Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Dairy Kastle, a beloved Louisville institution, and in celebration of its fiftieth anniversary.

From its origins as a modest walk-up counter converted from a gas station, Dairy Kastle has been a fixture of Louisville summers for five decades. Generations of Louisvillians have grown up on its soft serve ice cream and ``flurries,'' and the same kids who lined up around the block for ice cream four decades ago, now bring their own children and grandchildren to enjoy snacks and treats from that same curious little building.

Dairy Kastle remains, at heart, a family-owned neighborhood spot. It is exactly the kind of small, independent business that gives a neighborhood its character, a family enterprise that has earned its customers' loyalty one cone and one chili dog at a time. Dairy Kastle has weathered decades of changing times, a pandemic, and the ordinary churn of small business in America without losing what makes it special: it's a place where the line moves quickly, the service is friendly, and the prices stay within reach of a working family's budget.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Dairy Kastle's fifty years of service and in wishing its owners, Kevin and Daniela Trice, continued success for many summers to come.

Mr. Chairman, there is a great scene in the movie ``Jurassic Park'' where the scientist says: You guys are so preoccupied with whether you could, you forgot to ask whether you should.

I think the Republicans have been so preoccupied with counting votes to see if they can do the President's bidding that they have forgotten to ask whether they should.

First, they brought a budget bill to the floor of this House that took away people's healthcare and food so they could give billionaires and corporations the largest permanent tax break in American history.

Next, President Trump said: I need $70 billion more for the ICE agents acting as my personal police force. They are going around and using kids as bait, ripping apart families, murdering American citizens on the streets of our country. Republicans said: Fine, we will do that.

Now, Trump wants another $95 billion for his forever war in the Middle East. Mr. Chairman, 18 Americans are dead. There is a 19-year- old coming home in a coffin this week, never to spend another holiday or birthday with her family.

Everything from gas to groceries has gone up, and America is less safe because of it. But Republicans say: Absolutely, no problem. We will do it.

Is there anything Trump wants that Republicans will say no to? I think the answer is no.

Democrats offered commonsense amendments that said let's lower the cost of healthcare, let's lower the cost of goods, and let's end corruption. Republican Members said no to all of them. I even offered an amendment that said you can't use $400 million of taxpayer money to build your ballroom vanity project. What did Republicans say? Fine with us. We will do it because we can. But should you? No.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Lynn Romans on the occasion of her 70th birthday and to recognize her lifetime of public service, personal sacrifice, and extraordinary devotion to others.

Lynn grew up in Trimble County, Kentucky, a small rural community located between Louisville and Cincinnati. Her parents, lssac and Fredia Romans, provided for Lynn and her two brothers by working blue collar factory jobs. After graduating high school, she attended God's Bible School and College in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences. She and her husband went on to pastor churches across the Commonwealth, serving communities in Flemingsburg, Frankfort, Maysville, and Louisville, where they raised their two children.

Lynn's life was forever changed in 2003 when her twenty-four-year-old son, Sergeant Darrin Potter, was killed in action while serving in Iraq, becoming the first Kentucky National Guard combat casualty since the Vietnam War. As a Gold Star Mother, Lynn has carried an unimaginable loss with grace, courage, and purpose. Because Lynn is a truly special human being, she turned sorrow into service, dedicating herself to helping other Gold Star families, veterans, servicemembers, and military families understand that they are seen, valued, and never alone.

For more than 31 years, Lynn served with the American Red Cross, including as a Program Specialist for Service to the Armed Forces. She has also been deeply active with American Gold Star Mothers and the Woody Williams Foundation, educating others about the meaning of the Gold Star and the sacrifices it represents. You cannot attend a military event in Kentucky without meeting someone who knows Lynn-- someone she has helped, comforted, picnicked with, paraded with, or served alongside.

For the past two years, Lynn has continued that service as a Green and Gold Fellow in our district office. At a time when she more than earned the right to be sipping sweet tea on a balmy beach and enjoying retirement, Lynn chose instead to work full time on behalf of Kentucky veterans and their families. VA casework is challenging, but Lynn always tackles it with her unending patience, warmth, bubbly humor and--of course--a great pair of high heels. Her signature expression, ``Oh my lands'' has become an office favorite.

Lynn is a proud Mimi to two beloved grandchildren, a woman of faith, a devoted public servant, and a gift to our Commonwealth and our country.

We are honored to call her our colleague, and even more honored to call her our friend. I wish Lynn a happy 70th birthday.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 8464.

This bill lets the President take away money from anything or anyone he doesn't like, as long as he thinks it is merely at risk for fraud. We have seen what he thinks is fraud.

Last year, Donald Trump froze $9 million intended for Serve Kentucky. Congress set aside that money for housing, hunger relief, education, and disaster relief in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The White House called that money waste and fraud. I have seen Serve Kentucky's work firsthand. President Trump might not like a program that brings food to seniors or new books to kids, but that doesn't make it fraud.

We know this President uses his power to punish those he does not like. He has done it before. He will do it again.

I agree with my Republican colleagues: No one wants waste or fraud from our taxpayer dollars. Congress must take a hard look at waste and fraud in our government.

Let's start with Donald Trump's ballroom. The President destroyed the White House and then said: Let me build a gaudy, billion-dollar ballroom that looks like it should hold slot machines, not State dinners.

He has been soliciting donations left and right from billionaires, tech and tobacco companies, defense contractors, and dozens more individuals and companies that do business with and profit from the Federal Government and your tax dollars.

The American people, all of us, deserve to know who and how much they are paying for access to President Trump.

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 the motion with an important amendment to this bill.

My amendment would prevent this bill from taking effect until the White House provides a list of every person who has donated to the White House ballroom.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of this amendment into the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion to recommit.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, we have to stop saying this is about $70 billion for ICE. This is about $240 billion for ICE. Republicans gave ICE $170 billion last July, and in less than 1 year, they want to give them $70 billion more.

That is more for ICE this year than Russia is spending on its military, and they are currently at war. $240 billion for honest to God storm troopers, masked, armed agents kidnapping people off the street, murdering U.S. citizens, separating families, and detaining children. We shouldn't give them another dollar.

We cannot give them another $70 billion, but if you are so willing to spend it, imagine the good we could do with that kind of money.

We could make people's lives better by giving free school breakfast and lunch for every kid in America or free childcare for every American family with a kid under 5. We could bring back the healthcare tax credits that Republicans killed because they were too expensive for 3 more years, but since feeding kids and fixing healthcare apparently aren't your thing, maybe we can agree on veterans.

You guys say you care about our veterans, then let's do something about it. For $70 billion, we could end veteran homelessness forever, probably seven times over. In fact, I offered an amendment to this bill that does just that. Actually, with $70 billion, we could end homelessness in America. That is just one example.

There is so much good we could do with this money and just about anything would be better than giving it to ICE. Vote ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor St. Stephen Baptist Church of Louisville, Kentucky. This year St. Stephen will be celebrating its 100th anniversary as a congregation.

Mr. Speaker, 100 years is an incredible milestone for any person or organization, but St. Stephen's century of service in Kentucky is one that deserves special recognition.

The Book of Matthew tells us that a church can exist wherever two or three gather in His name. Well, 100 years ago, in 1926, it wasn't much more than that, as 14 faithful believers gathered in a borrowed basement and started what has now become the largest Black church in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

It is a wonderful church. The music is fantastic. The congregation is warm and welcoming. I have recently heard another pastor say that if there is a Mount Rushmore of preachers, Dr. Kevin W. Cosby is on it. Amen.

I want my colleagues here to know that St. Stephen has never just been a place to gather and worship. As Dr. Cosby wrote in his book ``Getting to the Promised Land,'' the Black church cannot exist solely as a place where the community goes to experience a Sunday respite from the pressing burden of our people's history and present. As the preeminent institution for ADOS, Black churches in America must fill their sanctuaries with exhortations to carry out the sort of justice work that will relieve us of that burden.

Not only does it have a proud legacy of service and activism, St. Stephen is an undeniable bedrock of Black education in our Commonwealth and in our country.

Yes, the church offers educational programming, and at several points throughout its history, it has chosen to build an educational building or a family life center instead of merely expanding the size of its worship space. But nowhere is the church's commitment to education more evident than its relationship with Simmons University.

Going back to its beginnings, St. Stephen's first pastor, Reverend B.J. Miller, who led the church for 44 years, was a young Simmons University student. Founded in 1879 by formerly enslaved Baptists, Simmons quickly became a national leader and was only one of two HBCUs in the country with both a medical school and a law school, educating Black lawyers, doctors, teachers, and ministers who went on to lead the civil rights movement just decades later. Reverend Miller himself helped integrate the Southern Seminary and played a vital role in the push for equal rights in Louisville.

Now, here is where things get really interesting. In 1930, the Great Depression, combined with discriminatory policies, forced Simmons to foreclose on its campus. A cornerstone of Black education and a premier institution of higher learning was seemingly gone forever.

I think there are lots of ways to have faith, but one of the ways to have faith is to understand that God has a redemptive plan for us and our world. We don't get to know the details. It might not always be easy. But as the Proverbs tell us, if you trust in the Lord with all your heart, he will make the path straight.

Reverend Miller, who was that Simmons University student, was eventually succeeded by his grandson, Dr. Kevin W. Cosby, who was just 20 years old when he took over the church in 1979. Yes, together, the two of them have shepherded this congregation for 91 of its 100 years.

When Dr. Cosby took over, it was already an amazing church. He took it to new heights. In 1997, he made a very brave decision, maybe even a divine decision, to resurrect the proud tradition of education and purchase the former campus of Simmons College, a decision solely responsible for the rebirth, restoration, and revitalization of the premier Black college that is once again Simmons College of Kentucky.

When Simmons regained accreditation, it was recognized as the Nation's 107th HBCU in 2015, the last HBCU in America. It was the most remarkable comeback in the history of higher education. Next year, the comeback continues as Simmons College once again becomes Simmons University.

None of this success has been accidental or inevitable. It is because of a faithful congregation, a family dedicated to service, and a good and gracious God. What an amazing story. May God continue to bless this church, this college, and this community.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues here to join me in congratulating St. Stephen today and wishing them a second century that is even better than the first.

Mr. Speaker, nothing matches the pageantry and excitement of the Kentucky Derby.

For 2 weeks, Louisvillians prepare for the most exciting 2 minutes in sports, and this year's derby was one of the best yet.

As the horses rounded the fourth turn, 23-1 long shot Golden Tempo came from the back of the pack, ridden by Jose Ortiz, to finish first, charging into the record books and the history books in the process because Golden Tempo wasn't the only one to beat the odds this derby.

In fact, when he crossed the finish line, trainer Cherie DeVaux officially became the first woman trainer to ever win the Kentucky Derby. Think about this: 152 derbies; 2,053 horses have made it to the starting gates; only 18 of them have been trained by women; and, now, 1 is in the winner's circle.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Cherie on behalf of all Louisvillians, Kentuckians, and horse boys and girls the world over. I thank her and wish her the best of luck in this year's Belmont.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this Republican budget.

Last year, my Republican colleagues forced through a budget that gave ICE over $80 billion.

Let's put that in perspective: Last year, ICE got more than double the amount that they got during the entirety of Trump's first Presidency, but somehow that is not enough.

Now, they are trying to push through another $70 billion with no reforms, no accountability, no strings attached, nothing. That is $70 billion in taxpayer dollars for an agency responsible for kidnapping people off the street, murdering U.S. citizens, separating families, detaining children, and breaking down doors without warrants.

That is $70 billion in taxpayer dollars for masked, armed, and untrained agents who don't answer to anyone; $70 billion in taxpayer dollars for a campaign of terror directed at our own neighbors, while the rest of the country struggles to feed their families, pay rent, go to the doctor, and keep the lights on.

I am so tired of hearing that we don't have enough money for our schools and hospitals, no money to make sure that our veterans are taken care of, no money to make sure that everyone has a roof over their head, and no money for healthcare. I mean, just a couple of weeks ago, we were told that we don't even have the money to make sure that pregnant women can have fruits and vegetables.

Yet, the second that Trump needs more money to bankroll his own personal police force, Republicans in Congress can move mountains. For ICE, we have $70 billion. For everyone else, nothing.

This is intentional. It is a choice, and it is the wrong one.

Mr. Speaker, it is hard to believe, but it has been 3 years now since my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, was forever changed by the mass shooting at Old National Bank on the Monday morning after Easter.

It has been 3 years since we lost Josh Barrick; Deana Eckert; Juliana Farmer; Jim Tutt; and my good friend Tommy Elliott.

Mr. Speaker, 3 years have passed, and it is still shocking. It still hurts. We are still grieving.

I still haven't found the words to heal those wounds, but I want to read what Tommy's wife, Maryanne, courageously shared after this tragedy:

``May I continue to receive the gifts of grief to help heal my heart.

``May it offer me clarity, help me realize what matters and what doesn't, and then let the rest go.

``May I honor the unsolved questions and mysteries of life, the cracks; and look for the light that shines through them.''

May we all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act. The term ``GOAT'' gets thrown around a lot these days. In fact, my middle school son came home recently asking us to buy him a pair of GOAT sweatpants.

There is a movie that just came out produced by Steph Curry called ``GOAT.''

But in Louisville, Kentucky, we know that there is only one Greatest of All Time: Muhammad Ali. His three world titles, his gold medals, his footwork, his showmanship and charisma, they made him an icon inside the ring. His work outside the ring, which is arguably more impressive, cemented that legacy.

He was the GOAT.

Ali often said that he was: the onliest boxer in history who people asked questions like a Senator. It is only fitting that Congress named the bill in his honor when they set out to reform the boxing industry. We do so again today as we consider further reforms.

The first Ali acts in 1996 and 2000 secured significant reforms for boxers--guaranteeing transparency, protecting fighter safety, trying to erect a firewall between promoters and managers--but American boxing remains fractured and favors the interests of sanctioners and promoters over the fighters themselves.

I think that is why a boxing landscape that produced eight heavyweight gold medalists in the 10 Olympics between 1952 and 1988 has not produced a single one since.

Today's bill is a step in the right direction, and I will vote ``yes.'' But like Ranking Member Scott and Representative Omar, I believe there is more work to do on this bill before it gets to the President's desk.

Boxing lifted Cassius Clay from Smoketown and gave Muhammad Ali to the world. That is a legacy worth fighting for.

I thank my colleagues and my dear friend Lonnie Ali who continues to fight for boxers and for her late husband's legacy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize David Neville, owner of Capstone Farms in Kentucky, for receiving the prestigious 2026 Citizen Diplomat Award.

On 258 acres of land in Northern Kentucky, David has built not just a farm, but a laboratory of ingenuity. Through hydroponic and aquaponic growing systems, sustainable land management practices like using goats to clear brush, and a deep commitment to mentorship, he is helping pave the way for Kentucky farmers and farmers worldwide to build stronger, more resilient farms. His work reflects the creativity and resourcefulness that define the American spirit and helps keep our farming economy strong, innovative, and ready for the challenges ahead.

David embodies the spirit of hospitality that Kentuckians everywhere extend to our neighbors. David has opened his farm to more than 450 participants in the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program from over 100 countries to learn from his practices and spark ideas they can carry back home.

Kentucky is proud to call Mr. Neville one of our own, and I am honored to recognize his remarkable contributions to our home and the world. I once again congratulate him on receiving the Citizen Diplomat Award and wish him the best in his future work.

Mr. Speaker, Congress is deciding whether to fund an agency that has already shown us how it wants to spend taxpayers' money.

When Republicans gave ICE a blank check last year, ICE used it to kill American citizens. ICE now wants 2 more weeks' worth of money, no strings attached, to keep their campaign of terror running smoothly.

Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks? Renee Good and Alex Pretti were murdered just 2 weeks apart. During those 2 weeks, 5-year-old Liam Ramos was used as bait and detained, and three more people died in ICE custody during those same 2 weeks.

Mr. Speaker, I don't want to be back at this podium in 2 weeks with a longer list of names. I urge my colleagues to consider what we are wagering at this point.

Are we going to give ICE 2 more weeks to invade U.S. cities in exchange for a pinky promise that we will talk about reforms? Forgive me if I don't believe that this President is negotiating in good faith. He is not.

Mr. Speaker, today I speak out of grave concern for my neighbors in Louisville, in Minneapolis, across the country, and for my colleagues here in Washington who somehow continue to excuse, dismiss, and ignore the atrocities that ICE exhibits each day.

Mr. Speaker, do not look away. Watch as people in the freest country on Earth get dragged from their cars down the street by masked men. Watch as parents are pinned to the ground in the pick-up line outside their kids' schools. Watch as Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, is killed in front of her wife.

Watch, because looking away will not absolve you from the violence and atrocities made possible when you voted to hand over taxpayer money to fund this government's campaign of terror.

Mr. Speaker, every single day you look away from what this President is doing is another day that our neighbors face unimaginable cruelty at the hands of their own government.

Mr. Speaker, do not look away.

Mr. Speaker, I was regrettably unable to vote on Roll Call No. 321. Had I been able to vote, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 321.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, this isn't an abstract issue. I am hearing every single day from constituents who are too afraid to go to the grocery store, to go to school, to go to church, and to go to work. I am hearing from nonprofits that are already stretched too thin while feeding our hungry neighbors and are facing even more demand now that Trump is targeting food assistance and breadwinners are being snatched off of the street.

This is the impact of the Trump administration's cruelty, a yearlong tirade against immigrants in this country that has blown way past just targeting violent criminals.

At home in Louisville, we don't have national troops in our backyard or ICE performing public raids, but it is the quiet, steady increase in arrests and profiling and detentions that has been devastating to our community.

So many Louisvilleans, regardless of status, are afraid of being profiled, attacked, or violently detained just because of how they look. Masked agents are targeting parents in the pickup lines of their school. They are dragging mothers out of their cars. They are smashing windows to arrest old men, separating families in the middle of the night, and zip tying children.

They are using immigration hearings and check-ins as setups and defying court orders, and then our neighbors are being shipped off to countries where they have never even been. They are being held in detention centers with unspeakable, inhumane conditions with no due process, no access to attorneys, and no path forward.

This is not immigration policy. This is cruelty for the sake of cruelty and political theater with real-life consequences. Indiscriminate arrests do not make anyone safer. Masked agents with assault rifles and zero accountability don't give anyone peace of mind. This cruelty doesn't serve anyone.

This isn't just happening in cities that you see on your TV screens. As we have heard tonight, this is happening everywhere.

Mr. Speaker, to my colleagues across the aisle whose districts run on the backs of immigrant labor, whose neighbors are just as scared as mine, who are noticeably silent on this issue, where are you? Why aren't you protecting your constituents? Why aren't you fighting for the people who you represent because what you allow your government to do to someone else, they will one day do to you. Speak up.