussions that the ranking member was talking about? I know he and I have talked about what makes sense. That is the question in front of us.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Austin Scott), who serves on the Intelligence Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I think we are ready to close if the ranking member can wind up his remarks. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I would just remind my friend from Maryland, the ranking member, of a couple things. I said initially, in light of the 56 reforms we did a couple years ago to this legislation, I was willing to go for a short- term reauthorization, 18 months. Remember, that was the original package. I was willing to go for that, particularly at a time when we, like it or not, are in a conflict, military operation, in Iran. I thought that made sense, in light of the reforms we have done.

Second, he said that I had said earlier what is another 3 weeks. Well, he just talked about hammering it out. I didn't say what is another 3 weeks. I said: We can take 3 weeks to continue to hammer it out and figure it out. That is all we are asking.

While we are hammering it out and figuring it out, we maybe want not to let the program go completely dark, not because--because the guys on the Intel Committee, even Mr. Himes, understands how important this is.

Finally, I would say this. When he says: ``Where is my friend from a few years ago?'' if I remember right, we could have had the warrant requirement maybe 2 years ago because I remember what the vote was. It was 212-212. All it would have taken was one more ``no'' vote then to vote ``yes,'' and, shazam, we pass it.

You can criticize all you want, but those are the facts.

Now, the question again is real simple: Can we go another 3 weeks--I think we can--and hammer out a deal, which I am willing to do with the gentleman from Maryland and the folks on the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I would urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, we have to use reconciliation because Democrats won't pay the guys who enforce the law. We should have had this done 110 days ago when they shut down the Department of Homeland Security. Then they said: Oh, we will fund that, but we are not going to fund ICE and CBP.

This is all part of their scheme, their systematic, multi-step plan. First, they let in 10 million migrants under the Biden administration. Open border--let in 10 million.

Second, they create sanctuary jurisdictions, which makes it difficult to remove those migrants when they commit another crime.

Third, they say we are not going to pay the guys that do the removing. We are not going to fund ICE.

That is their plan. They are systematically executing that plan. Let in 10 million with an open border, create sanctuary jurisdictions-- which, by the way, I always remind folks of this: What is sanctuary jurisdiction? Politicians telling local law enforcement: Don't work with law enforcement when it comes to enforcing the law. That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard, but that is going on in almost a third of the country: 18 cities, 11 States, and 3 counties in the District of Columbia.

Third, of course, don't fund ICE. It is not enough to have all the leftwing crazies out on the street doxing them, tracking them, spitting on them, yelling at them, swearing at them, and assaulting them. Now they are saying: We are not going to pay you. That is their plan.

Frankly, you could add a fourth step. We had this hearing in our committee a couple weeks ago. You can add a fourth step. Some of these prosecutors in these sanctuary jurisdictions, like right over in Virginia in Fairfax County--some of these prosecutors actually take into account the immigration status of someone who has committed a crime when they decide what they are going to charge them with and what kind of plea agreement they are going to have.

Mr. Descano's policy is: If an American citizen commits a crime and an illegal migrant commits the same crime, the illegal migrant gets a better deal. That is just crazy.

Again, they will go to any length to execute this plan. Let in 10 million. Create sanctuary jurisdictions. Don't pay the guys who do the removing, and don't prosecute the people who commit crimes.

They shut down the government 42 days last fall, 70 days of Homeland Security this spring, and now upwards of 100 days for ICE and CBP.

I thank the great budget chairman for the work his committee has done. This is the right bill to do. It is unfortunate we have to do it this way, but this is the only way to pay the guys who actually enforce the laws that the Congress of the United States passes.

I would urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize two institutions of higher learning in Mansfield, Ohio, that have been recognized for academic excellence.

North Central State College was recently announced as the recipient of the 2026 Leah Meyer Austin Award from Achieving the Dream, a non- profit group that supports community colleges throughout the Nation. This award, which comes with a $100,000 prize, honors institutions that have demonstrated support for long-term student success. NCSC has been a member of the Achieving the Dream network since 2005.

Also, The Ohio State University's Mansfield campus has been designated an Opportunity College in the 2025 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. To earn this designation, colleges must emphasize a commitment both to enrolling students from a wide

variety of backgrounds and to ensuring that students are best equipped to earn competitive salaries post-graduation. The designation places OSU-M in the top 16 percent of colleges in the Nation.

