Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Waconia Firefighter Jeffrey Borg who passed away late last month.

Jeff's passion for helping others was evident in everything he did. As a firefighter for more than 27 years, he risked his life to protect the safety of his community. Over his years of service to the department, he went on to train many new firefighters, including his son Carter. The father-son duo served together in the Waconia Fire Department during the last few years of Jeff's life.

As an employee of the City of Victoria, Jeff took pride in his work and put the needs of others first, often working 18-hour shifts plowing snow for the city and then coming home to plow his driveway. During his tenure at the City of Victoria, he joined the Victoria Fire Department while simultaneously serving as a firefighter for the City of Waconia.

Jeff will be remembered as a loving father, husband and son. Whether it was serving as pit crew to his father LeRoy in local demolition derbies or being the number-one fan at his kids' sports games. Jeff's happiest moments were by his family's side.

We offer our deepest condolences to Jeff's family, friends and colleagues. May his memory bring them comfort during this challenging time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a first responder in my district, Tom Fennell. Tom has been nominated for the American Ambulance Association's Star of Life Award; a prestigious recognition given to those who have made exceptional contributions to the emergency medical services (EMS) community.

Tom's journey into emergency medical services began in his childhood, growing up with ambulances in his garage. His father owned a local ambulance service, instilling in Tom a deep appreciation for the lifesaving work of EMS providers.

After leaving home, Tom continued to his involvement in EMS, working with a Basic Life Support ambulance service which he helped evolve into an Advanced Life Support service.

Tom's dedication and expertise were evident and he quickly became recognized as a leader in the field. He went on to serve as a regulator for the State of Minnesota's EMS Section, gaining valuable insights into the challenges faced by ambulance service providers across the state.

Tom has made a profound impact on the emergency medical services community in St. Cloud and across Minnesota. He is an inspiration to all those who have had the opportunity to work alongside him.

Throughout the years, we have been grateful to see many exceptional Minnesotans honored as American Ambulance Association Star of Life recipients. America's first female Emergency Medical Technician and Star of Life Recipient, Rose Pelzel, and her fellow Star of Life recipient, Marcia Anderson, were both panelists in our office's Young Women's Leadership Program. Both women are pioneers in the emergency medical services field, and we were lucky to have them participate.

Congratulations to Tom on joining these impressive ranks, and I thank him for all his work on behalf of EMTs and first responders in Minnesota.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chair, regulation by enforcement is a practice all too common with this administration. This is particularly the case at the SEC and Chair Gary Gensler's approach toward our capital markets and financial services industry but especially with our emerging digital assets community.

My amendment seeks to put an end to Chair Gensler's pattern of regulatory abuse--a pattern that is crushing American innovation and capital formation--without undermining our ability to go after criminals and fraudsters.

Specifically, my amendment prohibits the SEC from using funds for enforcement activities related to digital asset transactions until Congress passes legislation that gives the SEC jurisdiction over this asset class. This will keep Chair Gensler--who has proven himself to be ineffective and incompetent--in check while Congress continues working to give this industry a chance to grow and develop right here in the United States.

Let's just look at the facts. Under Gensler's leadership, the SEC has pursued dozens of enforcement actions against the digital asset industry, despite never finalizing a single rule or regulation for the industry to follow. Chair Gensler refuses to provide the marketplace with clear criteria for digital assets that he would consider to be a security. How can this industry comply if there are no rules or guidelines to follow?

On top of that, Chair Gensler has developed a track record of going after actors like Coinbase, a publicly traded company desperately trying to survive and innovate right here in the United States instead of going offshore like so many are forced to do. Gensler has done this while missing the bad actors, like FTX and Terra Luna.

At a time when clear guidance is desperately needed, Chair Gensler instead spends taxpayer resources praising himself for targeting celebrities like Kim Kardashian while Sam Bankman-Fried was running a Ponzi scheme right under his nose.

What is worse is the SEC doesn't even have jurisdiction from Congress over this asset class to begin with. Yet, the SEC has no shame in trying to expand their jurisdiction to swallow and destroy the digital assets industry through regulation by enforcement.

