Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to address the epidemic of gun violence our country is experiencing.

On average each year gun violence in America kills some 43,000 people and injures around 76,000 more.

Over and over, our communities are left reeling from senseless tragedy, stuck in a devastating cycle of violence. We can no longer allow this level of pain to be our normal. Change must happen and happen now.

I am proud to have signed the discharge petitions to bring essential gun violence prevention legislation to the House floor, including the Assault Weapons Ban, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, and the Enhanced Background Checks Act.

These are rational and commonsense bills. They are not about taking away rights. They are about protecting our children, families, and communities. They are about taking the fear out of the every day.

Going to school, the grocery store, or even making a wrong turn should not be a death sentence. Our communities deserve better, and I vow to continue to fight for long overdue action to address gun violence in our beloved country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Patricia Cerro- Reehil on the occasion of her retirement from the New York Water Environment Association.

Since 1929, NYWEA has played a leading role in promoting water quality across our State. Patricia's NYWEA career began in 1987, and 14 years later, she rose to become the first woman to serve as executive director.

Her work over the past 35 years has supported training, education, and advocacy for countless utilities, local governments, system operators, and water-sector businesses. This work has been foundational to protecting and improving water quality throughout New York State.

During her time as executive director, Patricia has also embraced NYWEA's educational mission, helping to distribute over $700,000 in scholarships to some 240 students pursuing environmental degrees.

I sincerely thank Patricia for her decades of service, which have helped provide so many New Yorkers with more reliable, more affordable, and certainly cleaner water. I congratulate Patricia on her well- deserved retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call upon my Republican colleagues to stop playing politics with the full faith and credit of our Nation.

Through the threat of a default on our debt in pursuit of draconian cuts, they are prompting a crisis of their own making--one that will have lasting, devastating impacts to our global economy and to the livelihoods of millions of Americans.

We are on the brink of catastrophe, yet Republicans sent Congress home for the Memorial Day weekend. At a time when we should be united in honoring our brave service members, extreme Republicans are willing to trigger a recession so they can cut veterans benefits.

Democrats are ready to pay America's bills without gambling with working people's livelihoods by imposing cruel cuts.

The clock is ticking. Moderate Republicans must join us now to sign the discharge petition, end this crisis, and save our economy.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this resolution.

It is said that two certainties in life are death and taxes. Someone suing over an EPA standard must be a close third. Yet, when this rule was proposed, no one from industry or the environmental community challenged it based on EPA's legal authority, the Agency's analysis, or the administrative process. That is because it was carefully developed. It was developed in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. It is achievable, and it provides flexibility for manufacturers.

Most importantly, it will result in significant health and economic benefits for all Americans--far more than the costs of compliance. Those benefits include fewer premature deaths, fewer hospital visits, fewer missed days of school and work, and yes, fewer cases of childhood asthma.

Despite being a relatively small number of vehicles on the road, heavy-duty vehicles covered by this rule, including semitrucks and buses, are significant sources of NOX pollution.

This standard will especially help protect the tens of millions of Americans that live, work, or go to school near highways, ports, and other high-traffic, high-pollution areas along our Nation's freight network.

It is hard to believe that the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 were enacted by a vote of 401-25. Protecting public health from air pollution was a commonsense, bipartisan issue. Nearly everyone understood we had to balance industry interests with Americans' right to breathe and breathe safely.

We have reached a point where it is difficult to imagine a potential

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate a remarkable milestone in the history of the capital region of New York that I represent, the 135th anniversary of the YWCA of Northeastern New York.

From humble beginnings in 1888, this organization has grown into a force in our community: transforming countless lives and promoting empowerment, racial equality, and social justice in Schenectady and well beyond.

For many years, the YWCA has stepped up to provide vital services and resources for women and families in need, from affordable housing and childcare to job training and counseling services.

Beyond that, the YWCA has long been a platform for the voices of women, nurturing future leaders, and empowering individuals to stand up for their own rights and the rights of others.

