Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address my fellow townspeople of my hometown of East Hartford.

In what was a heartbreaking loss for them in the primary on September 11, I wanted to especially thank them for the number of thank-yous, the cards, and the media attention that I received from all of them from the bottom of their hearts.

Mr. Speaker, I also wanted to rise and at the same time acknowledge someone who rarely gets thanked. Mr. Speaker, I think this is true of most Members of Congress. The people who often don't get the praise they richly deserve are the spouses.

Having gone through several elections--having been here for what will be 28 years--I can't think of anyone who did more on behalf of me and my children and, frankly, the First Congressional District and this great country of ours than my wife, Leslie.

Why do I say that? Like most spouses, Mr. Speaker, they do their job quietly. They do it without recognition. They do it because of their belief in the spouse who is running, but also to nurture their children.

Oftentimes, they are viewed as an appendage. Oftentimes, they are the ones who don't get the attention, nor do they ever seek it.

My wife is a master gardener, and she is incredible. She knows more about soil and soil content and the right kind of fertilizer, and what to do. Our backyard and front yard are ablossom with flowers and vegetables that come from her nurturing and caring.

Do you know what, Mr. Speaker? None of those flowers or those plants or the gardening ever say thank you. They don't speak at all. What she revels in is how she is able to take them from seedling to flowering-- without a thank-you and without applause.

It is the same way that she has stood by me over all these many years of public life and, also, our children, who she had to nurture and to explain after September 11 what was happening in Washington, D.C., and whether Dad was okay.

It is spouses who give up so much of their lives on behalf of the elected officials that they represent. They do so willingly. They don't complain. They never seek the footlights. They never truly receive the thanks that they richly deserve.

More than a master gardener, my wife, Leslie, has been there for me and my children and has done so persistently, even when things have been tough and even when there is unfair scrutiny and expectation.

I don't think Congress does enough, Mr. Speaker, for our spouses. In fact, we seem to have done less and less over the 28 years that I have been here. There ought to be more recognition for the true sacrifice that they have made. I don't think there is a Member here in the body, married, unmarried, or whatnot, who can think of people who have sacrificed more than the loved ones who they represent.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today--and I will submit remarks later for the Record--to thank my wife, Leslie Larson, for her continued support and love for me but, as importantly, for her children, the community she lives in, the great State, and, of course, this great Nation we all love.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address my fellow townspeople of my hometown of East Hartford.

In what was a heartbreaking loss for them in the primary on September 11, I wanted to especially thank them for the number of thank-yous, the cards, and the media attention that I received from all of them from the bottom of their hearts.

Mr. Speaker, I also wanted to rise and at the same time acknowledge someone who rarely gets thanked. Mr. Speaker, I think this is true of most Members of Congress. The people who often don't get the praise they richly deserve are the spouses.

Having gone through several elections--having been here for what will be 28 years--I can't think of anyone who did more on behalf of me and my children and, frankly, the First Congressional District and this great country of ours than my wife, Leslie.

Why do I say that? Like most spouses, Mr. Speaker, they do their job quietly. They do it without recognition. They do it because of their belief in the spouse who is running, but also to nurture their children.

Oftentimes, they are viewed as an appendage. Oftentimes, they are the ones who don't get the attention, nor do they ever seek it.

My wife is a master gardener, and she is incredible. She knows more about soil and soil content and the right kind of fertilizer, and what to do. Our backyard and front yard are ablossom with flowers and vegetables that come from her nurturing and caring.

Do you know what, Mr. Speaker? None of those flowers or those plants or the gardening ever say thank you. They don't speak at all. What she revels in is how she is able to take them from seedling to flowering-- without a thank-you and without applause.

It is the same way that she has stood by me over all these many years of public life and, also, our children, who she had to nurture and to explain after September 11 what was happening in Washington, D.C., and whether Dad was okay.

It is spouses who give up so much of their lives on behalf of the elected officials that they represent. They do so willingly. They don't complain. They never seek the footlights. They never truly receive the thanks that they richly deserve.

More than a master gardener, my wife, Leslie, has been there for me and my children and has done so persistently, even when things have been tough and even when there is unfair scrutiny and expectation.

I don't think Congress does enough, Mr. Speaker, for our spouses. In fact, we seem to have done less and less over the 28 years that I have been here. There ought to be more recognition for the true sacrifice that they have made. I don't think there is a Member here in the body, married, unmarried, or whatnot, who can think of people who have sacrificed more than the loved ones who they represent.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today--and I will submit remarks later for the Record--to thank my wife, Leslie Larson, for her continued support and love for me but, as importantly, for her children, the community she lives in, the great State, and, of course, this great Nation we all love.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following eulogy, which was introduced by Raymond D. Larson on behalf of his dear friend, Nolan W. Callahan. Nolan gave this eulogy for his father, Mark E. Callahan. The eulogy encapsulates an extraordinary life of an everyday American, husband, and father. Delivered on February 1, 2018, the eulogy commemorates a life defined by resilience, warmth, and an unwavering love for his fellow man. More than a tribute, it serves as a timeless guide on how to live life, urging us to laugh hard, look at the stars and feel small, and dedicate ourselves to making others brim with joy. It is one of millions of stories of the American Experience made possible by the will, determination, and perseverance of Mark E. Callahan.

