Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I was not present for the following Roll Call vote. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows:

Roll Call vote No. 236, On Agreeing to the Amendment of Perry of Pennsylvania Amendment No. 32, I would have voted NAY.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and celebrate the life of Eric Tarpinian-Jachym of Granby, Massachusetts, who was an intern in my office.

Eric's life was tragically cut short by a senseless act of violence in our Nation's Capital. Eric was an innocent bystander who was gunned down as he walked down the street less than one mile from the White House.

I offer my prayers and condolences to Eric's family, friends, and loved ones.

Eric was a rising senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who came to Washington to participate in our government. He was a kind and friendly presence in my office, greeting everyone who came through the door with a smile.

The loss of Eric will be felt for a long time. We will never forget his presence and kindness in my office. Those he met in his short time in my office will not forget him either.

Eric Tarpinian-Jachym was a dedicated, thoughtful, and kind person who loved our country, and he gave his life in service to others. I thank him for his service and for the impact he made on our lives. May he rest in peace.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal).

Mr. Speaker, I ask that the House observe a moment of silence to remember Eric Jachym.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the Kansas families, workers, and small businesses who will benefit from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

By extending and improving the TCJA, working-class families in my district will pay $10,900 less in taxes and see increased wages of $7,200 on average. It contains my bipartisan legislation to make research and development expensing permanent, a jobs provision ensuring America continues to lead the world entirely on innovation. It eliminates fraud and waste in ObamaCare, and it builds on President Trump's successes at securing the border.

Despite the misleading spin from my colleagues on the left, this bill delivers on what Americans voted for in November. It is time to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

First, let me outline what this bill doesn't do. It doesn't take away Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security for Americans who need it, and it doesn't give lavish tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires.

Here is what it does do: It ends benefits for illegal immigrants. Instead of giving Medicaid to able-bodied adults, it prioritizes the benefit for children, seniors, and low-income Americans. It provides a tax credit for seniors, exceeding President Trump's plan to end taxes on Social Security. It provides funding for more border security to keep our country safe. Perhaps more importantly, it extends the profamily, progrowth policies from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that even The New York Times and The Washington Post admitted gave tax cuts to middle-class Americans.

How do we know this will work? We know it will work because we saw

TCJA boost wages, job growth, and tax revenue, despite the CBO's biased and inaccurate scoring in 2017.

Mr. Speaker, I urge our colleagues to vote in favor of this one big, beautiful bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a friend and fellow fiscal hawk on her last day of work, my district director, Debbie Luper.

How can I possibly frame up the service and political activities of Debbie Luper in one short floor speech? Her presence in Kansas politics is deep, and a great number of elected officials at the State, local, and Federal levels have consulted with Debbie or sought her advice at some point in her career.

Many Kansans know Debbie and have appreciated her dedication to serving the people of the Fourth District of Kansas. She is a pillar in Kansas politics and has been repeatedly recognized for her service, most recently receiving the Spirit of Unity Award from the Sedgwick County Black Republican Council. She has also twice received the Kansas Republican Party's Huck Boyd Volunteer of the Year Award.

She has been an integral member of winning campaigns locally and statewide. She served as the chief of staff for the Kansas Senate Ways and Means Committee before joining my staff to lead my district office.

Debbie is a battle-tested, stalwart conservative who is trusted by many throughout Kansas, and her conservatism isn't a fad or a political front, but it is who she really is. In fact, I have been known as a fiscal hawk throughout my time in public service, but she is pretty comparable, giving me a run for my money on that banner.

Debbie has also been a bridge builder and mentor. Even when factions arise, Kansans continue to trust her leadership and count on her to help bring people together. It is one of the reasons why she has made such a phenomenal district director.

The staff in my office in Wichita has learned from her guidance and decades of experience, and she has fostered a family and not just a group of employees.

Debbie was my very first hire following my special election in 2017. As district director, Debbie was always focused on what was best for Kansans, particularly in the Fourth Congressional District.

She ensured that constituents were helped, whether they had a problem with a government agency, they had an opinion on an issue, or they just wanted to express a complaint or sometimes a compliment. Business groups, schools, healthcare providers, and farmers and ranchers can all count on Debbie to help them.

Today is her last day as a full-time employee, but retirement for Debbie doesn't mean an end to a busy and engaged life. She is transitioning to more time in her favorite roles as wife, mother, grandmother, and daughter. She will be spending far more time with family while still having some time for her favorite hobby: helping with campaigns. I am confident that Kansans will still seek her advice and consultation, or at least they will if they know what is best for them.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Debbie for 8 years of serving as my district director. More than that, I thank her for her decades of friendship. She has watched

my kids grow up and been part of my family. Her presence will be missed in the office each day, but I am grateful I will still see her around. I wish a happy retirement to Debbie.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of advancing President Trump's America First agenda.

It was less than 2 months ago that I stood on this House floor as Republicans passed our budget resolution, putting a marker in the ground to restore and secure our country both physically and financially.

While I don't think this resolution goes far enough, the resolution that we are about to pass today is a positive step forward, and it is what Americans demanded 5 months ago.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to talk directly with President Trump in the West Wing. He is asking Republicans to support this budget resolution to move the process forward. This resolution is only one more step in the process to obtain these positive results.

Voting ``yes'' means voting for a secure border and economic growth. By voting ``yes,'' we are voting for a path to make the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent. It means making economic growth provisions like research and development, the small business passthrough, interest deductibility, and immediate expensing permanent parts of our tax code. A ``yes'' vote prevents the largest tax increase for Americans in history.

As a fiscal hawk who will continue to work with the administration to rein in reckless spending, I am voting ``yes'' for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for introducing this commonsense piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act. Before I get into my planned remarks, I want to fact check some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle attacking President Trump, claiming that laid off Federal workers are being prevented from receiving unemployment.

We have been in touch with the Department of Labor. They have published documented guidelines describing filing and eligibility requirements that make it clear Federal workers are eligible for unemployment.

The biggest risk to Federal workers is not being able to claim their benefits at all because fraudsters got there first. There have been multiple data breaches at agencies across the government, including the Office of Personnel Management, exposing the personal information of millions of Federal workers.

Democrats should be supporting this bill to catch fraudsters that are still out there using stolen identities to file illegitimate claims.

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle have insisted, despite their pushback on the Trump administration's actions, that they want to cut waste, fraud, and abuse. Today, they can prove it.

The bill we are debating is really pretty simple. We know that during the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans benefited from unemployment insurance, but fraudsters took advantage of an overwhelmed system, resulting in more than $100 billion in sham UI payments, including $466 million of UI fraud in my home State of Kansas. The statute of limitations is fast approaching, on March 27, and if Congress doesn't act, these scammers are off the hook.

Our legislation today extends the statute of limitations from 5 to 10 years. With nearly 1,700 open cases, this bill gives the Labor and Justice Departments the tools they need to go after these criminals.

This should be an easy ``yes'' for everyone in the Chamber.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Mann for managing the floor time on this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 153, a resolution honoring the victims of Flight 5342 and Black Hawk PAT 25 and offering condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones.

First, I offer my own condolences, prayers, and support to those who are mourning the loss of a loved one. While it has been a little more than a month since this tragic incident, there are still no words to adequately express the heartbreak we all feel at their loss and no words that can properly console them. I pray that, in time, God would give them and all those impacted a peace that would surpass all understanding.

Just as we stand with those suffering now in their time of loss, we will continue to stand with them as we continue to understand what happened on that tragic night of January 29. I hope the answers that are uncovered will help bring some closure to those grieving and help ensure that a tragedy like this never happens again.

Mr. Speaker, as we honor the 67 lives cut short by this accident, I also thank the countless first responders who rushed to the scene to first try to rescue and then recover those aboard Flight 5342 and PAT 25. Thanks to their tireless and selfless efforts, the bodies of all 67 victims have been recovered.

Additionally, I extend thanks to the staff of Wichita's Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport and to the greater Wichita community, where Flight 5342 originated, for their efforts to embrace and lift up those impacted by that crash. In towns and cities across the Nation and the world, countless other communities have banded together to similarly show support to the members of their community who lost a loved one on that tragic night.

It is in each home, school, workplace, and community where each of the 67 victims was known and loved that they will continue to be remembered, celebrated, and honored. As we have learned more about the individual passengers aboard the plane, as well as the pilots and flight crew of Flight 5342 and the crew of the Black Hawk, we have come to know how much they meant to the people around them and how much they will be missed.

We commit to honoring their memory by doing the best we can to carry out a thorough investigation and make whatever changes are deemed necessary.

I am grateful to the National Transportation Safety Board, the FAA, the Army, and all the other involved agencies for the swift progress they have made thus far and for the work they are committed to carrying out.

I also extend my thanks to Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves for his help in bringing this resolution to the floor and to all the Members who have offered their support during this time.

The devastating plane crash coincided with Kansas Day, the day our State was founded 164 years ago. It is typically a day of recognizing the State's heritage and when schoolchildren across the State learn Kansas facts and symbols. Beyond the sunflower, western meadowlark, and ``Home on the Range,'' our State is known for something else not found in a textbook or school worksheet: our compassion and care for one another.

Kansas is a special place to call home. After a tragedy like what happened on January 29, we not only grieve with the families and friends we know, but we grieve for all those who lost their lives that evening.

More than a month has passed since the events of January 29, but that is a date that will be forever etched in the minds and hearts of the American people.

As their Representatives in Congress and the Representative of the Air Capital of the World, we come together today to offer our sincerest condolences to each person who is grieving the loss of a loved one and to honor the victims of Flight 5342 and PAT 25.

Mr. Speaker, may they rest in peace.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize the exceptional service of Kansan Carl Harris, the 2024 chairman of the National Association of Home Builders.

For more than four decades, Carl has made an outsized impact on the residential construction industry and communities across Kansas through his work as cofounder and president of the Carl Harris Company and managing partner of Harris Homes.

Most recently, he completed his term as the 2024 chairman of the National Association of Home Builders, where he has been relentless in advocating for policies that strengthen the construction workforce and help make homeownership, a key tenet of the American Dream, possible.

Generous in sharing his time and talent, Carl served as president of the Wichita Area Builders Association and the Kansas Building Industry Association and in numerous roles in local governments in Newton. In addition, he has promoted workforce development initiatives and outreach to high schoolers to introduce them to opportunities in the construction trades.

It is my honor to thank Carl for his dedicated career and wish him all the best with his next step.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support for starting the process to pass one big, beautiful bill for America.

For 4 years, Americans suffered from an open border, crippling inflation, massive Federal spending, and burdensome regulations. On top of that, we are on the verge of increased taxes for families, workers, and small businesses if we fail to act. Our mandate is to restore and secure our Nation, both physically and financially.

It is critical that we pass a bill that enables us to address all of these priorities, including an extension of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. In my home State, Kansans will see an average of a $2,200 increase in their taxes if we don't act now and we allow the Trump tax cuts to expire.

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle have made false claims that this budget resolution will cut Social Security. As chairman of the Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee, I emphasize with the strongest terms possible that this budget resolution does not do a single thing to cut Social Security. In fact, Social Security cannot be amended in the budget reconciliation process. The Byrd rule prevents the consideration of any reconciliation measure in the Senate that changes the Social Security program.

Mr. Chair, I support today's budget resolution as a next step in advancing America First policies.

Mr. Speaker, tonight we are gathered on the House floor to honor the men and women who tragically lost their lives on January 29. Together, we represent the districts and States impacted by the heartbreaking crash of Flight 5342 and a United States Army Black Hawk helicopter.

American Eagle Flight 5342 left my hometown of Wichita, Kansas, at 5:22 p.m. with 60 passengers and 4 crew members on board. They were young skaters, a rural Kansas couple, a college student, a group of friends returning from an annual hunting trip, and so many others who were taking a routine flight from the Air Capital to our Nation's Capital.

Their lives came to a tragic end within view of the DCA runway when a collision occurred with a Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River. As we know, all 64 passengers and 3 Army soldiers perished.

As we mourn the loss of these 67 individuals, there are truly no words to adequately describe the heartbreak we feel. We grieve with the families and friends they left behind and pray for those in our districts who are still in shock at the loss of their loved ones. Together, we commit to finding answers and to working to ensure another tragedy like this doesn't happen again.

In homes, churches, and community gatherings across the country, Americans have paused to honor the 67 souls who perished last week. Tonight, on this first meeting of the full House since the tragedy, we will do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House observe a moment of silence to remember the lives lost and the families and friends left behind.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ms. Karma Mason on her induction into Wichita State University's Shocker Sports Hall of Fame.

This award was presented to Karma in honor of her contribution to the Wichita State University Championship Bowling Team from 1975 to 1978. Her exceptional talent and leadership proved instrumental to her team's success as she led them to the first national collegiate championship, culminating in three national championship teams over the course of her time at WSU.

Karma is a highly accomplished bowler with an outstanding record. Some of her impressive bowling achievements include a 196 average tournament score and a high tournament score of 279. She demonstrated leadership, hard work and dedication to the sport as team captain and anchor bowler for three years straight, proving integral to her team's success.

Karma's recent Hall of Fame recognition is just one of her many accolades throughout her long and successful career, and she continues to make Kansas proud. On behalf of the people of the Fourth Congressional District of Kansas, I congratulate Karma.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 100th birthday of Connie Palacioz, an American patriot and Wichita's very own ``Rosie the Riveter.''

Shortly after graduating high school in 1943, Connie volunteered to support our nation during World War II. Several family members were serving in the military, and she felt it was her duty as an American to contribute to the war effort as well.

Connie left her job as a laundress and joined Boeing's B-29 Superfortress assembly line in Wichita, Kansas. Starting at 50 cents an hour, she eventually doubled her wage, a testament to her hard work and dedication. In her role, she supported the production of the nose sections for the aircraft, manufacturing four sections each day. With the help of her partner, Jerri Warden, Connie contributed to the assembly of 1,644 B-29 bombers throughout the war, including one nicknamed ``Doc.''

In 2000, Connie was reunited with ``Doc,'' which had been recovered from the Mojave Desert after decades of exposure to the elements. Remarkably, one of the pieces of the plane found in excellent condition was the nose section that Connie helped build nearly 60 years prior.

Connie became a vital part of the restoration team, volunteering three days a week for sixteen years until the aircraft was fully restored, taking to the sky again in 2016.

At the age of 97, Connie was honored as the inaugural member of the Kansas Women's Hall of Fame in Aviation. Today, I would like to once again honor her for a lifetime of service to our country. I thank Connie.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 509.

Stated against: