Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I am grateful to Ranking Member Pallone, Chair Rodgers, Ranking Member Schakowsky, Chairman Bilirakis, and members of the Energy and Commerce Committee for their unanimous support for this bipartisan, bicameral legislation.

Mr. Speaker, the Youth Poisoning Protection Act is urgently needed to limit consumer access to high concentrations of a dangerous toxic chemical that is being promoted online as a method to die by suicide.

Two years ago, an investigation by The New York Times exposed online suicide assistance forums, websites that operate in the shadows of the internet. These platforms are home to many users who present themselves as a community dedicated to helping others experiencing suicidal ideation, but who instead encourage those in dire need of help to end their lives and even help facilitate their attempt to do so.

Their activities have contributed to a rise in suicides using the chemical sodium nitrite, which in low concentrations is safe and often used to cure meat and fish.

However, in high concentrations, sodium nitrite is toxic at levels comparable to cyanide.

If that is not bad enough, it gets worse.

While those same anonymous users promote the poison as a painless way to die by suicide, survivors tell a very different story, detailing experiences of nausea, vomiting, intense stomach pain, and heart palpitations as the substance chokes off oxygen to critical organs.

When notified by my office of the product's popularization as a suicide

method, many websites that sold the product, including Amazon, eventually took down their listings or limited sales to businesses with a proven use for it.

There are bad actors out there looking to capitalize on people experiencing suicidal ideation by creating websites for the sole purpose of selling the chemical as suicide kits. Right now there is no law on the books to stop them from doing so.

Mr. Speaker, the Youth Poisoning Protection Act changes that by prohibiting the consumer sale of sodium nitrite products with a concentration higher than 10 percent--the usefulness threshold agreed upon by independent experts.

I will note for my colleagues that this bill solely limits the sale of this product to consumers. There are some businesses that cure meat and fish in bulk and need to purchase sodium nitrite in high concentrations as part of that process. This bill will not affect them.

It solely seeks to end the straight-to-consumer sale of highly concentrated sodium nitrite that is helping fuel the efforts of anonymous suicide forum users pushing vulnerable people to end their lives.

This bill is simple, it is straightforward, and it has the potential to save lives.

That is why I am so grateful to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and in both Chambers who were instrumental in the drafting and advancement of this legislation, including Representative Mike Carey who has been a tireless advocate for his constituents who have fallen victim to this poison, as well as Representatives Katie Porter and Celeste Maloy and Senators Tammy Duckworth and J.D. Vance.

I urge Members on both sides of the aisle to join us in supporting this strong bipartisan legislation.

Mr. Speaker, on March 19, 2024, I missed a Roll Call vote. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 88.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership on this important issue as ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this bipartisan legislation, in particular, the important changes it makes to how we regulate commercial fusion energy.

Last spring, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission took an important vote to regulate commercial fusion energy under its existing regulatory framework--specifically, the byproduct materials framework. This was a critical step toward unlocking commercialized fusion energy, and it was made possible by a recognition that fusion does not need to be regulated the same way as fission.

Since then, the Congressional Fusion Energy Caucus, which I have the honor of co-chairing alongside Representatives Don Beyer, Jay Obernolte, and Chuck Fleischmann, put pen to paper on the Fusion Energy Act, which will codify the Commission's decision and provide the fusion industry the regulatory certainty that it needs to continue pursuing their innovative research and development.

During consideration of this package in December, we offered the Fusion Energy Act as an amendment, which was adopted unanimously and is included in this legislation today.

I cannot overstate the importance of passing this package because fusion is the game changer. A future with fusion means thousands of good-paying, family-sustaining, clean energy jobs that we will create along the way.

Fusion unlocks a future where energy production is no longer tied to access to a resource. It means an endless supply of baseload clean energy, without any emissions. It means dictators like Vladimir Putin won't be able to manipulate energy markets to suit their needs.

Madam Speaker, but make no mistake, both our allies and our adversaries are racing to unlock fusion energy. The U.K. is investing 660 million pounds; Germany recently announced a 1-billion-euro investment; and China has already invested 1.8 billion in their state- owned facilities, with plans to massively ramp up over the next decade.

In China, there is no private industry investment in fusion. It is all government-controlled, and that is a huge competitive advantage that we have on them.

What the United States does best is innovate through public-private partnerships that leverage Federal research dollars with the work happening at cutting-edge startups and businesses across our country.

One of those companies, Commonwealth Fusion Systems, is located in the district I represent. Since its founding roughly 5 years ago, CFS has raised more than $2 billion in private investment, employs over 600 people, and is well on its way to building SPARC, a fusion machine that will achieve net energy and demonstrates that producing commercial fusion energy in just a few years is possible.

Madam Speaker, if we are going to beat China to fusion, then it is absolutely critical that we provide companies like CFS with the regulatory certainty that they need. Passing this bipartisan package does just that.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important, commonsense legislation that will advance commercial fusion energy.

Mr. Speaker, the overwhelming majority of Americans-- Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike--are clear in their support for Social Security. In fact, nearly 9 in every 10 Americans oppose cutting Social Security.

That is because for the last 88 years, Social Security has helped millions of Americans retire from a lifetime of work with the dignity that they deserve.

Despite the undeniable success and popularity of the program, House Republicans have remained relentless in their fight to dismantle and defund it.

What is worse, Mr. Speaker, is Republicans turning their backs on a fundamental promise to the American people--a sacred trust--where contributing to Social Security means the same safety net that supported our grandparents will be there to support us in retirement.

House Democrats still believe in that sacred trust. We want to uphold our end of the promise. That is why I am proud to support and join Congressman Larson and members of the House Democratic Caucus in supporting Social Security 2100 to increase seniors' benefits, protect against inflation, and strengthen the program for generations to come.

I thank the gentleman from Connecticut for his relentless, tireless leadership on this vital issue.

Mr. Speaker, this entire charade is ridiculous.

Speaker Johnson is about to send Members of Congress home for the rest of the year. Instead of lowering costs for families before the holidays or protecting women's freedom to make their own health decisions, House Republicans are taking orders from Donald Trump to force through a partisan, political impeachment with no evidence, no witnesses, and no wrongdoing on behalf of the President.

Meanwhile, as we speak, Kate Cox, a pregnant woman from Texas, is being forced to flee her home as Republican leaders try to force her to carry to term her baby, who was diagnosed with a terrible condition that would result in miscarriage, stillbirth, or death soon after birth.

We could have come to the floor today to pass legislation like the Women's Health Protection Act to protect women like Kate Cox and to prevent that kind of physical harm and trauma from being inflicted on women living under Republican abortion bans, but House Republicans choose impeachment. The American people won't forget.

Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I rise today in recognition of the 32nd Anniversary of the Paris Peace Agreement that ended the Cambodian-Vietnamese War. As the Chair of the Congressional Cambodia Caucus and the Representative of a district with one of the highest populations of Cambodian-Americans, I rise to honor the anniversary of the peace agreement and call on the United States to do everything possible to help Cambodia realize its full democratic potential.

This historic agreement ended a horrible war that stretched over three decades and caused the deaths of countless soldiers and civilians. One of the promises outlined in the accord was for free and fair elections. Unfortunately, that aspiration was never realized, and the current state of Cambodia's government personifies the challenges that remain to achieving a truly democratic nation.

For thirty-eight years, Cambodia was ruled with an iron grip by Prime Minister Hun Sen. The democratic promise of free and fair elections was shattered by his weaponization of government power. Over the years, Hun Sen took steps to eliminate his opposition, ban independent media outlets, and jail peaceful protesters. In depriving the Cambodian people of their human rights, Hun Sen moved Cambodia closer to an authoritarian state and robbed them of the representative government promised in their Constitution and the Paris Peace Agreement.