Through its commitment to eliminating racism, it has fostered understanding and built bridges of solidarity across our diverse community.

As we celebrate this momentous occasion, let us reflect on the tremendous legacy of the YWCA of Northeastern New York.

Let us honor its accomplishments, and most importantly, let us recommit ourselves to the principles of justice, equity, and empowerment embodied by the YWCA.

Congratulations on this milestone, and here is to another 135 years of transforming lives, strengthening communities, and building a brighter future for each and every one.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Aldelmo Camacho on the occasion of his 100th birthday.

Aldelmo, commonly referred to as Al, was born in Puerto Rico on May 14, 1923, the youngest of 10 children.

In 1942, at age 19, he joined the Army where he became a surgical technician. After he was discharged in 1945, Al finished school and later married his wife, Tina. The couple welcomed two daughters, Ida and Lillian.

Shortly after the birth of his younger child in 1950, Al moved to Amsterdam, New York, and was shortly joined by his wife and two daughters.

Over these last 53 years, he has remained in Amsterdam where he has helped establish and lead the Spanish American Club where he can often be

found playing dominoes, one of his favorite pastimes.

I thank Al for his friendship, liveliness, and character which have had such a great and positive impact on the city of Amsterdam.

Feliz cumpleanos. Happy birthday, Al.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Eda DiCaprio in honor of her 90th birthday. Eda and her twin sister, Eleanor, were born on May 10, 1933, in Amsterdam, New York.

She worked for New York Telephone then General Electric after graduating from Wilbur H. Lynch High School.

In 1956, she gave birth to her daughter, Roberta. An exceptionally hardworking and loving mother, Eda worked a number of jobs over the years while Roberta was in school, including those at Mohasco, Miles Catering, and Lorenzo's on Union Street before working alongside her twin sister at Travelers Insurance.

She joined St. Mary's Hospital Auxiliary in 2006 and around the same time began volunteering in human resources, where she secured employment and continues to work to this day.

Congratulations to Eda on many decades of committed service to the community and a happy 90th birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Green Building Council, which was founded in April of 1993.

This member-led, nonprofit organization has helped countless schools, businesses, cities, and even countries build and operate better buildings that truly transform lives.

Their LEED certification program has grown to become the world's most acclaimed and widely used green building system with 105,000 projects in 187 countries.

In my home State of New York, over 2,600 projects and over 15,000 homes have achieved LEED certification.

At a time when homeowners and businesses are dealing with rising costs, research has repeatedly found that energy-efficient, lower-waste buildings result in major savings. Plus, they boost staff recruitment, retention, and productivity.

Mr. Speaker, 30 years ago there was no agreement on what constituted green buildings, let alone any kind of accepted mechanism to certify them.

Because of the efforts of the U.S. Green Building Council, our country is moving toward better performing buildings that lower costs and waste, mitigate climate impacts and improve health.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the council's staff for all their great efforts and offer my congratulations to this incredible organization. Here is to another impactful 30 years.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 27, the Congressional Review Act joint resolution of disapproval targeting the clean water restoration rule.

Our waterways, like the mighty Hudson and Mohawk Rivers that flow through my district in New York's capital region, are key economic engines as drivers of heritage tourism and outdoor recreation, as well as cherished gathering spaces for our communities, if we indeed care for them.

The Biden administration's clean water restoration rule restores protections for the rivers, the streams, and the wetlands that constituents in all of our district areas rely upon.

I will reinstate key safeguards to stop big polluters from recklessly dumping waste into our water systems and damaging the fragile wetlands that are so crucial for the resilience of our coasts.

Importantly, the rule is grounded in science. An important fact. It restores the same science-based approach that Presidential administrations have utilized for decades to assess the conditions of upstream waters to protect the health of downstream ecosystems and communities.

Our water systems are fragile and interconnected. As an engineer, I know the importance of using a science and data-driven approach to achieve the very best results for our communities.

The dangerous legislation before us today is an attempt to overturn these finalized regulations. This is an attack on the clean water that is critical to the health of our communities, our Nation's economy, and particularly our agricultural and energy sectors.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to oppose it.

