Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, this September, our Nation had the distinct honor of welcoming His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Washington, D.C. As the spiritual leader of over 300 million Orthodox Christians around the world, His All-Holiness has earned global recognition. His decades of service have been marked by moral clarity and a steadfast belief that faith must be a force for reconciliation.

In every part of the world, the Ecumenical Patriarch has used his respected voice to unite religious leaders against the use of violence in the name of faith. At the same time, he has advanced the causes of human rights and environmental protection--issues that reflect his conviction that moral responsibility extends to both humanity and creation. His visit to Washington this September was a continuation of that mission, as he met with President Donald Trump and Members of Congress from both parties to reaffirm our shared values of peace and understanding.

During this historic visit, His All-Holiness was also recognized in New York with the Templeton Prize--one of the world's most distinguished honors celebrating spiritual vision and leadership. This recognition, together with his meetings in our capital, reflects the vital role that faith leaders of his stature play in advancing the universal principles of liberty, mutual respect, and dialogue that strengthen our common humanity.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Trivits family from Hockessin, Delaware.

Recently, Evan Trivits wrote to me about his wife, Angela, who, last September, was diagnosed with ALS. The slow and progressive impact of ALS, paired with our devastating lack of clarity about its causes, is a metaphorical perfect storm of grief.

The Trivits family dreams of a future where ALS is no longer a death sentence, and I share that dream and echo their resolve.

Evan and Angela are a shining light in our community and are emblematic of the values that Delaware is built on. They are harnessing the power of hope to build a collective passion that can do the important work needed to save lives.

Through strength, resilience, and raising awareness, Evan and Angela are demanding better from all of us and turning their uncertainty into action.

The act of caregiving is often shaped by moments of fear, frustration, and heartbreak, but more than anything else, it is shaped by purpose, devotion, and grace.

In part because of Evan and Angela, I am proud to join my colleagues on the ALS Caucus because families deserve urgency, attention, investment, and real solutions.

I thank the Trivits family for their courage and determination and for reminding us of the need to advance meaningful, lifesaving solutions.

Honoring Lieutenant David Moyer and Trooper Brian Nieto

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor two extraordinary public servants, Lieutenant David Moyer of the Millsboro Police Department and Trooper Brian Nieto of the Delaware State Police. They were recently awarded Medals of Valor, the highest honor their departments can bestow.

On June 22, Lieutenant Moyer responded to a dangerous pursuit that ended in Lewes, Delaware, where he came under direct fire from a suspect wielding an AR-15. Under threat, Lieutenant Moyer held the line and even helped evacuate a wounded resident to safety.

At the same time, Trooper Nieto made a split-second decision. Knowing an officer was pinned down, he maneuvered into harm's way, drawing the suspect's attention and likely saving Lieutenant Moyer's life.

These are not routine acts of bravery. They are rare, decisive moments that speak to the highest ideals of law enforcement. Their courage, humility, and service remind us what public safety truly means.

I am grateful to Lieutenant Moyer and Trooper Nieto for their valor, their leadership, and their sacrifice to our State of neighbors.

Commemorating 75th Anniversary of Sayers Jewelers

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Sayers Jewelers in Smyrna, Delaware, in August. Sayers is a small, multigenerational business that has been operating in the town of Smyrna since 1950.

Sayers has been supporting their neighbors throughout Kent County year in and year out, consistently standing alongside their community and demonstrating that successful small businesses are the bedrock of our small towns.

Sayers is one of many examples in Delaware and beyond that reminds us how essential it is that we support small businesses, innovation, entrepreneurs, and the folks in our communities who employ our neighbors and drive success and investment in their community. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and Delaware is the State of small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for Sayers Jewelers and congratulate them on their continued success. I thank them for continuing to pour into Smyrna, Kent County, and the greater central Delaware region one family heirloom at a time.

Congratulating Robbie Stephens

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Robbie Stephens on becoming the new fire chief of the Lewes Fire Department.

Chief Stephens brings nearly two decades of experience to this role, having served as lieutenant, captain, training officer, assistant chief, and deputy chief. He is also a firefighter with Wilmington's Squad 4, where he is known for his skill, humility, and deep dedication to public safety.

