Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate and celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Smith County Medical Society Alliance, an organization that has strengthened, supported, and served medical families in and around Tyler, Texas, since 1934. Their dedication to nurturing and encouraging a healthy community has not been overlooked.

Over the years, the SCMS Alliance has provided countless educational and supportive opportunities, events, and projects for the citizens of Smith County.

The SCMS Alliance has distributed over $1 million in medical student scholarships to students at Tyler Junior College, the University of Texas at Tyler, and UT Tyler School of Medicine. Their Junior Health Ambassadors project focuses on providing physician children with ways they can serve Smith County. The Youth Leadership Council aims to develop leadership skills among local high school students. The SCMS Alliance has also collaborated with TMAA to sponsor book vending machines at elementary schools.

Members of the SCMS Alliance are primarily spouses of active and retired physicians, as well as physicians themselves. Physicians and their spouses make significant sacrifices to serve and care for others, and it is a privilege to honor their selflessness. These members use their time impactfully to serve Smith County, offering their support to doctors and doctors' families. And for that, I am once again proud to be an East Texan, where people put others before themselves.

I would like to thank President Renee Wright, the SCMS Alliance Board, and all the members of the Smith County Medical Society Alliance for their outstanding work over the years. I am delighted to congratulate the Alliance on 90 years of service to Smith County.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my gratitude and admiration as we honor the service and valor of someone who truly embodies Texas spirit, Petty Officer First Class Billy Wayne Machen. Today, we honor his legacy and dedicate a Texas Historical Commission Marker at the Camp Billy Machen Memorial Park.

East Texans are tough-minded, kind-hearted, hard-working, selfless, and service-oriented individuals. Petty Officer Machen personified each of these characteristics, as evidenced by his service and sacrifice-- not just for our country, but also for his fellow service members in combat.

During the Vietnam war, Petty Officer Machen and his Underwater Demolition Team--a unit that pioneered the creation of the Navy SEALs-- were assigned to the Rung Sat Special Zone, also known as the ``Forest of Assassins.''

Despite the imminent danger he faced as the team's point man, he made the courageous decision to confront enemy forces alone, allowing his comrades to escape safely and unharmed. In spite of being mortally wounded, Petty Officer Machen was rescued by his comrades, Roger Moscone and Nick Benzschawel, and carried more than 500 yards to safety.

Through his swift actions and sacrifice, Petty Officer Machen laid the foundation for our Nation's most elite force of fighters by never leaving a teammate behind--a motto that holds as much weight across our military today as it did nearly 60 years ago when he perished in the line of duty.

Today, generations after the Founding Fathers sacrificed to preserve our freedom, the spirit and essence of that freedom are defended and embodied by the acts of heroism of our service members. Petty Officer Machen's story is a testament to the enduring spirit of our sovereign Nation.

I want to commend all who have played a role in honoring the life and service of Petty Officer First Class Billy Wayne Machen. This commitment to an American hero reflects our shared values in promoting and preserving freedom for generations past, present, and future.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Bishop W.C. Martin, pastor of Bennett Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Possum Trot, Texas, and his wife, First Lady Donna Martin.

Nearly three decades ago, Bishop Martin and his wife, Donna, who already had two biological children, adopted another four, starting a movement of 22 families within the Possum Trot community to adopt or foster children without a home.

Mrs. Martin was inspired to adopt after the death of her beloved mother, Murtha, who had raised 18 children. She stated: And the Holy Spirit said, think about those other children out there that do not have what you had with your mother. I was overcome with such warmness, I walked back into the house, picked up the Yellow Pages, and called an adoption agency.

That is how it began. It concluded with 77 children finding loving homes in a community that simply decided that they would do what they could and give all that they had for the benefit of the most vulnerable and needy among them.

This story has been retold in the recent film, ``Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot,'' which is a story of inspiration for all of us to give more, to love more, and to do more for those around us.

