Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, we are here today representing tens of thousands of middle-class families, like those back in my home district in northern New Jersey, who got whacked with the 2017 tax hike bill, which gutted our State and local tax deduction with the disastrous $10,000 cap.

It is high time that Congress and the rest of the country heard just how badly these hardworking families have been hurt by the SALT cap. It is something I know we heard about a lot tonight, and I really want to thank my dear friend Tom Suozzi for his excellent leadership on this issue.

The usual naysayers continue to try to undermine our efforts to reinstate the State and local tax deduction, or SALT, by claiming it is just a giveaway to the wealthiest Americans. But anyone who actually lives in my district in northern New Jersey knows that the $10,000 cap has hit middle-class families hard, many of whom are already struggling with high costs.

It has also caused residents and jobs to leave our State. And now, with a declining tax base, it's threatening our best-in-class schools, teachers, law enforcement, firefighters, and our State's services for hard-pressed families.

The cap on the State and local tax deduction does not solely impact the highest earners. It has also increased taxes on scores of middle- class families, as I said. It is a very important point to understand.

In Bergen County, which is the largest county I represent, for instance, before the cap was put in place, the average SALT deduction was above $24,000 a year. Put another way, a married couple in Bergen County, a teacher and a law enforcement officer making a typical salary, could have had a SALT deduction of more than $17,000.

According to reporting from New Jersey's Star-Ledger, if we reinstated the State and local tax deduction, nearly one-third of New Jersey residents, almost 3 million people, would get tax relief. Yes, they would get a tax cut they so desperately need. As many as 80 percent of them had incomes of $216,000 or less.

Again, that is a firefighter and a teacher. That is hardly the 1 percent, especially in a high-cost-of-living area like New Jersey. I know the same thing is true of California, like we heard about from Katie Porter, or Tom Suozzi's district in New York.

We know that when taxes goes up, it leads to an exodus of middle class and higher earners in State likes ours. In fact, according to United Van Lines, ever since the SALT cap, New Jersey has been the number one out-migration State in the entire country. New Jersey is losing its highest earners, and the disproportionate taxes they pay, to States like Florida, North Carolina, and Texas. That has only been exacerbated during the pandemic.

The SALT cap is literally draining the tax base out of States like New Jersey that offer far better schools and government-supported services to middle- and lower-income families than our counterparts in other parts of the Nation.

For instance, I mentioned $15,000 is the median property tax in Bergen County, New Jersey. If you go to Mississippi, their median property tax is $550 a year.

The New York Times editorial board even once reiterated this point that I am trying to make, where we have good services for hard-pressed families in States like mine and other State I mentioned, like Mississippi or Alabama, don't have the resources to offer those kinds of services.

So The New York Times editorial board made this point when they said that States like New Jersey and New York ``generally do a better job of providing for the health and welfare of their citizens, and are more willing to pay for institutions that are good for society as a whole.''

This is the difference between States like ours and moocher States like Mississippi and Alabama that tend not to give back to the people they represent.

Thankfully, there is real bipartisan work taking place here in Congress to reinstate the SALT deduction, to get more money back in the pockets of Jersey middle-class families, and to help stop residents from moving out and eroding our State's tax base.

Along with Congressman Suozzi, I have helped introduce the SALT Deductibility Act, a bipartisan bill to fully restore the deduction.

In the SALT Caucus, with Congressman Bill Pascrell, who spoke earlier, we are working in a bipartisan way with more than 30 Members to find a way to get this done in Congress and to actually get tax relief for the middle-class families we represent. I am very proud to co-chair that bipartisan caucus.

This tax cut of reinstating SALT can be a win-win for everyone. Let's get the SALT deduction fully reinstated so that millions of Americans and families nationwide can finally get some relief.

Working together in a bipartisan way, I believe we really can get this done so that our best days are always ahead of us.

Madam Speaker, I would be happy to.

One of the biggest challenges people don't realize for States like New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and California is how much our taxpayers pay into the Federal Government and, historically, how we get back less in return than some of the other States in the country do.

For instance, for every dollar that Mississippi sends to the Federal Government, they get $4.38 back. Alabama, I believe, receives $4.32 back. The State of Louisiana starts its budget every year with half coming from the Federal Government.

States like Jersey, we get back 67 cents, historically, on the dollar.

What does that mean? It means that we pay lots of money to Washington. People like me are fighting to claw more back to Jersey, but we know that other States benefit more.

When the tax hike bill passed in 2017, and the red States gutted the State and local tax deduction, capping it at $10,000, what they did was shift actually even more of the tax burden over to blue States like ours, and the red States benefited even more.

It just reiterates, even more, the importance of actually reinstating the State and local tax deduction, not only because, as Katie Porter said, it is double taxation and not only because it has been around since 1913 or even before for exactly this purpose. It is because we recognize that some States pay more than others, and we have to find ways to balance that out. Otherwise, we are going to keep losing people from States like ours to States like Florida and other red States.

Frankly, that is why it is so important that we fight back to get tax relief for the people that we represent, to make sure they can afford to live in our States and that we have a good tax base to be able to have great schools and stand by law enforcement, firefighters, and others.

Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Suozzi for putting together this Special Order hour.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Pritam Singh Grewal, one of North Jersey's most compassionate community leaders. Raised in India, Pritam immigrated directly to the Fifth District in 1972 and dedicated himself to our community ever since. He was truly an unselfish and deeply caring man who made an impact on everyone who crossed his path.

As a founding member of Glen Rock's Sikh Gurudwara, Pritam helped build a safe space for North Jersey's Sikh community to come together and worship. Having personally visited several times, I can attest to the special atmosphere he instilled in this important Glen Rock establishment.

Pritam always felt a calling to promote quality education throughout his community. He taught mechanical engineering at Fairleigh Dickinson University, and later partnered with his brother, Amarjit, to establish the Grewal, Harchand Singh and Jagir Kaur Memorial Scholarship of Ramapo College, in memory of his late parents.

Pritam was also widely known throughout Hackensack University Medical Center where

the trauma team took care of him after an accident in 2012. He even has an award named in his honor, the Pritam Singh Grewal Good Samaritan Award, to recognize outstanding staff at Hackensack who share his sense of compassion and dedication to service.

A loving husband, father, and grandfather, Pritam cared deeply about his family. He was loved and cherished by many people including his spouse Paramjit Kaur Grewal and his children Shivpreet and Balpreet. I join them not only in their grief and in celebration of Pritam's incredible life.

While Pritam is no longer with us, his spirit, legacy, and impact on North Jersey will live on forever. I know his loving family will continue to honor him by leading the kind of life that he did--one grounded in compassion, service, and an understanding of the importance of lifting up one's community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, as a member of the Committee on Homeland Security, in strong support of H.R. 3233, Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member Katko's bill to form a bipartisan, independent commission to investigate the January 6 domestic terrorism attack on the United States Capitol.

On January 6, the world witnessed an attempted insurrection against our government to overturn the will of the American people. I know that because I was right here in this House Chamber that day as doors were barricaded and Members and staff were forced to evacuate. The mob that stormed our Capitol, resulting in the death of a Capitol police officer, tore down the American flag and desecrated the seat of our democracy. These lawless thugs, led by members of extremist groups like the Oath Keepers, and Proud Boys, and Stop the Steal, attempted an insurrection. In the end, they failed. We gathered back together here, uncowed, and the electoral college was certified.

Mr. Speaker, but true healing cannot come without a serious investigation and real accountability. I am very proud that last night, the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, 29 Democrats and 29 Republicans, came together to endorse this legislation, putting aside politics to get to the bottom of what happened that day.

This bipartisan commission, modeled on the 9/11 Commission, will undertake an investigation into the facts and what caused the attack.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation will help us deter further would-be extremists, and provide the law enforcement homeland security community with the tools needed to protect the Capitol and our country from future attacks.

I thank Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member Katko for their extraordinary leadership and months of hard work together on the bill, the way governing should occur.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join in support of securing and protecting the very foundation of our democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as millions of Israeli citizens are reeling from a barrage of more than 1,500 rockets fired throughout the country by the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza.

In case there was any confusion, Hamas is a terrorist organization designated by the United States, dedicated to the destruction of Israel, in which Congress has and must condemn for killing innocent civilians and using women and children as human shields.

No one here should make excuses for a terrorist organization.

Who is the next target of their sympathy?

ISIS? Al-Qaida? Hezbollah?

