Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Comer), for yielding. I thank both the chairman and the ranking member, Mr. Connolly, for their leadership on this critical issue, not only in this congressional session but the last one, as well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, H.R. 872, the Federal Contractor Cybersecurity Vulnerability Reduction Act.

In 2020, the Office of Management and Budget directed Federal agencies to implement cybersecurity vulnerability disclosure policies. These policies enable third-party researchers and white hat hackers to work with the Federal Government to proactively identify and patch vulnerabilities in information systems before a cyberattack takes place.

Mr. Speaker, we all know how critically important it is, particularly with systems that are older than some of us in this room, that these vulnerability disclosure policies require these third parties to notify the Federal agency of any sensitive data they encounter, like personally identifiable information, financial information, proprietary information, or trade secrets.

This allows cybersecurity vulnerability to be addressed and data to be secured before it is exploited by malign actors, including our adversaries. My colleagues know that malign actors affiliated with China, Russia, Iran, and others are after us all day, every day, 365 days a year.

These vulnerability disclosure policies are critical to preventing cyberattacks on Federal systems.

This is an important step in Federal cybersecurity, but the work of Federal agencies is supplemented by millions of contractors working on behalf of Federal departments and agencies. The Federal Government awards over 11 million contracts annually, with many of those contractors having access to Federal systems and vast amounts of sensitive information, including personally identifiable information of American citizens.

My bill, the Federal Contractor Cybersecurity Vulnerability Reduction Act, will require the Office of Management and Budget, or OMB, to oversee updates to the Federal Acquisition Regulation to ensure that Federal contractors with access to Federal systems or who work with Federal data adopt these vulnerability disclosure policies, as well.

My bill also requires the Secretary of Defense to update the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement to require the same cybersecurity vulnerability disclosure policies, safeguarding the personal information of our servicemembers and the information vital to our national security.

These updates shall be done consistent with the guidelines and best practices developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and simply require contractors to abide by the same cybersecurity standards as Federal agencies.

Federal contractors with access to government systems and data should have the same safeguards in place as the government itself, ensuring that Federal systems and data are protected and that security vulnerabilities are addressed.

Adoption of vulnerability disclosure policies by government contractors will help protect the sensitive data of American citizens and our national security.

My bill would close a crucial vulnerability and protect our Nation from malicious actors who seek to steal our data and harm our citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to see this bill passed out of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee unanimously last year by a vote of 42-0. It is long past time we get this done. Until these vulnerability disclosure policies are adopted across the entire Federal digital ecosystem, our Nation's data and security are at risk.

Mr. Speaker, before I urge my colleagues to support this bill, I will say I walked into the Chamber this afternoon moments ago, and I saw a tweet or a post on X from South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, who said his protecting South Carolinians from sexual predators is a top priority. Protecting citizens of this country has been my top priority since the day I was ever sworn into office, particularly my constituents whom I represent.

I recently gave a speech on this floor where I was very detailed about horrific abuses I have experienced. When you talk about vulnerabilities, I know about being vulnerable.

When you talk about cybersecurity, I sit awake in my bed every single night wondering if anyone has ever seen those videos of me or any of the other women in the tapes that I outlined in my speech.

In the last 3 weeks since I came forward and gave that speech on the floor, my attorney general, Alan Wilson--and I am going to make sure every South Carolinian knows your name forever, not just for what you did but for what you have not done, your inaction on vulnerabilities of my own constituents in my district in South Carolina. You have done nothing in the last 3 weeks except attack me, a Member of Congress, who, in my duty, did my duty to protect her constituents.

I will keep fighting for every American citizen whether it is in this bill about vulnerability disclosure policy and Federal Government. I will do it for rape victims not just in my district, but in my State and in my country. I will do it because I care. I swore an oath to the Constitution to serve my constituents, to serve my State, and to serve my Nation every possible way that I can.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to take cyber threats by malign actors seriously. I urge my colleagues to protect the security of Americans' data. I urge my colleagues to do whatever we can in this Chamber to protect people who are vulnerable, whether we are talking about data or we are talking about rape victims, sex trafficking, all those things.

Victims should not be attacked ever, and I am one of those victims. I am tired of being attacked by the attorney general. I am tired of being blamed for being a rape victim and being a victim of Peeping Toms and voyeurism, same with these other victims. I am tired of it. I will not stand for it, not in this Chamber, not in my State, and not back home.

Attorney General Alan Wilson, I hope you have your No. 2 pencil out, and I hope you are taking notes. I hope that pencil is sharpened because, once I get my teeth stuck in you, I am not letting go. I will fight for every woman and girl across this country all day every day always.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call out the cowards who think they can prey on women and get away with it. Today, I am going scorched Earth. Let the bridges I burn this evening light our way forward.

As in many areas, God's Word has given me wisdom, God's love has shown me the light, and God's grace has given me the strength to be here today. God placed this burden on my path not to crush me but to ignite something within me--a calling, a purpose, a responsibility, and courage, which I am using in spades today.

The purpose of my speech tonight is to make sure these women will never be forgotten and the men who hurt them will never be allowed to get away with it or hide again.

God uses imperfect people to carry out his perfect plans. I ask God to fill me up, to be his vessel, and to use me for his purpose tonight. I ask for his protection as I expose the Devil's hand today.

In Jeremiah 6:16, it says when we are at a crossroads, that we are to look at the ancient paths, look for the right way, and walk on it.

When I was saved 5 years ago in church, in May of 2019, it was a Saturday night, and I was there: I was at a crossroads in life.

When I heard this sermon, with my child next to me, he put his arm

around me, and he said: Mommy, it is going to be okay. We are going to be okay.

I know in God's faith, in his wisdom, when I listen, he shows us his way. Tonight, it is God who is showing me the right path to take, because this is about truth. This is about unveiling evil that is in the State of South Carolina.

I want to quote Martin Luther King tonight who said: The time is always right to do what is right.

What I am doing tonight, I know in my heart of hearts, is right.

I am going to take this Bible a friend gave to me. I am going to place my hand on this Bible.

I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God.

Today, I am going to free myself from the monster who broke me. Today, I am going to free other women who fell prey to this same man. Today, I will free other women further from a group of men who committed the most evil acts against them.

I want every woman and girl to know in the country: You have a friend and you have a sister in me, and I will fight like hell for you every day of the week.

We must never tolerate abusers masquerading as men of character. Abuse doesn't discriminate. Abuse doesn't care if you are a Republican or if you are a Democrat. Abuse doesn't care who you are or where you come from or how strong you are or what title you hold.

I am living proof that even as a Member of Congress, I found myself face-to-face with the darkest corners of humanity. You really think you know someone until you don't.

In November of 2023, I accidentally uncovered some of the most heinous crimes against women imaginable. We are talking about rape, nonconsensual photos, nonconsensual videos of women and underage girls, and the premeditated, calculated exploitation of women and girls in my district.

Today, you will hear about the depraved men behind these gutless and evil acts. These men didn't just harm their victims. They recorded their depravity as if it were a badge of honor.

When I uncovered evidence of rape, the illegal filming of women, and sex trafficking, I didn't just see victims. I saw a system that failed to protect them.

