Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Liberty University women's soccer team on their 3-0 victory over the Missouri State Bears to claim the 2025 Conference USA Women's Soccer Championship.

Ivy Garner was named the CUSA Player of the Year and Championship Offensive MVP. Lauren Lettle earned honors as the CUSA Defensive Player of the Year and Championship Defensive MVP. Midfield Bri Myers and forward Lauren Flax were selected to the CUSA All-Tournament Team.

This title marks Liberty's second Conference USA crown in three seasons and secures them in automatic advancement to the NCAA Tournament.

I commend these student-athletes, their coaches, and the entire program that exemplifies excellence, dedication, and team spirit. Their success brings honor to Liberty University, who trains champions of Christ, Virginia's Fifth Congressional District, and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 50th anniversary of a great company in my district.

Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago, Bill Yancey founded HI-TEST Laboratories to test naval equipment and ships to make sure they can survive shock and vibration.

Using machines and explosives, HI-TEST has tested everything from the smallest electronic component to entire completed ships, which requires 40,000 pounds of explosives.

HI-TEST ensures that our sailors and marines are kept safe and that our ships can continue to fight. They have a facility which is the biggest and best in the entire world, and their all-American crew of engineers and craftsmen are the best in the world, as well.

Mr. Speaker, located in the Fifth District of Virginia, this company, still owned by Bill and operated by his family, keeps America in the fight on the sea.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith for their leadership.

Mr. Speaker, as a Navy SEAL veteran, I am incredibly proud to rise today in support of the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.

This transformative piece of legislation delivers on the peace through strength mandate of this administration. This bill that we are voting on today stands as a once-in-a-generation reform of the Department of War's acquisition procedures to ensure that the warfighter and services have the right equipment in a timely and expeditious manner for the fight in the moment and the future. God forbid if we have to go to war. We want our men and women to be able to win the fight and return home safely.

Mr. Speaker, I promised when I took office to deliver for Virginia's Fifth District. This bill does just that with more for the Commonwealth, supporting the growing nuclear industry, advanced manufacturing, and workforce development sectors. It also takes necessary steps to address the extraordinary threats in the cyber domain posed by AI and quantum computing.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the committee staff and my own staff for their hard work on this year's bill, and I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment, H.R. 3638, which adds essential language to address the threat posed by foreign entities of concern seeking to disrupt supply chains and undermine United States leadership in artificial intelligence development.

The United States is in a race with the Chinese Communist Party to be the

global leader in the development and deployment of artificial intelligence. Maintaining that leadership requires vigilance against supply chain vulnerabilities that foreign adversaries can exploit. Our Nation has already faced significant challenges in scaling artificial intelligence infrastructure. We cannot allow foreign manipulation or interference to add to these challenges.

Disruptions to the artificial intelligence supply chain will not just weaken our country in our race against China but will have a significant, negative impact on our economy, our ability to defend ourselves, and our capacity to innovate.

This amendment recognizes that protecting the artificial intelligence supply chain is both a defensive measure and a strategic investment in our infrastructure. Establishing periodic assessments of vulnerabilities in the artificial intelligence supply chain that foreign entities of concern could exploit helps ensure our country maintains stable access to necessary components, boosting domestic manufacturing and innovation.

To remain at the forefront of the next generation of technology, we must thoroughly assess and protect our supply chain. Any disruption threatens not only our progress but also our national security, our economic strength, and our global position in the artificial intelligence race.

This amendment strengthens our ability to safeguard America's advancements in artificial intelligence by ensuring we identify, monitor, and address vulnerabilities that foreign adversaries could exploit to the detriment of our national interests. It reinforces our commitment to securing the technologies that will define the next century and ensures the United States remains the world leader in artificial intelligence. This is a commonsense idea, and I encourage my colleagues to support the amendment.

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

Mr. Chair, talking about DOGE is a thinly veiled attempt to score political points by changing the topic of the conversation from this amendment, which protects our national security from foreign entities of concern, and turning it into something political.

The previous actions of DOGE do not bear any weight or relevance to this amendment. The Department of Energy is adequately staffed by very bright and talented individuals who have the capacity to monitor vulnerabilities in our supply chain that the Chinese Communist Party or other foreign adversaries could exploit to halt our progress in the artificial intelligence sphere.

This amendment is not political. It is common sense. Disruptions by foreign entities of concern to our supply chain threaten our national security, which is a cause of concern for all Americans, regardless of their political affiliation.

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

Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.

Mr. Chairman, in closing, this is a commonsense amendment. The United States is in a race with the Chinese Communist Party to be the global leader in the development and deployment of artificial intelligence and other capabilities such as quantum computers. Any vulnerabilities in our supply chain that our adversaries can exploit not only threaten our global standing in the artificial intelligence space, but it also threatens our national security.

This amendment protects all Americans from a significant and growing threat. I, again, encourage adoption of this amendment.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary achievement in high school athletics by Benedictine College Preparatory School located within Goochland County.