Even though we may not always agree about Israel's policies, we should be very clear that nothing, nothing justifies a terrorist organization firing rockets at our ally. And between terrorists and a democracy, we should always choose the democracy.

Our commitment to Israel's security and its right to defend itself from terrorists is ironclad. I am glad President Biden, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Defense have stood with our key democratic ally, insisted that Hamas stop firing rockets, and engaged regional partners to end this crisis.

No matter our disagreements, there should be no false equivalences or excuses made by anyone on behalf of a foreign terrorist organization.

As we stand together with our historic ally, Israel, we continue to call for an end to the violence and for calm in the region for the sake of our children and families and for the sake of peace.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Demings for hosting this Special Order hour in honor of our brave law enforcement officers. I am proud to serve with her as a member of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus co-chaired by our dear friend and colleague Bill Pascrell.

Mr. Speaker, we are here today to commemorate Police Week and to honor all the brave law enforcement officers in New Jersey and across the country who put their lives on the line every single day to protect our communities.

We especially honor the more than 124 police officers who have died in the line of duty across the United States this year, including 64 who we lost to COVID-19. We will never forget their bravery, sacrifice, and service.

Mr. Speaker, police officers are our heroes, and I am deeply grateful to all law enforcement--Federal, State, and local--for what they do day in and day out. They never fail to get our backs, and we have a responsibility to get theirs.

That is why, in Congress, I am committed to fighting for all of our sworn officers and first responders by making sure they have the resources, equipment, and training they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.

Our police departments have been tested and challenged during the pandemic over the year, but they have risen to the occasion, continuing to help our State and our people recover. I was very proud to lead the New Jersey delegation in requesting critical

support for PPE and staffing at the very start of the pandemic, and I fought hard for and ensured a presumption for Public Safety Officers' Benefits for those on the front lines of COVID.

I thank all of my colleagues for working across the aisle for those who have served and having the backs of our first responders every day. Most of all, I thank every law enforcement officer for their solemn commitment to protect and to serve. God bless.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to rise in support of the bipartisan Senior Security Act, which will help protect vulnerable seniors from hucksters and scam artists. I would like to thank my good friend, Congressman Trey Hollingsworth, for working with me on this crucial bill, and also Senators Susan Collins and Kyrsten Sinema, who have introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

Since I took office, I have been committed to helping seniors save their hard-earned money for retirement, helping them cut their taxes and afford prescription drugs, and protecting Social Security and Medicare so that, at the end of the day, they can afford to stay in northern New Jersey and enjoy their lives with their friends, children, and grandchildren.

Unfortunately, far too many of our seniors have had their hard-earned retirement savings stolen right out from under them when a scammer calls or shows up at their door. There are millions of seniors across the country who have been the victims of financial scams and abuses. It is appalling; it is offensive; and it is unacceptable.

Older Americans lose approximately $3 billion each year to financial scams and abuse. Approximately 7 million Americans have been victims of exploitation, and that is only what is being reported. Only 1 in every 24 cases of elder abuse actually gets reported.

IRS impersonation calls and fraudulent tech support calls are among the most widely used and costly scams targeting older Americans. In fact, more than 2.5 million Americans have been targeted by scammers impersonating IRS officials, costing more than 15,800 taxpayers at least $80 million since 2013. More than 3 million Americans are victims of tech support scams or scammers pretending to be with a reputable tech company who persuade seniors to provide personal bank account information.

My mom was even a victim of one of these scammers. Someone claiming to be an IRS agent threatened her. I remember she called me and thought that I had messed up her tax return, but it was a scammer.

COVID scammers are also now targeting older Americans with promises of quicker access to vaccines or pandemic relief benefits, preying on those whose only wish is to hug their family members again.

We are here today to do something about it by voting on the Senior Security Act to help protect American seniors from scams. My bipartisan bill creates a new senior investor task force at the SEC to fight back against these hucksters scamming our seniors. The task force will also identify challenges that senior investors encounter and areas within the SEC or self-regulatory organizations where senior investors would benefit from changes.

The task force will also coordinate with other Federal regulators, State regulators, and law enforcement to ensure that we are doing as much as we can at every level of government to stop this. Our legislation will also make antifraud enforcement even more common by giving law enforcement stronger tools and information via the new senior investor task force.