First of all, thank you all for being here. Looking out

today I see Mark's close friends and family all gathered to

celebrate his life, and it's an honor to address you all, as

you were the reason that Mark fought as hard as he did

against his illness. I especially want to thank the clergy

and staff here at Saint Patrick's and Saint Anthony's, as

well as the staff at Newkirk & Whitney funeral home. You all

helped give my father a beautiful ceremony and you've helped

my family and I garner a sense of grace and closure. Thank

you.

I believe it was in the middle of summer in 2013 when Mark

suffered an accident that severely damaged his right eye.

After countless procedures and surgeries, he ended up losing

a majority of his vision, rendering him all but blind in one

eye. It was later that year, in December, when he got the

fateful phone call that brings us all together today, over

four years later. Yet, a while after being diagnosed with his

cancer, Gary McKeone, who was one of Mark's friends,

organized a party for him with the help of Sully's Cafe of

East Hartford and a few other coworkers. The Gazette, a local

newspaper, heard that the jolly good fellow was having drinks

raised to his name, and naturally sent a reporter to cover

the event. My father was a very popular man. Days pass, and

soon enough I see the edition of the paper that had the

article about Dad. And I'll never forget the headline. It was

a quote from Mark, and it simply said, ``I feel like the

luckiest man in the world.'' The luckiest man in the world.

This was after losing half his vision, while in the midst of

staving off a terminal disease, and he was the luckiest man

in the world. I believe that almost everyone in the world,

myself included, would have given up if they were dealt the

hand Dad was, but not him. Instead he thrived. He didn't

merely say that he felt like the luckiest man in the world,

he truly believed it, and lived that way: every day a

celebration and every moment a new memory waiting to be had.

While I was writing this I had a hard time deciding which

stories to share with the congregation today that might

illuminate the kind of man my father was. It wasn't difficult

because there weren't enough stories to choose from, just the

contrary. I sat for hours running through my mind, thinking

of the things he did, as well as the lore I've heard from his

family and friends of his colorful past. I thought maybe I

could talk about his endless quest for knowledge, perhaps

tell you all of the time he had a question about space and

decided the best and only way to get to the bottom of things

was to pick up the phone and call NASA. (They didn't help at

all. They were only concerned with finding out how on earth

he had gotten their number.) Or, maybe I could try to explain

his spontaneous and fun loving nature, and tell you all about

the time he gave Tiny Tim a ride to one of his shows in one

of Uncle Kevin's flower shop delivery vans. That's a true

story, but not one that would adequately describe the man he

was. Instead, when I think about my father I think about two

things; his unfaltering love for his fellow man, and his

sense of humor.

Years ago when I was a boy, Dad used to take Molly, Rose

and I to Terry pool on Saturday mornings to swim. This was a

dream come true for us, an Olympic sized pool all to

ourselves in the dead heat of summer. We would cool off while

Dad took care of maintaining the pool, which would open up a

few hours later to the public. Needless to say, every time we

got the opportunity to go to work with him, we would always

pounce on the opportunity. Now, one night he and I were

coming back from the beach when he suddenly realized that he

had left a pump on at the pool, and he told me that we needed

to stop by Terry so he could turn it off. When we got there,

I stayed in the car as he walked into his pump room,

affectionately called ``The Cave''. When he came back out, he

was preceded by two people, pool hoppers as he called them,

soaking wet wrapped up in towels. Dad came out right behind

them, shook their hands, locked the pool, and got back in the

car.

He proceeded to tell me what had happened. Apparently, when

he walked into The Cave, he could hear distinct voices and

splashing coming from the water. He walked out to the deck,

and saw two people: a father and a son. Upon their seeing

him, they jumped out of the pool and began to climb the

fence, assuming my dad would call the police or chase them

out or something like that. I'm sure that's what most people

would do in his situation, but not my father. Instead, he

asked them to get down off the fence because he was afraid

they might hurt themselves on the way over. He introduced

himself and offered them towels, and asked why they were

there. It turns out the man was trying to teach his son how

to swim, and couldn't afford the entry fee to the pool during

regular hours. My dad, hearing this, made a deal with them;

that he would let them into the pool during regular hours for

free so long as they didn't try to hop the fence again. A

laugh and a handshake later, a deal was struck and abided by.

I don't know why, but that sentiment stuck with me forever.

Help your fellow man. Regardless of the circumstances, if

someone is in need of help, provide.

