Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, TSA is sharing passengers' names, birth dates, and private data with ICE, leading to a surge of unlawful arrests and detention at our airports.

Airports are becoming de facto detention centers, funneling humans into the ICE mass detention deportation agenda for profit. ICE agents are targeting immigrants who are in the process of changing their status, including those waiting for visa extensions, with employment authorization documents, or recently married to a U.S. citizen.

They are subjecting them to unconstitutional mass surveillance and creating a climate of fear for our immigrant neighbors. Why? Because ICE literally said immigrants at airports make for ``easy targets'' to fulfill our daily arrest quotas. That is disgusting. Enough is enough.

We can't allow TSA to become complicit in ICE's cruelty, and I am asking the TSA administrator to stop openly lying about the secret data-sharing agreement that was entered into with ICE.

Mr. Speaker, please support No TSA Data for ICE Act that I introduced with many of my colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is an attack on free speech and academic freedom, all in the name of defending a genocidal apartheid state.

While the Trump administration is stripping universities of their funding, deporting international students, and pressuring universities to shut down their Black and African-American studies departments, Congress is voting today to force universities to pledge their loyalty to what? To a foreign government.

That is right. Support the Israeli Government and their war crimes or lose Federal student aid.

Boycotts are protected free speech and an important tool for social change, from the civil rights movement to today. Academic boycotts had helped bring down the apartheid state in South Africa, as well as abolish segregation right here at home.

This is not about protecting our Jewish neighbors because many of the boycotts and the divestment movements on campuses are led by Jewish students who were yelling: Not in our name.

Do you know what this is about? I will show you. This is about protecting an image like this from Israel's National Security Minister this week. This is what he put up on social media, showing the fate that he has planned for the Palestinian people.

What is this? This is an image of Palestinians walking into a gas chamber. This is what students are boycotting.

Yet, here we are, punishing them for speaking out against this, speaking out against ethnic cleansing, genocide, and bombings of hospitals, schools, and refugee camps.

This bill is a clear assault on higher education for millions of working-class students who depend on Federal student aid to get an education. A vote for this bill is a betrayal of those promising young students, denying them the right to an education. Why? Because they want to save lives, no matter their faith or ethnicity.

The Trump administration is committed to dismantling higher education and public education in our country. We all see it, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. First, it is a ban on boycotting an apartheid government state, and then it is going to be a ban on divesting from fossil fuels, or maybe teachers will be banned based on what teachers are teaching now.

We need to stand against this attack on academic freedom and stand up for students. They are doing what is right in our history, and I am not going to wait a decade for people to apologize for it, because they are trying to save lives. It is their constitutional right to be able to boycott and run campaigns that are peaceful and saying: Enough is enough. Not with our dime, and not in our name.

Mr. Speaker, free Sama Safi now.

Sama Safi is a 20-year-old U.S. citizen and honors student of psychology who was kidnapped from her home in the middle of the night by the Israeli forces. For exactly 3 months today, Sama has been suffering in the Israeli military prisons.

Sama has a severe chronic medical condition that requires daily medication. Her doctors say that she could have irreversible organ damage.

Mr. Speaker, 40 of my colleagues and I, along with 6 Senators, sent a letter to Secretary Rubio demanding him to work on her release immediately.

I have actually spoken directly to Sama's parents, who are terrified for their daughter. They tell me that they wake up every morning hoping to hear Sama playing her music. They told me that Ben-Gvir, Israel's Minister of National Security, went to the women's prison where Sama is being held, and he taunted the prisoners and assaulted detainees. He mocked the inhumane conditions, saying that it is what they deserve.

Sama doesn't deserve this. No one does. She deserves to be home with her family, studying for her classes.

Free Sama now.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Jackson for his incredible leadership and, of course, CPC for hosting this Special Order hour.

Mr. Speaker, we know that since day one, the President of the United States has targeted policies and programs that are about equity, about women's rights, making sure that we are attacking and targeting racial injustices all around the country.

Let's call what it is. When you attack DEI, you are attacking people of color. You are attacking inequities, attacking again those that continue to allow the status quo which makes them money to again have injustices within programs and so forth.

To this President, anyone who does not look like him or does not have the same amount of money or income, shouldn't have equal opportunities. That is what we are telling the American people. It is no surprise then that he has filled his Cabinet administration with people who are set on racist daily deportation quotas, firing women in the military, or having senior advisers spend their time literally tweeting at and name- calling Black Congresswomen and community leaders.

This anti-Black and racist administration does not reflect the beauty and dignity of the American people. They have made it clear from day one about their policy choice to ignore and hurt our Black communities.

I grew up in the most beautiful, Blackest city in the country, where my strength and the way I move in trying to attack poverty and making sure that no child goes hungry, that we have clean air to breathe, that we have clean water to drink is because this is a city that knows what it feels like again for their government to turn their back on them.

The Health Department right now has canceled over a thousand grants dedicated to address issues that affect Black people, including Black maternal health where Black mothers are dying at a higher rate giving birth. Those funds were supposed to research maternal mortality, environmental injustices and contamination, disease prevention, and more. Yet again, this administration thinks Black people are disposable.

I know as the founder and chair of the Mamas' Caucus that Black women are three times more likely to die due to pregnancy-related causes, but now we are not even allowed to say Black for programs dedicated to solving maternal mortality.

As co-chair of the People's Environmental Justice Caucus, I know that pollution deeply affects the majority of Black communities. Growing up in Detroit, I thought that the smell of rotten eggs was normal. Then I learned it was because the government sacrificed our air and water to big polluters in communities like ours.

Just last month, homes in Gary, Indiana, were literally under water due to flooding. Our government was too slow and is still not responding like they should. Lead-contaminated pipes, dust, and paint still affect many homes across our country, especially in our city.

There is no safe level of lead, but again, the Trump administration, using the anti-DEI movement, canceled programs dedicated to replacing lead pipes. Think about that. Our U.S. administration right now thinks that clean water is not a great need in our country.

Trump's attacks against DEI aren't simply a culture war. It is through his executive orders and policies directly impacting our health, our wallets, and our future. We all deserve to be able to live with human dignity. What we are seeing with this administration is they don't care for that if we don't look like him.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman from Illinois hosting this Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, corporate greed is hurting Americans. It is not Democratic Socialists who are fighting for universal healthcare, childcare, and clean water.

The sponsor of this resolution took $10,000 from Phillips 66, a gas company, and that is a fact. I wonder how many residents in Colorado's Fifth pulled into a Phillips 66 and couldn't afford gas because today residents of Colorado's Fifth are paying $4.26 per gallon

for gas. That is higher than the national average.

Colorado's Fifth District is paying the cost of Trump's reckless war. Since the start of the war, the average family in the Fifth District has paid an extra $412 for gas, and they have spent $3,700 more for basic living expenses. Yet, we are not talking about the fact that warmongering hurts our families, not Democratic Socialists.

Republicans fuel corporate greed as they allow, again, the tax cuts, again allow the highest paid CEOs to give pennies to their workers. The average CEO of the largest corporation earned $17.7 million last year, yet here we go. We are not blaming the corporate donors. Instead, we are blaming the Democratic Socialists.

Workers rely on Medicaid, Mr. Speaker, and SNAP because of corporate greed, yet Republicans in this Chamber are literally cutting those programs to give, what, their corporate donors $4.5 trillion in tax breaks. Yet, here we are, blaming, again, Democratic Socialists, who are trying to make life easier for our families, not the billionaire class.

I proudly say, as a DSA member: Tax the rich.

Mr. Speaker, Humberto Oriel Cardenas was a southwest Detroit icon, and it is with a heavy heart that we say good-bye.

Beto, as we lovingly called him, dedicated his life to our community in southwest Detroit. He loved our neighborhood and created a lasting legacy.

Beto started a long-running tradition of showing up to the Cinco de Mayo parade, which I remember attending as a young girl growing up in southwest Detroit.

To this day, the parade that he helped found celebrates Mexican community and heritage. Beto showed us the beauty in our diversity through his love for culture and community.

He helped found La Vida magazine that amplified stories about Detroit's Hispanic community. He also founded the Mexican-American Association of Detroit, which brought together several Mexican musical and dance groups.

He was a proud Army veteran, involved in our church, and loved by his family and our community. We will continue to honor his legacy by remembering that our strength is in our diversity.

Mr. Speaker, free Ya'akub Ira Vijandre now.

ICE arrested and detained him for exercising his First Amendment rights. They targeted him for speaking out against genocide and standing up for political prisoners.

Ya'akub is a photojournalist who has lived in the United States for 25 years as a Dreamer, as a DACA recipient. He is a first responder and spent a decade working for American Airlines serving on their CARE Team that supports families following plane crashes.

When the helicopter crashed into a plane in D.C., right here, Ya'akub was there to support grieving families. When Texas experienced the deadliest flood in recent history, Ya'akub volunteered to bring emergency aid to victims.

Now it is our turn to be there for Ya'akub. They are trying to deport him over liking social media posts. Why? Because he wants to save lives no matter faith or ethnicity.

This should frighten all of us. The Trump administration is terrorizing immigrants who disagree with them and targeting political dissent in our country.

We must speak out. We must free Ya'akub now.

Mr. Speaker, my dear friend, Kate Shishkovsky, passed away earlier this month after a long battle with cancer.

Kate was an absolute powerhouse. She served as the Livonia Democratic Club president where she promoted Democratic values and progressive policies. She revitalized the club, transforming the organization into one of the largest, most active in the State of Michigan. It became of local force, just like her.

It is weird not to see Kate at the meetings anymore, but her legacy and presence is still felt in the room.

Beyond her volunteer work and service, Kate balanced a career as an attorney while raising two daughters. She returned to school to follow her passion for nursing.

Instead of resting in retirement, Kate worked every single day to defend our democracy and the rights of all residents, especially those who were historically marginalized in the city. Not even a cancer diagnosis slowed her down.

I will miss Kate dearly. I will miss Kate's calm presence, her subtle sense of humor, and her warmth that radiated every single day and everywhere she went.

Mr. Speaker, Michiganders are clear: No data centers. I am introducing a new bill, the No AI Data Centers on Federal Lands Act.

Our bill would permanently ban large data centers on Federal lands, including military bases. It would also remove any existing qualifying AI data center and mandate site remediation to protect our health and our environment.

Our Congress needs to act quickly because we all know that the Trump administration is selling our land to Big Tech right now. We know that the Department of Defense has already requested $30 billion to build hyperscale data centers. They want untested software to make life-or- death decisions in our U.S. military.

These data centers will be built without Clean Air Act permits. Imagine all of this under the Trump administration's new rule that revokes environmental protections.

The administration is also working for Big Tech right now, not us. We should be making it more difficult for the Trump administration to outsource military decisions to the Big Tech companies. We all know they put profit before our lives.

We should protect our public lands from data center destruction. Everywhere I go in my district, all throughout Michigan, our residents are telling us data centers are not welcome. AI data centers bring noise, light, air, and water pollution. Already we know they increase energy costs by as much as 267 percent. Think about that.

Our residents are choking on smog right now from wildfires. This past weekend, we know neighborhoods surrounding Detroit had the worst air quality in the world, and they want to make the climate change crisis even worse.

We already are paying too much for utility bills right now, yet the Pentagon wants to place heavier costs on the shoulders of hardworking Americans by choosing, again, Big Tech instead of us.

Our corrupt, AI-addicted President cannot be allowed to sacrifice our Federal lands so that Big Tech billionaires can get richer.

I will continue to push back against harmful data centers alongside our residents to protect our public lands, health, and environment. Together, we can safeguard our public lands and also prevent higher utility bills. We can tell this President that AI shouldn't be making military decisions and AI shouldn't trump our public health and our environmental laws.

Restoring Fair Credit

Mr. Speaker, I am introducing the FAIR Credit Act to restore the credit reports of victims of predatory lending, fraud, and financial abuse.

Mr. Speaker, I want you to know that this is not a Republican or Democratic or Independent issue. This is an American issue.

The FAIR Credit Act would address inaccuracies in credit reports found by over a third of consumers. These are our residents. Imagine a third of our residents right now are hurt by credit reports that aren't even accurate.

This is an economic justice bill. Credit records are riddled with errors that prevent people from obtaining jobs, housing, cars, and loans, loans to help them thrive.

Our neighbors are constantly targeted by predatory lenders and scams, especially our senior citizens. For my seniors, my bill would establish the right to free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services. They shouldn't have poor credit because they fell victim to scams.

Medical debt should also be prohibited from being on a credit report. It is not their fault they got sick. It shouldn't bring them down and be able to put them in survivor mode because they got sick and couldn't afford the health costs. Oftentimes, we know that patients need lifesaving medical procedures and aren't even aware of the cost in advance.

Adverse credit reports should not drag people down when they are already drowning in medical debt. People who have survived domestic and financial abuse also shouldn't have negative information on their credit reports that they are not even responsible for.

Instead, our bill offers a pathway for them to remove negative information so they can start a healthy financial life.

The FAIR Credit Act removes negative information after 4 years, down from 7 years, because we know economists and others have said 7 years is not even a good indicator.

Our neighbors across the country should not be denied economic opportunities that we know will get them out of survivor mode and help them be able to thrive. A lot of this is because we have a flawed credit report process in our country.

Our residents deserve the FAIR Credit Act. Our residents deserve these changes. This one should be an easy one for many of my colleagues here in this Chamber.

Mr. Speaker, this is Black Maternal Mental Health Week, and it is a time for action. We can save countless Black mothers from preventable death.

Michigan has one of the highest death rates among Black pregnant people because our health system fails to provide comprehensive and accessible healthcare.

Folks here may not know this, but mental health is the leading cause of maternal deaths, and Black women in our country are the most underreported and undertreated.

As the chair of the Congressional Mamas Caucus, our members and I are committing to improving mothers' mental health all year round, not just this week.

Every year, we display portraits of Black mothers who died from pregnancy-related causes because so many

of our Black mothers are held invisible in our policymaking. They are ignored and dismissed when they are the ones who need to be heard the most concerning the cause of maternal health in our country.

I will continue to amplify their voices so that all Black mamas can thrive alongside their families. It is important that our country saves Black mothers now and not wait for statistics to come every single year to tell us we are not doing our job.

Mr. Speaker, I am so proud that our Michigan chapter of the Huntington's Disease Society of America is Chapter of the Year.

They got their award, and it is an incredible team that elevates the personal stories of so many of our residents. They advocate for increased research funding, improved access to care, and policies that better support our families living with Huntington's disease.

This includes Andy Zeman, who received the Youth Huntington's Disease Award. After losing his birth mother to Huntington's disease and being diagnosed himself, he continues to bring incredible courage and optimism to this space.

I will also honor Dave Stickles, who also received the Marjorie Guthrie Award, for his unwavering commitment to supporting families. I am so incredibly proud of our Michigan chapter.

These national awards recognize advocates who have turned personal hardship into public service. Their tireless advocacy has now helped hundreds, if not thousands, of families living with Huntington's disease. They have given many people a voice, and I am so incredibly proud that they have received this award.

Mr. Speaker, shame on DTE. Shame on DTE for throwing swag bags to my residents after they went through 4 days without power. Shame on DTE for increasing our rates just a few months ago to $242 million and then 2 months later ask us for another $474.3 million increase.

Shame on you for allowing 400,000 of our families to be without power. We have the most unreliable service in the region, yet we pay the highest rates.

Shame on them for throwing a $42 reimbursement for spoiled groceries and spoiled medicine, especially when grocery and drug prices have increased. We can't even rely on DTE to get us through the summer storms. This was a 20-minute storm.

Shame on DTE for profiting off our pain.

To my residents, I say: It doesn't have to be like this.

The Michigan Public Service Commission needs to stop approving DTE rate increases and instead hold DTE accountable.

I introduced the Make DTE Pay Act just for that.

Make them pay for polluting our water and our air while hiking up our customer rates.

Mr. Speaker, this week's vote is about immediately ending all U.S. participation in the Israeli Government's violent assault against the people of Lebanon.

Over 4,200 people have been massacred since the start of the Israeli apartheid regime's brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing and territorial expansion in Lebanon, and nearly 1,000 additional people have already been killed since Congress refused to pass the Lebanon War Powers Resolution earlier this month. That is 1,000 additional people in just 25 days.

Over 4,200 beautiful souls have been taken from our Earth and from their loved ones by U.S.-funded bombs and with operational and targeting support from the U.S. military. Indiscriminate bombings continue to this day. Children, medics, journalists, parents, students--everyone wants to label them as Hezbollah, but they were civilians. They were intentionally targeted.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a June 17 report from UNICEF titled: ``Lebanon: 12 children killed, maimed daily, despite Hezbollah- Israel truce.''

[From UN News]

Lebanon: 12 Children Killed, Maimed Daily, Despite Hezbollah-Israel

Truce

More than 100 days of war reveals a shattering snapshot of

life for civilians in Lebanon amid Israeli strikes and forced

displacement, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported on

Wednesday.

Since hostilities escalated between Israel and Hezbollah

militants in southern Lebanon on 2 March, 247 children have

been killed and 992 injured, an average of 12 children killed

or maimed every day, according to the agency.

``For more than three months, children in Lebanon have

lived through experiences no child should ever endure,''

UNICEF country representative in Lebanon, Marcoluigi Corsi,

said in a statement issued on Wednesday following the 15 June

announcement that the United States and Iran had reached

agreement on a Memorandum of Understanding.

``We hope that this ceasefire will be indeed a real

ceasefire because since the declaration of the previous one,

violence against children and the conflict hasn't really

stopped,'' he told UN News.

Dozens of violations

Despite a reduction in the intensity of hostilities, UN

peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL continue to observe

trajectories since Monday and extensive Israeli military

activity, the UN Spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Their observations include Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

high-density armoured movements, sustained logistical traffic

and large-scale engineering and demolition works across the

area alongside reports of 26 violations of Lebanese airspace

by the Israeli military between midnight and 4 pm local time

and one air attack.

Key takeaways

The humanitarian situation in Lebanon remains fragile and

needs immense and severe despite the recent US-Iran agreement

and subsequent signs of regional de-escalation. Here are some

highlights from the latest flash update from the UN relief

agency, OCHA:

Returns remain limited and cautious despite reduced amount

of hostilities

Israeli airstrikes and seven renewed displacement orders

covering 37 localities across the South and Nabatieh

governorates triggered additional displacement between 12 and

14 June

3,798 deaths and 11,781 injuries since 2 March: Lebanese

Public Health Ministry

131,200 internally displaced persons remain in 644

collective shelters

Aid efforts reached over 1.1 million people through water

and sanitation services and 13.6 million meals delivered

2026 Lebanon Flash Appeal only 32.7 per cent funded, with

approximately $209.6 million received against $639.9 million

requested

UNIFIL recorded 312 trajectories between midnight and 4 pm

on Wednesday, a total of 291 attributed to the IDF and 21

attributed to Hezbollah, compared with, 174 and 189

trajectories were reported over 24 hour periods on Monday and

Tuesday, respectively.

``Outside UNIFIL's area of operations, we are aware of

reports of Israeli artillery shelling and airstrikes

targeting multiple locations, including Nabatieh, Saida and

Jezzine, as well as repeated drone overflights over Beirut

and its southern suburbs,'' the UN Spokesperson said. ``At

least one strike on a vehicle in Shukin reportedly resulted

in four fatalities and several injuries.''

Seaside security

UNIFIL reported a violation of Lebanon's maritime space by

two IDF vessels conducting a patrol roughly 600 metres off

the shores of Naqoura in southern Lebanon, which is also the

home base for UN peacekeepers, the UN Spokesperson said.

UNIFIL, and its naval ``blue helmets'', announced on

Wednesday ongoing efforts to assist the Lebanese navy in

assuming greater responsibility for securing its territorial

waters throughout 2026, based on an agreement signed last

December.

``A long-term stability on land is intrinsically linked to

security at sea,'' said UNIFIL Force Commander Major General

Diodato Abagnara.

Where is humanity?

Widespread destruction has scarred large parts of the

country, affecting homes, schools and essential services,

including water, sanitation and hygiene systems, further

compounding already severe humanitarian needs and dealing a

devastating blow to children living through the bombings and

violence.

Mr. Corsi said a meeting with teenaged girl at a UNICEF-

supported hospital remains ``stuck in my mind and my heart''.

``Collateral damage'' from an attack included the deaths of

her father and three brothers, leaving her mother alive and

the girl in a coma, he said, recalling the first two

questions she asked him while she was recovering: Where is

humanity? Where is a sense of justice?

``Those are tough questions coming from a 14-year-old child

that you cannot answer,'' he said. ``No child should go

through that nightmare.''

Mass displacement, childhood disrupted

More than 770,000 children are experiencing heightened

distress from repeated exposure to violence, loss and

displacement, with many unable to return home because of

ongoing fighting and the threat of unexploded ordnance, Mr.

Corsi's statement declared.

``Behind these staggering figures are lives cut short or

forever changed, and families facing profound loss, trauma,

and uncertainty,'' he wrote. ``Many have fled their homes

multiple times, witnessed violence first-hand, lost loved

ones and seen their schools, communities and sense of safety

shattered.''

But, the numbers alone cannot convey the full scale of the

crisis, he explained.

``Beyond those killed and maimed, an entire generation of

children has seen its childhood disrupted,'' he stated.

``Their sense of safety, one that every child needs to grow

and thrive, remains profoundly undermined.''

``The scale of physical and psychological harm we are

witnessing is unacceptable, and children continue to pay a

terrible price for this conflict,'' the UNICEF representative

said, urgently calling for a sustained cessation of violence.

The true cost of this crisis will not only be measured in

lives lost today, but in the opportunities missed tomorrow.

Give children a chance

Children must be protected from further harm and schools,

hospitals, water systems and other civilian infrastructure

urgently safeguarded, Mr. Corsi implored.

Moreover, humanitarian access must be ensured and

international law must be respected.

``Most importantly, Lebanon's children must be given the

chance not only to survive this crisis, but to recover from

it and reclaim the future that conflict has placed at risk.''

Mr. Speaker, that is an innocent child being killed or maimed every 2 hours in this U.S.-assisted invasion.

The apartheid government of Israel is intentionally killing civilians, again, in Lebanon, in Palestine, and in Iran. It is the same genocidal playbook.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a link to a June 18 report from the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry titled: ``'The essence of childhood has been destroyed': Israel's deliberate targeting of Palestinian children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory since 7 October 2023.'' https://www.ohchr.org/ sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/ session62/a-hrc-62-crp-2.pdf Mr. Speaker, everyone should read this horrifying report. It finds that the Israeli military deliberately targets and kills children as part of their ongoing genocide in Gaza.

When Israeli leaders talk about applying the ``Gaza model'' in Lebanon, this is what they mean. They never mention Hezbollah.

They say that we have already seen the Israeli military kill 251 Lebanese children during the U.S.-assisted invasion.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to be clear. I include in the Record a link to a June 17 report from Amnesty International: ``Lebanon: Israel radically expands use of unlawful mass `evacuation' orders and commits war crime of unlawful transfer.'' https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/ news/2026/06/lebanon-israel-radically-expands-use-of-unlawful-mass- evacuation-orders-and-commits-war-crime-of-unlawful-transfer/ Mr. Speaker, more than 1.3 million people have already been forced to leave their homes or been killed, with the Israeli military telling them that they will not be allowed to return.

Mr. Speaker, 81 Lebanese neighborhoods have been violently depopulated and demolished, erased from the map entirely.

I want to make this very clear. The United States is not a bystander to these war crimes. It is an active participant. The United States is currently engaged in illegal and unauthorized hostilities, supporting the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, in violation of the War Powers Act.

The Trump administration is providing intelligence, coordinating strikes, demonstrating overt command over the Israeli military decisions, including green-lighting specific Israeli attacks and operations.

The Trump administration is also providing spare parts and maintenance to keep Israeli jets in the air. Without that support, those jets cannot drop bombs to kill Lebanese children.

Congress must reassert its constitutional authority and immediately vote to end all unauthorized U.S. participation in the destruction of Lebanon.

Israeli leaders have been open about their plans. This is about seizing Lebanon's territory, expelling its people, expanding the government of Israel's borders. This is about ethnic cleansing and what they call, in their own words, their ``Greater Israel project.''

Just this past week, genocidal maniac Netanyahu has said that Israel does not plan to withdraw from the territory that they seized in Lebanon and that they will forcibly displace Lebanese and the people of Lebanon will not be able to return to their homes.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a June 24 Haaretz article: ``Netanyahu: Israel Won't Withdraw From Lebanon `As Long as I am Prime Minister'.''

[From HAARETZ, June 24, 2026]

Soldiers In, Residents Out'. Netanyahu: Israel Won't Withdraw From

Lebanon `As Long as I Am Prime Minister'

(By Noa Shpigel, Rawan Suleiman, and Yaniv Kubovich)

Defense Minister Israel Katz also said Israel will not

withdraw from the territories the IDF captured in Syria

either. `This is the security doctrine. The IDF must be on

the enemy's turf and protect the communities from within the

territory itself,' he said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that

the Israeli military will not withdraw from the IDF-occupied

buffer zone in southern Lebanon as long as he is in office.

``As long as I am prime minister, we will maintain the

security zone in southern Lebanon,'' he said, speaking in

MUNIEXPO conference for municipal development. ``We will be

the first in the world to solve the explosive drones

problem,'' he added, referring to Hezbollah's primary weapon

against Israeli soldiers since fighting in Lebanon began in

March.

Meanwhile, Lebanese reports said that two people were

killed in a drone strike on a vehicle in Kfar Roummane, near

the city of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon. Earlier on

Wednesday, the IDF said its forces struck two armed Hezbollah

operatives in the Ali al-Taher Ridge area. The IDF later said

it struck a vehicle ``posing a threat to IDF soldiers'' in

the same area.

Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of

State Marco Rubio said Israel has consistently said it has no

territorial claims in Lebanon, saying that withdrawal depends

on the Lebanese army's ability to secure its territory.

``The Israelis have been clear they don't have any quarrels

with the Lebanese people nor do they have any claims on the

territory of Lebanon,'' Rubio said. ``One of the issues

that's been discussed in these negotiations is about the

creation of pilot zones--specific, defined areas where the

Lebanese Armed Forces can go in, take control and secure that

territory, and then move on to the next pilot zone.''

According to Rubio, ``it'll be a process. This is not going

to happen overnight.'' The secretary of state added, ``The

more of the area the Lebanese Army is able to secure, the

less in Hezbollah's control and the less Israel will be in

Lebanon.''

Earlier on Wednesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz stressed

that that Israel will not withdraw from IDF-occupied areas in

Lebanon, ``even if there is an American demand to do so,''

leaving 200,000 displaced Lebanese residents ``who will not

return.''

``There will be no civilians and no terrorists,'' Katz

said. ``Why? Because what happened in the past in security

zones where there was also a civilian population was that

there were explosives and attacks against soldiers, and

therefore, we do not allow that,'' he added.

``Soldiers in, residents out. The infrastructure is

destroyed, the houses are dangerous and ruined. We are not

withdrawing,'' Katz said.

``We have significant achievements that began with a

terrible blow on October 7,'' the defense minister continued.

``Since then, the entire people, the leadership, and the army

have acted with great determination. I am not aware of any

situation in which, without that terrible blow, someone would

have gone in to deal with the tunnels in Gaza.''

Katz also said Israel will not withdraw from the

territories the IDF captured in Syria either. ``This is the

security doctrine. The IDF must be on the enemy's turf and

protect the communities from within the territory itself.''

Earlier Wednesday, the Lebanese newspaper Ad-Diyar reported

that the second round of Israel-Lebanon talks is set to take

place in Washington on Wednesday under U.S. mediation,

focused on defining the south Lebanon pilot zones to be

handed to Lebanon's Armed Forces, as well as ways to

strengthen the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah.

According to the report, the U.S. Central Command has been

tasked with establishing a military operations room to

oversee, monitor and track the situation in southern Lebanon.

The reporting suggests that this new operations room will

work with the ``deconfliction cell'' whose creation was

announced at U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland this week, paving

the way for the dismantling of the existing mechanism that

was set up in 2024 between Israel, the United States and

Lebanon.

According to Lebanese daily Al Akhbar, Israel is demanding

that Lebanon's army be stationed in the Ali al-Taher ridge

and destroy Hezbollah's facilities under U.S. supervision.

Israel is also demanding that Lebanon disclose the fate of

the Israeli pilot Ron Arad, who went missing in Lebanon in

1986, and propose an offer to return his remains before

Lebanese POWs are released, the report said.

Also according to the report, Israel is seeking to keep a

foothold in the buffer zone in southern Lebanon and is

requesting direct military coordination with Lebanon to carry

out these measures.

Israeli and Lebanese representatives are set to meet on

Wednesday at the U.S. State Department in Washington as part

of the fifth round of direct negotiations since the end of

the war with Iran.

The talks, which began Tuesday, are expected to continue

for three days under the supervision of Dan Haller, an

adviser to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Discussions

will focus on the terms of the cease-fire between Israel and

Hezbollah and the redeployment of the Lebanese army in

southern Lebanon following the IDF's withdrawal.

The U.S.-brokered efforts to stabilize the border are

complicated by a new Iran-U.S. understanding that has shifted

the regional balance and, according to officials,

strengthened Hezbollah's position while weakening Beirut's

leverage.

Beirut is pressing ahead with direct negotiations even as

the process is overshadowed by Iran's decision to insert

Lebanon into its talks with the United States, and by

concerns in the Lebanese capital that the Iran-U.S.

understanding has weakened its bargaining position and raised

doubts over the utility of the talks.

Lebanese officials have insisted that face-to-face

negotiations with Israel are the only way to secure an end to

the war raging since March 2, when armed group Hezbollah

fired at Israel in support of Iran and triggered Israeli air

and ground attacks that have killed more than 4,000 people in

Lebanon.

Israel, meanwhile, has said Hezbollah's disarmament remains

a central condition for any long-term arrangement and views

the group as the main obstacle to a durable settlement.

Opening the talks on Tuesday, Israeli Ambassador Yechiel

Leiter described the process as a ``train wreck'' and warned

it was ``in danger of going off the rails,'' saying Hezbollah

may have been ``emboldened'' by recent developments. He added

that the original premise of the talks--that Iran would

remain outside the framework--was now in question.

He added that ``there is a danger that Hezbollah has

received a boost. There is no doubt that it feels

strengthened and emboldened.'' Leiter also questioned whether

dismantling Hezbollah still remains the foundation of the

talks.

Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said he would

accept ``nothing short of an end to the Israeli occupation in

southern Lebanon'' and added that the current round of talks

could prove ``decisive.''

According to an Israeli source, Israel is seeking solutions

that would reduce Iranian involvement in southern Lebanon.

The source said that during the negotiations, the Israeli

team is expected to present a framework for a phased IDF

withdrawal from parts of southern Lebanon, to be followed by

the deployment of Lebanese army forces to those areas under

U.S. backing.

The source added that it remains unclear whether an IDF

withdrawal from the Beaufort Castle area is being considered

at this stage.

Last month, Israeli troops captured a strategic mountain

topped with a Crusader-built castle in southern Lebanon. The

military said it intends to remain there until further

notice, signaling a shift from previous operations in the

area that were temporary.

The capture of Beaufort Castle near the city of Nabatieh

came after days of intense fighting and airstrikes in nearby

villages, where Israeli troops fought Hezbollah members in

the rugged area. The Israeli push came despite a nominal

cease-fire that has been in place since April 17. Israeli

troops previously captured the castle in 1982 and held it

until they withdrew from Lebanon in 2000.

Mr. Speaker, what a great slogan for his campaign.

Israeli defense minister said that, in villages in south Lebanon: We are going to be destroying all the houses. The residents will never see them standing before their eyes again.

He never mentions Hezbollah.

The Israeli national security minister, in his own words said: All of Lebanon should burn . . . all of Lebanon should become our playground.

Since the beginning, Mr. Speaker, the Israeli political and military leaders have repeatedly stated that their aim is to implement the ``Gaza model'' in Lebanon.

Over the past 4 months, we have seen these horrific threats become a reality. This is a genocidal government that we are arming and supporting as they ethnically cleanse the Lebanese people.

Prominent figures in both Israel and the Trump administration are now openly rooting for the new Lebanese civil war to further destabilize the country and prolong this invasion. It is sickening.

Mr. Speaker, to the Lebanese Government, I say: Learn the lessons of the countries before you and the lessons of Lebanon's own history. The

Israeli Government does not abide by any agreements. They have violated every single cease-fire in all the so-called peace agreements.

Time and time again, a cease-fire with Israel means: You cease; they fire.

Wake up. The so-called agreement is not protecting Lebanese people. This is about apartheid government and structure expanding into your country. Do not abandon your land and your people and become another subcontractor for the Israeli occupation.

Shame on those who separate Beirut with south Lebanon. Lebanon is Lebanon. They are one people. Letting outsiders divide your people will only lead to greater instability and another civil war.

Meanwhile, Mr. Speaker, on the ground, Lebanese people continue to endure horrific violence. The Israeli Government has killed 10 more Lebanese in the past 24 hours as we speak on this floor. The destruction of Lebanon continues with U.S. military support.

We must act now to save lives, no matter faith. We must end U.S. support for these atrocities and force an end to the Israeli Government's invasion and illegal military occupation of Lebanese territory.

This vote is not only about ending the invasion of Lebanon. It is about bringing an end to the disastrous war with Iran. It is connected. Israel's ongoing military occupation and campaign to destroy Lebanon threatens to undermine any chance of success for a peace deal and bring our troops home, to end the war with Iran, a war which has killed countless civilians and has caused extreme economic suffering for ordinary Americans right here at home, who are already struggling to make ends meet.

The American people are tired of watching their tax dollars fuel death, destruction, and endless war. They are tired of hearing that we don't have money for healthcare or childcare at home--

--while watching U.S. bombs.

This vote on the Lebanon War Powers Resolution is clear.

Mr. Speaker, after the 2008 financial crisis, Congress tasked our financial regulators with implementing a rule that bans compensation packages for bank executives that incentivize inappropriate risk-taking.

But more than a decade later, a decade and a half later, we are still waiting for this rule to be finalized.

As the 2023 banking failure demonstrates--we just had one in 2023-- improper incentives continue to pose a threat to our financial system.

That is why I am proud to be able to introduce the Fostering Accountability in Remuneration Fund Act. It requires large financial institutions to set aside a portion of executive compensation to be paid out, absent misconduct or firm failure, after a period of between 2 to 8 years depending on the size of the institution.

In the case of misconduct or failure, deferred funds would be used to be cover the costs of any fines levied on the bank and to make depositors whole. This is important because the American people are tired of bailing out folks who commit fraud and misconduct.

I urge my colleagues to promote financial stability for our residents and support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, under the Trump administration, families are searching desperately for their loved ones who have gone missing in ICE and Border Patrol custody.

Families don't know if they are safe or even if they are still in the country. Lawyers can't find their clients, and children can't find their parents.

This is by design. The administration is making it impossible to find our family members and robbing people of their right to due process, forcing them to lose contact with their loved ones and legal counsel.

I am going to fix that by introducing the Find Our Families Act, which requires the Department of Homeland Security to maintain an accurate and more detailed online detainee locator system for all individuals detained by ICE and Border Patrol. It requires families and lawyers to be notified when the individual is being transferred, including for urgent medical care. It creates penalties for facilities that do not comply.

Mr. Speaker, no one should vanish in government custody, and I urge my colleagues to support the Find Our Families Act today.