Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, on November 4, Louisville was rocked when a UPS cargo plane taking off from Louisville's Muhammad Ali International Airport bound for Honolulu, Hawaii, crashed shortly after takeoff.

Mr. Speaker, 38,000 gallons of jet fuel erupted. A normal Tuesday sunset all of a sudden turned Louisville's skies into an apocalypse. Jet-black smoke swirled overhead as fear enveloped our entire city. People were sheltered in place everywhere. Debris and ash were

falling for miles. There was an anxiety as families and loved ones were waiting for the worst news. As the smoke cleared, we found out that we lost 14 of our neighbors.

Today, I want to honor those victims of the UPS plane crash.

Their names, including the crew on the plane: Captain Dana Diamond, Captain Richard Wartenberg, and First Officer Lee Truitt.

We also lost 11 people on the ground that day: Angela Anderson; Carlos Fernandez; Louisnes ``Lou'' Fedon and his 3-year-old granddaughter, Kimberly Asa, who was with him at the time; Trinadette ``Trina'' Chavez; Tony Crain; John Loucks; John Spray; Matthew Sweets; Ella Petty Whorton; and Megan Washburn.

Our prayers continue to be with all of them.

As tragic as this day was, we also saw the best in people in Louisville, and our first responders did not shy away from this. You can train for it, but you can't ever be ready for a tragedy like this. It was said of this inferno that it was hotter than anything you can imagine and raining oil, but our firefighters rushed into the scene.

The first on the scene was the Okolona Fire Department, but fire departments from all over joined them: the Louisville Fire Department, the Airport Authority Fire Department, the Shively Fire Department, the Anchorage-Middletown Fire, St. Matthews Fire, Fern Creek Fire, Jeffersontown Fire, Fairdale Fire, PRP Fire, Shepherdsville Fire, Zoneton Fire, and even Fayette County, Lexington Fire, came to assist.

Our police officers also rushed to the scene: Louisville Metro P.D.; the Airport Authority P.D.; Jefferson County Sheriff's Office; Audubon Park Police, who operate in the shadow of the airport daily; Middletown Police; St. Matthews Police; the University of Louisville Police; and Alcohol Beverage Control.

We also received EMS responders from Louisville Metro, Anchorage- Middletown, St. Matthews, Fern Creek, Jeffersontown, Okolona, PRP, and Bullitt County.

Among other first responders who immediately jumped into action were the Kentucky Air National Guard Fire and Emergency Services, the Kentucky Air National Guard 41st Civil Support Team, the Metropolitan Sewer District, the Louisville Metro Emergency Management System, American Synthetic Rubber Emergency Response, and the National Weather Service.

Our local and State partners also all came together. Mayor Craig Greenberg and his entire team from the Louisville Metro Government were incredible. Our Governor, Andy Beshear, and all the State emergency personnel rushed into action, including our Federal delegation, everyone.

It doesn't matter, Democrat or Republican, where you are from, everyone came together because this is what we do in Louisville, and this is what we do in Kentucky. We come together. We help people. We help our neighbors when we see they are in need.

Long after the television cameras are gone and this story fades from the daily news, our community will still be hurting, but we will still be helping each other, lifting each other up, wrapping our arms around each other, there for each other today and every day going forward. That is what we do in Louisville, and that is how we help those impacted.

Mr. Speaker, I give praise for our first responders. I give prayers and love to everyone impacted.

Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago tonight, our community of Louisville, our State of Kentucky, was absolutely rocked when a cargo plane taking off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport bound for Hawaii crashed.

Mr. Speaker, 38,000 gallons of jet fuel exploded in our community in a scene that can only be described as apocalyptic.

All three crew lost their lives, as well as 11 people on the ground. Mr. Speaker, 14 of our neighbors, 14 of our community, gone.

The first responders were incredibly brave, rushing headfirst into the inferno to save everything they could. Our community, our State, our delegation, we did what Louisvillians and Kentuckians do and lifted each other up as best as possible.

Tonight, we want to express our gratitude for those who went headfirst into that danger, for those who lifted each other up, and we want to offer a moment of silence for the 14 people who lost their lives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank the Okolona Fire Protection District for their bravery and heroism in response to the tragic crash of UPS Airlines Flight 2976 in Louisville, Kentucky.

On Tuesday, November 4th, a cargo jet bound for Hawaii crashed moments after takeoff. Unable to gain altitude, the jet went down just beyond the airfield, erupting into flames as hundreds of thousands of pounds of jet fuel ignited. The resulting fire engulfed an area the size of nine football fields, and the thick, black plume of smoke could be seen from anywhere in the city. I have lived in Louisville my whole life and could never have imagined seeing something like this. For a moment, Louisville looked apocalyptic--it was heartbreaking.

But in these trying times, we saw the best of our community. Within minutes, Okolona firefighters were there, the first on site, confronting a scene of unimaginable destruction with discipline and resolve. In this moment, they showed that heroism is not found in comfort--it is revealed in crisis. They chose duty over fear. Their rapid, coordinated response contained the flames, protected nearby homes, and stopped the disaster from spreading. Their courage in horrific circumstances saved lives and protected hundreds of families from losing their homes to the inferno.

Louisville is safer because of the men and women of Okolona Fire and the more than twenty departments who came from across the city and the Commonwealth to assist. Their bravery and selflessness reflect their deep love for this community and stand as a testament to what it means to serve. I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring these brave first responders for their extraordinary service and sacrifice.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary life and centennial milestone of Geraldine ``Bubby'' Litvin Shaffer, who celebrates her 100th birthday on October 28, 2025.

Born in 1925, Geraldine has lived a life centered on faith, service, and love for her family. Together with her beloved husband, Louis Shlomo Leib Litvin, she raised five children, and today, she is the proud grandmother to over 100 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, including Jewish leaders in America, Cyprus, and Israel.

Geraldine's devotion to her family is equaled only by her commitment to her community. In Boston, she distinguished herself as both an entrepreneur and education activist. While running a shoe store, she also headed the board of a Jewish school, working tirelessly for its success. In recent years, she has made her home in Kentucky, where she became a matriarch for her entire community. Known for her kindness and generosity, she volunteers her time and reaches out to all with warmth and care. She is a dedicated student of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, and is a devout Jew and incredibly proud American.

Mr. Speaker, Geraldine ``Bubby'' Litvin Shaffer's century of life stands as a remarkable testament to her resilience, faith, and love for others. I ask my esteemed colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to please join me in celebrating her 100th birthday and wishing her continued joy surrounded by family and community.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. This is my first time to publicly congratulate him on the House floor on assuming the chairmanship of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

What I can tell you about Mr. Guthrie, having known him for a long time, is he has always acted and led with civility, kindness, and respect, going all the way back to the time in the State Senate in Kentucky.

I have never served a day of my life in the majority. It might go without saying I was sort of hoping that Mr. Pallone would be the chairman this year. But if the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee can't sit on this side of the House, I am certainly glad it is a gentleman from Kentucky.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill not just because it is a waste of our time. It is also a wasted opportunity to, for once, do something for coal miners instead of coal companies.

As Ranking Member Pallone said, the President has already reestablished the National Coal Council. It is a waste of our time to focus on something that already exists just days before the government runs out of funding and mere weeks before people receive notice of their health insurance premiums going up by thousands of dollars next year, unless the House Republicans extend healthcare tax credits for working families.

Most importantly, it is a wasted opportunity to spend 1 hour of precious floor time in service of Republicans' obsession with removing coal from the ground while doing nothing for the men and women who work the mines.

The House has not spent 1 minute debating an increase in black lung benefits. Current levels are totally inadequate to cover the cost of living for miners with black lung or their survivors after their death.

The House has not spent 1 minute on improving the long-term solvency of the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund.

The House has not spent 1 minute on the Trump administration's efforts to delay the life- and limb-saving proximity and silica dust rules. These are delays which the United Mine Workers of America president has called ``a death sentence for more miners.''

The House has not spent 1 single minute on stopping Trump's cuts to the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health's black lung research programs, or black lung screenings. These are cuts that are taking place at a moment when this disease is killing coal miners at the highest rates this century.

The Republicans have made clear that they are for coal, but I am for the men and women who mine the coal: the coal miners. We must do better for them.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and celebrate the legacy and remarkable life of a Louisville hometown hero, Dixie Demuth, who fought for equality for women in Kentucky and left a permanent mark on our city and commonwealth.

Born in 1917 in the famous Samuels House in Samuels, Kentucky, Dixie moved to Louisville with her mother in 1933 at the height of the Great Depression. From an early age, she worked in restaurants and bars, learning the trade in popular downtown spots until she opened her own place on 5th Street in Louisville. She called it Dixie's Elbow Room. Although Dixie was allowed to own and run a bar, a two-hundred-year-old Kentucky law prohibited women from working as bartenders or even sitting at bars. Dixie decided that just

wasn't right, and, in 1968, she hired her very first woman bartender and served a woman seated at her bar--her own adult daughter, in fact.

The Kentucky Alcohol Beverage Control Board came down hard and fast, incensed not only that she was breaking the law but also that she openly advertised her rulebreaking in the hope that other bar owners would join her fight, but no one did. Though the ABC shut her down and took her liquor license, Dixie did not give up the fight. Found guilty of violating the antiquated state law, Dixie appealed her sentence and brought her case to the Kentucky Court of Appeals, who decided in her favor in 1972, calling the law ``invidious and arbitrary.'' Her quiet revolution behind the counter became a landmark victory for women's rights in the commonwealth and across the country.

At 100 years old, when asked why she decided to take her bold stand, Dixie remembered: ``I said this is ridiculous, I'm going to change that, so I did.'' Dixie died in 2020 at the age of 102, but her legacy lives on. In 2023, she was inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame, which recognizes sacrifice and determination in the bourbon industry. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg recently unveiled a new historical marker, part of the Louisville Metro Historical Marker Program, placed where her bar once stood, ensuring that future generations will learn about Dixie's fight and victory.

As a co-chair of the Congressional Bourbon Caucus, and as a proud son of Louisville, I am grateful for the path Dixie paved for the bourbon industry and the many women who work in it. Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in honoring the life and legacy of Dixie Demuth, as well as to celebrate the unveiling of the historical marker that enshrines her in our city's history.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize an extraordinary American patriot, Sergeant Major Troy E. Black, United States Marine Corps, on the occasion of his retirement following a distinguished 37-year career in faithful service to our Nation.

Sergeant Major Black's journey began in Louisville, Kentucky, where the values of duty, discipline, and perseverance were instilled early in his life. In July 1988, he answered the call to serve and reported to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. There, he began a journey that would span nearly four decades and see him rise to the highest enlisted ranks in the Marine Corps and in our Armed Forces.

After completing infantry school and earning his military occupational specialty as an 0331-Machine Gunner, Sergeant Major Black trained at Marine Security Force School before deploying aboard the USS Forrestal (CV-59) in support of Operation Just Cause. He deployed again in 1990 with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines to Kuwait during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

From the beginning, Sergeant Major Black distinguished himself not only through valor in combat but also as a dedicated mentor and leader. He served as a two-time drill instructor at Parris Island, ultimately rising to the roles of Senior Drill Instructor, Drill Instructor School Instructor, and Drill Master of the Recruit Training Regiment. It was there, fittingly at the very birthplace of Marine transformation, that he met his wife Stacie, herself a proud Marine who would later retire as a First Sergeant.

Following the tragic attacks on our Nation on September 11, 2001, Sergeant Major Black deployed repeatedly to the frontlines of the Global War on Terror. With the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, he completed two combat deployments to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and later, with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, he deployed twice more to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

In one unforgettable moment of heroism, Sergeant Major Black ran through uncleared territory to rescue a wounded Marine struck by an IED. For this act of extraordinary courage under fire, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat ``V'', a testament to his unwavering commitment to those he led.

His exceptional leadership culminated in his appointment as the 19th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, the highest enlisted position in that service, and subsequently as the 5th Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the most senior enlisted position in the entire U.S. Armed Forces.

Over the course of nearly four decades, Sergeant Major Black's work has had an immeasurable impact on our Joint Forces servicemembers and the civilian employees of the Department of Defense. His dedication to the mission, to the men and women and then families who accomplish it, and his tireless efforts to lead from the front, have contributed to the safety and security of all Americans. Today, his legacy lives on through the Black family, with their daughter, Corporal Are'wynn Black, following in her parents' footsteps in the Marine Corps.

On behalf of a grateful Nation, I offer my deepest thanks and best wishes to Sergeant Major Troy Black, to 1st Sergeant Major Stacie Black, and to their entire family as they begin this well-earned new chapter.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sergeant Major Troy Black as he retires from a distinguished 37-year career in defense of our Nation.

Sergeant Major Black was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, before joining the Marine Corps in 1988, rising to become the 19th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, the highest-ranking enlisted Marine.

In 2010, he earned a Bronze Star with Combat V after running through dangerous territory to reach a fellow Marine who had been struck by an

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to amend the rule to make in order the amendment at the desk that protects against any cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.

Mr. Speaker, a budget is a series of choices. Republicans are choosing to take healthcare away from 17 million Americans. Republicans are choosing to take food off the plates of hardworking families, kids, and seniors. Republicans are choosing to blow up the national debt by trillions of dollars. For what? All so the top 0.1 percent can pay even less in taxes.

I don't ever want to hear a Republican say they care about rural America or the debt ever again if they vote for this bill. A budget is a series of choices and theirs are indefensible.

I will vote ``no.''

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here today as we consider bills that will strengthen the SBA and work to broaden services available to small businesses. These firms employ roughly half of the private workforce, create two-thirds of all new jobs, and generate almost half of our Nation's economic activity.

These aren't just statistics. They are the foundation of our local economies, providing essential services, from plumbers and electricians to physicians, and making towns and cities across the country attractive places to live and work.

They don't work on just their own behalf. They create millions of neighborhood jobs and reinvest in their local communities, from funding Little League teams to engaging in philanthropy.

Over the past 4 years under the Biden administration, we saw a surge in startups, as over 21 million new small businesses were created, the vast majority of which were created by women, including women of color. These acts of hope for the future make our economy stronger and give us reason to celebrate.

Unfortunately, the past few months have caused extreme uncertainty in the small business community. With so many new businesses starting, there is much more we could do on Capitol Hill to support their growth and flourishing.

That is why I am pleased we are here to consider seven bipartisan bills that aim to strengthen SBA services, restore trust and accountability, and expand resources for disabled entrepreneurs.

Turning to our first bill, while college affords opportunity for so many of our students, it isn't the only path to success. For students who are looking for in-demand skills that prepare them directly for the workforce, career and technical education programs can offer viable alternatives. These programs collaborate directly with local private-

sector businesses and tailor curricula to the needs of the community.

At a time when newly graduated students are seeing higher unemployment rates than the broader labor force, small businesses that rely on certain skills are still unable to find qualified workers. By directing small business development centers and women's business centers to provide educational information to small businesses about career and technical education programs, this bill will go a long way in meeting the labor needs of small businesses and also giving the graduates of CTE programs the tools they need to launch and grow their own successful startups.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Williams, Mr. Olszewski, Mr. Bresnahan, and Mr. Tran for their work on this bipartisan bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Tran).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

I thank my colleagues, Chairman Williams, Mr. Olszewski, Mr. Bresnahan, and Mr. Tran, for their bipartisan effort to ensure small businesses have access to the skilled workforce coming out of local career and technical education programs.

For years, small businesses have raised concerns about their ability to find workers with the best skills to staff their businesses. By leveraging our small business development centers and women's business centers, we can help connect promising graduates of CTE programs to small businesses in need. Moreover, we can help those graduates start and grow their own businesses.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1642, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

In recent years, both SBA and Congress have directed changes to the small business contracting programs to increase accountability and ensure proper use. The WOSB Accountability Act will continue this work by moving the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program to full SBA certification.

This bill is important to ensure that the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program works as intended, assists the companies as intended, and, ultimately, levels the playing field for women-owned firms competing for government contracts as intended.

The data shows that women are starting and running new small businesses, generating revenue and jobs in their communities, and growing in increasingly diverse industries, but fewer and fewer are signing up to work with the government. Again, many more are leaving.

Women-owned small businesses continue to make up a strikingly small share of Federal contracts, and the government continues to fail to meet the 5 percent goal of contracting dollars that Congress set three decades ago.

Better leveraging the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program to recruit and retain more small firms strengthens the entire industrial base, promotes competition, and drives innovation.

Mr. Speaker, passing this bill today will do that. I urge all Members to support it, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez), the distinguished ranking member of the Small Business Committee.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaLota) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) for their work on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I close by thanking the ranking member from New York (Ms. Velazquez) for her leadership on this bill and her many years of work to create, strengthen, and enhance the Women-Owned Small Business program. I am pleased to support this bill and encourage all of my colleagues to do the same.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Representatives LaLota and Tran, for their work on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, the complexity of the government's procurement process and requirements can be overwhelming to small businesses, including those seeking a Federal contract for the first time.

This government-speak, words we only find in government contracting documents like requests for proposals or solicitations, compound the complexity and may disincentivize firms from bidding.

This bill attempts to add clarity by requiring documents to be written in a plain way that helps firms more easily understand what the government is buying.

Small firms should not be put off from working with the government because available opportunities are not communicated clearly. We need more small businesses to bring their talent and innovation into Federal agencies, and I am hopeful this bill will contribute to that effort.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, we will put this in really plain words, since that is what the bill does. Small businesses need to be able to understand what is happening in these contracts. Having language that is easy to understand will enable them to apply for these contracts, which enables them to bring their talents and their innovation to bear in our Federal Government.

Over the last decade, small businesses have been leaving at an alarming rate. Nothing we are doing is working to reverse that trend. In fact, the number of small business vendors in the government's ecosystem has been cut nearly in half.

Having this bill will make it easier for small business owners, people who are already working around the clock, to make their business successful for themselves, their communities, and their employees. They will now have an easier chance of applying for a contract with the Federal Government.

I am hopeful when this legislation is implemented, it will contribute to that goal. I thank the bill's sponsors.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Representatives Latimer, Alford, and Mfume, for their work on this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, prior to this administration, government contracts provided small businesses with stability and predictability. The government was considered a reliable partner that could be trusted to keep its word and pay its bills.

Yet even before the chaos of the Trump administration, there were times when requirements legitimately changed and something the government intended to buy or do was no longer necessary.

In those previously rare instances, the government then canceled the solicitation. Unfortunately, any small business working on a bid lost all the time and money they had invested in the proposal.

Last year, a small business owner testified that it cost him an average of $10,000 per proposal. If that solicitation was later canceled, the government did not have to provide him with any assistance or even any information.

This bill will change that. While we cannot make small businesses whole, we can make sure they are given additional information and assistance to help them adjust their operations and plans moving forward and hopefully to continue their participation in the Federal market.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Latimer).

Mr. Speaker, in closing, we know that providing a little

more predictability and stability can help reduce the barriers that keep small businesses from bidding on and winning government projects. That is what this bill will do.

Mr. Speaker, again, I thank Mr. Latimer and Mr. Alford for their work to bring this to the floor today and to increase transparency and accountability for our small business government contractors. I urge my colleagues to support it, as well, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1804, the 7(a) Loan Agent Oversight Act.

The 7(a) loan program is the SBA's largest traditional lending program, providing access to capital for small businesses that cannot find it elsewhere. In fiscal year 2024, SBA approved more than 70,000 loans, totaling more than $31 billion.

Loan agents are an integral part of the 7(a) lending program, helping to facilitate access to capital for small businesses by connecting borrowers with SBA lenders or by offering other products. As of 2020, these agents helped facilitate 11 percent of the loans administered.

Unfortunately, some dishonest loan agents can contribute to fraud, casting a stain on the SBA's largest lending program and, ultimately, hurting borrowers and lenders alike.

As SBA increases its reliance on loan agents, it is essential that the agency have proper oversight of their involvement to minimize fraud. This will ensure that competent and honest agents can help screen borrowers, prepare forms, and better reach communities that need this capital most.

That is why this bill is so essential. The 7(a) Loan Agent Oversight Act would require SBA to establish a registration system that collects data on 7(a) loan agents to better track and evaluate the performance of loans for each individual agent.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Meuser and Mrs. McIver for their bipartisan collaboration on this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. McIver).

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Mr. Meuser and Mrs. McIver, for working together in a bipartisan way on behalf of strengthening the SBA's flagship 7(a) loan program.

For too long, a few bad actors have damaged one of the most successful small business capital access programs in the Federal Government. By giving the SBA the tools and authority it needs, we can root out bad behavior and minimize fraud without punishing loan agents that are acting in good faith on behalf of their clients and helping small businesses access the capital they need to grow.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1804, and I yield back the balance of my time.