Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 5464, a bill to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Guntersville, Alabama, as the Colonel Ola Lee Mize Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic.

Colonel Mize's story is one of heroism and perseverance. His actions saved lives and helped turn the tide of conflict. I am glad to support this bill to honor his service.

Like many servicemembers, Mr. Mize joined the Army seeking to support his family. He was the son of Alabama sharecroppers and had to leave school in the ninth grade. Despite initially being rejected due to his small stature, he persevered and was accepted.

After a peacetime tour of duty, Mr. Mize reenlisted when the Korean war began.

As a member of the Army's Company K, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, and now a sergeant, Mr. Mize was stationed to defend a strategic posting known as Outpost Harry. His actions in this posting are nothing short of heroic.

He bravely answered the call to help a medic rescue an injured soldier at a listening post and brought him back to safety.

Sergeant Mize then fought his way to assist an American machine gun nest that had been overrun. On his way, he was blown down three separate times by artillery and grenade blasts, but he returned to his astounded men alive.

Sergeant Mize brought down as many as 65 enemy soldiers and helped rescue the outpost for the American forces. Of 56 Americans involved in the Outpost Harry fighting, only 8 survived, but Sergeant Mize's actions helped ensure that number was as high as it was.

In a testament to his loyalty to his men, Sergeant Mize initially refused the Medal of Honor when he was told that he would be honored with it, saying it should go to mark their bravery instead.

When he did finally accept it from President Eisenhower in 1954, he accepted it on behalf of his men.

Despite demonstrating more than enough valor for one lifetime, Colonel Mize received a commission with the U.S. Special Forces and served four tours of duty, including three in Vietnam with the Army Green Berets.

In addition to his Medal of Honor, throughout his military career, he was awarded the Legion of Merit twice, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star five times, and the Purple Heart, among others.

After an assignment to the Special Forces School, he retired as a full colonel in 1981.

As a nation, we must remember Colonel Mize's sense of duty, loyalty to his men, and heroism. I can think of no better way to honor him.

Mr. Speaker, I support this important piece of legislation. I ask that my colleagues do the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 5464 to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Guntersville, Alabama, as the Colonel Ola Lee Mize Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 4190, the Restoring Benefits to Defrauded Veterans Act, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, it is an unfortunate reality that veterans, especially elderly veterans, find themselves as prime targets for fraud. It is even more unfortunate that oftentimes this fraud is perpetuated by those closest to the veteran, sometimes even family and friends who are tasked with assisting that veteran.

Thankfully, VA has a set of policies and procedures for uncovering, investigating, and prosecuting that fraud, which includes making restitution to the veteran.

Earlier this year, we passed H.R. 4016, the Veteran Fraud Reimbursement Act, introduced by Representative Gerry Connolly, to help expedite that process. I urge the Senate to quickly take up that bill, as well.

Sadly, though, it sometimes happens that the veteran who was the victim of this fraud passes away before VA is able to make restitution, but VA is currently barred from making the estate of that beneficiary whole.

H.R. 4190, introduced by Representative David Trone, seeks to create a set of procedures for VA to follow to restore or reinstate benefits for veterans who were defrauded but unfortunately die before VA can compensate them.

More importantly, for those veterans who may have been defrauded by a family member, it also prevents VA from repaying benefits to anyone who may have been a party to the fraud, regardless of whether they may have been named in the veteran's will as an heir.

Mr. Speaker, we owe our veterans and their survivors all the protections we can possibly afford them through the law. H.R. 4190 offers one more avenue to ensure veterans are receiving the benefits they have earned in spite of those who seek to defraud them.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this measure, and I encourage the Senate to quickly pass this bill, as well.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Trone), my good friend who is the author of H.R. 4190. He currently serves on the House Appropriations Committee and the Budget Committee. He is also a former member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 4190, the Restoring Benefits to Defrauded Veterans Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 2911, the Fairness for Servicemembers and their Families Act of 2024, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, last Congress, we passed S. 2794 into law. This bill increased the maximum coverage amount under the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance, or SGLI, program and the Veterans' Group Life Insurance, or VGLI, program from $400,000 to $500,000.

Prior to that legislation, however, those maximum coverage amounts had not increased since 2005, clearly failing to keep pace with inflation.

To ensure that we are not waiting another decade or more to improve this benefit for our servicemembers and veterans, my good friend, Representative Marilyn Strickland, has introduced this bill, which requires VA to periodically review coverage amounts every 5 years and to report to Congress what the level of benefits would be if adjusted for inflation over that period.

This will allow Congress to regularly make a more informed decision about whether or not these maximum coverage amounts should be increased.

Mr. Speaker, this is commonsense legislation that allows Congress to better do our part to support servicemembers, veterans, and their families, and I encourage my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Strickland), my good friend who is the author of H.R. 2911. She serves on the Armed Services Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 2911, the Fairness for Servicemembers and their Families Act of 2024, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague, the gentlewoman from Florida, for yielding, and I associate myself with all of what she has said in the debate so far.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 9468, legislation that addresses a critical funding shortfall at the Veterans Benefits Administration, which could delay delivery of crucial veterans' education and disability benefits.

Now, when we passed the Honoring our PACT Act into law, we intended that the VA move quickly to implement the law.

This speed was necessary so that veterans who needed care and benefits could receive them as quickly as possible. We also gave VA the money necessary to do the work and the authority to move more quickly, if it could.

On day one, President Biden accelerated implementation of the law. One year later, VA also hit the gas so that more veterans could enroll in VA healthcare more quickly. VA set aggressive goals, and what we are seeing

right now is the result of VA exceeding those goals.

VA has granted almost 1.2 million PACT Act disability claims. Hundreds of thousands of new veterans have been enrolled in healthcare at VA. GI Bill and job training benefits are being used at unprecedented levels to further veterans' education and careers.

These are all good things, and I don't think my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are arguing that they are bad.

Their rhetoric regarding VA's financial management belies their true motive here, which is to take any and every opportunity to bash the Biden-Harris administration, in this case for simply providing care and benefits to veterans.

From what we have heard today, it sounds like Republicans are begrudgingly willing to fund VBA, when this is the bare minimum that we should be doing.

While I am glad that we are getting the VBA supplemental completed this week, I am very concerned and, frankly, disappointed that we are also not taking action on the $12 billion Veterans Health Administration shortfall.

The deadline for the VHA shortfall is not this week, but that does not make it any less pressing. The time when VHA will need this funding is fast approaching, and this Congress has not shown itself to be capable of reliably passing funding bills on time.

Republicans have even refused to include VHA funding in their continuing resolution text that was introduced last week and is up for a vote tomorrow.

I have heard the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee say that Congress never fails to fund the VA, and so I am confident that this VBA supplemental will pass easily with plenty of support from both sides of the aisle, but why the political games with veterans' healthcare?

Why not address it now while we are here working on VBA funding and provide veterans and their families and the VA workforce some much- needed stability? Why not include it in the CR we are voting on tomorrow?

We must get VHA the funding it needs to provide world-class healthcare to those who served. Any delay in that care could be devastating for veterans. Enough of the brinksmanship. Republicans are shorting veterans and their families by not addressing VHA funding now along with VBA funding. Democrats are once again charged with being the adults in the room and are calling on the majority to do the right thing. Pass all of the funding VA needs now and stop any uncertainty for veterans. Let's get this done.

VHA's need for an additional $12 billion is not malfeasance or incompetence. More veterans than ever before are accessing VA healthcare. We should be celebrating and applauding that fact, not denigrating VA and its hardworking staff. When every VA request for additional funding is met with suspicion, accusations of mismanagement, and derision of VA, what is the true motivation of my colleagues? Is it to ensure that VA is able to ensure the necessary care and benefits to veterans or is it to extract a pound of political flesh?

I have no doubt that this bill will pass. It includes added reporting requirements that will aid us in our oversight responsibilities, which I support. However, let us not assign blame where there is none, and let us not denigrate those who wake up daily to do their best to serve those who have served our Nation.

Whatever we do, Mr. Speaker, let us get VA all the resources it needs to deliver for our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 9456 would expand the kind of transactions that the Secretary of Agriculture is required to report to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., otherwise known as CFIUS, including any farmland transaction by foreign persons from China, North Korea, Russia, or Iran.

This broad definition of foreign persons would encompass all legal immigrants and refugees from these countries and require the Secretary to report on their agricultural land transactions.

This opens the door to treating immigrants as national security threats solely because of their country of origin and harms Asian- American communities across the board.

I recount that my own family, my father's family, was affected by the alien land laws that were prevalent on the West Coast of the United States. My grandfather, Esal Takano, emigrated to this country through the Port of Tacoma, and he married my American-born grandmother. He was not able to purchase land in his own name. In fact, in the mid-1930s, he purchased five acres of land in my grandmother's name because she was an American citizen. My uncle, who was returning in uniform from the 442nd Infantry, notified the family that there was a lien against the property, and they couldn't pay it in time because they were in internment camps.

It is a terrible chapter in our history that this country passed alien land laws that affected so many of the families that my family knows.

For this reason, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee. If the House Rules permitted, I would have offered a motion with an important amendment to this bill.

My amendment would add findings regarding the scapegoating of Asian and Iranian Americans as a long part of U.S. history and show instances of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders nationwide who have experienced discrimination and unfair treatment.

We must send this bill back to committee and bring forth thoughtful proposals that help our communities without putting our national security at risk.

Therefore, I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record the text of this amendment immediately prior to the motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in voting for the motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, on Roll Call No. 405, I mistakenly voted NAY when I intended to vote YEA.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for S. 3249, a bill to designate the outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas, as the Captain Elwin Shopteese VA Clinic.

A member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, Elwin Shopteese enlisted in the Kansas National Guard shortly after graduating from high school in 1940. As World War II grew, Mr. Shopteese was mustered into the Army as a corporal and sent to training.

By 1941, Corporal Shopteese was in Europe, where he saw combat in Normandy, northern France, and Rhineland. He fought in the Battle of Omaha Beach, and he saw battle again in the Battle of the Bulge, where his regiment rescued soldiers trapped by German combatants.

Mr. Shopteese was awarded the Bronze Star for his work in connection with military operations against the Nazis near Herne, Germany, in 1945. His courageous actions at Omaha Beach earned him a rare battlefield commission, one of the highest honors that could be bestowed on a combat soldier.

After continuing his military service during the Korean war, Mr. Shopteese left the U.S. Army as a captain. Upon returning home, Captain Shopteese dedicated his life to alcoholism prevention programs, including forming the Indian Community Alcoholism Resources Expeditors Recovery Home to help Native Americans combat alcohol abuse and turn their lives around. He continued his important work as the home's executive director until his passing in 1992.

Naming this clinic in his honor is a fitting way to pay tribute to Captain Shopteese's heroic commitment to the Nation and his service to his community.

Mr. Speaker, I support this important piece of legislation, and I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing S. 3249 to designate the outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas, as the Captain Elwin Shopteese VA Clinic.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 7333, a bill to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, as the Thomas H. Corey VA Medical Center.

A recipient of the Bronze Star Medal with Valor, two Purple Hearts, the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, a Presidential Unit Citation, a Valorous Unit Citation, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross, and the Combat Infantry Badge, Thomas Corey was a decorated combat veteran and a steadfast advocate for his fellow veterans, for his community, and for peace and reconciliation around the world.

A native of Detroit, Mr. Corey was drafted into the United States Army in December 1966. He was deployed in Vietnam as a squad leader in the 1st Cavalry Division, and on the first day of the Tet Offensive, January 31, 1968, while engaged in an assault against enemy positions in the Quang Tri Province, Mr. Corey was shot in the neck and permanently paralyzed. He was medically retired from the U.S. Army in May 1968.

Mr. Corey did not let his injury stop him from working to serve those around him. In 1972, he relocated to West Palm Beach, Florida, where he became a veteran leader and advocate in his local community. Mr. Corey served on advisory boards with his local government, including VA medical centers in Miami and West Palm Beach. In fact, Mr. Corey served over 15 years as an ombudsman and program specialist in the medical center this bill will name in his honor.

Mr. Corey's work went far beyond his home in Florida. He was the founding member of the Palm Beach County

Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America. He served on the national board of directors for that organization for 20 years, including as secretary, vice president, and president.

In that role, he returned to Vietnam 16 times, leading the initiative to work with his Vietnamese counterparts to create the fullest possible account of those still missing in action from both sides of the war. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of this important work.

As president of the Vietnam Veterans Peace Initiative, Mr. Corey was instrumental in building a maternal health clinic to provide medical support for those dealing with the lasting effects of Agent Orange.

Mr. Corey's lifelong commitment to serving his country and his fellow veterans must be remembered. As he once put it: ``It is so important that the country just takes time to take a moment to recognize the sacrifice that the men and women that served our country in defending this Nation. Whether they went off to war or not, they joined the military or were drafted and did their job serving their country because they cared about it. Hopefully, more people will do that, take the time, and let them know and say: Thank you for serving. It is so important.''

I can think of no better way to thank Mr. Thomas Corey for his important service than to pass this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I support this piece of legislation and ask that my colleagues do the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

I certainly appreciate Congressman Mast bringing to the Nation's attention this great American. I am inspired and I am grateful that we are renaming this facility in Florida in his honor.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 7333, to name the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in West Palm Beach, Florida, as the Thomas H. Corey VA Medical Center.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for S. 3285, a bill to designate the community-based outreach clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Butte, Montana, as the Charlie Dowd VA Clinic.

Charlie Dowd was Montana's last known survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Charlie Dowd had just settled into his cot after a long night shift in the early hours of December 7, 1941. Without hesitating, the 17- year-old Dowd leapt into action at the sound of the bombs, sprinting from the barracks to the armory in only his T-shirt and trousers.

There, he retrieved his rifle and fired at low-flying enemy torpedo bombers, some of the first American shots fired in World War II.

Mr. Dowd continued to serve aboard Navy fighting vessels in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea. Never one to back away from a challenge, Charlie earned the moniker ``Devil Dog Dowd'' from his shipmates, who saw him volunteer for the most dangerous assignments time and time again. Mr. Dowd was honored with seven Bronze Star Medals before his honorable discharge from military service.

Returning to his home of Rochester, New York, Mr. Dowd worked as a mason and contractor. He eventually relocated to Dunnellon, Florida, where, after completing his degree at the University of Florida, he became a high school teacher.

Mr. Dowd shared his knowledge of industrial arts and drafting with his students, helping them to design and build residential houses and even commercial buildings and reinvesting the profits of these projects into the school and the local community.

In recognition of his inspiring and transformative work, he was promoted to regional director for building trades in the Florida public school system to expand the success throughout Florida.

Mr. Dowd was an advocate for his fellow veterans and worked to preserve the memory of the events of World War II as an active member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association.

After a long career in Florida, Mr. Dowd retired to Anaconda, Montana, in 1984. Mr. Dowd passed away in 2023 at the age of 99.

Mr. Speaker, I support this important piece of legislation and ask that my colleagues do the same.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am always moved by poignant examples of veterans who, once they take off their uniforms after valiant service, still go on to serve our country and serve their communities.

Charlie Dowd is certainly an example of that, especially deserving of the honor of having the community-based outpatient clinic at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Butte, Montana, named as the ``Charlie Dowd VA Clinic.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing S. 3285, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the resolution.

The Biden administration's rule strengthens and clarifies protections against sex-based harassment and discrimination for LGBTQIA+ students, pregnant students, and parenting students. Consistent with the Bostock decision, the final rule clarifies that Title IX's protections extend to cover discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics, and sex stereotypes.

This is gravely needed for LGBTQIA+ students. Currently, 83 percent of LGBTQIA+ students face victimization at school. In States with laws that specifically target gay and transgender youth, the rate of hate crimes in schools has quadrupled.

For these students, the explicit protections the Biden administration has finalized will make a life-changing difference. This rule will decrease absenteeism, improve mental health, and allow students recourse when they are targets of harassment and violence.

Republicans, however, are seeking to overturn a rule precisely because of the protections it extends to queer students and, with the passage of this resolution, tear down all protections that this essential rule clarifies.

This resolution will have drastic consequences. The protections that the administration offers for pregnant and parenting students would also be overturned. Survivors of sexual harassment and assault will continue to face significant barriers to completing their education.

While Republicans claim this resolution is in the interest of women's rights, their proposed solution will make the situation worse for female students.

What overturning this rule does is exacerbates existing inequalities, prevents any future administration from enacting a similar rule, and then places the blame solely on the LGBTQIA+ community. It is shortsighted, petty, and cruel.