I thank Reverend and First Lady Martin for living out their faith and for changing the destinies of so many young lives. They are remarkable.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate a true patriot, valued friend, and radio legend from east Texas, Paul Gleiser, who will be inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame's Class of 2024.

I have grown to know Paul well, and each interaction leaves me more impressed his with business acumen, dedication to community, love of country, and generous spirit.

Paul has served east Texas for more than 30 years, leaving his mark on local news and broadcasting. He has followed his love of radio with unmatched passion and professionalism.

Everything he does is with excellence.

Many east Texans recognize his vocal call, ``On this day in history . . .'' Many more closely follow his segments ``You Tell Me Texas'' and ``Constitution Minute.'' Paul has used his platform to reaffirm the truth of our history and the lessons we have learned from it.

As the owner of KTBB and KRWR, Paul has devoted years to producing quality, informative, and thought-provoking radio for his listeners.

Paul is the past chair of the Texas Association of Broadcasters and a vocal champion to preserve local broadcasting.

I know I speak for east Texans everywhere when I congratulate Paul on a job well done.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Elbert Henry ``Toughegg'' Knox, a courageous American who gave his life in service to our country during World War II. Elbert Knox first served as an Army cook from 1919 to 1920. In September 1941, at the age of 40, he answered the call again, leaving his home to work as a civilian contract worker on Wake Island in the Pacific Ocean. There, Knox and other civilians built essential facilities for the military, helping to defend the island during a fierce Japanese attack on December 8, 1941.

Despite their valiant efforts, Wake Island fell to Japanese forces after a 15-day battle, and Knox became a prisoner of war. Transferred to Japan in September 1942, he faced brutal conditions--enduring abuse, starvation, solitary confinement, and exposure. Knox's resilience was unwavering, but tragically, he died in captivity. After the war, his remains were laid to rest in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. In 1981, Knox and his fellow civilian contractors on Wake Island were granted veteran status.

Today, I am proud to report that Mr. Knox has been posthumously awarded the Prisoner of War (POW) Medal and the Purple Heart. These medals will be presented to his family, who have waited decades to see his heroism formally recognized. His story is a powerful reminder of the price of liberty and the strength of the American spirit.

I urge my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Mr. Elbert Knox and extending our deepest gratitude to his family. May his legacy continue to inspire us all to serve our Nation with honor and dedication, and may we never forget his sacrifice.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Green for yielding.

Today, I rise in strong support of H.J. Res. 1371 introduced by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.

Each day, the failed policies of this administration become more glaring, and those who implemented the disastrous agenda leading to the current crisis at our border must absolutely be held accountable.

Today, I give my strongest support to this resolution to ensure that Vice

President Kamala Harris is held responsible for her role in the administration's far-left open-border policies.

As border czar, Vice President Harris has overseen the most catastrophic border crisis in our Nation's history. As we all know, the failed policies of the Biden-Harris administration have turned every State in the United States into a border State and led to a record level of illegal immigration, including from individuals on the terrorist watch list.

We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. These failed policies are a direct assault on the sovereignty, the security, and the strength of the United States.

Under Harris' watch and with her consent and her support, President Biden has issued more than 70 executive orders and policy changes that have brought about this border crisis, something unlike anything we have ever seen in our Nation's history.

Illegal immigrants have had free run to abuse our system. Drugs like fentanyl have poured into our communities across our entire country, and individuals with ties to terrorism and to known adversaries of our great Republic have been turned loose inside the United States, including a record level number of Chinese Communist nationals. Because of that, Americans are suffering, and we are in danger.

Despite this, Kamala Harris has visited our southern border just once since becoming border czar, and for that reason this resolution is important to hold her accountable for her role in this mess.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution is an important part of that accountability, and, as such, I urge passage, and I urge all colleagues to lend it support.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Reverend Wilbert C. Martin, pastor of Bennett Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Shelby County, Texas, and his wife Donna Martin. Through their efforts to live out their faith and serve others, they brought about the foster or adoption of seventy-seven of the most at-risk children in the Texas foster care system.

Nearly three decades ago, Rev. W.C. Martin and his wife Donna, who already had two biological children, adopted another four, starting a movement of twenty-two families within the unincorporated Possum Trot community in East Texas to adopt seventy-seven children.

Mrs Martin was inspired to adopt after the death of her beloved mother, Murtha, who had raised eighteen children. She stated, ``And the Holy Spirit said, `Think about those other children out there that do not have what you had with your mother.' I was overcome with such warmness. I walked back into the house, picked up the Yellow Pages and called an adoption agency.''

The story of the Martins and the Bennett Chapel Baptist Missionary Association Church community has been retold in the recent film Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot, which dramatizes their unbreakable faith and generosity for these children. Their story is an inspiration for all of us to give and love more, especially for the most vulnerable.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the House for passing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act led by fellow Texan Representative Chip Roy.

Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution establishes Congress' role in Federal elections. While it is limited in this role, Congress does have an obligation to ensure that only citizens vote in Federal elections.

Today, this legislation is more critical than ever. Preservation of our Republic necessitates free, fair, and honest elections.

As I have said a number of times as county judge in Texas, what we need are SALTY elections--secure, accurate, legal, transparent elections--with you, the American citizen, involved every step of the way.

Right now, in America, there is growing distrust in election results because of growing abuses and documented instances of election fraud. Yet, there are continuing efforts to allow illegal immigrants to participate in our Federal elections when it is already against the law. This is incomprehensible to me.

The SAVE Act makes commonsense reforms to preserve integrity in our elections by requiring proof of citizenship when individuals register to vote, and it will remove noncitizens from voter rolls.

By passing the SAVE Act, the House has taken an important step to ensure every single American vote counts with full measure. I applaud Congressman Roy for bringing this action.

Madam Speaker, today, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 165 introduced by Congresswoman Miller.

It is disheartening that there is even a need for this legislation, but it is needed because President Biden has led a crusade against biological reality and common sense.

This new Title IX rule erodes underlying protections for women and girls. As a father of two young ladies, I can tell you that I am devastated and appalled by the action of the Department of Education.

Title IX was written to protect women by ensuring equal opportunities for young women and girls in educational programs. However, this new rule, promoted by radical ideologies, shatters it by redefining ``sex'' to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

By redefining ``sex'' under Title IX, the administration will effectively allow biological males into female-only spaces, including locker rooms and bathrooms.

Additionally, this Biden rule will impact women's sports as the final rule does not create any carve-out for women's athletics. Under this rule, local school districts will be required to allow biological men to compete in women's sports or risk losing their funding.

Contrary to the administration's new rule, this resolution today guarantees a level playing field to uphold athletics' core principles of integrity and fairness, and it reaffirms that boys will be boys and girls will be girls.

Democrats are weaponizing the Department of Education by blurring the lines between men and women, and this new rule blatantly disregards common sense and the natural laws of this world and, frankly, of God, putting women and girls at a disadvantage and a risk. It is vital that we pass this Congressional Review Act to uphold the original intent of Title IX.

We must vote to protect our girls and our women in support of this resolution and dismantle the left's radical ideology and undo this nonsensical rule by the Department of Education. We must pass this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mark Scirto, a trusted and beloved figure in the east Texas community.

As a meteorologist for KLTV since 1987, Mark has worked hard to provide accurate and timely weather forecasts for our region.

Mark is a steady voice in times of trouble, a calming guide in the midst of storms, and a bright smile and hearty laugh when the days get tough.

Whether it was a tornado, thunderstorms, or beautiful days between, Texans knew that they could count on Mark. We know his words by heart: Get to a small, windowless, interior room. We did just that when he told us to do so.

Mark Scirto's journey with KLTV began in 1987. He was nominated for a Dallas Press Club Katie Award, an honor no other meteorologist in east Texas has ever received. Mark has also held the seals of approval from the National Weather Association and the American Meteorological Society since 1989.

He gave everything of himself for the rest of us, and we are grateful. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Mark Scirto for his remarkable career and his dedication to our community. His legacy will live on, and his presence in our homes will be missed. We wish him all the best.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate my friend Dr. Kirk Calhoun on the announcement of his retirement.

Dr. Calhoun has proudly served as the president of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler since 2002 and as the president of the University of Texas at Tyler since 2020, making him the longest serving active president in the UT system.

Dr. Calhoun's leadership has led the UT Tyler system through tremendous growth and unification. Throughout his 22 years of public service, the institutions under his leadership have seen exponential growth, historic levels of giving to the community, and the launch of the first medical school in East Texas.

He has helped to expand academic research programs, forge partnerships with the community colleges, increase student scholarship offerings, and develop a strategic plan for integrating the health and academic enterprises of our UT system.

Dr. Calhoun leaves behind a legacy of excellence and service in our community. He is a hallmark in promoting collaboration and increasing educational opportunities. This milestone is a testament to his dedication, leadership, and unwavering commitment to the East Texas medical and academic communities.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Dr. Calhoun on 22 years. He will be missed but not forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5917) to amend the Sanctioning the Use of Civilians as Defenseless Shields Act to modify and extend that Act, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days 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 thank my colleague, Mr. Gallagher, for introducing this important bipartisan legislation to address ongoing atrocities committed by Hamas and other Iran-backed terrorist organizations.

For years, it has been well documented how terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad use civilians as human shields in conflict.

Hezbollah terrorists are systematically embedded in civilian areas and population centers throughout Lebanon. Hezbollah has embedded hundreds of arms depots, thousands of terrorists, and tens of thousands of rockets throughout densely populated southern Lebanon, and Hamas' utter disregard for human life has been made plain for all to see since October 7.

After murdering 1,200 people on October 7, 2023, and taking 240 hostages, they have prevented innocent Palestinians from fleeing conflict zones and repeatedly rejected proposals that would bring a pause to the fighting in Gaza.

These terrorists do not care about innocent civilian lives. They know exactly what they are doing when they use a hospital as military headquarters and stockpile weapons in schools. Terrorist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have no regard for the lives of the innocent women and children they place in harm's way by co-locating civilian and military targets.

Every civilian that is harmed in this war is harmed as a result of Hamas' actions. As Israel defends itself against the threat of Hamas and other Iran-backed terrorist groups, we must address the urgent issue of terrorist organizations using civilian shields immediately.

Congress must stand against these brutal practices and strengthen their ability to hold these terrorists accountable for their crimes.

The 2018 Sanctioning the Use of Civilians as Defenseless Shields Act established a strong framework for holding Hamas and other terrorist organizations accountable. This legislation today would reauthorize the 2018 law through the year 2030 and add Palestinian Islamic Jihad as a covered entity. It also establishes new tools to ensure that those who use human shields are held accountable.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on the Judiciary,

Washington, DC, March 20, 2024.

Hon. Michael McCaul,

Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman McCaul: I write regarding H.R. 5917, the

Strengthening Tools to Counter the Use of Human Shields Act.

Provisions of this bill fall within the Judiciary Committee's

Rule X jurisdiction, and I appreciate that you consulted with

us on those provisions. The Judiciary Committee agrees that

it shall be discharged from further consideration of the bill

so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor.

The Committee takes this action with the understanding that

forgoing further consideration of this measure does not in

any way alter the Committee's jurisdiction or waive any

future jurisdictional claim over these provisions or their

subject matter. We also reserve the right to seek appointment

of an appropriate number of conferees in the event of a

conference with the Senate involving this measure or similar

legislation.

I ask that you please include this letter in your

committee's report to accompany this legislation or insert

this letter in the Congressional Record during consideration

of H.R. 5917 on the House floor. I appreciate the cooperative

manner in which our committees have worked on this matter,

and I look forward to working collaboratively in the future

on matters of shared jurisdiction. Thank you for your

attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Jim Jordan,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Gallagher), the author of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for his support. This is a really important bipartisan piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, we must continue to do all that we can to address the crimes committed by Hamas and other Iran-backed terrorist groups. The use of civilians as human shields in conflict is abhorrent and immoral.

Congress must do everything in its power to hold Hamas and other terrorist groups accountable for these crimes. We have a responsibility to protect innocent civilians around the world who are used as human shields.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4681) to provide for the imposition of sanctions with respect to illicit captagon trafficking, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 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 important bipartisan legislation to combat the illicit captagon trade, and I thank the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill) for introducing it.

In recent years, captagon, a highly addictive amphetamine-type stimulant drug, has flooded the Middle East. Captagon makes its users aggressive and dangerous, increasing their capacity to commit crimes and acts of violence.

In recent years, we have seen a sudden, drastic rise in captagon smuggling and usage throughout the Middle East. The brutal Iran-backed Assad regime in Syria is one of the main producers of captagon in the region. These war criminals are using narcotrafficking to evade global sanctions and fund their atrocities.

Since 2011, hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians have died because of the Assad regime's unrelenting brutality. This is a regime that, with the support of Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah, tortures men, women, and children on an unthinkable scale. The Assad regime has repeatedly used chemical weapons against the Syrian people.

In response to these crimes, the United States and many of our partners imposed overwhelming sanctions on the Assad regime, but the Assad regime found a workaround in the illicit drug trade. They are further destabilizing the Middle East by flooding our partner countries with drugs, and they are using the profits to stay afloat, despite our existing sanctions.

That is why the legislation we are considering today is so important. It provides updated sanctions authorities to make sure we are cutting off all forms of financing used by the Assad regime and its criminal associates.

This legislation would impose sanctions on anyone engaged in the production or proliferation of captagon, and it requires a report on whether Syrian and Hezbollah leaders should be sanctioned under this bill.

We must act now to cut off the financial lifeline that the illicit production of captagon provides the Assad regime.

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

House of Representatives,

Committee on the Judiciary,

Washington, DC, March 20, 2024.

Hon. Michael McCaul,

Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman McCaul: I write regarding H.R. 4681, the

Illicit Captagon Trafficking Suppression Act of 2023.

Provisions of this bill fall within the Judiciary Committee's

Rule X jurisdiction, and I appreciate that you consulted with

us on those provisions. The Judiciary Committee agrees that

it shall be discharged from further consideration of the bill

so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor.

The Committee takes this action with the understanding that

forgoing further consideration of this measure does not in

any way alter the Committee's jurisdiction or waive any

future jurisdictional claim over these provisions or their

subject matter. We also reserve the right to seek appointment

of an appropriate number of conferees in the event of a

conference with the Senate involving this measure or similar

legislation.

I ask that you please include this letter in your

committee's report to accompany this legislation or insert

this letter in the Congressional Record during consideration

of H.R. 4681 on the House floor. I appreciate the cooperative

manner in which our committees have worked on this matter,

and I look forward to working collaboratively in the future

on matters of shared jurisdiction. Thank you for your

attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Jim Jordan,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill), vice chairman of the Financial Services Committee, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and the author of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, the captagon threat is new to many of us, but the speed at which this drug trade has grown in the last few years is alarming.

Creating new sanctions, specific to this drug trade, is necessary to stem this threat before it can grow even more dangerous. It is also essential to stopping the cash flow to the Assad regime.

This bipartisan legislation is a key tool in our efforts to counter the Assad regime and its Russian and Iranian backers.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6603) to apply foreign-direct product rules to Iran, as amended.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 6603, the No Technology for Terror Act, and thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Moskowitz) for their support in co-leading this important bipartisan legislation.

This bill would codify recently expanded export control sanctions on Iran, restricting their ability to manufacture missiles and drones using U.S. material and technology.

This weekend, Iran unleashed an unprecedented direct attack on Israel, launching over 350 missiles and drones. Thankfully, 99 percent of these were intercepted by Israel, the United States, and other partners. Were it not for our incredible, capable militaries, this could have been an absolute catastrophe.

Iran has the largest missile arsenal in the Middle East, and it is increasingly supplying malign actors around the world with missiles and drones as a merchant of death. Iran's weapons are spreading death and destruction around the world.

The Iran-backed Houthis use drones to fuel their attacks on global ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Iran's proxies in Iraq and Syria have launched over 170 attacks on U.S. troops in the last 6 months. Iran-backed Hezbollah is aggressively firing on Israel's northern border.

Russia uses these weapons to target civilians and civilian infrastructure in its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. In fact, reports have found that components recovered in the Iranian-made drones used against the people of Ukraine have included more than 50 American-made components.

Other reports have found that out of roughly 500 components identified in a recovered Iranian drone, 82 percent were manufactured by United States companies.

These reports are backed by a June 2023 report released by the State Department where they acknowledged that Iran relies on foreign procurement and that Iran even prefers American-made sourcing to manufacture its lethal weapons. This is unacceptable.

Urgent action is needed to combat Iran's longstanding missile and drone proliferation. That includes doing more to prevent them from accessing and benefiting from U.S. parts and technology.

In addition to robust sanctions enforcement to cut off its key sources of financial and military support to proxies like Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Hamas, we must make full use of our export controls to limit the export or re-export of U.S. goods and technology to Iran.

The No Technology for Terror Act will do just that. The limitations set forth in my bill would make it harder for Iran to produce missiles and drones

that are used against American troops and our allies and will make it more difficult to transfer these weapons to Russia and other proxies.

American equipment, technology, and other know-how under no circumstance should be transferred to Iran. The Iranian regime is relentlessly evil and seeks to become the superpower in the Middle East, which means eliminating America and its allies at all costs.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bill as it extends the foreign-direct product rule to Iran, which restricts the re-export or transfer of U.S.-originated items from one foreign country to Iran.

Iran and its terrorist proxies continue to sow instability on a global scale. We must take urgent action to restrict Iran's access to technology that it uses to manufacture lethal missiles and drones.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, first, I thank the ranking member for his support and his work on this bill as well.

Mr. Speaker, we must continue to work together to do all that we can to address Iran's ongoing proliferation of lethal drones and missiles. From Israel to Ukraine, we see the devastating impacts of failing to do so.

In order to safeguard our national security and innocent civilians around the world, we need to make sure that U.S.-origin goods are not helping Iran manufacture deadly weapons. That is what this bill, the No Technology for Terror Act, does.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, H.R. 6603, the No Technology for Terror Act, to stop supplying goods to Iran that are used against us.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Foxx and Ranking Member Scott for introducing H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act.

This bipartisan legislation will address the workforce needs of our industries by making necessary updates to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, also known as WIOA.

This bill accomplishes much but let me highlight four important areas.

First, this bill ensures that 50 percent of adult and dislocated worker funding goes toward upskilling workers.

Second, this bill strengthens the current workforce education programs at community colleges so that educational programs are tied to the needs and demands of the communities, businesses, and the free market.

Third, this bill heightens accountability for the use of these funds and is more outcome based while reducing the bureaucracy of typical government programs.

Fourth, this bill includes my Building Youth Workforce Skills Act, which provides eligible in-school youth access to individual training accounts for a wide range of educational programs. This creates more opportunities for youth as they look to develop their skills in a way that is aligned with their passions and that is also relevant to business.

It is critical that we provide workers access to workforce development and training programs that find the sweet spot between the needs of businesses and the skills of their workers. H.R. 6655 does just that, and it brings greater accountability and value to the taxpayers.

Mr. Speaker, for these reasons and many more, I urge my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation.