Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the GOP higher healthcare costs for worse coverage act.

I did not spend 20 years as an ICU doctor saving lives to come to Congress and sit back while Republicans strip healthcare coverage from millions. No. I came to Congress to fight for affordable, accessible healthcare for all.

This bill does nothing to accomplish that goal. Worse than that, it pushes people toward less coverage at a higher cost and opens a backdoor abortion ban that marches us a step closer to a national one.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to say as clearly as I possibly can: Politicians have no role in the medical exam rooms.

As a physician who spent 20 years caring for patients, I know responsible care requires building trust and understanding between a patient, their parent, and their physician. I never consulted a politician, and no doctor ever should.

At a time when our country is facing a critical physician shortage, Republicans are threatening them with going to prison simply for providing evidence-based care.

This legislation fundamentally breaks a critical trust between patients, their parents, and their physicians, pulling them into a dangerous political crusade that targets our vulnerable transgender youth.

I offered two amendments: One to ensure no doctor can be imprisoned for providing evidence-based care and one to provide parents with protection when supporting their children's health. Republicans refused a vote on both.

We should be empowering doctors to take care of their patients, not locking them up. I will be relentless to keep politicians out of the exam room.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for your leadership.

I rise today in defense of the people who make our government work, our Federal workers. They are scientists, nurses, engineers, and caseworkers, people who have dedicated their lives to public service.

Unfortunately, these workers have found themselves under attack once again, as efforts to strip them of their collective bargaining rights continue. This is not just about national security. It is about ensuring these workers have a voice in their workplaces and the ability to negotiate for fair wages, decent working conditions, and dignity.

As a former union member, I understand the critical importance of standing together for workers' rights. I know how unions can be a powerful force for change, ensuring working families have a fair shot at the American Dream. That is why the Protect America's Workforce Act is so vital. It is time for Congress to come together in a bipartisan way to pass this legislation that will protect Federal workers from attacks that threaten their livelihoods and their families.

Federal workers are the backbone of our Nation. From FEMA teams helping wildfire survivors to VA staff caring for our veterans to Social Security workers making sure seniors can live with dignity, these are the people who serve us every day. They are not faceless government employees. They are our neighbors, our friends, and our families.

These attacks on their rights are not abstract. They are real, and they are personal. Over the past few months, I have heard from many Federal workers in Oregon who have faced illegal firings, threats, and mistreatment. They have shared how these actions are creating fear and instability in their lives and communities. One Federal worker, a disabled combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was recently fired from his job at the USDA. He summed it up perfectly when he said: ``This is not the America I swore an oath to protect.''

That is the sentiment I know many of us in this Chamber share. Federal workers, like that veteran, swore an oath to protect this country. Their dedication and service have been unwavering. We owe them the same commitment in return. I am grateful for the way we have come together across party lines to ensure the rights of working people and protect those who serve our Nation.

I stand strong with our Federal workers and with all working families across Oregon. I commend my colleagues for coming together to fight for what is right. I am eager to continue this work alongside all of you to prioritize the needs of working families.

Mr. Speaker, it is time we act. It is time we pass the Protect America's Workforce Act because our workers cannot wait. Congress must honor their service and ensure their rights are enshrined today.

Mr. Speaker, vaccines are one of mankind's greatest inventions.

In the last 50 years, the World Health Organization's global vaccine efforts have saved 154 million lives. Every single person alive today owes something to that progress.

Yet, last week RFK, Jr. and his panel of antiscience, cherry-picked cronies recommended ending the decades-long practice of immediately vaccinating all newborns against Hepatitis B.

This will lead to more disease, cancer, and preventable deaths. It will increase healthcare costs.

I am calling on acting CDC Director O'Neill to reject this recommendation and protect our children.

I continue to call on RFK, Jr. to resign. His time at HHS has been an embarrassment and has caused deep harm to our country.

To lead our Nation's health system, you must rely on facts and data, not conspiracy and ego.

I will continue to stand with the Democratic Doctors Caucus fighting against RFK, Jr.'s rejection of science and data.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a remarkable milestone in American journalism: the 175th anniversary of The Oregonian, the oldest continuously published newspaper on the West Coast.

Since 1850, The Oregonian has been a vital thread in the fabric of Oregon's civic life, serving as a trusted source of information, accountability, and community connection.

Over its long history, the paper has earned eight Pulitzer Prizes, beginning with its first in 1937. That includes the distinguished 2001 Pulitzer for Public Service, awarded for its ``detailed and unflinching'' reporting on abuses within the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

This is a newsroom with deep roots and a wide reach. In 1922, The Oregonian launched Portland's first commercial radio station, what would eventually become KGW-TV, ushering in a new era of local broadcast journalism.

As a former student journalist, I know how powerful local reporting is. It informs. It connects. It holds the powerful accountable. And at a time when local journalism is under threat across this country, The Oregonian reminds us why it matters.

I thank the journalists, editors, photographers, and staff--past and present--for their service to our state and democracy.

I congratulate the Oregonian on 175 years, and here's to many more.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Ramirez), for her incredible leadership and holding us together today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to make one thing clear: Trump's cruel immigration agenda is not about public safety. It is about intimidation and cruelty. The people of Oregon are living with the consequences of that every single day.

A man recovering from surgery was violently pulled from his car and left in excruciating pain. A pregnant mother was taken, separated from her 2-year-old child, and denied comprehensive prenatal care while in custody. Another mother in my district, along with her four U.S.- citizen children, were detained for weeks without access to counsel. They are parents doing school drop-offs, workers heading to their jobs, and longtime neighbors who strengthen our communities.

Trump promises safety, but he delivers chaos. Cruelty is not law enforcement. It is intimidation, and the harm goes beyond our immigrant families.

In Portland, an elementary school had to relocate students because chemical agents deployed by Federal immigration officials drifted onto their campus. Low-income seniors were told to shut off their air conditioning in the middle of summer because those chemicals were entering their buildings' ventilation systems. When Portlanders have peacefully stood against these abuses, they have been met with pepper balls, tear gas, and masked agents using violent force.

Once again, nothing about this agenda is in the pursuit of public safety. It is Federal power turned against the people who it is meant to serve.

Congress must reject cruelty as a tool of policy and restore humanity, transparency, and accountability.

That is why I introduced the Restoring Access to Detainees Act with Senator Murphy. Every family should know where their loved one is being held. Every detainee must have easy, free access to call legal counsel.

I also authored the CLEAR ID Act with Representative Crockett to ensure that our community members are not approached or detained by unidentified Federal agents. Without identification, there is no accountability. That is how democracies erode, and we will not allow it.

Trump wants America to believe that his cruelty makes us safer. It does not. When communities live in fear, they cannot trust law enforcement. When families are torn apart, our Nation grows weaker. Real safety comes from stability, trust, and community, not fear and force.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share how my office has been hard at work for the people of Oregon's Third Congressional District.

Since coming to Congress, our office has helped constituents recover more than one-half million dollars owed to them by the Federal Government through our casework services.

That is one-half million dollars returned to veterans waiting on care, to families caught in bureaucratic limbo, and to seniors who depend on their Social Security checks to live with dignity.

If my constituents need help navigating a Federal agency, my team is here for them. Visit dexter.house.gov or call 503-231-2300.

I certainly cannot reverse every agency decision, but I can ask questions, and I can press for answers and work to move stalled cases forward.

We do that every day for veterans seeking care, for seniors needing benefits, for families waiting on tax refunds, and for neighbors who simply need someone in their corner.

That is what representation looks like.

Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, I visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum with my daughter. I had been before, but the timing of this visit was very intentional. I went to reflect on the horrific history of dehumanization and ethnic cleansing that ultimately led the world to create a new term to describe such an unfathomable evil. That word is ``genocide.''

During the Holocaust, 6 million Jewish people, 60 percent of those present in Europe, were brutally targeted, dehumanized, and systematically murdered. It is a crime that people, communities, and nations were aware of yet did little to nothing to stop the atrocities until it was far too late.

After the Holocaust, the international community made a commitment that such evil can never happen again to any people anywhere. ``Never again,'' they said.

That is why I recently signed on to a resolution recognizing Israel's actions in Gaza led by the Netanyahu government as a genocide. I joined this resolution with a heavy heart. I understand the pain and the history of the word, and I signed on with the utmost respect for the Jewish people, especially those in my community who may feel abandoned or deeply harmed by my action.

I will also be crystal clear that my criticizing the policies and actions of the Netanyahu government does not detract from my steadfast opposition to anti-Semitism and my persistent support for our Jewish neighbors.

Many in this body have been reticent to call out the mass suffering, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes taking place in Gaza. I will not willingly continue to be part of that complicity.

As a United States Representative, my job is to stand up against the power and our resources of this country being used in such ways.

I am a physician. I am a mother. I believe in the sanctity, the universal worth, of human life. That belief does not change based on who you are or where you live.

Each of our lives has innate, incalculable value. Our shared humanity must be recognized and preserved, or we run the risk of rationalizing and accepting acts of cruelty.

This principle, that we share an accountability to stand up against dehumanization, cruelty, and marginalization across our communities, should be universal, but it is not.

It is my duty as an elected leader in the most powerful country on Earth to stand up for those most marginalized if I stand for anything at all.

It is foundational to how I chose to represent my community and how I will continue to represent my community in Congress.

History has and will continue to judge this body, not just for what it did but for what it failed to do.

Our children are watching. As parents, we know this to be true. As elected leaders, we cannot look away as they look on. We have an implicit accountability to the children of this Nation, to show them with our actions that we hold ourselves to a standard worthy of their respect.

I want my children to live in a country where our leaders can be relied upon to lead with courage, empathy, and moral clarity.

I urge every Oregonian watching to hold me accountable in a shared, unshakable belief in the sanctity of human life. We are our brother's keeper. I will do all I can to protect and defend each person's right to freedom, safety, and self-determination.

Mr. Speaker, I recently held the first meeting of my Youth Advisory Council, a group of two dozen high school students from my district who will help guide my work here in Congress.

These students spoke boldly about their fears and hopes for the future, and they made one thing clear: They are done waiting for change.

I don't blame them. Our country's policy failures have grounded our kids in uncertainty. Many feel like the American Dream is out of reach.

That is personal for me. My trajectory has been an American Dream: the first in my family to graduate from college, then become a physician, a U.S. Congresswoman, and give my children privilege and opportunity that I never knew.

I didn't do it alone. Strong public schools, a union job, affordable higher education, and affordable rent were all critical. Today's young people deserve the same opportunities that I had. That is why I created the Youth Advisory Council. That is why I will continue to go to them to help us shape our policies of the future.

What I say to them and all youth in my district: Demand a seat today. We need to support their ideas and their dreams.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this rule and the underlying bill.

As a physician who spent 20 years saving lives, I did not come to Congress to let healthcare be decimated by Congress. I came to fight for my constituents who deserve to be able to see a doctor they trust, afford their medication, and keep their families healthy.

If House Republicans let the ACA tax credits expire, they are complicit in forcing Oregonians to make impossible choices, like whether to keep their insurance or put food on the table.

As a physician, I know what comes next. People go without. They go uninsured, they delay care, and they skip refills. They get sicker, and sometimes they end up in medical debt that is devastating.

The cost of living is already too damn high. Republicans are committed to cutting Americans' care. They patently rejected amendments to protect Americans, ignoring millions of American families who are desperate for relief.

I will be an absolute ``no'' on the rule and the underlying bill, and I refuse to give up on ensuring affordable healthcare for all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an extraordinary young leader from Oregon's 3rd Congressional District, Samruddha Preuitt, a graduate of David Douglas High School in Portland. Samruddha was recently named a 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholar--one of just 161 students nationwide to earn this prestigious honor.

Since 1964, the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program has celebrated the academic excellence, leadership, and dedication of our Nation's most distinguished high school seniors. This honor is reserved for students who not only achieve top scores on college entrance exams but also demonstrate outstanding scholarship, character, and service.

Samruddha embodies all of these qualities. He now studies data science and engineering at the University of Connecticut, drawn by its strong commitment to undergraduate research. As someone who engaged in undergraduate research myself, I know how transformative those experiences can be--and how they help prepare the next generation of leaders in science, technology, and public service.

This achievement reflects not only Samruddha's individual brilliance and perseverance, but also the strength of our public schools, our educators, and a community that values opportunity and hard work.

I congratulate him on this remarkable achievement, and I wish him continued success as he pursues his academic and professional journey.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share some good news and a step forward in protecting those who protect us.

For generations, wildland firefighters have battled infernos with little more than a bandana between them and the clouds of toxic smoke.

As the only pulmonologist serving in the United States Congress, I know just how dangerous that is. Exposure to wildfire smoke isn't just uncomfortable. It leads to heart and lung disease. It causes cancer. It shortens lives.

That is why, during a recent House Natural Resources Committee hearing, I pressed the U.S. Forest Service chief to do more to protect our firefighters. Within hours, the Forest Service made clear that masks would be made available to wildland firefighters.

This is welcomed news, but we cannot let up now. I look forward to my briefing with Forest Service Chief Schultz to further these protections for our firefighters. The right to breathe clean, safe air, whether you are battling a megafire or walking your child to school, is fundamental.

It is time for every Member of this body to recommit to that goal and take action to make it real.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their words of support today for the FAST VETS Act.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak in strong support of the FAST VETS Act, Focused Assistance and Skills Training for Veterans' Employment and Transition Success, or FAST VETS Act.

I am grateful to Representatives Messmer, McGarvey, and Van Orden for joining me in this bipartisan effort to better serve our Nation's veterans.

Like many physicians, I trained at the VA where the sign on the door said: The price of freedom is visible here. Our veterans gave everything for this country. Our promise in return is that they will not just get by in civilian life, they will thrive.

Congress must ensure employment readiness programs truly work for veterans, and that is exactly what the

FAST VETS Act does. I am heartened that my first bill to come to the floor of the House advances our commitment to those who served.

The FAST VETS Act is about delivering on our promise to those who have served. Veterans who live with service-connected disabilities deserve every opportunity to succeed in civilian life. That includes access to the Veterans Readiness and Employment, VR&E, program, which provides job training, education, employment accommodations, and the resources to build a meaningful career. However, too often, that support comes too late. In Portland, it currently takes more than 65 days for a veteran to be connected with a vocational rehabilitation counselor. That is at least 2 months of missed income, missed classes, and missed opportunity. That is unacceptable.

The FAST VETS Act is a critical first step to addressing the backlog. It establishes clearer standards and prioritizes outcome-focused planning to support more veterans successfully and efficiently moving through the program and into the workforce.

Ensuring every veteran gets the support they deserve helps prevent housing instability, reduces food insecurity, and strengthens mental health. We owe it to them to act with urgency and purpose.

I am committed to continuing this work until every veteran has a clear, supported path to meaningful and gainful employment. The FAST VETS Act moves us closer to that goal, and I am proud to have led this effort.

Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today not just as a Member of Congress but as a proud Oregonian.

Donald Trump is once again threatening to deploy troops against American civilians. We have already seen him abuse Federal power in cities like D.C. and L.A., and now he is targeting Portland.

Let me be clear: Donald Trump is punishing cities like Portland simply for standing against his authoritative power. This isn't about safety. It is political retribution, plain and simple. Portland doesn't need his help. We are resilient, creative, and strong.

To my fellow Oregonians: I am standing with Governor Kotek, Attorney General Dan Rayfield, our delegation, and local leaders to defend our communities and our rights. I will use every tool available-- legislation, litigation, and public pressure--to stop this dangerous overreach.

We will not be bullied. We will not be silenced, and we will not back down. In Oregon, we fly with our own wings. We rise, we resist, and we stand together, undaunted and unafraid.

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this cruel and callous amendment.

Mr. Chair, there are 20 days until the government shuts down. There are 8 legislative days. What are Republicans focused on? They are focused on flags, Pride flags.

Republicans are spending valuable floor time, time that could be used by the government to lower costs for working families.

I am not waving it, Mr. Chair.

We are--

Mr. Chair, we are wasting valuable time trying to ban the display of Pride flags in any workplace or common area at the Department of Defense. This is time that could be used to fund the government or lower costs for working families.

This obsession with attacking, dehumanizing, and villainizing our LGBTQIA+ community is as sick as it is a waste of time.

Trump is using the same tired playbook authoritarian regimes have used throughout history. He is dehumanizing our most vulnerable to divide us and distract us from the fact of his failure to meaningfully improve the lives of the people he was elected to serve.

Mr. Chair, we see this for what it is, and we refuse to let them win. We will not erase the LGBTQIA+ community.