My father was also, without a doubt, the funniest man I've

ever met. At any party or event, the seat next to him was

always the best seat in the house. His sense of humor was

discrete and dry, his laughter contagious, and his wit razor

sharp while somehow also benevolent. He never laughed at

anyone, only with them. If he decided he wanted you to laugh,

within minutes you'd be gasping for air and drying your eyes.

Him being a master of the craft of comedy, he could take any

situation and turn it into the hardest you've laughed all

week. It was a showing of his love, he genuinely only wanted

people to have a good time, even if it meant putting a cheese

doodle in each nostril and staring at you until you noticed.

He was a man who enjoyed creating laughter more than he

enjoyed laughing himself, a sentiment that was dramatically

increased whenever he was surrounded by family.

Now, there aren't words that can describe how much he loved

his family. His brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, children

and wife were his entire world. These are the people he

lived, and ultimately fought for. His time on earth was

brief, but he provided a bounty for all who knew him. I think

about everything he gave me, and at the end of his life I

realized the greatest thing he ever gave me was this family,

the people sitting in this very church. He gave me the world

through all of you, and my sisters and my mother.

I sometimes wonder, when he walked into Michael's Bakery

and proposed to the woman standing behind the counter, if he

knew at the time that he was in fact asking the strongest

woman in the world to marry him. Mom, the care and affection

you provided for Dad not only in the past four years, but

during the entirety of your marriage has changed my

definition of love. Your complete selflessness and awe

inspiring dedication to his well-being is nothing short of

miraculous.

I'll leave you now asking you to live the way Mark did, let

his life be an example of how to be happy. Laugh hard and

often. Unconditionally love not only your family and friends

but the strangers you meet on the way. Dedicate yourself to

the mission of making others brim with joy. Read a book and

share it. Look at the stars and feel small. Get a running

head start and dive headfirst into the ocean. Rise with the

Sun. Drive with the windows down. Eat pancakes before they

get cold. Go to a wedding and dance all night. Hug your

children. Work hard. Call NASA. Take a nap in a bath of

sunlight. Hug a dog. Be honest. Fight for what you want. But

most of all, live in the moment and smile for every second of

it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable constituent, Joe Caminiti of Bristol, a 101-year-old World War II veteran whose service record includes storming the beaches of Iwo Jima and liberating Guam.

At age 18, Mr. Caminiti left school to join the US Marine Corps on behalf of his Nation. After training at Parris Island and Camp Lejune, Mr. Caminiti was deployed with the 3rd Amphibian Tractor Battalion to New Caledonia, Guadalcanal, and Guam.

Once Guam was liberated, the Marines set their sights on Iwo Jima, an island used by the Japanese military to launch airplanes that attacked Saipan and American bombers. The heavily fortified island had been under bombardment for 66 days, but the military was still unable to take control.

Mr. Caminiti was part of the 10th wave landing at Iwo Jima. While offloading troops, his amphibious tractor took on water and became difficult to steer. As his tractor returned a second time to replenish supplies, the tractor stalled on the beach, and Mr. Caminiti repaired it while Japanese snipers were firing. The following morning, Mr. Caminiti returned to the beach, shuttling soldiers and supplies to the island, returning with the wounded for treatment aboard a ship docked offshore, saving the lives of many American soldiers.

Mr. Caminiti still remembers seeing the flag raised over Mt. Suribachi, now one of the most famous photos in history. ``We never thought it was going to be a historical thing. The first time, you couldn't really see it. They called for a bigger flag. I saw the bigger flag go up. We had a clear look at it. We looked right at it, and I said. `it's about time!' ''

After spending more than a month on Iwo Jima, Mr, Caminiti embarked to Maui, Hawaii, to retrieve new equipment to be used in the invasion of Japan. Before they could redeploy, Japan had surrendered to the US, and the war had ended.

Returning to the U.S., Mr. Caminiti met and married Germaine La Fleur, with whom he raised his three children. Mr. Caminiti's service to his community did not end with his military service. He helped raise funds to construct an Iwo Jima Memorial in Connecticut, volunteered at his church, and fundraised for the Woody William Foundation.

In 2025, Mr. Caminiti returned to Iwo Jima, now called Iwo To, to participate in remembrance services. He placed one of three wreaths alongside the Japanese Prime Minister, and he carried with him leaflets containing the names of the 100 soldiers from Connecticut who died during the Battle of Iwo Jima, which he circulated during his trip.

On behalf of the United States Congress, I extend my gratitude to Joe Caminiti for his service to our country.

Mr. Speaker, during this weeks Ways and Means Committee hearing, I had the opportunity to speak about Jeff Flaks, President and Chief Executive officer of Hartford HealthCare. During this hearing, I said:

``I want to note the CEO of Hartford Hospital, in my home state, Jeff Flaks. This is a CEO who goes out in the winter and finds people that are homeless, sleeping under bridges, etc., and brings them back to the only place that they will have refuge and care.''

