Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of our House Natural Resources Committee and the ranking member of our committee for all the work that has been put in on this legislation. I also thank my colleagues in the Senate for their work on this important bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of today's veto override to ensure my bill, H.R. 131, becomes law.

In December of last year, this commonsense, bipartisan, and bicameral bill passed both the House and Senate unanimously. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that my bill will not result in a measurable increase to Federal spending.

H.R. 131, the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act, will help small rural communities in southeast Colorado finally complete a Federal water project that was authorized in 1962 under the Kennedy administration.

Radium, uranium, and other naturally occurring elements are found in the surface and groundwater of southeastern Colorado, and the water quality is problematic year-round because of its salinity, selenium, sulfate, hardness, and manganese levels.

The Bureau of Reclamation has found that these contamination levels are so severe that local communities could see the costs of their drinking water triple without this legislation.

Contrary to what the veto message states, my bill does not authorize any additional Federal funding. It simply modifies the repayment terms for small rural communities in my district so they are able to afford their 35 percent cost share of the project that they are statutorily obligated to repay.

After the project broke ground, inflation took place. Costs doubled under the previous administration. The price tag of this project doubled due to construction and labor costs.

Once completed, the Arkansas Valley Conduit will provide 7,500 acre- feet of water per year to as many as 50,000 Coloradans across 40 different communities in Pueblo, Otero, Bent, Kiowa, Prowers, Crowley, and Baca Counties.

I boldly remind my colleagues here today that this project broke ground during the first Trump administration in 2020 due to major investments from the Trump-led Bureau of Reclamation and the State of Colorado.

From 1962 until 2020, only $24 million had been invested in this project. In 2020, President Trump and his team, his administration, did the right thing, continuing with their commitment to improve Western water infrastructure. He more than doubled the Federal investments in this project with $28 million going toward it. The State of Colorado then invested over $100 million in this project.

Former Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt personally attended the groundbreaking of the AVC and retweeted: ``For nearly 60 years, Colorado's leaders have worked to move the Arkansas Valley Conduit forward.''

The Trump administration got it done.

A press release from the Department of the Interior announcing the groundbreaking reads: ``Western water supply reliability and infrastructure investments has been a priority for President Trump and his administration.''

This bill makes good on not only a 60-year plus commitment without wasting hundreds of millions of dollars in State and local and Federal investments, but it also makes good on President Trump's commitment to rural communities, to Western water issues.

President Trump's commitment to Western water supply and reliability will be upheld, and the Arkansas Valley Conduit will finally be completed.

We were able to get this bill passed and sent to the White House the right way, the way that I have fought for since I have been in Congress. This is a piece of legislation that has gone through committee, has been negotiated, has been debated, has gone back and forth between both Chambers, and we were able to pass this single- subject legislation all the way through with unanimous support in this body and in the Senate. It is something I am very, very proud of, and it is past time that we finally fulfill the promise that the Federal Government made to the communities I represent in Colorado. I urge my colleagues to support this override to finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit.

Mr. Speaker, on Roll Call No. 10, I mistakenly voted YEA when I intended to vote NAY.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for helping to lead on this issue. I thank my colleague, Representative Tom Tiffany, who has also been instrumental in this piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, Colorado is at the center of our Nation for wolf battles. That is why Congressman Tom Tiffany and I introduced H.R. 845, the Pet and Livestock Protection Act.

My bill delists the gray wolf from the Federal Endangered Species List and returns the issue of wolf management to the States and Tribal wildlife agencies.

This doesn't mean that wolves will not be managed. It just means that the Federal Government will step aside, and we will have proper State management. I think we believe in federalism here and the Tenth Amendment and trust our States to do the right thing.

Leftists want to eliminate hunting, lock up our lands, further restrict gun rights, and pander to the interests of extreme environmentalists who don't understand our rural way of life.

In 2020, in Colorado, Denver and Boulder voted to reintroduce gray wolves west of the Continental Divide. This ballot-box biology has led Colorado to rush through the importation of Canadian gray wolves and has set them loose in our State, despite numerous protests and questions about the legality of this dysfunctional and

chaotic approach, putting predators over people.

These predators do not obey arbitrary boundaries. Sure, Colorado may say that they will be introduced west of the Continental Divide, but that doesn't keep them west, and that doesn't necessarily keep them in Colorado, either, as we have seen.

