Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Colonel Scott A. Willis, of Westfield, Indiana, on his retirement from the United States Marine Corps.

Colonel Willis has spent the last 30 years in the Marine Corps defending our country. His selfless service to the nation and to our community will be his lasting legacy.

I thank Colonel Willis for his dedicated service to the Nation. Our community is grateful for his leadership and his service.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Suspending Normal Trade Relations with Russia and Belarus Act. It is very important to highlight here that we are do include Belarus in this act. Unfortunately, under the leadership of President Lukashenko, Belarus allowed Russians to place ballistic rockets and shell fellow Slavs, orthodox Christians in Ukraine for weeks. The people of Belarus need to understand that their leader is part of what is happening in this genocide in Ukraine, and we cannot create a loophole where Putin is going to use Belarus to funnel moneys through them.

This is very important legislation also to send a message to Putin and his allies that the West is serious. It is not a temporary thing. They cannot just go kill a bunch of people, destroy cities, kill women and children, and then go back and have business as usual.

Congress is sending a very strong message. If they want to have peace, it better be soon, and they better get to the table and stop this insanity in killing of the Ukrainian people.

I also want to share some of the concerns that the Congressman shared regarding the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. I concur with him that these definitions have to be tightened and to broaden these definitions is giving too much power to the executive branch. It is not what Congress should do because every time we give too much power, we are not able to effectively have our oversight function.

So I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation but also work with the Senate to make sure that we can fix our concerns. I am very appreciative that we are able to come on a bipartisan basis and send a very strong message.

Mr. Speaker, I am very humbled to stand on the floor of this great institution with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to co-lead this important resolution and to show that this greatest country, the leaders of the free world, are going to stand up to the atrocities and tyrannies that are happening right now.

I am very proud to have a strong, freedom-fighting Ukrainian heritage. I actually was born in the Soviet Union, when Ukraine was under that evil country.

I am so proud that strong, brave Ukrainians are willing to fight again and again to be free. It should inspire all of us. Their bravery and actions are unbelievable. It should teach us, and maybe remind us, what it means to be a free country and how hard it is to get your rights and freedoms back when you lose them. We had so many people die for our freedoms, so let's value and cherish them.

I am very happy to see that this institution, when times are tough, when we have to get together, we can get together and show our allies we will stand together and show our adversaries and enemies we will stand together. Not just stand together, but we will also lead the world.

I also want to tell the Ukrainian people that the American people are inspired and humbled. They see your struggles and pray with you and stand with you. This resolution from we, the people, from this United States Congress, is evidence of it.

I also want to tell the Russian people--I actually have some Don Cossack heritage--I know it is tough for you. I know what President Putin has done to you. It is awful. But you need to have the backbone to stand up, or we will find you in history worse than you could imagine. So you stand up and stop this atrocity before it causes more damage. What is happening there on the ground, it is not a war. It is slaughtering, killing of the Ukrainian people. You are killing your fellow Orthodox Christians and East Slavs, and they went through history with oppression and suppression. How can you stand with that? I know that your propaganda is strong. I know they tell you things that are awful. But open your eyes. Don't be part of it. Tell your government that they have to stop this elimination and extinction of people.

I also want to thank everyone here in this country for loving freedoms, for supporting freedoms, and being willing to be part of this challenge on the right side. Our actions should be decisive. In times like this, they require strong leadership and strong actions.

We, as an independent branch of our Government--I always say we are co-equal, but first among equals because we do have the power of the purse and the power of war. So we have a lot of powers for a reason, and that is why our Founding Fathers gave us this power, because we are the people who should put pressure on our President to be more decisive and strong and have some stronger actions.

On sanctions, we have to be tougher. We need to go after the energy sector. We need to make sure that a lot of oligarchs that are not on the list are there, they should be on the list, the key oligarchs. They understand that it is not just the Russian people that will be feeling the pain, that already they suppressed and stole money from them, but they will start feeling the pain.

We also need to make sure that we will have a way to affect the financial system much more decisively.

