Floor Statements

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

I rise in support of H.R. 3073, offered by my friend from Utah Representative Maloy.

H.R. 3073 would confer civil jurisdiction to the State of Utah over actions arising on or within the lands of the Shivwits Band of Paiutes. Under this legislation, these civil causes of action could be heard in Utah State courts, providing both the Tribe and outside partners with a clear forum to resolve disputes.

The bill also amends the Long-Term Leasing Act to allow the Shivwits Band to lease their lands for up to 99 years. Similar amendments have been enacted for a number of other Tribes, and this bill provides the Shivwits Band with that same authority.

Madam Speaker, I urge support for the bill to help address challenges the Shivwits Band has faced in pursuing economic development opportunities, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, in closing, I, again, commend my colleague from Utah. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

I am grateful that H.R. 4294, the MAWS Act, is included in today's suspension package, a piece of legislation I was so proud to work in partnership in crafting with the gentleman from Virginia.

The Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the Nation that is responsible for $100 billion in annual economic value, is facing a critical, albeit delicious threat, the invasive blue catfish. These blue catfish were introduced into tidal areas of the bay in the 1970s for recreational purposes under the assumption that they would stay in the freshwater and not venture into the brackish water of the larger bay. That assumption has turned out to be catastrophically wrong. Blue catfish are now not only in every tidal area of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, but they are the most abundant biomass in many of them, and the threat is real.

Blue catfish can live up to 20 years. They can weigh up to 100 pounds. They eat approximately 10 percent of their body weight every day and have an extremely fast metabolism. The imbalance my colleague from Virginia just spoke about in our ecosystem has created a situation where because they eat so much, their meals frequently consist of staples of our seafood industry and staples of Maryland and Virginia's culture: baby blue crabs, rockfish, even oysters, causing significant economic damage to our seafood industry at large, which is a central part of our economies in the bay region.

Making matters worse, these blue catfish, because they are invasive, have no natural predators in the bay to control that population growth. Because of this, they now estimate there are tens of millions of these fish throughout the entire Chesapeake Bay region, and that is growing rapidly.

The good news, Madam Speaker, is that blue catfish are nutritious and delicious, and they are high in protein and omega-3s. According to a new report from bay scientists, these catfish do not retain PFAS like other fish.

The market for human consumption has grown significantly across the region, due to a concerted marketing campaign, processors who make bold investments, chefs who are willing to take a risk with blue catfish dishes popping up in restaurant menus, and filets on sale at your local market.

However, that market has a few critical limitations that are inhibiting our ability to control this catastrophe. First, blue catfish are the only fish inspected by the USDA. All other fish are under the jurisdiction of the FDA, and this adds significant hurdles for seafood processors and watermen who want to sell blue catfish for human consumption.

I would be remiss, Madam Speaker, if I didn't highlight that this very red

tape, this bureaucracy, is a limitation placed on the industry by the Congress itself.

Second, State health regulations indicate that blue catfish filet is safe for human consumption in fish no larger than 25 pounds. This means there are tens of millions of fish over 25 pounds or up to 85 pounds actually, that watermen struggle to sell because they cannot be processed for human consumption, and the market is not there.

Fortunately, they are completely safe for inclusion in the pet food industry.

Third, on the other end of the spectrum, there are millions of more than 1- to 2-pound blue catfish that are not big enough to filet and consequently aren't sold for processing for people. The smallest fish are among the most aggressive predators of the species that our industry relies on, stealthily eating eggs in otherwise hard-to-access habitats.

We have made significant critical progress like the USDA grant program which provides financial support to processors and food banks, but there remains the problem that only the very narrow window of 2- to 25-pound fish can be sold for human consumption.

We are left without a solution to the question: What are watermen supposed to do with every other size?

They can't just throw them back.

We can do our part, everybody here, and everybody watching at home, including my mother, can do their part in ordering the blue catfish when we see it on a menu. Again, it is delicious and nutritious. This is not a problem we are capable of eating our way out of.

That is why I introduced the bipartisan MAWS Act, alongside House Natural Resources Vice Chairman Wittman, to invest funds to address invasive blue catfish and strengthen our local seafood economy, while also providing a new source of protein to pets nationwide.

The MAWS Act establishes this pilot program within the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office to facilitate a market for Chesapeake Bay blue catfish in the pet and animal food industry.

This program will complement the growing market for human consumption by forging new partnerships with pet and animal food manufacturers nationwide that otherwise do not have a footprint in the Chesapeake Bay, and it would establish a sustainable outlet for fish that are outside the window for human consumption by giving watermen and processors more opportunities to sell the smallest and largest blue catfish.

NOAA will enter into cooperative agreements with pet and animal food manufacturers to ensure watermen and processors are properly incentivized to catch blue catfish in the bay, and establish transportation, processing, and manufacturing structures for that long- term market need.

By having a customer base with consistent and reliable price points, watermen can feel confident that it is worth their while to catch blue catfish of all shapes and sizes, knowing there will be somebody at the end of the dock to buy it for a fair price.

Price points for this pilot program will be established in a collaborative effort between watermen, processors, manufacturers, scientists, and economists.

We spent a year crafting this bill, compromising to make sure that everybody's voices were heard and everybody had a seat at the table, ensuring every corner of the industry has a seat and a voice in the decision of what the baseline market price for fillet, byproduct, and whole fish will be for this program.

Additionally, in the many months of engagement on this bill with watermen, processors, and manufacturers, we learned that transportation mechanisms are a complex web of coordinated pickups, often with processors going right to the front door of the homes of watermen to pick up their daily catch.

In order to make participation in this program feasible and promote the establishment of long-term transportation processes, 15 percent of the total grant funding can be used by grantees to establish these new routes across the Chesapeake Bay in partnership with established routes led by processors.

Throughout this 2-year pilot program, NOAA will collect data on the ecological and economic impacts of the program. NOAA will report back to Congress on best practices, lessons learned, and recommendations for additional species in other watersheds that may benefit from this program.

Our seafood industry across the Chesapeake Bay is the heart of our economy, but many factors far outside the control of watermen and processors have left the industry in a dire situation. Extreme weather, deep freezes, unexpected waterway discharge, and a national affordability crisis are threatening the livelihoods of our watermen, not to mention the ever-increasing blue catfish population.

The MAWS Act, again, is the result of intensive collaboration and creativity of stakeholders across the watershed as we sought to address the ecological and economic damage of the invasive species in a way that complements--again, complements--and strengthens the growing market for human consumption.

This is not an either/or approach. This is a yes/and, all-hands-on- deck approach.

If this innovative approach is successful, it is our hope that a similar tool can be utilized to combat invasive aquatic species in other waterways across the Nation. Think carp that are wreaking havoc in the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes. Think snakeheads that are invading North Carolina, Missouri, Arkansas, and more.

I am proud to lead the effort of this one-of-a-kind legislation in partnership with my colleagues from Virginia, Representative Wittman and Representative Kiggans, as well as Representative Hoyer.

I thank the chair and his staff for providing such technical assistance to this bill, and I thank my colleagues for supporting this bill.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Madam Speaker, again, I reiterate my appreciation to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman), the committee staff, and all the stakeholders who spent the last year crafting this creative solution to a problem that threatens the economy and ecology of the greatest natural resource we have in Maryland and Virginia, the Chesapeake Bay.

This is an innovative solution. When you visit with other folks who are policymakers, what we hate to hear is, ``We have always done it this way,'' or, ``We have never done it that way.''

This moment, this crisis that we are experiencing in the Chesapeake Bay, requires innovation, creativity, partnerships, and collaboration. That is exactly what the MAWS Act represents, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5254, offered by my colleagues Representative Bell and Representative Wagner of Missouri, which will support the relationship between Gateway Arch National Park and the Gateway Arch Park Foundation.

The Gateway Arch Park Foundation was formed in 2009 to help fund and coordinate the CityArchRiver project, a transformational revamp of the Mississippi Riverfront and Kiener Plaza, right under the iconic arch, that greatly improved public safety and the overall visitor experience.

Since then, the foundation's partnership with the National Park Service has thrived. This is exactly the type of public-private partnership we need across all of our national parks.

As the official philanthropic partner of the park, the foundation hosts several popular events, including Blues at the Arch and Winterfest, both of which draw thousands of visitors and generate significant revenue that is reinvested back into supporting the park.

The bill we are considering today establishes a new pilot program that would allow the foundation to host private events at Gateway Arch National Park.

This will allow the foundation to host more events and potentially generate even more resources to support the ongoing management of the park.

The authority granted by the bill is a powerful tool when used appropriately, but it cannot become an excuse or rationale to supplant or cut funding from the National Park Service or its staff, especially now when the agency is being pushed to the limit by this administration.

Public-private partnerships like this one managed by the Gateway Arch Foundation are essential. They provide critical support through the National Park System, but we must remember that the agency has lost nearly 25 percent of its full-time staff since the beginning of last year. That figure is neither sustainable nor rational.

Expanding partnership tools should not be an excuse to replace the expertise and experience of the dedicated professionals at the National Park Service.

With that context in mind, this bill requires careful guardrails. Thanks to the cooperation of my colleagues across the aisle, H.R. 5254 will allow managers of the Gateway Arch to test out a time-limited authority. The bill includes significant safeguards for National Park Service-sponsored events, cost recovery authority, and robust reporting requirements so we can understand the full scope and impact of this new pilot project.

Allowing a philanthropic partner to have exclusive after-hours access to park facilities will be a unique arrangement within the National Park System. I thank the majority for working with us to ensure it includes the right checks and balances.

Madam Speaker, I also thank my colleague and friend Representative Bell from Missouri for introducing this legislation and advocating for his hometown national park, hopefully creating a blueprint that could be utilized across this country.

While most Americans know about the iconic St. Louis Arch, famously known as the Gateway to the West, not everyone knows about the full history of the site. The park is also home to the Old Courthouse, the site where Dred Scott first tried and unsuccessfully sued for his freedom from slavery.

This is a transformational American story. While President Trump is doing his worst to sanitize American history and remove signs at national parks across the country, boosting its visibility is more important now than ever.

Celebrating 250 years of this great Nation means honoring and acknowledging the progress we have made since the days of the Dred Scott decision, not burying the truth or the full telling of our shared history.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 5729, the North Rim Restoration Act, offered by my colleague Representative Crane of Arizona.

Last summer's devastating Dragon Bravo fire burned nearly 150,000 acres of the Grand Canyon's North Rim, causing irreparable damage to crucial water infrastructure, well-loved trails, and 106 buildings, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.

After the fire, safety concerns forced the Park Service and the nearby Kaibab National Forest to restrict visitor access, effectively closing the North Rim overnight. The loss of tourism has been devastating for communities and businesses. The loss for this Nation cannot be overstated.

Arizona's $29.3 billion tourism economy is fueled by visitors to the Grand Canyon National Park, with nearly 5 million people visiting this crown jewel each and every year. Restoring and rebuilding at the North Rim is a serious priority.

It will take an all-hands-on-deck approach to rebuild the iconic North Rim lodge to get visitors back to this wonderful landscape.

H.R. 5729 will allow the National Park Service to use expedited contracting authority to efficiently move projects along as quickly as possible. However, the single best action we can take is to ensure our Federal land management agencies have the sustained resources and staff required to fulfill their mission of wildfire mitigation and ecosystem restoration, along with the tools necessary.

To recover from tragedies like the Dragon Bravo fire, the seventh largest fire in Arizona's history, we must fully fund our national parks, forests, and public land management agencies.

I would be remiss if I didn't point out that most of the emergency authorities in this bill could have been granted with the stroke of the President's pen if he had approved an emergency or disaster declaration. That likely hasn't happened because disaster recovery at FEMA has been deeply politicized and delayed by this administration.

We can never and should never play politics with rebuilding and recovery efforts. While I appreciate what this bill will do for the North Rim rebuild, I urge my colleagues to work with us and collaborate on the larger issues of staffing, funding, cutting of red tape, and disaster recovery we are seeing in communities across this country.

Madam Speaker, I urge support for H.R. 5729, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this critical and timely piece of legislation.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2196, offered by my colleague, Representative Hudson of North Carolina, which provides the National Emergency Medical Services Memorial Foundation with a straightforward extension to establish the National Emergency Medical Services Memorial right here in Washington, D.C.

This is a deeply meaningful and important project that deserves our full support. Congress first authorized the establishment of this memorial in 2018, and the foundation's work to finalize its design and construction is almost complete.

Unfortunately, the initial 7-year authorization recently expired. Today, this bill allows us to take the simple step and let the foundation continue its work to honor the service and sacrifice of the medical emergency service community for generations to come.

Every year, EMS providers around the Nation respond to millions of calls, ranging from health emergencies to mass shootings. Whether they serve at the Federal, State, local, private, volunteer, military, or Tribal level, these brave men and women are dedicated to commitment and service.

The memorial will be a small token of our appreciation for those who help others when they need it most. It is the least we can do to give to these heroes, who serve our communities around the Nation and across the globe, a place of honor in our Nation's Capital.

I look forward to the completion of this meaningful memorial, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this critical and timely piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

I rise today in strong support of Representative Pettersen's H.R. 528, the Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act.

Madam Speaker, this legislation would establish a program at the Department of the Interior to address ecological damage caused by unforeseen events, including wildfires and weather events, and support efforts to restore ecosystems, particularly those where disruption has hindered the natural recovery.

As the impacts of climate change cause more frequent and intense natural disasters, we must take a whole-of-government approach to respond to these crises and rebuild. This includes critical investments in predisaster mitigation measures, like strengthening infrastructure and housing, enhancing early detection, supporting our country's wildland firefighters, and focusing on post-disaster resilience.

These kinds of upfront investments will ensure communities impacted by wildfire can rebuild and recover in a way that makes them more resilient against future natural disasters. This bill is a commonsense step toward better land management and stronger community resilience in the face of climate-driven wildfires and extreme weather.

Recovery after a wildfire is a lengthy and challenging process, and this bill will help build stronger, more resilient communities that can stand up against the threat of wildfires for generations to come.

Madam Speaker, I urge support of H.R. 528, and I urge my colleagues to support this critical piece of legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6380, offered by my colleague, Representative Ciscomani of Arizona, which would redesignate the Chiricahua National Monument as the Chiricahua National Park.

Located in the unique Sky Island ecosystem of southeastern Arizona, Chiricahua National Monument is known as the Wonderland of Rocks, which sounds magical. This unique and stunning landscape is filled with pinnacles, spires, and balancing rocks that inspire a sense of awe and wonder.

Chiricahua's rock formations are also a biodiversity hotspot that supports a variety of wildlife amid the flowering desert environment. This includes Apache foxes, javelinas, black bears, mountain lions, white-tailed deer, and over 200 bird species.

The monument is truly a special place that protects beautiful and important ecosystems, but that is only a part of its story. Tribal communities have deep ties and connections to the landscape.

Justine Jimmie, the deputy attorney general of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, testified on this proposal during the 2024 hearing before the House Committee on Natural Resources. Her written statement noted: ``The land that is now Chiricahua National Monument has been our homeland since time immemorial--long before the formation of the United States and before the U.S. Cavalry took our land to give to settlers, pioneers, and miners.''

This history is a history that cannot be ignored, which is why Tribal engagement has been such a critical component in building support for this bill, and I thank the bill sponsor for doing that.

The bill ensures Tribes can continue to access important and sacred sites, even permitting temporary closure of areas of the park for Tribal ceremonies. That is a key part of upholding our trust obligations and ensuring Tribal support for this redesignation.

The National Park Service itself has noted that the wealth of cultural and natural resources across Chiricahua's landscape makes it a strong candidate for national park status.

I am excited about the prospect of designating our Nation's next national park, but I also want to be very clear about what comes next. Our parks and public lands have been short-staffed and underresourced by the current administration, with nearly a quarter of the National Park Service staff departing the agency, some voluntarily and many others involuntarily, since the beginning of last year.

Madam Speaker, after approving the designation of this new national park, I urge for full resources and full staffing so that it can meet its mission.

As Congress continues to come together to create new national parks to protect our Nation's most special places, we must continue to do everything in our power to make sure our national parks have the staffing and resources they need for the next 250 years and beyond.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank the sponsor of the bill, and I urge my colleagues to support this exciting legislation to create America's next national park.

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

Madam Speaker, if I could, this is the last of a marathon of bills. I think the breadth of the bills we saw today are a testament to this committee, from protecting sequoias in California to addressing invasive blue catfish in the Chesapeake to supporting national parks in Mississippi, Missouri, and Arizona to the bill before us now. I am just in awe of this committee's work product.

I thank the chair, the ranking member, and the committee staff. This is what Americans sent us to do, and I am grateful to be a part of it. I thank my colleague from Virginia for his professionalism, as well.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 831, offered by my colleague Representative Calvert of California.

As we stand here today, the seven basin States are continuing negotiations on an agreement that will shape the future of the Colorado River, which has ramifications across the region.

The post-2026 operations are critical to managing the already overallocated river in a changing climate which has led to unprecedented drought conditions and declining water levels at key reservoirs.

I appreciate the work the States have already done to move toward a solution

and urge them and the Department of the Interior to continue working together to reach an agreement.

The Department of the Interior must also ensure that the 30 Tribal nations in the basin are part of a long-term solution, as part of the long history of collaboration in the basin, to accomplish the shared goal of continued delivery of water and power while protecting ecosystems.

Lower water levels have accelerated the spread of invasive, nonnative species and the reduction of critical habitat for native fish and wildlife.

H.R. 831 authorizes an interest-bearing account for non-Federal contributions to the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, allowing these funds to accrue interest that can be reinvested back into the program.

This program brings together Federal, State, and local partners to protect endangered species while also ensuring the continued water operations and maintenance activities of the Lower Basin. It is funded through a 50/50 cost-sharing agreement between the Federal Government and the three Lower Basin States.

Currently no non-Federal contributions to the program are held in a non-interest-bearing account. By authorizing an interest-bearing account, H.R. 831 will help provide additional funding to further support the stability of the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program and help balance water operations and ecosystem health in the Lower Basin. I urge support of H.R. 831.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stanton).

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this critical piece of legislation. I thank the gentleman from Arizona for helping out today and using the word ``riparian'' on the House floor. That is always one of my favorite things.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Billy Keyes, a friend and a beloved Annapolitan, who we lost last week at the age of 104.

Mr. Keyes was a World War II veteran, police officer, public school teacher, artist, proud Alpha man, husband, father, and devoted community member. Everyone fortunate enough to know Mr. Keyes knew him for his wisdom, his compassion, and his unbridled wit.

He served in the 761st Tank Battalion, the first all-African-American unit to enter combat during WWII. He then shared his experience with the next generation as a teacher for over three decades in the Anne Arundel County Public Schools. He retired only 5 years ago at the young age of 99.

Mr. Keyes was an example of how to live well and how to live generously. When I visited him to mark his 100th birthday, he requested that I bring vanilla ice cream and Maryland-distilled whiskey.

He made sure that I let people know that, while he was a lifelong registered Republican, he appreciated sharing his wisdom with service- minded Democrats.

He accomplished more during his lifetime than many of us can dare to imagine, not taking a single moment for granted. He touched so many lives through his dedicated service to our community.

Mr. Speaker, he leaves behind a historic legacy here. I will forever be inspired and grateful for having known him.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the 90th birthday of Ellen O. Moyer, one of Annapolis's most beloved and influential public servants.

A graduate of Penn State University and the first and only woman ever elected Mayor of Annapolis, Ellen set a lasting example of leadership and integrity for young women looking to serve their community. During her years of public service, both as a member of the Annapolis City Council and later as Mayor, Ellen

worked tirelessly to preserve the character of the city, strengthen its institutions, and make Annapolis a better place for future generations.

Ellen was a driving force behind preserving Annapolis's maritime character. During her time in office, she championed maritime zoning, the creation of a Maritime Advisory Board, and laid the groundwork for the Annapolis Maritime Museum.

Ellen was also an inspiration through her work on environmental conservation. She led the creation of waterfront street-end parks, expanded walking and bike paths, and the revitalization of Back Creek Nature Park, now Ellen O. Moyer Park.

A passionate champion of the arts, Ellen helped establish the Art in Public Places program, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, and the Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre. Among her most far-reaching economic achievements was the creation of the West Street Arts District, which evolved into one of Annapolis's most economically vibrant neighborhoods.

Annapolis would not be the same without her devotion to the city and all of its beauty. I ask that you join me and the residents of Maryland's Third Congressional District in offering well wishes and a very happy 90th birthday to Ellen O. Moyer--a trailblazer, mentor, and steward of Annapolis. We are grateful for all she has done and continues to do for our community.

Mr. Speaker, we are taking up time on the floor today because, from coast to coast, I guarantee that we are all hearing the same message from our constituents: The cost of living is just too high.

I feel it, too, as the daughter of a single mom who made everything work because of access to affordable childcare, as a millennial with student loan debt that I am still years away from paying off, and as a first-time homeowner who finally was able to buy a house in the district that I represent after renting for over two decades.

This is something I believe everyone in this Chamber, Republicans and Democrats alike, can agree on: Congress must do more to cover the crushing costs of electric bills, groceries, prescription drugs, housing, and more.

While I would love to take a full hour today running through what we can and should do on all these crises, I have only a few minutes to focus on one.

Mr. Speaker, from my very first conversations 9 years ago, when I first asked my neighbors to place their trust in me to represent them, to even just this weekend at the grocery store, I have heard from parents, grandparents, and small businesses alike that the childcare crisis is suppressing our economy and forcing families to make impossible decisions.

It is more expensive to send one infant to daycare than it is to send an 18-year-old to the University of Maryland.

Like every State, Maryland saw devastating losses in childcare providers after the pandemic. We lost 15 percent, or 1,135, home-based childcare providers, and that further pressured the market and limited options for families.

I come to this floor with good news. I am proud to share that, in our State, education and nonprofit leaders are working to find innovative solutions to help families afford childcare through scholarships and tax credits, but also, and this is crucial, to grow the supply of childcare providers and create critically needed seats.

The Growing Opportunities for Family Child Care program has opened nearly 300 daycares, or 2,000 childcare slots, in just 3 years by providing training, coaching, and resources to individuals who happen to be almost entirely women-based businesses in opening and operating family care childcare businesses.

Now, this is a win-win-win. We create more jobs in childcare, allow more parents to enter the workforce, and lower the cost of care through increased supply.

As a Congress, we need to work together to find commonsense policies that will make it easier for our neighbors not just to get by but to get ahead.

Mr. Speaker, I call on my colleagues to join me in tackling issues head-on together through difficult conversations as we seek to do the unfashionable thing here in Washington: find common ground. That is because that is the fundamental promise of our country: to be able to give our kids and the next generation a better life than we had. We can only do that by offering real, comprehensive, innovative solutions to the affordability crisis that families across this country are experiencing.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise here today on behalf of the 2026 National School Counselor of the Year, Ms. Danielle Crankfield of Annapolis.

Ms. Crankfield of Crofton High School in Anne Arundel County is the first Marylander to earn this national distinction for going above and beyond and inspiring young minds.

When she first arrived at Crofton, she found that African American and Hispanic students were underrepresented in advanced classes, so she created a framework for teachers when making course recommendations and worked from the ground up to better publicize high-level courses for students.

Thanks to her efforts, the gaps in advanced coursework decreased and now these advanced classes more closely reflect the composition and diversity of our students.

As we all know, good teachers, good counselors, and good classes stay with us for a lifetime. I would not be in Congress today if I did not have my own Ms. Crankfield.

Mr. Speaker, closing disparities and exposing more students to new ideas and opportunities sets them up for success in the years to come and perhaps even a seat in this very Chamber.

Congratulations to Ms. Crankfield.

Mr. Chair, 2.8 million acres of farmland protected; 35,000 miles of fish passages opened; nearly 1,500 new public water access sites established; upgrades to every large wastewater treatment plant in the watershed to improve water quality; and the largest oyster reef restoration in the world: These are just five of the biggest wins in the last 43 years of the landmark Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. In fact, it was just updated last week after years of careful and difficult negotiation and public input to unite States across the bay to think bigger and bolder to restore the beloved watershed we all share.

We know that water does not adhere to arbitrary political boundaries. Pollution in Pennsylvania will and does flow downstream to Maryland and Virginia.

All States rely on the EPA to conduct oversight and enforcement of pollution entering our waterways and to hold everyone accountable to our shared communities.

Yet, the bill before us today, the PERMIT Act, attempts to dismantle this partnership between States and the EPA by watering down the key enforcement mechanisms that are needed to ensure compliance with evidence-based pollution standards.

I know these bipartisan, multistate partnerships are not easy. I was a part of them before I joined this Chamber. They take years of collaboration.

Mr. Chairman, that should be fostered and not dismantled by this and future Congresses, which is why I urge my colleagues to support this decades-long partnership by voting ``no'' on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I will start by thanking Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith for their leadership.

I came to Congress wanting to join the Armed Services Committee in particular because it is one of the few committees that still works together to collaborate and legislate.

We don't always agree on every position, as reflected in this year's bill and even in this floor debate, but the final product before us represents the bipartisan nature in which the committee is run, and the wins within the NDAA are proof.

It represents the work that my friend on the other side of the aisle, Representative Schmidt, and I collaboratively put into improving availability and accessibility for healthcare for veterans in DOD facilities, including the world-renowned Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in my State of Maryland.

The bill also means that the United States Naval Academy and all military academies will be better equipped to brace for the impacts of extreme weather and sea level rise. I worked on that with Representative Wittman.

The bill delivers a well-deserved pay increase for our servicemembers and ensures DOD cannot arbitrarily RIF its employees.

This bill includes crucial support for our allies like Ukraine and provides critical checks on this administration's power.

I spent most of this year, including yesterday, visiting every military installation in Maryland, meeting with and listening to servicemembers of all ranks. It helped inform my priorities, and today, I am proud to stand before this Chamber requesting that my colleagues support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, Howard County lost a giant: former county executive, Dr. Ed Cochran. A chemist by trade, he was a pioneer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory where he contributed to our national security, but he was also a pioneer of our community.

As a member of the Howard County Board of Education, he worked to help end segregation in our schools. A scholar at heart, Dr. Cochran was instrumental in the founding of Howard Community College. As county executive, he took our county from rural to modern and laid the foundation for many parts of Howard County's government that we now take for granted.

His life and legacy will be felt deeply from the scientific innovation he laid the groundwork for at APL to the next generation of young minds and leaders at Howard County public schools and Howard County Community College. We are all better off because of Dr. Cochran's unwavering spirit of innovation and inquiry.

My thoughts are with his six children, his 23 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren during this difficult time.