I saw criminals who thought they could get away with it because no one had the guts, no one had the courage, and no one had the bravery to hold them accountable because we are filled with cowards.

I will burn this system to the ground if I have to.

These men aren't just criminals; they are predators. You can see the names and the faces of these predators on this board to my right tonight.

These predators are not untouchable. These predators are not invisible. These predators are not invincible. Today, their names will be tied to their crimes and their cowardice forever.

Let me say their names for the Record in alphabetical order. Eric Bowman of Sullivan's Island, South Carolina; Patrick Bryant of Mt. Pleasant and Isle of Palms, South Carolina, who also goes by Brendan Patrick Bryant; John Osborne of Charleston, South Carolina; and Brian Musgrave of Fort Mill, South Carolina.

Let me be loud and clear. I would never allow any woman or underage girl anywhere near any of you. When you incapacitate women, it is against the law. When you sexually assault women, it is called rape. If you film women naked without their knowledge, without their permission, and without their consent, it is called voyeurism, and it makes you a Peeping Tom. It is illegal.

When you and your business partners--like these, all business partners--when you and your business partners pay each other and you sexually abuse women, it is called sex trafficking, and it is against the law. It by definition makes you a sex trafficker.

Witness intimidation is also illegal.

To Eric Bowman, Patrick Bryant, Brian Musgrave, and John Osborne: You have bought yourself a one-way ticket to hell. It is nonstop, there are no connections, so I and all of your victims can watch you rot for an eternity. Today is about justice.

Truth has a way of rising no matter how deeply you try to bury it. Tonight is about truth, the painful, the cold, the hard truth.

On the night of October 30, 2023, I received a text message with screenshots from a friend of mine in South Carolina. It showed my then- fiance, Patrick Bryant, active on a dating app.

In South Carolina, politics is a blood sport. I thought this was your usual, run-of-the-mill political game. I thought it was a joke.

When I confronted Patrick Bryant 4 days later, on November 3, the first thing he did was take his phone and put it in a safe and lock it, a safe identical to this one. It was so confusing. I didn't understand why would someone put their cell phone in a safe and lock it.

After more women came forward, I realized this was not for laughs. Soon after, I learned the dating app was the very least of my worries. Let me make clear: I don't care that he was on a dating app.

Two days later, Patrick Bryant put my thumbprint on his phone, one just like this. He put my thumbprint on his phone. He also gave me the four-digit code to his safe.

The night that I was given legal access to his phone, I opened it for the first time. What I discovered shocked me to my core. One of the first videos I saw was of a woman, she was incapacitated and she was being raped. I found some photos of what appeared to be a teenager undressed, in the kind of underwear a child would wear. To me, the facial expression of this young woman, young girl, teenager, looked scared and nervous.

I saw another video of another woman who was undressed, clearly on a camera, unaware she was being filmed. She was slender, and she had long brown hair. I turned up the volume to hear if there was audio. I heard my voice. I zoomed in on the video, and that woman was me.

My entire body was paralyzed, and I couldn't move. Were my feet on the floor? Was I breathing? I have no idea. I could feel pain shooting out of my heart, out of my chest. I dropped straight down to the floor like I was in a nosedive. The pain running through my veins wouldn't stop. Time was suspended for a moment.

This monster stole my body. It felt like I had been raped. He stole my body without my permission, without my knowledge, and without my consent.

This hidden camera that I found was at a property owned by Patrick Bryant and his business partner Brian Musgrave. Here is a similar camera, bought on Amazon, something this small, that can violate so many to such a heinous degree.

I found an app where the file of at least one of the hidden cameras I discovered was stored. I discovered on this app, for this tiny little camera, there were 10,633 videos on it. Let me repeat. Just one camera I found had 10,633 videos on it.

Patrick Bryant must have forgotten that in my younger days, in my youth, I used to be a computer programmer. I know enough about technology.

I found more photos, this time of female employees. I found photos of wives of male employees, photos of girlfriends and women who very clearly didn't know their private parts were being filmed and photographed.

I found file after file after file.

Patrick Bryant had upskirt photos of one particular victim, a wife of a male employee who was also one of his best friends. He took upskirt photos of his employee's wife spanning at least 8 years. He even took upskirt photos of her on their family vacations. I know she had no idea these photos were being taken because of the way that they were taken. There is no way that she knew about it.

I found about a dozen photos in Patrick Bryant's trash bin of underage girls that he deleted in the hours after he gave me access to his phone. I recognized three of the underage girls as daughters of some of his business partners, some of them in bikinis.

If you are a 50-year-old man and you have teenage girls in bikinis on your phone and it is okay, why would you delete them in the hours after your fiancee got access to your phone? If there is nothing wrong with it, why would these 12-plus photos of these underage girls be in your trash bin? What are you to worry about if there is nothing going on?

Three of the teenage girls I saw in this trash bin of business partners were

in bikinis. One of these jarring photos of a child of one of his business partners was an underage girl, fully clothed, but her legs were spread open, unaware she was being photographed.

Patrick Bryant took this photo from his penis area.

In my accidental discovery, I found multiple devices used by him to record women without their knowledge, and that is before I get to what I uncovered with Patrick Bryant and his business partners.

The weekend I was given access to Patrick Bryant's phone, I found evidence that he got a second mobile device. I documented it.

Patrick Bryant couldn't transfer these files off his device fast enough. I discovered he was transferring terabytes of data onto another device. I documented it.

Patrick Bryant would soon replace his cell phone with a new one. I documented that, too. He forgets that I used to be a computer programmer.

None of this is conjecture. These are not allegations. These are facts. It is documented, sometimes with metadata. I knew how to get that, too.

This is what I found; this is what I saw; and this is what I accidentally discovered.

As you should know by now, I keep all the receipts.

In addition to what I documented, I personally identified--I personally identified--almost a dozen victims. I found some witnesses, and I found more than enough probable cause and then some.

If I found this many victims with this little effort, why--why?--are they still on the streets of South Carolina today?

I am just one person. Imagine how many victims there truly are tonight, and they don't even know that they are victims of this cabal of rapists, this cabal of sex traffickers, this cabal of Peeping Toms.

Exactly 7 days later, after I got access to Patrick Bryant's phone, I was under extreme duress. I found more photos. I found more videos.

On my last night with Patrick Bryant, he physically assaulted me. On the morning of November 13, I fled my home, and I went into hiding. I, as a Member of Congress, fled my home, and I went into hiding. It would be the first of four moves that I made last year.

I still have the mark that Patrick Bryant made on me the night that he assaulted me. Rather than see this mark as a scar, I see this mark of a free woman, free from a monster. I will wear this mark that he made on me for the rest of my life as a badge of honor.

To the friends who took me in, I want to say thank you. You took care of me when I had nowhere to go. You took care of me and my kids.

Last year, I had to tell a woman that she had been raped, and she didn't even know it. She didn't know it. She had no idea because she was incapacitated at the time of the rape. I knew she was raped because I accidentally found the video of her being raped. I found photos and video of her assault on Patrick Bryant's phone.

One of Patrick Bryant's business associates, John Osborne, sexually assaulted her at the home of Eric Bowman. Patrick Bryant and Eric Bowman both had their phones out like this as she was being assaulted, as she was being raped. The two of them--three of them business partners--the two of them had their phones out just like this, filming her as she was being raped, and she was completely laid out. There was no movement. There was no life. I couldn't even tell if this young woman was alive.

John Osborne today--John Osborne, I want you to hear this in your omission as you are frantically texting people today: I cannot unsee what you did to this young woman, and you will not--you will not--get away with it. None of you will because tonight is about justice for me, and tonight is about justice for all of the women that you all raped, that you all filmed, that you all photographed, and that you all abused for years.

I would later learn that these men, the three of them, Patrick Bryant, Eric Bowman, and John Osborne, planned her rape. It was premeditated.

Eric Bowman knew there were children in the home at the time of the rape, and he decided to orchestrate it anyway.

But that is not the only rape I uncovered at Eric Bowman's home. In a second video, Patrick Bryant can be seen breaking into a room, his pants undone, ready to rape a different incapacitated woman, again laid out. There was no life. There was no movement. I couldn't tell if she was alive.

Eric Bowman, his business partner, filmed it.

When I informed my children we were urgently fleeing our home as if our lives depended on it, my children asked me if Patrick Bryant had ever raped me. I don't know how children know the inherent spirit of humanity, but my kids knew something I did not already know. Children have a way of knowing evil in others when we don't.

In searching for victims over the last year, I met other women who were raped or sexually assaulted by some of these men. The other assaults I uncovered over the last year span over a decade, almost 20 years. In talking to these victims, there is a clear pattern of behavior. Women were incapacitated; they were raped; and someone filmed it.

One night in 2022, I found myself at a property owned by Patrick Bryant and Brian Musgrave on the Isle of Palms in South Carolina. Business partners Patrick Bryant and Eric Bowman were both there. I was served two small vodka sodas, like this glass right here, two small vodka sodas like anyone would have at their neighborhood restaurant.

A short time later, I blacked out. I have never blacked out after having a vodka soda or any adult beverage ever in my life. It has never happened. But I know who has: the women raped on those tapes that I saw, the women raped that I spoke to over the course of the last year. The stories of these women were all too familiar. Now I know why.

My memories of that night are just flashes in and out of the dark, flashes in and out of the night. I was raped that night.

Was it Patrick Bryant? I don't know, but I was raped.

I believe that they purposely incapacitated me.

Was anyone else there? Was it filmed? Was it sold on the dark web? I have no idea, but I know what these men do to their victims.

I learned firsthand about the weaponization of government going through this trauma because I met it head-on. I fought in silence, and it was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.

In October, Eric Bowman tried to intimidate me, and he tried to silence me, and the State of South Carolina failed to take it seriously as witness intimidation.

During the last year, I turned everything over to law enforcement and then some. I was told I, as a victim, would be investigated. Investigated for what? I am a victim here. I am turning in all of this evidence to you, and now you say: Victims, you are a victim of rape, you are a victim of being drugged, you are a victim of a Peeping Tom and voyeurs, and yet we are going to investigate you.

That is what the State told me.

During the last year, more than once, I was told I could be arrested. Arrested for what?

These types of threats are also a way to intimidate victims, instilling fear so victims hide in the shadows, so victims don't come forward, so victims don't ask for complaints to be filed, so there is no investigation because you strike holy fear into victims, or you tell them there is nothing you can do. You tell them they have no value.

I brought handcuffs with me today. If anyone would like to arrest me for standing up for women, here are my wrists. Arrest me. Take me to jail because I am 100 percent guilty of turning over evidence of Peeping Toms, of turning over evidence of rape, of turning over evidence of voyeurism, of turning over evidence of sex trafficking, and, who knows, probably a heck of a lot more, and more crimes I don't have time to get into tonight.

I am 100 percent guilty of advocating for justice despite every effort to silence me.

There is a silent battle raging every single day. It is not a problem confined to one race. It is not a problem confined to one religion. It is not a problem confined to one socioeconomic class. It is not someone else's problem. It is our problem.

We must face domestic violence, sexual assault, rape, and sex trafficking with courage; we must face it with clarity; and we must face it with compassion. We must also face it with hardcore justice.

There is no room for those who think their strength is in intimidating and harming or threatening others. True strength lies in honor; it lies in respect; and it lies in the truth. Real men are protectors; they are not predators.

South Carolina's chief law enforcement officer, Attorney General Alan Wilson, stated 2 weeks ago tonight that he will let his ``record'' speak for itself.

Attorney General Alan Wilson, be careful what you wish for because your record speaks loud and clear. Women who come forward in your system are treated like criminals--under your leadership, in your system, and on your watch.

Attorney General Alan Wilson, you know there were deliberate delays in an investigation in what I turned over, 228 days of delay, and you know this, 228 days of delay. That is 7 months, 2 weeks, and 4 days of delay to investigate.

Once again, today, you are kicking the can down the road like you always do--you are known for it--more days, more weeks, and more delay.

Did the attorney general contact the Department of Social Services when the State was told about a rape that happened in a home with children when children were at home? No, he didn't.

Did South Carolina's attorney general have any of these predators indicted after being provided clear, cut-and-dry evidence, including video, photos, and witnesses? No, he did not.

When the attorney of a victim asked to speak to the attorney general, Alan Wilson, directly, he told the attorney not to send him any information, not to send him any documents.

Did the State accept additional physical evidence from me late last year when I stumbled upon it? No, they did not.

I was also told my domestic violence incident would not be investigated.

In your system, Attorney General Alan Wilson, women who come forward are threatened with investigation like I was. In your system, women who come forward are threatened with arrest like I was.

While the law is explicit in protecting victims, in your system, you don't follow the law. I waited 320 days before receiving a victim's rights advocate and only because I was persistent.

I was given a victim's rights advocate 10 months, 2 weeks, and 6 days later--10 months--10\1/2\ months, the State waited to give me a victim's rights advocate.

What is wrong with you people?

So let me remind you, Mr. Attorney General: You have one job, and it is to follow the law.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, you are not a real man because real men--real men--protect women.

I have no respect for anyone who treats women and victims the way you do.

I will stand up and stand in the way of anyone who will cause harm and abuse, and you are one of them. You have turned a blind eye to women and girls for the last 15 years. I don't have the luxury of looking away.

The larger emotional travesty for the victims here, which overshadows all of these evil acts, is the fact the State has refused to do its job and put these predators behind bars, in effect telling these victims: They have no value.

Justice delayed is justice denied. The delays have been long enough.

My outrage over your broken system and my passion to call it out and fix it isn't personal. I have an ethical and a moral obligation to protect each and every one of my constituents, even if it is from someone I know personally.

To the victims tonight, I want you to know you have value, and you, as a victim, can still have victory after tonight.

To those concerned about false accusation--and there will be some of you out there--yes, fake victims exist, and they do real consequential harm to real victims. But the existence of a few frauds should not and cannot be an excuse to ignore the desperate cries of those who suffer in silence.

Justice demands discernment, not denial.

This isn't a story about bitter ex-girlfriends because some of you will say that, too. That is not true.

This isn't a story about consensual sex tapes, there are plenty of those. I don't care what two consenting adults do. That is the definition of freedom.

This is a story about predators who hunt women for sport. This is a story about rapists. This is a story about sex traffickers. This is a story about Peeping Toms and voyeurs who have never been called to account or held responsible for their heinous crimes against women.

The daughter of Ethel Lance, a victim of the 2015 Mother Emanuel shooting, said to her mom's killer: I forgive you.

If she can do it, I can, too.

Ethel, thank you for being a beacon of forgiveness for Christians out there in the world to know forgiveness can happen.

I don't want to forgive. I don't want to, but I know that, as a woman of faith, I have to, but, also, the Bible reminds us that forgiveness does not forfeit justice.

In Romans 12:19, it says: ``Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written: `Vengeance is mine, and I will repay, says the Lord.' ''

Today, we are getting justice. As a woman of faith, I draw strength from the teachings of Jesus Christ, and Christ confronted injustice wherever he saw it.

I will not stand silently by while abuse is excused, while it is hidden, and while it is ignored. I will fight to protect victims. I will fight to hold abusers accountable. And I will fight to ensure every woman and child has the safety and security they deserve.

As Gisele Pelicot said: ``Shame must change sides.''

I no longer live in the shadows. I no longer live in shame. I live in the light. So thank you, Gisele, for being fearless in fighting for your justice.

I want to recognize J.K. Rowling for her resilience in speaking out for women and girls. She, her message, has kept me pushing forward on days when I didn't think I had anything left. There are an untold number of groups working around the clock to support women, I thank you, too.

I spent countless hours working on legislation to protect women and girls since this deeply traumatic event.

I want to thank my staff, who are here and who are watching, for working on this legislation. They have worked incredibly hard to deliver.

Women have rights. Women have the right to privacy. We have the right not to be filmed. We have the right not to be raped. We have the right not to be intimidated and harassed. We have the right to feel safe and secure.

There is more work to be done yet, but to my staff and to my team: You are making an enormous difference for women and girls everywhere. We have filed over a dozen bills in the last 14 months since this has happened.

My bill, the Sue VOYEURS Act, creates a civil right of action for victims of voyeurism.

The Stop VOYEURS Act expands a very narrow criminal prohibition against video voyeurism at the Federal level.

H.R. 7567 addresses deepfakes.

The Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act deports rapists and pedophiles.

The Safe Shelters Act prohibits sex offenders from entering or using the services of emergency shelters.

The Rape Shield Enhancement Act is to protect the women who are raped and to protect their privacy.

My bill, the Stop the Invasion of Women's Spaces Act, defunds any entity who allows an individual to use a single-sex facility that does not correspond with their biological sex.

The Protecting Women's Private Spaces Act prohibits people from using single-sex facilities on Federal property other than those corresponding with their biological gender.

The Prison Rape Prevention Act ensures and requires inmates to be housed based on their biological sex so that women can't be raped by a man who thinks he is a woman.

The VANISH Act addresses revenge porn.

H.R. 8180 increases the civil penalty for revenge porn.

H.R. 1579 prohibits Members and others from using single-sex facilities

other than those corresponding with their gender.

It is not just Federal law, but State law needs to be addressed, too.

In South Carolina, State law 16-17-470 makes voyeurism and Peeping Tom first offenses a misdemeanor, not a felony. It is a couple-hundred- dollar fine and a few years in jail if--if--they prosecute you, and if they get a conviction on that prosecution, which they don't want to prosecute, by the way.

If you would like to work on legislation with us, our office is open. You can go to mace.house.gov/women, and we will work with you.

Some will ask why am I speaking out?

I was horrified about what I uncovered and cannot stand silent and do nothing about it. Being quiet is not in my DNA, especially when I see wrongdoing.

The probability these predators are continuing their abuse and crimes against women right now as I speak, as I give this speech right now, is very high. And if I found this many victims with this little effort, imagine how many victims are out there today. And so we will put up our hotline.

If you call 843-212-7048, that is our hotline. If you are a victim, let us know. We will help you.

But there are so many victims who may not even know they are victims yet.

I am sounding the alarm on predators who are still roaming the streets of South Carolina, and our chief law enforcement officer, Attorney General Alan Wilson, knows it.

You don't wake up one day and say your first crime of your life, ever, is to premeditate a rape with you and your business partners, with your kids at home, and you film it. Who knows what else they have done over the years?

To the men watching: Their next victim could be your daughter, your sister, your wife.

To the women watching tonight: Their next victim could be you.

I feel duty bound to protect these women and girls with every ounce of my being. I am one of you. We are no different. We are cut from the same cloth, victimized by the same men, and I am here for you.

Do I trust South Carolina's attorney general to bring these women justice? No. I do not.

Even today, they are saying I don't know how the law works, as they condescendingly talk down to a victim.

Let me advise you, Mr. Attorney General: If you go to your website, it is your duty to prosecute rape and sexual assault and sex trafficking, which you bragged about protecting women and girls for the last 15 years. You have done nothing about it. And you refused to act when you were given, on a silver platter, a plate of evidence--videos, photos, witnesses, victims of this, and you turn the other cheek.

If Alan Wilson won't do his job as attorney general, I will do it for him. I am duty bound to protect and find every single female victim out there, and I will do it. I will do it single-handedly if I have to.

For too long, women have been told that speaking out against abuse is unbecoming, that it diminishes us. But silence is what diminishes us, and strength comes from shining light on a darkness.

This is an incredibly difficult task. I have been attacked for standing up for women, for our dignity, for our safety, and for our rights.

Just a few weeks ago, I was physically attacked by a pro-trans man for it, too.

I will take all of the arrows and all of the attacks if it means I am taking these attacks for each and every one of you. I am doing this today because we can't delay justice--justice victims like myself need to move forward.

I have lived in fear. I have lived in pain. I have lived in agony, but, after today, I will live free.

If you are a woman who has visited the home of Eric Bowman on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina; if you are a woman who has visited the properties owned by Patrick Bryant and Brian Musgrave on Isle of Palms, South Carolina; if you are a female employee of Patrick Bryant; if you are the wife of a male employee who works for him at any one of his companies headquartered in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina; if you are an underage girl anywhere near Patrick Bryant; if you have been anywhere near Patrick Bryant or Eric Bowman where there has been a cell phone recording device or any recording device or camera; if you believe you may have been drugged or incapacitated, raped, filmed, and photographed without your knowledge, permission, or consent by one or more of these men; or if you believe you may be a victim of the crimes I described today, we set up a hotline for you.

If you will call or text 843-212-7048--when I see a problem, I will do anything to fix it--you can call or text us.

Like so many women, I have suffered tremendous consequences to my physical health. I have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. I live looking over my shoulder. I endure sleepless nights. I have a form of vertigo related to my PTSD nightmares, and the adverse health issues linger 14 months after this traumatic event--deeply traumatic event.

I hit rock bottom last year, but as phoenix rose from the ashes, I, too, am coming back to life. My breakdown was my breakthrough, my devastation was my deliverance, and my God was my grace.

I want to thank my children who are watching tonight. I want to thank my family. My mom is here tonight. She is up here. I love you. Thank you.

I want to thank the Medical University of South Carolina for having one of the best sexual abuse trauma centers in the country. You saved my life and countless others, including some of the victims who are here tonight.

To the women behind the scenes who shared their horror stories and who now lurk in the shadows out of real, terrifying fear about coming forward, I want to thank you, too, for your quiet courage. You know who you are, and you inspired me. You inspired me to keep going.

Today, as I am standing here, not just as a Member of Congress but as a woman and as a survivor, fighting as hard--as hard as I can for other survivors, I am going to put this sticker on. My staff made it for me tonight, and it says in bold letters: Survivor.

I am going to ask this sticker--we have many guests tonight, including some victims. I am going to ask those who are here on the floor tonight to put this sticker on and the lapel pins we made tonight that say: Survivor.

I will be the loudest voice for those forced to stay silent. Living through my trauma and helping other women through theirs, all those victims of crimes we didn't know had been committed--our bodies violated in ways none of us could comprehend.

Today is about justice, and the belief we should do better, and we can do better for every single woman and girl.

I don't want to hear a single excuse about what we can do for women. We can do it, and we can do it now.

To anyone doing business with these men, know who you are doing business with.

You are doing business with rapists. You are doing business with sex traffickers, and you are doing business with Peeping Toms.

Some of the properties where these crimes took place are listed on certain short-term rental sites like Airbnb and VRBO. I say this because there may have been hidden cameras in the properties at which these crimes took place.

Some of the companies these predators are involved with have had or are trying to or might have now government contracts with Federal and State and local governments. The government should not do business with rapists, sex traffickers, and Peeping Toms.

I have many unanswered questions tonight. Were any children endangered? Were any children raped? Were any underage girls victims? Did any children witness rape? Are there still underage children at the physical property where the rapes occurred? How many recordings were taken of women on all these devices by all these men?

I have found several devices. Were the recordings I saw of myself and all these women sold on the dark web? How many women were raped by these men? Who are all the victims of all of these men and will the victims, will these women, ever know?

Had I never found out I was a victim, I would never have known to dig deep to find other victims. To the victims here tonight in the gallery, to the victims watching, my heart bleeds with

yours. We are one. We are the same. We are survivors together, and I will always, always be there for you no matter what.

Today, I stand defiant with my fists in the air to say as loudly and as boldly as I can say: I have the courage, I have the strength, and I have the resilience to take on the challenges of this moment. To the naysayers who are out there, online, on the web and the press today living in my past, I want you to know I don't live there anymore and your lies will never ever break me.

In Genesis 19:26, when Lot and his wife were fleeing Sodom and Gomorrah, God said: Don't look back. Lot's wife looked back. She turned right into dust because she looked back when God said not to.

Today, I am free. Today, I am moving forward and today, I am never looking back.

Let us leave a legacy for our children that they can be proud of, a legacy of courage, a legacy of compassion, and a legacy of unyielding justice. Truth doesn't cause the same fear as spin. Truth is peaceful, even in all of its awful and heinous brutality.

To the victims of these predators, I pray for your protection, I pray for your courage, and I pray for your resilience.

In Ecclesiastes 4, it talks about the strength of a rope, how it is easily not broken. With one strand of a rope, you are weak. You won't survive. Two strands of rope are better than one, but even then, it is not the best. But when you have three strands of a rope, you cannot be broken.

So to the women tonight, the victims of these crimes, to women everywhere, women and girls all across the country, I want you to know you have the courage and you have the bravery necessary. You have the courage required and the voice needed in times like these to hold those accountable for their horrific abuses against you.

Proverbs 27:17 says: Iron sharpens iron as one man sharpens another. I want to thank the citadel for being the iron that sharpened me in my youth.

There is power in the brokenness we feel. Ladies, find your death goddess. Find that death goddess energy and use it. It is hard to explain to others who haven't been in this place, who haven't hit rock bottom, but for those of us that have, this death goddess energy is unmistakable and it is unstoppable.

We don't cower, we don't hide, and we don't shrink. We stand tall, and we rise. We are not destroyed. We say: No more. We fight back. And when we feel defeated, we fight harder. And when we need nourishment, we seek God's wisdom.

Your wound is my wound. Your wound is our wound. Your pain is our pain, and your fear is our fear.

This is who you are, this is your spirit, and this is your superpower. Know I am standing on the battlefield with you. Know I am standing in the trenches with you. Know I am standing in your fight with you. Know I will always be your iron.

May God bless the women who fell victim to the abuse of these monsters. May God bless the great State of South Carolina. May God bless the United States of America and every single woman and girl out there today.

In my most humble voice, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 8 o'clock and 6 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.

Mr. Speaker, yes, I rise today to ``demonize,'' as the word was used on the left across the aisle, to demonize illegal immigrants who are here raping our women and girls, murdering our women and girls, and who are pedophiles molesting our children. You are darn right. That is what I am here to do today.

I rise in strong support of my bill, H.R. 30, the Preventing Violence Against Women By Illegal Aliens Act.

Under the open-border policies of Joe Biden and border czar Kamala Harris and Secretary Mayorkas, our country has been ravaged by a hoard of illegal aliens molesting American children, battering and bruising and beating up American women, and violently raping American women and girls.

My bill makes it very clear: If an illegal alien commits a sex crime or an act of domestic violence, they are inadmissible and deportable-- we aren't letting you into our country, and if you are already here, we are sending you back to yours.

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle like to try to minimize this issue because they refuse to acknowledge the consequences of their open-borders agenda, but the numbers don't lie.

According to ICE, as of July, there were nearly 650,000 illegal aliens on the nondetained docket who are convicted criminals who have been charged with crimes.

These criminal illegal aliens freely roam our streets committing senseless acts of violence against American women and children. This includes over 100,000 illegal aliens convicted of or charged with assault. It includes over 20,000 illegal aliens convicted of or charged with sexual assault and rape. It includes over 12,000 illegal aliens convicted of or charged with sex offenses. It includes over 3,000 illegal aliens convicted of or charged with kidnapping. And it includes nearly 15,000 illegal aliens convicted of or charged with murder. That is who the left are defending this morning: murderers, rapists, and pedophiles.

Hundreds of thousands of criminal illegal aliens are out on our streets terrorizing our women and girls. This bill passed the House last year in September by a vote of 266-158. Mr. Speaker, 158 Democrats voted against this bill last time. Will they apologize to American women and girls today and do the right thing for our citizens?

A vote against this bill is a vote against deporting illegal aliens who rape and abuse women and children. A vote against this bill is a vote to invite illegal aliens who rape and abuse women and children into the United States of America. I can think of nothing less American than that.

It is despicable that 158 Members of this body, which is supposed to represent the interests of American citizens, voted to prioritize illegal aliens who are sexual predators and domestic abusers, rapists, and pedophiles over the safety of American women and girls.

Mr. Speaker, what do the 158 Members of this body who voted last time to protect illegal aliens who are sexual predators have to say to the family of Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl who was brutally raped and strangled to death by two illegal aliens from Venezuela?

What do the 158 Democrats who voted against this bill last time have to say to the family of Rachel Morin from Maryland, a mother of five, who was brutally raped, brutally choked, and beaten to death on a hiking trail by an illegal alien from El Salvador?

What do the 158 Members of this body, the Democrats who voted against this bill last time, have to say to the family of Kayla Hamilton, a 20- year-old with autism who was tied up, raped, and strangled to death with a phone cord by an illegal alien who was a member of MS-13?

As a survivor of both rape and domestic violence myself, I know the devastating toll, the devastating consequences, that heinous crimes like these have on a woman. I know the lifelong, irreversible scars these heinous crimes leave behind.

The blood and the physical and emotional pain caused by these tragedies, the trauma caused by these tragedies, the lifelong trauma of these tragedies, this blood is on the hands of every single Democrat in this body who votes against this bill.

It is our birthright as American citizens to live freely and safely in our communities. One woman, one child victimized by one illegal alien is one too many. They have no right to be here.

Some of my colleagues across the aisle claim that the definition of domestic violence in this bill is too broad. They are wrong. The current definition isn't broad enough, and I know this now that I have been a victim most recently of domestic violence and abuse that VAWA did not go far enough, and our States have a lot more to go to protect women and girls.

I implore my colleagues to look at their hearts, hear the cries of the families who have been shattered by these evil acts committed by illegal aliens, and put American women and children first and pass this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record three reports on arrests.

[From the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Feb. 2, 2024]

ERO Seattle Arrests 6 Noncitizens With Criminal Convictions for Child

Exploitation During National Operation

Seattle--U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE)

Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Seattle arrested six

noncitizens convicted of crimes related to child exploitation

during a nationwide law enforcement effort that ran from

January 16-28.

``Noncitizens who commit repugnant acts at the expense of

children will not be allowed to claim our great nation as

their home,'' said ERO Seattle Field Office Director Drew

Bostock. ``The arrests ERO Seattle made during this national

operation are an example of the constant contributions we

make locally to keep the U.S. safe from child predators.''

All arrests took place in the assigned ERO Seattle states

of Alaska, Washington and Oregon, with criminal convictions

made by courts in Washington and Oregon.

Those arrested include:

A 53-year-old citizen of El Salvador in Tacoma who was

convicted of felony child molestation in the first degree,

child molestation in the second degree, and rape of a child

in the third degree.

A 42-year-old citizen of Mexico in Moses Lake who was

convicted of dealing in depictions of a minor engaged in

sexually explicit conduct.

A 39-year-old citizen of Mexico in Federal Way who was

convicted of communication with a minor for immoral purposes.

A 69-year-old citizen of Mexico in Yakima who was convicted

of dealing in depictions of a minor engaged in sexually

explicit conduct.

A 58-year-old citizen of Mexico in Yakima who was convicted

of child molestation in the first degree, child molestation

in the second degree, and rape of a child in the third

degree.

A 43-year-old citizen of Mexico in Woodburn, Oregon, who

was convicted of first degree sexual abuse of a minor.

ERO officers evaluate individuals on a case-by-case basis,

assessing the totality of the facts and circumstances to make

informed arrest determinations. Those cases amenable to

federal criminal prosecution can be presented to the U.S.

attorney's office. ERO also coordinates with U.S. Citizenship

and Immigration Services to evaluate the completion of

relevant noncitizen applications.

In fiscal year 2023, ERO arrested 73,822 noncitizens with

criminal histories; this group had 290,178 associated charges

and convictions with an average of four per individual. These

included 33,209 assaults; 4,390 sex and sexual assaults;

7,520 weapons offenses; 1,7l3 charges or convictions for

homicide; and 1,655 kidnapping offenses.

As one of ICE's three operational directorates, ERO is the

principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of

domestic immigration enforcement. ERO's mission is to protect

the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who

undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of

U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are

interior enforcement operations, management of the agency's

detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of

noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO's

workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and

non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic

field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas

postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments

along the border.

Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious

activity by dialing 866-347-2423 or completing the online tip

form. Learn more about ICE's mission to increase public

safety in your community by following us on X, formerly known

as Twitter, @EROSeattle.

Mr. Speaker, since we have someone from the State of Maryland, this was on FOX News: ``Arrest of illegal immigrant previously convicted of rape in Maryland marks record for ICE.''

``ICE nabs several migrants convicted of child molestation, one convicted murderer, in blue State suburbs.''

Another one from Maryland: ``Rachel Morin murder: Illegal immigrant from El Salvador charged in rape, killing of Maryland mom of five.''

We had someone from Washington today talk. Here is an article about the ERO: ``ERO Seattle arrests six noncitizens with criminal convictions for child exploitation during national operation.''

In California: ``Serial rapist illegal migrant attacked woman in `rape dungeon on wheels,''' said the cops.

Of course, for someone from New York, here is the headline from New York: ``ERO New York City arrests unlawfully present Salvadoran citizen convicted of rape.''

These are the illegals that the left is defending today. I find it disgusting and offensive, and I will always put American women and girls first.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to let the Charleston County's sanctuary sheriff in South Carolina know that she can run, but she cannot hide.

In recent weeks, I have had sources and a whistleblower come forward about the damaging policies of Charleston County's sanctuary sheriff letting off criminal illegal aliens onto the streets of Charleston County, South Carolina. She can say that the Charleston County jail doesn't reside in my district, but when she lets out an illegal alien who is committing crimes against residents in South Carolina, she doesn't get that excuse.

She can blame the release of illegal aliens on her department policies all she wants, but what she will not tell you is that she literally drafted and signed off on her own department policies for what she is blaming the reason why she has allowed over 50 criminal illegal aliens out onto the streets of South Carolina.

She can call me a liar all she wants, but anyone who knows me knows that in Congress or in a Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing or any hearing, quite frankly, I bring the receipts, including a receipt from ICE showing she has let off over 50 criminal illegal aliens out onto the streets of South Carolina, most recently as August 23, when she allowed a criminal illegal alien, an alleged pedophile who tried to solicit a minor, back out onto the streets.

She blamed that release because she said her department policy is that a judge has to keep him detained. I say to sanctuary Sheriff Kristin Graziano that it is her own policies that she wrote and signed her name to that she is blaming it on.

When we are up here in Congress, I demand truth, I demand honesty, and I demand integrity. So, too, do the residents of South Carolina. They deserve to be put first. They deserve to be safe in their homes, safe on the streets, and safe in their communities. Until that changes, Charleston County sanctuary Sheriff Kristin Graziano is to blame for what is happening in South Carolina today and her own county.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to share that if you go out onto sanctuary Sheriff Kristin Graziano's Twitter feed, you will see in her header, she is proudly standing with border czar Kamala Harris. The Biden- Harris administration has allowed our borders wide open for the last 4 years, allowing over 10 million illegals to come into our country illegally. Every town has become a border town. Every county has become a border county. Every State has become a border State, and not on my watch at all, not one more day.

ICE even responded to Charleston County sanctuary Sheriff Kristin Graziano yesterday and commented on how problematic her policies are, freely releasing criminal illegal aliens out onto the streets of South Carolina.

I won't put up with her lies. In fact, this morning, at 10 a.m., she had a press conference for the local press. She spoke for barely 1 minute and refused to take any questions from any member of the press. That is cowardly, that is shameful, and that is disgusting.

She doesn't deserve the privilege of serving as sheriff of Charleston County. Her policies are damaging to our residents, and I will not allow one more day of this behavior on my watch.

Celebrating Grand Opening of Joseph S. Daning Amphitheater

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise my hometown of Goose Creek, South Carolina, which came together to celebrate the grand opening of the Joseph S. Daning Amphitheater.

Named after former South Carolina House Representative Joseph Daning, who worked hard to secure the funding for this nearly $4 million project, this amphitheater can accommodate around 800 people--plenty of room for families and friends all at once.

I feel truly blessed to represent a district so dedicated to our community, and I certainly enjoyed working with former South Carolina House Representative Joe Daning when we served in the State Legislature together.

We appreciate all of his work and the town of Goose Creek's work to provide this amphitheater for residents of the Lowcountry.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Jim Jordan for his leadership.

I find the debate on my bill, the Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act, shameful. I, myself, am a survivor of rape. I understand the lifelong trauma as someone who has survived rape, as someone who has been in a domestic violence situation where I was also the victim.

I don't want to hear it. If you are here illegally at all, you should be gone. Today, we are only dealing with a very limited number of issues, meaning the worst of the worst, the criminal illegal aliens who are here illegally, committing some of the worst crimes against women and underage girls.

Joe Biden and border czar Kamala Harris have opened the floodgates, welcoming countless criminal illegal aliens into our country to prey upon American women and American girls.

Thanks to the policies of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, these criminal illegal aliens who have no business, they have no right to step foot into our country now roam the streets of our communities, inflicting senseless acts of sexual and domestic violence and murder while they hurt American women and girls.

These Biden-Harris criminal illegal aliens have molested American children, battered and bruised American spouses, and violently raped American women and girls.

In April 2022, an illegal alien was arrested in my home State of South Carolina for sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl, after being previously deported not once but twice.

In May of 2022, an illegal alien and Guatemalan national raped and impregnated a 9-year-old girl in Ohio.

In April 2023, an illegal alien broke into a woman's house in Indiana in the middle of the night, physically assaulted her, and held a box cutter to her throat while he raped her.

In July 2023, an illegal alien and Honduran national raped a 13-year- old girl in neighboring Virginia, just 25 miles from where we stand today.

In March of this year, an illegal alien followed a woman from a train station, grabbed her, robbed her, and sexually assaulted her.

On March 25th of this year, an illegal alien was arrested and charged with raping a mentally incapacitated 14-year-old girl in Alabama.

On May 13th of this year, a serial rapist illegal alien was arrested in California for raping two women in a van which authorities referred to as his ``rape dungeon on wheels.''

In April of this year, an illegal alien was charged after breaking into a mobile home in Michigan and viciously sexually assaulting two young girls under the age of 13.

In May of this year, an illegal alien abducted an 11-year-old girl in Florida, forcing her into his van and brutally raping her.

On June 17th of this year, two illegal aliens raped and strangled 12- year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Texas.

Just last month, an illegal alien was arrested after raping a 10- year-old boy in Mississippi.

Earlier this month, an illegal alien convicted of a violent assault in Massachusetts was released and went on to rape a child.

This is hardly an exhaustive list. We see more tragedies like these with every passing week. The blood and the physical and emotional scars of these tragedies rest on the hands of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Not only has the Biden-Harris administration caused this problem, they are actively enabling it.

Listen to this. In a September of 2021 memo, Secretary Mayorkas specifically argued domestic violence shouldn't be categorical grounds to apprehend and remove an illegal alien. How many American women and girls have been battered and bloodied due to this insanity?

Under my bill, any illegal alien who commits a sex crime or act of domestic violence is inadmissible to our country and immediately deportable.

We shouldn't let them into our country under any circumstances, and if we catch them, we send them back. They have to go.

As a survivor of rape, I know firsthand the devastating toll these heinous acts can take on a woman and the lifelong scars and the lifelong trauma that they leave behind. One woman or one child violated by an illegal alien is one too many.

Each and every sex crime or act of domestic violence committed by an illegal alien was preventable. They have no single right to be here today.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to put politics aside and protect American women and children from being victimized by criminal illegal aliens.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to add my voice to those of my colleagues who are coming to the Floor this week to speak about, and to legislate in response to, the growing threat from the Chinese Communist Party. The threat is real, it is significant, and it is the solemn duty of this body to respond to it.

You will hear a lot this week about the threat to our intellectual property. You will hear about the threat to our privacy, our economic security, and our national security. But I rise today to make sure we don't overlook the very real threat of food security.

I've heard Members of both parties say, ``Food security is national security.'' But tucked into the current version of the House Farm Bill is the H.R. 4417--EATS Act of 2023, a bill that would be a gift to the CCP. It's been lauded by the Chinese media as a way for Chinese-owned companies to dominate market share in the American food industry.

Mr. Speaker, the American Farm Bill should benefit American farmers and protect the American food supply. It should not make it easier or ``more efficient'' for the CCP to control our food supply.

After all, food security is national security.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 890) to increase access to agency guidance documents, as amended.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I call upon my colleagues to support H.R. 890, the Guidance Out Of Darkness Act, or the GOOD Act.

This bill ensures agency guidance is transparent by requiring agencies to publish legal and regulatory guidance documents online in a single location.

Under current law, agencies are required to proactively disclose statements of policy and interpretations, also commonly known as guidance documents, which have been adopted by the agency and are not published in the Federal Register. These regulatory guidance documents represent agency statements intended to inform the public of how an agency interprets laws and regulations.

Despite this existing publishing requirement, the law currently lacks guidelines for how agencies must publish guidance documents. Federal agencies have typically used a variety of methods to issue their guidance documents, including websites, email, social media, and newsletters. As you can imagine, tracking down guidance documents across these different areas of publication is a very real burden.

H.R. 890 solves this problem by ensuring the central publishing of all guidance documents. This will help the American public and regulated organizations, especially small entities, better understand agencies' views of their obligations under the law.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense, bipartisan legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Comer).

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my House colleagues to support this commonsense bill to make agency guidance documents more transparent to the American public, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7887) to amend title 41, United States Code, to prohibit minimum experience or educational requirements for proposed contractor personnel in certain contract solicitations, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, the Federal contractor workforce is several times larger than the 2 million strong civilian workforce the Federal Government employs today. That is because so much government work is outsourced. That includes, for instance, much of the operation and maintenance of the Federal IT systems and the safeguarding of their cybersecurity.

It was disturbing for me to learn, in the course of my work this Congress as chair of the Oversight Committee's Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, that many Federal contract solicitations bar qualified individuals from performing the work.

What are these barriers? Many Federal solicitations include unnecessary degree requirements mandating that individuals who perform various tasks hold specific education credentials such as a 4-year college degree, but training for many jobs in fields like IT and building construction is increasingly available through nondegree pathways like apprenticeships, boot camps, or certifications.

That is why a slew of major private-sector employees have pared back degree requirements in hiring in recent years. In fact, some of our biggest tech companies offer certification programs within their own companies to help their individuals be even more qualified for jobs that are available to them.

When it comes to cybersecurity, the public and private sectors together face

a shortage of roughly 700,000 workers. Clearly, the Federal Government cannot afford to erect unnecessary hurdles that prohibit those with the necessary technical skills and desire from doing such work simply because they lack a traditional degree.

The companies who employ them, those that offer apprenticeships and engage in skills-based hiring, should be encouraged to compete for government contracts and not be excluded from competition.

This bill helps ensure that Federal contractors are permitted to hire qualified professionals with the necessary knowledge, the necessary skills, and the necessary drive, even if they lack a traditional 4-year degree.

The bill does this by prohibiting contract officers from stipulating education requirements for contract employees without providing a written justification for doing so. That justification must show that education is necessary in order to perform the work and meet the needs of the agency.

To be clear, this bill in no way tells Federal contractors how to actually hire their staff. Rather, it removes an unnecessary restriction on their ability to hire qualified individuals.

The Federal Government shouldn't be barring from consideration for work qualified individuals who acquire their skills through alternative training. They deserve a chance at a job. They deserve a chance to compete.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this timely, necessary, and bipartisan bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill to ensure that contract employees with the right skills can work for the Federal Government regardless if they have a traditional 4-year degree.

I thank Ranking Member Raskin and all of my colleagues on the Oversight Committee who voted this out of the committee for their bipartisan support. This doesn't hurt jobs. This helps people get jobs, even if they don't have a 4-year degree, whether they are joined to a labor union or not.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the support of Mr. Raskin, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1258) to require the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to submit to Congress an annual report on projects that are over budget and behind schedule, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, Congress must ensure that every taxpayer dollar is spent efficiently. Every year, the Government Accountability Office reports government projects that are above cost projections or behind schedule, from Federal IT programs to projects at the National Nuclear Security Administration. However, there are likely additional government projects that fly under the radar, falling years behind schedule or costing billions of dollars over budget.

The Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act would address this by informing policymakers of government-funded projects that are behind schedule or above cost projections. Under the bill, agencies must report to Congress on projects that are more than 5 years behind schedule or have expenditures that are at least $1 billion more than the original cost estimate for the project. Agencies must provide an explanation if there is a delay in completion or an increase in costs for the project.

Congress has a duty to oversee the Federal Government for inefficiency and waste. This bill informs policymakers and allows Congress to address failing government projects before further taxpayer dollars are wasted or misused.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Senator Joni Ernst for her leadership on this issue, and I thank Representative Miller-Meeks for introducing the House companion bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks).

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this commonsense bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1973) to require the purchase of domestically made flags of the United States of America for use by the Federal Government.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, American flags should be made in America. This bill ensures that the Federal Government buys U.S. flags that are made from 100 percent American materials.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Census data, in 2017, the U.S. imported 10 million American flags. Of those, all but 50,000 came from China.

The Department of Defense and individual military departments are already generally required to buy American flags that are made entirely of U.S. materials, but civilian agencies do not have such restrictions. The All-American Flag Act applies current DOD requirements and exceptions across the government.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be an original cosponsor of the House companion bill, and I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill to ensure American flags are made right here in America. This is something every American can get behind.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support sending this legislation to the President's desk, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6162) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 379 North Oates Street in Dothan, Alabama, as the ``LaBruce `Bruce' Tidwell Post Office Building''.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6162, which would name a post office in Dothan, Alabama, as the LaBruce ``Bruce'' Tidwell Post Office Building.

Mr. Speaker, Bruce Tidwell, a U.S. Navy veteran, served the community of Dothan, Alabama, as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service for many years. It is fitting that this post office being renamed is in the community where Mr. Tidwell worked.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Moore).

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my House colleagues to support this bill honoring an American veteran, hero, and postal letter carrier.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7385) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 29 Franklin Street in Petersburg, Virginia, as the ``John Mercer Langston Post Office Building''.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, which would rename a post office in Petersburg, Virginia, for Mr. John Mercer Langston.

Mr. Langston grew up in Ohio and became an attorney who helped recruit African-American troops during the American Civil War. Later, Mr. Langston went on to serve as Virginia's first African-American Member

of Congress from 1890 to 1891 and the first president of Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute, known today as Virginia State University.

I support naming a post office in memory of former Congressman Langston, and I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my House colleagues to support this bill honoring an American academic leader and former Member of Congress.

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2(a)(1) of rule IX, I seek recognition to give notice of my intent to raise a question of the privileges of the House.

The form of this resolution is as follows:

Impeaching Kimberly A. Cheatle, Director of the United States Secret Service, for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Resolved, that Kimberly A. Cheatle, Director of the United States Secret Service, is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors and that the following Article of Impeachment be exhibited to the United States Senate.

Article of Impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives of the United States of America in the name of itself and of the people of the United States of America against Kimberly A. Cheatle, Director of the United States Secret Service, in maintenance and support of its impeachment against her for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Article I: Dereliction of Duty.

The Constitution provides that the House of Representatives ``shall have the sole power of impeachment'' and that civil officers of the United States, including the Director of the United States Secret Service, ``shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.''

In her conduct while Director of the United States Secret Service, Kimberly A. Cheatle, in violation of her oath to well and faithfully discharge the duties of her office, has been derelict in her duty to well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office to which she holds.

Federal law 18 U.S. Code 3056 provides that the United States Secret Service is authorized to protect ``former Presidents and their spouses for their lifetimes,'' as well as ``major Presidential and Vice- Presidential candidates and, within 120 days of the general Presidential election, the spouses of such candidates.'' On July 13, 2024, Donald J. Trump was both a former President and a major Presidential candidate.

During a political event in Butler Township, Pennsylvania, hosted by Donald J. Trump's Presidential campaign on July 13, 2024, an event subject to protection by the United States Secret Service, an individual on an unsecured roof less than 500 feet from Donald J. Trump opened fire, shooting Donald J. Trump, a protectee of the United States Secret Service. An innocent bystander, Corey Comperatore, was killed and two other individuals, David Dutch and James Copenhaver, were seriously injured by gunfire.

Kimberly A. Cheatle acknowledged on July 22, 2024, that ``the Secret Service's solemn mission is to protect our Nation's leaders. On July 13th, we failed,'' and that ``As the Director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse.'' Kimberly A. Cheatle further acknowledged on July 22, 2024, that the events of July 13, 2024, were ``the most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades.''

On July 13, 2024, Kimberly A. Cheatle and her conduct as Director of the United States Secret Service failed to protect Donald J. Trump and other attendees at the event in Butler Township, Pennsylvania.

Kimberly A. Cheatle acknowledged on July 22, 2024, that this tragedy was preventable.

Wherefore Kimberly A. Cheatle, by such conduct, has demonstrated that she has been derelict in her duty to uphold her oath to well and faithfully discharge the duties of her office. Kimberly A. Cheatle thus warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.