Jeff is an extraordinarily leader in the healthcare industry and I am proud to have him working in my district. I include in the Record an article from the Hartford Courant about Hartford Hospital's new facility. This tower will be on the cutting edge of medicine and will ensure that residents of Central Connecticut continue to get first rate care. I thank the team at Hartford Healthcare for their work to make this plan a reality.

CT Hospital's $950M Tower Is a Whopper, `Most Advanced' in Nation. What

it will Look Like and When.

(By Kenneth R. Gosselin)

A $1 billion-plus investment in Hartford Hospital over the

next decade is spurring an unprecedented building boom not

seen in the hospital's 172-year history--with its centerpiece

now coming squarely into focus: a $950 million in-patient and

surgical tower that will not only give the hospital a more

prominent place in the city's skyline but, hospital leaders

say, among hospitals across the country.

The tower, expected to open in 2031, will rise 14 stories,

double the height of the next tallest building on the 70-acre

campus.

The tower will be built on a one-acre patch now used for

valet parking near the corner of Seymour and Jefferson

streets, its half a million square feet of space so massive

that the upper floors will need to be built out over the top

of the neighboring Jefferson Building.

Construction on the tower is expected to begin next year

and will include 216 private-room patient beds--increasingly

sought for hospital stays--20 surgical areas organized around

recovery rooms and specialties by floor, all outfitted with

cutting-edge technology.

``So this is a massive investment in the future of Hartford

Hospital,'' said Jeffrey A. Flaks, president and chief

executive of Hartford HealthCare, the parent of Hartford

Hospital and seven others in Connecticut. ``And this building

will be the most advanced, most sophisticated hospital

building anywhere in the country.''

Hartford HealthCare's plans to spend more than $1 billion

over a decade at Hartford Hospital have been well-known since

at least the end of 2024, with a new, in-patient tower

considered a significant part of those plans. But the

specifics weren't disclosed until now, as financing is

falling into place.

The reshaping of the hospital's campus seeks to strike a

balance among lifting the hospital's national profile,

providing more efficiently for the health care needs of the

local community and recognizing the reality of an aging

population that needs increasingly sophisticated care.

The hospital's $1 billion-plus plan also includes other

major projects, some already in construction.

The projects include a much-needed expansion of the

hospital's emergency department; a Hartford HealthCare-Go

Health urgent care center with more services than is typical;

and a 1,600-space parking garage that is part of a larger

``arrival center'' with a restaurant and conference space for

up to 500.

The hospital also intends to launch the redevelopment of

three historic structures at the northeast corner of

Washington and Jefferson streets later this year. The project

will anchor a growing presence of community clinic space in

historic structures along the north side of Jefferson Street.

``This is a generational moment for us,'' Flaks said.

``This will position us for decades to come.''

Flaks comments on the details of the new tower came in an

interview with The Courant prior to a public announcement

Saturday at Hartford HealthCare's annual Black & Red Gala

fundraiser, the hospital's largest of the year.

The in-patient tower has been part of the hospital planning

since at least 2021 when an $80 million addition to the Bliss

Building was completed, adding critical care space.

The addition came on the heels of the 2016 opening of the

$150 million Bone & Joint Institute orthopedic center. Both

projects helped reshape not only the hospital's expanding

capabilities but were intended to project a modern image of a

destination for increasingly sophisticated health care.

In addition to new technology, the planned tower will

increase the percentage of overall private rooms from the

hospital's current 60% to about 80%, hospital officials said

The hospital now has 867 patient beds.

Flaks said the projects will be financed primarily through

bond funding supported by the corporation's endowment and

other philanthropic gifts.

`A variety of options'

The expansion and reorganization of the hospital's

emergency department comes as it annually treats about

110,000 patients, a number that is forecast to grow in the

coming years, hospital officials said.

The department already is seeing a severe space crunch,

with some patients routinely seen in hallways. According to

hospital officials, the emergency department has 108 rooms

and averages 305 patients a day.

Cheryl Ficara, the president of Hartford Hospital, said

plans call for an expansion into the adjacent Conklin

Building into space where as many as 30 beds will be set

aside for patients who are ``under observation.''

``And why that's so important is because many of the people

that come into the emergency department, probably, I would

say only 25 to 28% are admitted,'' Ficara said. ``The rest

are on observation and will be transitioning back out.'' The

exact number of beds that will be added has yet to be

determined.

The entrance to the emergency department also is getting a

makeover, with separate entrances being created for walk-in

patients and those transported by ambulance, Ficara said.

In addition, the hospital expects to open in June a

Hartford HealthCare-Go Health urgent-care clinic in the

recently-acquired former Girl Scouts of Connecticut

headquarters at the corner of Washington Street and Retreat

Avenue.

The urgent care center is seen as relieving some of the

pressure on the emergency department, giving patients another

option when they don't necessarily need emergency department

care.