Importing foreign predators into our State has received pushback from our Tribes, energy operators, and our farmers and ranchers. ESA restrictions prohibit ranchers and pet owners from protecting their livestock and pets, as ranchers who shoot at, injure, or kill protected wolves that are stalking sheep or cattle face potential prosecution.

Unfortunately, wolves, again, don't see State lines. They don't know the difference between State, Federal, Tribal, or private land. It is in their nature to travel great distances in pursuit of prey, whether that is deer, elk, sheep, cattle, or even our pets. It has been well documented that wolves don't only hunt to satisfy their hunger. They also hunt for sport.

In March of this year, one of the Canadian wolves attacked and killed a working cattle dog in Jackson County, Colorado, neighboring one of the counties I represent in my district. Last year, a gray wolf from the Great Lakes region was found over 1,000 miles away in Elbert County, east of the Continental Divide, in Colorado's Fourth District, which I represent.

Colorado's agricultural producers have lost $580,000 in just one year from wolves already introduced. We should listen to our farmers and ranchers and finally delist the gray wolf.

Gray wolves were first listed under the ESA in 1967. That was 58 years ago. Since then, delisting the gray wolves has been supported by the Obama, Trump, and even Biden administrations.

In November 2020, scientists and nonpartisan career employees at the Department of the Interior once again found gray wolves were fully recovered and once again issued a rule that returned management of the gray wolf populations to State and Tribal wildlife agencies, as it should be.

Unfortunately, frivolous litigation was filed by environmental extremists, and an activist California judge pandered to them by vacating the 2020 rule and unilaterally relisting the gray wolf by judicial fiat.

Mr. Speaker, the science is crystal clear on this issue: Gray wolves should no longer be on the Endangered Species List. We can no longer put farmers, ranchers, and even our pets in harm's way by using taxpayer dollars to protect a species that has been fully recovered. It is time for the Federal Government to get out of the way and allow the State and Tribal wildlife agencies to manage this species.

Again, just as my colleague on the other side of the aisle agrees, this is an Endangered Species Act success story.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of my bill.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs) for honoring our friend, Charlie Kirk.

Mr. Speaker, it has truly been a troubling week. This has been a very tough time for all of us, especially for Erika Kirk, Charlie's children, and the family at Turning Point USA.

The legacy that Charlie has left behind is truly remarkable. Charlie is leaving a legacy that we will all continue to carry on and move forward with. It is a legacy of faith, of freedom, of love, and of our constitutional values: to have civil conversations and disagreements.

It is interesting that my friend died doing what he loved most. He died hearing people, loving people, and giving them the opportunity to speak their thoughts. He literally gave people his platform.

We are honoring the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk, a courageous American patriot whose unwavering faith and love for Jesus inspired millions.

Mr. Speaker, Charlie's deep love for Jesus guided his actions, evident in his daily Scripture study and fearless proclamation of the Gospel.

His assassination was a tragic loss, but his legacy endures, calling us to speak truth with courage and stand firm in faith.

Mr. Speaker, we love Charlie. We stand with Erika, and we congratulate her on her new position. May many more come to know the love of God and Jesus as their Lord through this heinous act.

Objection.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Comer and the free State of Florida's next Governor, Byron Donalds, for introducing this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4922, the D.C. CRIMES Act, which is sponsored by Congressman Donalds. This critical legislation is a direct response to the failed pro-crime policies that have turned our Nation's Capital into a war zone.

Under failing leftist policies, Washington, D.C., has seen an epidemic of violence: carjackings surging 300 percent, homicides ravaging communities, and young thugs, some as old as 24, treated as juveniles, slapped with lenient sentences below mandatory minimums.

It endangers young families and small businesses struggling in this crime-ridden city. Innocent residents live in fear, while criminals roam free, mocking the rule of law.

H.R. 4922 cuts through this madness. It ensures adults face adult consequences. It repeals judges' abilities to dodge mandatory minimums for youth crimes. Crucially, it blocks the D.C. Council from gutting sentencing laws, reclaiming Congress' constitutional oversight over this Federal District, as it should be.

As President Trump declared in his March 2025 executive order, if D.C. won't act, we must, restoring order, beauty, and safety to our Capital.

This bill isn't about politics. It is about protecting lives. Republicans are delivering real reform, tougher accountability, transparent juvenile crime data via a public website, and a safer D.C. for all.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join us and pass H.R. 4922 now to make America and this District safe again.

Mr. Speaker, I ask to be recognized out of order because a moment of silence goes silent, and can someone lead us in a prayer.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Schweikert for reserving this time in the people's House to honor our friend, Charlie.