The two schools will hold a joint event in Mansfield on June 8, 2026, to celebrate these milestone recognitions. On behalf of the people of Ohio's 4th Congressional District, I am proud to join in the accolades to both schools and applaud all they do to provide affordable education and workforce training to students from throughout the region.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor and to commend to the House the legacy of Ohio native Ray Brown, legend of Negro League baseball and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Raymond Leslie Brown was born in Alger in 1908. In 1926, he graduated from Alger High School, where he played shortstop on the baseball team--which went undefeated in his senior year. He attended Wilberforce University before leaving to pursue a career in baseball.

After brief stints with teams in Dayton, Indianapolis, and Detroit, Brown signed with the Homestead Grays in 1932. He quickly established a reputation as one of the game's most effective pitchers, leading the league in wins eight times. Over one stretch in the 1936 and 1937 seasons, he won 28 straight games.

His success on the mound contributed richly to the dominance of the Grays, who won two World Series and eight total pennants in a nine-year period during his time with the team. Brown threw a one-hit shutout in the 1944 Negro World Series and pitched a seven-inning perfect game the next year.

Ray Brown died in Dayton in 1965. While his stellar baseball exploits were not widely acknowledged during his lifetime, Cooperstown rectified this oversight in 2006, inducting him posthumously into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

On Thursday, May 14, 2026, the Village of Alger and the team at Hardin County Historical Museums will host a ceremony where the recently refurbished local park will be named after Ray Brown. Highlights of the ceremony will include the unveiling of an Ohio Historical Marker and a two-panel mural featuring scenes from his time in baseball.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of Ohio's 4th Congressional District, I join in the tributes to the late Ray Brown and his storied baseball career. I thank the leadership of the Village of Alger and Hardin County Historical Museums for their efforts to celebrate this local legend.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 4465) to amend the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 to extend the authorities of title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on S. 4465.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 10 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin) and ask unanimous consent that he be permitted to control that time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

This is not the outcome that any of us wanted for the FISA 702 program, but here we are. The 702 program is incredibly important for protecting our national security and advancing our interests abroad.

This temporary extension will ensure that there is no disruption to the program while we work out our differences on a longer reauthorization.

I urge all Members to support the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, why are the Democrats doing it? Why would they shut down the Department of Homeland Security for 74 days? Why would they do that when we have had a third assassination attempt on the President of the United States, while we are in the middle of a military operation in Iran, and when we have had terrorist attacks here on the homeland? Why would they do it?

The simple answer is: They don't want a border. They don't want a border. They have said it, but look at their plan. In 4 years of Joe Biden, they let in 10 million illegal migrants. Then, they create sanctuary jurisdictions all over the country, which makes it difficult to remove illegal migrants who commit another crime. Now, they say, don't pay the guys who do the removing. Let's don't pay ICE. They let in 10 million and create sanctuary jurisdictions.

By the way, 18 cities, 11 States, 3 counties, and the District of Columbia are sanctuary jurisdictions. Because they are big, blue cities in big, blue States, that represents almost a third of the country that lives in a jurisdiction where the politicians tell local law enforcement not to work with Federal law enforcement when it comes to enforcing Federal law.

Now, they say don't pay the guys who enforce Federal law. Don't pay

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1224, I call up the bill (S. 1318) to direct the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a program to identify American-Jewish servicemembers buried in United States military cemeteries overseas under markers that incorrectly represent their religion and heritage, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on S. 1318.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, it ain't the same FISA. When we were in this Chamber 2 years ago debating a reauthorization of FISA 702, the program was significantly different than it is today.

In 2021, the FBI reported conducting nearly 3 million U.S. person queries. An audit of those queries found that 278,000 times, they did not comply with the rules, didn't follow the rules. FBI agents ran queries on protesters, donors to congressional campaigns, public officials, journalists, colleagues, and even ex-girlfriends.

In response to those abuses, Congress enacted the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act. The House Judiciary Committee, the House Intelligence Committee, all of Congress, put together that law that contained 56 different reforms, things like new training and approval requirements before a U.S. person query could even take place, audit requirements, accountability measures for those who misused the program, and enhanced reporting and transparency requirements such as allowing certain Members of Congress and staff to attend FISA court proceedings.