Last year, the SEC's director of enforcement admitted during a House Financial Services Committee hearing that the SEC pursues enforcement actions on entities that are actually outside of its jurisdiction. One of these extra-jurisdictional enforcement cases was the SEC's landmark crypto enforcement case against Ripple alleging that XRP is a security. In July, the Southern District of New York sided

against the SEC, asserting that XRP is not itself a security.

In August, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit found the SEC to be acting arbitrarily and capriciously in its refusal to approve Grayscale's Bitcoin spot ETF application. Just last month, the Government Accountability Office found the SEC to have created an illegal crypto accounting rule that is actually out of compliance with the Administrative Procedure Act and the Congressional Review Act.

The unique characteristics of digital assets make it hard to fit this asset class into any existing regulatory framework. That doesn't mean crypto is up for grabs by whatever Federal bureaucratic agency has the most taxpayer-funded enforcement resources to burn. Congress is working on legislation to establish a framework for how we classify specific digital assets, as a security or a commodity, which will dictate the regulator of jurisdiction.

Importantly, while Congress works to pass this necessary legislation, my amendment will not prevent future bad actors like FTX from being pursued and punished to the fullest extent of the law. The Department of Justice, Treasury, and the Office of Foreign Asset Control all have existing and sufficient authority to prosecute criminal acts of fraud, abuse, tax, or sanctions evasion. Some would even argue that these entities have done a better job of attacking fraud and criminal activity in this space than Gary Gensler and the SEC.

This amendment is designed to send an important signal not just to the SEC but to every regulatory entity in the Federal Government. Congress will hold unelected bureaucrats accountable. SEC Chair Gensler cannot continue to abuse the powers of his agency to fulfill a political agenda of driving the new and promising digital asset industry offshore. Congress must be allowed to finish its legislative work so the future of digital asset innovation is determined by Americans, not by unelected bureaucrats in December.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate our friend from Maryland and his comments, and I do want to point out that he is absolutely correct.

The concerns here are bipartisan concerns. This is not a Republican or Democrat issue. This is an issue about the digital asset space in this country. The whole purpose of this amendment is to try and stop what we----

Mr. Chairman, I urge support.

Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I rise today to honor the life and memory of Leander Wetter who passed away earlier this month.

Leander was born in the summer of 1940 and quickly fell in love with life on the farm. He was a leader in the agriculture community and was often the first in the area to try a new farming technique. All farmers are dedicated to their farms and animals, but Leander was special. Through decades of hard work, he grew his farm to one of the largest in the area.

Leander was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He was married to his beloved wife, Mary, for 48 years and the pair were blessed with three children and three grandchildren.

Leander was also an avid lover of history. He was a longstanding member of the Wright County Historical Society where he spent countless hours telling stories and educating the community about our local history.

His love of history was melded with his love of agriculture in his antique tractors and steam engines collection. Leander was a proud founding member of the Rogers Threshing Show and often would show his collection at these events. I had the pleasure of attending a threshing show with the Wetters and was impressed by Leander's collection and encyclopedia-like knowledge of these machines. As events grew, so did his involvement in the group, at one point Mary and Leander even donated a large shed to the show to ensure its future success.

Leander and his wife Mary were heavily involved in local politics as well. I have many fond memories of bumping into them while attending events in Wright County and throughout the Sixth District. Our team will miss seeing Leander by Mary's side at these events.

From his work on the family farm to his involvement in Wright County, Leander was a leader in his community. To his wife Mary and the rest of the Wetter family, we offer our sincerest condolences and pray that Leander's memory will comfort them all during this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, Kevin McCarthy has earned this. Under Speaker McCarthy's leadership, our House Republican majority has actually defied all odds and overperformed expectations again and again and again.

It all started with the Speaker's race when our Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, showed the American people how he would never give up. It carried over into the Speaker spearheading a Rules package to create the most transparent, Member-driven legislative process that I have ever seen since I have been here.

Since then, Speaker McCarthy's Republican majority has been successful in bringing common sense back to our Nation's capital by passing legislation to affirm a parents' right to be involved in their child's education, bolster American energy production, fully fund veterans' care and benefits, fight back against the regulatory state, and continue delivering on our promise to rein in Democrats' reckless spending by passing fiscally responsible appropriations bills.

We have also achieved historic conservative wins like passing the strongest border security legislation in history, passing the first Republican-only NDAA in history, and passing the first Republican-only State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill.

So many Americans are better off because of Kevin McCarthy's leadership: American families, jobs creators, entrepreneurs, servicemembers, law enforcement officers, and the list goes on and on. These are just a few of our House Republican majority successes.

Make no mistake, we need Kevin McCarthy to remain Speaker if we are going to stay focused on our mission of delivering commonsense wins for the American people. We have shown Americans what success looks like when we come together as a team.

Now it is time for us to stand together stronger than ever so we can get back to the work our majority was elected to do.

I am proud to support the Speaker as we continue championing conservative priorities that will put our country on a better path. Mr. Speaker, I thank Speaker McCarthy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Andrew Rono, an Eagle Scout and student at Blaine High School.

Andrew is a shining example of what it means to be a community servant. For years, he has dedicated his time and energy to helping others, especially those in need.

As a member of the ``Bengals in Action'' Youth Service Club, Andrew volunteers at the North Anoka County Emergency food shelf. There he helps sort and pack food donations and even delivers meals to those who can't easily leave the house.

While volunteering, Andrew and his friend Aaron noticed that food shelf staff members were spending an extraordinary amount of time manually entering food shelf orders into the computer.

Being high school students immersed in technology, Aaron and Andrew sprang into action. They created an application to track the food shelf data more effectively. Their digital application keeps records of past food shelf orders, family members, and dietary restrictions, which customers can reuse each time they come in.

By creating this application, Andrew and Aaron have cut food shelf clients waiting time in half, allowing nutritious food to reach its destination faster than ever.

In recognition of their efforts, Andrew and Aaron were recently presented with the Congressional Award. The award represents the highest Congressional honor available for young Americans.

Andrew and Aaron are true inspirations and examples of what it means to be a community servant. They are bright young men committed to making a difference in the world and I look forward to seeing all they accomplish in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Aaron Anderson for his efforts to better his community.

In high school, Aaron was a dedicated member of the youth service club at Blaine High School. As a member of ``Bengals in Action,'' he spent countless hours volunteering at the North Anoka County Emergency food shelf. While volunteering, he noticed a problem with the procedure for taking orders. Luckily for Aaron, the solution lay in another area of his interest, technology.

Aaron, with the help of his friend and fellow Eagle Scout, Andrew, created a software application to help track the food shelf's orders. The application immediately helped reduce confusion when taking orders and increased efficiency in sorting and packaging donations for distribution. Their application keeps records of past food shelf orders, family members, and dietary restrictions, which customers can reuse each time they come in.

In fact, their program has allowed food and necessities to be delivered to clients in half the time.

In recognition of their efforts, Aaron and Andrew were recently presented with the Congressional Award. The award represents the highest Congressional honor available for young Americans.

Aaron and Andrew are true inspirations and examples of what it means to be a community servant. They are bright young men committed to making a difference in the world and I look forward to seeing all they accomplish in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize Bill Friberg, a World War II veteran from Big Lake, Minnesota, who recently celebrated his 100th birthday.

Bill joined the Marine Corps just days before the start of World War II. After basic training, Bill was deployed to Hawaii and then the Pacific theater, where he helped construct an airfield that was used by pilots during the Battle of Guadalcanal. He also helped with the B-17 Bombers while doing reconnaissance missions in the area.

After his commanding officer was shot down during an aerial dogfight, Bill began working on airplanes, performing maintenance jobs such as fixing hydraulic leaks. Eventually, Bill began servicing Hellcat fighter planes which often needed to be started by igniting a shotgun shell. Later in his military career, Bill was stationed aboard the USS Block Island where he continued aircraft maintenance, including on the famous Vought Corsair.

