Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, as a father of four, I believe that every child deserves a safe and loving home.

Unfortunately, many vulnerable children in our foster care system lack a family that they can call their own due to the shortage of foster families.

This must change, and that is what this bill does.

My bill, the Recruiting Families Using Data Act, would help States uphold and strengthen their diligent recruitment plans by improving their processes with concrete facts and information that identifies, recruits, and retains qualified foster care homes.

If we are going to address the problems facing the foster care system, we need better data on those that are having a problem. That is why this bill is so important.

This legislation would also establish a family advisory board to share best practices, highlight financial obstacles facing foster families, and keep foster families at the center of the systematic changes for improvement.

With the right tools and right resources, we can find a caring home for every child in our foster care program. That is why this bill is so important.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stand with me for foster families, and support our children and vote for this wonderful bill.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove the gentleman from New York (Mr. Goldman) as a cosponsor to H.R. 1301.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Laken Riley Act which includes my bill, Sarah's Law, as an amendment.

In the early morning hours of January 31, 2016, Michelle and Scott Root received the call that every parent never wants to hear: their daughter, Sarah, had been killed in a car accident. What is worse is that Sarah was murdered by an illegal immigrant who was driving while drunk three times over the legal limit.

However, instead of answering for his crimes, the illegal immigrant posted bail, was released from jail, and fled our country never to be seen again.

This egregious loophole in Federal law must be closed so that victims like Sarah Root can receive justice and so that criminals can do the hard time they deserve.

That is why I, alongside Senator Joni Ernst, introduced Sarah's Law to ensure that any illegal immigrant who injures or kills an American citizen is swiftly detained and punished to the fullest extent of the law. As a father of

four, I can't fathom the pain the Root family feels to this day. It is truly heartbreaking.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation to deliver justice for Sarah and her family. I look forward to President Trump signing this bill into law so that illegal immigrants who break our laws are held accountable for their crimes. This must be done.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my friend, Kelly Armstrong, on his retirement from Congress and thank him for all his years of service to his constituents and to our country and for his being my mentor.

While we aren't neighbors, Iowa and North Dakota share many similarities. Agriculture and energy production are the backbone of our economies, and our constituents are humble and hardworking.

I have enjoyed working with Kelly over the years as we stood up for agriculture, supported domestic energy production, and advanced American values. Now Kelly is beginning a new

chapter in his life as he begins being Governor of North Dakota.

North Dakota families and farmers are fortunate to have a leader who is principled, dedicated, and passionate. While we will miss seeing him around the Capitol, I wish Kelly and his family the very best in the future. North Dakota is in great hands with my friend, Kelly Armstrong.

Kelly will truly be missed, and I congratulate my friend on becoming Governor.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment to the Homeland Security appropriations bill.

President Biden has overseen the worst border crisis in our Nation's history. Since the beginning of his administration, nearly 8 million illegal immigrants have crossed over our southern border with 2 million evading capture from Border Patrol.

Even known terrorists and drugs have come through this wide-open border, but this didn't happen by accident.

The administration's policies have created this crisis by failing to enforce our laws, not holding drug traffickers accountable for their crimes, and not finishing the wall.

This amendment exposes this administration's refusal to build the wall and secure our border. It directs the Department of Homeland Security to use the money confiscated from the drug cartels to build the border wall and protect our communities.

The cartels do not deserve to keep a single penny of the money they have made smuggling deadly drugs that are coming into our communities. They deserve jail time for their crimes.

I urge my colleagues to support my amendment because the American people deserve secure borders and safe communities, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, this amendment is not controversial. It is actually a very commonsense amendment. We are seizing drugs from the cartels, and we are using money that is also seized from the cartels to build the wall.

We need to build the wall to secure our border. We should have the criminals that are endangering our communities help pay for this project. It is very simple.

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

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to cast my vote on H. Res. 1215. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 233.

Mr. Speaker, this week is National Police Week. It is a time to recognize and thank our police and law enforcement officers for risking their lives to protect our families.

These heroes work long hours and make incredible sacrifices to keep our communities safe, never seeking recognition or praise for what they do. We cannot thank them enough for their service to our country.

Today, we also honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, including Algona Police Officer Kevin Cram and those who sadly passed away due to medical complications, such as Iowa State Trooper Rose Hoyt Ives, who was based in Council Bluffs for years. Our prayers remain with their families and loved ones.

In Congress, I will continue to stand with our law enforcement community and back those in blue. They deserve our deepest appreciation in all that they do.

Recognizing National Hospital Week

Mr. Speaker, during National Hospital Week, I recognize our incredible hospitals in Iowa and thank our doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, and administrators who keep our hospitals running each and every day. Their work is critical in keeping our families and communities safe and healthy.

On my 36-county tour, I met with healthcare workers and families about the importance of keeping our hospitals open and operational in our rural communities. That is why I introduced the Rural Hospital Stabilization Act, which just passed out of Ways and Means Committee, to help our hospitals meet payroll, retain quality staff, make needed improvements, and deliver exceptional care.

As a past city administrator, I can fully say that when a rural hospital closes, it is truly devastating to the community and to Iowa as a whole.

Fortunately, this bill will deliver the financial support that our hospitals need to provide high-quality healthcare to our families.

As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, I will continue to advocate for policies that keep our rural hospitals strong and vibrant and protect access to affordable, reliable healthcare in Iowa.

Again, I thank all of our healthcare workers for creating true quality care in Iowa.

Recognizing Dordt University Women's Basketball Champions

Mr. Speaker, on March 26, Dordt University women's basketball won the 2024 NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship.

Led by Head Coach Bill Harmsen, the Defenders defeated the University of Providence by a score of 57-53 to secure their first-ever national championship. With this championship victory, the Defenders finished the season with a nine-game winning streak and ended with a program- best 35-2 record. This is an incredible milestone in the history of this program.

I thank the head coach and the girls' basketball team for their hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship that has elevated Dordt's women's basketball team on the national stage.

I congratulate women's basketball Coach Bill Harmsen on a successful season and look forward to cheering him on in the Defenders' 2025 and 2026 seasons.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Lucas for yielding.

This past Friday, horrible tornadoes struck parts of my district in southwest Iowa. Minden, Iowa, a community of approximately 600, felt the worst of these storms. Roughly 180 homes and businesses were either devastated or destroyed, and a community member, sadly, passed away.

Even in our grief, Iowans are resilient. These tornadoes are a tragic reminder that we need to use every tool available to keep our communities safe.

I am glad that two of my bills are part of this package. My bills help ensure that our weather radar can better detect serious storms, especially low-hanging tornadoes, and the National Weather Service can disseminate information more quickly.

These reforms will save lives, keep Iowans informed, and deliver accurate and timely updates during storms.

When it comes to severe weather, seconds can make the difference between life and death. That is why I urge my colleagues to support this legislation so that we can protect our families and our communities.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to cast my vote on H.R. 2560 due to my responsibility chairing the Ways and Means Committee. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 111.

personal explanation

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Westerman for bringing this important bill to the floor.

The Winnebago Reservation was established by two treaties in 1865 and 1874 and has been the home of the Winnebago Tribe ever since.

In 1975, more than 100 years later, the Army Corps of Engineers took two

small pieces of land within the Missouri River away from the Winnebago Tribe. Since then, the Federal Government has ignored the land and has not made any plans to develop it. The bill would make things right by returning the land that was taken by the Army Corps of Engineers and give it back to the Winnebago Tribe.

During this process, I have gotten to know many of the people of the Winnebago Tribe. I have learned about the great work and the things they do in agriculture, business, and community development.

It is wonderful to see several of them in our gallery today, and I thank them for coming.

This is so important to them and for our land. From my conversations with them, the Winnebago Tribe plans to use this land for conservation that will be open to the public, and I am excited to see their plans for how they will improve this land.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to lead this effort in the House, I encourage my colleagues to support this important bill, and I thank the chairman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, agriculture is the economic engine of my district, and our tax policies must help our farmers grow, invest, and compete with China. This legislation does exactly that.

Our farmers will benefit from two key provisions in this bill: 100 percent bonus appreciation and the expansion of the section 179 deduction limit. Our producers rely on these tools to buy farm equipment and invest in their operations.

This legislation is a victory for our farmers and rural communities.

Mr. Speaker, President Biden's open-border policies have rolled out the welcome mat for illegals: for drug traffickers, for terrorists, and for foreign nationals with ties to China.

Under President Biden's watch, 302,000 illegals were apprehended at our border in December--the highest number ever recorded--which means that roughly 10,000 illegal immigrants are crossing our border every single day.

The chaos and lawlessness must end. That is why I voted for the Secure the Border Act to finish the wall and fully fund our Border Patrol agents.

That is why I introduced Sarah's Law, in honor of 21-year-old Sarah Root who was killed by an illegal immigrant who was driving while drunk. The law would detain and prosecute illegal immigrants who seriously injure or kill American citizens.

That is why I also introduced legislation to seize money from the drug cartels so that we can finish the border wall and keep deadly fentanyl out of our rural communities.

On my 36-county tour of Iowa, I have heard from countless Iowans who want to secure the border and keep our communities safe. So do I. I promise that I will continue to hold President Biden accountable for his open-border policies that are extremely reckless and destroying our country. I will vote to impeach Secretary Mayorkas for his dereliction of duties when it comes to our border. The American people and Iowans deserve nothing less.

American Strength Must Prevail Against China

Mr. Speaker, China is the greatest threat to our country and our economy. Over the last several years, China has deployed spy balloons in our airspace to surveil our military bases, bought up our farmland, unleashed the COVID-19 virus on the world, and manufactured deadly fentanyl that is pouring over our border.

We must counter China's aggression with American strength. This Congress, I have voted to impose sanctions on Chinese fentanyl manufacturers, condemn China's illegal spy balloons, and ban oil sales from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve that are going to China.

I am so glad that my bill to ban China from buying American farmland passed the House last March.

When I am traveling all 36 counties in my district, stopping China from buying our farmland is one of the top concerns of Iowans. That is why President Biden must sign this legislation into law to keep American farmland in the hands of the American farmer and not our foreign enemies.

While China invests heavily in their military and works to destabilize our economy, I will work nonstop to protect our families, farmers, and businesses from China.

On this mission, we cannot falter, and so as long as I am in Congress, we won't.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3058) to amend parts B and E of title IV of the Social Security Act to improve foster and adoptive parent recruitment and retention, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3058, the Recruiting Families Using Data Act of 2023, supports States in addressing the nationwide shortage of foster homes.

In the United States of America, every child deserves a home. Unfortunately, our Nation's foster care system is facing enormous challenges, with a record number of children sleeping in social workers' offices, hotels, and hospitals because they have nowhere else to go.

Iowa lost more than 200 licensed foster care homes since 2019. Washington, D.C., lost nearly half of their foster homes since 2019. States like South Carolina have seen a 60 percent decline.

These foster homes are essential to providing vulnerable children with safe, loving homes, and we have to stop this dramatic decline.

We need to make it easier to find families who are willing and able to foster children and those generous families who choose to foster to continue.

Unfortunately, the ability for States and nonprofits to respond to the challenges is limited by the shortage of information. We need to know why foster families quit fostering if we are going to make it easier to recruit and retain them. We need to be able to evaluate what the needs of foster families and their children are so that States can set goals for improvement and be able to evaluate whether they are making progress in meeting those goals.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the steps this bill takes to modernize child welfare by taking advantage of data to support States in their recruitment and retention of foster parents so children can be cared for in safe and loving homes.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation, and I give a special thanks and shout-out to Representative Kildee for his leadership on this bill and for the committee's work to strengthen the child welfare system.

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

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

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

Every year, thousands of families welcome foster children into their homes. Children in foster care need permanent, loving homes. Sadly, our Nation is facing a shortage of available foster homes, and children are left sleeping in hotels and hospitals and social workers' offices because they have nowhere else to go. These children need foster parents, and we need to show compassion and care for them as they face the trauma and hardship of being removed from their homes. We must do more to ensure that all children in foster care have safe and available placements.

This bill is so important that it has to get passed. I thank, again, Congressman Kildee for all his work and support for this legislation. I also appreciate the comments that he just made. I truly urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Jack Trice--Iowa State University's first African-American athlete, and the namesake of the college football stadium in Ames, Iowa--he is an inspiration.

Trice enrolled at Iowa State University with the desire to play football and graduate with a degree in animal husbandry and to help and support farmers.

Tragically, 100 years ago, on October 8, 1923, Trice passed away at just 21 years old after sustaining severe injuries during a game.

While his life was cut short, his legacy prevailed. In 1997, Iowa State University renamed their college football stadium the Jack Trice Stadium, and it remains the only major stadium in college football that is named after an African American.

Today, Iowa State University supports thousands of students through

the Jack Trice Character Award and Jack Trice Endowed Scholarship helping generations of Cyclones succeed.

This October will mark the 100-year anniversary of Jack Trice's tragic death. To honor him, Iowa State will host the Jack Trice legacy game on October 7 and hold the ceremony at the same location where his funeral was 100 years ago at the central campus lawn on October 8.

I am proud to introduce a House resolution that recognizes the life and legacy of Jack Trice, a young man that passed away way too soon, but inspired our communities and the Cyclone nation.

Honoring Officer Kevin Cram

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Algona Police Officer Kevin Cram, who was senselessly murdered while doing his job.

Officer Cram was a 10-year veteran of Iowa law enforcement and a member of the Algona Police Department. He was also a son, husband, and father who is remembered as a family man and a true hero.

Proudly wearing the badge, he dedicated his career to protecting our families and keeping our streets safe. Words cannot accurately express my gratitude for his service and sacrifice. Officer Cram gave his life to protect the lives of fellow Iowans.

There is no greater sacrifice than this.

My prayers remain with his family, the Algona Police Department, and everyone who knew and loved him.

Madam Speaker, Officer Cram will never be forgotten.

Recognizing Governor Reynolds and Kevin Reynolds

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize my friend and Iowa's conservative champion, Governor Kim Reynolds and her husband, first gentleman, Kevin Reynolds.

We both came to the Iowa Senate together, serving the rural communities that power our economy and feed and fuel the world. I can tell you that she was the leader back then and she is still a tremendous leader today.

Since day one, she delivered real victories for our State. As promised, she signed into law the largest tax cut in Iowa history, gave parents a voice in their children's education, and she secured a $1.83 billion surplus for our State budget with no debt. She has also deployed the Iowa National Guard to the southern border to do what President Biden will not do: secure our border and protect our families.

While Governor Reynolds continues her selfless work in Iowa, my prayers are with her family and her husband, Kevin, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. I have no doubt that through their faith in God they will overcome this challenge and they will continue delivering results for Iowa.

Madam Speaker, I thank Governor Reynolds and Kevin for their dedication to our great State.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of my amendment No. 27, which gives rural airports in my district the flexibility they need to serve their passengers, maintain their workforce, and remain solvent.

Our local airports in Sioux City, Iowa, Fort Dodge, Iowa, and many other locations connect Iowans to the rest of the country and to the world. We cannot allow government mandates to suffocate our rural communities and threaten the existence of our small airports.

Under current law, rural airports provide the staff they need to keep our passengers safe. Injecting the Federal Government into hiring decisions would only make rural communities harder to reach.

By giving our local airports breathing room to manage their budgets and their operations, they can better hire new employees and keep costs low for passengers.

Born and raised in rural Iowa, I know that our rural airports are important to our economic development across the Midwest.

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

Mr. Chair, I am prepared to close. I urge my colleagues to think through this great amendment. Think about these small airports and the burden that this would project on each of these airports to have a special person that handles just the concerns of things that might happen once every 10 years or whatever it might be.

There are people that are already hired that can handle these situations. Again, these small rural airports cannot be like the large urban airports. It just doesn't work that way.

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