Mr. Chair, I rise in deep opposition to H.R. 1, or as we have heard, the polluters over people act.

When House Democrats had an opportunity to bring an H.R. 1 to the floor, it was to protect Americans' sacred right to vote and curb the influence of dark money and politics.

Compare that to this H.R. 1, which is nothing short of a bonanza for corporate polluters.

It creates loopholes in our Nation's most important environmental laws, laws that exist to ensure Americans have clean air, that they have clean water, and do not need to live in fear of industrial accidents in their backyards.

It does this so that the richest oil and gas companies in the world can indeed continue to achieve a record-breaking bit of profits at the expense of everyday Americans. We know the best way for us to avoid volatile fossil fuel price shocks is to become less reliant on fossil energy by transitioning to a strong, clean energy future, one that will also protect our air and our water and create millions of well-paying American jobs.

This is exactly what the Inflation Reduction Act is doing. New clean energy projects are underway across our country. There have been tens of billions of dollars in domestic manufacturing announcements, which will ensure that solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, EVs, and the other technologies we will need will be made here in America.

This bill seeks to stop that progress. It would repeal critical sections of the IRA. The greenhouse gas reduction fund will leverage private funding to make clean energy investments across the country, including in disadvantaged communities.

The methane emissions reduction program is going to drive down highly potent climate pollution from the oil and gas sector. New rebates will enable low- and moderate-income Americans to save significant money by upgrading their appliances. These programs will be wiped out by this bill.

Mr. Chair, I am not opposed to examining how we can improve permitting processes, but it must be done with the intention of accelerating the clean energy transition--building out our transmission infrastructure to enable our electricity system to be cleaner, more reliable, and, yes, more affordable.

Unfortunately, this bill is only interested in giveaways to outdated, outmoded, and polluting industries, not in bringing our energy system into this 21st century.

Mr. Chairman, I urge Members to oppose it.

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

Mr. Chair, the gentleman appears to be fixated on undermining key EPA safeguards put in place over the last 15 years under the guise of being too costly, while the history of environmental protection, especially under the Clean Air Act, shows this is simply untrue.

The United States can have both a clean environment and a strong economy. It is a false choice to assume otherwise. Republicans who claim that ambitious climate action and economic prosperity are at odds are simply ignoring the facts. This is the same argument that industry has used every time the Clean Air Act has been strengthened, and it has been debunked each and every time.

When Congress debated the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments, the oil industry said, ``The technology to meet these standards simply does not exist today,'' and predicted major supply disruptions, while chemical companies said the law would cause severe economic and social disruption.

None of these gloom-and-doom predictions has ever come true. Instead, our air got cleaner, and our economy flourished.

The history of the Clean Air Act shows that the United States can reduce carbon pollution while creating jobs and strengthening our economy. Since its adoption in 1970, the Clean Air Act has reduced key air pollutants by roughly 78 percent, while the economy has almost quadrupled in size.

By EPA's own estimates, the benefits derived from the Clean Air Act exceed costs by a factor of more than 30-1. Let that sink in for a minute. Republicans like to claim that protecting Americans from pollution and tackling the climate crisis will sink the United States economy, but time and time again, we have seen that economic prosperity and environmental protection do go hand in hand.

The Clean Air Act has also made the United States the world leader in pollution control technology, generating hundreds of billions of dollars for U.S. companies and creating millions of jobs.

The standards targeted by this amendment are also widely popular: Clean car standards that help Americans drive cleaner and more fuel- efficient vehicles; mercury and air toxics standards that clean up deadly mercury and other hazardous air pollutants from power plants; and methane

standards for the oil and gas sector that are supported by industry.

The polluters over people act is the latest in a long line of sad attempts to undermine critical environmental and public health protections. These tired arguments continue to ring false and hollow. This amendment is more of the same.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose it and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, even though I am not opposed.