We are beginning to see the effect of those reforms. In the year after RISAA was passed, the FBI reported conducting 9,089 U.S. person queries. Of those roughly 9,000 queries, just 127 did not comply with the rules.

Think about it: from 278,000 to 127. That is real improvement. That is a different program. Most of those 127 were due to errors like typos, clerical errors.

Due to the improved reporting and transparency required by RISAA, Congress has more insight than ever into the program's operation.

Today, every single U.S. person query conducted by the FBI is audited to ensure compliance with applicable requirements and legal standards. The results of those audits and other information are provided to Congress on an annual, semiannual, and quarterly basis.

The Foreign Intelligence Accountability Act would add to those reforms. The legislation in front of us, for example, adds the Civil Liberties Protection Officer within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence who will conduct a monthly review of FBI U.S. person queries.

I think this is the best thing we put in the reauthorization bill, this 30-day look back on how the queries are going, are they following the rules, and what took place in those actual searches.

Queries that violate the rules would be referred to the inspector general of the intelligence community for further investigation. That is, again, a couple more layers of accountability.

This bill would also impose criminal penalties for those who knowingly conduct improper queries and those who lie about conducting improper queries.

Finally, the bill would require that an FBI attorney, rather than just some other agent or supervisor, approve any U.S. person search before they are conducted.

The 702 program is incredibly important for protecting our national security and advancing our interests abroad.

In light of the progress that has been made and the threats that we face, we think the bill before us today makes sense right now.

That does not mean our job is over. The Judiciary Committee will continue to conduct aggressive oversight of FISA, and we will continue to work on some things that we think can be helpful in the future.

Again, today is not 2024. I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I would just point out that I think one of the reasons they attack Mr. Patel so darned much is because crime is down in the country. He is actually doing his job.

I think another reason they like to attack the Director of the FBI is because he is the guy who uncovered what they were doing 10 years ago when he was a staffer here on the House Intelligence Committee. It was Kash Patel who told us that the dossier, paid for by the Clinton campaign, was a bunch of garbage. Yet that is exactly what Mr. Comey used for the other part of FISA, title 1, to go get a warrant to spy on the other party's campaign.

Maybe that is why they like to attack Director Patel so much. But I think he is bringing down crime in our country, and I applaud him for that.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, FISA, as we all know, is a critical program. It is important for our government to understand what bad guys are planning to do to our citizens and to our Nation and to have this program in place. That is why it is critical we reauthorize it.

We have made major changes over the last several years, not just 2 years ago, but over the last several years. The Judiciary Committee has been involved in the oversight in making sure this program is done the way it should be done and protecting Americans' liberties. There are 56 different reforms

we have put in the last reauthorization bill that, as I said in my opening statement, we know have made a difference.

Today's program is different. It is different. We should reauthorize it because FISA is critical. Today, there is training and checks on the front end before a search can be done of a U.S. person. There is transparency for the whole process in how it all works. There is accountability on the back end if you don't do it right. Mr. Speaker, this bill now says that accountability includes criminal penalties if you don't do it right.

So this is the kind of legislation we need to pass, and we need to pass it soon because they have been shutting down the government, the Department of Homeland Security, for what, 74 days now?

By the way, we do also happen to be in the middle of a military operation in Iran.

Let's get this done.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 2026 Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor inductees. The Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor will hold a ceremony at the Statehouse in Columbus on Friday, May 1, 2026 to mark the induction of its 2026 class. Selection for the Hall of Fame is a high honor that has been accorded to fewer than 550 Ohioans since 2000. To be considered for induction, individuals must have been decorated for heroic action in a combat situation.

I am honored to commend to the U.S. House of Representatives and include in the Record this year's twenty inductees:

Sergeant First Class Sammy L. Davis, recipient of the Medal

of Honor, Army veteran of the Vietnam War.

Specialist Fourth Class Richard H. Adler, recipient of the

Silver Star, Army veteran of the Vietnam War.

Pharmacist's Mate Third Class John M. Brown (posthumously),

recipient of the Silver Star, Navy Reserve veteran of World

War II.

Sergeant Meredith L. Barnett (posthumously), recipient of

the Silver Star, Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War.

