Joe Courtney

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Garde Arts Center in New London, Connecticut, and to honor the citizens, leaders, volunteers, donors, and community partners whose vision and dedication preserved one of southeastern Connecticut's most treasured cultural landmarks.

Originally opened as the Garde Theatre on September 22, 1926, the theater emerged during the golden age of American movie palaces, becoming a gathering place where generations experienced film, performance, and shared community life. For decades, the Garde stood as a prominent symbol of downtown New London's civic and cultural identity.

Like many historic theaters across America, the Garde faced significant challenges as patterns of entertainment, commerce, and urban development changed during the twentieth century. By the 1980s, its future was uncertain and demolition appeared a real possibility.

Rather than allow a cherished landmark to be lost, the people of New London came together to save it. Beginning in 1985, community leaders and citizens launched an extraordinary preservation effort that transformed the historic theater into a nonprofit regional arts center dedicated to serving future generations.

The story of the Garde is a powerful example of what can be achieved when a community commits itself to preservation, renewal, and public purpose. Through sustained investment, stewardship, and vision, the Garde became a catalyst for downtown revitalization and a center for arts, education, entertainment, and civic engagement throughout southeastern Connecticut.

Today, the Garde Arts Center welcomes audiences from across Connecticut and beyond. From world-class music, theater, dance, film, and comedy to educational programs, community celebrations, and cultural partnerships, the Garde continues to enrich the lives of residents and visitors while strengthening the economic and cultural vitality of the region.

The Garde's accomplishments have earned national recognition. In 2022, the League of Historic American Theatres presented the Garde with its Outstanding Historic Theatre Award, recognizing the institution as an exemplary model of historic preservation and community stewardship.

As the Garde Arts Center celebrates its Centennial Season, we recognize not only a remarkable building, but also the countless individuals whose commitment ensured that this historic theater remained a living institution rather than a relic of the past. We honor the artists who took its stage, the audiences who filled its seats, and the volunteers, trustees, staff members, donors, businesses, and public officials whose efforts sustained it through challenges and opportunities alike.

I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Garde Arts Center and the City of New London on the occasion of this historic milestone and in recognizing the Garde's enduring contributions to the cultural, educational, and economic life of Connecticut.

As the Garde begins its second century, may it continue to inspire creativity, strengthen community, preserve our shared heritage, and serve as a beacon for the arts for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, on September 4, President Trump was asked about the future of the Qatari Air Force One plane, which, after a messy rollout in July, he flew on to Ireland this past weekend and said: ``I haven't made a decision, but it will probably go to the museum. It is scheduled to go to the museum.''

Mr. Speaker, as the ranking member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over the Air Force executive airlift programs, I will remind the House that this aircraft is not the property of any one person, including the President of the United States. That plane is the property of the U.S. Government and U.S. taxpayers, and it is under the control of the U.S. Air Force.

It is a plane the U.S. taxpayers spent hundreds of millions of dollars over the last years to retrofit prior to its maiden flight to Turkiye for the NATO Summit.

After it was discovered by the Secret Service that the plane had serious vulnerabilities and the President flew home on one of the older Air Force Ones, the Qatari plane went into another overhaul and received maxed out upgrades, as the President said, which cost even more taxpayer funds. Just a few days ago, it was announced that the Air Force had contracted a new pilot simulator training program for the Qatari plane to the tune of $45.3 million.

Clearly, Mr. Speaker, the U.S. taxpayer has huge skin in the game regarding the future of this plane. It is also clear that this plane has ample long-term service life left in it. At the time it was gifted to the Air Force, it had only 800 hours of flight time, which is a fraction of the normal full-service life of a comparable Boeing 747 jet. Given its low mileage and all the expenditure of government money and training, the notion that this plane should be mothballed in a couple years and donated to a Trump museum is an insult to the intelligence of the American people.

Mr. Speaker, some may point to the example of the Air Force One plane at the Reagan Library as justification for President Trump's claim that he has the right to abscond with this plane after he leaves office.

In fact, Mr. Speaker, the Reagan Library plane was in Air Force service for 13 years after he left office in 1988 and served President George Herbert Walker Bush, President Clinton, and President George W. Bush until it was decommissioned in 2001.

The plane then went through a well-established legal process for transfer of excess Federal property that President Reagan had no control over, which is designed to protect the interests of the taxpayer.

Mr. Speaker, everything about this Qatari gifted plane has been problematic: the unanswered questions of a foreign emolument, the lack of transparency on the cost of the initial retrofit, the rocky maiden voyage to Turkiye, and the President's repeated claims of ownership and control of the plane, which by law he does not have. It is clear Congress needs to intervene to prohibit any unlawful attempt to send it ``to the museum.''

Today, Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith and I will be introducing the Safeguarding Taxpayer Investment for Executive Airlift Act, which will very simply prohibit the transfer of the Qatari Air

Force One, known as VC-25B bridge aircraft, from the possession of the U.S. Air Force.

As I have made clear today, after all the money and work invested in the retrofit of this practically brand-new Boeing 747, as well as the new $45 million pilot training contract that the Air Force just announced, the country and the American taxpayer deserve to get its money's worth from this plane. At a time when so many Americans are struggling to make ends meet, that is not too much to ask.

Its service life will last for years. Just as the Air Force One plane that flew for over a decade after Ronald Reagan left office, this Air Force One should be used to benefit the Nation and not be used as a vanity project.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is about exercising congressional stewardship of property that belongs to the U.S. taxpayer, and it should be easy for every Member of this Chamber to support. To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, it asserts what is both legally the right thing to do, but also morally the right thing to do.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me and Ranking Member Smith to cosponsor this commonsense measure.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the distinguished career of Mr. Matthew Sermon, who is retiring today, Thursday, September 3, 2026, after nearly 30 years of stellar federal service.

Mr. Sermon began his extraordinary career as a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy. After graduation from Annapolis, he was commissioned as a Surface Warfare Officer and nuclear engineering officer. During his time at sea, he was deployed to the Middle East during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, accumulating an impeccable record in uniform.

After discharging from active duty, Matt continued his public service with the Navy as a civilian in 2005, focused on revitalizing America's shipbuilding industrial base. He passionately understood that, for the sake of our maritime Nation, the decline of our shipbuilding workforce, infrastructure, and supply chain, which occurred in the wake of the end of the Cold War, needed to be reversed.

In that cause, he has made critical contributions to build and support ships, amphibs, destroyers, and most specially submarines. Specifically, these contributions were made while holding various program manager and leadership roles in the Support Ships, Boats, and Craft Programs the International Fleet Support office, for the Zumwalt Class Destroyer, and for the Columbia Class Submarine program. Within these positions, Mr. Sermon managed billions of dollars in funding and hundreds of personnel, all of which was guided by his commitment to the technological advancement and unilateral preeminence of our Nation's Navy.

Mr. Speaker, Matt Sermon is a household name within Eastern Connecticut's substantial submarine industrial base. Starting in 2019, as Congress increased funding for the undersea fleet, he managed investment in our submarine suppliers, workforce, and shipyards.

Year in and year out, over my 12 years as Chairman and/or Ranking Member of the Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee, Matt has been a most trusted partner--and leader--in executing Congress' constitutional duty to ``provide and maintain a Navy''.

Mr. Sermon completes his more than two decades of civil service as the Executive Director for the Director Reporting Portfolio Manager, Submarines, or DRPMI Subs. His work, alongside Vice Admiral Gaucher, is focused on taking the production of submarine tonnage to record high levels. His dedication and service are admirable and deserving of special recognition. As his time in public service draws to a close, I want to personally attest to the fact that tens of thousands of new, young, energetic metal trades workers, designers, and engineers are today enjoying life-changing careers because of Matt's devoted, talented leadership.

I ask that the House join me in celebrating the career of Mr. Matthew Sermon, and in wishing all the best to his family.