Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the legacy of Detective Luis Alvarez and the advancement of a bill to rename his hometown post office in Oceanside in his honor.

Detective Alvarez was a true American hero and bravely answered the call on 9/11 after the worst terror attack on American soil. He spent months searching for survivors among the toxic rubble at Ground Zero and, as a result of his exposure, received a cancer diagnosis in 2016.

He continued his legacy of service and became a leading advocate for 9/11 first responders, famously appearing before Congress in 2019 to fight for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund.

Detective Alvarez represents the best of us, and we must ensure that his heroism and sacrifice are never forgotten.

I am proud to say that my bill to rename the Oceanside Post Office is supported by the Alvarez family and the entire New York House delegation.

I am urging the Speaker to act quickly and bring the legislation to the floor to honor Detective Alvarez ahead of the 9/11 25th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Long Island Association. For a century, it has been an institution at the heart of Long Island's economy and business community.

I thank Chairman Waldman, Acting President Sikes, and the association's board members who traveled to Washington this week. It is a privilege to reaffirm our shared commitment to prosperity and opportunity for every Long Islander.

Long Island's businesses and industries contribute more than $200 billion to our Nation's economy each year. We are an economic powerhouse, driving innovation and discoveries in national security, medicine, and next-generation technologies.

Giving Long Island's businesses a strong base with no limits on their success is how we bolster our local economy and our way of life.

Core to its mission, the Long Island Association has been a crucial bridge between businesses and local and Federal government leaders. That partnership is foundational to the success of every entrepreneur, industry, and family-owned business that built Long Island.

Our work here in Washington is first and foremost to deliver for our communities through bipartisanship and common sense. Doing so through pro-business and pro-worker policies gives our region the room to grow and stay competitive.

The Long Island Association partnership has been instrumental in helping meet the challenges that we face. We must make Long Island more affordable to keep attracting world-class talent and give companies the chance to invest in themselves.

That starts with lowering the high cost and taxes our families and businesses pay, including fully and permanently eliminating the SALT cap and undoing harmful tariffs. It means making housing more affordable and ensuring every young professional and hardworking family has a place to call home.

We must meet our energy needs with an all-of-the-above strategy and guarantee our infrastructure can support a growing economy. We must cut Federal red tape and invest in our industries to fuel greater opportunity across our region.

I am proud to have worked with the association and with my Long Island colleagues across the aisle to tackle these challenges head on. I remain committed to being a trusted voice in Washington for Long Island's businesses and workers.

As we celebrate the Long Island Association's 100 years of excellence, I look forward to our continued partnership. Congratulations on this historic milestone and the beginning of another remarkable century of service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the outstanding career of Dean Lodge, a dedicated UPS driver who has recently retired after more than 37 years with UPS, including 26 years in the Long Beach community.

After growing up in Jamaica, Mr. Lodge moved to New York with his family in 1988, starting with UPS in 1989 in Manhattan. He eventually transferred to Long Beach in 2000, where he became far more than a delivery driver. He became a trusted neighbor and friend.

Known for his kindness, reliability, and personal connection, Dean built lasting relationships with the families and businesses he served. He proudly knew his customers by name, looked out for their safety, and brought a sense of care to his work each and every day, and brought consistency to Long Beach. He gave back. He mentored his fellow drivers, earning a deep respect from his colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Dean for his decades of service and the joy he brought to Long Beach. I wish him all the best in his retirement and hope he enjoys the races at Belmont Park for years to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the brave law enforcement officers on Long Island and across our Nation who we have lost and the men and women who continue to serve and protect.

I thank my colleagues on the bipartisan Law Enforcement Caucus, Representatives Rutherford and Gottheimer, for organizing this Special Order hour during National Police Week to remember these heroes.

Madam Speaker, every day, our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe. They do so not knowing if they will return home safely to their loved ones.

During National Police Week, we thank and honor the law enforcement officers who gave their lives to protect all of us.

This month, I had the privilege to join my colleagues to lay a wreath at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and honor 363 officers who we lost this year. It is our solemn duty to ensure that their sacrifice and contributions are never forgotten.

Among the American heroes we lost last year was Police Detective Patrick Franzone of the Freeport Police Department from New York's Fourth Congressional District.

A U.S. Marine Corps veteran who grew up in Freeport, Detective Franzone's life was defined by service to his fellow Americans and to his community. He served in law enforcement for more than 30 years and shared his devotion to the Freeport families outside of work as the chairman of Toys for Tots.

Following the 9/11 terrorist attack, Detective Franzone bravely assisted with the search and recovery at Ground Zero as a first responder.

On September 18, 2025, he tragically passed away from a 9/11 cancer that

was associated with his heroic work in the rubble. His passing is a painful reminder of what our first responders' contributions can cost.

Detective Franzone was a friend to all who knew him, a devoted father, and a true American hero. We will never forget his service to fellow New Yorkers and to our great Nation, and we will ensure that his legacy lives on.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me for a moment in remembering Detective Patrick William Franzone of Freeport, New York.

Thousands of our heroic law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency personnel continue to suffer from debilitating conditions from toxins at Ground Zero. That is why I was proud to help advocate for bipartisan legislation to permanently fund the World Trade Center Health Program. I will continue to fight alongside my colleagues here today to make sure our law enforcement has the resources they need to keep their communities safe and to keep themselves safe. Whether it is more crime-fighting technology, COPS hiring grants, or funding for improved access to mental health care, something that I care deeply about. I am proud to have introduced peer-to-peer support, advocacy, and counseling through my bipartisan bill introduced with Congressman Rutherford just this week.

We must always have the backs of our law enforcement. Our families can sleep knowing that the brave men and women in uniform are protecting them, watching our streets, and safeguarding our communities.

Madam Speaker, I thank each and every one of our law enforcement officers on Long Island and across our country. We owe them an incredible debt of gratitude.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bipartisan bill, H.R. 1689, to extend TPS for Haitians.

I thank all of my colleagues who voted to bring this bill to a vote today--Democrat, Republican, and Independent. I thank Representative Pressley, co-chair of the Haiti Caucus, for her leadership on the discharge petition that helped make this vote possible. I am grateful for our partnership in the fight to protect our Haitian neighbors.

My district in Nassau County is home to one of the largest Haitian populations in the country. We are incredibly proud of that. Haitian Long Islanders are part of the very fabric of our community. They work in critical sectors like healthcare, education, caregiving, and supporting our elderly, and they work in our local hospitals. Many have built thriving businesses and have enriched our faith community.

Before I came to Congress, I made a promise to the Haitian community in my district that I would use my voice to work with anyone from any party to help protect this community and their existing legal status here in the United States.

Let's be very clear. These are people who came in through the front door legally and are paying taxes and contributing to our community. Removing these folks would not just be a humanitarian catastrophe. It would hurt our economy.

As soon as I got to Congress, the first bill I introduced was this bipartisan bill to extend TPS for Haiti. I felt that saving these people from imminent danger should not be partisan, and it was important to get support from the other side of the aisle. I was thrilled that my Republican colleague, Representative Mike Lawler, joined and was an original cosponsor of this bill. This is how Congress should be working, both sides working together.

For more than a year, we have been pushing back against the administration and trying to do what is right and reverse this cruel, misguided decision to force Haitians to return to Haiti when they have come here lawfully.

The suggestion that the situation has improved in Haiti is belied by the U.S. Department of State. The Department of State website explains it is too dangerous for American citizens to travel to Haiti because of kidnapping, rampant crime, terrorist activity, civil unrest, and limited healthcare. How then could we say it is perfectly safe to force Haitians to go back there and that everything is okay?

Armed gangs control 90 percent of the capital. More than 1.4 million innocent civilians, half of them children, have been forced from their homes. It is cruel to expect Haitians to be forced to return to these deadly conditions. I have spoken to many Haitian families who desperately want to see peace return to their country and would like to go home once it is safe to do so.

I held a roundtable in my district and spoke to people. One speaker recently traveled to Haiti and said she could not even go to Port-au- Prince because it is so overrun by gangs. She shared that there is only one small part of Haiti that is safe for people to go to, but

there is no housing and no promise of securing work. It is truly a dire situation.

I met a young man, a TPS recipient, who has been in the United States for a number of years. He has worked hard and graduated from college. Now, he is giving back to his community. He is helping those who could face the same fate as him if he loses this protection. He is dedicated to selflessly using the opportunity that he has been given to come here and using his voice to give back to his community. He encapsulates the heart of the Haitian community and the true humanity of the people we are trying to protect.

I am proud that, with the partnership of my Democratic and Republican colleagues, we advance this discharge petition today and are voting on my legislation. It shows the bipartisan nature of this issue. It affects communities, red and blue.

I look forward to passing the very first bill that I introduced into Congress and delivering on the promise I made to my district. This is an important milestone for our hardworking, law-abiding, taxpaying Haitian friends and neighbors across the country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this legislation to protect their lives. I also say to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle that I ran on immigration reform. I am 1 of 10 original Democratic cosponsors, along with 10 Republican cosponsors, of the Dignity Act, which would transform our immigration system, secure our border, and create a legal pathway to citizenship. I urge my colleagues to take up immigration reform.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Representative Pressley, for her leadership on this issue and her yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this resolution to advance H.R. 1689, the bipartisan bill extending TPS for Haitians.

I thank my colleague, Representative Pressley, the co-chair of the Haiti Caucus, for her leadership on today's discharge petition. I am grateful for her partnership to protect our Haitian neighbors and friends.

Nassau County is home to one of the largest Haitian populations in the country, and we are incredibly proud of that. Haitian Long Islanders are part of the very fabric of our communities. Haitians work in critical sectors like healthcare, education and caregiving, supporting our elderly and working in local hospitals. Many have built private businesses and enriched our faith community.

Before I came to Congress, I made a promise to the Haitian constituents in my district that I would use my voice and work with anyone in any party to help protect this community and their existing legal status here in the United States.

Removing our neighbors would not just be a humanitarian catastrophe, it would hurt our economy, so as soon as I got to Congress, the very first bill that I introduced was a bipartisan bill to extend TPS for Haitians because protecting our friends and neighbors should be a bipartisan concern.

I was so proud and honored to work with my Republican colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Lawler). I am thankful for his leadership on this issue, as well.

The U.S. State Department claims it is too dangerous for American citizens to go to Haiti because of kidnapping, gang violence, and widespread chaos, but yet the administration has said it is safe for Haitians to return there. How can we say that when the State Department has a ``Level 4: Do not travel'' advisory on its own website?

I have spoken to Haitian families who desperately want to see peace return to their country and would like to return there when it is safe to do so. However, the safety and economic security that they need to rebuild their lives there is nonexistent. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Ms. Edna Jean Hamler from the village of Hempstead in honor of her 84th birthday.

Growing up in Alabama during the horrid Jim Crow era, Edna's life is one of a remarkable, brave journey. She took part and met pivotal members of the civil rights movement while facing the daily injustice of racial segregation.

In the 1960s, Edna made the courageous decision to leave her home and find opportunity in the village of Hempstead, where she raised her six incredible children. She taught them the values of respect, integrity, and a deep commitment to education while attending Hempstead Public Schools.

Her life has been marked by fortitude, cultivated by confronting segregation and seeking a better future for her family.

It is a privilege to represent and recognize Edna today. She represents the strength of a generation that endured profound injustice and helped shape the diverse and vibrant Hempstead community through her quiet determination.

Mr. Speaker, I wish Edna a wonderful 84th birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Charlie McAvoy, a proud native of Long Beach and New York-4 on representing the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics and bringing home a gold medal as a member of the men's ice hockey team.

Charlie's journey from local rinks to the very top of the Olympic podium is a very powerful testament to his talent, dedication, and discipline. His success stands as a model for aspiring athletes not only across Long Island but across our country.

Charlie's story sends a clear and inspiring message: Greatness can grow from our neighborhoods, our schools, and our hometown arenas. With hard work, resilience, and belief in yourself, Mr. Speaker, dreams that begin at home can carry you to the highest stages in the world.

On behalf of Long Island, I extend our heartfelt congratulations to Charlie and his family. We thank him for representing our community and our country.

May his achievement remain a source of pride for Long Islanders and an inspiration for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn the Iranian regime as it threatens the United States and our ally Israel.

Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terror, bankrolling the heinous terrorist groups Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.

The regime and its proxies seek to destroy America and Israel and wreak havoc across the Middle East.

Let me be clear: Iran can never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons, and the United States must always be prepared to act to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.

Our Nation is eternally grateful to the brave servicemembers who are keeping us safe, and we mourn those who have been lost in the line of duty.

Mr. Speaker, I hope the administration will come to Congress with a plan and work with us to counter Iran's aggression and protect our country.

Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment.

Every day, 34 families lose a loved one to a drunk driving crash. Drunk driving remains the leading cause of death on our highways. Unfortunately, the problem is getting worse every year, despite interlock devices.

Far too many Long Island families know the pain of a life cut short. I know several families who have lost their children to drunk drivers.

Mr. Chair, these tragedies are absolutely preventable, and we know what a solution is. The bipartisan HALT Drunk Driving Act, which was passed more than 4 years ago, would require new vehicles to be equipped with this new technology, and the change will help save more than 10,000 lives each year.

When Transportation Secretary Duffy testified before the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee earlier this year, I asked him to work with Congress to fully implement this lifesaving law. I am proud to say that thanks to my questioning, Secretary Duffy publicly committed to implement this law and help save lives.

Mr. Chair, I am happy to work with the gentlemen on the other side who are concerned about privacy. Together, we can implement technology that addresses their privacy concerns.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Michael Howard Kerr, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and extraordinary community leader from Woodmere, New York.

Michael dedicated his life to serving his community. He served as fire commissioner in the village of Woodsburgh and later as police commissioner. He also devoted time to serve on the boards of various charitable organizations, including the Jewish Community Center of the Greater Five Towns and the UJA-Federation of Greater New York.

He didn't stop there, though. Michael was a tireless advocate for medical research, particularly in the fight against Crohn's Disease, liver disease, and organ transplantation. He supported groundbreaking research at institutions, including Mount Sinai, Cornell, Lenox Hill, and Columbia University.

Above all, Michael was devoted to his family; his wife, Susan; and his sons, Joshua and Zachary.

Michael Kerr leaves behind a legacy of leadership, generosity, and profound humanity. May his memory be a blessing and enduring inspiration to all of us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great pride to congratulate South Side High School's girls' volleyball team on winning the New York State Class A girls' volleyball championship.

On behalf of Nassau County and New York's Fourth Congressional District, I want to take this opportunity to commend and celebrate these young athletes for their dedication, their teamwork, and their perseverance.

This year's championship marks South Side's second State title in program history and its first since 1993, a testament to the strong foundation built by players and coaches over many, many years.

I congratulate the Cyclones on their remarkable victory. They have made Rockville Centre and New York's Fourth Congressional District very proud.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 322, NAY on Roll Call No. 323, YEA on Roll Call No. 324, NO on Roll Call No. 325, AYE on Roll Call No. 326, AYE on Roll Call No. 327, AYE on Roll Call No. 328, YEA on Roll Call No. 329, NAY on Roll Call No. 330, and YEA on Roll Call No. 331.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 306 and YEA on Roll Call No. 307.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome to our Nation's Capitol my constituent from Lynbrook and the founder of the Love for Giovanni Foundation, Georgina Cornago.

Mr. Speaker, Georgina is the beloved mother of Long Island native Giovanni ``Gio'' Cipriano, pictured here, who we tragically lost in 2013 due to a severe allergic reaction.

In the face of unimaginable loss, Georgina has transformed her grief into purpose. She has been a tireless force behind Gio's law, a bipartisan legislation that I introduced to equip local law enforcement with EpiPens to quickly and effectively respond to allergic reactions and save lives. Thanks to her advocacy, first responders on Long Island are already saving lives.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring the memory of Gio and working together to prevent future tragedies and pass Gio's law.