Earlier this year, Cambodia held a sham election that made a mockery of the democratic process. The prearranged result saw a landslide victory for Hun Sen who in turn announced an immediate transfer of power to his son, Hun Manet. Let me be clear, these most recent elections violated the Cambodian Constitution, a document that Hun Sen helped draft and signed three decades ago, and his unprecedented decision to unilaterally transfer power to his son indicates Cambodia will be subject to authoritarian rule for another generation.

As we recognize the 32nd anniversary of the Paris Peace Agreement, the Congressional Cambodia Caucus stands firmly against the rising tide of authoritarianism in Cambodia. We will not stand idly by while Hun Manet picks up where his father left off. Instead, we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to push for a free, democratic Cambodia. I am a proud co-lead of the Cambodian Democracy and Human Rights Act (H.R. 4659), legislation that promotes free and fair elections, democracy, political freedoms, and human rights in Cambodia by applying sanctions on Cambodian officials who denigrate those rights. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Cambodian Caucus to pass this bill and with the Biden Administration to ensure that these sanctions are imposed effectively.

Passing the Cambodian Democracy and Human Rights Act will help ensure that the principles of the Paris Peace Agreement are upheld and that Cambodians can move closer to achieving the self-determination and dignity they deserve.

Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I rise today to honor the tremendous contributions, service, and legacy of Sergeant Michael ``Mickey'' O'Keefe, a retired Lowell Police Sergeant, United States Army Veteran, boxer, and Lowell legend who left an immeasurable impact on those who knew and loved him. He passed away peacefully on September 14, 2023.

Mickey was born in the City of Lowell in 1948. He attended Lowell High School where he met the love of his life, Donna, and the pair were married for 54 years. Together, they proudly raised their four sons, Shaun, Timothy, Brian, and Keith.

After high school graduation, Mickey proudly served his country in the United States Army, embarked on a successful boxing career, and joined the Lowell Fire Department for a short period of time before landing at the Lowell Police Department where his decorated career spanned three decades. During his thirty-four years at the Department, Mickey climbed the ranks and ultimately earned the title of Sergeant. His fellow police officers respected him

because of his integrity, leadership, and steadfast dedication to his team and the community they protected. Over the span of his career, Mickey was honored with several medals that reflected his heroic actions while wearing the badge. But staying true to his character, he would always humbly give credit to the people who worked alongside him rather than take it for himself.

Throughout his life, Mickey had a passion for fitness, specifically boxing. During his boxing career, he won countless matches, notably, a Silver Mittens and a Golden Gloves championship. But Mickey's real passion would lie in mentoring young people in Lowell. He knew the impact boxing had on him when he was young and dedicated himself to training young boxers, most notably ``Irish'' Mickey Ward. The devotion he showed to the sport and to the young people he trained was recognized by the Golden Gloves of America, which awarded him with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Mickey was a fixture in the boxing community. ``Irish'' Mickey Ward credited him as the person who reignited his love for boxing and wouldn't allow him to quit. Mickey helped him train and win the World Boxing Union's Intercontinental light welterweight title in 1996. Because of Ward's remarkable career, Mark Walberg approached Mickey to play himself in the 2010 movie, ``The Fighter'', and from then on amongst his family he was dubbed ``Hollywood Gramps''. Throughout it all, Mickey remained the same down-to-earth person he had always been.

Mickey's love for the City of Lowell was unmatched. He and Donna were always looking for ways to contribute to their community. They welcomed anyone who was in need to their house with open arms and in turn touched countless lives throughout the years. They passed these traits of kindness, respect, and sense of community to their children and grandchildren. The Lowell community was fortunate enough to have had Mickey in their corner for so many years and he will be deeply missed.

Mickey O'Keefe will be remembered for his love for his family and friends, his kindness to those around him, his distinguished professional career, and his immense impact on the City of Lowell. My heart goes out to his loving wife, Donna, his four sons, Shaun, Timothy, Brian, and Keith, and the entire O'Keefe family during this difficult time. Mickey's legacy will live on through his loving family and all who had the honor of knowing him.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the tremendous contributions and legacy of John ``Jack'' Harrington Costello, Jr., a successful publisher and editor of the Lowell Sun and a beloved community leader who dedicated his life to the prosperity of my hometown, the city of Lowell and its community. He passed away peacefully on August 28, 2023.

Jack was born in Lowell in 1944. After graduating from Keith Academy in 1963, Jack would go on to study business at Boston College. He then attended Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island where he would later graduate and proudly serve his country as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy from 1967 to 1970.

After the Navy, Jack returned to his hometown of Lowell where he embarked on a 3 decades-long professional career at his cherished family-founded local paper, The Lowell Sun. Jack got his start as a sports writer before quickly moving up through the ranks to sports editor, to editor, and ultimately taking his destined position as the Sun's publisher. He was known for his integrity, persistence, decisiveness, and ability to extract the best out of his employees and those around him. The Sun thrived under Jack's leadership due to his mission of keeping the paper hyperlocal, so residents were always informed of what was happening in their community. Over the span of his career, Jack carefully curated a local paper that was dedicated to delivering accurate and relevant news to the Greater Lowell area.

When he wasn't working tirelessly to ensure the Sun ran smoothly, Jack was involved in the revitalization of his hometown. His expertise and vision for the future of the City made him a trusted confidant to many business and political leaders over the years. He served as Chairman of the Lowell Memorial Auditorium, which welcomed many talented artists to perform at the venue under his stewardship. Jack also served as Chairman of the Tsongas Arena Commission and was instrumental in the arena's creation. In addition to these accomplishments, he is also responsible for helping to bring professional hockey and baseball teams to Lowell for the community to enjoy. Jack's contributions to Lowell have made a lasting impact on the city and will continue to be felt for generations to come.

Jack will be remembered for his love for his family and friends, his kindness to those around him, his distinguished professional career, and his immense pride in the City of Lowell. My heart goes out to Brenda, his loving wife of 54 years, his children, John III, Peter, Nicole, and Suzanne, and the entire Costello family during this difficult time. Jack's legacy will live on through his loving family and all of us who had the honor of knowing him.

Mr. Speaker, we have 10 days until House Republicans force a catastrophic government shutdown; 10 days until the food assistance that nearly 50 million Americans rely on, including 6 million women and children, is put in jeopardy; 10 days until seniors struggling with the Social Security or Medicare issue can't get someone on the phone to get their benefit or to keep their coverage; 10 days until the loans small businesses depend on to pay their workers and keep their doors open are delayed for who knows how long.

Mr. Speaker, we have seen this train wreck before.

Republicans shut down the government for over a month in 2018 while they demanded billions in taxpayer funds for Donald Trump's border wall, the same one that Mexico was supposed to pay for.

That shutdown lasted 35 days, hurting families and reducing our economic output by $11 billion, much of which was never recovered. It only ended after planes were grounded at major airports due to the strain on air traffic controllers, who were working around the clock with no pay to avert a major disaster.

Here we are again. It is Republican shutdown deja vu. Extreme MAGA Republicans are once again holding the American people hostage in exchange for dangerous policies and a politically motivated impeachment.

You don't have to take my word for it. Just listen to the demands from my colleagues across the aisle. One of our colleagues, a Congresswoman from Georgia, tweeted that she would not vote to fund the government if Congress doesn't pursue an impeachment inquiry against President Biden. Others are trying to roll back abortion protections for women serving in our military regardless of where they are stationed.

To pretty much no one's surprise, Speaker McCarthy has folded like a cheap suit on every single one of their demands. That still hasn't been enough to get Republicans on board with this new plan, a breakthrough that would slash funding for the home heating assistance that thousands of families in my home State of Massachusetts depend on each winter; eliminate access to Head Start and childcare programs for nearly 200,000 children nationwide; and cut off access to housing vouchers for 20,000 veterans and 90,000 seniors, pushing them closer to homelessness.