Today is a really hard day. This is unexpected, obviously, but the moment we heard that something had happened, I was able to get on the phone with faith leaders throughout the Nation, and instantaneously there were prayer groups formed, mighty men and women of God, faith- filled Christians, believers who stood in the gap and interceded for my friend, Charlie.

I thank God for that faith. The prayers were not in vain. God promises that His Word will produce what it says it will. I do not believe that Charlie's life being stolen in this manner is in vain. Charlie is a pioneer. A Greek word that God has brought to my remembrance each and every day for more than a decade is archegos. If you look it up in a Strong's Concordance, it is word number 747. In some way, God reminds me of this Greek word archegos on a daily basis. Even when I think I understand it, I still ask him to give me a deeper revelation. I believe today God highlighted exactly what it means. Charlie personified this word, and it is ``pioneer'' in the English language. It is one who pioneers a way, who makes a way for others to follow. They may not be the originator of the thing, but someone who fearlessly takes charge; who courageously goes into the unknown; who faces adversaries unafraid, unashamed, boldly; and influences others to continue down that path; that is exactly what Charlie Kirk has done.

Charlie Kirk was a husband, a father, a man who spoke more of family than he ever did politics. For those who didn't know him personally, they may just see him as a political figure. But to those of us who knew Charlie, who listen to his message on a regular basis, who attended his events, we know that rather than talking about tax rates and GDP, he was more talking about the nuclear family, talking about faith in God, talking about the value of marriage, how children need a father in the home, how they need both parents, how you uplift one another rather than tear each other down, and that is exactly what Charlie did.

He would sometimes go into the enemy's territory, and he would give those who saw themselves as his enemy a platform to speak, and he would have debate. He never promoted violence. He condemned violence at every turn. He gave data, thoughtful responses, and he shared his faith each and every day. He was a pioneer who shared his love for Jesus, proclaiming the Lordship and reign of Jesus each and every day.

Faith comes by hearing, and by hearing the Word of God, and more literally, that second word ``hearing'' in Scripture means understanding. Faith comes by hearing and understanding the Word of God. I believe that Charlie Kirk was on a mission for America and the world to hear and understand the love of God, to have a revelation of the love of God so that they would know the hope of their calling, so that their intervening would be enlightened, and they would understand that there was a hope and a future, a desired outcome that God had purposed them with.

Charlie Kirk understood that you have to be a doer of the Word, that faith without corresponding action isn't faith at all.

Charlie took action each and every day. We heard that he was moving our youth to the right, but I think, more importantly, Charlie Kirk was moving our youth to God, to faith in God, to read the Scriptures. He lived exactly what he spoke each and every day, being the example, being the change that he wanted to see in America and beyond.

Charlie Kirk has a legacy, not only through the work that he has done, but through his wife, Erica, who I humbly ask each and every person to pray for her and their children. Those prayers right now mean so much.

Charlie Kirk is present with the Lord. He is in the fullness of joy right now, present with Jesus. He is not hurting. He is not suffering. We are the ones who are feeling loss. Erica and those children are the ones who are feeling loss, hurt, and pain. It is the Holy Spirit who I ask to surround them with his wraparound presence and bring them peace, peace that surpasses all understanding in this time, to guard their hearts, to heal their broken hearts. We know that joy will come.

There is a time of mourning, but that joy is not just a suggestion. It is the battle plan that will get them through each and every day of their lives.

In this moment, I want to quote one thing that my friend Charlie said. He has given so many of us an opportunity to speak truth. He has given us his platform, an ability to reach into the hearts and lives of millions of our youth, and beyond.

In a recent quote, he said: ``You are commanded to go do something productive with your life, to go give and to

produce and to risk and to then go sow into other people. That is a Biblical idea that has made the world a profoundly better place.''

Charlie Kirk was a doer of the Word, risk-taker, and bold defender of truth, and he has sown into the lives of millions, and that harvest will produce 30-, 60-, and 100-fold.

Charlie, you have a legacy. Thank you for honoring our Father God. Thank you for proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Thank you for expressing the fellowship and communion of the Holy Spirit.

We will not be silenced. That would be a dishonor to everything Charlie has done over the years. We will be bold. We will speak out. We will go forward. We will continue to move our youth closer to God. We will continue to press in and get a grip on God as he has a grip on us.

This day, September 10, 2025, truly marks a turning point in our Nation and throughout the world.