The task force will submit regular reports to Congress, outlining trends that are impacting senior investors. This will be a cop on the beat to make sure we keep up with the changes in financial scams and to be ahead of new issues as they arise.

Our seniors have given us so much. We should always have their backs and help protect them from predators who want to take advantage of them during their twilight years. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense, bipartisan bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a fixture in our northern New Jersey community, Fred Space. Fred was born in Beemerville, a community where he lived in, raised his family, and dedicated himself to improving throughout his entire life.

As the second-generation owner and zookeeper of Space Farms Zoo & Museum, and a 77-year member of the Beemerville Fire Department, Fred's commitment to his community was legendary to those who knew him. As part of his more than seven-decade career with the Beemerville Fire Department, Fred served as Fire Chief from 1951 to 1953. He was also a founding member of the Kittatinny Recreation Association, which would go on to become the Sussex County Chamber of Commerce. An avid outdoorsman, Fred translated his love of hunting, fishing, and trapping into the Beemerville Hunting Club, as its founding member. He continued his passion for the outdoors by becoming a Lifetime Member of the Sussex County Board of Agriculture, serving as its President. He was Director of the NJ Farm Bureau and served on the New Jersey

Fish and Game Council from 1963 to 1971, including a three-year stint as Chairman from 1969 to 1971.

Fred's remarkable legacy will live on in the business he helped grow, and which bears his family name. For three generations now, Space Farms Zoo and Museum has been a wonderful attraction here in our community. Fred loved working with the animals at the zoo, from the famous Kodiak bear named Goliath, with whom he shared a particular bond; or the 16- foot-long, 250-pound python, with whom he had an infamous run-in. There was nothing that could dissuade Fred from his hands-on work at the zoo.

Fred was a loving husband to Mira for 46 years, and proud father of Parker, Eric, Lori, and Renee. Fred's devotion to community engagement and love for the outdoors will continue on through his beloved nine grandchildren and twenty-one grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Fred Space's extraordinary life, his service to our community, and the legacy he leaves behind.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Anthony Gallopo--a dear friend, a wonderful, caring family man, a leader in Sussex County, and a tireless fighter for his fellow veterans--who recently passed from COVID-19 complications.

A Navy veteran, Tony served as vice commander of the New Jersey American Legion and commander of Post 86 in Newton. For more than 5 years, Tony and I worked together to deliver the care and services that our veterans deserve: securing the long-awaited goal of the community's first VA outpatient clinic, boosting in-person psychiatric care at the clinic, and serving on our district's service academy selection committee, all focused on improving access to care for those who fought for our great country and preparing the next generation.

Tony lived a life of service that will truly never be forgotten. We are indebted to this selfless patriot, all of us in northern New Jersey and the country.

As we mourn Tony's loss, we think of his daughters, Sarah, Alexandra, and Ashley, and we pray for his beloved wife, Betsy, who remains in the hospital.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering my friend, Tony Gallopo.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in memory of one of the finest North Jersey residents I have come to know. Anthony Gallopo was a dear friend, a leader and a role model in Sussex County, and a tireless fighter for his brothers and sisters in arms--his fellow veterans.

As we mourn Tony's loss, our hearts go out to his wife, Betsy, and his daughters, Sarah, Alexandra, and Ashley Gallopo. He always spoke to me about them, how much he loved them, and how proud he was of their accomplishments. We are all thinking of them as we extend our deepest condolences for their terrible loss. At this time, we are also praying for the recovery of Tony's beloved wife, Betsy, who remains in the hospital.

Madam Speaker, getting to know Tony was one of the great joys and true honors of my career in Congress. I remember when we first met, when I visited Sussex County Community College for a roundtable with local student veterans. There was no one who knew more about what veterans in Sussex and Warren needed, or who cared more about how they were going to get the attention and care and services that they deserved.

For more than five years, Tony and I worked shoulder-to-shoulder to deliver on that promise. Tony was instrumental in securing the long- awaited goal of the first VA community outpatient clinic to serve veterans in Sussex and Warren Counties, so that those who fought for our country could access care close to home. I was so proud to stand with him and others who helped make it happen on the day the clinic finally opened in 2017. Tony continued the fight for lifesaving in- person psychiatric care for veterans at the clinic in Newton, hosted roundtables for better jobs and opportunities for students and returning veterans, and was always there to commemorate and remember the sacrifice of generations of his fellow servicemembers throughout the Fifth District.

As a leader on our District's Service Academy Nomination Selection Committee, he helped evaluate young student applicants so that I could nominate the very best of the next generation to represent North Jersey at our nation's great Service Academies.

Tony served as a Seaman in the United States Navy, and as a former New Jersey Department of the American Legion Vice Commander, member of the Legion's Department Executive Committee, and as Commander of Post 86 in Newton. He was also a retired senior officer with the New Jersey Department of Corrections.

Madam Speaker, we owe our nation's veterans a deep debt of gratitude; they do not owe us anything. And yet, every day, I am inspired by veterans like Tony, who always wanted to help more people, to give back to his community, and to look after other veterans young and old who could use a hand. And in doing so, he provided a profound example of how to lead a life of service.

Like so many in North Jersey, I was crushed when I heard that tragic news that Tony was in the hospital. In New Jersey, we have lost so many friends, neighbors, parents, and grandparents during the coronavirus pandemic. But it is difficult to capture just how painful the tragic news of Tony's passing was for all who knew him, but especially for his fellow Legionnaires and veterans.

While Tony is sadly no longer with us, he lived a lifetime of service that will never be forgotten. North Jersey is deeply indebted to this selfless patriot who touched so many lives, and a true hometown hero who walked among us.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering my friend, Tony Gallopo.

Will the gentleman yield?

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding and for standing with me and with all of us.

Tom Reed is my co-chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus. He is a Republican, and I am a Democrat. When it comes to policy views, we often disagree. But at the end of the day, we are united as Americans. My good friend, like me, always puts country first.

Today, a group of lawless thugs sought to upend the Constitution and the peaceful transition of power because they didn't like the outcome of the Presidential election. So, they tried to nullify it using improvised explosives, shattering windows, breaking down doors, injuring law enforcement, and even tearing down the American flag that rises above this beacon of democracy.

But their attempt to obstruct democracy failed. Their insurrection was foiled. The American people and the greatest democracy the world has ever known won.

Abraham Lincoln, who served in this very body, famously said: ``A house divided against itself cannot stand.'' That is why, for the sake of this country, we must stand together, united, and celebrate a peaceful transition of power.

In 14 days, President-elect Biden will be sworn in. And despite all of our differences, I have faith that, for the American people, we will come together, Democrats and Republicans, committed to unity, civility, and truth. We will recognize our higher purpose to help America through these dark days.

That is the only way we will beat COVID, rebuild our economy, and stand up to threats at home and abroad.

Working together as Democrats and Republicans, I know our best days will always be ahead of us.

Madam Speaker, we are here today to have the backs of our first responders, especially those who stood up to terrorists that morning and ran directly into the burning buildings on 9/11 and stayed for the weeks and months that followed. They are our heroes, and they need our help.

Hundreds of New Jersey and New York law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs, and others answered the call and rushed toward the pile as others ran out.

If you ask how they were able to summon the courage, they will tell you they were simply doing their job that day. And Congress now has the opportunity to do ours.

Too many first responders are still suffering from illnesses and cancers from 9/11 exposure to toxins, smoke, debris, including too many people who are still suffering in my district.

Congress set up the Victim Compensation Fund to help cover 9/11 injuries and medical expenses. Those who were exposed back in 2011 are, sadly, first developing symptoms now.

More than 47,000 claims have been filed with the fund, and more than 11,000 district claims are expected by 2020, when the fund is set to expire. We must act today.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in support of the bipartisan H.R. 1327, Never Forget the Heroes.

I thank Chairman Nadler, Representative Carolyn Maloney, and Representative Peter King for their leadership and the Problem Solvers Caucus for strongly supporting it.

We have an obligation to do everything we can to stand by our first responders and survivors of those horrific attacks.

Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Smith, Ranking Member Thornberry, and all the Armed Services Committee members for all their hard work on this bill.

I rise in support of the en bloc package, which contains four amendments I have introduced.

Mr. Chair, Iran has engaged in reckless conduct, destabilizing the region, with their attacks on allied tankers near the Strait of Hormuz and with the support of terrorist organizations, including Hezbollah and Hamas. We must remain vigilant with Iran.

My amendment ensures that the Defense Department reports on threats to freedom of navigation on all international waterways.

My second amendment directs the Defense and State Departments to send recommendations to Congress to improve the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. This will help eliminate nuclear material and prevent proliferation.

My third amendment prohibits funds and support from going to foreign terrorist organizations, including Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, al-Shabaab, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, by adding these to the prohibited list in section 1224 of this bill. We must stop terrorism in its tracks.

Finally, brave Americans of every background have served in our Armed Forces, including Jewish American veterans who fought Nazis in World War II.

My fourth amendment requires the Defense Department to question whether our Active Duty servicemembers have experienced anti-Semitism while bravely serving our country.

Mr. Chair, I urge support for this bipartisan en bloc package of amendments.

Madam Chairwoman, I thank Chairwoman Wasserman Schultz and Ranking Member Carter for their work on this legislation.

Madam Chair, I rise in support of en bloc package 1, which includes my amendment to H.R. 3055 to help address critical staffing shortages at the VA.

Madam Chair, we in Congress have no higher obligation than to care for our veterans who had our backs, and that starts with making sure they have the resources they need when they come home.

The number of unfilled positions at the VA has grown steadily, and currently it is nearly at 49,000 across the entire VA system.

Madam Chair, 49,000 vacancies is a huge problem that we must tackle. One constituent in my district, an 89-year-old, has been waiting on the adjudication of his appeal to the VA for more than a year. That is absurd. When we called the VA to inquire, we were told: ``This is just how long it takes.''

Madam Chair, the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies looked closely at this issue and stated that the committee is concerned that the significant number of vacancies will lead to longer waits for veterans going without service.

I agree. We must address this problem and address it quickly. Our veterans don't have time for longer waits for doctor appointments, mental health crises, housing assistance, and so much more.

Our veterans deserve better, and I am proud to offer this amendment.

Madam Chair, I thank Chairwoman Wasserman Schultz and Ranking Member Carter for their work on this legislation and leadership.

Madam Chair, I rise in support of amendments en bloc No. 6, which includes my amendment to H.R. 3055 to increase our investment in the Veterans Health Administration for the purpose of hiring more mental health professionals.

Madam Chair, we in Congress have no higher obligation than to care for our veterans.

According to the inspector general for the VA, mental health professionals are the most needed occupation at the VA. Many of those in the veterans community are suffering from mental health conditions with so many of them, unfortunately, suffering in silence. Less than half of all returning veterans in need receive the mental health treatment that they deserve and need, and that is unacceptable.

We have seen an increased incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and depression from our veterans coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan. My office has worked with a number of veterans who are suffering from PTSD to make sure they get access to the care they have earned.

An average of 20 veterans die by suicide every day. In New Jersey, my home State, the rate of suicide in the veterans community is almost double that of the rest of the population. This is shameful.

Madam Chairwoman, surely we can all come together as a body to support this most pressing and urgent need. My amendment will help do that, and I am proud to offer it.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to mark the centennial celebration of the American Legion. On March 15, 1919, the American Legion was founded in Paris, France by U.S. military personnel in the aftermath of World War I. Today, 100 years later, The American Legion is the world's largest veterans' organization and has been at the forefront of efforts to improve the lives of veterans including the development of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the creation of the U.S. Flag Code, and passage of the G.I. Bill.

The irreplaceable impact of the American Legion continues 100 years later. Every year, The American Legion provides assistance on more than 181,000 VA claims and cases, awards more than $4 million in scholarships, and is the nation's single largest donor of blood.

Specifically, I would like to recognize the Joseph M. Lane American Legion Post 136 in my District in Lodi, New Jersey. The inaugural meeting of what would today become the Joseph M. Lane American Legion Post 136 was held on September 9, 1919, at the Liberty Street Fire House in Lodi. The Post's namesake was Lodi resident, United States Army Private Joseph M. Lane, who died in the service in France.

As the Representative for the Fifth Congressional District of New Jersey, I am proud to recognize the Joseph M. Lane American Legion Post 136 of Lodi for its countless contributions to the Lodi community and its veterans.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the American Legion for reaching this amazing milestone and look forward to many great years ahead.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately, I was unavoidably detained from the floor on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. I missed roll call votes No. 245 and No. 246.

Had I been present to vote on roll call No. 245, I would have voted ``YEA''.

Had I been present to vote on roll call No. 246, I would have voted ``YEA''.