This deal hashed out by Republicans for Republicans was a disaster from the start, and the fact that it fell apart even quicker than it came together is embarrassing for the majority of this Chamber.

It is amateur hour, but the stakes are too high, and the American people deserve better.

Mr. Speaker, there are 212 Democrats standing by whenever your party is ready to get serious and do what needs to be done. There are 212 votes standing by to keep our government open, to keep veterans housed, to keep our children fed.

I encourage Speaker McCarthy and my colleagues across the aisle to avert this disaster before it is too late. Put a clean funding package on the floor, and let's pass it together.

That is our job. It is your job, and the American people expect you to do it.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding and for his decision to highlight the unprecedented investment being made in regions across our country.

Over the past 2 years, every single State across New England has benefited mightily from President Biden's Invest in America agenda. We have heard already from my esteemed colleagues on the Regional Leadership Council about the lifesaving healthcare savings that families are starting to feel, the good-paying manufacturing jobs we are creating, and the tremendous strides we are making to close the digital divide.

Each of those is being felt on the ground in my home State of Massachusetts and in every State in the region. Tonight, however, I would like to focus on a singular issue that has disproportionately improved the lives of almost every family in New England--President Biden's bipartisan infrastructure law.

Mr. Speaker, New England is home to some of the oldest roads and bridges in our Nation. In fact, the bridge where the ``shot heard round the world'' was fired in Concord, Massachusetts, in the district I have the honor to represent, is still standing to this day. Battle Road, which connected Concord to Lexington nearly 250 years ago, is memorialized for folks across the country to come and experience for themselves.

Of course, not every single bridge or road is that old, but there are thousands of these critical pieces of infrastructure across New England that are decades or even centuries old. Due to year after year divestment from Washington, State and local governments have struggled to keep up with increasing repair costs for a long time.

Mr. Speaker, this was a problem I saw play out firsthand as a kid growing up in Lowell. The State came in and built what was supposed to be a temporary bridge, the Rourke Bridge, over the Merrimack River. The plan was to come back and replace the bridge in a few years, but that never happened. The temporary Rourke Bridge is still standing, albeit hardly, 40 years later.

Until we took up and passed the bipartisan infrastructure law, there was no telling if and when it was ever going to be replaced, but this landmark legislation is delivering $150 million to finally get this project done. That is the kind of impact this once-in-a-generation investment is having in communities across New England.

In Woodstock, New Hampshire, the Green Bridge on Route 175 was one of the first projects in the country to receive funding from the infrastructure law.

In New London, Connecticut, over $320 million in Federal funding is supporting the rehab of the Gold Star Memorial Bridge on I-95, a critical corridor that supports more than 42,000 vehicles each day.

Mr. Speaker, by the time the bipartisan infrastructure law has allocated its last dollar in 2027, it will have improved the lives of every single American. It will have made thousands of roads and bridges safer for parents to get their children to school on time. It will shorten commutes, giving workers back precious time from each evening to spend with their loved ones. It will have reduced car maintenance costs caused by crater-sized potholes that are the bane of every family's existence.

This is the kind of progress Presidents of both parties have promised for decades but failed to deliver. However, President Biden and the Democrats in Congress got it done. Bridges large and small, from the iconic Golden Gate to the Basiliere Bridge in Haverhill, Massachusetts, are finally going to be completed because of it.

I am proud of the work we did with President Biden to pass his Invest in America agenda, and I look forward to work ahead as a member of the Regional Leadership Council under Chairman Hoyer's tremendous leadership to make sure the bipartisan infrastructure law is successfully implemented.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today because working families in my district and across the country deserve better than the legislation the Republican majority is forcing through this week.

Under the leadership of Speaker McCarthy, House Republicans have drafted a partisan bill that will slash funding for critical food assistance programs that parents depend on to feed their children.

In fact, under this extreme proposal, the GOP is defunding hundreds of millions of dollars from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC for short.

That means that 5 million women and children nationwide, including 74,000 children and 24,000 women in my home State of Massachusetts, are going to see their benefits drastically cut.

