Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 10159) to authorize the Secretary of the Army to convey to the State of North Carolina a certain parcel of real property located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on which the State shall construct a veterans' State home, 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 the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, what does it say about our priorities if North Carolina has the land to train our soldiers for war but not the space to care for them when they grow old? That is the problem H.R. 10159 helps solve, and it is why I am proud to cosponsor this bill.

North Carolina is home to more than 600,000 veterans, but today the 150-bed Fayetteville State Veterans Home is closed after serious structural problems forced every resident out. The building has closed. The need that it served has not changed.

Just a few miles away at Fort Bragg, there are approximately 20 acres that can give that new home a place to be built.

I know Fort Bragg well. I trained there as a Green Beret and deployed from there to Afghanistan. The men I served alongside are veterans now. So am I. The 20-year-old soldier eventually becomes the 70-year-old veteran. The country that needed him at 20 still has a responsibility to him at 70.

Fort Bragg has spent generations preparing Americans for service. Now, we have an opportunity to use a small part of it to care for them after that service is over.

Give North Carolina the land. Let us build the home, and let us take care of the people who spent their lives taking care of our country.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson).

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

Mr. Speaker, one of the benefits of sitting on the House Committee on Armed Services is that we have a lengthy legislative streak of enacting the National Defense Authorization Act. It is a bill that sets the policies for the national security of our Nation.

I will provide some assurance to the sponsoring Member that I will work diligently to have this provision incorporated into the conference discussions of the National Defense Authorization Act that I hope will be finalized this Congress.

In summary, this is a strong bipartisan bill that is worthy of being enacted. The Army supports this bill, and it is the minimum support that we can provide to support the veterans who have labored so hard for our Nation.

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

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of my amendment. This amendment does one thing: It bars the Department of War from buying, installing, or operating automated speed cameras on military installations and requires any that are already in place to be decommissioned within 180 days.

These systems are not about safety. They are about revenue. They hand out fines without context, without discretion, and without due process for our servicemembers. We just spent the last few years working hard through the NDAA to increase lower enlisted pay, only to seemingly try to take it away from them.

Make no mistake, this is not just a financial risk. It is a security risk. We have seen what happens when camera networks tied to critical infrastructure get compromised. Reporting this year revealed that foreign intelligence services spent years secretly accessing Tehran's traffic camera network to track the movements of Iran's top leadership ahead of a strike that killed its Supreme Leader. These network systems are an open door for our adversaries to exploit.

To be clear about what this amendment does not do, installation commanders still keep the full authority to enforce speed limits through military police, exactly as they do today. Force protection, access control, and criminal investigation cameras at our facility gates will remain untouched. This amendment targets one narrow thing: automated speed enforcement, and nothing else.

Our troops should not be a captive customer base for a ticketing vendor or a soft target for our adversaries. This amendment closes that door while preserving every legitimate tool that a commander needs to keep a base safe.

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

Mr. Chair, I appreciate my colleague from California's concern about overall base safety. I think if we step back and actually look at the big picture here, what we are talking about is simply a tax on our lower enlisted personnel.

We have military police to enforce safety standards that are already issued by the base commanders across every installation that we have. At the end of the day, we cannot deny that NIPRNet has been compromised by over 90 percent of our most serious and significant adversaries--the exact same net that these speed cameras would live on.

I think that is a significant concern for the safety and security of our installation personnel and the operations that are ongoing on our installations. For that reason, I encourage my colleagues to strongly support this amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition today to the Roy amendment. Section 518 is a limited, responsible pilot. It authorizes, but does not require, the Secretary of War to test a risk- informed approach to drug testing, using voice-based assessment to help target where physical testing is actually warranted. It does not replace it. It stays inside the existing Drug Demand Reduction Program, it comes with privacy protections, a report back to this committee within 1 year, and it sunsets automatically with no action after 3 years. This amendment would kill that pilot before the Department ever has the chance to evaluate it.

The Department of War spends roughly $120 million a year on drug testing and burns more than 4.6 million servicemember hours doing it, even though only a small fraction of tests ever come back positive. A risk-informed approach could return millions of those hours to training and mission execution and save the taxpayers tens of millions of dollars a year. This is not about weakening drug testing. The statute requires the pilot to preserve deterrence, readiness, and good order and discipline. It is about testing whether we can apply our standards more intelligently instead of spreading the same blunt process across a force that is overwhelmingly clean.

This is a readiness issue. It is a taxpayer issue, and it is a servicemember dignity issue all at once. The Roy amendment defends an expensive, outdated status quo over a cautious, measurable pilot that has built-in oversight. Congress should be encouraging this kind of disciplined modernization, not blocking it before the Department of War ever gets the data.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this amendment and preserve section 518.

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

Madam Speaker, when Americans think about energy, they usually think about things that we can see: oil fields, natural gas pipelines, nuclear power plants, wind farms.

One of the greatest energy opportunities in our country isn't aboveground. It is beneath our feet. That is why I am proud to rise in support of my Next-Generation Geothermal Research and Development Act, legislation I am leading with Congresswoman Salinas.

America has an extraordinary opportunity to unlock a new source of reliable, around-the-clock power. A single supercritical geothermal well has the potential to produce more than seven times the energy of a conventional geothermal well. Experts estimate next-generation geothermal could ultimately provide up to 90 gigawatts of electricity right here at home.

The problem is not that our country lacks the resources, but we lack the technology to fully unlock it.

This bill helps close that gap. It directs the Department of Energy to tackle the engineering challenges that still stand in the way of commercialization, expands real-world testing, and strengthens the partnerships between our national labs, universities, and private industry that have always driven American innovation.

This is exactly what the government should be doing, not picking winners and losers, but helping solve the kinds of technical challenges the private sector can't solve alone.

