Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4667, the RECLAIM Taxpayer Funds Act, which I am proud to co-lead alongside Representative Salazar. I am grateful for her partnership on this bipartisan bill, and I am glad to see it come to the floor today.

Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy. That is definitely true in my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, and was on full display this past weekend as Louisvillians were encouraged to shop local and go and see our wonderful small business community.

As I visited small businesses from Saint Matthews to NuLu to West Louisville, I reflected on where we were, where these small businesses were just a few short years ago. I was reminded of earlier this year when we had Small Business Administrator Guzman come to Louisville and meet with small business owners from across my district.

We had listening sessions, and we heard the same message over and over again. That is what these businessowners told us. They told us they wouldn't be here today because they wouldn't have survived the pandemic if it weren't for the Paycheck Protection Program and other COVID relief programs.

PPP worked. It worked. It was a success. It is the reason we still have towns across this country full of vibrant, independent, local business. Nevertheless, in order to get that money out the door as quickly as possible, the previous administration loosened the guardrails designed to prevent fraud. That opened the door for bad actors to take advantage of the program.

There were people who flatout lied to obtain PPP loans. There were others who received more than they deserved; some who received more even through good-faith errors.

Mr. Speaker, we need to get that money back. That is why the Department of Justice and the SBA are working to prosecute those who took advantage of the program and recover stolen funds.

To date, there have been hundreds of arrests and convictions related to COVID relief fraud, and they have recovered billions of dollars.

We must have clear processes in place as this money comes back to lenders and to the SBA. That is why this bill requires the SBA to issue guidance and rules for lenders, for borrowers, and for the SBA itself on handling PPP loans that are returned.

H.R. 4667 is a commonsense bill that will establish these clear rules for the road and ensure that taxpayer dollars do not go to waste. It is a necessary step in the right direction as we continue our recovery from the pandemic.

I thank Chairman Williams, Ranking Member Velazquez, and Congresswoman Salazar for their leadership and support of this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4667.

Mr. Speaker, Social Security and Medicare are lifelines for hundreds of thousands of seniors in my district in Louisville, Kentucky, and for millions of seniors across America.

Unfortunately, the House Republicans continue to advocate for stripping hardworking Americans of their earned benefits. I stress ``earned.''

Social Security and Medicare are a contract, a legal and moral promise that our country has made for people who have paid into a program, and then we said: Guess what? We will be there for you. We will be there to provide a safe and secure retirement for you in your golden years.

For millions of Americans, a Social Security check is the difference between keeping the lights on or falling behind on bills. Their Medicare coverage is the difference between taking or not taking their insulin.

Stripping back these crucial benefits is dangerous, and it is extreme.

Just a few weeks ago, one of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle explicitly stated that they wanted to elect a Speaker who has the courage to talk about ending Social Security and Medicare as we know it.

My hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, is home to more than 350,000 Medicare beneficiaries. That is over 350,000 Louisvillians who paid into the program their entire working lives so that they could depend on those benefits now.

Thanks to Democrats and the Inflation Reduction Act, healthcare is more affordable and more accessible than ever before. As we speak, Medicare is negotiating to lower the price of 10 prescription drugs for part D recipients, with more to come. Out-of-pocket insulin costs have been capped at $35 a month.

There is more to do, but extremists in the House Republican Conference are trying to privatize, cut, and end these crucial programs. House Democrats will continue fighting to protect these benefits for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to defeat the previous question.

Madam Speaker, I rise today because I am frustrated. I came here to work--to work across the aisle and get things done. Rightwing extremists are preventing us from doing our most important job, passing a budget. It is catastrophic for our country, our community, and our economy if extremist Republicans shut down our government.

Let me be clear. Kentuckians cannot afford a shutdown. There are 119,884 Kentucky moms and babies who will lose access to vital nutrition assistance. Nearly 556,000 SNAP recipients will lose access to their benefits in a prolonged shutdown, and 10,672 Federal civilian workers in my district could be furloughed or have to work without pay. These are real consequences to Republicans' harmful actions.

Pass a spending bill. It is our job. When you are done playing political games, we are ready to work together to avoid a disastrous shutdown.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 3981, the Isakson-Roe Education Oversight Expansion Act. I am proud to sponsor this legislation, which builds

on Ranking Member Levin's comprehensive bill, the Isakson-Roe Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020.

My hometown and district in Louisville, Kentucky, is home to nearly 50,000 veterans. Veterans in Louisville and across our country deserve as much support from the government when they come out of Active Duty as when they go in. Today, we have an opportunity to show our vets that we are listening to their concerns and that we are going to do something about it.

H.R. 3981 will help the VA deliver on the promises it makes to servicemembers when they join the military. It improves oversight of and fosters accountability at institutions that receive GI Bill funding, ensuring that the men and women who put on the uniform of our country aren't defrauded by dishonest institutions that fail to set our veterans up for success.

H.R. 3981 is a commonsense, bipartisan bill which came out of our committee on a bipartisan basis. It will ensure our veterans and their benefits are supported and protected. We have a sacred responsibility to look after all Americans, especially those who have sacrificed for our country. Any veteran who wants to get an education, an education they have earned, should be able to do so without fear of being defrauded, losing their benefits, or being left behind.

Every man and woman who puts on a uniform is willing to risk everything to keep us safe. The least we can do is protect them when they get home. Veterans earn their GI Bill education benefits, and no veteran should lose that benefit to bad actors or fraudulent institutions. Not a single one.

I thank Chairman Bost, Chairman Van Orden, Ranking Members Takano and Levin, and all of those involved, for their support of this bill. I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 3981.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solidarity with the United Auto Workers.

Louisville, Kentucky, is a Ford town. Since 1969, we have been making Ford trucks. Every Ford Escape, Ford F-250, F-350, and F-450 is made in Louisville, Kentucky, with union labor from our brothers and sisters in Local 862, providing solid, middle-class jobs and a good life for so many Louisville families.

We make Ford trucks, and we are proud of Ford's success. Ford made billions in profits last year, and Local 862 was responsible for 54 percent of Ford's North American profits.

That is more than enough to go around and make sure every worker earns a good wage, has good benefits, and operates in a safe working environment.

We must have a fair contract for the men and women of Local 862 and the UAW. It is real simple: The people who build Fords should be able to buy Fords.

I am proud that Louisville is a union town with a thriving middle class built on union labor. Let's keep it that way because when our workers win, we all win.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the rule on H.R. 4366 and the underlying bill. I oppose this bill because it hurts our servicemembers, it hurts our veterans, and it weakens our military.

This bill fails our servicemembers and hurts our military readiness. It cuts over $1.5 billion for military construction projects all over the country, and includes no funding, no funding to make military installations like Fort Knox and Fort Campbell more resilient against climate change and the natural disasters that have ravaged my home State of Kentucky.

Instead of writing a bill that strengthens our military or will improve resources for our servicemembers, my Republican colleagues are bringing to the floor a bill riddled with the partisan provisions to get rid of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, restrict women's access to abortion and reproductive healthcare, and make VA facilities less welcoming for all of those who served our country.

These are distractions. We shouldn't pick and choose which servicemembers we honor. Anyone who answers the call to serve our country deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and they deserve to have access to quality healthcare, food, housing assistance, and more.

Mr. Speaker, this bill does nothing to actually support our military, our veterans, and our servicemembers.

Madam 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.

Madam Speaker, I rise tonight to tell everybody about one of my former interns in the Kentucky State Senate, Henry Berg- Brousseau.

Henry was truly one of my favorite interns. He was one of those guys who was bright, curious, and had a smile that could light up the room.

In Kentucky, in the State senate, the Kentucky Capitol Annex is behind the capitol and we would make that walk across to the State capitol, just as we make the walk across here in Washington, D.C., from the House office buildings.

Henry was incessant, constantly peppering me with questions, asking me things: What are the policies we can do? What are the fights we can have? How do we make progress? How do we get things done in the seat of government?

Henry was brilliant. He was kind, ambitious, and really funny. Most importantly, Henry was a fighter. He had to be. Despite having two loving parents and a wonderful family, Henry's life wasn't easy. He was severely bullied as a kid and he battled with the trauma and the depression that went with it.

It wasn't coming from the kids either. Adults from all walks of life bullied and berated him incessantly until the end. Unfortunately, that end came way too soon.

Last December, on December 16, Henry died by suicide. He dedicated his life--his young life--to helping people like him. His work and legacy will continue to benefit youth all across this country. I can't help but think how much he would have given to this world if he had just been allowed the chance to exist and exist in peace.

Henry's mom, Karen, recently joined the President and First Lady on the South Lawn of the White House to celebrate Pride Month. That is not where she wanted to be. You never stop being a parent. She wants to be with her son.

Henry's story is truly tragic but, unfortunately, it is not unique. We can all agree that what I just described is a tragedy. It is a tragedy to lose a young person, a tragedy to lose somebody with so much potential, a tragedy for any parent to have to bury their baby.

Yet for some, when I tell you that Henry was trans, that tragedy goes away. His humanity is erased. Henry is erased. I can't accept that.

We can't bring Henry back, but we can continue his fight to end the suffering that he and way, way, way too many others have endured by people who refuse to acknowledge the humanity of trans people and try to criminalize their very existence.

More than 80 percent of transgender people have struggled with suicidal ideation, and nearly half have attempted suicide. The Trevor Project estimates that one LGBTQ+ child attempts suicide every 45 seconds in the United States. Every 45 seconds a child tries to kill themselves--a child.

What has our response to this tragedy been?

In the first 6 months of Congress, House Republicans have passed legislation that actually makes it worse, that further harms LGBTQ+ kids, from the so-called Parents Bill of Rights, which unfairly targets our most vulnerable youth, to the national bans that deny decisionmaking abilities of doctors, coaches, and parents.

We have tried to complicate these issues. I want to make it really clear and really simple: Stop being mean to kids. Our children are not pieces in a political game. These anti-LGBTQ+ bills have real-life consequences.

Instead of legislating with the kindness and compassion that our kids need, House Republicans' legislative priorities have been overreaching, callous, and cruel.

We are not alone in that blame. Unfortunately, Congress isn't the only institution passing these heinous, heartbreaking, and harmful laws. State legislators across the country are following suit and are trying to legislate LGBTQ youth out of existence.

In my home State of Kentucky, Republicans in the general assembly made things worse and overrode the Governor's veto of one of the most oppressive trans laws in the Nation at the eleventh hour.

Senate Bill 150 tramples the rights of children and parents with exclusionary bathroom policies. It overrules the judgment of teachers by barring the discussion of gender identity or sexual orientation, and it barricades doctors from their patients by banning gender-affirming care, which is often lifesaving care. It is cruel and it is not without consequence. It is hurting people across the Commonwealth of Kentucky and across our country right now.

Madam Speaker, I find it especially ironic that these overreaching policies come from the party of small government.

Last week, we kicked off the beginning of Pride Month. The impetus for pride goes back to Stonewall when the LGBTQ+ community transformed the fight for equality in the United States.

Pride Month is meant to be a joyous celebration of free expression, equality, inclusion, and resiliency. In just the time that I have been in public office, we have made huge strides, both big and small, at every level.

We have cemented marriage rights for everyone. In Kentucky, 24 cities have a fairness ordinance. Nationwide, 21 States have restricted conversion therapy. Also, 38 States allow trans people to update their name and gender identity on their drivers license, and 27 States allow the same for birth certificates.

Alongside members of the LGBTQ+ community and advocates, we have worked hard to move the needle toward a more loving, accepting, and inclusive world. What has been accomplished is important, but there is still so much to do. There is still so much more to fight for.

We are fighting for safety. We are fighting for equality. We are fighting for freedom. We just recently marked the seventh anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, where 49 people were killed just for being themselves.

Madam Speaker, on days like today when we talk about these issues, when it should be a celebration, I still can't help but think about some of the heartbreak. Today, I can't help but think about Henry. I think about the world that he was fighting for--a more compassionate, understanding, caring place for everyone.

These extremist Republican attacks against LGBTQ people are wrong. They are unacceptable. They are inhumane. Let me be perfectly clear: The words and acts coming from our colleagues are not harmless. They are not small. They are hurting innocent people and they are hurting children.

If we don't take a stand and change how we legislate, then we will see more kids like Henry--bright, energetic, enthusiastic, kind, caring, compassionate people who will struggle; who, despite the love from friends and family, will see no way out as these attacks become too painful to bear.

Madam Speaker, here in this Chamber, in this body, in life, our job is to fight for people. Our job is to fight for people in the margins. Our job is to fight for people like Henry and to fight to protect everyone's rights. It shouldn't matter who you are. It shouldn't matter who you love or where you come from. Everyone deserves to be treated equally.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Vermont (Ms. Balint) for her remarks.

Madam Speaker, I can't do better than the Congresswoman from Vermont, Congresswoman Becca Balint, who is not just an extraordinary person with incredible intellect, with incredible ability, with one of the biggest hearts I've ever seen, but as you have heard tonight, she is also so brave and so courageous. Do not let the little frame fool you. She is who you want in your foxhole.

I think her story shines a spotlight on something that is true in Vermont, it is true in Kentucky, and it is true across this country; that despite the incredible steps and strides we have taken and made, there is still so much left to do.

Congresswoman Balint, I know you have been called to public service. I know you have alleviated, not only in Vermont, people's suffering. You are going to do it here, and you are going to do it for every kid in the country. Thank you also for showing the way.

There are kids in this country tonight who see your speech and your example and know it is possible for them too, which is good. It is not good--it is great. It is a great thing because look at what we are talking about here.

We are talking about kindness and compassion, empathy, caring, inclusiveness, equality. Equality. When we don't talk about those things, it is the opposite. It is hatred. It is division. It is inequality.

I know in my State, in Kentucky, 24 cities have passed a fairness ordinance. What is a fairness ordinance?

It simply means you can't be discriminated against in your housing, your employment, or your accommodations. That is the fancy way of saying you get to live where you want to live. You get to work where you want to work. You get to eat where you want to eat.

We couldn't pass it on a State-wide level in the Kentucky General Assembly.

What does that tell people? It says, in fact, they want to allow that discrimination. Why? Why? Think about the real and practical implications that has.

I talked about Henry, my intern; so full of promise, so full of life. He died by suicide on December 16. It was a Friday. His mom called me as I was sitting in a coffee shop meeting with somebody. I went over to her house that night and gave her a hug.

I knew Henry before I ever knew his mom. His mom served with me in the State senate, she was my colleague.

We hugged, and she sobbed because she just lost her son. Not a statistic. Not a number. Not a trans kid. Her son. Her baby. Her Henry.

Her colleagues all reached out and expressed sympathy and then turned around and passed a truly awful overreaching and heinous bill that targets youth in the State of Kentucky.

An interesting person came to testify. One of our former colleagues, a Republican State rep who just retired and also learned that one of his grandchildren is trans. He admitted he didn't know how to handle it at first.

You know how you handle your kids or your grandkids? With love.

He testified that he is worried his kids and his grandchild will have to leave the State of Kentucky, where he served as a conservative lawmaker because of the overreaching effects of legislation like what they passed in Kentucky and like we have talked about passing and have, in fact, passed on the floor of this House.

If you don't know how to deal with these situations in your own family, and you decide the best way to deal with them is love, isn't that the best way to deal with it for every kid and every family in this country?

Madam Speaker, my colleagues and I have made it very clear tonight that we will not stand for these extremist attacks against the LGBTQ community.

We will not let the majority threaten to legislate LGBTQ people out of existence and let them know that their harmful, extremist bills have real-life consequences.

We must and we will do everything in our power to support our LGBTQ+ community. We will show understanding over ignorance, kindness over callousness, and inclusivity over exclusion. We will save lives. We will work toward that more perfect Union.

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

Mr. Speaker, I know I am new here, but I came here to work--to work across the aisle and to actually get things done. But here we are on the eve of our country's default, and my Republican colleagues aren't even here to work with.

This isn't difficult. The United States Government contracted for and received goods and services. Now it must pay for them. We must pay our bills.

Default would be catastrophic for the people in Louisville, Kentucky. New car loans would go up by $800. Mortgages for new homes would increase by $38,000. There are 317,000 families, seniors, and veterans who are at risk of losing their benefits, not to mention the long-term damage to our currency and reputation around the world.

The alternative proposed by extreme Republicans is that we slash benefits to

our veterans and to needy kids instead of closing tax loopholes for billionaires and megacorporations. This is fiscally irresponsible, and it is morally wrong.

Do better. Sign the discharge petition and get this done to save our economy.

Madam Speaker, last week, Louisville lost a legend. If you look up Coach Denny Crum or are a fan of college basketball, you know that is not hyperbole: 30 years leading the University of Louisville basketball

team, 675 wins, two national championships, six Final Fours, and a stream of conference championships, all Americans, NBA standouts, Hall of Fame. Legend.

That is on the court. In a town where college basketball is king, Denny Crum was an absolute rock star. After 600,000 hands shaken, autographs signed, and pictures snapped, Denny Crum was just as nice as if you were the first person he ever met. We were all Denny Crum's friends. Legend.

If you thought Denny was good to new people, you should see what the guys who knew him forever thought. He was inclusive before it was ever cool.

Guys going back 50 years still call him coach, mentor, friend. Everyone from Dr. Dunkenstein to guys you have never heard of got the same treatment. They were all Denny's guys, Cardinals. Legend, on and off the court.

Today, we all join Scott and Susan, a city in mourning, and forever a community grateful for Coach Denny Crum.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today because my community is hurting. We are hurting because on Monday, April 10, the day after Easter, the promise of the beautiful spring morning was shattered by gunfire, and Louisville joined the many communities across this country impacted by a senseless mass shooting.

Five innocent people were killed. Eight others were shot. If it weren't for the absolutely heroic actions of the Louisville Metro Police Department, we undoubtedly would have lost more lives.

LMPD Officers Wilt and Galloway raced headfirst into a barrage of bullets. Officer Galloway was injured. Officer Wilt took an AR-15 round to the head. He is still in critical condition. I have talked with his family. His mother has asked for our prayers. If you are so inclined, please do so.

We are here today not just to talk about how they died but to remember how they lived: Deana Eckert, Jim Tutt, Josh Barrick, Juliana Farmer, and my friend, Tommy Elliott.

There was more grief. Chea'von Moore was killed just moments after Monday's shooting in a separate shooting in downtown Louisville.

Saturday night, we had our second mass shooting of the week in Chickasaw Park, where two people were killed and six others injured.

We lost our friends. Our community is hurting. We lost people who loved deeply, cared deeply, and had people who cared about them, people who made our community and our lives better, taken from us too soon.

In the coming days and weeks, we will take up the fight on gun violence, but today, I ask everyone to join me in remembering those we lost, in hurting and healing with our community, and to offer a prayer for the families of those impacted, all of those impacted, including the officer currently fighting for his life.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise this evening as the convener of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Special Order hour.

We had been planning today to talk about the different budget priorities between Democrats and Republicans. Those are the things I care about. Those are the things I care a lot about. Those are the things I came to Congress excited to address, but we can't talk about those things today, because, once again, we are seeing our children slaughtered in their schools.

Monday morning, I dropped two of my kids off at their elementary school. I actually went in and talked to their class for career day. Their teacher let them give me a hug and walk me back to the front before I got in the car, got on the plane, and came to Washington.

While I was in the air, the tragedy at the Covenant School in Nashville unfolded. It makes me absolutely sick to my stomach.

Unlike in years past, from Uvalde to Newtown, I haven't been able to hug my own kids yet since the tragedy in Nashville, but those parents in Nashville and in so many schools across this country will never be able to hug their babies again.

We should be outraged. Outraged. Three 9-year-old children were ripped apart from their families by an assault-style weapon in their school, in the place we send them to learn, to grow, to be safe, and to feel safe.

What is more outrageous than three 9-year-olds being slaughtered by an assault-style weapon in their school? It is the 13th school shooting this year--this year--in 2023. It is the 13th school shooting this year.

It would be gut wrenching and awful if it were 13 school shootings in 13 years. It is the 13th school shooting this year.

Now, thank goodness for the courage, the bravery of the National Police Department and the first responders who kept this tragedy from impacting more families, but it should have never happened in the first place.

What are we doing? What are we doing here to stop this, to protect our kids? I heard one of my colleagues from the State where this happened say on the steps of this very building, ``There is nothing we can do.''

I can't accept that. As a policymaker, I can't accept that. As a parent, I can't accept that. You can't say there is nothing we can do when you are willing to do nothing.

I am a person of faith. We raised our family in the church. I believe in the power of prayer, and I am glad that our thoughts and prayers are with the families in Nashville, but thoughts and prayers will never be enough. We must look at legislation and take action so that there are no more school shootings, and we don't have to comfort families who have lost their kids because they simply went to school.

There are things we can and should do. Commonsense reforms that will keep our kids and our people safe. Let's start with universal background checks. Ninety percent of the American public wants us to have universal background checks, where to buy a firearm in this country, you have to get a background check so that we know you are not in crisis or otherwise ineligible to buy a firearm.

Instead, we see extremists in the other party willing to put gun manufacturers over people. We should ban assault weapons. These are weapons of war that have no place on our streets.

Just today, on the front page of The Washington Post, there is an expose on the AR-15. It goes into the detail we have far too often sanitized about what an assault-style rifle does to the body of a person and the body of a child. It has rendered kids unrecognizable in school shootings such as in Uvalde, Texas.

There was a product in the 1980s, lawn darts, that was dangerous for kids. We banned that; but we are not willing to ban these assault-style rifles? That is because extremists right now want to put guns over kids.

Let's talk about extreme risk protection orders. Measures that would actually keep people safe by temporarily removing a firearm from someone who is in crisis. We can't talk about gun violence in this country without recognizing that 60 percent of the gun deaths in America are death by suicide. It could help other people, as well.

I have a constituent, Whitney Austin. She was a mom. She was a project manager at Fifth Third Bank. She traveled up to Cincinnati from Louisville, Kentucky, to go to work. As she was walking into the office building, she was shot 12 times as part of what ended up being a mass shooting in Cincinnati. She never considered politics or gun policy before, because Louisville, like so many places in this country, is a small place. We call it ``Louis-village.''

She was friends with a person I went to high school with, and before she got home from the hospital, she said, What can I do to help? I met her in her house the day she came home. Her hair was still wet from having washed the blood out of it. We worked on legislation in the Kentucky General Assembly, legislation that I introduced with a Republican colleague from a rural part of our State that would keep people safe while respecting people's rights. Instead, we see, again, a party willing to put guns over people.

Let's talk about responsible gun ownership and laws that would encourage safe storage. Look what happened a couple weeks ago in Houston. A 3-year-old shot and killed her 4-year-old sister. A couple of days before that, a 7-year-old boy in Cleveland died from a suspected accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Just last month, a 3-year-old boy in Orlando and a 4-year-old boy in Nashville each shot themselves dead with guns they found. A month before that, a 6-year-old girl in Virginia accidentally shot and killed her teacher in Virginia.

These are toddlers; but we see people willing to put guns over kids. We must try to do something. Bring these measures to a vote. Bring these measures to the floor. Let us vote on them. Tell the American people that you believe in guns over kids instead of universal background checks.

We have got to do something. We have had 38 mass shootings this month alone, and so far, 130 in just the first 86 days of this year. More than 10,000 gun deaths, and we are not even out of March.

Bring this to a vote. Replace thoughts and prayers with legislation and action. Instead of legislation and action, what we are getting from extreme MAGA Republicans are slogans, not solutions.

We are hearing slogans like ``Guns Make Us Safer.'' How can you say that when guns are now the leading cause of death for children in this country?

Will the measures I have mentioned end gun violence in America? No, of course not.

Will they save lives? Yes, absolutely they will, and they will make our children safer. There is no doubt about it.

Every day that we delay, every day that we continue to refuse to take action, to put guns over people and guns over kids, we will almost certainly cause unnecessary death.

I spent 10 years in the State Senate of Kentucky. During that time, I was in the minority. For 10 years, I worked to represent my constituents but always found common ground. That is what I came to Washington to do, to continue to try to find common ground.

We cannot compromise when it comes to our kids' lives. To all of my colleagues in this body, neither should you.

Today, I am just another dad in America who is sad for the parents who won't have their kids with them this Easter, sad for the parents who have lost their children to the senseless scourge of gun violence; angry, hurting, looking to Congress to act; pleading with my colleagues to bring these bills up for debate and to a vote to stop putting guns over kids.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Lee), my colleague.

Madam Speaker, the comments from my colleague from Pennsylvania make me think back to last spring after the Uvalde crisis. I said every policymaker in the country should have had to drop their kids off at school the day after that shooting.

It was all over the news, and we didn't know whether to show our twins, our fourth graders, what was going on. I wanted to talk to them about it and ask them if they were okay, ask them if they felt scared.

My son looked at me and said: ``It's okay, Dad. We practice active shooter drills in school. We'll be ready.''

No child should have to comfort their parents in that way. We should be working to protect our kids from this scourge. Instead, we see a party putting guns over our kids.

I got an email after the Nashville shooting from the dad of a friend of mine from law school. He wrote to me and said:

Thank you for such a heartfelt, meaningful comment on the

Nashville school tragedy. Too bad others don't have the guts

to say what you did.

I don't know if you heard from my son, but one of the three

9-year-olds who died was my granddaughter's friend and

basketball teammate. Nine years old. Think about that.

This is something simply impossible for me to process, and

how do you explain it to a child?

The boilerplate thoughts and prayers we still hear from

those who refuse to do anything to stop the gun violence

won't help my granddaughter understand why her friend had to

die from a bullet.

The gun advocates are all about their constitutional right

to bear arms, yet this grandfather wonders about a 9-year-

old's constitutional right to life, liberty, and the pursuit

of happiness, something which far too many of our children

are being denied. It's just so sad.

Thank you again for saying exactly what needs to be said

again, again, and again until this craziness comes to an end.

We control that, Madam Speaker. We have some say in whether this craziness comes to an end from commonsense, publicly supported reforms: universal background checks, banning assault weapons, extreme risk protection orders, making sure we have responsible gun ownership, making sure that guns are no longer the leading cause of death among our children.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to H.R. 5, a bill that promotes conflict over clarity, callousness over kindness, and politics over problemsolving.

I am speaking today, not just as a Member of Congress, but as the parent of three young children, two of whom attend public schools in Louisville, Kentucky, and one who will be soon.

Parents should be involved in their kids' education, in everything from school board elections to the PTA, to communicating with their child's teacher on what is going on.

We received a message this morning from our kids' teacher letting us know that there would be no band because of the fifth grade musical.

This bill is about impeding, not involvement. The reason the American Library Association opposes this bill is because H.R. 5 clearly opens the door to deprive our kids of fact-based education, and it is part of a larger effort to ban free expression and ideas in the classroom. Even Cato thinks it is unconstitutional.

Like a lot of parents, we had to step in and teach some during the beginning of the pandemic. It wasn't easy, and I can assure you that curriculum should be ultimately determined by experts, not untrained individuals with extremist views.

In addition to restricting parents' rights, H.R. 5 hurts some of our most vulnerable kids in the LGBTQ community. Why?

According to the Trevor Project, one LGBTQ youth attempts suicide every 45 seconds, 45 seconds. Why?

Why are we being more cruel?

I believe that not just in politics but in life we are judged by how we treat those on the margins. My message to my colleagues is simple: Stop being mean to kids. We can be involved and be inclusive.

Normally, we warn our kids about dealing with bullies in their classrooms. We shouldn't have to warn them about bullying from adults, too. This message is simple, and I urge my colleagues to vote against it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor D'Angelia McMillan, Arielle Betts, Amina Garth and Heavenly Garth for their commitment to creating change in Kentucky.

As members of the Real Young Prodigy's Program, they spearheaded an advocacy campaign to pass the CROWN Act in Louisville. They also led a rally that brought in over 400 children to Frankfort in support of their cause. Young people across Louisville are better off thanks to D'Angelia, Arielle, Amina, and Heavenly's tireless advocacy, and I thank them for their service to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Nyree Clayton-Taylor for her steadfast service to our community.

Nyree is the creator of the Hip Hop N2 Learning Real Young Prodigy's Program, empowering students to use hip hop to create change that impacts the lives of Black children across Kentucky. She was also named the 2019 Kentucky Elementary Teacher of the Year. Nyree's dedication to bring about change and impact young lives is inspiring, and I thank her for all she does for Louisville.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Maria Wilson for her dedication to Kentucky's Third District.

As a graduate of Family Scholar House, Maria continues to work hard to ensure the organization can help women in need and get support to succeed in life. She continues to serve her community by uplifting those in Louisville who need it most. I thank Maria for her commitment to Louisvillians.