Madam Speaker, I will vote against overturning this rule, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be here today with my friend, assistant Democratic leader Joe Neguse, to talk about my law, the Honoring our PACT Act.

It was signed into law by President Joe Biden in August of 2022 and has since helped more than a million veterans and their survivors receive the healthcare and benefits that they have earned.

In the 116th Congress, we passed the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 that helped blue water Navy veterans receive care and benefits for exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam war.

These veterans waited decades for this relief. I am so glad that we could help them cut red tape and make it easier for them to receive healthcare for certain conditions, but it took way too long to get it done.

After blue water Navy, we were hearing from veterans around the country about being exposed to burn pits and other toxins when they were serving our country more recently. They were experiencing serious illnesses that they thought were connected to their toxic exposure.

Many of these servicemembers were directed to throw trash, plastic, and other items into burn pits, and this meant breathing in the toxic air, or they were exposed to jet fuel for long periods of time due to their job in the service.

It is easy to look back and think that this was not a good idea, but they did not have a choice at that time and were following orders.

It was taking the Department of Veterans Affairs too long to address these veterans' illnesses on its own due to the perceived cost and the difficulty in obtaining the scientific evidence needed in order to help.

We knew there was a strong need, and with the lessons learned from blue water, we knew we needed to act. This was the origin of the Honoring our PACT Act.

When we send our servicemembers into harm's way, we make a pact to care for them when they come home. This is one of the most sacred promises in our country and the ultimate goal of this law.

Thanks to the PACT Act, veterans no longer need to prove the connection between their service and an illness. The law outlines 23 categories of presumptive respiratory illnesses and cancers, representing over 300 individual conditions for which veterans can quickly get healthcare and benefits. Since the law was signed, several more presumptive conditions have been added to the list with more on the way.

Congress was able to work together on a bipartisan basis to get this done for veterans. Unfortunately, not much has gotten done for veterans since then, which truly troubles me. Helping those who have served should be a nonpartisan issue and one that gets due attention, no matter which party is in charge.

I will continue momentarily, but I yield to my friend from Colorado (Mr. Neguse), our assistant Democratic leader.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend from Pennsylvania (Mr. Deluzio), a veteran, and up until recently, an esteemed member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Ruiz), who helped me champion veterans last Congress, an amazing doctor, and an amazing neighbor of mine.

Mr. Speaker, let me add that Representative Ruiz--Dr. Ruiz was instrumental in the part of this PACT Act package that dealt with the 23 presumptive illnesses.

Let's be clear that the 23 presumptive illnesses aren't just 23 diseases. They are actually buckets, Mr. Speaker, 23 buckets, we are talking more like 300 illnesses that are covered by the PACT Act.

We endeavored hard to make sure that veterans did not have to wait decades for all of the hard scientific evidence to come in. We relied on analogues, such as the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers, and the toxic substances that our first responders were subjected to, and we observed that those first responders had a pattern of illnesses that began to arise in numbers that did not match what would be in the general population and we could use such approaches to begin to identify those very similar kinds of diseases that were arising from exposure to toxic burn pits.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa), a longtime advocate for veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Carbajal), a strong advocate for veterans, a marine veteran himself and my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I have the urge to say ``oorah.'' I thank the gentleman for his service to our country, not only as a Representative but also as a marine veteran.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Magaziner).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to my good friend from North Carolina, a great champion of veterans, Representative Deborah Ross.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina for her work on the section of the PACT Act that relates to justice for those servicemembers who were in residence at Camp Lejeune. It is a decades-long effort to bring justice for those members, and I urge our government to move as expeditiously as possible to get those claims settled with all of our veterans across the country who have served at Camp Lejeune.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend from Ohio, a member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and a fierce advocate for veterans, Representative Greg Landsman.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Landsman for his amazing advocacy for our Nation's veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to my good friend from the State of New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment, Representative Melanie Stansbury.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to another great friend from the great State of North Carolina, an amazing advocate for veterans and someone who

has been a fierce advocate for justice for our Camp Lejeune veterans, the amazing Representative Kathy Manning.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to my good friend from the State of Minnesota, another great champion of veterans and someone who has a veteran's medical center in her district, Representative Ilhan Omar.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Ilhan Omar for all her amazing work to help the veterans in her district and across our country.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Kennedy), who is the newest member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Kennedy for hitting the ground running as one of our newest Representatives. I know he is going to be getting the message out to the veterans who live in his district to make sure that they submit their PACT Act claims and to access the benefits that they have earned through their service.

When President Biden signed the Honoring our PACT Act, he declared that every eligible veteran should be able to apply immediately. We had written the law in such a way that the healthcare and benefits would be phased in, but President Biden decided that every veteran should be able to apply for benefits as soon as it became law.

Within 24 hours, the Department of Veterans Affairs had created a website where veterans and their families could learn more about the law and how to apply for benefits. This shows how committed President Biden has been with House Democrats to support the veteran community. He understood what a difference this important law would make for veterans, and he did not want them to wait to be able to apply.

The successful implementation of the PACT Act shows that the Biden Administration was invested in helping veterans and implemented this law far faster than most laws. We all know, and we all knew veterans and their families could not wait any longer. This was many years coming for veterans who were already facing illness or cancer from toxic exposure, and many of these veterans were able to get updated disability ratings and access to healthcare.

I find it odd that while the PACT Act is sometimes known as the burn pits bill, when we talk about veterans waiting for decades, the PACT Act actually addressed Agent Orange claims and exposure to Agent Orange that had not been covered by previous legislation. So this took care of unfinished business with Agent Orange and exposure to radiation. So those veterans who were from previous conflicts, conflicts previous to Afghanistan and Iraq, were also eligible to get their toxic exposure illnesses addressed and covered by this legislation.

In fact, this legislation covers veterans who were involved in the global war on terror around the world. It was

not just confined to those veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Before the PACT Act, veterans were likely to need to prove exposure to specific chemicals in order to receive healthcare and benefits. This is nearly impossible when talking about burn pits because of the myriad of materials that were burned in them. Over 6 million veterans and their survivors have completed a toxic exposure screening to ensure they are eligible for care and benefits now and in the future.

VA also announced recently that over 1 million veterans had been granted their disability benefits, which is tremendous news, less than 2 years since this bill became law.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the veterans service organizations who all came together to support this bill and willed it into law. They showed Congress and President Biden just how important it was that we took care of veterans and their survivors.

Democrats and President Biden have proven time and time again that we do not just say thank you for your service. Our actions show just how grateful we are for that service and that we were willing to pay for all the costs of war.

So I want to thank Assistant Leader Neguse and all of my colleagues who have joined me on the floor today for this Special Order hour on the Honoring our PACT Act.

I am proud to have authored this important legislation that has helped thousands of veterans.

I am grateful to Speaker Emerita Pelosi who understood that we needed to deliver for veterans in the 117th Congress and who was a key player in getting this legislation over the finish line.

I want to thank President Biden for his continued support of the veteran community. I don't know of a President who has any greater love for veterans than President Biden. It is who he is. So it is with great sincerity and great emotion that I thank him for his decades of service to our veterans. As I said much earlier, he decided that all eligible veterans would be immediately able to apply for benefits instead of the original phased-in approach. He knew how critical this would be for countless veterans and their families.

We put partisanship aside and came together to help veterans and their families. More than 1 million veterans and survivors have already received benefits, and thousands more veterans have signed up for VA healthcare.

However, as I said earlier, there are some 300,000 veterans who have submitted an intent to file at some point last year who have 365 days to actually submit their claim. For most of these veterans, this 365- day window is this month or early August. In order to receive backdated benefits back to 2022, these veterans need to submit their claims as soon as possible.

However, we are not going to stop here. While we celebrate the Honor the PACT Act and the more than 1 million veterans who have benefited from it, we know there is more work to do. As ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I am working to end veteran homelessness and to make the VA an even more welcome place for women and LGBTQ+ veterans and stop attempts at more privatization of VA healthcare.

We made a solemn promise to our servicemembers that if they serve our country, then we will take care of them. This means every veteran.

We also ensure and will ensure they get the best possible care at VA facilities. We will honor our pact with them, and we will honor the promise that we made to them with my legislation, but I will not stop working to improve the lives and livelihoods of veterans around the country.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Neguse), who is the assistant leader, to have the last word for tonight's Special Order hour.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.

It is an honor to host this Special Order hour in collaboration with the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Congressional Equality Caucus. As Congress' first out person of color, it is an honor to lead this time on the floor.

As we near the end of Pride Month, it is important to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community's contributions to our country, our fight for equal rights, and the work that still has to be done.

I am proud to be joined by several of my colleagues in this House, and I appreciate their commitment to the LGBTQ+ community.

Last year, I was joined by Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the co-chairs of the Congressional Equality Caucus, and the LGBTQ+ activists to reintroduce the Equality Act. We stood together in solidarity and on the shoulders of many pioneers of the LGBTQ+ movement to demand equal protections for LGBTQ+ people. Former Congressman David Cicilline entrusted me with this landmark piece of legislation that would prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity, and I take that responsibility very seriously.

The Equality Act was passed twice under the leadership of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, and today it has the support of every House Democrat.

The story of LGBTQ+ equality is not complete without the passage of this legislation. From the Stonewall riots in 1969 to protest the over- policing and criminalization of the LGBTQ community, to the lives lost to the AIDS crisis, to the heroes of this movement like Marsha P. Johnson and Harvey Milk, our community has endured adversity, prejudice, and bigotry.

Unfortunately, the ugliness of hatred persists. Discrimination against LGBTQ+ people is still active, and violence against more vulnerable members of our community is increasing.

The Equality Act would send a message to all LGBTQ+ Americans that their government wants to ensure their dignified existence while honoring those who came before us. In a political moment where the LGBTQ+ community is used to stoke fear and distrust, the Equality Act stands as a way to unite us under principles that this country was founded: liberty and justice for all.

I am proud to come to the floor to during Pride Month to highlight this legislation and to send a message to not only the LGBTQ+ people who are living as their authentic selves and who have enjoyed the celebrations and festivities that this month has to offer but, also, those who, for whatever reason, cannot live or love in a way that is true to themselves out of fear of retaliation.

To those individuals, I want to say: you are not alone, and you have allies in places you may not expect. You have allies in the nine out Members of the House of Representatives, and you have allies in all of the vice chairs and members of the Congressional Equality Caucus.

We cannot wait for the day when LGBTQ+ people don't have to make the impossible choice of choosing safety over living authentically. While I cannot remedy every situation or make every American understand the fear many LGBTQ+ people live in, I can ensure the Federal Government does not stand in their way.

That is why we need the Equality Act, for dignity for a group that has historically been suppressed and continues to be the target of attacks.

We will not stop until this goal is achieved. We will not go back. We will keep fighting.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Garcia), a deputy whip for the Progressive Caucus and Equality Caucus member, as well.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib), the vice chair for member services for the Progressive Caucus and also an Equality Caucus member.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Vermont (Ms. Balint), the Equality Caucus co-chair and Progressive Caucus vice chair for new members.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Vermont, and I thank her for her most powerful and righteous voice.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson), my good friend, a member of the Equality Caucus and a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ equality, and a member of the Judiciary Committee.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson) for his kind and warm and righteous words.

Madam Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer), my friend and a member of the Equality Caucus, a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ equality.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer) for his commitment and the spirit which he brings to fighting for justice for LGBTQ people. Happy Pride to the gentleman.

Madam Speaker, I wish to turn my attention toward the world and the international stage. LGBTQ+ issues continue to be the topic of public debate globally. In every corner of the world, there has been movement, both good and bad. We have seen the struggle in many nations in the fight for equality and dignity.

On a very positive note, we see in the nation of Greece the legalization of same-sex marriage, making Greece the first Christian Orthodox country to pass such a measure.

Taiwan is making historic strides toward equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community. In 2019, on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia, and Transphobia, Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.

Then, this past year, legislators from Taiwan extended the same-sex marriage act to grant adoption rights to LGBTQ+ couples. Now both individuals who are part of a same-sex couple with children are able to be acknowledged as legal guardians and can experience the parental rights enjoyed by all other couples.

This past October, Taiwan celebrated Pride with over 175,000 onlookers from all over the world gathering in Taipei to join the march. This year's theme was ``stand with diversity,'' which sought to recognize the diversity of every person and respect different gender identities.

In January, Taiwan elected its first openly gay legislator, but the most promising sign of LGBTQ+ equality came earlier this month from Thailand when legislators approved a marriage equality bill, a move that puts the country on a clear path to becoming the first nation in Southeast Asia to recognize same-sex couples.

All of this is happening in the shadow of a more and more repressive People's Republic of China. The state authorities have continually targeted LGBTQ+ individuals and cracked down on pro-equality organizers. These groups lack legal support and are at the whims of an authoritarian regime that seeks to diminish and eliminate LGBTQ+ people. No person should live in fear because of their gender identity or who they love, and it is imperative that we protect the rights for LGBTQ+ people globally and hold governments with this anti-equality agenda accountable.

I commend Taiwan for their championing of equality for their LGBTQ+ citizens. It sets the example for other countries in Asia and across the world that have yet to support freedom and equality for our community.

Madam Speaker, I will make a side note here that while I share my Republican colleagues' concern about the authoritarianism of Xi Jinping and the CCP, I have yet to see my Republican colleagues rise in indignation about the way in which the regime of China treats its LGBTQ+ citizens.

Recent events in Uganda have cast a harsh light on the global struggle for LGBTQ+ rights, and it is our moral duty to speak out against the draconian laws that criminalize same-sex relationships in that country.

More than a year ago, Uganda enacted one of the world's harshest anti-LGBTQ laws, criminalizing same-sex conduct with punishments that include life imprisonment and even the death penalty for aggravated homosexuality, whatever that might mean.

Sadly, the law was recently upheld by the nation's highest court. This law is not just a legal measure; it is an instrument of hate and repression, designed to persecute and dehumanize a segment of society simply for being who they are.

As someone who has experienced both the triumphs and challenges of being openly gay in public life, I can tell you that laws like these do more than legislate against behavior. They legitimize prejudice, foster environments of fear, and justify violence. They rip apart families, drive people into hiding, and erode the fundamental principles of equality and human rights.

We simply cannot and must not look away. Silence in the face of such opposition is complicity. We must use our voices, our platforms, and our influence to condemn these injustices and support those who are fighting for their right to love and live openly and freely in Uganda and around the world.

That is why I introduced a resolution condemning this recent regression of LGBTQ+ rights in Uganda. I look forward to my colleagues' support on this measure and to send a message to the LGBTQ+ community in Uganda that they are seen, that they are heard, and that they are not alone.

Madam Speaker, I also extend my comments to praise the Biden administration, which has sent a clear message to LGBTQ+ Americans that they deserve to live safely and with dignity.

Buried in the 2022 Dobbs decision that stripped women of their reproductive rights was an ominous and dangerous warning from the Justices that marriage equality may be next. Congress and the President were quick to act to protect equality by passing and signing the Respect for Marriage Act. Just imagine if we had a Commander in Chief who did not prioritize this sacred right.

We know that 169 of my House Republican colleagues voted against it, and their agenda has not changed, but thanks to President Biden, marriage

for everyone is safe from an extremist conservative court that has repeatedly shown that decades of old precedents can be overturned with the stroke of a pen in pursuit of their ideological aims. House Democrats, Progressives, and President Biden will always protect the right for anyone to marry who they love.

The President has also leveraged executive agencies to ensure that LGBTQ+ people are safe and healthy. President Biden has directed the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Justice to ensure that communities have the tools to curb violence against LGBTQ+ people.

The President's goal of ending gun violence is something that will help all Americans, including to ensure the safety of LGBTQ+ people as they continue to be targeted based on who they love, what businesses they go to, or how they present. We all remember the tragedies and lives lost from bigotry and fueled by gun violence at Club Q in Colorado and Pulse nightclub in Orlando.

Through Congress passing the Safer Communities Act and President Biden's establishment of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, Democrats are ensuring that our community is safe to live our lives authentically and with dignity.

A part of living a dignified life is one where you don't have to worry about a doctor turning you away based on your identity. The Biden administration advanced civil rights protections for patients by barring health providers and insurers receiving Federal funding from discriminating against those seeking care on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.

Reversing this Trump-era license to discriminate comes as LGBTQ+ people face unprecedented attacks on their right to healthcare.

We have seen over 20 States across the country attempt to get in the middle of healthcare decisions concerning LGBTQ+ care, causing patients to move to States that do not have these hateful regulations or forego care altogether. This action from President Biden sends a clear message: No one should be denied care or coverage of care due to who they are or who they love.

Even this week, the President continues to reconcile the harm caused to LGBTQ+ people in the military. He announced pardons for thousands of former servicemembers convicted of a crime under military law based on their sexual orientation. The effects of these convictions have blocked those who served our country their benefits that they have rightfully earned. This is a meaningful step forward for us coming to terms with the institutionalized discrimination, targeting, and repression of LGBTQ+ people in the uniformed services.

This is a glimmer of hope in a political era when some of my Republican colleagues and many State governments across the country have put some of the most vulnerable among us in the LGBTQ+ community in their crosshairs. Attacks on trans youth, particularly those who want to participate in sports, are the new bogeyman of the far right. No student, athlete, or young person should be the target of attacks from Members of Congress because they are living as their authentic self.

President Biden has responded to these attacks by strengthening Title IX protections. This update to Title IX stipulates protections from sex-based discrimination, which includes gender identity for the very first time.

All of these actions recognize the dignity of LGBTQ+ people and the community, a group that has experienced relentless attacks from my Republican colleagues in Congress.

We did not ask to be targets of the far right. We did not ask for our personal lives to be the topic of national debate. What we do ask for is respect and the privilege to live as we are without fear, something that non-LGBTQ people have never had to consider.

I am proud to come to the floor today to highlight the things this administration has done, but our fight is not over until no one is targeted or retaliated against for being who they are. That is why the Equality Act needs to be taken up, passed, and signed by President Biden to take an even larger step into the future of true equality for everyone regardless of the ZIP Code in which they live.

Madam Speaker, in the summer of 1974, I was glued to the television set in my grandfather's living room. My grandfather at the time lived across the street from where I lived. He was an immigrant grandfather. As we say in the Japanese language, his generation is known as the ``issei'' or ``first generation.''

I was watching on the public television station Representative Barbara Jordan give her remarks during the House Judiciary Committee's hearing on the Nixon impeachment. I believe I was 13 years old at the time.

Her eloquent and impassioned speech on the solemn nature of impeachment and the role of Congress in those proceedings made a deep impact on me as it did for many others.

She, in fact, became a national figure because of her role in giving her opening speech. She said in her very memorable speech that her ``faith in the Constitution is whole; it is complete; it is total.''

Her conviction was present to all, and it made an indelible mark on me. It inspired me to pursue public service and it inspired me to study the art of wordsmithing and rhetoric with the hopes of one day having the same command of language that she did.

That journey led me to pursue a career in education. I returned home to Riverside, California, and began teaching in the nearby community of Rialto Unified School District in 1988. Ask any teacher and they will say it is their students, the young, curious minds that inspire them to strive for greatness in and out of the classroom. This is the same in my story when my students approached me to start the very first gay- straight alliance at that school.

Their bravery and clarity of purpose inspired me to run for Congress for the third time in 2012. I had run for the first time in 1992 and again in 1994. In fact, in 1994, I had been outed by my opponent.

When my students came to me in 2009, several months after the passage of Proposition 8--I might say that Proposition 8 was the statewide initiative that overturned the California Supreme Court decision that granted same-sex couples the right to marry. The people of California did this in the 2008 election at the same time that they gave President Barack Obama nearly a 20-point margin of victory. A much narrower victory was given to Proposition 8, which overturned marriage equality in California.

My students were in a slingshot moment. They surprised me. They came to me and said, Mr. Takano, many kids at our school are upset about the injustice of Proposition 8 and they are mad. They want to start a gay- straight alliance. What was amazing to me was that over 100 kids turned up in my classroom for that first organizing meeting.

It began to make me think that another run for Congress was something that I should start thinking about, that my experience in 1992 and 1994--in 1992 almost winning against my opponent and 1994 being a year in which I was attacked for being gay, and homophobic attacks were used.

I found that in 2012, I was surrounded by family, loved ones, and supporters as I was elected to Congress, making me the first out person of color to be elected to the House of Representatives.

My story is not all that unique. There are still LGBTQ+ people whose queerness is used against them, whether it is being outed or otherwise forced to stay in the closet for longer.

Pride Month and the idea of Pride reminds us that it isn't always the case that an out gay Asian man could come to the floor of the House of Representatives and stand alongside his colleagues to celebrate his identity.

It wasn't always the case that bills like the Equality Act could be introduced and nevertheless passed out of committee and out of a Chamber of Congress, let alone twice.

We have made so much progress, but there is still so much more to do. There are still members of our community being targeted, harassed, and diminished by those with hatred in their hearts.

While the journey to full equality for the LGBTQ+ community is long and

winding, I stand here on the floor of the House of Representatives with clear eyes, proud of the progress we have seen in the past decade and beyond, along with a faith in the Constitution that is whole, that is complete, and that is total.

Madam Speaker, just a few miles from here is the Congressional Cemetery. There is a silent protest happening. There amongst the tombstones of former Representatives, Senators, and former Cabinet members is the tombstone without a name that instead bears the message: ``When I was in the military they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one.''

Leonard Matlovich is laid to rest there, a Vietnam veteran who rose to fame in 1975 by becoming the first gay servicemember to publicly reveal his sexuality and challenging the military's longstanding ban on LGBTQ+ people.

After meeting with famed gay rights activist Frank Kamaney in D.C., Matlovich hand delivered a letter to his commanding officer, declaring his sexual identity.

Despite years of exemplary service and multiple tours of duty in Vietnam, which included a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart that he had earned after nearly being killed by a land mine, he was discharged.

Madam Speaker, 13 years later, Leonard passed away from HIV/AIDS after years of advocacy, bravery, and being a voice for LGBTQ+ servicemembers serving during Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

Our Nation failed Leonard and the estimated 114,000 servicemembers who were discharged on the basis of their sexual orientation between World War II and 2011.

The repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell came 13 years ago, but the hurt, shame, and legacy of this rule lives on in the form of missed benefits and harassment.

As ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I have heard stories from former servicemembers who either ended their service early or were discharged due to who they loved.

To date, there has been no congressional-led effort to investigate the historic and ongoing impacts of discriminatory military policies on LGBTQ+ servicemembers and veterans.

That is why I introduced legislation to establish a commission to collect facts and testimonies while also providing recommendations to Congress, the VA, and the uniformed services on how to move forward from these harmful policies.

There are currently 250,000 Active-Duty LGBTQ+ servicemembers and over 1.5 million LGBTQ+ veterans receiving healthcare from the VA, but there continues to be a pervasive lack of data collection on LGBTQ+ servicemembers and veteran populations and an absence of education on the LGBTQ+ community who serve in uniform.

I stand ready to pass this legislation so that even more veterans can experience the world-class care that all veterans are entitled to through the VA.

I say in closing that Pride Month is a time for celebration, but it is also a time for action. I thank all the speakers who joined in this Special Order hour to pay tribute to the LGBTQ+ community and to enunciate the work that is left to do.

Our speakers today have made clear the progress that we have made but also the work that we still need to do in order to achieve full equality.

This month and every month, the congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus stands in solidarity with LGBTQ+ people throughout the country and around the world. We will never stop fighting for your rights.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen for their deep and abiding allyship to the LGBTQ+ community. They did so early in their careers, at a time when we were without many allies who would stand with us. Their courage is to be commended.

Ted Danson is known to many through his leading roles on hit TV shows and movies, like ``Cheers'' and ``The Good Place.'' He has used his platform as a bully pulpit, fervently championing marriage equality and vocally opposing discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. He has used his star power for good, raising money for LGBTQ+ advocacy groups that fight for a more just and equal society. By bringing the power of his celebrity to bear, Danson exemplifies the profound impact public figures can have in shaping a more inclusive and accepting society.

Mary Steenburgen has built a career on playing warm and wise characters--winning an Oscar along the way--but also one deeply entwined with advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community. From ``Philadelphia'' to ``Happiest Season,'' she has found ways to use her public persona to advance the cause of LGBTQ+ rights and visibility. Rarely has any one person been able to combine their artistry and advocacy into one, complete body of work. She is a wonder.

Together, Ted and Mary form a formidable team whose combined efforts have significantly bolstered the LGBTQ+ movement. Their enduring commitment to championing LGBTQ+ rights highlights the indispensable role of influential allies in the ongoing struggle for equality and underscores the transformative power of advocacy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing these two remarkable artists and advocates, who are true allies to LGBTQ+ people everywhere.

Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague from Florida for yielding time.

Here we go again. Another year, another Military Construction- Veterans Affairs appropriations bill full of partisan riders.

When someone takes the oath and joins the military, they are making a selfless commitment to protect our country. As Members of Congress, we must be ready to pay for all costs of war and to help every veteran, regardless of their gender, faith, race, or sexual orientation.

That is why I am disturbed that my Republican colleagues have included many of the same partisan riders in this year's bill that were in this bill last year. These radical riders aim to restrict access to abortion and attack LGBTQ+ rights, attacks that are occurring during Pride Month no less.

There is, once again, an amendment to this bill that will make it easier for the most vulnerable veterans to access guns and more difficult for VA to help them. The inclusion of this rider spreads the lie that if a veteran seeks mental health care at the VA, then their guns will be taken away. This could not be further from the truth. VA will not take your guns if you come to VA for mental health care.

We want to encourage veterans to get the mental health care they have earned and often very much need. This fear-mongering of VA overreach could lead to more veterans not seeking lifesaving assistance. Veterans have a higher rate of suicide than the general population, and they are more likely to use a gun. Knowing this, how could we, in good conscience, vote for this bill with the risks it poses to our veterans?

There is another harmful amendment that would lead to greater privatization of veterans' healthcare. Specifically, it would require the VA to apply new access standards for non-VA care. As written, this amendment would cost VA billions of dollars per year to implement and result in tens of thousands of veterans being sent to private providers for lower quality, higher cost care than they would otherwise receive at VA. This is a significant policy change that has not been considered by the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Republicans are attaching it to this appropriations bill because they know it would never pass as a standalone bill. The appropriations process should not be used to legislate such a sweeping change. This is deeply concerning to me and should give every Member voting in this Chamber great pause.

Poison pill riders have turned what should be a nonpartisan issue of helping our veterans into a political game. Stop the political games, and let's get serious about helping every veteran. Until then, I cannot support this bill in good faith.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``no'' and opposing this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Michael R. McCormick, the remarkable superintendent of the Val Verde Unified School District, as he embarks on a well-deserved journey into retirement.

With over 27 years of dedicated service to the field of education, Michael McCormick's career has been defined by an unwavering commitment to fostering educational excellence and nurturing innovation.

Before assuming the role of superintendent, Mr. McCormick served as the assistant superintendent for education services at Val Verde. Under his stewardship, the district earned numerous awards and accolades owing to his thoughtful and diligent focus that put students first.

From championing STEM education to striving to close the racial education gap for his students, Val Verde has thrived under his guidance. Superintendent Michael McCormick's dedication to education has left an enduring legacy of inspiration and empowerment.

I congratulate Mr. McCormick on his retirement. We thank him for his tireless commitment to excellence in education.