They have made program history by capturing its third consecutive VISAA Division I State Championship defeating Trinity Episcopal 20-0.

From the first snap, the Cadets showed they came ready to compete. Benedictine set the tone, demonstrating exceptional determination, discipline, and heart.

JoJo Johnson led the charge with an impressive 85-yard touchdown run followed by key contributions from quarterback Kaiden Kohler and VMI commit Landon Snyder, giving the Cadets a commanding 20-0 halftime lead.

Defensively, the Cadets were nothing short of dominant, ultimately leading to their championship win.

Benedictine forced five turnovers, including a critical interception by Malachi Mingo that helped seal the shutout.

I am honored today to recognize the student-athletes, coaches, families, and entire Benedictine community for their remarkable accomplishment, as well as for the pride they have brought not only to Virginia's Fifth Congressional District but also to the entire Commonwealth of Virginia.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an extraordinary achievement in high school athletics.

Benedictine College Preparatory School, located within Goochland County, has made program history by capturing its third consecutive VISAA Division I State Championship, defeating Trinity Episcopal 20-0.

From the first snap, the Cadets showed they came ready to compete. Benedictine set the tone, demonstrating exceptional determination, discipline, and heart.

JoJo Johnson led the charge with an impressive 85-yard touchdown run, followed by key contributions from quarterback Kaiden Kohler and VMI commit Landon Snyder, giving the Cadets a commanding 20-0 lead at halftime.

Defensively, the Cadets were nothing short of dominant, ultimately leading to their championship win. Benedictine forced five turnovers, including a critical interception by Malachi Mingo that helped seal the shutout.

I am honored today to recognize the student-athletes, coaches, families, and the entire Benedictine community for their remarkable accomplishment and for the pride that they have brought to Virginia's Fifth Congressional District and the entire Commonwealth.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Charlie Kirk. The country is heartbroken. As everyone knows, Charlie Kirk was assassinated last week for his beliefs of faith, family, and freedom.

Words are not violence. Violence is violence, and based on a pattern from the radical left, the message is clear: Keep your different points of view to yourself or else. That is an attack on the most important founding principle of our country and that is our First Amendment freedom of speech.

We must stay strong. We must keep fighting to keep our conservative principles, our Christian principles, strong.

Mr. Speaker, Charlie Kirk was a devoted father and husband and a Christian who deeply loved our Nation. His amazing wife, Erika, has lost a husband, and two beautiful children will have to grow up without the guidance of their father. When asked how he would want to be remembered if he passed away, he said: I want to be remembered for my faith. That should be the most important thing.

Those celebrating his assassination and lying about his record, well, that is just disappointing and that is wrong.

Charlie believed civil dialogue could always prevail, standing for civil discourse over violence. His debate skills were second to none and he captured the hearts and minds of all Americans, especially young Americans across our country.

He courageously pushed back against radical leftist divisive ideologies that have eroded our national unity. Unfortunately, some in the media continue to misconstrue his message to be of hate, but he treated all human beings with dignity and respect.

Charlie's legacy on the world left a message that resonates with an entire generation, and it is only getting stronger. He was a devoted servant of our Savior Jesus Christ and it is best to live his teachings every day.

Later this week, I hope everyone in the House will join me in supporting the resolution honoring the life of Charlie Kirk. Charlie lived with courage, compassion, and conviction. He was a fierce defender of the American founding principles, such as limited government, individual responsibility,

life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Since Charlie founded Turning Point USA in 2012, when he was 18 years old in his garage, he became and remained a prominent voice in our political discourse.

He was the strongest defender of our First Amendment. He worked tirelessly to promote unity without compromising his convictions.

Mr. Speaker, my message to all Americans is, we live in a dangerous world. Stay vigilant and let us keep an eye on each other. If you see something, say something, do something. Charlie's death is tragic and sober, but I can already see God is turning this tragedy into a greater good. Charlie will be laid to rest this Sunday in Arizona.

Mr. Speaker, from a grateful nation, we thank Charlie for all he has done. May he rest in peace.

Well done good and faithful servant, Matthew 25:21.

Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith for their leadership and vision during this process.

Mr. Chair, this year's National Defense Authorization Act represents a significant step toward achieving President Trump's vision of peace through strength.

Since the end of the Cold War, the United States' defense industrial base has severely atrophied, and the Pentagon's overburdensome and bureaucratic acquisition process hasn't kept up with the speed needed to procure and field the cutting edge technology.

As we have seen from conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, our adversaries are not wasting time innovating and changing the face of modern warfare. God forbid, if we have to go to war, we want our men and women to be able to win the fight and return home safely.

I also thank the professional staff of the committee for including several of my proposals that strengthen the industrial base in the Commonwealth of Virginia's Fifth Congressional District. I thank my own staff for their hard work and also thank the professional staff for their work on this year's bill.

Mr. Chair, I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, this one big, beautiful bill delivers the American people the promises of President Trump's America First agenda and prevents the largest single tax hike on the middle class in history.

A ``no'' vote on this bill is a vote for sabotaging the United States' energy dominance and blocking critical investments to revolutionize our military to address 21st century threats.

It eliminates over $700 billion in wasteful Medicaid spending for illegal aliens and people who can work but refuse to work, instead of America's most vulnerable.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this historic piece of legislation.

Madam Speaker, life is a miracle, and it must be protected. I am honored to be here today to commemorate the 3-year anniversary of

the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.

The Dobbs ruling rightfully overturned Roe v. Wade and brought the right to decide abortion back to the States. Abortion is not a constitutional right, nor is it healthcare.

This decision was a momentous victory for life. However, our fight is not over until all women and unborn children are protected from the violence of abortion.

Over 66 million abortions have occurred in the United States since 1973. These abortions have not only destroyed the miracle of life but are dangerous to the health and well-being of women.

Recently, the Ethics and Public Policy Center released a report that 1 in 10 women who take the chemical abortion pill mifepristone experience a serious adverse event, including sepsis, hemorrhaging, or infection.

As elected Representatives, we need to unite to support pregnant women and their unborn babies. I will continue to fight to protect and support expectant mothers and be a voice for the voiceless and most vulnerable, the unborn.

Every life is a miracle, and, again, it must be protected.

Mr. Speaker, I missed the vote on the House Floor. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 157.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman for yielding time.

Mr. Speaker, President Trump and the Republican trifecta were elected this November to deliver results for the American people.

This one big, beautiful bill we are considering today pinpoints waste, fraud, and abuse. It secures our borders. It reignites economic growth.

These are impactful tax cuts, reducing Social Security taxes, eliminating taxes on tips, and eliminating taxes on overtime will help the middle-class American people.

If the 2017 tax cuts are allowed to expire, 56,000 small businesses in my district alone would experience a 43.4 percent tax hike. Over 8,000 family-owned farms would have their death tax exemption slashed in half.

I came to Congress to deliver real results, and that is what this bill does. In the defense portion of the bill, $34 billion is allocated for shipbuilding and the maritime industrial base in my district of Virginia and the United States.

Mr. Speaker, this bill delivers on the America First promises President Trump and congressional Republicans made to the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 692nd Tank Destroyer Battalion for their service in World War II. Their accomplishments cannot be overstated.

The 692nd Tank Destroyer Battalion endured 195 consecutive days of combat across Europe in the fall of 1944 through the spring of 1945. They helped free thousands of prisoners in the Dachau concentration camp. The day after that, they captured Munich.

There are many names to be honored in such a historic group, but two I would like to highlight today are Captain William McQuade and the last surviving veteran of the battalion, Jack Myers. Their stories serve as a great reminder of the dedication this great generation had to the principle of freedom.

I thank them for their service, and God bless America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the groundbreaking of Seneca Commerce Park in Campbell County, Virginia, which I attended on Wednesday, April 15.

This is the largest project the Economic Development Authority of Campbell County has taken on in over a decade. The $11 million project will yield a 100,000-square-foot industrial spec building to be completed by spring 2027.

The greatest force for change is a job. A project like Seneca Commerce Park ensures just that.

Mr. Speaker, I thank everyone who contributed to this business- forward project in the Lynchburg metro area.

People wishing to grow or expand their industry on the Eastern seaboard, this is a great opportunity to do so in Virginia's Fifth Congressional District.

I thank my friend, the gentleman from Texas, for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and the three bills it provides consideration for.

Since 2020 respect for law enforcement around our country has been on the decline, and we have seen the effects this has had in our communities.

We all know the best way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. In Chicago, criminals do not care about gun laws. They have the strictest gun laws and the most gun violence by criminals who don't care about gun laws. We need more good guys with guns on the street, mostly because Biden's open-border policy brought more illegal criminals into our country who are robbing, raping, and killing the American people.

In November the American people responded to this lack of respect in the polls. They elected the Republican majority in the House, the Senate, and the President in the White House who truly believes in law and order.

The three bills that the rule provides consideration for are commonsense bills. If we entrust law enforcement officers to uphold the laws of our Nation and risk their lives daily, then we should be able to entrust them to carry their weapons unrestricted off duty and to purchase their former service weapons.

Like many of my colleagues, I agree that we would not have a nation without those we entrust in uniform, whether they serve in the military, as first responders, or as law enforcement officers.

Mr. Speaker, these men and women aren't honorable because of the badge they wear. They make the badge honorable because of the lives they live.

Every time I return to my district, I meet with the sheriffs of the 24 counties, cities, and towns I represent and hear directly from them about the troubles they face in the line of duty.

If we want to see safer streets and communities in our country, then we must ensure that we give law enforcement every tool possible so that they can make it through the day and return home safely.

Again, Mr. Speaker, I express my strong support for the rule and the underlying bills that it allows consideration for.