This is more than a title. It is a vote of confidence from a department and community that knows leadership when they see it. Chief Stephens' service reflects the very best of Delaware: commitment to neighbors, courage under pressure, and a heart for giving back.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Chief Stephens and thank him for stepping up, once again, this time to lead.

Mr. Speaker, I know a few Members of this Chamber can't seem to muster any maturity when they have a transgender colleague, but members of the U.S. Armed Forces can and have.

For years, transgender people have been serving in our military. There was no problem until Donald Trump decided to fire thousands of qualified, capable servicemembers simply because of their gender identity.

These servicemembers were proudly serving arm in arm with their peers: deploying, training, leading, and sacrificing. They met the same standards, passed the same tests, earned the same promotions, and they were praised by their commanding officers.

There was no problem until the Trump administration created a problem by removing thousands of loyal patriots from service, squandering investments made in their training and careers, and disrupting lives and units.

That is why I introduced an amendment to repeal this ban because this ban doesn't strengthen our military. It weakens it. It doesn't uphold our values. It betrays them. It sends the cruelest message to some of our most devoted patriots that one identity they hold matters more than their service.

My second amendment restores retirement benefits to transgender veterans who were forced out of the Armed Forces just shy of 20 years of service.

Under the law, they should qualify for early retirement benefits just like everyone else would. Many received approval only to have it revoked simply because of their gender identity. They wore the uniform. They kept their promise to us. It is time we keep our promise to them.

It is one thing for some of my colleagues to disrespect me, but it is another thing entirely to disrespect the people who lay down their lives for this country.

Unfortunately, the majority in this body refuses to let us vote on these amendments, but I will not stop standing up for every patriot who serves our country, which until now I thought was a noncontroversial and bipartisan idea.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary work of Ms. Emily Green, a

teacher in the POLYTECH School District in Woodside, Delaware.

Through her participation in National History Day, Ms. Green has worked with her students to preserve the stories of Delaware's silent heroes, everyday individuals who answered the call to serve our Nation.

This past school year, Ms. Green and her students chose to research two Korean war veterans. They researched the lives that these veterans led before their service, the communities they returned to, and the legacies they left behind not only as servicemembers but as local leaders.

Ms. Green and her students visited cemeteries across Delaware where they honored these veterans by writing and delivering eulogies, ensuring that their stories, sacrifices, and names are remembered.

This project reflects the very best of Delaware. I am grateful to Ms. Green for teaching her students our Nation's history and respect for our silent heroes.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, I joined my neighbors across Delaware in celebrating the freedoms that define our Nation, freedoms made possible by those who have worn the uniform.

It is appalling that while families gathered under fireworks to honor that sacrifice, the Trump administration was all too quietly forcing thousands of patriots from military service. These are Americans who have served with honor, distinction, and unshakable patriotism. They are brave, honorable, and committed patriots who have also dared to have the courage to say out loud that they are transgender. These are qualified, trained, and decorated servicemembers. They have deployed into combat, flown missions overseas, and led troops through danger.

Now, this administration is telling them that despite their qualifications and their exemplary quality of service that they can no longer serve, simply because of how they express their gender. That message is immoral, unfair, and un-American.

I represent Delaware's at-large district, a district that includes thousands, tens of thousands of Active-Duty servicemembers, veterans, and military families. In our State, service isn't abstract. It is personal. We see every single day what honor, discipline, and sacrifice looks like regardless of someone's gender identity.

These individuals met the same rigorous standards as their peers, the same physical exams, screenings, and background checks; and in many cases, under intense scrutiny, they didn't just meet those standards, they exceeded them.

Trans servicemembers are receiving glowing fitness reports and commendations. One was described by her commander as within the top 5 percent of officers I have encountered in 18 years of military service.

Another, an aviator with 60 combat missions under her belt, earned the strongest possible recommendation for promotion, and I quote her commander directly, who attested: ``People thrive under her leadership.''

A third, a noncommissioned officer and instructor, was called undoubtedly within the top 5 percent of NCOs I have worked with in my 22 years of service.

In a recent hearing, the Secretary of Defense even commended these patriots, only to frantically retract his praise when he decided that their being transgender, one small part of who these soldiers are, somehow outweighed their years of proven high performance and service to this country. These servicemembers were just dismissed by this administration.

The most powerful aspect of our military, the thing that makes it unique against our adversaries, is that it is a military of the people. In the United States, patriotism does not discriminate. In this country, if you are willing to serve, to fight for our core beliefs and to meet the standards, then we welcome you to stand with us, regardless of your race, religion, national origin, or any other aspect of who you are because you are an American, a patriot first.

This decision to remove proven patriots for no justification causes serious weakness to our force. It turns away proven courage. It wastes billions in taxpayer investment, decades of hard-earned experience, and is a direct blow to readiness because this decision isn't about readiness. It is not about discipline or merit, and it is certainly not about cost.

It is about exclusion. It is about using identity as a wedge to divide and distract. It is a cynical politics, not sound policy. Our military, which should never be a political tool, is paying the price.

Across Delaware, from Georgetown to Wilmington, I have met transgender veterans who served this Nation with distinction. Some stepped forward while hiding who they were, forced to choose between their truth and their country. Others served openly when policy briefly aligned with principle. All of them served with honor.

Mr. Speaker, these are Americans asking to serve their country and to put their last full measure of devotion on the line, just like generations before them. The least we can do is let them.

We are not made safer by sidelining qualified patriots. We are not made stronger by narrowing the ranks of who gets to serve. We are not made freer by telling brave Americans that their truth disqualifies them from service.

This ban weakens our military. It betrays our values. It sends the cruelest possible message to some of our most dedicated citizens. It says their service is unwelcome and that one identity matters more than what they have done, what they have sacrificed, and what they fight for.

Mr. Speaker, I reject that message. I salute every transgender servicemember. I thank them. I see them. I honor them. I will not stop fighting for a country that is truly worthy of their service.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise as a co-lead of the Equal Opportunity for All Investors Act with my Republican colleague Representative Flood from the great State of Nebraska.

Our bill will unlock capital for entrepreneurs and small business owners who have been left out for far too long.

Current law allows only millionaires to invest in the markets that fuel small businesses, shutting out countless Americans, especially women, veterans, and people of color, based on wealth, not knowledge.

Our bill addresses this by creating an exam to assess your ability to understand financial risk when investing in private markets, enabling a more diverse group of people to invest responsibly, regardless of their net worth.

This legislation creates a new path for capital to reach more hands. In my State, the Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce has told me that the legislation would help close the capital gap for diverse businessowners. Small business leaders say that it is not lack of ideas but a lack of capital that holds them back.

This bill opens up new sources of funding from a pool of investors more reflective of the community so that these founders can turn their vision into jobs and economic growth.

I urge all my colleagues to vote in favor of this commonsense, bipartisan legislation today. I thank Representative Flood, Chair Hill, and Ranking Member Waters for their leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Officer Robert Scisco, a school resource officer at Rehoboth Elementary, who has been named Delaware Mentor of the Month.

For the last 3 years, Officer Scisco has mentored Yanziel Rodriguez, a rising fourth grader, meeting weekly to talk, play checkers, and build a bond grounded in trust and encouragement. Before every move, Officer Scisco reminds Yanziel to stop, take a moment, and think, advice for a game of checkers and for life.

This is what public service looks like: presence, patience, and purpose.

Officer Scisco is helping build a culture of safety and connection in our schools, one relationship at a time. I thank him and the Cape Henlopen School District.

Honoring North Shores Beach Patrol

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary heroism of the North Shores Beach Patrol lifeguards who, while off duty, sprang into action to save a swimmer in distress off the coast of Delaware.

On the evening of July 3, lifeguards received an alert of a distressed swimmer and immediately texted one another, racing back to the beach. Luke McDermott and five others searched beyond their patrol zone and swam over 300 yards in dangerous, choppy water to rescue a woman who had been adrift for 2 hours without a life jacket.

Their swift response, courage, and deep sense of duty saved a life, and Delaware is indebted to them.

Devastating Food Assistance Cuts

Mr. Speaker, last week, I stood alongside Senators Coons and Blunt Rochester at the Food Bank of Delaware, joined by advocates, providers, and families, to speak out against the devastating food assistance cuts in the Republican budget. The most powerful voice that day was my constituent, Elizabeth Morales.

Elizabeth is a biochemist, a widow, and a mom from Newark. After an unexpected layoff in 2023, SNAP gave her just enough support to keep food on the table for her daughter while she got back on her feet. It wasn't a handout. It was a lifeline. Now, that lifeline is being ripped away from families like Elizabeth's.

Under this budget, Delaware will lose tens of millions of dollars in SNAP support, putting more than 37,000 families at risk. These cuts don't just stop at the grocery store. They reach into our classrooms.

Up until this budget, kids were automatically enrolled in school meal programs through SNAP, but this budget breaks that link, creating a mountain of paperwork for families and schools and putting thousands of students at risk of going hungry.

We know that a hungry child cannot learn. Nutrition fuels focus, growth, and lifelong success. These cuts don't just take away meals; they take away potential. As Elizabeth put it: This is theft, plain and simple.

It is cruelty disguised as policy. It punishes families not for failing to work, but for living through a hard season. I will not stop fighting until we restore this funding so that no one in Delaware goes hungry.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to amend the rule to make in order the amendment at the desk that protects against any cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this big, ugly bill. Let's be clear: This bill is TrumpCare. And TrumpCare means 17 million more Americans will be uninsured and all the rest of us will be paying higher costs and driving further to get care.

Over the last several months, I have met with hundreds of Delawareans--parents, patients, providers, hospital leaders, teachers, nurses, people from all across the State of Delaware--and everyone was asking us, pleading with us, to kill this bill.

Are my Republican colleagues meeting with their constituents? Are they ignoring them? Do they even care?

Every ``yes'' vote shows very clearly that they don't. This bill is trickle-down cruelty, and people will die because of it.

Mr. Speaker, last week I had the privilege of visiting the Wilmington Police Athletic League, a place where community and opportunity are shaping the next generation of Delawareans.

For 23 years, the Wilmington PAL has served as a safe haven for young people in Wilmington and New Castle County, supporting more than 42,000 youth with after-school programming, summer enrichment, and early childhood education.

Their mission, ``building brighter futures, engaging with public safety and empowering families'' is more than a slogan. It is a daily practice. Through their work, the Wilmington PAL supports children from infancy through high school, ensuring every child they serve has the tools to grow, thrive, and contribute to our State of neighbors. Recently, they expanded their work to support seniors in Delaware.

Organizations like the Wilmington PAL remind us that public safety and public opportunity go hand in hand. I am proud to stand with them, and I will keep working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to expand the resources that make their mission possible.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the rural communities in Delaware and the hospitals that are their lifelines because if the Republican budget is passed, that lifeline will be cut.

Across Delaware, rural hospitals are doing more than just providing care. They are holding communities together. They are delivering babies. They are treating emergencies. They are caring for aging parents. They are anchors of both health and economic stability.

Under this budget, all of that is at risk. For rural hospitals, it means more unpaid bills, more red tape, and more patient bankruptcies. For some rural hospitals, it means closure. When Medicaid is gutted, rural hospitals don't just struggle. They shutter.

Today, over 40 percent of rural hospitals operate at a loss. They rely on Medicaid to keep the lights on and the doors open. Take that funding away, and entire regions lose access to maternity care, cancer treatment, mental health services, and more.

This isn't hypothetical. Before Medicaid expansion, clinics were closing, nurses were being laid off, and people were driving for hours just to see a doctor. Now, the majority party wants to bring that devastation to Delaware, where we have diligently worked to ensure that we have no care deserts.

Even in the places where those hospitals will survive, fewer patients will have coverage.

This budget would impose endless red tape and import the worst parts of the private healthcare system, confusing paperwork and needless bureaucracy, into the Medicaid program.

In total, 16 million people could lose coverage. Millions more could lose access to care in their community. In Delaware, that will mean 40,000 of our neighbors--working families, children, seniors in assisted living, and people managing chronic conditions--getting dropped from coverage.

Mr. Speaker, I will tell you what that means in real life. It means missed chemotherapy appointments because the hospital shuts down. It means laboring mothers being driven 1\1/2\ hours to the nearest delivery room. It means children skipping care for chronic asthma because their pediatrician can't afford to stay open. It means working people in Delaware will skip doctors' appointments because they have lost their insurance, only to end up in the emergency room and facing longer wait times and crushing medical bills.

Rural hospitals are left to absorb the costs while patients are burdened with life-altering debt, and, yes, it means more preventable deaths.

All of this, Mr. Speaker, is just to partially--just partially--pay for tax breaks for billionaires.

I have heard from healthcare leaders across my State who have told me plainly that if this budget passes, they will have to reduce services and lay off staff. Their facilities serve hundreds and, in some cases, thousands of Medicaid patients. They are operating on razor-thin margins already.

This plan would push rural hospitals and clinics over the cliff. Cuts to Medicaid aren't just cuts to line items on a budget. They are cuts to care that keep my constituents alive.

Mr. Speaker, let's be honest about what this is: a budget that raises costs for working families, adds red tape for patients and providers, and gives handouts to billionaires, all while risking the collapse of rural healthcare systems.

If you believe in the dignity of rural communities and if you believe that no one should die because their local hospital couldn't keep its doors open, then join me in opposing this horrible and heartless bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the momentum and pride on full display in Milford, Delaware, a small town with a big story to tell.

Delaware is the small town State, and Milford reminds us why that is something to be proud of. I had the pleasure of touring downtown Milford with local leaders recently. Despite a torrential downpour, we met with small business owners, local artists, and community members who are working every day to turn vision into progress.

What I saw in Milford is what is possible when communities believe in themselves. Whether it is the thriving downtown storefronts, the Riverwalk's beauty, or the vibrant art scene, including Gallery 37, Milford is a town that is honoring its history while investing boldly in its future. Make no mistake, that future is being built by and for Milford's residents.

We talked about infrastructure needs, economic development, and the importance of expanding access to housing and opportunity. Over the past decade, Milford has become a model for what small town revitalization should look like, driven by public-private collaboration and a clear focus on inclusive growth.

Milford's motto: Art Town, River Town, Home Town, is more than a slogan. It is a reflection of a community that is rooted in creativity and care for one another.

I am proud to represent Milford in Congress, and I will keep fighting for the investments, partnerships, and policies that empower towns like Milford to thrive. When small towns succeed, our whole State grows stronger.

Celebrating the Anniversary of the Liberation of Delaware

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the anniversary of the liberation of Delaware from the tyrannical yolk of Pennsylvania and the British Crown.

In June of 1776, Delawareans laid the groundwork for the single longest running tradition in our State's history: the Separation Day. Separation Day serves as a reminder of the fierce commitment at the heart of the greatest State in the Union. It marks the moment when Delaware said: ``We can govern ourselves. We can shape our own future.''

That commitment to dignity, democracy, to self-determination is the essence of who we are as Delawareans.

Each June, my neighbors gather in Old New Castle, one of the most historic towns in America, to honor our legacy with joy and pride.

Separation Day isn't just about the past. It is a reminder that democracy isn't something we inherit. It is something we practice, because that bold act in 1776 wasn't made by kings or generals. It was made by ordinary people who believed that a better future was worth the risk. They understood something we should all remember to this day: There are no kings in a democracy.

This year, as we celebrate our independence from one empire and one governor across the State line, let us also reject any attempt to crown a new monarch, whether with a golden crown or a gilded office, because in this country no one is above the law.

Mr. Speaker, I wish a happy Separation Day to Delaware.

Recognizing Gabriella Bourantas

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize two extraordinary young leaders from Delaware, Gabriella Bourantas of Wilmington Christian School and Emily Geldreich of Kendall Academy, who have earned the Congressional Award Gold Medal.

Through over 400 hours of public service, personal development, exploration, and physical rigor, Gabriella and Emily have set and achieved ambitious goals through perseverance and commitment.

Gabriella served the Blackfeet Nation in Montana, honed her field hockey and Greek dance skills, and helped her family explore our national parks.

Meanwhile, Emily taught American Sign Language, distributed food, and became a stronger swimmer and martial artist, all while deepening her understanding of deaf culture and global history.

Their achievements remind us that the Congressional Award isn't just about logging hours. It is about building character. In their dedication and drive, Emily and Gabriella reflect the heart of Delaware, where young people lead with purpose and pride.

Mr. Speaker, Delaware is proud of Gabriella and Emily and their hard work. They represent the best of the

State of Delaware and the future of this Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I offered a simple but essential amendment to this slash-and-burn Republican budget.

This budget creates red tape that would result in vulnerable seniors losing their healthcare. My amendment would have prevented that red tape unless the Congressional Budget Office certifies that this bill will not result in any senior losing coverage.

Why did Republicans block my amendment? Because they know their budget cuts care. That is why they are doing all of this in the dead of night. That is why they are rushing this through. They want to eviscerate healthcare so long as they get tax breaks for their billionaire best friends.

It may be very late at night, but it is not too late for my Republican colleagues to do the right thing. It is not too late to protect Medicaid. It is not too late to protect SNAP. It is not too late to protect their constituents, but I won't hold my breath.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the ANCHOR Act, a bipartisan bill to protect American maritime research and strengthen our national security.

The University of Delaware's research vessel, the Hugh R. Sharp, is a floating lab used by scientists and students to study everything from our ocean health to fisheries and coastal storms.

All of this is happening right off of the coast of Delaware. Right now, these vessels are often running on outdated technology, and that makes them sitting ducks for cyberattacks from hackers and foreign adversaries.

That is why I am proud to cosponsor the ANCHOR Act, which directs the National Science Foundation to develop a plan to upgrade cybersecurity and communications across the U.S. academic research fleet, including the Sharp. This is because a secure country relies on secure labs, even the ones at sea.

Protecting the Sharp and our entire academic research fleet helps Delaware track sea level rise and protect our coastal communities. This is a big deal for the lowest lying State in the Nation.

That is why I have also submitted a $1.5 million funding request to make sure the Sharp gets the upgrades that it needs.

The ANCHOR Act passed out of committee with bipartisan support, and I urge my colleagues to vote to get it over the finish line.

Betraying Our Veterans

Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, I joined veterans, families, and care providers to celebrate 75 years of service at the Wilmington VA Medical Center, a facility that provided 338,000 appointments last year alone. That is visits to a primary care doctor, a dentist, and drug and alcohol counseling. Every single one of those visits is fulfilling a sacred promise that the government has made to show up for those who have sacrificed for all of us.

As we head into Memorial Day weekend, we must recognize the responsibility that we have as elected officials, not just on Monday but every day of the year, to honor those who have given their last full measure of devotion by fulfilling our commitment to all of those who have served our country.

Our country has long recognized the value of service by promising our veterans that no matter who sits in the Oval Office or behind this dais, they will be cared for and protected.

However, today, that promise is in jeopardy. Nearly 6,000 veterans have already been summarily fired by the Trump administration, and now they are pushing a plan to lay off 80,000 of the very workers who process benefits and facilitate lifesaving care through the VA. Moreover, if that weren't enough, as I speak, congressional Republicans are continuing to advance a budget that would slash support for veterans, even further undermining healthcare, housing assistance, and food support.

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear: We don't support veterans by handing them a folded flag with one hand and cutting their lifelines with the other. More than 1.6 million veterans rely on Medicaid for their health coverage.

If House Republicans succeed in their slash-and-burn proposal, it will mean real harm for veterans and their families. My constituents are warning me, and they are right, that cuts to SNAP, Medicaid, and VA services will fall hardest on disabled and aging veterans, especially in rural areas and communities of color.

House Republicans have chosen to unilaterally pursue a budget that puts tax cuts for billionaires ahead of care for the people who wore the uniform. That is not just bad budgeting, it is a betrayal of our promise.

Delaware's veterans and veterans across this country don't need slogans. They need support. They need stable housing. They need accessible healthcare. They need us to keep our promise to them. Veterans who fought for our country should not be forced to fight for the coverage and assistance that they earned long ago.

I didn't come to Congress to sanction cruelty. I came to keep our word, to ensure that the veterans I met at the Wilmington VA and the tens of thousands more across Delaware are treated not as political props but as patriots deserving dignity.

This Memorial Day, I urge my colleagues to follow the famous charge of President Lincoln. Any Nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure. No mission is more important or righteous.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to share the story of a mother from Delaware whose daughter lives with a condition that means she cannot eat food without getting sick. Her daughter relies on Medicaid to pay for the formula that keeps her alive.

Without it, she won't just struggle. As her mother wrote plainly to me: ``If she loses Medicaid, she will die.''

Mr. Speaker, we must not gut Medicaid to give tax breaks to billionaires while moms are begging for their children to survive. This mom's story is not an outlier. This is a daily reality for thousands of my constituents.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues: Protect Medicaid and protect this child. This is a lifeline.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the Representative of the nearly one in four Delawareans who rely on Medicaid: families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities whose lives now hang in the balance.

Republicans in Congress have proposed not only the largest cut in Medicaid in American history but the single largest evisceration of healthcare in American history, period.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, this slash- and-burn proposal would strip health insurance from nearly 14 million people. That is not belt-tightening; it is life threatening.

Since the majority in Congress began advancing this plan, I have heard from hundreds of Delawareans who can't sleep, gripped by the fear of losing the care that keeps them or their kids alive.

Caroline, a young woman from Newark, has a rare condition that requires extensive medical intervention. Without Medicaid, she told me that she could die. Caroline tragically is not alone. If these cuts advance, people will die.

I have heard from doctors, nurses, hospital leaders, and community health clinics across our State. They all agree: Republican cuts to Medicaid will do irreparable harm, eliminating a lifeline for their patients, and putting further strain on our hospital systems that are already facing a workforce crisis.

Let's talk about what is actually in the Republican proposal. The majority party wants to impose needless and excessive paperwork requirements that serve no purpose but to push people off the rolls. They are importing the worst parts of the private health insurance industry, needless bureaucratic barriers and excessive paperwork into a lifesaving program to make it harder to qualify for care, all to pad the pockets of the ultrawealthy.

If that weren't enough, the bill also includes what can only be described as a backdoor abortion ban, prohibiting Medicaid funding from going to family planning clinics that provide abortion services, even if that funding isn't being used for abortion care.

This means shuttering access to trusted providers and family planning clinics, especially in rural areas where options are already scarce. They are doing all of this while forcing working families to pay more out of pocket. When you make working people pay more for basic healthcare, that is a tax.

Republicans in Congress want to tax the healthcare of working people all to just partially pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. This administration and Republicans promised Americans three things last year: lower costs, cutting red tape, and bringing down the deficit.

Let's review what their budget will actually do: It raises costs for working families across the country through new out-of-pocket expenses, higher premiums, and loss in coverage. It creates new bureaucratic red tape for patients, providers, and State governments, barriers designed to trip people up and push them out. It adds $3.7 trillion to the deficit, not to expand care or invest in working people, but to fund tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

I didn't come to Congress to rubberstamp cruelty. I came to fight for the people I represent: the aging parents in Sussex County, the caregivers in Kent, and kids in Wilmington.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to end with the words of another Delawarean, a single mom: ``Without Medicaid, neither of us would have health insurance. My employer doesn't offer health coverage, and I can't afford the $500 a month private plan with high deductibles and out-of- pocket expenses. If we lose Medicaid, we lose everything.''

She added this: ``P.S., I am a healthcare worker with a bachelor's degree. This isn't about being too lazy to work.''

We owe her and millions of others better than this. I urge my colleagues to reject this cruel and catastrophic proposal.