Mr. Chair, I choose not to speak in opposition to the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to this amendment.

Mr. Chair, let me reiterate what has been said before. Neither the Biden administration nor the Department of Energy is trying to ban gas stoves. No one is coming into your home to remove that stove. I implore my colleagues across the aisle to stop lying to the American people about this. Apparently, Republicans think that standards to make something better, to make it more efficient, is a ban.

Regardless, this amendment makes no sense. This amendment calls for a study on how banning natural gas appliances will affect rates and charges for electricity. As I said, no one is actually talking about a ban, but the funny thing is we already know that electrification does result in lowering energy bills.

Electric appliances like heat pumps save households money because they are more efficient than gas appliances. Especially as we see fuel prices rise, electrification becomes even more critical, more important.

Republicans see the tide turning against their friends in the oil and gas industry, so how do they respond?

With a big energy package and a bunch of amendments that attempt to lock Americans into a dirty, expensive fossil fuel choice.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Chair, I will start by saying I have good news for my colleagues across the aisle.

The Department of Energy isn't banning gas stoves. It doesn't even have the authority to ban gas stoves. This amendment, like this whole bill, is political messaging.

What DOE is doing is proposing a standard to make new residential gas stoves more efficient and cut gas waste, not to ban them.

The proposed standard is so reasonable that half of the current models already meet it, including all entry-level models.

They already meet the standard, and for those that don't meet the standard, manufacturers have until 2027 to upgrade their product line, so this really isn't anything outrageous.

Also, DOE is required by law to review and update standards for appliances like refrigerators and air conditioning units.

DOE is actually late with this stove standard. It was supposed to be completed in 2017, but we are glad they are working on it now.

Models that meet the proposed standard consume 30 percent less energy than the least efficient models on the market. That is, indeed, significant.

The full proposed rule, which also includes updated standards for electric and gas residential stoves and ovens, would result in up to $1.7 billion worth in savings for United States consumers and avert about 22 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions over 30 years of sales.

I stand in deep opposition to this amendment. This amendment would bar DOE from finalizing any future efficiency standards for gas stoves, locking consumers into less efficient appliances that are certainly more costly to use.

This is just political fearmongering. It is a waste of our time, and I do urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the students of South Glens Falls.

They recently marked their 46th annual marathon dance, a student- driven event to raise money for local families and organizations. This year, they raised more than $630,000, adding to a staggering total of more than $10.5 million raised since the event's inception.

The success of this marathon dance is proof of the remarkable things our students and young people can achieve.

I had the honor of joining them last weekend and seeing firsthand their enthusiasm and their heart. United by

music, dance, and a resounding spirit of giving, these students demonstrate the power that lies in a love of community and desire to do good. It fills me with inspiration and hope for both their future and ours.

They are movers and shakers in every sense. They are the leaders of today.

Congratulations to the students of Glens Falls on their incredible, remarkable achievement.

Go Bulldogs.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Lymphedema Treatment Act, and to pay tribute to my constituents with lymphedema and their loved ones.

Nearly ten million Americans currently suffer from lymphedema, symptoms of which include intense discomfort, recurring infections, and difficulty moving. Lymphedema is characterized by swelling of the arms and legs often caused by cancer or cancer treatments that result in the damage or blockage of the lymphatic system. There is no cure, but there are effective treatments. I want to take the time to recognize one of my constituents named Emma. Emma is 14 years old and was born with this incurable, progressive disease in her legs and feet. She first visited D.C. to advocate for this bill when she was 6 years old. Emma's advocacy has taught my team and me about lymphedema and the priorities for those living with this disease. She has shared about the painful complications and the need for the best treatment to be affordable.

Currently, Medicare does not cover the cost of compression treatment items. The Lymphedema Treatment Act would improve coverage for the treatment of lymphedema by extending coverage to include certain lymphedema compression treatment items. As a proud cosponsor and longtime supporter, I was excited to vote in support of H.R. 3630, the Lymphedema Treatment Act, when it came for a vote in the House of Representatives. I urge the Senate to move this critical legislation forward. We owe it to Emma and to all those suffering from lymphedema to get this bill signed into law. I also hope that private insurers will follow suit and do the right things with coverage for compression treatment items.