Mr. Speaker, if you think that sounds bad, just wait until you hear how Republicans are going to do it.

For children, House Republicans are trying to reduce the WIC fruit and vegetable benefit from $25 to just $11 to cover a whole month. For pregnant and postpartum women, the GOP is slashing the fruit and vegetable benefit from $44 to $13 a month.

For breastfeeding moms, this extreme proposal imposes a devastating 60 percent cut from $49 to just $15 each month.

Mr. Speaker, these cuts are unnecessary, they are dangerous, and they are cruel. Above all else, this bill is a demonstration of the Republican Party's values. It is a demonstration of what they think life is like for working families, that you can simply tell a mom and her children or an expecting mother to stop being poor, and magically they won't be poor anymore.

As someone who grew up in a working family that lived paycheck to paycheck, I can tell my colleagues across the aisle firsthand: That is not how it works.

In fact, telling families to ``pull themselves up by their bootstraps'' while cutting the very program that they depend on to feed their children is going to have the opposite effect. It is going to force millions of Americans--millions of children--into hunger or worse.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I know many of my Republican colleagues may not know what it is like to worry about making ends meet. They may not know what it is like worrying if they will be able to put food on the table the next day or have to swipe that EBT card at the grocery store in front of a long line praying it will cover everything in your cart.

However, there are thousands--if not tens or hundreds of thousands-- of people in their home State who know exactly what that feels like and who experience that feeling every single day, and they are depending on them to stop what they are doing.

Mr. Speaker, stop trying to cut the last safety net that they have to make sure their kids don't go hungry.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this dangerous legislation.

Mr. Speaker, on June 23, 2023, I missed a rollcall vote. Had I been present, I would have voted Nay on Roll Call No. 289.

Madam Speaker, the debt crisis that we are facing as a Nation right now is a manufactured one. Extreme Republicans are holding the livelihoods and the bank accounts of hardworking families hostage.

You don't have to take my word for it. This week, one of the most far right, TV-loving Members of this Chamber said he doesn't feel like they should negotiate with their hostage. That is a quote.

What is the ransom they are demanding?

Gutting the critical programs that those same families depend on to make ends meet.

It is disgraceful to tell parents working two jobs that their food assistance is being cut because Republicans are helping millionaires cheat on their taxes.

It is shameful to tell a veteran that his rental assistance stopped because the GOP doesn't want billion-dollar corporations paying their fair share.

We can end this manufactured crisis today, Madam Speaker. All it takes is five sensible, five responsible Republicans to turn their car around and join us in this discharge petition for a clean debt limit.

Do the right thing. Do it today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remind Members of this Chamber what happened just 2 weeks ago in Allen, Texas.

Eight people were senselessly murdered by an extremist armed with an assault rifle--a 3-year-old boy and his mom and dad, who left behind a 6-year-old orphan who survived the mass shooting.

Two young sisters, one in the fourth grade and the other in the second grade, who were described as rays of sunshine, and three young adults each had their entire life ahead of them. All of them were simply minding their own business at the outlets on a Saturday, not knowing it would be their last day.

The news cycle may have changed--something many in this Chamber were waiting for--but each of these victims leaves behind loved ones who are still mourning an unimaginable loss.

Each of these victims, like every victim of a mass shooting before them, deserved better. They deserved real action that could have prevented a person deemed unfit to serve in the United States Army from accessing an assault weapon that he used to kill them.

They deserve better than their Member of Congress going on national television that same day and saying that thoughts and prayers are enough to stop gun violence and that if you disagree, then you don't believe in an Almighty God.

They certainly deserve better than platitudes from a Governor more concerned about his grade on the NRA scorecard than the number of victims of mass shootings in his State.

Mr. Speaker, I stood here at this podium 3 weeks ago after three 9- year-old children and two teachers were murdered in their classrooms in Nashville. I pleaded with the Republican majority to bring legislation to the floor to prevent another mass shooting.

I listed bills we could have considered: the assault weapons ban to get weapons of war, the gun of choice for mass shooters, off our streets; the Bipartisan Background Checks Act to make sure guns aren't falling into the hands of individuals who shouldn't have them; and the Enhanced Background Checks Act to ensure that a full background check is actually completed before the firearm sale is processed.

Yet, here we are, 17 days since Allen, Texas, 57 days since The Covenant School, and 1 day before the first anniversary of the massacre in Uvalde, and what are we being forced to vote on this week? A piece of legislation that will make it harder to stop air pollution. Are they serious? This is a colossal disconnect.

There is a witness from a shooting just 2 weeks ago who talked about how he went to help a little girl whom he thought was hiding, and when he went to check on her, she didn't have a face after being shot with an AR-15-style assault weapon.

We can't even get a vote on whether these guns should be available. It is no wonder people think Congress is out of touch.

The United States is the only developed nation in the world where this kind of thing keeps happening again and again. We are the only country where mass shootings are so common that we have PSAs so people know what to do and where my girls' school day is interrupted on a regular basis to practice an active shooter drill.

It is shameful, infuriating, and embarrassing. This Chamber should be embarrassed that another mass shooting has disappeared from the news without a shred of action.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart and a level of anger shared by millions of Americans, millions of parents.

On Monday, three 9-year-old children and three adults were gunned down at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee. The shooter, armed with not one but two assault weapons, broke into the school and stole the lives of innocent people simply going about their day.

For my colleagues across the aisle not keeping track, the massacre was the 130th mass shooting of the year. It was the 13th school shooting of 2023, and that is only if you count the time someone was injured or killed when a gun went off on school grounds.

Thirteen times over the past 3 months, parents have dropped their children at the bus stop or at school. They told them they loved them, to have a great day, and that they would see them when they got home. Then, they got the call that every parent fears, the one that wakes us up in the middle of the night.

Thirteen times this year, parents in a city or town hung up that phone or turned off their TV and raced to their children's school.

Thirteen times parents waited behind police tape, hoping to hear something about their son or daughter.

Madam Speaker, how many more times are we going to let this happen?

How many more times can my colleagues across the aisle tweet their thoughts and prayers but say that their hands are tied on gun safety legislation?

How many more Christmas cards of Members of Congress holding AR-15s do we need to see while students in their classrooms practice active shooter drills?

School shooting after school shooting, Congress has had the opportunity to act.

We have the legislation to ban assault weapons, like the rifles used in Nashville on Monday.

We have legislation to require background checks on every gun purchase so firearms aren't falling into the hands of people who shouldn't have them.

We have legislation to prevent someone convicted of a hate crime from being able to purchase a gun.

What this Chamber doesn't have enough of is willpower. It doesn't have enough courage to act. This inaction is shameful, and as a parent, it is disgusting.

Apparently, the Republican leadership in the House thinks that the biggest issue facing our children today is the books in their library because while we have yet to take up a bill to stop school shootings, the number one killer of our children in America, this Chamber passed a bill last week to politicize our kids' education--a bill, by the way, that they didn't even have unanimous Republican support for.

I mean, what are we doing here?

I have to go home tomorrow and look my 8-year-old daughter in her eyes, 1 week before she turns 9, and tell her that three more kids were shot and killed in their classroom, but mama can't get half of her colleagues in the Congress to care enough to do anything about it.

How can anyone in this Chamber be okay with telling their kids or their grandkids that?

How can you see the kids who are taking pictures right outside on the Capitol steps and do nothing to prevent their school from being next?

How can we call ourselves the greatest country in the world when its elected leaders sit on their hands while children are murdered hiding beneath their desks?

We can't, and to those of you deflecting or giving up, you should be ashamed.

Madam Speaker, I implore you to go back to your party's leadership, go back to Speaker McCarthy and tell him that we need to end the gun violence epidemic that is plaguing our children. Do it before it is too late for another school, for another family.