Major Roderick J. MacEachen (posthumously), recipient of

the Silver Star, Army veteran of World War II.

Private Aurelio J. Marinelli (posthumously), recipient of

the Silver Star, Army veteran of World War II.

Technical Sergeant Harley E. Thomas (posthumously),

recipient of the Silver Star, Army veteran of World War II.

Colonel Ralph J. ``Doc'' Watson (posthumously), recipient

of the Silver Star, Army Air Corps veteran of World War II.

Sergeant John T. Bineger, recipient of the Distinguished

Flying Cross, Army veteran of the Vietnam War.

Sergeant Tyler S. Gangwer, recipient of the Bronze Star

with ``V'' Device, Army veteran of Operation Enduring

Freedom.

Corporal Edwin C. Martin (posthumously), recipient of the

Bronze Star with ``V'' Device, Army veteran of the Korean

War.

Sergeant George P. Mizik (posthumously), recipient of the

Bronze Star with ``V'' Device, Marine Corps Reserve veteran

of World War II.

Master Sergeant Justin A. Orr, recipient of the Bronze Star

with ``V'' Device, Army veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sergeant Paul H. Phillabaum, recipient of the Bronze Star

with ``V'' Device, Army veteran of the Vietnam War.

Master Chief Petty Officer Michael J. Warden, recipient of

the Bronze Star with ``V'' Device, Navy veteran of Operation

Enduring Freedom.

Specialist Fourth Class John S. Webb, recipient of the

Bronze Star with ``V'' Device, Army veteran of the Vietnam

War.

Master Sergeant David M. White, recipient of the Bronze

Star with ``V'' Device, Army veteran of Operation Enduring

Freedom.

Sergeant First Class Larry J. Davidson, recipient of the

Army Commendation Medal with ``V'' Device, Army veteran of

Operation Enduring Freedom.

Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Daniel M. Gonska,

recipient of the Joint Services Commendation Medal with ``V''

Device, Navy veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Captain Ronald H. Leonard, recipient of the Army

Commendation Medal with ``V'' Device, Army veteran of the

Vietnam War.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee for the great work he does on this issue and a host of others.

Mr. Speaker, understand the Democrats' plan. It is as straightforward as you can imagine. First, let in 10 million illegal immigrants during the Biden administration. Then, create sanctuary jurisdictions where it becomes difficult to do any removal of those illegal immigrants who commit other crimes. Then, defund ICE, the guys who actually do the removal. Now, today, make temporary permanent. There are 300,000 people who entered temporary protected status. Make that permanent.

Why would they do all of this? Well, frankly, they told us. Secretary Clinton told us several years ago. They don't want a border. Remember what she said? We need a borderless hemisphere. That is what they want. That is the plan they are executing. I don't think the American people want that. I think that was the big issue in the 2024 election.

Here is the result. When you allow that to happen, here is the result, from 2 weeks ago: ``Haitian Illegal Alien Violently Kills Innocent Mother By Repeatedly Hitting Her With a Hammer Outside Gas Station in Fort Myers,'' in Florida. Guess what. This Haitian was here on temporary protected status. I haven't read the full story, but my guess is this guy probably had done some other crime and may have, in fact, been in a sanctuary area. Who knows.

Mr. Speaker, that is the result of this policy. It is systematic. It is intentional. Let 10 million in, create sanctuary jurisdictions where you can't remove them or it is difficult to remove them, defund the guys who actually do the removing, and make temporary permanent.

That is their plan. That is why this bill is wrong. I urge a ``no'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, the Hardin County Chamber and Business Alliance will hold its 2026 awards banquet and gala on Thursday, April 16, 2026, on the Ohio Northern University campus in Ada, Ohio. I commend to the House and include in the Record this year's honorees:

Business of the Year: Scooter's Coffee

Small Business of the Year: Stillwater Metal LLC

Non-Profit of the Year: Hardin Leadership, Inc.

Community Service Award: Ohio Northern University Office of

Admissions

Citizen of the Year: Sarah Johnson

R. E. Allen Lifetime Achievement Award: Stephen McCullough

On behalf of the people of Ohio's 4th Congressional District, I am pleased to join in the accolades for these distinguished professionals and thank them for their dedication to making Hardin County a great place to live and work.