Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Mikhail Karnaukh who was named as a recipient of the General Ira C. Eaker Award. This award is the second most prestigious honor in the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program. Fewer than 1 percent of cadets are selected to receive it.

Mr. Speaker, I have great respect for those in the Civil Air Patrol. Their selfless commitment to duty and country deserves the highest praise from their elected leaders.

We congratulate Mikhail on this special accomplishment. He has earned it. I very much look forward to hearing more about his progress and accomplishments in the coming months and years. May God continue to bless him and his family.

Mr. Speaker, by the direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 242 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Neguse), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume.

During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, last night the Rules Committee met and produced a rule, House Resolution 242, providing for the House's consideration of several pieces of legislation: H.R. 1048, H.J. Res. 24, and H.J. Res. 75.

The rule provides for consideration of H.J. Res. 24 and H.J. Res. 75 under closed rules. The rule provides each with 1 hour of debate, equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, or their designees. Additionally, the rule provides each a motion to recommit.

Additionally, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1048 under a structured rule. The rule provides for 1 hour of debate equally divide and controlled by the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Education and Workforce or their designees. The rule also provides for one motion to recommit.

The rule before us today provides Congress with another opportunity to take a stand for consumer choice in America and take a stand against our Nation's foreign adversaries who continue to infiltrate colleges and universities across the Nation.

The DETERRENT Act, one of the bills considered under this rule, offers a necessary injection of transparency, accountability, and clarity to foreign gift reporting requirements for colleges and universities. It offers legislative prescriptions that are long overdue.

Under current law, section 117 of the Higher Education Act, colleges and universities must adhere to reporting requirements related to foreign donations. However, many fail to do so because of how weak the current law actually is.

A 2019 Senate report found that up to 70 percent of colleges and universities fail to comply with reporting requirements outlined in section 117 of the Higher Education Act. You heard that right. Up to 70 percent of colleges and universities fail to comply.

The DETERRENT Act updates section 117 to provide the very clarity and guidance that colleges and universities need to ensure they properly disclose foreign sources of funding and remain in compliance. It also adds a set of razor-sharp teeth to current law to hold colleges and universities accountable for failing to comply with section 117. Again, the DETERRENT Act offers legislative prescriptions that are long overdue.

The other two pieces of legislation under consideration via today's rule are two separate Congressional Review Act resolutions: H.J. Res. 24 and H.J. Res. 75. These two CRAs will strike down separate rules from the Department of Energy that were finalized under the Biden administration.

H.J. Res. 24 overturns a wrongheaded midnight rule from the Department of Energy relating to conservation standards for walk-in coolers and walk-in freezers. The Department of Energy issued this final rule a mere 2 days before Christmas last year. This is yet another gift from the Biden administration that nobody asked for.

This midnight rule piles on additional costs to the shoulders of Main Street businesses, while at the very same time takes a hatchet to consumer choice.

H.J. Res. 75 will overturn yet another wrongheaded rule from the Department of Energy related to conservation standards for commercial refrigerators, freezers, and refrigerator-freezers.

Like the previous rule from the Department of Energy that was just discussed, this rule is yet another example of the regulatory barrage that the Biden administration launched against Main Street as well as consumers. Thankfully, the regulatory warfare of the past 4 years is over. Republicans are back in charge.

Mr. Speaker, regulating this country into the ground benefits absolutely no one. It does not benefit Americans and their families. It does not benefit free enterprise and entrepreneurs. It does not benefit small businesses. Nobody wins when the Federal Government goes hog wild with regulations.

These two CRAs that the House will consider under this rule will help us break out the shovels and bury the Department of Energy's rules in the grave. They won't be missed.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I spent time last week in my district, too, talking to people. I spend time every weekend talking to the people in my district. Do you know what they complain about the most? Unnecessary rules and regulations.

I met today with folks from the homebuilding industry. They can document that 25 percent of the rules related to homebuilding are unnecessary and drive up the costs of doing business for homes. We need new homes everywhere.

My colleagues are trying to make it look like what we are doing is frivolous. Mr. Speaker, this is far from frivolous. We in Congress are taking back our authority from unnamed, unaccountable bureaucrats who, in the dark of night, write unnecessary rules and regulations that burden the American people and drive up the cost of business and drive up the cost of products.

It is important for us to have further discussion on this critical Congressional Review Act that we are operating under. The Congressional Review Act agenda as a whole is important. My Democratic colleagues are falling into a repeated trap of copying and pasting comments these days. It is true of remarks for rule debate, as well. Every week, they come before this body to complain that we are undoing this or that regulation and that our collective time could be better spent

elsewhere. Well, Republicans beg to differ.

The Congressional Review Act provides the American people the greatest possible say over the endless tide of regulations that always stem from Democratic administrations, and it is one of the greatest keepers of Congress' Article I authority. It is also upsetting in many ways that the Democrats complain we are doing these individual rules when they opposed the Midnight Rules Relief Act, where we could have taken care of these all in one fell swoop.

Let's not forget it was a Democrat, President Clinton, who signed the Congressional Review Act into law on a bipartisan basis, but our colleagues have obviously fallen far from those past overtures of consensus and common sense.

Republicans and President Trump are constantly emphasizing common sense, which is not very common from the other side of the aisle. Many Members of Congress provide lipservice to excessive rules and regulations, but the Congressional Review Act provides Congress the ability to put our money where our mouth is.

The Competitive Enterprise Institute has tabulated that Federal regulations impose a cost of $1.9 trillion on the economy. This averages out to more than $14,000 imposed on every American household, a hidden regulatory tax that is eating up American paychecks.

The amount of rules far exceeds statutes by Congress. In 2022 alone, there were more than 3,100 rules issued by agencies compared to 247 laws passed by Congress. Yet, despite these figures, my Democratic colleagues can't seem to muster the courage to find one regulation that they believe is worthy of repeal.

The fact is that we have a very limited window under the Congressional Review Act to expunge these harmful rules, again, written by unnamed, unaccountable bureaucrats. These rules continue to drive up costs for American families and take away consumer choices.

I am so glad that we are taking up these CRA resolutions, ones that would protect consumer choice and competitive prices for freezers, refrigerators, and walk-in coolers.

To my colleagues on the other side, these may seem like small issues to you, but driving up the cost of appliances is a regressive approach that will hurt low-and middle-income Americans the most. Regulating every possible square inch of the economy in the name of your zealous green radicalism may give the coastal elites a sense of accomplishment, but it is doing real harm to Americans.

When the Congressional Review Act window is completed, we are going to be tabulating the cost of these regulations, as well as the votes to repeal them. It may seem like a little bit of cost here and there, but wait until you see the cumulative price. I hope my colleagues can heed the warning, but if the past is prologue, I won't be holding my breath.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I have said it before. They are cutting and pasting and saying the same things over and over again. Fear-mongering is beneath the dignity of this body. That is not what we are here to do.

We have told our colleagues over and over, and they know this, but they refuse to acknowledge it. Nothing we have done this session has touched the sanctity of Social Security, nothing. In fact, President Trump has over and over again said that he will not touch the sanctity of Social Security. I have said that, and our colleagues have said that. We have done nothing.

Putting out false information to the American people is really unfortunate because it does frighten people. However, we have the facts on our side, Mr. Speaker, and the facts are that no bills we passed, the budget bill nor the Trump administration continuing resolution, hurt in any way Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, or any other program that the Federal Government has a contract with the American people on. It is time for our colleagues to stop saying that.

In fact, Republicans sued over ads that were being run in certain districts last week, and the Democrats had to pull those ads because the court ruled that they were not factual. They were the same kinds of things that are being said on this floor day after day.

Nonetheless, let's get back to the bill at hand: the rule that we are discussing and the underlying bill of that rule.

We have talked in the abstract, but I would like to drill down on the actual problems this bill would address and the specific failures of disclosure that this bill addresses.

A 2019 Senate report found that up to 70 percent of all institutions, these are postsecondary institutions, failed to comply with section 117 and those that do not comply often underreport.

Investigations by the Trump administration discovered that there was $6.5 billion in previously undisclosed gifts and contributions provided to so-called elite colleges, and this money came from countries that pose serious national security threats to our country.

In 2020, the Department estimated that schools had anonymously accepted $8.4 billion in foreign money over the past decade.

Let's keep in mind that the Biden administration did not utilize section 117 authorities at all in its 4 years. You heard that correctly, Mr. Speaker. In 4 years, the Biden administration did not enforce section 117. Despite the Trump administration's uncovering and investigating, the Biden administration didn't invoke section 117 at all, not once.

Let's turn to some more recent examples.

In April 2023, the former chair of Harvard University's chemistry and chemical biology department was sentenced to prison for lying about his affiliation with and income from the Wuhan University of Technology in Wuhan, China.

In July 2024, University of Maryland, College Park paid $500,000 for failing to disclose foreign funding from the Chinese companies of three researchers who simultaneously received Federal grants.

In September 2024, the Research Foundation of the State University of New York paid $313,574 after a scientist failed to disclose Chinese support.

In December 2024, the University of Delaware paid $700,000 for not disclosing that a faculty member receiving a NASA grant taught at a Chinese university.

A 2024 joint investigation between the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and the House Committee on Education and Workforce found 21 joint U.S.-Chinese education institutes. A case study of two such institutes, UC Berkeley and Georgia Institute of Technology, revealed both a lack of proper disclosure under section 117 and research with clear military applications. Just those two schools alone totaled over $40 million in unreported contracts with China.

Clearly, Congress needs to do more to bring these unreported contracts, gifts, and funding sources of all sorts into the public eye. Taxpayer dollars are going to these universities. The public is owed the facts about where the rest of these funds are coming from.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, give me a break. We are to believe that something printed on the front page of The Washington Post is always true? Mr. Speaker, only 31 percent of the American people have any faith in the print media in this country, and they are very, very wise in that assessment. That is almost as low as the 27 percent of Americans who have faith in the Democratic Party right now.

I would like to clarify something else that was said. It was said that Republicans hate universities or there is a question as to why we hate universities. Mr. Speaker, we don't hate universities. We just want the universities to be honest, and we want them to be transparent. That is one of the bills we are discussing here today that this rule covers. It is very important that we have transparency throughout our government, and that is what Republicans want.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman and the gentlewoman seem to believe that the new personnel structure at the Department of Education couldn't possibly implement this bill, yet our colleagues failed to mention the fact that section 117 investigations weren't invoked a single time under the Biden administration. What were the people at the section 117 desk doing under President Biden's watch? They were collecting a check, apparently, or perhaps they were asleep at the switch, which is very fitting for the Biden era.

Mr. Speaker, President Trump has made it clear that the Department of Education will implement the laws that we pass here in Congress until such time as the full transition is made with the Department.

The number of personnel at the Department doesn't really matter if you don't have the political will to carry out the authorities. I know that the people in the Department of Education will carry out these authorities until such time as the Department does not exist, and at that time, whatever laws exist will be implemented by appropriate agencies and departments.

Whatever we do is going to be better than what was done under the Biden administration when this law was never enforced and should have been.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I would characterize what we are doing here today as the people's business. We are the people's House. We are here to look after the American people in the best way that we can. We are fulfilling our constitutional duties. Unnamed, unaccountable bureaucrats pass rules and regulations in this city every day that they should not be passing.

Congress gave us the ability to stop them, and my colleagues are complaining that we are wasting time, that it is slow and inefficient to implement the Congressional Review Act. It is slow and inefficient, but we passed a bill called the Midnight Rules Relief Act primarily with Republican votes that would have allowed Congress to dispense with multiple rules and regulations under one bill. That bill is currently in the Senate, and if that would pass and be signed by the President, we could all save time and be much more efficient. We are doing the people's work today.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, being lectured to about how we feel about anti-Semitism on our side of the aisle is not something that I am used to hearing. It is the Republicans who have led the fight against anti-Semitism on our college campuses.

Mr. Speaker, we did make Democratic amendments in order in this rule. If my colleague had submitted his amendment in a more timely fashion and not just a few minutes before the Rules Committee met yesterday, we would have certainly had a chance to consider it. The deadline for submitting amendments was last Thursday, and that gives us an opportunity to review the amendments to see what can be put in.

Mr. Speaker, I urge our colleagues to follow the rules for deadlines because that is very important for all of us.

Mr. Speaker, I am not really amenable to hearing people criticize us about our response to anti-Semitism when I fight it every day of my life. I am wearing my necklace that I wear every day, which says: ``Bring Them Home.'' I am wearing my yellow ribbon. Being told that I am not sympathetic to fighting anti-Semitism is not something that I take lightly.

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

Mr. Speaker, we are nearly at the end of this, and I don't believe that we need to have a colloquy. We each have an opportunity for closing comments.

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

Mr. Speaker, House Republicans are laser focused on governing and advancing legislation that addresses pertinent issues across the Nation. It is unfortunate that our colleagues do not agree that protecting Americans from unnecessary rules and regulations is not something that is important to them.

It is very important to us, and we are following regular order here. The Rules Committee is represented by me, the chair, on this important rule today. That is significant.

The three pieces of legislation that will be considered under the rule that will be debated tomorrow are part of our governing efforts and are in alignment with the mandate that Americans gave us last November.

Shielding consumer choice and combating foreign influence within higher education are issues that Americans care about. We have heard their concerns, and we are addressing them yet again this week.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the previous question, ``yes'' on the rule, and then, later, ``yes'' on the bills that will be presented as a result of this rule.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the beginning of Nowruz, an exuberant occasion for the Persian people across the entire world that marks the beginning of the Persian New Year and spring.

During this time, many pause to reflect upon and recognize the blessings of the previous year. Many also take this time to look forward to the coming spring with optimism and gratitude.

Persian culture, and the contributions made to broader civil society through it, deserve to be celebrated by all.

I wish members of the Persian community, both within the United States and across the world, a joyous and memorable holiday.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize James Min who will be departing the people's House after 25 remarkable years of service.

Within the California delegation, he served in a variety of roles for three separate Members: Representatives Bill Thomas, Kevin McCarthy, and Vince Fong.

His unwavering dedication in service to countless Californians over his 25 years in the people's House is extremely admirable, and I know there are many other people who agree.

This institution and the world needs more people like James Min in it.

Mr. Speaker, I thank James for his many years of service to this great institution and for his friendship. May God continue to bless him as he turns the page and begins a new chapter in his life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Leakesville Garden Club in Rockingham County, North Carolina's oldest active gardening club. It was formed in March 1925 and was recognized as the third garden club to be organized within the State of North Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, this club is more than just about gardening. It is about fostering pride in the community, strengthening bonds of fellowship between people, and upholding tradition.

This club is a shining example of the best that North Carolina has to offer. Its 100-year history is a testament to that simple fact.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the Leakesville Garden Club and its members on this historic milestone. Here is to another 100 years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize an exemplary North Carolinian who was just confirmed by the United States Senate as the next Secretary of the Army, Dan Driscoll.

Dan grew up in Boone, North Carolina, and graduated from Watauga High School. He then went on to graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill and then Yale Law School. He has strong roots in North Carolina's Fifth District, and I am confident that many of our area's future, as well as the current leaders, will look up to him as a shining example of a salt-of-the- earth public servant who acts upon principle.

I consider myself immensely fortunate to know Dan. I can attest to this simple fact: His previous service to the Nation in the military, as well as his track record and acumen within both law and business, are essential assets that he brings with him to the helm.

He is someone we can count on to lead the Army in the right way and for the right reasons. His confirmation adds to a growing list of wins not only for President Trump but also for the entire country, and those wins are not stopping anytime soon.

I congratulate Dan on his confirmation. I, along with many, many others, are incredibly proud of him. I look forward to following his work and hearing of the strides he will make in his new position.

May God continue to bless Dan, his wonderful wife, Cassie, and their children, Daniel and Lila.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule, which provides consideration of the fiscal year 2025 budget resolution.

Our Nation stands at a fiscal crossroads, one where we are beckoned to answer a simple yet pertinent question: What path will we choose to go down? The answer to that question is clear: We must embark upon a path that restores the fiscal health and vitality of the Nation.

Many have lobbed spurious caricatures and distorted criticisms at this budget resolution, but the truth is that it will work to put the Nation back upon a sound footing where it belongs.

Last night at the Rules Committee, we caught Democrats dead to rights. A Democrat tried to refer to the alleged ``cuts'' in our debate but instead admitted that ``it is not there.''

That is right. It is not in the budget resolution. You simply cannot find programmatic cuts in any respect, and I stand here to tell the truth about this budget and the rule we need to get it across the line.

From shielding Americans from the greatest tax increase in history to supporting the military, allocating resources to the Trump administration to secure the border and to trimming wasteful programs, our budget resolution has solutions that the American people expect and demand.

President Trump specifically requested ``one big, beautiful bill,'' and House Republicans have answered that request with a constructive, full-bodied product.

Now, let's juxtapose our beautiful bill with the failed reconciliation schemes passed by Democratic Congresses.

They used it to pass ObamaCare, robbing Medicare of over $700 billion of funds in the process and kicking Americans off their health insurance plans after promising to keep them.

They hijacked the process to pass the so-called American Rescue Plan to waste over $2 trillion in taxpayer funds, fueling the greatest inflation rates in generations.

Lastly, they used the reconciliation process just a few years ago to pass one of the worst pieces of legislation in the modern era, the so- called Inflation Reduction Act. That catastrophe of a bill was a one- way ticket to financial ruin. It wasted money on green energy schemes, punished companies that proudly develop American energy, and ironically drove up costs for every American family.

I will let our deficit-reducing, border-securing, tax cut-preserving, American energy-strengthening budget stand against the failed record of congressional Democrats any day of the week.

The truth is that Americans win under the Trump agenda and this budget. This blueprint is a framework on which Congress can deliver the agenda the American people want and deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the rule and the underlying resolution.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Jack Roemer of Winston- Salem, North Carolina, who will celebrate his 100th birthday on December 20.

There are so many positive things to say about Jack. He is one of the most kindhearted, salt-of-the-earth, intelligent, and witty people I have ever met. He had a long and successful career at R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, where he served as general counsel, vice president, and a member of the board of directors. He is also a World War II Navy veteran and served as an officer on an LST, or a landing ship, tank.

The world would be a much better place if there were more Jack Roemers in it. May Jack treasure this monumental milestone as he celebrates with family and friends. Happy 100th birthday to Jack, and may God continue to bless him and give him many more years on Earth.

Admiration for Representative Jennifer Wexton

Madam Speaker, I want to say how much I admire Jennifer Wexton and the role model she has been as she has struggled with her disease.

We saw her here on the floor a few minutes ago, and I commend her for her willingness to speak openly about the challenges that she is facing and to show the world that one can deal with such a debilitating disease and continue to work for her constituents. I commend her for what she has done.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3448) to reauthorize the Director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to support Holocaust education programs, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on S. 3448.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3448, the Never Again Education Reauthorization Act of 2023.

October 7 was the worst day in Jewish history since the Holocaust. S. 3448 will ensure that the lessons of history are not forgotten in these troubling times.

The bipartisan bill promotes tolerance by extending the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's mission to disseminate Holocaust education resources through fiscal year 2030.

In May 2020, Congress passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and President Trump signed into law the Never Again Education Act. This law authorizes $2 million for the Holocaust museum to create and disseminate educational resources on how and why the Holocaust happened.

This year, the world celebrated the Allied victory of Normandy 80 years ago. We were reminded of what our heroes fought for and against. Unfortunately, we have seen an increase in anti-Semitic and other bias- based offenses on college campuses, demonstrating that the hate and bigotry that motivated the Nazis is still present in our society.

Mr. Speaker, expanding the presence of Holocaust education programs in schools will increase the knowledge of basic facts related to the Holocaust, and that is important.

More importantly, it will give schools optional resources to help provide students a greater understanding of the ancient scourge of anti-Semitism and provide them intellectual and moral tools to fight against it and to prevent genocide, hate, and bigotry against any group of people. I thank Representative Buddy Carter for authoring this bill in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), the sponsor of the House companion to the bill we are considering.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Kiley), a Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

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

Mr. Speaker, anti-Semitism exploded on college campuses across the country following October 7, 2023, increasing 700 percent over the same period in the prior year. Swastikas were spread across campus as graffiti. Jewish students were segregated in classrooms by their professors. Jewish students at New York City's Cooper Union were forced to lock themselves in the college library and later were escorted out a back door.

I recognize that anti-Semitism is not a new problem. It has taken on various forms throughout history. The most noted prior to October 7 were the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust. Both will forever remain a stain in the annals of human history.

The modern form of anti-Semitism is often disguised by progressive political ideologies. Evidence shows that campus DEI bureaucracies play a major role in propagating the spread of anti-Semitism. DEI divides the world into oppressors and the oppressed, ascribing collective guilt to the oppressors and collective innocence to the oppressed.

What does this mean for Jewish students? The DEI hierarchy places the Jewish people at the bottom of the oppression spectrum. DEI programs are ideologically anti-Semitic because they ascribe collective guilt to the entire State of Israel for its mere existence.

The core principles of the Marxist ideologue are not diversity, equity, or inclusion. They are, instead, discrimination, intolerance, and bigotry toward individuals thought to belong to the wrong group.

This modern manifestation of one of history's greatest evils, anti- Semitism, is repugnant. By passing S. 3448, the Never Again Education Reauthorization Act of 2023, Congress takes a step toward ensuring a safer and more secure future for Jewish Americans. More importantly, it ensures that we

will always remember the victims of the Holocaust, who were murdered simply for being Jewish.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1147) to amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to provide for grants in support of training and education to teachers and other school employees, students, and the community about how to prevent, recognize, respond to, and report child sexual abuse among primary and secondary school students.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on S. 1147.

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

Mr. Speaker, this bill's story begins with its namesake, Jenna Quinn, a teenage sexual assault survivor.

Legislation in Jenna's name was enacted in the State of Texas in 2009 and has already saved countless children from abuse. In fact, a study found that after Jenna's Law was passed in Texas in 2009, educators reported abuse at a rate of almost four times more after receiving education and instruction about abuse. Now, Congress has a chance to apply some of the law's key protections across the country.

Child abuse and neglect are heartbreaking, immoral, and inexcusable. No child should ever have to endure pain and suffering. In a perfect world, we would not need laws addressing child abuse, but this world is far from perfect.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys in the United States are estimated to experience child abuse.

The National Children's Alliance states: ``An estimated 558,899 children (unique incidents) were victims of abuse and neglect in the U.S. in 2022, the most recent year for which there is national data.''

The Jenna Quinn Law, S. 1147, champions prevention through education. This bill aims to prevent child sexual abuse by allowing schools to utilize existing grants to educate teachers, staff, parents, and students to recognize and respond to abuse.

In addition to protecting children, the bill respects taxpayer money. The bill does not mandate or authorize any new spending. Importantly, it includes a provision that requires the Comptroller General of the United States to provide oversight by submitting a report to the respective committees no later than 5 years after enactment to ensure that the funds are used effectively and transparently.

To sum it up, this bipartisan legislation directly addresses the pervasive issue of child sexual abuse in our country. S. 1147 recognizes that parents, educators, and other school personnel are on the front lines in recognizing and reporting child abuse and equips them with the knowledge of the signs of abuse and the tools to report abuse accurately and correctly.

Protecting the Nation's children is not a partisan issue but a moral imperative.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives Moran and Wild for their tireless advocacy on the issue and for working on this bill. I encourage my colleagues to support S. 1147, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Moran).

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, children are the Nation's future, but, sadly, the life and bright future of hundreds of thousands of children are threatened each year by abuse and neglect.

Mr. Speaker, S. 1147 allows for grants for child sexual abuse prevention programs in schools, equipping educators to recognize and report signs of abuse early.

Jenna Quinn's story reminds us of the urgency to act, and this bill ensures that we continue to safeguard vulnerable children from preventable cases of sexual assault. I believe this legislation, in the face of evil, will help prevent child sexual abuse and help identify children who are experiencing these horrible acts to be put on a path towards healing.

By passing S. 1147, Congress is taking meaningful steps to prevent additional child abuse and neglect by providing States with the tools necessary to strengthen child abuse prevention services.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 5355) to ensure that the National Advisory Council on Indian Education includes at least 1 member who is the president of a Tribal College or University.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 5355.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 5355, the National Advisory Council on Indian Education Improvement, or NACIE, Act.

NACIE is the Department of Education's Tribal advisory group, composed of 15 members who are appointed by the President.

NACIE advises the Secretaries of both the Education Department and the Department of the Interior on programs serving Tribes and members.

Currently, there is no requirement that a Tribal college or university, TCU, president sit on the board. As a result, the Education Department's Tribal consultation sessions often do not provide the opportunity for TCU leaders, who are the prominent leaders in Tribal post-secondary education, to provide direct input.

S. 5355 requires at least one of NACIE's members be the president of a TCU. In doing so, the legislation would give TCUs a seat at the table when discussing Tribal education.

Simply put, this bipartisan legislation ensures TCUs have a voice in decisions that directly impact Native-American students.

Strengthening our Nation's post-secondary education system means supporting all types of colleges and universities. Today, we can take an important step to strengthen TCUs, which play an important role in serving students and expanding the opportunities for skills and a post- secondary education in communities across America.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, TCUs provide an important doorway to postsecondary education for many American students.

TCUs know best what their students and communities need. S. 5355, the National Advisory Council on Indian Education Improvement (NACIE) Act, will give TCUs a seat at the table during the decisionmaking process.

This will not only ensure that Native-American students are better served, but it will also ensure that taxpayer resources will be used more efficiently and effectively.

TCUs provide an important doorway to postsecondary education for many students. This bipartisan legislation will help strengthen that voice and the voice of the postsecondary education leaders who deserve to share their unique experiences and guidance with the rest of NACIE.

Mr. Speaker, before I yield back my time, I will take a few minutes to reflect on my time leading the Education and the Workforce Committee.

First, I applaud the committee's ranking member, Bobby Scott. You wouldn't think a Democrat with two Harvard degrees would have much in common with a Republican who grew up without running water or electricity and was the first in her family to go to college, but we are both realists who want to get things done.

We are passionate about the committee's issues. It has been a pleasure to work alongside Bobby.

Our colleagues have heard us say this before, but we both share the sentiment that you can disagree without being disagreeable.

Let me say something about the work of the committee it was my honor to lead for two terms.

My family grew up poor, but my parents always believed in the power of education and hard work. My work on the committee has centered on ensuring those who grew up like me can accomplish anything they set their minds to and that education can help them do it.

Unfortunately, students and parents have been living through an education nightmare characterized by massive learning loss, attacks on parental rights, a leftist takeover of curricula, and plummeting confidence in our education system.

To put our students on a path to success, I have worked with my colleagues to pass the Parents Bill of Rights, fight for school choice, protect women's sports, push for lower college costs and more accountability, and promote strong workforce development programs.

The committee has also fought attempts by the Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board to push all workers into unions and extend the Federal Government's control over the workforce.

Additionally, we have worked to protect the retirement savings of workers and retirees, save private insurance and increase healthcare affordability, protect small businesses, allow flexible work arrangements, and expand worker choice.

We have been busy, Mr. Speaker.

Of course, I can't talk about the committee's work without talking about my passion for accountability. As elected Representatives, it is our duty to hold the Federal Government to the highest standard of accountability so that hardworking taxpayer dollars are used effectively and efficiently.

When we push for answers, parents are no longer left in the dark, lawmakers are better informed when it comes time to consider legislation, and American taxpayers see where their hard-earned money is going.

None of the work accomplished by the committee was done by me alone. I was bolstered at every turn by the support and efforts of my colleagues. More importantly, I had the incredible talent of a dedicated staff.

Mr. Speaker, when I first came to Congress, I heard Members on the floor saying all these fabulous things about their staff, and it was hard for me to envision at the beginning how important the staff could be, but I have certainly come to understand that as the chair of the committee. To all of the staff, I say thank you, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Congressman Scott's comments very much. We have worked together very well. Now I urge my colleagues to vote for S. 5355, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, thank you so much my colleague from Texas and all the people who have come here to praise Dr. Michael Burgess. I join them in recognizing him on his pending retirement.

For over two decades, he has more than ably represented the people of the 26th District of Texas, as well as all Americans.

Alongside his outstanding service on the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Budget Committee, Michael Burgess was selected this year as the chairman of the Rules Committee where he and I served together in years past.

Having engaged with him many times this year in the hot seat opposite the dais where he sat, I can attest that he has done a fine job of leading the Rules Committee.

Dr. Burgess is a person of strong intellect and wisdom, along with collegiality and good humor.

Dr. Burgess, you will be sorely missed for all your wonderful traits. I also want you to know that you and your family are in my prayers. I know you are in the prayers of our entire Conference, as well as many others.

Mr. Speaker, I associate myself with the other kind comments and positive comments and true comments that have been made about you tonight. My hope is that God will continue to bless you and keep you and your family in the palm of His hands. We really will miss you, Mike. Thank you for your great service.

Mr. Speaker, hiring people based on their unique individual skills is something I have promoted all my life. It is precisely why I introduced the Chance to Compete Act.

As the largest employer in the Nation with almost 2.2 million employees, it is time for the Federal Government to base its hiring on verifiable skills instead of degrees or self-evaluation.

People should be hired on their ability to do the job. This is a commonsense idea that the private sector figured out a long time ago. It is easy to see that current Federal hiring practices are broken.

These hiring practices rely on how many degrees one has and on self- evaluations that allow candidates to grossly inflate their own qualifications. They can claim to be experts on a particular subject, but they are not being evaluated by an objective standard.

Hardworking American taxpayers are the ones who are forced to pay for employees who cannot properly perform their own jobs. I have even seen this play out recently while my office has been dealing with FEMA and other Federal agencies in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

Fortunately, there is a better way.

The Chance to Compete Act allows the Federal Government to retain subject matter experts, those who know what it takes to do a job, who design and administer skills-based assessments to job seekers. This is designed to identify candidates who have the professional wherewithal to complete a job.

These assessments also weed out those applicants who merely claim to be experts and have the right degree on paper. The Trump administration recognized this issue with an executive order in 2020 by directing agencies to identify qualified applicants to hire people based on objective standards, such as structured interviews, knowledge, or writing tests.

It is good that the Congress will codify this effort by passing this law and the Trump administration will be able to implement it. The Federal Government owes it to taxpayers to hire people based on their ability to do the job. The House recognized this when it passed the House version of the Chance to Compete Act in January of 2023 in a vote of 422 to 2.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass this carefully crafted Senate compromised version, S. 59, today.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 4077) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 180 Steuart Street in San Francisco, California, as the ``Dianne Feinstein Post Office''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

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

This bill would rename a post office in San Francisco, California, as the Dianne Feinstein Post Office.

Feinstein was the longest serving Senator to represent California and the longest serving female Senator in the history of the United States.

S. 4077 would honor the memory of Dianne Feinstein.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further comments, and I am ready to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, a new report from Parents Defending Education, PDE, revealed that the Biden-Harris administration spent over $1 billion of taxpayer money on so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion programming.

DEI is the woke addiction that the Biden-Harris administration simply cannot quit. Instead of becoming a more perfect Union, DEI turns our schools, communities, and cities into cesspools of divisiveness and hate. We know DEI bureaucracies are also notorious drivers of campus anti-Semitism.

PDE's new report is jaw-dropping, and it confirms that this administration was more concerned about contorting the minds of America's future leaders rather than educating them.

This relentless push to tell students what to think instead of how to think must stop. Fortunately for parents, students, and hardworking taxpayers, President Trump sees DEI for what it is: a cancer that is divisive, excessive, and ineffective.