The clinic, expected to open in June, will offer expanded

services such as the opportunity for blood work and more

sophisticated imaging not typically available at the

hospital's other urgent care locations. ``We're working with

the community very closely to be able to educate them on the

variety of options,'' Ficara said.

Arrival Center

The new parking garage--running the length of the south

side of Jefferson Street between Washington and Seymour

streets--will add about 1,000 new spaces to help ease a

longstanding parking crunch at the hospital.

Built in two phases on the site of a now-demolished garage

and a former gas station, it is expected to gradually open

beginning in 2027. The valet service also will be based in

the garage.

The garage also will anchor what the hospital describes as

an arrival center.

The venue also will include a restaurant on Seymour Street

and a conference center located near the corner Washington

and Jefferson streets.

The conference center is expected to accommodate up to 500

people--a size that has the potential to attract national

meetings and bring more visitors to the city of Hartford,

Flaks said.

``So this is all part of that broader strategy to really

have Hartford Hospital be magnetic, to be a destination for

research, teaching, innovation, clinical discovery,'' Flaks

said. ``And it just adds another piece of the puzzle that we

need to be able to elevate and be competitive with anyone

across the country to host meetings of this scale. So we're

very excited about that.''

The parking garage will be connected to the new tower via a

skywalk that will lead to the tower's two-story lobby, the

new main entrance to the hospital.

And as construction of the new tower starts to take shape,

two concourses--one interior, one exterior--will be built to

connect all the structures at the heart of the campus: the

new tower, the Jefferson Building, the emergency department,

the Conklin Building and the High Building--now the main

entrance.

``The internal concourse allows patients, families,

colleagues to move patients, products--everything--throughout

the buildings without the need to access any other pathway,''

Keith Grant, vice president of operations for the Hartford

region of Hartford HealthCare, said. ``It becomes the outer

spine of the building.''

An exterior concourse will overlook redesigned landscaping,

with a new ``healing garden'' the focal point. Honoring

historic properties.

Up until a few years ago, Hartford Hospital came under

intense criticism for its poor stewardship of historic

structures on its campus and allowing them to become

blighted.

The hospital met with strong opposition in 2023 from

neighborhood leaders and preservationists when it moved to

demolish a historic, yet decaying, 1920s apartment building

at the corner of Washington and Jefferson streets.

Today, plans call for the building and two neighboring

ones--primarily their facades--to be incorporated into a new

community-based clinical space. Those plans are evidence that

the hospital says respect the past while also looking to the

future.

The hospital also points to the $2 million-plus renovation

1879 Queen Anne-style house on Jefferson Street. The house,

which had fallen into disrepair, was singled out as one of

the most notable properties when the Jefferson-Seymour

National Historic District was formed in 1979.

The hospital's evolving perspective on historic structures

also was evident in reversing a plan to demolish the

historic, 1920s Hall-Wilson Laboratory in 2021. Instead, the

hospital took the unusual step of converting the interior of

the brownstone structure into an electrical substation plant,

in a $23 million project.

While most efforts at incorporating historic structures

into a modern hospital campus have been focused along

Jefferson, Ficara, Hartford Hospital's president, said the

hospital also is now looking along Retreat Avenue.

``All the buildings that we own that are historic and need

work, if you will, it's a partnership of making sure from a

historic perspective, that we honor them,'' Ficara said.

``But, at the same time, renovate them and then use them for

today's day and age, and I think that is very possible.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Robert A. Kret on the occasion of his retirement after an extraordinary 35- year career in museum leadership, historic preservation, and public service. It is especially fitting that Rob retires at this pivotal moment in our Nation's history, as the United States prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence. At a time when our country is reflecting on its past and looking toward its future, Rob's lifelong work preserving history, elevating community stories, and strengthening civic institutions has never been more important. His imprint on the museum field, and particularly on the role of state and local history organizations at this crucial national juncture, will endure for generations.

Throughout his distinguished career, Rob Kret has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to preserving our shared history, expanding access to culture, and ensuring that museums remain vibrant institutions that educate and inspire future generations. Most recently, Rob has served with distinction as the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History, a role he assumed in 2019. During his tenure, he guided the institution through a period of remarkable growth and transformation. Under his leadership, the Museum successfully navigated the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, completed a strategic rebranding and name change, broadened statewide and national awareness, and launched significant expansion planning efforts.

Thanks to Rob's vision and dedication, annual visitation grew to more than 100,000 visitors, contributed revenue increased substantially, and both the Board of Trustees and professional staff expanded and diversified. He also helped secure two Community Project Funding awards totaling $2 million, strengthening the Museum's ability to preserve and share Connecticut's rich and diverse stories. Through his efforts, the Connecticut Museum has become an even more dynamic and relevant institution as it celebrated its historic 200th anniversary as the Nation's 7th oldest history organization.

Importantly, Rob has been a leading voice in highlighting the indispensable role that state and local history organizations will play in the upcoming America's 250th anniversary as the institutions best positioned to connect Americans to our Nation's story and preserve it for generations to come. He has helped remind the Nation that the story of America is not told only through national landmarks or famous figures, but through the towns, neighborhoods, cultural institutions, and communities whose histories collectively define our democracy. His leadership has elevated the importance of investing in historical societies, museums, and archives so that every community can see itself reflected in this once-in-a-generation commemoration.

Before coming to Connecticut, Rob brought decades of leadership experience to some of the Nation's most respected cultural institutions. He served as Executive Director of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he oversaw major capital projects, strengthened collections stewardship, and expanded public engagement. Earlier in his career, he led the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the Miami University Art Museum in Ohio, the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wisconsin, and the Ella Sharp Museum in Michigan. In each role, he left institutions stronger, more sustainable, and better positioned to serve their communities.

Rob's career has been marked not only by administrative excellence, but by a deep belief that museums are essential civic spaces--places where communities can see themselves reflected, where history is preserved with honesty and care, and where curiosity can flourish. His leadership has helped countless people connect more deeply with art, culture, and history.

As Rob steps into retirement, we recognize not only his many accomplishments, but also the integrity, wisdom, and generosity with which he has led. We thank him for his decades of service and for the lasting legacy he leaves in Connecticut and across the museum field.

On behalf of the United States Congress, I extend my sincere congratulations to Robert A. Kret on his retirement and offer my best wishes for health, happiness, and continued success in the years ahead.

Mr. Speaker, good morning. This is a great day for the Larson and Messier family. My granddaughter Soleil Audrey Messier turns 1 year old today. She is the sunshine of our lives and a bundle of joy. We wish her and her mom a happy birth day.

Mr. Speaker, also on her birthday, I come to the floor as a concerned Member of this body and note that we are in a constitutional crisis, a constitutional crisis where this administration is currently ignoring the rule of law.

The President of the United States treats the Constitution as though it is a mere suggestion and that he is above the law. Article I of the Constitution means little to him.

Mr. Speaker, fortunately, there are citizens in this country who care deeply about this. I am honored to have such a citizen who is one of my constituents, the renowned, legendary, and iconic Ralph Nader. Ralph Nader is coming to Washington, D.C., on April 8, along with Bruce Fein, a constitutional lawyer and authority on the Constitution. I will be holding meetings open to staff and open to people here in the Rayburn Building on this campus to talk about governmental accountability.

Ralph Nader has long been a voice throughout his history of public service since he first published ``Unsafe at Any Speed,'' where he went after the automobile industry because of what they were doing to the American people and citizens.

He has been a voice, and I have to read this, Mr. Speaker: An author, lecturer, attorney, political activist, and in 2006 he was cited by The Atlantic as one of the 100 Most Influential Figures in American History.

Time magazine called him ``the U.S.'s toughest customer.'' The New York Times has said of him that Nader stands apart because he is moved beyond social criticism to effective political action--beyond criticism to effective political action.

In 1974, a survey conducted by the U.S. News & World Report rated him the fourth most influential person in the United States. I am proud to have him as a constituent.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Nader along with Bruce Fein will be discussing articles on government and corporate accountability on April 8.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Nader also gets up and says every day that there can be no daily democracy without daily citizenship. That is so true.

We just heard Mr. Comer over here talking before about the need for bringing forward whistleblowers. Yet, on the Committee on Ways and Means, we have been asking for the whistleblowers who have said that every person, including all the viewers here today, Social Security information has been stolen and placed in an insecure cloud--not one whistleblower, but two. Who brought them forward? The Trump Judiciary Department, the judicial branch of the Trump administration.

I listened to Mr. Comer call for whistleblowers coming forward in Minnesota and California. How about right here in the United States Congress, we hold accountable people who are looking at every Member of Congress' 435 districts, all of their data and information.

The public should be outraged. We should be demanding that they come before us as we have. Instead, we voted yesterday, once again, to alleviate resolutions of inquiry, the minority's choice to get answers.

Mr. Speaker, I regrettably missed a vote on January 21, 2026. Had I been present, I would have voted: Nay on Roll Call No. 38, on passage of H.J. Res. 140, Providing for congressional disapproval under Chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to Public Land Order No. 7917 for Withdrawal of Federal Lands; Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis Counties, MN.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the leader of the Ways and Means Committee and rise in strong support of this legislation.

We have heard an awful lot of talk about subsidies over there. Let's cut right to the chase. It is about subsidies. You care about subsidies for billionaires, and you are willing to do it on the backs of the American people.

You would rather see them--thank God for the people who are standing up on your side. They deserve the Profile

in Courage award because they are able to stand up to a President who would rather see 15 million people lose insurance and another 20 million see their prices double. Thank the Republicans on that side for profiles in courage.

Vote your conscience. Vote your constituents. This is not about politics. It is about people.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Neal for the time.

Mr. Speaker, a constituent in my district in Middletown is going to be paying more for health insurance than he does for his mortgage.

Let's cut right to the chase. This is about a vote for the American people. This great democracy that we live in, this Chamber that could once actually discuss and debate issues, Speaker Johnson should be bringing this bill to the floor today.

Do Republicans have the courage to vote, or are they going to run and hide? Four Republicans have stood up and said: You know what, in a democracy, this deserves a vote.

Listen carefully, American people, how they decry this bill, yet they won't even have a vote.

Madam Speaker, this Saturday, November 22, will mark 62 years since we lost a President of the United States, a person who gave so much to his Nation, an individual who was taken from us in the summer of his years.

His daughter, Caroline, back in 2017 gave us these buttons, pins, that I proudly wear. It is an image of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

President Kennedy epitomized placing service above self. He was a national hero and a leader who had the grace, the dignity, the wit, the intelligence, and the love of his Nation and mankind.

That past year we also lost someone by the name of Connie Francis who sang a song at the time called ``In the Summer of His Years.''

In that song, she wrote:

A young man rode with his head held high

Under the Texas sun

And no one guessed that a man so blessed

Would perish by the gun

Lord, would perish by the gun

A shot rang out like a sudden shout

And Heaven held its breath

For the dreams of a multitude of men

Rode with him to his death

Lord, rode with him to his death

Yes, the heart of the world weighs heavy

With the helplessness of tears

For the man cut down in a Texas town

In the summer of his years

The summer of his years.

It is we who carry on from this very person who served in this Chamber and the United States Senate and went on to become the President of the United States and, as important, a leader not only for this Nation but the world.

I note, especially in these times, Madam Speaker, that it is service above self that matters. It is service to your Nation, service to your family, service to your community, and service to your State that matters most.

I rise to salute the life of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to congratulate The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, His All- Holiness Bartholomew, who is traveling to the U.S. this month to receive the prestigious Templeton Prize, on his achievements in interfaith dialogue. As this year's Templeton Prize Laureate, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will join the esteemed ranks of past recipients, including Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

His All-Holiness has been a pioneer in merging spirituality with science as a force for change. As head of the Eastern Orthodox church, he has gathered scientists, scholars, politicians with Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim clerics. He also became the first Christian hierarch to visit countries like Libya, Syria, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Azerbaijan, Qatar, and Bahrain, building on his church's 550-year history of coexistence with Muslims.

In 1997, Ecumenical Patriarch Batholomew was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal ``in recognition of his outstanding and enduring contributions to religious understanding and peace.'' That same year, he decried pollution, deforestation, and climate change as ``ecological sins.'' His All-Holiness' dedication to preserving our planet for future generations is an inspiration to us all.

I thank The Ecumenical Patriarch for his work on interfaith dialogue and protecting the environment, congratulate His All-Holiness on being recognized by the Templeton Prize, and welcome him back to the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to discuss something that should alarm every American citizen.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, DOGE or so-called DOGE employees, have been rummaging through people's individual Social Security records.

For the general public's awareness, DOGE is the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, initially led by Elon Musk until there was a breakup of the bromance between he and President Trump, but DOGE still persists.

Mr. Speaker, as you know--and it has to be as much a concern to you as it is to me--having more than 127,000 Social Security recipients in your district whose information is private and secure, is being rummaged through by twentysomethings who have no accountability, have never been vetted, and who will not come before Congress.

I asked Chairman Estes last week in our subcommittee meeting to bring DOGE forward to please tell us what they are doing rummaging through everyone's personal data and information.

Ranking Member Neal and I are going to introduce a resolution of inquiry to bring DOGE before Congress. Every Member, Republican and Democrat, should be concerned about this. Every American citizen should be aware that DOGE has taken all of that information and stored it in a cloud, a/k/a another site that is vulnerable, that anyone can hack into, and that the Social Security Administration has no access to. No one is allowed to look at that data who hasn't been vetted, as was testified before the Ways and Means Committee last week.

How is it that DOGE employees are exempt because they are above the law? It requires the United States Congress to call them in front of us. If they are doing such a great job with efficiency, and if that was their goal, clearly they ought to be able to come before Congress and testify as to what they have found.

Mr. Speaker, I think every American should be aware that what is really going on here is an attempt to get at your data and your information and to further attempt to privatize Social Security. That is the end goal.

When you look at the layoffs that have occurred at the Social Security Administration, when you look at what has happened to the regional offices, when you look at the basic phone service and the inability of people to contact and speak with a human being, it should astound and awaken every single American.

I hope that all Americans who may be listening to this or people in the audience who may be listening to this take to heart what is happening with their personal data and information.

Why should anyone, let alone unvetted, unaccountable DOGE people, go through your personal records? Why do they need that information? What does that have to do with government efficiency, and why did they steal them and put them in an unsecure cloud that anyone could hack from the outside?

This is an abomination, and it needs to be corrected. It can very easily be corrected by the legislation that we have introduced calling to make sure that DOGE comes before Congress.

Mr. Speaker, Republicans need to stand up and call them to come before us.

Madam Speaker, first and foremost, I rise today with our deepest condolences for the family of Charlie Kirk.

Violence of any kind, especially violence that we have seen in this country way too often, should never be condoned. Whether it is the Kirk family or the families of the kids who were shot in Colorado, it is gut-wrenching and sorrowful that our Nation continues to go through this plague of gun violence.

Madam Speaker, it has been 13 years since Sandy Hook in my home State of Connecticut. It is long overdue for Congress to have a vote. Universal background checks are a commonsense way that we can deal with this, and I see no reason why we can't pass this as a Congress. Frankly, I believe that we should ban assault weapons, as well.

Hopefully, people in this body will come to their senses and have Congress take a vote, at a minimum, for the families who were impacted and for our future. That is all that is required of us.

Again, our hearts go out to the Kirk family and, certainly, the families of the students at Evergreen High School in Colorado.

Demanding Answers from DOGE

Madam Speaker, I rise this morning because Democrats have introduced a resolution of inquiry to get the information

from the whistleblower who has talked about what happened to the more than 300 million Americans who depend on Social Security. This impacts all 435 congressional districts.

Madam Speaker, you have 161,000 Social Security recipients in your district. I know that you do not stand for having their personal information gone through, looked over, and utilized for anything that was unintended, let alone having been taken from its secure position in Social Security and stored in a cloud that no one from the Social Security Administration has access to. That makes everyone's information vulnerable.

Democrats are calling for DOGE to come before the Committee on Ways and Means so that they can tell the American people, number one, why they needed to look at their personal data to begin with and, number two, what they are doing with it and why they took it from a secure location.

No one on DOGE has been vetted by the United States Senate or Congress. None of them are accountable for what they are doing. For the President to allow them to have access to every American's personal data is an outrage.

Democrats and Republicans should join together and do our responsibility as a separate branch of government and the branch of government that has control over Social Security to make sure that these DOGE individuals are held accountable.

Democrats demand answers, and I am proud to be joined by Rich Neal in making sure that, on the Committee on Ways and Means, the committee of cognizance for Social Security, we have DOGE come before us. If they are doing such a great job and are exposing all of this fraud and abuse, why aren't they in front of Congress to tell us about it? Democrats demand that DOGE be held accountable for what they have stolen and put into a cloud.

Madam Speaker, I rise this morning to talk about a very troubling concern that is taking place in Congress.

Madam Speaker, you may be aware that the so-called DOGE group, a group of individuals that was put together by Elon Musk and President Trump that were unvetted and unaccountable, have now gotten the data of more than 300 million of our fellow Americans. They have taken that data and put it in a cloud, making it vulnerable to being hacked. It is an unsecured position by people who had no right to go into individuals' personal data and information.

Madam Speaker, I asked Chairman Estes yesterday if he would call a hearing on this so that we could bring the whistleblower in who made this evident and clear that this data is being kidnapped and taken to the cloud, which means, for those of you that don't understand this, an unsecure place.

The Social Security Administration has no idea. When I asked my fellow Republican colleagues if they had any idea where this data was, they had no idea either. It is long overdue that, as an equal branch of government, we hold the executive branch accountable when they are taking people's personal data and Social Security information and exposing it. There is no reason why any 24-year-old, unvetted, unaccountable person should have access to any American's Social Security information.

Madam Speaker, you have more than 177,000 Social Security recipients in your own district. Is there not one Republican who will stand up and say: We need a hearing. We demand to know where this information is. We want to know why they need this information.

I think you know why. It is because they want to privatize Social Security. They are dissembling Social Security from within.

Democrats are aware of this, but all citizens--whether Republican, Democrat, or unaffiliated--ought to be concerned and shocked by the fact that your data, your personal information, has been hacked by people who were not vetted and are unaccountable and have placed this in a cloud, meaning in an unsecure place, that anyone could hack into. Imagine that the Social Security administration has no idea what they have done with this data.

We asked Elon Musk and DOGE to come before this Committee on Ways and Means, and they refused to come. Why? Because they believe they are above the law. They don't believe that they are accountable to an equal branch of government. Now they have gone in and taken the data that they were after. Why is Elon Musk after it? Because that data contains information about the $2.7 trillion of the people's money that is in Social Security.

If I sound a little angry, it is because I am. Every American ought to be angered and outraged that this is going on. We vowed to protect their information and keep it safe and secure. This administration and Elon Musk have sent DOGE into Social Security to take this information. It is morally wrong. It is not legal, and it is long overdue that we take action.