Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the distinguished career of John Moore, Associate Vice President of Facilities Management at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), who will retire at the end of June after twelve years of dedicated service to the university.

Mr. Moore oversees the management and maintenance of every building, and open space, on the RIT campus and he works tirelessly to ensure they meet the highest standards of safety, efficiency, and sustainability.

Over his tenure, Mr. Moore managed many notable projects that aided in the steady growth and rapid expansion of RIT's campus. These projects included the construction of the 4,150 seat Gene Polisseni Center, the RIT Media, Arts, Games, Interaction and Creativity (MAGIC) Center, MAGIC Spell Studios, and, most recently, the completion of the one-of-a-kind Student Hall for Exploration and Development. Mr. Moore has truly embodied the spirit of dedication to RIT's students, teachers, and community.

It is my pleasure to congratulate John Moore on his retirement and join the entire RIT community in wishing him the best of luck in all future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month and to recognize an extraordinary individual from Rochester, NY, who is making a profound impact on our Jewish community: Ellie Rosenbloom.

Ellie Rosenbloom is the President of the National Council of Jewish Women chapter and an active member of the Jewish Federation. She is a key leader in the partnership with Modi'in, connecting Jewish cities around the world with partner communities in Israel. Through that work, she spends a great deal of time with the young emissaries who come and spend the year here. Her leadership has profoundly enriched our region, fostering growth, unity, and a spirit of camaraderie that continues to benefit us all.

During Jewish American Heritage Month, it is my privilege to recognize Ellie Rosenbloom for her kindness, compassion, and commitment to serving others. We in Rochester are deeply grateful for her many contributions and look forward to seeing the outstanding work she will continue to do.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month and to recognize an extraordinary individual from Rochester, NY, whose accomplishments and contributions have left a lasting impact on our region: Howard Konar.

Howard Konar has a longstanding history of leadership in Rochester and has done extensive philanthropic work locally and across the country. He serves as a trustee for the William & Sheila Konar Foundation supporting Jewish life and culture and as a member of the Board of Governors for the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester. In 2008, then-President George W. Bush named Howard to the council of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. His positive influence can be felt across every facet of our Jewish community.

During Jewish American Heritage Month, it is my privilege to recognize Howard Konar. He has dedicated himself to honoring the history of the Jewish people and has worked tirelessly to strengthen the future of our local Jewish neighbors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month and to recognize an outstanding individual from Rochester, NY, whose contributions have made a lasting impact on our local Jewish community: Isobel Goldman

Isobel Goldman served for 18 years as Director of Community Relations at the Jewish Federation. In that capacity, she created and directed the Rochester Jewish Coalition for Literacy, which started with six volunteers and under her leadership, grew to over 200 people who went once a week to Rochester City Schools to assist with students in K-6 with literacy skills. She also served as the Director of Grants at the Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation where she started the First in Family College Tuition-free program, led Jewish Education programming, and started an initiative to help fund scholarships for teens hoping to travel to Israel. She has truly embodied the spirit of service to others.

This Jewish American Heritage Month, it is my honor and privilege to recognize Isobel Goldman. Her extraordinary legacy has uplifted the lives of everyone who calls Rochester home and will continue to inspire us all for decades to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month and to recognize an exemplary individual from Rochester, NY, who is making a profound impact on our Jewish community: Joy Getnick.

Joy Getnick serves as the Executive Director of the University of Rochester Hillel. She has quietly but powerfully done vital work over these last several months guiding our young students, particularly with the rise of antisemitism on campus and throughout society. She is an educator and leader not just on campus, but across all of Rochester. Joy is also the founding director of Camp Seneca Lake in Israel, a summer Israel program for teens. Her commitment to uplifting and mentoring students is helping to shape the next generation of leaders, and her legacy will live on through each of the lives she has touched.

Jewish American History Month is the perfect opportunity to recognize and honor our local Jewish neighbors who are working diligently to make our community a better place. I can think of no better example than Joy Getnick, and I commend her for her many accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month and to recognize an extraordinary individual from Rochester, NY, who is making a profound impact on our Jewish community: Thomas Fink.