Mr. Speaker, God bless Charlie Kirk, God bless Turning Point USA, Andrew, Tyler, Erika, and everyone who is a part of the team. God bless them.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Charlie. It has been such an honor to serve alongside him.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) for bringing this important issue up today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 104, which nullifies the Bureau of Land Management's restrictive Miles City Field Office Resource Management Plan.

This resolution is a critical step toward restoring American energy dominance, a cornerstone of President Trump's agenda to secure our Nation's economic and energy future.

The BLM's rule stifles resource development in Montana, limiting access to our abundant natural resources and threatening the livelihoods of our ranchers, energy workers, and small businesses. By imposing burdensome land management policies, it undermines the very communities that power our great Nation.

H.J. Res. 104 aligns directly with President Trump's vision to unleash American energy by removing regulatory barriers and prioritizing domestic production. This resolution ensures our lands are used to bolster energy security and not obstruct it.

By passing H.J. Res. 104, we reject bureaucratic overreach and champion affordable and reliable energy for all Americans. Let's stand with President Trump's mission to make America energy dominant, protect jobs, and empower our communities, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman so much for yielding. Mr. Comer has been an amazing advocate in helping get this bill over the line once again. I am proud to stand here today and explain why this piece of legislation is so important.

I rise with a deep sense of purpose and conviction to advocate for the passage of H.R. 3095, a commonsense, bipartisan bill that directs the United States Postal Service to designate a single unique ZIP Code for specific communities across our great Nation, including 15 in my home State of Colorado.

This legislation is not just about postal efficiency. It is about fairness, public safety, community identity, and ensuring that every town and city in America has the tools it needs to thrive.

When the ZIP Code system was first introduced in 1963, it was a revolutionary step toward modernizing mail delivery and streamlining operations for a rapidly growing nation.

At the time, the United States Postal Service envisioned ZIP Codes as a simple tool to improve sorting and delivery, but over the decades ZIP Codes have evolved into far more than postal convenience. They have become integral to how we navigate modern life.

Economic developers rely on ZIP Codes to attract businesses and plan growth. Insurance companies use them to calculate premiums. Emergency responders depend on them to locate homes and businesses in moments of crisis. Even in our online shopping, our navigation systems are built around the assumption that every community has a clear, unique ZIP Code.

Yet for too many towns and cities across America, this basic building block of modern infrastructure remains out of reach.

Mr. Speaker, in my home State of Colorado, I have heard from my constituents who face daily frustration because they share ZIP Codes with neighboring towns.

These are not abstract problems. They affect real people in tangible ways.

Severance, Colorado, is a town of 11,500 people in Weld County, yet they have six ZIP Codes that they correlate with.

Imagine a family who is waiting anxiously for an ambulance only to learn that the first responders were dispatched to the wrong town because of a shared ZIP Code. Picture a small business owner in Castle Pines, Colorado, working tirelessly to grow their company and losing critical deliveries and customers due to misdirected mail or wasting time applying for a permit with the wrong municipality.

Consider the frustration of residents in towns like Silver Cliff, Colorado, who are overcharged for insurance because their ZIP Code inaccurately places them in a higher risk area.

Think of the local government already stretched thin that loses millions of dollars in vital sales tax revenue because transactions are mistakenly attributed to neighboring jurisdictions.

These challenges are not unique to Colorado. Across the Nation, over 65 communities, from rural communities to growing suburbs, are struggling with these same issues. Governors, mayors, town boards, and everyday citizens have raised their voices pleading for a solution. They are not asking for handouts or special favors. They are asking for the basic recognition of their community's existence, that they matter, and that they deserve the same tools for success as their neighbors.

H.R. 3095 answers that call with a direct and practical solution. This bill directs the United States Postal Service to assign unique ZIP Codes to each community, empowering them to better serve their residents, strengthen their local identities, and streamline their operations.

A unique ZIP Code is more than a number. It is a lifeline. It supports infrastructure planning by providing accurate data for economic development. It reduces mail inconsistencies, ensuring that packages and letters arrive where they are intended.

Seniors and veterans have suffered vital and lifesaving medication delays just because they were lost in the mail, which is entirely unacceptable and preventable. It enhances public safety by helping emergency responders locate those in need without delay, and it ensures that local governments receive the tax revenue they are rightfully owed allowing them to invest in schools, roads, and community services.

The current process for obtaining a new ZIP Code is, frankly, broken. Communities must navigate a labyrinth of bureaucratic hurdles, submitting petitions to the USPS that are rarely approved. If their petition is denied, then they are forced to wait up to 10 years before they can even reapply, 10 years, Mr. Speaker.