We also need to make sure that these war crimes are going to go to international courts, and these people that make decisions on killing, on genocide, and using illegal weapons will also bear some responsibility.

I also think we have a responsibility to provide safe passage in the humanitarian corridor, and I hope we will have other allies working with us and help us on that.

But most important, we need to make sure that we will provide proper defensive legal aid to the Ukrainians that they can defend themselves from this extermination before it is too late. We must act, and I am very honored to be part of this effort to show that we are willing to lead as this institution.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Kaptur and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick for their bipartisan leadership.

I know that this Special Order is about the situation in Ukraine, but the situation in Ukraine goes beyond Ukraine. It is a threat to the stability of the world order, the largest threat since World War II, and a threat to any democracy.

I would also like to remind us that millions of our predecessors died for freedom, peace, and democracy. I would like to read some excerpts from the recent joint statement of the Russian Federation and the Peoples Republic of China dated February 4, 2022.

``Today, the world is going through momentous changes, and humanity is entering a new era of . . . profound transformation. It sees . . . transformation of the global governance architecture and world order . . . a trend has emerged towards redistribution of power in the world. The sides note that Russia and China as world powers . . . have longstanding traditions of democracy which rely on thousand-years of experience. They stand ready to work together with all the interested partners to promote genuine democracy.''

I know that President Putin is not going to listen to me, and I am not sure to anyone else, but I hope he still has to listen to the Russian people at least a little bit. I am not naive on his personal ambitions although I would still offer him an olive branch if he really cares about his people in his country. Therefore, I am going to direct my message to over 3 million Russian Americans. I am talking to you as a Congresswoman representing the great State of Indiana, who grew up under Communists in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. I was born in a country that doesn't exist anymore, and for good reason, as many of you, too.

I know that many of you have relatives in Russia and dual citizenship. I know that Putin has powerful anti-American propaganda on his TV. I was somewhat surprised over its extant. It's worse than during the Soviet Union times.

I want you to let the Russian people know that neither the United States nor the West are a threat to Russia's national security.

I would argue that Russia has a much bigger threat coming from the east. There is a very aggressive economic expansion of China in the Far East and Siberia.

I would also like to make it very clear that the American people do not want another war in Europe.

I also want to remind you of the human cost of any war. If Russia starts a war in Ukraine, which looks more and more likely, a lot of young people will have to die from both sides. No one will benefit from it. Maybe the Chinese Communist Party, but not the Russian people.

I just do not believe that the Russian people would want to go in history as a puppet to the imperialistic ambitions of China and would want to promote a so-called genuine democracy of the Chinese Communist Party.

The ball is in your court, President Putin and Russian people. I hope you will be on the right side of history.

I also would like to share a message with my fellow Americans: Do not get distracted, and do not get reluctant. A threat to our freedoms from outside and within is real. Protect and cherish our freedoms so our children do not have to fight to get them back.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding. I know that we have talked a lot about different crises, and we do have a lot of different crises. We have an economic crisis. We have an inflation crisis. We have an energy cost crisis. We have a supply chain crisis. We have an education crisis. We have a crime crisis. We have a COVID response crisis. We have a healthcare crisis. We have a foreign relations and security crisis. We have a freedom of speech crisis. We have a centralized government and infringement on our rights crisis.

There is one crisis that is very disturbing and concerning to me as a naturalized American who immigrated to this great country. I went to the border three times, and what I saw was lawlessness; its issue of national security, its anarchy, and it is a crisis that has posed a risk to our sovereignty as a nation.

We can see what has happened in the country. Drug cartels are controlling the border. They control drug trafficking and are making billions from that. We have the highest deaths from overdoses in our country that ever existed. Our kids are dying, and they are making a lot of money. The border is open. No one can control it. It poses risks to our national security.

I hope for us all as Americans who care about our country, that our President at least starts dealing with this crisis because it is a serious issue, and

we cannot disregard national security of the greatest country that ever existed on Earth and put our people at risk.

It is our responsibility as Representatives for this Republic to stand up, regardless of party affiliations, and raise the issues, and we owe a duty to the American people.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Fire Chief Marcus Reed of Westfield, Indiana, on the occasion of his retirement after a long tenure of public service.

Chief Reed has spent the last five years as the Chief of the Westfield Fire Department following over two decades of fire department leadership around the country before that. His retirement will be a big loss for the community of Westfield and Hamilton County but a well- deserved reward for his tireless service to keep his neighbors safe through emergency response, training, and prevention .

I thank Chief Marcus Reed for his dedicated public service. Our community is grateful for his leadership and his long career in public safety.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Brigadier General Roger Dale Lyles on the confirmation of his nomination and promotion by the United States Senate to Major General. Since October 2019, Major General Lyles has served as the Adjutant General of Indiana.

For more than three decades, Major General Lyles has been a leader in the Indiana National Guard--from his service as platoon leader through his current posting. His numerous decorations and badges--including a Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit--speak from themselves.

Indiana volunteer servicemembers have a long and storied history of answering the call in the nation's Armed Services, from being the first to fulfill President Lincoln's quota for the Union Army to meritorious service in the War on Terror.

I congratulate Major General Lyles on this high and well-deserved honor, thank him for his decades of service to Indiana and the nation, and I look forward to his pinning in the coming weeks.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Rotary Club of Hartford City as it celebrates its centennial anniversary.

Since receiving its charter in 1920, the Rotary Club of Hartford City has been serving Hartford City, Blackford County, and greater Indiana through time, hard work, and resources.

While its 100th year celebration was delayed by the pandemic, the club continued to place ``Service Above Self'' over the last year and half. Local organizations like this club have been the backbone of our society through this trial allowing America to weather this storm together.

I thank the Rotary Club of Hartford City for continuing to ``serve best''.

Again, my congratulations to the Rotary Club of Hartford City. Hoosiers are grateful for its kindness and generosity over the last century, and for centuries to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my constituent Bonny Clark of Pendleton, Indiana, on being named a Sagamore of the Wabash. The Sagamore of the Wabash is one of the highest civilian honors the Governor of Indiana can bestow upon citizens. Bonny is the most recent recipient of this prestigious award.

Bonny has been a selfless servant to the people of central Indiana and has had an indelible and personal impact on countless Hoosiers. Receiving this high honor is only a small reward for the great amount she has done for her neighbors and community. Bonny is an inspiration to others to serve, sacrifice, and get involved in meaningful ways at the local level.

I join Governor Holcomb and our fellow Hoosiers in congratulating Bonny Clark on this prestigious recognition.

Madam Speaker, I was present but did not realize I was not recorded. I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 400.

Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress

Adams (Brown (MD))

Butterfield (Ryan)

Cardenas (Soto)

Cawthorn (Nehls)

Crist (Wasserman Schultz)

Curtis (Meijer)

DeFazio (Carbajal)

Donalds (McClain)

Frankel, Lois (Kuster)

Fulcher (Johnson (OH))

Garcia (TX) (Jeffries)

Green (TX) (Cuellar)

Hagedorn (Moolenaar)

Lawrence (Johnson (GA))

Lawson (FL) (Evans)

Lesko (Miller (WV))

Luetkemeyer (Meuser)

Moore (UT) (Owens)

Palazzo (Fleischmann)

Payne (Pallone)

Posey (Cammack)

Reed (Kelly (PA))

Reschenthaler (Meuser)

Ruiz (Aguilar)

Rush (Quigley)

Sires (Pallone)

Stewart (Owens)

Swalwell (Gomez)

Takano (Chu)

Underwood (Casten)

Vela (Gomez)

Watson Coleman (Pallone)

Wilson (FL) (Hayes)

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 13,301 Veteran residents of Hamilton County, Indiana, in collaboration with state and local officials of the county and submit the following for the record:

Whereas, Hamilton County is proud to be home to 13,301 Veterans; and

Whereas, we continue to build, encourage, and connect resources and systems of care that empower Veterans to live their best lives and realize their full potential within our community; and

Whereas, Hamilton County, in collaboration with our residents and partners, is committed to the health and well-being of the men and women who have served our country; and

Whereas, since 2005 the rate of suicide in Hamilton County among Veterans was 32.0 per 100,000, compared with 17.2 per 100,000 for nonveterans; and

Whereas, we remain concerned about the number of veterans that we have lost to suicide; and

Whereas, we recognize the challenges when transitioning from active- duty status, understand Veteran assistance is a constant community effort, and the need to assist Veterans in navigating those resources that the Hamilton County community provides is continually addressed.

Whereas, we commit to engage in community efforts and collaborate with partners like the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the Indiana Department of Veteran Affairs, Hamilton County Health Department, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, community mental health centers, and our business and non-profit community members to create effective solutions to reduce Veteran suicide within our community.

Whereas, we are committed to creating a welcoming community where our returning Veterans can live, work, and thrive with ready access to the care they need when they need it.

As Indiana's Fifth Congressional District Representative, I proclaim our community's appreciation of our Veterans, and our pledge to help save veteran lives.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight a veteran constituent of mine, Chuck Haberman, of Noblesville, Indiana. Chuck served in the United States Marine Corps from 2007 until 2014.

Upon his return to Indiana, Chuck immediately redeployed his leadership skills to strengthen his community in Hamilton County.

Following several years in the private sector, last year Chuck moved into the role of Workforce Development Manager for the City of Noblesville, working with educators, trainers, and business leaders. He is also a Trustee of Ivy Tech Community College Hamilton County and Member of the Board of the Noblesville Chamber of Commerce.

Chuck has also convened the Hamilton County 21st Century Veterans Committee which highlights resources and support options for veterans and their families in Central Indiana, a critical need at this time in our nation's history.

I thank Chuck for his continued service to our nation's veterans and the Fifth Congressional District.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight a veteran constituent of mine, Emily Quillen of Anderson, Indiana. Emily is a Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) peer mentor at Aspire Indiana.

As a veteran of the United States Army, Emily understands the difficulty of finding the necessary resources when returning home after service in the Armed Forces. In her current role, she connects veterans with available housing and assists them with needs like transportation, child care support, and the search for full-time employment.

I thank Emily for her continued service to our nation's veterans and Indiana's Fifth Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my enormous dismay with the situation at our southern border.

I went to the border three times this spring and have seen firsthand the escalating human and national security crisis, but what I have seen from my colleagues going to the border this weekend is beyond any words.

Our government is becoming an accomplice to human and drug trafficking for Mexican cartels and is completely disregarding its duty to protect the American people.

I am an immigrant myself and value the contributions of immigrants to our country over the years, but what is happening at the border is an invasion of our country and complete lawlessness.

We are not an anarchy. We are a country with the rule of law. It is our duty as Congress to help the State of Texas protect our Republic. It is becoming even more urgent in light of the Afghanistan debacle and increased risk for terrorism.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to defeat the previous question so we can consider the Border Security for America Act.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Consider Teachers Act. When created, the TEACH grant program was to support students interested in becoming teachers. Unfortunately, the grant program has run into administrative challenges brought on by clerical and paperwork issues. Because of these issues, approximately two-thirds of all TEACH grants are converting into Federal student loans.

To address these inadvertent errors, the Consider Teachers Act reforms the program to ensure that teachers are not indebted due to simple mistakes. First, the legislation gives grant recipients the ability to reverse a conversion and eases the timeline for when the grant recipients must certify their employment with the Department of Education.

Second, the bill also extends the time grant recipients have to fulfill their service obligation in response to the challenges posed by the pandemic. The pandemic upended all of our lives, and teachers who lost their job shouldn't be unfairly punished for circumstances outside of their control.

Mr. Speaker, with the TEACH grant program, the Federal Government made a commitment to future teachers, and the Consider Teachers Act fulfills the original promise of the program. I urge all Members to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, the TEACH grant program fails too many of our teachers, and it needs to be fixed. It is important that our Federal Government honors its promises. The Consider Teachers Act creates flexibility and streamlines processes.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to vote in favor of this bill. Strong teachers are essential for high-quality learning.

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