Tom Fink is the embodiment of service in my hometown. Tom is a past president of Temple B'rith Kodesh and a former National Board Member of the Union of Reform Jewish Congregations. He has been active in volunteer work and social activism for decades, particularly on the issue of homelessness and affordable housing. He has dedicated himself time and time again to bettering our region, going above and beyond to serve his neighbors in ways both big and small.

During Jewish American Heritage Month, it is my privilege to recognize Thomas Fink for his selflessness, generosity, and dedication to uplifting our Jewish community. Rochester is a better and brighter place because of his leadership. His legacy will leave a lasting mark on all those whose lives he has touched.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Jewish American Heritage Month. Our Nation benefits from the historical achievements and diversity of Jewish people every day, and I am proud to join many of my colleagues in celebrating May as Jewish American Heritage Month.

Since first immigrating to the United States in 1654, Jewish Americans have accomplished countless achievements. Great minds, such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elie Wiesel, have made irrevocable impacts on both our culture and society. The Jewish American people continue to make our Nation proud by serving in the highest ranks of our military, achieving groundbreaking advancements in science, revolutionizing music and art, and much more.

My community of Rochester, NY, is steeped in Jewish culture. Since the mid-1800's, Jewish families have settled in the region, making Rochester their home for generations to come. Over more than 175 years, Rochester's Jewish community has played an integral role in the growth and development of our city and surrounding towns. Today, key Jewish community institutions work to enrich the lives of Rochester's Jewish and non-Jewish citizens. It is an honor to recognize this vibrant community for their devotion to Rochester's success and stability.

Throughout history, the Jewish people have proven to be resilient in their fight against persecution. It is inspiring that they continue to persevere regardless of the difficulties they face. To ensure their heritage remains preserved, we must continue to educate our youth on the extensive history of the Jewish people and their diverse cultural achievements.

While we are celebrating the contributions of the Jewish American people, we must also acknowledge the challenging times they face. Many of our Jewish brothers and sisters are impacted by the dramatic increase in antisemitism nationwide. As allies of our Jewish neighbors, we must condemn this discriminatory behavior in every instance and demand justice for those affected. The Jewish people are all too aware of the dangers that occur if hate goes unchecked. We must not and will not allow history to repeat itself.

As a devoted friend of the Jewish community, I am proud to raise my voice in recognition of Jewish American Heritage month, and I look forward to many more years of celebrating the accomplishments and legacies of Jewish Americans.

Madam Speaker, I rise to highlight my resolution recognizing today, May 16, as the National Day of Light.

Madam Speaker, 64 years ago Theodore Maiman, an American physicist, invented the first light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, or LASER.

Since then, light-based technologies have grown to play a critical role in innovation. My community of Rochester, New York, is the proud home of one of the largest optics and photonics clusters in the Nation, companies employing thousands of individuals.

As co-chair of the Congressional Optics and Photonics Caucus, I am working to make certain that America capitalizes on the potential of light-based technologies, from photonic integrated circuits to quantum computing and communications which strengthens our economy and our national security.

I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting these important efforts.

Madam Speaker, I thank you for allowing me to shed some light on this under-illuminated celebration.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I thank my good friend, the gentlewoman from New Mexico, who is also playful but serious, for yielding. I thank the gentlewoman from Wyoming for her support of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong support for H.R. 3250, the National Museum of Play Recognition Act. This bipartisan bill will designate the Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum in Rochester, New York, where I am grateful and privileged to represent, as the National Museum of Play.

As has been described by my colleagues, the museum was founded by Margaret Woodbury Strong in 1968. It is the only museum of its kind that exists for the exclusive purpose of exploring the ways in which play encourages learning, creativity, and discovery, and how it illuminates cultural history.

Children are the hope of each and every community across this country. We must continue to inspire future generations to learn, grow, and innovate, and we know the best way to do that is through play.

In 2023, the Strong Museum completed its most recent 90,000-square foot expansion of new exhibit space, bringing the museum total square footage to 282,000 square feet of areas of play.

The museum also features the Toy Hall of Fame. Each year, the Hall of Fame selects inductees like the Fisher-Price Corn Popper, the American Girl dolls, the board game Monopoly, the Atari 2600 game system, Slinky, and last year's new inductee, Cabbage Patch Kids.

I am incredibly proud to have such a noteworthy institution in my district, working to serve the children and families from upstate New York and the entire country.

Mr. Speaker, I extend an invitation to all of my colleagues to come to Rochester and spend time at the National Museum of Play.

I also thank Representative Langworthy for his partnership with this legislation, as well as Chairman Westerman, Ranking Member Grijalva, and the House Committee on Natural Resources for advancing this bill on a bipartisan and unanimous basis.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3250.

Mr. Speaker, it is with deep sorrow I rise to acknowledge the loss of U.S. Air Force Major-Select Terrell K. Brayman of Pittsford, New York.

On November 29, Major-Select Brayman, an Osprey pilot and flight commander, perished during a training exercise off the coast of Japan along with seven of his fellow airmen.

Major-Select Brayman, who would have celebrated his 33rd birthday a week from today, grew up in Rochester and was described as hardworking and hilarious by those closest to him.

Following his graduation from high school, he enrolled in Ohio State's ROTC program, successfully becoming

an officer in the United States Air Force. He went on to serve with great distinction, demonstrating commitment to a cause greater than himself. For that, our community and Nation will be forever grateful.

My heartfelt condolences go out to his family and all who knew him. I hope they take comfort in knowing Major-Select Brayman's profound sense of duty, patriotism, and dedication to our country will forever remain his legacy.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague from Wisconsin for advancing this bill.

I rise in strong support of S. 2747, and I will probably be repeating and underscoring some of the things my good friend said, because this is important legislation. We should take time out to acknowledge how important it is.

This bill extends the Federal Election Commission's Administrative Fine Program for certain campaign finance reporting violations, which, as my good friend mentioned, has been extended several times in the past, last time through President Trump, and this will take it through the end of 2033.

The important program allows the FEC to assess administrative fines against those who fail to timely report their receipts and disbursements. The FEC relies heavily on the Administrative Fine Program to enforce campaign finance law.

It has been remarkably successful, as has been said. Since the year 2000, the FEC has made public more than 4,000 violations, and, through the program,

has assessed more than $8.8 million in fines.

It is important to note, before the program began, an average of 21 percent of campaign finance reports were filed late. Since the Administrative Fine Program has been in place, that number has been reduced to less than 10 percent.

The FEC has made it clear to Congress that this program is one of the most effective tools it currently has to combat campaign finance violations, and the extension of the program, which expires at the end of this year, is indeed vital.

Extending the Administrative Fine Program is the Commission's top- priority, bipartisan legislative recommendation, and the Commissioners reiterated the need to extend the program during a hearing in front of the Committee on House Administration in September.

Further, this extension has wide bipartisan support. A version of this extension, I will just note parenthetically, was included in both the Democrats' Freedom to Vote Act and the Republicans' ACE Act. It is interesting when we can get an agreement on two bills which vary pretty dramatically. I was grateful to partner with Chairman Steil on the House version of this extension.

Transparency and accountability in campaign finance are crucial to ensuring a healthy democracy. More than a century ago, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court Louis Brandeis declared that: ``Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.'' This counsel, encouraging transparency and promoting good governance, remains vitally important to any strong civil society today.

Transparency about who is seeking to influence Federal elections is crucial to democratic self-governance. This is the purpose of the FEC, and this bipartisan act, S. 2747, will ensure that the FEC can continue to use one of its most effective tools to carry out its vital mission.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support S. 2747 to help preserve a crucial program and key tool enforcing our Nation's transparency and accountability laws.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to be here with my colleagues. It is interesting to me, as I went home over the weekend, there were a number of public events. One of the things people are concerned about in Congress, when they watch us, is that we often seem to have the inability to agree on anything.