Reliable baseload power is no longer a luxury. As AI transforms our economy, manufacturing returns to America, and electricity demand continues to grow, we need to be investing in the technologies that will power the next generation.

More reliable American energy means lower costs for hardworking families, a stronger electric grid, and less dependence on foreign adversaries. This bill does exactly that.

Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Salinas for her partnership, and I urge all of my colleagues to support the Next-Generation Geothermal Research and Development Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Greg Biffle, who passed away last month.

Greg was known internationally for his NASCAR career, but back home in North Carolina, people came to know him for his heart and specifically his actions after Hurricane Helene.

When roads were washed out, and communities were cut off, Greg used his own helicopter to reach the hardest hit areas. He flew multiple missions a day, delivering generators, food, water, and medical supplies, and he helped evacuate people who could not be reached by any other means. Volunteers on the ground have said that when they told Greg a family needed help, he made it happen, often within hours.

Greg's life was centered on his family, and this loss also took his wife, Cristina, and his children, Emma and Ryder, as well as three friends. They are all deeply missed by everyone who knew them.

As we are here in Washington today, our hearts are back home. On the racetrack or in the air, Greg Biffle will be remembered exactly as he should be, as a hero.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express profound gratitude to Sergeant Major Harold M. Watts, III, Senior Enlisted Leader for the National Guard Bureau's Office of Legislative Liaison. From his start as an Armor Crewman in the North Carolina Army National Guard, he has risen to serve as the principal legislative advisor to the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau.

Nearing 30 years of distinguished service, Sergeant Major Watts served with valor in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, earning the Bronze Star Medal and Combat Action Badge. A graduate of the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy with advanced degrees, he exemplifies unwavering commitment to excellence. As a legislative liaison, he has expertly bridged the National Guard and Congress, leveraging his military construction expeltise to advance our Nation's security.

As he transitions to his next assignment, I honor his exemplary service and wish him, his wife Crystal, and their daughters well. His legacy endures.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Thomas John ``TJ'' Costello of Charlotte, North Carolina, who passed away last week at just 43 years of age.

TJ was a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps. He led Marines in combat in Iraq with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines. He served this country with distinction in war and returned home to serve it again in his community.

After the military, he earned his MBA while working full time and became Vice President of operations at Charlotte Pipe and Foundry. He volunteered at his church, coached youth football, and quietly gave back in every way that he could.

He leaves behind his wife, Julia, and their three children: Finley, Harper, and Claira. Their oldest, Finley, reported to the Naval Academy this month, continuing his father's legacy of service.

TJ's loss is deeply felt, but his legacy lives on in the Marines who served beside him, in the lives he helped shape, and in the family he loved beyond all else.

Mr. Speaker, may God bless the Costello family and may this country never forget his name.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Hickory Police Chief Reed Baer of North Carolina's 10th District, who is retiring this summer after more than 30 years of dedicated service.

Chief Baer spent his entire career serving the entire community that he grew up in. He started with the department in 1997 as a patrol officer and worked his way all the way up, from sergeant, to captain, to deputy chief, and eventually to chief in 2023.

Under his leadership, the department focused on officer wellness, training, and building stronger ties with his community. He also helped create new pathways into the profession for young people in the area.

He has been a steady presence in Hickory for a long time, and his impact will be felt well beyond his time in uniform. I thank him for his service and wish him all the best in his retirement.

Honoring Jake Bridges

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a young man from North Carolina's 10th District, firefighter Jake Bridges of Hickory, who died while serving his community.

Jake was just 20 years old. He was born in Cleveland County, raised in Shelby, and graduated from Burns High School in 2023. Not long after that, he joined the Hickory Fire Department as a certified firefighter and EMT.

He hadn't been on the job long, but you wouldn't have known it. He showed up ready to work, ready to serve, and ready to make a difference.

Jake was a man of faith. He loved the Atlanta Braves, loved playing golf, and more than anything, he loved being a firefighter.

His loss is a tough one for Hickory, for the department, and for everyone who knew him. My heart goes out to his mom, his family, and his brothers and sisters in uniform.

He was proud to serve, and we will be proud to remember him.

Mr. Speaker, the American people are sick and tired of watching Washington burn through their paychecks on wasteful, ridiculous, and downright offensive projects. This rescissions package is our chance to prove that we still remember who we work for here in Washington.

We are cutting $2.5 million for electric vehicles in Vietnam, $47,000 for transgender surgeries in Colombia, and nearly $10 billion for NPR, PBS, and other bloated liberal pet projects that have no place in a responsible budget.

Washington acts like taxpayer dollars are theirs to waste, but they are not. Every cent belongs to the men and women who work long hours, pay their bills, and expect their government to act with a shred of discipline. This is about more than numbers. It is about trust. It is about respect. And it is about time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass this bill and prove that Congress can still do the right thing.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Colonel Len Litton, a decorated combat pilot, national security expert, and proud son of North Carolina who has spent his entire life in service to our Nation.

Born in Banner Elk and raised in Shelby, Len joined the Air Force out of The Citadel. Over a 25-year career, he flew the A-10 and B-2, trained the next generation of pilots, and led some of the most complex and high-stakes missions in our arsenal. At every level, he brought discipline, precision, and an unshakable sense of duty.

When his time in uniform ended, his service didn't. In the White House, the Pentagon, and across the Department of Defense, Colonel Litton became the go-to leader for problems that demanded results.

Most recently, he led the effort to eliminate DEI mandates from the Pentagon's personnel system, refocusing it on what matters: merit, unity, and mission readiness.

Colonel Litton never sought credit. He just did the job quietly, effectively, and always in the best interests of our country.

Mr. Speaker, I thank him for a lifetime of selfless service, and I wish him fair winds and Godspeed.