Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in strong support of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a cosponsor in support of my friend, Congressman Joe Wilson's resolution, H. Res. 132, responding to the earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria on February 6, 2023.

This timely and important resolution comes just weeks after multiple 7.5-plus magnitude earthquakes caused widespread devastation across central-southern Turkiye and northern Syria.

This natural disaster was so powerful that the shaking could be felt as far away as Egypt. The numbers are just staggering. Following the initial shaking, Turkiye and Syria have borne the brunt of over 1,000 aftershocks, furthering the massive death and destruction that has decimated infrastructure and communities across the region. Even today, Mr. Speaker, there was another aftershock with reported loss of death.

As of February 25, 2023, Reuters estimated that 160,000 buildings containing over half a million apartments have collapsed or were severely damaged. The earthquake has killed more than 48,000 people and injured 118,700 others in Turkiye and Syria combined. Today, the U.N. Development Programme estimates that 1.5 million people have been left homeless.

As ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe and as an original cosponsor of this resolution, I want to express my deepest condolences to the people of Turkiye and Syria who have been so deeply impacted by these earthquakes. Tens of thousands have lost their lives and even more have been left without a safe place to call home. As a result, once vibrant cities and communities across the entire region have been shattered and left in ruin.

In addition, I want to commend the efforts of thousands of international humanitarian aid and rescue workers, as well as national entities, local organizations, and individuals from across the region who have come together to provide lifesaving assistance to those impacted by this devastating earthquake.

During the past few weeks, these aid workers have provided lifesaving resources and support, all while working in freezing winter conditions, just to get help and relief for this enormous devastation and provide the greatest help to the people who need it the most.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud those humanitarian and rescue workers from across the United States Government who have joined the international community in a global response. In total, as of February 19, 2023, the United States has allocated $185 million in humanitarian assistance for the earthquake response in Turkiye and Syria.

As part of its coordinated response, USAID's Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance quickly deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team, also known as a DART, which is working in close coordination with government authorities and partners on the ground.

The DART included USAID-supported search and rescue units have drawn domestic voluntary help, as well. It is important to recognize Fairfax County, Virginia's, and Los Angeles County, California's, fire departments have come to aid and help these people in such great need. They provide heroic assistance in working with USAID. USAID has deployed a total of 160 urban search and rescue personnel to Turkiye who have now returned to the United States. We thank them for volunteering and their heroic acts.

Furthermore, through its implementing partner, the World Food Program, as of February 23, USAID had also supported the provision of food assistance to 660,000 individuals in Syria and 900,000 earthquake- affected people in Turkiye. In addition, 840 metric tons of USAID in- kind relief commodities, including water, hygiene materials, kitchen sets, and disaster relief materials were all delivered to support the earthquake survivors.

Finally, the Department of Defense, in coordination with USAID's Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance, has air-lifted 541,100 pounds of critical relief items, including blankets, emergency food commodities, generators, space heaters, tents, and winter clothing.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support those efforts and commend President Biden, Secretary Blinken, and Administrator Power for their swift response to this disaster.

As the international community has responded, the Assad regime has made that effort far more difficult. For example, while the Department of the Treasury has taken important steps to clarify existing sanctions licenses required to ensure the transfer of vital humanitarian aid to the region, the exploitation of this disaster by the Assad regime is reprehensible and cynical.

I wholeheartedly condemn these efforts by the Assad regime, which have included preventing the United Nations from providing assistance through multiple border crossings between Turkiye and Syria. The people of Syria have suffered tremendously under the Assad regime, which since 2011 has used any means available, including the use of chemical weapons, to suppress the voice of the Syrian people.

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There is intense need for international assistance in Syria, and I support the call in this resolution for the Biden administration to continue to use all diplomatic tools, including through the U.N. Security Council, to open and keep open all Turkiye-Syria border crossings for United Nations assistance.

Despite barriers from the Assad regime, the United Nations has worked tirelessly in coordinating and facilitating life-saving humanitarian assistance efforts by providing hot meals, food, tents, clothing, medical supplies, and personnel to affected areas. Psychosocial support services are also being provided, as well. Child-friendly spaces and safe spaces for women to ensure those most vulnerable are cared for are also in motion there.

U.N. programs like the World Food Programme and the U.N. High Commission for Refugees have also crossed into Syria at the Bab al- Salam border crossing to ensure the people of Syria receive the vital aid that they need.

All together, the United Nations has sent health supplies to more than 400,000 people impacted by the earthquake and has released $50 million from its Central Emergency Response fund to jump-start the response. The U.N. has also issued a flash appeal to raise all the necessary funds to help meet the needs of those affected by these earthquakes.

I, again, thank Congressman Joe Wilson for his efforts on this legislation as well as over 35 bipartisan cosponsors. This resolution sends a strong message of solidarity from the United States to the people of Turkiye and Syria as they begin to cope with the aftermath of these devastating earthquakes, and I am proud to join in supporting this effort.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from South Carolina for his strong bipartisan support in this gathering together of people on both sides of the aisle for America's interest. As he pointed out, we have an interest not only with our own defense facilities not far from that region and not only associating as he has his own experience the devastation of earthquakes, but also a stark contrast that occurs to the people of Syria when they find out the U.S. and other countries are coming together to their aid while the Syrian regime under Assad continues to wreak havoc and damage to the everyday lives of the people of Syria.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Dean), who is a new member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. We all look forward to working together with the gentlewoman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Again, I thank Congressman Joe Wilson, the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia for his work on this resolution.

It is important to recognize that the U.S. is joining the whole international community, again, at a time of need. It is in our self- interest to move in this respect, too. There are countless aftereffects as well as aftershocks that will come about as a result of this

earthquake. We are going to see time and time again swift action and humanitarian action. Action for support will really come back in a very cost effective and humanitarian way to provide dividends moving forward in the future.

That being said, too, our NATO ally, Turkiye, is suffering a great deal. We want to demonstrate not just through NATO and other alliances that we are there for the Turkish people as well who have often come to our aid in areas of critical security needs.

The people of Turkiye and Syria have suffered tremendously as a result of these earthquakes and thousands of the aftershocks.

I support this resolution to signal globally that the United States stands with the people of Turkiye and Syria and the United States will continue to support any and all humanitarian efforts to bring aid and assistance to the victims of these disasters. I hope, Mr. Speaker, that all our colleagues join together in this bipartisan effort to support this important resolution.

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

Offered By: Mr. Keating

Amendment No. 51: Page 3, strike lines 1 through 5 and

insert the following:

``(2) Limitations.--The plan required by paragraph (1)

shall not--

``(A) provide for a total increase in the percentage of

Federal lands described in paragraph (1) leased for oil and

gas production in excess of 10 percent; or

``(B) provide for any oil and gas lease sales of any area

of the Outer Continental Shelf off the Atlantic coast.''.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Peter Morin as he retires after 36 years of public service to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the South Shore community.

Inspired by Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, Peter knew from a young age that he wanted to be a lawyer. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts in political science from George Washington University and his Juris Doctor from Western New England University School of Law, Peter first began his extensive career in public service as counsel to the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health in 1986, and later became the agency's director of investigations. For over two decades, Peter diligently served the people of Massachusetts, working for the state government in a variety of roles, including general counsel to the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine; senior litigation counsel and director of performance measurement for the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and director of civil process and investigations for the Norfolk County Sheriffs Office.

Seeing how measures passed at the municipal level could help and directly impact those in his community, Peter was always involved with local government in his hometown of Braintree, Massachusetts. Even throughout his years working as an attorney for the Commonwealth, Peter consistently volunteered for town committees and meetings and was elected to town wide office as a selectman and assessor. After serving as chairman of the Braintree Charter Commission, Peter moved from volunteering to working for the Town of Braintree fulltime in 2008, as the chief of staff and operations for Braintree's first mayor, Joseph Sullivan, and helped the town transition from a town meeting form of government to a mayor-council form. Peter then served as Braintree town solicitor before continuing his work at the municipal level as town administrator for the nearby Town of Norwell in 2015.

Over the past 7 years as town administrator, Peter has acted as Norwell's chief operating officer, overseeing the daily operations of the town, and handling the budget and much of the behind-the-scenes operations. Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Peter helped the town navigate and integrate new safety protocol and remote work to allow town operations to continue while ensuring that his colleagues felt safe and supported in their work during a time of uncertainty.

After three decades of public service, Peter retires from Nowell this December. Peter has dedicated his career to serving the people of Massachusetts and the South Shore, and I wish him many years of well- deserved happiness in retirement.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor Peter Morin, and I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing his career and commitment to serving his community and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 6611 to authorize the French Embassy in the United States to establish a commemorative work in Rock Creek Park to honor the extraordinary contributions of Jean Monnet.

Jean Monnet, a French citizen living in Washington, DC, played an extraordinary role promoting cooperation and peace on both sides of the Atlantic, which has furthered the national interest of the United States and is also of lasting historical significance to the American people.

Specifically, he is credited for his skillful efforts to restore peace between European nations, playing a critical role during both World Wars, and is often referred to as the founder of the European Union. Having sowed the seeds of the European Union, we continue to reap the benefits of Monnet's work today as evidence through the strength of the European Union and the continued coordination of the transatlantic alliance countering authoritarianism wherever it exists.

To provide more color on the importance of establishing this commemorative work, I would like to speak about the great accomplishments of Jean Monnet.

He was a French diplomat and businessman, as well as a dedicated citizen of Europe and a devoted friend of the United States. Monnet was a thoughtful individual who played a critical role in many of the 20th centuries major events. Today, he is most known for his efforts during both World Wars, the rebuilding of Europe, and the founding of European Union.

Specifically, Monnet is recognized for his creative thinking that was essential to the U.S. and Allied victory over Nazi Germany. After seeking refuge in the United States during Nazi-Germany's occupation of France, Monnet served as an adviser to U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and as a special envoy of the United States to the Free French. During that time, he also became a member of the British Purchasing Commission. There, he worked with senior U.S. officials to coordinate Allied resources, galvanize U.S. war production, and unleash the ``arsenal of democracy,'' a phrase coined by Monnet and later made famous by President Roosevelt. In fact, economist John Maynard Keynes once said that Monnet's contributions shortened the global conflict by an entire year and, through his actions, saved tens of thousands of European and American lives.

Following the Allied victory of WWII, Monnet started several initiatives which are known to have been the catalysts for the eventual creation of the European Union. For instance, Monnet proposed the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), an initiative that pooled the coal and steel resources of 6 counties in Europe, greatly contributing to increased production and resolving a centuries old dispute over these resources. In addition, he established the Action Committee for the United States of Europe, a political organization that united parties across Europe to advocate for further European integration. These 2 actions, the creation of the ECSC and the Action Committee, were both critical steps in the formation of the political union that the European Union represents today.

Monnet's legacy continues today as the transatlantic alliance stands united in the face of Russian aggression and rising autocracy globally. The United States and Europe must continue to face our challenges as he so strongly encouraged: by working together towards a more peaceful future.

With that being said, I want to acknowledge the bi-partisan effort it took to move this legislation forward and I thank my fellow Co-Chairs on the House French Caucus, Representatives Latta, Schiff, and Wilson for their original co-sponsorship and all efforts to advance this legislation. I'd also like to thank Chairs Grijalva, Neguse, and my colleagues on the Natural Resources Committee for consideration of this measure and for allowing it to move to the floor so expeditiously.

I also want to thank the leadership of this House for taking on this important issue, and supporting the passing of H.R. 6611. The commemoration to Monnet will stand as a continual reminder of the historic and continuing importance of the transatlantic partnership between the United States, France, and the greater European community. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Chief Frank Frederickson as he retires from the Yarmouth Police Department after 45 years of dedicated service.

Chief Frederickson first began his extensive career with the Yarmouth Police Department in 1977 as a summer officer and was brought on full- time as a patrol officer in 1979. Over the years, Chief Frederickson rose through the ranks, being promoted to detective, patrol sergeant, detective sergeant, lieutenant, deputy chief of police, and finally chief of police in 2010.

During his time with the Yarmouth Police Department, Chief Frederickson continuously worked to make sure that residents felt safe in their community and strove to foster a strong relationship between the people of Yarmouth and their police department. Through an active outreach program, the use of social media, and programs like Coffee with the Chief--a monthly event that allows the community to come together to connect with the Chief and the Yarmouth Police Department to ask questions and hear more about the police department's work-- Chief Frederickson aimed to ensure that the community felt informed and that their voices were heard. These efforts did not go unnoticed; the Yarmouth Police Department was the recipient of the New England Association of Chiefs of Police Community Policing Award several times under Chief Frederickson's leadership.

Holding an associate's, bachelor's, and master's degree in criminal justice from Cape Cod Community College, Northeastern University, and Anna Maria College, respectively, Chief Frederickson has been a leader in public safety and criminal justice not only in his own community, but also across the Commonwealth and throughout the New England region. During his 12 years as chief, Frederickson sat on the Executive Board of the New England Association of Chiefs of Police and served as president of the Cape and Islands Police Chiefs Association and the Southeastern Massachusetts Police Chiefs Association.

After 45 years of service, Chief Frederickson retires from the Yarmouth Police Department on October 31st. Chief Frederickson has dedicated his career to serving the people of Yarmouth, and I wish him many years of well-deserved happiness in retirement with his children and wife, Michelle.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor Chief Frank Frederickson. I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing his career and commitment to serving his community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Lt. Col. Jason Cullinane as he retires from the U.S. Army after three decades of service.

Raised in Falmouth, Massachusetts, Jason Cullinane had a passion for running from a young age. One of the seven ``Running Cullinanes,'' Lt. Col. Cullinane ran in multiple Falmouth Road Races, served as captain of the Falmouth High School cross country team, and was named a Boston Globe All Scholastic and Cape Cod Times All Star athlete.

After graduating from Falmouth High School, Lt. Col. Cullinane went on to receive his Bachelor of Science in communications media from Fitchburg State University, where he was also a four-time NCAA All American in track and field. At Fitchburg State University, Lt. Col. Cullinane began what would be an extensive career with the U.S. Army, joining his school's Army Reserve Officers Training Corps program in 1989.

Following graduation, Lt. Col. Cullinane served his country and continued his passion for running, competing as an athlete for the U.S. Army multiple times at the International Military Sports Council (CISM). Lt. Col. Cullinane also ran in the 1996 Olympic trials in steeplechase and came in ninth at the 1998 U.S. Track and Field Championship. He then went on to run professionally for Reebok Boston and the Nike Farm Team, and wrote LogbookONE, a running training manual.

Following the attacks on September 11, 2001, Lt. Col. Cullinane returned to the U.S. Army and has been on active duty since. During his many years of service, Lt. Col. Cullinane was deployed to Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq, managed training operations at several military bases, served as a policy analyst at the Pentagon, and received a master's degree in strategic studies from the United States Army War College.

After officially retiring from the U.S. Army this September, Lt. Col. Cullinane plans to spend ample time with his daughters, Niamh and Mayumi, and coach Falmouth Youth Running and the Falmouth Academy cross country team.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor Lt. Col. Jason Cullinane. I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing his career and commitment to serving his community and country.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the life of Rosemary O'Neill, who dedicated her life and career to public service.

A native of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and daughter of former Speaker of the House, Thomas ``Tip'' and Millie O'Neill, Rosemary was born on March 20, 1943. Following in the family tradition of public service and diplomacy, Rosemary first began what would be an extensive career with the Department of State as special assistant to George Feldman, Ambassador of Malta and Luxembourg, shortly after graduating from Dunbarton College of the Holy Cross. Rosemary then continued to work at the Department of State's headquarters in Washington, D.C. for several years, before receiving her posting as a foreign service officer in Morocco in 1980.

In 1992, Rosemary was elected chair of the Secretary of State's Open Forum, and was tasked with supervising the Open Forum Channel, monitoring the Dissent Channel, and managing the Open Forum's Speaker Program. The Secretary of State's Open Forum was established in 1967 to encourage U.S. government employees to share new or alternative policy recommendations with the Secretary of State in a confidential manner, free of bureaucratic restraints. Under Rosemary's leadership and guidance, the Speaker's Program and Open Forum Working Group on Conflict Resolution, Civil Society, and Democracy flourished.

An advocate for strong American Irish relations, Rosemary served as advisor to the Department of State's Director of Policy Planning on Northern Ireland. Even in retirement, Rosemary continued her relationship with the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition and often travelled to her family's ancestral home of Mallow, County Cork, serving as the Grand Marshall of Mallow's St. Patrick's Day Parade in 2017. Whether travelling to the USSR to promote human rights for individuals with disabilities or working to establish the State Department's Afghan Women's Program to advance educational opportunities for women and girls throughout Afghanistan--Rosemary dedicated her life and career to bettering the lives of all, across the globe.

After a remarkable career as a Foreign Service Officer, Rosemary retired in 2004. However, retirement did not stop her from continuing to help and support those in her community. Rosemary went on to serve as Chair of the Board of the Family Pantry of Cape Cod and on the Harwich Democratic Committee. Surrounded by family and loved ones, Rosemary left us too soon on July 20, 2022, at the age of 79. Rosemary's legacy will carry on through the lasting impact she left on the lives of so many through her work advancing women's rights and advocating for underrepresented and underserved groups.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor the life of Rosemary O'Neill. I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing her life's commitment to serving her community and country.

Madam Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

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

The Defense Department's National Defense Strategy has consistently included climate change as one of the most critical enduring threats. The 2022 National Defense Strategy is no exception.

In fact, Secretary Austin, just 8 months ago, called climate change an existential threat and has said: ``No nation can find lasting security without addressing the climate crisis.''

Intelligence officials have repeatedly warned that climate change leads to food and water shortages, ecological degradation, and extreme weather patterns, conditions that reduce our military readiness, enable mass population displacement, terrorist activity, and other forms of violence and conflicts between nations.

In fact, U.S. national security experts have dubbed climate change disaster response the military's new forever war, and a 2021 Pentagon report detailed how recent extreme weather has already cost billions of dollars in damages to U.S. military installations like Florida's Tyndall Air Force Base, Nebraska's Offutt Air Force Base, and other military installations as well.

It interrupts our training and our other operations. It is also projected to undermine bases vulnerable to rising seas, such as Guam and the Marshall Islands.

This legislation does not necessitate any additional funds, despite the billions of dollars it costs to our military. It simply requires the Department of State to establish climate change officer positions at major U.S. Embassy hubs across the world.

The U.S. State Department already hosts energy and science officers, but these climate change officers would have environmental issues front of mind and be responsible for supporting U.S. global efforts to combat climate change and advance climate solutions.

Currently, there is no individual at these embassies who focuses on climate change priorities, and I believe that the training provided to energy or science technology attaches really doesn't equip them with the tools they need to prioritize and tackle environmental issues.

The imminent, complex, and destructive threat posed by climate change demands our primary attention. This bill would ensure that our diplomatic delegations designate personnel whose sole focus is to work with international partners to combat this common challenge to our global security.

This is one of DOD's highest priorities, and it is a challenge that our country can't face alone. Using our existing embassies with their existing global footprint is an efficient way to plus-up our ability to tackle this challenge with our international partners.

This amendment is a vital, long-overdue step toward advancing global geopolitical stability, human and environmental health, and U.S. national security.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Each year we gather and get information from our top security officials. There are three issues that are existential that are at the top of the list: nuclear war, pandemics, and climate change. Those are the big three.

The gentleman from Pennsylvania might have his own opinions, but I dare say he is far out of step with the priorities of all of our defense leaders and our top security officials.

In terms of being efficient, this couldn't be more efficient. Instead of creating new bureaucracies within the Department of Defense, we are taking an existing framework that is there globally by using our embassies. We are being more efficient, reducing more expense, and reducing more bureaucracies in a way to deal with this most important issue.

Again, I urge all of my colleagues to join with me on this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this is an issue that has been reinforced by this administration, the past administration, the administration before it. With all due respect to a lot of other people in uniform, in combat positions and in leadership positions, it has been a consistent strain of continuous concern.

If you are worried about diverting DOD, this approach shares that responsibility. In fact, this amendment alone places it all with the Department of State, in that respect.

Again, some of the arguments you gave really are arguments that I have, and I think some of the arguments you gave clearly reinforce the fact that this is an important amendment and should pass.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Chief Kevin Nord as he retires from the Duxbury Fire Department after 44 years of service to our community.

With a passion for helping others from a young age, Chief Nord first began his career in 1978, as an on-call firefighter with the Kingston Fire Department. Rising through the ranks, Chief Nord went on to become an EMT, paramedic, and fire captain in 1994. During his tenure with the Kingston Fire Department, Chief Nord established the Plymouth County Fire & Rescue Training Association, served as president of the International Association of Firefighters Local 2337, and was appointed as

the Kingston Fire Department's first medical system coordinator.

Chief Nord's commitment to protecting both the public and his fellow emergency responders did not go unnoticed. In 2004, after 26 years with the Kingston Fire Department, Chief Nord was named fire chief of the Duxbury Fire Department. During Chief Nord's 18 years with the Duxbury Fire Department, Nord worked to increase diversity within the department by hiring more women, supervised the growth of the department with a new firefighters' quarter being added to the Central Fire Station, and served as the director of Duxbury's Emergency Management Agency, leading the town's response during blizzards, hurricanes, and power outages. Recognizing the advantages and importance of his medical training, Chief Nord advocated for his firefighters to become paramedics, hired more EMTs to the department, and had the Duxbury Fire Department incorporate advanced life support protocols.

Chief Nord has served as a leader not only to those in the Kingston and Duxbury Fire Departments, but also to firefighters across the Commonwealth. Throughout his career, Chief Nord chaired the Massachusetts Technical Rescue Coordinating Council and the Southeastern Massachusetts Technical Rescue Team, initiated the Regional Old Colony Communications Center, which handles 911 calls and dispatches emergency services to Duxbury and several other surrounding towns, and established the Plymouth County Critical Incident Stress Management Team--a group that assists first responders address job related stress and trauma. As a founding member of the Plymouth County Critical Incident Stress Management Team, Chief Nord and his team provided support to first responders at the World Trade Center following the attacks on September 11, 2001.

Chief Nord has devoted his career to helping and protecting all throughout the South Shore. After 44 years of service, Chief Nord will officially retire on July 15th, and plans to travel across the Trans America Trail on his motorcycle.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor Chief Kevin Nord. I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing his career and commitment to serving his community.

Madam Speaker, I was unable to cast a vote during last night's vote series. I would have voted to retain Title Ill, which is consistent with my voting for the final passage of H.R. 7910. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 239.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the Tifereth Israel Congregation of New Bedford, Massachusetts.

As the Jewish population of New Bedford grew in the 1920s, so did the need for a new synagogue. On November 17, 1921, the Tifereth Israel Congregation was chartered and has continued to serve the Greater New Bedford area for over 100 years. The original Tifereth Israel Synagogue still stands at 42 South Sixth Street; however, in 1966, during a two- week celebration, elders of the congregation moved sacred Torahs to the newly constructed synagogue on Brownell Avenue with over 800 people attending the dedication ceremonies.

Today, the Tifereth Israel Congregation remains a pillar of the community offering a variety of programs, including Bar and Bat Mitzvah classes, the Minyan Breakfast Club, the United Youth Program, as well as the Tifereth Israel Sisterhood and Men's Club. The Tifereth Israel Congregation--currently led by Rabbi Raphael Kanter, who has served as the congregation's spiritual leader since 1997--is known for being a kind and welcoming place of worship, promoting the message of respecting all, even when beliefs may differ.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor the 100th anniversary of the Tifereth Israel Congregation. I ask that my colleagues join me in thanking them for their invaluable service and wishing them all the best in the many years to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Immigrants' Assistance Center of New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Founded in 1971 by members of the New Bedford Portuguese community, the Immigrants' Assistance Center has served as an invaluable resource to the Southcoast of Massachusetts for over 50 years. Working with 12,000 immigrants and non-English speakers a year, the Immigrants' Assistance Center provides case management and legal assistance all throughout the immigration process and road to citizenship. The multilingual staff offers language and literacy classes and works tirelessly to ensure work force readiness by assisting members of the immigrant community obtain employment to become financially self- sufficient.

With its dedicated staff advising clients on the steps necessary to access essential resources--such as food, clothing, shelter, and healthcare--the Immigrants' Assistance Center is the organization that many look to for guidance when first coming to the U.S. This incredible organization assists members of the community in a variety of circumstances and across all ages. From their at-risk youth program to their elder services program, which provides healthcare coordination assistance as well as a weekly Health, Wellness, and Social program, it is clear why the Immigrants' Assistance Center has grown to become a pillar of the Greater New Bedford area.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor the 50th anniversary of the Immigrants' Assistance Center for their dedication to bettering their community. I ask that my colleagues join me in thanking them for their service and wishing them all the best in the years to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Jay Zavala, as he is named the 2022 Outstanding Citizen of the Year by the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce.

Jay moved to Falmouth, Massachusetts, in 2000, and has since established himself as a pillar of the community through his extensive involvement with the town over the past two decades. Jay, a veteran of the Vietnam War, writes, produces, and hosts the Town of Falmouth's Annual Veterans Appreciation Breakfast each year. With a knack for TV production, Jay also sits on the Falmouth Community Television Advisory Council and works as a FCTV production volunteer.

After being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2016, Jay joined the American Parkinson Disease Association Massachusetts Chapter, and was later elected Vice President of the chapter. In recognition of Jay's advocacy on behalf of individuals with Parkinson's disease and their caregivers, Jay was named the 2021 honoree for the third annual APDA MA-Cape Cod Optimism Walk.

Following a career in government contracting, corporate marketing and sales, and independent business consulting, Jay applied his professional expertise and commitment to community service to a series of productive pursuits. Jay served as President and CEO of the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the Continuing and Adult Education Advisory Committee of Upper Cape Regional Technical School, and Vice Chair of the Cape Cod Commission. Further, Jay has served on the board of directors for several local organizations, including Friends of Fairwinds Clubhouse, Falmouth Housing Trust, Open Cape Corporation, and the Falmouth Economic Development and Industrial Corporation. Through his civic engagement, Jay has devoted his life to supporting and bettering his community.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor Jay Zavala and ask that my colleagues join me in commending him for his many years of dedication and service to the Cape Cod community and our country.

Mr. Speaker, I associate myself with the remarks of my colleagues regarding our late colleague Don Young, my friend, someone I worked with on fishing issues, ferry issues, air service issues. He will be sorely missed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6865, which makes significant investments in the extraordinary work of the United States Coast Guard.

I have deep concerns, though, about one provision in the bill regarding the sole-sourced crewing of foreign vessels needed to construct the first offshore wind projects in our country. This language will prevent existing crews from building already planned offshore wind projects years before the ships can be built and long before American seamen are trained to take on these jobs.

We all support U.S. jobs, but here at home, this industry is at its relative infancy. The requirements in this provision will prevent participation of the existing fleet of vessels needed to begin construction on these projects while no U.S. alternative exists.

This will cost us jobs, jeopardizing more than 3,600 jobs, largely union jobs, from the Vineyard Wind project in my district alone and create years of delays to the building of offshore wind projects with an estimated 20,000 new jobs across the eastern seaboard.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the chairman to work with me to amend this language in conference to ensure that the United States does not falter as we take our first steps into this burgeoning industry, one that will increase our energy independence, create American jobs, and move us away from our reliance on fossil fuels.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 888) expressing the hope for justice for the victims of Bloody Sunday, one of the most tragic of days during the Troubles, on its 50th anniversary as well as acknowledging the progress made in fostering peace in Northern Ireland and on the island of Ireland in recent decades, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H. Res. 888, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my resolution expressing the hope for justice for the victims of Bloody Sunday, one of the most tragic days of the Troubles, a violent time which lasted 30 years from approximately 1968 to 1998.

This resolution acknowledges the progress made in fostering peace on the island of Ireland in recent decades and calls on all parties to come together to ensure full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.

This resolution comes at an important time during the 50th-year anniversary of the massacre and on St. Patrick's Day, a day where people of Irish descent around the world remember our roots and celebrate our history. I am proud the resolution is moving forward on this day of all days.

First, I thank many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their sponsorship of this resolution. To the original cosponsors-- Representatives Richie Neal, Mike Kelly, Brian Fitzpatrick, David Cicilline, Jim McGovern, Nicole Malliotakis, Gerry Connolly, Juan Vargas, and Tom Suozzi--and almost 40 other cosponsors, I am grateful for their support and for their longstanding work on this issue.

I also express my deepest gratitude to Chair Meeks, Ranking Member McCaul, Leader Hoyer, and the House Foreign Affairs Committee staff for their support of this resolution.

As a member and as a former chair of the Europe, Energy, the Environment and Cyber Subcommittee himself, Chair Meeks understands firsthand the importance of peace and stability on the island of Ireland.

I introduced this resolution to honor the lives lost during Bloody Sunday, a singular day amidst a long period of struggle that exacerbated the conflict in Northern Ireland.

On January 30, 1972, I was a college student in Boston, a city known for its deep connection to Irish-American culture. I vividly recall the images and displays of unbridled violence during a peaceful protest in Derry that reverberated throughout the world. Even today, I remain deeply affected by the actions of British soldiers that led to the wounding of 26 unarmed civilians and the death of 14 individuals.

On January 30, 2022, as 50 years had passed, I expressed to the families of the victims my firm belief that Bloody Sunday represents one of the deadliest injustices to take place during the Troubles. I underline that as we continue to mourn the loss of those who perished that day, we must also advocate for justice while taking the necessary steps to build a more peaceful future.

As I expressed to the families, accountability and justice for the events of Bloody Sunday must be achieved to ensure a long-lasting peace on the island of Ireland. While it has long been acknowledged that British soldiers were directly responsible for the murder of civilians on Bloody Sunday, those who suffered under this unlawful use of force continue to be denied an honest assessment of the events that took place in 1972. To date, not one of the individuals involved has been held accountable for their actions.

I want to state clearly: amnesty proposals by the government of the United Kingdom are disrespectful and deny due process to Bloody Sunday victims and their families. They run counter to the spirit of remarks of then-Prime Minister David Cameron who termed the events as unjustifiable and wrong. The evidence is clear: The individuals responsible for the violence that took place on that fateful day must be brought to justice.

Along with the avoidance of a hard border, these legacy issues remain as threats to and unfinished business of the Good Friday Agreement, an agreement few thought would ever occur. Both sides compromised. Its improbable success of diplomacy over violence inspires us today as Europe and the world face its greatest conflict in 80 years.

On St. Patrick's Day we take pride in the indispensable role the United States has played in forging the Good Friday Agreement. The Clinton Administration and congressional leaders worked tirelessly over two decades ago to implement the Good Friday Agreement and achieve peace through diplomacy. I admire the efforts of American leaders like Tip O'Neill; Ted Kennedy; George Mitchell; and my colleague, Richie Neal, who were all instrumental in negotiating a long-lasting peace.

I firmly believe the agreement accompanied by the efforts of community activists and leaders willing to work for peace and commit to a political framework was and remains essential to creating stability in the region. We must continue to support the ongoing efforts to promote integration and reconciliation and address the impacts of intergenerational trauma.

Leaders like Monica McWilliams and Jane Morrice, as well as countless others working on these issues today, recognize that peace does not begin and end only on Good Friday. The work they do and the work of others healed divided communities and should and must go on.

This resolution not only remembers those who lost their lives during the Troubles but also recognizes challenges and opportunities of maintaining the hard-fought peace that followed. Let Bloody Sunday serve as a reminder of the hard work and pain to achieve harmony.

Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for his support and for his bipartisan efforts at healing and moving forward.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brendan F. Boyle), who is a friend of Ireland and a friend of mine. He is a champion of civil rights causes.

Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal), a champion of the Good Friday Agreement, a person who I mentioned in my remarks was there at the time, working to make it successful. Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement have no greater leader and supporter.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), a champion of civil rights here in this country, a civil rights movement in this country that helped inspire the Good Friday Agreement.

Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Representative Meuser, for his very eloquent remarks and his bipartisan support and leadership on this issue for Ireland.

I want to record and reflect upon the people lost during these tragic events marked by Bloody Sunday. They are John ``Jack'' Duddy, Patrick ``Paddy'' Doherty, Bernard ``Barney'' McGuigan, Hugh Gilmour, Kevin McElhinney, Michael Kelly, John Young, William Nash, Michael McDaid, James Wray, Gerald Donaghy, Gerard McKinney, William McKinney, and John Johnston.

We need to remember and memorialize these people, young and old, who stood peacefully, and in defiance, in their support for their values.

While many, rightfully so, have been commended for their work to bring peace to the island of Ireland, the victims of the Bloody Sunday massacre made the ultimate sacrifice, fighting against repression and demanding peace.

To the victims of Bloody Sunday; all victims of The Troubles, including the disappeared; the families of the victims; and the people of Ireland and Northern Ireland, I say this directly to you: We, in Congress, remember. We, in Congress, stand with you. We, in Congress, know there is much more work still to be done.

I introduced this resolution to demonstrate our solidarity with you, and I urge passage to signal that we will continue to fight for peace and stability on the island of Ireland.

With that spirit, I wish you all a happy St. Patrick's Day, and I urge all of my colleagues to join us by voting in the affirmative on this important resolution.

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