Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Mr. John Laughter on his retirement from Delta Air Lines after more than three decades of distinguished service.

Over the course of 32 years, John has built a remarkable record of leadership and service that has left a lasting mark on one of our Nation's leading airlines and on the thousands of employees he has guided and inspired.

John began his career at Delta TechOps as an aircraft liaison engineer. From those early days, he steadily rose through the ranks, leading teams through some of the most challenging and exciting periods in the company's history. He helped rebuild the airline following Delta's emergence from Chapter 11, playing a critical role in restoring the strength and reliability of the airline's operations. He also steered the integration of Delta and Northwest

Airlines that enabled a successful merger, significantly expanding Delta's domestic and international footprint. This strategic unification not only broadened Delta's route network across the United States but also strengthened its global reach--connecting more communities and offering enhanced travel options to customers worldwide.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, John led Delta's operational response at a moment of unprecedented uncertainty. Under enormous pressure, he helped maintain safe, secure, and reliable service, preserving an essential part of our national transportation infrastructure and supporting countless workers and communities that depend on air travel.

Under John's leadership, Delta's TechOps Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul business has bolstered the airline's resilience and competitiveness. Today, the MRO business stands as a significant source of revenue for Delta, providing maintenance services to other airlines around the world and setting Delta apart from its peers through its scale, technical expertise, and industry-leading reliability. By leveraging its world-class MRO capabilities, Delta has not only strengthened its own operations but also established itself as a trusted partner in the global aviation community.

John has also been a tireless champion of safety, helping establish Delta's safety management system and insisting on the accountability and culture necessary to keep employees and customers safe. Navigating an increasing changing threat environment and global events, he ensured Delta remains focused on the security of our people, our customers, and our operations.

At the same time, he has leaned into innovation and the passenger experience, guaranteeing our customers the latest in security technology, as well as providing a seamless' and secure travel experience from curb to gate.

In every role he has held, John championed operational excellence. He inspired Delta's people to take pride in delivering a safe, clean, and on-time operation that customers could trust to connect them to the people and places that matter most. But colleagues will tell you that his greatest legacy is not only the systems he built, but the people he supported. John has been known throughout his career as a servant leader and a steadfast advocate for Delta's people-focused culture. He has always understood that operational excellence flows from great people who are cared for, respected, and inspired to be at their best. His deep, personal connection with frontline teams has been central to his leadership and to the success of Delta Air Lines.

Mr. Speaker, John Laughter's last day at Delta will be April 30. As he begins his next chapter, he looks forward to spending more time with his family, especially his first grandson. On behalf of my constituents and this body, I offer him our sincere gratitude for his decades of service, and our best wishes for a long, healthy, and fulfilling retirement.

I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Mr. John Laughter on his well-earned retirement and in recognizing his vast contributions to the people and customers of Delta Air Lines and to the broader aviation community.

Mr. Speaker, the SAVE America Act is back before the House today, and right along with it is yet another attempt at voter suppression. It is no coincidence that this is happening right before the midterm elections.

In January, the FBI raided the Fulton County election office, my home county, where I am a voter. That raid was a bold attempt to intimidate voters in the Fighting Fifth.

The SAVE America Act is just another part of a scheme by House Republicans and the Trump administration to take over our elections.

Atlanta's civil rights leaders, like my predecessor, the late Congressman John Lewis, faced one of the bloodiest battles over our right to vote.

The SAVE America Act will make it harder for millions of Americans to get registered to vote by requiring in-person registration at election offices--government offices with government hours. This is a burden for caregivers and any hardworking American with a 9-to-5 job.

The SAVE America Act is an unfunded mandate to silence voters. The goal of this bill is voter suppression, plain and simple.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this terrible bill.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to cast votes on Thursday, December 18, 2025. If I were present for Roll Call votes, I would have voted Aye on: Roll Call No. 355, On Motion to Recommit H.R. 4776, SPEED Act; Roll Call No. 357, On Motion to Recommit H.R. 1366, Mining Regulatory Clarity Act; Roll Call No. 359, On Motion to Recommit H.R. 845, Pet and Livestock Protection Act; and Roll Call No. 361, On Motion to Recommit H.R. 498, Do No Harm in Medicaid Act.

If I were present for Roll Call votes, I would have voted No on the Following Amendments to H.R. 4776, the SPEED Act: Roll Call No. 352, Clyde Amendment No. 1; Roll Call No. 353, Roy Amendment No. 5; Roll Call No. 354, Roy Amendment No. 6; Roll Call No. 356, On Passage of H.R. 4776, SPEED Act; Roll Call No. 358, On Passage of H.R. 1366, Mining Regulatory Clarity Act; Roll Call No. 360, On Passage of H.R. 845, Pet and Livestock Protection Act; and Roll Call No. 362, On Passage of H.R. 498, Do No Harm in Medicaid Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4423, the bipartisan No New Burma Funds Act.

This bill, which I introduced with my colleague Young Kim, would mandate that the United States use its voice and vote to continue the World Bank's pause on disbursements and new financing commitments to the Government of Burma. This pause was initiated after a military coup overthrew the democratically elected Government of Burma in 2021.

Mr. Speaker, 4 years ago, the democratically elected leaders in Burma's ruling party, the National League for Democracy, were overthrown by the Tatmadaw, Burma's military. Since the military regime's coup, we have seen families displaced. We have seen citizens detained without access to income, education, or healthcare. There has been brutal violence against the Burmese civilian population.

I center my work on my constituents and fighting for those most marginalized. Mr. Speaker, while I hope we are going to have a robust conversation around making sure that everyone back home in my district is housed with affordable housing and lowering costs in this country, today, this bill is still central to my constituents. In my district alone, DeKalb County is home to over 2,000 Burmese refugees.

In another life, prior to my congressional service, I was a public school teacher. I had a student who was a Burmese refugee. Htet-Yet and his family's story is empowering and a stark reminder that not only do we have an obligation to help those no matter their ZIP Code, but we have a duty to help those no matter where they are around the globe.

This legislation gives our country yet another tool to put financial pressure on the Burmese Government. This bill will ensure that the U.S. executive director at the World Bank pushes the institution to continue its pause on the disbursement of funds and new financing commitments to the government, incentivizing the Burmese Government to give power back to the most important piece of any thriving free country: the people.

I thank Congresswoman Young Kim for co-leading this important legislation with me. I also thank Chairman Hill and Ranking Member Waters for their support of this priority. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor Mr. Miles Jordan Alexander, an Atlanta legal giant whose life embodied the fight for justice and equality.

From advocating for racial integration as a student at Emory University to mentoring generations of diverse attorneys to even infiltrating a Klan meeting under the name Miles Jordan as a spy, he broke barriers and built bridges, all while playing every game of tennis he possibly could.

His commitment to civil rights, to civic engagement, and to the Jewish community created a ripple effect that helped shape a more inclusive and equitable Atlanta.

A devoted father and husband, Miles Alexander shared more than 70 years of marriage with his beloved wife, Elaine, and raised four children with unwavering love and intention. He often spoke of his family as his proudest accomplishment.

We are told throughout our lives to leave this world better than we found it. Miles Alexander did exactly that. It is one of the great pleasures of my life to have been a beneficiary of his commitment to justice and to have known him.

As I mourn with the Alexander family, it is my honor to celebrate the legacy of courageous service of Mr. Miles Jordan Alexander in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

``Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic.''

``Ours is not the struggle of 1 day, 1 week, or 1 year . . . ours is the struggle of a lifetime. . . . `'

When Congressman John Lewis spoke these words, he was reminding us that justice work is much longer than a moment. It is a commitment, a calling, and a lifelong fight.

Mr. Speaker, 60 years after he put his body on the line for our freedom, our struggle continues. We are marching in our communities and fighting back in committee rooms.

We do this to push back against cuts to Medicaid that will leave NICU babies without care, cuts to SNAP that will take food out of the mouths of children and seniors, and cuts to education that will tell our students to dream smaller.

We bring our full selves to the struggle in many ways: through early mornings in community centers and late nights on the House floor; by standing up at the mike and showing up in the

margins; through townhalls and negotiating in the Halls of Congress; and through sitting in, standing firm, and speaking out.

Getting into good trouble was never a one-size-fits-all call to action, and we honor the legacy of Congressman Lewis when we all find always to get in the way.

Mr. Speaker, this moment is not the last struggle that we will face, but we fight anyway with hope, with intention, and with determination to achieve the beloved community. This is the struggle of a lifetime, the struggle of our lifetime. With urgency, clarity, and intention, we march on.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome my constituent George Glezmann home from more than 2 years of wrongful detention by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

George is home with his family in Atlanta in large part because of the tireless efforts of his wife Aleksandra. A devoted Delta airplane mechanic, George has an infectious zeal for life, travel, and experience, and I know he is eager to return to a life of normalcy and autonomy.

I also want to highlight the challenges that come from extended wrongful detention: George has numerous medical conditions that arose from lack of ongoing care, and his assets have been put in conservatorship. The financial instability that came from George's detention has resulted in him and Aleksandra losing access to stable housing, a challenge exacerbated by George's ongoing conservatorship.

I am so pleased that George is back with his family, and words cannot fully celebrate the work Aleksandra put in to bring her husband home. I look forward to George's swift return to normalcy and autonomy with his loved ones, back in Atlanta where he belongs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of my constituent Monica.

Monica has lupus, kidney disease, and congestive heart failure. Constant hospital stays make it tough for her to make ends meet.

Monica told me that her last hospital stay brought dialysis, blood transfusions, and one complication after another. It also brought a loss of her job.

Monica was hospitalized, fighting for her life, when she learned that her $31 a week in SNAP benefits were being cut. Still, with the rising cost of food, she told me that just those $31 in benefits made it possible for her to eat the foods that were healthy to keep her thriving and manage her health.

Monica wrote: ``Any cuts to these programs would be devastating for people like me. This isn't just about politics. This is about survival.''

I agree with Monica. This is about survival. This is about the millions of people who will lose access to food under the GOP tax scam.

Mr. Speaker, we demand better. It is time for House Republicans to stand up and join us in protecting the basic needs of the people instead of

prioritizing massive tax breaks for billionaires.

I stand with Monica.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of Georgia's Fifth Congressional District to honor Mr. Robert ``Bob'' Willis on a very special 99th birthday.

Mr. Willis has lived a life of service, and I am proud to help him celebrate his 99 years of life and more than 75 years of uninterrupted service to Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1926, Mr. Willis served in the Navy during World War II and was initiated into the Beta Mu Chapter at Kentucky State University in 1949. From there, Mr. Willis would go on to serve in many leadership roles in the fraternity, including district director of Georgia and southern regional vice president.

Mr. Willis' unceasing fraternal dedication has earned him the Alpha Award of Merit from General President Darryl Matthews, the highest award that Alpha Phi Alpha can bestow on a member.

Mr. Willis is an exemplification of Men of Distinction, his brotherhood's moniker. I congratulate him on his 99th birthday and for his life of service to his community. I hope that he is enjoying this day in Atlanta.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the Congresswoman for Georgia's Fifth District, the cradle of the civil rights movement and the home of Dr. King, Ambassador Andrew Young, and my predecessor, the late Congressman John Lewis. I carry their legacy with me every time I walk onto this floor.

Mr. Speaker, the SAVE Act is everything our civil rights leaders fought against. Don't think that it won't impact you or folks that you know. If you got married and changed your name, your ID won't match your birth certificate. If you don't have a passport and your ID doesn't match your birth certificate, you can't prove your citizenship. According to the SAVE Act, you won't be able to vote.

Right now, under Trump and Musk's disastrous economy, families like so many of those who I represent back home in Georgia are struggling to keep up with the cost of groceries, let alone adding $130 for a passport just to register to vote.

In Georgia, over half of the population doesn't have a passport, and our driver's licenses, even the REAL ID, don't prove citizenship.

This resolution could force Georgians to pay more than $700 million just to register to vote.

Mr. Speaker, that is a poll tax, plain and simple, and it is blatant voter suppression.

Mr. Speaker, voter suppression by any other name is still voter suppression. This resolution violates the 14th Amendment, 19th Amendment, 24th Amendment, and every tenet of a free and inclusive democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this disgrace of a voter suppression resolution.

Mr. Speaker, as students return to school for the upcoming school year, I rise today to recognize the 100th Anniversary of the opening of Booker T. Washington High School in Georgia's Fighting Fifth Congressional District.

In September 1924, the opening of Booker T. Washington High School marked the first opportunity for Black students in the State of Georgia to attend a public high school. This momentous achievement was the culmination of tireless organizing and a direct result of Atlanta's Black Community's political power and determination.

In fact, not until the NAACP and Black community leaders conducted a successful voter registration drive and new Black voters defeated a school bond referendum in 1919 did promises of a new Black high school bear fruit, with money from a 1921 school bond used to construct what would become Booker T. Washington High School.

Black students came from across the state to study at Booker T. Washington High School, as it remained Georgia's only public high school for Black students until 1947. The school's origins in organizing and collective power are evident in the remarkable alumni it has produced, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., groundbreaking surgeon and educator Dr. Asa Yancy, State Representative ``Able'' Mable Thomas, trailblazing lawyer and judge Romae T. Powell, former United States Secretary for Health and Human Services Dr. Louis Sullivan, and educator Dr. Pearlie Craft Dove.

From its inception, Booker T. Washington High School has been part of the fabric ot Atlanta and the State of Georgia and an integral part of its community. Students, neighbors, and alums continue to tout the skill and energy of the marching band and take every opportunity to enjoy school spirit and their music.

Booker T. Washington High School deserves a place in history, not just in the history of Atlanta or Georgia, but of our country. I hope you will join me in both recognizing this historic day and in cosponsoring a resolution to be introduced later this month that will commemorate the 100th anniversary of Booker T. Washington High School.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and commemorate Balram Bheodari, a constituent of Georgia's Fighting Fifth Congressional District who was instrumental to the success and growth of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Known to everyone in Atlanta as ``B,'' he brought the sense of duty forged during his time as an Army aviator to his 22 years of service to the airport. As General Manager for

Hartsfield-Jackson, he was pivotal in the airport's growth and its recognition as the world's busiest and most efficient airport.

Under B's leadership the airport completed numerous major capital projects, making use of transformative investments totaling billions of dollars and positioning Hartsfield-Jackson as the model of success for all large airport hubs across the nation. B oversaw pivotal projects such as the creation of the airport's fifth runway, the Consolidated Rental Car Center, the Maynard H. Jackson International Terminal--the most extensive hold baggage screening system in the country, and countless other terminal renovation projects.

B's expertise in the airport and aviation space has been invaluable as he and I worked closely to deliver future projects through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to continue to grow Atlanta's airport.

But it's not just the billions of dollars he helped deliver to the airport that made B a great General Manager, it was B's leadership and the ability to reinforce his mission and vision to over 63,000 employees at Hansfield-Jackson and the 400,000 jobs supported by the airport. His mission was to bring all those directly or indirectly employed to see themselves as one team, delivering excellence while connecting our community to the world.

During unprecedented times like the COVID-19 pandemic, B's leadership and management were critical. He weathered the operational and commercial challenges that came with the pandemic through close coordination with airline partners and his team. B understood what made Hartsfield-Jackson the busiest and most efficient airport in the world was a commitment to an excellent customer experience. He delivered on that even through the challenges of a global pandemic.

His philosophy centered around three P's: ``People, Purpose, and Performance.'' B's philosophy helped make Hartsfield-Jackson the largest employer in the state of Georgia and contributed to a regional economic impact of 66 billion dollars. Numbers can't tell the whole story of B's impact, and for the past two years, Hartsfield-Jackson has been awarded the ACI-Airport Service Quality award for the Best Airport in the world for arrivals.

Today, I honor and celebrate B's service, commitment and contribution to the Fighting Fifth, and while I will miss our conversations and his physical presence in the airport, I want it to be known in the halls of Congress that our success in the district was made possible by my friend and Co-Conspirator for Justice, Balram ``B'' Bheodari. Please join me in recognizing B's outstanding career in service to Hartsfield- Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Georgia's Fighting Fifth Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of Dr. Glenda Glover, Ph.D , JD, CPA, as President of Tennessee State University upon the celebration of her retirement following this academic year. After 11 years of service successfully leading her alma mater, Dr. Glover will turn her voice to a national platform, and all Americans will be better off for the privilege of Dr. Glover's voice playing a greater role in our country.

Dr. Glover was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the daughter of a civil rights activist and raised in the Civil Rights Movement. She graduated from Tennessee State University, an illustrious Historically Black College and University, before getting her MBA at another incomparable HBCU, Clark Atlanta University, proving that, truly, Atlanta Influences Everything. Not yet satisfied, she moved to Washington, D.C. and obtained a Ph.D. in Economics from George Washington University and a law degree from Georgetown University.

Professionally, Dr. Glover is a star. She spearheaded the creation of the country's first HBCU-based Ph.D program in business at Jackson State University, and chaired the Department of Accounting at Howard University's School of Business. She has been a leader in the private sector, and has served as the President of her beloved alma mater since 2013. Dr. Glover is not just the President either: she was the Thurgood Marshall College Fund's HBCU President of the Year in 2018, and HBCU Digest's 2019 Female President of the Year.

During her time as President, Dr. Glover has elevated the brand, the reputation, and the legacy of TSU, put TSU on a national platform, and attracted a broader array of students than ever before, including the Fall 2022 largest freshman enrollment among HBCUs. She has more than doubled TSU's endowment and more than doubled research grant funding received. She has tripled the number of employers recruiting TSU students, and made TSU a more competitive place to work. She established new degree programs and raised TSU into the R2-high research category, one of only 11 HBCUs in that level, with a plan to move up to R1. TSU became the first HBCU to establish a national technology and innovation center, and the first student-operated physical therapy and occupational therapy clinic. They have the No. 1 HBCU forensic and debate champions three years running, and their marching band became the first collegiate marching band to win a Grammy.

I am a proud third generation HBCU grad, and I know first-hand what HBCUs mean for economic mobility for the Black Community. And so does Dr. Glover She is the Vice-Chair of President Biden's HBCU Initiative, and has been out loud and on purpose demanding that our illustrious HBCUs get the funding they so deeply deserve, including playing a leading role in the record $2.7 billion investment in HBCUs in the American Rescue Plan and holding Tennessee accountable for long-term underpayment.

Congratulations to Dr. Glover on her well-deserved retirement. The Tennessee State University community is so privileged to have had her at their helm for the last 11 years, as is the entire HBCU community. I know that Dr. Glover's next chapter will have her remaining as one of our country's foremost Conspirators for Justice. I look forward to joining her wherever that fight may be.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Bishop, dean of our Georgia delegation, for chairing today's Special Order hour remembering First Lady Rosalynn Carter, a truly remarkable public servant, a wife, a parent, a grandparent, a friend, a humanitarian, and an inspiration to countless people around the globe.

Mrs. Carter's impact could be seen last week as thousands of people lined up to honor her in Plains where she lived with her beloved husband of 77 years, President Jimmy Carter; and then in Americus, where she attended college; and Atlanta, where she cofounded the Carter Center with President Carter.

I was one of those people who paid their respects at The Carter Center as she laid in repose. I am honored to add to the tribute today on the floor of the House of Representatives.

I am very fortunate to have met First Lady Carter on many occasions. Every time that I met her, I was struck by her grace and her kindness and genuineness.

Mrs. Carter embodied service and never stopped working to uplift marginalized communities. I was especially fortunate to partner with Mrs. Carter in that work as we uplifted care workers and an increase in investments to the care economy which is so essential to everything in our lives.

She founded the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers at Georgia's Southwestern State University, her alma mater, which today supports 40 million caregivers across the country and will be an enduring living legacy of the former First Lady.

Uplifting care workers was only one of the many issues for which Mrs. Carter was an advocate. Mrs. Carter wasn't afraid to advocate for issues long before it was easy or popular to do so.

She was a champion for women's rights and one of the leading supporters of the equal rights amendment. She spearheaded the Mental Health Systems Act of 1980 to end stigmas around mental illness.

As First Lady and with The Carter Center, she strengthened democracy around the globe. Of course, who can forget the images of her and President Carter building homes with Habitat for Humanity for many, many decades.

This spirit of service was genuine and a defining characteristic of Mrs. Carter's life. The spirit of service embodied by Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter inspired me and my husband, Leslie, to name our only son, Carter, in their honor. Every day we strive to ensure that Carter lives up to the spirit of his namesake.

While delivering her eulogy, my friend, Jason Carter, Mrs. Carter's grandson, said his grandmother's life was a sermon. It is true, and all great sermons compel us to act.

Mrs. Carter showed us the power of action while using every opportunity given to us. If the House of Representatives uses our opportunity to act every day to improve the lives of our constituents, we will truly have taken the sermon of Rosalynn Carter's life to heart while honoring her in the best way possible.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the dean of our delegation for honoring Mrs. Carter today and hosting this Special Order hour.