Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today because I have heard from many of my constituents whose Federal retirement benefits are still delayed. They have been waiting months for retirement applications that are stuck in limbo at Federal agencies.

Career civil servants who spent decades serving this country are waiting to receive the benefits that they have paid into all of these years. The delayed timeline not only impacts their financial security, but it also breaks the promise we made to civil servants.

This is another symptom of the impacts of DOGE on the Federal Government, including cuts to the H.R. departments that help process retirements. Our constituents deserve better after dedicating their careers to service.

Mr. Speaker, I call on this administration to honor the commitment we made to civil servants and process these retirements expeditiously.

using flock cameras for warrantless searches

Mr. Speaker, imagine if someone followed you around everywhere you went with a notepad logging every single one of your moves, everywhere you went, and everything you did, and then reported that to a private company that sells that data to law enforcement or to the highest bidder.

That is basically what Flock cameras are. They aren't traffic cameras. They use AI to log everywhere you go, everything you do, and everywhere you visit; and they build a pattern of life on everyday, law-abiding citizens, without a warrant and without consent.

They are getting installed all over Virginia and all over the country. Even my neighborhood, Brambleton, is looking into installing them. That means hundreds of thousands of warrantless searches across our region without any guardrails.

It is no surprise that they can and have been abused. More than 50 law enforcement officers have been accused or charged with misusing this technology, and we cannot continue to let this stand. We must put safeguards in place now, and we must protect the privacy and civil liberties of every single American and prevent unauthorized surveillance.

We need action now.

building safety throughout ai development process

Mr. Speaker, I sat down with some of the leaders in the AI industry. They told me that there were going to be dire consequences if we didn't put AI safeguards in place and that there would be massive implications for our country and for the world if we didn't act.

That meeting was 10 years ago. I was in the White House as a technology policy adviser, and the AI leaders were saying then that we needed to act now.

Here we are today. We have AI frontier models with the capability to wreak havoc. We are getting to a place where AI can self-improve and duplicate itself. The stuff that was theoretical 10 years ago is now happening. We have swarms of AI chatbots working together in a Machiavellian way to hack and undermine systems. We must act now.

There are commonsense ways that security researchers, industry experts, and even Members of Congress here agree can make this safer, like auditing, information reporting, transparency, building safety throughout the AI development process, and real containment strategies, so that AI models don't escape their sandbox during development. This is common sense, and we need to act now.

My colleagues and I have already put forward bipartisan legislation, like the FRONTIER Act, led by Representatives Obernolte and Trahan, and other bills. It is because voluntary standards are not a true safeguard, and sitting on the sidelines is not a safeguard. Even President Trump, despite what he just said online, is not a safeguard for the rapid development of AI and what it can cause.

We need action now. We need to put legislation on the floor this week. We cannot wait until the next Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia for having this Special Order hour tonight.

Mr. Speaker, when the Trump administration slashed USAID funding and fired its dedicated employees, they said it was a crowning achievement of fiscal responsibility because why spend money abroad, spend it on everyday Americans instead.

Well, they didn't spend the savings on Americans. They gave tax cuts to the wealthiest corporations and cut Americans' health benefits and food assistance instead. Because of the cuts to USAID, we are now seeing how it actually puts American lives and American dollars at massive risk.

If you think foreign aid doesn't affect you, let's look at the most recent example, because more than 70 Americans, including 9 Virginians, some in my district, are missing right now in Nepal because of the catastrophic floods that happened there last week. Over a thousand people are dead.

USAID was running a natural hazards program to monitor and identify landslides, disasters, and climate events in Nepal and the project's former director said that the cuts to that program undermined ``landslide situational awareness.'' Imagine how many lives, and yes, even how much money we could have saved, and all the damage we could have prevented.

It is more than just that. USAID was America's frontline defense against global chaos by building peace, providing clean water, and stabilizing unstable regions. It aimed to stop humanitarian crises from exploding into violent conflicts, crises that affect Americans at home and abroad.

Look at the trillions of dollars being spent on wars right now. We can spend pennies on the dollar instead to prevent them. In fact, Jim Mattis, Trump's old Secretary of Defense said: ``If we don't fund the State Department fully, then I need to buy more ammunition ultimately.''

Let's refund USAID. It will save American lives and, yes, it will save money, too.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and the ranking member for bringing this to the floor today.

Whenever I tell people I am on the Ethics Committee in Congress, people tend to ask me the same questions: Why doesn't the Ethics Committee move faster? What is taking so long? Why are these investigations taking so long? Justice delayed is justice denied.

Well, Mr. Speaker, one of the reasons is because a lot of times witnesses and people with information string our committee along. Even their lawyers tell them to ignore our subpoenas, ignore our inquiries, or delay us as much as possible.

This subpoena, in particular, was issued September of last year, and that was after a very long process of trying to get this witness in, going back to before I was even in Congress. That was more than 2 years ago. There have been multiple requests, multiple failures to appear.

If we don't enforce these subpoenas, then everyone will ignore our investigations. They will string us along, and they will draw out these investigations for months or sometimes years, like in this case, and the American people will lose faith in this body's ability to investigate our own.

The Ethics Committee will never be as fast as the news cycle, and we will afford everyone due process. Today's vote is a message that we, as a committee, do intend to move swiftly in these investigations. It is a message that Congress does intend to hold people accountable if they don't comply with our subpoenas, whether it is Members or people with information.

I thank the chair and ranking member for their leadership on this, and I ask the body to support this motion.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, the American people have lost trust in this institution, and banning stock trading in Congress and in the administration is actually one way to fix that.

In 2025, Members of Congress and their families executed over 13,000 trades. President Trump's own family trading has helped add billions to their net worth.

That is why we should be debating a real stock trading ban like the Restore Trust in Government Act, one that would ban Members of Congress, the administration, and their families from owning, buying, or selling individual stocks.

Instead, House Republicans only allow us to vote on a toothless, watered-down stock trading bill. Plus, to make sure that this fake stock trading ban doesn't move in the Senate, they throw in the SAVE America Act, which would disenfranchise millions of Americans.

I ask: Why are we afraid to put a comprehensive stock trading ban on the floor and have it apply to the President, too?

Let's vote on a real stock trading ban and vote ``no'' on this fake ban with voter suppression.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Douglas Graham, a remarkable photojournalist, storyteller, and friend to the people of our community in northern Virginia.

For nearly one decade at Loudoun Now, Doug helped our community see itself. He captured moments both ordinary and extraordinary, from parades and graduations to snowstorms and small acts of kindness.

However, Doug did more than just take photographs. He built trust. He asked good questions, and he listened.

Even after his cancer diagnosis, Doug continued to tell his story with the same honesty and courage that defined his career. Around Loudoun people often joke that if something important was happening in our community, Doug was already there to capture the moment.

Doug was always in the room, and he will still be with us. We offer our deepest condolences and gratitude to his wife, Dawn; his daughter, Lizzie; his friends, colleagues, and the entire Loudoun community.

We all thank Doug Graham for helping us see his community more clearly. May he rest in peace.

Honoring Sathguru Dhandapani

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life of Sathguru Dhandapani.

Sathguru was a beloved husband, father, and community leader. After finishing his studies in India, his career took him to northern Virginia where he served as an engineer at Visa.

He was a well-known and respected CEO across D.C., Virginia, and Maryland for his work with the Valluvan Tamil Academy. As the treasurer, Sathguru poured his time and efforts into promoting and preserving the Tamil language and culture.

Sathguru also had a deep love for music. He was a strong supporter of local concerts. He organized events, coordinated programs, and helped families across our region. So many kids benefited from his work as well.

His work touched so many lives in our community. He will be deeply missed, and may he rest in peace.

Data Centers

Madam Speaker, at this point my community in northern Virginia has so many data centers that if it were a country, it would be fourth in all countries in the number of data centers. There are actually many more, actually hundreds more, potentially, on the way.

Virginians, our community, have been paying the price for years now. The price is transmission lines going through homes, schools, and historic sites. The price is worse air quality, and the price is higher utility bills.

Now people are fighting back, and we are winning. That is because last week, the people of Prince William County spoke out and pushed back about a massive, new data center complex spanning almost 750 football fields.

That project was unanimously rejected, but the fight is not over.

New transmission lines are being proposed to support the data center industry in Prince William County. Projects like the Nokesville-Bristow transmission line are threatening homes, small farms, and livelihoods.

There is a better way. One way is to underground those lines, and the data centers need to pay for it, not the community. This will protect our farmland, homes, and schools.

Also, it sets the tone that data centers and private companies cannot demand new energy infrastructure and then pass along the costs to the community, because our communities have had enough of high utility costs.

They have had enough of transmission lines next to schools and homes, and enough of the noise, pollution, and loss of green space.

If we work together, we can push companies to underground these lines and pay their fair share. In the meantime, I join my community in saying: Enough is enough.

congratulating the american telugu association

Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate the American Telugu Association on its 19th annual ATA Conference & Youth Convention.

This year's conference in Baltimore brings together leaders from across the country to celebrate Telugu heritage. The conference recognizes all of ATA's achievements in the fields of science, business, technology, literature, and public service, as well as the arts, while showcasing live performances and Telugu culture.

I extend my congratulations to ATA, including its president, Jay Challa, and all of the organizers, and I wish everyone a successful and meaningful conference in Baltimore.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1118, the Value Over Cost Act of 2026, as well.

The GSA maintains a list of goods and services that they can order from vendors called the Multiple Award Schedule. This simplified process allows the government to make orders quickly and get discounts for bulk purchases.

The Value Over Cost Act would clarify that the government can choose these contracts based on best quality, not just lowest cost. These are known as best value contracts.

This is a commonsense bill that will make sure the Federal Government spends its dollars wisely while delivering for the American people the services they need.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7283, the Ensuring Federal Purchasing Efficiency Act, as well.

Every 5 years, the Federal Government adjusts the dollar limits that they pay for certain goods and services to reflect inflation, and this bill would simply make it every 3 years. It will help ensure that the government can purchase what it needs. It will also make the government bidding process more competitive with the private sector, and it will help us get more value for our taxpayer dollars.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Missouri for this bill, and I encourage my colleagues to support it. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, the American people are working hard to make ends meet, and so they deserve to know how the Federal Government is spending their tax dollars. The Stop Secret Spending Act of 2025 helps. It increases transparency on how taxpayer dollars are spent by requiring Federal agencies to disclose other transaction agreements, or OTAs.

These contracts have historically been excluded from public reporting, but they account for nearly $20 billion annually. This is a commonsense measure to increase transparency in Federal contracting.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for the purposes of closing.

Madam Speaker, costs are skyrocketing, and people deserve to know how their money is being spent. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and 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. 4123, the Federal Improvement in Technology Procurement Act of 2025. I am proud to be co- leading this legislation with the gentleman, and I thank him for his leadership. I am glad this bill is bipartisan.

Madam Speaker, one of the things we focused on in the Oversight and Government Reform Committee is improving government efficiency and modernization, and the FIT Procurement Act delivers on that goal. It raises the micro-purchasing threshold and the simplified acquisition threshold.

These thresholds have not been updated in a very long time. They don't reflect how much things cost these days, and these changes will finally allow agencies to move faster to purchase innovative technologies.

The bill also allows Federal agencies to prepay for information technology subscriptions, including cloud computing. Prepaying for IT subscriptions will make a huge difference in government access to cutting-edge tools.

The bill will also open the door for more small businesses to participate in Federal contracting, and, most importantly, it is estimated to save taxpayers millions and millions of dollars.

This is common sense, and everyone wins. I urge my colleagues to join me and Representative Burlison in supporting this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I also urge my colleagues to join me and Representative Burlison in supporting this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

I rise regarding H.R. 6330, the Federal Relocation Payment Improvement Act. As mentioned, the bill would allow Federal agencies to pay for employee relocation costs through a simple lump-sum payment. It also directs the government to establish an appeals process for employees to dispute reimbursement decisions.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I, too, rise in support of H.R. 1722, the Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025.

Congress has a duty to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently, transparently, and with real accountability for results, but Federal programs often fall behind schedule or go way over budget without Congress' knowledge.

This bill would require that Congress be notified of any project that is more than 5 years behind schedule or $1 billion over budget. The report would include explanations of any changes to the project scope, cost estimate, or completion date.

This will help Congress perform critical oversight on behalf of the American people. It will also keep projects on time and on budget. This is a bipartisan fix to increase fiscal responsibility.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close. I thank the sponsor of the bill. I urge my colleagues to support it, and 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. 5578, the Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act.

Whistleblowers are crucial to our ability to conduct congressional oversight. They are key to identifying and stopping waste, fraud, corruption, and abuse of power.

Millions of workers performing critical jobs for the U.S. Government are contractors, not Federal civil servants, but they don't have the same whistleblower protections as civil servants right now. As a result, contractors are less likely to report wrongdoing, especially since they fear retaliation or mistreatment.

This bill would strengthen protections for contractors. It protects them from retaliation for refusal to participate in illegal activity. It also ensures that contractors are legally able to disclose waste, fraud, abuse, and dangers to public health and safety.

This bill will help us do our job to uncover abuses of power. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

I thank the ranking member for his leadership on this issue. Especially at a time when a lot of folks in Federal civil service and Federal contractors are concerned about coming forward, we need to protect whistleblowers more than ever.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding community organization in Virginia's 10th Congressional District, the Loudoun Nature Conservation Project (LNCP). The LNCP was founded and is led by students in our community. Its mission is to protect and clean up the local environment, as well as engage in education and advocacy efforts. Since its inception in 2024, the LNCP has grown to over 270 active members, who have partnered with 17 parks and schools, and restored more than 3,100 acres of local land.

In addition to doing hands-on volunteer restoration work throughout Loudoun County, the LNCP is dedicated to exploring how our local environment has been changed overtime. For example, the LNCP has published three research studies on local water quality changes in Loudoun County, including in the Potomac River basin.

It is very inspiring to see the dedication and time the LNCP has put into building a community passionate about preserving our nature. As a dad of two young girls, I want to make sure that future generations can continue to enjoy the great outdoors. I am grateful to LNCP for inspiring young people to care about the environment and thank them for all the hard work they do.

Mr. Speaker, as the Senate looks to confirm or not confirm Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, I want to point to the body a recent DOJ memo on the Supreme Court's Olmstead decision which threatens to turn back the clock decades to a time when Americans with disabilities were offered less choice, less freedom, and less care.

This memo means that DOJ will not require States to serve people with disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs. That means people with disabilities would be isolated from their families and from their communities.

Families with a disabled loved one now fear that their only option is institutionalization. That is what Olmstead did. It prevented institutionalization of people with disabilities, and the DOJ is trying to turn back the clock now.

They must reconsider this opinion. This is not just about where people with disabilities live. It is about dignity, equality, and the belief that every person deserves an opportunity to belong.

It is on all of us in this body to push back against this discriminatory policy.

Civil War in Sudan

Mr. Speaker, the ongoing civil war in Sudan has displaced millions of people, and 400,000 people have died. That is over half the population of Washington, D.C. On top of that, 19 million people are facing acute food insecurity there.

The war in Iran and its disruption to the supply chain has made it even harder for assistance to reach Sudan. I offered an amendment to the State Department funding bill to evaluate our current funding levels to Sudan, get them the help they need, and craft a plan to increase funding levels to meet these gaps.

Unfortunately, those amendments were rejected. We need to do more to support the people suffering in Sudan. I urge my colleagues to come together and provide lifesaving assistance to them. We cannot stand on the sidelines as lives continue to be lost.

Recognizing Academy Appointees

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding group of young leaders from our community who have earned my nomination as well as appointments to our Nation's service academies.

Earning an appointment is no small feat. These students have shown excellence in the classroom, leadership in their communities, and dedication to everything they do. However, what stands out most is their willingness to serve.

Last week and early this week, all 19 are reporting for their first days at the academies, beginning with basic cadet training, induction day, and more as they take the first steps in a lifetime of service.

At a time when they could choose many different paths, they have chosen to build one instead that is built on sacrifice, discipline, and responsibility. Wherever their path takes them, our country will be better off because they chose to serve.

On behalf of our community, congratulations to the 19 who are reporting for their first day. We are proud of them, grateful for them, and we are excited to see their accomplishments.

Honoring Student-Athletes

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the student-athletes in our community who have won State championships in the spring 2026 season.

A total of nine varsity spring sports teams in our community achieved this goal. There were so many that I couldn't do nine different speeches. I wanted to do one for all of them.

The teams include: Freedom High School boys' tennis, Independence High School boys' lacrosse team, and Independence High School girls' soccer. Riverside High School boys' lacrosse and girls' lacrosse both won the State championship this year. Other State championship teams include: Rock Ridge boys' tennis and Tuscarora High School softball. Woodgrove and Battlefield baseball teams both won. They could really help our baseball team on the Democratic side.

It is not easy to compete at such a high level while also balancing classes and personal lives. I commend these student-athletes for their commitment to excellence. Many of them are going to go to college and continue to play.

It is safe to say that Northern Virginia is the home of stars both in the classroom as well as on the field.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4662, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6444 San Fernando Road in Glendale, California, as the Paul Ignatius Post Office.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Friedman) to discuss this bill.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of Mr. Ignatius by naming this post office after him. I urge passage of H.R. 4662, and I yield back the balance of my time.