Well, I remind people that is not always true. There are things that we do agree on. There are things that are important to this government and important to our democracy. I think this is a great example of people coming together on both sides to support an important tool that can be used to ensure our elections have the confidence of the American people and make sure that candidates who seek office are providing the kind of information necessary for transparency and accountability, as my good friend from Wisconsin has said.

I thank the chairman and the members of the committee. It is a privilege to be here, and I encourage all colleagues to support this piece of legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, today I stand to honor Garth Fagan, a Rochester visionary who profoundly influenced the cultural fabric of not only our local community but the entire world.

As we pay tribute to this extraordinary artist, I acknowledge and celebrate the deep connection between Garth Fagan and the people and places enriched by his vision.

Committed to Rochester's artistic growth, he established the Bottom of the Bucket, But . . . Dance Theater in 1970, now known simply as Garth Fagan Dance.

Since then, Garth has inspired and nurtured a new generation of talented artists from around the globe. His innovative choreography has earned him accolades, including a Tony award for Broadway's ``The Lion King,'' a production masterfully blending culture and creativity, which will remain forever a testament to his artistic brilliance.

Garth Fagan is truly a national treasure. As he transitions away from his leadership role in the dance company, his profound impact will undoubtedly continue to resonate--captivating audiences for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, first, to my colleagues on Appropriations' Legislative Branch Subcommittee, Mr. Amodei as well as my longtime dear friend Mr. Espaillat, I thank them for their hard work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 4364 because it inadequately funds the legislative branch, which is the branch charged with funding responsibilities under Article I of the U.S. Constitution. It dramatically underfunds the Capitol Police, drastically cuts funding to the Architect of the Capitol, and guts the House Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

As my colleague has mentioned, I serve as the ranking member of the Committee on House Administration. I know firsthand how important it is that our House officers and congressional support agencies are adequately resourced.

We all rely on our nonpartisan institutional partners, some of whom are in this Chamber right now, helping us carry out our constitutional obligations, keeping us safe, providing subject matter expertise, and facilitating the legislative process.

For that reason, I am very disappointed. This bill, which includes a nearly 5 percent cut to House and joint legislative branch items, inadequately funds many of these entities and the responsibilities that they are required to carry out.

For example, at a time in which the Capitol Police is experiencing an officer shortage crisis, this bill fails to fully fund the department's salaries appropriation requests. How can we hope to attract qualified officers if we don't provide competitive salaries? How can we ensure officers are better trained if they are regularly forced to work overtime rather than attend training sessions? How do we improve officer morale if they need to work double shifts instead of going home to spend time with their families?

The men and women of the Capitol Police have our backs. They have demonstrated that in a time of crisis in this Chamber. We need to have theirs with more than just words.

The bill would also cut funding for the Architect of the Capitol by hundreds of millions of dollars and fail to meet the agency's budget request for the Capitol Police buildings, grounds, and security account. This would hinder the AOC's ability to fulfill all of its responsibilities, making Congress less secure, harming our national security, and putting Members, staff, and our visiting constituents at risk during a time of heightened threats.

Finally, I am deeply frustrated that this bill includes culture war initiatives like eliminating the House Office of Diversity and Inclusion. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion was established based on a bipartisan, unanimous modernization committee recommendation. It provides important services for and works closely with offices on both sides of the aisle. In fact, since its inception in 2019, 225 Republican offices have utilized its services.

It is astonishing that my majority colleagues are going to sabotage their own ability to recruit the best and brightest just to satisfy rightwing extremist grievances about diversity.

Mr. Speaker, for these reasons and more, I cannot support the bill, and I urge that we do not adopt this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I regrettably missed Roll Call vote 556 on October 26, 2023.

Had I been present, I would have voted NAY.

Mr. Speaker, I regrettably missed Roll Call No. 393 on September 18, 2023.

Had I been present, I would have voted AYE.