I thank Emma, her family and my many constituents who advocated for this and made a difference in pushing this forward.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) for yielding.

The Manufacturing.gov Act is a vital piece of legislation that supports American manufacturers, boosting our economy, our job growth, and our global competitiveness.

The COVID crisis has strained our supply chains and limited factory production abilities, overwhelmingly hurting the middle-class workers who drive our Nation's economy and our industry.

Congress has a duty to support manufacturers and their workers in every way possible, and that includes making it easier to navigate what Federal resources are available to them.

The Manufacturing.gov Act offers a simple, bipartisan solution to do just that. This legislation establishes a one-stop hub to centralize the 58 different Federal manufacturing programs that span some 11 Federal agencies.

It also encourages public feedback by offering an online avenue for people to

submit comments and concerns regarding such programs.

Now is the time to secure our supply chain and give local manufacturers in my home State of New York and across our great Nation the tools they need to identify the Federal support they will need to help them flourish.

I thank Representatives Axne and Upton, as well as Senator Peters, for being great collaborators on this bill. I urge my colleagues to come together to bolster our United States manufacturing arena.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize October as National Spina Bifida Awareness Month, and to pay tribute to my constituents with Spina Bifida and their loved ones.

In the past I have been honored to have the opportunity to attend the Spina Bifida Walk and Roll as well as the Spina Bifida Dare to Dream Gala which are both held by the Spina Bifida Association (SBA) of Northeastern New York. During these special events SBA raised funds for research, brought awareness to the public, and told the stories of those in our community with this disease.

There are currently an estimated 166,000 individuals in the United States living with Spina Bifida. According to the CDC, each year approximately 1,400 babies born in the United States have Spina Bifida. While there is no known cause, we know that taking folic acid before and during the first three months of pregnancy helps reduce the incidence of Spina Bifida.

I am so impressed with the breakthroughs in research that have helped to give those living with this disease a more fulfilling life. Thanks to the work of organizations like SBA, new medical treatments and technologies have been developed that allow most people with Spina Bifida to live a normal life span, ensuring they can have a full career, get married, and start a family--no different than those without this disease.

I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to ensure that organizations like the Spina Bifida Association continue to receive the funding and support they have earned. I also will continue to support federal research funding for better understanding the condition, the cause, and treatments. I hope that together we can continue to raise awareness.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, I am excited to advance this legislation that will ensure our Nation's economic growth and security for generations to come. It is a major response to and a solution for inflation.

For over 30 years, our Nation's share of global semiconductor manufacturing has steadily declined--declined to dangerously low levels. This technology powers our cars, phones, and critical infrastructure like traffic lights and military communications. The global chip shortage is not only a national security concern, but it continues to drive inflation when industries cannot secure the chips necessary to get their products to market.

This CHIPS and Science Act tackles two pressing issues of the day: strengthening U.S. competitiveness and lowering costs for consumers.

I am proud of the role the House has played in the development of this legislation, the tireless work in the House that has secured meaningful guardrails that would prevent companies from investing in our overseas competitors and funds from being used for stock buybacks. These are very critical improvements.

I also thank Chair Johnson and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology for their work on division B of this package to support much-needed boosts to United States research and development. This includes the bipartisan Micro Act, which complements CHIPS funding by accelerating microelectronics research at the Department of Energy.

I recognize Ben Kallen of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology staff and Darian Harbeck of my staff for their hard work to develop and enact this critical legislation.

Now is the time to recommit to boldly and strategically investing in our Nation's future to promote America's economic strength, the well- being of our communities, our national security, and our leadership around the world. This transformative legislation will indeed ensure that America can out-compete any Nation for decades to come.

Let's fight inflation, let's grow jobs, let's make certain that we respond fully to the needs of the day.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Dingell).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Mrvan).