Bill was not the only Friberg to serve our country during World War II. Bill's brother, Roland, served as an underwater demolition expert who saw action during the Battle of Iwo Jima. While Bill was stationed at Manila Bay, his brother surprised him aboard his ship and the brothers were able to have lunch together. After the war ended, Bill was among a group of soldiers that was sent to Japan to liberate American Prisoners of War, a dangerous yet important mission that Bill and his fellow Marines accomplished without fault.

Following his honorable service, Bill worked at the VA before embarking on a 35-year career with Northern States Power. During his retirement, he pursued his passion for golf and remained an avid player until the age of 95, remarkably achieving four holes-in-one throughout his lifetime.

I thank Bill for his service and congratulate him on reaching this impressive milestone.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Detective Barrett Chrissis, who is retiring after more than 37 years in law enforcement.

Barrett has truly lived a life in service to his community and collected many uniforms along the way. Barrett began his career in law enforcement at Moorhead State University's Criminal Justice Program, where he served as a correctional officer and part-time police officer. During this time, he worked for the Clay County and Becker County Sheriff's Offices

and the city police departments of Moorhead, Dilworth, Glyndon, Hawley and Detroit Lakes.

In 1993, Barrett became a full-time investigator for the North Dakota State Attorney's office. He worked there for two years prior to being called home to Dilworth to serve as the city's first full-time detective. During that time, he also served as a Clay County Sheriff's Deputy and a courtroom security officer.

In 2003, Barrett joined the Buffalo Police Department as a Detective and has been with the department since. He is the incoming chairman of the Minnesota Children's Justice Act Task Force, where he has served as a voice for law enforcement for the past six years.

As a court-certified expert witness in sex crimes investigations since 2010, Barrett has instructed law enforcement, county attorneys, medical personnel, and victim advocates on sex crimes investigations on behalf of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

A pivotal moment in Barrett's career came in 2021 during the tragic Allina Health Clinic shooting in Buffalo. As a result of his bravery and role on the initial entry team during the attack, he was awarded the Medal of Valor by the Buffalo Police Department in March 2022. The medal is the highest possible award given by law enforcement.

Through his heroic service to our communities, Barrett has kept thousands of Minnesotans safe. While the community of Buffalo will miss him, we thank him for his years of service to our community and wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Craig R. Miller, of Foley, Minnesota, who recently passed away after a battle with cancer.

Craig was born in Litchfield, Minnesota in 1968 and graduated from Litchfield High School in 1986. After high school he continued his education at St. Cloud State University, graduating with a degree in Aviation and Business Management. For the next two decades, Craig built a successful career at Ben's Structural Fabrication in Waite Park where he became a Vice President.

Outside of his day job, Craig also volunteered at the Clear Lake Fire & Rescue Department for 18 years. During his years in service to the department, he became Assistant Chief and received the Clear Lake Firefighter of the Year Award.

He was an avid hockey fan; Craig played, coached, refereed and was lucky enough to be a Wild season ticket holder for many years. In the spring and summer, Craig loved playing golf, taking care of his yard and smoking meat at his barbeque and sharing with friends and neighbors.

From the fire department to his job at Ben's, Craig took pride in everything he did. To his children Kylie and Steven, and the rest of the Miller family, we offer our sincerest condolences and pray that Craig's memory will comfort them all during this challenging time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Dale Schneider, who passed away last week at the age of 76.

Born in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Dale took over the family-owned Sal's Bar and Grill in St. Joseph, Minnesota, from his parents in 1971. Sal's is at the crossroads of St. John's University and the College of St. Benedict, where all things Johnnies and Bennies reign supreme.

For over 50 years, Dale kept thirsty students, faculty, and community members well hydrated and fed. Dale had a steel trap of a memory that helped to remember names of college

alumni years after graduation. In some cases, he also remembered their outstanding bar tabs.

I had the pleasure of getting to know Dale during my many visits to Sal's over the years. No trip to a Johnnies football game was complete without a post-game beer at Sal's. There is some solace in the fact that the next time I am at Sal's, I will likely see his son, Kyle, tending bar just like his dad.

To Dale's wife, Diane, and the rest of the family, we pray that Dale's lasting memory gives you comfort during this difficult time. A great life lived.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Dale Schneider, who passed away on April 14, 2023, at the age of 76.

Born in St. Cloud, Dale took over the family-owned Sal's Bar and Grill in St. Joseph, Minnesota from his parents in 1971. Sal's is at the

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the career of Patti Gartland. Patti is retiring this May from her role as president of the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation.

Patti has led the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation (GSDC) for the past 10 years. During that time, she oversaw the considerable economic expansion of the Greater St. Cloud region. Part of her efforts to increase the visibility of the area included the launch of GreaterStCloudJobSpot.com, a local job board that is updated daily with thousands of local jobs. She was also integral to the development of St. Cloud Shines, a digital marketing initiative that has attracted more than 170 million impressions online.

Before joining the GSDC, Patti served as the city administrator for Sartell for nearly 12 years, where she helped coordinate emergency response efforts following the tragic paper mill explosion. Prior to that, Patti worked for the City of St. Cloud for 15 years, the last 13 of which she served as the city's planning director. Since 2014, Patti has been a member

of the Metropolitan Airports Commission, serving as its vice chair. In this role, she has continued to advocate for our community and was partially responsible for creating the St. Cloud Regional Airport Authority, expanding service to our region.

I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Patti for many years. I thank Patti, for the incredible impact she has had on the Greater St. Cloud region. On behalf of Minnesota's Sixth Congressional District, I wish her all the best and hope she enjoys her well-deserved retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a very brave young man from the Sixth Congressional District. In November, 4-year-old Asher Milless saved his mother's life during a medical emergency.

Rachel Milless, Asher's mother, was at her home in Orrock Township when she suddenly collapsed in their kitchen. Asher sprung into action, calling his grandmother for help, who was able to contact Asher's father.

After speaking with Asher's grandmother, Asher's father, Tyler, called 9-1-1 with help on the way, Asher unlocked the front door so paramedics could get inside. Amazingly, Asher was even able to get his mother's nebulizer working and comfort her until help arrived.

Once on the scene, paramedics were able to stabilize Rachel and get her to the hospital. Without Asher's quick thinking, Rachel likely wouldn't be alive today.

As a result of his quick thinking and courageous actions, Asher was recently awarded the Life Saving Award by the Sherburne County Sheriff's Office for his outstanding work and I congratulate him on his award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and memory of Lee Larkey, of Avon, Minnesota, who passed away on December 15, 2022.

Lee was born in Great Falls, Montana on July 15, 1939. Though he was born in Montana, Lee was a faithful and devoted Minnesotan who dedicated his life to the service of others. After graduating from St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota in 1961, Lee joined the United States Air Force. During his time in the service, he rose to the rank of Captain and was honorably discharged in November of 1972.

Following his time in the Air Force, Lee began work as a Revenue Agent for the Internal Revenue Service. After his retirement, he continued to help friends and family prepare tax returns and negotiate resolutions to difficult tax cases.

Lee spent countless hours championing the pro-life movement through his involvement with Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life. At the Minnesota State Capitol and at the U.S. Capitol, Lee advocated on behalf of the unborn and fought for the rights of the most vulnerable in our society. He was also an active member of the Republican Party at the state and local levels. Members of our office will remember Lee as an engaged constituent and a passionate advocate for limited government and fiscal responsibility.

Outside of politics, Lee enjoyed spending time in his garden with his wife, where they grew a variety of herbs and vegetables together. He was also an active beekeeper, raising bees and selling their honey through his business, Honey Hut.

Lee dedicated his life to the service of his country, his family, friends, and community. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him. On behalf of Minnesota's Sixth Congressional District, we offer our sincerest condolences to Bernadette and the rest of the Larkey family, and pray that Lee's memory will comfort their family during this difficult time.