That is 10 years of lost opportunities, 10 years of misdirected mail, and 10 years of unnecessary risks to public safety.

This is not the kind of government our constituents expect or deserve. They expect us to solve problems, not extend them.

H.R. 3095 cuts through this red tape with a clear directive to the Postal Service to assign unique ZIP Codes to these deserving communities.

This bill is not about creating a new bureaucracy or imposing heavy- handed mandates. It is about empowering local governments and residents to take control of their future. It is about ensuring that every community, no matter how small, has a seat at the table and a voice in our Nation's progress.

I am proud to say that this bill has bipartisan support. This bill was passed out of the House in the previous Congress, and it will pass again. Republicans and Democrats alike recognize the importance of this issue. Mayors, town councils, and community leaders from across the political spectrum have rallied behind H.R. 3095, united by a shared commitment to fairness and efficiency. Government efficiency is not something that we hear a lot of.

This is not a partisan issue, it is an American issue, and it is one that goes beyond political divides and speaks to our shared values of community, opportunity, and, again, progress.

As we consider this bill, let us reflect on what it means to represent our constituents. They sent us here to listen

to their concerns, to hear from them, to fight for their needs, and to deliver results.

The communities affected by H.R. 3095 have asked for our help, and it is our duty to respond. By passing this bill today, we can send a powerful message that no town is too small to be heard, that no community is too small to be overlooked or to matter, and that we are committed to building a stronger and more equitable nation for all.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3095. Let us give these communities and the millions of Americans the representation, the recognition, the resources, and the respect that they rightfully deserve. Let us ensure that every town has the tools it needs to thrive, from accurate mail delivery to reliable emergency services to robust economic growth.

This is a moment to act with purpose.

Let's be the bridge that heals this divide and make a meaningful difference in the lives of our constituents.

Mr. Speaker, by receiving a unique ZIP Code, these communities will hold on to more of their tax revenue, improve the response times of first responders, and minimize issues with the postal delivery to incorrect addresses.

I have been honored to lead on this issue. It has been a passion of mine for the past 5 years, and I hope that we can finally get this signed into law. Maybe we were waiting all along for President Donald J. Trump's signature on this bill.

I thank Chairman Comer for his support of this, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 3095.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his support on this bill.

I rise to speak in favor of my bill, H.R. 131, Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act, to help complete construction of a critical infrastructure project that will provide tens of thousands of southeast Colorado residents with access to clean water.

Southeast Coloradans have waited decades for the completion of the Arkansas Valley Conduit. While we have made a lot of progress in the recent years and the first two segments of the project are under construction, we still have a long way to go.

This bipartisan and bicameral legislation will help the Bureau of Reclamation and local governments finally complete this major water project. Rural communities in southeastern Colorado need and deserve access to clean, reliable, and affordable water they can utilize on a daily basis.

Once completed, the Arkansas Valley Conduit will provide 7,500-acre- feet of water per year to as many as 50,000 Coloradans across 40 different communities in Pueblo, Otero, Bent, Kiowa, Prowers, and Baca Counties.

The Arkansas Valley Conduit was originally approved for construction as a part of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project that was signed into law by President John F. Kennedy in 1962. Congress amended this law in 2009 to tackle water quality concerns and make clear that 35 percent of total project costs would be repaid with interest from miscellaneous revenues.

The original 1962 law also made clear that the costs of annual operation and maintenance for this important project would be paid for by the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District.

Radium, uranium, and other naturally occurring elements are found in the surface and groundwater in southeastern Colorado, and the water quality is problematic year-round because of its salinity, selenium, sulfate, hardness, and manganese levels.

The Bureau of Reclamation has found these contamination levels are so severe that local communities could see the costs of their drinking water triple without this legislation.

The Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act will ease the burden of inflation costs that have caused the original $640 million estimate of construction in 2019 to rise to more than $1.3 billion. There have been a number of modifications to the proposed Arkansas Valley Conduit over the years that have reduced the cost by as much as $200 million.

I thank the Bureau of Reclamation and the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District for working with us in drafting this critical legislation. I am grateful to have their support as we work to get this bill signed into law.

Access to clean water is not a luxury. It is a necessity. Southeast Colorado families and businesses deserve a reliable and sustainable water supply.

It is time we fully and finally fulfill the promises the Federal Government made to the communities I represent in Colorado and finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair for his support and I urge adoption.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of two of my amendments that are included in H.R. 4016. It will address the fentanyl crisis devastating our Nation, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, including thousands in my home State of Colorado.

My amendments redirect vital resources to strengthen our fight against transnational criminal organizations and the deadly flow of illicit fentanyl.

My first amendment redirects $2 million to bolster the National Guard Counterdrug Program. This funding will enhance training and equipment for our servicemembers, empowering them to disrupt the cartels and criminal networks fueling this epidemic.

The National Guard is on the front lines of protecting our communities, and this investment will ensure they have the tools to stop these lethal drugs before they reach our streets.

My second amendment redirects $2 million of wasteful spending to increase further funding for counternarcotic support within the Department of Defense. This will strengthen the DOD's critical role in intercepting fentanyl and synthetic opioids, saving countless lives. This is something that is extremely critical in fighting this devastating epidemic that we are facing.

The fentanyl crisis has torn families apart and left communities in mourning. These amendments are a targeted, urgent response to fight back against this deadly drug.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support both of my amendments, to stand with our servicemembers, and to protect the lives of Americans across this great Nation.

Mr. Chair, I rise today with deep respect and unwavering gratitude for the brave men and women who have worn the uniform of the United States of America. My support for the members of our military does not end when their service is complete, and I will always take steps to ensure that our Nation's veterans and their families receive the benefits that they were promised and are owed.

My amendments included in this package today ensure our Nation keeps its sacred promise to those who have served our great country.

From providing additional funding for the construction of new State extended care facilities to increasing funds for medical and prosthetic research, and from reducing the backlog at the Board of Veterans' Appeals to providing burial services and benefits for veterans in rural areas lacking a VA national cemetery, my amendments will directly improve the quality of life for veterans throughout Colorado and America.

This bill makes good on President Trump's promises that he made to our veterans. It mirrors his executive orders on no funds for DEI and on radical transgender surgeries while also supporting the President's efforts to combat veteran homelessness through investment in the new Bridging Rental Assistance For Veteran Empowerment program.

This bill protects the Second Amendment rights of veterans by preventing the VA from sending information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation about veterans without a judge's consent.

It also prohibits the VA from processing medical care claims for illegal aliens.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bipartisan en bloc and for this critical piece of legislation. Our veterans are the living embodiment of duty, honor, and sacrifice. They have stood on the front lines for our freedom, and this bill is a great opportunity to now stand for them.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support today of H.R. 4, President Trump's big, beautiful rescissions package.

This bill slashes radical foreign aid at the State Department, USAID, and the U.S. Institute of Peace for woke gender ideology and equity nonsense that mocks American values. Why are we bankrolling wokeism abroad when ranchers and small business owners in my district are struggling?

H.R. 4 defunds PBS and NPR's biased media circus. For years, taxpayers have been forced to subsidize a public media system that is less about informing and more about indoctrinating.

To my friends across the aisle, I know you love your globalist pet projects, but the American people are fed up. The voters that sent us here are watching, and they are done seeing their dollars shipped overseas and funneled into biased media.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4 is a victory for taxpayers, and I urge its adoption.

Mr. Speaker, bless my colleagues' hearts on the other side of the aisle for using married women as a gotcha for voting. I have never had to bring my birth certificate to prove that I was a registered voter. I have an ID that has a different name than my birth certificate.

Also, since we are using women as bait here, maybe in the next round of debates, Democrats could explain to us exactly what a woman is.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the SAVE Act. The American people are done messing around with a woke, weak-kneed system that lets our elections get hijacked. I am fighting for them, for me, and for every American who knows that our vote is sacred. It is time to lock it down with citizens only.

Mr. Speaker, let's cut the crap. Right now, people can walk up, check a box claiming that they are a citizen, and, boom, they are registered for Federal elections with no proof and no ID.

That is not a system built on trust. It is a system vulnerable to error, fraud, and exploitation.

In Colorado, the process was just expedited for illegals to receive a driver's license. In the State of Colorado, when you obtain a driver's license, you register to vote.

The SAVE Act is a commonsense measure designed to protect the integrity of our electoral process. At its core, it requires proof of citizenship to register to vote in Federal elections.

This isn't radical. It is not extreme. It is a basic safeguard to ensure that only those who are legally entitled to participate in our elections can do so.

Let's be clear. This isn't about denying anyone's right to vote. It is about protecting the rights of every American citizen, not adding votes and subtracting American citizens' votes.

Mr. Speaker, I support the SAVE Act.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore