Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize a remarkable Missouri business leader and true American success story--Mr. Don Laffoon of Raytown, Missouri--as he begins a well-earned retirement.

Don is the longtime President and CEO, and now Chairman of the Board, of Electrical Corporation of America, a Raytown-based company that has grown into a nationally respected contractor operating in more than 40 states, as well as Mexico and Canada. Under his leadership, the company has delivered complex industrial and power projects while maintaining a strong commitment to safety, quality, and integrity.

What makes Don's story especially meaningful is how it began. He joined the company in 1979 as a warehouseman and driver, completed an electrical apprenticeship, became a journeyman wireman, and worked his way up through nearly every role in the business.

In 2003, he and his partners purchased the company and continued building a strong operation that creates good-paying jobs and supports critical infrastructure.

Don has also devoted decades of service to the National Electrical Contractors Association, recently serving as Chairman of its Government Affairs Committee, advocating for contractors and workforce development nationwide.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Missouri's 4th Congressional. District, I thank Don Laffoon for his lifetime of service and wish him continued health and happiness in retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I feel as if I need to start with an apology to the minority leader. I wrongly laughed out loud when I heard him say in the well of the floor of the House of Representatives: ``Yes, we will always support securing the border--today, tomorrow, and forever.'' It was an uncontrollable laugh.

This is what started all of this: an administration that did not care about securing our border and the Democrats who backed him up, along with Alejandro Mayorkas, who let 15 million illegal aliens into our great Nation to cause chaos, not to be a part of the fabric of America but to tear apart the fabric of America.

This is the stupidest shutdown in U.S. history, Mr. Speaker. Why do I say that? I will quote the ranking member from a press release January 20, the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), my good friend: ``The Homeland Security funding bill is more than just ICE. If we allow a lapse in the funding, TSA agents will be forced to work without pay, FEMA assistance could be delayed, and the U.S. Coast Guard will be adversely affected. All while ICE continues functioning without any change in their operations due to $75 billion it received in the One Big Beautiful Bill.''

That prediction came true, and now we have chaos in America--chaos that the Democrats want and promote. Airports are backed up. TSA agents are working without pay. Some are sleeping in their cars and going on the weekends to food banks in their communities to get food to feed their families.

Democrats are playing political games. Instead of protecting American families, every day that they keep the DHS unfunded is another day that the ranking member's prediction comes true in America. This must end today. Today, for the third time, House Republicans will vote to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security.

Let's get back on track. Let's pay the people who protect you, who protect me, who protect the ranking member, and who protect the minority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, this moment matters. For too long, we here in Washington have governed by crisis. We rushed preholiday omnibuses, backroom deals, and broken promises.

Mr. Speaker, those days are over.

Today, following President Trump's America First agenda, along with Chairman Tom Cole's unmatched leadership, we are doing what the American people sent us here to Washington, D.C., to do: Put America first.

Mr. Speaker, 12 out of 12 appropriations bills will be passed today, including Homeland Security. These are transparent bills, accountable bills, and fiscally responsible bills.

This hasn't happened in years, and it sends a clear, powerful message back home that the House is back at work. We are back to governing.

These bills strengthen our military, secure our border, invest in health and workforce readiness, modernize transportation, and deliver real savings for taxpayers.

It is peace through strength. This Homeland bill makes us safer at home by deporting illegal criminal aliens.

In the overall bills through our Member-directed investments, we are expanding Skyhaven Airport to improve safety and grow aviation training at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg.

We are launching a workforce training center for ag in Sedalia to prepare the next generation.

We are replacing a failing bridge so first responders, schoolbuses, and commerce can move safely and reliably in Oak Grove, Missouri.

These are reasonable Member-directed investments in America, our true Article I authority.

Mr. Speaker, we are just inches away from the finish line. Let's not slow this down. Let's get over the finish line. Let's deliver now for what the American people sent us here to do: Donald J. Trump's America First agenda backed by 12 appropriation bills passed out of this House, signed by the President. Let's fund our government.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the first sponsor of H.R. 4327, a bill originally introduced by Representative Greene of Georgia, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of our AI for Main Street Act.

I thank Chairman Williams for his leadership. I also thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. Foremost, I recognize both Ranking Member Velazquez for her leadership and Congresswoman Hillary Scholten for working with me to bring this important bill forward.

A lot of people are talking about AI these days. Will it overtake America? Will it put businessowners and workers out of business? This bill is designed to get ahead of that and to make sure that does not happen. In fact, it will increase businesses in America.

This committee exists for one simple reason, and that is to champion Main Street and the small businesses that line our town squares, that power our farms, support our hospitals, and employ nearly half of the American workforce. Right now, Main Street stands at the doorstep of a major transformation because the AI revolution is not just coming. It is already here.

Whether it is managing inventory, scheduling workers, marketing products, improving cybersecurity, or streamlining paperwork, artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming how business gets done in America.

If small businesses do not have the tools and guidance to adapt to that, if they are fearful of it, they risk getting left behind. They will get left behind by larger competitors with bigger budgets and in- house tech teams. By the way, they are also using AI. That is exactly what this bill addresses.

The AI for Main Street Act directs Small Business Development Centers, SBDCs, to provide counseling, training, and outreach to help small businesses safely evaluate and adopt artificial intelligence tools.

These centers already serve as trusted boots-on-the-ground advisers in communities across the country, such as the University of Missouri- Columbia and Sedalia and other places where these SBDCs are providing real help, real boots on the ground.

Madam Speaker, entrepreneurs rely on them for practical guidance and real-world help that works for their businesses. This bill builds on existing efforts like America's SBDC AI U program and ensures that AI support is consistent, accessible, and nationwide. It is not just in major metro areas but in rural towns, manufacturing hubs, and agricultural communities like those I represent in Missouri's Fourth Congressional District.

Just as importantly, this bill emphasizes responsible adoption. We want small business owners to understand not only what AI can do but how to use it securely, safely, ethically, and effectively.

This is not about replacing people. It is about empowering people. It is about giving a family-owned business the same opportunity to compete and grow and innovate as a Fortune 500 company.

I am proud of this legislation and how it advanced out of committee with strong bipartisan support. I appreciate the strong backing from our colleagues on both sides of the aisle who recognize that innovation and small business growth should never be partisan issues.

At the end of the day, when Main Street succeeds, America succeeds. The AI for Main Street Act helps ensure that our entrepreneurs are not spectators in the next wave of innovation but our small business owners are leaders in this revolution.

Mr. Chairman, today we are voting on a two-bill appropriations package that funds Financial Services and our National Security and State Department. This bill keeps the government running, protects America, and respects the taxpayer. This package contains two bills with real cuts, real security, and real governing, Mr. Chairman, not bloated omnibuses, not last-minute shutdown threats or games, but Members on both sides of the aisle who are actually doing the work line by line and in the open.

This package cuts nearly $9 billion compared to last year. Financial Services is flat-funded. National Security and State are cut by a whopping 16 percent. It is proof that we can fund priorities without growing our government.

We rein in Washington by cutting IRS enforcement back to Trump 45-era levels. Chairman Joyce blocked Democratic efforts to tie the administration's hands and help refocus spending so that taxpayer dollars only go where they actually make America safer.

Chairman Diaz-Balart delivered DOGE-era USAID cuts while still funding national security investments. In fact, I was honored to help Chairman Diaz-Balart retain some of these programs under the new banner of national security investment programs at the State Department under the direction of Secretary Rubio.

The bottom line, sir, is if it is not having to do with our national security interests, we are not funding it. We fully fund CFIUS to stop foreign threats from buying up America, keep longstanding pro-life protections in place, and deliver a bill with no poison pills. This package keeps spending below the current continuing resolution and moves us closer to finishing all 12 appropriations bills. They said it couldn't be done. We are going to do it.

The bottom line is, this bill delivers three critical things: safety, strength, and freedom. Two bills, real cuts, real security, real governing, a bill so good the White House just endorsed it.

Mr. Chairman, this bill is so good, the White House just endorsed this bill, and I want to read the last paragraph: ``The administration urges the Congress to support this fiscally responsible bill and looks forward to working with the Congress on the remaining appropriations bills to address key priorities and avoid another disastrous government shutdown.''

Mr. Chairman, I along with Donald J. Trump, the White House, and the OMB Director urge my colleagues to vote for this funding bill. Let's get `er done.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair and my good friend, Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro, for their leadership.

Mr. Speaker, for too long, Washington has governed by crisis: shutdown threats, continuing resolutions, these omnibus bills, and backroom deals that the American people never asked for.

Mr. Speaker, this bill proves that those days are coming to an end. The Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026 is bipartisan, bicameral, and built the right way--from the ground up, from subcommittees up.

It strengthens our national security, restores American energy dominance, backs law enforcement, combats illicit drugs, and supports responsible land management, all while spending less than the current continuing resolution.

Mr. Speaker, that is not chaos. That is responsible governing. There are no poison pills, no partisan games, and full-year funding that takes shutdown leverage off the table and allows America to plan, build, and lead.

As an appropriator, I am proud of what this bill delivers for Missouri's Fourth Congressional District. There are several investments that I won't go into here, but I am proud of this process. I am proud to be under the leadership of Tom Cole. I have never seen a committee--and I know I have been on your committee, as well. I have never worked this hard in my life, but I have never been more proud of what I am able to do in this body and on this committee.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, for too many American families, the American Dream seems further out of reach each and every year, especially when it comes to owning a home.

Do my colleagues know that housing is the number one monthly expense for most families? When Washington piles on blue tape mandates and bureaucratic nonsense, working families pay the price.

Under the Biden administration, their so-called Inflation Reduction Act, which was really nothing of the sort, homebuilders were buried under costly green new scam mandates and overregulation, driving up construction costs and pushing homeownership even further out of reach.

This was also known as the green new scam in action. House Republicans are changing that. We are cutting the blue tape. We are lowering costs. We are making homeownership more affordable in 2026 and beyond.

One great example is the Affordable Homes Act, led by my colleague Congresswoman Erin Houchin. This commonsense bill removes unnecessary Federal interference and eliminates costly energy mandates that drive up the price of manufactured housing. This is one of the most affordable pathways to homeownership for first-time buyers, young families, and seniors.

This is just one example, Mr. Speaker, of how House Republicans are working to lower housing prices. As co-chair of the Real Estate Caucus, I worked with the Trump administration to reverse these disastrous policies because the government should get out of the way and not stand in the way of the American Dream.

Back home in Missouri, I have seen exactly what these mandates do. A Kansas builder showed that so-called green energy codes save homeowners only about $125 a year but add more than $1,200 a year to families' mortgages.

It is simple, folks. If a policy costs families more than it saves them, it is not a smart policy. House Republicans are fighting to make housing affordable again. They are putting families first. The first step is this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the rule. I urge passage of this act. Let's make homes affordable in America again and save the American Dream.

Mr. Speaker, I thank our chair for his leadership and the ranking member for her leadership, as well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2965, the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act of 2025.

For 4 long years under the previous administration, America's small businesses, the backbone of our economy and the heart of Missouri's Fourth Congressional District, have been smothered by an onslaught of overreaching Federal regulations that have made goods less affordable in the United States of America.

Under the Biden-Harris administration, small businesses were hit with an unprecedented $1.8 trillion--not billion--$1.8 trillion in new regulatory costs while inflation soared over 20 percent.

Where do you think that cost goes, Mr. Speaker? It goes to the consumer. Main Street cannot thrive under that kind of bureaucratic chokehold. Americans are demanding affordability, and this is a good step in that direction.

This bill, championed by my colleague Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne, finally puts a stop to it. H.R. 2965 requires the Small Business Administration to report on the regulatory costs imposed by other Federal agencies on small businesses.

It is transparency. It is all about transparency. It is going to show the American people exactly where the Democrat blue tape is strangling growth in America.

This legislation supports President Trump's regulatory rightsizing agenda and gives our job creators the relief they desperately need to start, to grow, and to succeed once again.

Mr. Speaker, do you want to make things more affordable in America? Do you want to cut down on overregulation? This is the bill to do it. Let's all stand with America and our small businesses and our entrepreneurs, our family-owned businesses, and support H.R. 2965.

Mr. Speaker, my blood pressure is up right now. I cannot believe what I just heard on the House floor, the ranking member of this distinguished committee denouncing Trump but will not denounce socialism on the House floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

History is clear. Socialism kills people. It leads to the deaths of tens of millions. It crushes religious liberty and destroys free markets.

Our Founders built this Nation on a revolutionary idea that individual liberty and not government control is a source of human achievement. They understood that when the government owns the economy, they soon seek to own the people.

I hope people who are watching right now on C-SPAN or on the news get what is going on in this body today. This side is against socialism. That side is for socialism. I am disgusted with what is going on in this body, and I hope the American people see through the charade, the gaslighting, and the lies that are being told.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership.

Mr. Speaker, in the words of Yogi Berra: ``This seems like deja vu all over again.''

Fifty-nine days ago, I stood at this very lectern debating the ranking member and a friend of mine over the continuing resolution to keep our government open.

On September 19, we did our work in this body, but Senate Democrats chose to hold America hostage with the Schumer shutdown. Democrats in Congress, including the minority whip, shamefully admitted they were using the misery they inflicted on the American people as leverage to achieve their leftist wish list of demands, slowly twisting the heads of the American people in a vice.

Tonight, I am relieved to say the misery of the Schumer shutdown is on our doorstep.

Mr. Speaker, this package proves that when Republicans stay united and put America first, we can govern with strength, compassion, and common sense. Tonight, Mr. Speaker, we will reopen the government and liberate the Schumer hostages.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps, an institution championing courage, discipline, and devotion to duty. For two and a half centuries, Marines have stood on the front lines of freedom, defending our Nation's ideals at home and abroad with unwavering honor.

Since its founding on November 10, 1775, at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, the Marine Corps has embodied the highest standards of service and sacrifice. From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli, Marines have answered the call of duty with unwavering courage and honor. Through centuries of conflict and change, they have earned their reputation as one of the world's most disciplined and lethal fighting forces, steadfast in their mission to defend our freedom.

In Missouri's 4th Congressional District, we are proud to be home to two outstanding detachments of the Marine Corps League: the Sgt. Darell S. Cole Marine Corps League Detachment in Richland and the Warsaw Leathernecks Marine Corps League Detachment in Warsaw. These detachments continue to exemplify the Marine spirit long after active service: honoring fallen comrades while supporting veterans, their families, and our local communities.

As we commemorate this remarkable milestone, we recognize not only the 250 years of service and sacrifice by the United States Marine Corps but also the enduring legacy carried forward by the brave men and women who wear, or have worn, the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor. Their commitment to God, Country, and Corps remains a model of selfless devotion that inspires us all.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of Missouri's 4th District, I extend my deepest gratitude to every Marine, past, present, and future, for their extraordinary service to our great Nation. May we continue to honor their courage and uphold the values they so bravely defend. Semper Fidelis.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Cole and our ranking member for their leadership as we move toward regular order in the appropriations process. I appreciate the ranking member's passion because of this issue, but we are not here today, Mr. Speaker, to talk about Russ Vought. We are here to talk about keeping the government open and avoiding a Schumer shutdown.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this short-term CR, the continuing resolution.

This CR will ensure the Federal Government remains open and working for our constituents. It ensures that our troops get paid on time and that our veterans continue getting the healthcare they need and other benefits that they have earned.

It also ensures the Trump administration can continue its work to secure our border, secure our communities from violent crime, and secure a stronger economy.

Under the leadership of Chairman Cole, we have passed all 12 spending bills out of committee on a condensed timeline and for the first time in years, regular appropriation bills are now headed to conference committee, showing that appropriators are engaged in good-faith, bipartisan, bicameral negotiations.

Keeping our government open and working for the American people should not be a partisan issue, but it appears our Democrat colleagues want to make it one.

As you will see throughout this debate today, Democrats' proposal is full of partisan priorities that would explode the Federal debt by $1.5 trillion.

Let me be clear, Mr. Speaker: If our Democrat colleagues vote against this clean CR to keep our government open, they will own the shutdown. This will be a Schumer shutdown. The media will not be able to spin it. The American people will see straight through their gaslighting and political posturing to the contrary. That is why, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the continuing resolution and keep our government open.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim).

Mr. Speaker, I highlight a special place in Camdenton, Missouri, in the Fourth Congressional District of Missouri: The Funky Buffalo Coffee House and Trading Company, a weird name, but a great place. It is our September Small Business of the Month.

Now, this just isn't an ordinary coffee shop. It is where community happens, families gather, students study, friendships are built, and real conversations are had like we used to do back in the day.

We had the opportunity to stop by there and have some of their great coffee and see firsthand during one of our townhall tour stops in August. Yes, we actually did townhall tours. I know a lot of you are surprised by that. We got out there and listened to people.

From seasonal fall specialty coffees to strawberry lemonade smoothies, the Funky Buffalo is always offering new drink recipes.

The Funky Buffalo is run by Kendra. She is a wife, a mom of three, and now a bold small business owner. She and her husband, Chris, have poured their hearts into this place creating not just a business but a blessing for our district.

Their family is directly affected by ``22 a day,'' the number of veterans who take their own lives each and every day. Uncle Ry, Kendra's husband's younger brother, was just 26 when he lost his battle to post-traumatic stress on U.S. soil. Ryan was a son, a brother, a best friend, and an uncle.

This is why 100 percent of their shop's net proceeds of coffee, awareness bracelets, and awareness shirts are donated to suicide prevention programs and other veteran organizations.

Mr. Speaker, I am more than proud to recognize the Funky Buffalo as our small business of the month, and I thank them for investing in people, investing in our community, our district, and in the American Dream.

September Veteran of the Month: Dale Karst

Mr. Speaker, today, I am honored to recognize our September Veteran of the Month: Mr. Dale Karst.

Dale proudly served in the United States Air Force, entering service on September 16, 1966. After basic training, he was stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base with the Air Police Squadron before deploying to Vietnam with the 377th Combat Defense Unit.

He was stationed at Tan Son Nhut during the Tet Offensive, one of the most dangerous moments of that war. When he returned home, Dale was stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota.

Dale told me his most cherished memory of service was returning from

Vietnam to meet his newborn child and embracing his wife again, a moment he wasn't sure he would ever see.

Today, Dale and his wife, Patty, enjoy time with their grandchildren and working on projects together. He reminds us of three things we must always honor: God, family, and country.

Dale's got some health challenges right now, and I had the opportunity of visiting him at our VA Hospital in Kansas City a few weeks ago. Although, he is going through these challenges, he has a big smile on his face.

I will tell Dale that we are praying for him. We are going to make sure he gets through this and that he gets the best healthcare possible through the VA system.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in thanking Mr. Dale Karst, a true American hero, for his courage, his sacrifice, and his enduring love for the United States of America. I want Dale to know we love him.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize our July Veteran of the Month, Edward Eugene Holmes. He was a proud Missourian and a resident of the Missouri Veterans Home, and I got a chance to meet him this past winter.

He just left this Earth last month at the age of 99, and we want to take the time to honor his life and legacy today.

Edward was born on April 7, 1926. He joined the U.S. Navy in June of 1944,

just weeks after graduating from high school. He served as a gunner's mate in the Pacific during World War II and was later assigned to the USS Ault, part of the Seahorse Squadron, in preparation for the invasion of Japan.

After the war ended, Edward remained on duty during the occupation until January of 1946. During his service, he traveled the world from Australia to Africa to Japan and back home through the Panama Canal.

He was honorably discharged with the rank of Seaman 1st class.

After the Navy, Edward built a long and successful career in the floral industry and was known for his love of fishing, golfing, hunting, and making breakfast for his grandchildren. He was the proud father of 3 sons, grandfather to 6, and great-grandfather to 13.

Madam Speaker, Edward Holmes served his country faithfully with honor, humility, and always heart. It is my privilege to recognize him posthumously as our July Veteran of the Month.